bathroom waterproofing I'll be moving the bathroom to another room. By bathroom I mean a bathtub, a shower over the bathtub, a sink. Plumbing is already in place since the other room already had water fixtures.
I think what I need to worry about are:

Framing under the bathtub.
Moisture/steam in the room.

For framing I saw other posts discussing this and feel comfortable dealing with this.
Moisture and steam are of greater concern:
I was going to replace current standard drywall with the one designed for wet areas. This is were my knowledge ends.
Steam will turn into water on all walls, do I need drywall for wet areas on all walls and ceiling?
Drywall needs to be covered by something, one option is tiles. What are other options?
In my current bathroom some sort of wall paper was used that doesn't get effected by moisture/steam, but I do not know what it is.
Is it possible to have a storage cupboard in the bathroom?
At the moment I am making a list of things I need to consider, know and do. I'll have more specific questions once I have the full picture, at the moment I would appreciate any comments on waterproofing the bathroom.

Like most things in life, there's multiple answers.
The best option for a direct water contact surface is water impervious backer board.  This is typically used in shower walls, or behind tiles that will have direct water contact.  Even this excellent material can fail if installed improperly.  The extra strength permits it to hold tile easily, with proper bonding.
Non-water impervious backer board should be avoided for areas with direct water contact, for obvious reasons.  It is suitable for areas that will need to hold the extra weight of tile but aren't in direct water contact.
The "green" water resistant drywall can also be used where there is direct water contact.  I've seen a mix of good and bad installations with this material.  Some people love it, some think it's not as good as water-impervious backer board.  It is easier to damage, and can't hold as much weight as backer board.
Non-water resistant drywall can be used in the bathroom too, but limit it to areas not likely to encounter much (if any) direct water contact.  Mist and steam contact will be OK, provided you properly sealed the drywall with paints that block water vapors.
Yes, it's possible to have a cupboard in the bathroom.  Many of them have standard cabinets.  Again, you can upgrade the cabinets with custom cabinets if you are worried about direct water exposure.  A good bathroom floor plan tends to have the wet areas isolated from the cabinetry, preventing water from routinely getting under the cabinet.
If you are new to this kind of rework, to get into the details I would recommend getting a copy of <a href=https://www.amazon.com/Renovation-5th-Completely-Revised-Updated/dp/1631869590">Rennovations  Often reading through it will help you with questions like this; but more importantly, you'll also notice the other related steps, which will reduce the chance that something you didn't even consider becomes a problem in your home-building plans.


What is the difference between a professional grade drill and a non professional grade drill? I need a hammer action drill capable of masonry drilling but also for my workplace, (plastics).

I keep on coming across references to 'professional' ranges

e.g.

  If your Bosch drill is a professional range then it will more likely
  be better than these budget Makita tools. Makita make some real
  quality gear but these B&Q are real budget non LXT so proper Makita
  batteries will not even fit them.

All I have been looking at is torque and hammer action.  I don't want to buy rubbish that will wear out in a few months.

What exactly does professional range mean?

What exactly does professional range mean?

We can't say exactly because it almost certainly depends on exactly which manufacturer or brand-owner is involved. It is also worth remembering that these terms are invented in the first place by marketing departments not by engineering departments and so a lot of the differences are in non-technical areas. For example, how they are advertised, how they are decorated externally, what claims are promoted in the marketing, how support is delivered to the end-user and so on.

Tools that are taken out a few times a year and used for an hour or so at a slow pace don't have the same requirements as tools that are used eight hours a day five days a week for years.

That means that tools labelled professional are expected to be more durable for intensive continuous use. They probably wear out quicker in the hands of a professional worker simply because they are used more heavily and treated more roughly and in more challenging conditions.

Bosch are an interesting case as they often sell very similar tools in both their home-owner (green) and professional (blue) ranges.

Their professional range is typically guaranteed three years. The consumer stuff has (in the EU) only the one year warranty against manufacturing defects.

I guess that some of the differences are likely to be in areas that mostly affect durability more than performance, such as choices of materials (e.g. how much glass reinforcement/fill is in the plastic); size, type and choice of bearings (shielded, sealed etc); bushings vs bearings; quality of switches; potting or laquering of PCBs, etc.

"Pro"                                      "Home"
18V Li-ion                                 18V Li-ion
45 / 19 Nm                                 46 / 25 Nm
0 – 500 / 0 – 1450 rpm                     0 – 400 / 0 - 1340 rpm
10 mm in steel                             10 mm in steel
29 mm in wood                              30 mm in wood

At the bottom end of the market is stuff that is very poorly manufactured, with parts that don't fit as they were designed to, poorly assembled and not quality-controlled in any meaningful sense. You're lucky if it works out of the box and doesn't fall to pieces the second time you use it. Store-brand tools are usually from a mixture of low-bidding untraceable manufacturers in low-wage countries and are often copies of copies of generic designs that are poorly understood by the maker. There's no incentive for the manufacturer to make anything that lasts beyond delivery to the end user.


Unsure about my structural engineer, can you check his drawing? I recently asked my structural engineer to provide some calculations and drawings to remove the arch and further open up the opening between the double fronted sitting room of my 2.5 storey (2 at the front and 3 at the back) semi-detached Victorian house.

I am only opening up the left wall 60cm and squaring off the top of the opening (removing the arch) so feel his suggestion is drastic.

Here is the drawing he has provided:

Click for full size image

which includes the following things I was hoping to avoid:

Building a brick pier when a wall already exists
Digging up the floor and laying a concrete footing on the left
Inserting a concrete lintel on the right.

What do you think?
Is this over the top?
I want to use him for other work but this has put me off.

There isn't enough information in that sketch to verify calculations (for instance, we have no idea what's on the floor above), but here are some reactions:

Removing 60cm of support may be significant, depending on how much load that wall was carrying.
If the arch is structural, removing it requires additional support.
Your existing building may not be structurally adequate. If you're making changes to those supports, you are probably obligated to bring that portion of the structure up-to-code.
The structure is of no use if there's not an adequate foundation to support it. Your drawing doesn't show any information about the existing foundation, but shrinking the supports from walls to piers may concentrate the load beyond what the existing footings (if any) can support.

I agree with @longneck, you should talk to your engineer about your concerns. There may be ways to avoid some/all of these tradeoffs, or maybe you decide that it's not worth the effort.


Electrical meter ampacity rating A given meter shows it is rated "120V 15(100)A".

Why are there two amp ratings one being in parentheses? Is this meter rated 15 or 100A or both?
When do the 15A apply, and when do the 100A?

This would most likely be a 100A meter

The only time you ever see a 15A electric meter in North America is when it is a transformer rated meter used with instrument transformers to measure large electrical services (such as those found on large commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings).  However, this meter is a Form 1S meter, which means that it is a self-contained meter that requires no transformers to work.  (It also means that it is a 120, single phase, two wire meter, but that is neither here nor there.)  Therefore, this meter has to be a Class 100 (100A continuous, 125A peak) meter by deduction.


Power to light fixture is on, light doesn't turn on One of my recessed light fixtures wouldn't turn on it. Got a new fixture. New fixture doesn't turn on. Voltage detector beeps on lead going to the fixture and neutral coming out. Thought that maybe mouse chewed the wire. Attempted to bypass switch and hook directly to power. Fixture still not lighting. Voltage detector beeps on both black and white. What the heck?

Check if the white you're connecting to is a 'permanent phase' coming from another switch, in older installation was allowed to use white as phase in switch circuits (white was permanent phase from junction box to switch and black coming out of the switch was the switched phase bringing phase to the fixture).


Can I install low voltage lighting in louvered wall register? Louvered step lights are common but all that I've seen are decorative and not functional vents.

I'd like to install actual louvered registers on the side wall of my stairs and install low voltage lights in them so that my stairs are lit while at the same time allowing ventilation for the storage closet under my stairs.

Is this allowed? I know I can't have lighting inside HVAC but I'm not sure if this applies because I don't know if louvered openings between rooms (no forced air) constitutes HVAC.

Not for ducts

The rules about wiring within HVAC ductwork are extremely stringent -- this is not due to anything related to voltage (i.e. shock hazard), but the potential for wiring insulation to overheat and smoke folks out.  I'm not even sure if you can run fiber optic cables through HVAC -- even that may be verboten.

But for a louver between rooms, this should be OK

However, since this is a louver connecting two rooms directly (no duct involved), you can put a low voltage luminaire there.  Either way, the precautions are the same: I'd use a type AC or type MC cable without an insulating jacket here, either that or a metal conduit wiring method, with the luminaire mounted to a metal box and using integral LEDs (vs an incandescent or halogen light bulb).  This minimizes fire and smoke risks.


Switch control both light and outlet In the en-suite bathroom, there is a switch (1 of 3) that controls the main overhead light and the outlet. Is there anyway to get the outlet to have constant power? Or is this one of those jobs that are easier said than done???

The house was built in 1978, I currently do not have pictures but could easily provide some this evening.

Yes, this question is similar but with mine being a bathroom I would also like to know if there is anything else I should be aware of (e.g. adding a GFCI outlet)???

Typically A 1/2 Switched outlet is broken in the middle of the tab between the two screws. If the one outlet is always powered, there is constant power to that outlet and the other outlet is connected to the switch leg of the light switch.  If this is the case, then that outlet should already have a GFCI on it. If not, then you can replace the outlet with the GFCI but you want to be sure that the Switched 1/2 of the outlet is capped off, Taped and Labeled in the Box.

Pictures are also Wonderful to see. (-;


What is this box connected to my electric water heater? My water heater was broken and I traced it back to a problem with the power. I was only getting 50 volts for a 240v unit. I found this box connected between the 240v line from the fusebox and the water heater and I'd like to know what it's for. The 240v line is coming in just fine but breaks down to 50v when it comes out of the box and into the water heater. I can bypass the box completely but I feel like it's there for a reason.

I can't find anything written on the box or components that would help identify its purpose.

Mike - that looks like a power saver box installed by your utility company.

The utility can regulate the HW Heater on and off. Thus saving you energy as the theory goes (that's the theory).

My theory is if I want it low , I will set it there and not raise it high - thus I save energy and have hot water when and how I like it, not luke warm water.


Control thermostat capillary failure reason why? The problem I have is the temperature goes way too high on the electric oven - this is a new oven that failed on the first day that I am now stuck with.

I diagnosed it to the control thermostat.

As an attempt to trying to figure out the exact reason for this fault, I dissembled most of it.

There doesn't seem to be anything I can point to as the problem.

It doesn't seem adjustable. The capillary tube/sensor goes from inside the oven to the control thermostat and winds underneath. I assume under normal conditions when this tube heats up it expands on the other end which pushes internal switch/contact to the open position, thereby switching off the connection to the heat element.

Could this issue really be the capillary tube and I have no choice but to purchase an expensive replacement thermostat? I don't see anything else within the thermostat control that could be causing the issue.

Thanks

The problem was the capillary tube. it was broken at one point.


How to wire switched light fixture in place of ceiling fan I removed a ceiling fan that had four wires.  I have installed a normal ceiling light that remains on regardless of the position of the switch.  The switch worked with the ceiling fan light. How can I figure out the right wiring to use the switch for the light?

Typically there are two hot wires coming into a fan box that has separate switches for the fan and light kit. Typically the black is used for the fan, and the red is for the light kit. That said, other color combinations are possible.

Typically, the blue wire from your fan/light combo supplies the light kit. Whichever of the two hot wires was connected to the blue fan/light wire is your huckleberry.

If you want more help, post more information.


Using mineral spirits on wood and then staining it? Today I learned that staining when its really hot out is a really bad idea. My stain dried almost as soon as i applied it and started to look like shit. I panicked, brought the thing i was working on into my cold basement and used a brush soaked in mineral spirits to remove the stain and then wiped most of it off with paper towels.

Questions:

Can I let the thing dry outside, and apply stain (inside this time) without first sanding the areas affected?
Was it indeed the temperature that caused my failure? My stain is also pretty old and I plan on buying new stuff asap
I used a "pre-stain" product before i stained, do i need to re-apply that?

1) As far as Mineral Spirits are concerned, you can apply stain as soon as the wood appears to be "dry" again (it will look "wet" until the mineral spirits have evaporated). However, see #3.

2) Most likely -- stain typically contains a thinner as a carrier, which dries more quickly in warmer temperatures. The age of the stain should not be a factor, unless it has lost the thinning agent due to the container not being sealed well -- this would make the stain appear darker. You can add back thinner to counter-act that. Thinner, in this case, is most likely mineral spirits -- you can use a retarder to slow the drying process if necessary.

3) The pre-stain more than likely has dried, curing the resins. A light sanding and a re-application within 15 minutes or so of staining should give you better results -- trying to re-stain after the drying and without sanding may cause the pre-stain to reject more of the stain than you'd like.


wire sub panel about 30 feet from main panel 50amp Can I use #8 copper with a 50amp breaker to wire my sub panel using 3/4" electrical PVC pipe running two leads one neural one ground. I have a 125amp sub panel this is for a new addition with full cellar one bed room one bath

Sounds about right, as long as the new panel isn't too far from the original panel. You'll need 4 conductors, two ungrounded (hot), one grounded (neutral), and one grounding.


Can I run power to a shed from 110v 30 amp external house outlets 20 feet away using RV 30 A Extension Cord? My house has two utility 30 amp outlets (with 30 amp breakers at the main panel).  I want to use from the house outlet, 30 Amp RV Extension Cord going into a 30A 125V RV Power Inlet (to be installed on the shed).  All wiring up to that point is 10 AWG. After that it will be 12 AWG wiring.  Do I need to use a Sub-Panel in the shed with 20/15 Amp breaker(s)? Can I use GFCIs instead? Suggestions?
The shed (10x14 Ft) will be use to run bench lights, bench outlet strip, light weight bench grinders/polisher, other hand tools like drills, vacuum cleaner, small mini fridge, fan (NOT Air Conditioner), maybe a coffee pot etc.  Basically the main use is for Arts and Crafts.  The use is intermittent and not intended for full time operations (so it will be disconnected when not in use).

There are two three separate issues here:
Extension Cord
An extension cord is not supposed to be used for permanent wiring. You really should use a permanent wiring method - either cable designed for outdoor use or wires in conduit. Normally this involves buried cable or conduit, with specific minimum depth required depending on the type of cable or conduit.
Conduit may cost more initially (materials cost for conduit + wires is generally more than underground cable, but trenching cost/effort is lower for conduit) but has the advantage that you can start with 10 AWG and upgrade later if you need more power, and/or start with a single hot (120V, see below) and upgrade later to two hots (240V).
Breaker Size/Subpanel
If you have a 30A breaker, normally all wire in the circuit needs to be 10 AWG or larger. GFCI (which will be needed anyway) does not help protect against high current, only from unbalanced current.
The preferred solution, unless you only need one circuit (in which case you can switch to a smaller breaker) is a subpanel, with 30A coming in (or more if you install larger wire and breaker) and as many 15A or 20A circuits as you need to power lights, receptacles, etc.
There are a bunch of other things you will need:

GFCI - This can be in receptacles or as part of the breakers in the subpanel
Ground rods connected to the ground of the subpanel
Ground and neutral separate in the feed cable and in the subpanel
Shutoff switch - the easiest way to do this is a subpanel that has a main breaker. That breaker can be much larger than the feeder capacity - even 100A or more - as the breaker in the main panel will protect the wire (e.g., 30A for 10 AWG).

120V vs. 240V
I missed this until I read Harper's answer. You are referring to a 30A 120V circuit - i.e., a single pole. If you can manage it (two breaker spaces next to each other instead of just one) then a 2-pole breaker will serve you much better. Instead of 2 wires (hot/neutral) + ground, you run 3 wires (hot/hot/neutral) + ground. Depending on a bunch of factors, this will cost you a little more, but definitely not twice as much, and provide you with both twice as much total power and the ability to run 240V devices if you ever need to do so.


Interior vs. exterior A/C insulation I recently got a new central a/c system with ducts included.  PROBLEM: The ducts had interior insulation that gave off maple syrup odor. The contractor replaced the ducts with more interior insulation, unfortunately I get the maple odor at times and other odors. Why does anyone ever use interior insulation in A/C ducts??  Insulation is poisonous, carcinogenic?  Isn't EXTERIOR insulation the only way to go?

I have never used interior duct insulation, I would think the foam or whatever material could off gass causing the smell you are getting. Metal ducts in my experiance are wrapped on the outside and flex ducting has the insulation outside the plastic. Since you are having smell issues I would say exterior is the way to go.


water drainage and maybe mold problem I recently moved into a home that has a water run off from rains etc problem that was not evident when purchasing. We have graded the rear yard and put in catch basins and tiles to keep water from around the home.  The garage floor always feels damp and if the humidity is high it is really slick. I intend to try to clean the floor to clean up mold from where the water has run through after a hard rain. The garage floor is stained black which I believe is mold buildup. I do not know how to find out if there is still a water pool under the slab that causes the slick floor.  The interior of the house seems fine.  House floor is several inches higher than the garage floor. Is there someone I can call to check this and/or correct this? Since we have taken care of the drainage problem will the water all eventually evaporate?

Only time will tell. You could bring in a consultant for a more informed opinion, but it will be still be just an opinion. If there is no other source of ground water and the run-off was adequately managed, it will eventually dry out. It's possible to drill a small, shallow monitor well to determine if there's a shallow water table problem. If there's any water at all, by monitoring over a period of time, it can be determined if it's accumulation slowly draining off or something more permanent that needs to be addressed.


Husqvarna chainsaw will not idle but runs just fine I have a Husqvarna 435 (not e version) rancher and it's a great saw.  This is semi-related to home improvement I do see other posts like this here.
I have the spline tool and I can adjust the high idle just fine, but no matter where I put the L setting screw (all the way in or all the way out), the saw will not idle more than a second.  I can cut with it but have to constantly keep it revving a bit.
My question is, if the L screw is doing nothing, then would the next reasonable step be to replace the carb?  I've seen a video and it doesn't seem that hard but I wonder if there is an interim step I should try before that.  I have searched and see plenty of videos on how to tune a carb, but nothing when the L screw doesn't work.  Thanks.

Many chain saws have two needle screws, one for the idle jet and one for the main jet.
There is a pretty good chance you have something blocking the flow for the idle.  It could be a particle of sawdust, or it could be gelled fuel which sat in the carburetor for a while.  This happens frequently with high ethanol fuel.
The good news is that by disassembling the carburetor, cleaning out any junk, and reassembling it, there is a high probability that you will get your chain saw running just fine.  The cost for the parts is typically $5 to $15.  The time it will take is 30 to 90 minutes.
Prior to high ethanol content in gasoline, this repair would be infrequent.  Now, it seems, some carburetors can clog  up after 3 months of not being used, with fuel in them.
Worst case, some people will buy a knock-off carburetor which might be $20 to $60.  However my guess is that you are savvy enough to replace gaskets and clean out the parts and pieces prior to reassembly.


What can soak up moisture from a closed space I have a really weird problem.  I have a bedroom wall where the paint kept bubbling and peeling off.  I have re-textured and painted it several times.  I finally ripped all the drywall off and discovered that there is a large space behind the wall that has all the plumbing for two adjacent showers.  The problem is that those pipes changing temperatures are causing enough moisture to build up in the space that the adjacent drywall gets wet and will not hold texture and paint.  I checked for any leaks because it seemed weird to have that much moisture from the existence of pipes.

The question is: Is there anything that I can put in there when I close it back up to reduce the moisture?  Would a vent work?  A piano dehumidifier?  A combination of the two?  I would rather not have a random thing plugged into the wall.

EDIT: There are some really good answers so far, but I think I need to better explain.  Here is the set up:

I tried spraying down the roof and looking for leaks. I tried turning all showers and flushing all toilets.  There is no water coming from anywhere.  The vents go straight to the roof.  There is some insulation in there so I hate to just put an HVAC return register on it, but that and insulating the pipes looks like the only option.

I'd be surprised that you'd have this much moisture from condensation, especially since condensation doesn't change the net moisture level, it's actually removing moisture from the air.  Double check for leaks, signs of corrosion on pipes, particularly at the joints, for caulk that is cracking in the showers, and the drain pipes.

Edit: One more thought, check where the bathroom vents are blowing.  It should be outside, but a lazy installer may have them venting into this space.

That said, without knowing more about the floor plan and what's above and below this space, it's hard to give a good suggestion, so I'll give several:

While you've got the opening in the wall, consider turning it into an access panel to more easily get to the plumbing in the future.  This can just be a few pieces of trim that are attached over the joint between the wall and cutout drywall.
If you want a vent in the wall, you can put in a simple hvac return grill.  That could also double as an access panel.
Insulate the pipes to prevent the air from interacting with the cold pipe and to reduce loss from the hot pipe.
If there's an exterior wall involved, check the insulation and make sure the vapor barrier (paper on fiberglass) is intact.
If you redo the entire wall, use moisture resistant wall board (green board may be more than enough, but they make stuff that's even more resistant).  You can also install an extra vapor barrier behind this.


Can I screw a US garden hose into any standard threaded pipe? Is a US garden hose connector any kind of standard pipe thread? So that it could be screwed into a normal, say, threaded iron or PVC pipe?

I've tried a couple samples of what I had on hand and though the thread may start it doesn't really want to go on.

No, a US garden hose thread is its own thing.

This table has a useful comparison:

Note that the hose thread (called "GHT" in plumbing circles) clearly does not match ANY of the other thread specifications in this table of common sizes. I circled some table entries with the closest dimensions to GHT just for emphasis.

Though it's "3/4" diameter is nearly the same as several others, the threads-per-inch are quite different.

I suppose that the designer wanted it to screw on with fewer turns, hence the low TPI count for the common 3/4 size. Maybe this makes manufacturing tolerances easier also.

So the only way to make a screwed-together attachment is to use an appropriate spigot, bibb, or adapter.


How can I prevent these steel poles from rusting? I have a pole home on a hill, and the steel poles keep getting covered with dirt when it rains, so they've started to rust.

I am desperate to do something. I was thinking of embedding the poles in concrete and creating a concrete floor underneath the house. Will this stop the poles from rusting? Or will the poles rust under the concrete?

The house was built around 1984.

Oil-based enamels "key" well to metal (better than latex) and are the go-to for protecting metal from oxidation. You will first need to remove all oxidation using some wet-dry sandpaper (or in extreme cases an angle grinder). There are products that will turn rust into primer; these can SOMETIMES help but really they're usually just a "quick fix", and in all cases you'll want something more than the layer these will give you.

As far as a more permanent fix, consider replacing these steel poles with galvanized metal. The galvanizing basically forms a protective layer of oxidation that is physically tough, and shields the metal from further destructive oxidation. Anything you'd use as a structural member exposed to the elements should have SOME form of protective coating already on it (or be made of an alloy that resists oxidation; stainless steel however is uncommon for major structural members).

In an oceanside climate, you can protect exposed metal by building a weather-tight box around the exposed part. This will prevent rain and saltwater mist from contacting the metal directly. You still will want to put a protective finish on the metal itself as a final barrier.


Do I need a replacement attic vapour barrier after asbestos removal? I recently had our Zonolite vermiculite asbestos professionally removed. The company used a large vacuum truck to remove it. They also ripped out the 6mm plastic vapour barrier in the attic. They explained that it was necessary to do so to remove the settled asbestos dust.

Currently, I have no insulation in my attic. I was going to go and put either fibreglass batts or blow in fibreglass insulation. However, I am concerned about not having a vapour barrier. The abatement company tells me that I don't need a vapour barrier in the ceiling/attic as the attic is well vented and as long as I install the insulation to at least R-40.

If we had to replace the vapour barrier, I am not even sure how I would do that. The trusses are 2x4 trusses, 24" apart. It seems that it would be a lot of work trying to re-install a vapour barrier underneath the trusses but above the drywall.

Safest bet is to replace it of course - but in your case I wouldn't call it necessary.

There's an easier way to replace the vapor barrier.  Run the barrier over the trusses.  Keep it flush to the drywall but run it up over the truss and down again.

Of course, if your house is that old that it had vermiculite, I'm going to bet that you've got about 8 coats of paint minimum on your ceiling.  Undamaged that will serve as a vapor barrier in its own right.

If you do batt insulation, however, then the way to install the insulation is paper side down, and staple the paper to the trusses down at the bottom.  Not as good as wrapping the plastic over the trusses but its that or paperless.  Do not put the paper facing the attic.


Should my a/c have some sort of a drip pan (photo) I've got water (condensation) dripping from this "radiator" in my a/c.
It's slanted so MOST of the condensation drips along the radiator and into a drip pan.
I'm wondering if I just need to clean it (it looks a bit dirty) or it should have something parallel to that radiator to catch the condensation and direct it to the drip pan.
I took this photo with the vertical edge ...vertical.
So that radiator, on the left, is slanted as it looks in the photo.

Yep, you do have a built-in drip pan. However no, you should not install any additional drip pan. That "radiator" (evaporator coil or A-coil, due to shape) is what the air travels directly through in order to remove the heat from the house when cooling is in use and what heated air passes through during heating season...any additional air restriction would be a bad thing.

I'd say be extremely careful in cleaning, as to not bend any of those fins. But, you really should call a Heating and Cooling Company or Guy and have them thoroughly inspect, repair, service and clean the entire system. Yours looks overdue and a pro's couple or few hundred dollars will come right back to you in restored energy efficiency for both heating and cooling.


Electrician recommends to replace 50 amp with 60 amp breaker After 20 years the stove blew the breaker.

The Home Warranty Company sent an appliance guy out. He said it was the breaker.
Home Warranty Company sent out a electrician. He put his gauge on it and said the stove was drawing 57 amps and wanted to replace the 50 with a 60 amp breaker.
He didn't check anything else.

Please verify that this is ok.

I don't think so, rather a retired electrician found the wires loose & tightened them and it then was drawing the 40 amp current.

Please confirm that replacing a 50 amp breaker with a 60 amp breaker could actually do more harm and could literally set me house on fire as the breaker wouldn't trip if it drawing an over currant.

Loose connections can cause a lot of problems, including:

Higher power usage - which turns into heat - which can cause a fire (though in this case, the breaker did its job and stopped that)
Arcing - which can cause a fire

So if tightening the connections solved the problem then you should be all set.

In addition, as you suspected, simply replacing a breaker with a larger breaker is not to be done on a whim. It should only be done when:

The wires are able to support the additional current (which is likely NOT the case)
The equipment will be protected properly even with the larger breaker

With a 20-year track record plus tightening connections solving the problem, all indications are that upsizing the breaker would be a very bad thing to do.

The appliance guy blaming the breaker (or more likely "appliance is OK so this must be something in the electrical system") is actually reasonable. An electrician looking at it and recommending replacing a breaker with a larger one based on an overcurrent trip after 20 years is being irresponsible.

Anecdotally, I suspect the appliance guy and the electrician are both getting relatively underpaid by the warranty company - they (generically, not one particular company) are known (at least in my area) to be a bad deal all around - and therefore likely to end up with the "low bidders". Who may not be quite as qualified as you would hope. Just saying...


Is it a good idea to put 1/4" XPS under engineered floors? We're pulling out the carpet in a room next to a room with hardwood floors. After removing the carpet and putting down the engineered floor, we'll be 1/4" short of the hardwood.

Options:

Use transition strips for the 1/4" difference
Put down 1/4 ply on top of the current subfloor

And then I thought of a 3rd option:

Put down 1/4" Extruded polystyrene (XPS) panels.

The XPS seems intriguing for a couple of reasons:

While not a lot of insulation, it wouldn't hurt
It may cut down on the 'hollow' sound that engineered floors sometimes produce
It'd do double duty and act as the underlayment (vs rosin or tar paper)

Thoughts on that? Is that a good idea? Any cons that I'm not thinking of?

UPDATE:

Per Eric's suggestion, I finally called them and got a vague answer that was basically "you can put it on most anything that is flat provided it doesn't have any give". They felt the XPS might have too much give and stress the joints.

So, I suppose that is the question, how much give DOES XPS have? I've walked on XPS boards with shoes plenty of times (I'm over 200lbs) and didn't leave a mark, so itis a material that seems to have fairly decent compression resistance provided the load is spread a bit, and it seems that the flooring would certainly help spread the load more than my shoe would.

You can find the answer to your question in the installation instructions for the engineered floor that you are going to use, and if there isn't data there, call up the manufacturer and ask.

My guess is that it will not be allowed; the XPS is likely to deform easily, which leads that portion of the floor to be unsupported. Flexing of the floor at the seams is a bad thing.


Is this an appropriate drain design for adding a shower? I recently took on the challenge of adding a shower to my existing downstairs bathroom.  The bathroom is inside what used to be the garage so it is far away from any existing vents. After some demo, and finding out that I do not need a permit for the project, the existing pluming looks like this (I hope you can figure out my diagram):

I am pretty sure that the 3x3x1.5 90 degree elbow under the toilet is not up to code. Also, in this configuration we had some issues with the toilet backing up a lot.

As my township uses International Code Council (ICC), I am pretty sure that both wet venting and air admittance valves are allowed. As it would be very hard to run a vent out of the house in this location my plan is to modify the plumbing to look like this:

My questions are these:

Am I good with code?
Do I need to have a second air admittance valve (AAV)?
Could I eliminate either the sink or shower vent?
Would this help alleviate the issues we had with the toilet backing up by getting rid of the 3x3x1.5 90 degree elbow under the toilet, or is there something else I am not considering?

Except as noted here, it all appears correct if I'm understanding your drawing correctly. The shower does need its own AAV, otherwise the resulting trap arm appears to be too long. Thus you should not eliminate either vent.

Changing the toilet venting will help immensely, provided it is done right. The 3x3x2 wye must be installed rolled up 45 degrees so that toilet waste cannot enter the vent line. Do not reduce the 2" line to 1.5", carry 2" up to a larger AAV.


Can I repair the cracks between the bricks in my fireplace? The bricks surrounding my fireplace have cracks between them. It's as if the thermal expansion/contraction has eroded the mortor between the bricks. I have had some serious fires in there and haven't had a problem but I am worried that the lack of grout may be a fire hazard. Is there a grout or mortor than I can force into the cracks?

Sure, you can re-cement those. You'll want to dig them out as much as you can, rinse them out with water, let dry, spray with water to wet them & then force in the new cement.

You can put a batch in a Zip-Lock type bag & cut off a tiny bottom corner of the bag to squirt the mortar into the joints. Below, is what the Home Improvement stores offer. The Bucket is good for up to 3000°F & tubes are good for up to 2000°F.


Is there a way to find out if my living room ceiling has insulation? I have a ~2x3 foot water stain in my living room ceiling, I think because my toddler was forcing water behind the bathtub faucet. If there's insulation in the ceiling, then it should be removed. If there's no insulation, then I could just repaint. Of course if the source of the problem is a plumbing issue, then the question of insulation is moot.

Is there a way to find out without cutting? I saw somewhere that I could use an IR thermometer, but I'm not sure how that would work.

For what it's worth, the house was built in 1999 and is in the Mystic, Connecticut area where winter temperatures tend to stay in the range of 10-20 °F at the coldest.

[update] I asked the former owner. I didn't expect him to have info, but he did! He said that there was a bathtub related overflow from the owner before him which left a stain about the same area when he bought the house. That owner had just left it to dry, and that would have been before 2008-2009. So I assume that if they were able to let it dry out, then we could get away with that, too. That said, the next question is how many times can you spill water on sheetrock before it needs to be replaced... but that wasn't my question for this post. :-) Thanks! I'm not sure what I'll do... This is already the 2nd water damage issue of the year, and I'm not sure I feel like shelling out another chunk of money if I don't need to (i.e., what if a kid dumps water again next year). I did buy a blower fan so I'll try to dry it out completely and see if it stays dry.

Interior walls aren't typically insulated.  But to be sure you could just drill a small hole (make sure you're not on a stud) and if there is insulation it should come out on the drill bit.  But be very cautious if there is plumbing in the area, you don't want to pierce a water line or drain pipe.  Other than that, this won't hurt anything since the ceiling is already water damaged.  Just putty over the hole before you repaint.

Though, if there is significant water damage you should probably replace the section of ceiling anyway as it may be weakened and/or also have mold growing on it.


Should I caulk the baseboards to sheet vinyl floor in a basement bathroom? I'm planning to install sheet vinyl first and then install the baseboards directly on top. Would it be a good idea to put a bead of caulk there to keep water from getting in between? This is a basement bathroom.

If you’re not installing cove base, I would definitely caulk the base to the sheet vinyl...or make sure you never allow teenage girls in your basement bathroom.


On wall near floor or ceiling for supply ducts in basement I'm starting to finish my basement and I'm curious if I should put my supply ducts in the ceiling or the exterior wall near the floor.

I have the configuration to easily do either.  Any thoughts on these placements?  I think the wall-near-floor would "ideally" provide more comfort but I'm worried that it won't get enough velocity to adequately supply.

Thoughts on exterior wall near floor vs ceiling?

Ceiling.  Basements get water on the floor.  You do not want your air quality messed with based on a leak or flood.

Also note that if you have a properly insulated basement that its temperature should stay relatively calm compared to the rest of your house so the heating and cooling needs are not as impactful as they are on floors above ground.  Meaning if your basement is done right you should need very little AC in the summer and very little heat in the winter to keep it comfortable.  (I have three vents in my basement and they are always shut.  In the winter if I open them it is literally hot as hell.  In the summer they only are needed after we air things out.)


Can I use the ground wire for 120V Is it legal (from a code point of view) to use the bare wire in a 14/2-w/gnd if there is another cable (14/2-w/gnd) going to the same Junction box?

I want to separate the light and fan in my ceiling fan.

Currently, there is a 14/2 w/gnd leading from the switch to the junction box. In the j-box is a semiconductor switch that allows me to pulse the hot to toggle either the light, fan, or both. Turn it on get the light. plulse it off for a sec then back on gives the fan, pulse it again gives both fan and light.

I want to remove the device, and run a second cable (14/2 w/gnd) to control the fan, and leave the existing 14/2 for the light.

The fan is a PSC type motor, so to achieve reverse, I need access to all four ends of the two windings, one of which may be common neutral as the light.

In the existing cable, I would use bare and white as ground and neutral for both fan and light, then black for the light.

In the addition cable, all 3 would get used for the fan. This would put 120V on the bare wire in the second cable some of the time.

Thanks, Mark.

TLDR: Seek out 14/4 cable, or run conduit and individual wires.  The neutral must be in the same cable or conduit with its partner hots.   Neutrals and grounds cannot be borrowed (for your application).  Ground cannot be used as a conductor. Or, use a smart remote.

If you're an electronics guy, Code is full of weird idioms that don't make sense until you get deeper into the craft of it.

Neutral is not Ground

It's common in DC electronics to use "ground" as both RF shield and current return.

Code electrical is wired the same as if it were a fully isolated system with equipment ground/shield only as a safety device.  To keep voltages from floating/rattling, it is bonded to earth in one location.  Only hots or neutral may return current, never ground unless you want a GFCI trip.

Because many people must service a circuit, colors are standardized:  Neutrals are always white or gray; grounds are always green, green/yellow or bare.  Any loose ground wire (not in one of the unusual, grandfathered applications) will be added to the ground bundle by the first competent electrician who sees it attached to anything else.

You can't use ground as a conductor.

That bare wire can only be ground except in a very narrow list of exceptions. All of which involve grandfathering old work.  So forget it.  Ground as a conductor is not gonna happen.

Only when you are retrofitting ground to old (1970s> work) can you steal ground from another circuit.  When doing new work, you must "do it right".

You especially can't steal neutral

Your original scheme, and ThreePhaseEel's modified scheme with 14/3, involves stealing neutral from the light circuit.   Nope.  You need to put your neutral in with your partnered conductors. Your best bet is to find 14/4 or 14/2/2 cable.  It's a bit harder to find but is a Code requirement for what you are doing.  Either will have 4 conductors and a ground wire.   Alternately, you can run it in conduit and use single conductors, as many as you need/like.

Your motor control needs one neutral and three hots in a single current loop. All of these conductors must be inside the same cable (or raceway/conduit).

It is absolutely not permitted to share a neutral wire out of a different cable.  That's because in any cable, the current of all the conductors must be equal/balanced (or to be more precise, sum up to zero when flow direction is accounted for).  In this way, the magnetic fields from all the wires cancel each other out.  Otherwise, a magnetic field forms around the cable and particularly between the unbalanced cables, and that will inductively heat anything with the misfortune to be metal.  Remember, we're dealing with AC here.   This is a big deal.  This sort of thing is why AC motors need laminated field windings, and DC motors do not, even though the motors are identical in every other respect.

A good litmus test of this principle is to imagine what happens if you put a GFCI on the device/circuit in question.  If hot and neutral current are unequal, it will trip.  If neutrals are borrowed or ground is used as a conductor, it will trip.  Every Code installation should pass a GFCI test.

Like I say, a lot of Code stuff seems weird... or even dumb. "But you can do that!"  Actually, get into the gory details and you find out when people did that, houses burned down.  The system is intensely designed to save lives and be maintainable by any licensed electrician or Code-respecting hobbyist without obsessively googling every product they might find or weird installation they might uncover.

Plan B: use a smart module

A much better way to do this thing is to use a smart device which is made to control fans and lights, and a partner "remote" that sits up in the fan cowling.  The smart control communicates with the remote using fewer wires.  In a perfect world, it uses radio or inducts signal onto the power line, in which case you only need to bring always-hot and neutral to the switch and fan location.

The remote sits between the hot+neutral and the fan, switching (dimming?) the light, and selecting the various fan speeds.

Much better!

I assure you this product exists, so search for it before you launch a Kickstarter.


What's the easiest process for cutting bathroom flooring tiles to fit complex door trim? I'm going to be laying in some fairly heavy-duty vinyl bathroom flooring tiles (similar to the Armstrong Caliber product, although I'm not sure it's actually that brand). The bathroom has some tough corners to match, which I will cover with molding, but also has some places where the doorway trim goes through the floor, and so I have to try to trim to the profile of the trim.

Are there any good ways to do this (short of removing the trim and sing it as a template)?  With lighter-weight linoleum I would probably just use a box-cutter to try to make the cuts - is there a better tool to use for this material?

I would cut the bottom of the trim so the tile can slide underneath. Then you only need to approximate the shape of the tile, but you don't have to worry about perfect edges.

I've used the Dremel Multi-Max with the 3/4" flush cut blade to cut base trim and door jambs so I could slide hardwood flooring underneath. I borrowed a friend's and decided I needed to buy my own as soon as my next project came up.


Will old cast iron Baseray baseboards work with a steam boiler? forgive me if this question is amateurish. We recently removed some old cast iron Baseray baseboards from a house which were being heated with hot water. I'm wondering, can these baseboards be used with a steam boiler?

The baseboards look exactly like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/323735785091

Thank you!

That baseboard radiation will work great on a 2 pipe steam system or a forced hot water heating system but is not recommended for use on a 1 pipe steam system.


Can I insulate my exterior walls myself using blow-in? I live in western Washington, where we see plenty of rain, but only a month or two of freezing temperatures each year. My exterior walls are drywall with horizontal wood siding. I feel crazy as I write this, but I don't think there's any sheathing. The cavities are empty aside from any wiring.

I'm considering cutting holes high in the interior walls, blowing in insulation, patching, and painting.

Is this sort of wall suitable for insulation, and is this a project I can do myself?

This sounds like a good candidate for the procedure you outline, done with loose fill cellulose insulation, with two caveats.

First of all, while this could conceivably be a DIY project, you can't rent a typical cellulose blower from Home Depot or the like because it doesn't have the power to really densely pack the stuff in there; as a result, the material will settle and you'll wind up with an uninsulated band on top. You need one of the more powerful professional machines that can do wet-blowing and dense-packing.

Secondly, you live in a rainy climate, and it's likely that the empty wall cavities have been permitting the boards of your wood lap siding to dry readily when they get wet due to convection within the wall and heat leaking out from the interior. These traits are bad from the perspective thermal comfort and utility bills, but fixing them will in all likelihood reduce your walls' drying potential, which could lead to your siding rotting and the paint peeling. If your house has very wide roof overhangs or a wraparound porch or something such that the walls rarely get very wet, this may be no big deal. But if not, the outlines project is much riskier and it may be worth it to expand the project and remove the siding so you can install modern sheathing with a weather-resistant barrier like double-layer tar paper or Tyvek. And if you're going to do that, you might as well add even more insulation in the form of several inches of rigid foam or mineral wool boards over the sheathing--or even in lieu of wood sheathing, in the case of foam!


Accidentally removed grout behind bathtub caulk, necessary to replace? I got so excited my first time removing caulk that I believe I have removed some grout as well that was behind the caulk.

Of course, I'm most worried about water damage, so is it best to replace the grout that was there? Or would caulking over the gap be good enough to keep water out?

Grout at that location does not last. I think tilers put it there to get the job "done" with only one session. I would think that a proper job would leave out grout there and just use long lasting caulk.

The best way to proceed would be to remove all the grout and seal with caulk or silicone sealer.

EDIT

But if you remove the grout be careful not to damage the finish on that tub.


Check heating pipes for thermal leaks I would like to check basic thermal leaks of the house heating system (and perhaps the house thermal insulation as well). As the professional services or equipment (thermocamera) are very expensive, I would like to check if there is perhaps some DIY solution, e.g. using a digital camera, using IR webcam, using a thermometer or any other cheap or commonly used equipment.

If the tools are not something I already have at home, I am willing to pay at most USD 200 (EUR 150) for the required tools.

And as a bonus:

what is the difference which makes the thermocamera so expensive (USD 6000 and more) compared to a webcam or a normal digital camera? Does it have some special properties, like broad input spectrum, or what?

Thanks for the advice.

I have found following detailed instruction on procedures to check insulation with IR thermometer: Determining Insulation and Air Infiltration Levels Using an Infrared Thermometer

I have decided to buy a Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector, which seems to be an IR thermometer with some additional functionality to make finding hot / cold spots easier by coloring the aiming light dot. I will write here later my experiences.

After a week of using TLD100 I have to say my experience is mixed:

it really works extremely well for its primary purpose, i.e. checking the house insulation
using it to check heating system is a bit tricky, as IR thermometers do not work very well with reflective surfaces. In my case the heating pipes are from copper, which is quite shiny, and the insulation around them is a mineral wool finished with aluminium wrap, which is very shiny. Because of this, measuring their temperature with IR is very inaccurate, a contact thermometer would probably do a much better job. That said, the same limitations would apply for IR camera, as the principle is the same in both cases.


Electric shock through laptop case and LEDs stay dim but on when switch is off There is something wrong with the electrical wiring in my house.

A few LED lamps stay on (but dim, with the intensity depending on the location of the lamp) even when off.

In addition, I sometimes get shocked by my laptop case. The shocks seem to start every day at 7 PM. When my laptop case starts "leaking" electricity (that's how I interpret the shocks), the LEDs seem to be completely off. There is no equipment that I can think of in the house that would automatically turn on or off at 7 PM.

There's also a CFL that sometimes flashes with the switch off, if all this wasn't weird enough.

Can anyone explain what's going on and help fix it?

The ground rod was changed recently, I had the grounding tested and it works fine (though I'll admit I only tested one socket, so it's possible that the socket the laptop is usually connected to is not grounded properly).

Edit

I borrowed a socket tester earlier today and I found some interesting things. The socket I plug my laptop in has >20V between the ground and live. To get rid of that voltage and back to around 2/3V, I have to turn off the socket's breaker and that room's lights, which are on a different breaker! Turning just one off I still get the voltage (my tester can't be more precise when over 20V). Also the tester can't get the RCD to break on that socket. It works with other circuits in the house.

In the rest of the house I've measured between 2V and 4V between ground and live in most sockets, one had 10V. These measurements were made with all breakers switched on.

The grid provides 230V at 50hz if it matters.

Edit 2

An electrician will try to fix the issue with the two circuits being mixed up today.

However I've made a discovery. I used a tool that trips RCDs and measures the reaction time. During the day, it works fine around the house (except the above mentioned circuits, but that's a different matter). After 7 pm and until the morning, I cannot trip any RCD in the house with this tool. It's like there's no grounding at all, but only at night!

The tingling is lethal. What saved you was high resistance on the rest of the circuit back to source.  This needs to be fixed ASAP.

It might be a leaking, faulty appliance.  Plug the appliance into a RCD protected outlet and next time it shocks you, it will instantly trip.  Into the trash the appliance goes.  If it's a PC, the problem is the power supply or power brick.

I wouldn't worry about the external RCD tester not tripping, that is the normal/correct behavior if the circuit does not have a wired ground. An RCD protected circuit doesn't really need a ground to protect you, just equipment.

Give your grounding system a very thorough once-over

It seems like you are doing everything right and still getting shocks, so the first place I go in that case is the grounding system.  It has 3 parts:

the grounding electrode system from the panel  to the actual earth. This consists of a fairly hefty ground wire from the panel's ground bar/bus/case to ground rods, Ufer or water pipe connection into the soil.  We Americans are fond of two ground rods.
The neutral-ground bond, which connects the ground bus inside the panel to the neutral bus also inside the panel.  In America this is often done whimsically, by just landing all the neutrals and grounds on the same busbar. But whatever.   It's more useful to have a distinct neutral-ground bond that you can put a clamp meter around.
the equipment safety grounds, which are the "third" ground wires from the panel's ground bus to all your sockets and equipment.

Search all of those, most especially the first two.


Does the air temperature outside at the time of spring inspection matter when the tech comes to inspect and clean the inside and outside units? I have semi annual inspections done on my A/C units both inside and outside. Will the temperature outside effect the tech's ability to properly clean and evaluate the operation of the units? The company always tries to set up the spring maintenance in February when it is still freezing outside.

Yes, condensing units cannot be run when it's cold outside. The temperature at which the unit cannot be run will vary depending on the manufacturer's recommendation, and the company doing the inspection.


Concrete Footing or Concrete Blocks For Footings I'm thinking of building a new deck at my new home that I just moved into. It's going to be a two level one. The highest level will be about 3 feet high.

I'm not worried about code because its not enforced here but I do want to make things right rather then change or needing to upgrade it later.

My previous deck was code enforced and I had to make footing 48" below frost line I believe, fill it with concrete and put footing on it.

I've seen my neighbor have a much higher deck for his pool and he's using one of these on 2' x 2' sections of crushed rock / gravel.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_19070-1662-DEK-BLOCK+BRAND+PIER_0__?productId=3613302

I'm wondering if I can use those for the deck and attach my deck to the house using the ledger, vs going 48" down, concrete and ledger connect.

Suggestions are very welcome :)

You will have a more stable deck if you go 48" into the ground. This will significantly reduce the stress on the house and deck at the ledger board. In my deck experience (I used to rebuild decks) I would rather have a pier in the ground. In some of the estimates the ground goes through 1,000 freeze thaw cycles in a hard winter here in the Midwest. That means that your deck will move slightly up and down with each cycle. This would matter more or less depending on the soil type and the size of the deck. It is a bit more work to drill the piers and pour the concrete but I think it's worth it. I haven't read all the specs on those piers but when they first came out I don't think they were advertising it for as tall of a deck as your wanting to build or that your neighbor has.


Preparing walls for plastering Hi I'm pulling down wallpaper in front room as I want to paint it but I've found that the old plastering is coming off with the wallpaper, and on last wall I've found they painted under it as well! Lucky I've spoken to my housing association and they are responsible for structure but not decorating so they said there sending a plasterer to do the walls. My question is do I need to get all the paint off in preparation for them to do the walls? The woodchip wallpaper was a breeze compared to this paint! Any advice would be much appreciated.

Oh yeah I did ask my housing association but the have no clue they use contractors I guess.

My housing association said they are responsible for structure but not decorating so they said they're sending a plasterer to do the walls.

Then you do nothing except more your stuff out of the way, if even that.


Is cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8 drywall? Cement board has a higher density than 5/8 drywall. It also probably, and this is just a guess, probably has a lower resonance as well (being cement), so less sound should get through.

5/8" drywall is about 2.2lb per sqft.
1/2" cement board is 2.355 lbs per sqft.

The price is comparable between the two, with cement board being a little more expensive but not by much. 1/2" cement board comes in 3' x 5' sheets, at about $10 each (about 67 cents per sqft). 5/8" drywall comes in 4' x 8' sheets at about $15 each (about 47 cents per sqft).

Is 1/2" cement board a better soundproofing material than 5/8" drywall?

The less dense material would be better for soundproofing, the 5/8" drywall.

There's a lot that goes into soundproofing and there's even professions within the construction industry that specialize in it, acousticians. That being said I did a bit of research with this in college and it turns out that less dense materials provide better soundproofing. The more air bubbles in the material, the more the sound bounces around before reaching the other side of the material.


Light switch shorted; can't figure out why I swapped out a dimmer switch for another one. This was fairly standard, only two wires to connect, no ground (old condo). Turned the breaker back on, tried things out, the on/off switch worked, the dimmer worked, but playing with the dimmer, there was a short, a brief flash of light, then the breaker tripped. I swapped out the light bulb but I still have no light, so I'm inclined to conclude that the dimmer is fried.

I'm about to get a voltage tester to confirm that the wire is still live, then will try putting on a new dimmer switch.

question: what should I check to make sure this doesn't happen again? could it be debris? I'm really puzzled as to why this happened and would love to make sure I'm not overlooking something as I rewire this.

my wiring:

Looking at that old cloth insulation I would guess a short in the box developed when you pushed everything back in, it worked so you know you wired it correctly.

With the breaker off, pull the switch back out, you can wrap the cloth with electrical tape but I prefer heat shrink tubing, I usually carry it to make repairs for cases like this, slip it on and heat and it is much easier to work with than tape wrapped wire. But you probably have a roll of electrical tape, and that will insulate the wire.


Washer and dryer in a recessed nook - how do I support a countertop above? So I have a recessed nook about 64" wide and 30" deep (it fits my washer and dryer side by side, plus a 6" narrow cabinet pull-out). I'm planning to have a (probably quartz) countertop installed.

I presume attaching some wood to the walls to serve as cleats is going to be needed. What is unclear to me is exactly how substantial those cleats need to be. Naturally, I'll do the thickest wood I can fit without causing fitment problems for the washer/dryer, but it's going to be tight enough that I'd like to know how skinny I can go with the cleats before I start running into problems.

Right now it looks like I have, at most, 3/4" of clearance on either side between the wall and each respective appliance. Can I do 1/2" thick cleats on the sides (maybe thicker against the back wall since I'd have the space)? Are the countertop guys going to show up and laugh at me, or does this sound viable?

The countertop guys will laugh at you if you want to span quartz over a 5' span.  Basically quartz and granite can barely span a dishwasher width - meaning we get buy with not having plywood over the counters.  And that is given nothing heavy is stored on it on that section.  Given you will have a washer and dryer below it, I would protect it.  Since if a washer or dryer was jerked out of position it could nick or crack the slab.

So I would basically frame out the area.  Cleat on each side - 2x4, then 3 2x4s going the width with one in the middle.  Then a think piece of plywood on top (3/8").  You can then install decorative trim on the front panel and since you used a 2x4, the big box stores will have lots of choices.  Total cost is about $25.  *You can also just face it with a nice wood veneer.

When the installers come they can just glue it to the plywood - they don't have to overdo this as a couple of dabs will do.  The same principle should be used for the 2x4 framing under.  Meaning if you need to move the quartz up or down or where ever later it should just take a few minutes with a putty knife.  I am sure there is plumbing in that wall and you don't want a shelf you can never move.

Also a couple of notes here:

stone hardly ever looks good floating.  It would look tacky just stuck on top of cleats.  First it isn't thick enough for the floating look and second the underside is hardly ever polished and thinking that would be pretty apparent in its location.
You could also put some drawers below this but this may take some custom cabinetry.


Breaking rock with a rotary hammer I am in Indonesia. I previously rented a jack hammer, which ended up costing around $175 for a week. The jack hammer appeared to be an old Hitachi H65.

We wanted the jack hammer to break limestone rock, and for concrete.

The jack hammer completely failed to do anything with the rock. I suspect this was because in Indonesia there is a great tendency to cut corners with poor quality tools; in this case the bit (not an original part I guess) seemed to be of very soft metal, so it was useless.

Now we are in the position where we need a tool to break relatively substantial quantities of rock, say a cubic metre or more off of a much larger (say 200 cubic metres) rock. And we also want to drill a rock to insert 16mm steel rods.

So I am looking at buying a larger rotary hammer, which is likely to be a Makita or Bosch, as that's what's generally available here. Labour is cheap here (less than $10/day), so there's not a great payoff in spending more money to save time - the machine just needs to stand up to the job.

Is there a strength the machine needs to have to destroy my rock? And what kind of technique and bits should be used to break the rock?

This is an old question but I will answer it for any who land here.  This job is probably too large for chipping with a rotary hammer, but that depends on the toughness of the rock.

Renting a diesel compressor, 2" rock drill and rock splitter would solve this problem quickly.  Another solution if a rock splitter is unavailable or too expensive is to use an expanding rock splitting grout such as Apex Nexpro, Ecobust or Dexpan.  The grout is pored as a liquid into a pattern of drilled holes, and expands with massive force as it cures, destroying rock or concrete non-explosively.


What replacement breaker for a Gould GQF20MB panel? I have a 100amp Gould panel (relevant bits from the label):

GQF20MB - I-T-E Indoor Loadcenter

Use only I-T-E Type EQ-P Circuit Breakers

Since Gould is no longer made under that name, I've gone internet searching, and it appears that Siemens Type QP is a suitable replacement. Since I found this info on <random website> and I have more confidence in the folks I "know" here, I'd like to confirm that this is a suitable replacement, and if not, what I should be looking for instead.
I need to install a 15a breaker to replace a 20a breaker that some eager but dumb kid installed on 14/2 wire 30 years ago when the internet wasn't around to answer all his questions.

Siemens has 2 lineages of panel: The ex-Murray line and  the ex-ITE line.  Yours is the latter.
I believe the QPs are indeed the right ones.  A Siemens dealer (electrical supply house) could cross-check it in their book to be sure. Or I have a feeling ThreePhaseEel will be along momentarily to same effect :)


How do I clean a Moen kitchen faucet diverter? I have the Moen Chateau kitchen faucet pictured below and am having the following issues:

the button on the sprayer hose is sticking, it will not release easily when i push on it
the faucet water supply does not fully switch over to the sprayer hose.

After doing to some research I think I need to clean out the diverter on it, but I don't know how to get to it.  I tried looking online, but I have not found anything helpful.  Could issue #1 be a result of not getting enough pressure?

Minerals in your plumbing system begin to build up on the pipes and faucets over time. Eventually, if not removed, the minerals can restrict water flow to a trickle. This may explain the decrease in water pressure from the kitchen faucet. To repair the hose sprayer: unscrew the piece were the water is sprayed out. It should un-screw counter-clockwise. Hold it up to a light and look for any blockage. Soak in a bowl of white vinegar or CLR or Limeaway, etc. After some time soaking  replace the spray piece. Also unscrew the faucet aerator and flush out any debris that may have collected in the screen. To disassemble the faucet but after the water valves have been shutoff,  you will first need to remove the handle. Look for a set screw on its back. Once removed unscrew the top cap. You should now be able to pull the faucet cartridge out of the faucet body (probably with some effort). Look into the faucet body for any foreign matter that may have lodged in the faucet ports. Similarly examine the cartridge. If possible have an assistant slowly open the supply valves one at a time while you hold a cup over the faucet. You just want to allow a moderate amount of water to flow from the faucet to flush out any blockage. When re-assembled confirm that each valve is fully opened.


A/C Electric Blower Motor issue My A/C system uses an electric furnace blower motor for heating and cooling. The motor jerks violently when cycling off when the thermostat is set on auto for cooling. The motor was recently replaced but the problem remains. There are two separate thermostats for heat and cool. The problem does not happen when using the heat thermostat nor when I manually turn on or off the fan (there's a 'auto' and 'on' switch located above the ECM). It does happen when I turn the fan on using the thermostat. Have no clue what's causing the jerk when it cycles off.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I would look for a wiring problem  between the heating and cooling fan relays and I would combine both the  heating and cooling thermostats into 1 combination thermostat. 2 separate thermostats is a disaster "waiting to happen". Have a service tech redo the wiring to make sure it is correct.


How does metal bracket provide ground? I am replacing an old light fixture. The junction box has no ground wire coming out of it. The instructions say that if this is the case to attach the ground wire from the light fixture to the green screw on the mounting plate.

Here is a picture of the old light where they have apparently done exactly that:

So how does this work? The ground has to lead back to the breaker box in order to work right? Is this mounting bracket connected to a wire leading to the breaker box?

Update:

Here is a pic of the inside of the box:

It does actually appear that the box has an attached ground wire leading out of it, so that's good news.

So long as there's no corrosion, the metal screws that attach the light's mounting bracket to the metal box are what provides continuity from the grounding wire attached to the metal box through to the ground screw and wire attached to the light fixture itself.

If your new light has this same set up (which is very likely), then you can continue to use the same system for your grounding.


How should I prepare a plywood subfloor for vinyl sheet flooring? I'm planning on replacing the carpet in my dining room with a vinyl sheet flooring.  I know I need to get the carpet, padding and any staples/debris cleaned up before laying the vinyl, but do I need to do any other prep work on the plywood subfloor (ie. fill cracks between sheets of plywood, etc.)?

Vinyl isn't very thick, and it is quite plastic.  This means that over time, it will conform to the shape of the floor beneath.  This means that you will see grooves in the vinyl where there are gaps between the plywood sheets.

This means you want the sub-floor to be as smooth as possible.  BUT!!!! you need gaps between the sheets to allow for expansion or else you risk having the sub-floor develop a slight buckle.

Here's what I would do under ideal circumstances:

Spend some time screwing down the existing floor to the joists.  This is likely the only opportunity you will have to do so.
Get some 1/8" Hardboard, Lauan or birch plywood (one side smooth) and lay it down without gaps over the sub floor.  At this thickness, you can staple it down.
smooth any edges/fill any gaps.
Lay your vinyl.

However, you need to make the call as to the quality of the existing floor the level of imperfection you are willing to tolerate.  It may not be worth the extra expense and labour to do it this way.  In which case, I would fill the worst gaps, sand down the worst edges, and lay down the vinyl.


Very hot connection at rusty ground clamp by water meter I noticed a very hot connection after wire brushing a rusty conduit clamp connector located at my water meter. It only seems hot when drawing current, as i have been remodeling this house and am not using much power. After turning off the dehumidifier that was running the connection cooled off. I then proceeded to clean up the area using my shop vac for 10 minutes and it once again got extremely hot. I am thinking the rusty connector is failing and i was hoping that if i replace it, the heat issue will be resolved. Also I have not located my ground rod outside of the house.

The dehumidifier was plugged into an outlet for the wash machine, which is a dedicated breaker labeled washer in the panel. When I was running the shop vac I was plugged in top an outlet that is on a different breaker labeled basement lights. My thought is a bad connection wher the rusty connector  meets the conduit. Thinking of replacing the rusty connector if it is safe to work with

You have a lost neutral.  Turn everything off NOW!

Your electricity is served to you as two "legs" with 240V across them -- and a center-tap called "neutral".  This gives you 120V between a leg and neutral.

Water heaters and A/C units take the 240V directly and ignore the neutral.  Any 120V load, however, connects between a hot leg and neutral to give it only half the voltage - 120V.

If something goes wrong with the neutral, crazy stuff happens. Each 240V leg has several 120V loads between the leg and neutral.  If the neutral is lost, nothing "pegs" those voltages at 120V anymore!  They are still 240V apart, and the two legs will add up to 240, but they could be 90 and 150 volts.  (those unequal voltages, adding up to 240V, is the sure sign of this, if you have a voltmeter.)

That will start fires.  So why hasn't it?

Neutral is called that because it's also bonded to the water pipe/ground inside your main panel.  The intent is emergency use only.  The transformer on the pole, also bonds its neutral terminal to a grounding rod at the base of the pole.  Current is using this path instead (via dirt) because your neutral wire is broken.  This problem will get much worse.

Dirt is not a reliable conductor, and if the resistance goes up, or your load goes up, your voltages could start getting wobbly and start blowing things up. That's why you need to fix it right away.

Also, this current flowing through your water pipe is corroding it.  Normally no current should flow through the ground.  It shouldn't be getting warm.

A lost neutral is a power outage, call it and report it as such!  The problem might be inside your service panel, but they will probably tell you if it is.

Also, stay away from the clamp unless your main breaker is off.  It is (wrongly) part of the electrical circuit, and if disconnected or messed with, it can shock you.


What are my options for making up for a narrower replacement door jamb? We just replaced an old sliding glass door in our house, but the new unit has a jamb that is about 1.5 inches narrower then the old jamb. We've decided to do a decorative tile strip for the floor, but I haven't settled on how to handle the interior trim. Should I tack a wood strip to the edge of the trim to cover the gap or something?

Yes, google "jamb extension", and you'll get plenty of instruction.

The only quirk to watch for is that the width of the jamb extension will sometimes vary because the door/wall relationship isn't perfect.

One approach is to exactly scribe the extension to the plane of the wall. This is time-consuming but pretty.

If you have the jamb extension proud of the wall, then applying casing will be a pain.

If the jamb extension is not wide enough to come up to the plane of the wall, you can hammer the drywall (underneath where the casing goes!) to make it flush.

A modest gap between the door and the jamb extension can be filled with painter's caulk.

All in all, caulk is your friend.


Can I replace 1 volt lights with 2 volt lights? The 1 volt LED lights in my range hood are going out and very dim, almost like a night light. Cheap hood. I cannot find replacement bulbs for these because the bulb cannot be removed.  The whole kit would need to be replaced.

IKEA has spotlights for under the counter that would probably fit in the same space.  I would like to buy the IKEA lights, cut off the connectors and replace with the connectors from the hood lights so that I can just plug them into the hood in place of the old lights without having to add a transformer.

The problem is that the IKEA lights are 2 volt, not 1 volt like the hood lights.   Will this even work?   Will the lights just be dimmer or would the transformer overwork itself?

Short answer: No

There may be a way to redesign the circuitry but you are better off, in almost every case, to find replacement lights equivelant to what you are replacing.


Half my power out, but firing up an appliance turns it back on Hoping for some much needed help.
The other day my lights flickered and half the power and outlets went out in my home. They have gone and off periodically since then, spontaneously shutting off at times with nothing “triggering” it. My electrician couldn’t find anything, but not sure how well he looked. I called my power company and they said all is well outside and at the meter. The areas I am losing power to are not on the same leg, the weird thing is, is that I can get the power to go back on by turning on a few faucets to hot water and getting my well pump to fire up. It seems like once the well kicks on, its restarts the power to everything.

Call the power company back. You lost a pole.

Here's how your house normally works.

Here's what happens when a hot wire breaks.

That's simple enough, right?  Half the 120V loads croak.  And all the 240V loads... right?  But wait.  What if  they are both on?  Say that water heater cycles on.

This.  This is why the electrician and the power company read near-120V on both legs, declared victory and went home.  At the time they checked it, the water heater or other 240V load happened to be cycled on.   What they neglected to check was the voltage across the 2 hot legs, which should have read 240V but would have read perhaps 7 volts.

I bet they actually read 122 and 115V, and told you the difference was normal.

Next time they come out, switch all 240V and MWBC breakers off to stop that goofy flow pattern you see in the third diagram. Then, they'll be able to see the problem.

But the dead loads aren't all on the same side of my panel!

Because you're presuming left and right are the two poles. That's only true on a Pushmatic panel.  Here's how most panels are actually laid out, and now see if that matches the location of your dead breakers.

This will fry your well pump!

If you look at the diagram carefully, you can see that the water heater is in series with the loads on the dead pole.  And, there's only 120V for both of them.  It all depends on how much load the water heater is drawing versus the other loads, but if the loading is modest, the voltage will be near 120V.  If you have 13A of 120V load, then it will be 60V to the water heater and 60V to the 120V loads.

The water heater is perfectly fine with that, because it's a simple resistive load that will work on any voltage below spec.  It is able to slowly re-heat the water in the tank even on 1/4 voltage (1/16 wattage), and eventually it shuts off.  That's how well-insulated water heaters are.

The well pump, on the other hand, will be one unhappy puppy.  Motors do not like this kind of massive undervoltage treatment, and it will burn out that motor PDQ.  Given where most people put their well motors (at the bottom of the well), you really don't want that.


Wiring Fresh Air Damper to New Ecobee Thermostat Ok, here's the deal. I currently have a zoned system with a fresh air "ventilator" (actually just a fresh air damper) and I want to install an ecobee thermostat. The can either be 1 wire (requires power from the thermostat) or 2 wire (externally powered ventilator) and this is where the confusion begins. On my current thermostat I have two wires going to my fresh air damper, yellow on U1 and white on the C terminal, and if you look at the damper wiring you see the two wires coming from the thermostat and no other external power source. I believe the installer chose to jumper the C wire at the thermostat which is confusing me to have a 2 wire setup when in fact I actually have a 1 wire setup which gets power from the thermostat.... am I confused?

Your damper is a 1 wire setup

Basically, your damper is set up as a "1 wire" setup, as that nomenclature assumes that the C wire is returning directly to the air handler transformer, whereas in your configuration, the C wire is returning back to the thermostat first, and then going from there to the air handler transformer.  So, simply proceed using the "1 wire" instructions, making sure that both C wires land on the C terminal of the Ecobee.


How messed up are these window installs and do I need to fix them? I have andersen 400-series windows throughout the house.  I'm renovating the attic so the trim and wallboard are off revealing this situation:

The window is not attached to the rough opening on the sides or top.  It just sits on that stack of 2x4s at the bottom and the flange is nailed to the sheathing on the outside.  I checked Andersen install instructions and they don't specify that you have to nail to the rough opening but they do say to shim them; no shims anywhere (the thing on the left is a cut strap).  If I push on the window frame, the whole thing moves a bit as the flange flexes.  The stack of 2x4s that it's sitting on seems to be nailed together top to bottom but not toe-nailed to the sides of the rough opening so that rocks slightly too.
Fiberglass insulation tucked in on the sides but not the top.  This window has maybe 1/2" space there but the other one (other side of house, same situation) has about 1-1/2" of empty gap.  I see some sunlight through the gap and flange but I don't see any signs of leakage.  I had some of the other windows replaced and I don't think there's flashing tape over the flanges on the outside.  No flashing over sill.  Wimpy looking header, and those are collar ties above, not joists, so there's only a few feet between the top of that window and the ridge of the roof.
All the windows were installed at once around 2000 under previous owners so it survived like this for nearly 20 years.  My guess all the windows are installed about the same.  I'll toe-nail that stack of 2x's to the trimmers on the sides and foam the gap around the windows.  Should I be concerned or is this ok?  Does the window need to be attach the inside of the rough opening somehow?  Does there need to be a proper header above the window?
Edit:  The house was built in the early 50s.  These windows were installed around 2000.  The dark brown wood (full studs and top header board) are original construction, old growth douglas fir lumber, generally very solid.  The lighter wood inside that was added during the window replacement.  Reasonably certain the frames originally held larger windows.  They built up the sides of the rough opening to hold smaller flanged replacement units.  The outside was wood shakes originally and vinyl siding was installed over that at the same time as these windows went in.

There are a lot of problems with that install.  But I do know that you do NOT want to nail the window frame to the rough opening on the sides.  The flanges that are nailed to the sheathing provide all of the support.  Usually there are shims underneath the window at the bottom to 1) bring the window up to the right height in the opening and 2) ensure that the bottom of the window is horizontal.  I used these windows myself.
Note that most of the movement you noticed would be prevented when the inside trim is installed, which would tie the inside of the window to the walls.
EDIT 1 - Other Shortcomings
A header, of the appropriate size for the opening, is definitely needed if the the wall is load bearing,  Even if that's not the case, I would frame the window with a minimum header just to strengthen the opening.  I notice that there is a header of sorts - two 2x4s laid on their sides. I have to defer to those with more experience as to whether this meets my "minimum header" need.
I would also have done the standard king-jack stub framing for the window.
There definitely should be flashing at the bottom of the rough opening, the sides, and the top of the outside of the window.  The Anderson installation instructions provide details on this, and there are lots of on-line resources you can consult also.
Finally, 20 years is not a very long time for a window.  I still have 65 year old original windows in parts of my house, and many historic structures have windows going back hundreds of years.
EDIT 2 - Added picture
Here's a picture with the low-expansion rate foam used.


Wiring a single pole dimmer: How to identify ground wire I am switching an old rotary style single pole dimmer for a new single pole dimmer switch.  The old dimmer had only two wires, with no identifiable ground wire.  There are two other wires in the box, which appear to be pig-tailed together and wrapped with black electrical tape.  How do I decide which of these two wires I should attach to the green ground wire on my new dimmer switch.  I am attaching a picture of the box with four wires coming into the box...one to the red wire on the dimmer, one to the black wire on the dimmer, and the two others.  Please help, I don't want to burn down my house!  Thank you CC25

I bet the two wires that are taped together are neutrals, not grounds.  (BTW, that tape should be replaced with a wire nut.)  There doesn't appear to be a ground wire in this box.  The metal box itself may or may not be grounded by a metallic conduit or armor.  You couldn't say for sure without a lot more thorough checking, beyond the scope of a StackExchange answer.

You definitely don't want to connect the ground wire to a neutral.  The switch will work but it's not safe at all.

NEC 404.9(B) addresses grounding for switches.

  (B) Grounding. Snap switches, including dimmer and similar control
  switches, shall be connected to an equipment grounding conductor and
  shall provide a means to connect metal faceplates to the equipment
  grounding conductor, whether or not a metal faceplate is installed.
  Snap switches shall be considered to be part of an effective
  ground-fault current path if either of the following conditions is
  met:

  (1) The switch is mounted with metal screws to a metal box or
  metal cover that is connected to an equipment grounding conductor or
  to a nonmetallic box with integral means for connecting to an
  equipment grounding conductor.

  (2) An equipment grounding conductor or equipment bonding jumper is connected to an equipment grounding termination of the snap switch.

  Exception to (B): Where no means
  exists within the snapswitch enclosure for connecting to the equipment
  grounding conductor or where the wiring method does not include or
  provide an equipment grounding conductor a snap switch without a
  connection to an equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted for
  replacement purposes only. A snap switch wired under the provisions of
  this exception and located within reach of earth, grade, conducting
  floors, or other conducting surfaces shall be provided with a
  faceplate of nonconducting, noncombustible material or shall be
  protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter.

So if the box itself is grounded, you can bond the ground wire on the switch to the box with pigtail and a ground screw or ground clip.

If there's no ground available, and you're replacing an existing switch, you can cap the ground and use a plastic faceplate.  There are some locations in there where you're supposed to install GFCI protection if the circuit doesn't already have it when you replace the switch.

Even if the code doesn't require it with your old wiring, installing GFCI protection on circuits without a ground is worth looking into, it may not be too expensive and it is a big safety improvement.


Does a toilet have to be level front to back if the toilet doesn't rock and the flange tilts too? I am swapping out a toilet.  The old toilet, a round bowl with a squared front, was shimmed like crazy to get it perfectly level.  I dry fit the new elongated bowl toilet to the flange to see what I was up against with getting it level.  The toilet sits perfectly flat on the tile.  It does not rock.  It is level from side to side, but is un-level front to back.  To get the toilet level front to back I would have to raise the front approximately almost 3/8".  The flange itself also is level side to side but tilts slightly forward front to back.  If the toilet sits flat, do I really have to make it level front to back?  I also am going to use an extra thick wax ring with the plastic collar to help ensure a good fit.  Does this sound appropriate?

There are purists out there that may say it must be level, but if it looks good setting there, I would let it set on the floor with no shims. It should not affect the operation of the flapper or valve that flushes the toilet. I would rather see a consistent caulk line at the base of the toilet than it setting level in both directions and have a huge joint in front.


about NEMA 6-15 plug/receptacle for 240 V The NEMA 6-15 plug/receptacle for 240 V power supply looks like the following:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nema_6-15.svg

The two hots obviously should be connected to the two hot wires in the subpanel. But I am confused with the third one, the U shape hole. Should it be connected to the neutral bar or ground bar in the subpanel?

That's a ground hole and goes to the ground bar

The NEMA 6 is a "hot-hot-ground" that supplies 240V exclusively.  So, the U-shaped ground-hole on the receptacle is connected to the yoke and in turn, the green ground screw on the receptacle, which needs to be wired to the ground bar on the subpanel.


Air filter recommendations to filter dust mites I recently found out I am allergic to dust mites.  I have taken some steps to reduce my exposure to dust mites in my apartment, but now that it is summer and I live in a high-humidity area, my allergy has been particularly bothering me.

I am looking for a stand-alone air filter system to purchase that will filter dust mites.  My apartment does not have any sort of central air system, so the only air filtration that currently occurs is the very large-holed filters in my two window AC units.  This, obviously, only catches large dust.

I'm seeing a lot of HEPA filter options online, but since dust mites are rather large compared to what HEPA filters normally filter (~100 microns vs. ~1 micron), I don't think I need a filter that is at HEPA level to filter to filter the dust mites themselves, though obviously filtering their food source (dust) would help.

Employing a UV air purifier is not an option as the air that comes out can be a migraine trigger for my wife.  (Air filters that have UV purifiers that can be turned off are fine.)

The largest room in my house is 14'x17', with about 8.5' tall ceilings (about 2000 cf).  Assume very limited exchange between this room and the other rooms of my house and that this room is the only one I want to filter air for.  Given that money is a limiting factor for this, so I am looking for filter options that are less than ~$100 (and the cheaper, the better, as long as the filter does a reasonably good job), what recommendations do you have for air filter systems:

for just filtering the dust mites (~100 microns)?
that are HEPA and can filter the dust?

(if there is a better SE than DIY for this question, let me know)

Stand-alone filters are basically marketed in two capabilities -- big stuff or small stuff.  Big stuff is visible dust (specs you can see floating in the air when sunlight hits it).   Those filters are aimed at people who want to reduce how often they need to clean what collects on surfaces.  Small stuff (many allergens) is mostly too small to be very visible when it's airborne.  Filters aimed at allergy sufferers are designed to remove the small stuff.

BTW, dust mite allergy is mainly to their waste, which is a lot smaller than the mites.  Your idea of reducing their food source with an air filter won't really do that.  Their food source is your discarded skin cells that fall on the floor, furniture, and other surfaces.  The skin cells don't stay airborne, and if they did, that would keep them out of the reach of the mites, anyway.

The mite poop is actually sitting safely out of the way on surfaces until you disturb it by kicking up floor dust, sitting on upholstered furniture, or dusting or vacuuming hard surfaces.  You can make a huge difference by regularly vacuuming the floor and seating surfaces with a HEPA vacuum (a one-time cost and some are not all that expensive), and using an electrostatic microfiber cleaning tool (like Swiffer) to dust hard surfaces.  That will cut way down on what gets airborne in the first place.

The stand-alone units are generally sized to clean the air in a single room.  They don't move enough air, or move it in a useful pattern, to circulate the air of multiple rooms connected through doorways.  A huge open floor plan that is a much bigger space than the unit is designed for will also limit its usefulness.

The general principle for allergy relief is to use the filter where you spend you time; the bedroom at night is usually the first priority.  If you spend much of the day in a particular room, move the filter there during the day.  If you're between a lot of rooms during the day, just pick one and let it work on the air in general.

The filters designed for allergy suffers are mostly one of four designs.

The simplest is something you could actually make yourself.  It's basically a fan in a box that holds a high-end, "allergy-rated" pleated furnace filter.  The fan circulates the room air through the filter.  When the filter gets dirty, you replace it.  These have a cheap initial cost but replacement of the filters every few months can get expensive.  They won't be as effective as a HEPA filter, but are likely to be a big improvement over nothing.  They will capture particles of all sizes.
The HEPA filters have a washable prefilter to catch the big stuff and keep it from clogging the HEPA media.  Some of the HEPA filters have media that can be cleaned a few times.  These units are very effective, but not cheap to buy and you will need to replace the HEPA media every so often, which can be expensive.
Tabletop electronic air cleaners use metal plates charged with a high voltage to attract and hold particles as a fan pulls air past them.  They're good but not quite as effective as a HEPA filter for the smallest particles.  There's nothing to replace unless they have a prefilter to catch big stuff. Those are typically washable, and inexpensive to eventually replace.

The metal plates do require regular cleaning.  Big particles being captured will produce a little zapping sound (probably the reason for the prefilter).  They can produce tiny amounts of ozone, but generally not enough to be noticeable.
Certain ionic air cleaners clean room air without leaving molecular-sized crud electrostatically bonded to all nearby surfaces.  These are similar in principle to electronic air cleaners and move the air either with a fan or the wind created by generating ions that are attracted to metal plates.  Sharper Image is a big seller of this type.  They are absurdly over-priced.

They move much less air than the other types of cleaners, moving it relatively slowly through the collection system.  They are very effective for the smallest particles (odor removal), but they don't do much with the bulk of the dust volume, which is made up of bigger stuff.  Don't waste your money.