Connect 1/4“ supply line to 3/8” outer diameter faucet line The 3/8 " end of the 1/2" to 3/8 " faucet connector neither fits a 3/8" pipe nor a 1/4" pipe. Right now I have to find a connector which connects the 3/8" end of the faucet connector to 1/4" pipe. Which connector should I be looking for ?

Whoa... remove everything you just installed, including those valves.

the valves you used have garden hose thread outlets, and you have incorrectly screwed pipe thread fittings to them. It will leak, if not now then in the future. Those valves are commonly used to supply clothes washing machines which use supply lines with garden hose thread.

Replace the valves with dual-outlet angle stop valves, which come with the proper 1/2" pipe thread inlet and outlets that will fit your 3/8" compression thread flex supply and your 1/2" pipe thread flex supply:

Don't use those black iron fittings; they will corrode. You won't need them anyway if you purchase the correct stop-valves.


Problem with Screws/Hinges on laminate door Fitting a finished laminate door. Routered hinges and pre-drilled before screwing. Screws nearest the edge of the door caused a ripple as if screw was pushing it the laminate out. checked screws were straight. Any ideas?

You need a bigger pilot hole for sure. If needed, point the holes inward a bit but not much.


Using ent conduit “smurf tube” for 4 4awg wires I’m currently running power to my garage. I have to special order 1.5”  flexible metal conduit. So I was going to just use some one inch stuff. I didn’t want to buy 25ft. So I found smurf tube. Can I use that for my flexible conduit from the outside of my house to my box inside my house? I’ve tried to find any code on it. I don’t go over the fill limit. But I got told that that’s not conduit that it’s only for data and low voltage. I’m using 29” of it from where it comes through my wall to my box. Any info would be great

ENT is A-OK for residential mains wiring

Actual UL listed ENT ("smurf tube") is a perfectly fine mains wiring method in 99% of the work we see around here, allowed basically everywhere NM can be used.  This is spelled out in NEC 362.10, with point 1 applying to us:

  (1) In any building not exceeding three floors above grade as
  follows:

  a. For exposed work, where not prohibited by 362.12

  b. Concealed within walls, floors, and ceilings

Note that ENT uses PVC fittings and conduit bodies, by and large, although special "snap lock" fittings can be used for ENT if cementing is undesirable for some reason.  This also makes it easy to transition to PVC for the outdoor section of the run, as well.

Fill wise: you're good to go, but not by much

Your 4 4AWG THWN wires take up 212.64mm² of fill, while your 1" ENT has 215mm² of usable space, making your proposed pull quite a tight fit.  I would downsize the ground wire to 8AWG if I were in your shoes; that's the minimum size required by the NEC for all circuits up to 100A, and will save you 29.55mm² of fill.

Garage panel selection and grounding

Since this is a feeder to a detached building, we know we will need to put a subpanel in at the garage.  Furthermore, this subpanel will need to be a main breaker type, as that's the cheapest way to provide a local shutoff means at the garage, and have separate ground bars fitted so that neutral and ground are separated properly at the subpanel.  Finally, we'll want it to be of ample size so that you don't need to go back and replace it later because it filled up: a 24- or 30-space, 100A or 125A panel will do the trick here, and isn't much costlier than a smaller panel would be.  Don't forget to ensure the bonding screw or strap is pulled when the panel is installed!

Since this is a detached building, we also need to make sure that the garage has a proper grounding electrode system fitted.  At its simplest, we can use two 8' deep ground rods, driven 8' apart, and connected to each other and to the garage subpanel's ground bar with 8AWG copper wire to handle that in this case.

TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC

When fitting the new wires and panel, you will need to use an inch-pound torque screwdriver or torque wrench to torque all breaker and panel lugs to the torques printed on the labeling.  This is required by 110.14(D) in the 2017 NEC, and also a good idea even if your AHJ doesn't require it, lest your electrical system lose you the race!


What should I expect to find above garage ceiling (drywall)? Okay, I am not too familiar with residential constructions. I know that the master bedroom (second floor) of my home is directly over the garage (first floor). Now, I know that if I were to open or tear down the drywall ceiling in the master bedroom (on the second floor), then a lot of insulation would fall down. However, if I were to open or tear down the drywall ceiling in the garage (to run wiring, etc.), what should I expect to find? The home was built in 2007, and it is located in the metro Houston area.

I re-did my garage ceiling a couple years ago. Home built 2003, in Southeastern Ontario, Canada, so may not be entirely the same, but probably fairly close. Here's a picture after I had taken down some of the drywall, which gives a nice profile shot:

The drywall was mounted on another set of joists (I think they were 6") hung below the actual joists for the second floor, with about 18" from the bottom of the floor joists to bottom of the garage ceiling joists.
There are a couple I-beams holding up the second floor
There was batt insulation laid on top of the drywall
Drywall edges were sealed with caulk to keep gasses from getting into the house (though someone prior to me had played hockey in the garage, and there were a few puck-shaped holes in the drywall)
No vapor barrier was installed
HVAC and return vents run through this space
There was a dedicated 6" HVAC vent blowing into this space, and a hole cut into one of the existing returns about 6' away to act as a return. I guess this was to heat the space to make the upper floor feel not as cold, but it wasn't overly effective and I'm sure it was a waste of money.
The wiring for most of the garage lights/plugs ran through this space; I don't recall any other wiring though.

You'll probably note I used the past tense there. I took all the drywall and insulation down, cut the joists back to make the ceiling higher, installed some network/cable jacks in the rooms above (I fished wires between the joists to get to rooms not over the garage), installed central vac, and then used spray foam to insulate the ceiling, used the old batt insulation to insulate the exterior walls, and finally dry walled and installed some shelves on the ceiling. The room above is warmer, the garage stays above freezing, and both cars and the snow blower fit (though I have to move everything else up to the shelves in the winter).


How do I remove/uninstall this security motion sensor? I have a security motion sensor that controls a pair of security lights. Unfortunately, the sensor has failed and I want to replace it.

For some reason, there doesn't appear to be a way to remove/uninstall or open it as there are no visible screws.

There is a seam down one side and I have inserted a flat-headed screwdriver in there to see if I can open it. Unfortunately, that just flexes the plastic. I do not want to be too rough and damage the eaves.

The brand of the sensor is Lanson (which is sold in Australia), but I was not able to find any installation instructions for it.

Here are some pictures of what it looks like:

Use a flat blade screw driver and pop that little button off of the back side.  I strongly suspect that there is a screw under it that get you where you want to go. If that does not prove effective and you truly want to get rid of it use a straight claw hammer, get the claws between the base and the eves and simply pull it off carefully.


How the fix washed-off wall paint? I've recently moved to a new place and I wanted to clean a couple of superficial wall stains like I always did: using a clean cloth and a few drops of water. But apparently this wall paint is different (non-washable?) than in my previous apartment and I was left with this permanent damage:

Any idea what is the problem? And how to fix it decently without having to repaint the entire wall - I'm thinking spray paint or something?

That almost looks like a sprayed on primer and not "real" paint. Your best bet would be to get a small can of primer and roll it on the wall, feathering it in to the surrounding area. Good luck.


Should neutral be bonded to ground in main and subpanels? I had a licensed electrician replace my main panel and also install a subpanel in my garage.  At the time I knew nothing about electrical, and now I know just barely more than nothing.  I have recently learned that the ground bar and neutral bar should be bonded.  I have examined both my main and subpanels and determined my bars are not bonded.  Should the ground bars in both my main and subpanels be connected?

Subpanel:

Main Panel:

Neutral and ground should only be bonded at the service equipment.  This could be at the service drop, the meter, or the service disconnect (250.24(A)(1)).

Looks like the neutral is bonded in your main panel, via the bonding screw.

The second panel is then fed using four wires, to keep ground and neutral separate.


Garage Door Cable Drum Grinding Against the Track (Single Torsion Spring) One of the cable drums on my garage door was grinding against my garage door's track. I tried loosening it to adjust it and the whole torsion bar moved 3 inches to the side. Presumably the stretch in the single spring came out?

How do I ensure that the cable drum doesn't make a horrid metallic grinding sound? Is there supposed to be a spacer? Right now, the cable drum appears to be serving as a stop and that doesn't seem correct to me.

I fixed it by replacing the one spring with two.

Despite warnings to the contrary, replacing a torsion spring is a relatively straightforward process if you're careful and thorough. I ended up following the instructions found here: https://youtu.be/zxUoJrLhaSI. (I also ordered my replacement springs from them. They have an online calculator for figuring out spring replacements.)

From what I can discern most of the rhetoric around the dangers of garage door extension springs. Those are pulled tight with a cable that whips dangerously around if something breaks. To replace them, you need to do so with the garage door in the open position, leaving a risk that the door might fall on you.

With torsion springs, the garage door is kept closed (clamped in place for safety) and a broken spring would simply unwind around its central tube (though little bits could go flying I suppose).

Meanwhile, the cable drum that was grinding was about to catastrophically fail. See this picture:

The hook for the cable had almost entirely disintegrated. It was only a matter of time before the cable slipped out and the garage door came crashing down.

Evidently, grinding like this is common for single torsion springs, which really surprises me and seems dangerous. Replacing with two springs cost me about $100 and took about an hour.


Slight brown tint when starting cold water from tub faucet? More specifically, when I haven't used my tub for a couple of days, and I start the water (only the cold) there is initially a bit of brown tint in it, but it rapidly disappears. It's fine if I'm using it daily. I know this is usually indicative of a pipe wearing down, but since this only happens with the initial bit of water and only on the cold side would this narrow the issue down to a piece of plumbing near the faucet? And since the tint is only slight and doesn't continue do I have more time before I would need to go in and replace something? Thanks.

I cannot add a comment so I’m placing it here?

If you want to try and pinpoint if it’s that single line or fixture or possibly a whole house issue. I’d start by seeing if any other locations, after sitting a couple days has this same issue or not. If the rust/corrosion still only settles at the tub fixture you would (likely) narrow down your culprit.

Im just reaching here. Is this tub at the end of the line of your plumbing? And if so are you using other water lines in the vacinity? That would keep water moving to or past the take off line to the tub? Or depending how you water lines are set up. If you have your supply line running the length of the house and 1/2” take offs from there at the room location split to the fixture. If this line to the tub is the only one coming off the supply line from the underside of it. It possibly be actaing as a rust knock out and as rust passes past this line the sediment could drop down and collect up.

If you can do some further investigating and show/explain your water supply set up and trouble shoot a tiny bit more, it would really help further narrow down a potential issue and help the community have a less broad and more informed answer. Hope this helps


Is it worth insulating the roof of a detatched, unfinished garage, but not the walls? My detached, unfinished garage is pretty sucky because the walls are only 6' high. Based on quick and dirty math, it'd make more sense to tear it down and start over than to try and finish it, but I don't have that much $$. I can't install a ceiling due to the garage doors passing through what would be the ceiling, and now I'm just trying to make the space usable without spending money since it's mostly a lost cause until I can save enough to just demo it and rebuild from scratch. I live in a cold/hot area (Indiana) and would like to insulate it so I can work in it and let the dogs stay in it when we're in those more extreme temperature swings, but I just don't know if it's worth bothering.
If I just insulated the roof would that be worth anything, or would the fact that the walls and doors aren't insulated make it pointless?

It would be a huge waste of time and money to insulate only the roof area.   Insulating overhead would only make any (small) sort of noticeable difference if the roof were black and you had a yard configuration where the garage roof was fully exposed but the surrounding area was shaded.
If this thing is sitting out by itself in the open then there is no gain for sure.
Now I see two options:

Raise that garage up - this may not be as hard as you think.  I just did this for a 10x16' barn.

Insulate from the outside.   You can attach rigid insulation + covering on the outside that could dramatically help.   This is what we are doing with a lot of older HOMES in my area that did not get properly insulated.   On some of them we are adding a good 3-4" to each side.   If you can do this than doing the roof/ceiling is appropriate.


Low outlet placement and baseboard issue I have a situation where most of the electrical outlets are placed low--about 2 inches above the floor measured from the bottom of the outlet plate.  It originally had base moldings which rose to about a third of the way up the outlet plates, but was cut badly to fit and globs of caulk was used to fill the gaps, etc.

I am going to install laminate flooring and was wondering if the matching quarter round mouldings can be used to the walls without the base moldings (after finishing up the rough spots in the drywall left behind). Floor guy said it would look strange, but I've seen it looking good in a 1940s home.  Is there any issues with this install?

It's possible to do, but not easy. There isn't much surface area on quarter rounds. Usually there is a significant gap between the floor and the wall to allow for expansion. Usually, the quarter round is nailed to the baseboard, which is nailed to the studs. Without baseboards, the gap between the flooring and the wallboard doesn't leave much material to attach the quarter round to.

Just because the previous baseboards looked bad doesn't mean your new ones have to. Since it sounds like you're pulling the old ones out, you have the opportunity to select ones that will make installation around the outlets easier or prettier.

Alternatively, if all of your electrical wiring in the area comes down from the ceiling, it might be a simple matter to install new electrical boxes at an appropriate height and move the outlets up.


What can I use to lubricate CAT6 cables while installing them? I am about to run some network wires inside the wall at home. I had already done so but apparently too much pressure on them while pulling caused one of the pairs to go bad and therefore prevent gigabit speeds.

I am going to replace them so I was wondering what options do I have to make the pulling easier? I have been told soap (yes soap) could be used to pull AC cables but I am afraid it could damage the network cables? Would (sex) lube be any better?

Any thoughts on this?

Edit: Thanks everyone for the input! I just pulled some new wires, used dish soap and got someone to push from the other side and everything went really smooth!

When someone says soap you have to take in consideration their experience. They may very well mean soap, as it is slippery and would probably work. If, however, they're from the electrical/low voltage field they more likely mean Yellow-77 - or a similar variation available today. A gel-ish type is what you'll likely find at a big-box store. Personally, I prefer the yellow stuff, but I'm old-school like that.

I doubt sex lube is what you want. It's probably expensive and not really the consistency you're looking for. But it might work well enough if you've got an abundance laying around.

Ideal : Yellow77

When applying a pulling lube don't fall into the trap of thinking the entire wire must be saturated with the stuff. You shouldn't need much more than an initial amount on the head. It will work to coat the path for the following wire. This is why using the proper lube is beneficial. It's consistency works for you.


Can I have utility location done well in advance of a fence project? Disclaimer: Before any work is done I'm going to have all utility companies come out to properly mark the utility locations.
I'm looking to get a fence installed by a fence company. However, in order to do that, I need to cut down 3 trees that are in the way. My concern is utilities being located anywhere along the fence line. I don't want to cut down the trees and then find out there's utility lines around the area I want the fence and won't be able to put up a fence. Basically, if I can't put up the fence, I'd rather leave the trees.
From what I understand, the utility companies want you to wait until a few days before the project begins for you to call them out to mark the utilities. It's probably going to be a month or 2 between now and when I can have the trees cut down and when I can have the fence company begin.
Other than having the utility companies come out, mark up the utilities, cut down the trees, have them mark the utilities again, and then put up the fence, is there any way I can get a general idea of where the utilities may be? One of the bigger concerns is my neighbors have some sort of utility box in their back yard, and I'm not sure if that's a bad sign.
Any recommendations on how to handle this given the order of operations I need to follow would be helpful.

Green lines mark the fence boundry.
Red is the utility box I'm referring to.

Utilities, as a rule, are delighted to come out any time and mark locations. They would much rather avoid a problem instead of having to deal with an outage.
If they need to come out again, e.g. because the paint weathers away, they'll do that.


How to fix plywood subfloor butt joint that is off by 1/8" before installing hardwood flooring My title pretty much asks the question, but for slightly more detail:  I am prepping to put in some 3/4" hardwood flooring on the upstairs (2nd floor) of my 1970s house.  My subfloor has had only carpet on it for the life of the house (I'm pretty sure) and is in pretty good shape.  However, there are a few plywood butt joints that are not flush with each other - they are off by as much as 1/8" (see photo.  yes, that's a Lego to show scale - it was sitting nearby).

here's a more zoomed out photo

I'm wondering how best to fix the problem - I'm no expert, but even I can tell that hardwood flooring will not sit nicely across that 1/8" height difference.

The plywood is nailed down, not screwed, and one idea is to put some screws in and see if that tightens it up.  I thought I'd ask the collective wisdom on here before doing that.

Another interesting and possibly salient detail is that the plywood subfloor is nailed only every 4' which I am pretty sure is because there are not typically-spaced floor joists but instead are larger beams spaced every 4'.  Evidently, these beams used to be exposed to downstairs but were drywalled over before we moved in to create a ceiling.  So I'm also pretty sure that there is more than just a single layer of plywood in the subfloor - I don't know what's underneath it, but it's perfectly solid in the middle between the beams.

Use a large hand plane like this:

I installed vinyl plank throughout my first floor; 1200 square feet.  The rooms I did before thinking about this show every little bump or seam.  Most people don't see the defects, but I sure do.  They drive me nuts.  I wish I thought of this sooner.

Make sure the blade is set to take tiny ribbons of wood and is real sharp.  It will go through the wood like butter.  Makes quick work and you can get that area completely smooth.


How can I attach the frame of a bed to legs using carriage bolts? I have a bed that I have been building - it has 4x4's for the legs, and I want to attach the frame of the bed (the part of the bed that runs from front legs to back legs, structural support) to the front and back legs.

I dont really want to just screw it to the 4x4's, but would prefer to have a carriage bolt that provide more modularity to the bed. Are there any kinds of deep nuts I could insert into the legs that I can screw a carriage bolt into? Basically so I can easily screw it in and unscrew it for dis-assembly. I have seen shelves and dressers we have bought that have these kinds of recessed nuts that you can screw a bolt into when assembling.

Just wondering if anything exists for home use?

Here is an image of what I am doing:

The brown pieces are what I want to attach to the posts/legs. I will then have supports along the 88 1/2 piece of wood that will span the width with 2x4's to provide a base for the box spring. Since it is a load bearing piece, I would like for it to be strong.

I found what I needed! I happened to stumble upon it after posting this.

What I need are "Wood Insert Interface Screws". This will allow me to screw these into the wood, while using a carriage bolt to screw into this. Hope this helps someone.


What do I need for a wall shelf that will support an aquarium? I'm starting a DIY wall shelf project. I'm not very handy, and I've never done anything like this before, so I'd love some advice/guidance!

The end goal is for the shelf to hold a 3 gallon aquarium (18 x 5.5 x 7"). The total weight of water is around 25 lbs, but I want the shelf to hold at the very least 50 lbs to be safe and to include the tank and rocks/material itself.

I've been looking at these wall brackets from Home Depot (or other similar ones), which say they can hold 200 lbs per pair:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-10-in-x-12-in-White-Shelf-Bracket-15254/202034279

Planning for the shelf itself to be 10 inches deep.

I've also marked out the approximate location of studs on the wall here:

There are a total of four, though the fourth stud (one closest to the door) seems to be narrower than the rest. I'm thinking about using the first and third for the brackets, which are about 24 inches apart. Do the locations of the studs seem right?

What I'd like to know is what type of screws to use? What length? Diameter?

Does the type of wood for the shelf itself matter a great deal? Would the brackets being 24 inches apart cause the wood to bow under 50 lbs?

Is there anything I'm missing? Important things to take into consideration?

Another thought you may not have considered - theres a door there that opens toward the shelf.

Please fit a permanent floor-mounted doorstop so it can never ever swing open and hit the shelf.  The impact could drop your aquarium and thats no fun for the fish or for whoever has to clean up all the water afterward.


Can I just paint over my existing vinyl wrapped MDF kitchen cabinets? My kitchen cabinets (doors and sides of pantry) have a dated vinyl finish. I'd like just plain matte white cabinets and have been looking online but white vinyl wrapped ones seem to be around $50 per door.

Considering the vinyl is in reasonable condition, would there be any issue if I just painted the existing cabinets, vinyl and all, with white paint and a roller (or even spray paint)?

Realistically, no if the vinyl has held up well so far, but it also shouldn't be too much work to peel off the vinyl to prep for refinishing. That said, depending on the cabinets, you could have particle board or MDF underneath, which you wouldn't want directly exposed for painting due to porosity. In that case, lightly scuffing the vinyl with any abrasive, priming, then painting should suffice to give a good coating.

The only real concern I know of with painting over vinyl is the potential for bubbling or warping issues with the vinyl transferring through the painted surface. Like I said, though, if the vinyl has held up well for a good amount of time, I can't foresee any of those issues happening easily.


How do I fix squishy tiles in shower floor? I bought this property a few months ago. The master bathroom has a tile shower. After the shower is used and the floor has dried, stepping on some of the tiles results in a "squish" noise, and a little water comes up through the grout.

You can see in the photo of the shower floor my (poor) re-grouting; there were some cracks in the grout near the drain and I had hoped replacing it would solve the problem. (It obviously didn't.)

What should I do next to diagnose & repair this weeping floor? We've been showering in the guest bathroom for long enough, I think.

Bonus question: how urgent is this?

Weeping:

The whole bathroom is tiled:

Even the best  re-grout jobs will fail if the sub-floor under the tile is compromised in some way. If the tile are installed on a damaged or wet sub-floor they will eventually loosen from the thin-set that bonds them to the floor. Over time this will be evidenced by cracks in the grout joints.  Before you try another grouting remove some of the loosest tile. Observe the thin-set below. It should appear solid with no cracks. Tap it with a handle of a screwdriver. It should sound solid not hollow.  If the tile removes with thin-set attached you will probably need to replace the entire floor. This is the time to ensure that the sub-floor and floor joists haven't been affected by water leaking through the tile.   If the showers' tile floor does need to be removed the standard procedure entails also removing about 12-14 inches of the lower wall so that a protective membrane can be installed. If you are comfortable with tiling, masonry, and carpentry this is well within a DIY-ers capabilities and can save a lot of money.


Water heater uses two single breakers House came with an ncient water heater that struggled but worked well enough until a leak and some other issues caused me to burn out one or both elements. The labels in the box were wrong so I drained the tank and found everything was still live. Is it too difficult to throw on a 'has power' indicator light? Anyway.

Time to replace it. I turned off the double for the water heater and I'm still waiting to see what is turned off by it. I also found that a pair of single breakers that when either one were off showed that the lines to the water heater were no longer hot. What? That cannot be right and I'm sure there's some reasonable danger involved for not just hooking it up properly.

Is the obvious fix of putting it back on the double breaker labeled for it really that simple? Or in case its actually hooked up to something else, replacing those two singles with a double?

Someone with some brains tell me I'm not going crazy.

You can replace the two single pole breakers with a 30A double pole, or use an appropriately identified handle tie between the existing single pole breakers as well as per 240.15(B)(2) as typical electric storage water heaters don't have any 120V loads.  Of course, this all requires the breakers to be adjacent.


Is it typical to use protectowrap on a deck ledger? My deck has protectowrap between some of the house and deck boards. I never noticed this anywhere else before. Is this typical? I either need to replace it or remove it and paint instead. I’m inclined to paint but I would like some advice as far as how to proceed. I’m in the process of removing the boards to gain necessary access now.

EDIT:
Here’s the deck after boards removed

Yes, that was installed for a reason. A common rot location has been behind ledger boards such as this. Even with metal cap flashing water tends to run behind, and it doesn't dry out well. This results in rot of the sheathing and joists behind.

Normally the siding is close enough to the deck that you don't see the flashing. You might overlay something to conceal the membrane. To avoid fastener holes it could be adhered with silicone or urethane caulk and held in place with the decking.


Letting a thermostat regulate temperature, or do it myself? I always hear people say that it is more efficient to let a thermostat regulate the room temperature.
Well, I do not have a thermostat, but I have an electric heater with on internal one. Not a exact one, it goes from 1 till 7, unit unspecified.
I tend to turn it on when I feel cold, and turn it off again when I feel warm. I think this is more efficient because the heater will spent less time being on. I even put a timer on it to ensure I never forget to turn it off. The timer counts down from 1 hour, and then turns the heater off.
so my question: in general, what is more energy efficient? Playing thermostat yourself, or leaving it up to a actual thermostat?

Both neither is wrong nor right.
Because it's all depending on your preference after all. If you are likely to turn on/off frequently and making your time to turn on longer than expected it could be more costly.
You can use a power meter to calculate your power consumption for this heater with thermostat regulating and with the manual so you know how big the difference in a year (calculate it yourself)


Should my receptacle tester be able to trip a GFCI breaker in the panel box? I have a receptacle tester with a button to test GFCI. It works properly in tripping the GFCI if the outlet itself is a GFCI outlet. However when I test it on circuits which have a GFCI breaker nothing happens. is my tester broken is my breaker functioning improperly what's the issue here?

If the receptacle is grounded: Yes it should trip it.
If the receptacle has some semi-grounding that is insufficient to clear a dead-short bolted fault (i.e. incapable of flowing 200A without setting the house on fire): Yes it should trip it.  And that is fine. A bolted fault is also a ground fault, which should trip the GFCI, ending the event.
If the receptacle is not grounded: No, it should not trip it. That would be disturbing if it did.
If the receptacle is not grounded, but a tester indicates grounded: Then a) no, it should not trip it, and b) that is a bootleg ground that defeats the entire purpose of even having a GFCI /facepalm /Darwin_Award and needs to be corrected ASAP.
If you stick the GFCI tester in a 2-prong cheater and come off the ground tab with a separate wire run across the house to a part of the electrical grounding system: then yes, it should trip it.


What can I place under my sofa cushions to reduce sag? I am looking to use a piece of wood to lay under my sofa cushions because it sinks to much when you sit on it. I can't afford a new sofa so I was told I could use a piece of wood under the cushions. I need it to support a person 300 lbs- 400 lbs. They are disabled and do a lot of sitting.

3/4" plywood will do the job, but the outcome will depend on how the sofa's supporting structure is built. You'll want to cut the sheet to a suitable shape and bullnose the edges with a router or sander to prevent it from cutting through the fabric of the cushions and the base. It probably will eventually, though. You could also wrap it with old sheets or similar to protect the sofa.


Puzzling leak in my 2nd floor tile shower I am looking for help.  I recently bought a home.  During the home inspection the inspector plugged the shower drain, filled the shower to test the shower for leaks.  Unfortunately, I believe he used water from the shower vs another source.  Within 20-30 minutes water began leaking into the kitchen below through the can lights. (Leak is being conservative, actually was a lot of water coming down). What's more, a puddle of water formed on the front porch, which is at the front of the house whereas the shower is at the back of the house. However, there was/is no evidence of water leakage or staining on the ceiling of the first floor.   After talking to several contractors/plumbers all thought it was the shower pan.  Well, upon removal of the tile floor and pan, there is absolutely no indication of water damage, stains, etc on the sub floor our surrounding framing material. The contractor is concerned, as he expected to see water stains at a minimum.  In addition, given the volume of water coming down and the size of the puddle on the front porch, a lot of water is escaping from somewhere. Anyone have any idea what the next step should be?  Could it be the drain?  Seems like if it were the supply pipes the leak would be constant.

For any leak, you have to find the source, and also note that leaks travel along surfaces so sometimes where the water is seen is not directly under the leak.  Often this will involve cutting up walls and causing more water damage.

You need to find out if the leak is coming from a supply line or waste line, and also when the leak occurs.

First thing - when there is no water running and no water in the tub, is there a leak?  If so the leak is before a fixture in a supply pipe.

Now plug the tub and fill it up.  While the water is running (but not draining), is there water leaking?  If so, the leak is at or beyond the shower valve and possibly in the shower itself.  You mention that the leak is pretty big, so if present at this point, stop filling the tub and watch to see if the volume of the leak subsides. If so it could be a leak in one of the shower valve fittings or the diverter stem, or it could be water splashing up and getting behind the tile.  In this case your best bet is to open the wall behind the shower (if possible) and look for leaks.

If the water is still running with the tub full but off then the leak is in the drain pan.

If not, pull the plug and check again for leaks.  If you see water now, the leak is in a waste pipe. This is the scenario where you can end up cutting lots of drywall to find the source.  Start at the tub and go from there, follow the pipe.

If the drywall/plaster is already water damaged, you may as well rip it out before it grows mold - you are going to have to replace it anyways.


Should I replace or repair my dead/dying garage door? My garage door opener is on its last legs, should I replace it or try to fix it?

Symptoms:

The door does not initially move when the button is pushed, but after giving the door a boost it opens.
The door works fine on its own, it is definitely a problem with the motor.
The motor does not start when disconnected from the door, but giving it a boost makes it spin. So this has nothing to do with the door.

I have worked with electric motors in the past but am far from an expert, and in most cases when dealing with them it was a huge pain in the neck.  I'm guessing this is a problem with the brushes, but have never opened up a motor from a garage door opener before so I'm not sure what to expect.

Can these things be repaired, or is it cheaper and easier to buy a replacement?

Lots of things can be wrong with your garage door or opener:

It could be something as simple as needing to replace the springs. If they are torsion springs, you're going to want to consult a professional, as they can store a deadly amount of tension. Consider it as dangerous as electric repairs.
Some garage door openers operate on battery. You might need to replace them.
Some garage door openers have adjustable settings. This is probably not the problem because you've noticed a degradation in performance and haven't indicated fiddling with the settings at all.
It could be a misaligned track, causing unnecessary work for the motor.
If all else fails, it's the motor. It's cheaper to replace it!


Evaporator Coil Cold, but Not Ice Cold My temperature difference between my supplies and returns is only around 5 degrees F. I opened up my air handler to see if the evaporator coil was dirty, and it was clean -- but running the outside unit (condensor) without running the air handler, I expected the evaporator coils to get very cold - to ice up, right? Well they got cold, but nowhere close to icing, and I suspect that's the reason my delta-T is only around 5F.

So this is after I just had the refrigerant completely recharged -- what could be any other issues as to why the coil isn't ice cold?

Edit: I've cleaned the condensor fins already. The whole system is around 20 years old (I know, it's ancient)

Edit: I had the HVAC guy come and check. I'm at 25 psi on the lines, so yeah I have a leak. Not sure why he didn't see the leak before. Waste of money though.

You never want the coils in the evaporator to ice up. Ice can damage the coils and reduces the airflow. More often I find dirty coils outside many times filled with dust so they are not cooling the refrigerant.  A 5 degree delta sounds small but is meaningless without the air temp , with a system this old an 80 deg outside temp you should be closer to 15-20 degree drop.
My guess would be that you are low on Refrigerant so the system doesn’t have the volume of high pressure liquid to be released and create the cold you are used to. You probably have R22 and it is Running ~100$/ lb , I have heard higher in some areas but it can still be purchased a 5 ton system may take ~ 8-10 lbs to bring back to full cooling, and they will probably try and talk you into updating to a new refrigerant basically a new system.


How do I wire 2 switches to control a ceiling light? I recently bought our house in Australia, and one light wasn't working, so I took a look at it. The wiring was not connected to the light. There were lots of wires coming from the ceiling for the light, and no junction box. 3 Red wires, 1 Black and 1 Green (Earth). There are 2 light switches for the one light. I connected the 3 red to the live on the light, the black to the neutral and earth....but the light comes on and the switches have no effect. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong?

It sounds like two of your red wires form a switch loop to one of your switches. The remaining red wire is the hot (I believe called active in Australia?) coming into your ceiling.

By connecting them all together, you have wired your light (and switch) directly to your unswitched power, which is why it stays on. You'll need a multimeter, voltage tester, or electrician to determine which red wire is the unswitched active.

If only one red is indeed active, then one of those two non-actives goes to a switch, and the other comes from a switch (or possibly to/from the same switch depending on how your two switches are wired).

One of the non-active reds needs to get wired to the active red.
The remaining non-active red should become your switched hot leg that would ultimately need to be wired to your light fixture.
You can use a multimeter or voltage tester to try this first-- if the switches don't work with the first combination you try, swap the two non-active reds and try your switch again.

If this whole concept sounds foreign to you, I recommend calling in some professional help (not the therapist kind).


What steps should I take when cabling a drain? We have a drain that backs up when a few gallons of water are put down it over time. The back pressure forces the water out through the toilet drain seal, leaving the water pouring into our basement. We have a plumber coming to fix this under our home warranty but I was wondering what it would take for me to fix this myself in case it should happen again.

What equipment would I need and what steps would I need to take?

There is an access point to the drain somewhere around where I think the blockage might be.

I was afraid of doing this the first time; but after a plumber let me assist him I saw it was pretty basic.  When you want to clear a drain pipe you want to consider the diameter of the pipe and the material of the pipe.  The size of the pipe will determine what size bits you want to use.  Bits come in a variety of sizes and shapes to handle different size pipes and types of blockage.  Since you are overflowing at the toilet seal, I'm going to assume you want to clear your main line which is going to be pretty big.

The size of the bit will also determine the thickness of the cable you need to use.  If you use a cable that's too thin for the bit, it will bind up and could become a twisted mess when it hits the blockage.  For most jobs, the power drain cleaner you can rent at Home Depot is sufficient.

An important point is to go slow and use a low speed until you get to the blockage.  The thing you want to avoid is to have the bit banging around with so much force that you damage the pipe, especially if you have a brittle material like clay.  Start with a small bit to see how far the blockage is and how tough it is.  Work the small bit through the blockage if you can, and then replace the bit with a larger one and repeat until you have the pipe cleared.

The 'tricky' part is  working through the blockage without twisting the cable.  You don't want to push the cable, just let it pull itself through the pipe and blockage.  You also want to make sure to wear a pair of thick leather gloves.  If the cable does twist up it will protect your hands and fingers from getting seriously pinched.

If you think there is some kind of damage or other serious issue, you can rent a camera to inspect the inside of the drain pipe.  Most of them will also give you a distance measurement and record the video.  This would be useful if you have to bring in a professional plumber.


Is lateral offset in 3.25x10 inch duct allowed? I'm installing a microwave/range hood.  To preserve usable depth in the cabinet above, I'd like to use 3.25 x 10 duct through the cabinet, and transition to round duct in the attic.  However, a ceiling joist is blocking me from running the duct straight up.  Is it allowed by code (and not problematic any other way) to build an offset which would move the duct 3 inches to the side, within the cabinet?
If it's allowed, can it be done with simple parallel bending as shown in the sketch, or would it require actual curves?

Thanks!

If I were doing that job, I would contact an HYAC company or if you can find one, a duct fabricator, and have them make what you need. Their offset would be smooth and without the flaws as compared to something you could make in your basement.
Another possibility would be to purchase a piece of 3 1/4" X 14"(this duct comes in 10", 12", and 14" widths) and use it in between the 2-10" ducts to produce the offset. It won't be a clean and pretty transition but it can be done. As far as any "code" there may be would be determined by where you live.


Should the ballast be replaced? As a follow-on question to: Why fluorescent lighting tombstones melt?  I do not know what caused a massive current to melt the tombstone: was it the ballast?

The MELTED tombstone will be replaced, however, if after the tombstone is replaced AND the installed ballast lights up a new bulb: what is the decision process to determine if the ballast should be replaced?

If it was the ballast, then it would be ideal if it would disqualify itself by simply failing to start bulbs.  At worst it would continue to start bulbs and melt tombstones.

If the ballast is the root cause of the ballast, then shouldn't it be replaced?   If this is the correct question to ask, how does one go about determining if the ballast is NOT the root cause?

If it is not the right question, then I would appreciate the experience of the community weighing-in.

First I check for obvious fitment of the tubes and conditions of the tombstones.  For instance one easy problem is failing to rotate the tube a full 90 degrees, so it doesn't properly engage.  On T8/T12 tubes there are score marks to help tell you where center is.  Can't speak to T5.

If that all checks out, and fitting new lamps doesn't make them all light, or if the ballast has a rep for burning up lights quickly, or is leaking goop, smelly or buzzing loudly, then I condemn it by snipping all its wires flush at the ballast.  That assures no one wastes time trying to reuse it.

Otherwise if it is a magnetic ballast, I cut or unhook its wires in a non-destructive way, and stick it on the shelf as a usable T12 ballast (I only fit new T8 ballasts).  That happens when I upgrade a 2-ballast fixture.

Then I slap in whichever electronic ballast I please to, with a strong preference for rapid start or programmed start ballasts.  If a fixture had a serious arcing problem, I would shun the arcey instant-start ballasts, and favor programmed-start ballasts as they have a startup sequence.


Ceiling Fan is very slow after 2 years operation I have a ceiling fan which is working with very slow speed, even when the selector is set to the max (5 speed). What is the reason for that? Is the reason a damaged capacitor or any other reason?

I just removed the speed controller and connected to the direct power line. After that, the issue remains. I have basic electronic and electrical knowledge but I couldn't find the reason. I am guessing that the capacitor is bad. Please help.

Does your fan have sealed bearings or ball bearings ?
They can get dirty and cause mechanical drag.  there may be other rotational loses coming into play.  try a dry lubricant from a bike store if there are parts that need it.  there could be a issue with the rotor or stator effecting the flux transfer
 to allow the motor to spin

What happens if the fan motor is plugged into the
wall?  does it run full speed? if it does there may be
a fault in the electronics of the controller board

hope the idea help


Can I add a retaining wall to the base of the existing face? I have a concrete pad next to a soil portion of the yard.  I'd like to make the soil level with the pad (and will be adding sod later), but to do so, I need some sort of retaining wall.  There is wood below the fence creating a sloped retaining wall, but to raise the dirt, I'll need to go above the current wall onto the fence.

My current thought is I have two options

1) Build a second, more shallow retaining wall against the fence to retain the new soil.

If I do this, do I need any space between the old retaining wall the new one? If so how much? Will filling with gravel be sufficient?

2) Add new pressure treated 2x6s to the base of the existing fence (on top of the panels).

This seems like much less work, but will I have any issues with this?  Drainage seems to be working fine and the wood is holding up well on the current fence. In the picture below, the bottom vertical piece of wood is 'submerged' under gravel and the entire yard drains towards that point and I've yet to have issues. .  The bottom of the fence is badly rotted in the corner, I just couldn't see it under the gravel, so something else clearly needs to be done there.

For reference, the soil on the left most part is ~8in" below the concrete and above that there is about a 6" lip

Wood exposed to earth, or even gravel, as you discovered, is a compromise at best. You can hedge your bet by using treated wood. Use wood with the maximum amount of preservative. "Outdoor wood" is not enough, the preservative levels must be at least adequate for ground contact. Preferably wood treated for foundation service should be used. Doing something to ensure any water that does contact the wood can easily drain away is also important, as well as trying to prevent water contact in the first place.

9" of soil does not impart much of a lateral load, so almost any retaining structure will suffice. Still, it would be better to not involve the fence if possible IMO. How far back from the existing structure would depend on what you end up doing to retain the extra earth. You could extend the existing structure, which would obviously have 0 offset. At the other extreme, relying on gravity to retain the earth, such as placing a row of large stones, you would want to see a minimum 45 degree slope between the existing wall and the tops of the new structure.

By using an impervious retaining material like stone or concrete blocks, you can backfill with plain soil, no gravel is required for minimal height walls. Taller structures often backfill with stones to prevent hydrostatic pressure from pushing on the wall. When back filling against wood, do everything reasonably possible to prevent water from contacting the wood, even if it is treated.


Peeling latex over oil, do I strip all layers of paint or just the top layer of latex? I'm trying to clean up a painting mess where a friend's tenant painted latex over oil in a couple of rooms. The latex coat was applied maybe 18 months ago. This spring my friend (aka my attorney) asked me to fix the peeling paint in the kitchen and that was weeks of sanding/stripping. I found latex over oil, over wallpaper and glue,  layers of spackle and even ketchup stains in the wall. No prep at all just a mess. Eventually I got the paint surface to a reasonable state and put a zinsser oil primer down and then painted.

The bathroom was fine 6 months ago and now a peeling mess. Sanding and scraping have removed most of the loose paint, I've hit the wall with a belt sander and heat gun. Underneath there's glue, wallpaper, and maybe 4 coats of paint (yes lead is there I'm sure). But the top coat of latex is mostly gone.

My question is I have to assume there's damage to the paint underneath, right? I've no guarantee that prepping/painting on top will maintain since the latex has been tugging at the oil layers underneath? I'm assuming much of the underlying coats will need to come down?

Maybe the simplest thing is thin drywall on top of everything else. Any advice welcomed here.

My attorney is an awesome dude, takes me out to dinner often and fishing a dozen times a year. So very hard for me not to help when he asks.

TIA, Wolfy

I would guess that gut (rip/demo to the studs) and re-rock is likely be the best option here - not only best end result at the paint job, but fastest (if drastic-seeming) route to that paint job. Scraping and stripping are awfully slow compered to rocking and mudding.


Bathroom sink valve drip Issue: The cold water shut off valve in my bathroom sink has developed a slow drip over the past week. It fills up a medium sized bucket in the span of about a day. The drip seems to be coming from either the nut connecting to the wall pipe or the nut connecting to the mesh tube.
Attempts to fix: I've tried the following multiple times in order to correct the drip...

Teflon tape
Permatex thread sealant

New issue: Now for some reason the hot and cold water to this sink no longer work. I have confirmed the valves under the sink are in their on positions and the drip is still present, so water is getting up to the sink. Just not through the line. I could understand something having happened with the cold line due to my attempts to correct it's drip, but the hot line not working doesn't make any sense to me. To confirm, I have not touched the hot line other than to turn it on and off at the valve under the sink.
Any thoughts as to what may have happened before I call a plumber out during a pandemic in winter?
I appreciate your feedback.

After removing the valve itself to retape the main line connection, I discovered the valve itself had a pressure crack down the back side of it. This is the cause of the leak. Replacing the valve should correct the issue no sweat.


Did I wire this thermostat properly? Just want to make sure I have this correct:
Have M1MB 070a BW heat/ac unit w/ a 710152B control board and a Coleman outside condensing unit.
-Have a four wire thermostat. R,Y,G,W
-Have 2 wires coming in from an outside condensing unit. R,W
-Have four wires to connect to from control board R,G,W,Grey (marked "C" on control board)

I've connected R to R, G to G, W to W, Y to the white terminal going to condenser unit, and red terminal connected to outside condenser unit to Grey (marked "C" on control board)

do have pics of rat nest if needed

If there's a Y terminal on the furnace, you should connect the Y wire from the furnace and one of the wires from the condensing unit to it.

I typically connect the red wire from the condensing unit to Y, and the white to C. Not that it really matters, that's just how I do it.

Other than that, it sounds good.


Adapt 5/16-18 threaded rod to 3/8-24 I'm trying to mount a ham radio antenna that has a standard(?) 3/8-24 threaded post at the bottom to an existing 5/16" post (built in the past for a different antenna) with 5/16x18 threads.
In other words, I need an adapter that's metal & conductive with a female 5/16-18 cavity/connector/receiver (not sure about nomenclature) at one end, and a female OR male 3/8-24 threaded cavity/connector/receiver or rod at the other (I have a female-female 3/8-24 connector, so the gender of the adapted 3/8-24 end doesn't matter).
The big question: what is this called, and is this something likely to exist as a retail product a local store somewhere in South Florida is likely to sell, so I could get my hands on it quickly & not end up having to spend $5-15 shipping on what's probably a cheap part? If so, what kind of store would I go to? Auto parts? Plumbing supply?
From what I understand, 1/8" FIP/MIP pipe fittings might have 3/8-24 threading, but pipe-threading isn't quite like bolt-threading, because it's designed to seal liquids as well as fasten them together, so screwing an antenna into a "1/8" pipe fitting could/would chew up the threads on the antenna, or fail to secure enough of it to prevent it from tearing out.

Some DIY ideas...
1
Get yourself a chunk of mild steel or aluminum, some drill bits, and a couple taps. Build a two-sized coupling nut. You probably have a neighbor who has a tap set. You may want to use jam nuts to lock the rods into the sleeve.
       |=|
       |=|
     _|_|_|_
    |  |=|  |
    |  |=|  |
    |       |
    |  |=|  |
    |__|=|__|
      |_|_|
       |=|
       |=|

2
Use a piece of C-channel or box tubing. Drill opposing holes for the two rod sizes and attach them with nuts inside and out.
       |=|
       |=|
  ____|_|_|_
 |   _______|
 |  | |_|_|
 |  |
 |  |  ___
 |  |_|_|_|_
 |__________|
      |_|_|
       |=|
       |=|

3
Drill offset holes in a chunk of steel or aluminum bar stock for each rod size. Nut them each from the top and bottom faces.
      |=|
      |=|   ___
   __|_|_|_|_|_|_
  |              |
  |______________|
     |_|_| |_|_|
            |=|
            |=|

4
Use a 3/4" black iron plumbing nipple and caps.  Drill the center of a cap for each of the two rod sizes, nut the rods inside and out, and snugly connect the caps to the nipple.
       |=|
       |=|
   ___|_|_|___
  |  _______  |
  | | |_|_| | |
  | | _____ | |
  | |<=====>| |
  |_|<=====>|_|
     |     |
     |     |
     |     |


Structural damage because of air vent I need to make an air vent for a tumble dryer hose on an external structural wall.

Is there any chance to compromise the wall structure because of the hole for the vent?

Should I add a structure such as a metal frame, etc?

So long as you're not removing a stud or part of a stud, you should be fine. Just punching a 4" hole through sheetrock, insulation, and the outside covering (brick, vinyl, aluminum, etc) will not compromise the structural integrity of the wall.


How do I cover nail holes in composite trim in a wet location? We put up some composite trim using an 18 gauge air nailer, however, some of the nails did not go in all the way, mostly due to operator inexperience.  What's the best way to cover up/remove the nails that are not countersunk?  And after they get countersunk, what's the best thing to fill the holes with?  This will be in a wet location.

Countersink with a nailset, struck with a hammer.

Fill with painters caulk.


what size lumber for a 8' horizontal span to hold a 250 lb. load to hang a sky chair on patio. Will be supporting at ends of 4x4 or some laminates of 2x4 (space limits), overall length is 90", max weight of chair and person 250 lbs. What size is suggested?

Depends on 1) Species, 2) Grade, and 3) Condition of use (wet location, etc.)

1) Some species of wood are stronger than others, (i.e.: Douglas Fir-Larch is much stronger than pine,)

2) Some grades of wood can be 80% more than others.

3) Wood, pressure treated, can loose 20% of its strength and if it’s installed outside in a rainy or high humidity climate, can loose an additional 15% of its strength.

So, for your chair outside with 7’-6” span, I’d recommend 2-2x6 of “Select grade or better” or 1-2x8 of “number 1 grade or better”.


How do I protect the painted finish on my fiberglass door? I just purchased a new fiberglass front door. It's a beautiful door, factory painted, but less than 24 hours later, we're noticing that the paint can easily be scratched off, and the rain splashing off the deck has made the paint bubble up.

I've called the store where we made the purchase, and we can return it. There are other issues we had with this door, and we've received some discounts, so the door has ended up being very reasonable. It's such a beautiful door that I really want to keep it. But what can I do to protect the paint? The paint can be scraped off with a fingernail. Would I need to totally strip the paint off and repaint it? Is there some sort of protective finish that will work without having to strip it?

Unless the paint is only primer (not uncommon, actually, for painted doors - but I would expect the vendor or manufacturer to mention that in the instructions, or when you called about it) in which case a topcoat might work, the "peels off easily" aspect suggests that you'd need to strip it to get good adhesion.


Insulation to condition attic space I have a two story 1916 foursquare home in Ohio with spacious attic and basement. Before I purchased it, the HVAC system was redone by installing two independent furnaces/blowers (one in the attic and one in the basement). Although there have been no serious problems yet, I would like to (i) improve energy efficiency by enlarging the thermal envelope to include the attic furnace inside conditioned space (ii) avoid snowmelt/ice damming by better insulating the roof from the furnace.

So I would like to add insulation right below the roof plane, but am unsure what the best choice of materials/installation might be. The roof is basically square with hips on all 4 sides/corners, with largish dormers at front and rear. It has soffit vents around the entire perimeter, and a ridge vent running from dormer to dormer (I added all this ventilation during a roof rebuild - hopefully this was the right move).

The first option seems to be spraying foam in between all the rafters (after adding baffles/channels to preserve the cold air flow from the soffit to the ridge). Another option might be to "build down" from the rafters, by fixing SIP panels directly beneath them and preserve the whole volume of the rafter bay for ventilation. With the dormers and hips, this could require some precision work - probably harder than spray foam.

Any suggestions or additional options I missed? I would like to (eventually) finish the attic space, if that steers the choice any. Probably not going to DIY, just want to educate myself on choices/prices before approaching a contractor. If memory serves, the roof was approximately 30-35 squares of shingles, just to ballpark the area requirement.

Any reason you are not you are not using fiberglass batt insulation.  This can be done your self with adding 2x4 on end to get at least 9.5 inches.  Then staple the insulation up.  no need for baffles if insulation is at least 1" less that rafter width.
The cost saving will leave you enough money to pay someone to hang drywall on ceiling maybe even spackle.

Spray foam is a good product but expensive and your electrician will charge alot more if he has to run wires through it for lighting.


How can I shade my garage door opener keypad? My genie garage door opener keypad bakes in the afternoon sun, fades, blisters and delaminates.  Any visually acceptable ideas on a fix? Genie does not offer a weather or sunshield for the KEP-1 keypad

An easy visually pleasing solution would be to visit your local hardware or electronics store and look for a weather resistant box with a lid similar to the following (2-Gang Rectangle Plastic Electrical Box shown bellow) :

I couldn't find any dimensions but something of this nature will protect the keypad from the elements. It will require you to do some custom fitting ie: removing the keypad, mounting the box, running the ribbon through and then securing the keypad, but will definitely do the job.

Here is the PDF for the model you have provided that should help you with disconnecting / reconnecting the ribbon cable aka Signal Tail.

(source: imageg.net)


Can I just extend this blue wire in furnace for Nest thermostat? First time doing this, don't want to burn house down.
The brown bundle is coming from thermostat, the white bundle I suspect is coming from A/C unit. Do I follow these steps?

Find a scrap piece of 18 gauge wire
Unplug furnace
Strip the end of clipped blue wire in furnace
Twist blue wire to scrap wire and cap with wire nut
Wrap scrap wire around C screw on the left
Plug in furnace

Yes, you can use the blue wire the way you have described.

Instead of all of that work to attach an extension to the blue wire, I would just cut back some of the brown sheath. That's assuming that there is enough slack in the cable for that to work.


Why did my light string turn off after a short while with GU24 to E26 to socket outlet adapters? I'm new to this website and (as you will see), I have no electrical knowledge. My wife and I recently moved and hung string lights in our back patio (bought from Costco; 24 watt per string). We do not have an outlet in the back patio, so I intended to use an E26 to outlet adapter. Problem is when we went to install the adapter, the socket is actually a GU24. So here was my "solution":

I bought a GU24 to E26 adapter and installed it. Then, I installed the outlet adapter to the E26 adapter (I know this sounds hairy). The string lights turned on, but shut off after approximately 20 seconds.

Any diagnostic impressions or troubleshooting ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

My first guess would be that your existing (presumably outdoor fixture) socket was connected to a "dusk to dawn" photocell (light sensor) somewhere, with a 2 minute delay (not uncommon) to automatically turn your outdoor fixture on and noght and off when the sun comes up. So when you turn it on, the light from your string lights is enough to make the sensor think it is dawn and it turns off. Usually if the existing outdoor fixture had a flood lamp in it, the light from it was directed away from the sensor so that didn't happen, but the string lights are spreading light in all directions, so now the sensor sees it and reacts.

Look for a photocell or sensor somewhere and if you find one, cover it with something dark, like electrician's tape. Sometimes, like in the example below, they provide a sliding metal cover to use for this purpose.

The photocell may not be a separate device like this however, it might be built into the fixture itself. But the "cell" might look like that round area with the squiggly lines in it. It also might look like the gray area on the top of this example:


What is the purpose of Solenoid Valve in Reverse Osmosis? Can I do away with it? The SV (36v) in my RO water purifier has stopped working. Product is currently unavaiable in Amazon and with the lockdown in effect in my city, I'm not even able to get a replacement.

So I was wondering if I can simply bypass it (remove the blocking pin that gets sucked in to allow flow of water) as the flow is currently blocked because of the SV not working.

My only concern is about the consequences of that action....what would happen if the water flow is not blocked by the SV?

Despite the fact that Amazon is no doubt delighted that you think they are the only place to order stuff online, they are not.

I would suggest expanding your online vendor search considerably.

And no, unless you somehow know when the valve should be actuated and do so at those times, and only those times, "simply bypassing it" can be clearly described as "simply breaking your RO filter differently than it's broken now."


Can you tell from this frame if it is a nonbearing wall? Just removed the drywall and need help to confirm if it's a non-bearing wall.
It's a 1900 duplex house and there is a similar wall on the first floor but it is not aligned, about 10" distance. Basement joists seems to be parallel to this wall.

Given the direction of the joists in the basement, the location of the wall in the floor plan, the offset of the wall below, and the gap between the adjacent wall in some of your photos, it's likely that this wall is not load bearing. To be certain, I'd look at the the floor/attic above to see if there are joists resting on top of this wall.

Some of the reasons you can't use to know the wall isn't load bearing include:

Fully dimensional lumber (2" instead of 1.5"). This means the wall is likely original to the home, and not a renovation after all the load bearing structure was already in place. Of course there are non-load bearing walls in the original construction.
Double top plate. This is a good building practice and required with load bearing walls. But it's possible that the builder did a second top plate throughout the home to make measurements for studs easier, and a better build quality.

When removing the wall, I'd use a sawzall to cut the studs in half. If the sawzall blade starts to bind from the wood compressing on both sides, there's a load on this wall, and you'll need to take additional precautions. And if it doesn't bind, then you know there isn't any load and should be safe to remove the wall.

Note, this is just the advice of a random person on the internet that's only seen a few photos. If you're not sure, it doesn't hurt to call in a professional to give you a better assessment. This is one of those cases where being wrong can be very expensive and dangerous.


Can I remove the bottom wall plate once a new header beam is installed? I removed a section of load bearing wall in my house and installed a new header in the opening. The 2x4 at the bottom of the wall was not removed and sticks up above the surrounding flooring (~3/4" on one side and ~1/4" on the other).

The guys refinishing the floors want to remove the 2x4 so they can gradually build up between the two floor levels.
Does this sound safe?

The house is one storey built over a crawlspace, and the jack/king studs for the new opening do not sit directly over a floor joist.

If there's no wall there need be no plate. It should remain under any trimmer studs supporting the header, of course. Cutting it out flush with the rough opening is standard practice.


How to setup saw horse for cutting laminate floor? I'm installing laminate floors.

I have the following tools:

Hitachi 15-amp corded Circular Saw
Freud Diablo 60-teeth 7 1/4" carbide blade
Stanley plastic folding saw horses (2 pieces)
6-inch "pistol" clamps (4 pieces)
12" speed square
A couple of 8' 2x3 lumber

I want to:

"crosscut" my laminate floor pieces to length
"ripcut" my laminate floor pieces to width

How do I setup my existing tools properly for these tasks?

I'm using someone else's picture here since I can't make my own at the moment.  I think you're best bet will be to build a small "platform" out of the 2x3's and then set that on top of your saw horses:

(Source blog)

The platform only needs to be big enough to comfortably hold one full plank of flooring, so the total size of 40cm x 150cm should be good.  Draw it out and make it a little larger if you have enough 2x3 lumber (or smaller if you don't have enough).  The cross pieces of the platform will provide more support to the planks and provide additional clamping area.

You will have to cut into the platform when making rip cuts, but just adjust the blade to barely cut through the planks (you're doing that already, right?) and it won't be a big deal.

For cross cuts, hang the edge to be cut off the side and clamp the long end securely to the platform.  For repeated cuts, you can even put pencil marks on the platform to line everything up quickly.

I just noticed that you have 6" clamps - you can modify the design of the platform as needed.  You may want to lay the boards down and attach to each other like a train track (with the cross pieces on top) for easier assembly and a narrower clamping surface.


How can I repair laminate floor boards with damaged edges? I noticed that two panels of my laminate floor board have not joined well: there is a small gap between them. Now, it seems that constant wear is damaging the edges of the board.

Is there any way to repair this? Basically I would like to seal the gap to stop the chipboard edges from getting more damaged.

Potentially I was thinking of using some kind of glue/sealer/enamel that I could fill into the gap. (I thought to use a Stanley blade to cut a constant V into the edge, then fill.)

You can use a very thin blade like that on a multi-tool to cut out the damaged piece, then drop in a replacement piece to fit, gluing it down solidly underneath.


Issue with using a smart 3 way switch, with a normal 3 way switch I just installed a new 3 way "Smart" switch (the type used in home automation where you can control lights using your smartphone and various apps.), which allows you to control your lights automatically with your smart phone via the Wink hub. I have one light switch at the end of a hallway, and another switch at the other end. I figured i would just replace one of those switches with a new smart switch and the other one I would leave as a normal switch.

After installation though, I've run into some weird issues with the two switches. for starters, if the light is off, the old switch has to be flipped up, then back down, then up again, then back down before the light comes on. My smart switch makes a clicking noise when you turn it off and on, so when using the old switch I can hear the smart switch click when I flip the switch up almost like it's controlling the power flow to the smart switch. The smart switch on the other hand works great, unless the old switch is flipped up, then it doesn't work at all.

I've installed one of these smart switches before, but it was on a single pole switch and now a 3 way. I'm not an electrician, so while I can follow instructions and videos, I have a much harder time trouble shooting specific problems. Can someone explain to me whether this is normal or not? If need I can provide pictures of my smart switch wiring.

EDIT:

Sorry guys for the delay, I've been out trying to figure this situation out. Below is a link to the product on Leviton's website, you will see a downloadable PDF there that shows the instructions. As for how I wired it, it should be exactly as the instructions show. I connected an additional neutral wire to the bundle that was wire nutted within the box and connected it to the switch. With that wire, I now have a white neutral wire, a red wire, two black wires (One hot), and a ground wire in the box with the smart switch. The other box has 2 black wires, 1 red wire, and a ground wire.

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ProductDetail.jsp?partnumber=DZS15-1LZ&section=66154&minisite=10251

Like I mentioned early, the smart switch works fine, if the old switch is flipped down, but if I flip the switch up, the smart switch no longer works. As for my intentions for the old switch, I really don't plan on using it too much, I just wanted it there in cases I left my phone in the other room and needed to quickly turn the light on with that switch. I thought that maybe 2 smart switches needed to be installed in order to make it work, so I grabbed another smart switch that I have installed in another room to see if that would make a difference. I replaced the old switch with the 2nd smart switch (same brand and everything) and once I had that installed it resulted in neither switches working. I couldn't use either one to turn the lights off or on. I have since reinstalled the old switch back in place of the 2nd smart switch and receiving the same issue as I originally stated.

Sorry If I was lacking earlier on details, I was trying to jump back and forth from fixing the issue and asking this question.

Smart switches are not equal partners like old style 3-way switches.  They are "master" and "remote".

This model of smart switch is a "master" and requires certain models of "remote" which require "neutral" (white wire) to be present in both switch boxes.  That is not always so, as the electrical code only recently started requiring it.

So I'd first check the other box - if there's no neutral in it, you cannot wire a remote (though wireless options may exist).  Useless old work can be dangerous, so tidy up by removing the 3-way switch, wire-nut the common to one of the messengers (trial and error will reveal which), cap the other one off, and put a blank wall plate over the hole.

If a white wire is already wired to a terminal on the old 3-way switch, bad news - that is NOT a neutral, but one of the messengers (the two inter-switch wires).  Before the code change, they often used common 14/2 Romex for messenger, and one of the wires is white.  They're supposed to paint or tape it.

If there is a neutral in both boxes, you can wire a remote.  First, figure out which box is upstream (closest to the service panel aka breaker box).  It will contain a wire that is always hot - regardless of the position of any switch.

Then review the diagram (which you already linked) showing you the wiring scheme for whichever remote you bought. You will need to re-use both of the old messenger wires.


Remove old bathroom faucet Help! I am trying to replace the old ugly faucets in my house,  which was built in 2003. Only I can't figure out how to remove the old faucet.  It does not look like what is shown in all of the online videos I've looked at.  I've unscrewed all I can see to unscrew,  but am stuck.  Anyone familiar with this, who knows what I can do? Pictures attached.

I suspect that you need to:

remove all possible trim and rings from the top.
unscrew a hex set-screw from the underside (see blue arrow) that clamps the unit to the deck by pressing up against the "hold-down plate" (see yellow arrow).
once loose, the hold down plate will slide away from the faucet body, allowing the faucet body to drop out from the deck, striking you in the nose, eye, or lip/front tooth.


How can I reduce squeaks in wood floors when no felt paper was installed between floor and plywood? I've purchased a home where the previous owner installed 3/4" wide plank pine over a 5/8" plywood subfloor.  The plywood is glued to a concrete slab but there is no felt paper between the 2 woods.  Yes - it squeaks!  They wanted the character but we'd like a little less squeak.

Any ideas on what I could do to reduce (not eliminate) the squeak?

Since it is on a concrete slab, I don't think there is much you can do except tear it out and start over.


Moisture/Dew on Roof in Morning I just had a new roof installed and it looks decent enough. They replaced my metal ventilation  with some plastic vents, which is fine, but I'm not sure if it was enough. I had a two layers of asphalt shingles before. It was a pretty thick roof.

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, there is a very clear line of moisture that exists over the house, but not the garage. (it could be vice-versa, but I'm pretty sure it's over the house) This was not the way I remember it before.

Now he's mumbling something about insulation, but none of that has changed. What should I do to verify that the proper amount of ventilation or types of vents were used? Is this even my problem at all?

You mentioned snow, and that's the only metric i know about. You want there to be more snow.

When there is frost, or snow, on your roof - it should not be melting from the heat of your house. The attic is supposed to be insulated, but the roof is supposed to be not insulated.

In my (southern Ontario) winters there will be frost on everyone's roof. If frost is melted where the roof joists are - i know their attics are not insulated enough (or the roof is over-insulated). In other words, this is bad:

The roof is supposed to be freezing, just like the outside. Melting snow means that heat is leaking.

Snow is how i know i can see when an attic is not sufficiently insulated, or the attic is not letting out enough heat, or the spaces between the rafters do not have those styrofoam channel things which let cold air reach the underside of the roof sheathing.

But all you have to go on is moisture, and dew. i don't know how dew reacts with an under-insulated attic/over-insulated roof.

i would assume everything's fine. i know that dark materials, while the best at absorbing heat, are also the best at releasing heat. i would think that the dark shingles have cooled off during the night, and water is condensing out on them.

But if it's the middle of the (hot August) day, and the shingles are still so cold that water is condensing on them - then something has to be freezing your shingles. That would have to be your air-conditioning; leaking to your attic and roof.

But insulation is not the job of the guy who replaced your shingles. And the fact that the roof can cool off enough during the night to allow condensation - makes me think that your attic is vented fine.

i'd say not worry about it, and wait for fall and check for melting frost, or snow, come winter.


Can I add another outlet to an existing load outlet? I have an existing outlet with four wires plus the ground. I want to add an outlet directly outside the house using the existing outlet as the feed. Can this be done?

You may need a different outlet but yes it can be done. Back and side outlets have a clamp that will hold 2 wires under each screw or 4 blacks on the hot side then 4 whites on the neutral side. Your limitation may be the size of the box and the wire size these would be needed to calculate the "box fill". Don't forget the outside receptacle will need to be a GFCI or the circuit protected by a GFCI Circuit breaker.


1/4 sink cold water shut off valve doesn’t completely stop water My bathroom sink faucet is leaking and I’ve already replaced the aerator and was going to replace the seats and springs. Turned the hot water off successfully but when I tried to turn the cold water off and let the rest of the remaining water run out of the faucet, the cold water was still flowing. I have a 1/4 turn off valve and I don’t know what to do... the water doesn’t stop flowing. Any ideas as to what I should do?

It is not uncommon for the stop-valves at the wall to fail (in various ways). The 1/4 turn valves generally seem to last longer than the traditional style valves, but they fail too.
Your only option now is to turn off the water at an upstream valve and replace the stop valve. Your home should have a main shut-off, or you may have to go out to where the water is metered and turn it off there.
I encourage you to go with a 1/4 turn valve again despite the trouble you have now; try to buy a quality valve, not the cheapest one. A plumbing shop (as opposed to a "big-box" hardware store) may be a better place to purchase a good brand.


Did I make a major mistake on my garage shelves? I built garage shelves using Grip Rite construction screws (photo of box below). Only afterwards did I notice the statement about "non-structural" use.

Did I make a major mistake? Should I get some stronger screws to attach the beams to the posts?

FWIW, I also used wood glue (Titlebond II) to attach the shelves to the posts.

"Structural" applies to load-bearing walls and the like. I think you're safe. From what i can tell in the picture, unless you're storing engine blocks on them, you should be fine.


Upgrading from a two wire analog tstat to a Nest, need help I am looking to upgrade from an old analog tstat to a Nest. My old stat had only two wires connected (R and W) but the wire bundle had three. So I tried connecting the green wire to C and then turned the power on. Nothing happened, so I switched the green and white just to make sure it was the wire that was the issue. Still nothing. I will admit that I’m a novice, but I really thought this would work. What am I missing?

Heater is a Goodwin.

All,

I apologize for wasting your time. I feel like an idiot. It was because I didn’t put the face plate back on the heater and the kill switch was on. My bad! Sorry again.


Can I run multiple wires through conduit for a hot tub and an outlet? Can I run two sets of wiring through one PVC conduit?  One of the wiring will be for a hot tub and one would be for a 110 volt GCFI

You can, yes (provided you respect conduit fill limits), but usually there's an easier way.  Since hot tubs need a local disconnect anyway, you can use a small subpanel (often called a spa panel) to supply both the hot tub and the outlet, and that will also serve as the disconnect.  Just make sure to get one with more than two breaker spaces.
Here's an example of one:

Simply add a second breaker for your outlet.  If you anticipate using some high-current load through the outlet at the same time the subpanel is on, you'll want to size the subpanel's feeder wire somewhat larger (e.g. use a >=70A feed for a 50A spa + 20A outlet).  If you'll only be plugging light loads into the outlet, or you can turn the spa heater off when the outlet is in use on high current loads, then you don't need to bother up-sizing the feeder.


Kitchen setup for US appliances in Europe/India I am relocating to India from US and taking all the appliances along. I understand that a lot of appliances can go toast due to voltage support as India/Europe has 230v range and US appliances work at 110-120v range. For tvs i can get a separate adapter, but how will it work for kitchen where i would need multiple appliances to be plugged in.
Basically, is there a smarter way to support multiple power points at 110v range which might be located at different locations.

Yes, the most common solution is to sell your US appliances and buy new in India.

The difficulties and expense of getting transformers etc and making it impossible for others to connect the wrong things is not worth the time or expense. But your money your choice, I’m basing this on the decisions others have made...

And I do have a 230v to 110v transformer for 2500W that I use for certain things but not kitchen stuff.


Is this electrical junction in my attic up to code or reasonable? I found this junction in my attic when doing some unrelated work. It was entirely wrapped in electrical tape before I took the photos. My assumption is that it’s not code since it’s not in a box, but how dangerous is this? They split the wire and spliced the hot and neutral, potentially soldered to then new line, but left the ground intact. I took it apart and put it in a box. Is it worth looking for other DIY electrical?

EDIT:  Found another one! It seems even worse. Unfortunately I can’t even tell what this powers. It runs to an area that is difficult to access. Should I just disconnect it and see what loses power? It strikes me as a poor choice of wire to power outlets, to say the least, but I don’t know what else it could be. It seems to be a cheap extension cord which was spliced.

The junction is not to code because it would need to be made in a box. The wire is wrapped for a mechanical connection but I was taught 7 turns for a tap with old knob and tube, and without even counting we can see the insulation is burned. this happens when there is a poor connection.

The best option would be to purchase two construction boxes boxes and blank covers and a couple of feet of the same gauge wire. And 6 wire nuts and last some electrical staples 5 will be needed (the wire looks like 14 gauge). If you cannot read the size get 12 gauge. Or take a chunk to the store to match the size--bigger is ok.

With the power off, cut the cloth braid wire to the right of the splice in the photo route the cable into the box. You need 6” of wire and the covering needs to enter the box--1/4” beyond the clamp staple that cable to the wood you mounted the box on.
Run your new piece of wire into the box same thing 6” minimum and the covering needs to extend 1/4” inside minimum staple that wire.
Mount your second box to the left where the two original cables can enter with 6” just like the others. Staple each wire separately unless you got staples rated for two cables.
Bring the new wire to the second box and staple within 8” (note on boxes that do not have screw clamps or clamps that lock the wire in place, 8” from the box is code; if the clamps hold the wire from moving the staple can be 12” from the box).
Strip the wires and use wire nuts to combine the 2 whites, 2 blacks and the 2 grounds. Twist the wire nuts until the wire has 2 twists. Do the same for the 3 wires in the other box install the blank covers and you are done.

This really should be done right away. (Is that burned spot on the wood from the bad splice on the white wire?)  You don’t want a fire and this would be the least expensive way to make a proper repair.


lights tripping the electric My electric keeps tripping. It's the upstairs lighting trip switch and the main trip that goes.

Now obviously your automatic thought is maybe a bulb blowing or some such thing, however, it tripped a few times yesterday and then again at 4am. We were all asleep and no lights were on or switches used.

After turning the circuit back on this morning, half an hour later it did it again. I really don't understand what's going on. I've tried this evening to turn on all the upstairs lights and turned them off again and nothing has happened.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

A repeatedly tripping breaker means that you have a fault somewhere, and the breaker is protecting your house from potentially burning to the ground by tripping. Stop resetting the breaker and call an electrician.

If you think that the lighting breaker is causing the problem, then definitely leave that one off. But if your main breaker trips again, I recommend just leaving all the power off until an electrician can inspect.


How do I fix raised wall patch job? The previous owner did a bad patch job all over the house. The patching is a lot higher than the rest of my wall. How do I go about fixing this?

Sand them flat (or even slightly dished). Apply joint tape to any cracks (my personal preference is mesh, though you'll find lots of opinions). Apply all purpose joint compound in numerous thin coats. (Purists would have you do the mesh tape coat with a setting compound. Opinions vary, but setting+mesh is technically better.) Let dry completely between coats. Sand off high spots between coats. Eventually get to the point where you're feathering out the patch with a 12" knife. Do a final sand.

If you can handle the truth, shine a bright light sideways along the patch. That will show defects.

If you've passed the light test, prime and paint. Congratulate yourself for a job well done.


Single pole switch with pilot I installed a new single pole switch with pilot. Now he pilot of the new installed switch is on all the time. Did I do something wrong?

Most likely, you have the hots reversed.  In the example clip below, the wires on the Common and A1 terminals reversed.


60 amp Fuse box as junction box for 150a panel Electrician in PA wants to use old 60amp FEDERAL fuse box panel (which happens to be in bathroom wall, less than 3 feet from sink and shower) as junction Box to new 150 or 200 amp panel which will be less than 12 feet away from old fuse panel. I say NO WAY! Wont pass inspection to get us electric turned back on (been vacant) and besides, it is just plain dangerous! Please settle this argument.  Opens in bathroom, literally an arms length across from shower. I dont know specifics if he going to gut old panel. Perhaps thats what he was thinking. I pictured it as running thru old panel to new. But if using just empty metal box w lid screwed shut, it seems a little safer as long as splicing to a larger amp panel is ok... rest of wiring still intact in house  but we would like to upgrade and run new wiring after we get some power out there.

It is fairly typical to use an old panel box with the guts removed for use as a junction box. Once the work is done, the cover plate can be screwed down to prevent opening while still being "permanently accessible".  If you don't like to appearance, hang a picture over it! But it will pass code in most places.


Adding two outlets mid circuit I need to replace a 110v wall outlet in the middle of a circuit.  In addition I need to add an additional outlet in the same box (I've removed the single outlet box and replaced it with a double) and finally -- using this same circuit -- I need to add a single outlet a short distance away. What is the best way to do this?

Assuming that:

"outlet" refers to a typical dual-receptacle (because otherwise this wouldn't make sense - replace a single receptacle with a dual receptacle doesn't require putting in a bigger box)
Typical (i.e., not Chicago) NM (Romex) wiring

this is very straightforward:

Disconnect the existing receptacle
Run a new 12/2 cable from the original location to the new location
In the original location, connect the original black (hot) wire to two short black wires and the new 12/2 cable black wire
In the original location, connect the original white (neutral) wire to two short white wires and the new 12/2 cable white wire
In the original location, connect the original ground wire to two short bare wires and the new 12/2 cable ground wire
Connect each receptacle in the original location (one old, one new) to a set of hot/neutral/ground. Do NOT remove the tabs on the sides of the receptacles.
In the new location, connect hot/neutral/ground to the new receptacle


Drainage Pipe Question I need to divert water from a rain gutter. The problem is that I need to run the pipe under a side driveway. What is the best pipe that will hold up with vehicle traffic? How deep does the ditch need to be? Thanks

I would be tempted to go cheap and just buy the schedule 30 (20?) stuff they use for drainage at your local box store (Home Depot/Menard's/Lowe's) 10' under the driveway 6" deep. If it somehow doesn't hold up you could dig it up and put in something heavier.

Or you could bury schedule 40 PVC or if you are worried about it or you could use schedule 80 PVC if you are really worried about it.

The difference in price for a 10' length is negligible but I think you will need adapters if the rest of your drainage is regular drain pipe and you want to put standard plumbing or electrical PVC under the driveway.

Good luck with your project!


Are these drywall screws properly driven/countersunk? Related to this question.  Even though I might be cluttering up SE with questions about driving drywall screws, I feel they will ultimately be helpful since I have been unsuccessful in finding images of properly-driven drywall screws.  Plus, it's a good thing to know how to do properly.  Now onto the content of my question:

Today, I talked to the superintendent of the company I hired to hang drywall on my ceiling and addressed my concerns about the improperly-driven screws (see link to other question above).  I had already addressed this concern twice before, but I was assured that there was nothing to be concerned about, that they have done thousands of homes like this and have never had any problems.  This time, though, I pushed a little harder and I think I struck a nerve because now the superintendent, project manager, and one of the workers are coming out tomorrow to "see what they can do" about the contract.

Feeling guilty about criticizing the quality of their work and in spite of all the support I have gathered from SE members, I wondered if I was wrong about their screws being driven improperly.  I decided to break out a spare length of 2x4 and some scrap drywall I had laying around and put a few screws into it using my own drywall bit.  The results, in my opinion, look great.  I actually believe I drove these screws the way any true professional would.  No paper was broken and no torn fibers are exploding out all over.  It looks neat and crisp.  The heads recess into the surface and there is no contact when I scrape a putty knife across the sheet.  When they come tomorrow, I want to show them this sample piece I put together and hopefully let it serve as a far better example of how drywall screws should be driven.

If I can get some feedback on my drywall-driving skills, that'd be great.

Yes, that is the proper depth at which a sheetrock screw should be driven. The rock is dimpled with enough of a pocket to hold the compound, yet does not weaken the board


What information do I need to select a circuit breaker? I am having 2 new lines run in my basement to power a workbench's tools and an unrelated computer station.

I have room in my panel for additional breakers, and rather than tie into existing wiring, I think this is a good move.

I plan to add 2 single pole 20 amp breakers, the panel clearly says stab lok on it and I recall from a friend's upgrade that he matched the brand of the breakers that were already in the panel.

Is this a best practice, a requirement or just fussiness?  Is it labelled somewhere on the panel what type I should pick up, or should I just remove the cover and see what's already installed?

I have seen advice that says avoid Federal Pacific breakers, the locally available brands seem to be Federal Pioneer, Eaton-Cutler, Schneider Electric, Siemens.

Is 20 amp single pole stab lok breaker enough information to purchase the parts I need, or do I need the installed brand information?

Running 20amp for your workbench is a good idea (and be sure to use 12/2 wire), but overkill for a computer circuit: most residential circuits are 15A and are run on 14/2.

You don't have any choice in the breaker: Siemens panels only accept Siemens breakers, and StabLok panels only accept StabLok breakers (and of course there are several other brands). The bus design in each panel is different, and so other brands of breakers won't fit. This isn't the full truth: there are other companies that make breakers that are compatible with Siemens panels, but they'll be marked that way. Just realize there are different designs of panels with different designs for how the breakers physically connect in, and they're not all cross-compatible.

There are some known problems with the design of StabLok panels (which are made by Schneider Electric, and sold as Federal Pacific, Federal Pioneer, StabLok). InspectAPedia has some pretty dire warnings against using FPE StabLok panels - I was actually not aware of the extent of problems until just now. According to the article, it's actually a fire hazard as they can come loose, and that's aside from the apparent defects in the breakers themselves (they can fail to trip, and even fail to shut off when you manually turn them off).

I personally am not a huge fan of StabLok, the connection is just not as solid as you get with, eg, SquareD panels, and most StabLok panels are ugly for that reason: all the breakers are skewed in random directions.


Trying to design and build a system where water pump into multiple outlets (pvc) evenly I am trying to build a little irrigation system where my water pump distributes the water into multiple outlets.  I guess my question is how do I make sure the water flows evenly in all the pipes.  I am using Pvc for everything.  Any tips or suggestion would greatly be appreciated. Feel free to ask questions as my drawings are detailed. Thank you

In general to get the water to flow evenly to all three outputs you have to ensure that all the paths from the pump to all three outputs is the same including length. In addition what ever nozzle or outlet opening you have has to be exactly the same for all three. To achieve this you will have to split the three outlet flow pipes before you get to the outputs. Something like this:

I have made the above sketch to show how the paths from the split point to the outlets is the same length.

Now with that said if the distribution pipe inside diameter is large compared to the outlet nozzle and the pressure inside the pipe has a significant drop across the nozzle then the pipe path similarity and length as stated is less significant. What that means is that the manifold type outlets like you show in your drawing would work if they are close together and the pump maintains a head of pressure in the lines.

On the other hand if ends of the delivery pipes to the outlets is just an open ended pipe then the similarity of the paths will be important to achieve the same flow at each output.


Should a new asphalt driveway have rough sections where stones are showing? My wife and I recently purchased a newly built home.  Our 6 week old asphalt driveway has numerous sections that are very rough, with lots of stones in the aggregate showing (the consistency in places reminds me of a rice krispie treat).  The builder had the paving company inspect the driveway and they are telling me this is normal and does not need repair.  I do not know enough to be sure, but this doesn't seem right to me.  Thoughts?

EDIT

Two pics, the first shows an area that is really gravelly. The second shows an area that is very pocked.

They look normal to me, however, you may want to seal them.  There are various sealing products out there like Latex-ite 4-Gallon Acrylic Plus Driveway Revitalizer Filler/Sealer from The Home Depot or Driveaseal 4.75 Gallon Blacktop Driveway Sealer, BLACK JACK 4.75 Gallon Drive-Maxx 700 Advanced Gel Blacktop Driveway Filler & Sealer, and BLACK JACK 4.75-Gallon Asphalt Sealer from Lowes.