Replaced outlet still not working I have 1 light switch and 1 outlet in a 2 gang box in the kitchen.
The old gfci outlet stopped working so I replaced it with another but it still doesn't work.  The new outlet is gfci too and I can't get it to reset, nothing happens, no light comes on.  I have a multi-meter with a non-contact voltage detector that I ran over the non-working gfci outlet and it lights up showing that there is voltage present.  I swapped the white and black wires to outlet to see if they did it backwards, as they did elsewhere in the house, but it still won't work. What could be going on here? What are my options?

The light switch works so I was thinking of piggy backing from the light switch to the outlet or taking the wires from the light switch and putting them in the outlet and piggy backing to the switch.  Does it matter which is first?

Also, what is going on with the grounding here?  They didn't ground the light switch and they tied both grounds together to the outlet?

Lastly, how can I tell if the black wire is actually hot and white is neutral as it seems that they wired it backwards elsewhere in the house.

Thanks

First thing to check, as @Tester101 points out, is that you've connected the  wires to the LINE terminals on the GFCI receptacle. It will also have LOAD terminals, which would go any other outlets you'd want fed from (and protected by) this GFCI. But it doesn't appear that you have any of those.

Next you should carefully use the contact terminals of your multi-meter to measure voltage on the lines:

If you measure around 120V between the black and white wires leading to the GFCI, and those wires go into the LINE terminals of the receptacle, the receptacle should be test/reset-able and should show 120V when you test between the plug-in slots on the front. If you have 120V at the LINE terminals and not at the front, the receptacle is defective.
If you don't have 120V between the black and white wires, your circuit is switched off or damaged. You'll need to investigate the wiring to determine what's wrong. Your non-contact tester may have given you a misleading indication; the contact tester is more authoritative here.
To identify the "true" neutral, measure voltage between an insulated wire and the bare ground wire. Neutral and safety-ground should have zero voltage, because they are bonded in your main electrical panel. So you should have 120V between black and white; 120V between black and ground; and 0V between white and ground. If you have 120V between white & black but 0V on black/ground and 0V on white/ground, then your ground wire is not properly connected.

Finally, you should run a small length of bare wire between the ground bundle in this box and the ground screw on your switch, so that the switch's metal components are grounded.


125amp feed from garage to house, required wire size, PLUS a separate 3-way light switch I recently built a detached garage with its own 200amp service.  I made provisions to run a 125amp feeder from the garage to an addition we are now building on the house.

My questions are:

What size wire should I run from the garage to the new sub-panel in the addition?  This will be 3 wires (2 hot, 1 neutral) in buried 2" schedule 40 conduit, for 60 feet.  I believe the answer is #1 copper, or #3 aluminum. Is this correct?
Additionally, I wired a 3-way switch for the garage outside carriage lights, and intend to run the the 2nd light switch to the addition (so i can turn on the outside garage lights from the house).  I intend to run the four 12AWG THHN/THWN wires in buried 1" electrical PVC conduit.  Are there any issues with this approach?

While it appears that your AHJ and utility have given their blessing on this setup...

It seems that you are in a situation where your utility has provisioned you with an additional service as they were unable to increase the size of your existing service (as per 230.2(C)(3) and section 4.1 of Xcel's service standards).  You will indeed need permanent signage at all service or building feeder disconnect locations (engraved placards, most likely -- any shop that does engravings for trophies and such can make such for you) that denotes the location of all disconnecting means on the premises that control power to that structure, as per 230.2(E) and 225.37, as exception 2 to the latter does not apply to your situation.

There are some practical downsides to this that you need to be aware of

There are practical issues with having power derived from multiple services in a single building unit (dwelling unit, tenant space, ...), though.  Chief among these is that you effectively must create an electrical "firewall" in the building plan -- only equipment grounding conductors are allowed to cross this firewall, lest you create a colossal current loop/parallel path (300.3(B)/310.10(H) violation) by inadvertently cross-connecting neutrals or hots derived from the two services.

Given the maintenance difficulties this causes (it's very difficult to keep multiple neutral sources from being commingled by accident when cable wiring methods are used, since you can't do something sane like making all the service #1 neutrals white and all the service #2 neutrals striped or grey) , I would not do it this way; instead, I would rearrange things so that the existing 100A service is routed to solely power the garage and the new 200A service solely powers the house.  This limits the concerns about mixed services to the garage/house 3-way circuit (which can simply be run as a switch loop in a separate conduit in this case, with the boxes separated as well), and also allows us to simplify the disconnect provisioning considerably compared to having the house on a split service, as having conductors on the outside of a structure is typically not cause for requiring a disconnect to be placed there.

In other words, we can run the service-entrance conductors (3x 250kcmil XHHW-2 in a 3" PVC, if I were in your shoes, to leave room for the outside chance of a service upgrade, although the 2" PVC will work, and if the existing meter socket on the garage is a meter-main, you'll need a 200A breaker for it and a 6AWG copper EGC in the conduit) from the meter socket on the garage to the house, while the existing service-entrance conductors from the barn are re-routed to feed the panel already in the garage, and the existing 100A panel becomes a subpanel of the new house panel, fed from the new panel in the addition using a 1/1/1/3 aluminum SER cable run and 100A breaker.

Panel selection matters here

For the new panel in the house, there is one cardinal sin that you should avoid, and that's being stingy with panel spaces.  Given that you are feeding part of the house with this panel, a 42 space panel should be adequate, but it is best to leave room for a second panel adjacent to the first in this case.  It will need to be a main breaker panel, of course, and will be configured as service equipment in this case unless the garage has a meter-main, in which case the house panels will both be subpanels.

Getting the details right

There are several details that we must mind when installing all this.  First off, there is a new NEC requirement in 110.14(D) that all terminations must be torqued to specification -- this means you or your electrician will need to use an inch-pound torque wrench or torque screwdriver when tightening down loadcenter, meter base, and circuit breaker lugs.  Second, you will need to use duct seal at all underground conduit termination points as per NEC 300.5(G) -- this keeps any nasty things that manage to get into the conduit from proceeding merrily into the building via the breaker panel.  Third, you'll need a structure disconnecting means for the garage (the existing disconnect may be a meter main, which cannot be reused for this, requiring you to convert the garage panel to main breaker from main lug or install an enclosed circuit breaker ahead of the existing garage panel if it's not convertible to main breaker at all), and to blank out any knockouts in existing equipment that are no longer used as a result of this reconfiguration.

If you're OK with the consequences of two services into the same building...

If you really want to deal with having two services into the same building (i.e. stick with the existing plan you have in mind), and the potential for trouble down the road this will cause, you can still use the 2" PVC, but you'll need to run four wires through it since you are running a feeder, which requires a separate equipment grounding conductor.  The appropriate wire sizing for this 125A feeder is 1/0 AWG aluminum or 2AWG copper, with XHHW-2 insulation either way, for the hots and neutral with a  6AWG bare copper grounding conductor.

As to that 3-way...

I would run the 3-way for the carriage lights in a separate conduit from the main wires going to the house -- if you are on my plan of having the wires from the garage to the house be the sole service for the house, then  you can't commingle service and non-service conductors in a raceway like that due to NEC 230.7, and if you are sticking to your guns, then the NEC 310.15(B)(3)(a) derate would force an upsize of the feeder conductors if any more current-carrying conductors were commingled with them.

As to the conductors and conduit themselves, 12AWG THHNs in 1" conduit is fine (even if you want smart switch shenanigans later, 4 conductors is adequate as one can put the "main" switch at the garage and the "accessory" switch at the house).  This is a good time to use the rainbow of colors you can get THHN in to your advantage -- the ground must be green, of course, but you can say make the travellers blue and the hot/switched conductor pink or the travellers both yellow and the hot/switched conductor purple -- this makes it easier to tell what's what.


Why does my gravity vented wall Furnace keep turning off/ We have an Empire gravity vented wall furnace:

That turns off.  According to the instructions, this is because the vent safety switch.  But when I open up the furnace, it appears to be vented just fine, in fact, I can feel the cool air pouring down.

After resetting the switch, it will work until the heat goes off (when the room reaches temperature) but then will not turn back on unless I reset it again, and that is erratic too.

So my question is is there anything I can do to make the safety switch work again?  I should probably call a service person, but was curious if anyone has specific experience with these types of wall furnaces.

it turned out that the thermostat had gone bad


I've moved into a new apartment for a while. Is this mold? Is it safe to continue live here? I've moved into a new apartment for a while. Lately, I found these molds on my things.  Is it safe to continue living here? Do you think a dehumidifier will solve this problem? I don't want all of my clothes and shoes to get ruined like these...
Thank you for your help!

Looks more like mildew, which is related to mold, but not as dangerous (from a health standpoint). Yes, a dehumidifier could help prevent mildew. I would also look for sources of the moisture, e.g. a clothes dryer that is not venting to the outside, a bathroom vent that is not functioning (or non-existent), water leaking somewhere etc.


Best route to take when replacing an old panel without a main breaker I have a severely scary Stab-Lok panel that has no main breaker. The breakers spark and fall out when the panel is slightly wiggled. It's tiny and there's hardly any room to work, so I'm not about to screw around inside there while the mains are live. So, I need to have the electric company come out and pull the meter.

I figure while the meter is off, why not just replace the panel? So I bought a 200A load center with main breaker installed. My service is currently only 100A, but we plan on upgrading some time in the future (not sure how long it'll be). The main concern right now is to get the damned Stab-Lok panel out of here.

So, the question I have is, which is the best temporary route to take?

Just connect the lines to the installed 200A main breaker.
Remove the breaker and convert panel to main lug and connect directly (as the old one is now).
Remove the installed breaker. And backfeed the panel through 100A breaker as specified in the wiring diagram. (But lose 4 spaces.)

Honestly, I'm strongly leaning towards #1. At least the panel will be protected and I'll be able to use the main breaker as a disconnect.

Thanks,
Michael

BTW, the panel I bought was a Siemens P3040B1200CU and they don't make a 100A main breaker for it.

Update with photo:

The Siemens panel I plan to use photo:

1) can't happen without the power company's consent, and the meter pan and service drop up to the weatherhead must also be rated for 200A.   If those aren't true, you can't do #1.

2) is out of the question.  The old setup was legal because it was so small it qualified for the Rule of Six (six throws to turn off everything).  And the  maximum theoretical load, all circuits at redline, was 125A on one pole and 150A on the other. That is such a modest oversubscription that since the Rule of Six was allowed, a main breaker wasn't really needed.   However, different deal on a modern 30-42 space panel with 200-400A of breakers provisioned on each pole. Besides, the Rule of Six is now outlawed! You must have a main breaker today.

That leaves #3, and I recommend switching panel brands to one where a 100A main breaker is readily available.  Unless you plan to have a generator; in that case stay with Siemens but swap it out to a main-lug panel (why pay for the main breaker) and fit their generator interlock.

You can also backfeed this panel and ignore the main breaker, but I do not like panels where the main shutoff is not obvious.  In an emergency, people don't rise to the occasion, they sink to the level of their training.  In other words people get stupid in key moments.  Someone frantically working in the dark is gonna grab the big handle and go THWOP.  And he will expect the power to be off at that point.  So if that does nothing and you have to shut off one of the regular breakers, well, that's just confusing...


tankless water heater I am looking at adding a tankless water heater but I don't have enough spaces in my breaker box for the breaker requirements of the heater. It is asking for 3 double pole 40 amp breakers and I am thinking about adding in a sub panel for the water heater. I was wondering if this is ok and what size breaker do I need to install for the sub panel. If this helps anyone answer my questions or give me advice I am looking at a eco smart 27. it requires 3 40 amp double breakers and im new to electrical work and don't know much I am having a electrian come out and do the work so it is done right and so I don't kill myself. I do know that the eco smart 27 has 3 heating elements in it and thasts the reason for the 3 breakers.

This heater alone required 113 Amps with really heavy hot water usage.  So first you need an electrician to look at your house and your electrical panel/s to see if you have that much power available.  The sub-panel idea is good if you have the available power.  The sub-panel would need a rating of at least 125-Amps.  You need to have newer and quality service equipment. Otherwise this type of a load could really raise havoc.


What should be used between a concrete tub and wall tile? I have an older home that has a large, decorative concrete bathtub/shower with tiled enclosure walls. The walls behind the tile and tub are poured concrete. (Yes, the house is very sturdily built.)

I am refurbishing this area, and when I started removing the (very) old caulk between the tub and the tiled walls, I found that the tile had actually been grouted completely down to the tub; there is no expansion joint. In a way, this makes sense, because all of these materials (concrete tub, concrete walls, tile and grout) have about the same thermal coefficient of expansion so there is no need for an expansion joint.

I'm not seeing any cracking or separation that would indicate an expansion mismatch, and the grout looks to be in excellent shape (considering its age), although it looks like in places it has softened behind the caulk. I'm thinking that this is probably because the caulk, as it has aged, has allowed water to be trapped behind it, against the grout, for extended periods. My feeling is that this was originally not intended to be caulked, but that someone caulked it at some point because, well, this is a place that is usually caulked.

Is it okay (maybe even preferable) to have the grout only, or does this angle between the tub and the tiled walls need to be caulked? Water does not stand there; it gets wet for brief periods during showers. This is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the humidity is almost always low, so it has no problem drying off fairly quickly.

Addition on 12-10-16:

The photos are of about an 18 inch section.

This is an indoor fixture (master bedroom's bath), so it is not subject to extremes of temperature, etc. The green tiles you see in the pictures are glassy, different shades of green, 1000s of them in all, that have been fairly precisely grouted in with a grey grout to make a kind of abstract under the water scene on the walls. As I say, the grout extends to the decorative concrete tub; there is no open space.

Looking at some of the edges, it does appear that the tub itself extends significantly back behind the tile surface. As you can see, the tile is worked essentially down to the tub; however, there are very thin sections of grout between those lowest tile pieces and the tub.

I had forgotten to mention another important point, which is that when I was removing the caulk, it was adhered strongly to many of the tiles (there is no possible way one could caulk this junction without getting caulk on the lowest tiles) and wanted to peel flakes off the tile faces. I proceeded very carefully once I realized this, slow and tedious hand work scraping the caulk off every little tile, so it wouldn't take flakes with it. Even so, there was some flaking.  These tiled walls are so unique, I really don't want to do something that could cause additional damage. Caulk seems to be problematical.

Using some wet room type silicone should work just fine for that joint under the conditions you mention. You can usually find transparent variants of it as well, leaving the design intact.

And it takes no real time to apply.


Preventing swing set legs from sinking I'm putting together a swing set in my backyard mostly following this Youtube video. I'd like to make sure that the legs of the A-frames don't sink into the ground over time when it rains, etc. What the best way to do that without making concrete bases for the legs? Will the swing set anchors with spiral discs be enough for that? The anchors I see on Amazon etc. look small (only ~2" disc) so want to confirm. If such anchors are not enough, what if I connect the (bottom) tips of each A-frame with another 4x4 or 2x4?

I Assume your set is like the one in the video and has wood 4x4 legs and that you have cut the correct angle on the bottom of the leg so it is flat to the ground.

You could cut a square piece from a 2x6 ( or 2x8 if you like, treated or outdoor wood ) and attach it the bottom of each leg.  This would spread the weight out over a broader area. IF you leave them on top of the grass You could use a router or a saw set at an angle to round over the all the corners and edges to eliminate all sharp right angles both top and bottom ( top for safety and bottom so you can drag it to a new location without the edges digging in the grass ) With this method the base/foot will travel with the set if it get moved.
But i would recess them into the ground to avoid a tripping hazard.

Another possibility is buy a some pre-made concrete pavers but these are very hard obviously and i would recess them into the ground and glue foam padding all over them or cover with a layer of sand. You do not want a kid to fall and hit their head on them ( or the wood for that matter.) This option would not allow for moving the swingset with out re-setting the pavers.

Or go full  child safety and do like they do on school playgrounds and anchor the set deep and put down sand or shredded rubber to lesson the IMPACT when child falls of the swing.


How can I stengthen the durability of my newly installed engineered hardwood floor? I have new engineered hardwood floors, Santamaria Hardwood Flooring. The veneer is very thin. Before I move in the furniture, I would like to apply polyurethane on my new floors. Can I simply apply a product on the floors as is? In otherwords do I need to prep? If so, what is the process?

Additionally, for this particular job, is one product better than another and what tools will be needed,.

Engineered hardwoord are almost always prefinished.  And the factory aluminum oxide coating is harder than anything you can do at home so there is no reason to re-do the existing coating.


How can I add a GFCI breaker on two circuits with a shared neutral without rewiring? Possible Duplicate:
  How do I install a GFCI receptacle with two hot wires and common neutral?

I have a pool to protect correctly.  There is a 12/3 wire: red serves the receptacles at the bottom of the pole lights and the black serves the pole lights.  Now they are on two separate breakers.  I was going to put a single pole GFCI on the receptacle line but I know that I can't share the neutral.

I see 3 options:

Can I put both the red and black on the same single pole?  I think it is against code but would it work?  I don't need the 20A for lights and the outlets.
Is the double pole option with the single ground right?
Wire the first outlet in the series with a GFCI .... but I'm not sure that works because the pole lights after it again share the same neutral.

I'm not pulling new wire ... It's underground.

If you are asking if you can double tap the breaker in the panel (#1), the answer is no.
GFCI Breaker
My first thought in this situation, would be to use a 20 Amp double pole GFCI breaker.

These tend to be quite expensive, but it will protect both legs of your circuit.
Single GFCI Receptacle
The next option would be to install a single GFCI receptacle to protect all the downstream receptacles, and leave the lights unprotected.  Though you'd have to check your local codes to know if the lights need to be protected.

Just remember, you'll have to pigtail the neutral before the GFCI receptacle for this to work.
Two GFCI receptacles
The other option is to install a GFCI receptacle to protect downstream receptacles, then install another GFCI receptacle to protect the lights.

Again, you'll have to pigtail the neutral before the first GFCI receptacle.  This also has the disadvantage of having a receptacle on the light circuit, which can lead to overloading the circuit and standing in the dark because of it. However, it does insure both legs of the circuit are protected.  You could install the GFCI receptacle that protects the lights in an inconvenient location (while still keeping it accessible for resets/tests), to limit the temptation to use it.
Remember to check all local codes and regulations before doing any work, and never be afraid to call an Electrician if you feel uncomfortable at all during the installation.


How to identify neutral wire in multi-switch box? I have a 4-switch junction box where three of the switches are on one circuit and the fourth switch is on its own circuit. I need to identify the neutral wire with the 4th switch to install a smart switch. How do I do this? Not sure if this is important, but the 4th switch is also a 3-way switch.
The house is new construction built in 2017.

You may or may not have any neutral wire in the box, depending how it's wired.
With switch loops (which you can't do legally now, but could for a long time) there's quite often no neutral. Assume any white wire connected to a dumb switch is hot from a switch loop.
Otherwise, with dumb switches, look for a bunch of white wires not connected to the switches, but connected to each other.


How can I fix this broken cluster mailbox unit (CBU)? Someone hit our community's mailbox and trying to get it fixed has become a major nightmare.  Basically, when it was hit, the aluminum pedestal was snapped off right at the base.  I have an idea on how to fix it, but it involves building a wood pedestal with a 4x4, mounting it to a 4x4 bracket, and then mounting that bracket into the concrete.  I've tried removing this base, but these nuts are in really good.

Being that I am the HOA president, it's my duty to find a fix for this ASAP, so I am hoping some of you can assist me here.

Edit:  BTW, I called the original manufacturer and they do not make replacement parts for this discontinued 1997 model.

If you know who hit it, buy a new mailbox, and send them the bill. They are liable.

If you don't know who hit it, there's more incentive to save a buck by fixing this one, since most insurance companies will raise your rates if you file for a hit and run, and the raised rates will cost more than just fixing it.

If you can't get the nuts off, either cut them off (if you use a nut-splitter the studs may still be usable) and haul the whole base in to a welder, or have them make a whole new base (the post is pretty thin and may not weld well) and drill holes for new anchors to park it beside the old one.

Put anti-seize on the new nuts - someone will thank you (or your ghost) the next time this happens.


What are the advantages and disadvantage of using "pushfit"  pipe fittings? There are many makes of pushfit pipe fittings that make it a lot easer to join pipes, incluing copper pipes, e,g:

John Guest Speedfit
Cuprofit®- copper push fit
Hepworth-HEP20

(please expand the list if you know of any others)

How do I decide if I should use them rather than soldered copper fittings?
If I use to use a pushfit system, how do I choose the one to use?

I've been a bit cynical of these but tried push-fit on my last project -- works a treat.

Pros: it's really really fast and easy, you're more likely to get it right first time, and you can use PEX tubing which is lovely and flexible, so brilliant for doing e.g. taps for a basin on a stud partition.

Cons: expensive. Much more expensive. And you'd not want to use them on exposed pipework.


Christmas Lights on Vinyl fences My question is... How do I install Christmas lights (C7 or C9) in a nice uniform row atop all of my vinyl fence ? I don't want to glue, screw or tape
them on.

Zipties (aka cable ties). Be sure to use ones that are UV-resistant.

Cost pennies each, strong enough for the application you're talking about, non-damaging and non-permanent, and easy to remove when done.


Loss of power at breaker I recently lost power to my fridge, I couldn't figure it out for the life of me until I removed all of the receptacles and found the incoming power directly from the breaker, from ground to hot it was 120volts and from hot to neutral it was 14 volts, I was dumbfounded until I wiggled the white wire in the breaker box and sparks flew, there was a hairline Crack that became brittle in the neutral wire

I cut the coating down on the Romex wire and retightened and got 120 volts again

My problem: I was getting reaclimated to the furnaces components and wiring setup the other day when I found that the two 60A breakers in the furnace, one was reading 120volts and the other was at 113 volts

My question: Is my house so old that the wiring is just deteriorating after 36 years or should I just update the breakers and strip down all the wires so it gets a good connection again

Ironically your wiring system has reached 30 years which is its half life. Meaning from here through the next 30 years an average system can experience 50% failure of it's components. This is just a statistical average and does not apply to any one system.

I would start by performing some maintenance on the panel. First I would remove every conductor from it's panel connection, including neutrals and inspect and clean the conductor. Then with a voltmeter carefully turn it on and check to see if you are getting 120V on each pole of the breaker to the ground bus. Turn the breaker off and reconnect the circuit, turn it back on and recheck the circuit to make sure your voltage is OK. Then repeat all the way through the panel. I would start with the main breaker and go all the way through.

Second as long as I already had the panel open I would remove each breaker and check the resistance through the breaker with an ohmmeter. the resistance on all breakers should be consistent throughout the panel. If I experienced a higher resistance than normal or an open circuit, I would replace that breaker and I would check the connection to the bus for any corrosion, coloration or arcing. I would also do the same at the breaker conductor connection.

Then once I have reassembled the panel. Perform a voltage check by measuring the voltage from the main service feeder to the ground and the neutral, and check it against the voltage between the breaker post and the neutral/ground to make sure it is consistent with the incoming service voltage. It should not vary much more than one volt.

In short you are indicating that the panel connections are loose and it is not just with one circuit. So lets clean it up and see if we can get it back to proper working order before calling in someone for a complete panel replacement.

Good luck and stay safe.


Repairing water-damaged paint (possibly drywall)? I have a first-floor wall that has some water damage in one of the corners. The cause was apparently a clogged gutter, which was spraying rain water directly onto the exterior of the wall. The clogged gutter is fixed but now I would like to repair the damaged interior paint.

My first idea was to simply remove the damaged paint, prime, and repaint with a color-matched paint color. However, I'm worried about whether more extensive work might be necessary, since I came upon some other threads that mentioned also replacing the drywall. (I'm a complete DIY novice, BTW.) Is this a case where I'd be fine with just repainting, or is there more to it than that?

Here's a picture of the damage. The house was built in 1994 but I believe the paint is relatively new...not entirely sure though. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If it was indeed just recent & not an ongoing for years situation. Then, let it dry for a week or 2 & see how solid it is then. As long as it feels as solid as before & the rest of the walls, then definitely scrape off what bubbled, split & wrinkled paint you can so there are no lifting or flapping edges.

You'll want to fill those new low spots with Joint Compound or Spackle for a nothing ever happened end result. Lay that on in very-very thin coats just as thick as the paint you have surrounding the scraped areas. Dry-Sand with sandpaper to perfection & a lot of dust or Wet-Sand with a wet sponge for no dust. Let dry & do another Compound or Spackle coat, if needed & sand again.

Then, roller-on a Stain Blocking Primer & let that cure for 2-days, you shouldn't need a 2nd coat but do that if it's needed. And finally, roller-on your paint, 2-coats over the primer-ed areas & even do the rest of both walls to get everything uniform & to use up your paint...of course do this with the Primer too, prior to the paint, in order to use that up as well.


Is torn kraft paper vapor retarder in the attic a problem? I'm adding additional insulation in my attic. Unfortunately, I tore the kraft paper vapor barrier of the existing fiberglass insulation in many places while air sealing. Is this a problem? Or is this simply what happens when you air seal? Do I need to replace the insulation where the kraft paper is torn?

More Detail:

I live in Maryland. The vapor retarder (kraft paper) is facing toward the conditioned side. The house was built in 1967, so I had to pull up the existing insulation in order to air seal. As the kraft paper tabs on the existing insulation are stapled, I inevitably ended up with a lot of tears around light junction boxes, top plates, etc.

The purpose of a vapor barrier is to prevent moisture from condensing in the insulation, greatly reducing it's insulating value. To do this, it must be placed on the warm side of the insulation. In cold and moderate climates, this is towards the living space. In hot humid climates where keeping the living area cool is the primary concern, it goes towards the weayther side.

It sounds like in your case the paper is on the top, weather side. If you are in a hot humid climate and you are adding more insulation on top, you WANT to have many holes in the old barrier that is now sandwiched inside all the insulation, allowing any moisture that got past the new barrier on top to hopefully get carried out without condensing.

If you are in a cold or moderate climate, and it is on top, it was installed wrong. You're better off having holes in it. Any moisture that got that far should be allowed to escape, lest it condense on the paper and make the insulation wet.

To summarize, in either climate, if the paper is on top of the old, and you are adding more insulation, put all the holes in it you can! It is not helping. In a hot humid climate, insure you place a new barrier on top of your new insulation. If you are in a cold or moderate climate, consider how you may add a vapor barrier to the living space. Several heavy coats of latex paint can do this. It may be something you already have.


What type of glass allows UV-B radiation to pass for laundry sanitizing? I want to know if there's a type of glass that doesn't filter UVB?
I live in tropical region, and my real objective is for my laundry. I want to hang them out in the sun, for quicker drying, but most importantly, to kill germs. the thing is, I really dislike running all the way from first floor to third floor when it rains, so it would be nice to have some sort of material to "shelter" my laundry from rain, but not from UV rays essential for killing germs.
as far as I know, UV A does penetrate glass, but does a really poor job killing germs. UV B on the other hand, very effective in killing germs, but gets filtered by glass.
thanks

Quartz glass passes UV-B and is what the tubes of UV bulbs is made of.

But it’s prohibitively expensive for use as roofing material. And rather fragile.

Why not put a UV-B bulb near your laundry? Aside from that the UV rays will cause premature fading of your clothes and maybe blind passers-by. /s

Using oxiclean or similar hydrogen peroxide “color safe bleach” or very hot water will effectively kill the bacteria that make clothes smell dank in the tropics.


3 black wires and 3 white wires I am currently trying to install a light fixture and I'm really confused, I've never seen wiring like this before and I'm not sure what goes where. There are 6 wires in total, 3 black and 3 white. 2 of the blacks and one of the whites are wrapped in tape, 2 of the whites are capped off together and one if the blacks is capped off alone. How do I tell the difference between them and which is the ground?

The straight answer is the two whites together go to the white, or neutral, of the fixture. The single black goes to the black, or hot, of the fixture. Leave the other splice alone, just fold it back in the box.

None of what you describe is a ground. If there is a bare or green wire anywhere that would be your ground. Also, under some circumstances the box itself, if metal, could be a valid ground, but this depends on a few things.


Is it ok to run a 30A water heater circuit on #12 wire? I moved into a 50 year old home about 2 years ago and we’ve been using a (miraculously working) water heater from 1994. Yesterday, its life finally came to an end when I found it had sprung a leak in our laundry room. Since it’s a rental, we had a technician come to assess it and he’s going to bring us a new one later today. Since the house is pretty old, however, I checked our circuit today and found something (maybe?) troubling.

We’re still using the old fuse boxes from the sixties and while our current water heater has its own 30amp circuit, the wire that runs to the unit is 12 gauge, which I’ve read is a no no. Our current heater is 40 gallons and 3000 watts with a max amp of 18.75, so it’s probably never maxed out the load, but I’m concerned that a new one might.

When I mentioned it to the technician, he waved off my concern and said the new units run at a lower max amp than this and 12 gauge would be totally fine. He’s obviously more experienced than I am so I have no choice but to defer to the professional but I just figured I’d check here to ease my mind a little.

Is the tech right or am I putting myself at risk by having a new unit put in?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

The installer's language sounds like the standard platitudes they give people to get them to drop the subject.

You can't put a 30A breaker on a 12 AWG feeder cable, except for certain very arcane motor applications where the data plates from the numbers support it.

There is a new type of water heater which is basically an electric motor.  This is a heat pump type water heater, which is now mandatory for large tanks above (55?) gallons, and optional at lower sizes.
Gas dryers take very little power, and will be happy as a clam on 12 AWG wire; however they are not eligible for the special motor rule, which means the breaker on 12 AWG wire must be 15A or 20A.

But still, the installation must be done in accordance with the unit's instructions, NEC 110.3(b), and that definitely includes exact breaker size and minimum wire size.

By minimum, I mean if the book calls out 14 AWG, you're allowed to use the larger 12 AWG.  That's always OK. But if the unit calls out a 15A breaker, then you must use that even if you've upsized the wire to 500 kcmil.

I would share your concerns with the landlord.  If the old cable is readily accessible, it's not expensive to change it, and 30A / 10 AWG is the de facto standard for whole house water heaters.

If the landlord is a jerk about it, call the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) and warn them of the improper installation. However, expect backlash if you do.

The only thing that would give me pause is if this is an old FPE or Zinsco panel. In that case, your option for a new breaker is a Connecticut, and they're even worse than the breakers which got these panels condemned in the first place.  If it's a Challenger panel, Challenger breakers are bad news, but the panel is fine, and Eaton BR/C breakers are actually  listed for the panel.


How to enlarge a 4 in. vent hole on exterior wall My house is covered by sheet metal and I currently have a 4 in. vent hole from a previous air exchanger. I'm changing the air excahnger and require a 5 in. hole. So I basically have to make a hole though a sheet of metal and 4 in. wood through the house to enlarge the previous hole. It seems I can't do this with an hole saw. How can I do this on a busget and how profissional actually do this?

Buy a 5" holesaw (and a drill sturdy enough to drive it). Cut a 5" hole in a big chunk of plywood. Screw/nail/clamp the plywood in the place where you want the hole. Drill away.

If you're having a hard time with the drill binding and trying to twist your wrist off, run it in reverse. It's much slower, but you won't have the same problem.

Couple more tips: Once you've started the cut, drill a few 1/4" holes in the cut ring to help clear sawdust. Pull the holesaw out regularly to clear the sawdust that collects on the teeth.


Help me identify my halogen recessed lighting I just moved into an apartment with recessed halogen lighting. I was considering replacing them with LEDs (both for energy and color reasons). I know this may not be as easy as swapping a bulb, but to figure out my options, I need to know what I'm dealing with, and based on searches alone I have not been able to figure out what I have; there are just too many possibilities.

I figured if I could get the bulb out, that would be a big help.. but they're deep in the fixture, with barely any room around the bulb, and I have no idea what type of connection they have. If I knew what they were, I could search for removal instructions.. but of course then I wouldn't need to take them out yet.

So I'm hoping some of you with more experience can help identify these based on a few photos, or at least give me a starting point to removing the bulb safely.

The fixtures (or the rim) is about 3.5" in diameter. The bulb is about 2" in diameter.

Using my camera I was able to see a tiny piece of the can (the hole in the ceiling is exposed a bit) to find that it is a Jesco TM301 Step Baffle, though that's not terribly helpful in identifying which bulbs / fixture are inside (at least not to me).

Here are some photos:

The TM301 is just an outer casing.  Inside the ceiling is the actual bulb holder assembly.  Acccording to the manufacturer's site, the TM301 is compatible with bulb holders for GU10 halogen bulbs and MR16 LED bulbs.  Both of these types have 2 prongs at their bases and are twist mounts.  You should be able to twist them out.


How do I stress test a roof for leaks? I am about to have some ceiling work done on my house that has previously had roof leaks. I would like to be sure that the repairs to the roof are successful.

How would I go about stress testing the roof? I've considered running a water hose in the known bad spots. Would this be enough to be sure that the leaks are fixed?

If it is a shingle roof, a pressure washer is going to tear it up. Barrel tile is another victum of presure washers unless it is a whole new roof. Old tiles will disintergrate because the bonding agents used to make them grow less adhesive as time goes by.

You should only use you garden hose and let the water run from at least three courses above the old leak, higher would be best though.

What happens most of the time is a simple fix when the roof is first put into place. (Make sure they lap the felt correctly, and do not leave any holes without tar being applied liberally in the right spots, meaning the hole and 4 inches beyond it, then the felt patch and some more tile. They should also slip the top of the patch under the top of the tear in the felt.

Also make sure they are using Simplex nails, not regular thin tabbed nails. Those will suck up much of the time causing a leak to just appear out of no where.

One thing to keep in mind, "Water does not Run Up Hill". in 35 years of construction I have heard that many times on the job and it is crock of Whale snot.


Hoover windtunnel bagless vacuum stopped spinning only when it is not on upright position when I push the foot lever to lower the handle, the brushes stop spinning on any carpet level setting. Once the vacuum is locked into an upright position, they spin perfectly. I checked the belt and it looks fine. Should I change the belt?

It is possible that the belt has stretched or worn to the point that it is unable to spin the brush whenever the brush has to push against the carpet. Often in these conditions the belt may very well be able to spin the brush freely when the brush is not trying to push against anything.

Belts can also get old and hard with a glazed surface that prevents the motor shaft from getting a good grab against the belt. When you install a new belt you may note the difference in the rubbery grab of the new belt to the motor shaft.

So with that said - do try a new belt.


Can I use vodka to clean my wine cellar? I want to use vodka to clean my wine cellar, does it leave lingering odors behind and affect the taste and aroma of my wines.

I've drunk some cheap vodka in my time ($US3 per liter was the cheapest) but I still wouldn't use it for cleaning unless that was the only option I had.  Vodka is not pure alcohol so it will leave varying degrees of residue do to flavonoids etc

If I was going to use an alcohol based product for cleaning I would tend towards a Rubbing Alcohol that, while still not 100% pure alcohol, minimizes the amount of other ingredients and carries no perfume oils etc


What should I consider when burying cable? What should I consider when burying standard coaxial cable between the local pole and my house?

If you want to bury the cable directly in the ground then you need to use direct burial-grade cable and not "standard" cable, otherwise you need to use conduit.

First you need to consider the distance to the poll.  Depending on the distance and use of the cable, you might be able to use RG6, but you also might need to use RG11.

You want to bury it deep enough that you won't cut it with a shovel should you do any yard work.  They are usually a couple feet deep, but it depends on climate and location.

Make sure to call your utility company (usually your gas company) and have them come out and mark all burried cables/gas lines BEFORE you start digging - the last thing you want is to break a gas line or an electrical feed (ZAP!).

Leave yourself plenty of slack (service loops) at both ends of the cable.  Overtime the ends will get cut and replaced over and over, and you need some extra cable allow for this.

You might want to check to see if your cable provider will even allow this, often they handle the last-mile connection to your demark.  Because cable is "shared", a crummy installation on your end can cause issues for other customers.


What's the best way to seal an access hole in a wooden gate? I have had to cut out a square hole in a tall wooden garden gate in order to be able to gain access to the bolt and padlock that sits on the side of my garden. I've put all weather seal on the cut edges but despite all my sanding and tidying up, the hole still looks a bit untidy and crappy.

Could anyone suggest a good way of putting a border around the inside of the hole to make it look nice and neat?

If your goal is to make the hole look "neat" instead of just a chunk cut out of the fence gate, I would suggest simply adding a little trim around the hole like was done in the picture below.  Obviously your hole is probably smaller, and a thinner trim would need to be ripped from fence boards, but the concept is the same - cover the rough, unfinished edge of wood with nice, sharply cut trim.

Another option would be to grab some "outside corner molding" which is sold at most stores that stock interior moldings.  It would need to be treated to handle the weather.


How do I properly place devices in an electrical enclosure? I have to put together an electrical enclosure that includes, some terminal blocks, fuses, a power supply (110-24V,3.2A) all of which will be used to provide power for a series of sensors and controllers (low current, 24V)

I'm a new electrical technology grad (between eng. and technican) so the theory is there, but it always helps to have a reference to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

Any suggestions or links to sites that may have some good tutorials on proper placement of items in an enclosure, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

This is for an enclosure in the USA, so NEC standards apply.

Enclosure

You start with an enclosure that includes a backplate (interior panel) -- usually this is purchased separately from the enclosure itself, but the manufacturers make sizes that fit mounting holes in their enclosure.

Enclosures come in many sizes, different materials, different NEMA ratings, different cover options (screw-on/hinged, handles, locking), and with or without knockouts. Some have ventilation or even fans.

DIN Rail

All components get mounted to DIN rail. All industrial control stuff is available with DIN rail mounting options, including relay bases, fuse and terminal blocks, circuit breakers, and power supplies.

Internal wiring

The internal wiring is all done with single-conductor wire, typically stranded copper, and color coded. Important bits are that Green = ground, and White = neutral. Beyond that, it's standard practice to make any unswitched hots black, but that's it.

Above and/or below the DIN rail, you use Wire Duct to run cables. This comes in a few different heights/sizes, rigid and flexible.

In many panels the wiring can quickly become confusing, so it's very good practice to label everything. This can be as simple as giving each wire a number and labelling both ends (typical), or as complex as text descriptions. You can use label printers designed for wiring, or buy number sets that stick/clip on. I used to be preferential to plastic number sets that clipped on, as they were easy to work with and modify.

Don't forget to ground the backplate and enclosure (there will be designated ground connectors on both).

Hook-up

You should provide a terminal block clearly labelled for external connections, near the point where the wires will enter.

Wires should come in through approved connectors, which really depends on how it gets connected and the NEMA rating you're going for. This could be as simple as a box connector with NMD or BX wiring, or PVC or metal conduit, or flexible waterproof conduit (each option having its own appropriate connector type). Most panels don't include knockouts, so you use a punch knockout tool to create your own.

Tips

Start with a wiring diagram, and number all cables on this.
Physically layout the components on the backplate, just to be sure ensure everything fits. Next cut your wire duct and lay it out, and finally, mark all holes that need to be drilled for DIN rail, wire duct and other components.
1/2" self-tapping screws usually work well (remember, there is a space between backplate and back wall of the enclosure for screws).
Assemble everything on the backplate before mounting it into the actual enclosure.
Make sure all components you use are approved (eg, UL/CSA listed, or whatever is relevant for your jurisdiction)

Inspection

In most jurisdictions the panel will have to be inspected by whoever does your electrical safety inspections, and they'll typically put a sticker on it showing it's approved. I've only done this in Ontario, and in a couple cases have had the electricians doing on-site install specify that they won't install a panel unless it's got the approval sticker (which we were getting anyway). However I'm sure the specifics of this will vary by jurisdiction.

As Mike said, there are a ton of examples if you search the right keywords; hopefully this helps guide you to what the different components are. In any reasonably sized town you should be able to find trade stores for electrical contractors who stock most of this stuff.


What post size should I use for a 20'x24' deck My deck is 20' by 24'.  Should we use 6x6 posts or 4x4 posts?  Which will look better on such a large deck?

I wouldn't even consider using a 4x4 post on a deck that big unless it was more of a patio.  First most code requires 6x6 or greater for decks.  Then you could have some huge warping issues with 4x4s - if you used them and they are more than a couple of feet you better strap then.  Also you can notch the 6x6s for rails and stuff - you won't be able to nothing a 4x4 without taking out its whole top.  This doesn't even get into strength comparisons.


Is garage ceiling vapor barrier needed? I am planning on insulating an older two car detatched garage that will be covered with half inch plywood. I am pretty sure it would be wise to put up a vapor barrier around the walls but do I need a barrier between the plywood and insulation on the ceiling? I live in southern Minnesota and only plan on heating garage for oil changes and such.

Why would you do wall and not ceiling?  It would be wise, considering the small cost and time investment. It doesn't take much heated air in our cold winters to result in substantial moisture condensation.


Why does my GFCI receptacle trip when anything is plugged in? My house was built in 1994.  The garage is fed from one 20amp circuit wired to the lights first, then a GFCI, then a couple regular outlets.  This has worked fine for me for 19+ years.

We had a storm Friday morning, after which the GFCI now trips when anything is turned on (even a power-strip with lighted switch). Garage lights still work (as expected since they are ahead of the GFCI).  With the CB off, I put my meter on the receptacles to look for a short, but found none.  With CB back on, all receptacles have 120vac available, but the second something that draws even the smallest amount of current is plugged in, the GFCI trips.

I replaced the GFCI with a brand new one, but still have the same problem.  I pulled the GFCI out of the wall and put my meter on the screw terminal.  Both line and load have 120vac when reset.  If I press the test button, the line side drops to 32vac and the load side to 10vac. The garage lights still work fine at full intensity, so the line voltage on the garage circuit isn't dropping.

The only possible explanation I can come up with is that a broken wire (high winds caused the garage structure to shift?) is still making some contact to pass 120vac at no current, but the poor connection is causing the voltage drop with any load and causes the GFCI to trip.  The GFCI has a tiny LED that comes on when tripped (off when reset) which must be creating the small current draw.

Anybody else have any thoughts?

I don't relish the though of opening the walls in the garage to run new wire.  Perhaps I'll temp one with an extension cord to prove the solution electrically first.

It certainly seems like you have a ground fault somewhere. Is it possible there is water damage anywhere inside the garage?

Since you've already replaced the GFCI, I think it's safe to assume it's working properly and is tripping as it's designed to. That means somewhere current from the hot or neutral wires is leaking to the ground wire or somewhere else. (I'm guessing it's a neutral -> ground short, since it only happens when you try to use an appliance. A hot -> ground short should trip the GFCI as soon as the power comes on.)

Here are the things I would try:

Does the tripping happen at the GFCI, or just the downstream outlets? If it's easy to tell which order the receptacles are wired in, start by plugging something in to the first one downstream of the GFCI. Does that trip it? If so, the short is probably between that outlet and the GFCI. If it doesn't trip, move to the next outlet and see if that trips, etc.
Take the cover off all the outlets and inspect them. Look for any signs of moisture, or a loose wire nut, or a conductor touching the side of the box.
If you don't see anything suspicious, start pulling the outlets out and rewiring them. Disconnect them all and start adding them back one by one.
If you still haven't found the issue, it's possible the wiring inside the wall got damaged somehow. Possibly a combination of mice chewing on the wires and moisture from the storm? If you've reconnected the wiring to the outlets one by one, starting with the closets, you should at least be able to tell which section of wall the defect is likely to be in.

Other notes:

I'm not sure if the continuity tester will help much, the problem is a short not an open circuit. Especially if the problem is caused by a neutral / ground short, those are always going to test as continuous since they connect at the main breaker box.
I wouldn't worry too much about the voltage readings you got with the GFCI tripped, open circuits can sometimes have small but non-zero voltage readings.


Where can I find central heating system with radiators? Coming from Europe, I am used to radiator heating systems and thinking about putting one into a fixer-upper house I intend to buy. Where can I find such a system in the North-American market?

You should be able to find them in any of the original colonies in colder climates, as they're needed for restoration work in older homes.  (so, eastern seaboard, from Maryland to the north)

American radiators tend to be heavy steel or iron and gravity fed, with larger pipes that I don't believe are as efficient as those found in areas like Germany.  My neighbors are currently going through a remodel of their home (1940s construction, in Maryland) got theirs from an architectural salvage place.  The burners (oil in their case, and in my home), you can still get new so are easier to replace.

Contact your local plumbing supply store; if they can't tell you where to find radiators, their customers (plumbers & pipe fitters) might be able to.

You might also find the 'baseboard heating' where there's a copper pipe with fins attached that run along the whole wall of a room.  If you just want the non-drying qualities of radiator heat but can't find radiators in your area, this might be an alternative.  (I've never seen fan-assisted models in the US, either, but I'm guessing if they have them, it'd be in the northeast.


Can I use a neutral from another circuit to install a 3-way switch? Possible Duplicate:
  Is this an acceptable way to add a light to a 3-way circuit?

My whole-house fan is currently on a dedicated circuit.  I want to convert the single-pole switch to a 3-way.  My plan is take the existing switch leg to fan and make it the traveler; the hot remains in the existing box.  On the other end I can add a 3-way switch and run a new switch leg back to fan.  Since the existing switch is downstairs, I cannot get a neutral from the fan circuit.  Can I use a neutral from another circuit as-log-as it comes from the same phase side of the circuit panel?

No, you should not do this.  Think of what would happen if someone wanted to work on that other circuit - they would flip the breaker and assume its off, yet there is still current on the neutral coming from another circuit!  Zap!  Even worse, someone disconnects the neutral without knowledge that it used elsewhere and now you have an open neutral!

As well, it's worth mentioning that the neutral has no phase - they are all tied together (and tied to ground at the main panel).

The correct way to do this is to run a new cable.


Fixing Whirlpool front loader washing machine. Error at start of 2nd rinse fill Whirlpool Duet, front loader,
Model WFW9150ww00
Serial HLY4930303
Type 832-A

Manufactured around 28 January 2010

The washing machine shows the following symptoms:
Washes normally, will do the first rinse, then at the start of the second rinse will stop and sound 3 short beeps.  It will repeat this every few seconds until you power cycle it.

If you start it immediately (power on, then start) it will unlock door, then relock door, and go back to triple beep.

The manual for it talks about error codes.  But they are in the form of half second beeps separated by half second pauses.  I've had those before from clogged inlet filters.  This is much faster.  All three beeps take a total of about a second.

If I unplug it instead, and replug I get the  same thing.

If I unplug it and leave it for a while, or if I just power it off to shut it up, and leave it for a while, it starts normally.

This has happened twice before, and on the leave and restart it was then fine for weeks.  This afternoon it has gone through 3 resets, and we have yet to finish a load of wash.

I spent the afternoon between resets on the phone with Whirlpool.  At the end they said I needed a service call.  Alas we are out of the city, and there no service agent that will come out here.  Given the intermittent nature of the problem, I don't want to take it into town.

A:  Can anyone point me to documentation about the 3 short beeps.

B:  Other ideas to what possible causes of a problem starting at the second rinse might be?

Many whirlpool washers the lower front panel removes with three  1/4" hex head sheet metal screws.

Remove the panel.

Inside is a tech diagnostics document.

It will tell you to hit any 3 buttons 3 times in sequence -- ABCABCABC  All the lights will turn on.

Press button A

The wash light will blink the error code in 1/2 second pulses, a 2 second pause, a second set of half second pulses a longer pause and will repeat.

In my case the error code was 9 2.

Looking this up in the technical document said 'drain problems, suggested checking a wiring harness, and some connectors, also to check the drain filter.

Since the multimeter was in the garage, and the filter in front of me, I removed the filter (This will discharge a quart of really gross water. Tilting the washing machine back and putting 2x4's under the legs will reduce this a bunch.

Inside the debris trap I found a $5, a $10, and a $20 bill, in pieces, along with $13 in change.

Cleaned this out along with a small fur ball, and reassembled.  No problems since.

Additional information Christmas 2019

The problem went away and has come back several times. At this time I suspect that the soap detector is expecting a given reading on a given rinse.  Changing brands of soap, and measuring carefully helps.


Heating System Replacement I'm looking for recommendations.

I live in an older house that still has a steam radiator heating system. I'm currently using oil but I also have a gas line coming in the house which the stove uses.

I plan on replacing the current heating system but I'm not sure what my options are. I'd like to switch over to gas, but then what type of system do I used? Forced hot water, forced hot air?

I don't have thick walls for duct work, so I'm not sure if those are even options.

Thoughts?

Also, I live in Massachusetts which has a rebate program for upgrades to more energy efficient heating systems.

Roughly, your (logical, barring a desire to make a huge change) options are:

Gas-fired steam boiler - least change to the system, given usual gas and oil prices should be cheaper to run.

If you have "two-pipe" rather than "one-pipe" steam, conversion to a hot water boiler using the same radiators (possibly with some additions) and most of the piping might be possible/economical. Otherwise retrofitting hot water baseboards or radiators is far easier than retrofitting ductwork.

Depending where you are in the state and your relative cost of electricity and gas, cold-climate air-air split-system heat pumps can be economical. The "cold climate" versions stand the previous assumptions about air-air heat pumps (when the weather gets cold) on end.

For a lot more money up front, geothermal heat pumps work nicely and don't care about outside temperature. You'd probably want a water-to-water version to make hot water to pump around a hydronic delivery system (which as above, might or might not include your old steam radiators repurposed as hot water radiators.)

Finally - insulate, seal, insulate, seal, insulate, seal.


Circuit Breakers: Do they degrade over time and start tripping? Sorry for the newbie question but I have a circuit breaker (Hager Series MP-E – Magnetic Switch Bipolar 30 A Curve) in my house that absolutely never tripped. This is the main CB in my house.  Usage patterns of electric appliances has not changed and this thing started tripping for no obvious reason. Also when it trips it remains in the "on" position, you have to manually set it to "off" and then back to on again.

My question is, if I replace it will it change anything or I need to look somewhere else for the cause?

Thank you!

Don't assume it is the breaker...

I had a tripping fault that was intermittent, spent a huge amount of time looking for it...

Eventually it became so frequent that I disconnected room by room every single appliance and eventually found the culprit - a washing machine that was failing when under load and hot...

So, it may not be the breaker - it could just be doing its job and keeping you safe from faulty equipment... You need to investigate.


rusty stains showing through a newly dried spackle I noticed the wall by my balcony door was soft and sticking out, figured somehow there was moisture and possibly mold growing underneath the drywall lining. So I ripped that part out, scraped a little, cleaned with bleach and let dry. Then applied a thin first layer of spackle compound.

After it dried, there are a few reddish, rusty looking spots shining through. There are no nails anywhere around.

Anyone knows whats going on here? Why did the inside of the drywall get moist in the first place and what are the spots?

Thank you!

You have a leak - that's what causes moist drywall in virtually all cases. The rust is presumably coming from drywall nails/screws or other nails or steel/iron in the wall. Without fixing the leak first, no repair will last. Once you get the leak fixed you can coat the wall with a "stain-blocking primer" (often shellac based) to stop the rust stains from bleeding through the paint.


What size and type wire should be used for 100 ft away work shop I built a shed a while back and. now I'm ready to get power to it.

I have a 50 amp GCFI breaker, that I plan to run the service line from to the shed. The shed is roughly 100ft away. I called a supplier and they recommended I go with 6 gauge copper or 4 gauge aluminum.

I'm curious which would be the better option?

To cavitate, I prefer the cheaper route as long as it is suitable for the application. The Aluminum 4 gauge is half the price of the 6 gauge copper, but both are reasonable.

Also, I plan on digging an 18-inch trench and running wire through PVC conduit.

Your voltage drop is almost the same for a 240v feeder at 100’ at a full load. 1.84% with copper and 1.91% for aluminum. I would save a few bucks and go with aluminum for a residential feeder,  code had no hard standard for voltage drop but the recommendation is 3% at the sub and 5% an the end of the branch circuit. Remember you need 4 wire , 2 hot a ground and a neutral. Since it is detached you will also need a grounding electrode. If the 50 amp GFCI panel is in the shop ok but I would not recommend a GFCI feeder from your main panel, that’s a long way to walk for trips. Keep the GFCI protection local to the shed.  The terminals on your panel and breakers are aluminum and copper compatible.


Help running a C wire from my furnace--no voltage from the C terminal on the circuit board I am thinking about changing thermostats for my ICP END4X36T17A2 furnace, but my options are pretty limited due to my current thermostat hookup lacking a C wire. It currently has four wires hooked up to the Y, G, W, and Rh terminals. I followed the wire bundle back to the furnace and looked at how it's connected to the circuit board. I see five terminals there labeled G, C, W, Y, and R; all of them except C are currently running to the thermostat. (There is a separate two-wire bundle running from C and Y to my external air conditioner) It would seem to be a pretty straightforward task of running a wire from the C terminal to my thermostat, except checking with a multimeter I don't detect the expected 24VAC from it. I'm guessing this means it wouldn't work. There are also two tabs next to the Y and R terminals labeled "TEST/TWIN" and "24VAC", but I don't detect any AC voltage from them either. Is there a way to make this work? Is this a job for a professional?
Here is a close up of the terminals (click to enlarge). The four wires running off the right edge are the bundle going to my thermostat.

The furnace control board is in the blower compartment. Nearly all furnaces have a safety switch which cuts power to the furnace and its controls when the blower compartment is opened. You'll have to bypass that safety switch while measuring AC volts between R and C. (While doing this, take the usual precautions to ensure that long hair, clothing, etc would not be pulled into the blower if it should come on unexpectedly.)
For mains-voltage AC it would be a clear violation of electrical code to run one extra conductor separate from the cable. Not so for low voltage like a thermostat, but still it has the potential to be confusing to others later. If it's possible to run one conductor from the furnace to the thermostat, I suggest to run a new 7-conductor cable instead. The work is the same but the result is much more professional.


Can I make cabinet doors out of mdf? I have just read “Can I make cabinet doors out of plywood?”, I  was thinking of making some doors out of mdf with mdf strips glued to the front so they look like they have a frame.

Am I going to get problems?

You shouldn't have any problems using MDF.

A lot of modern cabinets are made out of MDF these days as it's a cheap material to use. It comes in a variety of thicknesses so you'll be able to get one that meets your requirements.

You need to wear a mask when cutting and sanding it as the dust is not very nice.

It takes paint well and you should have no problem gluing strips to the face to give it some depth and character.


Apartment building's thermostat located in unheated common area is cooking the tenants In my apartment building, we have a steam heat system with radiators in each of the six apartments.  The thermostat is located in the stairway/common area, where there is no radiator or exposed heat pipes of any sort.  Very bad design to say the least ...

What has been happening since it has been getting cold outside is that the common area is at a temperature which triggers the heater to turn on.  This pumps heat into the apartments until they are a sweltering 90+ degrees F.  It is horrendous waking up at 2am covered in sweat.  Any ideas on how this heating problem can be fixed?  Install a radiator near the thermostat?  Install more thermostats (in the apartments)?  HELP!

UPDATE
We are going to take it step by step to try and handle the problem.  So far, we've had a newer digital thermostat installed.  It hasn't been sweltering, instead it has been too cold!  When the technician came, he mentioned that the way the heat in the building was installed was pretty amazing, bad amazing.  Over the next few weeks we'll tweak the thermostat slightly to see if that helps.  We'll also have a professional come and check out the individual radiators in the building.

I am assuming you own the building and can make these changes, but depending on the amount of money you want to spend:

Turn down the temperature on the thermostat
Move the thermostat to one of the apartments, probably in a locked box so the tenants can't actually control it, but it at least reflects the real temperature.  You can also get thermostats with remote temperature sensors, in which case you could install the sensor in the apartment
Install a radiator in the common area, so it at least somewhat reflects the temperature of the apartments
Install a multi-zone system, with a thermostat in each apartment and independent solenoids that control heat to each apartment. This is obviously the most invasive and costly option, but would put individual control to each apartment and possibly reduce your overall heating costs. Using programmable thermostats would also help, as it could lower the temperature at night and possibly during the day while no one is home. The only problem with this is you can probably only do it with individual tenant control, and if the tenant is not paying for the heating costs they don't really have any incentive to lower the temp at any point (unless they like it colder at night).


GFCI turns off with bath light I have a GFCI outlet that has green light when the bathroom light is on and a red light when the bathroom light is turned off. The GFCI works perfectly and does not trip when the light is on. When the bathroom light is off no power flows and the red LED comes on.

Somehow the wiring has gotten mixed up.  That receptacle is now being switched along with the bathroom light. The receptacle needs full time power ahead of this switch. However, this receptacle should not even be on the same circuit as these lights.  The receptacle should be on a 20-Amp circuit, 12-guage wire.  Bathroom lighting is usually on a 15-Amp circuit, 14-guage wire. Hair blow dryers, use in bath rooms require too much power for a 15-Amp circuit.  Hope this helps some. P.


HVAC supply and return preferred locations Is there a reason some HVAC supply and returns are low to the floor in the wall ( or in the floor ) vs in the ceiling other than keeping the ceiling clean looking? I've heard different opinions.

Home heating and a/c duct systems have changed over the years. The best systems and the most versatile were installed with both high and low returns and supplies. For heating the low registers were used to supply the heat at the floor and the low returns were to take the cold air off the floor. In summer the high supply and returns were used for the same reason, take the hot air off the ceiling and supply the cold air from above. Today it too expensive to install duct systems this way. Today the installation practice is to install high return grills and low or high supply registers. I prefer low supply registers and both high and low return grills; use high returns in the summer and low returns in the winter. Ask an old timer how to do this.


Mend steel door after break-in attempt We had a failed break in attempt into a storage room with a quite thick steel door. See images. The lock itself if not damaged and mechanically sound, so even though it looks pretty bad, it's still just a cosmetic damage.

What would be a viable way to make it look less bad at the very least?

I'd probably bang and trim things back into position and then install a latch wrap (link for reference only) with some stainless sheet metal screws. This will reinforce it and conceal the damaged area.


Potterton EP3000 -> Horstmann C27 boiler programmer wiring I'm in the UK, using an ancient tempermental Potterton EP3000 boiler programmer, but I have a brand new Horstmann C27 which I'd like to replace it with.

Apart from the mains supply, there are three different cables going into the EP3000 backplate, of which one (from the boiler next to the programmer) has four sheathed wires plus an earth.

The other two cables (from upstairs where my hot-tank and pump are in an airing cupboard with the house thermostat just outside) have three sheathed wires. One also has an earth going in the backplate.

The programmer itself only has pins into terminals L N and 1 2 3 4 5 on the backplate, where terminal 2 is unused. Terminals 1 3 4 each have one wire, but terminal 5 is strapped to L as well as having another input wire. The backplate wiring looks more complicated than it probably is, because a few "passive" connections use terminals A B C D and a secondary N strapped to the first.

The C27 only has terminals E N L 1 2 3 4, where apparently 1=HW Off, 2=CH Off, 3=HW On, 4=CH On.

I don't really understand this wiring diagram inside the EP3000, which is all I've got to go on. It seems to say 1 and 3 control HW, with 3 being "on". For CH, 4 seems to be "on", but the diagram has lines to both 2 and 5 even though I have no connections on 2. It's "jumpered" to Program selection 16 (not 10).

Note that in the above, the circles represent actual contacts on the back-plate. The rest is just circuit diagrams for what goes on inside the programmer.

Can anyone confidently say how to connect the C27 just from the above information? I'm not a qualified electrician, and I wouldn't know how to identify what cables go where around my airing cupboard. I'm kinda guessing I'd just use "chocolate blocks" to replicate existing passive connections, and transfer the wires "as is" for terminals L N E 1 3 4. But I'm not certain of that, and I've no idea what to do with the existing terminal 5 and new 1.

In a nutshell, all I really want is for someone who knows about these things to tell me if I can safely discard the live wire on existing terminal 5 and connect the other one to new terminal 2. Also confirm that all the other connections simply go to the same numbers on the new programmer.

From the Horstmann HEATING PROGRAMMER REPLACEMENT AND WIRING GUIDE.

EDIT
I think the diagram you have, is showing the internal view of the programmer (simplified of course).  In this image the blue rectangle represents the internals of the programmer, and the red lines represent the lines going to the boiler and power.

The lines with arrows are probably switches.

And if both HW and CH were on, it would look like this.

Because of this, 5 has to be linked to L to supply power to CH, like so.

But I'm guessing the new programmer supplies power to CH internally, so with the new programmer it should look like this.

Again, I could be wrong here as I've never worked on a system exactly like yours.  After looking at the wiring diagram the arrows are either switches, or diodes.  Though, diodes would look more like this ->|- .
Hope this helps.


Drainage options for house on flat lot? I have a home on a relatively flat lot. I want to be very aggressive in removing moisture and am looking for ideas/suggestions.

My current thoughts:
1. Re-grade
2. Add a swale - again not sure my lawn can support this well, but I am also thinking about lowering the soil right up against my fence, then draining that out somehow.

Any thoughts, or other options?

At least it's level on all sides. Worst case is when banks slope TOWARD the house. I've dealt with them, as well as the level drainage issues.

So here's what I did on one area that was problematic. The soil was rich, black and clay. I built up the clay as high as possible along much of the outside wall, sloping it toward the yard. It worked well.

In my current house, here in Georgia, I have fought water coming down from a field into the garden area. The soil is Georgia's finest red clay. After a good storm, water saturates the top soil and stays soggy for weeks. I dug a trench along the inside of my fence and laid down two 4" perf plastic drain pipe that I'd run through a sock to keep loose dirt from clogging the holes. I filled the hole with gravel just over the pipe, and the rest of the way with top soil. It catches the water and drains it down to the creek. It's a modification of a French drain.

Try banking soil up against your house, sloping toward the yard. If still a concern, try trenching around your house and putting in a drain.

Water's always going to fight back. Persistence is the key to success.


Power Outlet -3 Wire Conductor on Tandem Breaker Wiring I am finally getting around to replacing an old receptacle in my kitchen. The top half of the receptacle has never worked since I moved in.

Taking the receptacle apart, I think the outlet circuit is a 3 wire conductor going to a 15A tandem breaker. There is no voltage across the red and black wires. There is 120v on each wire to ground. Since the tandem is in a single slot on my breaker panel, I will assume the red and black are the same phase.

I am hesitant to reconnect it as I do not want to overload the neutral. Can anyone help? Should i just cap one hot wire and turn off one of the breakers? Can I connect the red and black wire together, will this prevent the overload of the neutral?

On the old receptacle were the break-off tabs connecting the contacts on the hot side of the two receptacles removed? What about the break-off tab on the neutral side--was it removed or in place? If you just want to use only one hot (red or black) to power both receptacles of the the duplex receptacle, then on the new receptacle, don't break off either of these connecting tabs.

But if you would want to power the two receptacles independently using one neutral (i.e., a MultiWire Branch Circuit (MWBC) using both red and black and the one white), you must put in a 2-pole breaker and put it in a different spot than this tandem breaker. This might require rearranging the breakers in your panel. If you would try to insert a 2-pole breaker in the same location as this tandem breaker, I believe you would find that the 2-pole would not snap into place. It is that way on my GE panel and I think this is a universal requirement.

And on the new receptacle you would remove the break-off connecting tab on the hot side, but leave the tab on the neutral side intact. (You have only one neutral and you want it to serve both receptacles.

In any case do not connect the red and black wires together. You either abandon one of the hots and cap it or, if you use a MWBC, you connect each hot to "its own" receptacle.


Branch out a 120VAC From a 240VAC I have a 4-wire 240VAC 50amp outlet in my garage. I want to create an 50+' extension cord to my welding cart that has a 220-240vac Welder, 220-240vac plasma, and I'd also like to have a 120VAC service outlet to run a grinder or chop saw. Only one device of any type would be used at one time. I was thinking of putting a row of metal boxes on the back of my cart with the one plug 'in' and then the three 'outs' to short cords on the cart.
Can this be done and what is the wiring look like? Thx

Yes it can be done, and yes there are conditions on the "how." Following are a few thoughts that come to mind.

Use the right kind of cordage (ie not building wiring like NM cable). SOOW is a good choice.
The 50 amp circuit is going to require heavy cord (6 gauge). If you don't really need 50 amps (and you probably don't).. you could consider changing out the breaker to 40 amps and using 8 gauge cord instead.
Having multiple sockets on the cart is a little tricky because of the details of joining multiple 6 or 8 gauge conductors. The outlets probably will not be designed for having two conductors landed on each terminal, so daisy-chaining the outlets won't work. You'd have to use connectors like the Polaris brand.
The 120 volt socket on the cart is tricky. It's obviously unsafe to wire that in such a way that it's fed directly from the 50 amp circuit. Unfortunately I don't know the details of how to accomplish this objective while strictly meeting code. I confess that I've put such a socket on my welder cart, too.. I protected it with a 20 amp fuse installed inside the junction box. A panel-mounted fuse holder or circuit breaker would have been a nicer solution.


2nd story, walk under, completely brick deck Is it possible to have a 2nd story deck, fully made out of bricks (IE supports are made of brick, you walk/sit on top of bricks), that you can walk underneath and store stuff underneath? I can't recall ever seeing one and am wondering if there is a good reason.

The problem is how to span the gap.

Bricks and the mortar joining them are strong in compression but weak in tension. So you can't really build a thin flat deck out of them. You could build arches but it would seriously cut into the space under the deck and a lot of fill material would be needed to bring the top of the arches to a flat surface.


How should I seal a drain waste line that I'm no longer using? The waste line from my kitchen sink is plumbed directly into my side sewer via a dedicated pipe that travels along the exterior of my house before tee-ing into the side sewer line. Apparently this was common practice here in the Seattle area in the 20s when my house was built.  We're doing some construction soon that will require us to disrupt this exterior kitchen sink drain line, so we've decided to tie the kitchen waste line into the main waste stack in the interior of the house.

How should I seal the previous waste pipe in the interim period before it's removed from the ground?  Is it acceptable to simply use some patch-and-plug cement?  It could be 3-4 months before the old line is removed.  I obviously want to keep sewer gas out of my house, but are there concerns with the other aspects of the side sewer?

There are different ways this could be sealed easily and correctly. One way would be a rubber overcover with stainless steel band clamp.
I would not remove this sewer line from the ground unless it is corroded or likely to corrode to the point of leaking. At some later date someone might wish to install an outside sink, e.g., for a fish cleaning station, dog washing,  or other use which is incompatible with an inside sink. Cut it off out of the way, and cap it properly.


Doorbell transformer location problem I need to find my doorbell transformer in order to change it for a more powerfull one (ring pro doorbell). I have opened the chime and i can see the transformer wire going in my basement, i did follow it using a tone device and it goes inside of a finished room... I have no idea after if it goes back up or in the attic. Attic is hardly accessible, in summer it's worse. It is hard to follow after that even with the tone because all cables related to that breaker will ring too. I have check inside the light fixtures, can it be in the light switch? Also, my chime says : "use with transformer 16V 10VA", i must change the chime too since my new one is 16V 30VA?

Update :

I have looked inside and outside of the electrical panel. I have also a utility room with the ceiling not finished and i cannot see anywhere my cable so it is getting transformed somewhere before. I have seen a transformer and some of them can be attached to the outside of a switch box/electrical box. The basement got a suspended ceiling so i can just cut the wire near a electrical box and wire the new transformer there but it would trigger me to know there is a dead cable with electricity somewhere. Also, does the chime can handle the new transformer? Even if the VA is higher?

Update :

I ended up cutting the cable near an outlet in the basement drop-ceiling. I wired the new transformer and it is working. My quest following the cables always ended up going into a finished ceiling so i could not find the old transformer. I don't like that but one day i will find the old one and remove it, i will use an endoscope camera with a led light to help me. Thanks everyone.

It's OK (desirable, actually) if the new transformer's VA is higher. The transformer VA rating indicates how much load the transformer can safely support. The doorbell VA rating indicates how large the doorbell load may be. It's important for the voltages to match and for the VA rating of the transformer to be higher than the VA rating of the loads (the sum of the chime and the Ring device). This is analagous to payload capacity of a vehicle: the actual load should not exceed the carrying capacity.

Since tracing the low-voltage doorbell wire back to the transformer isn't working, maybe you can work the other direction. Turn off all circuits in the building except the one that powers the doorbell. If the circuit isn't marked, turn off circuits one at a time until the doorbell doesn't work anymore.

With the supply circuit identified, and with only that circuit powered, you could trace that circuit with a the tone pickup tool you've been using, a non-contact voltage tester, the live wire warning in a stud finder tool, etc. "In theory" by inspecting every connection along that circuit's path you'd eventually find a pair of light-gauge stranded wires spliced into the circuit somewhere. Those would be the leads of the existing bell transformer.

Even if the transformer is mounted somewhere awful, like on the back side of a steel outlet or light junction box behind a finished wall or ceiling, at least its mains power junction should be accessible and therefore disconnectable.


How can you attach those stair steps to cement blocks? My wife asked me if these kind of stairs could be done in our new house:

The house I'm building is made of concrete blocks (which would be left unfinished in the first floor). Now, is there a safe way to affix the treads to the wall? I know cement blocks are tough, but they are also hollow, and we are talking about holding the whole weight of one or more people on the same step.

There are concrete block anchors that can hold substantial loads, but only if located within a specific area of solid grouted cells. Anchors into hollow cells cannot hold much weight. Assuming you have a mix of hollow and solid cells, you can't reliably anchor each tread where it occurs, but you could anchor a continuous stringer plate to the wall, anchored where it crosses solid cells. The treads or their supports can then be welded or bolted to the stringer plate.

If the wall is completely hollow your only reasonable option is to run a structural steel stringer along the wall that is supported by other means at each end.


How do I fix the cracks in my brick foundation? I have some cracks in the foundation of the house I am about to buy. The house is 100 years old, there doesn't seem to be water leaks. The cracks don't look to be offset.
Attached is the picture (sorry for the quality, I got it from inspector). This is townhouse and there are two houses on the sides which I believe are touching my foundation on the outside.

The question is - how hard is it to fix the cracks? Can I do it myself and if I can - what literature would you recommend?
The guy who inspected the house said the cracks don't seem to be dangerous since they are not too wide and there is no staggering.

If the cracks aren't new, then there's really nothing to 'stabilize' as that's already happened over the past 100 years.

If they are new, then you have bigger problems and need a structural engineer out there to figure out why your footers are sinking.

Assuming they are old cracks, if you don't have water problems, you don't really need to do anything with them. But if you do want to seal them, and you're going to cover them (so not overly worried about aesthetics) then a hydraulic cement product is what you are looking for such as


installing a replacement fixture with three lamps in one on a two way switch I am replacing a single pendant-type ceiling light with a new pendant fixture that has three individual pendants that go into the single "hood" that attaches to the box in the ceiling. There are two wall switches that control the light on opposing walls. My question is, how are the wires from the three individual pendants wired to single set of wires (black, white, ground)from the box? I understand about ground wire, of course; just not sure about how to configure/join the wires from multiple pendants to the single set from the box. I will have an electrician check once I have done it, just  want to know how it is done. Thank youT

In most modern fixtures that have multiple lamps, the wires are preconfigured going into the hood so that there is only one black (hot), one white (neutral) and one green or bare (ground) wire coming from the fixture to be attached to the wires in the box.

If there are separate wires for the three lamps, all three black wires should be twisted together and connected to the single black wire from the box, capped with a wire nut (and taped if you want added protection). Similarly, all three white wires should be combined with the white wire from the box. And finally all the green/bare wires combined with the ground wire from the box.

The switch wires are already worked into the overall wiring (assuming they were working before) and need not be modified. By the way, when a lamp is controlled from two locations, the switches that control the lamp are called three-way switches.


T&P drain line needs to be outside of the house? I called the gas company to turn on gas. But the engineer left a note saying that "T&P drain line needs to be run outside of house". I called my plumber but he didn't know such a thing. Can someone help?

I just double checked my state rules ,,, all over pressure / temp valves must vent/ exhaust outside a habitual space. If inside the house it needs to go out of the living space. in the garage I think it said 6" above the slab maybe 6' but it was allowed to vent on the slab.


Can I glue vinyl flooring to my bathtub's side panel? We’ve just bought our first house, and obviously have very little money at the moment. The bathroom is horrible and we’d like to make some small changes to at least make it look slightly nicer.

As part of that I’d like to take out the old laminate floor, to let the wooden subfloor dry as it has been wet for ages due to a small leak. Afterwards I’d like to put down some cheap vinyl.

The bath side panel, is made out of some horrible brown plastic. Could I just glue my floor vinyl to that to make it look nice and (mosaic) tiled? Would it be possible to do it continuously from the floor with a 90 degree angle at the bottom? Or would two sheets be better for this?

You can glue what ever you want to the side of your bathroom tub.  Will it hurt anything?  No.  Will it look good?  Highly debatable.


How can I cover grout lines and gaps against cabinetry and base trim? In the picture below I have an area of my floor that is finished.
However on different parts of the floor, the last owner never finished portions of the floor.

It looks like they just extended the grout(i think its grout) to parameters of the tile.
My original idea was just to get caulk and to fill in the areas needed, but wasn't sure how close the color match would be. To give a little back story I'm on a concrete slab, and bugs like to crawl in the unfinished portions of the floor, so I'd like to seal off the cracks not only for looks.

My question is what route would you take in order to get the most consistent looking finish to complete the rest of my floor? Not sure what route to go, and how to get the colors to align. They don't need to be perfect, but hopefully something close.

Since this looks like a kitchen, the easiest route is to buy some trim (toenail, or quarter round) and nail that to the baseboard (goes faster with a nail gun and some 2.5" nails). Paint it white first, fill the nail holes, and goodbye wall gaps. Add some white caulk to the top to hide the seam.

For a bathroom I would spend a bit more and install vinyl quarter round (won't rot if it gets water trapped).

If nailing isn't your thing, could do it with construction adhesive, but you'll have to full demo the stuff if you ever want to replace the flooring.


Hunter PGV diaphragms tearing I have a 5-zone irrigation system with 1" Hunter PGV valves. This year, I have replaced the diaphragms twice in the same two zones after 10 years of trouble-free operation. All four of broken diaphragms had a small tear in the exact same spot. There is no debris in the valve body when I replace the diaphragm. These two zones feed spray heads; the others feed mostly rotors. Why would two of five zones start tearing diaphragms?

I discovered that there was a part missing from the valves that kept blowing diaphragms. There is a white support ring that sits inside the valve body, under the diaphragm. On the two zones that kept failing open, it must have stuck to the diaphragm's plunger piece when it was first replaced. After replacing the missing piece (Hunter part number 331300), I haven't had a problem since.

FWIW, Hunter and their local distributor were worthless for sorting this out. Hunter blew me off with a talk to a dealer response, and the dealer said the part wasn't available separately from the valve. The support ring is available online, and is much cheaper than whole valves, even after shipping.


Can I install a subpanel using only two ungrounded (hot) conductors and a grounding conductor? we removed the inside part of an air conditioner / heater from a mobile home. we plan to use this area as a small pantry. The wires that were connected to the heater is 2 black connected to 2 seperate breakers and a ground wire. There wasn't a white wire in the bundle. I would like to use this to add a small sub panel so that it could feed an outlet and a light switch to power light strips inside the pantry. How do you wire this to a sub panel with only 2 hot wires and a ground?

Without pulling an additional wire, you'd only be able to install a 240 volt subpanel.  You won't be able to install a proper 120/240V subpanel with only two ungrounded conductors and a grounding conductor.  If you want 120 volts, you'll have to pull a proper grounded (neutral) conductor.


Which type of PVC for exposed outdoor use? I'm looking at hooking up some rain barrels using PVC piping. Is there a certain type of PVC that would be best to use for this, considering that it will be exposed to sun/rain/heat/cold? Lots of people seem to use "regular" white PVC but I didn't think that was intended for outdoor use.

All PVC is subject to UV light degradation.  PVC without UV protection will eventually suffer a loss of impact resistance.  Your pipe will be whole, until impact at which it will shatter or crack instead of flex.

Some PVC (PVC UVR) is UV resistant.  The sunlight still damages the PVC pipe, but it is in a matrix of other chemicals that compete for the UV light (stealing it away from the would be damaged PVC).  PVC UVR will degrade, but at a slower rate.

Thicker wall pipe will take longer to fail, as the UV will be caught by upper layers before penetrating lower layers.  Painted pipe will not fail, provided that your paint blocks or reflects UV light (and nearly all paints do).

You are right, a lot of people use PVC pipe, but mostly it is meant to be used in buried applications (where it will be shielded from UV light); however, most of those buried applications come out of the ground at some point.  Typically the out-of-ground portions are not properly protected, which is just a timer for eventual failure.

Sometimes that's due to ignorance, sometimes people rationalize that PVC is so cheap the pipe repair in the future will be cheap too.  Save yourself the headache of doing it twice, paint your PVC.


Is this a doorbell transformer? How to test if faulty? My doorbell has stopped working.  I am trying to test each of the components using a multi-meter.

However, the wires seem to go through the ceiling etc, so I can't trace where they are going or what they are for.

I have identified a box which I think may be the transformer though:

Using the multi-meter, I measured voltage AC by connecting the red lead to the screw and the black lead to ground.  I got:

(2) having 250V AC
(3) having 18V AC
(4) having 10V AC
Between (1) and (2), I got a reaching of 250V AC
Between (3) and (4), I got a reading of 12.5V AC.

Is this enough to establish that (a) this is the transformer, and (b) it is working?

Yes, your method is sound.

Another method is to momentarily touch the line 3 and 4 together, and if good will have a tiny arc. This can be done easily at the door bell button. Once you remove the button off the wall undo one of the lines and momentarily touch it to the other line.

Usually the button will go bad or the chime.  By bypassing the button as described above, you're one step closer.