Junction box in closet partially covered by wall As seen in the picture, I have a live junction box that is partially covered by a wall in a closet.  There is no light in this closet, so would be a great opportunity to add one.  Was thinking I could add a simple round ceramic pull cord fixture, but don't think it will work given the obstruction.  Also, would be ideal, to somehow relocate the fixture (higher) given the box is only 5 feet off the ground.  Thoughts?

UPDATE and FURTHER CLARITY:
There is both BX wire (metal conduit containing hot/neutral) and NM going to the box with corresponding wires nutted. I'm not sure how responder is certain the ground wire is ungrounded, so that is first question.  Other questions:

It looks like the BX armor is not in contact with the box, so ground would need to be the ground wire in the NM bundle?
Is there a way to add a light fixture to this box by perhaps cutting part of the drywall to allow to physically fit?  Would this be a good idea?  There would certainly be a bumping hazard.
As mentioned, ideally I would want to move the light above closet door or to the ceiling.  I believe sufficient information has been provided to this end for now.
If I choose to simply cover, why does it need to be a metal cover?  Added strength given it extends out from wall?

UPDATE #2: New picture attached showing wires heading to box.

UPDATE #3: For now, I have covered the box and will be adding a battery-powered light (if anything).

I have three things to tell you.

That can't possibly be a legal installation. Junction boxes must remain accessible and cannot be walled up. Even partially covering one like that is going to cause the inspector to plotz. Also, it's obviously a NM extension to a knob-and-tube circuit, which is no longer allowed in most venues. Plus, even if it's legal, you have an ungrounded fault ground wire and no place to ground it. Whatever that NM leads to may appear to be grounded which is a dangerous deception.

The reason I think the NM ground wire is ungrounded is because I assume the power is coming into the box via the older cable, since newer cable is usually used to physically extend a circuit. However sometimes newer cable appears between the service panel and older cable, so OP should disconnect the hots and test with a volt meter.
I am not a licensed electrician so my advice may raise some eyebrows. I think you can add a light to the closet without substantially increasing the danger to your home and person. Screw a metal hex box to the ceiling of the closet and mount the pullchain light on that. Connect the ceiling box to the existing box with plastic conduit, and pull two wires to connect the lamp to the wire nuts in the existing box.

Use the proper fittings to connect the conduit to the boxes. You'll have to knock out one of the openings in the existing box. You may want to use larger wire nuts to accommodate the three wires. Try to figure out the gauge of the wires in the existing box and size your new wires to match them; this helps protect some future occupant who might plug a toaster into your light fixture.

I would use a needle-nose pliers to wind that bare ground wire into a small coil, and wrap some tape around it to keep it from touching the metal box. This eliminates one way to get a shock if some appliance on that NM cable goes bad. Then, close up the existing box with a proper metal cover plate and try not to think about it.
Many licensed electricians post answers and advice on this site. If they disagree with me, you should listen to them. I tend to give advice consonant with how I maintain my own house, and I may be taking more risks than you would be comfortable with.


Is it normal for there to be a small gap between toilet tank and wall? We recently replaced the toilet in our bathroom and I'm noticing a gap between the tank and the wall. Example:

Is this normal?  Our last toilet tank was flush against the wall.

My concern is that people might lean back and place strain on the tank supports.

Entirely normal. Among other things, the tank cover extends a bit past the tank so space has to be left for that. I'd be much more surprised if there wasn't a space there.


Need of ground cable? First I want to mention that I've studied telecommunications (here in my country, is very similar to electrical engineering, I've studied circuit theory and electronics), although I've only dealt with small electronics and they're not my current line of work anymore (now I do more AI stuff, not that it matters). With that, I want to say that: please, don't shy away from giving a full fledged answer beyond the basics, but there's no need to explain the purpose of the earth wire, the live wire and the neutral wire in a household electrical system. I understand that the earth wire is there to provide a ground-fault path for defective devices whose chassis become live and triggering the RCD circuit breaker.
However, it seems to me that you could have the same ground-fault path just connecting a small bridge between the neutral and the earth end of electrical outlets, since earth and neutral are connected anyway at the box so they share the same reference. I think this post in Reddit sums up very well my thoughts. After VVillyD's excellent response, GasDoves asks:

I still am confused. Can you help me out?
Can you explain what the difference would be between the following
situations:
A three prong outlet with neutral and ground ultimately connected in
the breaker box
VS
A three prong outlet that really only has two conductors, but the
ground has been jumped to neutral with a short piece of copper.

I don't think this is answered. In my mind, both of these setups would have exactly the same circuit. Perhaps I'm missing some non-ideal effect or there is a practical issue at hand?
[EDITED 2020/08/11] There was a mistake in the initial formulation of my question, as Ecnerwal pointed out. I meant "circuit breaker" instead of "RCD". I was thinking that, if the chassis becomes live, and it is connected to the neutral wire (or the earth wire, in a proper installation), then there would be a short-circuit and the breaker should trigger, signaling the home users that there's something wrong. The RCD, of course, would not play any role on this. My apologies, I'm not used to large electrical components! Also, I want to thank you for your responses! From what I could understand, the need of an earth wire essentially boils down to safety redundancy and to have a tidy role for each wire (and, of course, those are very good reasons!).

The grounded (Neutral) conductor normally carries return current.
The grounding (Ground or Earth) conductor does not.
If a wiring fault opens the Neutral, the separate Earth/Ground conductor provides a return path for fault current. If you only had the Neutral, a neutral fault would lead to the entire thing becoming energized.
Exactly this "logic" was used for electric stoves and dryers in the USA years ago - they had (two Hot or Live, being the US system of 120V-0-120V with 240V between the lines) Hot, Hot, Neutral and no separate Ground. Enough actual problems resulted that code was changed to require Hot, Hot, Neutral AND Ground. There are still stoves and dryers connected that way (since the code system does not require replacing things installed to code when they were installed until you are changing the circuits, usually when remodeling.) But any new work is required to follow the safer standard.
Additionally, if fault current is returning on the Neutral, your RCD (which I understand as a "whole house ground fault circuit interrupter" - terminology differences) won't see a fault, because the current out on Hot/Live will match the current in on Neutral. Those devices look for a mismatch between current out on Hot/Live and current returned on Neutral (or for the US system Neutral or the other Hot) and trip when there is a difference between them, because current is going where it should not. We do use single circuit GFCI's to upgrade older circuits with no grounding conductor since they will trip if current passes out through a person or otherwise not in the circuit, but for the case of a fault that would go to Earth/Ground on the circuit, combining that with neutral would fool the RCD.


Why does my GFCI trip when I plug things into load side receptacles? I installed a new outdoor circuit. The line comes out of the house and into the LINE side of the GFCI outlet. I connected a wire to the LOAD side and ran it to two standard outlets downstream. My tester says the circuit is wired properly at all the outlets; the tester button appropriately trips the GFCI when used.

Here's the problem: devices plugged directly into the GFCI outlet work fine. However, when I plug the same devices (I tested a light, a fan, and a grounded shop vac) into the downstream outlets, they trip the GFCI.

I'm stumped. Help?

Check for a neutral to ground short somewhere on the load side of the GFCI and downstream outlets. Also, make sure there isn't a shared neutral with any other circuit and that you don't have a connection from the neutral load directly to the line side of the GFCI (in other words, the whites cannot all be pigtailed together, the line and load neutrals must be separated by the GFCI).


Shorted receptacle, now another recep (GFCI) not working. Breaker perhaps? Receptacle on one breaker, light switch next to it on another breaker. Mistakenly touched receptacle black wire on light switch and caused sparks. Receptacle failed after that. Had another nearby GFCI receptacle STILL operating (dehumidifier operating entire time) that is on same breaker as fried receptacle. Turned off breaker (mistake in first place, thought receptacle and light switch were both on breaker). Breaker 20A, both plain receptacle and GFCI recep are 15A. Decided to go with 20A GFCI to replace fried receptacle. Installed and when turned on breaker NOTHING worked, including GFCI receptacle which does not reset and shows no light indicator. Do not know wire capacity (this was over fighting ants crawling through wall at receptacle). Switched Breaker back and forth and get NOTHING. Have decided to get obviously 15A receptacle to replace bad receptacle. Bought new breaker. Any thoughts? Have not seen charred wire and have not taken GFCI receptacle out for inspection.

It sounds like one of the wire connections is faulty.  Problem is, it's not where you want it to be.
It's very common after an overload for a wire connection (where wire attaches to a device) to simply stop working.  What has happened is that it was making a poor connection up til now (either because backstab connections were used, or it was under-torqued) and the surge of current burned it out entirely.
For any given wire, this could occur on either end of the wire.  You don't know which.    When you replaced the receptacle, that obviously re-seated that end of the wires.  But the problem could be at the other end, which is presumably at another switch, recep, or wire nut that is also on that circuit.
It can also happen at "wire nuts" which aren't tight enough.  People who don't tighten wire nuts enough usually use tape to keep them from just falling apart, so tape is a warning sign.
So it becomes a "bug hunt" trying to find it.


Installation of pendant lite In our new home the ceiling is wired for a pendant light, but the electrician did not install the light.  Having some experience from helping my late electrician father, I have installed several wall and pendant lights.

The wiring in the ceiling did not have red wire connectors on the ends of the white, black and copper wires. However, on other lights left uninstalled the red wire connectors were on the ends of the wires.

The light has been installed, but it won't come on.  Would the electrician have left something unconnected for some reason?

You may have tried this already but your first step is to use a circuit tester to make sure you have power coming to the white and black wires.

If not, your next step is to walk backwards from the light to troubleshoot. If you made the correct connections at the light then go to the switch and verify that the switch is indeed wired to the line the light is on assuming you know the correct switch to that pendant.

Turn off the breaker to that circuit and unscrew the cover, you may have to also unscrew the switch to move it out of the way in order to see if the pendent wire is connected or not.

Chances are that the electrician has the wire in place but not actually wired to the switch. If it is wired to the switch. The next step would be to check the electrical panel to see if the breaker for this circuit is tripped and/or wired.

If all checks out then you can try to trace the circuit and hope to find the fault.


Why do my CFL bulbs turn off after a while? I have two groups of 4 recessed lights in my kitchen (eight lights total). Each group is on a three-way circuit (i.e. can turn the group on/off from two different locations). The bulbs are Ecosmart 60W CFLs. They are on a 15A 120V circuit with no other loads on it (circuit has a few outlets that aren't being used). The breaker for the circuit has never tripped as far as I know.

The problem I have is that most of the bulbs eventually turn off. I've heard them make buzzing sounds when I turn on the light and sometimes they flicker. But eventually they all seem to turn off. I've unscrewed and re-screwed them in and they again will flicker as I jiggle it around but once completely seated it turns off. I've replaced all the bulbs. Right now only 1 of the 8 bulbs is on yet they are all new bulbs. I've checked each recessed lighting receptacle with my voltage pen and they are all getting voltage. I'll add that the lighting cans/canisters in the attic are mostly covered/surrounded by insulation (if that matters or makes a difference).

Does anyone have any idea why this might be happening or what else I can check? Could it be the wiring of the receptacles in the attic? Perhaps the bulbs are just bad bulbs for these type of receptacle?

They're not going in the socket all the way

Because the wide base of the CFL is impacting the structure of the fixture.

It's very common for fixtures to be built with the socket recessed in a way that presumes the long neck of an incandescent bulb, particularly with PAR bulbs.  On a CFL, they necessarily had that wide wedge-shaped base just above the socket (because the rest of the space must be fluorescent tube; fluorescent tubes take a LOT of space for the light they make).

LEDs have a great deal more flexibility about component placement, because the actual light emitter is the size of your fingernail.  So you should be able to find LEDs with long necks (as the market anticipates this very problem; they just couldn't do anything about it with CFL).

It's also possible they're just old

Believe it or not, there was a time when light emitters actually wore out.  That's the whole point of light bulb sockets.  It's not uncommon for a bunch of things, all of the same design, production and batch, used in the same conditions same number of hours, to start popping off at (very coarsely) about the same time.

Obviously you wouldn't replace them with CFLs today, but LED would be the way to go.  Failure rules are a little different for LED; the emitters will outlive all of us, but many builders chintz out on the electronic driver, and that fails.


Can Lights' bar hangers not long enough to span trusses (New construction) Kitchen remodel.  Using the previous (new construction) can lights but I got rid of the lowered ceiling and re-positioned the lights.  With where I'd like to place them now, the arms (bar hangers) from the lights cannot reach between the trusses.

This is because I want the lights right up next to one of the trusses.  It fits fine up to the close one, but cannot reach the far one. Distance between trusses is 24" center to center.

Ideas?  Can I just secure it to a truss on one side and leave the other side unsecured?

Similar to @dandavis' comment, but you probably don't need to run the 3rd board.   Just nail two boards perpendicular to the trusses, spaced about 18" apart, and nail the canned light to those (so the light housing will be rotated 90 degrees from what you are showing in the picture).


Outlet w/ground wired to neutral Upon replacing some outlets in my home I came across 3 instances where the neutral wires not connected to the outlet but were wired together. The ground wire was wired to the neutral side of the outlet. The hot wires were wired to outlet correctly.
My question would be: would there be any legitimate reason for these outlets to wired this way?

There is no legitimate reason for a ground wire to be connected to the neutral side of an outlet.  I've seen cases where the neutral wire was damaged/cut somewhere in the wall and the ground was used as a neutral but that isn't legal and is also dangerous.
You need to do some investigating and correct this. Get a good volt/continuity meter and don't rely on those contactless wonder sticks.


Installing three way switch in two gang box I’m trying to replace two normal, separate three way switches with Lutron Caseta Wireless system. So far I have only gotten either 1) the right switch works perfectly and the left switch does not work at all or 2) the right switch operates both lights which are supposed to be separate and the left does nothing still. I tried to follow a diagram and I ended up with result 2.

This is what I have done to get result 2:

Sorry for the bad photo, but it is the same as the diagram except the black/grey wires are all sort of combined (which I don’t think would affect the circuit). Thank you so much for any advice you might be able to provide.

EDIT: the original circuit looked like this, and just a reminder that the functions of the switches should be completely separate:

Ok, so what you had before were 2 completely separate 3-way switches.
The White wires are not neutrals in either of them, and this is normal!
Depending on which end of the 3-way wiring we're looking at, the Black wires may not even be Hot, and if they are, they may not be on the same breaker or even on the same phase (although if they were on different phases you'd probably know about it by now due to the tripped breakers and/or big flash/bang).

What you had on each switch: Black (common) Red & White (Travelers) - so depending on the switch position, either the Red or the White is connected to the Black.
If you look at the 3-way switches on the other end of each cable you should find the same wiring.

So, remove that nut on the white wires - they're not neutrals and do not belong together. Instead, put a nut on each one individually and forget about them.
Also remove the nut you've put on to join all of the Blacks together - they're not the same circuit.

Go to the 3-way switches at the other ends of those cables, remove the switches, nut the white wires individually and forget about them as you've just done, and nut the Red and Black on each cable to each other (not between cables).
Now go back to your wireless switches and connect each one individually to the Red and Black on each cable.

Done.


1-1/4" thru I joist above bearing point I'd like to run a lot of circuits along one exterior wall thru 11-7/8" tall I joists. The manufacturers basically say 2" holes need to be 1' away from a bearing point yet their plugs may land directly above a bearing point. There is no chart for smaller than 2" holes. That rim joist area is a nice place to run wire so duct vents won't get in the way of the wire or vice versa. I keep my holes close to the bottom flange so ducting and plumbing can easily pass.

Will drilling two or three sets of 1-1/4"  holes an inch from the bottom flange directly above the load bearing point be kosher or detrimental?

Each truss manufacturer have specific requirements for drilling holes in their joists. You’ll need to verify the JOIST TYPE (structural type based on flange size, species, etc.) and SPAN with the manufacturer and then determine where they allow holes.

However, here is an installation guide

https://www.bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/UK_Install_Guide_A2.pdf

from Boise-Cascade which I’m sure will be similar to most manufacturer’s installation instructions. If you notice in the upper left hand corner, holes are to be drilled in the center (the neutral axis) and size depends on distance from the support.

These joists are specifically manufactured based on loads, spans, etc. and modifications to the joists should be done to the manufacturer’s instructions....random assumptions about drilling 1 1/4” holes just 1” from the bottom flange is not recommended.


What should I keep in mind when building my house myself? I inherited a piece of land and want to build a house on it. Nothing fancy: one floor, 2-3 rooms.

Since I don't really have the money :D to build it "in one go", I'm going to build it over a longer period of time, bit by bit.

Also, I want to build it myself as much as I can, in weekends, vacations etc.

So my question is: What do you need to know to build yourself a house. What is it that you can do and what you should let experts handle?

There is a lot to know. Shortest answer: you should let experts handle anything you're not sure of.

You need to comply with local building codes (This also means you need to know what those are. Inspectors don't accept ignorance as an excuse.)

The design needs to be approved by an architect or structural engineer. There are strict requirements on footings, beams, etc, that you must follow, or you simply cannot use the structure. If you do not comply with building codes and inspection requirements, the property can be condemned and in extreme cases, demolished (with the expense assessed against the property).

Once you start, you more or less need to make it weather tight. While the foundation is open (eg, a hole in the ground - whether it has the actual foundation itself built yet or not) it's going to fill up with water, which is not a great thing to have happen. Once you start building the wooden structure parts, you pretty much have to build the whole thing to be water tight. You don't want the wood to be exposed to water for long, and since interior floors are not designed for that, water tends to pool on them (which is how you get rot and mold).

Basically the first bit consists of:

foundation
framing
house wrap
roofing
windows/exterior doors

Once the structure is up, weather tight, and in compliance with building codes, you can now slow down and go at your own pace. You need to get appropriate permits (check your local permits department) for all the work as needed (hvac, plumbing, electrical).

There are a lot of aspects to construction, and you need to plan most of them in advance before starting anything. (eg: You need to know where plumbing and hvac is being routed before you do any framing)

Major interior considerations:

plumbing (supply, hot water heater, waste, vents, and fixtures)
electrical
phone/cable
insulation (and vapor barrier)
hvac (furnace, vents, exhaust)
drywall
interior doors
cabinets (kitchen, bath)
painting
flooring
trim

(Marked as community, since the question is extremely broad)


What are the pros and cons of soffit vents vs. roof vents? During my latest foray into the attic, I discovered that my bathroom exhaust fans vent directly into the attic. I'm worried about moisture buildup and I'm considering routing the exhaust to an external vent. How major of an issue is this, and which type of vent is best?

From my perspective, a soffit vent is going to be easier to do and doesn't have the potential to allow rain to leak into my attic. Is there any strong argument for a roof vent?

I found this article explaining a basic how-to of each procedure, but it doesn't give any pros/cons for each one.

Soffit

Pros

Vent easier to install
In heavy snow areas, not likely to be blocked

Cons

Soffits are designed for intake, so it's possible the air will be sucked back into the attic
Moist air can collect under the soffit

Roof

Pros

Heat and moisture want to rise
Keeps moisture away from walls, windows, siding

Cons

Can be blocked with heavy snow
More difficult install

I don't think it's that difficult to install a roof vent - this is a pretty good video


what's kind of bike hooks should I buy for this wall mount? I moved in a new house and in the garage there is already a wall mount with parallel grooves, please see the first attached picture.

I know I can buy some certain hooks for this kind of wall that I can mount a bike on, because I saw it when I visited the house earlier(see the 2nd attached picture). However when I visited home depot or lowes I couldn't find something suiting this purpose - can anyone help me identify what kind of hooks I should buy that I can hook in this wall mount and hang my bike on?

This is a configurable wall hanging design made by a company to work only with their proprietary hooks and brackets. I question why the seller took the hooks with them and not the board; one is worthless without the other.

Look for this brand, I think it's what you have:


What is a reasonably economical way to heat a basement bathroom? I have a basement bathroom (roughly 8' x 4') that corners two outside walls, and has no heat vent. Months like this it's ice cold. I'd like to heat it up, just not sure how, outside of running a space heater unattended (!). I use the bathroom quite often so a spending a little money is worth it. It's on the opposite end of the house from the furnace, and the closest vent is just outside the door in the laundry area.

I'm pretty handy, so I should be able to handle most diy solutions.

A space heater or baseboard heater with its own thermostat should be sufficient, one with a schedule timer would be ideal. Just like a central HVAC system it'll keep the room warm when you are likely to use it and not run the heater at night or beyond a certain temperature.


How to replace siding around deck The previous owners of my house installed a small deck off the back of the house. The deck was built flush against the siding.
I am going to replace the siding on the house, so I’m wondering what to do around the deck.
Do I remove the deck so that I can remove the siding between it and the sheathing?
Or
Do I cut the siding around the deck to remove it, then put the new siding around the deck (instead of behind it)?
The new siding will be vinyl.

The type of siding shown in your picture is most often used to serve as both the siding and sheathing all in one. A common term for this plywood material is T-111 plywood.
You would do well to check your house construction to see if there really is a second sheathing layer. If you find that the T-111 is nailed directly to the outside of the studs you may want to reconsider removing it. Because if you do you would have to come back at more expense to install sheathing as vinyl siding cannot be mounted directly to studs. The better strategy is to just install the new siding right over the T-111.  If you do that you can then just use the pocket trim at the vinyl ends just butted up to the deck and caulked at the join.


Is the wood part ceiling joist per wiki,

A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space,
often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members.

This tutorial mentions ceiling joist.
Is the wood part pointed out by red arrow (img_1) the ceiling joist?

consider the following image (img_2), is the part pointed out by blue arrow a ceiling joist, the red one another ceiling joist?

Consider the following image (img_3), which comes from wiki.

there are 2 lay of joists, one is for ceiling, the other is for floor, is my understanding right?

Yes that is a ceiling joist if that is in a room over your head. If there is another space above that as another floor then that it probably also serves as a floor joist as well.

It is somewhat conventional to refer to the joists seen overhead in a basement as just the floor joists for the first floor that caps the basement.


Can a TV be mounted directly into a heavy wooden entertainment center? My dad has a built in entertainment center that is buit to accommodate an old CRT television.  As such, the entertainment center itself is fairly deep (call it 24" or so), but the cavity for the television itself exposes a 24" high by 27" wide area.  There is, however, a 2" overhang wherein the shelf on which the TV would sit stands proud of the cavity, extending further than the wall.

Looking at new 40" flat screen TVs, I see that the most common width appears to be something on the order of 32", meaning that any 40" TV I get to fill the cubby heightwise would extend beyond the cubby intended, and spill over into the cubby next to it.

Because of the 2" shelf, I see no problem if and only if I could somehow mount the TV securely.

Unfortunately, the sentimental value of the entertainment center is such that replacing it or even cutting it is out of the question.

I am considering 2 options:

Mount the TV to a stud behind the entertainment center.
Mount the TV directly to the wood (and it is real wood) of the entertainment center itself.

I don't like Option #1, because it would involve some really tricky mounting, in a small space, and the bracket would have to extend more than 2 feet to get the TV to stand proud of the cubby's side.

The question is, can one mount the bracket directly to the inside wood?  It is real wood, although its only an inch thick or so.  Is that enough?  Alternatively, if I drilled through that shelf, but backed it into a sistered joint, would that hold?

Another way:

Vesa MIS-C mount on the TV?
Presumably the entertainment center shelf is designed to take considerable weight.

You could run a big L bracket down to the floor of the shelf, where you've installed a slot for the bracket to slide into and secure the display.
Since 1" screws are unlikely to hold the full leveraged weight of the display, you could pile 50 or more pounds of weight onto the top of the slot structure. That should eliminate the possibility of your screws yanking out of the cabinet, and also eliminate your having to put screw holes in the, no doubt pretty, front of the cabinet.


Hissing Sound After Filling AC Unit Refrigerant I had a problem with with my AC window unit days ago. It kept doing a high deep sound while the sun is up. I had this same problem last year. Last year when I called the technician he told me the unit needed refrigerant. He fixed the problem and the unit ran for a year without issues.

This year the same problem happened, so I called my technician and he was not available. So, I called another technician and he told me that he sealed an open pipe leaking refrigerant, replaced something he referred to as automatic (he said it was under the control panel knobs), and filled the refrigerant.

After receiving the unit, I have noticed this hissing sound while the AC unit is cooling. It is continuous with 1-2 seconds intermissions. The technician told me it was normal and it was the compressor working.

I have had this unit for years now. I have never heard this sound, before. I also did not have this hissing sound before this year's "repair" which was days ago. The unit cools the room without that loud annoying sound it did before. Though, the hissing sound is driving me crazy. I cannot focus nor sleep. I think I will have a breakdown.

I hope you guys help me resolve this issue. What could have this technician done to introduce this sound? Is it possible the "automatic" thing he installed is causing this? Did maybe some air get inside while he was filling the refrigerant?

Thanks for any information you can give me.

Edit: Before the repair, I could hear this sound for around 3-4 seconds after shutting down the unit only. Though now I hear it for more than 10 seconds, after shutting the unit.

The noise could be coming from the refrigerant charge being incorrect. you did not say how old this A/C is but at some point these units are not cost effective to fix.


What Type of PVC pipe is required for a septic tank inlet? I am trying to understand what type of PVC pipe is required for the main septic drain line from the house to septic tank.
The IRC says this:

International Private Sewage Disposal Code 2012
Chapter 5 - Materials
Section 505 - Pipe , Joints and Connections
505.1 Pipe. Pipe for private sewage disposal systems shall have a smooth wall and conform to one of the standards listed in Table 505.1.

I see SCH 40 PVC is acceptable, but what about the thin wall sewer/drain pipes?
I am wanting to know specifically how thick the pipe wall must be, or is this simply a consideration based on the location of the pipe - i.e. traffic areas vs no traffic, tree roots, etc)
Examples:
This is a thin wall pipe
This is a Sch 40 thick wall pipe
Specifically, this item in the IRC has me confused:

Coextruded composite PVC sewer and drain DR-PS in PS35, PS50, PS100, PS140 and PS200

Does that include the thin-wall sewer pipe listed above?

I don't have an explanation why one pipe is used over the other, but in all my days of running jobs, Sch 40 pipe is the only pipe used, no other kind of PVC. Cast iron is code too, but your question was not including that. I only mentioned it because that is the only other accepted material.


How to lay concrete block without squishing all the mortar? I'm laying a small retaining wall for a garden and I'm having a lot if trouble getting a proper mortar joint.

If it is on the soft side it is squished out of the joint with the weight of the block.

If it is drier it crumbles and doesn't seem to have a good adhesion.

I'm using course sand (concrete sand) mixed with fine sand. I tried to sieve to get something like a medium sand (I think you call that boulder's sand) but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Brick laying is an art form. It takes a lot of time to get the technique down. Professional masons make the process look much easier than it really is.

One thing that can help is to buy a pre-mixed mortar instead of trying to make your own. It should have a better consistency than what you are using. There are also many different kinds of mortars. A type M or type S mortar would be well suited for putting in a retaining wall.

Type M mortar is the strongest on the market. It is used most when the wall you are building is below grade, and has the best compression strength and is much less likely to squeeze out than other mortars when you are using heavy block. The downside of this kind of mortar is that it is actually too strong for most kinds of concrete block. If there is any movement in the wall, the block is more likely to crack instead of having it crack in the joints. This kind of mortar should never be used for standard brick.

Type S mortar is similar to type M, but it is not quite as strong. This is probably going to be the best type of mortar to use in your application. It is still very strong, but it is a little easy to work with. When using this kind of mortar, you want to make sure that you don't stack too many courses of block in a short time period since having too much weight on the block would squeeze out the mortar.

If you are going to lay brick over the top of your wall, then type N mortar is the way too go. It is still fairly strong, but not so strong as to destroy the brick if the structure is removed. There is a much better chance of being able to reuse the brick later on with this type of mortar compared to type M and type S.

There are also other types of mortar, but those types are generally not well suited for outdoor use, especially if it is load bearing.

You may have a hard time finding all of these different mortars locally. Type N mortar is usually marked as general purpose, and it is the most common.


AFCI breaker - ruined by fridge? I have a house that is just under 2 years old.  My 2 year old GE Profile fridge (model PWE23KSKJSS) is hooked up to a dedicated circuit that runs off a 20 AMP Arc Fault breaker.  There is nothing else on this breaker, only the one fridge outlet and nothing else.
Everything was fine for 1 year, then my breaker tripped and could not be reset, as if there was a dead short - whether or not the fridge was plugged in.  I tested for continuity without the fridge being plugged in and there was none, so it didn't seem like there was any kind of short.
I replaced the breaker with the identical model and it was fine for about 6 months, then the exact same thing happened.
So it really seems as if the fridge itself is responsible - as if the motor is burning out the circuitry in the breaker.  Is such a thing possible and has anyone else had a similar experience?
I thought I'd post my question before replacing the breaker for a 3rd time, and I'm thinking just a normal breaker this time.
Eaton panel and Eaton 20 Amp arc fault breaker.

I have had trouble with both arc fault and GFCI breakers (and receptacles) with motor loads especially Refrigerators and front load washing machines. The big issue I believe that is causing the failures was high efficiency motors the variable speed controls. arc faults can’t tell the difference between arcs and a short pulse used for speed control. The early arc fault breakers also had trouble with lighting dimmers when the circuit had a fair sized load (10-12 amps).
I would check your state codes and see if the dedicated circuit even requires arc fault protection. In my state devices known to have problems like the above are exempted from gfci or arc fault protection when on a dedicated circuit.
Things that can cause arc faults to trip.
Capacitors especially electrolytes as the age.
SCR & TRIAC’s these are the solid state switches that control the wave form to the motor or device.
Pitted contacts on “start relays” or contactors.
Inductive kick back from the motor itself
And what they are designed to trip , arcing from damage to insulation by a staple, screw or metal box.


Wiring the out building I have 2-2-2-4 AL dyke quadruplex direct burial 600v. with AC/heater wall unit. with about 9 plugs. a small hot water heater. and 9 can lights.  is a 60amp breaker big enough. Also the wire is running about 100ft from main to a subpanel

That supply cable is nice and stout and can support more than 60A.  I agree with R.M.E... Whether you'll need that depends on the size of the water heater.  The can lights are of no consequence, and the deciding factor is what else you'll be plugging into the 9 sockets.

Regardless, I strongly recommend "going a bit nuts" with the subpanel size.  You want a lot of extra spaces, because running out of spaces is a serious problem so easily avoided!  Aim to have twice the spaces you expect to use. You figure "oh, I'll just run a table saw", 1 breaker space, then you find out you can't run a dust collector on the same circuit, +1 space.  Then you get a nice deal on a 220V table saw +2 spaces, etc. etc. etc.

Also, don't get a 60A subpanel because you won't get full capacity out of your wire.

The subpanel can be larger than the feeder breaker and wire. Get at least a 100A because your wire can support it, or even a 125A if that makes sense (bigger panels also give you more bonus breakers).


Cordless lawn mower briefly starts then cuts out I have an Echo CLM-58v cordless electric push lawnmower. It's worked fine for ~1.5 years, however when I took it out of storage this spring it stopped working. When I start it, it gets a brief burst of power, less than a second, then cuts out completely. The burst of power is enough to get the blade spinning, but it slows to a stop shortly after the power cuts out.
I've checked the wiring harness, everything seems intact. I've checked the circuitboard that handles voltage regulation and the switches and it looks intact as best I can tell (the housing doesn't come off so it's hard to see). I checked the battery and it reports as fully charged and the multimeter says it is at 57.1 volts out of the supposed 58 volts, which seems fine to me. I also checked both the power switches and they have continuity when pressed, so I don't think it is them cutting out. There is a third safety switch I haven't tested for continuity, but when it isn't pressed and I try to start nothing happens.
Has anyone else experienced this issue or have any idea what might be up with it?

I have had 5+ batteries brought to me that show full charge to no charge but do similar or slightly less.
In all of them they had been heavily discharged according to the owners.
All of them had melted a solder joint connecting to the battery pack. I was able to reflow the solder and save the packs in all of the cases.
2 of them showed no charge but it was the same as the others that showed full charge once properly connected they worked fine.
note these were all OEM battery packs and from 2 different manufacturers so it’s not an aftermarket issue. I would check the internal contacts first unless the mower has other troubleshooting guides like an unbalanced blade that shuts down for safety or an excessive current because of built up grass.


Why do the lights near the wall in my media room have a separate switch? This is the media room in a house I recently bought:

The lights along the wall on the right, indicated by red arrows in the picture, have a separate light switch. The lights are directed down, not at the wall. Why are they controlled separately? Is it to light the aisle, if a TV were installed in the stone area in the center of the picture and seats placed in front of it?

There may have been plans for a desk/workspace there
There may have been plans for a bar or cabinetry/countertop there
There may have been plans for a display shelf there
There may have been plans for ...

If you can procure the original design drawings it's probably mentioned what the plan was.


What is the proper way to patch acoustic ceiling after collecting possible asbestos sample? I want to collect additional samples of an acoustic ceiling for the purpose of having it checked for asbestos. The previous test came back negative but I'm paranoid =)

The procedure as per instructions on my prior collection kit was:

Spray water (light soap/water mix) while collecting sample.
Double bag the sample.

What I'm confused on is:

What are the best areas in the ceiling to take a sample?
How large of a sample could I be collecting? The test is supposed to be able to detect 1% asbestos by volume.
How do I patch/seal the area where I took the sample?

Any thoughts? The ceiling is in great condition so far with no cracks or significant abrasions so I want to keep it that way (especially if there is asbestos).

-M

My thoughts on your first question would be to take a sample from a few different rooms, if you can see any differences between color/texture on the ceilings. From asbestos.com:

  If the material looks different
  (especially in color or texture) in
  different parts of the room, plan to
  sample each of those areas. For a
  ceiling surface in a large room, two
  samples may be needed to determine
  your asbestos situation. Try to
  balance the need to protect your
  family from exposure after you sample
  (to sample in an inconspicuous area)
  with the need to get a representative
  sample of the material (to sample in
  the center of the room).

I'm not sure about the size of sample required, but I don't think you'd need more than a few square inches.

As for patching the ceiling, you should prime the sample spot before painting. After that, you can mix some standard ceiling paint with a texture additive to match the consistency of your original ceiling. Since it's a small area, you can probably get away with using a brush, or possibly a small roller. Or, instead of bothering with texture matching, you could go the easy route and use spray-on popcorn ceiling texture after priming (beware the horrible product reviews though - it might be easier to use a pre-mixed product).


Two Fixtures, one Circuit. How does this work? I have two adjacent light switches in a bedroom.  One switch is intended to operate 4 recessed lights, the other is intended to operate a ceiling fan/light (via a wired remote).  When I bought the house, both switches worked and operated the fixtures independently.   Some time later the remote switch stopped working, so it was removed (I did not note how it was wired, thinking it would be easy to wire).  Fast forward 2 years later to today, I'm finding only only one HOT wire in the box, and one circuit wire that leads to BOTH the recessed lights and the ceiling fan (confirmed via operation or continuity test).  There are ground and neutral wires that are wire-nutted and another black wire that is neither hot nor connected to the fixtures.

How is this possible?

I can't seem to wire both switches to operate the circuits independently, but I'm fairly certain is was wired as such (have had the ceiling fan switch removed for some time).

Attached a clearer picture.  Wire summary follows:

Black wire, lower left, yellow nut (HOT);
Black wire, lower right, yellow nut (leads to ceiling fan AND recessed lights);
Black and white wires, upper right, white nuts (no apparent function)

UPDATE:  As it happens, I finalized realized I had disconnected wires in a junction box in an adjacent closet months prior to noticing what I thought was a dead fan switch (enough time had passed that I didn't link the junction box to the switch).  Reconnecting the wires in the junction box solved the problem and allowed the previously useless romex bundle to now have a function (the romex is basically an extension to the switch box).  Thanks for all the help.


No Hot Water in Kitchen Faucet, hot water runs to dishwasher but not to faucet Problem: Our single handle kitchen faucet has no hot water

Details:

hot and cold water fine in rest of house
checked under sink and hot water is running to dishwasher BUT with hot water valve open all the way and faucet is turned to hot, only slightest trickle comes out and I don't feel any water movement in flexible hose connecting hot water to faucet
earlier today we had opposite issue with no cold and only hot, after I turned valves off and on there was almost not water coming out of faucet but after putting space heater under sink, cold water running perfectly but now there's no hot.

I'm not sure if I should start with water valve or faucet (it's a single handle Ball type).

Disconnect the flex hose from your hot supply valve to the faucet and test for flow with the faucet disconnected. Ideally you do this with spare 3/8" hose, but a towel, sponge, bucket, and some care will also work.

If your unconnected valve supplies decent water flow when disconnected from your faucet, the problem is in your faucet. Figure out the brand/model and you can get a repair kit.

If hot water doesn't flow even when the valve is disconnected from the faucet, then you have a problem with the valve or plumbing.

My guess is, unless your water lines were actually frozen, the heater is a red herring and the reason you have all hot or all cold is because there's a worn-out washer in your faucet's mixing valve. Possibly a chunk of it has broken and is moving somewhat freely within the valve, blocking one side or the other.


What's the best tool for shoveling gravel? I have a couple of cubic meters of gravel (3-4cm, round, no edges) in a big pile. I want to move this gravel, some of it becomes foundation for the kids' sand pit, and some should go along the outer walls of the house as rain splash guard.

I figure I can use a wheelbarrow and a shovel for this, but I am also thinking that it is going to be hard to shovel the gravel with said shovel. Is there a better tool for the job?

A "sided" shovel (AKA coal or transfer shovel) is very efficient, especially if you have a hard, flat surface to shovel off of (plywood is great).


How do i unscrew this bolt to take apart the bed frame I have this couple bed that need to disassemble but have no idea how to unscrew this bolt in the pictures. I have never seen anything like this in my life.

Thanks in advance

A pin is used through the head to unscrew. A drill bit or Allen key as large as will fit will provide enough torque to get them out unless someone used pliers on them but I don’t see any damage.

Many had decorative handles on them that after being tightened one times too many and broke.


How to find heater wire cut? I have an old and damage sidewalk with a heater wire inside it.

The wire is cut somewhere but I don't know how to find where. Is there any electrical tool or way to find where is it cut?

This is an example of a wire in a sidewalk:

Yes there are scanners that can read through concrete and even metal conduit, but they are expensive the one I use is a greenlee CS-8000, I just did a quick search and new these are ~750$. You may be able to find a used one for much less, these are awesome for finding a broken wire even in rigid metal conduit, through walls, identifying circuit breakers even if the power is off. There may be other brands/models out there but mine has saved me hundreds of hours and I have found faults that 2 electricians before me could not find , the difference was I have this simple but high accuracy tool.


Is this mold on my bathroom ceiling? I've recently purchased a house and am worried there might be mold on the bathroom ceiling. Can anyone identify if that's what these dark blotches are? If it is mold, what's the best way to get rid of it?

Looks like some surface mildew. That's pretty common in a high humidity area like a bathroom. Blot the stains with some equal parts of water and bleach on a rag, followed by blotting with a plain water rag and let it dry. If you still see it, repeat the process. The bleach will kill the mildew and help to remove any staining left behind. If you still have some staining, a temporary fix would be some spray Kilz.

I would consider repainting that ceiling with some mildew-resistant paint.


Wood Trim that has Come Loose I have a thin strip of wood trim on the inside of a bedroom door frame that needs repairing (it's loose). What should I try first?

My best suggestion from personal experience and opinion, is to stay away from adhesives. Mechanical fasteners (nearly) always have a method of removal that doesn't destroy the things it's fastening. You can pull a common nail, back out a screw, or punch through a finish screw.

In my house I've had similar things happen, and it's usually due to the wood expanding or contracting in such a way that the finish nail has pulled through the wood and is no longer mechanically squeezing the top piece to the substrate.

A few (2-3) well placed, ringed finish nails would go a long way. I prefer "panel nails" for this kind of work, so long as they aren't too long. Their ringed shanks tend to hold well.

If you can locate studs or other timber behind your trim, I especially like specialty "finishing screws" with counter threaded shanks near the head to minimize that "swollen" area around the head.


Subfloor prep for hardwood install We are doing a hardwood installation project. So far this has involved removing carpet and particle board to get down to the 1/2" plywood subfloor. The subfloor seems to be in a good shape, so I'm happy about that. Now I've been told I need to add a layer of OSB and then the hardwood. So here are my questions:

Do I really need to add this OSB? Is it a matter of strength or just a matter of floor-height? Seems like the particle board wasn't adding much, strength-wise, and maybe adding 3/4" hardwood over 1/2" subfloor wound suffice. Since I'm doing the whole house, the floor height is not really an issue.

But assuming I do need to add the OSB, what's the best way to fasten it to the existing subfloor? I imagine I should use screws instead of nails, but do I also need to use glue?

Thank you!

I'm not an expert, but here is what I found out when I redone my bathroom.

The OSB is used to add stability to the floor. When walking around, if you're only on plywood, the floor will bounce; simply adding the hardwood floor over the plywood sub-floor will not solve that issue.

When installing the OSB, using floor screws is sufficient. No nails, as these will move and you'll end up hearing them. And while you're at it, you should screw the plywood to the joists if it's not already done.

And if you could get tongue and groove OSB, you'd reduce even more the risk of hearing your floor ;)


Discharge Air Temperature What is the role of Discharge Air temperature in HVAC?
How does it differ from Supply Air Temp and Return Air Temp?
How does it impact energy consumption and cost

Return Air Temperature is the temperature of the air just before the evaporator/heat exchanger.
Supply Air Temperature is the temperature of the air just after the evaporator/heat exchanger.
Discharge Air Temperature is the temperature of the air exiting the registers (vents).

Discharge air temperature should be as close to supply air temperature, otherwise you're gaining/losing heat as the air travels through the ducts.


NCV meter beeping over large area of a wall I use non contact voltage tester function of Uni-t ut210e for detecting main wires under/in walls. It worked pretty well until yesterday.

The wall is made of bricks/mortar and some metal profiles (as I experienced today when drilling holes for wall shelf). There is 0 voltage between that metal profile and the ground.

Also, there is a wall socket 20 cm from the bottom of the wall. Mains voltage is 230 V.

What could be the cause of NCV meter beeping over almost entire wall?

When the batteries start to run down this can cause the filters not to work which can result in erratic sounding.  Also the electronics also go bad.  this can cause erratic sounding.  They are mass produced and don't always have a long life.


What do I need to connect a refrigerator water line? I currently have  a water valve behind my refrigerator, but it's not hooked up to our current refrigerator. I have no tubing coming out of the valve.  We purchased a new refrigerator and want to hook up a water line to it.  The company we bought it from will bring a water hose with it.  Do I need to do anything else to the valve before they hook up the water hose?

You will need a compression fitting for both ends if you don't already have them.  Often the fridges will come with a plastic supply line but I always like to replace it with a copper one as they last longer and are less prone to damage.

You might also want to verify the valve works correctly.  If it is a piercing-type valve, the often fail and should be replaced with a soldered/compression fitting.


Why are my oven knobs turning pink? I left my stove un-attended for 8 weeks and when I got back to using it, I noticed mould on one of the stove's knobs. I sprayed some white vinegar, let it sit for 5 minutes and wiped it off. Sadly, it has turned the knob pink in color.

What causes aluminium to turn pink in color and how can I restore this knob to its original aluminum color ? I live in a very humid coastal city in Australia if that helps.
Here's a picture of the pink knob :

Yes, as @brhans says, that definitely looks like copper has been exposed, so there is no way to go back to the nickel/aluminum color. (Copper turns that color when exposed to vinegar.) I would personally try to use more vinegar on the non-pink parts of the knob to try to get the rest of the nickel/aluminum to "reveal" the copper and get a uniform copper color, since there would be no way to "restore" the nickel/aluminum.


My toilet cant flush what should I do? Instead of actually flushing (or pushing) the water down the drain, it just fills with water and drains out over the course of a few minutes. Anything liquid will drain out but nothing else (not even toilet paper) Because it seems like it doesn't even try to flush anything away. And also when my neighbour upstairs flush it comes to my toilet. What can possible be the problem,and what can i do?

That's most likely a clog beyond the point where the drains of your toilet and your neighbour's toilet join.

You are going to need to snake that out.


3 Way Light Switch on Stairs I currently have a 3 way light switch in my stairwell.  One at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs.  I recently added a light fixture to the bottom of the stairs but need some help wiring it up.  I have been rewiring the whole house but the 3 ways a bit confusing to me.  Power comes in from the light fixture at the top of the stairs. Here is a diagram of what I have and what I am trying to do.  Any help would be great.

Can I tie into the wiring leaving the original light before it reaches the switch on the left?

Smart switch; change one cable

The cable from the existing lamp to the nearer switch (upstairs?)... you need to change that to a /3 cable (red white black).

You can extend the cable to your new lamp from any switch box.  When you do, use colored tape to re-tag the black wire as a red wire.

Now we're going to fit smart switches that allow wireless connection of remotes.  These smart switches cannot require a wire for comms between them, as we lack any spare wires.

Now we're going to change the color codes.  As it happens, the existing color codes will suffice in all locations:

black = always-hot
white = neutral
red = switched-hot

Your master smartswitch attaches to black, white and red.

Your remote smartswitch attaches to black and white only.

Your original lamp connects to red and white.

Your new lamp attaches to red and white in the box nearest it.


new roof + new skylight windows The roofers are installing a new roof on my house today.  Since one of the skylight windows cracked, should I get them to replace the window at the same time, or should I get one installed by a manufacturer (e.g., Pella) at a later date?

If I choose the latter, do I need to keep a few spare shingles around?

Almost all sky lights on a roof are mounted a 2x3 or 2x4 curbing that is nailed down to the roof sheathing. Flashing metal pieces are the bent up and nailed to the outside of the curbing and put down under each succeeding tier of shingles. The skylight generally us sized to fit on the top of the curbing and has a flange that comes down along the side of the outside of the curbing. The flange should come down far enough so that it fully covers the top edges of the flashing metal pieces that come up along the side.

As the roofers are already up on the roof doing work around the skylight it should be a piece of cake to have then install the new skylight. Mounting is typically as simple as nailing or screwing through holes in the side flange into the side of the curbing. Having the roofers do the job allows them to remove the old one and give then the correct access to install the new flashing metal as then shingle past the opening and curbing.

Another significant advantage is that it keeps one less person or group of persons off your roof that could do damage to your new roofing.


How to handle huge amounts of mold in my wall I have big problems fighting the mold in my wall.

First of all, where I live my concrete wall is entirely covered with nothing more than paint in the exterior and inside. The building is surrounded by walls, so it's in the shadow all the time, it's on the first floor and there is a concrete gutter surrounding it, so basically i'm saying I almost cannot fix the feed source of the mold.

Sunny days when I clean with bleach I can forget about it for like 1-2 weeks or a month when it's very dry, but rainy days it's like mold every 3 days, I even can see the water that comes through my wall.

I called some construction dudes to paint my room and outside with mold protection paint (I don't know what brand), and it worked for months, but when winter came, the mold nation attacked again.

I've been reading that mold is even capable of dealing with UV radiation as I found in this paper. Also is said that bleach can help but cannot penetrate the wall and I can assure that because I've used pure sodium hypochlorite (I had to sleep on my couch for like 2 days).

So I came up with the next alternatives which I want to discuss:

Use an hydrophobic coating in my wall
Cover my wall with asphalt
Put a fake wall and forget about the mold and let it grow
Modify my DNA to be able to live with mold and avoid the health problems.

Thanks in advance.

When you say concrete walls are you indeed referring to a poured wall of concrete as they do in many overseas countries or are you referring to cinderblock walls back poured with concrete?

If you mean cinderblock walls: Building a carwash we would thinset over the cinderblock walls and then apply a coat of Watertite LX. It has been about 10 years now and we have yet to see any mold or water seepage through the carwash bay into the guest walk areas, in which both slides are bare cinderblock.

It is guaranteed for 15 years when used according to the directions.

Link to product and I do not work for Walmart. :P


Replaced bad ballast and maginfying light still won't work I have a LUXO Magnifying lamp that after years the ballast finally went bad, checked the coil and it was open. Ordered one from Luxo same kind and specs, hooked it up and nothing, not even a hum. Maybe the miniature starter hard wired to the ballast is bad? I checked the old one and got 2 ohms connected, haven't checked the new one yet. I don't believe there is any polarity involved in hooking up these simple 2 wire ballasts, am I wrong? Maybe I just got a bad ballast from them. Checked it and got 23 ohms with starter connected but, I have no idea if that's what I should get. Any help is greatly appreciated.

If you have a starter I would replace that it is more common to have those go bad than the ballast, the starter provides the strike voltage to initiate the plasma in the tube, the ballast or inductor is to limit the current once the lamp strikes and the internal lamp resistance drops.


How can I temporarily stop a bathroom water leak? I'm in the process of remodeling my bathroom and currently have all the cement backerboard torn down. I had to remove the sink in order to get a good portion of the tile off. Unfortunately, my old house has no way of shutting off water to the bathroom so I had to completely shut off water to the house.

I added water shutoff valves to the 1/2" pipes for the sink to stop the water. The valve on the hot water pipe has sealed fine with no leaks. The valve on the cold water pipe continues to leak no matter what I do.
Where it's leaking

I've installed it using teflon pipe joint compound. For a few hours it's fine with no drips. However, I woke up this morning and it was steadily dripping all over the place. I'm not sure what to do to keep this from making a mess.

It only needs to be temporary as, in the next couple weeks I'm going to replace most of the plumbing in the bathroom—I just need to be able to have water on in my house without also making an indoor swimming pool!

HomeDepot carries a brand called "SharkBite" that are simple, push-to-connect fittings. You can buy a cap from them for cheap. It requires an equally inexpensive plastic tool to remove. That, or something like it, should get the job done.

The cap: http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-Brass-Push-Fit-End-Stop-U514LFA/202270531

The removal tool: http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-Disconnect-Clip-U710A/100638139


How can I convert my under cabinet lighting from halogen to LED? Our kitchen has under-cabinet lighting that uses halogen 20 watt G8 socket bulbs.   With 15 bulbs in the kitchen that is 300 watts.  I'd prefer to replace them with 3 watt LED bulbs.

I've been searching but I haven't found any 120 volt AC G8 LED bulbs that will work.  The only ones that I can find are over-sized like this one.  I wrapped one of my dead halogen bulbs in newspaper strips until it was 1.25" in diameter like the over-sized bulb and tested it.  It wouldn't fit in the light fixture.

Do I need to replace all the fixtures?   There seem to be a lot of G4 LED bulbs on the market, but very few G8 bulbs.

Your G8s are probably 120VAC, right ?  As such, you are not going to replace with LED without switching to LOW DC voltage.  Most are 24V.

If you want dimmable LED (a good feature), you'll need a dimmable constant current driver and a magnetic transformer and a magnetic rated dimmer.  You can use a  standard dimmer, but the current surge will burn it out. (ask me why I know...)

Bottom line.. rip out the sockets.


LED light bulbs turn off immediately after being switched on I have 11 spotlights in my kitchen which are 12V MR16 fittings. Recently they've started giving me trouble. Only 5 out of the 11 still work correctly, the rest have gone

I decided it must be a heat issue - the halogen bulbs I had get seriously hot and I thought they might be burning out the fittings. I bought 1 new LED bulb and tested it, and it worked perfectly.

I went ahead and ordered another 4 of a slightly different brand. After installing them this morning, they stopped working. They work when I first hit the switch, then about 5 seconds later they cut out. Worse, now the one that worked fine is also doing this

Has anyone any idea what could be going on here? I intend to call an electrician to sort it out but I'm curious if anyone's seen this happen before. It's made me think the 240V - 12V transformers on each fitting may be the issue

This question is old, but it just hit 1000 views so I thought I'd post the answer.

The 12V PSUs were all at end of life, and were failing. It may have been that the 3.5W bulbs were too low power to work, but either way I ended up replacing the lot with new sockets and LEDs. If I recall these are not stepped down 12V but run off 240V so don't need transformers. I could be wrong about that, it's over a year since all this happened


Do you need a shower floor slope if you have a preslope? In our shower we poured a mortar bed with a preslope, added a liner, and then poured mortar on top with a slope towards the drain.  But it started me wondering what the point of the top slope was, when using a self leveling bed mix would be much easier for the average DIYer (including me for my next shower redo).  Given that any water making it through the tile and mortar will just be directed to the drain weep holes by the liner on the preslope, is there any point to the slope other than to prevent standing water on top of the tiles?

The tiles don't have to be sloped but they must keep the slope that existed.


Why should we replace smoke alarms every 10 years? I'm having a hard time understanding a requirement to replace smoke detectors every 10 years (or whatever the manufacturer suggests). With previous generations of ionization based detectors, I understand that the radioactive substance would decay over time, reducing its ability to reliably do what it's supposed to do, but the photoelectic ones I'm having a harder time understanding exactly why there is still a requirement to replace them.

For example, I own 2 Nest Protect 2nd generation smoke/CO detectors, which as I understand use a split-spectrum photoelectric sensor. The device will trigger all kinds of alerts and warnings when it comes time to replace them. However, as this is LED based, why does it do this? Is there an actual technical reason for replacing it, or does this basically come down to some law somewhere?

It likely has to do with the lifetime of the hardware itself. Remember, there's a circuit board and a light source, as well as a detector. Those don't last forever. So the manufacturer certifies the device will work for only 10 years, and then (in some modern units) sets a hard sunset by using an unreplacable battery.

In some regards, this solves the problem of people just putting new batteries into older detectors forever, not realizing the devices have stopped working (when was the last time you tested one?)


How should I convert my range receptacle? My kitchen is equipped for  dual fuel range, with both gas and electric, with a 50A breaker, 6/3 + ground, and a corresponding receptacle to accommodate that wiring.

We are replacing our range with a gas unit, which only requires to be plugged into a "normal" nema 5-15p outlet.

How should I adapt my existing 6/3 wiring in the wall to serve this range? It seems incorrect to wire nut 12awg to the 6awg and replace the receptacle.

What you think is incorrect is exactly what I'd do and what I have done in the past. Ideal make a blue wire nut that would work for a #6 connected to a #12, Do that for one hot leg on both ends and the one end of the neutral where the outlet will go. Install a 15 Amp breaker and connect the #12 pigtail to it. connect the two pigtails at the box to your new outlet. Don't forget to connect the ground wire. Cover the box with the appropriate cover. You could also use split bolt connectors instead of wire nuts. Just make sure you have about a mile of electrical tape. Tape up the ends of the unused wire.


Fluorescent Lights and CFLs Take Longer to Startup in Cold When it is colder outside, I noticed that the CFLs in my house and the fluorescent lights in my garage take longer to come on and get bright. Sometimes they flicker more. I am in Florida so coldest is probably 30-40 degrees in the Winter. Why does this occur? CFLs are in a standard outlet. Fluorescents are in an older ballast.

When turned off, the mercury in the fluorescent tube condenses on the inside surface of the tube.  In order to emit light, the mercury must evaporate and form a vapor as the conductive path between the ends of the tube.  The colder the bulb is to begin with, the longer it takes for all the mercury to evaporate, and for the light to reach full brightness.

This also explains why fluorescent lights get dimmer as they age: there is a small leakage of mercury from the tube during its lifetime, so there is less mercury vapor in the tube, so less light produced.


Dedicated circuit for **Sub Zero** refrigerator - any code requirement? I have just moved into a new construction home. The home came with a sub-zero refrigerator. I found that the fridge is not wired on a dedicated circuit, but is on one shared with outlets above the counter. Sub Zero requires a dedicated circuit per their documentation and FAQ:

  Answer:
  All Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances require a dedicated electrical circuit.

It seems that in general NEC codes does NOT require a dedicated circuit as discussed in this post.

This seems consistent with other research, except for when people are talking about Sub Zero e.g., from 2002 "Also, no sep. circuit is needed unless the fridge is a sub zero, then make it a 20a circ" and more recently here here.

I read that some inspectors will force compliance with manufacturer requirements (e.g., if Sub Zero says you need dedicated, then it has to be dedicated to pass), but it's not a given. Is there anything actually in the NEC code that I can use to force them to actually put the fridge on a dedicated circuit? e.g. something about the power draw or other specs of the sub zero fridge override the normal conditions that wouldn't require a dedicated circuit?

I would like to better understand what the diff is between a sub zero and other refrigerators that actually make this more important than regular fridges. What is the real risk - can I damage my fancy fridge if I plug in the wrong type of device to one of the wall outlets?

Also, not sure what is going on with the wiring - the outlets are GFCI and testing trips the other outlets, but not the fridge outlet - does this play into the logic of the way they connected the fridge?

Additional Info: I think there actually is a dedicated outlet behind the fridge based on what I saw during construction. Right now, the fridge is plugged into an outlet in the cabinet above the fridge instead of the one I would have expected halfway up the wall behind the fridge.

They told me there was not enough space back between wall and fridge to use that outlet (seems unlikely, the cabinet maker knew the exact appliance going in, so unlikely they didn't make it big enough).

Since it's a pain to remove and move around the built in fridge I wanted to get more information in case it turns out there really isn't enough space and they need to spend money to make it right.

If needed - the fridge model is: 36UFDID/S

NEC 110.3(B)  Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

This is because the labeling and instructions are part of the UL listing. UL only tests and certifies the appliance if used according to labeling.  So UL has not tested what happens if the refrigerator shares a circuit, and their certification is void if it is used on a shared circuit.

Why they'd want that

Possibly the motor is high-draw when it runs, such that it consumes nearly 80% of a 15A circuit's output, particularly when initially chilling the refrigerator down from warm.    They definitely don't want their fridge on a GFCI; that produces special challenges for a fridge, especially one with a large motor that is built by a small volme producer. Though they can't give that as the primary reason, of course. .

Obviously the manufacturer would not place that requirement lightly, because it prevents them from selling fridges to people without dedicated fridge circuits.  They are pretty high-end, so maybe they expect their customers to ante up.  (Compare: appliance makers have fought tooth and nail to keep the old NEMA 10 groundless stove/dryer connections from being outlawed).

I also suspect UL would push back on them and discourage them from imposing that requirement if it wasn't necessary.


ABS cellular-core Pipes Safe? I have some ABS Cellular-Core Pipe for a DIY project. The project is a garden in the pipe. I have been told that this pipe has chemicals that could harm my family when consuming the food. The question is are these ABS cellular-core pipes safe to drink water from and plant plants in?

If the markings on the outside include "NSF-PW" the pipe is rated for potable (drinking) water use. Most "cellular core" pipe won't be so marked, in my experience, since it is only intended for Drain, Waste, Vent (DWV) applications, not drinking water.

I don't know if there's any real hazard to growing plants in them - certainly many plants are grown (or at least started) in plastic pots that are likely not plastic that is rated for eating or drinking from...


What could cause a heat pumps line sets to be the same temperature when running? The symptom I'm dealing with is that the heat pump system isn't cooling as much as it should.  Tested it today, was about 79°F inside and outside; system was blowing air at about 73°F.

Outdoor unit seems to start up and run fine.  Air handler is pulling air pretty good.  The line sets were about the same temperature when the system was running.  Weird thing (I think) is that the liquid line seem to cool for a little bit when the system started up and again after I turned it off.  But when it was running for a while, the line sets were about the same temperature.

The compressor doesn't sound the greatest when it starts up and shuts down, but that could be my imagination.  The diagnostic LEDs on the outdoor unit indicated the system was running normally.

Any ideas?

If the lines are the same temperature, that means they're at the same pressure.  Which is normal when the system is not running.  Once the system starts, the pressure in one line should go up, while the other goes down.

Since the pressures in your system are basically equal, I'd say the refrigerant is low.  You can verify this be connecting a set of gages to the system, or having a local HVAC technician do it for you.  If the refrigerant is low, it's likely you have a leak. The HVAC technician should be able to find and repair the leak, and recharge the system.


Concrete "post footings" for concrete patio floor? The typical way of doing a concrete patio floor is to excavate soil at least 9", pour & compact gravel, then pour concrete.

I was wondering, what will happen if:

Excavate post holes, past the frost line, in each corner of the planned concrete floor.
Set rebars vertically in the holes
Add horizontal rebars "connecting" the posts rebars.
Add some more rebars, forming a "mesh"
Set the concrete form (2x4's)
Pour concrete, level and seal.

Basically, a concrete slab sitting on top of soil, with post foundations.

Will the concrete floor shift in level in no time? Will the ground crack and break it sooner than later? I live in Canada (Southern Ontario) where the ground goes through a freezing cycle.

As long as the total contact area of the footings in consideration of the load bearing capacity of your soil exceeds the total dead & live load of the patio, then it won't settle into the ground.

As long as the footings are below the frost line, they themselves will not frost heave.

However - if the slab is still in contact with the ground, then it will still be susceptible to frost heave. The entire contact area of the slab with the ground - except the footings - will be above the frost line and can get damaged.


Wiring timer switch into 2-gang switch setup with common load (red) with downstream load I want to install a timer switch (it has five wires, red (load), black (hot), white (common), green (ground) and yellow (three-way switching but not needed for my application) to replace one switch in a 2-gang switch box having six incoming romex connections (see first photo). One switch turns on outside lights, and it is this switch I want to replace with the timer.  The other switch turns on inside lights and I want it to remain in the circuit.  Both loads are on the same circuit - all grounds coming into the box are twisted together and all whites terminate in the same wire nut. There are additional downstream loads (interior lights and fans in a different room) which rely on the junction box connections but have their own downstream switches (this is the source of my confusion).

In the 2-gang junction box, the red (load) wire was shared between both switches (see second photo) - it was a single wire stripped in the middle and wrapped around the screw of the second switch then went on to a wire nut with two black wires I found go out to the respective switched loads - you can see this in photo 2.  I hooked up the timer as set out in the instructions, but the downstream lights did not work at all and the timer switch did not switch the intended load (outside lights) which just stayed off.

Any help would be appreciated.

Don't pay attention to the colors

The red wire going to the existing switches in your box is actually a pigtail from the hot feed coming in (the junction of the two blacks), while the two black wires from the switches are the switched feeds going back out.

So, nut the black hot wire from the timer to the existing junction of always-hots that you've pulled out and a pigtail to provide always-hot to the other switch, while the appropriate black switched wire gets nutted to the red wire from the timer.  The timer neutral goes to the neutral junction (white wires) that you've pulled out, and the timer ground goes in with the rest of the grounds (which need an actual wirenut on them FYI).  Finally, the yellow 3-way wire can stay nutted/tape-insulated off as you don't need it, as you have already indicated.


How should I fill channels left in old plaster after dado rail removal? I just purchased a condo in the Boston area. The house has been built early 1900s.

I'm removing dado (chair) rails in the dining room that don't look great and are just dust collector at this point.

I used a pry bar to remove one of them and am now wondering how I could patch those holes.

It seems that I am dealing with:

lath
Horsehair plaster
wallpaper 1
wallpaper 2
drywall

More pictures

Here is what I think I should do:

Option 1:

take a piece drywall, screw it to the lath
dry wall tape + joint compound
primer + paint

Option 2:

screw plaster washers on the remaining plaster
add missing plaster to the lath
take a piece drywall, screw it all the way to the lat
dry wall tape + joint compound
primer + paint

Please advise. Thanks!

I don't understand option 2, but option 1 is exactly what I'd do. A few suggestions:

Be sure that the thickness of your drywall brings it to flush or slightly below. Do not install patches that protrude above the wall surface. This will be difficult to tape without leaving a bulge.
If you end up with a depression after installing the patches, pre-fill before taping, possibly with a setting-type compound (which is more difficult to work with, but cures quickly, is stronger, and doesn't shrink nearly as much).
Don't worry too much about getting a lot of screws in the drywall patches. The two close tape joints will hold it all very solidly. You don't want to crack up your plaster any more than necessary.
Use a nice wide knife for your finish coat(s) and taper out substantially. I'd go no less than 12" from the edges of the patch. Skinny repairs will leave noticeable ridges.

Good luck.


How to install a proper deck ledger AFTER the fact? We just purchased a house that has a roughly 10X20 deck on the back. It's relatively low to the ground (maybe 1-3 feet high).

The house is cedar lap siding.

The problem is that the deck was built improperly. It was attached to the house directly over the siding, so no proper ledger board, flashing or gap.

What to do? Is there a way to fix this without dismantling the entire deck?

My thoughts:

pull out the floor boards closes to the house a foot or two out.
jack/shim up the house-side joists from underneath.
cut each joist away from the house a few inches.
remove siding, flash, and install proper ledger.
use deck spacers to the install a new 'hanging ledger (is that a term?) to connect to the new shortened joists with new hangers.

Seems doable, all except the tight quarters I'd be working in.

Has anyone done this? Tips/suggestions?

Another option I was considering as more of a short-term option:

remove just one row of floor boards
create new flashing from siding above the connection to the house, wrapping it over whatever type of ledger is below it.

That would basically be just using larger flashing. Might look kind of ugly, but would obviously be  a lot less labor.

Ugh.  Your plan sounds like a lot of work, but seems sound.

As an alternative could you convert this to a freestanding deck?  Add post and piers near the house.  Install some blocking to replace the crummy ledger you'll soon remove.  Pull up your one row of floor boards and chop the deck shy of the wall.


Do I use all grounding screws in a metal box? I'm wiring a 4-gang, metal box to hold multiple switches. It has 4 grounding screws. Do I need to pigtail around each of the box's grounding screws? My plan is to splice all the grounds together with additional grounds to go to each switch and have one of the grounds pig-tailed around a single grounding screw. Would this be allowed by the NEC or do I need to pigtail around each of the box's grounding screws?

You can use just one screw to the box, but you might find it easier to connect all the grounds from one half to one screw and the other half to another.


shallow well pumps and tank Can I use a smaller tank with a 1/2 hp shallow well pump? And how can I tell if it is my tank that it is no good.I do not know if it has bladders in it because it is about 20 yrs old.

In general, the installed tank is almost always the bare minimum size, and if replacing a larger one is often a better choice.

A simple test of the system is to run water from a place where you can observe or hear the pump (typically there is a drain connection there, which you can either run into a bucket or attach a hose to.) Starting with the pump not running (not "turned off", just on its automated control, but not running when you start) run water just until the pump starts; turn off the water and start timing. When the pump stops, check the time. If it's less than a minute, there is something that should be addressed. If it's more than a minute (and nothing else in the house is using water) it's probably fine.

If you run water into the tub or something, and there is the usual pressure gauge on the system, you should see the pressure fall to a certain point, like 30 PSI, then the pump kicks on and the pressure rises to something like 50 PSI and the pump cuts off, and the pressure falls again (drawing water from the tank) until it gets to 30 again and turns the pump on. Those pressures might be 20 & 40 or 40 & 60, covering the 3 most common settings.

If that cycle is very fast, it's a sign of a waterlogged tank or failed bladder. Bladder tanks have been the common default for more than 20 years, so it's very likely that you have a bladder tank unless someone with a major case of nostalgia for things that work poorly put the current tank in 20 years ago.

An additional diagnostic is, after the timing test; with the pump shut off and the system at peak pressure, and nothing else in the house using water: draw water into a bucket just until the pump turns on again. Measure the volume of that water. This is the "drawdown" of your tank, and there are tables which would tell you what it should be, when you have identified your tank and noted the pressures your system works between. If the amount of water you get is significantly less than those tables indicate (it will generally never be more) there is a problem with the tank.


Windows not airtight? I am experiencing an issue on the north-west side of my 2-story house: in the morning 2 hours after sunrise we get infested with gnats. There are hundreds of them inside the house at the main level by the sliding doors and on the windows seals. We vacuum them up and it is up again within minutes. After a couple of hours we manage to clear up all of them until the next morning...
It is frustrating. Even a window that does not open seem to be impacted.
Yesterday I had a glass company send a tech to my house to take a look. He offered to replace the windows but stated he had no clues whether this would help. He said I should talk to a windows company to replace my windows.
I noticed that the weather strip on the sliding doors is not in the best shape so I will replace it this weekend.
My current solution is to apply painters tape everywhere I feel there is a light draft or visible gaps on the frames.
Do I need to replace the windows? The brand is quanex and the glass thermatru.
The house is 5 yo and in Southern California.

I feel there is a light draft or visible gaps

That's most likely your problem. If you can feel air blowing around the edges of your windows and/or sliding door, then they're not sealed properly. Same if you can see light through it.
Since you know the window manufacturer and you know they're only 5 years old, you may want to contact them to see if they offer a warranty on the windows/doors. If so, you may get them replaced for free and be done with both the bugs and the heat/AC loss.
If they're no longer under warranty, I'm sure they'd be happy to sell you new ones, but for a far more reasonable price, you can tackle replacing weather stripping.
NOTE: Depending on where the air/light is coming from, you could have issues with the sealing between the window and the exterior of the house. This could be allowing water behind the siding, where it could be pooling and starting to rot your house framing. You may also want to contact the home builder to see if they offer any sort of home warranty and if it's still in effect.


Humidity levels in new basement are high I'm currently living in a new build in Ottawa Ontario for which I took possession in February 2020 ( I've been here for about 5 months ). The humidity levels in my basement have gone  gangbusters in the past couple of months. I currently have 2 dehumidifiers running full throttle 24/7 to keep the RH at around 50%.
Without these machines running I've seen the RH climb up to the mid 70s.
I thought I had it under control, until I saw water inside the vapour barrier.
The builder told me it was because the cement isn't completely cured yet... Is this true? My understanding was that cement took around 30 days to cure.
Note that the landscaping isn't done yet, so the grading isn't right and we don't have any eavestroughing as of yet.
Should I be concerned about mold? I feel like they are pulling on fast one on me...
I had plans to finish the basement ( Seal the floors, put up drywall etc).
Any advice?
Thanks!

Did it often rain in the last days/weeks?
Do the neighbours (new buildings) have the same problem?
Are all doors/windows in the basement closed during daytime?

As stated before, a new building needs to get rid of all the water in the concrete and other material. This can take many months, even if concrete may reach its final strength after 1 month.
A basement should be vented only during night time. The statistically dryer air can get in, will be heated a little bit during daytime (closed doors/windows), and thus conveys water out of the building, when this air will be replaced with dryer air from outdoor the next night.
This is also valid when using dehumidifiers. Windows/doors closed during daytime, open during night time.
All material which is to be dryed should not be covered with anything. The water must find a way to diffuse out of the material.
Incorrect drying of buildings is the most often mistake that causes huge damages to buildings - in the long run.


Can I follow shellac with polyurethane (water-based or oil)? I just finished building kitchen cabinets out of African mahogany. I am ready to finish the project and I would really like to not screw it up. I'm wanting to use an oil-base penetrating stain and follow that with a coat or two of amber shellac, which lends it a beautiful luster, and then clear shellac if it is becoming too dark. I love working with shellac, but my concern is whether it will be durable enough for kitchen cleanups. Another concern is whether it will stand up to the heat adjacent to the stove.

What my plan is is to use the shellac and then, if I have problems, cover the shellac with water-based polyurethane. (If It does not stand up to the heat, I can remove it easily enough with alcohol before the poly.)  I know shellac works as a sealer for polyurethane and as a transition layer between poly and something with which it is not compatible.
Does this sound like a viable plan?

Dewaxed shellac is unusual in being compatible with both water- and oil-based finishes, and in fact is sometimes used as an "adapter" layer between those. It can go over, or under, either.

(I'm not sure whether that wide compatibility also includes lacquer and catalysed finishes.)


Where should carbon monoxide detectors be located? How many carbon monoxide detectors are needed in a house and where is it best to place it? Is it better to place it close to the ground or close to the ceiling?

The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommend a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home, including the basement. A detector should be located within 10 feet of each bedroom door and there should be one near or over any attached garage. Each detector should be replaced every five to six years.

Positioning them at head height is recommended, and Be-Alarmed suggests:

Do not place the alarm in a cupboard, behind furniture, near an outside door or ventilation ( e.g. extractor fans or cooker hoods)
Do not place alarms directly next to fires, boilers, cookers or heaters – the alarm should be at least 1 meter away from any of these appliances
Do not place an alarm in an area of high condensation and steam such as a bathroom or kitchen or sources of steam and condensation
The alarm should not be placed on a ceiling like a smoke alarm


Is it Okay for ceiling light bulb sockets to have open gap to attic? I was noticing the filthy green bottle flies in my home thinking they are sneaking through an open door. But their numbers keep increasing even though I keep killing them.I investigated and it turned out they are coming from attic possibly through ceiling light bulb sockets.

I started putting net around socket along many bulbs and there numbers has decreased significantly. I even captured one in the socket and it's now not there so only way to escape is that it has gone to attic (or if its hiding behind the bulb).

Is this normal that the bulb socket has some kind of narrow opening to the attic where they can sneak through and come from? Should I fix this issue?

I have full insulation in attic and there is no way I can walk there so that's another part of my question, what should I do? I live in boston area, could the winter freeze finish them off if in worst case I don't do anything and just fix the ceiling sockets and block them?

Ceiling light fixtures should be sealed off from your attic. Ideally, there would be no way for a fly in your attic to enter your living space. In practice, there are usually openings. Common ones to look out for:

Around electrical boxes. The box your light fixture attaches to should be seated within your ceiling, but often the hole in your ceiling is bigger, leaving a gap around the box. You can seal this with spray foam or caulk. Blown insulation is also fairly effective at blocking small penetrations like these.
Around pipes and chimneys. Same fixes.
Through electrical boxes. The box itself is not always sealed, as there are wires entering it. These can be taped or foamed, but never use foam inside an electrical box.
Through in-ceiling light fixtures (recessed can lights). Can lights are notoriously leaky, to the point that people often recommend against putting them in exterior ceilings. If you must do a can light, use one with an IC (insulation contact) rated enclosure, and insulate it well. This will minimize leakage without overheating your lights and creating a fire hazard.

If you can inspect your attic for leaks and seal them, you can significantly reduce the ability of insects up there to enter your home. As a bonus, you will also save some money on heating, as the same holes are a great way to lose heat in the winter. Because of this, many utilties (including the MassSave group near Boston) offer free or discounted energy audits and air sealing/insulation services. You might try one of those if it's available to you.

Finally, it isn't normal to have lots of flies living in your attic. It's possible an animal died up there and the flies are feeding on it; cleaning that up (and maybe adding an insect repellent) could help a lot. Although your attic is insulated, you should still be able to move around up there, either by carefully walking on the joists or bringing a board with you that you can put down and stand on. You can also hire a pest control company to do this - ideally one that would clean up, seal any penetrations, and apply insecticides/repellents in one visit.


How do I identify rough-in plumbing pipes? I have just bought a house, and we are looking into finishing the basement, to help with design ideas, i'm looking into what the bathroom will be.

The rough-in pipes are in an odd placement in the basement, and not really sure how I would go about designing a bathroom but attached is a picture of the rough-ins (On the left)

I'm hoping someone can help me identify what these pipes are:

1.) Floor to ceiling pipe with valve sticking out.

2.) Around 4" pipe in far corner

3.) Around 6" pipe in between those two, about 4' from the left wall.

Closet to the corner against wall is for a shower or bath drain. The next is toilet drain.  The next is where you attach the sink drain.

The fourth (closest to camera) is the main stack for the house, with the main line clean out at the bottom.


Roof coatings from Home Depot Here is my summer vacation project: I want to redo an old garage roof by replacing the old tongue and groove boards with sheets of regular plywood (not marine grade) but I do not want to re-shingle. Is there a modern day coating that I can just roll onto the plywood that will seal the roof and make it waterproof? Hopefully , if the answer is yes, I can buy this coating at Home Depot or Lowes  :-)  I don't care what the roof looks like,i.e.; the coating can be black or any other color.

What you can use is roll on roofing, here's some information. The issue with a coating, like a thick paint type of thing, is that joist in the plywood sheathing, there will be differential movement, especially in the vertical direction (in and out of the sheathing face).