Can I reuse lightly used oil when I change an oil filter? I recently replaced the oil on my 4 stroke lawnmower engine, but - stupidly - I did not think to change the oil filter.    I've used the engine for maybe 2-4 hours subsequently.
I have now drained the oil out the engine (again), and it is a shiny brown color (I think darker then new, but it not dull and certainly not blackish.     Is it OK to reuse the oil I've drained, or is it really prudent to replace the oil with fresh oil again?

This is more of an opinion based question rather than a "how do I do this" question.  Opinion based questions are discouraged here.  But I'm going to answer anyway and this is just my opinion.  The new oil got slightly contaminated by the old oil left in the filter. In the distant past it was a common practice to change the oil filter with every other oil change (cars and trucks) .  Some ppl did that, others replaced the filter every time. You should be fine re-using the drained oil with a new filter, but if you are really worried about, what is the cost of a the oil? It can't be too much for a lawn mower, so if it gives you peace of mind to get fresh oil and it only costs $10-$15, go for it.  That's pretty inexpensive to get peace of mind these days.


Should I leave the drain open on my compressor for storage? I just got a new air compressor for occasional finish nailing and tire inflation. I understand that I need to open the bottom drain to let out any condensation (i.e., this question) after each use.

Should I also store the compressor with this valve open? Is it a bad idea to do so? If it makes a difference: I only plan to use it once or twice a month and live in a very dry climate.

Leave the valve closed during storage to prevent moisture, dust, and insects from entering the tank (as @Scivitri wisely mentions in his comment).

Even though any additional moisture could be drained form the tank later, it's more difficult to get the dust and insects out. And they're what's likely to clog up any attachments. They'd also potentially clog the drain valve itself and essentially cause a slow leak until they were removed.


What safety/testing measure should I take for this whole-house electrical project? I have a house built in the 70s with aluminum wiring. I am well aware of the specific risks and needs when working with this wiring in my home.

There was work done in the house by the previous owner where aluminum rated fixtures were not used. There are original fixtures in the house which are simply worn (loose plugs) and ugly (faded off white plastic).

I am planning a project to simply replace the outlets and switches in the house en masse. What additional safety precautions or test procedures should I consider when doing a whole-house job like this?

For example, should I simply shut off the mains and do ALL of the fixtures then test everything at once or do it room-by-room?

Is there an example plan that an electrician would use to plan wiring or re-wiring a house?

At this time the project only encompasses switches and outlets. Getting into other fixtures and replacing wire nuts or terminals with 'alumiconn' connectors will be a separate effort.

I have ruled out rewiring the home. I feel that the risk of aluminum wiring is sufficiently mitigated by using proper fixtures and connections. Using proper fixtures is significantly less expensive than a full rewire.

As I have done other projects I have replaced the fixtures that I touch. For example I repainted a room and replaced its fixtures with correct, aluminum rated, outlets. I am comfortable with verifying that circuits are cold, correctly connecting new fixtures, and testing those fixtures.

My SOP is to do switches or outlets one by one, in the sequence I find convenient.  I turn off the one circuit it's on.

And then I handle it as if it's energized.  (Electrocution requires a path through your body, so you are particularly in danger if your body is also in contact with some other wire or object such as a pipe that is grounded) that would complete the circuit.)  So aside from never touching a line conductor, I also make sure my body is touching no other thing, so even if I do bump an energized conductor, nothing happens.  I'm not advocating working on energized equipment.  I'm saying "belt and suspenders".

I discuss with everyone else in the house about what I'm doing, so they won't be messing with breakers or coming up and touching me and potentially "completing a circuit".

For identifying circuits, a few dollar-store night lights are convenient.

I don't get too formal with my work planning.  I leave a marking behind saying "I've been there", piece of masking tape, etc.

As far as aluminum, there's "good" and "bad" aluminum. During postwar reconstruction (or in the US, a housing boom) there was a worldwide copper shortage, so they hastily made household wiring out of the AA-1300 alloys intended for transmission lines.  Good conductor, but very bad mechanical characteristics at terminations. Aside from metal interactions, the stuff creeps, so it will "unspring" the force of a firm clamp.  The industry fixed this in 1972 with a new alloy, AA-8000 series, specifically made for household wiring, marketed as such, so brazenly marked as such.  These are legal today for new work.  (NEC 310.14).

If it is not marked, it is a 1300 alloy.

Given the timing, your home might be using the new stuff so it's worth looking.   If it is AA-8000 series, I would not rewire, just use parts or pigtails listed for CO-ALR.  (Copper-Aluminum Revised; the old CU-AL standard proved insufficient.)  There's a lot of scaremongering about aluminum wire, but it is only true for the 1300 series. Nonetheless, you'll take a hit on resale value even with 8000 for 8 AWG and smaller wire.  AA-8000 is ok for the big stuff, 4 AWG and up.

With several million homes out there with the bad stuff, there are solutions to fix the termination problems - typically a pigtail, a special splice made to bind the 1300 series to a short length of copper for connection to the fixture proper.  I would evaluate those.


Duct and fan requirements for stove hood I have a commercial range, 36x24" on which I do things like stirfrying for 30 people using a 24" wok.  Our hood which advertises 900CFM is performing poorly.  It uses a 6" duct which has to run up 3' and then horizontally through the ceiling for about 15'.  I plan to either have the hood replaced or the duct size increased, or probably both.

@Tester101 provides a helpful formula for necessary CFM this similar question though I'm surprised it doesn't consider duct length and width at all.  But since my small kitchen is open to a large dining room with 12' ceilings, and we're talking about a commercial range, I probably should have 1200CFM.  I've seen 1200CFM hoods with only 6" ducts, but given I need to run 15' in the wall, I think the duct needs to be bigger.

Do you think an 8" duct is enough or should I go for 10"?  I really don't want to find it insufficient so I'm thinking of doing 10.  What if I did stick with my 900CFM hood, then would 8" be enough?

Added on 12/3: Thanks for your comments everyone.  We ended up installing a ten inch duct, a no-nonsense custom built hood. and putting the fan outside: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/BROAN-Exhaust-Ventilator-4YG73 - 600CFM but it works a lot better than the 900CFM hood we had before, though I think we probably shouldn't have dropped the CFM.

I think the focus on the duct size and length is misleading here.  Duct size can matter if it is a severe restriction in the system, but a factor more likely to be a problem is that you are using a axial fan and not an centrifugal fan.
tl;dr

manufacturers specify flow rate for range hood fans at zero static pressure
at the flow you need, the fan will encountered a non-trivial amount of static pressure
axial fans do not achieve high flow rates other than at very low static pressures
accordingly, the manufacturer's specified flow rate for axial range hood fans is not a good indication of the flow rate you will experience once it is installed
centrifugal fans do achieve decent flow rates at static pressures typical in range hood installations and their flow rate once installed will be close but still lower than the manufacturer's specified flow rate
select a centrifugal fan for your range hood if flow rate is a concern

Your Installation's Resistance Curve
Each installation of a range hood will have its own resistance to the flow of air.  This will depend on the restriction of the entire air flow circuit.  The most common sources of restriction in that circuit are the following:

the make-up air path into the suite
the grill or screen in the air path above your stove
the fan assembly itself
the ductwork between the hood and the outdoors
the grill and backflow preventer where the duct exhausts outdoors
wind that opposes or aids the flow of air from the make-up air to the exhaust locations on the outside of the house (this often happens when the two are on opposite sides of a house's exterior)

Resistance curves plot the air pressure the fan will encounter versus the air flow that the fan is pushing.  A characteristic resistance curve follows an affinity law and is therefore parabolic in shape.
SC1 and SC2 in Fig1 are examples of resistance curves.  The two different curves emerge when something about the resistance of your installation to air flow changes.  For example, SC1 might be the resistance curve with a kitchen window open (less pressure required for the same amount of flow) and SC2 might occur with all windows close (it would take more pressure to achieve the same amount of flow).

Fan Curves
For a given RPM, each fan has its own relationship between the flow it produces and the pressure that has to overcome.  These are shown in Fig1 as curves N1 and N2.  The RPM of N1 is higher than N2 and, accordingly, it produces more flow for the same amount of pressure.
Determining the Flow Rate
The actual flow rate achieved is found at the intersection of your installation's resistance curve and your fan's curve.  So, in our example, with the windows closed and the fan at the higher RPM, this is the intersection of N1 and SC2 indicated on the plot as "B".  In HVAC engineering terminology, this intersection is called the "operating point".
How Air Flow is Specified for Range Hoods
Air flow of range hoods is specified at zero static pressure.  In Fig1, this corresponds to the flow rate where N1 and N2 cross the x-axis.  The specification provided by the manufacturer is not the air flow you will achieve once the fan is installed because there is no real-world situation where the static pressure encountered by the fan is zero.
The Type of Fan Substantially Affects the Fan Curve and Real-World Flow
You are unlikely to be able to obtain either a fan curve for a given range hood nor a resistance curve for your installation.  This is not a practical problem in selecting a fan.  That is because range hood fans are one of two general fan types each with a dramatically different capability.
Centrifugal Fans

Curves N1 and N2 are typical of a centrifugal fan in that they are able to create meaningful airflow despite static pressure encountered in the installation.
Axial Fans

Fig2 shows a third fan curve A1 which is typical of an axial fan in that it stops producing any meaningful flow at very low static pressures.
Qualitative Comparison
Note that if you were to look at the manufacturer's specifications for the centrifugal fan that has curves N1 and N2 it would be in the same ballpark as the axial fan with curve A1.
But look what happens when these two fan types encounter the resistance of your system with the windows closed (SC1).  The operating point of the centrifugal fan at the high RPM is shown at "B" while the operating point of the axial fan is shown at "D".
Note that the air flow of the axial fan when installed is only about 1/3 of the centrifugal fan despite the manufacturer's specifications for airflow being comparable.1
Note also that the airflow at the operating point is only about 1/4 of the manufacturer's specification for the axial fan, while it is more the 3/4 for the centrifugal fan.1

Epilogue: The Oft-Forgotten Makeup Air Path
Remember, each cubic foot of air that you exhaust has to be made up somewhere else in the house.  This might be an open window, your furnace's makeup path, the exhaust gases of a fireplace - yikes!, a backflowing bathroom exhaust fan, sewer gases sucked out of air admittance valves, etc.  When you have an operating centrifugal range hood fan specified at several hundred or a thousand CFM, you should have a good source of make-up air.  Otherwise, you might end up with unhealthy air from unexpected places being sucked into your home.
1 These ratios are for this particular hypothetical graph.  They are meant to be instructive about the magnitude of the difference between actual and manufacturer's specified flow rates.  By no means are these specific ratios generally applicable.  What is generally applicable, however, is that the flow rate for axial range hood fans drops off significantly faster with static pressure than for centrifugal fans.


Thermal Expansion and Contraction in Two Story Townhome I live in California in the city of Chatsworth to be exact. I live in a two story Townhome and for the most part when I sleep in my bedroom it's very quiet. Occasionally there will be nights sometimes two nights back to back that there will be loud pop and cracking noises from three to four areas. From the attic above mainly and the wood floor below. Mainly from the same areas. At first I thought it may have been a copper pipe but I have ruled out all pipes. I'm trying to study the historical weather in my city to see what causes it but I can't figure it out.

I have an attic above with two standard exhaust vents and a little bit of insulation laid out on the bottom of the attic directly above the bedroom walls.

I want to mention that when the noise occurs it's pretty much runs all throughout the night and up until noon. I have also ruled out any animals like squirrels and rodents.

Please help with any ideas to help minimize this problem.

That's not right at all. Nothing should be constantly repeating or over that many hours. Usual sounds are just nails sliding in & out of their pockets, 1-pop or crack going in with the cold & 1-pop or crack coming out with the heat, for just a few nails or sounds total. Or, plastic & aluminum siding rustling momentarily in direct Sun. Maybe, it's just the screening on the vents that might be loose & flapping in the breeze.

Get a Carpenter out to check on whether something's actually broken & to sink a bunch of screws & get rid of the usual suspects. Screws don't need to join pieces, they can just span a gap & keep things from moving. Wall & ceiling cracks, if any, are a great indicator of movement areas. Or, it could be something electrical that contracts at night, the Carpenter might notice this, but get an Electrician too.


How to connect the wires when changing from standard to electronic ballasts? I'm changing from an old standard ballast to an electronic type. Tried match the wiring but something went wrong as the tube doesn't light? When connecting the wires to the sides that the tubes are, do you attach the wires on 1 side or on opposite sides?

You follow the directions on the new ballast. Exclusively, and in detail. Most (but not all) modern ballasts ignore bi-pin tubes with heaters, so you (following the diagram) connect to both pins (at one end of the tube) with one color wire. But if the diagram shows otherwise, you follow it.

In any case, you follow, exactly, the diagram on the new ballast. What the old ballast did is irrelevant and often different.


Are large temperature variation in a water heater normal? I live in an apartment with a water tank and heater in the laundry room. About a month ago I had the heater replaced because it was leaking on my floor. Right after it was installed I noticed the water was nice and hot (dial read 120°F).

Recently I've noticed the water seems cooler and cooler to the point that today I turned the shower handle all the way and it felt luke-warm. The temperature reading was 75°. I decided to let the shower run a little and the temperature rose after about 5-10 minutes to 95°, which was certainly hotter, but still not the nice 120° that it was originally.

I checked the dial on my heater and it was set to "B" on the Low, A, B, C, Very Hot scale.

Is this normal for this much variation, or should I have someone come look at the heater (or maybe something I can tweak)?

Such a variation is not normal unless you are using an abnormally high amount of water so that the water heater does not have enough time to recover.  Otherwise, since the heater worked properly when first installed, I would recommend calling the installer.


How do I use threaded inserts? I got these fasteners with table legs that I bought for a formica table top. I get that I need to embed the outer part with the big thread into the table, and then use an Allen key to fasten the bolts into that.

But how do I get the outer part into the wood? Do I drill a little hole and just screw it in?

You need to pre-drill a large but shallow hole of the correct depth, and use the bit size recommended by the manufacturer for the material you are setting those into. Too small and you'll crack the wood/whatever.  Too big and they won't hold.   It matters.

You might want to try on some scrap first.

Did the supplier provide these nuts full knowing that you're going into formica?   Or is this a generic kit?


Could this be asbestos? I'm gonna get the material tested - already bought the kit. But I'm wonder what people think - I thought it might be old mineral wool since I've seen stuff that looks similar to it. I'd read that vermiculite is hard like pellets, and this stuff is soft like wool, so I don't think it's that.

Thoughts? It's from my attic - old house, built in the late 1860s. There's tons of it up there. It's old and moldy - we had a raccoon living up there for a bit after it ripped through the soffit - was quite a deal to clean up after(I wore a P100 respirator).

I doubt that it is asbestos but I would have it tested to be sure. It looks like the pouring wool that my father-in-law used in his attic back in the 1960's


Splitting Earth Wire in Attic for Light I moved into a new home and found the downstairs light fittings all have earth wires leading into them, but only one of the upstairs fittings has.

Is it safe to split the single earth wire in the attic and feed it to a room for a new metal light fitting?

If so, would a pigtail be the right way to go about it?

In the US code was recently changed so that if your equipment is fed from the same panel you can take an appropriately sized ground to the ungrounded circuit.
I usually find lighting circuits on 15 amp all receptacles on 20 amp.
If your lighting circuit is a 15 amp breaker you can tap any ground , if a 20 amp circuit you need to find a 20 amp, and you can use a receptacle or any larger ground to ground this fixture.


Unplugged computer sparked upon touching a cold heating pipe First time here, so be kind with me, if this not the right forum to post.

I have (maybe) experienced an electrostatic discharge (ESD) from a computer case some days before, and I'd like to hear your opinions on this accident.

A computer case at my work, was not plugged in the mains outlet and it has been approximately 5 minutes, that it has been unplugged and switched off. Only thing plugged in, was the 2 monitors through their VGA cables and I think there were both switched off but unplugged. The computer was a 7+ years brand name machine, with a 300 W, 100 - 240 V, 50 - 60 Hz PSU.

Upon lifting the computer case with both hands to place it beside the desk, accidentally it made contact with the cold heating pipe passing nearby on the wall. Suddenly some yellow sparks with sound occurred (similar to arc welding sparks effect). The same time, the circuit breaker turned off the power at another room of the building.

According to my knowledge, I did not felt something strange as being electrocuted or anything at all after this happened. The computer afterwards was only started if the power cable was unplugged and plugged in again, and the tech said there is no damage except form a mis-plaiced starting button cord.

My questions are:
-What exactly happened there? Is it possible that have being exposed to any electricity risk for my health with afterwards effects?
-Why does the circuit breaker turned off?

Thank you all for your time reading this, and looking forward for any opinion.

If it was just a tiny spark like touching a door knob after walking on carpet, then it's normal & harmless. If it was actually a flash, then something's either grounded to the plumbing & defective or a live wire's in contact with the plumbing.

Most likely, the circuit that the circuit breaker killed & is the problem circuit & must be fixed immediately as it could harm or kill someone.


Is make-up air required if all gas appliances are direct vent? My fireplace is direct vent, and my gas heater is not. If I replace my gas heater with a direct vent model, do I still need to supply make-up air? The only other gas-burning appliance is a gas stove, upstairs, with a circulating range hood (does not exhaust out of the home).

If I no longer need make up air, I can terminate the direct vent gas heater at the location currently being used for make up air (assuming I meet required code clearances).

There's no air to "make-up", so likely no need for a "make-up air" supply. However, you'll have to check your local codes to determine if you're still required to have one.

Direct vent appliances will have an exhaust outlet, as well as a combustion air inlet.  They draw air in through the combustion air intake, use the air for combustion, then expel the exhaust through the exhaust vent.  They should be completely "sealed", when it comes to combustion. They'll also have safety sensors to insure that enough air is coming in, and enough exhaust is going out.

As for the gas range... You'll have to check local codes to be sure, but commonly a range hood that exhaust to the outdoors is required where gas ranges are used.  If this is the case, you'll need some way to replace the air that's exhausted by the range hood. If the home is not sealed up really tight, leaky windows, doors, and other openings should provide enough air. Though if the house is sealed well, you'll need to provide an intake vent.

Again, you'll have to check with your local building department, as codes can vary from place to place.


How to secure wardrobe to wall if 1.25" gap exists between wall and wardrobe How do a secure a wardrobe to a wall if there is a roughly 1.25" gap between the wall and the wardrobe due to the molding on the wall? I'd prefer to not have a screw visibly poking out the back of the wardrobe and going into the wall because it positioned where it will be visible often. Are there any tricks I can employ to avoid the eyesore? Thanks!

I'd fasten a decorative/coordinating rail to the upper back of the wardrobe, or to the wall in that position, such that it appears to be a component of the wardrobe. Screw through the wardrobe back and the block into the wall. Its design depends on the design of the cabinet.


Did I shock myself? Do damage to electrical wiring? I was helping my grandmother upgrade her TV. She had an massive tube style TV that was way too heavy to move with the dresser to get to the wall to unplug.
I went to the breaker. Killed the power to the room and took a scissors to the power cord.
There must have been multiple breakers because I proceeded to get a loud noise and considerable spark upon cutting and did a nice number on the scissors.
I went back to the breakers. Flipped them all off and proceeded to move dresser and unplug the cut cord. The outlet didn’t appear to have any marks or anything on the cover.
I plugged in the new TV. Flipped all the breakers back and it fired up just fine. I just want to make sure I didn’t potentially do something that would cause issues down the road or a potential fire.
The noise and sparks definitely startled me, but I’m assuming I would really know if if I had gotten shocked? Is it somehow possible to not get shocked? The scissors had a rubber handle and I was wearing rubber flip flops at the time.
I am well aware of the total stupidity looking back on this and I appreciate the insight.

Did you shock yourself? Most likely not. The plastic handle of the scissors, though not rated or approved by any regulatory test lab for cutting live wires, is likely to have protected you. There's also a fair chance that your body wasn't in contact with any grounded conductor, so even if you did come in contact with the live wire, you would not have been shocked.
Electric shock here in the US, at least in my experience, feels like something is vibrating inside of my arm. It's pretty weird. I've experienced it both silently (directly touched a live conductor) and also along with the arc and loud noise you describe (caused a short with a hand-held tool like pliers). The sights and sounds of an arc definitely distract, but I'd say the curious sensation of being shocked would still be noticeable. It leaves me thinking "whoa, I think I just got shocked."
Did you do damage to the electrical wiring? Again, most likely not. Unexpected short circuits like this are one reason why we have "overcurrent protective devices" aka circuit breakers and fuses. They're also a consideration in the sizing of the wiring and other components in an electrical system: these all need to be heavy enough to withstand the high current needed to trip a circuit breaker.
It sounds like your arc may not even have been enough to trip a breaker.
The most direct way to "tell" for sure that no damage was done would be to visually inspect all the wiring and other devices in the circuit -- it's probably obvious that this sort of check is seldom, if ever, done after a (relatively) minor event like this.

Just for fun: here's a needle-nose pliers I melted when I was 11 years old. I was preparing to install an outlet and knew the circuit was hot (house still under construction; nearly finished and a few circuits were live to provide lighting), so I didn't want to reach into the box and pull the wires out with my bare fingers! So I used these pliers to reach into the box, grab the wires, and pull them out. It looks to me like the ground wire must have laid across the jaw of the pliers and somewhere I must have also brushed the cut but not yet stripped end of the hot wire. I think the circuit breaker tripped for this one..


What is happening to this wooden floor? What is happening to this wooden floor and why?

It's happening in various places, but not all over the floor. It's not even limited to where there is heavy traffic or where I have a chair on wheels.
What can I do to fix it and prevent it happening in the future?
Thanks.

Looks like the edges of the annual growth rings are separating. You can read about it here Raised Grain — It's Causes
and Prevention. Unfortunately there is not much you can do after the fact, other than wiping affected areas with a damp sponge to raise the grain further, let it dry and then sand it back to stable wood.
Here is another extreme example from my own deck. You can see where the front part had lifted and broken away some time ago, what's left is only held in place because it too thick to break off.


Replacing single pole switch (w/one screw on each side) w/ single pole switch w/2 screws on right/1 on left I bought Enerlite single pole paddle switches to replace my old switches.  I am replacing a switch for my dining room and it has two screws on the right and one on the left.
How do I am connect the wires on the new one with (3) screws instead of (2) screws?

There is only one switch that controls the dining room.  There was only one wire connected on the right side of the old switch. The other wire was connected on the left side.

This screw on the new switch is where you are supposed to connect the safety ground wire.

The following two screws on the new switch are where the switch wires connect. These would be the two wires that each connected one or the other side of the old switch.


The new GE blower motor is missing an orange wire, how to connect it properly? My old GE blower motor had an orange wire. Unfortunately, the new replacement motor has no orange wire.

The new motor will not start up with just the black, blue, yellow, red, and the 2 browns going to the capacitor.

However there are 4 factory-connected wires coming out and then returning inside the motor: they are yellow to purple, and orange to brown.

Any ideas on how to solve this?

The 4 wires coming out of and returning to to motor are for reversing the rotation of the motor. If you unplug them and switch them the rotation will switch. The yellow wire is most likely the common wire. The others are speed taps. Red is low, blue is medium and black is high (usually). The two browns go to the capacitor. I would need to see the wiring diagram to be sure but that is the usual wiring setup on furnaces. The orange wire was most likely medium high.


Why won't my circular saw blade tighten on the spindle? The blade on my Craftsman circular saw will not tighten down and consequently slips on the spindle.  I've tried packing the bolt with a washer and it didn't help.  Can't find anything online so this may not be a typical problem. Could it be as simple as replacing the spring washer?  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Make a shim out of thin cardboard and place it between the inner blade washer and the blade. The blades they're making these days are thinner than the older blades and some of the older saws have to be shimmed in order to prevent blade slippage.


Installing hook on strange wall I need to install some hooks on my wall, which I plan to use to perform elastic band exercises. Hence, I need to install these very well so that they will handle the stress properly.

Situation is I have found an strange wall on the rental apartment I'm living. I was convinced it was a concrete wall because it feels sturdy when I hit it. Then I drilled a hole on it with too much ease. It's almost as if it is made of sand, and at some point (after 2 inches) the wall feels hollow while drilling.

My conclusion is that the wall thickness is 2 inches. At this thickness, I don't think the wall will be able to support the 3 sleeve bolts (5/16 x 2 1/2 inches) required to install this system.

I wonder if I have any alternative here, maybe using different screws? Glue? Any other method?

NOTE: Old building, perhaps 60's to 70's construction. Brick on the outside.

This sounds like old school plaster on metal mesh, common for that era in apartments and condos. Hard as a rock. However, you'd have to open up the wall to find the concrete block that's most likely behind it, because the plaster is only supported by furring strips tacked into the blocks with nails. Do not be fooled if your stud-finder scores a hit. Don't be surprised if you find none, they're probably small metal c channels.

I would not employ "any other methods" then the appropriate lag screws into a wood stud or masonry fasteners into their appropriate substrate.

Long story short, installing this correctly in an apartment of your construction is unlikely. You'll shot your eye out, kid.


How to fit a pendant light hook? I'm a complete amateur, so please bare with me.

I have a pendant ceiling light that requires a hook.

I'm guessing that simply screwing a hook into the ceiling is a bad idea (electricity and all that). I'm also guessing that if I purchase a wire detector it isn't going to be too much use, as there is bound to be wires all over the place.

When travelling to Sweden I noticed that all the lights had pre-fitted hooks, so I'm wondering if there is a safer way for me to fit the hook or something particular I should purchase.

Either that or I'm thinking way to much into it.... but I'm trying to be safe as I don't fancy an electric shock!

EDIT:

Here is a link to the light http://www.philips.co.uk/c/choose-your-luminaire/ecomoods-402353116/prd/

Normally, the junction box for a ceiling light fixture is attached to the ceiling joists in such a way as to distribute the load of the light on those joists instead of on the drywall. The normal way is to hang a 2x4 between two joists, suspended a couple inches above the bottom of the joists, and attach the J-box to that so it'll be flush with the drywall. Such a structure can support hundreds of pounds, even if the j-box itself won't.

Under about 30 pounds, which includes most modern round lights, small hanging lights and ceiling fans, you should be able to mount directly to the J-box; it will have threaded holes for a machine screw. Over that, most kits will include a threaded J-hook that is designed to screw into the wood strut above the J-box; these can support up to a couple hundred pounds, and the J-box then only supports the weight of a crown cover to conceal the mount and wires.

Be wary; there are "old work" ceiling J-boxes designed to be inserted into the ceiling and have their load distributed by the drywall. These will only take about 5-6 pounds (your average round light), but nothing more. Hanging a ceiling fan or heavy hanging light directly from a J-box is a sure-fire way to end up needing to re-drywall your ceiling (after putting in a proper J-box of course).


Basement Rough In Decipher Can someone help me decipher the rough in currently in our basement and identify what is what? What else needs to be done to complete the rough in before finishing the bathroom and starting to frame?

This all needs to be confirmed, it is an educated guess.


How should I insulate rim joist cavities behind backing blocks? I am finishing a basement with 2" EPS on the poured walls and then doing the rim joist and sill plate with the same 2" EPS.  My question is along 2 sides of the building there are 2x8 backing blocks that are acting as a ledger for a deck and porch. Thanks for the replies.I am using 2" EPS.  There  is 1 or in some cases 2 lag bolts coming through the backing which is why its there in the first place. There were plain fiberglass batts stuffed in there before. I don't think I will be able to get the 2" up behind it.
So the question is should I just leave the batt insulation in those sections or do something else?
Thanks

I see a few options:

leave the batt insulation
build out the framing to the sill, fill with batt, apply vapour barrier
build out the framing to cover the foundation as well, ceiling to floor, and apply batt + VB.
as you suggest, apply EPS, or better, XPS. Cut it in horizontal strips, leave a slot for the deck's ledger screws, and slide under. Apply technical tape at horizontal seams. If the gap is 12" high, this might work with 6" high strips.

For 4, you can additionally apply spray foam into the perimeter of the cavity and promptly insert the board thus "squishing" the foam and creating a tight seal.


Toilet flush tank leaking into bowl - unable to figure out mechanism My toilet flush tank has a problem. Any water that goes into the tank goes straight into the toilet. It doesn't even allow the tank to refill i.e. the water just goes right through and into the bowl. It looks like the images attached. When I press either flush button, something below the red caps moves back and forth (and it sounds normal).

I don't really know how this mechanism works and what the problem might be. The building handyman says he needs a part that takes weeks to arrive after ordering. Is this a very uncommon design? This is in London, UK.

It's a pneumatic valve

https://www.wolseley.co.uk/product/sv93467-pneumatic-dual-flow-valve-15-pc93209-44/

according to this page:
https://plumbsparesdirect.com/store/sv93467-dual-flush-valve

  If the flush valve is letting by water into the pan the most likely problem is that the flush valve washer has failed
  To replace the Ideal Standard flush seal and clip turn off the water and empty the cistern then simply twist the body of the flush valve from the cradle, pull off the worn washer push on the new one twist the body back into the cradle and then refill the cistern
  Please refer to attached diagram for further fitting instructions


New home cat6 wiring and conduit I'm currently in the planning phases for a new construction home that will be 3 stories without a basement (crawlspace instead). The home will have insulation in all interior walls which will make it harder to do future cable runs. I'm looking to see if running empty conduit is an economical choice for future proofing the home.
For now, I'm looking to run conduit to each and every location. For cabling centralization, I'm looking to have three central locations in the home.
Here's my current cat6 plan:
First Floor: all crawlspace and first floor low voltage would run to the coat closet to a panel in there.

Second Floor: all second floor cabling is centralized to the laundry room panel. The second floor is connected to the first floor coat closet via 3-4in conduit.

Third Floor: All third floor cabling is dropped from the attic (where possible). The attic is connected via 3-4 inch conduit direct from the coat closet, bypassing the laundry room. There would probably be a couple 90 degree turns here since the third floor is all open space.

Right now, this would total to about 30 cable runs. My questions would be if it's feasible and economical to run this as conduit? Would it make more sense to have some as conduit and some as cat6? Are there any suggestions on improving the layout? At this point, I'm thinking of running empty conduit and pulling in cat6 only when I need it.

Conduit is always a good idea, in my opinion. Network/communications cable is something that has a much shorter lifecycle than a house. It's feasible, just requires application of money. If it's planned in from the design phase, that reduces the cost considerably .vs. retrofitting.

A house is not an office building, in most cases, so a single panel with every cable run to it is probably a more efficient layout than "patch panel per floor", as @Tyson commented.

Don't forget network to the middle of ceilings - the best place to put wireless access points, which work best when attached to wires.

As an aside, either use Cat5e or get Cat6A - Cat6 without the A is a cable that's only able to run 10 gigabit for short distances - at 1 gigabit, 5e is all you need.


Repair long narrow gap in plaster I need to fill a tall narrow gap in a plaster wall as shown in the image below. My question is: what is the best way to repair this? I have cut some ~1 pieces of drywall to fill the gap then tape the gaps from the drywall to the plaster however, I have been having a hard time cutting such thin pieces of drywall without it falling apart. Is there a better way to do this? the distance is about 8' from floor to ceiling.

Since it's too small to fit a piece of drywall, I would fill the gap with setting-type joint compound embedded with fiberglass mesh.  It may take two or three coats to fill the gap.  After it's filled, finish the two sides like you would if it were filled with a piece of drywall:  Tape the patch with paper and feather out to the plaster.  Then put on a finish coat of compound.  Many folks prefer to use the pre-mixed stuff to finish, but you can use the setting type you used to fill the gap.


Electric Range Element Replacement I've got an old Philco electric range that needs a couple of 6" elements replaced but parts are near impossible to find.

The Philco elements have 3 wires while modern elements only use 2 wires.

Is it possible to hook up a modern element to my old Philco stove?

Without being able to test and troubleshoot your coils it is difficult to say but it appears your coils are two 120 volt coils with a center common to both coils. The white wire marked "Com".

You would need to take a voltage reading on the two outside terminals of the coils to see if you get 240 volts.

If that is the case, then a two wire heating element would connect to the two outside wires and the center wire would just get capped off.

Range heating elements are normally rated for 240 volts.

Good luck!


Repair PricePfister WL2-23 Classic Lavatory Faucet? I have a faucet that closely resembles the one found at http://bit.ly/bTTr8z the WL2-23 near the bottom right of the list.  I am having trouble removing the faucet handles in order to look at the internals/change the washer.

Has anyone ever dealt with a faucet like this?  It has no obvious access area except for the hole near the bend of the curve of the handle.  It doesn't seem to have a screw or anything in there, but I might be missing something.

In my experience, a lot of bathroom fixtures use Allen wrenches.  Mine (from Pegasus, though) use a 1/16" wrench.


How can I install an air conditioner in a window with a very deep exterior ledge? Our NYC apartment building has very deep exterior ledges, extending around a foot beyond the window, but 2-3" below the window frame, so a window AC can't rest flat on it.  How do we appropriately brace/mount the AC? none of the standard mounting brackets will work, as they don't extend far enough out to reach over the ledge. We don't want to just prop it up on blocks, as everything I've read suggests this is illegal.
Any advice appreciated!

I strongly recommend asking your landlord. They will have dealt with this before, and will know what solutions will work -- and given the potential liability issues they may insist on doing the instillation.

(I have dismounted a NYC airconditioner, which had been installed with a moderately complex metal framework apparently designed to solve exactly the problem you are describing. I don't remember any details, though.)


Does A/C encourage mold growth I think i'm being sold bunk by a mold company, but not sure.

We live in the tropics, we recently had our bathroom ceiling flood due to a burst pipe, and went away immediately after. (the landlord had the bathroom ceiling removed a bit under a week into our holiday)

Before we left, we called a mold control company and said we were going to leave the A/C on to keep the humidity down to prevent mold growth (we have a new A/C, very efficient, was going to keep it on the lowest setting just to dry the air a bit, so the energy usage would not have been a concern). They said not to do that. They're the "experts" so we followed their advice.

When we returned, the apartment had bloomed (literally bloomed) with mold.

Our landlord now is saying that this is because we use the A/C a lot (we don't), and need to open the unit windows more, and buy a dehumidifier. If we actually did use the A/C a lot, wouldn't the cooling and drying of the air have prevented the mold growth more than opening the unit?

We live next to a rainforest, so I would've thought that opening the unit would invite spores and damp air in rather than prevent mold?

Thanks in advance for any help

Yeah, that advice was super wrong.  Moisture encourages mold growth.

After a water leak you need to go to extremes to dry the air to get wet things to evaporate into the air, which you then continue to dry.   I would run dehumidifiers, or shoot, if your house has A/C, just run the A/C since that is a dehumidifier.

The only risk is if you excessively chill the air, because cooler air has less capacity to hold moisture.  This drives the British crazy, their masonry buildings often have utility spaces with "the damp" which are 40-50F (5-10C) and freon dehumidifiers just don't work well at those temperatures. They are forced to heat the space just so the dehumidifier will work effectively. I've witnessed it myself, a dehumidifer that fills in 8 hours at 75F takes a week to fill at 45F.  The goal is measured in gallons, and time is a factor, so that is a total lose.   And mind you, dehumidifiers do heat the space since all the energy they use winds up in the room as heat. Air conditioners remove the heat.

So you need to also heat the house, which fortunately is something solar load (i.e. The sun hitting your roof) does automatically.  All you need to do is have a system whereby the air conditioner doesn't cool the house more  than it's being heated by the sun... Some sort of, gosh, I don't know, thermostat :)

Oh yeah, you have one of those.  Set it aggressively enough to run a lot, but not so aggressively that you create the British problem. Something like 60-ish (16C), let it go nuts.


Can AWG 6 be used in the middle of a 20a AWG 12 circuit? Can AWG 6 be used in the middle of a 20a AWG 12 circuit? Would this affect the performance of a 20 Amp Single-Pole CAFCI Circuit Breaker?

I have an existing, never used, buried, 6-3 Romex NM-B W/G wire leading from (but not connected to) a Square D 100 amp load center approx. 100 ft. to an outside structure with an AWG 12 curcuit used for lighting and one GFCI outlet. All of the outside fixtures are water proof.

I would join the AWG 12 on each end to the AWG 12, in a junction box using split bolts?

There's no problem connecting a bigger conductor, as long as the circuit breaker protects the smallest conductor in the circuit. In fact, that big wire will reduce voltage drop over that 100 foot run. Actually, it's 100 feet, plus the length of whatever wiring you run to the outlet and lights, plus the length of whatever extension cord(s) you plug into the outlet.

If you were to use a 12 AWG wire for a 100 foot 120V single phase run, you'd experience almost 8% voltage drop if you were actually pushing 20 amperes. Assuming you had 120 volts at the source, you'd have about 112 at the other end, which isn't a problem for a lot of loads (aside from using a little more electricity), but for some types of equipment I've seen it cause some weirdness. A 10 AWG wire would experience 5% voltage drop over the same distance, and 8 AWG wire would give you 3% voltage drop. If you ran a 240V split phase circuit down that 6 AWG wire, you'd experience about 5% voltage drop if you were pushing 40 amperes of current.

It seems that this existing wire was probably originally meant to warm up a subpanel in the other structure? Why not just install a small subpanel with a 40A two pole main breaker, then run a couple of 15A or 20A circuits out of the subpanel with a little bit of room to grow?  The panel itself would only cost about $15. The breakers would cost a little more if you're required to install GFCI and/or AFCI breakers.


How do I run CAT-6 cable in existing drywall? Possible Duplicate:
  How to run ethernet cable through wall cavity

I've been interested in running a really fast hard-line network for a while, but the main deterrent has been installing the CAT-6 cable in the walls and installing face plates for outlets. I'm trying to understand exactly what would be required for my current setup.

It's a one-story apartment, not sure on the square footage, but I'd definitely do almost all of the cable through the wall.

How do I pass the cable through studs? Do I have to cut away at the drywall and drill a hole through each stud I want to pass through? Also, how much drywall will I have to cut away and patch? Will it be every stud? Is there a "from-scratch" guide available to instruct on how to do this?

I did this yesterday, so it's fresh on my mind. :)

First, for your wires and whatnot, I highly recommend monoprice.com. Excellent products, and very affordable. I also found an excellent, power-saving 8-port 1Gbps switch on Amazon.

In a best-case scenario, you'd want to run the wires across the attic/crawlspace and then down/up into the walls. If there's any way to access over your head or below your feet, that's the way to go. In that case, interior walls are easy to get to, just aim right when drilling down! This is by far the best solution, since the only drywall disturbed is where you install the jack.

But as for exterior walls--forget about ceiling access, the combination of tight working spaces, insulation, etc. will make it impractical to do without opening the drywall and running across the wall. And in most cases, floor access will be just as hard.

For that scenario (across the wall), you'd need to open a small section of drywall (perhaps 3"x8" across each stud, and use a drill with a LONG bit to get through the studs at an angle. Then, like a ceiling-down or crawlspace-up installation, use a fish tape to pull the wire through.

You'll need about a 5/8" hole or so through the studs to get a CAT6 cable with the RJ-45 end on it through the hole. You can go a lot smaller for just the wire, but I recommend buying cables with the RJ-45 connector molded on--proper punch-down for CAT6 leaves a lot less room for error than 5 or 5e, and MonoPrice and others sell an excellent Keystone-style coupler so the wall-plate still has an RJ-45 jack, not a wire coming out of the wall.

Another option for across-the-wall installation is to run the wiring behind the shoe molding or the baseboards. Then, your run up to the jack can either be behind the wall (a short run that you should be able to fish relatively easily) or just up the wall (home improvement stores have cable channels to help tidy this up).

A third option for exterior walls is to run it in conduit on the outside of the home. Aesthetically, this is the worst option, but if the conduit is hidden by bushes or something where you need to go through the wall, it may be a viable option.

For jacks, I recommend a Keystone-type system combined with a low-voltage (orange and backless at Home Depot) old-construction electrical box. This combination offers the best flexibility for the future and easiest cable management (making the turns) inside the wall.

If you have thick plaster walls or shiplap behind drywall (common in older homes), skip the low-voltage box, you'll need deep, blue plastic boxes for old construction, and replace the screws that hold the wings with longer versions of the same, since those screws are only long enough for 5/8" drywall.

Other tips:

Always run two wires. One for what you're doing right now, and another (just a strong, loose wire without connectors) so you can pull something else through in the future easily without opening up the walls again.

Be generous with taping. It's always easier to remove electrical tape that is holding your fish tape to the wire you're pulling than it is to try to retrieve said wire if it come detached from the fish tape during the pull.


Code for elevating water heater in garages? A gas/propane water heater in a garage is elevated. This is to ensure the open flame (at the bottom) is above a certain height (?) to avoid any combustible fuels in the garage from igniting.

This all makes sense.

But does it apply to electric/heat pump hot water heaters? I assume not, as there is no flame to cause combustion, but I'm not sure where in the code to find out if this is true or not. Is it a plumbing code? Electrical?

As I suspected, the code you're referencing is from the National Fuel Gas Code. I was not able to find anything in National Electrical Code, or International Residential Code that mentions this in the context of electric appliances.
So this code only applies to gas water heaters, and only those that are not listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant (FVIR).

NFPA 54: National Fuel Gas Code 2015
Chapter 9 Appliance, Equipment, and Accessory Installation
9.1 General.
9.1.10 Installation in Residential Garages.
9.1.10.1 Appliances in residential garages and in adjacent spaces that open to the garage and are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit shall be installed so that all burners and burner ignition devices are located not less than 18 in. (460 mm) above the floor unless listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant.


Most likely cause of leak Under my sink there is a leak somewhere which is causing the concrete floor under the sink to be soaked and it's seeping under the slate floor too. I can't seem to work out where it's coming from. I know it's hard to know without physically looking, but wondered if anyone had any ideas or pointers.

All of the pipes seem dry and seems to only happen when either the washing machine has been on or after washing up a lot. I opened up the waste to ensure the pipe is clear and it is. I'm wondering if it's the mains water in but below the surface. Below is a picture of under the sink.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Blue - in/out to dishwasher (not in use)

Green - water to washing machine

Orange - washing machine waste

Yellow - mains water into house

Red - waste pipe going into the floor for sink, washing machine and dishwasher

Check the seal around the faucet, around the sink, and between sink and backsplash by having someone pour water there while you look below.

Failing that, wrap toilet paper around all the pipes. Wait. Check for a wet spot on the toilet paper. Here's your leak. This works better with colored toilet paper (pink, blue, whatever) as it becomes darker when wet.


Outlets are half voltage and/or don't work I have a old house with knob and tube wiring and today my breaker keeps tripping.

I have a couple of 240v outlets (dryer and range) that are on different breakers. I get 115v readings from each of the plugs.
I noticed a copper ground wire coming out from a box that is not attached to anything, that's another issue.

My reason for writing this post is the fact that I'm only getting 115v from the plug and some other 115v outlets through out the house don't work either.
I think they may be wired to the two 240v wires from a junction box somewhere in the house. I'm afraid they shorted out and could cause a fire.

I did turn them off but. Now I have no power to about 8 different outlets from different rooms. Can someone give me some advice, I'm afraid of fire and getting zapped.

A picture of the main panel would be helpful. But it sounds like at some level - either in the panel or possibly before the panel you "lost a leg" - that would result in 240 --> 120 and 1/2 of your 120 --> 0. If that is really the case, CALL YOUR UTILITY COMPANY as it can be a very serious problem. The big question is whether the problem is caused by something inside your house (for your electrician to fix) or outside (which the utility will fix, usually quickly and for free).


Can light fixture be installed in attic hatch? This is a rather unusual scenario but is it compliant with the NEC to have a light fixture installed in a door that moves, e.g. an attic hatch? I have a hatch to my attic in the middle of a closet ceiling. Was curious if I can have Romex run to an electrical box on the attic side of that hatch, which would then move when the hatch is opened.

Nothing in NEC section 410 prohibits the placement of a luminaire in or on a door or hatch.  However, you'll want to use a flexible cord pigtail with strain reliefs between a fixed junction box and the movable door as NM cable is not designed for repeated bending.  (Flexible cord is allowed here by 400.7(A)(9), BTW.)


How to Wire Fan with Black/White/Green to Ceiling with Black/White/Red/Bare? We had a fan in our living room that started smoking so we're replacing it. However, the wiring on the new fan is different from the old fan so I can't figure out how to wire it into the ceiling.

The old fan was connected to two switches, one switch on one wall and the other switch on the opposite wall. The old fan also had lights. However, the lights and the fan blades were controlled by a remote control separate from the light switches. The wall switches just gave power to the whole fan and then the remote control allowed us to turn on the lights, fan blades or both.

In the ceiling there is one large wire that contains a black wire, a white wire, a red wire, and a bare copper wire.

In the new fan there is a black wire, a white wire, and a green wire.

If it weren't for the red wire in the ceiling, I would just wire up everything to the same color (black to black, white to white, and green to bare copper).

However, I have no idea what to do with that extra red wire in the ceiling.

Any ideas?

In some installations, there will be two switches for a fan - one for the fan and another for the light.  The ceiling fan would have four wires (blue is common color for the 4th wire), and they are normally labeled Light, Fan, Common, and Ground.  One wall switch will control the black wire, and the second switch will control red.

Your new fan either doesn't have lights, or the lights can't be controlled by a switch independently from the fan.  The documentation should tell you what each wire is for, but your assumption should be correct - black to black (assuming your switch controls the black wire - check it), white to white, and green to ground.  The red wire should simply be capped off by itself in the junction box.


What can I do about toilet water disappearing? Since last month, for whatever reason, the water in the toilet keeps disappearing every other day (like the water that sits at the bottom after you flush). This is enough to fill the apartment with the smell of.. human waste. I can notice it quickly when I'm home but when I'm out for the day, coming back home is like entering a sewage pipe.

The toilet is a regular kind with that sideways S shaped pipe to keep the water in there and when the water disappears its completely friggin gone, I cant imagine how this could even happen. Afaik theres no construction going on and my landlord is impossible to reach so what can I do about it?

I share Paulster2's concern that your plumbing isn't properly vented, or there's a blockage in the vent. You can try to snake the vent from the roof or running a garden hose down it to clear it out.

Signs of insufficient venting include drains that start slow and then gurgle after at the end, toilets that bubble, especially on lower levels, and traps that get sucked dry, especially on the upper levels.


Can I move the opening of my screen door from the middle to the left? Hi We have a 12 ft sliding glass door off of our living room to our patio. It opens in the center third. Is there any way that the opening can be shifted to the left side and have the two fixed sections to the right? I would replace the whole thing but it would be very expensive to get the same quality as we have, which the past owners had installed. And honestly cannot afford it. Thank you for any help you can give.

Your post says "screen door" but it sounds like you want to change the sliding glass door and the screen along with it. Most glass door units are modular, the glass sections (stationary and sliding) are separate pieces and the track runs the whole width of the unit. If this is the case it may be possible to switch things around.

Take a good look at the unit, the sliding door should lift up and inwards for removal. Once removed you may be able to see whether or not the stationary units can be removed. Look for screws on the inside and outside that are holding the units in place. The stationary units can usually be lifted up and removed as well. If we represent the original arrangement as A-B-C (with "B" being the sliding door) you might be able to replace them in this configuration:
 B-C-A.

The panels are heavy, don't try it alone. Prepare a flat area to lay down the sliding door so you can refurbish/lubricate the wheels while you have it off (I use sawhorses). Some old glass units are NOT tempered safety glass and could hurt you terribly if broken, be careful. The weatherstripping scheme, as well as the latch, may require some ingenuity as the setup will not be the same.

Not all glass door assemblies are made to take apart like described, especially custom stuff.


Narrow conduit (old building), need to run 2xhots, 1xneutral Currently I have two wires running through the conduit: one hot (coming from box), and one hot switched (on/off according to light switch).
I would like to convert it to an outlet switch combo (one outlet with a switch).
So, I need to run one more wire, the neutral, to power the outlet.

The existing wires are old so I've removed them.

What wires should I use? THHN? What number (gauges), I'd say 12 is the suggested for outlets? Solid or stranded?

I mistakenly bought a 12/3 romex cable, which is too thick to run through the conduit. My understanding is that I can't strip the yellow plastic sheath that covers the wires, and just use the black, red and white wires, correct? Because I believe they don't have enough protection against damage. Correct?

What would be the right wire for this job?

The old wire had some textile/cotton on the outside, and it seems this is no longer used. What was this cable for, and why it seems no longer used?

Any help is appreciated!

You want THHN wire.  You will find stranded much easier to pull, but harder to terminate.  Do not use backstabs with stranded!

Sizewise you must use #12 unless you know this is a 15A circuit.  No option there.  I just use #12 because the cost difference isn't so bad as it is with Romex.

You could've used the old wire to pull the new wire in.  You can wrap the first 3-4 inches of the 3 wires together with tape - stagger them about 1"  - and make the tape a bit lumpy so it's less likely to snag on things... at that point try pushing it through, if you fiddle enough you often get lucky.  If that doesn't work, you can tie a string to a tissue and vacuum it through, and use the string to pull the wires through.  Or get some proper "fishing tape".

Colorwise, use the correct colors since you can't remark wire in conduit.

The neutral must be white or gray, conventionally, white.

Hots can be black brown red orange yellow pink blue or violet. For simple 1-circuit pipe work, convention is black for always-hot and red for switched-hot.

Bat nailed it as to why you can't just shuck Romex.  If the wire isn't marked THHN, it's not as tough as THHN.  You can't use unmarked wire anyway.


What type of primer should be used on moisture resistant drywall? What type of primer should I use my basement bathroom walls? New moisture resistant drywall has been installed, taped and sanded, and is now ready to be primed.

Very simple, don't waste $$$ on fancy primers.  For new drywall, do not use high hiding or shellac based primers. Use PVA sealer/primer. Amen! See my other answers on primers and sealers.


Need to keep pressing the unlock button on a reciprocating saw: is that typical? I just got a modest cordless reciprocating saw by SnapFresh   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089QGR718/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
To run the thing we need to press two buttons at all times: not just the trigger but also that  "Lock" button highlighted in red:

The owner's manual confirms that both need to be depressed for us to get any juice.  So .. is this standard fare for a reciprocating saw?  It is awkward!

The trigger lock is a mechanical safety mechanism that prevents the trigger from being pulled.
It needs to be depressed before the trigger can be pulled.
I would not activate the two buttons at exactly the same time, because I do not know it that would cause any wear on the unlock mechanism.
The trigger lock button is only used to allow the trigger switch to be pulled, so it does not have to be held when the trigger is pulled.


Can I build a 28" retaining wall using blocks with no lip? I am building a wall that is 10.5' long and 28" high. There will also be side walls sloping down from both corners to enclose a patio. I would like to use blocks that are 15" wide, 5" tall and 8" deep, but there is no lip and it is concerning.  There is about 6' of soil between my house and where the gravel backfill would begin and there is a very slight slope.  Would construction adhesive between the blocks be sufficient for support along with the proper backfill and drainage?

If i understand the question, you want to use these blocks to create a retaining wall for your patio? the patio will be enclosed by these walls?

A 28" wall made from solid block is fairly heavy and might settle if not built on a footing or well compacted gravel base. You didn't mention what part of the country you are in. If you are in an area with ground frost, a footing becomes even more important. Seasonal movement can be substantial.

At 6 blocks tall, I would not recommend masonry adhesive. I think you should consider using mortar instead. Adhesive is fine for caps or just a couple of courses, but six interlocking courses should have mortar and possibly vertical re-bar if you want it to last more than a season or two.

Another consideration is the drop off height. 28 inches is a substantial drop. You should design some sort of railing or barrier so you or your guests don't step off a 3 foot drop to a broken leg or neck during a festive BBQ. Since I always cook with beer, it would be a concern to me!!!!


Light Switch with no ground I’m replacing my light switches with Lutron Caseta switches. When I pull the old ones out I noticed they don’t have grounds. The box they are in is plastic. Is it okay to not ha e a ground in the new light switch?

Also are there switches where the wire is part of the switch. I loosened the screws but the wire wouldn’t come out. I’m assuming it’s attached to the switch itself and that I’ll need to cut the wire.

Yes, they should be grounded. You have ground wire in the box. Just twist some bare copper on to it for each switch and then nut it off


Range plug prongs are slightly exposed - Is that dangerous? I just had a new range installed in the kitchen.  The cord's prongs do not quite go in all the way.  There's not a lot of space, maybe 1/8th to 1/4th inch.  Is there any risk to the prongs not going completely into the socket?  Thanks.

Theoretically, yes, a risk exists -- if you drop a knife or baking tray into that area, for example.

And frankly, if the plug won't go all the way in I'm worried about whether something else is goung on that might be a greater risk.

It won't kill you tomorrow. I'd still suggest getting it fixed.


How can I fasten 1x4 fence railings to fence panels from underneath or from the side? I'm helping put together a custom fence with wire panels sandwiched between flat 1x4s, with the panels being placed in-between 4x4 posts. What would be an effective way to fasten the top 1x4 to the fence, either by fastening it to the fencing frames or to the posts?
We would like to have all the screws on the outside of the fence so that when we are inside the perimeter of the fence, no fasteners are visible, and we'd also like to avoid any fasteners on the top of the 1x4 railing for looks as well as for general rain impermeability, if possible.
My first that was to toe-screw them together with the screw-tip coming up at an angle into the under side of the top 1x4 railing after passing through both of the fence panel 1x4s, but I worry that will cause the top 1x4 railing to tilt a bit to one side. I'm hoping I can combat that with some clamps while screwing things together, but I'm not sure how effective that will be (or if I'm worrying about nothing).
If it matters, this is ground-contact pine lumber that will eventually be stained/sealed. We are using wooden fence/deck fasteners; typically #8 of varying lengths.
How the top 1x4 will rest on the fence panels:

How the fence panels will sit/attach to the 4x4 posts:

I'd just try to find the best looking L-brackets; some can look really good. And matched with the fence, it will add an even better touch.


Can I use flexible LED strips to get better lighting in my kitchen? My wife and I really hate how the lights in our kitchen are central and overhead, making it so that when we cut vegetables or work on the counters, our shadow blocks the light from being able to see what we're doing. Here's a little diagram I made to illustrate the point:

Our kitchen kinda looks like this:

I'm thinking of adding lights either up above in the cabinets:

Or adding a flexible LED light strip along the crook of the counters:

My big question is: What is a good strategy for accomplishing this sort of lighting. Are flexible LEDs bright enough and cost-effective enough to use, or should I be looking more into affixing small lights to the bottom of those cabinets? Do they even look good? Google's first result is this, which doesn't seem like an ambient block of light so much as a bunch of little lights. I'm hoping for a bright strip of light. If flexible LEDs aren't quite there yet, what is a good strategy for accomplishing this?

One thing to keep in mind is that we're renters - we want to save up for a year or two then buy our own place, so we'd prefer nothing too expensive, and nothing where we have to do major renovations (hence the idea of laying down some flexible LED strips rather than putting in some recessed lighting under the cabinets.

You can definitely get flexible led strips that are bright enough to do what you want. Many of them run on 12V, which you can easily get from a small power supply, and you could just plug it into an outlet on the counter.

I would put them under the cabinets; it would be easily to hide them there. Many of the strips can be had with adhesive backing, which would just stick under the counter.

To answer your question on the individual lights, the individual LEDs will blend together nicely.

If you look at Amazon, you'll find a lot of solutions, and they are fairly cheap.


How to fix this tile job? We had a contractor come in and tile our fireplace. The front (where the eye goes immediately) is not flush with the rest and creates a visible line that is driving us crazy. Is there anything we can do ourselves such as sanding or re-grouting that can fix this problem?

We have already paid a lot for the entire job as they also did the cement boards underneath. They are blaming the different thicknesses of the tiles for this look. Is this bad enough for them to come in and redo it from the ground up free of charge?

Thanks!

There's nothing you can do to fix it short of tearing it out and starting over.  Any sanding or grinding you might try will be even more evident in the difference in finish and texture.

I doubt there is a significant difference in the thickness of the ledger panels.  But even if their is, that's part of the job of a tile setter - compensating for materials and substrate to get an even, clean, finished look.

I wouldn't be happy with it either.  But it will mean tearing out much of the
job to fix it.  Good luck.


What's the wattage of the heater I have an in-wall heater with this label attached:

How come it has 4 different currents/wattages listed? Which one applies?

It has four different settings. Low,med-low,med,high?

The highest one applies for conductor and breaker sizing.


Running multiple UF wires in a single trench I'm taking power from a 100 amp subpanel in an outbuilding and running three branch circuits: two to small outbuildings for lights, one to a horse waterer that draws 1.5 amps. Two questions: can I run the three UF wires in a single trench for the first 50 feet?  Do I bring all three UF wires into the power source building in a single LB or do I put in three LBs?

IME, IMHO, UF is a terrible idea, but you can certainly put 3 UF in one trench, and you COULD bring them in through one (HUGE) LB - the LB needs to be HUGE because oval wire is treated as round wire of the largest dimension of the oval for conduit fill purposes, and 3 wires does not get the one-wire higher fill percentage. Also practically speaking you'll appreciate having the space to get the job done with less swearing.

I would STRONGLY recommend conduit and individual (wet rated) wires. The trench is the expensive part. Conduit means never having to dig the trench again, while direct burial means you might have to do that. Not infrequently conduit and wire is competitive with or actually cheaper than direct burial wire.


Should I build risers and treads out of hard wood floor pieces I've purchased some hard wood flooring to go throughout my entire house. The pieces for the stairs are extremely expensive and are just too much for my budget. It was suggested to me by the sales guy that I could "just build my own out of hardwood floor pieces". He has "nose" pieces (3" wide by 8' long) that I can attach to 2 or 3 pieces of hardwood floor that I can use to just build my own tread, and then build my own risers out of a few pieces as well. This will be significantly cheaper.

This is a sales guy though, so, I can throw him further than I can trust him. Will it look good (or even work) for me to do this? Should I just forget the stairs and leave the carpet on them? I spent a bit looking online for tutorials/etc on how to build your own treads and risers and I couldn't find anyone really doing (or recommending) that you do this.

Time = Money. And assembling these in a manner that won't cause you headache later is going to take a lot of time.

To make a tread, you'll need to laminate the floorboard together somehow, otherwise they will flex under the weight. Construction adhesive would work, but wood glue might be better. And don't forget to sand or plane off the finish before you glue them together because the glue won't stick as well to the finished face.

Multiply all of this by the number of steps you have.

Another method with slightly less work is to put down regular stair treads, then put your hardwood planks over the top. You need to carefully select the correct thickness of the tread, taking in to account the thickness of your planks and the nose molding. This is similar to what is described in the article you linked to in your comment.


Well water pressure changing rapidly I’m hoping someone could help us. We noticed an issue with our water pressure, it seems to fluctuate every 20 seconds or so. We are still able to use our water but it’s become a lot more noticeable. I did a lot of research to try and understand what’s going on and what to test but I would love some confirmation before we order a new water pressure tank.
Some info about our system:
Wellxtrol WX203, 32 gallons
I believe the cut in/cut out should be 40/60 as the pressure switch cuts off at 60, however it doesn’t turn on until 33. I know it should turn on at 38.
The tank itself is laying on its side in the crawl space. Ive read this can cause premature rupture of the bladder.
There is no info anywhere about the well pump (on the cap or by the circuit breaker) so we followed a video to measure. We got 9.8 gpm.
When we measured our drawdown, we only got .75 gallons. We were going to drain the tank and check the air pressure to test for a ruptured bladder but with such a small drawdown, we are scared to mess with anything too much.
I have tried to learn as much as I can about this so I pray I’m making some sort of sense. Thank you so much for any help you may be able to offer us.

You almost certainly need a new tank (or bladder if you have a tank with replaceable bladder, though when I had one of those I was not thrilled to find a that a new bladder (no warranty, have fun swapping them) was almost equal to a new tank with new warranty, which made "replaceable bladder" much less of a "feature" in my mind.)
Your pressure switch may be adjustable - look up the instructions for it, as presumably they are not carefully stored nearby given the rest of your system problems.
Beware of simply getting what you have when replacing parts - if it was done wrong once, do it right the next time, don't repeat past mistakes like the sideways pressure tank.


Outlet turning on ceiling fan I have two switches in my kitchen for the ceiling fan. One red, white, black and ground wire. It was replaced with a receptacle but the fan and other lights on that circuit only work when you plug something into the outlet and turn it on.... What gives

Fire your electrician

That is such a fundamentally dumb "do not know what's going on here" mistake that it took some serious hubris to intentionally do this without knowing (or caring) how things work.  This person is a danger to self and others.

Keep in mind that electrical is a world where blindly attempting combinations is dangerous.  There are many combinations which will appear on the surface to work, but will kill you.

Look closer at the existing circuit and wiring

From here we need to look closer at what the switches are controlling - fan and light specifically. We need to see which wires might be in the back of the switch box, and how they are grouped. And we might need to make some design compromises, or fish additional wires into the walls.  Your next step is to post some photos of the wiring in the switch box, and if there's only one cable in there, the fan box as well. Don't disturb how wires are interconnected; that is essential information because colors mean nothing.


How can I speed up my slow hot water? Our water heater (gas) is located in the garage. It is 25 to 30 feet away from the closest faucet, which I'm guessing is the main reason it takes so long -- a minute or longer -- to get hot water flowing into my house.

What can I do to reduce the time it takes to get hot water flowing?

The best way to speed up hot water to the tap is through the use of a booster heater, also known as a "point of use" hot water heater. This is a small (~4 gallon) hot water heater installed very near the sink. If you need a lot of hot water and you want it to start fast you can install the hot water line as the supply for the point of use heater. That way you will have 4 gallons for immediate use and if you use that up you will be drawing hot water from your main hot water heater. If you don't need more than 4 gallons of hot water at the sink you can just use cold water as the supply. Here's an example of a point of use water heater for sale at Amazon.com.


What do I need to do to replace this shower faucet handle? I've had a surprising amount of difficulty finding the answer to this question via traditional means (vendor website, store clerks, etc).
I recently moved into a house and I've been updating various things within it on my own. I'd like to replace this old Delta shower faucet handle:

with a handle of this style:

I have a feeling I need to buy more than just the new handle, but if so, what do I need to buy? A new mixer valve, perhaps?

When it comes to trim kits for mixer valves, the method of attaching them can differ a lot between manufactures.  If you can get the model number of the mixer valve and/or trim kit (trim kit is the handle and escutcheon plate, usually sold together) you can go to the manufactures catalog and see if;

1) different handles are available for the trim kit  or

2) select a different trim kit with the handle you like. Most mixer valves will work with various trim kits from the same manufacturer.

At most box stores, they only display complete kits, mixer and trim together, however a knowledgeable sales person will know how to use the manufacture's catalog to select different trim kits to work with your mixer.


What is this roof constructed from? I am trying to answer questions about the construction of a roof and was wondering if it is possible to tell from the picture attached, and if so what the construction is?

EDIT: The roof is difficult to access however I have one additional picture from a slightly different angle which may or may not help. The house was originally built around 1890 (although I am guessing the roof has been reconstructed since then).

It looks like it could be a foam roofing material to me. That's a relatively new development though, as in less than 20 years old. It's used a lot on older buildings however because it's just sprayed on as a liquid that expands and foams up to get into all of the crevices in old tar paper and gravel or rolled roofs, without having to remove the old roofing. It also adds quite a bit of thermal insulation, typically lacking in old roofs and buildings. I've heard that now 90% of buildings in Arizona are getting foam roofing done now.


OK to attach a metal electric junction box and armored cable (MC) to underside of subfloor in basement? Is it OK to attach a metal electric junction box and armored cable (MC) to underside of the subfloor in a basement with an exposed ceiling? Or does it have to be attached to the side of the joists in a parallel run?

Some potential problems could be:

You might not have much wood in the subfloor to screw into, so the box might not hold very much weight (if a ceiling fan or heavy light is possible in the future)
You might puncture the floor above with the box's screws
If someday the subfloor were to be replaced that would be a problem for the junction box
Long screws or nails from new flooring could puncture or be stopped by the junction box.

Why not just cut & attach a 2x4 support brace between the floor joists, and then attach the box to it? Then you can screw securely to the 2x4, either on it's side or bottom. Like one of these:

 [source - Framing to Add a Ceiling Fan]

Or like this view from above (an attic):

 [source - How to Replace a Light Fixture With a Ceiling Fan]

You could also buy a special metal ceiling fan support bar, like this one at Home Depot   but it's currently $14.28 US, a small piece of 2x4 is likely much cheaper, or even free if it's scrap.


How would I set the temperature of my water heater so that it is the most energy efficient? We have a tankless water heater.

I want to set the temperature so that it is the most energy efficient. Should I set the temperature of the water so that it is just hot enough for taking a shower?

I figured that if it is set that way then when I take a shower all I have to do is to turn on the hot water and would not require any cold water to bring it down to a comfortable temperature.

Am I overlooking something here?

I guess our laundry washer would also have hot enough water.  The dishwasher should be fine too, yes?

Currently we have it set to 120 and it is hit enough. We still have to fix some cold water with it.

Setting the temperature lower would be the most energy efficient setting, but the question is open whether this would be a significant savings. It may be beneficial to the heater--IIRC the instructions for my Bosch Aquastar 125B say that if the heater is set at the lowest flame setting then it may never have to be descaled.

The downside of outputting a lower temperature of water is that this will reduce the ability to supply multiple simultaneous uses.

But there is the question of microbes in the water and specifically Legionella, the cause of Legionnaires' disease. All over the scientifically based world the recommendation is that water stored in tanks should be kept cold or at a temp of 130 to 140 F, not in between. It is not clear how this applies to hot water supply systems that use a tankless heater.

If all the water that ends up abandoned in the hot water pipes after the hot water taps are turned off has been heated to 140 F, then that would have killed "all" the Legionella in the incoming water. As it sits in the hot water line and gets tepid there is not enough surviving bacteria to grow to a dangerous level. But if the heater never heats the water past say 105 F, then Legionella will survive to grow in the hot water supply lines.


What can be done with walls that are wet and moldy? After several stormy and rainy days; wetness and mold began to appear on the walls. The mold quickly spread to all of the rooms in the apartment.
It did not happen in the summer so it is probably related to the rain. However, the apartment is on the ground floor in a 4 story building. It is probably not from the roof. I have some questions:

First, is there anything to do in the short term to detect and fix the problem?
Second, I am planning a massive remodel. I am removing some inner walls and installing new piping. Will this solve the problem? Could there be a different problem that will not be solved even with a remodel?

Here are some pictures of the walls:

Mold (mildew) reproduces quickly. Once it starts growing it travels to other areas via the wind current. Once it lands on another surface it will begin growing there and the cycle continues. Mold requires a food source, the correct temperature and most of all it needs moisture. The recent rain might have something to do with it. Most mildew issues are from leaking areas like windows or pipes. Also, leaking roofs and flooring that doesn't dry could cause the issue. Moisture vapor passes through walls and ceilings and condenses on the surface during the winter. In the short term, I would start by buying or renting a dehumidifier to remove the moisture in the air. You should also get a few fans going to help evaporate some of the moisture. Begin wiping down the affected areas with a mildew remover. Bleach water is highly effective. Make sure you wear a mask. Once all of that is accomplished, I would focus on those areas where the surface is peeling. I would say those are points that have had a lot of moisture for a long period of time. I'm not so sure the answer is to start tearing out walls and running new piping. However, that will depend on what the source of the excessive moisture actually is. If you are going to remodel, consider using primer, caulking and finish paint that are mildew resistant. You could even go with a mildew resistant sealer.


Securing range hood with tile & concrete behind—should I pre-drill wider? I need to secure a range hood on my new subway tile backsplash. Behind the tile is the thinset, drywall, then concrete block. I don't think my furring strips are ideally located for mounting purposes.

My plan is to use 1/4" Tapcons which require a 3/16" pilot hole. That's fine, but should I first drill the full 1/4" through the tile, thinset, and drywall until I reach the block? My concern is that driving the Tapcons through the tile and thinset at 3/16" could potentially crack the tile or affect the integrity of the thinset.

Yes, that would be wise, particularly for the tile. You can drill a 1/4" or maybe 3/8" hole in the tile using a masonry bit in a non-hammering drill. Then switch the hammer mode on and pop in the 3/16" bit for the screw hole in the non tile layers.


Installing treads and risers to existing stair runs I wish to replace existing treads and risers on stair runs that were built by a
builder who believed in cutting corners any way he could.  There are stringers.  The treads and risers consist of 6" veneered plywood on each side of the step butting against the stringers.  The space between the plywood sections was left open for carpet, which presently exists.  Before I begin I need to know the best way to remove the plywood sections so that I may install solid oak treads and risers.

The stair treads are set to a base material, if you are lucky it is not glued down. Just pull them off and removed the nails or screws that are left over.

You will most likely need to do something with the base material as well. The thickness of the new material most likely will be thicker than the cap material you remove, making the first tread from the lower level as much as 1/2" different than the rest, creating a trip hazard. This will occur at the top too.

Code allows a difference of 3/8" total from the largest to the smallest tread.

A picture would really help detail the answer better...


What lumber should be used for indoor stair stringers? I have seen some books say to use laminated 1.5" plywood to build the stringers because they do not warp. Others say 2x12 stock works but I do not want to deal with warping over time.

So, what do you guys think? If laminated plywood is definitely better, what are the steps to create such stringers?

In my area, they use 20' long 1-1/4" x 11-7/8" LSL for stair stringers. Creating your own stringers with plywood aren't a great idea, half of the plywood plies aren't doing anything when you use them as a beam since every other ply is turned 90 degree when stacking. If you can't find those in your area, then buy 1-3/4" x 11-7/8" LSL. If you can't find that, then buy 1-3/4" x 11-7/8" LVL.

The only other normal option is using 2x12 stringers. They only use that for deck stairs because we can get treated southern pine 2x12s. You can't get treated LSL or LVL, so it's not an option for decks. If you're worried about warping just double up and nail and glue 2x12 stringers together.

If you really want to build your own stair stringers, use OSB instead of plywood. The plywood will have a tendency to split at every riser, but the randomness of the strands in OSB help prevent that splitting while the stairs are deflecting under the live load. I'd say subfloor adhesive on all contact surfaces and clinched 8d or 10d nails every 6-12", but that's just a guess in the dark.


Water pressure when changing pipe diameter The water inlet pipe is 2 inch copper.  The water supply is municipal.  I want to install a leak detector that requires only a one inch pipe.  I plan to cut the two inch copper pipe and install one foot of one inch copper pipe and then return to the 2 inch pipe. This will be done in line. The two inch pipe supplies a house and farm. What effect on will this have my water pressure and flow rate?

First, check on what @ThreePhaseEel said then, as a "rule of thumb", a 2" pipe can carry the flow of 4- 1" pipes, so the 1" pipe will only carry 1/4 of water of the 2" supply pipe. Under a no flow condition the pressure will remain relatively the same but there will be reduced maximum flow and reduced pressure when a large flow is utilized.


Matching wood stain to paintable plastic I have stained cedar siding on house.  Recently installed new HVAC system with paintable plastic covers on the exterior of house.  How do I match the stain on wood to paint on covers?

The best way to match it is to remove a small piece of the siding and take it to any paint store that offers computerized color match. I/E: A piece of window trim, a loose knot hole, or use a painters 5-way tool to chisel out a very small piece from the bottom of a corner board or other inconspicuous place. Also, you might try calling a local paint distributor like Sherwin-Williams. Tell them you are considering some paint upgrades and you would like them to come out and match up the color with a fan-deck so you can weigh your options. If they think there will be a big future paint sale at stake, they will send out one of their road reps to speak with you and match the color. Remember to use a primer on that plastic before you paint it.


Why would an inspection company flag two NM 12 gauge wires going through the same joist hole? How many cables are you allowed to run through a single hole in a wooden floor joist?
We have a question and good answers for the NEC guidelines.   Why would an inspection company flag this and note that there is an "overheating" chance?
Note that these wires are on the same circuit and oversized (just going to canned lights).
Is there any new guidelines I am missing here?

What they're probably trying to flag...
The usual thing that gets cited for this is the second paragraph of NEC 334.80 (text from 2017, but this hasn't changed much -- 320.80 is a newer extension of it that applies to AC/BX):

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

...and why their cite's a swing and a miss
However, even though the 24" exception (which is the exception cited in the quote above) is ruled out in this case, because ampacity adjustments on NM cables are permitted to be made from the 90°C column ampacity in the table by the first paragraph of that very same section:

The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS
cable shall be determined in accordance with 310.15. The
allowable ampacity shall not exceed that of a 60°C (140°F)
rated conductor. The 90°C (194°F) rating shall be permitted to
be used for ampacity adjustment and correction calculations,
provided the final calculated ampacity does not exceed that of
a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor. The ampacity of Types NM,
NMC, and NMS cable installed in cable trays shall be determined in accordance with 392.80(A).

As a result of that fact, we can start with the 25A 90°C ampacity of 14AWG copper (or the 30A figure for 12AWG copper), and then start adjusting it accordingly, based on the number of cables (really, current-carrying conductors) we have present:

3 /2 cables (6 CCCs): 80% adjustment, so 20A > 15A (or 24A > 20A)
4 /2 cables (8-9 CCCs): 70% adjustment, so 17.5A > 15A (or 21A > 20A)
More than that: 50% adjustment, so 12.5A < 15A = now the adjustments limit ampacity

So, unless you're cramming 5 cables (whether /2 or /3, in most cases) into a single hole, or using archaic cables that lack 90°C rated insulation (all modern NM is NM-B, which means that the wire insulation is 90°C rated), then you're good to go.


How can I get windshield wiper fluid stains out of my garage floor? My car's windshield wiper fluid reservoir had a leak and quite a bit of it soaked into my garage floor (which is a light concrete).  It happened over night, so it soaked quite a bit. Now the floor is stained blue!

I've tried using this concrete cleaner from Home Depot combined with veracious scrubbing with a hard bristle brush but to no avail:

Link to cleaner

I also tried bleach and pressure washing.  Still blue.

Anyone know how to get windshield wiper fluid stains off a garage floor?

I know this post is super old but my boyfriend and I had this issue recently. We used a little laundry detergent and comet at first. That helped a little but what really worked was kaboom, the one that's for the rest rooms. This really penetrated the concrete. We let it sit about 15 minutes and pressure washed it. We did that about 3 times and it did the trick.


Craftsman HBW0777 garage door opener does not close door - light does not flash I was given a garage door opener from 1994. Model number HBW0777. The case says Craftsman on the side, but I'm sure this unit is actually made by Chamberlain. It appears to be in decent condition, the plastic gears are not deformed at all. For now, the door is not connected to the opener. You will rightly want to point out that this thing is super old and not worth fixing. I'm a tinkerer and I don't like to throw things away if they are fixable. I am an opponent of the society of "everything is disposable" so if I can get this thing working, I want to try.
I do not have any remotes for this unit. When I press the hard-wired open/close button, the "bullet" travels a few inches towards the wall (the closing motion), then goes back to its home (open) position. The light does not blink. If I hold the button down, it goes a little farther, maybe 10 inches, then returns just like before. Again, no blinky light.
The sensors are connected and pointed at each other. For now, they are on a table sitting right next to each other. Their indicator lights are both on, and one of them goes out if I block their line of sight. I will run the wires to connect them properly later, if I can get this opener to work. If I point the sensors away from each other and press the button, it closes a few inches and goes back to open again just like before, but the light then blinks 10 times as expected when having a sensor problem.
The force knobs are right at their default halfway points, and the limit knobs appear to be at a reasonable position. I did try moving the "up" limit farther up, just to see what it would do, and it made no difference at all - the opener returned to the position it started at, which didn't go far enough to touch the limit contact. I put the limit knob back where it was.
Any ideas on things to check?

It was the speed sensor. After a lot more searching, I found a bunch of references to this on forums and youtube and such. There is a common issue with all openers of this style where the optical speed/RPM sensor's interruptor cup slides out of alignment for various reasons. This wasn't the case for me - the actual sensor was dead. I just installed the new one from Amazon and the opener now works.


open cinder block wall in basement I am replacing some framing and sheet rock that has been contaminated by mice.  The basement has cinder block walls that come up about half way for some reason.  The house was built in the 1950s.

In some of the basement the top of the wall is sealed with cement, but in this case the cement has been removed in order to install the studs and sheet rock.

What should be done to this open block wall before replacing the studs and sheet rock?

That is odd. If that's how the mice got in then you want to fill the blocks with gravel & then smooth that over with concrete or cement. If the mice didn't enter there then "Big Gap" spray can foam would be the insulation choice & best treatment.

If you'd like to use the block voids to secure the sill of the stud wall(s) then you can screw cleats to the sill plate bottom. The cleats would be set into your concrete, cement or foam flush to the top of the blocks & the sill would be screwed to them later.

Preferably, the cleats would just be PT2x2 chunks that only snug against the basement side of the block void to hold the sill against the wall or sill with spacer blocks behind & at the wall...if the plan is to align the sill & studs to the face of the blocks & just run drywall over the blocks for a fully flat wall.