Can hardwood flooring be floated over concrete with a moisture barrier and underlayment? I'm looking to do a hardwood floor in my second floor condo in Santa Fe, NM. Since it's not below grade or anything, I'm wondering if I could float an interlocking solid wood floor, or if I have to put down a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete. I have to lay down at least 6mm cork anyway (even considering 12mm), for the sake of my downstairs neighbor. With that plus a moisture barrier directly on top of the concrete, should I be safe?

Follow up: would the answer be different with bamboo flooring?

If you mean a 3/4" or 5/8" thick tongue and groove hardwood flooring, no, that is for nail or staple down only. Click-lock laminate flooring is made for floating installations, you may find an engineered wood floor for floating install too.

If you want a true hardwood floor, there is a nail base that I have used for below grade basements that would work in your situation for sound proofing or deadening. You will not need it for moisture barrier, nor should you need a layer of poly for the same reason. You are not installing on a below grade or slab on grade situation where the infiltration of moisture would be a concern.

The material is a 2' by 2' square of OSB with a plastic "dimple mat". It is available at the big box stores and will serve as a great nail base and sound deadening, but you will need to deal with the new height of your floors which will be over an 1 1/2" than what you have now. It will affect door clearance at the bottom and maybe cabinets.

There are engineered harwood floors for floating install. There are rolls of lead impregnated vinyl sheets that are used for sound deadening that can go down first as the underlayment. This will keep the thickness down so perhaps you will not need to cut all your door bottoms in the area of the new floor.

As a note, again, with your concrete floors being well above grade, you should not have an issue with moisture. If you do, there are bigger issues need to be resolved by the building manager first.


Is it common to have no ceiling joists above joist-parallel walls? I own an old 1 story house that was built in 1926.

Looking in the attic, I've noticed that all the interior walls that run parallel to the ceiling joists have no joist above them.  These walls are all spaced such that there "should" be a joist above them, but the joist is simply not there.  Instead there is just a double wide gap between joists, with the wall running underneath where a the joist would be.

Is this normal for older houses?  I'm sure it's not allowed anymore, but might it have been acceptable practice back in the '20s?

The main reason I'm curious about it is that I'm planning to remove one of these walls as part of a kitchen remodel.  I'm guessing I'll have to put a joist in above where the wall is/was.  I'm wondering if this needs to be done before the removal of the wall if it could be done after.

I have seen this many times in older home renovations here in VA.  Even homes older than the 20's.    I would recommend bracing and installing supplemental support before removing the wall.  It can help prevent movement.  Also make sure you are not removing a load bearing wall.


Subfloor Thinner than the Underlayment I ripped out the subfloor and underlayment in my bathroom. The subfloor plywood was thinner than the underlayment plywood.

Should I make the subfloor thicker than the underlayment when I lay the new floor? (Does it matter? I plan to use the same thicknesses as the old materials, simply reversing the order.)

What matters is the total thickness of the floor to support your finish floor. Tile manufacturers require certain thicknesses going under their products as well as some makers of "decouplers" that isolate the movement of wood under a tile floor. Laticrete and Schluter come to mind here. If it is vinyl flooring the surface needs to be smooth. The thickness of either layer does not matter which level it occupies. My preference would be to set the same thickness in the same level as original. Only thing I may do different would be to use a better grade material than the original if possible. Plywood not OSB, not particleboard. The more layers in the makeup of the plywood the better.


What kind of pipe nipple to use on my well pitless adapter I am working on the water pipe that connects to the pitless adapter on my well casing.  There is a 1 in black pipe nipple that is screwed into the brass female thread of the pitless adapter.  I have a threaded pvc coupling screwed on to the other end of the nipple.  The pipe nipple developed a hole in it and started leaking.  So, now it needs to be replaced.  I guess I could just extend the pvc and screw a plastic fitting directly in to the pitless adapter, but I am of the opinion that I still want a metal to metal connection at the pitless adapter.  I am considering a 1 in x 3 in or 1 in x 6 in brass nipple.  Those are not impossible to find but not easy either.  Any thoughts?  Thanks

I just recommend using brass fittings for all of that stuff.

1" brass close nipple
1" FPT x 1" Brab brass female insert adapter

If you can't find a female insert adapter, you can basically make one using a 1" female-female coupler + 1" male MPT x 1" Barb insert adapter.

Should look something like this (though don't forget to use stainless steel clamps on the pipe, which this guy hasn't put on yet):


Can I stabilize the tire tracks of a gravel driveway with hot tar? I have a gravel road with a number of hills but one is long and steep. Generally this guy is close to un-drivable within 6 months. I do not have the money to asphalt this hill, nor can I fix this twice a year. That leaves all kinds of folks refusing to come up over the last 6 months.

Would it be possible to cut a "V" down each tire track, maybe 10 or 12" deep. At that point put a small amount of gravel down at the bottom of the V and then heat and pour some tar over it and quickly throw some more gravel on top and continue doing this until the V is full? Maybe put a few pieces of rebar in side to side to keep it from sliding down the hill?

Thank you
Doug

The work to create the V-grooves that you propose seem like it could be labor intensive and still demand a lot of materials that make it expensive. And when it gets driven on in a way that the wheels of vehicles veer off the sides it will still tear up the remaining dirt and the edges of your special formation.

The best wisdom of how to deal with the problem is going to come from experts that deal with this situation in your local area. They will understand the soil, terrain and local methods to build effective driveways. So I would really suggest asking around and get that expert advice.


Are these foundation issues significant? My wife and I are in the process of purchasing our first home.  It is 8 years old. We have found one that we like, but I am a little hesitant about going through for two reasons.

The foundation seems to have risen up or sank a little in the living room area of the house.  This is noticed because the tile is slightly uneven along the grout line.
There is a slight crack in the sheetrock above the sliding glass door in the same room.

We had the house inspected and they gave it the ok and said it was a result of settling and clay in the soil  Still a little worried we had the house inspected by an engineer who gave us a a report that said there was no structural concerns or issues.

Here are excerpts from the engineer's report:

  2.1 Floors (Structural)
  The Engineer performed a thorough investigation of the foundation and the floor structure.
  While the finished floor surface was not completely level and the floor displayed evidence of some movement [the floor was raised and sloped away from the area at which the floor was
  slightly raised], the structural system which created the floor and the foundation systems was intact and fully functional on the day of the investigation. As mentioned an area of the
  finished floor system displayed a slight raise which made the floor slightly uneven; however
  the raise was not significant and did not create any type of structural defect. In the event the future occupants of the home would like a floor free of the slight raise which existed on the day of the investigation the floor structure could be restored to be free of this slight raised area. Again it is important to note the area at which the floor structure was raised exhibited only a slight raise and the raised floor did not create any structural defect [other than the esthetic nature of the slight raise in the floor there was nothing wrong with the structural system of the foundation or the floor]. Any correction would only be because the future occupants of the home desired a completely level floor structure.
  2.4 Ceilings (Structural)
  The Engineer performed a thorough investigation of the attic area and the structural members
  which make up the ceiling structural system. While the gypsum board on the ceiling structure
  showed evidence of movement at one time [the sheetrock was cracked at an area other than
  the joint at which the two sheets of gypsum board met], the structural system which created
  the ceiling and roof structures was intact and fully functional without any defects on the day of the investigation. As mentioned an area of the finished drywall system displayed a crack in the ceiling however the crack was not significant and was not a result of any structural defect. In the event the future occupants of the home would like a ceiling free of cracks this area of the ceiling could be restored to be free of this small crack. Again it is important to note this small crackin the finished drywall system should not be a cause for concern [other than the esthetic nature of the crack there was nothing wrong with the structural system of the ceiling].

The house we are looking at is in Yuma, Arizona, in the Barkley Ranch neighborhood.  We are concerned that their could have been structural problems and may turn out to be serious or costly in the future.

I guess my questions is would any of you have any hesitancy in buying the house even after the engineers report?

-#1 This seems a little odd.  Not sure how old the house is but all houses will settle.  But it seems like there is a crack and one side raised a little.  I would have to see pictures to give you a better answer.

This is an issue.  If this house is 50 years old and it happened 45 years ago and there is no moisture concerns then not a big issue.  You could fix it by taking out tile, leveling floor and retiling.  Not a small job but not "major" either.  Now if this crack is new or there is a possible water issue because of the crack (given your area probably not but you never know) then yea maybe it is an issue.  Also if there are land changes and the concrete is being pushed the buckling/crack could get bigger.  This still might not be a "major" concern but could cost a few thousand to fix.  I would need to see a few pictures and more details on house.

-#2 This is nothing.  Minor cracks in ceilings are from movement and can also be caused by drastic changes in humidity or temperature (that is why popcorn ceilings were used in desert areas).   The fact is if the house humidity levels get too low the gypsum becomes more likely to fracture - and at the same time the low humidity levels would cause the structure to shift slightly.  This is nothing.

Would I buy the house?  I would need to see pictures of floor to give you a better answer.  Also if I was already thinking to myself either of these I would probably get it - the floor issue is barely noticeable and looks fine or the floor is old anyway so I could level it when I rip it up.


Bathroom Floor Transition under door that hasn't been installed We are about to install our laminate in our basement and I'm wondering if there is a method for creating a transition "line" under the door where I'm going to transition to tile? I need to know this so we can cut our laminate to this line. I don't have the door installed yet and I was just going to go upstairs and take a rough measurement, but I'm wondering if this is the right solution?

Do I:

Wing it. The transition should be along the drywall roughly. Chalk a line here and hope that it looks good.
Install the door for exact measurement, make a chalk line where the transition will happen, cut laminate to perfect length, and then cut around the bottom door trim to get a snug fit on the laminate.
Carry the laminate a little further into the bathroom, past the though transition line, and use an oscillating tool to make the cut along the chalk line once the door is installed and pray to god that there is no "fraying".

Transitions should fall directly under the door when closed, so when the door is closed it is hidden. Most jobs require installing the floor while doors are hung and we use a door jamb saw to make the cut.
If you lay the flooring first and are off as little as 1/4" to me, it's quite noticeable after hanging the door and something I would not do to a paying customer.
If door is in place. You simply take a piece of the flooring, flip it upside down and butt it against the jamb and use the saw to make the cut.  Make sure to leave enough room for transition strip as provided by manufacturer.

Here is a link to the saw. Home Depot Jamb Saw
And a video of sawing a door jam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqULE7t45U


Tile on OSB substrate in bedroom A lot of information online about laying tile is specific for bathrooms (that need waterproofing), but in this case I want to remove carpet from a bedroom that is used as office space. This carpet is not only old but also quite thick and is extremely annoying to use with office chairs. Three people will be using this room and I believe a tile surface is best.

Removing the old carpet seems easy, but I do not want to start before I figured out all the details.
However, in the next 3 years I plan to proceed with a whole house remodel, where I will change the layout of the rooms etc. This is not just a wish, I am working with architects right now. In the meanwhile, I just wanted to get rid of carpet and put tiles for before we go insane. For that reason, I wanted to do something relatively cheap and that is easy to remove in a few years.

Big box stores have tiles that cost around or less than a dollar/sq ft. I know it's not the best type of tile and not as durable but this is perfectly fine in my use case as described above. However the substrate is OSB and I understand I have two main options:
- cement boards
- decoupling membrane

Cement boards are relatively cheap, less than a dollar per square foot so in line with the cost of the tile. However it seems they require a huge amount of screws. Membranes are quite a buit more expensive, around 1.6$/sq ft so much more than the actual tiles. I am debating if they are really worth it given I plan to remove them relatively soon.

My question is: what is my best compromise for a cheap tile solution that will be easy to remove? Can I lay cement boards without the screws?

I also have a technical question: I understand how a decoupling membrane works by letting the substrate move independently from the tile, so cracks are less of an issue. But if cement board is cemented and screwed to the substrate, what is the actual difference compared to just cementing the tiles to the OSB?

I would not tile for a temporary surface.
I would get a sheet of sanded 3/4”.
If you only need a 4x 6 or 4x 8 lay the sheet down and cut the carpet at the edge.
Remove the cutout carpet and tack strip. Put plywood in the hole and use a few deck screws to hold the plywood in place. I might get some carpet threshold and lock the carpet down or use some screws and washers to hold the carpet in place.

The plywood will hold up for a few years and be easy to remove.
Tile will be more expensive take longer to put down after that all the work to remove and dispose of the debris.

If you want a surface that will last a Formica sheet on top of the plywood will last a decade or more. And when pulled up could be used someplace else when done.


Water on block foundation wall I have water on the top 4 feet of my basement foundation wall.

This goes around almost the entire perimeter of the basement.  The bottom 4 feet of blocks are dry.  Any ideas the cause?  Can someone suggest a remediation method.  FYI the entire wall is below grade.  Ground is clay.  Grading appears good and downspouts are directed away from the house.

Thanks in advance for any input you can offer....

solution : a french drain around the perimeter, depth of about a foot or so below where your water line is . this entails digging a trench, drying out any moisture, then applying bituthene to the wall before filling the trench with rock . the bottom of the trench should angle down from wall to yard, so water will drain through the rocks then away from the building


How to repair this metal corner siding? My dog run attaches to the back side of my house, and every time my dog sees or hears something in the front lawn worth chasing after, she goes tearing after it around the side of the house. When she does this her lead crashes against the side of the house and his been wearing away at the siding.

This has been happening for almost a year now, and as you can see, the area where the dog lead smacks against the house has rubbed the metal corner pieces loose, and in some cases, completely off the corner of the house.

As the photos show there are several areas where felt paper and even plywood are visible. This has to be fixed immediately. What are these metal pieces called? Are they universal or do I need to find the exact model made by the manufacturer? How do I install them, and for the ones that are just loose (but still connected), how do I fasten and seal them? Thanks in advance.

"Siding Corner Caps"
Or often just tin caps. They should be available. Or you could have some fabricated, or perhaps adapt some intended for other siding materials.

Install by running a thin bead of caulk along the end of each clapboard, slide the top under the upper course and press into the caulk. Nail underneath at each corner with a small corrosion resistant ring shank nail.

Alternately, for a different look, take them all off, trim the clapboards back a bit and install a vertical wooden lapped corner.


Can a 2x6 beam span 11ft? I need to span a beam 11' between two 6x6 posts to support the rafters for a covered pergola. I was thinking of fastening 3 pieces of 2x6 together to create a stronger piece. Is it possible?

Is there a calculator somewhere for this? I was looking at some tables, but most of them are for decks, which require higher loads than this - 10psf dead load, 5psf live load.

You can use the Sagulator. Putting in some quick numbers for Ponderosa Pine, I found a single 2x6 on edge to be acceptable for an 11' span holding up to ~1000 pounds total. Laminating 2 or 3 together will be plenty acceptable, and may be overkill, depending on the wood you're using.


Stinking water from ONE faucet We have just built a house with a new > 35 ft deep well. The water tested clear of bacteria and sulfur, etc. We have ONE faucet out of 10 sinks in the whole house that stinks. It is ONLY the cold water in one of the master bath sinks. If I let it run for a minute, the smell goes away. Obviously all our pipes are new. What could be the cause and what would be the fix?

Need more information.  Sorry for doing this as an answer but the alternative was a raft of comments.

Can't speak for your location.  Here we can get a chemical water sample bottle from our local public health office, fill it, and send it in.  A month later we get a report.

If you can do this with the affected faucet, you can find out WHAT is generating the stink.  Hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell)  Sulfur dioxide (burned match smell)  Dead animal (rotting meat) smell?

How long does it take for the smell to regenerate?  E.g.  You ran it until the smell stopped at 8:00.  Does it stink again by 9?

Where does this line run relative to other lines?  Is it the last tap on a run or is it a side tap?

Are your water lines copper or plastic?

Do you have water hammer traps?  (A capped vertical pipe branch.  They tend to collect dissolved air, and act to reduce the Clunk!!! when someone shuts a tap abruptly.  A dead mouse in one could add a certain bouquet to the water.)


How to remove old facuet? Although I watched a few youtube videos to replace old facuet, but I still have no idea to deal with my case.

See the images.

From the bottom

And you can see the cold water and hot water connector are in the left and right. The middle one white plastic is for side spray.

I am not sure how to take off the set. Should I deal with the plastic one?
If I buy a new one, what should I buy?

To remove the faucet (looking at the center photo) there is a brass hex nut (just above the braided plastic hose connector) that is tightened to hold the "C" shaped spacer and the faucet securely to the sink basin. You can use a Basin wrench (it has a swiveling head on a long handle) or an adjustable crescent wrench with a short  handle. Either way loosening the nut will enable the faucet to be removed from the sink. You will also want to shut the water supply off on the hot and cold lines first.


Where can I store outdoor patio or deck furniture over the winter? I have a variety of plastic / wood / metal patio furniture that I am looking to store over the winter.
Unfortunately, I don't have space inside to store it.
We usually see temperatures of about 10 degrees below freezing during the winter.

What is the best way to store it?

If you have no space in a garage or shed (like me) then outside is your only option. I use a 20'x20' plastic tarp tied around my four patio chairs and table on my deck. They've survived 6 Minnesota winters. After a big snowfall, sometimes I'll sweep the snow off if it accumulates.


JQX-115F relay switch triggers when moved. Is it faulty? My boiler is controlled by a programmer unit to turn on and off at certain times. There is a receiver unit between the programmer and the boiler, and I believe this receiver unit is at fault.

The problem I see is that sometimes the boiler comes on at the correct time, but shortly after (sometimes seconds or minutes), switches back off again.

I have found that I can make the JQX-115F relay component switch on and off simply by moving the receiver unit from side to side. My understanding is that the relay should be switched by application of 24V DC.

So my question is, if the relay is switching as I move it, does that imply the relay is at fault, or could it be an input to the relay which is at fault?

(I ask because this receiver unit (Nobo RSX 512) has been discontinued, so I'm not sure I can get this repaired without changing the entire setup, or understanding and replacing the faulty component.)

From your comment, it seems most likely that one or more of the solder joints that connects the green terminal block on the right to the PCB is dry, cracked or is somehow otherwise failing. Strain on the PCB connections from the wires pulling on the terminal block is the likely cause.


What are the potential dangers of not removing the tabs on a split receptacle? If I feed a duplex receptacle from two separate branch circuits, I'm supposed to remove the jumper tabs between the receptacles. But what would happen if I didn't remove the tabs?

With a 120/240V single split-phase system, there are two possible outcomes.
Separate legs
If the branch circuits feeding the device are on separate legs of the service, then the tab will be creating a direct short-circuit between the legs.

This will cause a high current through the circuits, which should trip one of the breakers fairly quickly.
Same leg
If the receptacle is fed by branch circuits on the same leg of the service, the danger is a bit more subtle. Initially everything works fine, no sparks, no tripped breakers. In fact, this situation can go unnoticed indefinitely, and never cause a problem.
The problem only occurs, if you try to draw more current than the individual branch circuit ratings. In the example below, the branch circuit protection for each circuit is 15 amperes.

If you put a load on the circuits, you'll find that the current will take all available paths. This means that the current will actually be divided between the circuits, so that each will see half the current that's flowing through the load.  The yellow highlighting below, depicts the electricity's path through the circuits.

Still, there's no problem here. As long as the load does not draw more than the circuit rating, everything chugs along just fine.
The effects of this mistake only become evident, if the load draws more than the circuit rating.  If the load in our example draws 30 amperes, you'll start to see the problem.

If you measure the current flow at various points along the circuit, the problem becomes obvious.  Each branch circuit only sees 15 amperes, so neither breaker should trip. However, the receptacle will have to handle the full load current, which is well beyond the rated current. The receptacle will heat up and fail, potentially starting a fire as it does.


How do I smoothly transition vinyl plank to tile? I’ve read you can use schlutter or flexible caulk which is better

You really have two general options for a "seamless" transition from tile to plank.

Basic "L" trim - pictured below.   You will need to install this about 1/8" from each and caulk in between.   It should be installed slightly LOWER than the height of the planks and tile - 1/16", 1/8" be OK.   Your two floors must be pretty much exactly the same height or the "L" trim method will cause foot scrapes.

Bullnose trim - my general suggestion for most as it is more forgiving for slight height misalignments.   Your planks will go into the bullnose and the tiles will be about 1/8-1/16" with a caulked gap.


Is it OK for bushes to touch the house and fence? I have a house in the Seattle area.  A realtor told me to trim all the bushes so that they don't touch the house and wood fences before putting it for sale.  Is that really necessary?  What's the harm?

It shows a lack of care for the home. Bushes against the home or a wood fence are an entrance point for pests (termites, ants, etc). It also adds more wear and tear from abrasion that you wouldn't have from just the sun and rain. And for a buyer, a bush growing against the home could be hiding a problem.

So if you want to make it look as if you've been caring for the home, I'd trim it back before the buyers see it. And for your next home, I'd recommend trimming them back as well, so you are actually taking care of your home and not just making it appear that way before the sale.


Adding electrical outlet for wall mounted TV I'm adding an electrical outlet from my existing electrical outlet straight up the wall for my wall mounted TV.  There is a stud running horizontal at the midpoint of the wall, between the existing outlet and the new outlet, meaning I will have to cut another hole midway down the wall so I can drill a hole in the horizontal stud, to fish a new wire between the existing and new outlet.
I cut a small hole in the drywall where the new outlet will be and I was able to reach inside and feel the 2 electrical wires that run down the stud to the existing electrical outlet. There were 2 wires going into the existing outlet.
My question is, what is the best option for me?  Can I splice those electrical wires over to my new outlet and still have them run on down to the existing outlet?

If there are two cables in your existing outlet, one of them is supplying electricity to the box, and the other is connected in order to supply electricity down the line to some other outlets/devices on the circuit.  I expect the existing outlet to be pig-tailed with the conductors in the other two cables.

If you disconnect the two cables in the existing outlet (turning the circuit breaker off first of course) then I would expect only one of the two cables to be 'hot'.  The outlets before this will stay on, and the ones after it will be off.  If this is the case, then you know both cables are on the same circuit. You can choose either cable to be the supply for your new outlet.

Whichever cable you choose, you will:

Cut the cable
Run both sides of the cut cable into your new box
Attach the new box (probably use an 'old work' box)
Using a pig-tail, attach the black/white/ground together and to the new receptacle

You will probably run into the same problem I had, which is once you cut the cable you don't have enough slack to do the above.  If this is your case you will need to add an additional junction box above or below the new outlet, and cut the cable again.  There you will splice in some additional cable, then cover this junction box with a blank cover.  Since it will be behind your TV, it won't be a big deal.


How can I convert a wall to a writing board? Possible Duplicate:
  Which material should I use for a whiteboard that would erase easily?

I would like to convert my walls (at least one of them)
into a laminated surface so I would be able to write things on it.
Because the wall is massive, and I do need a massive space to write on,
I'm not sure what kind of a solution there is in order to laminate/coat it
with a thin layer of writable material (as in, easy to erase and re-write over and over again).

To clarify, I basically want to convert my wall to this

without finding a huge board.

whiteboard paint, quick google search should give you a few options for that:
Google Search

another idea is vinyl wrapping the whole wall, but that could cost more than the whiteboard paint - The wife wraps boats in vinyl, and says it would cost about 200 quid to wrap a 7m2 wall and all you would need to do is give it a really good sand.

She also has in the office a white board they made with the vinyl and it's about 5 years old and still going strong :)

Hope that helps.

Martyn


Cheap way to reinforce 1/2" Pipes I used some 1/2" pipe (I got it at Lowe's; I think it's typically used for gas?) to build a simple frame for a heavy bag, essentially an inverted U (about 6.5' high, 5' wide), attached to wooden feet, which are weighted by sand bags. It was fine for a day, but I have two problems; The first is fairly simple - the vibration caused the fittings to separate. The second and more serious problem is the pipe is bending just slightly - enough that I expect it wont last more than a month or two.
While I know now I should have used stronger materials, I don't want to replace the entire thing. I'd like to know the absolute cheapest way to secure the fittings (Liquid weld?) and to reinforce the pipe itself. I was thinking I could probably fill it with something, but I don't know what - Would cement work?

Replace just the top piece that the weight is actually hanging off of. You can use 3/4" or 1" pipe for that, and then connect it to the 1/2" pipes of the sides with appropriate fittings.


Trace live wire without an outlet I have an old-school intercom installed in the house that I am in the process of disconnecting. When I remove the master unit from the wall, I found 120v mains coming in directly to a transformer behind the unit, with absolutely no separation between the HV and the LV side (and all the wires to the various head units).
Given that I'm pulling the system out, I don't mind, as ultimately I'm going to put the 120v wire into a junction box and add a doorbell transformer into the cavity left by the master unit.
I'm having a hard time locating the breaker though. It isn't the light or outlet breakers that are near by in the kitchen, and it's un-labeled. There are a lot of breakers, so ideally I'd like to avoid going one-by-one. There is a 60-htz hum coming from it and my non-contact voltage detector confirms it is hot.
Is there an easier way to determine which breaker it's on than just trial-and-error for all of them? If there was an outlet, I'd use a tracer to find the breaker. But given this just goes into a pair of wire nuts and then the transformer, I don't want to touch it while live...

Trial and error flipping breaker handles isn't so bad especially if you have an assistant or can attach something that makes noise (a fan, a radio, etc) so that you can hear at a distance when you find the correct breaker. Honestly it's the quickest thing you could do.
Some of us might have been known to wire 120 v devices while the circuit is live. While of course I couldn't recommend that a person should do such a reckless thing.. if a person did choose to wear gloves and work carefully, it wouldn't be impossible to attach a receptacle to those bare wire ends so that the plug-in tracer could be used (or a plug-in noise maker, for that matter). Were a person to attempt this, it might be most safely accomplished if the receptacle is prepared with some "pig tails" (wire leads 6 inches long or so), wrapped in electrical tape to insulate the bare terminals, and then the pig tails could be attached to the live 120 v leads with wire nuts.
If the old-school intercom is still at least somewhat functional you might be able to set it up in a way that it makes noise. Some had a built-in AM/FM radio, or an audio input jack, or maybe you can just turn up its volume and listen for the background crackly static sound to go quiet while you're going through the breakers.


Direct Vent natural gas fireplace has shut off 3 times by itself I have a fairly new fireplace, we have used it a lot this season. 3 times the fireplace shut itself off. The fireplace would beep every few seconds. Hitting the off button on the remote - nothing. Hitting the on button on the remote, the fireplace starts up as normal. We have a CO detector in the room - no alarm.

Thoughts?

1)your system is not bringing in fresh air for combustion

2) your system is not getting rid of exhaust gasses

3) you have a faulty oxygen depletion sensor that is lying to your system and causing shut down

If you leave the box open does it operate properly? If yes rule out number 3

DO NOT OPERATE THIS WITH THE GLASS OPEN !!!! You and your family could lose your life.

After reading your comments I have a couple more suggestions

The vent pipe must be designed specifically for use in your model fireplace. These are two pipes in one. The inner pipe carries the hot exhaust air out of the fire box while the outer pipe brings in fresh out side air. If you have simply attached a single wall flue to the box your fresh and exhaust air are mixing. That is not good. It would lead to combustion issues. If you have  have a two chambered flue that that is designed for use on direct vent fireplaces installed you should be sure that a proper termination cap is installed outside the house where it exits. These have baffles that can minimize effects of wind on the operation of the air exchange.  A high wind cap for these systems is available. Example


Pull-down shelf in cabinet I have a small kitchen and the uppermost cabinet shelves are inaccessible without a stool.  Ready-made pull-down shelves are simply too expensive, so I'd like to build my own.

What kinds of hardware should I be looking for (how would I recognize it when searching catalogs or the web), how hard is it to install, and are there any tips for doing it better/more easily?

I'd consider building one of these as out of the scope of even my abilities, and I have access to a full machine shop / prototyping facility and own almost every tool known to man. The intricacies of these articulating mechanisms, which must be extremely robust to handle the forces involved, and which probably have highly tensioned springs inside them, would put me off to even attempting this.


Hooking up generator to house propane supply I have a dual fuel generator which came with a 5' Lp gas hose and a regulator to fit a 20 Lb tank.  The regulator is a:
G2R150: Two stage Regulator

Flow rate:150,000Btu/Hr Max. at 11"W.C. outlet pressure(Second stage), LPG.
Inlet pressure: from 25psig to 250psig
Safety:Lock out when over flow and over temperature.(connect to GCC or QCC)
Inlet connection:POL,GCC(QCC) or other thread type of fitting or connection
Outlet connection:Hose or fitting

Generator is a Firman H08053 Dual fuel
I want to connect it to my quick connect BBQ supply line which is fed from a:
CAVAGNA GROUP KOSAN
PART NUMBER: 988LP-03
BTU CAP: 800,000
MAX INPUT: 10 PSI
OUTPUT: 11"WC

Is it as simple as having a 30' propane hose made up with a quick connect?
Thanks

Looks like the two regulators have the same output setting, and the BBQ supply is fed from a regulator with a high Btu/hr capacity. There are two more things you'll have to work out:

Does that 800,000 Btu/hr accommodate all the propane appliances that might operate concurrently?
With the added load of the generator drawing gas through the supply intended for BBQ, is the size of the system piping adequate to handle the flows required?

The second question can be more difficult to answer -- you'll need to find out the length, size, and material of the pipe in the gas system and then do some math. A web search for "propane pipe sizing" will turn up results that explain the methods -- for example, El Dorado County in California provides this handout which explains the "longest length" method of pipe sizing.


Proper amount of solar panels needed to charge batteries I am working on a plan for a 24V electrical system. Based on my needs I plan to have six 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries wired up (2S3P I believe) to give me 24V 300Ah.

Assuming I need to fully recharge this battery bank each day and going on a rough average of 6 hours of solar charging per day, the math seems to indicate I need roughly 1200W of solar panels:

25.6V * 300Ah = 7680Wh
7680Wh / 6h = 1280W (let's call it 1200W)

I see that there are 12V solar panels and 24V solar panels. But am I correct that the panel voltage is somewhat irrelevant. Do I need 1200W regardless of the panel voltage?

Would using twelve 100W 12V panels work? Then what about using 300W 24V panels? Would I need 2 or 4 of those panels? I'm hoping the answer is 2 panels but I suspect it's 4 since it is the wattage, not the voltage that matters, correct?

To summarize, would I need two or four 300W 24V solar panels to recharge a 24V 300Ah battery bank on a daily basis assuming 6 hours average of useful solar energy?

If more specifics are needed about the batteries or solar panels, I can update with details. Just let me know what is needed.

I'm a little concerned with sizing here, but your math seems pretty solid.  1200W is 1200W, and the voltage of the battery doesn't change that.

So yeah, if you want to charge a 7200WH battery pack in 6 hours, that is indeed 1200W.  You're not going to get that out of 600W of panel, unless you wait twice as long.

Of course, you won't get 1200W out of a 1200W panel set except when it's square-on with the sun.


Is it ok to turn off fridge for 2 hours in the evening? I live in a small studio. The fridge is really noisy.

I want to put it on a timer and turn it off for 2 hours when I go to bed. Is it safe (food hygiene wise) to do so?

I have a relativley old fridge, but I think the insulation is not too bad. It's a very large fridge, (about my height, about a meter in width)

Should be OK food-safety wise, as the food should remain cold for about 4 hours according to the US FDA:

  The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
  A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

If you open the door a lot, or the insulation / seals are bad, or the temp starts out high to begin with, you may be tempting fate with food spoilage.


Hampton Bay ceiling fan doesn't work properly with wall dimmer switch? I recently installed a ceiling fan in our living room.  It's a Hampton Bay (68" without light kit).  The fan came with a remote control.  I don't like using the remote so I installed a wall dimmer switch (all other fans in home have dimmer switches and work fine).  I first installed a unlimited dimmer and got excessive motor hum.  I next installed a three position "fan" dimmer switch.  Fan would only work with dimmer in the highest position.  Replaced this dimmer switch with another brand of three position fan dimmer switch and same problem, will only work with dimmer switch in highest position.  While the fan will only work with the wall dimmer switch in the highest position, the fan is still variable speed with the remote.  However the goal is to eliminate the remote.  Any suggestions?

If you want to use a wall fan control, you'll likely have to remove the remote fan control receiver from the unit.  The remote receiver in the fan housing controls the fan speed, and will not allow the wall control to override it.

In the most basic case, the remote receiver will have "input" wires connected to the standard household wiring (ungrounded, grounded, grounding).  The unit will then have "output" wires that connect to the fan, and/or light kit. Because of this, controlling the "input"  of the remote receiver will have no effect on the "output".

The procedure for removing the remote receiver will completely depend on the unit.


What type of sump pump back up systems are available? I have just about completed all the work to finish my basement.  I know, not a great time to think about this, but when I bought the home there was zero water in it and didn't think the winter would be the time it was needed.  I was wrong. I have noticed the sump pump in my basement runs quite often (didnt run at all in the summer/fall, but now in the winter it runs about every 3 hours).  So being nervous now that a crazy winter storm will come through and knock out the power and leave me with a flooded basement, I'm wondering what people would recommend for a backup Sump Pump.  I've only found two solutions so far online:

UPS or other battery backup for the sump pump
A water powered sump pump
Dont worry about it because home insurance will cover damage

I'm leaning toward using the water 'powered' sump pump because its cheaper (maybe not after installation) and would work during power outages, but I wanted to see if there was a better solution.

Your best answer would be to try to eliminate the water before it gets in. Your best options will depend on the reliability of your electric source. A battery pump will only last so long. A watered powered pump will require a steady flow of municiple water. If you have a well it obviously won't work without power. The other consideration is how easily can you run a water supply line to the pump in your now finished basement. Water powered pumps are expensive to run interms of the cost of the water used and the amount pumped. The best models are close to a 1 to 1 ratio. The less expensive ones use 2 gals to pump 1 gal. In my area water and sewerage are combined in one bill. I would be paying a sewerage surcharge on the water the pump uses even though it would discharge in my yard. The water bill would still be less than your insurance deductable, and your rates won't increase due to a claim. I would use the electric as a primary pump and get a water powered unit as a back-up.


Is there a tool to pinpoint an exact location through wood? I have a wooden roof.

I need to drill though it from above, and hit the beams exactly in order to attach something.

The edges of the roof are not straight, and it is impossible to find out where the wooden roof begins, so using a tape measure to find the beams will be extremely difficult.

Does modern technology provide a tool with which I can find the position of the beams through the roof?

I'm thinking about a two-part gadget where one part can tell when it is close to the other part or something.

The roof is about an inch thick.

Use a long, small diameter drill bit from below and drill all the way through the beam and the roof. To prevent water intrusion, fill the hole with silicone caulk from above prior to making your attachment, then simply patch the beam from below with wood putty or spackle and paint/stain to match.


Two GFCIs in series, which would trip? If you have two GFCIs connected in series, which would trip first or both?

All of them
And good luck resetting them.
I mean, it doesn't do any harm, (except in the sense that security at the expense of usability is at the expense of security, i.e. someone tears it out because its annoyances drive them nuts).    It just doesn't provide any benefit, and as such, is just a silly thing to do.

ref
Every device is seeing the ground fault, so every device would trip.  One might imagine a race condition where one device sees the ground fault first and physically severs power before the others are able to detect it.  However there is a mechanical delay between detection and the hammer physically tripping, and that delay is considerable in the time scale of detection.  As such, all detect the ground fault before any can actually interrupt. The physical energy to trip is pre-loaded in the mechanism (loaded by you pressing the "reset" button), so it doesn't need power to trip.


Duct sizing impact on flow We have a ranch with a wood fireplace in the living room. It's fantastic at heating the main living area, but the bedrooms down the hall get left in the cold.

I'm going to install insulated flexible ductwork in the attic, with a blower near the inlet (red), with outlets in each room. The initial duct will be 10", with 6" to each room.

This is roughly to scale, about 24' between the inlet and 2 aligned outlets. Fireplace is to the left:

I can either run 10" to a 3-way manifold, and take 6" runs from there. Or I can run 10" to an 8"/6" splitter, take one 6" off there, then run the 8" to a 2-way 6" splitter, and take the remaining 6" off there. The first is preferable, as I'll get more efficient use of the duct, which comes in 25' sections.

Will I see a noticeable difference in airflow one way or the other? If it matters, the lower-right bedroom is the master, and it's fine if airflow is a little less there (other 2 are kids' rooms, which we want a bit warmer).

In either case you have a 10" duct as the bottleneck in the trunk line. Expanding it downstream won't get you much in terms of flow. I'd go with Plan A.

Perhaps a more important question: Is the inlet attached to the fireplace somehow? You'll probably be disappointed if you just pull air from one room to another. The differential would be so small that you won't see much benefit. In fact, the air movement may make those rooms actually feel cooler.


Is there currently lighting on the market that can simulate sunlight? During northern winter I always wish I had lighting powerful enough to simulate sun shining in my window (or from my ceiling). Are there currently products on the market powerful enough to do so?

I'm using 1500Lm LED lamps with a 2700k color rating, but they're very much far from what sunlight looks like.

Yes, look for lighting solutions used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Desktop Panels

  The theory behind conventional Full Spectrum (White Light) light boxes is that they effectively replicate sunshine. As a result they give the user a positive response when they are lacking sunshine.

- Buying a SAD light

Bulbs

There are also replacement lightbulbs that claim to have similar purposes

  6 watt LED R50 E27 ES Edison screw globe bulbs with opal cover
  DAYLIGHT WHITE SUITABLE FOR SAD Sufferers
  480 lumen, daylight white 6400k, 30000 hour bulbs

6400K is obviously higher than 2700K

Of course, 480 lumens is very little, You'd need a ceiling fixture that can take many E27 bulbs.

There are 800 lumen E27 bulbs and higher output bulbs in T8 tube format etc.

search for "full spectrum" "seasonal affective disorder" light bulb


How to move stacked washer/dryer from closet I'd like to replace the water hoses on my stacked washer/dryer set - the purchase records for the set show that they are 6 years old, and as far as I know the hoses have never been replaced.

They are in a narrow closet that's only about 8 - 10" wider than the washer/dryer itself. If I took the folding door off, I think I could squeeze beside the set to reach the back and replace the hoses, but I still need to slide it out from the wall to gain access to the recessed hose box. It's in a small narrow bathroom, so there's not a whole lot of working space in the room itself.

Since I didn't see the installation of the units, I have no idea how to slide them away from the wall, I don't know if they joined the set outside the closet and slid them in as a unit, or if they stacked them inside the closet.

I see how I could pry up the front of the set to place it on a furniture slider or a very low dolly, but I don't see how to get the back to slide. The back of the set is only about 2" from the wall, so I couldn't tip it back very far to slide anything beneath it.

The washer is a front loader, and the washer/dryer set weighs about 350 lbs.

Is there some sort of specialized dolly that can jack up the whole set to move it away from the wall? Is there some other trick to moving the set?

Even if I wanted to split the set and remove the dryer to lighten the load on the washer or to make it easier to reach the hose box, I'd still have to get behind the unit to disconnect the dryer gas line and power cord.

Any tips/techniques for this, or should I hire an appliance repair person (or team) to do it?

Furniture movers are glides that slip under the feet of furniture or appliances to allow then to slide.

The hard plastic slides on rugs and the fuzzy covers slide on hard floors.

You can slip a pair of these under the front of your unit and, if you can, under the back legs as well. If not, tilt the unit slightly forward and pull. This is best done with two people.

These stackables are usually placed one at a time, but the upper unit clips into the lower fairly firmly. There is often a screw connection.  If there is not room to get behind to disconnect the upper, better to pull them out as a unit. Almost always the lines (water, power, gas, vent) are long enough to get the unit free of the closet and to then reach behind it, but check as you go, using a mirror if need be.


Removing excess HVAC ductwork for efficiency I have central ac in my home and at some point the kitchen was redone, blocking an existing vent permanently.
The flex HVAC ductwork leading to the vent (probably 8 feet of it) is still there.
Should I remove this ductwork to improve efficiency?  How much efficiency are we talking about?
Thanks!

If the duct is blocked off at the end so that no air flows through then it should have minimal effect on the system. Removing it should not be expected to make any efficiency improvement.
On the other hand, if that duct is just lost in the floor or ceiling somewhere and is discharging conditioned air into who-knows-where, then yes you might gain some efficiency by blocking/removing it so that the conditioned air goes into occupied rooms instead.
It's impossible to say how much efficiency might be improved. It depends on what fraction of the system's total air flow is blowing out through this duct and whether it escapes into the environment or stays reasonably well inside the house envelope.
All that said: it is nice to remove abandoned wiring, plumbing, duct work, etc when it's feasible to do so and there's confidence that it wouldn't be used again in the future.


What is this thin metal wire in wall of 50s home? What is the purpose of this thin metal wire?  It attaches to a nailhead on the other stud, which is securing an electrical box.

Is this a grounding wire or something else?

I believe it is as you surmised an  ground wire for the houses (old?) electrical system. My first thought was wire for the exterior wall stucco, but there would have been several levels of wire.   This type of ground wire would have been typical for a 1950's residence.


Is it possible to build a balcony without scaffolding or street access? I live in a building converted from an old red-brick school, which has double-height rooms which were classrooms, with large windows (1m wide x 3m high)   which go down to floor level.

I'm on the 2nd floor, so there is the 1st floor, and ground floor below. The ground floor flats have gardens which are not next to any street.

My immediate neighbour has suggested we have a 2m balcony built along the length of our apartments. Aside from getting planning permission, I'm concerned that we wouldn't be able to get access to build scaffolding (or move materials in) from the ground floor owners.

Would it possible for the building work to be conducted from our apartments, e.g. by opening up the windows and running a platform out? Is this a 'done thing'?

Your plan has some far more serious considerations than just the change of looks, approval of the neighbors and building activity access. You cannot just hang a two meter wide balcony decking on the side of the building without some careful engineering.

Support legs for the outer edge that go to the ground or large angle braces that would attach to the side of the building above or below your floor are out of the question for obvious reasons. This means that only remaining possible option is to use a cantilever design where the deck support is provided by beams or timbers that project over the outside supporting wall of the building but then tie into the floor structure a good way back inside the building. For a 2 meter projection outside you would be looking at a good 4 meters or more of beam or timber length inside.

Whether the cantilever design would even be possible would depend upon many factors:

Does the outside wall have sufficient structural strength to support the cantilever beams? Particularly considering the ceiling height windows below.
Could you even open the outside wall up enough to make access to poke out the beams from the inside?
Is the building floor construction even allow for tearing it open for beam insertion? Some brick buildings have concrete floors.
Even if the building has an internal wooden structure for the floor joists are they parallel to the outside wall? If so then inserting cantilever beams is basically out of question.
Remember that your floor is the ceiling of the neighbors below. If you start to tear into the floor it is pretty hard to believe that it would not require some pretty serious cooperation and disruption of the neighbors.


Is there a problem with concrete patio that's next to the house and poured above the house's foundation? We're currently installing a patio. The contractor has laid it out in a way where the patio will be against siding, and will be above the foundation.  You can see on the picture below the dirt base for the patio, and how close it is to an electrical box, a water tap, and the red line / plain pencil line against the siding.  I'm not in love with this -- but is it just me?  Is this generally accepted concrete practice?  Thank you for any input!

That's a hack job and will cause you problems down the line with rotting siding, evidently a hose bibb so close to the surface you won't be able to get a hose attached, and an illegal because you can't open it partially embedded junction box, for a start.


What type of chimney liner and vent pipe are required for a wood stove? I am working to rehabilitate an old chimney for use by a wood stove.  There will be approximately 18 ft from the wall chimney socket (this is probably not the correct name for it) to the chimney top on the roof.  I plan to situate the stove right next to the socket, so not much exposed vent pipe from the stove to it should be needed.

Which kind of pipe should I use for the liner and for between the stove and the chimney socket?  I did this very similar job before but for a radiator boiler and water heater, which both run on gas and for that I used Type B vent pipe that is twist and click.  I imagine for wood stove I would need a different type of pipe.

Check local codes. I suspect triple wall will be needed but may be able to use double wall. Ohio and TN is triple. H-D contractor's desk should be able to tell ya?


Installing pipe pullup bar between beams My apartment has 8x10 beams running across the ceiling spaced about 64" apart. I realized recently that this would be a great place to install a 1" galvanized pipe with flanges at the end to be used for weight bearing purposes (pullups, gymnastic rings, hanging chair, etc) in one corner of our living room. In other words, there would be a 1" inch pipe spanning the 64" gap, with 4 fasteners at each end for the flanges.

1) Is there any reason this project wouldn't hold up to the activities I've described?

2) What fasteners should be used? Obviously not drywall screws, but would nails be better than wood screws given that there will predominantly be shear forces involved?

Much better to go with screws for several reasons, especially that they can be adjusted tight and will stay there, while nails will only set until the head hits the surface of the metal flange and also they have low withdrawal strength. Yes, most of your force is shear but because there is not much preventing the nails from pulling out, over time the nails will tend to loosen.

I suggest using a structural lag screw with around 2" of embed into the wood after accounting for the thickness of the flange. I suggest Simpson SDS x 2-1/2". A good quality #8 or #10 screw would work too. I strongly suggest not using cheap or low strength screws such as those used for dry wall.


What's the minimum subfloor thickness required for hardwood flooring? I have a concrete slab and want to put 3/4 wood flooring on top.  I'm going to lay a plywood subfloor and want to know if 1/2 inch plywood is good enough. I plan on nailing down the wooden floor.

Agree with diceless that a floating engineered wooden floor is more normal over a concrete slab. Thermal movement in fully fixed wooden floors causes problematical expansion/contraction more often than not.

Even using stable wood, the humidity in the room will change season to season, as will the temperature of the underlying/surrounding structure, all can affect the appearance of the wooden floor.

Was there a specific design/idea you had in specifying the ply subfloor?


How to read the numbers on electrical wiring to run within walls I am wondering how to read the numbers on electrical wiring separated by slashes such as 12/2. What do the numbers refer to? What other numbers should I watch out for when purchasing wires to be run within the walls and sockets of a home?
P
Thanks.

Cable types, sizes, wire counts, and you

There are several designators you need to pay attention to when looking at wire/cable, and they aren't always in the same order, depending on whether you're looking at single wires or multi-conductor cables and cords.

Single wires

Single wires in North America have two designations: a gauge and an insulation type.

The wire gauge is given in AWG, and determines the size of the copper wire inside.  Smaller numbers are given to larger wires (this sounds backwards, but it's an artifact of how the scheme was originally developed) and larger numbers to smaller wires.  14AWG is used for 15A circuits and 12AWG goes with 20A circuits, if you're talking about copper, that is.  Larger sizes (such as 10AWG) are used for heavier circuits -- NEC table 310.15(B)(16) controls the ampacity of wires and cables in conjunction with several derate rules for special cases (such as wires in toasty places, or bundled together).

The insulation type is what determines where a wire can be used -- inside, outside, strung between poles, wherever.  Uninsulated (bare) wires are the simplest, but since you can poke their conducting bits with your finger, they're only suited for grounding, where it normally doesn't matter that you can do that.

The most common type of insulated wire in building use is THHN (Thermoplastic, High Heat resistant, Nylon jacket)/THWN-2 (Thermoplastic, Heat resistant, Water resistant, Nylon jacket).  This is a PVC insulated wire with nylon jacketing protecting the PVC from mechanical damage and providing low pulling friction.  It is flexible and inexpensive, but can be a bit misbehavior-prone when subject to high electrical or mechanical stress.  It's also available in a wide variety of gauges, from "lighting circuit" to "large feeder", and in solid or stranded wire -- the latter is easier to work with and more flexible, but is not compatible with some types of terminations (such as those silly backstabs).

Next up is RHH (thermoset Rubber, High Heat resistant)/RHW-2 (thermoset Rubber, Heat resistant, Water resistant)/USE (Underground Service Entrance) wire.  This is a thick, flexible thermoset elastomer commonly used for direct burial wires underground and for older service cabling -- its relative stiffness means it's not really useful much of anywhere else.

Now we come to the superstar of the bunch, XHHW-2 (X for crosslinked polymer, High Heat resistant, Water resistant) wire.  This is a crosslinked polyethylene insulating material (think PEX pipe) that has excellent mechanical and electrical properties and a pricetag to match.  It can withstand high temperatures, high voltages, and mechanical stresses far better than PVC without needing near as much of it as RHH/RHW, so it's used for heavy feeder and service wiring nowadays.

Riding the pine for the most part is a type of wire called TFFN (Thermoplastic, Flexible Fixture, Nylon jacket).  This is used for the wire inside light fixtures, ceiling fans, and suchnot -- it is available in smaller gauges than THHN, and is more flexible, but otherwise has mostly similar properties.

Avoid things like AWM (appliance wiring material) and Primary Wire (automotive wire, IOW) -- they aren't legal for use within buildings, as they are typically PVC-insulated without a nylon jacket to protect the PVC from the rigors of conduit pulls.

Multi-conductor cables and cords

A multi-conductor cable or cord in North America will have three or more designations: a gauge, one or more wire counts, and a cable construction.

The wire gauge is as before, only applying to all conductors within the cable (save for the ground conductor in a few oddball instances, but we won't go into detail on that).

The conductor count, of course, determines how many conductors are in the cable.  For building cables, this does not include the ground wire -- its presence is denoted by a separate W/G (with ground) designator that is often omitted due to its universal presence in this day and age.  However, cordage (the stuff extension and power cords are made from) does include the ground wire in the wire count.  Multiple wire counts are used to indicate a multi-circuit cable, such as a 14/2/2 NM cable or a 12/4/4 MC cable, that has more than one neutral wire in it -- otherwise, there's only one neutral (white/grey) and the rest of the wires can be used as hots, switched hots, messengers, or control wires.

The cable construction determines where the cable can be applied, just like with single wires.  However, cables are generally designed to be used on their own, not in conjunction with a raceway -- pulling cable through raceway is a hassle on a good day.

The most common cable indoors is NM (Non-Metallic sheathed cable), commonly called Romex™ after Southwire's trademark for the stuff.  It consists of two to four PVC insulated wires and a bare ground with a PVC jacket separated by a paper wrap; this makes it low-cost and relatively easy to work with.  It's widely available in all the common branch-circuit gauges (14-6AWG) although 10, 8, and 6AWG cables are typically not available in /4 or /2/2 constructions.

Since NM can only be used indoors, you need a different kind of cable for outdoor or wet locations, and that's called UF (Underground Feeder).  UF is similar to NM, but without the paper wrap and with more water and UV resistance in the jacket and insulation -- this allows it to survive being rained or shone on.  UF cables are not much more costly than NM, and come in a similar variety of gauges; however, you usually don't run into /4 UF.

Service drops are wired using what's called SE (Service Entrance) cable -- this is a multiplexed/twisted (Style R) or concentric parallel (Style U), jacketed construction, available in a variety of fat-wire sizes for use for feeders and services, inside and out.  It can also be used to wire jumbo branch circuits where NM or UF is no longer fat enough for the job.  It is somewhat costlier than NM or UF cable, and like UF, is not available in /4 as a general rule.

Next, we come to the metal-armored cable family, which has two members: type AC and type MC.  Type AC (Armored Cable) is the older of the two, harkening back to the days when "BX" was the new hotness. (It's still made according to UL 4, if that's any indication!)  It has metal armor protecting two to four paper-wrapped insulated wires of any typical branch-circuit gauge as well as a thin bare wire in contact with the armor that serves as a "bonding strip" that allows the armor to act as a ground.  It's reasonably common to see this in older homes and apartments, but can still be used in indoor work to this day, despite being quite limited compared to more modern MC cables.  Of course, the metal armor makes it more expensive than NM, as well as limiting its mechanical flexibility and causing handling difficulties.

The newer kid on the block is type MC (Metal Clad) cable.  In "traditional" MC cable, the armor is only provided to protect the conductors, and the grounding conductor is separate, with a plastic assembly tape used to keep the conductors together and from being messed up by the armor.  This has the downside that the armor, although grounded, is not a grounding means -- a green ground wire is provided instead.  Otherwise, it's similar in use to AC cable, albeit more versatile -- you can get versions in much larger gauges for feeder or service work, with 3 or more circuits' worth of wire in them, and with a PVC jacket for outdoor, wet-location, direct-bury, or even in-slab usage.  A newer variant called MCI-A (MCAP™ from Southwire, MC-Quik™ from AFC, or MC-SmartGround™ from Encore Wire) omits the insulated ground wire in favor of a bare ground wire in intimate contact with the armor -- this provides the best of both the AC and MC worlds.

Last but not least, we come to the various flavors of cordage -- this is the stuff extension and power cords are made from.  Parallel (flat) cords are designated SPT and are used for light-duty work, while jacketed cords are designated S or SJ with O and W suffixes for oil or water resistance -- the jacketed-type cordage is what "heavy duty" outdoor extension cords are made from.  Cordage is much more mechanically flexible than even NM cable, using finer stranded wires and a more flexible jacket; however, it lacks some of the robustness properties of NM, which is why it CANNOT be used for permanent wiring, save for a few exceptions (such as pendants to light fixtures).  Cordage typically comes in two-wire and three-wire versions, with the occasional four-wire cord present as well (think dryer or range cord in this day and age), and in a variety of specialized types for specialized uses such as range/dryer, heater, vacuum, or electric car use in addition to the general-purpose cordage types mentioned above.

Other types of cables exist, but are used for either low-voltage communications and control applications (such as types CM and CL2) or specialized work.


How to clear the clogged washbasin? The washbasin in my bathroom is clogged very badly and I have no idea how can I clear it. I'm in Germany and their systems are very new to me and I don't even know what I should do on my own. Back home it was pretty simple and cheap to clear/replace the plastic pipes. Following is the pic of my basin:

Could you suggest what I should do?

There may be debris in the popup drain assembly, or the trap (U-bend at the bottom) may be clogged, or there may be a problem downstream.

First, try a toilet plunger. Fill the basin halfway and give it a go.

If that doesn't do it, remove the white nut at the back of the drain tailpiece and pull out the lever. Now you can lift the popup drain plug out and see what's what. Here's what that system looks like:

When you reassemble it be sure to engage the loop in the drain plug. Don't over-tighten the plastic parts.

If you still don't have good flow, disassemble the trap using a rubber jar opener for grip and clear it. Turn the nuts counter-clockwise looking from the side with the rounded edges. If necessary, a slip-lock or locking pliers will help, but protect the chrome with a rag.


Source for sample designs for a Tree House? I have a nice tree in my backyard, the base is easily 10+ feet in circumference.

I want to build my son a tree house.  More correctly I want to build a tree house with my son.

I was wondering if there is a good site with suggested plans.  I am not entirely sure how to tie into the tree trunk, in terms of the trees health and whatnot.

The first branch is 30+ feet up, so it would be just around a nice clean, cylindrical tree body.

A good design would be what @Tester101 suggested.  Build a platform around the tree.  On one side of the platform could be the tree house.    Some examples are here:

http://www.buildeazy.com/plan_links_treehouses.html

There's a good picture of platform around a tree, now just imagine a bigger platform with a tree house on one side of it.


Stiffen up slanted deck railing Just got a mountain "cabin" and the angled/slanted deck railing is a bit loose; just enough to instill some fear in those wanting to lean over and take in the view.

Here's a shot of what I'm dealing with. Tightening the bolts is usually an effort in futility, so I'm thinking more along the lines of a bracket, but I'm open all ideas.

Thanks for looking, and any input/insight would be appreciated!

I'd try something simple first.  The problem is there's too much play in the fastening of the post boards to the joists below.

Gluing, suggested in another answer, could work - it would take out the play - you'd just have to be careful to use a good strong outdoor rated glue. I am not sure the glue would hold up with the weight of the post and the length of the lever.  Even if it does hold up, gluing would make it difficult to maintain - you would have to cut the posts off the joists if any post needs to be replaced.

The posts are attached to the joists with two carriage bolts.  Carriage bolts are inserted through drilled holes, and the top of the bolt has a square chunk under the cap that keeps it from spinning when you tighten it.  You only put a wrench on the nut.  You can't apply too much force without spinning the bolt.

I'd replace those carriage bolts with hex head bolts, and use a fender washer under the bolt head and the nut.  With a hex bolt, you'll have a wrench on the bolt head and another on the nut and you can apply a lot of force.  The fender washer will spread the force over more area than a regular washer.

I'd also loosen all the bolts, then replace them one by one.  Let the rail sag before you tighten everything so it's not sprung in place, it's already at rest when you tighten everything.


Hot water flow -- to one sink -- low and getting worse I've seen variations on this question, but the only times I've seen this exact question, the answers haven't been helpful... so thought I'd try here.

I've got a 66 gal. electric hot water tank, 10-15 years old, that feeds 3 full baths and a kitchen. One bath is in the finished basement, everything else is on the ground floor.

Get reasonably good hot water pressure / flow to every faucet / tub / shower EXCEPT the sink in the master bath. Have replaced everything back to the iron supply stub coming out of the wall, problem seems to be getting worse. Hooking a line directly to first the hot, then the cold supply stubs confirms that what's coming out of the wall is way weaker for the hot than the cold.

I'm thinking sediment (rust / calcium / ???) in these older pipes, probably at an elbow or tee... and that all my shutting off, turning on, attempting to flush that line have just caused more crap to move downstream to add to the blockage.

Is this the most likely cause?

If so... is there any trick I can use to break up or dissolve this unknown upstream blockage without tearing into the finished basement to try and hunt down the affected pipe?

If it is sediment, you could open only that problematic  hot water tap at the sink, then shut off your water supply to the house and drain your water heater. That will suck all the hot water back down the line in the other direction and maybe flush out what is in there. that will at least be a way to narrow down if it is sediment within the line.


Easy way to find out if this wall is load bearing? (double top plate, but parallel with trusses) with pictures It's a single story house (but this is an addition done in the 80's I think).  I know a double top plate usually means it's load bearing, but parallel with trusses means it's usually not load bearing.  Any easy way to tell for sure?

I've attached a few pics.  Here is looking up into the ceiling and also sticking the camera above the ceiling.

Here is a shot of the full attic.

I see rafters in your pics, not trusses.  Regardless, in general, you are right that bearing walls don't normally run parallel to the rafters. If it were load bearing, there should be a kneewall (2X4's) built from the rafters or a header down to the double plate you spoke off.  Also, in the basement level, you would see a beam with posts to the footers directly under the subject wall.  The only unanswered question I have is, if the addition roof is being supported to that wall? I do see in your pic a small knee wall from the rafters to something below, but not sure if that is part of the wall you want to remove.  Summary, if there are not structural supports going from the rafters to the double plate of the wall you want to remove, it most likely is not a supporting wall.


Can't find HVAC C terminal Could any of these be the c terminal on my hvac unit? There's already a c wire there, just can't figure out where to connect it.

It's the B terminal on your unit

Your unit labels the 24V common as B instead of C.  How can I tell? We start with the wire from the thermostat going to the Y terminal on your unit, and then note that since you have central air, the wire from the Y terminal on your indoor unit goes off into the cable to your air conditioner's compressor (outdoor unit).  Since the thermostat is applying 24VAC from R to Y (like a light switch) to turn the air conditioning on, then the other end of the compressor contactor's coil must be connected to the 24VAC common for this to work (just like a light fixture needs a switched-hot and a neutral), and that other wire from the compressor connects to the B terminal on your indoor unit.

So take the back-wrapped blue wire from the cable going off to the thermostat (the upper cable in your 2nd photo), strip the insulation off the end, and attach it to  the B terminal alongside the wire that's already there.  Then you can install your new thermostat, turn everything back on, and enjoy!


Can I use the exposed water line on a Kenmore refrigerator to bypass the internal filter for incoming water supply? I have a Kenmore refrigerator (model 53552200) that has incoming tap water connected to a valve near the bottom on the back of the fridge. In addition, there is an exposed 1/4" plastic water line running on the back of the fridge, from the top, down to the bottom of the unit. This line already has a coupling in the middle of it, and I want to connect my reverse osmosis water filter to it directly, thus (hopefully) bypassing the fridge's internal water filter.

Do you know if my plan would indeed bypass the internal water filter?  If so, which direction is the water running in this fridge line---from bottom to top, or top to bottom?

I understand that some fridges have fake filters that can be installed so that the normally-used input valve can be used, while still bypassing the filter. I am leaning away from this solution because there is already a water line connected to the fridge, and I'd prefer to leave that alone in case it is used in the future---I'd of course turn off the incoming water to this line while my RO connection is in place.  This plan of mine just avoids having to disconnect/reconnect the compression fitting several times, avoiding any potential headaches associated w/ that.

This won't work because the valve at the bottom is what controls the water delivery. If you plumb in after that valve then the water will run continuously. You have to plumb in before the valve.


Low water pressure in a specific sink after turning off the supply lines Water pressure is normal in my entire house, however, recently, I had to turn off the shutoff valves to a single sink.

Since I closed the shutoff valves and then opened them fully, the water pressure has been absolutely nonexistent even when I have the knobs opened fully. But here's the kicker: the pressure to the spray hose is absolutely normal. It's only the faucet that has low pressure.

This seems like a pretty basic fix that just escapes me.

Many faucets have an aerator device and a wire mesh screen at the point where the water comes out. The piece is screwed on. If your faucet has something like this, remove it and check for debris. (Pay attention while disassembling: the order and direction of the parts matters with some designs.) The assembly uses a "normal" (right hand) thread, but often hard water deposits make it difficult to turn.


How do I safely bleach basement cabinets? My basement has built-in cabinets and posts that are stained a dark brown and I want to lighten them - ideally something closer to white oak. I researched online and found that a chlorine bleach is used to remove/lighten stains. Many of the instructions recommend applying the bleach in a well-ventilated space, but I can only remove the cabinet doors and possibly the shelves from the basement - the rest would have to be bleached in place.

What can I do to increase ventilation in the basement and to protect myself from the fumes? Or is chlorine bleach in such a situation a bad idea?

First I had heard of using bleach to restain but makes sense. Whether you use bleach or stain remover, ventilation, gloves, eye wear and a mask are important. A mask like https://www.amazon.com/3M-Bleach-Respirator-Non-Valved-Disposable/dp/B001G8WRJM should be ok or you could go with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JZ1NIM/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?psc=1 and buy the appropriate cartridge.

I’d recommend trying bleach and stain remover on a small surface area first. Chlorine bleach should be ok and will remove dye color from wood, but not the wood's natural color (exactly what you want). In either case, you’ll likely still need a fair amount of sanding.

Compare the results to see how things look. Please post here too, would love to see the difference.

Regarding basement ventilation, open any windows you have in the basement or near it and run fans.


What are "termination points" and why do I need them on my electrical supply? An inspection of my electric supply service on the outside of my home in Maryland said I need 3 termination points and two grounding rods. The grounding rods I can get but I have no clue about these termination points. Can you explain?

The termination points are where the utility attaches their wires to your system. You need 3 termination points because most US residences have 240/120 split phase service which is provided on three wires: two hots plus a neutral. The ground is of course provided by you via ground rods or (my favorite) a Ufer Ground (concrete enclosed grounding conductor).

Here is a photo of an overhead service termination.

Click for larger view


How far from the kitchen sink can a vent pipe be? We live in a 1960's single floor concrete slab house with concrete block interior/exterior walls. We had to replace the pipes under the slab in the kitchen and currently still have the floor torn up waiting for better weather to start the floor repair process. The thought occurred to me about putting in an additional vent to help with the constant clogging/blocking issues we always had and the previous owners always fought with (plumbers always blamed it on poor venting). The sink is on an outside concrete wall and currently has a PVC Air Admittance Valve. The nearest "Aesthetically" safe area to put a roof vent in is about 10ft away across the room, and about 15ft away from the 4" main. This sink is the only item on this drain line to the 4" main. The pantry in the picture runs from floor to ceiling and there is an existing clean out we would wye off of for the vent. All plumbing from the trap to the 4" is 1.5".

Would this help or make a difference in the plumbing situation for this run? A vent from the sink area would either need to go through the counter top and a cabinet or out the concrete wall and up the back of the house, through a soffit and then roof right next to our back door.

In my area, a kitchen/bath waste arm must be no more than 3ft long unless an air admittance valve is used at the fixture. If an air admittance valve is located 10 feet away it won't do anything.


Is there a more rugged finish than Polyurethane for a heavy use table? A few years go I sanded a stained table we had. Upon doing so, we discovered that it had really nice wood underneath. So instead of restaining, I applied about 4 coats of satin polyurethane. It looked nice.

Since that time, a few small spots have formed...typically from a wet spot when a coaster wasn't used. More recently, someone (cough kids! cough) managed to spill something on it and not tell anyone for about a day. As such, there's now a large spot down the middle where the liquid leached through the finish and raised the grain and flaked off the poly.

My initial thought is to get the sander out, sand the whole thing down again, and re-apply a poly finish. But is there anything else I should consider as an alternate DIY finish that can maybe stand up to daily use as a dining/homework/junk table in the center of our house full of kids? Or should I just live with the fact that it'd going to take a beating and that maybe I just need to re-apply a new coat of poly every now and again? If the latter, is there a benefit to add more coats that 4? Do I double the durability with 8, for example?

For starters, I am going to guess you used a water based urethane instead of an oil based product? I have never seen a good oil based product react as you described to simple spills. I have seen some damage caused by very hot items being placed on a urethane finish, but normally, liquids will bead up and not penetrate the finish. Even though the water based urethanes are easier to work with, it take two to three coats to give the same protection as one coat of oil based urethane.

More directly to your question, the hardest finishes you could use as a DIYer would be a good oil urethane or lacquer. Lacquer finishes are common on high end manufactured pieces, but really need to be sprayed on, several coats to make a good protective finish. The end result of a lacquer finish is much like the finish on a car, very hard and durable.  I have built many bars for folks and used 3 to 10 coats of oil based urethane with great results. I have never had a complaint similar to the problem you are experiencing. If I were going to fix your table, i'd probably start from scratch.  Sand it down again, fix any color flaws then apply 4 to 6 thin coats of oil urethane, sanding with 220 or 440 between coats. I personally prefer using a 4 or 6 inch good quality foam brush instead of a bristle brush. Use thin coats, resist the temptation to put on too much at a time. Each coat applied and finished with long complete strokes across the entire table. Be sure to allow proper recoat time as prescribed by the manufacturer. Don't rush it! Not allowing proper dry time will create a "softer" finish as undercoats will not have gassed off enough and not hardened or cured.


Which pH should I aim for when neutralizing restored/refinished antique surfaces? I have recently used different chemicals to restore, refinish and treat various types of wall and millwork surfaces.  E.g. I have stripped old paint using Peel Away 1 from plaster and antique millwork, which I believe is basic and needs to be neutralized with acid (vinegar or similar).  I also cleaned mortar and dust residues from exposed brick using hydrochloric acid, which I neutralized with a baking soda solution (basic).  In yet another example, I plastered some brick walls with a homemade plaster mix (hydraulic lime + sand), which also is basic.

After completing all of these surface treatments, should I always aim to achieve a pH of 7 by neutralizing with a solution of the opposite pH?  Or are there other factors to be taken into consideration?

If you are cleaning something that can be washed, you can neutralize the pH with water.  After using HCl on bricks, I would just hose them off.  The acid will become very dilute quickly.  pH just measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, so if you add a bunch of water (neutral pH) the pH will approach neutral.

I also don't think you need to worry about the pH of solids such as dried plaster.


How should I go about covering an entire room in black material? I have a birthday party coming up where I need to cover an entire room in black material of some kind (theme is "1970s in Space" and we're sticking glow in the dark stars on this material). The walls are quite short, maybe 8 - 10 feet

What is the best/cheapest material to do this, and how would I go about sticking it up? (I was thinking of Blu-Tack.)

4 feet wide and 200 feet long roll of black paper for less than $25: http://www.amazon.com/Spectra-ArtKraft-Duo-Finish-PAC67304-Pacon/dp/B00006IE1U

I would use painter's masking tape (the kind that peels back off without peeling the paint off the walls and does not leave a sticky residue) and make little rolled tubes of the tape to stick the paper to walls and ceiling, so the tape does not show.


Does this 2x4 support my gable ridge? I'm installing a floor in my attic.  To open up the space and simplify the flooring I'm removing temporary construction bracing.  Most of the bracing is easy to identify, since it clearly does not support anything:  It doesn't touch the ridge or rafter, has no real structure on the lower end, and is some cases is actually being held up by the roof.

One 2x4 post gives me pause, though.  Rather than just being toe-nailed into the ridge it is supported (poorly) by a sistered 2x4.  It is sitting on the top plate of a wall with some continuity down through the house.  It's actually twisted as if it might be buckling from load.  And the gable ridge does not run into a header.  The valley rafters are massive, though, so perhaps it is supposed to be cantilevered.

Questions:

Can I remove it?
If not, should I replace it?  With something heavier?
Does this application have a particular name?  (I thought perhaps "king post" but this doesn't have struts)

Front view:

Reverse view including the opposing valley jack:

Artsy shot showing the twist in the board:

You can sister another 2x4 that's turned 90 degrees on it's side to help with the twist (basically make an L with the two boards).  To get them to pull together, first clamp them together and then use some deck screws to attach the two.

It's hard to tell if the twist is from buckling under load or if it's just warped from a moisture change.  And from looking at this on a web site, I think it will be difficult for many of us to say if it's necessary.  (Though even if I were to see it in person, I may be clueless since we outsource all of our roof work to someone with a crane and even they use pre-manufactured roof trusses where every board is load bearing.)

However, it is safe to say that nothing bad will happen if you reinforce it, while it could be disastrous for you to remove it.


Is it possible to plug an AC into a kitchen stove hood exhaust? I live in an apartment and need to install air conditioning to cool down one room (about 20 m2), from time to time (1-3 hours per sunny day, for a total of 3 or 4 months a year - typical European continental weather).

I cannot modify the external part of the building (by punching though a hole or modifying the window) so I was thinking about installing a single hose system and reusing the kitchen stove hood exhaust (just in case my English is incorrect: I am thinking about the hole in the wall to which one would normally attach the device which sucks in cooking odors).

Is this in principle a good idea?

It sounds like you are attempting to make your own version of a space air conditioner.  These are an air condition broken into two parts.  The first part is an outdoor box that is the size of a brief case and then the other part is the fan that blows the cool air.  The two pieces are connected by about 10 feet of semi-flexible tubing.  They plug into a standard outlet and are meant to only cool small areas such as a room or office.  We used them all the time in Afghanistan.  We could retrofit anything to hold one - tents, conex boxes, sheds...  You would not need to cut holes in the walls for the tubes.  Should be able to run them through the stove hood as long as you don't turn the fan on.  I think it was called a chuga or something.  Works create and they were not too expensive.


How to wire a switch-controlled GCFI but retain downstream protection even with switch off I'm wiring an outbuilding and would like to put GFcI first for downstream protection. Only catch is that the first outlet (the one I want to be a GFCI) needs to be controlled by a switch because its in the ceiling for a bank of LED lights to plug into.  Here's the run I'm trying to do:

SOURCE........ceiling GFCI (a bank of LED lights plugs into this).......wall switch(that controls that GFCI).....regular wall outlet.....other downline outlets, etc.

Is it possible to wire this run such that the regular outlet (downstream) isn't controlled by the switch but remains GFCI protected (even with the switch off, preferably)?  I'd love to see a diagram for this if possible.

Thanks!

GFCI breakers are easy to manage and will protect the entire circuit. It's the safest way to provide protection to multiple uses on a circuit. One small hitch is you'll need to identify the intended circuit's neutral wire from among those attached to the neutral bus. That neutral wire must be attached to the GFCI breaker, a short white wire included with the new breaker attaches to the neutral bus. And the load (usually black) wire will attach to the breaker also. Then the breaker snaps into the panel in the appropriate slot.


Power Drill emits a bright spark and stops. Can fix? I have one of these and I recently lent it to someone. Now when I tried it after a while, it runs for a second or two (if I press the trigger all the way), and then emits a bright spark or two from the motor area and dies. If I release and reengage the trigger, it runs again for about 1-2 seconds and repeats the above. The inside of it looks like below. I took it apart to see if there are any brushes I can easily replace (worn out brushes was a suggestion somewhere on the inter-webs). I don't see any way to access the brushes if this were a brushed motor but this is the first time I have done something like this.
My question is if there is any way to recover this drill? Or is it bound for the junk pile? I realize it is a cheap easily replaceable one but I don't like to throw what I can fix.

So.. I think i fixed it.. this video and others suggest that this might be carbon build up along the shaft of the motor causing the excessive sparking. Some places suggest taking a can of compressed air to the thing.. and I didnt have one so I used a homemade can of compressed air... my mouth.. seems to have worked. The sparks are now down to a minimal level which is apparently expected in a brushed motor, and the drill is able to run even at max speed which it wasnt earlier.

TLDR - Could be carbon build up along the shaft. If you cannot reach the shaft, clean with compressed air or blow hard with mouth.


Adding remote to ceiling fan that is not on a switch but the light is I am adding a remote control to my ceiling fan, but the wiring is puzzling. The fan is set up off of one line and does not go to a switch. You control it through the pull cord only. The light is wired to a wall switch as normal. Inside the ceiling fan box, the wiring that goes to the fan has the black/hot going to the fan and white/neutral is tied into the set of black/hots going to the light and the switch. That white/neutral has a piece of black e-tape placed on it like a sort of label. The black and white from the switch are both tied as normal to the ceiling fan light.  I'm trying to add the remote, so I've connected the black and white of the receiver to the black and white that go to the switch. The three lines coming out of the receiver go where they are supposed to: one each to the fan, the light and the neutral. All that brings me to the big question: I'm left with the black and white ends of the line that was originally connected directly to the fan as described above.  What to do with them? My first attempt was capping them both off, but nothing worked. I suspect I need to do something with the white/neutral labeled with e-tape that was previously tied into the black/hot lines. Any thoughts?

Update 9/27: The light and fan will both be controlled by the new remote receiver. Attached are pics showing the two sets of 14 gauge coming in. Blacks to black, and switch white to light’s white, but the ‘other’ white going to the switch/light black.

I resolved my issue.  This website was a big help: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/ceiling-fan-wiring-diagrams.html.  Turns out the source wire to the ceiling fan was from above at the fixture.  From above the fixture it went through the fan, then down to the switch. So I needed to run it as a switch loop. I didn't have 3-wire cable as shown in the link above, but since the white/neutral at the switch is just capped and performs no function, I used the white as the red and labeled it as hot. Everything is up and running and the remote works great. No more replacing fan parts that break every year or so from pull cord operation.


Sawdust from treated wood on my lawn Over the weekend I built a playhouse for my kids in the back yard using pressure treated lumber.  As I was cleaning up I realized that my lawn was covered in chemical laden sawdust.  Has anyone here had experience with this?  Is it a problem and if so is there a solution?

Unless you have a big enough pile to make snowballs...or sawdust balls rather.  I wouldn't worry about it.  It shouldn't hurt the grass and again unless the kids are rolling around it it, or licking it you should be just fine.

In the First Aid section of the MSDS, for skin contact it says...

  For skin contact, wash immediately with soap and water. Get medical
  attention if irritation develops or persists.

The by the book answer is yes follow the MSDS to the letter. But MSDS sheets are written with lawsuits in mind and are generally overzealous in how things should be handled. This is the same reason a piece of stained oak threshold at Lowe's has a "This product has been known to cause cancer in the state of California" sticker on it. I have had ptw dust in my eyes and on my body and had no ill effects. Sure if you have a pile, pick/clean it up, if its scattered...mine is realistic advice, I would not worry about it.


Why is it unwise to use a Drain King to unclog a toilet? On its website, Consumer Reports has posted a review and comparison of drain-cleaning products (PDF).  The article is about ten years old, but it's free even for non-subscribers.

Out of all the products they tested, the Drain King VIP1 kit is one of their favorites.  They say that it's worth keeping the kit on hand.  It's very powerful.  It uses water pressure (from an indoor or outdoor faucet) to clear drain clogs.

The product is not perfect, but is still useful. (The manufacturer warns: "Drain King should be inserted past any potential areas where water might vent out. If not possible, simply close or plug potential vents.")

Where I live, one of the toilets is clogged.

The manufacturer of the Drain King kit writes: "We do not recommend using a Drain King to unclog a toilet". Why not?

Using water pressure to clean a drain can provide great results and disasters. I have seen where all the poop in the line was pushed back into another bath that only had a sgower, by the time the owner noticed the smell the bath & bedroom floors were covered in waste.


Outdoor Table - What type of wood I will be building an outdoor table in the near future.  It will probably be outside most if not all of the year (i'm in the midwest so it will get snowed on).  Should I use pressure treated wood for this to be able to handle the harsh elements?

PT, cedar, teak, or redwood. The latter is getting more rare and expensive. PT is a bit harder (more resistant to dents and scratches), but tends to warp more due to its extremely wet nature.

Also, PT has chemical concerns for some. The newer versions may be less concerning, but that's for you to decide.