Why is home heating wiring so low tech? Having recently had to struggle with the wiring on my home heating (y plan) to get it working with a nest, I would like to know why central heating systems are not more modern:

Why isn't there a central controller that receives information from all sensors (tank temp, boiler temp etc) and outputs commands to valves/pump/boiler rather than the series style wiring (programmer commands stat commands valve commands boiler).

Is it just a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it? , getting a single standard would be a pain , reliability and ease of maintenance or is there something more to why heating systems are relatively low tech to 'smart' tech?

I ask purely out of interest (not to criticise the existing wiring systems), I am interested to know if with having more localised generation (pv cells etc) if heating systems could become smarter and more efficient; use the pv cells if there is excess generation or if a home battery has charge, switch on an immersion heater instead of gas boiler for one example.

I am happy to admit the simplicity of it does allow for modification (shove an arduino in there with some relays etc).

why central heating systems are not more modern

Because the established systems like Honeywell Y-plan or S-plan have
many benefits ...

Low cost parts, simpler and sold in volume.
lower cost maintenance - heating engineers are used to these arrangements
and know how to diagnose problems.
Fail-safe. A fault in a sensor can't turn on a boiler without turning on a pump.
Compatibility - the traditional programmer has a common backplate
used by most manufacturers. You can snap in a new programmer
without rewiring.
Reliability - most failures are due to wear in pumps and zone-valves, or
due to lack of maintenance of the boiler.
Internet appliance makers have an appalling record for security, privacy etc.
I can buy parts and accessories for a 30-year old system. There's
no track record for companies like Nest - we don't yet know whether
they will be around in 30 years time or whether they will make
drop-in replacements for current products.
Vladmir Putin's henchmen can't hack your heating to improve GazProm revenue.

So far as I can tell, systems like Nest only have significant benefit if your
lifestyle is erratic and you need to remotely instruct your house to keep cold to save money.

  Why isn't there a central controller

There seems to be a trend where more of the functionality is incorporated into the boiler. For example it is becoming more common for the boiler to control the pump so that it can run-on after the boiler stops, thus removing residual heat from the boiler.

Of course, systems like Nest don't change much of the above, they are designed to slot into those types of system. Often they function as a combined programmer and room-thermostat replacement with additional features.

Hacking Nest

Random example showing industry standard backplate interoperability:


Will walls need re-plastering after removal of painted wallpaper? Getting ready to buy for the first time and so I'm trying to prepare myself for renovation projects. I'm mostly looking at old Scottish Victorian tenement flats.
The one I viewed earlier today is a second one where all the walls are covered by a semi-gloss beige paint spread over some kind of strips stuck to the wall. You can tell the places where one strip joins with the next, in some places they come off a bit (see the photo). There are also places where the wall isn't smooth i.e. there are lines and patches of wall being indented or protruding a few millimetres in contrast with the surrounding surface.
Needless to say, I'd probably want to make the walls nicer, but I have a few questions:

Presumably I'd need to remove the wallpaper-like thing from the walls. What kind of treatment would the walls need after that and before I apply a new paint or wallpaper? Would I need to re-plaster? I know that sometimes it's a game of chance but in general how common it is to mess up the underlying lime plaster when redoing the wall surfaces?
Is the only way to get rid of the unevenness of the walls re-plastering?

Thanks!

You won't need to re-plaster regardless. If anything, a light skim coat will flatten things out after paper removal.
My approach would be to peel and scrape away as much of the paper as is practical using common techniques--putty knives, steam, paper adhesive solvent. Once that's done and the wall has dried, seal it with a good primer to lock down all the paper fibers. Now skim with joint compound and texture if desired. Prime again and paint.
I would not add wallboard. That creates problems with drim, door jambs, etc.


Wiring in false chimney breast I am installing a wood burner with a false chimney breast around a double skinned flue. The chimney breast will be metal stud (or do you only call it a stud if it's wood?) with fire board as per regs about distance between the flue and combustible material. I have several wires that I would like to run down the inside of the stud work, like you would for a normal dry wall. Is wiring combustible? If so is there a trunking that I can place it in? I could get metal trunking - this would stop it burning, but would it stop it melting!?
I've found quite a few other similar questions, however I wasn't sure in most of them if the fireplace was in use/if they were asking if they could use the old flue as a duct for wiring!!

I don't think it would be a good idea.
It would be vital you to know the possible ambient temperature of the space you are running you're conductors or cabling while the heater was running. Basic apprenticeship instruction teaches that heat has the greatest effect on the function of your circuitry.
NEC Table 310.15(B)(2) shows the multiplier you should use when calculating the current carrying conductors when your ambient temperature exceeds 104F or 40C. Even if you were using 90C insulation if you exceed 80C or 170F you should not use it at all. This would not melt the insulation and is certainly below combustible material levels, but it would effect your circuitry and its ability to carry current.
So if you have no other option but to run new circuits down this chase. You really need to be absolute on the ambient operating air temperature and the types of electrical methods and material you can use to make it safe.
If this sounds like a little much for yourself as an individual, you might need to consult a professional to make the necessary calculations and recommendations.
Good luck and stay safe.


Stripping parquet floor glue to install underfloor heating We have a huge lounge in our new house (in the UK) and it is covered with parquet flooring which we dislike. The little wooden blocks are starting to work loose here and there, so I don't see it as too much of a problem to remove them.

However, I expect the layer of black tar/bitumen/glue underneath is going to be rather firmly attached to the concrete base. I don't fancy scraping it off by hand. The room is 29x12ft!

Since the room is always cold in winter, despite 2 wall-mounted radiators, I am thinking about installing underfloor heating (plastic pipe with hot water from the main boiler). The cost/effort of digging down an inch or two to make space for the pipes will absorb the problem of the black sticky stuff on top!

So the question is: How much do I need to dig out (how deep, and over what percentage of the floor area) or should I forget the underfloor pipe idea (because you know a better way to strip the tar off)?

You don't mention the age of the 'new' house....

It depends on the floors construction. Standard is to have a 50 to 75mm screed on top of a 100mm ish concrete subfloor on top of 150mm crushed and compacted hardcore/stone. Insulation has only been added since the 1990's.

If so, you'd need to remove the whole screed and hope that it's not terribly bonded to the concrete subfloor (sometimes is, sometimes not).

But I'm worried about any house old enough to have original parquet flooring. It's possible that the little wooden blocks are glued straight on on top of a concrete subfloor. Then you're in trouble.

Removing or digging out as you say to a specific depth in concrete is difficult. It's usually easier to remove the thing and start over.

Also heating a floor without insulation underneath is pretty ineffective, again it's best to... Remove the floor, dig out, insulate, new membrane, new concrete, heating pipes set into a new screen. Floor covering of your choice.

A lot of work. However there are mechanical scraper devices for removing sticky substances/adhesives, but I'll not lie to you, whichever way you do it will be hard work and take a while. Depending on age I'd have some of the black adhesive tested for asbestos too, as it's possible.... (but don't panic, just don't create dust whilst working on the adhesive. Tests are cheap, £30 or so)

Re: new info/comment...

Yes, insulation stops the heat going the wrong way if you like. There's a couple of schools of thought, one is to insulate directly under the heat source, throwing all the heat upwards and some like to insulate under the 'mass' if you like, then the heat soaks into the mass (concrete slab say) which acts much like a storage heater, evening out heat fluctuations etc.

You'll struggle to dig out the middle because of sealing the membrane etc.

Thinnest/cheapest way IMHO is to (either follow what AndyT said) or glue back any loose blocks roughly, sand the whole thing flat (again roughly) and then fit a new laminate floor over a heating mat. Try to get both from the same company for best reassurance. Pergo 'quickheat' is as good as any.

You'd probably get it all in around 22mm or so.


Is the 2nd black wire the ground? I'm replacing a vanity light and there are 2 back wires 1 is hot and 1 white neutral wire. Also, the ground wire attached to the old light was connected to the hot wire.

Yes, that is your ground wire.
That second "black" wire actually isn't a black-insulated wire at all; it's bare copper that's badly tarnished. You can see that it's a slightly different color than the other black wire, and also a little thinner (because it is not insulated). If you scrape it a little bit, you should see shiny copper.  Bare copper always indicates a ground.
I would recommend taking a bit of sand paper and cleaning the oxidation off before you attach it to anything else -- it'll make a much better electrical connection that way.


Can I reverse my heating zone? I have a three zone hot water boiler based heating system. The boiler is currently at one end of my ranch style house. The radiators appear to be directionless (no valves or anything). One of the zones covers approximately half my house and it goes LR/DR->Family Room->Master BR then back to the boiler. The MBR is already a cold room for a multitude of reasons (above garage, low radiator to room size ratio and 2 exterior walls) and we are never in the LR/DR but in the current setup it is always significantly warmer than the Family Room (room we are in the most and the location of the thermostat) and Master BR.

Would it be possible to drain the zone and reverse the in/out pipes so the flow reverses to MBR-> FR ->LR/DR?

I feel like this would work better than using remote sensors with a smart thermostat (I am installing an ecobee anyway for easier control) because the remote sensors would just force the heat on more to make the Family Room and MBR more comfortable while the LR/DR would be sweltering and wasteful.

Below I added a picture of the current valve setup, piping example and the input side of the boiler. I definitely have a single loop setup and I realized the zone goes LR/DR->MBR->FR (or so I hope).

I think I may follow some of the advice and just add a new zone and split the LR/DR off. I need to do some digging because the MBR is over the garage and the pipes are inaccessible without tearing out the garage ceiling but as long as I can find where the pipe goes I can splice it.

If the radiation is finned tube and you can access the piping from below, you could break-up or split that run in half by running another supply or return connected to the near middle of the run and/or add finned tube radiation in the colder rooms. If you are going to redesign the heating system why not zone some or all the system. You need to answer a few questions such as how the radiation is piped (single loop, mono-flow, etc). There is a lot of possible fixes depending upon just how the system is presently installed. Let us know and add pictures if you can.


Can I use TC-ER Cu Awg 4-3 THHN for a shed sub-panel? I'm installing a subpanel in a shed and my buddy has 150 ft of leftover TC-ER Cu Awg 4-3 THHN w/ #8 GND, which he got here: https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/4-3c-thhn-pvc-tray-cable-with-ground
Is there any issue running that from my main panel, thru the attached garage, into my attic, out thru the exterior wall, down the wall into the ground, along the ground, and up into the shed?
I am hoping to run the interior sections without conduit (though I could) and the only conduit during the exterior wall (maybe studs?) and underground sections.
The other points are:
125-150ft from main to sub,
70 amp breaker,
2 grounding rods 6 ft apart,
No neutral bonding

Type TC cable is for tray cables it requires a cable tray or raceway.
Smurf tube would be the perfect option inside the home as it is cheap and flexible. Non metallic flex conduit is commonly called smurf tube because it is often blue, but could be other colors orange is usually reserved for fiber but that doesn't stop a user for using it in there home for this.
The cable is wet rated and can be direct buried if rated for direct burial if not it will require conduit for the conditions.
The information can be found in article 336 of the NEC it’s only ~2 pages long so not hard to read up on this type of wire.
When sizing the conduit a single wire or cable is limited to a 53% max fill I did not see tc listed for area so you may need to measure yours and make sure the conduit you use inside the home is large enough. For the cable you are using.


Is it normal to have a bulge along the seam between pieces of drywall? We are just finishing up (cross our fingers) our first Wisconsin winter in our new (to us) home and the other day notice something strange along the exterior walls. Roughly 4 ft up from the floor a horizontal line is visible that continues down the exterior wall. If you run your hand down the wall (From top to bottom), you can feel a slight bulge right where the line is. It seems to be at the seam of the drywall.

The house is roughly 40 years old. There are no cracks in the anywhere on the drywall, which leads me to rule out a foundation issue. Could this be bad mud/taping/hanging job the builder?   or cold weather related? or something else?

A typical horiontal seam for drywall occurs at 4ft.  Usually its the best seam because the 2 long edges (of a 4'x8' sheet) are usually tapered, making a blended seam nearly perfectly flat.

Fixing this depends on how perfect you want it to be.

Nearly perfect: rough up paint 15" above and below bulge.
Using bulge as a guide, put down general purpose joint compound above and below with a 12" taping knife.  You are building a ramped area that will fool the eye, because it extends over 24"

When dry, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper blocks. Shine light along wall from above. If no prominant shadows emerge, paint and enjoy.

If not, recoat and resand. I've never had to go beyond +/- 12" to hide a seam.

Is the wall flat? No. Is it not noticeable by casual inspection? Probably.

Perfect is a whole 'nother chapter.


What's a good way to install a threaded valve so that it can easily be replaced? I am using a US Solid Motorized Ball Valve to control the water flow through a stream in my front yard. It works quite well when it works, though I've discovered that it seems to burn out and need to be replaced periodically. The code in the Arduino I'm using to control it could probably be improved so that it doesn't cycle the valve as much, but in the mean time, having to replace it is a bit of a pain. It has female threads on both ends, so unscrewing it means also having to dig up and unscrew a good portion of the piping around it. This is how it's installed now:

It's screwed in to pipes on both sides. Besides the fact that the pipes seem to be solidly rusted into the valve, its tight positioning means to replace it I have to dig up all of my piping and then replace and re-seal the sheeting and rocks on top afterwards. I'd like to make my design maintainable so that if and when the valve needs to be replaced, the procedure to do it is as non-invasive as possible. What are good ways to connect it in so it's less of a pain to replace?

You'll need a fitting that allows rotation so the threaded fitting can be made up or disassembled. You may also need something that allows expansion/contraction of the assembly, if the layout of your piping (or the fact of it being buried in soil) prevents the piping itself from moving enough.
Unions are one such fitting. Normally you'd need to use a union on each side of the valve, though if the pipes can move around a fair amount, a single union could do.

Another possibility is a slip repair coupling. These telescope several inches and rotate freely. Attach a threaded adapter to one or both ends as needed for your system. You might consider this to be even easier to use than a union for several reasons. For example, alignment isn't a problem and the telescoping feature gives a significant amount of room to work. They're also small enough that the pipe wrench you already have will work -- unions, especially those made of PVC, tend to have a very large-diameter nut. Another nice thing is that the body of this fitting could be buried outside your valve box -- only the inner telescoping piece needs to be pulled into the valve box.

One other option is a left-right coupler/nipple set. This is a nipple and a coupler that each have a normal right-hand pipe thread on one end and a left-hand pipe thread on the other end. These are almost like magic. When a normal threaded coupler is rotated one end would grow tighter while the other end grows looser. The left-right coupler tightens or loosens both ends at the same time. These are usually used for gas service inside a building, but I don't see a reason why they couldn't be used for landscape water outdoors.

Thanks to supplyhouse.com for the representative photos.


How can I mend a broken bathroom sink drain pipe? I removed the P-trap from underneath my bathroom sink and cleaned out a messy clog. (Blech!)

I thought all was going well, but as I was reinstalling the trap, the metal pipe detached from from the stub of piping leading down from the top of the sink (as in the photo). It felt like the two pieces had been very lightly sealed together.

In your answer, please take into account my basic plumbing knowledge. If you use a term fancier than "pipe," please define it.

Thanks for your help.

What you need to replace is the "drain assembly" or "pop up". Here's a link to a sample:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Push-Pop-Up-Drain-Assembly-in-Chrome-with-Overflow-Holes-72173/204154080

There's every chance you've got a 1-1/4", but maybe it's 1-1/2", so bring your old part with you to the plumbing place or big box.

Don't buy a plastic one. They're terrible.

I'm assuming you've not got a lever assembly to close the drain. (Typically, that's a little rod behind the faucet.) Just be sure to buy one that matches what you have now.

Beyond that, you'll need a big wrench to undo/redo the nut, and some plumber's putty to get back in business. (Some instructions these days suggest silicone around the top of the assembly... I wouldn't do it.)


Does HVAC lineset need to be grounded? My HVAC contractor says the installation of the line set between the air handler and the condenser outside is complete but he has not grounded the lines.

Do HVAC copper pipes need to be grounded?

Metal lines connected by metal fittings to metal enclosures which actually have power connected to them, and therefore also have grounds connected to them - so, they already are grounded.


How can I drill a hole in a small stick of wood? I need to make a few arrow shafts hollow, they're about 1/2" thick.

Example:

There would have to be enough space in the middle to put iron wire in it (the thickness of an old coat hanger)

This sounds like a long pencil with a wire instead of a lead.  There are a number of videos and pictures showing how pencils are made on the web.  What it boils down to is that first you make the holes (grooves actually, since you do it in halves), and then you make the sticks round.  Much easier than the other way around.

If you need to make a lot of them I think it will be safer and more efficient to do adapt the pencil manufacturing method to your job.


Mold on below grade garage block walls I have a below grade 2 car internal garage.  Basically the house is built into a slope that rises toward the back yard with the garage doors on the front of the house.  So the rear wall is completely below grade with the left side going from partially below grade (door side) to completely below where it meets up with the back wall.  When we first purchased this home in 2002 there was evidence of water penetration on the back wall.  We did some grading on the rear-outside that showed some improvement, but we still were getting some water in the garage with heavy rain.  Next was the downspout.  I dug up the pipe that ran down to the street and found that it was collapsed in places and full of mud.  So there was not much water getting through to the street.  So we replaced that as well.  I thought my problems were solved until the next deluge.  There was still some water building up on the walls and eventually trickling down toward the floor drain in the center of the floor.  As far as home-owner performing tasks, I believe that I exhausted things I could possibly do myself to remedy the water problem.  I got some estimates from a few basement waterproofing companies.  They all wanted to put an interior weeping tile system combined with a sump pump.  I was reluctant to go this route because I wanted to prevent the water from entering my house.  Allowing it to enter and then pumping it back out seemed kinda silly.  When I asked them about excavating on the outside they would balk at that solution.  I figured they would since their bread and butter seems to be putting a band-aid on the problem instead of solving it at the source.  So I hired a local equipment operator to excavate.  He got me down to below the footer so I could lay down a perforated PVC pipe.  With the earth removed I pressure washed and put a few coats of a liquid rubber foundation sealer on the walls.  When the last coat tacked up a bit we put a 6mil vapor shield plastic sheet over the wall.  With the pipe socked I opted to also make a giant filtration sock for the gravel layer.  For this I used a 8 oz geotextile fabric.  So after backfilling all but about the last 15 inches with gravel I have a socked perf pipe surrounded by a giant gravel sock.  This has worked wonderful for the past 18 years.  I get no water penetration on the foundation walls since the time of completion.  The water exiting the pipe is still coming out clean during heavy rains.  The problem I still have is mold on the walls in the garage.  Mostly in the corners where the block walls meet.  Every spring/summer I pull workbenches and tool and storage boxes away from the walls, spray them down with a bleach mixture, followed by a scrub and a rinse.  Last year I paid extra for a solution from Bactronix hoping this would keep the mold at bay a bit longer.  I also run a dehumidifier 24-7 in the garage.  Neither helped as I still see mold growing on the bottom courses of those blocks.  I'm not sure what else to do, or if there is anything I can do to keep mold off of those walls in a non-climate controlled section of the house.  (no vents or returns in there obviously).  I've also done my best to seal the garage doors with new side and door bottom seals.  I assume moisture just simply permeates through the block floor causing my continuing mold issues.  Is there anything I can do to keep the mold from coming back?

Get some hydrogen peroxide, dilute to 7% with water and spray or roll it on the blocks. Within 24 hours the mold is gone any that is still left reapply and that usually takes care of mold on concrete block sometimes a 3rd round then an occasional treatment keeps the concrete bright.
No chemical residue to worry about the hydrogen peroxide breaks back down into water and oxygen.
If you get strong hydrogen peroxide on your hair it will bleach it, gloves and glasses should be worn.
I purchase my hydrogen peroxide online at ?30% in gallons but I live in Oregon and some places have year round mold problems I kill mold prior to working with it because I don’t want to breathe it.
Just a note I am not sure how long it lasts but if not kept in a dark cool area it turns back to water after a few years so far mine gets used before that long as it is a great sanitizer with no bleach stink (learned that working in a hospital years back).


Should I remove this carpet glue from basement concrete before laying a floating floor? I'm looking to remove my basement carpet and replace with a floating floor. Not sure if I need to scrap up this glue when I will be laying a 6 mil vapor barrier over the concrete anyways. The black part in the picture is where I tried scraping some of the glue.

if you follow the directions for the new flooring, the answer would be yes, to scrape it all up. here's the thing, when doing floating flooring, the floor underneath needs to be smooth, or you could feel imperfections through the floor as you walk. now that being said, as long as there are no big ridges in the glue and its all smooth, you should be able to get away without removing it. make sure that you remove all of the old tack strips and nails, getting the subfloor/concrete as smooth as you can before you install the new flooring.

I put in laminate flooring with attached underlayment back in april. There were a couple of spots on my subfloor that were not 100% even, joints in that were off by 1/4" and I was able to leave them, and now you cant even tell they are there.


Suddenly spongy/creaky floorboard patch. What's going on? We've owned this house for about 2.5 years. All hardwood floors upstairs. We put a new bedroom set (considerably larger and heavier than before) in one upstairs room a couple of months ago.

In the past week, I've noticed a patch about 2'x2' that suddenly creaks and sinks slightly when you step on it. This is definitely a new thing.

The room is close to the upstairs bathroom, but none of the pipes really run near it. We have a pull-up bar in a door frame below that area, but it's been there for a year or so.

The patch is not particularly near the exterior walls or structural walls.

I am mystified. What could cause such a sudden change?

Most obvious are dry rot, termites, and moisture damage. It could be a very slow leak because even if the pipe is further away--water often goes mysteries ways.

Or maybe as simple as a fastener settling.

I would just keep an eye on it and see what happens next.


Can this 35lb mirror mount on this wall? To mount a 35lb wood framed antique mirror, I got 4" long concrete screws on recommendation from someone. They're 200lb load screws. The wall is above a fireplace and has half an inch of plaster followed underneath by concrete or possibly brick (we're not sure). Looked more like concrete, not really red.

So that's about 3" that are in the concrete, 5/8" of that is only in plaster and there's about a 1/4" sticking out and kind of hovering in a slightly oversized drill hole. I've included photos.

Should I fill in those gaps in the drill hole with spackle? Something else? Or just leave it because those screws are secure enough to hold the mirror?

Those apear to be Tapcon type screws with 2 there should be no problem supporting the load. I would probably add a washer to each screw so the wire cannot jump off the head if the mirror is adjusted. I would not worry about trying to fill the hole around the shaft of the screw it will support the load and if filled when removing the screw at a later date it may break the plaster.


Repairing a broken screw hole on a plastic junction ceiling box? One of the screw holes on a junction box on my ceiling has fallen apart, leaving a hole that is too big to fix a screw into (see top of picture). As a result, I cannot hang my smoke detector from the junction box, since the detector hangs from the heads of the screws.

I was trying to see if there was something I could fill the hole with to then make a new hole for the screw. This would save me the cost and hassle of having the box replaced, which I assume would require cutting into the ceiling (the box seems to be affixed to a brace above the ceiling that runs between two joists, since all I see is the head of a bolt at the top of the box and no nail heads anywhere). Any thoughts on what I could do here?

Thanks

That box is a type of plastic called Bakelite. It's tough, but brittle. If you're careful, you can break the box apart without damaging the ceiling. If you have a hole saw, you can probably drill out around the rivet heads you see in the back of the box and it will come right out.

Then you can replace it with a new "old work" box.


Repair broken button from dishwasher controller plastic case So recently my dishwasher stopped working.

After disassembling, I found out that the problem was just the on/off button. It won't work because when you press it, it pushes a plastic piece that is broken. There are 4 buttons (1 and 3) in the picture. The one broken is the one to the left by itself.

It's a very small problem, but a replacement is expensive because you have to buy the entire piece with the circuit included. Any idea on how to fix this?

Here's a picture of a new plastic case:

And here mine with the left button plastic piece missing:

Have you tried looking for a secondhand part? Or a similar model dead from pump failure etc.
Our plastic handle/fascia broke. £70 for new one. Taped it up then put a search on a well known auction site. After a few months the part turned up for £15 all in.


Do I need to cut the bottom row of tiles for a shower wall to keep them level? I'm confused how to begin tiling and adjusting the first row.
Do I need to grind all the tiles from 2,3 to the end so they can be leveled with number one?
Or if I raised number 1ittle bit to level with number 2 will be easier but then I will have a little bit bigger gap from the tub side?
Please also notice that number one also need to be ground from the right side (as it's like this without a spacer)
The spacers used is 1/16".

I do not set the bottom row first. I  start with the second row and tile on up.
I use a ledger board ( a straight furring strip or 1x2 ) at the correct height so that the bottom of the tile of the second row is slightly lower then the height of the tile that will be the first row. You need to figure out the  correct height to place your ledger board.   Make sure you do not leave to big of a space, check all around the perimeter. Use a level to mark that line so you can place your ledger board level.
Doing it this way insures that you start level, plum and true. ( because the lip of your tub is not ) Hopefully your walls in the corners are plumb and true but they frequently are not. ( make sure you do not leave a sliver of a space to fill at the corners )
The next day when the tiles are set you remove your ledger board and do the bottom row, custom cutting the bottom of each tile to match the angle of the tub lip and leaving a small gap for caulking.


How to cut porcelain I need to shorten this porcelain leg to fit under a porcelain sink (the reason is complicated and not relevant).  I’m concerned that any cutting/sawing/grinding may crack the porcelain.  Any ideas are welcome.

Your local home center should have a carbide grit blade that attaches to a hacksaw handle. It looks like a thick piece of wire coated in coarse sand or a wide blade coated in a coarse material They are typically used to cut ceramic tile. Start slowly while going through the glazing. A piece of tape wrapped around the piece should limit chipping at the cut edge.


Can I install A/C in a home built in 1924 which has round heat ducts in the ceiling? Can I install A/C in a home built in 1924 which has round heat ducts in the ceiling? I am looking at homes to purchase in Milwaukee, WI. The home seems to have all it's ductwork above the ceiling, as the round registers are in the ceiling of each room. Most homes in this climate have basements where the ductwork and pipes are, because of the cold, but this home does not.

Sure -- or at least, there's nothing about having round ducts in the attic that would make A/C installation more difficult. In fact, because cold air is more dense than warm air, ceiling vents are usually considered better for cooling. The cool air flows down from the ceiling, helping ensure your rooms are evenly cooled. That's why many houses in warm climates tend to have vents in or near the ceiling. And why vents are typically low in colder climates.

If there is reason for concern here it's about the heating, not cooling. Is the attic space insulated? If not, then your ducts are going to lose heat in the uninsulated attic space, and the home will cost more to heat. This can be mitigated by good insulation & sealing around the ducts and vents. Secondly, assuming your vents go through the ceiling, there is also some additional heat loss through these ceiling penetrations. And finally, because the vents will need to blow heat down, they might not do as good a job at making your whole house feel evenly heated when it's cold outside (because hot air rises, but the vents are already up high).

None of this is a deal-breaker, though - just different design tradeoffs. If you want to evaluate the bottom line, ask for a few months' heating bills so you know what to expect. But also know that factors like good air sealing, attic insulation, windows, and an efficient furnace will make more of a difference than whether the ductwork is in the attic or basement.


How to patch small anchor holes in plaster wall and potentially reinstall anchors? We had a hook next to the one that you see in the picture. There was a towel on the hook and someone grabbed the towel and hung all of their weight on it and basically the anchors pulled out of the plaster wall.

The two big holes above the two small holes are from the anchors that held the hooks. The existing anchors don’t fit in the holes anymore. I can use a bigger anchor because the screw that come with the hook will be too small for the anchors.

Is there a way for me to patch the existing holes and then drill into them again to install anchors?

Since this is just a towel rack, not a catwalk in a power plant or something like that, I see no harm in tinkering a bit.

Very easy fix, use small zinc auger type anchors, they make a bigger hole in the drywall for a smaller screw, so these should work in the existing holes:

You want the zinc ones since you might want to unscrew this at some time.


Outdoor Motion Sensor Light Durability A motion sensor light is to be installed where it is exposed to the Florida outdoors.  How can one gauge (is there a metric?) if the fixture is durable (last 5+ years).
As you have probably already guessed: I am weary of replacing fixtures every year.  Any suggestions or lessons learned are always appreciated: thank you.

Yes if you buy no name china with no UL listing you will be changing the fixtures out regularly.
I would suggest LED and to assure long life you want a fixture that is DLC and UL certified UL underwriters laboratory, Design Light Consortium requires a 5 year warranty.
I purchase a large number of fixtures and lamps Every year and find good prices and the above 2 certifications in many products they sell.
Check our LEDMYPlace.com and 1000bulbs.com
I have no connection to either company other than having purchased at least 100 from each and the very few problems I have had are quickly taken care of.
But in any case the DLC certification in a lamp or fixture has provided long life in rough environments where non DLC from other parts of the world have had many failures in fact not many have lasted beyond their warranty.


What should I do with an old, unused septic tank in my yard? I have a septic tank in my yard that is no longer used.  Can I leave it there?  Should I remove it?  Fill it with something?  I'm not entirely sure of the building material used to construct it; I assume whatever was the customary materials in the pacific NW in the mid to late 50's.

You'll have to check codes, but I believe the usual procedure is to fill them with something like sand - since it's a septic tank, and since (I presume) you had it emptied before leaving it to rot, you probably don't need to clean it, just get it filled.

You can NOT just leave it there - eventually it will rot away and collapse, presenting a hazard at some unknown future time.

You might call around to the local septic companies and ask them what the usual procedure is in your area, they should know who can handle the fill-in of the tank properly.


How do you install a solar light tube through an outside wall into the basement? In renovating a basement, is it possible to install a solar-light-tube through the wall to the outside and still gather light?

I'm assuming you need at least one bend to do this? Otherwise you could just put in a window. Adding bends significantly decreases light transmission. The inlet also needs an open view of the sky for maximum light gathering. An inlet on or next to a wall cuts access at least in half, possibly more depending on orientation.

You could run it up to the roof just like a chimney, but added length also diminishes light transmission. These tubes are best with fairly straight, short runs. Complex installations are just not worth it. From what I've seen, even with simple installations, the transmitted light is only decent on bright sunny days. It's relatively weak otherwise.

In the end, the precise details of your installation would determine if this is practical. The manufacturer has recommended maximum bends and lengths in their installation instructions, based on a roof top inlet. The maximums should be reduced significantly for wall installations.


Selling house, and want to put in the easiest lowest cost patio in backyard Putting the house on the market soon, and the back door steps currently step right down to the lawn. I would like to put a patio-like landing area there, maybe 10'x 10'.

Approach: I'm considering applying herbicide, then a barrier cloth, then pebbles with a raised border, maybe wood to keep them in place. I don't know if the pebbles should go on a sand layer. I hope I don't have to dig 4 inches down or anything complex. The drainage in the area has been good. Over the last 10 years living here, this area doesn't flood, and drains away from the house well (but there's no mounded slope-- or let's say the slope is gradual). The grass is fairly thick the further out from the house, but turns to moss up close to the house on one side of house, and the other side has some bare patches.

What's are the pitfalls with this idea? I"m very open to better ideas, so long as they are not labor intensive, and the cost is pretty low. And the final product looks nicer than what we've got.

My recommendation is to not put in the patio.  Your efforts may lower the value to the buyer rather than raising it, especially if what you're planning to put in is the "easiest, lowest cost patio" rather than a landscaping masterpiece.

Like many kinds of projects, you will almost never get a financial return from the work and investment unless:

you understand the real estate market and know what will add value to your house
do those very targeted projects
have professional-level skills

Even worse, the buyer may have other ideas about what would be ideal for them.  You could end up saddling them with something that isn't what they want and doesn't meet their needs, or even something they then need to spend money and time on ripping out.

Even if you do the right projects, if you don't have professional-level skills, anything that comes out looking like a "homeowner special" will scare off buyers.

Putting your house on the market is a lot of work to do it right.  Don't wear yourself out doing projects that don't count.  Bring in a real estate agent or professional house stager to get advice on how to best prepare to showcase the house.  Putting in a patio isn't likely to be on the list.

You could even offer to knock the price down a little to reflect the savings and value of your time to not do a patio, which may be even more attractive to many buyers than your doing the work.


How to put vinyl click-together flooring up against cove base tile? I've got a bathroom project which (among other things) consists of putting in new 5mm click-together plank vinyl flooring.

To fully explain, I need to include the fact that there was some rotten wood flooring around the toilet of which I ripped up a couple layers of the pressed plywood, and am now in the process of trying to shim back up to level, so that I can lay a whole new layer of 5mm underlayment on top of the linoleum, and then the new flooring on top of that.

The issue I have is that bottom half of two of the bathroom walls is tiled, with the bottom row being cove base tile, which has a lip curving out at the bottom, like this:

Adding my 5mm underlayment will bring me about even with the top of lip, but then I've got a curve which I'm trying to lay the new flooring up against.

I have two main thoughts on how to handle:

Due to how click-together flooring connects, there are "top" lips on two sides of each plank, and "bottom" lips on the other two.  The "top" lip appears to fit pretty well over the tile lip (hope that makes sense), and I'm thinking I can throw something like liquid nails in there to fill in the gap, and thus get the flooring up pretty tight against the tile wall.
Something like this (excuse my paint skills):

Here's the only problem - in order to stagger the planks, I have to start the next row with a half plank, which means I've cut it and thus it has a straight edge.  Is it possible to router / bevel 5mm flooring so that it would fit against the lip??

Option 2 is take a cutoff wheel and try to cut the lip off the base tile as straight as possible to get both underlayment and tile to fit underneath.

I'm being told to go for option 2, however I don't think I'll be able to freehand cutoff wheel the tile very cleanly / straight, which means I'll likely have a very jagged edge (and maybe some cracked tiles) that the new flooring may or may not fit under.

Either way, I'm planning on filling in the gap(s) with color matching caulk as best as I can. Quarter round trim is unfortunately ruled out since I can't nail it into the wall (tile), and I guess you're not supposed to nail it down into the new flooring, believe it or not :P

Sorry for the book, any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated!

The only proper way to install a floating plank floor is UNDER the wall trim ( or cove base tiles in your case ) so that the expansion gap stays hidden under the trim as it fluctuates with expansion and contraction.

You can :

Remove the tiles and install the floor so it goes nearly up to the wall ( leaving an expansion gap ) that the tiles are mounted on. Since there are tiles above the ones you removed you will need to cut the cove tiles to fit back in place. The danger with this is it may not be possible to get every tile off with out breaking one or more.

OR :

Use a diamond masonry grinder wheel to carefully cut the bottom of the tiles off, install the floor so it goes under them and then use some quarter round or other molding at the transition of the tile and the floor.

Do they still manufacturer the tile ?, if so i would probably remove the cove tiles and then buy the non cove tiles and cut them to fit after the floor is installed and use some molding at the transition.


Removing router bit that is stuck with damaged shaft I got this router from a family member for free but the bit is stuck. It's waaaay over tightened. Trying to get it out just damages the shaft (which I already managed to do). What is the best approach to loosen this and get the bit out?
Thanks!
EDIT: Following several suggestions, I tried using the pin with a bigger wrench. I tried before but only with the supplied wrench. Here is the result. It is waaay over tightened or there is some other reason why I can't loosen it. That's is way I asked for help here.
EDIT 2: thanks for all the suggestions. I will try the different approaches and report back.

While the other answer is correct in normal conditions - that is the purpose of the pin.
I would use a bar that fits into the hole in that shaft and a properly fitting wrench as if it has been overtightened it will need some force to undo it.
Using the normal mechanism relies on the strength of the aluminum casting which may break under these conditions. And looking at the first picture it looks as if that casting is already cracked so take care.


Can I control a heat pump and boiler heat with one thermostat? I want to swap out the old air handler for a new one and the old straight AC for a heat pump. I will not be putting a heat package in; I will use my boiler as the emergency heat.
The boiler is in the basement and only feeding baseboards. No hydronic coil up at the air handling unit. I only have the evaporating coil that comes in the unit to work with the heat pump. I’m not sure what kind of boiler it is.
Is this possible with any 1 cool 2 heat thermostats?
Separate wires are run already and I do have the right amount of conductors to switch to a heat pump instead of straight AC.

I'm currently running such a setup with an Aprilaire 8620W thermostat.  AC from the heat pump, Heat from the heat pump when outside temp is >=40F, Emergency Heat from the boiler kicks in when outside temp is <40F.
The thermostat initially installed was a Honeywell model, and that could be configured to support AC, or could be configured to support Heat, but could not be configured to support both.  It took about 18 months for the contractor to figure that out (because it only became an issue at season cutovers, e.g. spring and fall; they'd fix it to whatever season was appropriate and leave without realizing the other season had been broken).  I believe the model was VisionPRO 8000 Wifi.


Do I need to use silicon seal (caulk) and a sealant strip around the base of my shower The seal around the inside of the shower cubicle (standard single person mass produced unit) had rotten (it's about 15 years old) so I ripped it out, cleaned up the surfaces and am redoing it. The stuff I removed included silicon caulking underneath rubber sealant strips (which could have been added at a later date than the original install, I'm not sure) and I'm wondering if part of the problem was that water got caught between the two layers.

I have run caulk, while standing in the shower to help ensure the gap between base and screens is filled, and have a pretty good bead of sealant all around the shower now, but wondering if I should add the sealant strip as well. It looks to me like the caulk is enough.

Any guidance on this?

The sealant strip is supposed to cope with some movement of the shower (or bath) by being flexible.

However, what usually happens is that it's not quite flexible enough or loses it's flexibility with age so water starts seeping around it. This is when caulk or other sealants are added on top.

If you can get a good seal with the caulk (which you appear to have done) then you don't need to add the strip.


Why does the washing machine cause water hammer in the pipes in my bathroom? We recently replaced the valve in our bathtub/shower as hot water would not go to the shower faucet.  Now every time the washing machine fills (located downstairs other side of house), the pipes bang very loudly in the bathroom where the valve was fixed.  Does this mean the valve is faulty or needs to be replaced again?

Pipes normally bang because they are banging against something.  Try securing them.


Wiring existing 3 Way Switch in basement stairs that was cut Edit: So after reading more up on 3 way switches I may think I know how they originally wired it though, I just haven't seen any diagrams done this way. It looks like they passed the 2 traveler lines through the first light and then to the second switch then the power would be coming from the second switch to the other lights. Not sure if this is accurate but maybe someone can shed some light on it as I haven't seen it done like this.

==============

I bought a house and the basement was gutted and I'm trying to rewire the 3 way switch on the basement stairs, although I can't find any diagram that comes close to the existing wiring that is setup.

What I have is a light switch at the top of the stairs that has power coming into it. From that switch it then has a 3 wire running up to a light above the switch, which has never worked since i bought the house.

From that light at the top of the stairs there are two wires one 2-wire and one 3-wire running down to the bottom of the stairs that are both just sitting in a Junction box.

What I believe is that the junction box with the 3-wire was the secondary switch and the 2 wire was the light at the bottom of the stairs.

Here is a diagram of the current wire setup.

Blue = White Wire
Green = Ground

As you can see in the diagram from the light at the top of the stairs it then has 2 wires running to 2 junction boxes at the bottom of the stairs.

I tried adding another switch to the 3-wire junction box 1 but the light at the top of the stairs still didn't work.

I can't really find any diagrams for 3-way switches that has this same wiring.

Edit: Here are some secondary pics

This is of the light switch at the top of the stairs.

Here is the light above the light switch at the top of the stairs.

Maybe the reason J Box 1 and J Box 2 were empty is that the previous owner gave up trying to get it to work. If so, this would indicate the problem is in the cables.

If J Box 2 is in a position where a light would be installed, then the circuit was most likely originally intended to be wired like this:

(Put black tape or black paint on the ends of the white wire in the 3-wire cable to indicate that it has been re-purposed as a switched hot.)

If you wire it like this and it doesn't work, then there is probably something wrong with the 3-wire cable, Disconnect everything from the 3-wire and test all the wires for continuity. Make sure all the wire-nut connections are tight - this is where I have the most trouble in my house.


3-Arm pergola corner bracket for 4x4s? How can I reproduce the functionality of these 3-Arm pergola corner brackets for 4x4 wood posts? My concern is that it will need to securely hold the weight of the treated 4x4.

They would be used for this:

You'd reproduce that function with knee braces, which is what nearly everyone else does. Such hardware would need to be very robust to do the job on a larger pergola, making it cost-prohibitive (and somewhat ugly). You can find heavy-duty pergola hardware kits online, though they won't be exactly what you've shown.
However, three simple L-brackets on each corner (two on the faces and one on top), properly sized and with adequate bolts, would probably do. You'd need at least four bolts through each bracket, for a total of 12 at each corner. You can see how this gets messy in a hurry.
To rectify your apparent misconception, the challenge isn't carrying the weight of your beam. It's dealing with the racking forces applied to the corner joints. There can be a ton of torque on those points in the wind.


Firewall / Hearth thickness - Building Fireplace for Gel Fuel I am planning on building a "faux" fireplace in my basement that I can burn gel fuel canisters. I was looking at buying an electric heater, or pre-made gel fireplace, but I like the idea of a real flame, and the affordable commercial options are either fake looking, or small / cheap looking.

I plan on putting this against a drywall wall, on a carpeted floor, and I am concerned about protecting these surfaces/my entire house. I was hoping to find some guidelines on firewall / hearth thicknesses. This document outlining guidelines for permanent, wood/gas burning recommends at least 2" of firebrick, backed by 4-6" minimum of brick/stone/concrete. This seams overkill for a gel fireplace that puts out only 3000 BTU per gel fuel canister (I plan to burn 2 at a time).

I was initially looking to purchase an old, used, metal fireplace on Craigslist and build around it, but I have a whole bunch of unused brick (3-5/8" x 2-1/4") laying around, and was thinking I could use that instead. Is this feasible? Do I also need a sheet of metal to reflect the heat, or an air gap between the brick and the wall? I would assume 3-5/8" of brick should be sufficient, right? Or should I am I over-thinking this and should just find some cheap 1/8" sheet metal and use that?

According to the 2006 International Building Code Table 720.1(2). , 3-5/8" of brick is just slightly under the Fire Resistance Rating for 2 hours of a wall fire. On the other hand, a 3-5/8" brick wall with a 1" air gap, does satisfy the 2 hour fire resistance code.  The real question is,  is 2 hours enough for a fireplace? A contained gel canister hardly constitutes a structure fire (burning at 800 degrees F as opposed to 1800 degrees F), but I guess anything can happen, right?

DISCLAIMER: Although all the following calculations are done conservatively, I can not guarantee these numbers are correct, so if anybody else can confirm, that would be appreciated.

Doing some math (and using this Nuclear Regulatory Commission calculator, spreadsheet 5.1), I've determined that a single canister of gel fuel, 6 inches away from a brick (facing the 1.5" x 8" side) will raise the average temperature of said brick roughly 10°F per hour.

The calculator says that a flame of ethanol 2 inches in diameter will have a radiant heat flux of ~90 BTU/(hr-ft^2). (As a note, it also calculates a ~6 inch flame height and 2525 BTU/hr heat output (which at 2.5 hrs is 6313 BTU), so this is probably a conservative calculation)

Also, if an average brick weighs 5.5 lbs, and the specific heat of brick is 0.22 BTU/lb-°F, then the thermal mass of a brick is 1.21 BTU/hr (5.5 lbs * 0.22 BTU/lb-°F = 1.21). If the face area is 0.1388 ft^2, we can calculate the average temperature change of the brick (90 * 0.1388 = 1.21 * T_delta/hr), where  T_delta/hr comes out to be 10°F per hour.

Therefore the average change in brick temperature is 10°F per hr (assuming a single canister and the flame being 6" away). So if 3 ethanol canisters are burned simultaneously for 3 hours, the average temperature of the bricks will be 90°F warmer. For reference, UL testing reference temperature is 110°F over ambient. Also, hot water pipes are 120°F-140°F degrees, and those are often run along wood beams and drywall without any issue.

We can take this a step further by calculating the temperature gradient across the brick. A common brick has a thermal conductivity of 0.048 BTU/(in-hr-°F), so assuming steady state conditions (very, very conservative here), the brick should have a temperature gradient across it of 71.7°F [0.048 BTU/(in-hr-°F) * 3.63in / (90 BTU/(hr-ft^2) * .1388 ft^2) = 71.7°F]. If the average temperature of the brick has increased by 90°F, then the back face will only increase by ~54°F (90-(71.7/2)=54), which is well below that 110°F "safe zone".

Update

I purchased a faux stone fireplace yesterday, which I believe is made out of some cement / stucco mixture, possibly with fiberglass in it as well. It was meant for gas, and has a warning on it to not exceed 22,000 BTU. The thickness of the entire body, including the hearth and back wall, were no more than 1"-1.25" inches thick. Since 3 gel fuel canisters only put out 9000 BTU in total, this should be more than sufficient.


What should I do about deck footings near the house? I was going to build a free standing deck at the back of my house.  The first set of footings would be 1'9" from the concrete basement/foundation for the house.  The house is a new construction built one year ago.

reading this site: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/top-10-deck-building-mistakes.aspx it says

  To install deck piers properly, the piers must bear on undisturbed soil and, depending on the region, be set below the frost line. This could mean the need for 3-ft.-deep footings in some areas. However, if the piers are in a backfill region, as is the case with piers nearest the house on a freestanding deck, the footing depth may have to be as deep as 10 ft. to reach undisturbed soil and to comply with code.

I am now worried that these footings may be less stable.  Our area requires 18in diameter footings, 30 inches deep.

Some people on this site suggested against using a ledger if possible.  The deck is only 3'6" feet above the ground.

Contact the building inspector for your area. They will know whether the whole area around your house was dug and backfilled, or whether the ground is undisturbed. They will also know what is under the dirt and how far down you need to go. I live in a very rural area and my building inspector remembers a TON of details about my house to the extent of not needing to come out for a site inspection pre-build because he remembers from a previous visit. But even in the city there is documentation that the inspector can look up. They want you to be safe so they will help you do what you need to do.


Possibly Asbestos Contaminated Washer! What do I do? So a while back, while my mom and I were moving out of our last place, I may have stowed a bunch of stuff from the attic away in plastic trash bags, as the attic was apparently insulated with asbestos, and I was worried some might’ve gotten into them.
Among these were 2 Australian flag baking aprons and one old fluffy Santa hat.
Now, just a little while ago, I tried putting them in the washer at my apartment, thinking it aught time to finally clean them off. What I didn’t realize at the time was that apparently this can get the asbestos into the washing machine and possibly the water.
I don’t know if I have the money to replace this. I’ve wiped the whole inside of the thing down as much as I can without dissembling it using a wet cloth and stored everything in plastic bags.
Is there any way for me to decontaminate my machine, or flush out the particles?
Note: I haven’t run them through the dryer yet. It’s just the washer that got used.
Note 2: I don’t actually know if there’s any asbestos on the garments, but apparently asbestos attic insulation can break down into asbestos dust via natural wear and tear, so I’m just assuming they are.

I wouldn't worry so much about it. Wipe it down as best you can and then run a few empty cycles to flush the machine. The wastewater goes... well assuming you are in a relatively modern area with relatively modern infrastructure... to a treatment plant along with myriad other nasty stuff.
While it is true that any exposure to friable asbestos should be avoided, data shows that the real risk is chronic (i.e. prolonged) exposure as would occur in industrial or job-specific exposure scenarios.


How do I clean the drain in my bathroom? I used to be able to clean my drain by picking out the hair and fat from it but it has become worse and worse. Can I use hot water + draino (the chemical) + plunger to clean it up?

I use "Zep Crystal Heat" drain opener that I buy from Home Depot or Lowes. It contains sodium hydroxide so wear protective gloves, eye wear and do not breathe the vapors. Read the label and follow their directions. I usually double or triple the amount they say to use. First, remove the drain cover, then  run the hot water to get the standing drain water hot which makes the product more aggressive, open a window in the room, pour in the stuff, turn on the vent fan and get out of the room. To check on the progress, I hold my breathe, walk into the area, check and get back out. When the vapors stop, I re-enter the room, turn on the water to flush the drain and "shazam" the drain is clean. This works for me.


Air intake for a condo apartment I am renovating a top-floor apartment (gutted it entirely & rebuilding everything). With new windows and doors, spray foam insulation etc, the space is becoming quite air-tight.
I will be putting exhaust vents in both bathrooms and the kitchen, as well as a multi-split AC system. Heat is electric baseboards & some heated floors (running ducts would be impractical at best in my situation).
How should I set up the air intake? I'm looking into a ERV (or HRV) system install. I have full access to the roof (can add vents etc).

This is a nice ductless HRV.  Depending on number of bedrooms maybe just put 1 per bedroom.
The other units typically require a lot of ducting and are large boxes.
https://foursevenfive.com/lunos-e
You should consider backer rod and energy seal around window/doors (same technique as chinking).


Do dishwashers with a built in "high loop" require a second high loop under the sink? A "high loop" in the drain line of a dishwasher is one method of preventing backflow of fluid to the dishwasher. In the past I think this had to be created manually when the drain line was installed under the sink.

But now it seems that most modern dishwashers now come with a loop of this type pre-installed on the side of the unit. In those cases, is it still a necessity to create your own loop under the sink?

Installer-created high loop:

Built in high loop:

Thanks

SUMMARY:

Reasons:

Building code may require you to follow manufacturer's installation instructions. Related to this, having a second loop under the sink could be easier to visually inspect/verify than the built-in one.
Apparently two loops is a safeguard against poor drainage. As such I think you might get away without having it but it appears to be a best practice to have two.

RESEARCH:

I found an article which discussed this specific issue and it included some manufacturer information.

Question posed to manufacturers:

  A high loop is required on the dishwasher drain in the installation
  instructions for all of your dishwashers. What is the purpose of this?
  Doesn’t the high loop that is incorporated in to the side of the
  dishwasher achieve the same thing?

IMO the single clearest answer addressed the specific benefits of a second loop:

  Viking: In testing our dishwashers, we have found that the additional high loop in the back of the dishwasher is required for
  proper draining of the water.  We have seen when this piece is not
  applied that over time the consumer will have issues with the water
  back up and causing issues with proper drainage and water pooling in a
  particular area.

Other answers reported were:

  Kenmore: "The high loop or air gap must be used to prevent potential backflow contamination of the dishwasher. Local plumbing codes
  generally dictate the requirements in your area. Section 807.4 of the
  Uniform Plumbing Code states: "No domestic dishwashing machine shall
  be directly connected to a drainage system or food waste disposer
  without the use of an approved dishwasher airgap fitting on the
  discharge side of the dishwashing machine. Listed airgaps shall be
  installed with the flood level (FL) marking at or above the flood
  level of the sink or drainboard, whichever is higher, or separately
  trapped with the airbreak located on the stand pipe."

  GE: "If an air gap is not required, the drain hose must have the high loop from the floor to prevent backflow of water into the
  dishwasher or water siphoning out during operation."

  Bosch: The high loop in the drain hose of your dishwasher is to keep water from settling in the hose if it were hanging down any lower or
  horizontally. This keeps the drain hose dried out and keeps any odors
  from backing up into the dishwasher.

None of these second group actually addressed the specific question of needing TWO loops, but they do explain why a loop is needed at all which is still useful context.


Should I insulate under my cold water tank? The house is 25 years old, located in South Wales, UK. Previous owners made a total mess of the attic space, taking up rolled insulation all over the place to cut holes for suspect plumbing but that's another story. I'm replacing the rolled insulation but I'm unclear whether to insulate under the cold water tanks?
I cannot tell if the house originally had insulation under the tank, there are bits stuffed under there which could be the remains of the original insulation or just where previous owners put stuff out the way. The tank is elevated slightly, about 450mm above the ceiling below and has it's own insulation on the top and sides.
There are two uninsulated pipes running under the tank which I believe arent original and are part of the suspect plumbing (surely all pipes in loft should be insulated?). As part of the project I am also attaching insulation to these pipes but may struggle to reach the full length under the tank, potentially leaving some small parts exposed.

You shouldn't insulate under the tank (unless the loft is fully insulated on the inside of the roof, with reduced but suitable ventilation - highly unlikely given what you've said.  This is to keep the tank from freezing.
The heat rising from the house is enough to keep the tank from freezing in typical southern UK winters (I'm in Cardiff at the moment, and live in Bristol, so share your climate).
The tank should be insulated - so they got that right at least.  This is typically pretty thin insulation and could be topped up. Uninsulated pipes under the tank aren't a big worry.  That air shouldn't get below freezing.  There's a chance they're overflow pipes, or feed/expansion for a stored hot water system if you have one, both of which are less prone to damage from freezing.  I'd insulate them anyway.
What I would do (have done) is form a skirt of insulation around the tank support, so you can't see underneath it.  This will reduce heat loss from the room underneath, and  protect the tank slightly better by holding the warm air under it.  This is a little tricky on the side nearest the hatch in your photos, but some can be stuffed (not tightly) a little way under the tank shelf.
In colder climates and other systems, trace heat sources can be used to protect plumbing in the loft, but prolonged periods below freezing are very rare for us, and tend to be sunny leading to solar gain and a warmer loft.


Unsure if structure is solid concrete My home was built in 1957. It has a 10x10 3foot high brick patio with a concrete slab on top. We are replacing the deck which is much bigger. The deck on the slab rotted due to water pooling in a small area on the slab. My question is, is that whole patio solid, because we'd like to drill drainage holes to remedy this problem. Can you help?

Drilling through a concrete slab for water drainage , if not done correctly, could lead to bigger headaches. If you need to correct the low area were the water pools it might be better to cut drain kerfs with a circular saw and a masonry blade. This would entail cutting a narrow channel that is pitched slightly to the nearest edge of the slab.


Is it normal to notice underneath the plastic barrier in crawlspace drops of water? A radon barrier was placed using 6mil polyethylene sheets and sealed with silicon in at the seams. However, I do notice in certain spots a couple of drops of water underneath the sheet.

Is this okay? Will there be a mold damage or something and can it penetrate the barrier?
Shouldn't the moisture disappear over time?

In general I want to know if I should be worried.

It is absolutely normal. What you do not want to see is standing water under it. I have seen moisture under my plastic all the times I visited my crawlspace, mold has never been a problem. The idea is though to have no organic material like wood, grass, anything else that would decay, trapped under the plastic.


Can I run NM 12 ga circuits on a running board or MultiCable Staples across floor joists use in a basement with an unfinished ceiling? The original wiring (1994) is along the best route where wires are stapled at the top of the interior wall plate above the finished drywall. I want to run 4 new circuits, but there is no room to staple new wire, and I don't wish to drill all the floor joists. Can I staple new wire to the bottom of a running board mounted perpendicular across the floor joists and about 6 inches away and parallel to the original run?

This is finished basement with an unfinished ceiling and the run area is where the plumbing, air etc. also run across the joists and hang well below the proposed running board. I consider to be not subject to damage. While unlikely that the ceiling will ever be finished in this area, any ceiling would have to be installed at least 6 inches inches below any wiring to clear the existing services.

If so what would be the required staple spacing on the running board?  As an alternative, can I secure the new wire to the bottom of the running board using a plastic MultiCable Staple (NEC 300-4-(d) compliant) which snaps closed, or are these only for horizontal or vertical cable support, you know, not cable supported hanging down?

If I decide to drill the joists, can you give me a guide for the max number of cables (12ga NM) through one hole, what size hole for x number of cables gives good clearance, and avoids "bundling" concerns, and are any grommets and what kind are required though timber joists? I know about drilling center and so on.

Also, the original wiring occasionally put two wires under a single staple where room was scarce. Are max 2 wires under a staple still permitted when necessary, and would a preferred method be to stagger which 2 wires are under one staple, i.e. not run the same 2 wires continuously under one staple to avoid bundling over more then 24"? I live in Western MA.

According to NEC 334.15(C) you can run NM cable on running boards exposed in a basement.
304.4(D) refers to running parallel to framing members but the stackable cable clamps could be consider support in this case. There is nothing in the code that I know of regarding the number of cables under one staple. You would have to refer to the manufacturer's instructions on the staples and their capacity.
The "bundling" you are referring to I believe is here:

310.15(B)(3) (3) Adjustment Factors. (a) More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors. Where the number of current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable exceeds three, or where single conductors or multiconductor cables are installed without maintaining spacing for a continuous length longer than 600 mm (24 in.) and are not installed in raceways, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be reduced as shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

The question here is the intepretation of the word "spacing". I would argue having them on the same board next to each other or in one of those stackable clamps is properly spaced. The clamps are sold and apparently approved for just that propose.
And here:

334.80 Ampacity Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed, without maintaining spacing between the cables, through the same opening in wood framing that is to be sealed with thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) and the provisions of 310.15(A)(2), Exception, shall not apply.
Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed in contact with thermal insulation without maintaining spacing between cables, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

Notice this is only when run through an opening to be caulked or insulated or in contact with thermal insulation. Most jurisdictions don't consider it bundling to run multiple cables through bored holes or on a running board together. However, others want only two cables or less through the same hole. Check with your inspector to be safe.
Good luck!


HEPA Vacuums for Lead Renovate, Repair, and Paint We are starting to clean out an old house that we purchased.

It's a 1939 house so there's probably lead underneath the painted surface.
I plan on doing some RRP (renovate, repair, and paint) on my own. And according to the EPA recommendations, we should use a vacuum with a HEPA filter

Is it adequate and safe enough to get a normal shop vacuum and buy HEPA filters for it OR do I have to buy a special HEPA shop vaccum for ~$250 - $300.  Also, is a household vacuum with HEPA filters another alternative?

At the end of the day, I want to get the right protection for me and for my kids when I'm cleaning up.

A HEPA filter on a regular shop vac wil be fine, I wouldn't bother using a household vacuum even with a HEPA filter though.


Should I use a timer or motion sensor in my hot water recirculation system? I want to get a hot water recirculation line added to a house. plumber is proposing a timer to turn on/off the pump.

I'm thinking a motion sensor method would be better. are these even common and how do most people install them in terms of where to put sensor(s). this is for a single story 2 bath house. would it be best to have a sensor in each bathroom as well as kitchen?

Timer: the other way is too slow in many cases.

Using this chart of water contents(gallons per foot), we see that a 3/4" pipe of 70 feet has around 1.75 gallons of water in it. Using the fact that a lavatory sink emits out either 1 or 1.5 gpm, split between the hot and cold water pipes, means that it will take 1-2 minutes for the hot water to reach the tap, making the system useless.

A timer can circulate the water relatively quickly ever few minutes and then turn off, trading some electricity for your time.  The motion sensor won't have enough time to circulate the water before you need it.

Nominal Pipe Size
(in)   Water Content (Gallons/ft)
Type K  Type L  Type M
1/8     0.0014  0.0016  0.0016
1/4     0.0039  0.0040  0.0043
3/8     0.0066  0.0075  0.0083
1/2     0.0113  0.0121  0.0132
5/8     0.0173  0.0181  0.0194
3/4     0.0226  0.0251  0.0268
1   0.0404  0.0429  0.0454

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-content-steel-copper-pipes-tubes-d_1617.html
http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/faq_bs.html


How can I determine why my circuit is broken after replacing the switch and light fixture? A few days ago, my kitchen light was flashing (flickering) off and on occasionally.  So I turned it off.  Apparently, not before it messed up the circuit though.

This happened previously, about a month ago, and changing out the light switch worked.  This time, since the light was flashing, I decided to go ahead and replace the light fixture itself as well as the light switch.  The house (and fixture) is 27+ years old.

When hubby took the old light off (hanging), he found two sets of wires (2 black, 2 white, 2 ground).  He proceeded to use the ones he thought he was supposed to (and capped, separately, the extra white and the extra black), and I replaced the light switch, then we flipped back on the power, and turned the light switch on, with no success.  So then he wired all the black together (two black from the ceiling, and the black from the light fixture), the same with the white wires, and wrapped the two ground together. Light still didn't work.  Thinking that perhaps he had blown the switch again, I bought another one.

After reading around your forums, and realizing it might be wired wrong, I decided to do what your reply suggested and test all the wires from the light fixture and see which were the real 'hot' ones.  I used my voltmeter, but NONE of the wires made it read 000 (not doing them singly, and not doing them separately).  (Yes, I turned the breaker back on so I could check.)  Then I tried the light switch, again, 000 on the voltmeter.  Then there are 2 (3-prong) outlets on the circuit, (as well as the central AC), and also got 000 every time.  What could be the problem?

The breaker itself is showing 120-124 on each pole, and if you test both poles at once it shows 245-247. Help!  The ONLY things on this circuit is the central AC, two outlets (in the dining room) and the light fixture and it's only switch in the kitchen. I have a voltmeter, stick tester, and outlet tester.  None of them show or beep or do anything when I test anything on this circuit.

There is no basement or crawl space to this house, it is a ranch style house sitting on a concrete slab foundation.  All the wires are run up to a small attic.  The fixture I got to replace the hanging one was an LED type (that sits flush against the ceiling).

If there's no current to the fixture or switch, then the fault is upstream. The fact that it was flickering indicates a failing connection, possibly arcing somewhere, which can be a fire hazard. You should check all the junctions on this circuit from the switch back to the breaker until you locate one with a good hot, neutral, and ground connection. And then somewhere between that junction and the next failing junction is your issue. It may be a bad connection that can be repaired at the end, or it may be a bad line and you'll need to rerun that segment of the circuit.

Over the internet, we have no way to be more specific. It entirely depends on how the home is wired and where the fault is located, which we don't have enough information to determine.


How to wire up a combined fan and light? I have red blue black white and copper(ground) coming out of my bathroom ceiling. I'm hooking up a fan light combo with 2 black 2 white and two green wires. I need to know which wires go to which?

A bathroom overhead light position commonly has 3 separate loads in it:

Overhead light
Fan
Heat lamp or air blast heater

A perfect cable

source

The electrician who installed this did an excellent job future-proofing, going out of his way to use the rarely-seen 12/4 or 14/4 cable. This is perfect for a bathroom overhead light, because it provides all the wires you'll ever need, in one cable: black, red and blue are "hot" wires for all 3 of the above loads.  White is a shared neutral, and ground is ground of course.

You can choose colors as you please, or as the bathroom switches are already wired.  You can tighten the wire-nut not-so-tight to hold wires together for testing, or pop the cover off the bathroom switch and see how that's wired.

One of your wires will not be used; if it's not already capped, just put a wire-nut on top of it and tape the wire-nut onto the wire so it doesn't fall off (as they're prone to with only one wire).

All the neutrals get tied together.

Why does the fixture give two white wires?

They are both neutral.  One is the neutral for the lamp, and the other is the neutral for the fan.  This gives you the flexibility to feed the lamp and fan from separate circuits (in that case the neutrals would need to be separated.)


Changing the bulb in an enclosure This particular light has been flickering. The base of the detachable part in the photo appears to be closed, so I can't get access to what's inside. Would anyone have experience changing or fixing this type of light? It is controlled by a Lutron dimmer.

UPDATE
I discovered the model I have is manufactured by Elite LED with number REL637-950L-DIMTR-120-27K/30K/35K/40K/50K-90-W-WH.
https://www.amazon.com/Elite-REL637-950L-DIMTR-120-27K-50K-90-W-WH-Universal-Retrofit/dp/B08M9F3R8M

That looks like an integrated LED can retrofit fixture (a close match for some of mine - I see the supply converter screwed into the original can socket) and you replace the whole thing - there is no removable bulb.
If you enjoy tinkering the LEDs are probably fine, and the driver circuit is probably dying, but that's strictly "reuse LEDs for your low voltage projects" not "do a home replacement and return it to service at line voltage with unlisted parts and repairs" - for fixing the light in this location that's attached to mains voltage, just buy a new LED retrofit with all the proper listings so that you don't void your insurance...


What should I do about an above grade cinder block basement wall that is wet? Above grade cinder block basement wall is wet. It's right at the ground level.   On same wall the below grade isn't wet.  i think it's b/c not much sun on that side of the house as other. what to do?  Hoping to finish the basement.  Put XPS board on wall and still wet, but only in a couple of spots.  very strange.

I have had this problem. The block on my basement wall was not sealed. When it would rain for a very long time it would eventually saturate the block and start to soak through. The blocks would fill up with water and it would take weeks to dry. Use seal or paint to seal the block that is exposed to the weather and it should help.


30 amp rv receptacle installation I need to install a 30 amp 120v rv receptacle.  this is temporary.  I have in place 10/3 wire with ground.  can I use this wire with a 30amp single pole breaker in the panel and the rv receptacle on the other end?  if so, how should I treat the extra wire?

Your RV plug is a TT30.    The 10/3 NM "Romex" building cable is sufficient to the task provided it is not exposed to weather.  If exposed to wet or weather, you just need a different category of cable for the exposed run.

You can use this with a 30A breaker, either single pole or double pole.  In either case you land the in-use hot wire (black preferred, red will also suffice) on one of the breaker poles.

The other hot wire, cap it off on both ends: put a wire-nut on it (probably yellow), tape that nut on (nuts don't like to stay on single wires), and tuck it back.

If  you ever have call to fit a NEMA 14-30 receptacle out there (say, for a larger RV, which uses L14-30), it's now an easy job.

You could also fit the NEMA L14-30R today by using a 2-pole breaker and both hots -- then this $20 adapter cable.  This is safe because it's a 30A-30A adapter, so properly breakered.


Is the PY4G HVAC unit compatible with Nest Thermostat? I recently bought a Nest Thermostat and I've had nothing but trouble with it. The main symptom is the fan and the AC compressor won't run at the same time. Power only comes through the green wire, not the yellow. So I have been running AC with no fan just to make it through the hot summer days.

I think I have narrowed down my problems to not having a common wire connected. Luckily, I have an 18/5 bundle running to the thermostat so I was able to connect  the common wire. However, the nest reported no power to common (E79). I started to look into the HVAC unit manual and I ran across the following sentence.

  Do not use any type of power-stealing thermostat. Unit control
  problems may result.

I know Nest thermostats can be power-stealing. Is this a show stopper for me? Do I need to revert back to a "dumb" thermostat?

For Reference...

3rd Gen Nest.
HVAC Unit Model Number: PY4G 30060 ATP
Link to the HVAC Install manual. Quote is on page 11, Control Voltage Connections: https://resource.carrierenterprise.com/is/content/Watscocom/payne_py4gnab24060--tp_article_1466843547903_en_ii

Yes the PY4G unit is compatible with the Nest 3rd Gen Thermostat. I'm guessing that the quote from the manual about power-stealing is to ensure users use the common wire and don't rely on smart thermostats' power-stealing.

My issue was that I had 18/8 coming from the outdoor unit that met with 18/5, but only 4 wires {Y-G-W-R} were connected. The junction was hidden behind the aluminum flashing that protects the main duct before it enters the crawlspace. This is why I didn't see it when I was in my crawl.

I connected the blue wires, got a good reading on the multimeter, the Nest Thermostat no longer gives an error, and my HVAC is working again. Shoutout to @ThreePhaseEel for the help!


What is this electric burner connector? It looks a bit like a female spade connector, but it has a couple of "tails" at the back of the curled part that lock it into the ceramic block, and a ramp at the front that guides the burner's contacts into place.

The metal of the connector on the right has gotten charred and has disintegrated where the burner contacts it.
Can I just find a replacement connector, or do I need to get an entire receptacle replacement kit?

You will probably have to replace the entire receptacle. Thats a special spade connector and you don't want to jury rig the contacts. The last I replaced one similar to this, it came with the wires already crimped to the connectors so all I had to do was connect the wires to the switches.


What type of glue should I use to paste a vinyl sheet to a wall? I have a vinyl banner(width: 6'; height: 8'), which needs to be pasted on the wall. I want to know if there's any glue which can act as adhesive between a vinyl sheet and a painted wall.

Please help. Thanks.

Yes, there is.  It comes in 11oz and 30 oz. cartridge tubes, as well as, 1 gal. and 4 gal. containers under the search heading "vinyl adhesive".

I've used it on shower surrounds, rolled vinyl flooring, and a faux leather vinyl wall covering.

I find the most important consideration, during application, is to spread the adhesive well, for even coverage, to avoid "high spots" that may be evident afterward.  A V-notch 3/16" x 5/32" cove base adhesive spreader works best but for large areas a 1/4" (or smaller) square notch trowel will do.

[Edit: oh, and a regular baking rolling pin or a similar type of roller on a pole will help ensure the finishing material is pressed into the adhesive.]

[2nd edit: when rolling, start in the center and work toward the edges to prevent air bubbles...as one would to hang wallpaper.]


Radiant heat in ceiling How do I tell where the radiant wiring or pads, or whatever, is in my ceiling?  I want to install overhead cupboards but am afraid of ruining the heating.

You could order a cheap thermal camera ($200 from http://www.thermal.com/ ) and see them. I have no affiliation with that company but own one of their products and LOVE it.


What causes a breaker to trip? In a normal, properly-wired home, what are the possible causes of a tripped breaker? At 110-120V is there a maximum wattage throughput on a single breaker?

I'd like to understand the system to be able to know how best to lay out the electrical system in a brand new house. I'm not an electrician, but I do understand certain basic concepts. (I'm also not planning necessarily on doing the work myself, but I'd like to understand the whole line of thinking behind electrical system layout.)

Short-circuit Protection
A breaker that offers short-circuit protection, will trip if there is a short somewhere in the circuit.  A short-circuit is characterized by a very high current increase in a very short period of time.  This type of protection is usually provided by an electromagnetic device; commonly an electromechanical solenoid, which physically opens the circuit when a short-circuit is detected. Most residential short-circuit protection devices trip at 10 kA (10,000 A).
Overcurrent Protection
Breakers that offer overcurrent protection, trip when a current higher than the rated current is drawn through the device over a specific amount of time. An overcurrent situation is usually detected using heat, and so is slower acting than short-circuit protection.  Overcurrent protection is usually provided by a bimetallic strip, which trips the breaker if it is heated too much for too long.
Most typical residential circuit breakers are combination devices, and offer both short-circuit and overcurrent protection. Wikipedia has a great image of the inside of a circuit breaker, which shows both short-circuit and overcurrent protection mechanisms.

5 - Bimetallic strip providing overcurrent protection.
7 - Electromechanical solenoid offering short-circuit protection.

Ground-fault Protection
Ground-fault protection is a recent addition to circuit breakers, which offers protection to people and equipment.  Breakers that offer ground-fault protection, trip when the current flowing out to the circuit is higher than the current returning from the circuit.  A current transformer (CT) inside the breaker, is a common way used to measure current imbalances.  The CT will be wrapped around both conductors, and if a large enough current is induced on the CT the breaker will open the circuit.  Residential ground-fault circuit breakers are almost exclusively combination devices offering short-circuit, overcurrent, and ground-fault protection.
Arc-fault Protection
Arc-fault protection is the most recent addition to circuit breakers, and offers protection against dangerous electrical arcs. They use complex electronics to analyze the circuit looking for tell tale signs of dangerous electric arcs, all the while ignoring non-hazardous arcs.  As with ground-fault circuit breakers, arc-fault breakers are almost always combination devices as well.


Greek-Symbol Theta on Stainless-Steel Nut? I am trying to understand everything I can about some stainless-steel nuts that I have come across. I have already researched and found information on the characters at the bottom of each nut, but I cannot find information on the symbol that looks like Theta at the top. So, my question is,

What does the ~Theta symbol mean on these stainless-steel nuts?

I'd have to guess it's the manufacturers' logo.

  In addition to the indicated grade marking, all grades, except A563 grades O, A and B, must be marked for manufacturer identification. –americanfastener.com


Well pump stops working after 30 minutes Where I live I have well water.  Ever since I bought the house, 14 years ago, the pump has stopped working after approximately 30 to 45 minutes.  At that time you head on down to the basement and lift a lever to increase the pressure.  After the pressure increases the pump works fine.  I'm in the process of selling my house and am trying to figure out if this will be an issue and if so how much will it cause to fix.  Up unto this point we have always used it as a safety measure, i.e., can't run continuously without it turning itself off.  It has never been a problem for us.

If the lever you are referring to is on the side of your pressure switch:

Then I unfortunately have not very good news for you. As the name implies, this cuts off the switch entirely when the pressure drops to about 10psi below the cut-in point (eg, most well pumps are set up to turn on at 40 and off at 60psi, so the low-pressure point is about 30psi). It's there to prevent the pump from running dry.

Potential cause: low-yield well

Without any other information, my best guess would be your well is not producing enough water to keep up with demand. This seems to be consistent with your statement that it only happens after 30-45 minutes: there is enough reserve capacity in the well itself to supply you for a while, but ultimately, the rate of water entering the well is lower than the rate you're using water.

The ultimate fix for this is to install a cistern or holding tank that the well pump supplies, and have a second pump in that that actually supplies the house. The cistern is controlled via float (instead of pressure switch) and the well pump is protected by a load-monitoring device (eg: Pumptec by Franklin-Electric) that turns off the pump electronically if it senses no-load. The size of the tank largely depends on how much capacity you want, what the actual yield of the well is, and logically where the tank will go and how big you can fit. Commonly, the cistern is a large cylindrical PVC tank installed in the basement.

Potential cause: undersized pump

The other main cause would be an undersized or under-performing pump that is unable to keep up with demand. The symptom of this would be that the pump runs constantly during use, rather than cycling on and off, and that you generally have a consistently low pressure for that time prior to the low-pressure switch cutting out.

Replacing the pump in this case may help, but if you have a low-yield well then it's a waste of money. Considering it's been happening for 14 years, it seems unlikely this would be something mechanically wrong (I'd expect the condition to worsen over time, or for the pump to have failed by now) and more likely that the pump was undersized, IF you also have the symptoms I described.

What next?

If you can determine the pump is undersized, then replacing it with a larger pump would be one way to remedy the problem (assuming there is no yield problem also).

The next best course of action would probably be be to test the yield of the well. You may be able to do this yourself, but a professional will bring in a much larger pump and test the flow right at the well, bypassing all the pressure controls and inside piping that would interfere with the results.

Of course, seeing as you're selling the house, you'll have to make your on judgement call on what you do or disclose -- advice on that is beyond the scope of this site.


What are the consequences of not completely removing the old polyurethane? After spending two hours laboring over just one 12ft x 12ft room with grit 20 paper (the coarsest available) with a floor sander, followed by a little sanding with 60-grit paper, I am not pleased with the result.

As you see, the old polyurethane is still there in about 50% of the area. I now have the impression that if I wanted to take out the old polyurethane completely, the right tool for the job was a drum sander. This of course requires more careful sanding by maintaining a steady rate of movement.

At this stage I have no desire to restart with a drum sander. I want to move on. Does applying a layer of polyurethane at this point mean that I would see afterwards clearly the marks of the old polyurethane? I'm not sure why it was so hard to take it out. Perhaps it was too old and has hardened extremely well. The sandpaper I was using seemed to lose none of its teeth after use. It's as if it was floating over the hardwood during sanding with a floor sander. I applied my own body pressure to no avail.

I have tried in the past to use a belt sander. Now I rent a drum sander and finish close to the walls with a belt sander. The preparation is very important for a quality job. Any old poly left may appear yellow when a new coat is applied. If using a oil finish it will be an absolute must to remove the poly because the poly will not penetrate even a thin coat of poly. I know you don't want to restart with a drum but it will look much better and you can use a finer belt Providing a better finish in the long run.


Cost of XPS panels vs. sprayed closed cell foam I'm starting the process of finishing my nearly full height (7'2") basement and am costing out the insulation. Based on my research of what's best below grade, I'm debating between XPS foam panels (DIY) vs. sprayed closed cell (definitely not DIY).

Based on the cost of the panels at HD ($31) vs. professionally sprayed foam ($1/board ft. quoted) it looks like the cost differential for my square footage (~140 lineal ft.) at 2" depth is about $600. There is a $400 utility company rebate that I would qualify for if I got it sprayed. This is close enough for me (~$200 after rebate) that I'm thinking that I shouldn't bother with DIY and just have it sprayed by a pro.

Is there something that I'm missing in my math below?

137.6 lineal ft.
7.2   height ft.

986.0   sq. ft.
2       in. depth
1972.0  board ft.
$1.00   closed cell spray foam per board ft.
$1,972  closed cell spray cost (contractor -$400 utility rebate)

38      XPS (4x8) sheets
$31.22  Home Depot per sheet price
$1,186  XPS sheets cost
4       Foamular JointSealR tape rolls (90 ft. per roll)
$36.00  Foamular JointSealR tape cost/roll
$144.00 XPS tape cost
12      GreatStuff cans
$4.00   GreatStuff can cost
$1,378  XPS insulation cost (DIY)

There's a sizable difference in how "tight" (well-sealed) you'll get a DIY installation, even with the tape and GreatStuff in your calculations, vs a proper closed-cell foam spray job.  In most homes air movement is as big of, if not greater, culprit for heat loss than passive heat loss.  So if the cost of DIY is even close to a pro job, then the pro job will pay for itself in spades.

However, 2" of foam is below what's required for code here in Illinois, if that's all the insulation the wall would have.  So check on that.  It's important you get the right amount of foam... if not then you can build up condensation on the inside of the foam and end up with mold.  There's a lot of misinformation out there about this, so the simplest solution is to just make sure you follow code.

Also, make an effort to check up on the contractor.  According to the experienced guys who did my house, if the two components of the foam aren't mixed just right, the foam can either not work correctly or spontaneously combust while curing.  I'm sure the latter is rare, but the former would be undetectable to the naked, untrained eye, I would imagine.


How to add GFCI-protected switches and lights to a 2-wire garage circuit In my garage, I have an outlet on the ceiling powering the garage door opener. It has black and white wires coming to the socket, and no ground that I can see.

I've run some conduit along the ceiling over to a workbench area, where I want to install a few outlets at bench-level and some ceiling lights controlled by a switch. I know I need to use a GFCI for the outlets, at least. I have two questions about how to run the wiring:

Should the outlets be wired in series or parallel?
Should the lights be before or after the GFCI?

I've made some diagrams to work through the choices! Is there anything I'm missing?

All on GFCI

The power comes in the lower left side. In this option, everything is on the load side of the GFCI, and the outlets are wired in parallel.

Lights before GFCI, Outlets in series

This is much simpler. This should prevent the lights from going dark if the GFCI trips, correct? Are there any drawbacks?

Your first diagram is almost correct.  The receptacles need to be wired in parallel, but so do the lights. The lights can be GFCI protected, but they're likely not required to be (unless they're in a shower in your garage).

Something more like this

You also need a neutral at the switch, even in you don't use it. So it might look more like this.