Attaching newel post to joist I'm in the process of replacing some cabinets with a guard rail and need to attach a few newel posts to the floor. From what I've read it sounds like the Sure-Tite, lag bolt, method is very sturdy. It is recommended that the bolt goes into the joist but from my understanding doing so would cause 1-3/4" of a 5" newel post to hang over the edge (minus drywall thickness). Can someone help me understand how people are installing the post without the overhang?

I've attached a few images to help describe what I'm talking about and also two pictures of what I'm hoping to have my railing look like.

Thanks!

You will need a box newel with a long enough bottom section to notch over the  joists and attach it to the sides of the joist, through the face of the box newel. Anchoring is superb this way. This will let the stair skirt board die into it, the box newel will extend to the floor and the nosings will butt into either face of the bow newel. This is thew way I do it, or would do it.... On the other hand....

Your details are pretty well defined already. This looks like a fabricator pre-assembled everything in a shop, connected to the white sole plate, set it in place and screwed it down. The sole plate is the strength of the whole system. I am not crazy about this type of install and if it were me, I would detail my anchoring style with the finish details you have established just to keep everything consistent. That would mean swapping out where the anchoring is done. Instead of screwing into theoutside face of the joists, I would cut the box newel so it would screw to the inside corner of the framing after the subfloor is cut out a bit.

If the box newels are not available that long at the bottom to do it this way, they are hollow that I am aware of, so set a proper sized solid 4X4 or 3X3 at the center where the newel will set, long enough to extend about 2 ft or so above the floor and drop the box newel over it after the white sole plate is in place. Glue and or nail in place.


How do I wire my ceiling fan with two switches (one for lights the other for fan)? So I am replacing my bedroom ceiling fan. I messed up and forgot to take a picture of the wiring. I know I screwed up, but now it is a learning opportunity. I am sure that electrical standards vary place to place I am in the United States specifically Michigan. Below is all the information I have.

The Ceiling Box:

So I have two sets of wires coming into the ceiling box. I tested them with a voltage tester. I also tested them flipping the switches. That had no effect. Not sure if that is normal or not.

One set has

White
Black - HOT
Ground

The other has

White
Black
Red
Copper

The Switches:

There are two separate light switches (they are not side-by-side as you'd expect, but are top and bottom and are about six inches or so apart. The top switch controls the fan and the bottom switch controls the lights.

The top has a set of wires coming into the switch box on the top and bottom:

Top of box:

White  --- Hooked to White on bottom AND to top of switch
Black  --- Hooked to bottom of switch.
Red    --- Hooked to Black on bottom
Copper --- Hooked to Copper from bottom

Bottom of box:

White  --- Hooked to White on top AND to top of switch
Black  --- Hooked to Red from top
Copper --- Hooked to Copper from top

The bottom switch has a set of wires coming in from the top that are:

Top of box:

White  --- Wired to bottom of switch
Black  --- Wired to top of switch
Copper --- Just in the box

The Fan:

The new fan has four wires and I know that the blue is the light:

White ---
Black ---
Blue  ---
Green --- Copper Ground Wire

The question is what wires from the ceiling box are hooked to what wires on the ceiling fan?

I suggest marking your wires with colored tape to indicate their function.

Black=always-hot
Red=switched hot (fan)
Blue= switched-hot (lamp)

In your setup, the white wire in the /3 would get black markings on both ends.  So would the white wire between the switches.  The upper switch's red pigtail also needs a black marking; it is always-hot.

In the /3 cable, mark black on both ends as blue.

In the /2 cable between the switches, the black wire gets tagged with red tape on both ends.

Now, considering that the tape color overrides the wire color, you simply match up by color!


Painting over old plaster We have just peeled off some old paintwork from our walls.

The wall is dry and the plaster looks in good shape for the most part but it is old and "dusty" - i.e. you can rub your hand over it and it generate dust - unlike new plaster which has a firm shiny finish.  I am nervous that if I paint on to this the paint will not key/adhere properly.

What's the correct thing to do?  Jut give the wall a good wipe down and then paint with a diluted emulsion for the first coat or fist seal it using PVA?

In my limited experience, painting over a PVA sealed wall is a real pain - the paint does not cover well and it requires more coats.

Any advice gratefully accepted.

A couple of follow up questions: -
1) If I do seal the wall, do I still need to water down the first coat of emulsion (as if I were painting on new plaster)?

2) Is there a difference between PVA sealer (e.g. Unibond) and PVA wood glue .  I have 5L of woodglue in the garage that I will never use - could I dilute this down and seal the walls with this?

You do need to seal the plaster otherwise the new paint won't stick as you point out.

My first choice would be to wipe down and then paint with a coat of diluted emulsion as you suggest. You might want to try this on a section of the wall before doing the whole lot to see if you get a good finish.

Dilute PVA will definitely seal the plaster and I can't think of an obvious reason why you shouldn't use the wood glue - but there may be differences in the formulation you need to look out for. How dilute did you make the mixture in the past? I've used a 5:1 water to glue ratio for sealing a ceiling I was going to paper which worked well. Again you could try a higher ratio to see if you can find a mixture that still seals but then accepts paint better.

You might be better off sealing with the dilute PVA then putting up lining paper - which does stick quite well - and then painting that. The benefit here is that the lining paper will smooth out the wall further hiding any remaining imperfections.

Of course the solution that will give you the best finish is to get another skim coat of plaster applied.


New vanity doesn't leave room for old J trap - how should I run the new pipe? I am ready to cut the drain pipe behind the wall with the 12" ruler laying on it (see pics) and raise the height of the vanity's sink drain, but I'm not sure the best way to do this. I want to raise the drain pipe about 6 to 7 inches. My ideas so far, but it seems like I'm missing an easier solution:

1) Cut the drain pipe above and below the vanity downspout and reconnect it 6 inches higher (so I would reuse the horizontal drain pipe and connect it to the vertical one 6 inches higher, cut a new hole in the drywall 6" higher and call it done.

2) Cut the drain pipe just before it enters the wall connect it 90 degrees up the 5 inches and 90 degrees toward the wall?

3) Cut the drain pipe and connect a 45 degree up so it connects with the wall about 5 inches higher and connect a 90 towards the wall.

I'm not sure how to connect to that pipe.. (Is it stainless galvanized steel?)
Also not sure how to connect it.. I think I need a rubber collar with 2 stainless steel clamps. Advice appreciated. I normally just research these on my own, but am pressed for time to get this done. Thanks in advance.

Adding a 45 to offset at the galvanized nipple and extending so a trap will fit  is the right thing to do. but do not raise the back side plumbing extend the tail of the sink. A straight shot down will flow better and have less bends to build up and create clogs. Even though I have all my threading gear I try to stay away from messing with old metal drains. There have been a couple of times on my own property I have started on a small job and ended up with all new lines to the septic tank. Putting in the 45 will take a little more room under the sink but it will be easier and less risk of opening a can of worms if the 40+ year old drain line crumbles. In my case it was a 1960’s home and even the cast main line was compromised. my guess that one of the prior owners had used a harsh drain cleaner regularly (this was back in late 90- early 2000 so that plumbing was only ~40 years old I haven’t seen new galvanized used since the early 70’s except in rare cases). So if you have metal it could be very fragile.


Raising and extending a concrete shed base, does the existing concrete need to be broken up? I have an existing concrete shed base which is a bit cracked (due to a nearby tree) but generally OK. I'm planning to replace my 10x6 shed with a 10x14 one which will mean extending the concrete base.

My plan was originally to dig the new area and fill with hardcore (up to the same level as the existing concrete) and then lay new cement (with a DPM) on top which would be 4" high from the existing base.

However, I've been told that laying cement on existing is a bad idea as moisture could get in and blow the new concrete, and that I should instead break up the existing concrete before laying the new cement on top.

Is that true? What are my options?

In your situation adding a new slab over the old has more chance for failure then success.

Overlay slab might help underlying nonmoving cracks, but will not prevent active cracks in the existing slab from reflecting through.

With a tree root causing the existing cracks the root growth will reflect into new slab if not fixed first.

Adding welded wire or rebar should be added to the overlay to help reduce cracks reflecting through.

Better slope drainage is needed to keep moisture flowing away.

One large issue is the expanded section of the new slab being partly on a different base material.  Compacted underlayment will hot have the same settling and expansion/contraction as the existing concrete slab.  This would become a prime area for breakage.

The better approach is to break up the existing slab.  This material can usually be taken to a local sand and gravel pit for crushing and reuse as base material.   Once it is removed treat the tree root issue.
Lay base material, compact and pour a new slab.


What's the right connector for connecting #12 solid copper to #14 stranded? Still working on installing my exhaust fan. It required a dedicated 20A circuit so I ran #12 copper. The wiring from the unit appears to be #14 stranded. It's also silver colored but I don't know if that means it's aluminum. I need to connect one #12 wire to each of the #14s (so two wires per connector). What's the right connector to use for this?

That must be one powerful fan to require a dedicated 20 amp line. WOW.  The silver wire you see is probably a tinned copper wire. (solder on the end of a stranded copper wire).  To connect a 12 and 14 AWG set of wires together, you should use a yellow wirenut. If in fact the tinned conductor is smaller than a 14 AWG, you could use an orange wirenut. If you look on the package of wirenuts, it will give you a chart of the number and size of conductors the specific color wirenut will work with.


Are outlets near kitchen sink required to be protected by GFCI? I have 2ea 4 plug outlets on either side of my kitchen sink. They are about 6in away from the edge and about 1ft up. There is no GFI on either outlet. I'm wondering if this is allowed by code? My understanding is outlets near water sources have to be GFI.
Also this is in CA if that matters.

Yes, kitchen receptacles near the sink need to be GFCI protected. Since you don't have GFCI at that location, there are three possibilities to consider:

They are protected at the circuit breaker with a combination circuit breaker/GFCI. The downside to circuit breaker/GFCI is that resetting it is not as convenient as at point-of-use.
They are protected elsewhere in the circuit. If you have some GFCI receptacles in the kitchen but others that are non-GFCI, you may find that tripping (use the TEST button) the GFCI receptacles actually cuts power to the non-GFCI receptacles as well.
Not protected! This is legal as long as the receptacles were installed before the GFCI requirements were put in place. That being said, retrofit is generally very easy and inexpensive. The complication you have is the "4 plug outlets". Those are likely 2 standard dual-receptacles underneath the faceplate. If they are all on the same circuit then you can replace just one of them with a GFCI/receptacle and connect the other regular receptacle to the "load" screws on the GFCI. If they are two separate circuits then you will need two GFCI/receptacle devices. In either case, you will need a new faceplate unless the existing receptacles are "Decora" style.


Whirlpool washing machine won't start, need help replacing fuse My Whirlpool washing machine died today. The control panel lights are unresponsive, so it looks like there's a problem with its electricals. The socket works, and the troubleshooting manual mentions the fuse.

I've removed the top panel of the machine. Is there an electrical fuse here somewhere?

The washer is a Whirlpool AA600 AWO/R5040

I've had great difficulty finding technical manuals for this washer so I'm sorry for posting a trivial question.

I found one version that has the fuse in the cord cap (at the prongs under a cover). It was a UK style plug, not the U.S. style. What is your location in the world?

Unplug and look between the prongs. There should be a small access door/plastic cover for the fuse. I did find a manual download link. Check the last page for the pic of the plug/fuse.


Moved into house with only 2 prong outlets. What to do with fridge and other outlets? First let me start by saying I know this question has been answered with various nuances, but when it comes to safety I want to make sure I have the most appropriate information for my situation.

We're in the process of moving into an old house (renting, currently on a 6 month lease). When I did the walkthrough I didn't notice that every outlet was a 2-prong; it just wasn't something I'd even considered. I have a number of 3 prong devices and I want to make sure I'm using them safely (both for me and the device).

The only place that there is a 3 prong is in the bathroom. It is not a GFCI (none in the whole house). However I tested it and with the neutral and hot connections I get 120Vrms. With the hot and ground I get  ~10-12Vrms and with neutral and ground I get ~1Vrms. I take it to mean that it is not actually grounded and a previous tenant replaced it so they could plug in a 3-prong device...

Also very concerning is the the fridge is plugged into one of those crappy 2->3 adapters and I think the ground pin is just floating and not actually connected to anything... this seems wrong at best and dangerous at worst.

I looked into adapters but the screws at least on the outlets' faceplates are not grounded. The house was built in 1921 and I have no idea how much wiring has been done since but I think it's safe to assume there probably isn't any grounding wiring. I am, however, able to get a clean 120Vrms signal from some of the pipes and various metal around the house, FWIW.

We've asked the landlord and they want nothing to do with replacing any of it and suggested we "buy some cheater plugs". Which, yes, will technically work but it doesn't feel like a good solution. If I were an owner I'd probably just pay to have it all redone. I'm in Seattle, if that affects any of the answers.

What should be done about the fridge? I was thinking a minimum of adding a GFCI for safety. I do worry that the fridge will trip it, which I've heard of happening.
What can be done for the other outlets to make them safer for me and my devices?
How much of a problem is this, really? Is it something that we should be concerned about to the point of moving in August? We were hoping to live here for a few years at least, but it isn't likely to be properly rewired any time soon.

According to the article at this link, replacing an ungrounded receptacle with an ungrounded GFCI receptacle will offer more safety than an ungrounded receptacle (with presumably a 2-3 prong adapter). A fault in the plugged-in appliance will still trip the GFCI even though there is no path to ground. This seems highly superior to using a 2-3 prong converter with a do-it-yourself ground path, as that would just allow any stray current to follow the ground path versus tripping a GFCI.

http://communities.leviton.com/thread/1080

I don't know why a fridge would trip a GFCI.

Assessing your risk is a bit tougher. In my simple mind, user-triggered electrical faults come in two basic varieties - overloading the circuit or providing an alternate current path to ground. Do you plan to run extension cords under carpets? Are your electrical items in good condition - e.g. relatively new, no frayed cords, etc? Do you plan to use any appliances in wet conditions? GFCIs protect against these types of faults. If you are careful in these areas, there is less risk. Most home receptacles don't have GFCIs unless they are in damp locations (e.g. bathrooms, kitchen, outside). So I would focus on these areas first.

Here is a great article on why some appliances have 2- versus 3- prong plugs. Maybe it will help you assess your individual appliances and usage for risk.

https://www.quora.com/Does-the-third-ground-prong-on-electrical-plugs-improve-safety

GFCIs do not protect against circuit overloads. (Overloads may happen either from plugging too many things into the same circuit or from a short circuit.) That is what fuses and circuit breakers are for. They work regardless of the presence of a ground wire. As an owner of a couple of rental homes, I am as concerned about overloading the circuits through normal use (resulting in wires overheating in the walls) as I am about electrical faults (which may do the same thing, but it requires a failure versus a situation that may occur during normal day-to-day activities). If you have a lot of equipment that draws power (kitchen appliances, space heaters, amplifiers, etc.) you may want to figure out which receptacles are on separate circuits so you can spread out the electrical load. The fuses/breakers should protect you against overload, assuming the system was built/updated to code. But if you don't want to assume, you might want to think about how best to plug in all the stuff you have to distribute the load as evenly as possible.


Can AC fan or motor be upgraded? My AC blows cold air, so I assume my compressor outside works OK. Please correct if that's an incorrect assumption.

The problem is, there is very little cold airflow that comes out of the floor ducts... To the point that closing all the windows and running AC makes a negligible difference in room temperatures, at least as much as the wife desires it to alter.... I.e. if 85 inside and we set it to 70, the 70°F is never reached.

I have the setup where compressor is outside, and fan/evaporator coils are inside as part of the furnace unit.

Can any components be swapped internally to alleviate this low air condition, or is a new system the only option? My dad said the motor and fan can be upgraded, but he knows refrigeration better than AC hence why I'm here asking.

Lastly, my house was built in the 70s, could this also be a problem with an inefficient HVAC duct design more than the poor and old AC system?

PS, filter is brand new so that isnt the issue

It's possible to change the motor, but doing so may not change anything. In fact, blindly changing the motor could actually cause the system to perform worse.

Without knowing a ton more about the system, it's impossible to diagnose the actual problem.  It could very well be poor duct design, an undersized system, or a whole host of other problems.  The best bet is to get the system assessed by a local reputable HVAC company.


What size reducing washer do I need? I got my new gas range installed and want to remove the 50 amp breaker for the electric range and replace it with a dual pole 20 amp one for a workshop in the basement.  I was going to cap off the electric range wire in the panel, but when I opened it up, I see (I think) 6 gauge aluminum (looks like aluminum and it says 6AL-3 on the cable).  So, I'm not sure I can get an appropriate wire nut for that.  So, instead, I'm thinking of just removing the cable and use that knockout for the new 12 gauge wire.  I'm pretty sure that cable clamp is too big for the 12 gauge, and my 3/8 trade size cable clamps won't fit inside that large knockout.  I think the diameter of the knockout is 1 1/8 inches, judging by the knockouts around that one.  I see there are reducing washers for things like this...

So, my question is, what size reducing washer do I need to get?  Obviously the outside diameter must be bigger than the knockout hole.  However, I don't know how they are "sized" (physical, or trade size like that 3/8 inch trade size clamp for 1/2 inch knockout) & I don't know how much larger the outside diameter of a reducing washer needs to be over the knockout hole.  Do I get a 1 inch one, a 1 1/4 inch, or what?  I'm assuming the size for the reduced hole is 1/2 inch (the physical diameter of the reduced knockout--for example, a 1 1/4 x 1/2 reducing washer).  The local big-box stores have a small selection, so I may need to order them, which means I may not have the luxury of being able to just measure them with a ruler before purchase.

Thanks,

Jim

They do make reducing washers if your original hole is ~1-1/8 it is 1” using 12 awg Romex will take a 1/2” clamp down you can use 2 1’ to 1/2 “ washers one outside one inside the box or plug that hole and find an unused 1/2” hole , I don’t remember for sure but think a large blue or blue gray wirenut will cover a  single #6 wire , I would not cut them in case they are wanted at a later time.


Can fluorescent lamps work in low voltage grid? My country house has low voltage (150~180V) and the lighting is mostly comprised of incandescent lamps. I don't really know if voltage has anything to do with the brightness of incandescent lamps, but it's dim in the rooms with them.

I figured I could try and use a few energy saving fluorescent lamps and see how bright they'll be. But then I heard that fluorescent lamps don't work very well with voltage different from optimal. They break faster or give off less light. Since they're pretty expensive, I'd like to keep them alive longer. So I thought of buying a dedicated voltage stabilizer just for lighting, but it's also expensive, and before spending so much money, I'd like to make sure it will all work out as intended.

How will low voltage affect fluorescent lamps? Will they even work at low voltage? If they won't, will a voltage stabilizer (regulator) help them glow brighter and prolong their life?

Since you say 150-180V is low, I assume you live in a country where the standard voltage is 230V? The first thing I would do is contact the electric company to see what they can do. It's possible there is a defect in the connection to your house from the main utility lines that's causing the abnormally-low voltage.

There are probably all sorts of things that are not running well in your house: anything with a motor (a refrigerator, washing machine, etc); anything with a heating element (hot water heater, kettle); probably the only thing that could handle such a low voltage without a problem is modern DC electronics: most laptops, battery chargers, etc. work with 110V and 220V without requiring any adapters.

Anyway, to answer some of your questions:

Yes, running an incandescent that is designed for 220V at a lower voltage will cause it to be dim.
A fluorescent bulb is probably not so forgiving of low voltage. I would expect it to not start. You could buy one and see if it works.
A "voltage stabilizer" probably won't help you, since they usually are designed to smooth out momentary changes in voltage, not actually step it up. What you really would need is a transformer. I don't know if you'll be able to find something suitable.

Another thing to consider is getting an LED bulb that is capable of accepting a range of voltages. Since LEDs internally adjust the voltage to something much lower than household levels, some models will accept wide ranges of voltages (e.g. 100V - 250V), so that they can be sold around the world.


How can I make a long wall perfectly level? I am installing a short stone wall, made from these bricks.
The wall is not tall, about 2.5' (0.8 m), but it is about 140' (45 m) in length. The wall needs to be strong to withstand flash floods, which can dump 1' (30 cm) of water in the back yard in as little as 15 minutes.
I carved out a trench in which to place the first row of bricks. I've filled the trench with water to get a level.
----       ------
   \       /
    ------- <-- 6 inches (15 cm) wide

The trench is 2 inches (5 cm) deep at the low spot of land, but the wall goes up a slight incline, and there the trench is 14 inches (35 cm) deep.
----       ------
   |       | <--- It can be much deeper up higher on the hill
   |~~~~~~~| <-- I can pour in water to get a level, but no idea how to use that to place the bricks level
   \       /
    ------- <-- Still 6 inches (15 cm) wide here

How can I get this wall to be perfectly level, within 1/4" (5 mm) of accuracy from the one end of the wall to the other?
I can fill the trench with water, to get a level line. Is there some kind of concrete mix I can pour into the water that will easily give a level the whole length of the trench?
I considered just adding gravel to the trench, and eyeing if it is up to the water level, but the act of adding gravel will change the height of the water itself, so I don't know if that is a viable plan.

Use a 70 foot water level.
Here is a diagram of one.
Use 1/4 inch tubing or slightly larger.
Fill tubing with water before submerging one end.
The container of water is required because a huge difference in water level at the stick end, translates to a tiny difference in the water level at the container.
That keeps the actual water level almost the same, no matter how much you move the stick up or down.
NOTE: the accuracy suffers on windy days.


How can I wire a GFCI receptacle and a combination switch/receptacle device? We are trying to install an outside receptacle box. We have one GFCI receptacle and one switch/receptacle combo. We want the combo to be protected by the GFCI. We also want the switch to control the bottom half receptacle of the combo.  The power source also feeds lights in an outside building past the box we want to install.

Can this be done?

Equipment grounding wires have been omitted for clarity. Don't forget to properly connect all equipment grounding wires.

Connect the white (grounded, neutral) wire from the feeder to the silver screw on the Line side of the GFCI receptacle.
Connect the black (ungrounded, hot) wire from the feeder to the brass screw on the Line side of the GFCI receptacle.
Connect the white (grounded, neutral) wire from the cable feeding the combo device to the silver screw on the Load side of the GFCI receptacle.
Connect the black (ungrounded, hot) wire from the cable feeding the combo device to the brass screw on the Load side of the GFCI receptacle.
Connect the white (grounded, neutral) wire from the GFCI receptacle to the silver screw on the combo device.
Connect the black (ungrounded, hot) wire from the GFCI receptacle to the black screw on the switch half of the combo device.
Break the tab between the terminals on the combo device.
Connect a jumper (red) from the brass (switched) screw of the combo device to the black screw on the receptacle half of the combo device.
Place a "GFCI Protected outlet" sticker on the combo device, and all downstream protected outlets.

With this setup the receptacle on the combo device will be controlled by the switch on the combo device, and will also be GFCI protected.  In the drawing above, I've also included a pass through GFCI protected feeder. This pass through can be used to power, and protect down stream devices.


Is it okay two breakers are controlling the same outlets and appliances? To be specific, we recently had some electrical work done. The electrician added a second panel. He left without labeling anything. So today I've been testing outlets and switches trying to figure out what controls what. I learned that a number of things in the kitchen are controlled by a breaker in both the old panel and one in the new panel. I have zero electrical experience and am wondering if someone can advise as to whether or not this might be okay?

Probably. Here's a diagram of how a main panel and a subpanel are usually wired together:

In this diagram:

The main panel (on the left) has one breaker at the bottom that controls two outlets.
The subpanel on the right gets its power from the top right two breakers in the main panel.

Turning that pair of breakers off will turn off the entire subpanel.

The subpanel has one breaker that controls three outlets.

So if this behavior matches up with what you are experiencing when flipping breakers, then you're probably OK. Obviously there will be slight differences, such your breakers will probably not be in the same positions in my example, the pair of breakers in your main panel might just be one double-wide breaker, or (unlikely) the pair of breakers in your main panel might just be a single breaker.

But if you're concerned, it is worth it to pay a second electrical contractor to come out and look over the other guy's work. Also, the work should have required permits and therefore an inspection by a government inspector. If that didn't happen, then that might be a red flag.

Also, new electrical work like this must be labeled properly to meet code in most jurisdictions. You are will within your right to call the electrician and insist he properly label his work.


When is the best period to fix a door frame? When we moved in our condo, one of the doors had issues closing correctly so we decided to fix it during last autumn. We made it to close perfectly.

It seems the house has moved a lot during this last winter, and now it no longer closes correctly, as if the frame had sheared (the wall at a corner of the door has even cracked).

Now I'd like to fix it correctly (again) once and for all. Taking into consideration that the house moves, I'm wondering when would be the best time of the year to fix it so that it always closes correctly all year-round? When is a house is it's 'most-average-position'?

Maybe-not-so-important-facts:

The unit is located in the province of Quebec.
The building is about 15-16 years old.
We're occupying the 2nd and 3rd floors of a condo block.
We have a concrete slab that separate us from the owner of the unit on the 1st floor.
We have a brick wall that separates us from the owner that live on the same floor.
The unit has been owned by family since its construction, so we know for sure that the wall at that location has never cracked before.

Well the big thing you're going to notice is just humidity will change it a lot.  If you want a door that closes properly year round, then the best time would be when it is not too humid, or not too dry (i.e spring would be fine).  This way when it gets humid or dry, you minimize the amount of warping the frame goes through


Why did this crown moulding not fit? I'm assuming it's the mitre cut and not the coping. Mitre cut was with a hand saw and mitre box at 45 degrees. I'm also assuming the ceiling is 90 degrees to the walls and the walls are 90 degrees to each other. Why is this cut so way off?

First off it is not the best idea to assume that the walls and ceiling angles are all at 90 degrees. These should be measured so that you can make minor adjustments in the cuts if necessary.

The primary reason that the cut did fit is because the first piece of crown molding was not installed correctly. It was pushed too far flat toward the side wall in the direction shown by the green arrow in the following picture.


Is it possible to put portable air conditioner outside the house? I don't know if this has been done before, because because I rent, can not do any installation therefore a slip and window A/C is not an option for me and only portable is okay. But I heard that the portable is noisy.

So I wonder if it is possible to put the outside in the backyard (my window faces the backyard) and make some modification to the portable A/C by connecting the cold air to the hose through the window into the room.

Is that possible?

There are commercial units designed for this application, there should be no reason you could not convert yours for it.

However, you should consider:

if your unit is rated for indoor use only, you will be voiding the warranty and possible creating a shock/electrocution hazard; use a G.F.C.I. please
UV damage caused by exposure to sunlight, consider a shade structure
restriction of factory vent ports by McGyvering duct work to it may cause sub-optimal performance or may cause damage to the unit
air inlet exposure to outdoor dust and debris could affect the unit


Should a post in a circular concrete form go through the bottom? I am replacing a fence post that was in a circular 2-ft form.  The old one had rotted where the concrete and post meet at the top - the next one will have the concrete above water level!
But - I noticed that the old post was sticking out of the concrete on the bottom.  I this a bad thing in that water can seep up into the post from below?  Or is it a good thing in that water that does seep through the top can leak out the bottom?

Concerete around a fence post is to help with lateral stability. It's not being used as a footer, since there isn't a whole lot of weight involved with a fence post.

As such, there's no need for concrete to be below the bottom of the post...in fact, you like don't want that, as you want any water that gets between the concrete and wood to have a place to drain.

What I'd suggest doing is to use gravel at the bottom...tamp it down with the post, set the post vertical, then add a bit more gravel and tamp down to 'set' the post. Then you can apply concrete around that, above the ground and then slope the top away from the post to help shed water.

Depending on your soil type, you may not even need concrete--you could actually just use gravel all the way to the top, tamping as you go.


What exactly is tested when a fire extinguisher is tagged? I am just curious: the obvious is that the

pressure
mass
hydrostatic test

can be inspected /measured to ensure that the device has not been discharged. Is there anything else that is measured \ checked?

Hydrostatic test is typically only on a 5 year cycle, and involves emptying/recharging due to the nature of that test.
Otherwise it's pretty much pressure gauge or weight, and overall visual inspection - hoses (if any) not deteriorated, pins intact and in place, and insurance company has documentation that they were present and appeared to be functional from an independent source


What is the best way to seal caulk tube? What are some effective ways of sealing an opened tube of caulk so that the contents do not dry out? In the past I've used a large nail and some tape, but that doesn't seem to last for more than a few weeks.

I always leave a blob of caulk on the tip that's large enough for me to grab onto. It dries and seals the rest of the tube. When I'm ready to use the tube again, I just pull it off.


How to fake this concrete effect with paint? I'm attempting to imitate this concrete wall (at least I think it's real concrete!), using acrylic paint.

For my initial attempt I was thinking of working with two grays (one slightly lighter) - First a layer of the darker color, followed with a watered down (and slightly patchy) later of the same, then a the lighter paint (maybe also watered down) where needed.

What are my chances of getting a similar effect?  Do you have any tips or alternative approaches?

Thank you!

EDIT: I'll be painting on an already painted, solid wall (plastered brick).

You can use a natural sponge to make concrete like shadings.  Use a light touch and dab the sponge.  Turn the sponge often so you don't get a regular pattern. Practice first on some cardboard. You can start with either your darker shade or the lighter, see which you like the best. Go back over what you have done with a dry brush or rag to soften your work while it is still wet. Remember acrylic paint dries fast and darker.


Is this wiring up to code and safe? I'm building a reclaimed wood wall to that'll be behind my entertainment center. Can someone please review what I've done with the electric and let me know if anything is unsafe or not up to code?

Is it okay that some of the romex sheathing is cut outside of the junction box (picture 1)?

I had to extend the original outlets and switches from the original wall a few inches to the surface of the new wall - is it okay to have wires going between the two junction boxes without any sheathing? (picture 2)?

By code the sheath of the romex should be 1/4" inside the box. The open junction behind the new box or the original box what looks to be just conductors running to the new box would also be a code violation. To bring this up to code A cover plate with holes and clamps wounded be needed on the old box then short pieces of romex with the sheaths entering the boxes 1/4" would meet code requirements. If there is not enough room for all the splices a box extension on the old box could be used some box extensions have knockouts on the side this would be easier to wire and clamp than clamps on the cover if the space in the old box is tight.


How do I convert fluorescent cans to LED? I have these very strange 6 inch recessed lighting "cans" in my kitchen, that it hate. I pulled them apart thinking a could simply wire a new fixture, but I'm stymied.  I purchased a Halo LED retrofit, but it seems to assume I have a standard bulb socket.  Also, even if I just wired it to my existing can, I have two black wires and two white wires in each can.  The new fixture only has one of each.  What can I do here?  I would sure appreciate some advice.

Thanks,
Laura

I believe that the electrical connection you are seeing is from the ballast ( the thing that Makes the fluorescent tube light) that is wired into the other metal box part of the Can. You would need to remove that ballast to put in another type of light in. It would be in the little panel that opens up that I can see in the 2nd Picture. In that box there should be the main electrical wire that is feeding the ballast then the ballast has 4 wires coming out. You would want to remove it and then have a White and Black go back though that flex.   Though your stumbling block there might be how to mount the new LED Trim to the Existing housing.

Do you have room in the attic to see the Cans? It might be easier to replace the can from the Attic with a new Can (they are less then $10)


Adding a 50a breaker in main panel to feed 30a rv breaker and plug I recently purchased a prewired 30a rv subpanel to plug in a travel trailer while sitting at home. The subpanel is complete with a 30a breaker and receptacle. Is it acceptable to run the romex (10-2) to a new 50a breaker in the main panel having the 50a feed the 30a breaker?

If you want to wire in 50A for a future, larger RV, then you need to run the cabling with 6/3 UF cable (not NM/Romex, you cannot use Romex because you will be going outdoors).
If you were to do that with e 6/3 cable, with the panel you have bought, that would be fine.
However, it's a common case for someone to buy the wrong thing and then go into backflips doing even more wrong things trying to make the wrong thing work.  Don't bother; get the right thing.  If you are mail ordering this stuff, thats a mistake - local electricians must shop somewhere; shop there.
They make RV panels which have all the breakers and sockets necessary to support all of

a 240V, 50A large RV (with NEMA 14-50 receptacle)
a 120V, 30A small RV (with TT30 receptacle)
typically a 120V/20A plain old outlet for hand tools etc.

This works off a 50A breaker because it is presumed you will only be powering one RV at a time.  But you still need 6/3 outdoor cable; 10/3 won't do.


What to do with airgap on a sink with only one hole? My wife and I just bought a new house and she's partial to the composite sinks. However, the sink we purchased (and installed) has only one hole for the faucet fixture and not for the airgap. We also have a garbage disposal (from previous sink) and dishwasher. I ended up loosely angling the hoses towards the upper end of the cabinet so the chrome cover was closest to the counter top.

We tried to run dishes in the dishwasher and water naturally filled into the sink. We stopped the cycle and haven't used the dishwasher in the meantime, but what should I be doing? Do I, or can I, position the air gap under the countertop as I have? Should I cut a hole in the sink? (Unhappy wife scenario) Should I return the sink with one that has the appropriate holes?

Here's a rough image that I had on my phone already of the situation. I can get some better pictures tonight if necessary:

Update

I goofed up, seems the stickers indicating where the punch out holes were had fallen off. So, I was able to punch the air gap hole out of the composite sink and file it down.

Before I punched the hole out, I was thinking of connecting the dishwasher directly with the disposal using a "high loop". However, apparently "high loops" are not to legal code in the state of Washington.

I would suggest drilling a hole through the composite sink using the proper sized hole saw.


How can I tell if slow drainage is caused by a problem in the main sewer line or the venting system? I recently had the plumbing get backed up and snaked out. Things are working much better now, however, there are certain conditions (notably the use of toilet paper in conjunction with a shower or the washing machine) which result in extremely slow draining for the whole house. This also results in the showers backing up (slightly) and the sinks gurgling.

I'm thinking that the main line may need to be snaked another 20-50 feet but I want to rule out anything within the house. The main is the only common drain between the various rooms impacted so the only other thing I can think of would be the vents.

How can I tell if this is a problem in the main line or in the venting?

Edit: city sewer. At the end of a dead end road if it matters.

I'm afraid it's probably both. You have a venting problem because the sinks gurgle. Watch the water level in a toilet when the washer starts to drain, it'll probably drop a little. The reason you don't have a bigger problem with water getting sucked out of traps is because the main line is obstructed, minimizing the demand for makeup air through the venting system. If the mainline were not obstructed, the backed up water would quickly drain away once the traps were voided of water, providing an alternate path for makeup air.

The fact that toilet paper is a contributing factor also indicates main line problems. The waste water backing up could have caused solids to float up into vent lines and get lodged there. Hopefully snaking through the roof vents will free any vent obstructions. Depending on the nature of the blockage, simple snaking may only temporarily allow drainage. More aggressive clearing may be called for.


Is a wood shed with 12mm walls worth it? I have a plot of land in Spain where the winter is a bit windy and the summer is quite hot. I was about to buy a container for storing my junk, however due to its price and the infrastructure it requires, I decided to leave it to next year and use a small wood shed meanwhile.

There are many sheds which are cheap but their wall thickness is 12mm. Is this acceptable? How long will it last? I've seen many reviews but none of them are clear in regards to this topic.

After further contemplation I suspect that we're discussing siding, not sheathing. The latter is installed over framing and under siding. Siding is probably plywood or pressed fiber hardboard.

Most sheds (and indeed most homes) in my region are built using 7/16" (about 11mm) oriented strand board (OSB) wall sheathing underneath some sort of siding. This is standard. Wood panel siding is rarely used anymore except on sheds, but 1/2" (about 12mm) siding panels of good quality provide plenty of strength and durability when applied over good framing.

How long it lasts depends on now it's cared for and protected. It should be primed and painted or otherwise sealed initially and every few years thereafter. Ideally all edges are sealed, particularly the bottom where rain splash will soak into the wood, causing swelling, decomposition, and eventually rot. Plywood or hardboard siding that's cared for and doesn't reside in perpetually wet locations can last 10 years or more.


220V/50hz with 10amp 3 wire See Additional Added Info:
I have an electric motor that I want to plug in at my house (USA).  The device is 220V, 50hz and 600watt.  The power cord (no plug) is 3 wires, and rated as 10amp.

If I connect a dryer plug to this cord, will I be able to plug it in to my dryer receptacle?  Should I worry that the cord is only rated at 10amp?

Additional Info:
Power cord actually came with it unexpectedly (opened the box tonight) and it's plug is exactly the same as a typical 110V 3 prong grounded plug.
Is this even possibly going to work?  I thought 220V required 2 hot, 1 neutral, optional ground?  In this configuration, I assume the normal ground plug is actually neutral and the two parallel plugs are both hot?  Is it a big deal if I don't ground the device?  Do they even make 220V capable receptacles approved for this purpose in this configuration?  Seems like a nightmare to have a 220V unit hanging around with the same plug/receptacle as a 110V device!!!  Accident waiting to happen?!

This is actually a oil-less piston air pump (not a motor), in case it matters.

A 50hz motor will spin approximately 20% faster and draw approximately 20% more than the rated power. Increasing frequency can cause over heating and if the motor is pushing a substantial load the core is not large enough to prevent a cascade failure before you see the magic smoke being released. Many motors are dual rated and can handle the difference but if it is a true 50Hz 220V motor you will be connecting to 60Hz 240V so keep an eye on the tempature. I just thought you should also listen to see if it can change from the start/run to the run winding if it has a centrifugal starter.


Pipe under bathroom sink has small hole One of the pipe under my bathroom sink has small hole and it sprays water as soon as i start/open faucet. Red circle in above photo shows where the hole is. Which pipe is that? Where can i find that pipe and how easy is to replace it? Is there any quick fix to repair it instead of replace it?

There is shelter-in-place in city in which I live. I don't want to hire plumber to fix this if this is easy to fix. Any help would be appreciated.

That's a proprietary crossover line that would've come with your faucet. Exact parts may not be easy to find. However, you could probably fix that with a two-way nipple and some standard hose clamps. You'd just cut the line at the leak point, insert the nipple into each stub, and clamp it snug.


Why does half of the christmas led lights dim down? I have a strip of 3VDC (two AA in seires) christmas LED lights. 10pcs in one strip. I've been using a 18650 (4VDC), to make them shine brighter; after one week first half of them dims down from bright to low-bright when turned on. The other half stays bright all the way. What tha led is going on?

An arc discharge light, like a fluorescent or metal halide, is a dead short that happens to make light.  (It is an arc, after all).  They would flow infinite current if you let them, which would burn then up fast. You stop that by putting a current-limiting ballast on them.  That's what a ballast is, it's a current regulator.

LEDs aren't quite that bad.  But they are current-hungry, and must be current limited.  If you are driving a raw LED, a small increase in voltage will cause a big increase in current.  Their voltage-current curve is steep.

The best LED-based appliances use an active driver circuit which actively limits current.  These active drivers are "magical"; they can input a wide band of voltages from 80 to 306 volts AC and outlut exactly the current the LEDs want.

Low-voltage consumer gadgets like Christmas lights often use resistors as current limiters.  Resistors are dumb, and not magical at all.  They don't regulate current, they just make the voltage-current curve somewhat less steep, which is "good enough" for working with one expected voltage.  They also overspec the LEDs somewhat.

You raised the voltage to 125% of normal.

If you did that with a linear load, that would raise current to 125% and thus total power to 156% of normal (56% more).
If you had done with with a highly non-linear bare LED, check the data sheet, but it would raise current to about 300% of normal, and power to 375% and kaboom.
The resistor eases this somewhat and gives us something in between, probably in the 200-300% power range.

So you can see your "little voltage bump" is really putting the LEDs on the griller.   You are leaning heavily on whatever overdesign was built into the LED spec.

The bigger question is not why this failed, but why the other one is still working!  You seem to have made yourself into a "QA department" for these lights and are discovering the ones which were not overbuilt.


How to connect a neutral wire from a bundle connected to a push in connector I'm planning on installing a smart dimmer switch but I'm not sure of the best way to connect the neutral wire. The outlet has 3 neutral wires bundled in a push in wire connector. What's the correct way to use  neutral wire in this case?

Should I pigtail a new wire into the existing push-in connector or replace it with a wire nut?

That type of connector has a fourth hole. I'd use it.

If it didn't, I'd twist out the wires and replace the connector with one of these lever operated connectors:


Had Air Scrubber put in HVAC... fan is on 24/7... but it no longer can maintain the temperature? I had an Air Scrubber installed in the HVAC.  Due to that, the HVAC fan is to be on 24/7.  However, the system can no longer maintain the temperature it is set to.  The HVAC is set at 73(HEAT) but I woke up this morning to 67(HEAT).  ??
Maybe the duct runs are not insulated enough?  Leak?  The system was sized to the house.  With normal processing (fan only comes on to heat or cool) the system maintains temperature.

I would check if you have a make up air vent, this vent is on the intake side of the furnace and may be on the intake duct in the attic or to an outside location. They are usually not allowed in garages that makes sense CO and rarely put in crawl spaces because of damp musty air.
With cold temps a open make up air duct set up for intermittent use may be cooling things two much for constant use, I put baffles or adjustable dampers on the ones I have installed for this reason.
If you can find the make up air vent reducing the size of the opening may be all you need. For 24 hour operation I will take the opening down to a small opening not much is really needed on a 24/7 system.


Why does water in the toilet bowl empty? Water in the toilet bowl is emptying after a minute. I just changed to a higher toilet (16.75) for an elderly resident. I have three other toilets without this problem. I have tried adjusting water in tank and have checked for leaks. How can I fix this?

The water in the toilet seeks the level of the highest level of the high level of the trap, so if you raise the toilet bowl you must raise the trap the same distance.  The trap is the curly, s-shaped part of the drain between the exit tube of the bowl and the wall. The highest level of the trap follows the line of bottom of the inner circumference of the trap where the the direction of the flushing water is parallel to the trap, as it is coming out of the climb from the bottom of the trap.

It could also be a vacuum in the drain sucking the fluid back into the drain if there is not a vent pipe running vertically from the drain to the roof to equalize the presscure.

I am not a plumber nor an engineer but a do it yourself person with a little math understanding from American public schools and a very basic, traditional grasp of physical science from experience and from the instruction of a peculiarly motivated chemistry professor at Bakersfield College, Ca  USA.


Well Pump Doesn't Shut Off The well pump runs constantly. The pressure tank fills but the pump doesn't shut off. What is the correct amount of pressure and how do I check the pressure?

You check the pressure with a pressure gauge which should be attached (permanently) to your system near the pressure tank. If you need a quick and dirty check, you can get a pressure gauge attached to a garden hose fitting and attach it to a hose fitting, but the standard pressure tank Tee has a port for the pressure switch and a port for the pressure gauge, right there, and one should be there at all times.

There is no single "correct pressure" - there are some standard or typical pressure ranges for well-pump systems, and since the usual non-adjutable differential is 20 PSI, those are 20-40, 30-50, 40-60 and 60-80 (no reason you could not use 50-70 or 35-55, just not typical enough to see numbers quoted for them.) Many folks consider 20 PSI rather low, and many fixtures don't like an inlet pressure above 80 PSI.

Without knowing what your pressures are, it's hard to say if the well or pump is failed and the pump can't get to shutoff pressure, or if the pressure switch is failed and not cutting off.


Basin Lock Nut Leaking So I bought some new taps as the old tap corroded in the middle and snapped so it needed to go.

I took the old ones off which never leaked before and popped the new ones on.

Replacing the washers, but keeping the existing lock nut.

Now on the hot tap only, the nut as in the picture has started leaking. Using a basin wrench I have tightened it to it's absolute maximum and it hasn't made a different at all. What are the suggestions here? Do I need to get a new nut? If so how the hell do I get it off?

You will need to shut off the main water supply going to the house, open a faucet or hose bib that is lower than the area you will cut the pipe. Before you cut the pipe pick up on new supply tubes and this type of new valve for under the sink. Replace both while you are at it. This is presuming the pipe coming in is 1/2"

Follow the instructions for installation!!!!

Get 2 new supply lines these are 30" you may not need ones that long.

Hook em on up!!


Replacing strips between subfloor and underlayment I am installing vinyl flooring and am looking to replace the strips between my sub-floor and underlayment.

Main reason is because I had particle-board glued on top and had to replace it and I'm nervous to sand the glue off of the strips because I don't want to affect the height and plus I don't think they're in the best of shape.

The strips are also fiberboard and I rather have something more solid. Currently they are 8ft x 2.5" x 1/2". If I were to get something like this: Poplar Board and lay them the horizontally and space them out instead would this accomplish the same thing?

I am unable to find exact replacements for what I currently have. Also, if the above board would work what's the best way of adhering it to the plywood sub-floor?

Pictures below show what I am looking to replace:

Thanks a lot in advance for the advice!

Dan

The short answer is that you can use almost anything solid with a few caveats:

Whatever you lay over it needs to be able to span any voids you leave. If you fill with solid plywood, that's not a concern. If you use something else as sleepers, your underlayment needs to be able to carry typical floor loads across the gaps.
If you use sleepers and gaps, be aware of what's carrying them. Widely spaced sleepers with full-thickness subfloor over them, for example, should probably align with floor joists below.
Everything should be glued and nailed (or, better, screwed). Use proper subfloor/construction adhesive. Take all necessary precautions to avoid creaks and squeaks.
Fasteners need to be set flush or below. If you try screwing your selected material down and the screws strip out in the substrate and remain sticking up you have problems.

I'll leave my answer intentionally vague as such because then you're free to source what's available and cost-effective.


Can mortise and tenon joints be strong without glue? I'm designing a loft bed (here's a rough picture without the cross supports and other details). Right now, most joints will be mortise and tenon.

I'd like to be able to take the loft down to parts, and the simplest thing to do would be to disassemble it at the M&T joints. But that would mean they couldn't be glued, and my current understanding of M&T joints is that their strength comes in large part from the glue.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to build M&T joints that aren't glued but are still full strength?

Edit 2013-11-16: I'd like to make these blind tenons. That makes @Jack's sliding dovetails really interesting. Since the joist structure will be visible from the underside, the aprons and hangar bolts for the corner are also interesting -- I wonder if there could be something like that to secure the non-corner joists...

Edit 2013-11-16: After watching a video about making dovetail joints, I'm going to go with @Jack's answer because they depict the answer to the problem. @HerrBag's comments (specifically stopping the dovetails) are, however, what make it a usable answer.

You could use one of the many variations of the mortise and tenon joint, depending on the look you're going for. Though I agree with HerrBag, that the strength of a mortise and tenon joint should not rely on glue.
Tusk Tenon
This is a through tenon variation, where a wedge is used to lock the joint together.

Fox tail (Wedged) Tenon
This is another through variation, though the tenon ends up flush on the outside of the joint.  In this joint slots are cut into the tenon. and wedges are driven into the slots after assembly. This causes the tenon to expand, and tighten in the mortise.  Usually the mortise will be slightly tapered, to allow additional expansion and to create a stronger joint.


Help wiring a pendant light I’m installing a pendant light.  I took down the old light and I’m having trouble figuring out how to wire the new one.
My ceiling has a white, black and copper ground wire.
My pendant light has a copper wire, then a black, white and green wire.  The black white and green wires are plastic wrapped and all are encased in the cord that goes to the bulb.
What do I do with the green wire?
The instructions say “connect the wires” which is super helpful.

The bare wire is grounding/earthing the metal frame of the lamp, while the green wire which is part of the cable is grounding the handing pendant itself.
Since the frame and pendant are presumably connected only by the insulation of the hanging wire otherwise one or the other would have been un-earthed. Hence the two earthing wires need to be attached together and then to the earth from the supply wire.


Washer causing pipes banging, is this dangerous? Is this dangerous? We purchased a new washer (house is around 17 years old) and when the water clearly cuts off suddenly (it's one of those fill then check then fill washers) it makes a loud noise.

Is this something to be concerned about long term? Surely this isn't an uncommon problem?

Some washers evidently have soft close valves that reduce water hammer. But if yours does not, then you can get water hammer arrestors. Watts mini water hammer arrestors There are other designs that might fit your faucets better. I wonder if there is an adjustment on your washing machine to soften the closure of the valves. We don't have any significant water hammer from our washing machines.


Lamps not working after blown bulbs About a week ago the bulb blew in one of my lamps and when I put a new bulb in it still didn't work. I tried the bulb in a different lamp and it was fine so just thought oh well I need to get a new lamp. But today the same thing has happened with a different lamp. The bulb has blown and the lamp will not work with a new one. I'm a bit worried as this seems like a strange coincidence. Both these lamps have worked for years with many bulbs blowing, and now they both go in the same week. I don't mind buying 2 new lamps but I'm worried there's some underlying problem with the electrics that will cause it to happen again when I get new ones. The sockets are still working and other electrical appliances seem fine. But could it be something like too much electricity getting through which would be too much for table lamps but the other things (an electric heater and a laptop) would still be fine? Any ideas appreciated!

Occasionally when a lamp blows the elements short and create a large amount of heat the center conductor may not be touching or the switch may have failed.
The fact 2 lamps blew in a short period may be due to power spikes in your area but unless you have other household items not working verify there is a connection from the cord to the center then the other side of the cord to the shell of the lamp holder. If the center is not working on either side of the cord and turning the switch on still provides no continuity the switch is probably bad and will need to be replaced.
A cheap 10$ ohm meter is all you need to check the cord/switch combination and you can even check the bulb to see if it is good by measuring from the center to outside.


Radon test results came back as 1.7 pCi/L, is it safe to exercise in my basement? My Pro-Lab Analysis Report just came back and it says that my basement has 1.7 pCi/L (Picocuries), the average result of both tests.  The basement is the only place I have to exercise, so I'm wondering if it's safe to do so.  We also have our laundry and winter coats down there; so I'd like to know if it is safe to use the basement or live in the house;

The report also reads that the risk of cancer from radon exposure, rounded up to 2.0 pCi/L is about the same as the risk of dying from poison, or that about 4 out of a 1,000 people who never smoked (like we don't) were exposed to this amount over a life time would get cancer.

Considering it effects smokers more so than non-smokers, and that I don't smoke, is it safe for me to exercise in the basement?

As you have probably learned doing research, there isn't a hard-and-fast cutoff between "safe" and "dangerous". But 2.0 pCi/L seems to be the threshold for considering remediation, and that's for a living space. If you're using the room for exercise you'll probably only be spending a few hours per week there, which would dramatically reduce your exposure.

Personally I wouldn't worry about it.


How to hang a TV on a drywall with no studs and no room for toggle bolts? I am hanging a TV in a narrow wall space that has no studs behind it.  I have verified there are no studs behind the drywall by using two different stud finders (a cheaper and a more expensive model).  Both devices did go off once, but only in a small area in the middle of the wall, not along the whole height, so it's definitely not a stud.

This TV mount requires 4 screws.  The original plan was to use 4 toggle bolts (a.k.a. drywall screws).  However, after pre-drilling the holes, I found that there is another hard surface that begins about 1.5 inches after the drywall.  There is no room for the "butterfly" part of the toggle bolt to open up.  I don't know what the hard surface is.  When I give it a knock with a screwdriver, it sounds like either metal or brick.  This is an apartment building over 100 years old.  There is another person's apartment behind the wall.  A few questions:

1) Should I do additional testing to find out if that surface is brick or metal?  If so, how?

2) If not, should I assume it's brick and proceed with trying to put the screws into the brick, either directly or with anchors?  What kind of additional gear would this require?  Special screws, drill bits, anchors?

3) Alternatively, should I stick with the toggle bolt method, which would require drilling large openings in the second surface to allow for sufficient clearance for the toggle bolts to open?  Not sure how easy this would be.

Thanks!

As Joe points out, if this wall is original, then it's not drywall, but plaster. You can't easily detect studs behind plaster walls with a stud detector. You likely have to use test holes. One option is to drill a largish hole in the center(ish) of where you will mount the TV. Then use a coat hanger to fish it into the hole to see if you can locate the studs on each side.

If it's a solid wall (brick, likely) then that gets trickier, Old brick and mortar isn't that strong in terms of ability to hold screws. But you can try it by drilling into the mortar and using masonry screws.

Finally, if this is a shared wall with the neighbor, first check your tenant agreement to see if you are even allowed to mount a TV to it. Lots of apartments will have restrictions on what you can hang on shared walls--both for fire code issues (they don't like holes in party walls) but also for common courtesy of trying to avoid noise transference.


Best style of toilet when there's a long run to the drain line Is there a style of toilet that does better when there is a long (mostly horizontal) run from the toilet to the vertical drain line?  It seems to clog every few months (I think there might be a corner or two in there, in addition to the long run).

As I read up on pressure-assisted toilets, they seem like a good solution except for the noise, and this is for my house, so I'm not thrilled about having any incredibly loud flush.

Absolutely.  The absolute best type of toilet would be a wall mounted toilet that uses an in wall tank-carrier.  Geberit is one of the best brands of carriers available and Duravit is one of the nicer brands for the actual ceramic bowl.
This type of toilet is a “wash down” toilet which has a larger trap way.  Almost 4”.
If you are unable to go with a wall mounted toilet, you can go with a back outlet, or variable outlet toilet, which is also a wash down toilet.  Duravit also makes them.  They are not typical 12” rough floor toilets.  But they flush more vigorously.
Good luck.


Is some condensation on bathroom walls safe? I have an exhaust fan in my master bathroom and also a wall heater.  I like to run the heater without the fan running during my shower so that the room is nice and warm when towel drying off.  I then run the fan for 15 minutes on a timer.  This does a good job of removing the moisture and heat from the air, but condensation still remains on the drywall above the shower enclosure.  Even with the fan running, so steam ends up forming condensation on those walls close to the shower.

Is it alright to have some condensation forming on these walls as long as it evaporates in a hour or so?  Do I need to worry about moisture making it way through the paint and turning into condensation when it hits the vapor barrier behind the drywall?  To date, I have never seen any spots of mold form on the painted drywall.

If you have a vapor barrier (e.g. sheet polyethylene) behind the drywall, then you have a major problem. Painted drywall is airtight but not vapor-tight; moisture can migrate through it. And when moisture migrates through the drywall and hits the polyethylene sheeting, it has nowhere else to go. The fact that it currently condenses on the walls tells me that the walls are cold. That means the polyethylene behind it is cold, too. That means water vapor that gets through the drywall will inevitably condense on it and drop to the bottom of the wall, eventually rotting the whole thing out from the inside. Not good. Mold will probably not develop on the drywall at the top of the wall because that's not where the water will be collecting; it's the bottom of the wall you should inspect.

Vapor barriers in walls are generally a bad idea, but if there is any place you could safely have one in a bathroom like this, it would be on the inside, in the form of a water- and vapor-right waterproofing membrane, like RedGard.

If you are unwilling to rip out this assembly and redo it properly (with Redgard-coated cementboard instead of drywall, and no plastic vapor barrier inside the wall), then I would highly recommend preventing moisture build-up in the bathroom in order to preserve the integrity of the structure.


Leads from wall fan control switch are aluminum wire? My new house in the US has a Harbor Breeze combination fan/light switch with a remote control as seen here (different brand is shown, but it's basically identical). While checking some wiring (unrelated), I pulled the switch out of the wall and saw to my surprise that the wire leads coming out of it appeared to be aluminum (the house has copper wire). The wires aren't visible in the previous link, but you can see the same thing here on the page for the receiver. My understanding is that aluminum wiring is no longer done residentially and that it's a very bad idea to mix copper and aluminum unless you really know what you're doing. So what gives? Are these wires not actually aluminum, or are switches an exception for some reason?

Edit: In response to requests for more information, careful visual inspection doesn't reveal any copper color, even in cross-section, but the wire is braided and the individual strands are so thin that it's difficult to even see the cross section. That in itself probably rules aluminum out. Markings on the wire are:

E108485-S 18AWG FTI -F- REI HSING CSA TEW 105oC 600V LL84687 AWM 1015 VW-1

Those codes led me to this pdf, which says "tinned Strands, copper conductor, 7/0.254mm strands." So I guess that's the answer. Next time I'll know to search for the codes before bothering people here. :)

Modern switches with leads will sometimes have normal copper wires that have been tinned with solder.

Nip a tiny amount off the end of the wire, and you should see copper if this is the case. (Thanks to @Dan D for this tip.)


Why isn't my refrigerator getting cold? My compact fridge doesn't get cold,
the motor is still running. Ice built up in
the freezer part. I defrosted it, and hit it with a hammer to remove the ice.
Then I hit something , some kind of
smoke or gas appeared.
Can I repair it?

Alas, the refrigerator is dead.

That smoke was the refrigerant escaping.  Theoretically, you can patch the hole or holes and recharge it.  But that will cost more to get right than buying a new one.

Next time you need to defrost, turn it off and let the ice melt.  This will take an hour or two at no risk to the refrigerator.  If you need to do it in minutes instead of hours, use a hair dryer.


What is this white powder on my foundation? Can anyone tell me what this white powder might be?  I was ripping up the carpet from my basement when I saw this underneath the padding and on the cement foundation.  It's white and cakey.

I at first thought I would just vacuum it up, so I took a wire brush and started rubbing it to break it up into a fine powder so it could be vacuumed.  I did that to a portion of it, then I noticed that there is discoloration in the cement underneath the white substance.

It seems that this white powder was probably placed there on purpose to cover up something in the cement.  I don't see evidence of a crack there, nor is there cracking anywhere else in the foundation.  Could it be mold related?  I'm a little nervous to do much else with it until I know what it is.  I don't want to undo whatever was done when it was put down.

Looks like effloresence to me, which itself is not harmful, but possibly a symptom, mainly of water movement; I would check perimeter walls for further signs of water infiltration, and make sure water movement outside is properly being handled, i.e. gutters, grading.


Can I move the location of the well equipment? Our well is located under the giant metal sheet that is in the picture below. I don't like that it is in our driveway. Is there any way that I can move the "plumbing" over like 10 feet? I don't really know what is under the cover to be honest either (as far as equipment goes). I think there is a pump under it? Couldn't I just move the pump over and reconnect the pipes? Or is that not how the well can be set up.

NOTE: The well is about 280' deep. The pressure tank is inside.

It is likely there is a pressure tank in the hole also. Depending on the well depth their could also be a surface pump (shallow well) and there should be a local disconnect. It is possible to move everything But because there is a slab the cost is going to be higher. If you just don't like the cover you will still need the well head to be accessible but from the photo it could be ~1/3 the size. It would be a good idea to know what is in the hole.


Why is the water from my cold water taps warm? My cold water from kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower is warm in summer months during sunlight hours.  It is the expected temperature (cool) in the morning and at night.  Logic says to me that some how my inside water temperature is related to the outside air temperature.  Is this possible, or could you help me to understand what could be causing this warm water situation?

If the cold tap is warm for a while and then cools back to normal, it is a real possibility that you have leak in the hot water line, under the slab. Overnight the hot water leak will beat up the area which includes (usally) the cold water pipe. Depending on where the leak is at, the cold water tap will be cold and then warm when first turned on and then cold again. This is called a slab leak. I have had three. It's almost always the hot line that leaks.


How can I "split" a ground wire I am moving a friend of mine into their new apartment and we need to put up a new light fixture into the bathroom. The bathroom has nothing but a light... 'hole'. There are no wall sockets or anything, and I believe this room has its own separate breaker (we cut off the power to the entire apartment when working on electricals). But the lamp has a LED strip inside so it needs a ground wire.
The problem is, there isn't a loose wire hanging in the ceiling.

This is a 3D recreation so please bear with me.

This is pretty much what it looks like. (yes the wires do actually come out of the walls)

How can I still ground the lamp by cutting the green wire without breaking the loop? Is there a splitter piece or something?

Thank you for helping.

PS: The light fixture does not have a green screw or anything. A wire has to be screwed into the connector.

I've seen this before in rentals I own, lights with no boxes, I wouldn't do it but that must be the local building code. If you cut the ground wire you can make a pigtail to reconnect the ground and the new fixture. The wire nuts for ground (green) have a hole in the top to feed the new fixture which makes it easier.


I have two roof drains, can I seal one of them? My house has a flat roof and leaks, mostly directly underneath the drains.

I've had problems with leaking around the drains since I've owned the house, mostly dripping, but over time it's turned into gallons of water.

Last year I installed a foam membrane which is basically indestructible and totally leak-proof, but I'm still leaking. (the new roof stopped an unrelated leak in a different part of the house).

I think I've narrowed the leak down to the drain in the upper left of the picture. I think the leak is below the roof membrane, but above the roof decking (it's very hard to tell). The drain has a small bit of chicken wire rolled up in it to keep out debris.

My question is, why do I have two drains so close to each other (they're about 18 inches apart), and is there a reason that I couldn't just seal off the one that I think is leaking? Both drains appear to drain into different pipes, one of which (upper left) has a toilet pipe connected to it in the basement.

The house was built in 1928. Based on the technology level of the drain on the lower-right, I presume it was installed sometime after the house was built (?), or at least someone upgraded it, without upgrading the other one.

You have a redundant roof drain. If one of them were to fail (clog) the other would (hopefully) continue to allow water to drain from the roof. If you were to cap one of them And the only drain were to become clogged water would accumulate on your roof to possibly it failed (or found a new route to the inside).

as for it leaking: it would be easiest to open an access to the drain piping inside the roof. Start were you said the water is wetting the ceiling and cut out a opening (14x14) to allow you to inspect and/or repair the pipe. The pipe, if it is original from the 1930's (geez, hmm) I believe would be 2-4" threaded galvanized? Maybe 2" cast? It may even be large diameter copper pipe. What ever the pipe material replace any rotted or rusted sections with ABS of comparable diameter. Join the new to old with rubber repair sleeves that tighten with hose clamps.


What caulk color is this? can anybody tell me what’s the color if the caulk used here? i replace the other side of my kitchen with silicone white and the colour is totally different with what is attached as picture.

Matching something like this isn't possible, given the range of color reproduction on our computers. Vendors make samplers of their grout/ color match caulk; that would be the easiest way to roughly match. Alternately, buy a bunch of different color matched caulk from somewhere that will let you return the ones you don't need. Hopefully, the representation on the label will help you choose.


How to seal gaps around door to prevent mosquitoes from entering? I have gaps above and below the doors of my house, from which mosquitoes enter in huge numbers. I fold newspapers and fit them every day.
This takes a lot of time as I have to do it for every door.

Please give answer in consideration to the fact that I can only fix it at home itself as my city is under complete lock-down due to corona-virus

Sorry, I am not good at speaking English.

What can I do to stop them once and for all.

this is a video in which you can see the problem with one of the doors

I would suggest that you call a contractor to replace the door. You could go to Home Depot or Lowes or call a local window and door company to access your problem and give you a price to do the work. If the door itself is not the priblem then a more detailed description of the problem is needed.


Do I have to hardwire my electric garage heater, or can I use an existing 240V receptacle? I just purchased a 17000BTU heater for my garage. The instructions say to hard wire it with 10/3 and 30amp breakers, 240 volt. The company says the warranty is void unless it is hard wired. I have an existing 240V/40amp outlet for my welder. Are there any safety issues with using my existing outlet?

Well, for one thing you'd void the warranty, though that's not exactly a safety concern. For another you're plugging it into a 40A circuit, when it's only supposed to be on a 30 amp circuit - that is a safety concern.

I'm trying to remember what the usual logic for prohibiting plugs is - on the one hand, the plug is rated for more amperage than the device, on the other, plugs are not quite as good conductors as wires, and may heat and become worse when used in a continuous (which means 3 hours, by NEC definitions) manner - electric heaters are generally defined as continuous loads (they could be left on that long, even if you don't intend to.)


How do I replace a missing exterior wood shingle? I just bought a house and noticed one of the shingles was missing on the exterior above the garage. How would I install a replacement piece (just go up there and nail it in?)?

You should be able to get a replacement shingle at a lumber yard or home center. They may sell them solo or you may have to buy a bundle. Looking at the photo it is hard to tell the style but in my locale they come split or sawn. They are installed either sanded or rough side out. Pick a shingle with the best appearance match and wider than needed. Trim it to fit with a utility knife including the angle cut at the top. Ideally you want the top of shingle to be under the trim. If the old shingle fell off rather than broke slide it under the trim. Stain both sides and the edges of the replacement shingle. To attach the shingle use exterior adhesive or drill a couple of small pilot holes in the face of the shingle. Use 4d stainless steel nails to attach it to the sheathing. If you were unable to slide the shingle under the trim put a bead of chaulking  where the shingle meets the trim.


How to further disassemble cordless drill/driver chuck? I've completely disassembled cordless drill/driver Black&Decker EGBL188 H1 10mm, except this chuck, as seen in the pictures.

I've tried pulling out the plastic piece: I've put the chuck facing up on a bench vice so that only plastic piece touched the vice. And then, I've tried hammering out the chuck leaving the plastic piece on the bench vice.

But I unfortunately I had little to no success, it doesn't seem like it moved at all. Maybe there is some 0.5mm free move to it. I don't want to hammer with my maximum strength, because I feel like it can damage the chuck.

Because of my lack of experience, I don't know how to succeed further disassembling the chuck. Does anybody has done it? Should I hammer with all strength?

Presuming that this type of chuck, sometimes known as a Jacobs chuck, is assembled in a manner similar to that found on drill presses, one can expect that the outer retaining shell is a press fit to the body.

The trick on such a small chuck is supporting the outer shell while applying extraction force to the jaws.

Many videos abound on the 'net using the terms "restore jacobs chuck" and all of them should cover the extraction process. I found one creator who used a hammer and a vise:

https://youtu.be/hCgWNpE-STk?t=111

but with the thin shell on your hand drill chuck, that doesn't seem quite stable enough. One video creator had a piece of scrap(?) steel tubing with just the right inside diameter to allow him to use a ram type press to gently force the mechanism free.

View many of the videos you'll find with the above search and you will have a more solid approach to your goal.


Electrical question on floating neutral generator for emergency use There is tons of information on "bonded neutral" and "floating neutral" generator wiring to transfer switch. However, I have one question I cannot find the answer.

I recently bought a Reliance Control Transfer Switch TF151W (2-pole transfer switch) for the furnace, because I cannot use an extension cord for furnace. In North American, all service panel in our houses have Neutral (white) and Ground (Green/bare copper) connected/bonded by code.  In this case, the ONLY option for me is to buy a "floating neutral" generator in order to avoid the dangerous "double bonded" scenario.

Say I want the generator to power my (1) furnace via transfer switch and I want to power my (2) gas water heater using extension cord plugging it into the outlet of the generator. Will there be a problem?

Say, the Generator is "Floating Neutral", I have:

Generator Outlet #1 -> Transfer Switch AC Panel (bonded) -> Furnace

Generator Outlet #2 -> Extension cord -> Gas water heater (not bonded)

My question is: If I unplugged #1 and only run #2, the gas water heater is running on floating neutral. But what if I run #1 and #2 at the same time, will all the outlets on the generator automatically turn into bonded neutral?

Reason I ask is that some gas water heater is very sensitive, they won't start if they detect it is not grounded.

Lets start with your premise that you must buy a 'floating neutral generator'.  That is simply not true, you can buy code compliant transfer switches with neutral-grounding disconnects built in as described in this video.

Next, you seem to be worried about a possible 'transient voltage;' created by double bonding your generator.  This will only occur if the generator is already self-bonded (bonded-neutral), and wouldn't be a concern in the scenario you described.

However, your concern about trying to power a water heater with a floating generator via extension cord isn't misplaced as water heaters often will not run if they detect a lack and unbounded neutral. Thus if you were to ever try to run the generator to power your water heater without it also being connected to the electrical panel for your furnace (such as having having your  your transfer switch turned off), you may experience an error.

To fully wrap you head around this, I found this video explained exactly what bonded-nutural is and the type of power a floating-neutral generator produces


How does one upgrade garage electrical from an In-House main? tl;dr Want to know the easiest way to upgrade electrical in garage from 15A to 20A.
Actual Post

Garage is on a 15 amp circuit, doesn't work out too well for a 15A air compressor.
The main is in the house, ~20 yards away give or take. I can do the wiring myself, but I don't know how to go about finding the existing wiring's path, will standard fishing line work? I saw this related question, so if there are multiple 90s in my path then probably not.
What I know:

I'll probably be adding a subpanel in there for convenience.
I can calculate Amp/Gauge requirements for cabling and breakers.
This is probably going to be a pain.

What I don't know:

What codes will apply in this situation. I know there are certain requirements for buried cables though, just not what.
How/Where the cable should enter the house.
If I can or even if I should trace the existing wiring from the garage and use that path, or start from scratch.
Any best practices or pitfalls to avoid for this type of job.

My question differs from this one in that I want to know what's involved with running new cable from the garage to the house. I know it can be done, I just want to know how it's done, essentially.
Info about the area:
There's a standard city backyard between the garage and house (a big tree, lawn, back porch w/ walkway), and this is MI in case there are any differences in code.

tl;dr - if you are going to all the work, and a subpanel, you presumably want a bit more than 20 amps (think it needs to be 30 amps minimum for code these days, and 60 amps is probably better.)

You'll have to dig a ditch. At that point, my opinionated opinion is that you should go ahead and put in conduit, and an additional conduit for any current or future possibility that you might want cable, phone, network, etc out there. Ditches are expensive and a lot of work - conduit is cheap, once you have the ditch...Often cheaper (with wire) than "direct burial" cable, and far more resistant to damage in the future - plus it does offer you the potential of pulling out the wire and pulling in new wire if there ever was a problem - but that's low odds of you making any use of it on he electrical side. Network, quite possible.

Before digging a ditch in a city (especially) backyard, call Dig-Safe and have all (Offically known about) services (gas, phone, electric, water sewer & things you may not know about) located. Turn off the circuit to the garage - I would not worry too much about where it is (unless it runs in a conduit that you might be able to re-use - which is not too likely), but odds are that you'll find it when digging, and it's less exciting if it's turned off when you do.

Any wire used must be rated for wet locations - not difficult, just be sure it is. Any exterior conduit is assumed by code to be wet (and that's generally true.)

If the portion of the backyard you are crossing is not travelled by cars and trucks (not crossing the driveway) depth is sufficient if the TOP of the conduit is 18" below finished grade. Be sure to lay "buried electric line below" tape in the top 6" of the trench fill. If you are not digging below frost line (4 feet or more where you are, probably) you definitely need to bring the ends of the conduit up vertically at buildings, and provide a slip (expansion) joint, as the conduit will move with frost. That's generally needed even if the conduit is buried below frost-line as well, unless it's going straight into a basement below frost-line, but its especially critical when the conduit is above frost line. If you don't find the cost phohibitive, a layer of XPS foam over the top of the conduit provides one more indication that there is something there (when someone else is digging, later) and can reduce frost movement a little bit (or a lot if it's wide.) Alternatively, 2" of concrete over the conduit provides some serious protection on top of the conduit, and reduces the required depth to 6" in Rigid or IMC metallic conduit (which may be well worth it in your situation to save on digging) or 12" in PVC conduit.

If you happen to want a walkway that would happen to run where the electric service would, a 4" thick concrete slab extending 6" beyond the conduit reduces the required burial depth to 4" (ie, right under the slab.)

Look for NEC table 300.5 for more detail.


Is an exhaust fan over a gas range required? Are we required to have one in a standard kitchen with a gas range in a residential home? The big question is not how many CFM or ducted or not, just whether there is a requirement in the building codes. I live in New Jersey, US.

Yes, and not only do you need a fan but it must exhaust outside and not just recirculate the air through a carbon filter.  You are burning fossil fuels which produces carbon monoxide (among other things).  This can kill you if not properly vented.

Rather than repeat what is already on this site, per the comments, see this answer for the exact code requirements for exhaust hoods.


How do I clean cooking oil off a steel fence? My next door neighbor decided to saturate panels of our steel fence with cooking oil to stop the rust (which was expected and is a desired patina).

How can we get rid of the old oil smell and get the oily stain off the fence?

Knowing that you don't mind the rust, I'd go at it the same way you would dirty dishes soiled with the same thing--dish detergent and water. A little scrubbing with a nylon brush shouldn't damage the surface, and the rust will return shortly.


Can two circuits with dual function breakers share a box? Corded Dishwasher and Disposal each have own 20a circuit with dual-function breakers; however, they each go to a single receptacle that share the same 2-gang box.

Am I correct that splicing the grounds together - as one would normally do when sharing a box - would render the GFI of the dual-function breaker useless? Would the only way to appropriately resolve this be to utilize two separate single-gang boxes? Are there any exceptions to having two different circuits sharing a box yet not sharing ground?

It's the neutrals you need to firewall

GFCI and DFCI devices simply do not care about ground.  (Note how a GFCI breaker has no ground connection -- it has line-hot, line-neutral, load-hot, and load-neutral, and that's all!)  In fact, one could pull two hots and two neutrals through an EMT conduit to a metal box, thus having a single ground path all the way from the panel to the box, and have this wiring setup work, provided the receptacle box is wired correctly.

And in that, I mean that each DFCI needs to supply both its own hot and its own neutral to its corresponding receptacle, with no cross-connections between hots or neutrals; if you get this wrong, you'll get unwanted tripping due to wayward neutral current bypassing the DFCI that it originally ran through to get to its corresponding appliance.  This is because GFCI protection relies on the First Rule of Electricity; namely, that current flows in closed loops.  As a result, if the current going out on the hot wire doesn't match the current coming back on the neutral wire, that current has to be going somewhere else, and the GFCI assumes that "somewhere else" is you and kills the power to save your bacon.

So, once you have two independent hot/neutral pairs as well as a grounding path to the box (this can be done as 12AWG wires in a conduit, as a single 12/2/2 cable, or as two independent 12/2 cables), you can wire this all up in a single 1-gang box of sufficient size (18 in³ minimum).  You simply need to use a regular NEMA 5-20T duplex receptacle, preferably specification grade, and break both tabs off (i.e. not just the tab/fin on the hot side, but the one on the neutral side as well).  As a result, you'll have two independent 20A receptacles on the same mounting yoke -- each receptacle is connected to its corresponding pair of brass and silver screws, but not to the other receptacle or the other receptacle's terminal screws.

From there, it's just a matter making sure that your first hot/neutral pair goes to the terminal screws for the top receptacle and your second hot/neutral pair goes to the terminal screws for the bottom receptacle.  If you mix the wires up at this point, once again, you'll get reminded when your DFCIs trip on you as soon as you put a load on the circuit, for the same reason as before.


Pre-Romex AC circuits to DC for offgrid Solar We live in a rural 250 year old colonial that was wired for ceiling and wall sconce electric lights sometime in the mid-1940s. In the early 70's outlets were added, then updated to Romex when a central heating system was installed.

We are updating to solar thermal for heating and want to add some solar PV just to put the lights off-grid, in case of another hurricane or blizzard.

The original lights are on two isolated circuits on for second floor, one for third, and I think they are just in series.

I remember doing the potato battery experiment with an old fashioned ceramic ceiling fixture years ago, and I wondered ... is there a way to use the existing wiring to go directly to DC and simply switch to DC LED edison screw lightbulb? Instead of a whole inverter, just for lights?

The DC-AC inverter is the expensive part. If I can figure this out, we'll run another USB-PD circuit for all our other power brick devices.

In principle, you can do this. In practice, you'll need to talk to someone about local electrical codes. Running parallel low voltage DC and 110 AC circuits can be done, but like I say, you'll need to talk to a pro.


Washer Dryer Combo vs. Separate Units I am shopping for a washer and dryer set. I see combos and separated sets in market. What is advantage and disadvantages of each kind? I am not short in space but one unit is a nice to have. Also I am interested in electricity consumption comparison.

One issue I can see, is that in 35 years I've bought three washers and one electric dryer. If you are referencing to is attached stacked units you may be replacing a working dryer because it is attached to the broken washer. The dryers have so few moving parts they are easily and inexpensively repaired. The same can't be said for washers.


Neutral wire is not working I am trying to change outside light fixture and identified the ground and neutral wires from the fixture are connected to ground wire from the home. The neutral wire was not used at all. I try to connect neutral from new fixture to neutral from home and ground to ground and hot to hot wires and the new fixture did not work. If I connect neutral form the fixture to ground wire from home it is working. So, is it OK to connect  neutral and ground form the fixture to ground wire from home ? Does it cause any problem in future?

You have a open neutral somewhere. If you know what circuit that issue is in on:
 Look too see if there's anything plugged into any receptacles and unplug it ( or them ). If you find there was, then go back & check to see if there's still "hot" power on that white wire...
If there's no longer power on that white wire, shut that circuit off then open up the closest receptacle box ( pull out the receptacle ) and inspect it....
If the above didn't find it, go to the next receptacle and the next and so on until you find the culprit.

Open up every box related to that circuit. Even your main panel box....and you'll check to see if all the "whites" are connected on the common terminal... That's a start, and hopefully a "finish" too.

Good luckBe safe.


Fan works for heating, but not for AC, where to start? Our new place has a working AC (meaning that the physical box outside spins and can produce cold air) and a working fan (meaning that the fan spins and is able to put air out to the vents in the house). However, both the AC and the fan will not work together.

Through some experimentation, when turning the heat on, the fan will run and output warm air. If I then immediately switch to AC, I will get out about 2 minutes of cold air through the fan until the fan turns off.

The fan in all cases has not been set to 'auto' but rather has been forced to the 'on' mode.

This leads me to believe there is an issue with the control panel, as both components work individually. Any suggestions on how to debug/fix this issue before we have to pay for an inspector to come in?

If this is an older furnace you may have a bad relay in the furnace control box that runs the fan when the a/c is turned on. If it a newer furnace you may have a problem with the printed circuit board. A picture of the control board or the wiring of the furnace would help, along with the model, serial, and age of the equipment