How do I attach both my washer and dryer to the same NEMA 14-30 receptacle? Currently, I have a single NEMA 14-30 plug in the laundry room. I also have an ASKO W6022 dryer (manual available here: https://www.manualowl.com/p/Asko/W6022/Manual/161455)
and an LG DLEC855W dryer (manual available here: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/507130/Lg-Dlec855w.html).

The dryer is currently fitted with one of these: http colon //www.amazon.com/Choice-30-Amp-4-Prong-Eyelet-Terminals/dp/B00BDJU2L4

As a result, it is functional because the other end is plugged into the NEMA 14-30 plug in the room. However, the washer is currently fitted with a NEMA 6-20 and is not functional. My question is: what kind of adjustments should I make in order to have both the washer and the dryer function at the same time off of this one circuit?

I am thinking about building a custom 2 gang box that receives the HotHotNeutralGround from the dryer and the HotHotGround from the washer and then outputs a NEMA 14-30 male plug. If I go down this path, how do I connect the two Hot's together within the gang box?

BTW -- I know that running these two appliances on the same circuit sounds like a bad idea. However, our home came with it preinstalled alongside the Asko washer and a corresponding Asko dryer. It was working fine for years prior to the kids breaking the dryer recently. We upgraded the dryer to the LG one and now have this cord problem and would really love to avoid having to install a new circuit.

You originally had an Asko washer/dryer matched set.  This wasn't just style. The Asko washer plugged into the Asko dryer, which provided a special NEMA 6-20 receptacle on the back, specifically for an Asko washer.  Why? The set is designed for high-density condos/apartments, to minimize utility hookups (no hot water, no dryer vent, no separate washer power).  See page 18 of this document.

My guess is, you live in a large housing complex which found it profitable to buy the exotic Asko units to spend less on hookups.  I'm also guessing you "own" rather than "rent" since a landlord would be more hands-on.

Was the electrical connection part of your buying decision?  I'm sure the appliance store has sold into your housing complex before.  Did they know about the peculiar Asko hookup and recommend the LG because it's compatible?  If so, it should have a 6-20 outlet on the back; done.

Otherwise, aside from consumer or legal recourse against the appliance store for selling you the wrong thing, let's talk about your technical options.

Obtain a dryer that is compatible with the Asko "plug washer into dryer" arrangement.  Your maintenance department may have suggestions.
Have maintenance pull a new wiring run to an additional NEMA 6-20 receptacle for the washer. This will be expensive (remember, this is why the complex spent extra on Asko units) but will give flexibility - letting you choose a wider selection of washer/dryers. (they still need to be water-heating/ventless).

Your dual-outlet solution is illegal and unsafe because the dryer could pull 30A while the washer pulls 15A. The Asko dryer was designed to share a 30A circuit with the washer it controls - the LG isn't.  I suppose it might be possible to get a very large switch to power EITHER the 14-30 dryer outlet OR the 6-20 washer outlet.  But insurance/liability/HOA won't let you homebrew that, you'd have to hire it done, and it'd cost as much as option 2.  Plus it'd be rather "hillbilly".

Don't get adapter cables and unplug the washer and plug in the dryer every load. These large outlets are not made for frequent unplugging.

I would just ditch the dryer and hang clothesline... in the kid's room... the one who broke the dryer!


Tee vs. wye for drainage? When should I use a tee and when should I use a wye for drainage? Does using a "long sweep" tee alter the situation?

Example (sanitary) tee:

Example wye:

Example long sweep tee:

(Note - a long sweep seems to be equivalent to a wye with an additional 45 bend fitting attached.)

This is best summarized by referring to building code:

Building codes vary, but this seems to be a fairly typical set of rules (at least in the US) such as in the Florida plumbing code. If in doubt, certainly check with your local inspector / authorities.

One of the reasons for these rules is because if a tee were used incorrectly the waste can go backwards and then sit and harden thus creating a clog. With a wye and a 45 stuck in it (or a long sweep 90), then its forced to keep moving.

Although a wye or tee may superficially appear to perform the same job of redirecting flow by 90 degrees, their performance is not the same. In a wye or long-sweep 90 the flow is positively directed in a specific direction. But in a tee there is not a smooth flow transition at the junction. As if a cable were sent down the line at a tee there is a roughly 50/50 chance of going one way or the other; water won't be any different.

A second case to consider is where a vertical pipe serves both as a drain and a vent. Wyes are incorrect for this application. If you use a wye for the vertical for a trap arm, when the trap is installed and if the pipe is properly pitched, it puts the trap weir above the wye inlet which theoretically can cause the trap to siphon: with a wye the fluid passing through the junction would temporarily block air movement which will not occur with a tee.

As somewhat of an exception, typical building codes (e.g., both IPC and UPC) allow a sanitary tee to be installed horizontally provided the straight inlet-to-outlet portion of the tee is vertical and DOES NOT receive the discharge from any fixture (in other words it must be a dry vent).


Gluing Post Base To Concrete I recently found out that one of the posts which support my roof is free to move around. The post bracket had rusted out and came out. Is there any way I can glue a post bracket to the concrete using concrete epoxy, then shim the post up back to the original height? The post is 5.5” x 5.5” x ~16’ tall.

I would do the following:

support the roof - and jack it up a 1/2” extra to enable the new one to slide in.

drill and cement or epoxy the post support ( stainless is good) into place, these are usually adjustable so getting the roof level is possible.

measure the required length of post - from the support to the roof and the 1/2” can be accounted for in the adjustment.

fit the post - the bottom support may be a “cup” which might need one side reducing or it may only be a U, which means the post end can slide in easily.

adjust the post height while removing the jacking supports.

May be worth treating the post ends and painting before fitting though.


How can I wire this switched GFCI combo outlet with two neutrals and two hot wires? I’d like to wire a switched GFCI combo such that the switch controls the GFCI plug. I found this diagram for doing so:

This looks easy enough. However, after unscrewing the current outlet, I’m seeing there are two hot wires and two neutral wires (and one ground):

My house was built in 1948.
What do I do with the extra hot and extra neutral wire?
And, is there a difference between the two neutrals or a difference between the two hots?

If you look carefully at your old outlet, you’ll see that there is embossed on the outlet “line” near one pair and “load” near the other.
The line wires are the power feed and the load wires run onto more outlet and/or lights that are also protected by the GFCI.
If you want, you can connect the load wires to the load terminals of the new GFCI. However, then whatever is there will also be controlled by the switch.
To avoid controlling those by the switch, you’ll need to connect the two pairs together. However, that will remove the protection from whatever is downstream and you’ll need to add one or more additional GFCIs to replace that protection.
You may want the trip off the current GFCI to see what else loses power. It could be another bathroom or even garage or outdoor outlets.


Trying to wire a water heater to a breaker box I connected the black and red wires to a double 30 amp breaker . What do I do with the white and ground wires?

Call an electrician, if you're asking these questions you don't have the basic knowledge required to complete this safely and properly.

Without additional details it's literally impossible to provide guidance to you. There's many variables here such as if this is a standard main panel vs a sub panel and the type of water heater you're installing. You also didn't include the wiring gauge you're using or the input voltage from the utility (120V , 230V, 240V).

Dangerous and improper wiring kills over 500 people every year in the US, don't be one of them.


Is it OK to run 12-3 cable to a ceiling fan from a switch that's wired with 12-2? I'm installing a ceiling fan into a room that has no existing ceiling mount (no light or ceiling fan previously existed). I've got a ceiling fan mount in place with a supporting brace that can support the weight of the fan. I will ground the ceiling fan box with the run back to the breaker box.
While I'd like to be able to operate the light on the fan, and the fan itself separately, it's not an end requirement.
In my switch outlet box, I have a 12-2 cable on a 15A breaker.
Here are the two configurations I thought were possible.
Single Switch Configuration
One switch would operate both the light and the fan.
My plan was to connect the 12-2 hot (black) to the top of the switch, then connect both 12-3 hots (red & black) to the bottom of the switch. I'd then directly connect the 12-2 neutral (white) with the 12-3 neutral (white) in a wire nut. Finally, I'd crimp the 12-2 ground with the 12-3 ground.
Double Switch Configuration
Two switches. One would operate light. Other would operate the fan.
My plan would be to twist the 12-2 hot (black) feed from the breaker box in a wire nut with two pieces of 12 gauge (black). One of these pieces would then feed into the top of the light switch while the other one of these pieces would feed into the fan switch. At the light switch, I would connect the 12-3 (red) hot. At the fan switch, I would connect the 12-3 (black) hot. Again, I'd twist the neutral (white) together in a wire nut, and I'd crimp the 12-2 ground with the 12-3 ground.
Questions

Are none, one, or both of these configurations safe?
Is there a better alternative that doesn't involve a new 12-3 run back to the breaker box.

Either is fine.

I'm a little concerned with what you mean for the the "crimp" grounds in both cases. So long as it's an approved connection method, fine (I finally gave up and bought the overpriced green wirenuts.)

Given that you want separate switching, and have the wire to support it, separate switching would be preferable.

You also need to be sure that the switch box is large enough.

1 ground (they only count once) 2 yokes (unless you use a 1-yoke double switch) at 2 each, 2 wires in, 3 wires out (clamp in box or exterior?)

1+2+2+2+3 = 10x 2.25 (12 Ga) = 22.5 cubic inches (or 24.75 with clamps in the box) for the two switches on 2 yokes configuration. Larger is fine.


How can I join vinyl decking to metal door frame? Shoddy workmanship by a lousy contractor has left me with a vinyl deck that allows water to leak into the garage below.  I identified the location of the leak - where the vinyl meets the metal frame of the sliding door.  He had put some caulking over the joint (not visible in photo, removed by me) and then screwed a thin metal cover across it, but this "solution" failed to keep water out.  The caulking had split in several spots along the gap, and it didn't seem to have cured properly on the vinyl (dry to touch but sticky/gooey when manipulated).

Is there a proper way to seal this gap that will withstand the elements (northern climate, snowy winters, sun-facing)?  I thought maybe fiberglass tape and roll-on rubber or vinyl coating but I don't know if it will stick to either the metal or the vinyl... help?

EDIT

The deck is about 1/8 inch lower than the frame on the left side, and flush on the right side.

Head-on view:

Entire length view:

Based on questions answered in chat you have a case where the contractor didn't measure the deck properly, and built it too high, could not flash properly under the door frame, and performed a "some genius" move putting a transition strip (meant for interior use) over top of the door frame and the vinyl, with caulk under neath.

Stupid.

Two options:  1 cheap and temporary, 1 expensive and proper.

Cheap: Use proper caulk (props to @tester101)

Option 2 - and the door is old so this isn't actually a terrible idea.

Replace the door.  In the process, raise the rough opening of the door frame half an inch or so - however much is necessary to be able to put a proper piece of flashing under the door frame and over the vinyl.

You will probably have to custom order a door to fit your new rough opening, but at least you can seal the door area properly.

And props to @bmitch for pointing out that flashing needs to run the entire width of the deck.


How can I remove latex paint from wall? I partly re-painted the wall using latex paint (Rust Oleum-Ultra Cover Multi-Purpose Gloss Brush-On Paint) due to some scratches on the wall, but I failed to match the color. I was wondering if it was possible to get rid of the new paint.

Sure, how much effort would you like to put in to it?

The easiest way is to paint over it.

Then there is manually or machine sanding all of the paint off.

Another option is using a paint stripper and chemically removing the paint.

Both of these last methods are quite labor intensive and make a mess.

I would buy some paint samples. Paint some scrap drywall or pieces of white cardboard. Choose a complementary color or contrasting color. Then paint one entire wall break-to-break. Or just repaint the entire room.

Good luck!


Why an outlet tester light blinks? Testing outlets, having the two yellow leds "ON" (right connection) one of them blinks. What is the reason of that?

The light is probably not an LED, but it is a neon bulb.

Neon bulbs get old and they will light only when there is outside energy available to excite the gas inside the bulb. This outside energy is light.

You can also see the effect on old power bars that have an illuminated switch that constantly flickers.

If you use the tester in a dark room, the bulb will probably not light.
It will probably light if you shine light onto the tester.

The solution is to replace the tester.


Why do I have two blue and two red wires in my ceiling light fixture? I want to replace a lighting fixture in the bathroom ceiling. I think it was kind of heat light. I took the light out and realized that two blue cables are connected to the fixture and two red ones on the other side and there is no neutral. What do I need to do to connect to live and neutral to install a halo ceiling light box and light?

This appears to be a CFL can with an integral ballast
What you are looking at appears to be a type of recessed "can" downlight that was designed to use a 4-pin compact fluorescent bulb with the ballast for that bulb integrated into the fixture.  (Think of a "tube" style fluorescent fixture that's been zapped with a twisty shrink ray.)
As a result, if you want to do something other than put a CFL in it, you'll need to replace the fixture outright (or have the electrician put a replacement in for you).


What are low-cost ways of cooling down a room? How do I cool a bedroom - that has a ceiling & standing fan, but is still hot?

Ideally, the cheaper the better.

I live in Jamaica - where the climate is warm most of the time, and the summers are very hot. Even the nights.

I have a Zinc roof, and a wooden ceiling....so in the night, it feels like it is just releasing from the roof.

The both fans don't make the room too cool.

An A/C is too expensive right now.

P.S. I was thinking that maybe if I could make some thing that is water based, that I put behind the fan, then the fan would be blowing cool air and that would cool the room? Not sure what I would make, or how I would do that...so that is the type of answer I am looking for. Not "buy X wall-mounted A/C unit". That is out of the question.

You have got to get the most amount of outdoor air in your bedroom at night.  This is the most important thing you can do.  Make sure the windows are open and the fan(s) are sucking in the hot air.  The ice works but it needs to be in front of the fan and you need to do some pretty big chunks.  Fill a bucket up and put it in the freezer.

So the windows need to be open from sundown until the morning.  After that your room needs to go into lockdown.  Put a blanket over your window (better is put something over bedroom windows from outside), no lights (and switch to fluorescent), no shower humidity, no electronics, nothing.

There are other things like insulation or adding trees around the house but these cost a lot of money.

An easy cheap thing that has worked for me is putting a semi-wet towel in the freezer.  Keep it around your neck and head.  Keep an extra in the freezer if your house is really hot.  I went a summer without AC in Fort Worth doing this!


Identifying metal post next to a house Next to my house is part of a metal post.  It looks like it has been cut off at the top.  I would like to remove it, but am not sure what it is.  I know it's not a grounding rod, but there is some graffiti or writing on the foundation next to it; I am not sure if it is related.  This is in the American north east.

This is very close to where our water line comes in.

Can anyone identify this and if it is safe to remove?

That looks like a cut off T-post (fence post), and IMHO it is a significant hazard, especially to kids and dogs. If a dog steps on it wrong it could slash a foot to the bone.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/T-Post-Post/4758566

If you have a high lift jack or T-post puller you could probably wrap a chain around the post and pull it out. Otherwise just dig it out. Usually these are driven it no more than 1 ft or 18". Usually they have a stabilizing plate parallel to the top of the T cross section.


HVAC air handler with a built-in humidifier I am in the process of choosing an air handler to use only for AC.  I plan to keep radiant heat.  However, in the winter, I would like to use the AC system to blow humidified air to compensate for the dryness of air caused by radiators in lieu of having a standalone humidifier in each room.

Is this option even possible?  I was thinking that my air handler would have water supply piped to it and then a mechanism to produce mist out of it and then blow it throughout the ductwork.  But I am not sure if this even exists and whether it could cause harmful condensation in the ductwork.

Whole house humidifiers exist, and could be wired to work in your situation. This would require the air handler blower to run during the winter, and humidity level detection might be a challenge.

Typically the humidifier is installed on the return ducting of the air handler, and a bypass duct is connected to allow humidity to be added to the air. A humidistat is also installed on the return air ducting, which allows the humidifier to activate based on the humidity in the air coming from the house. Since you won't want the air handler to run constantly, you'll have to figure a way to passively detect the humidity level throughout the house. You'll then activate the blower, and the humidifier based on that.


Heat Tape on Empty CPVC Pipe I'm planning on installing heat tape on the CPVC pipe that feeds to my garden hose.

It occurred to me that I or future owners may choose to turn off the water and bleed the pipe.

I realize I could just unplug the heat tape but my question is is there a risk to just leaving it.

The heat tape really only gets warm not “HOT” enough to damage pvc or cpvc I have seen heat tape that was improperly installed, not self regulating and it was crossed over itself several times, one of those areas melted the heat tape but the controller blew prior to damage to the pipe and that was standard cold water pvc (cpvc can handle higher heat)


Are individual electric heaters more efficient to operate than an electric boiler? (Edited to provide additional info)

My wife is looking to buy an old house (I'm guessing 19th century) that'll need a lot of renovating, including the heating system. Renovation works will include (some) insulation and modernisation of the electric system.
Actually the part in which we'll be living seems to have been a farm building; what appear to be the old living quarters are in a small attached house that hasn't seen occupation for at least 40y, from the looks of it. Both are built with local limestone (probably raw-hewn "stones" behind a layer of plaster), meaning there's only so much wall insulation you can install without losing precious internal space. But the obligatory energy-loss assessment is surprisingly good, despite the fact there are no double-glass windows except in the attic (thanks, Velux!).

Currently there is a central heating system that runs on fuel oil which also provides the hot water (except in the kitchen), backed up by a fireplace insert (one of those sealed things) in one of the rooms, plus an electric radiator here and there. We're currently in a rented house which also has individual electric heaters. We are used to in-house temperatures that peak at 20°C at most, 18°C being the more usual average; we wouldn't even want it hotter and having to put on 2 extra layers of clothing plus coat before going outside.

Most likely we will be wanting to get rid of the fuel boiler, either ASAP after getting the house or in the year or so following the acquisition. A single fuel delivery is around 1000€ which corresponds to about the number of individual electric heaters we'd need. It would also cover much of the price of an electric replacement for the fuel boiler, depending on whether we'd opt for a model that also provides hot sanitary water (we'd want a hot water boiler anyway).

I've been reading up on the topic and while electric boilers are clearly the least expensive to buy and install (and maintain) they're apparently the most expensive in use, compared to other energy sources for central heating.

I have not found a single text that compares them to a system with individual space heaters. Can anyone here help with that question? In particular, will a central heater burn more energy if you do not heat all rooms all the time (shut off radiators, manually or via a local thermostat)? Will individual heaters heat the room more efficiently for instance because they get hotter (e.g. oil-based ones that are safer and give less dry heat)?

Our budget doesn't really allow for other alternatives that are more economic in use (or greener), like those using wood pellets or a heat pump. I know running costs of such systems will be lower in the long run but you have to be able to finance the initial investment.

Thanks!

To answer the main question, an electric boiler is exactly as efficient at turning electricity into heat as individual electric heaters. However, individual electric heaters allow per-room heating setups; if you only rarely use a room, you can turn the heat down. However, an oil boiler will almost always be cheaper to run than either, unless you live near a nuclear power plant or dam. (Although an oil delivery is expensive, you don't need oil delivered that often.)

However, with this specific property, having a central boiler, plus a fireplace insert, plus individual heaters, tells me that the central boiler is probably not able to keep up with the heat demands of the house. (Side note: relying on a fireplace for heating is a terrible idea. They leak most of their heat to the outside, and add a large draft to the house.) It sounds like the house was made when it was expected that people would wear a sweater while indoors during winter, with the house not being heated to "room temperature". So, the individual heaters were added in order to provide an extra boost, but comfort is still not going to be great, and you'll probably be paying a lot for heating unless you're willing to use the sweater method.

My suggestion would be to keep the boiler for now. Those things have a service life, and you might as well let that service life run out. In the meantime, you should upgrade the sealing and insulation of the house to at least close to modern standards. This will increase comfort and decrease heating load.

(Side note: some houses have in-ground oil storage. These are expensive to deal with, and you do not want that. Make sure you know where the fuel oil is stored.)


Removing Hose Attachment on Kohler Kitchen Faucet I'm not sure how exactly to remove this attachement, and I don't want to break anything. Anyone have any ideas. I've checked a bunch of youtube videos for similiar faucets with no luck.

In your second pic, the white clip at the top appears to be the release.  I can see an O-ring inside (through the plastic) just below that level, so release the clip and you should be able to pull the white plastic part down.


Furnace Connection Question I recently plan to install a smart thermostat in my house and I found there is a pair of wires(black and white) were connected to the Y and B/C terminal of my furnace.

I tried to track where it goes but I found it goes through the wall.

Can anyone tell me what are these two wires used for?

Wires in the white circle are connected to the thermostat and the wires in the red circle are what I am asking.

I just found that they are used for the outdoor condenser.


Installing bathroom fan timer switch I am trying to replace a single pole power switch of bathroom fan with timer switch. I tried to connect the wires as per the user manual but the fan works only when it’s connected to the power switch and dose not work with the timer switch. It seems like the fan is wired in a strange way the hot wire go to the fan direct and both wires going to the switch black and red get current when the switch is turned on when the switch is off there is no current in both wires going to the switch

The one to left is fan the right is vanity light

Actually, the problem was that the fan was three way wired to a random switch downstairs! I just hooked the traveler wire up and it worked!


How do I insulate a whole-house fan during the winter? I would like to insulate my whole-house fan in the winter. I've see insulating covers that you can attach with magnetic strips or velcro, but the look does not appeal to me and I don't trust how well a velcro seal would work (our fan is aluminum).

I'm curious if there are other ways to insulate a whole-house fan for the winter.

I had an idea to make a foam insert and drop it in from the top. I'm imagining spraying some expanding foam into a wood frame. The frame would rest on top of the frame around the hole for the fan. I could even mount it with some hinges so it's easy to open and close. Not sure how feasible this is.

edit: Checked the attic and saw that the fan motor extends pretty high. The insulation would need to be attached to the bottom of the fan opening. Looking like the cover might be my only option.

Skip the expanding foam and buy pre-made foam panels from your local HI store. Layer them up for more insulation and cut them to size with a knife or saw (I just use a drywall saw). You can enclose them in a wood box on top if you'd like, but they're rigid enough that they'll stay where you leave them without building an enclosure (unless you turn the fan on).

Just saw your edit about the motor. You can build up the foam panels into a tent. But if you can get a cover designed for a whole house fan, that may be your best option.


How to install vinyl tubing for bathroom vent? I need to replace the vinyl tubing that goes from my bathroom ceiling to the side of the house.

It had a rip in it and I was successful in pulling it out. I went into the attic crawl space and noticed there was a board over that area, so I am not able to get to it from that spot.

There is insulation where the vinyl tubing was. I thought about using a electric wire snake to pull it through the hole, but I want to know the best way to go about accomplishing this.

The distance is about 6 ft and it needs a 4" vinyl tubing.

First picture of the original tubing (before I ripped it)

Second image is after I removed the tubing.

Make a 4" dia plug from a 1x6 or plywood, screw eyelet into center, clamp plug into dryer vent with worm gear clamp.  Pull through with your fish tape.  Perhaps a taped cone could be centered over the plug (and the fish tape lead through the center, for better insulation tracking).

Down the road this lint brush will remove any buildup.  This one has a 10ft shaft.

I'd urge you to convert to smooth walled metal duct and add a screened vent wall cover or a spring loaded damper.


How to tidily restore a sandstone fireplace I would really appreciate some advice in regards to the best solution to restore a stone fireplace that was previously covered by plasterboard.

I am looking to fit a log burning stove into the hole, however I would like to restore as much of the old fireplace as possible.  The plasterboard has been applied so it protrudes the fireplace (see attached picture), can anyone recommend a tidy way to create a neat edge between the sandstone and plaster?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks.

Iain

Cut back the plaster evenly and use a fancy stone trim piece. You can use a tile saw to miter the corners, use paintable caulk where the plaster meets the trim, to hide irregularities. Use construction adhesive, or silicone, or tile mortar, to adhere the trim to the sandstone. Your biggest job will be cleaning up the sandstone and brick.


Grounding an old 2-Wire system in my bathroom I have been remodeling my bathroom in an old house with a 2 wire electrical system without conduit.  It had a 2 prong outlet at the lower wall that I've replaced with a new standard 3 prong.  Also I've installed a new 3 prong GFCE outlet for use at the sink - splicing it to the wiring that traverses between two old light fixture boxes where the old medicine cabinet was and am keeping for the lighting in the room.  I am determined to ground all those properly, but without conduit to feed wires through, I am challenged to ground these without being somewhat creative.  Also there are ground wires leading out from the light boxes themselves.

I have wired the GCFI at the lighting circuit using the input and output features on the back of the outlet, so that there are a total of 4 wires along with the ground, so two wires are going from the back of the outlet to the second light, and two wires leading from the first light.

I am determined to ground the electrical items for the bathroom, despite learning that GCFI outlets are okay to leave ungrounded.  Further, having a ground to the lights seems like a good idea anyway and want to use the ground wires from the light boxes.  I have tested the outlets using an outlet checker, temporarily using the cold water pipe as a ground, and the lights indicate "correct" for the power and the ground.

I am not intent upon using the water pipe, but only to test what I have already done.

Can all those items be grounded with to a single common ground wire - considering that the lower wall outlet is possibly on a different circuit from the lights and the new GCFI?  Does the ground for those items have to return to the common ground at the electrical box? Can a separate grounding rod be used if more convenient? Is it okay that I've spliced the GCFI outlet in-between the two light boxes the way I described?  Can I run the ground wire(s) outside using some sort of weatherproof wiring ( if such wiring exists ) stapled to the exterior of the house?

Is my determination to ground items in the bathroom warranted?  Should I consider simply relying on the safety features of the GCFI outlet and then install another GCFI at the lower wall - without grounding anything?  Would leaving the light boxes ungrounded despite noticing ground wires be okay?  Is the reworking of the bathroom this way making the old wires leading into the bathroom subject to replacement.. or are they okay as they are?

The house does have a breaker box at the back exterior.

Please word answers simply as possible without jargon like "daisy chaining" as I become confused easily sorting out condensed phrasing and concepts familiar to professionals.

Thank You

With wiring that old the best and EASIEST thing to do is abandon all existing electrical in the bathroom (or complete area of renovation) and replace it, from point A to point B, as if it were new construction. It would be crazy to have the walls opened up and not do so.

It would be best for point A to be a new circuit run from the panel.
2nd best is tapping the exiting circuit before it enters the renovation area in an attic, basement, crawlspace or a light or receptacle in another room making that your point A.
If you must, tap the existing circuit where it 1st enters the renovation area making that your point A.

The 1st device in your new wire run should be a GFCI receptacle that's installed properly to protect the remainder of the circuit. BTW a GFCI doesn't require a ground wire to make the circuit safer. (If you're getting shocked from hot to neutral a GFCI won't help you, but if you're getting shocked from hot to something grounded it will, regardless of whether there's a ground wire or not.)

Don't ever splice outside of a box even if that box will not otherwise be used and have to have a blank cover, and whether you use the old circuit or not, don't forget to maintain that circuit if it happens to be continuing on (passing through) to supply another part of the house.


How can i convert switch Just bought a ranch house built 1950's
No lights in all rooms just receptackes and switch that controls 1 set of receptacles..i want to intall 4 pot lights and a ceiling fan with lights. How do i go about it? Is there a diagram i can follow? Thanks much!

In one case in our house, the electrician installed a new cable (helper "fished" it in the attic) from the switch box to the location of the new ceiling box. The old cable to the receptacle was disconnected from the switch and the two wires connected with a wire nut. That receptacle is now always powered.

In our case the whole duplex receptacle was switched. In some cases only one receptacle of the duplex is switched and the other is always on. In that case the cable for the switch loop can simply be disconnected at both ends. At the receptacle end you would then need a short jumper or jumpers to replace the broken off tab or tabs. Or put in a new duplex with the tabs intact.

EDIT
There are different ways the switched receptacle can have been wired: 1. The hot feed cable enters in the switch box or 2. The hot feed cable enters in the receptacle box.

If you have case 1, then you will have both hot and neutral in the switch box. If case 2, then you might or might not have a neutral in the switch box. You need both hot and neutral in the switch box to work the light unless you power the light from some other source.


Adapting Halo H71CT for 12" joist centers I bought 24 6" recessed can lights for a new rec room. They're going between joists 12" on center.  I love the quick installation features of this assembly (got at Lowe's) but I snapped the guide arms according to this video.

Now I can't pull the guide arms apart. Anyone have experience with this before I ruin any more fixtures experimenting?

Turns out the video was wrong.  The pamphlet that comes with the light has instructions for breaking off these arms at the score points. You have to bend them in the right direction.  I tried another one and this worked fine.


How do I use DAP plastic wood filler safely? I'm trying to install a storm door on an outdoor patio in my house. There are a number of holes in the wood from previous screen door installations I think:

I want to make sure the wood will hold before installing the screen door so I don't run into problems down the road.
The DAP plastic wood filler came recommended to me from my hardware store for this purpose, but it has some concerning info in the technical bulletin including a flashpoint of 82 degrees.
Couple of question about how to use this safely:

Does this need to be stored at cool temperatures once opened? If I keep it on an outdoor patio in summer, is that a safety issue?
When done, can I dispose of excess product in household trash or is special disposal required?
When washing tools with mineral spirits (as recommended), can I wash that in a sink or will I run into plumbing problems?
When resealing the can of this, is it fine to use a rubber mallet like I would for a can of paint?

The flash point of a material is the temperature above which it will give off vapors that can ignite.  It's NOT the temperature at which the fumes or the material will self-ignite. As a point of reference, you likely handle gasoline regularly and its flash point is -45F!
Just ensure that there are no ignition sources while you are using the product and have plenty of ventilation (should not be an issue at an outside door) while using it to prevent fumes from building up.
Answers to your questions:

The can should have storage information but I suspect it says "cool dry place".

Again the container should have disposal information but you may want to handle it as you would paint or a similar substance and dispose of it at a hazardous household waste disposal site in your community.

It's NEVER a good idea to wash solvents into your sink.  Capture solvents you wash things with and dispose of at a suitable waste disposal site.

Yes, that would be reasonable.


Fix issue with 2 independent lights on single source I inherited an electrical conundrum. In particular, two hallway lights on the main floor and upstairs, sharing a circuit and each independently controlled by two switches, both on the main floor.

The main floor connections were a mess. No box; other than BX at the ceiling everything (cabling, switches) was surfaced mounted. The legs to the two switches were particularly unpleasant: flat nailed-in weathered 18/2 LVT cable running across walls and ceilings, not to mention some dead wires etc. Just a maze, so I decided to rip it all away and start over.

I knew what I wanted, and perhaps what the previous owner had tried to wire. Two hallway lights with independent 3-way switches. I planned to use wireless relays at the fixtures.

Upstairs was a snap even for an amateur like me. The short was just due to some fraying on both the hot and neutral. Cleaned up the 14/2 in the ceiling (shorted due to frayed wires), attached them to a wireless receiver I squeezed into the electrical box, connected it the fixture and put a pair of switches/transmitters upstairs and downstairs. Worked fine.

Next, I ripped out the LVT and switches. Should have paid more attention, because of course when I disconnected the switch for the upstairs light I opened that circuit.

I had envisioned the existing wiring to look like (switches & connections to fixtures omitted)

But of course that would not have made it possible for the main floor switch to control the upstairs light. Belated Duh!

At this point, the wiring to the old switches is irrelevant since they’re being replaced with relays at the fixtures.  But I’m having trouble figuring out what the real (hidden) wiring is, and more practically how to energize the upstairs pair with the existing cables if possible.

Oh my, I understand your frustration. I've recently moved from an 1856 + 1880 post and beam "building" house.  I have not found any nobb and tube, but plenty of tar-paper covered 2 wire, and a ton of BX, all probably 14 & 16 g.  There are new pulls of 14-2-G to junction boxes with the old wires, back to two 100A breaker boxes, installed in the 70's. Everything I've done is 14-2-G, 12-2-G or 14-3-G clear back to the breakers. The breaker boxes were "upstairs/downstairs" but I couldn't keep that. I feel your pain.  You will probably need to (add to your tool box) get a circut identifyer for AC.  IDK what they cost, but know I saw one the last time I was at Lowe's.  I did find junction boxes burried below floor level from a remodel in the 1940's. They hacked a lot of things that time.  This building had between 2 & 6 remodles per room.  Yes, it was a blast!  Getting the AC tracer will help you "find your way".  I bought a Cat 3/4/5/6 set for pulling & finding network cable.  That is the best way I can think of, if cutting a LOT of holes is not your plan.  Good Luck.  JLH


New Leviton GFCI outlet not working I just got a new GFCI outlet to replace a non-GFI one in my kitchen. It is a Leviton, product number is GFTR1-KW. For the life of me I don’t know why it’s not working. This same question has been asked before and an answer was never provided. Here is the link to that one-
New GFCI outlet; green light is on but no power
I connected the line and load wires properly, there is a solid green light on which according to the instructions indicates it is wired properly, but there is no power coming out of it or the outlets downstream. I reinstalled the old one to make sure the wires were ok and it works. I pushed the test and reset buttons a ton and nothing happens, the light just stays on. Is it just these dumb Leviton GFIs that have this problem? The wires are pretty cramped in the box, could the ground wires be too close to the other wires? I have no idea. Help!

I connected the line and load wires properly
Actually, you probably didn't. Not definitely - it could be a bad GFCI - but most likely the wiring is not 100% correct.

Turn off power.
Disconnect everything.
Connect only the Line wires - hot and neutral - and the ground wire.
Turn on power.
See if the GFCI receptacles work.
See if the GFCI test and reset buttons work.

Assuming all of that works, then connect the Load wires - hot and neutral - and see what happens. If at that point things stop working, then the problem is downstream - i.e., in the receptacles or devices connected via Load.
Keep in mind that with a non-GFCI receptacle, line and load are all the same. With a GFCI, you have to keep them separate and connect them properly or strange things happen.


Should I be concerned if the toilet water level drops after a flush? After flushing, the water level in the bowl drops a bit. It takes about 30 seconds and loses between one and two inches. It starts dropping fairly fast, then slows, then stops, and then the level holds steady until next flush. Bowl still has a nice, respectable amount of water.

No other problems around toilet; no word from person downstairs about leaks or ceiling stains (but haven't had chance to ask them specifically since noticing this). I'm not sure if the floor's level; may slope slightly toward back of toilet, don't have a level handy.

This may even be normal for this toilet (is that likely/possible?)... I only noticed it now, about a week after clearing a clog with a closet auger, and hadn't paid attention to whether it dropped or not before.

About that clog: it was from a toothbrush dropped into the toilet and pushed further down when I tried to pull it out by hand. Auger didn't retrieve toothbrush, but I guess pushed it through to main drain, because toilet has flushed fine ever since.

Do any of these details make it more/less likely to be a leak into the subfloor? And if that is likely, I guess that makes things very urgent, or would it take a long time do any damage? (It'll be tricky to bring in a plumber until a few weeks hence, esp. if that means coordinating with other tenant.)

Apologies for full-on newb questions; this isn't so much DIY as should-I-have-someone-else-do-something, and how-panicked-should-I-be-if-at-all.

Open up the back part of your toilet and push down firmly on the flush valve ball (the flap that goes up and down when you press the toilet lever) after you flush the toilet.  Your ball/flap probably is leaking a bit and eventually settles after a flush.  These can be replaced by following a set of instructions and spending $15.


Can a GFI shutdown a second non-GFI outlet? GFI= Ground Fault Interrupt

Two KITCHEN outlets (one GFI the other non-GFI) are on the same circuit (I believe). The non GFI circuit stopped working and I noticed the GFI unit will not reset and automatically pop. The disposal in the sink stopped working and is leaking water. If the water leak is causing a short,

shouldn't a circuit breaker trip?
can the GFI circuit somehow shutdown other outlet nodes on the same circuit?

From a troubleshooting standpoint, wouldn't electrically disconnecting the disposal be the first step and try to reset the GFI and test both outlets?

UPDATE: The electrical leads to the disposal were disconnected and the GFI was reset.  Outlet tests (with a light bulb) indicate power restored to affected outlets.  I appreciate every good response below and would upvote them if I had the privilege (not enough points today).

I believe that when the breaker is tripped, it will show bright orange (not the case in this photo):

Yes -- GFCIs are provided with a set of LOAD terminals so that other receptacles, light fixtures, or hard-wired devices can be connected in a way that provides them GFCI protection as well.  It is common to see this used so that one GFCI protects several receptacles -- there are even "dead front" GFCI devices that have no receptacles themselves, but are solely intended to protect "downstream" loads.


Additional Vapor Barrier with Faced Insulation? When installing faced insulation into exterior walls, are there any benefits or detriments to adding an additional vapor barrier to either the non-faced side of the insulation?

not 100% certain on this, but a double vapor barrier will actually cause harm as the moisture will have no where to escape to.  Especially if you place it on the non-faced side.  If you place it on the already faced side, it probably wont hurt, but is pointless as you already have the barrier .


How do you determine the slope of a floor? What are some methods for figuring out the slope of a floor?

I've always heard the slope referenced as, eg: "1/2inch over 6ft." - is this the normal way, and/or are there other common ways to say it?

One way is to take a long level (the longer the better : 6 and 8' levels work well).

Hold one end of the level on the higher point, and then once the level is level, measure the gap between the other end and the floor using a measuring tape. This will give you your height over your run (length of level), for that particular spot in the floor anyways.


Why is my garage door suddenly not operating at all? When I click the remote open/close button, it doesn't react (no sound) at all. I tried from several remotes, nothing happens. The wall control also has a light button which is working fine (meaning it turns on/off light on the base). It's not sensor issue since they are solid. The motor is not humming. Open up the control box, the green sensor light is blinking slowly. Never had such issue before, and it happens suddenly. What might be wrong?

Okay, I figured out on my own. I found the user manual for my model (Genie ISD990), and the troubleshooting section says "reset opener - unplug" if status light is blinking (1 blink). I unplugged the power, wait for a few seconds, plug it in again and it works now. Don't know what has caused this. This opener is at least 10 years old, but never had any problems.


Replacing a single pole switch that has an extra backstab cable, with a dimmer switch Im trying to change my light switch to a dimmer switch. However the wirings isnt what I had expected. There is an extra backstab wire aside from the hot and netural wire, there also no ground wire being used, and all the wires are the same color too.

What is that backstab wire for?
And is that exposed copper wire, inside the terminal, the grounding wire?
Why wasnt the white wire used?
Any advice or tips is greatly appreciated.

The backstab wire is a continuation of the hot ,black, wire probably to or from an outlet or main panel, Just wire nut it to the black wire from the screw terminal right next to it and the black wire from your dimmer.
The exposed bare copper wire is the ground wire.
The white, neutral, wire normally isn't needed when wiring regular dimmers or regular switches. It goes straight from the switch box to the fixture without being switched. If you were wiring up a smart switch, you would more than likely need the neutral.
Turn off the power before doing any work.


Is a Wet Spot in The Ceiling From Toilet Plumping? My home is two stories and in a first floor room the has a wet spot. Deduction reasoning points to upstairs toilet as the source. And, if I turn off water to the toilet and stop using it then the water spot dries.

To be able to use toilet again, do I just replace the toilet?  Is it the a problem with the waste line that runs from the toilet and it no longer leaks because I am no longer using the toilet?

I know basic plumbing skills so I think I can make repair on my own.

EDIT
The tank is empty, water line is cut off, should I flush one more time to remove the water from the bowl (is that the right word for it)?

You are going to have to do some testing.   The first thing to do is assess how likely it is that you could have water in the bathroom from spillage.   If water isn't running into the toilet area - from people showering or washing hands/whatever - then you might as well pull the toilet up.

To pull the toilet you will have a bolt on each side (undo the nuts) and a water supply line (turn off water and disconnect by unscrewing.   Once water is turned off flush the toilet to get rid of as much excess water and then pull it up.

Now you will need to assess what things look like and you may need to provide pictures to us.  There are several reasons a toilet would leak.   The first and easiest thing to do is dump a bunch of whatever down the toilet pipe.   It is highly unlikely that you have a leak there but this is super easy to check.   Do this first.

Next assess how the toilet flange looks and how high it is.   It could simply be that the toilet release is a bit too high and that over time the flange plus wax ring degraded enough to cause a slight gap.   This is most likely your issue.

If the flange is worn, brittle, or cut then replace it.   If the flange is good but too low you will need to replace it with a flange that sits higher.   This is an easy job and just takes a few minutes.

If the flange looks OK height-wise and what fixes 90% of toilet leaks is replacing the wax ring.   Since you have a leak I would suggest an extra thick ring.

(I didn't mention everything but covered what should help 95+% to make it easier - let me know if you have more specifics questions or pictures)


Does the ground bar on a subpanel need to be bonded to the subpanel? I had a lightning strike near my house that damaged the electric in my shed and now I need to replace the subpanel.  I have a question about the groundbar.

In the subpanel I am replacing the grouond and neutral bars were isolated, but the ground bar was not bonded to the subpanel itself.  When I replace this subpanel should I attach a bonding screw from the ground bar to the subpanel?

Thanks,

Yes the grounding side needs to be bonded to the metal case the neutral or grounded side is isolated from the case. The only place both the grounding and grounded conductors are connected together is in the main but both panels need the case bonded to the grounding buss.


Single pane windows with outside screens My house use to have old windows with storms I had to install outside each winter.  Through a grant, I had new windows installed.  They are double hung, single pane, with screens to the outside.  Do I leave the screens on during the winter?  How do I keep the cold out with single panes?

Well, that wasn't much of an upgrade. I'm afraid you're stuck with having to use that plastic stuff or installing extra storm windows.


Should I be concerned? Wires look burned While replacing the ignitor on our ge profile gas range/ oven, we came across the wires that go to the top ignitor (for the broiler). I am concerned because they look burned/ melted. My husband is not concerned. Should we be? Should we replace the wires? Does anyone know what would have caused this?

It is possible that much of the dark brown staining is grease that has accumulated from the stove, oven and broiler which has darkened with heat.

However, the device that is bundling the wires near the top definitely looks as if it has been degraded by heat. Also, if enough grease accumulates and it is overheated, the grease itself can become a fire hazard.

I would seriously consider cleaning up all the darkened areas to remove the grease, checking the wires to see if the seem brittle or charred in any way and possibly replacing the wiring bundle.

You also should check to make sure that there is no blockage of venting (or gaps in venting pipes/tubes) that is causing hot gasses to be misdirected to this area.


Rewiring part of a circuit, how to properly terminate old branches? Context

There's an overloaded partially-K&T circuit in a small 100+ yr/old home that needs to be rewired. This circuit currently goes from basement panel to attic where it serves ceiling lights and drops down to a few wall outlets, with some splices of old 2-wire romex in some areas where renovations occurred. The rewiring of this circuit has two goals, which calls for separating it into more than one circuit: 1) remove load from this circuit so it is not handling so much, and 2) remove old knob and tube. This rewiring is being done with a local electrician but they are willing to pass some planning/work to us which they'll check before finalizing.

Because there's a substantial amount of work to do, the job naturally breaks into two major sections: rewiring the ceiling lights and switches coming down from the attic; and rewiring the wall outlets. For the wall outlets, it seems much easier (and two electricians have also suggested) to make runs along the basement ceiling and pop up into existing or new wall outlet from there. This also makes sense in terms of circuit loads, as the wall outlets should be separated from ceiling lights, and some of the wall outlets should really be on their own breaker (e.g. an outdoor outlet for a plug-in vehicle; an outlet in a bedroom which runs a space heater).

Question

My question is about what to do with the old wires coming down from the attic to wall outlets, after the wall outlets are switched over to new wiring coming up from the basement. Since the basement/wall circuits will probably be done before rewiring the attic, the old wires coming down will only be disconnected from one end (only temporarily if all goes roughly according to plan, as we'll cut off the attic wiring from its source once we rewire that).

Can the wires disconnected on one end just be terminated with wire nuts, and where can they safely reside (in the outlet box [tight fit, no?], or does a junction box with a flat cover need to be installed above the outlet box for storage of old wire terminuses)? Is it so unacceptacle to have wires terminate on one end like this, that we should find a way to do the attic rewiring first so we can disconnect these wall outlets from their source above before we cut them off at the outlets?

My question is similar but different from Is there a way to safely have exposed electrical wires? because in my case I will not ever reuse these disconnected wires (but will eventually disconnect them on both ends), and because I don't have a junction box these old wire disconnects can go in (yet - maybe I need to install one for that purpose). Cramming the terminated old wires in the outlet box that's containing the new wires doesn't seem like a good idea, but maybe that's a viable answer to my question too.

If you have enough space in your existing outlet boxes (including box fill calculations), you can cap the K&T wires and simply tuck them out of the way. I'd also recommend electrical tape to ensure that nothing accidentally moves or gets exposed, especially since this is a permanent disconnect.

If there isn't enough space, you can use a surface-mount junction box over the existing outlet box, or, as I've recently done, a raceway outlet box. You can cap and tape the K&T in the old, recessed outlet box and pull the new cables further forward into the surface mounted box. When you're all done, cleanup is as simple as removing the surface mounted box and tucking everything back into the recessed box.


Are all wall-switch dimmers created equal? If not, what are the differences? I just switched from incandescent to LED in my kitchen fixture. This thing is 16 60 watt bulbs. The switch is rated for 1000 watts. The bulbs are Phillips.

The light flicker at certain spots. Even on the highest setting I get some strobing.

So I'm going to upgrade to a better switch. Is there anything I should look for? Is brand name the best guide?

Cheap dimmers are cheap for a reason

Cheap dimmers often omit the extra parts needed to generate clean output, without EMI, asymmetric waveforms, or other things that can confuse the fiddly business involved in getting a LED to dim solely off a phase-controlled 120VAC power input.

Get a decent spec-grade dimmer intended for LED/CFL use (Lutron makes good stuff, and their support is solid too, if you want a brand name to go by) instead of the builder-grade cheapie you threw in there if the problem persists with dimmable bulbs. An air-gap shutoff is a good idea as well (all the Lutron dimmers have it, and any spec-grade dimmer should have it).

And make sure your bulbs are dimmable, too

LED drivers, whether integral or external, have to explicitly support phase-control dimming in order for it to work -- it will not work properly "by accident" as you found out the hard way.  So, lesson learned: make sure your bulbs are dimmable when you're using them on an LED compatible dimmer.


Re-wiring a router into the main control panel This is my first time asking so please excuse me for not being in the right place. Our home Internet was just upgraded to higher speed and so we got a new router that handles 5G and 2.4G.  I want to take our old router and wire it directly into my control panel to use the 2.4G system on an older laptop I use for online D&D.  I have no clue on where to wire it in to piggyback it and start to use it in a room in the basement with poor signal quality.  We have phone lines running throughout the house but only one room with an ethernet port. Any ideas?  Thanks all!

MoCA might be a solution for you (Media over Cable Alliance). I note that you have quite a few coax cables in your LV box, does one of them go to near the spot you want?  If so, you can get MoCA adapters to repurpose the coax for use with ethernet.   You'll have to do some research, but this should point you in the right direction.  Here is a place to start:  https://www.signalbooster.com/blogs/news/moca
Disclaimer:  I have no personal experience with it, but it seems pretty well represented out there, your mileage may vary.   Maybe others here can comment on experience with MoCA.
EDIT:  This may be a question better asked at another part of SE:  More to do with computers and networking.   You are going to have other configuration issues such as DHCP controls using a 2nd router.  Why keep it? Do you have enough ports on the new router? If so, just use the MoCA adapters (if your coax runs to a desired place) and plug it in. If not enough ports, just add a simple (non-intelligent) switch to add ports. Multiple routers can be a head ache if you aren't an expert, switches will often do the job.
Thoughts from other about migrating this question?


Should I extend my house upward or knock down and build from scratch? I want to expand my house upwards by adding another 1000ft2 level.  I'm told that knocking the house down and build from scratch would be easier than dealing with all the issues.  In my area I've been told construction costs 200/ft2 which would be rather expensive for a new 2000 ft2 house.  What do people think?

I've thought about doing the same thing (adding on an upstairs to my house).  One of the simple problems is permits; the inspection offices want to deal with things they know, and building above an unknown.

Basically, your support comes from below; the new floor rests on the floor below, and the floors below on the foundation.  If you need stronger walls, you need to start tearing things out (eg, drywall) so you can bulk them up, and you can't just add new load-bearings walls without putting some sort of footing in below them; that's near impossible in most construction.

There are typically tables of how much load a room has to be able to support in a given area; 30lb per square foot is pretty typical, but you have to remember that an unevenly loaded area often requires heavier duty walls to deal with the torsional and lateral forces.

I still haven't given up on putting a second floor on my house, but I know that to be able to do it, I'm likely going to have to strip the walls back to see what there is, which means either from the inside (plaster walls) or outside (wood siding), either of which is going to suck to replace.


Fixed time outlet countdown timer I have a coffee machine that uses a significant amount of power and is often not switched off.
Therefore I'm looking for a device that is able to switch off the power after a certain amount of time (say 30 minutes).
I found some countdown timers, such as

http://www.amazon.com/EcoSavers-Chargestop-Countdown-Programmable-Energy/dp/B00GJMMK4C
http://www.amazon.com/50030-Indoor-Countdown-1-Outlet-Grounded/dp/B00FSQTSB8

However, they all have the same problem: they require interaction to be activated.

Ideally, I would like to set the countdown time in advance, turn on the coffee machine (and have no interaction with the countdown timer), have the countdown timer start as soon as the coffee machine starts, and then kill the power after the programmed time.

I was wondering if anybody knows a device that can do this, or has a solution for this kind of problem?

Other than the fact that you already have a coffee maker, many/most coffee makers with timer/clock arrangements will shut themselves off after an hour or so (whether started by timer or started by hand.)

The most straightforward solution with the coffee maker you have is to change what you interact with to turn it on - leave the coffee maker "switched on" at all times, and switch the timer on when you want to operate the coffee maker.


Temperature Sensor with Current Sensor I have SMA - Sunny Island inverter, the one that is use in Off-Grid Solar PV System.

I am getting error because there is no Battery Temperature Sensor connected.

I have a plan on buying the dedicated Temperature Sensor for this inverter but for the mean time I want to create a substitute for this sensor because I am chasing the deadline.

This is the picture of their Battery Temperature Sensor

and this is where it must be connected

I don't know what's the circuit inside their Bat Temp Sensor but looking at the inverter where it is going to plug, it says that it has 4-pins, 2-pins for battery temperature and the remaining 2-pins is for battery current.

Do you have an idea on what their battery sensor diagram looks like?

I cannot recommend that.

The battery temperature sensor is an absolutely necessary piece of safety. Substituting it for a dummy is not an option.

Substituting it for an equivalent sensor is an option, but not based on the amount of information you have.

So, lest you want your deadline to actually have something to do with the death of someone (or at least a battery pack and inverter), tell your boss or client that you'll need time for components to arrive. Engineering is about knowing where to put priorities.


Turn 6-wire outlet into 2 GFCI outlets This question is not for the faint of heart.
I want to know if I can turn an old outlet on a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC) into 1 or 2 GFCI outlets.
My house was built in 1970 and has a MWBC in the kitchen with two breakers going to each duplex outlet, one to the top and one to the bottom, and very old outlets. I want to change outlets in the kitchen to GFCI.
All the outlets have 2 blacks, 2 reds, and 2 whites AND a ground running to them. The specific outlet I want to change is also in the same box as the disposal switch. See picture below.
As far as I understand, you can't have all 7 wires to one GFCI outlet because there's no breaky tab on the white side and the circuits will all mesh and short out.
So,

Can this outlet be turned into 2 GFCI? Or will I just have to get an electrician to figure out wiring 1 breaker to each outlet?
On a separate note, why are the white wires to the disposal connected to the line out to the next outlets?

I don't know how to make the fancy electric diagrams so I drew a picture of the box.

Can I do this? Or would it be something else?

#2. On a separate note, why are the white wires to the disposal connected to the line out to the next outlets?

That is completely wrong. I don't know what they were thinking!
It sounds like you have 2 completely separate circuits in this box: One that powers the disposal, and a double circuit (MWBC) that powers the receps.
When you have multiple circuits in a box, neutrals must stay with their partner hots. There are several reasons, but one is that neutrals don't have breakers.  They depend on the idea that neutral will carry the same current as its partner hot (or with MWBCs, <= the current of the hots due to how they work).
As things are, that disposal neutral could be returning 2 hots' worth of power, and could easily overload.
I don't know where that "probably to next outlet" leg is going, but it needs to make up its mind which circuit it is on!  I would put it on the disposal circuit, because that is less likely to violate Code.

All the outlets have 2 blacks, 2 reds, and 2 whites AND a ground running to them. The specific outlet I want to change is also in the same box as the disposal switch. See picture below.
As far as I understand, you can't have all 7 wires to one GFCI outlet because there's no breaky tab on the white side and the circuits will all mesh and short out.
So,
#1. Can this outlet be turned into 2 GFCI? Or will I just have to get an electrician to figure out wiring 1 breaker to each outlet?

This is called a Multi-wire branch circuit. Those are legal, but you must follow several rules, which "the last guy" ignored.
Rule 1: Neutrals must be pigtailed.  That is, neutrals must go to a wire nut and be joined with a short white wire that goes to the recep.  Neutral must stay continuous even if the receptacle is removed.
You notice that grounds already work this way.  In an MWBC, neutrals must too.
Rule 2: Back at the breaker panel, the breakers must be handle-tied or be 2-pole. Can't be independent breakers.
One very fast way to install GFCI protection is to fit a 2-pole GFCI breaker.  Boom done, you don't need to fiddle with anything else.

Now, as far as fitting GFCI protection, you have several options other than "blowing out the box to a 3-gang".  Nothing goes on LOAD - leave the warning tape on it.  There is no way to use LOAD with an MWBC.

Put one GFCI recep only on one leg - completely ignore the black leg.  In that case, the neutral pigtail goes onto the silver LINE screw.  The red wires go on the brass LINE screw.  The black wires connect to each other, but no longer connect to the socket.

Blow out to a 3-gang box and fit two GFCIs.  In this case you get one GFCI per circuit.  For simplicity's sake, I say pigtail white neutral to both GFCI's silver LINE screw.  One GFCI has red wires on its brass LINE. The other has black wires on its brass LINE.

Fit 2 GFCIs abreast in the 2-gang box...  one of the GFCIs is a half-switch.  Same as above, except the 2 pigtail wires (which are for the switch) go to the 2 wires going to the switch currently.

None of this will do anything to provide GFCI downline protection to other outlets in the kitchen.  If you need to do that, it may be cheaper to use a 2-pole GFCI breaker.  You will need to fix the poached-neutral problem, because GFCIs don't tolerate that.


How to caulk stone backsplash to granite countertop? My kitchen has a stone backsplash and granite countertops.  In some places there is a gap between the two, as illustrated below.

I would like to seal this gap to prevent moisture from getting behind the wall.  Is a silcone-based kitchen caulk appropriate for this application?  This backsplash was put in by the previous owner of the home and I am unfamiliar with the techniques and tools used to seal it.  The areas that have no gap appear to have some sort of stone seal, like this:

Thanks for any help you can provide.

It looks like a sanded caulk.  The big box stores have these in their tile areas.  I would find something that matches your backsplash grout.


Help me prepare kitchen plumbing New kitchen counters are coming in soon and I need to prepare the sink plumbing. I think I can do a half-decent sweating job and I have the right tools. Plan is to un-sweat the existing tees and to put on Sharkbite caps until the new counter is in. Then sweat on new tees with new quarter turn valves, extension pipes for the hot and cold and the valves for those.
Is this a solid plan?
Also, I cannot quite make out what comes after the tee on hot. Is this a 1/2” threaded adapter that is sweated on the tee?
And finally, in which order would you do this? Should I make the top assemblies first and sweat them on supply popes as a last step?

Your valves appear to be a compression connection not   threaded  on to a threaded adapter. No need to un-sweat, you have plenty of pipe to work with, just cut below the tee.
Once your cabinet is put in over your stubs You will be able to build it any way you like. A water hammer leg at the top of each line is a good idea. You can choose any type valves you want, compression, threaded or soldered.
I prefer to have one valve for each supply line, as opposed to two lines off of one valve, so if the dishwasher goes on the blink you do not have to turn off water to the sink while waiting for it to be repaired. (same for fridge etc.)


120v vs 240v neutral I understand that 240v in a house current, the flow is in out/ out in through the two 120v lines from the transformer. What continues to confuse me is the role of the neutral wire in a 120v circuit.  If its ac, (and I know it is) then the same sloshing flow as the 240v will take place.  So current flows, just as in a 240v circuit, on the first ac pulse.  But when current reverses, in a 240v circuit, current simply retraces the path of the preceding current, but on 120v, it seems that there is no push/voltage driving back towards the voltage source from ground.

In a 120/240V system, the neutral is a center tap on a 240 volt transformer secondary coil. So your home is not fed by two 120 volt wires, it's fed by a 3-wire 120/240V single split-phase system.

If it helps, you can think of it as three separate circuits.  There's the 240 volt circuit, which flows through the whole secondary coil (L1 to L2).  Then there's the first 120 volt circuit, which flows through half of the secondary coil (L1 to neutral). Finally  there's the second 120 volt circuit, which flows through the other half of the secondary coil (L2 to neutral).

The information in this answer might also be helpful.


Connecting a Wall Sconce Light Fixture My sconce (two light bulb fixture) has two black wires and one white wire. The wall has only one black wire and one white wire. Can I connect both black sconce wires to the one black wall wire and connect the white sconce wire to the white wall wire? Is that OK?

Sometimes these types of lights are used to indicate a status. For instance, if the bottom light is on, the patient wants a nurse and if the top light is on the nurse needs assistance. Other scenarios are that one would have a low wattage bulb used as a night light and the other would be a higher wattage for reading and what not.
You can wire them both together and run it to a single switch. That's perfectly okay.


How to get rid of gophers in the back yard without poison? We don't want to put out poisons, and we have tried most everything else with no success:

vibrating pegs
traps
water in the holes
pepper

Its to the point where we're ready to pave over the lawn. Has anyone found a method that worked?

I'll echo @shirlock homes and ask for clarification if you are dealing with gophers or moles.

I'm not sure about gophers, but critters like moles will often burrow and tunnel into a yard because the yard is infested with grubs. They're there to eat the grubs. To get rid of the moles you then treat the grub problem and the moles go away.

Check out your yard, look for grubs and other insect infestations.


How should I fill the holes in my floor to prevent mice from getting in? I live an old apartment building and discovered a month into my lease that my apartment has a mouse problem. No matter how may times I bait or trap, I have no luck. It it appears that this might be because the mice live under the floorboards and between apartments, darting in and out of holes in my hardwood floor around every radiator, the cabinet beside my gas stove, and the toilet. If I make it bad for them, cleaning and putting out traps, they just leave, only to come back once I get lazy or leave anything out they might eat or hide inside. The holes themselves are decent sized, around an inch on the radiator and 2-4 inches on the toilet and cabinet. Shining a flash-light into them lets me see down into the floorboards and it looks like  they might all be connected, at least to the mice. Management doesn't care, I can't just move, and I'm done almost stepping on mice when I finish my morning shower. Is expanding foam my best bet here? Are there any other options?

Expanding foam can get messy but it may be your best bet, if you can keep it in place and they do not chew through it.

You may want to  either incorporate a heavy gauge metal mesh wire, neatly cut around or into the place the mice go through. You might could even "bed" the wire mesh in the foam as it is expanding to lock in place that way. Doing this will make a potentially messy task and make it even messier.

This will not look nice in any sense of the word on the larger holes but it will certainly slow them down for a while. Otherwise a cat, as mentioned in the comments section, will also take care of the problem.

Thin sheet metal screwed in place will work as well without the foam too. You could try nailing it down, but in the cabinet it will bounce a bunch, screws are better here.


How can I repair the end of joists sitting in brick pockets? I have 2x8 joists over an 8 foot span that were eaten by termites on one end. I need to repair all of the joists in a small room. The building is double wythe structural brick that is approximately 100 years old. My current plan is to cut the affected ends of the joists off, attach a ledger board to the brick face using sleeve anchors, then use joist hangers to put in new ends and sister the old joists and new joists together. Does this sound like a good plan? How deep do the sleeve anchors need to be in? How much should the old and new joist overlap and what is the best way to secure them together?

Your approach does not seem safe or sane. Since this is a structural problem, if I were you, I would consult a structural engineer and not make a DIY job out of it. Consequences for doing this sort of job incorrectly include the collapse of the building and potential death of yourself or anyone else in it or in the vicinity.

The general approach for this sort of thing is to fasten a new load-bearing wall or column to the joist and chop off the rotten part at the brick face with a chainsaw. Needless to say, the details are heavily dependent on site conditions.


Studio apartment only has 2 prong outlets, I need to plug my PC into a 3 prong one I recently built my PC, and it is plugged into a 2 prong outlet through a surge protector using a cheater plug, but I get slight shocks when touching the case. While I can remedy that just by not touching my case, I'm afraid that I might damage the components in the long term due to the PC not being grounded.
The apartment does have a 3 prong outlet, however it is located in the bathroom (right above the shower head), and I don't know if using a really long extension cord from the bathroom would be a safe option.
I'm thinking of connecting the ground tab of the cheater plug to the one of the screws on the breaker panel box using a long copper wire, but I am also unsure if this would provide a proper ground and if it would be a safe option as well.
Getting an electrician to change the outlets from 2 prongs to 3 prongs is out of the question during this pandemic as I live in the Philippines and our apartment building doesn't allow any one who doesn't live here to go in.
Any advice would be great

There is some cause for concern if you're getting a shock from the case of your computer.  There should normally be no voltage between the earth and the case.  Adding a green wire will bond the case to the earth and you won't feel that shock any more, but there may be current on that equipment ground wire, which is a problem.  So while grounding the receptacle is a good idea and a safety improvement, it may only mask a problem with your computer, not fix that problem.
Running a green wire (at least #14) for the ground terminal of that receptacle to your breaker panel is electrically sound, and even code compliant by the recent revisions of the NEC, IF and only if the case of your breaker panel is  bonded to an equipment grounding / safety ground system.
This is not a perfect test, but you could run an extension cord from that receptacle to your panel, and test for continuity / resistance between the neutral slot on the extension cord and the panel metal case.  You want to see continuity and very low (practically zero) resistance.


Will cement used as mortar need to be replaced? I had some cracked/spalling bricks on my home as a result of water getting in and freezing during the winter.  I went ahead and replaced five bricks (three on top and two below) and accidentally used leftover cement that I had in an unmarked container, rather than my leftover mortar.  Will this end up compromising the structure of the home?  Given that it's only five bricks, would it need to be replaced?

It depends...

These days, bricks are used far less frequently as the "structure" of residential homes, due to the higher chance of failure from lateral movement (such as an earthquake). Depending on the construction of your home, they may provide little to no structural value and may be purely cosmetic.  If they are cosmetic, the structure should not be compromised any more than it was when the mortar failed (which would typically mean "insignificant"). If they are structural, your concerns may be warranted.

If your house was built more recently, uses primarily wood framing including along the interior sides of your exterior walls, and your rafters/trusses are fastened to said framing (rather than fastened to the bricks), it is more likely to be cosmetic. It is extremely telling in the case where the brick stops before it reaches your roofing timbers. That is not to say the brick provides absolutely no structural value -- it still serves a purpose and can help resist movement, but cosmetic brick does not bear the structural loads. If you've seen a home built with brick recently, you likely saw a free-standing structure, covered with plywood and a waterproofing/resistant/wicking/other material, before the brick "walls" were added.

One of the biggest differences between cement and mortar is typically the lack of aggregate (sand) in cement. If your mixture contained sand, you probably used the mortar as intended. The sand exists, essentially, to give the cement something to stick to, just like rocks do for concrete. Without the sand, I suspect that the cement will eventually loosen, crack, and fall away much sooner than mortar; it also will not prevent movement of the bricks in the same way mortar does, because the "connection" that the provides is missing.

If you cannot determine that your brick is solely cosmetic, I would recommend that you remove the cement and replace the bricks using mortar. When in doubt, consult a professional about your specific situation.


Connection new 4-line phones to an existing multiline network system We have an office with several telephone lines working under the same number.

We are using super old phones (4-line phone devices) in each line. 2 of them did not work and we bought 2 new Panasonic 4-line phones.

Our old phones have only 1 phone connection that goes to the wall's phone connection. The new phones come with 4 different connections (1/2, 2, 3/4, 4 being these numbers the lines).

Now, when I connect the new device from the 1/2 connection to the wall's line connection, the phone is working as an independent line and none of the other lines (2,3,4) work at all. Also, I can call out but I cannot pick up if there are calls coming in.

How should I connect my new 4-line phones so they integrate with the current internal network?

OLD PHONE: BELLSOUTH nt8b30ah

NEW PHONE: PANASONIC KX-TS4100B

It would help to know what your old phone make and models were and what the models of the new phones you got are.

Based on what you provided so far I have a feeling your old system was a keyed system with a KSU or possibly a pbx and your new phones work without a KSU. The new phones are not compatible with your current phone system.

In a keyed system with KSU (this is also similar if you have a PBX as far as wiring goes) you're going to have some sort of box (KSU or PBX) mounted in a rack or more commonly on the wall for small systems. All the incoming lines will connect to this box.

All the phone lines that go to your phones will also be connected to your KSU. The phones usually only need one pair of wires going to them from the KSU to be able to access all incoming lines. The connection between a phone and a line is done through the KSU. The phones are digital phones that need to be compatible with the KSU you are using. Think of it sort of like a network switch or router for your phone system.

In a keyed system that doesn't use a KSU (like a lot of the panasonic phones that have individual line ports) all 4 incoming lines go to each phone. The signals going to your phones are just the regular analog phone lines. So each phone is basically directly connected to each incoming line. These are not digital phones and won't work with a KSU.

One thing to note, I simplified the connections but most likely you'll have a number of 66 blocks where the wires are actually terminated and not going directly into the KSU.

Update after phone models added:

Unfortunately I guessed correctly. The new phones won't work with your existing setup. You can either:

Get phones intended to work with you system (check model number of the KSU first). Even though Nortel went out of business you can still find used/refurbished phones for those systems. This is the easiest and cheapest option but you're stuck with an old system that is no longer made. All you have to do though is plug in the replacement phones.
Get a whole new system with new KSU or PBX and compatible phones. Get a similar system that can support your incoming lines and send one pair of wires to each phone. This should be pretty straight forward but you might need to hire someone to set it up. If there's any rewiring needed it should only be some minimal changes at the telecom closet. I haven't used it but the XBlue X16 system seems very popular and should work with your setup with maybe some minor rewiring of cross connects at the 66 block.
Get rid of your old system and use the new phones on their own. This is going to require that you have 4 pair wire going from the telecom closet to each phone jack. If you already do have 4 pair (8 wires in the cable) going to each jack then with some minor changes you can use the new phones. If you don't have 4 pair cable going to each jack you're going to have to run new wires which can be expensive.


Replacement thermostat wiring I have an American Standard heat pump AC. I'm replacing a White-Rodgers manual thermostat (where I move a switch from cold to heat) with a Honeywell RTH7600 (which will automatically switch from cold to heat).

When I take off the old thermostat, I have a red wire (power) that will go to the Rc with a built in jumper. I have a green wire (fan) that will go to the G. I have an O wire that will go to the O/B.

My problems lies with the yellow wire. My yellow goes to the Y and also to a W. If I'm reading my manual correctly, I think I can put the yellow wire only to the Y since the new Programable thermostat automatically switches from cold to heat.

Is my thinking correct?

See below, if you jumper Yellow to White the heat strips will run in both cool  and heat  as Yellow is energized in both modes,  what makes it a cooler or heater is the O being energized in cool mode   Rheems use the B terminals  to be energized in heat.


Bronze Low E VS Obscure I am deciding on new glass for my window, with a goal of keeping light out.  Is there a big difference between bronze low e glass and obscure glass in terms of light blockage?

Tinted glass such as bronze glass affects light transmittance and changes the light that comes through.

Low-E glass (low emissivity) is used to reduce the radiance of infrared energy which keeps heat on the side of the glass where the heat originated.

Obscure glass is patterned glass and does not have a direct influence in light, but more of an influence on visibility.

None of those are mutually exclusive with one another. Comparing them isn't quite straightforward because you can have tinted obscure glass.

If you want to reduce visibility both ways go for an obscure pattern.
If you want to reduce visibility on one side use a reflective tint.
If you want to reduce thermal transfer use Low-E.
If you want to change the level of visible light transferred use a tint.

There are a great number of tints that all have different traits to them, each combination of tints and coatings vary based on application.


Do I need to use paint or just cleaning agent for marks on kitchen wall? I have some marks on the kitchen wall from a tall trash can. Do I need to paint over them? If so, do I need to degloss/sand the wall first?

I have tried a damp towel and failed. Can they be cleaned off with some cleaning products?

Many paints "chalk", allowing surface dirt to be scrubbed off gently (e.g. with a weak solution of laundry detergent), but this also removes a very thin layer of paint. If cleaning changes the appearance noticeably, then repainting could be done.

Depending on the type of paint, no pretreatment might be necessary. Flat latex paint can often be reapplied after washing (to remove any surface dirt, e.g. evaporated cooking oil). Other paints are less forgiving, and might require sanding. See PaintInfo.com, This Old House, etc.


What is the proper method to prepare drywall for painting? I have a 25 y.o apartment with paint that peels off in large sheets.   If I repaint it, I would like to understand why it is peeling so as to avoid future peeling. Maybe there is a diagnostic to identify root cause?

My bet is there's something in the old paint that's preventing good adhesion for the new paint. It's possible they used an oil-base indoors, or the paint had some chemical that messes with the latex you're likely using.

What I would do is buy an oil-based (mineral spirit cleanup) primer (like original Kilz) and prime the walls. Oil-based primers do a superb job of providing a "glue" layer for your latex to grab onto. Take a small area and test this hypothesis.

If that still fails, the next best thing is to put new drywall over the old and then paint fresh drywall. Obviously more expensive (and you'll need landlord permission), but you'd be guaranteed no paint problems.


using cental ac circuit in winter for regular outlets Is there a way to have your 240 central ac unit circuit double as a regular outlet in winter time for use in christmas decorations

What you could do is install a small sub panel at the end of the wires. Install an additional 240 volt breaker, same amperage as the breaker feeding the AC unit and a 120 volt, 15 or 20 amp breaker for the outlets. This requires that you have 4 wires feeding it, two hots, a neutral and a protective earth. If you only gave three wires (no neutral) you’ll need two 240 volt breakers and a step-down transformer to get the 120 volts.


What is the best way to insulate a room with glass window for winter? Winter is approaching and I have heard that some people insulate glass windows and balcony doors during winter to preserve heat. What materials can I use to do this? I am living in a rented apartment, so I would like to have something which I can easily remove, when it is not needed.

You can build a 2"x2" frame that's 1/2" smaller than the inside window opening, apply shrink insulation film to that and then use 3/8-1/2" foam backer rod to hold it in place in the window opening during winter.

This makes a shrink-film internal storm window that's easily removed and if you're careful, just needs a touch-up with the heat gun next winter to re-tauten the insulation film. The backer rod is usually a better product than rubber foam insulation tape for sealing around the outside of this storm window as the backer rod isn't quite so likely to bond to latex paint and saves you from the double-sided tape mess that's involved by applying to the window frame to hold the insulation film.

We used these for years till I broke down and did a rip'n replace on the single pane aluminum frame condensation/draft magnets misnamed "Window" that were originally installed.


Is roloc abrasive available in an elongated cylinder / tube shape? EDIT: Since asking the question I've found "grinding cones" and "grinding plugs".

I've seen roloc discs but am wondering if this abrasive material is available in a tubular shape? I've been trying to search for them with  roloc tube and roloc cylinder without success. Maybe they're called something else?

An elongated cylinder shape would be great for situations where a disk doesn't fit (see pic for example). Roloc tubes in different cross-sectional diameters with an axial shaft so they could be used in a larger high-RPM rotary tool would be just the thing to remove rust and old paint from such a curlicue.

Roloc is primarily an attachment system for quick-change of abrasive pads/discs.

The (usual) abrasive material attached to those mounts is "non-woven abrasive" (which you might know a specific example of by the trademarked brand-name Scotch-Brite®.) It comes in many grades/grits as with most abrasive products. They are commonly color-coded, but color codes may not be consistent across different manufacturers.

Searching for "non-woven abrasive drum" (as in drum sander) or "non-woven abrasive flap-wheel" may yield results that will function as you want, but they won't click into a Roloc mount, as far as I'm aware (I've never seen one that does, anyway.)

I did happen across "Roloc Bristle Discs" when researching this answer, which might work for some applications.


What could be damaged if I shorted the R wire to the C wire at my thermostat? OK... so in trying to install a thermostat (and testing to see if the old thermostat was bad) I inadvertently jumped the R and C... (I actually jumped the R and G terminals but the G terminal was connected to the C terminal back at the HVAC).  So I shorted it out, no?  How bad might the damage be?

If you short the R wire to the C wire, you've effectively created a very low resistance closed circuit across the secondary of the 24V transformer in the HVAC system. This causes the current in the circuit to be high, which may quickly overheat the wires.  In a typical household circuit, the circuit would be protected by a circuit breaker (or fuse) which is designed to open (trip) to prevent damage to the wires in this situation.  Since the thermostat is on the secondary side of the transformer, the circuit breaker for the HVAC system may react too slowly, or not at all.

Ohm's law says that current (I) in a system, is equal to voltage (V) divided by resistance (R). If we assume it's a 24V transformer, and that there's 50' of 18 AWG wire between the transformer and the thermostat.  So voltage is 24 volts. We'll say resistance is about 0.6 Ohms; since in this example we have 100' of total wire in the circuit (50' R, 50' C), and 18 AWG wire is about 6 Ohms per 1000'.

V = 24
R = 0.6
I = V/R = 24/0.6 = 40 amperes.

Since 18 AWG wire is only rated to carry 14 amperes @90°C, the 40 amperes running through the wire could be enough to damage it.

Wire resistance and ampacity values from WikiPedia
These values are an estimate, and intended for example purposes only.

The first thing you should check, is to make sure the circuit breaker for the HVAC system is not tripped. It's also possible the onboard fuse of the furnace control board blew.

If the breaker is not tripped, it's possible that the coil wires in the transformer or the thermostat wires are damaged.  You'll want to start by doing a continuity test on the R and C wires, to insure they are intact and not damaged.

You'll also want to do a continuity test on the secondary of the transformer, to insure it's not damaged. To do this, you'll have to completely disconnect the transformer from the wiring, which means you'll also have to turn off the circuit breaker (and make sure power is off with a non-contact voltage tester).


Need guidance for venting a new rough-in for basement bathroom I'm currently finishing my basement, and I wanted to rough-in plumbing fixtures for a future basement.  I've already got the layout, but I just need to figure out the venting for the drawing for my Permit.

I'm a novice at plumbing, and not quite sure the most efficient way.  Below is my diagram I have so far with an explanation to follow.

So, on the left of the image, there is an existing PVC Stack which services my kitchen and second floor bathroom.  Under the floor is a 4" cast-iron drain which goes to the Municipal Sewer.  Nothing else attaches to this drain beyond the stack.

My proposal, is a Shower on the left of the bathroom, vanity along the back wall, and toilet on the right side.  All walls are exterior walls, so I dont' want venting and drains to be run inside them.

What I was planning, is a 4" Y, which reduces to 3" where the toilet drain meets.  From there, a new 3" stack will be run up the back right corner, which will replace an existing 1.5" drain for my laundry room on the main floor. This stack will continue out through the roof of an add-on porch in the back.   The vent for the vanity will run underneath the cabinets which will be installed later, up the back right corner and connect to the new stack above  the laundry drain.  The Shower and Toilet would be wet-vented through the vanity.

I don't fully understand all the small details of wet-venting, so I'm unsure if this will be sufficient for this bathroom.  The total pipe length from the toilet flange to the vanity drain will be no more than about 7', is that too long?  Will I need to find a new route for the toilet vent?

the end finished result will look similar to this:

Any tips/thoughts is appreciated.

The new stack in the top right should connect downstream of the toilet. It can pass behind the toilet and then run parallel to the side wall to the corner. This leaves you with a wet vent via the vanity that servers the bathtub and toilet:

                     Vanity    New Stack
                       |          |
                       |          |
   Shower ------------\|          |
                       |          |
                       |   Toilet |
                       |/----     |
                       |          |
                       |          |
                       |/---------/
                       |
                       |
                       |

As a minimum, the wet vent would need to be 2” as shown on your drawing.


Will fasteners straighten a pressure treated bottom plate? I am framing a basement and have been working at my own pace. Because of this some of the pressure treated boards I purchased have developed a twist to them.

I don't want to go through all the trouble of framing a portion and securing it and having it not come out correctly.

When I fasten the frame to the foundation will it straighten out the green board? Is this something I should even worry about?

Sometimes you can get away with this. However depending on how bad the lumber has warped, sometimes you can't.  You will know when you can't when in the process the lumber splits and breaks.  Also you will incur additional labor and hardware costs.  The overall quality of the job can be affected by sub-standard lumber.
Note to self: Always when purchasing new lumber, lay flat and stack to avoid warping.  If you know it will be awhile before you can get to it, you can weight your stacks. Additionally, try to keep the lumber from drying out before it is framed into place.