Trying to identify neutral wire in switch box to use with Wemo Light switch (more than one neutral wire seems to be present) So I am trying to figure out if I can use a Wemo light switch. Wemo says you must have a neutral wire and it must be a single pole switch.

This switch box has three toggle switches. One of them is for an outlet, the second one is for turning on the fan/fan lights. The third one I cant figure out what it does. It doesn't control anything in the room. I suspect it may have been for controlling the fan lights separately from its lights. I can't confirm because when we moved in here there was no fan, there was only a fan fixture plate to cover up the ceiling. The person who installed the fan also didn't tell us if the light switch or fan was capable of having separate toggle switches for lights and fan.

I am trying to figure out if a wemo light switch can be installed even if there are two toggle switches that control lights and fan on a fan separately.

Secondly I am trying to also figure out which of the wires in wire nuts is the neutral wire I need to use for the wemo light switch. Neutral wires are suppose to be white. This condo was built in 1994 so is that still the case? Anyways, there are a lot of wires in wire nuts that are not being used.

Here is a picture of the switch box:

A seems to be white but looks more like a cream color

B is the same white'ish color as well

C is black

D is black

E seems to be an exposed copper wire so that's probably the ground wire which wemo says is optional

If both of those white ones are neutral, does it matter which one I use for the wemo switch? If it does matter, how do I figure out which one I need to use?

As for the copper ground wire in the pic, if it is indeed the ground wire should I go ahead and use it on the wemo?

I see 2 separate circuits in there.  They all share grounds E, which is fine.

One is the three Romex's left of the "A".  They appear to be mostly "always-hot" except for a switched (receptacle?) on the red wire on the leftmost switch. They use nuts B and C.

The other is the stuff on the right, partly obscured, and using nuts A and D.  It looks like a power supply comes in the /2 cable, and a probably-light is connected to the /3 cable.  Currently it's wired so the black is always-hot and the red is switched-hot.

Both sides are doing basically the same thing, delivering always-hot-black and switched-hot red to the /3.   They are clearly demarced, except for nut D being in an odd position due to box cram.

Whichever circuit you are using the hots from, use the neutrals from that same circuit.   Do not grab the wrong neutral, neutrals must be paired with their hots.  Otherwise if/when you ever upgrade to GFCI/AFCI, you'll have serious problems!


What is this white textured paint-looking stuff on my concrete floor? Our home had carpet on the first floor, which is concrete slab, that we ripped up to hopefully restore to its former glory. However, about half of the floor has old laminate vinyl that's sealed down with tar, and the other half seems to be topped with some sort of white textured paint-looking stuff. It's also a bit discolored in places, but we can't tell if that's from the carpet padding that was laid down, or maybe an additional layer of something that's underneath the white paint-looking stuff.

As additional info, all that was between this material and the carpet was a layer of carpet padding and tack strip looked like this. The last image was where we tried to put some paint thinner (which we mistakenly got instead of paint remover) and scrubbed it for a bit.

Your first picture looks like the concrete floor just had carpet installed on it. The white paint around the edges is where the builders sprayed primer on the walls and baseboard and spilled a few globs in the process. The dirt just looks like construction /drywall dirt along with dirt that fell in the cracks over the years.
Your second picture looks like that part of the floor was definitely covered with vinyl or sheet linoleum and was glued down with a mastic adhesive.


Remove outlet from switch I have a double light switch that controls the porch light and outlet below but only with only one of the switches.  What I want to do is remove the outlet from being controlled by the switch all together and install a single switch.  The top switch does nothing so I am guessing it is already wired wrong.  Also the outlet only has power when the porch light is on.  Therefore, on switch of the double switch is running everything.

First: don't guess: open up the box and see what is wired to the second switch.  Second: to provide direct power to the outlet, you just need to move its hot (usually black) wire to the input feed, rather than the output side of the switch.

EDIT: per the comment, I should have made it clear that you're not to wire directly to the switch itself, but rather, via wire nuts, to the incoming hot black wird.

Standard warning: if that isn't clear to you, you should bring someone in who's familiar with wiring rather than risk injury to yourself or the house.


When re-siding a house, where should I start? My wife and I just bought our first house and it has some rather old aluminum siding. It's a smaller house (~ 1400 sq. ft.).

We'd like to switch to wood siding, but we honestly have no idea where to begin other than guessing that the process breaks down into two steps.

Remove aluminum siding
Install wood siding

Obviously we're going to need a little more detail than that if we're going to attempt doing it ourselves.

Any tips on where to start? Any recommended resources online?

Have you thought about using hardy board siding?  You can get the same look and feel of wood without the risk of mold or termites.  The price would not be much different than a good quality wood siding.  It is not that difficult to install either, so labor cost should be no different.  It is also easy to remove and replace incase there are any future problems with the house(ie electric or plumbing) that would require you to have to remove your siding.


Do I have 40 Amp breakers here? Most of my breakers are 15A. Where needed I am seeing them paired and then the end of the switch is marked 30. I seem to have a pair of two like in the picture--the switch end shows 40. Does this amean that this is a pair of 20 circuits grouped together?

No, it never works that way.  Two 20A circuits don't make a 40A circuit. A 30A breaker does not mean two 15A circuits.

When two 15A or 20A circuits are combined on a single cable sharing a neutral (called a MWBC), they use a double-wide, common-throw breaker like that, but it's a 15A or 20A breaker.  It must stay on this style of breaker with a common throw; never put it on separate breakers and never, ever put it on a twin/duplex aka "double-stuff" breaker as that will create a fire hazard.

Other than that, double-wide breakers mean the circuit takes 240V.  (double voltage for big appliances).

30A means it takes 30A @ 240V, or 7200W - that is for dryers, water heaters, air conditioners, and mid-size RVs.
40A means it takes 40A @ 240V, or 9600W - that is for ranges, generally.

A 15A breaker could be a lot of things. Small welder, tanning bed, aforementioned MWBC, etc.  Given two of them right next to each other, I would speculate the house was wired for window air conditioners in multiple rooms.  I wouldn't trash those circuits; they could be useful.


How do I fix small chips and scratches in a melamine table top? Below is what I am talking about. How do I fix these ?

Scratches that are not all the way through the surface you can polish out, or sand out and leave a matte surface that will not show scratches so easily.

Chips can, at best, be filled with something that never quite matches, or you replace the table-top, as it's the only actual fix for those, IMPE. The canonical product that never quite matches is called "Seam-fil" evidently.

The simplest effective solution is called a tablecloth.


is this a pre-plumbed shower drain? i think/hope it is but not sure ok so i am trying to figure out if my basement is pre-plumbed for a shower. the close up is the small black circle in the bottom left of the bigger-view-picture. you can see it is preplumbed for a toilet.


Subfloor & Underlayment Plywood Is it okay if the underlayment is thicker than the subfloor? When the home was originally built it looks like they used a thinner plywood on top of the joists with a thicker underlayment on top of that. Did they reverse the order? Does it matter? Should I do the same when I lay the new floor? It would be easier to tie into their work if I copy what they did.

1/2" plywood under 3/4" underlayment is fine. The underlayment will be screwed to the subfloor at 6" on all edges and 8" on center in the middle in all directions. Use a construction adhesive between the layers to make them as one, the screws will draw it all together.


Can I use a 3-way light bulb in my 60 watt lamp? How does this work? Is there a way to only use 50 watts?

Some Google results were telling me that if you put a 3 way light bulb in a regular lamp, it will default to middle option, or 100 watts in my case.

If so, what are the dangers of putting this bulb into my lamp? I understand that it is more brighter than normal and also more hotter, but what are the actual chances it will catch on fire?

If your fixture is only rated for 60 watt bulbs, then as you seem to understand already, anything else could overheat and cause a fire.

The manufacture of the lamp rated it for 60 watts for a reason - material types, distance of bulb, etc.  Usually there is a safety margin built in, so is your lamp going to combust the second you put a 100 watt bulb in it? Probably not, but why risk it?  The only safe thing anyone should recommend is to follow the manufactures directions.


Is it normal to see variation in manufactured quartz countertop sections? I was told that this is a normal variation in quartz counter materials, because the lighter piece is from an island slab and the darker is regular countertop. Is this really true?

Update: After a lot of back and forth, the GC has agreed to change the darker (counter sized) slab. I will post pics when it happens.
Thanks again for the input- it was very helpful.  The GC was so adamant that this was normal that I thought i was going loopy!

On another, related note, he says the installer has never replaced one part of a counter before, and is worried about the seam and even destroying the other slab.  Surely it can't be that hard?

Every slab is bound to have variations. One slab could even have variation from one end to the other.

If your top supplier got two slabs that were cut off a block right next to each other it should be common to create joints that butt the two ends of the pieces that came from the same end of the block. On the other hand if making two pieces from the same slab then the butt joint should be made near the end to end cut of the larger piece.

However that said there are likely to be many reasons as to what should be have been done was not done. Could be less skilled cutters/installers. Could be one of minimize cutoff waste to reduce cost. Plus others...


What size wire do I need to run for 10 100 amp Rv hookup with individual breakers off a 400 amp service at 420 feet to the last pole? 400 amp service
10 RV breakered 100 amp pedestals
20 ft apart
420 feet to last pedestal
What size wire?

You should aim to keep voltage drop under 5% or close to it.

Given the voltage drop and statutory requirements, you'd be best to run at least 750 or 800 kcmil aluminum wire.  At 320A actual flow, you'll have 3.7% voltage drop for the 240' from the supply to the first RV stand.

Using copper wire for such a large run is a waste of money, aluminum is fine for feeder.

You would not be able to splice such large wire to an RV stand directly, so you should come into a distribution panel there, or a little past there.  From there, branch to the various stands.  Each 50A stand must have at least #6 copper or #4 aluminum wire, and I would bump 2 sizes for every 100'.  If you want 2 stands back to back for 100A, try #1 aluminum.   You can run it through a voltage drop calculator to see What wire to use for a particular voltage drop.   The calculator I linked doesn't do very well with 400A circuits, but it's fine in the numbered cable ranges.


Is a Garage considered a 'Dwelling' for standalone electric service? I just wrapped up adding new overhead 100 amp service for my parent's garage outside Chicago. My Mom is a retired ceramics teacher and wanted a 30A two phase kiln and/or welder in there and the original install was terribly inadequate, with buried #10 a long distance from the house, but the building is right near the power pole. So I put in a new POCO approved meter can, ground rod, panel, etc. I used #4 copper for the main service conductors, according to NEC 310.15(B)(7). But according to other charts I need bigger wire. It's only about 12' from the weatherhead through the meter to the panel. One thing nagging me about understanding the NEC is: is a residential garage / outbuilding allowed the same derating as a 'Dwelling?' The inspector isn't likely to be too strict based on neighbor's experience, but thought it was an interesting code question.

310.15(B)(7) relates to a weird exception in how wiring is done.

The jurisdiction of NEC normally ends at a specific demarcation point, e.g. the meter.  Beyond that, the installation is under power company Codes -- I believe IEEE's National Electric Safety Code (NESC). That Code is built around different assumptions applicable to power companies:

The wires will be outdoors or underground
Given the outdoor-scale distances, cost of wire matters a lot
The wires will be out of contact of humans or structures, so they can run hotter
Whole neighborhoods don't peak at once, so wires can be significantly oversubscribed
System monitoring equipment will warn when those assumptions are wrong

As such, they are allowed to use thinner wire.  However sometimes situations arise where outdoor wiring looks, walks and quacks like power company wiring that would be subject to NESC, but has landed in NEC jurisdiction because of a technicality.  An example is rural Texas where the PoCo slaps a meter at the edge of your property and leaves it to you to provide your own service drop/lateral.  It would be prohibitive to make, say, a 500' run using wire out of the usual 310.15(B)(16) (formerly known as 310.16) table.    So NEC 310.15(B)(7) and accompanying Code allows you to use wire sizes more like what NESC would recommend in that instance.


Light switch won't turn on unless switch in adjacent room turned on Bedroom light switch won't turn on light unless the light switch in the bathroom (adjacent to bedroom) is turned on first. All other outlets work independently except light switch. It was like this when I moved in. How do I make the bedroom light switch work independently from bathroom switch? Wrong type of switch/wrong wiring?? Help. Thanks.

Most likely the bedroom light is wired downstream from the bathroom light, but the wiring in the bathroom switch box is wrong. To investigate further, turn off the circuit, remove the switch wallplates, unscrew the switch from the box, and take a good look at the wiring. Post a picture here for more specific help.

Most likely problem: the bathroom switch box has some mixed up wiring that can be fixed by connecting the wires that are already there in a different way. This would apply if that switch box has three cables (each a 3-wire bundle: black, white, ground) coming into it. One is the power supply, one goes to the bath light, and one continues to the bedroom. If that's the case then your problem is that the bedroom is wired to the switched power instead of to the constant supply power.


What is this texture called and how do I replicate it I extended a ceiling about 13 inches and need to continue the same or similar pattern, only about 4 inches of it will be visible because I will be mounting wall cabinets below the new ceiling.

I have never seen this method, but to pick apart the various details I see in the picture, is a coat of drywall mud perhaps covering the whole wall first, let dry, then a tinner coat of mud applied with a wide bristle brush, perhaps a whitewash brush, then while it is still wet, "knocked down" with a wide spackle knife or trowel.


GFCI circuit keeps tripping on electrical panel I'll try to include every detail I know.  Sitting in the office one day where my computer is and the power goes out knocking out the power in the office.  Computer and hard wired lights on the ceiling.  I check the electrical panel and the GFCI has tripped.  I reset it the power goes back on and I continue using it.  Couple minutes later it trips again, I reset and go on.  This happened about 5 times in a day and couldn't figure it out.  I also noticed that the bathroom upstairs power goes off as well.

I unplugged a heater which was really the only thing in the wall that was added in the last month.  It didn't happen for a few weeks.  Then it started again.  One day it trips, two days its fine and then it trips again.  I can't figure out what is tripping this.. I've unplugged everything in the two rooms that I can (except my computer) and it still trips.

So I didn't want to get an electrical company to come out until I talked to you guys since there is no way for me to reproduce this on demand.  But where would you start to trouble shoot this issue?  If i get an electrical company to come out, they might do something and not be able to test if it works so I could be paying a lot of money each time.. kinda trying to avoid that...

I think you were on the right track by looking for recent changes:
I unplugged a heater which was really the only thing in the wall that was added in the last month. It didn't happen for a few weeks. Then it started again.
GFCI or AFCI?
While you mentioned GFCI, the breaker may actually be a combination GFCI + AFCI breaker. As I understand it, the type of damage from a high current device like a heater may actually be more in the nature of an arc fault than a ground fault. The solutions are largely the same - track down the damaged parts of the circuit and replace. But an arc fault as a cause seems more plausible to me.
It could be unrelated, but logically it may be due to damage caused by the heater's frequent tripping of the breaker. That could be anywhere, but the most likely places are:

The breaker

Nothing lasts forever. While I suspect the breaker is rated for thousands of cycles MTBF (mean time between failure), it may not really have handled so many trips very well. The problem is replacing it may not be so easy, and probably not recommended for you to do that yourself if you are not familiar with breaker panels. In any case, it would need to be with a proper compatible replacement - same or compatible brand, same type (including GFCI and/or AFCI), same current rating.

The outlet

The outlet and/or the wiring going into the outlet may have been been damaged in a way that caused the trips and now, due to repeated problems, it may have become the source of a new problem even without the heater. To check this, turn the breaker off and open up the outlet. If you see any burnt wire, melted insulation or other damage, or a backstab connection instead of screws, replace the outlet. Actually, I would just replace the outlet in any case - just get a standard 15A or 20A outlet matching the old outlet, and make sure to use the screw terminals.


Which method of framing a soffit around rectangular ductwork maximizes ceiling height? I need to put a soffit around 18"(W) x 8"(H) x 23'(L) rectangular HVAC ductwork in my basement and I am very near to the minimal code requirements for ceiling height for obstructions before adding a soffit.

If possible, the ideal solution would result in a soffit that is up to code (International Residential Code), structurally sound, and takes up less than 1 inch of additional space below the ducts. The one inch requirement is a finished height that includes 1/2" drywall or another material approved for fireblocking that would result in a nice finish. The soffit framing can extend horizontally as far as needed without creating any issues.

If my request of one inch or less in lost height is not possible, then I am still interested methods that minimize height loss and lead to a code-approved and structurally sound soffit.

I usually use wood for everything.  This is how I would put it together with 2x4s.  Personally, I think 2x4s are overkill for this, but that's just me.  I suggest using screws as your fasteners, and with screws your "bottom plate" is probably sound.  Screws will be fine in tension.  If you are using nails, I'd stick to the sketch so that your nails are loaded in shear.

The main code issue you are going to be dealing with here is fireblocking.  You have this open plenum that connects all the joist cavities which allows fire to spread quickly across the joists.  You'll want to stuff insulation in areas that will prevent airflow from one joist (and wall) cavity to another.


How do I determine if I need attic insulation to keep cool in summer? How can I determine if I need more attic insulation to keep cool in summer?

I live in the desert of southern California so it can get pretty hot in the summer (110+ is not uncommon).  I would like to lower my electric bill but more to the point I would just like to ensure that our house is comfortable without the air conditioning going all the time.

I feel if I asks a company that does insulation I know they will say we need more but I don't know who else to ask or how to determine this.

The electrical company does not offer an energy usage assessment at this time (they used to).

What kind of insulation do you currently have in your attic? (Note: head on up there and check it out.) If it's batt insulation -- large units of fiberglass -- then that information will be printed on either the paper facing or the insulation itself. If it's loose fill insulation, which is far more common in attics, then you can usually figure out what the product is (pink, yellow, or white and very itchy = fiberglass, dirty grey = greenfiber, white and not very itchy = cellulose) and find it's value per inch on this handy table of R values.

For best performance, I'd go up to R-60. In a home built by your average builder in the past decade, R-30 meets code. Adding blown-in insulation, which you can do over fiberglass batts, is extremely cheap if you DIY ... although it's not a pleasant job to do. Rental of the machine from Home Depot or Lowe's is usually free with the purchase of a certain number of bales of insulation, and greenfiber especially is cheap. To bring my 1600 sq. ft. ranch up to R-60 would only cost me a couple hundred dollars in materials.

Do check at all ends of your attic. You might find that the areas close to the attic access are R-30 to meet code, but areas farther away might have less. I've known a few builders to be stingy with the insulation. One home I helped a friend with here in Houston had less than four inches of insulation in most of the attic.

One caution point is to make sure that in the process of adding insulation that any attic ventilation that you may have at the soffits is not blocked off. Soffit air is essential to the ventilation of your attic, if your home is designed that way. I would recommend installing Berger AccuVent baffles over every soffit vent before adding more insulation.

Last but not least, consider coating your roof with a reflective coating. You might need to get a contractor to do this, but it's simple and straightforward work. In the Inland Empire, nothing is more effective than keeping the solar rays from heating your house in the first place. Unfortunately, many find these roof coatings to be unsightly, so you might have to check with your HOA if you have one before applying anything.


Installing smart switches in 2-gang box with switch loop We have two dimmer switches in a finished basement room.  Switch 1 controls wall lights, and Switch 2 controls overhead lights.
We are hoping to replace them with smart switches that require a neutral.
It looks as if Switch 2 is wired using a switch loop.  (The white wire connected to Switch 2 is wrapped in black electrical wire, to indicate that it is being used for that purpose.)
From what I understand, the switch loop is an obstacle to using a smart switch, because the neutral wire is being repurposed.
What I'm wondering is whether it's possible to rewire (ideally without having to run new wire) to take advantage of the fact that there is a true neutral that is accessible within the box from the cables that are connected to Switch 1.

Can’t do it.
There’s a “Great Wall of China” between the left switch (and its cables) and the right switch.  You cannot cross that with any wire, except safety ground.
It’s a Code violation, it’s a safety hazard to workmen working on the left circuit... and what’s more, if there are any GFCIs or AFCIs in either circuit, it will trip them.
What you might be able to do is reverse flow.
Depending on load factors, you might be able to flipper-oonie (that’s a technical term) the right-side lamp circuit so it isn’t powered at the lamp anymore.  Cap off that supply at the lamp.  Then flip this former “switch loop” so it is not a switch loop and powers the light in the normal way.
By “load factors” I mean you’re now throwing all of that light’s current onto the left circuit.  If it’s a large light, that could be a provisioning issue.


Is a 7 degree slope for a roof too small in a rainy area? I want to build a car port off my house. Due to window placement the highest part of the roof could only be 10 feet above ground. It will extend out 16 feet. If I want the low point of the roof to be 8ft I get atan(2/16) = 7.1 degrees. I live in New Jersey, which gets a lot of rain. Is this too shallow of an angle?

It depends on the type of roofing you’re going to use.

Its steep enough for single-ply membranes. We use single- ply membranes down to 1/4” per foot.

Make sure you have adequate (large enough) gutters and downspouts.

I live in a area that has a significant amount of rain (60” or more per year) and we have a few downpours too. I’d use a 4” gutter and 2 - 2”x 3” downspouts for your carport.


Subfloor: styrofoam insulation between sleepers or strapping on top of styrofoam? I'm building bedrooms where a basement garage used to be.  The floor of the former garage is a concrete slab that I have resurfaced.  My plan is to install OSB subfloor and paint it for now, probably add carpet in the future.  Two options for how to install the subfloor have been recommended to me:

Lay down 2x4 studs as "sleepers" at 16" centers, and place 1" thick styrofoam insulation on the concrete in the gaps between studs.  Then add a plastic vapor barrier, then add 19/32 OSB subfloor on top.  I happen to have lots of 2x4 (and 2x6) pieces left over from framing, and lots of this 1" insulation left over from my renovation, so this would be more economical.
Lay down whole sheets of 3/4" styrofoam insulation, with 1x3 strapping on top at 16" centers, then plastic, then OSB subfloor.  I would have to buy all the materials.  3/4" styrofoam is an unusual thickness I might have to special order, but since I've already framed my doorways with the assumption that the subfloor would come up to 2 1/8", I can't use the 1" insulation.  My sense is that having styrofoam between the concrete and the wood might be beneficial in terms of insulation, though, which would be the advantage of this approach.

For context, the house is located in eastern Maine and we have at least three months of cold, hard, winter.  The question is: Is one of these options clearly better than the other?  Criteria include: insulation value, cost, and comfort/performance as a bedroom floor.

My answer based on your choices

I'd be more worried about your sleepers rotting due to moisture seepage from the concrete than the heat.

You should  choose option 1 only if you have ground contact (GC) rated lumber, else you won't be to code and are likely to have issues later. As your surface is either at or sub-grade, the ground it self is going to be fairly resistant to changes in temperature already. Thus Option 2 isn't likely to provide much of a cost benefit with respect to thermal insulation.

Because you were using this wood for framing, I'll assume you don't have GC lumber, as such, you should choose Option 2. Option 2 not only provides the most insinuative value (as demonstrated in this video), it gives you the chance to buy treated lumber.

What I'd really do

If your plan is to eventually install tile or hardwood I'd just use your existing lumber over your existing styrofoam, add the extra height to your threshold, and trim your doors to size as this would give you the best value. Then take the money you saved and apply that to some floor covering as OSB doesn't take paint well.

Else, if you aren't sure what kind of floor covering you want, I'd recommend forgoing the time cost of installing a subfloor and just tell you to buy some high quality interlocking luxury vinyl plank (LVP) with a moisture barrier and insulation built in to install directly atop your slab. (Choose one with a deep groove for the interlock as the shallow interlocks tend to fail fail when the LVP is exposed to heat / sunlight)

Vapor Barriers

The best practice for vapor barriers is for them to be on the exterior (ground) side of your slab. If you slab was poured this way, adding a second vapor barrier is not recommended. However, you should still use GC lumber due to the condensate that will from on your slab during a warm humid day.

If you do add a vapor barrier on the interior of the house it should be between your wood-osb.  You should staple your vapor barrier into place (hard to do into cement) then use an appropriate tape to cove the holes. When you go to screw in your next next layer of material a wood-wood junction will be better at sealing the hole in your barrier caused by your screw than a wood-cement one.


Do outbuildings require 4 wire service to a sub-panel I've been helping my son rebuild a house (tear down, new construction) and I'm doing most of the electrical. He also has a pole barn that had it's own 200 amp service (believe it or not) with it's own meter. He wanted to consolidate that into one service.

At first, I suggested we just feed the pole barn off a breaker in the new panel in the new house. But an electrician friend of mine said then it would be treated like a sub-panel, requiring a 4 wire feed. I called an inspector and also said that it would need a 4 wire service, even though the pole barn already had it's own grounding system. I've never understood that logic if the neutral was floated (not bonded to the grounding system).

The reason for not wanting to convert to a 4 wire service for the pole barn is it would have required trenching in a difficult area and the service conductors were direct bury, not in conduit.

Others here have said outbuildings require their own grounding electrode system.   I'm interested in hearing from other parts of the country how this is handled.

We did solve the problem by going with a class 320 service, which of course treats the panel in the pole barn as a main service panel.

In every part of the country, any subpanel requires a 4-wire feed. That's been code for well over a decade.

Additionally, any outbuilding (not connected by a breezeway) requires a Grounding Electrode System of its very own.

The reason is  because the wire takes human-made current back to source, but the ground rod takes nature-made current back to source.  Dirt doesn't conduct well enough to do both.

Retrofitting ground isn't that big a deal

In a 3-wire outdoor subpanel feed, you can just add the ground wire.  It needs to get from A to B, it is not required to run the same route or lay in the same trench.

Rigid Metal Conduit or IMC only needs a 6" burial depth (but it's expensive), and it qualifies as the ground path. Lay a 1/2" steel pipe and yer done.  Use it for comms later :)


How can I add wiring to get my three-way switch to work properly? Hello,
Please see the attachment showing how it is currently wired.
I have 3 switches  in one gang box.(3 way to kitchen light, single pole to bathroom light and 3 way switch controls upper portion of multiple outlets)

Power Source: Located at kitchen light. (white , black & ground)
Kitchen light 3 way switch:  Between both switches there is a 3 wire with ground. (red,black & white) From switch in 3 gang box to kitchen light there is  3 wire with ground. (red,black & white)
Bathroom light: 1 each single pole switch to light (black, white & ground)
Switched outlet:3 way switch (brown, white, black & ground)

Issue:  No dedicated common for bathroom light. Need to make use of the red wire located at the light so I can have a dedicated common for the bathroom light.

Provided hot to the single pole switch, but no dedicated common. Provided hot to the outlet 3 way switch and it works fine.enter image description here

That kitchen switch loop needs to be redone to meet Code

Right now, the reason you are searching in vain for a neutral for your bathroom light is because you violated NEC 404.2(C) when you wired the switch loop for the kitchen lights by capping off the red and using the white as the always-hot wire.

You need to fix this as follows (with the breaker off, of course):

Remove the black and white wires going down to the switch box from where they were connected in the kitchen light box.
Nut the black wire from the switch box with the black incoming hot from the power source and any other always-hot wires in the kitchen light box
Nut the white wire from the switch box with all the neutrals in the kitchen light box (including the white pigtail from the kitchen light fixture
Connect the red wire from the switch box with the remaining terminal on the kitchen light fixture and any other switched-hot feeds that are present in the kitchen light box

Moving onto the switch box:

Unhook the black and white wires going up to the kitchen light box from whatever they were connected to in the switch box
Connect the black wire from the kitchen light box to the black wire going off to the other switch box, and to a black pigtail going off a brass screw on the bathroom switch
Connect the red wire from the kitchen light box to the differently-colored (likely black) screw on the kitchen light -- it should be the only open screw
Connect the white wire from the kitchen light box to the white wire from the bathroom light box
And connect the black wire from the bathroom light box to the remaining brass screw on the bathroom switch

Once you're done with this, you can button things up and enjoy your new bathroom light!  (If you want advice on the mudroom receptacles, by the way, edit your question with more info and I'll incorporate fixing them up into my answer.)


What size heat shrink tubing do I need to repair this wire? What size heat shrink tubing do I need to repair this wire on an electric range?

Whatever size is slightly larger than the wire. 1/8", I suppose.


Should outside hose bib be suppled from shut-off valve with a bleeder port from upstairs bathroom A plumber placed a shut-off valve with a bleeder port under the vanity in our upstairs bathroom. He used this valve to feed an outdoor hose bib. The plumber left the bleeder port  in the open position. We turned on the valve to use our garden hose  and the next day we heard a water dripping  sound downstairs (the open drain leaked water down to the bottom floor and flooded it out).
Is placing a shut-off valve upstairs under a vanity to feed an outside hose bib against the building code?
Should we accept a solution of replacing the shut-off with a drain with one without a drain, and keep the plastic pipe in?
Or should the plumber be required to place the shut-off valve downstairs in utility room where there is a drain?
The entire house was done with copper pipe, the only place plastic pipe was used was to feed the outside faucet from the vanity in the upstairs bathroom.
Shouldn't builders be required to do the entire job with the material they started out with?

Drains on the inside valve for outside faucets are indeed normally open for the winter to prevent freezing.
You close them when you turn on the faucet in the spring - evidently you didn't look when you turned the valve on?
Builders are not required to use any particular sort of pipe, so long as it meets code, unless otherwise specified in the contract.
Plastic pipe (especially PEX) is usually preferable for outside faucets, as it's less prone to burst in a freeze event.
Code does not particularly care where your outside faucet is fed from. If you wanted it fed from a different location, that should also have been specified in the contract. If it was not specified, the plumber presumably took whatever path was easiest given access to plumbing to supply water and specified location of the outside faucet.


Installing thin slate (chalkboards) as countertops: proper method? I'm buying some used grade school chalkboards to use as counter tops in our kitchen. I know this is done, as there are plenty of photos online, but the actual info as to how to install is scarce.

Is there any standard process for installing thin stone products as a counter top? What I've found out (and would appreciate having verified) is:

slate is fairly soft and we can cut it with a radial saw with a diamond blade (and a shop vac, natch)
we can smooth out blemishes with a hand sander
can be sealed with mineral and tung oils.

And I assume:
 - I need a wood substrate (MDF?)
 - possible topped with something like hardibacker
 - thinset slate on top of that.

Questions:

do I gain much with hardibacker + thinset vs. just adding more MDF and construction adhesive?
is there a good technique for laying the slate down on top of the counters without snapping them in half as they are tipped down? (These aren't HUGE sheets...will mostly be 2'x4' sections--maybe not a big worry?)
any clever ideas for edge finishing? I was thinking maybe strips of stainless steel.

I would handle this as a tile countertop.  Instead of small 4x4 tiles you will be working with the larger slate sheets.  This means, 3/4 plywood down as a base.  Cement board on top of that and then thin set to attach the tiles.

You can then trim the outsides in whatever you want.  It can be wood, tile or metal.  You can also use the slate cut into smaller pieces to trim as well.

Once everything is set, you should then use grout to fill the gaps between the slate sheets.

Remember, just like tile you need a good solid base; so skip the MDF and use plywood.


removing deposits from the toilet bowl I've had tenants that I guess used the toilet but never flushed. Anyways, I'm unable to remove the yellow/brown deposits from the bowl, they seem to be really hard rock-like formations - I've ended up destroying the bristles on the brush while scrubbing.

What could I use to remove these deposits?

It's essentially an external kidney stone.

You can use various types of acid - sometimes a alternating approach of chlorine bleach (by itself) to kill the biofilm that's exposed and acid (by itself) to remove the "more or less limestone" is beneficial. The biofilm can prevent or slow the acid from getting to the underlying stony material, and it tends to have a layered structure.

Vinegar works, but slowly. Citric acid should work better (it's a stronger acid) but can be harder to find. Muriatic (aka hydrochloric) makes me a bit uncomfortable, personally, but there are commercial toilet cleaners that contain it. Be sure to use gloves and goggles if you opt for the stronger stuff.


What causes furnaces to break in 16 to 20 years? Why do furnaces need to be replaced in this regularly-occurring amount of time?(http://www.homeenergycenter.com/8furnace_signs.html)

Is there something about the physics of the high heat and components involved that makes this an absolute necessity? It's obviously very expensive and something to try to avoid if possible.

I've also seen some websites say around a 30-year lifetime for some furnaces. Which brands last the longest and do any last indefinitely?

its called planned obsolescence.  its the modern business strategy manufactures follow.  no longer is long life a selling point that means anything.  if a company can double its profits by selling you a furnace twice as often as it used to, they feel thats the best model of operation.

a furnace will only last as long as you wish to keep repairing it.


How do I fix a minor scratch on a dyed aluminum anodized surface? I have a home appliance with a green anodized aluminum case (like apple macbooks and older iPods). There is a minor scratch that is pretty easy to miss, but once I see it I can't unsee it.

My main issue is not discoloration but just to smooth out the area without damaging the rest. Sanding or polishing will certainly smooth it out, but I am worried about how it will affect the finish. Would a spot treatment pen for car scratches work on this? Is there some sort of product I can use to fill in the scratch with minimal change to the surrounding area?

the best way to touch up a scratch in anodizing is two steps:

1)  colour with a marker or paint to match.  rub the paint or dye in and wipe off with a clean rag.  use whichever solvent is appropriate to get it off of any overage areas.

2)  this is the hard part.  since anodizing is a crystalline coating of hexagonal aluminum oxide, its tough, but non-directional.  it has no grain to match.  any lines you scratch into it by trying to buff or sand will be visible as different.  take 800 grit sandpaper (silicon dioxide - black - waterproof) and place wet over the scratch area.  then, using gentle taps, strike the back side of the paper with a small rubber mallet, or a wooden dowel.  keep tapping and checking the scratch area until the scratch is "gone".  it won't be perfect, but it will be much better.  once the scratch is gone, re-apply the dye or stain to the area again and repeat as necessary.

the logic here is that the scratch has cut through the surface oxide crystals.  since its made up of essentially little glass tubes filled with colour, you have to smooth the shards out with impact.  since the process causes some of the little tubes to crack open differently than they were before, you keep applying pigment to keep getting it into the tubes that open up.  hopefully when you are all done, the pigment will have seeped into enough of the broken tubes to make it look invisible.

caveat - this process does work well for some anodizing (it depends on how the anodizing was applied), and not so well for others.  its entirely a hit or miss.  just go slow.  if you want to be extra safe, dry the surface out between attempts with a hair dryer.  the wetness from the sandpaper can sometimes make the repair look better than it is.

once done and happy with the repair, put the part in boiling water for a few minutes to seal up the tubes (the heat and moisture cause a change in the crystal structure at the surface).  if its not possible to submerge the part, you can just set your kettle to boil and direct the steam discharge at the area.  or you can omit this step with the understanding that if you don't seal the tubes, the colour will disappear over time from oxidation and cleaning.


Should cement board be glued and screwed to the studs? I've seen some people recommend that cement board be glued and screwed to the stud framing for wall and ceiling application.

I haven't seen this recommendation on any of the manufacturers install specs, but it seems to come up often enough in DIY and other web communities as a way to keep the board fixed and rigid with the framing.

Yes, but not just for rigidity.

Cement board is made of, well, cement - and cement is brittle.

When you screw the cement board in you create a pressure point or stress point.  Even though the board is screwed in with lots and lots of screws, each screw hole is a stress point prone to breakage.

By gluing the board as well as screwing, you ensure that a much larger surface area of the board ultimately bonds to the wood (as the glue cures) - which means that if a single stress point fails, it won't matter, because the glue holds the board tight where the screw hole may have failed.


Low hot water pressure in one fixture after water heater replacement I just had my water heater replaced (by a professional) and everything is great except the bathtub fixtures (shower head and tub faucet) in just one bathroom.  The water pressure is really low, especially when it's turned to hot. Every other fixture in the house works fine (even upstairs).

I took off the tub faucet fixture to see if sediment had accumulated in there, but when I turn on the water and watch it come straight out the piping, I see the same thing. Decent pressure if it's on cold and slows to a trickle when turned all the way to hot.

I'm getting the run-around from the installer and don't want to call a plumber if I can fix this myself. I can see almost the entire run from the heater to the tub, which is all copper piping, and I have access via a wall panel to the fixture from behind the tub.

Sounds like you need to replace the mixing valve. This is a simple part to replace. This usually involves removing the handle and possibly the trim, then removing a retaining clip, and the pulling out the cartridge. Buy a new one and reverse the process.

Here's a good set of instructions for Moen valves: http://www.moen.com/consumer-support/installation-help/tutorial?id=moen0133


Can i run cat7 cable parallel to electrical wiring? I need to add ethernet cables to my business. Above the t-bar ceilling i have all the electrical wires 120 & 240 volts inside several metal pipes. If i run cat7 cables inside one pvc pipes that runs parallel next to the metal pipes. Is it going to cause problems? Interferences? Pipes run 100 feet long.
Thanks

Ethernet uses differential signalling. This means that any noise applied to both conductors of a pair will cancel out.

([Illustration of noise on differential signalling, by Linear77, CC BY 3.0)
The pairs in a twisted pair cable is twisted. This ensures that over some distance the two conductors forming a pair has equal average distance to a parallel noisy cable. The noise induced will be equal in both conductors, and disappears when the signals is subtracted at the receiver end.
The metal pipes will block a lot of interference, as it essentially forms a Faraday cage around the current carrying cables. This reduces the amount of interference that reaches the actual cable.
In addition, Ethernet provides galvanic separation between the internal circuits of the computer, and the cable. This is performed by what's commonly called Ethernet magnetics - usually consisting of a common mode choke, auto transformer and isolation transformer. This transformer is made for signals in the MHz range (10BASE-T has a bandwidth of 10 MHz). To this transformer, 50/60 Hz signals is essentially DC. It's blocked.
In some industrial settings, you may have large frequency converter loads. These will pose more of a problem, as they create more noise on the grid, with higher frequencies, and often the currents are much greater, leading to a stronger EM field. But even in such circumstances, it's possible to use Ethernet - but more care has to be taken.
In short: don't worry. 100ft is not a long stretch, and currents in homes are rather clean, with small or no frequency converter loads, and the currents are rather small (<50A). There is no way you will have any noise in a normal home setting from putting Ethernet cabling close to a power cable.
I work with industrial control systems. We use Ethernet inside switchboards with frequency converters rated in the thousands of kilowatts-range. It works fine.


Ideas about sound coming from floor I live in an apartment and there is a low frequency noise coming from the floor of my bedroom. It is coming from the ceiling fan in the apartment below. The sound is very low, but after listening for a while it becomes painful to my ears. Surprisingly the people living below don't hear anything (or perhaps it gets masked by the normal sound of the fan).

I also think its impact noise, like the sound travels from the fan into the ceiling and then my room, and is not coming through air.

My bedroom should be around 12x12 feet. I have observed that the noise is higher in one corner and also in the center of the room. From what i have read about this topic i think these are called standing waves (not sure).

I used a stethoscope to listen to the floor and the vibration is higher in the center and decreases as i move away. Its almost negligible towards the end of the room. There are no vibrations in the walls. And nothing outside the room (air or floor).

Is there any way to block or absorb this sound? Will placing some sound absorbing material on the floor help? Or any other ideas?

I will talk to my neighbors, but seeing that they aren't facing the problem it may take some time to get it fixed.

I would start with a good quality area rug placed over the worst offending area.  Next get the feet of you bed up off the floor set on anti-vibration pads.  If this in not enough, consider a full layer of interlocking exercise mats across the entire floor.  Set all of the legs of the furniture in the room on furniture coasters/sliders. If all this fails consider a Christmas gift to the neighbors of a new, quality ceiling paddle fan. Good Luck.


Insulating/encapsulating crawlspace with HVAC ducting questions In the PNW/Zone 4 climate. The house I am purchasing built in 1942 with an addition added had an inspection performed and it was noted that some of the fiberglass insulation installed under the subfloor between the joists was falling down and/or showing signs of deterioration and/or missing in spots with the sheet vapor barrier missing in a few spots as well and no insulation/wrap on any of the ducting. No A/C just 80% gas furnace in the house with floor vents.

Researching adding insulation options, it seems like the new thought is that vented crawlspaces were done wrong and the new frame of thinking is to encapsulated the crawlspace into the building envelope/conditioned space. I plan to DIY this but a couple of things I had questions on:

Should I remove all the old batting and sheeting if the material is dry if I plan on encapsulating and insulating the walls of the crawlspace and close off the vents?

Mold does not appear to be a significant issue but would fogging the space while its still unoccupied be a good idea?

Is a vapor barrier with 10mil sheeting be sufficient and can I lay this on top of the old sheeting (basically addition underlayment) and up the walls? Is insulation necessary on the ground?

Once the space is encapsulated and insulated does the ducting also need to be insulated? I plan on beefing up the sealing with foil tape and mastic but do I need to wrap as well or would I be better off beefing up the wall/floor insulation?

Once this is all done in the next 5-years my furnace will likely need to be replaced and I would like to move it to the crawlspace with a 90% unit to free up space in the small house would that change much if any of the steps I outlined above in anticipation of this upgrade?

Should I remove all the old batting and sheeting if the material is
  dry if I plan on encapsulating and insulating the walls of the
  crawlspace and close off the vents?

Yes.  Any and all fiberglass bat insulation should be removed.

  Mold does not appear to be a significant issue but would fogging the space while its still unoccupied be a good idea?

I would have the space inspected by a qualified mold remediation specialist.

  Is a vapor barrier with 10mil sheeting be sufficient and can I lay
  this on top of the old sheeting (basically addition underlayment) and
  up the walls?

10 mil vapor barrier is fine.  As to whether you can lay it on top of the existing vapor barrier, opinions differ.  I think that's OK (in fact am thinking about taking that approach myself), but only if there is no possibility of water getting into the crawlspace (pipe leak, from outside, up from the ground) that could then get get between the layers of plastic and just sit there.  If you can't ensure that going forward, then you need to remove the existing vapor barrier.

  Is insulation necessary on the ground?

No, though I have seen where some installers do that.

  Once the space is encapsulated and insulated does the ducting also
  need to be insulated?

Yes, so as to reduce the amount of heat loss from the ducts into a 50 deg crawlspace.

  I plan on beefing up the sealing with foil tape and mastic but do I
  need to wrap as well or would I be better off beefing up the
  wall/floor insulation?

The crawlspace walls should be insulated with foam board and a vapor barrier installed.  No insulation under the floor.

  ...if any of the steps I outlined above in anticipation of this
  upgrade?

You would need to make sure a source of fresh air is provided to the furnace.  And, of course, need to vent the furnace exhaust to the outside.


How can I replace a old, large drop in sink with a smaller top mount? I have a 28" x 19" drop in sink and want to replace it without changing cabnetry or countertop. What options do I have to close the large hole. I know I can't match the white corian countertop, but I was thinking to put in some design of sorts to sit the top mounted sink.

Depending on how fussy you are about "matching" you can probably get quite close from a Corian contractor, if that's the actual product. Cut the hole bigger to where there's support (or add support) and join in a new section with the proper glues.

Logical alternative - when you can't match it, make it a feature - cut out the section to where there is support, insert a segment of black (or whatever color you like) solid surface countertop (assuming you want that aspect consistent) and put the new sinkhole in that.

3rd alternative makes it even more of a feature - leave the existing countertop alone,  bevel the edges of a new sheet of solid surface and put it on top, rasing the sink 1/2" or so. Looks nice at my credit union, (without a sink) I don't know how it would fly in my kitchen long-term (might depend on whether you use a dish-rack to the side of the sink that would have trouble draining over that extra height.) You could make it larger to accomodate the dish-rack, though.

4th Alternative if the plumbing allows (down can be harder than up, depending on where the drain itself is vertically) would be to undermount a section of solid surface and cut out larger/bevel the edges of the existing sink hole. That limits the area you can  lower to the space available in the sink cabinet with adequate gluing area to the underside of the top, while the overlay approach can be as large as you like.


How can I modify this load bearing wall to allow for a French drain? I have a basement wall made of block/poured concrete, but it's leaking. My plan is to install a French drain to take care of the leaks and prevent flooding.
To complicate matters, this wall isn't vertical, so I had to shore it up with a load bearing 2x6 stud wall when I rebuilt the floor system above. This new 2x6 wall was engineer approved as part of the floor renovation.
I'd like to replace this stud wall with some other sort of support so I can get rid of it permanently, then dig the drain system to take care of the leaks.
Here is a picture showing an overview of the room. This is a closeup of the the wall, top plate and joists:

Note: question updated to include information buried in the comments, so some comments may not make sense anymore.

There are a few issues here: 1) existing exterior concrete wall leaning, 2) location of French drain, 3) new wood wall installed to help existing concrete wall, 4) engineer designed,

If the exterior wall is leaning in, it could be dangerous. If there are no cracks on the inside of the wall, then it’s probably not in danger of immediate collapse. However, that pressure is probably due to earth and moisture pressure on the wall and needs to be eliminated.

In order to eliminate this pressure you’ll need to install a french drain on the exterior of the wall. (Some people have suggested a drain be installed between the concrete wall and the studs inside. This is not acceptable.)

Water flows in the direction of least resistance.
Moisture is either coming up from below (a rising water table) or its coming from the surrounding ground water in the saturated soil, or both.
If it comes up from a rising water table, it will enter the living space from below through the crack between the foundation wall and slab.
If it comes from the surrounding ground water, it COULD enter the living space through the wall, especially if the EXTERIOR side of the foundation wall is not sealed properly.
Either way the moisture enters the living space it will need to be collected and disposed. I think the best way to collect it is on the exterior side of the foundation wall in drainrock and a perf pipe laid 6”-8” below the interior basement slab.
To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe. If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall.
Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away.
This may be the most expensive method of solving the problem, but it’s sure to work.

You mention that the new wood wall was installed to help the leaning concrete wall. I hope your engineer didn’t come up with that idea. The Code does not allow wood to support structural concrete.

You keep referencing an engineer that helped you. I doubt he’s an engineer and I’m certain he’s not a structural engineer. I’d recommend you use a structural engineer (not a civil engineer) or architect that has experience in residential construction.

Side Note:
That wood wall does not have a header over the window. How can the wood wall support the floor joists above without a header? Did your engineer design that?


How to connect sections of black iron gas line? In my crawl space I have a fairly convoluted maze of black iron gas connections which only serves 2 appliances.
During basement renovation this maze gets in the way and I would like to remove most of those connections and replace with as direct as possible lines to my appliances. I, however, don't want to take apart the wall to replace pipe all the way to the outlet. So I will inevitable end up with something like two male threaded pipe ends that need to be linked with each other.
Is there a good, code-compliant way to connect those sections of black iron pipe houseline? Something like flared connection would work, perhaps, but I can't find anything suitable for iron pipe.

Replace the whole lot with CSST.
Cut out piping in the middle, disassemble back to convenient locations, and re-connect using corrugated stainless steel tubing rather than hard black iron pipe. Sure, the CSST costs more, but routing it out of the way of your renovations will be much easier. Best of all: because the connectors spin freely you can easily join it up to the existing black pipes at both ends without special tools or obscure fittings.


are crown molding corner blocks a good idea This will be my first time at installing crown molding.  I see that I have option of installing crown molding with corner blocks which I can buy in various styles and I think look nice.  It seems that this option adds cost to the job but means i wont have to be doing any miter cuts or cope any joints which will speed up the job for me as a newbie.  Aside from additional cost of purchasing the corner blocks are they any downsides to using corner blocks vs. not using them and going through and doing all the mitering and cope cuts?

thx for any advice

The downsides I can think of are:

Cost
More seams
Not learning how do it yourself
If the corners aren't square - and they are usually not, they will be difficult to install.

The upside is obviously speed and ease of install.


Gusher Guard for Roof? I do not have gutters but the water does gush off of the roof in front of my front door when it rains. Where can I find something like a gusher guard that I can attach to the roof?

Often over doorways, we install a simple 90 degree folded 6 inch flashing. You can slide a piece of this under the shingle tabs, two or three courses above the drip edge, secure it with a few shingle nails. I like to install them in the shape of an inverted "V". You can also use a piece of gable end drip edge to do the same thing. look in the section of the store where the flashing and drip edges are displayed and you will see the pre-bent 90 degree stock.


Pipes freezing - different theories When water freezes in a pipe and the faucet is closed the water between the faucet and the frozen part cannot escape. This leads to increase in pressure as more water freezes. Because as long as there is still unfrozen water in the pipe the ice expands along the pipe. The increase in pressure is what causes a part of the pipe between the frozen part and the faucet to burst.
Now if we let the faucet trickle and assume the ice freezes in the same spot as when we do not let the faucet trickle the ice expanding from the frozen part will not be able to lead to a build up of pressure.
So apart from the fact that water freezes less likely when it is moving letting the faucet trickle should mainly be done to release the pressure between the faucet and the frozen part of the pipe. Note that ice can always expand in the other direction (to the water supply side) by displacing water.
Is this mechanism correct?
EDIT: Found this interesting video regarding pressure buildup
EDIT2 : After further reading, I came across the term latent heat. Because the evaporation of water cools the surrounding environment letting a faucet drip can actually accelerate freezing. But the freezing will then probably occurs first at the faucet itself. Given the above considerations, this could actually be beneficial in as such that there is no water trapped because the freezing starts at the faucet and gradually moves upstreams.

Yes that is correct , the pipe generally burst where the water has not frozen. I once looked at burst tubes in a heat exchanger that was off-line. Individual exchanger tubes had 4  or 5 bursts each. The cold came in ( heat went out) through the baffles that were about two feet apart ; between the baffles there were bursts two feet apart where the water had not yet frozen.


Toilet paper clogging the toilet We have quite an old toilet in our house and every time toilet paper is flushed down it completely clogs, it can be a little or a lot of toilet paper. It doesn't do this with anything else, just toilet paper. We've had to result to getting a bin next to the toilet for now. We had a plumber look quickly at it and he said he couldn't understand it but he's more of a kitchen fitter than anything else.

I have rodded the toilet on numerous occasions, well, everytime someone comes to visit and forgets about the 'no roll down the loo' rule.

Any advice would be very grateful.

Usually the old toilets preformed the best due to not having to comply with water saving laws (at least here in the States). One way manufacturers conformed to the new codes was to (among other things)  narrow the throat of the toilet to increase the water flow to compensate for the decrease in gallons per flush allowed. But it sounds like the paper is getting hung up and caught somewhere near the toilet. Could be an obstruction(kids toy, toothbrush, pencil, etc.) just wedged in the bend at the toilet base or in the sewer drain under the floor. If it can't be plunged, snaked or augured you'll need to remove the toilet to visually check for obstructions. If there is a sink in the same room does the water drain normally? if so the blockage is directly after the toilet (in the sewer line) or inside the toilet.


Do you run a conduit under or over concrete wrap in the basement? My basement concrete wall is covered with a concrete wrap and is anchored to the wall. The walls are unfinished.

If you want to add an outlet down the wall to a workbench, do you run the conduit under or over the wrap?

On the inside--you don't want to mess with the wrap. By inside I mean close to your bench, not under the wrap. I thought I should expand under the wrap is a usually damp area that is somewhat corrosive I think of EMT for basements but messing with this barrier is not a good idea.


Why would a new switch come with aluminum wires? I just bought a dimmer switch from Lowe's, and it came with aluminum connection wires (I believe). Our house wiring is copper. I understand that connecting aluminum to copper isn't recommended, and requires some special connectors in order to be safe. I also have read that aluminum wiring in general isn't recommended anymore (for the last several decades).

So I'm trying to understand, why would Lutron sell dimmer switches with aluminum connecting wires, when most houses today have copper wiring, and connecting copper to aluminum causes special issues? The instructions that came with the dimmer say nothing about the copper-aluminum issue; they just say to use the (not special) wire nuts that came with the switch.

Similarly, this seemingly reputable article from FamilyHandyman.com shows a dimmer switch with apparently aluminum wiring, being connected directly to copper wiring, with no caveats. Strangely, it cautions "Also, if you have aluminum [house] wiring, don’t mess with it! Call in a licensed pro who is certified to work with it." They caution the user about aluminum house wiring, but show no concern about the wiring from the dimmer, which looks like aluminum.

So that makes me wonder ... are these wires on the dimmer actually not aluminum, even though it looks like it? Here's a photo I took:

I searched online for information on identifying wire, but what I found didn't really answer my question. Some articles online mentioned tinned copper, that looks like aluminum; but (a) it sounds like tinned copper hasn't been used since the 1960's or so; and (b) I see no sign of copper on the end of the wire (though I didn't try cutting it).

So to sum it up: If these wires are aluminum, why do Lutron and FamilyHandyman.com not say anything about connecting them to copper? If they're not aluminum, what are they, and how can I tell?

I would guess that that's tin, or some other solder alloy.

Coating copper in tin makes a surface that wont oxidize as much (or in the same way, I'm not sure). This is good when you're expecting to need a surface contact later.

You can tell if that's what you're seeing, by snipping the end off with some (sharp) clippers. If the cut is clean, you should be able to see whatever metal is in the middle. I don't know of any reason not to do this, but that doesn't mean you should.


Can't track down smell in bedroom I've posted in a few places about this but there is a smell in just one of the rooms of an apartment I moved into that has not aired out in several months. I believe it's a kind of chalky, almost like there is powder in the air. I've had the fan blowing everyday and when I get home and I open the window when I get back from work as well to blow fresh air in. The smell dissipates but when I close the door for 30-60 minutes, the smell is back as strong as ever. I've also tried mopping (with fabuloso) every nook and cranny including the ceiling, closet, walls, everywhere but 2 days afterwards when the fabuloso scent is gone, the chalky smell is still there.

Here are pictures of the room http://imgur.com/a/5FQ8J

I've asked on reddit.

The super thought the smell might be shellac.

The super and landlord aren't sure what it could be. I'm not sure what to do now or where to go from here.

Just before my cat passed on, she sprayed every wall, carpet, door...in my house. I removed all the carpet and "painted" my floors with shellac, especially the edges of each room by the floor base. It smelled terrible until I used the shellac.


Why is my voltage so low? I have very low voltage at times hovering around 99v, usually when the A/C is on and everyone in my area is running theirs as well. I have 240v outlets for my appliances and wanted to know if there is a way to step down the 240v circuit to provide a constant 120v to my home.

You'll want to start by contacting your service provider, and asking them if there is a problem with their distribution system. Ask if they're providing poor service due to high demand. If they're not aware of any problems in your area, you should ask them if they can come out and verify you have a good hookup.  If everything with the electric company checks out, you'll want to have a licensed Electrician come have a look inside your home.


Why does dirt kill saw blades? What is it about dirt getting into a saw blade (as opposed to, say, sawdust, rock chips, etc (presuming the right blade is being used, of course)) that will kill a saw blade?

I've seen it happen to sawzall-type blades and chainsaws - but don't see what is so "special" about dirt that would cause those issues: especially when the self-same blade can be worked through PVC, pitch-encrusted trees, etc with little-to-no (or "normal") wear/damage.

"Dirt", really soil, is made up of components that varies by locale, but almost always contains a significant amount of silica and other silicates, in the form of sand or finely ground quartz. It also contains other hard minerals in addition to softer organic materials.

Silica and silicates are the same materials that are used in abrasives, such as sandpaper and grinding compounds.

Running a sharp metal blade through abrasives dulls them.


HVAC electric thermostat panel "goes dead" and then live again all the time I have this digital thermostat controlling my heater (gas).

When I turn it on to lets say 66 deg, and the house is at 60, the HVAC will start working of course.

Problem: After few minutes, the thermostat goes dead as if there is no electricity to it. The HVAC will continue working by the way.
After a few more minutes, it goes back to life as if nothing happened.
That will keep happening as long as the HVAC is working.

It never happens that I go to the thermostat and it is "dead" if the HVAC is not working
I thought the first time it was dead, that the breaker jumped. I went to check and of course it didn't. I say of course because I just said that it will come back to life by itself after few minutes.

What is going on?

Sounds like a problem with the thermostat itself. Try replacing the batteries - and make sure you're using alkaline or NiMH batteries -- not "Heavy duty" (which drop off slowly, and are not good for electronics - or anything, really).

If the batteries are good, you likely have a defective thermostat. See if they'll replace it on warranty (quick reading of the 1 star reviews on amazon say this can be a hassle) or buy a new one.


Why does my laundry machine trip the GFCI when I plug it in? My washer/dryer machine stopped working, and now when whenever I plug it into the GFCI it automatically trips the outlet (both the top and the bottom). I called an electrician in to come fix it and he said it's a problem with the laundry machine and to call an appliance repair guy. I plugged in my iron to both outlets and it didn't trip the GFCI. Any idea what might be causing this on the washer/dryer?

So, your GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) trips every time you plug in your washer/dryer, but not when you plug in other equipment.

A GFCI detects ground faults, where the power supply line is shorted to ground; it then interrupts the circuit to protect you. Sounds like your washing machine has a ground fault, and your GFCI detects this and then trips. (This is a feature, not a bug.)

There's lots of things this could be: a failed motor, a wire with worn-through insulation, a circuit board failure, etc. etc. etc. Figuring out which would take a lot more information, but an initial test would be to measure the resistance between ground and the hot or neutral plug terminals. If you measure the resistance as anything other than infinite, you've confirmed your problem.


Would adding ice to a ultrasonic humidifier help cooling in summer? During summer it's way too hot for me to sleep well.

I currently use a fan, but it's so hot that it's not enough.

I had the idea of having a sonic humidifier in front of the fan as the fan would move the water particles into my body and then when the water evaporates it would cool me down.

Would adding ice to the humidifier water create a cooler mist?

Maybe if you live in the desert and use a swamp (evaporative) cooler.  Most areas use an air conditioner to remove humidity, not add it.  Adding more moisture will only make it feel hotter and muggier.


Why doesn't my tester trip the GFCI? I have a GFCI that does not trip with the plug tester. I tried troubleshooting the issue. I looked in a junction box, and found all the neutral wires coming from the subpanel were all connected at the junction box.

Should I disconnect that neutral from the rest, so that the outlets have a separate neutral? When I try tripping the GFCI with the tester, the neutral light only on the tester goes out but does not trip the GFCI. Also I tried to short the outlet out by touching ground to neutral, and the 15 amp breaker did not trip.

If you have normal power at the outlet and the outlet tester does not trip it, then there are two options:

The GFI is wired backwards. A GFI has line connections (for incoming power) and load connections (for using the GFI to protect other outlets). If the incoming power is connected to the load, you will get the behavior you describe.
The GFI is defective. This is pretty common.


Concerns with washer and dryer in walk in closet We are looking to do a remodel and move the washer and dyer into a walk in closet. I am curious of any concerns or issues regarding having a washer and dryer inside a walk in closet. Mainly, in terms of moisture. Does the washer or dryer product enough moisture in the room that we would need to include a vent? Also, does the drywall in the room need to be the same that is used in bathrooms?

Update: Clarification.
By vent, I mean a separate vent other than the dryer vent. Something like a bathroom ceiling vent in addition to the dryer exhaust vent.

All dryers need a vent. Gas and electric dryers need a vent to the outside of the house to allow all the moisture to escape from the dryer.

All-in-one washer/dryer combo units don't need an air vent, but need a water drain to remove the water from the drying stage (which you need anyways to drain the wash cycle).

The walls are irrelevant. So don't worry about those.

The bigger concern would be the floor. If this is a high efficiency front-loading washer, it will be prone to lots of lateral shaking. Most wood framed floors are ill equipped to handle the speed of front loader washers. It's usually recommended that they be placed on concrete slabs.

As such if the closet wasn't designed for a washer/dryer, then you probably need to beef up the floor as much as you can to reduce the shaking.


Can I use WD40 to remove rust from my electric hob plate? I used WD40 to remove some rust from my bicycle u-lock recently (locking mechanism). It worked very well (I put some bike lube on it afterwards). Now, I have plenty of rust on my electric hob plate. My hob looks similar to this: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81CQ1Jot2CL.SL1500.jpg

I tried to use vinegar first, but the effect was minimal. So I was wondering if I could use the same oil for my hob?

I have the following concerns:

Hygiene: Is it bad to use it next to food appliances?
Heat: Will oil leftover start to burn after switching on the hob?

I would keep the WD40 as far away from food and food preparation equipment as possible. The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for WD-40 as published by the manufacturer states:

Emergency Overview:

DANGER!  Harmful or fatal if swallowed.  May cause eye irritation.  Avoid eye contact. Use with adequate
ventilation.


How can I locate floor joists? I want to use some stop squeak screws that pull the subfloor tight to the joists, then break off beneath the surface of the floor.  I am having a difficult time locating the joists: my stud finder doesn't seem to work very well and I am losing my marbles drilling holes through carpeting and missing the joist.  I am doing this on both carpet and vinyl.

The joists should be at the squeak, you just need to determine the direction of the joists. Typically, this is the shorter distance between exterior walls, unless there are interior load bearing walls used to break up the span. Some stud finders have a deep penetrating settings that might find a joist through carpet. And you can also try finding the joists in the ceiling below and measuring the distance from a common wall.


How can I join PVC pipe in a food safe way? I want to close a rectangular vertically mounted pipe with a piece of flat PVC plastic.
I will use the pipe for growing herbs on the wall outside my house, so it needs to be non-toxic.

I was thinking of using glue or cement for that. Does anyone know any non-toxic glue or cement to do the job?

Or maybe someone have a mechanical idea without using glue?

Gorilla glue makes a non-toxic PVC cement.


Patch hole in skirting board I've had my Victorian flat rewired and this involved moving electrical sockets from the skirting boards (baseboards) leaving rectangular holes in the wood. Is it possible to patch these and repaint or am I better off replacing the boards?

You would need to patch it with small blocks of wood called a dutchman.

Cut a block of wood to roughly the same size and shape of the hole. Make sure it is slightly over sized. Then hold the block up to the hole and trace around it. After this is done, use a chisel and carefully chip out the hole to match the size of the wood patch. Don't cut through completely, leave about 1/4" of wood left inside to give support to the dutchman.

When the hole is cut to fit the dutchman, carefully apply a little glue to the opening and the wood and press it in. At this point, the patch will be sitting proud of the wood, this is normal. Once the glue has dried, take a belt sander, or a hand plane and take down the dutchman so it is level with the surface. Any cracks can then be filled with wood putty. Then you can sand and paint the trim.


Removing drip pan on a Frigidaire FFTR1821QS My fridge is giving off a foul odour. Looks like the drip pan is growing mold in it. Looking for advice on how to remove the drip pan so I can clean it. It doesn’t appear to simply slide out from the bottom front of the fridge. It looks like it might come out from the bottom of the fridge but I would have to tip the fridge to attempt removing it this way.

Things I’m wondering are whether there is a better way to remove the pan for this make/model without tipping the fridge, and if I have to tip the fridge is there a specific side this make/model should be tipped on?

I also read that if you need to tip a fridge you should let it stand upright for at least as long as it was on its side before plugging it back in.

Any suggestions would be great! I’ve got a baby in the house and would like to get rid of this issue ASAP.

Make/Model: Frigidaire FFTR1821QS

From the manual for that fridge:

  Drain pan (not removable) You may hear
  water dripping into the drain pan during
  the defrost cycle.

This seems pretty odd to me, but that's what it says.  The toe grill on the front of the fridge does come off to possibly provide a way to see into the drip pan.  I would try to spray or pour (with funnel and tube) some water with a mold cleaner/killer diluted in it.  I would probably try something more gentle than bleach as to not harm the plastic of the tray.

Of course, before any of this, pull out the fridge and make sure it's not something spilled behind the unit or under it.

P.S.  Anything is removable... "not removable" just means it's not going to be easy.  If you're convinced the tray stinks and really needs cleaning, it will come out, but the fridge might need to be on its side.  Possibly not recommended depending on your experience level, but hopefully it doesn't come to that.


how to remove plastic stuck inside core drill bit I use a 1/4" diamond tip core drill bit to make holes in the bottom of bowls to   use them as plant pots with drainage.  I bought the diamond core drill bit to drill ceramic bowls, however I also used it to drill 1/4" into plastic bowls, and this was a mistake. The plastic is wedged so tightly inside the bit that I cannot get it out.  I have tried getting it out with an awl, a safety pin, a nail, a knife, etc. and no luck.

Any ideas?  All I can think of is to secure the bit in a vise, and try to drill out the plastic with a smaller bit.

I would first try driving a screw into the plastic and then pulling it out. You could clamp the screw in a vice and pull on the bit so that you don't damage the bit with the clamp.

If it's tightly wedged in it might be easiest to drill out the center of it with the largest bit you have and then crack/break the rest of it out.


Do LED dimmers work with non-LED bulbs? I've been switching to LED bulbs wherever I can for the past few years but one thing I haven't done yet is switch my dimmer switches over to LED compatible dimmers. One issue I've had trouble understanding is if I can use non-LED bulbs on the dimmable circuit after switching it to LED compatible dimmer.

Probably...but check the fine print
There are a number of different light technologies in use (e.g., incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, LED) and dimmers have evolved to handle each new type. But some are easier to dim than others. In general, if you have a light that is dimmable then if you use a new dimmer it will work with it as well as newer technology lights.
For example, this Lutron dimmer can work with:

Up to 150W of LED or CFL (provided the LED or CFL bulbs themselves are rated as dimmable - not all of them are)
Up to 600W of incandescent or halogen

You might wonder why fewer Watts of LED & CFL bulbs work than incandescent or halogen. There are technical reasons, but it doesn't matter because 150W of LED is comparable to 600W (or more!) of incandescent lighting - i.e., with any technology enough to light up a large room.
On the other hand, this less expensive dimmer from the same manufacturer/product line can handle 600W of incandescent/halogen but clearly states that it is not LED or CFL.
So the new dimmers are designed to handle the old light bulbs as well. Otherwise there would be a lot of problems as people upgrade dimmers without replacing the light bulbs at the same time. But plenty of people find out the hard way that you can't necessarily put a new bulb (LED or CFL) on an old dimmer.


Should I stop to hand-sharpen my chainsaw, or bring extra chains? If I'm going to spend the day in the woods with the chainsaw, my chain will get dull before I'm done.

Should I learn to hand-file the cutters, and sharpen in the woods?

Or should I bring a spare chain (or two!) and swap them out? I would get them sharpened at the hardware store.

When you're in the woods, you probably want to spend your time cutting, not doing things you could do back in your shop (or have the hardware store do for you). So I would bring at least at least an extra chain: as many you think you'd need, plus one.

With an extra chain along, you are additionally prepared in case one has a problem that sharpening can't fix.

Hand-file sharpening is a useful skill. If you learn to hand-sharpen your chains, you can do that to all the chains at once back in your garage.


How to apply rigid foam insulation to foundation with epoxy plugs? The previous owners of our home did a foundation repair to fix two large cracks about 10 years ago (it is covered by a lifetime warranty). The repair was very successful, but the epoxy plugs remain.

In an effort to improve the efficiency of the home, I want to apply rigid foam (xps - 2" on walls, 1" on floors). I am left scratching my head however on how to do this on the wall with the epoxy plugs. I've included a picture below of the plugs for reference.

The best option I can think of is to strap the was with 2x2's or 2x3's first. Thoughts?

I'm not familiar with epoxy repairs, but I'd guess that those holes were drilled to allow material injection and the plugs merely retained epoxy while it cured.

  Can I remove the injection ports after the completed repair?
  Yes, but first wait 24 hours to allow the LCR injection resin to harden and fully cure. A hammer and chisel will easily remove the injection ports, and the crack sealer can be sanded, ground off or painted.

  https://www.polygem.com/lcr-faqs-frequently-asked-questions

I'd grab them with a big ol' pliers and bend them back and forth a few times, breaking them off. A recipro-saw with a fine-toothed blade would also work.

Otherwise, if they're not too long, just press your foam onto them. A little persuasion and you can forget they were ever there. The lost insulation value is trivial.


How does the cost of conduit compare to conventional wiring? I know I want to future proof my new construction by installing conduit instead of trying to guess what wires I'll want in 50 years.

But I want to understand the cost of conduit vs. non-conduit, at time of construction (before the drywall goes up).

EDIT An important bit of context here: I plan a concrete slab under the floor, and unconventional exterior walls that are nearly impossible to fish through later. So getting conduit right is particularly important.

Running conduit now is definitely cheaper than fishing behind drywall later. It requires a lot of holes in drywall to fish wires, and then each hole needs to be patched, painted, etc. It's also a difficult and potentially time-consuming job, as existing wiring, plumbing, etc gets in the way.

It also depends on how much conduit you're installing of course - you can go overkill and that obviously costs more. Typically in a retrofit, the hardest places to get cables are outside walls (due to insulation/vapour barriers), and walls where there is no unfinished access above/below. It's pretty easy to get wires into first floor walls when you have an unfinished basement or drop ceiling.

Running cables now is not totally future proof, because you can spend a ton of money and run every cable imaginable, and still end up not having the one you need 10 years from now (because it doesn't exist today).

Here are some general tips:

If you know you will want to run cables in the future, and you're finishing the basement, make sure you use drop ceilings in your basement to access the 1st floor - the attic can provide access to the 2nd floor.
Optionally, Run some short conduits to boxes on exterior walls (and put blank faceplates on for now, if nothing else) just so you can easily get wires to them from below.
Utility pipe works great as conduit, and is pretty cheap. 1/2 or 3/4" will work well, though you may need to go bigger if you need to fish wires with connectors attached. Don't put any sharp bends in conduit runs, or you'll have a difficult time fishing later.
You can get signal extenders for many things that use Cat5e/6 wiring. For example: Audio, VGA, HDMI (note this uses two cables), and USB.
Great source for wiring, patch cables, panels, wallplates etc, is Monoprice. I have no affiliation, but I've purchased several times - they're cheap, great quality, and have a huge selection. You can get utility pipe at any home improvement box store.

Here's what I would recommend as a balance:

Run conduit to strategic locations: basement to attic; from your main wiring location to an yplaces you will end up putting a home theater system
Use Cat5e or Cat6 for all your network/phones. It's pretty safe bet that this stuff will be around for a long time, and continue to be useful.

Install at least a couple Cat5e cables to every room, and bring them all back to a central location. Use a patch panel to terminate them, as it's then very easy to re-purpose any individual jack for any purpose

Install speaker wires now for anywhere you're going to put surround sound
If you know you are going to require certain things, might as well run that cable now (eg, in my basement office/TV room, I have an HDMI cable going from where my desk is to the receiver on the other side of the room so I can put my computer screen on the TV).
If you're putting in a projector, run a conduit between it and your home theater gear.


Additional garage lighting I am adding some fixtures to a current string of lights in my garage all running off of one switch.  There are currently two fixtures and I am adding four more.  I'm well within my load limits for the circuit.  My question is regarding running the new NM from one of the existing fixtures.  Can I run more than one length of NM out of one fixture?

As an example, can I have one run of NM running into a fixture as a fixture is currently set up and have it spliced into the light along with two runs of NM going to two other light fixtures instead of just one run of NM coming out as I have typically seen done?  It seems this would work fine as I think it would still just put each additional fixture in parallel on the circuit, but in looking for info about this I haven't been able to find anywhere that explains this as a way of doing it.

I can do a single run from the last current fixture to run these, but it would be easier to do it as described above if feasible.  I'm not sure if I am over thinking it.

As long as all the light fixtures are electrically in parallel and properly grounded, and no boxes overflow, the physical wiring topology (daisy-chain vs star) does not matter one whit.  You'll see both in use depending on the preference of the electrician and the layout of the structure, although many DIY sources describe daisy-chaining only as it's less likely to break the box fill rules.

Overflowing boxes are the main caveat here though -- the NEC box fill rules become limiting quickly for typical boxes used in residential work, and you may find yourself needing an extension ring or auxiliary box at the "star point" as a result.  See the box fill rules in NEC 314.16 for details -- you'll blow by those well before you become physically unable to fit the wiring in the box if you don't pay attention to them.


Is it possible to use molly bolts in concrete? Is it possible to use molly bolts in concrete? They are generally described as for use in drywall.  But I have a project that needs a hook or screw to be taken out from time to time, which is possible with a molly bolt.  The load on the hooks would not be significant.

If it isn't possible, is there any other way of achieving this?  Most anchors for concrete don't permit multiple insertions and removals of the screw.

A machine screw anchor is a good option for repeated removals and reinstallations. They're also available in standard thread sizes, so they can accept machine screws, eye bolts, or hook bolts. The downside is that you'll have to buy an inexpensive but specialized setting tool for each size of bolt you want to install.

The installation process is much like that of the lag shield below, except that you'll have to use the setting tool (third step) to seat the machine screw anchor into the hole.

Image Source

A lag shield anchor may be another acceptable option, but it is not as "reusable" as a machine screw anchor. It creates a sleeve inside the hole in your concrete with threads for a lag screw to grab onto. When the lag screw is inserted, it expands the shield inside the hole.

The installation process:

Drill appropriately sized hole with a hammer drill and masonry bit
Remove concrete dust
Tap lag shield anchor into hole
Insert lag screw into lag shield and tighten

The lag screw will still be removable, but keep in mind that many repeated removals and installs may eventually weaken the anchor.

Image Source

(I have no affiliation with either distributor, they just had good illustrations.)


Is this wall in my kitchen load bearing? Sorry for another one of these questions but here goes:

My house is a single story bungalow, built in 1976. I can't get hold of the blueprints because the city in which I live does not keep blueprints before 1979.  The house has an unfinished basement and has a main support beam running under the width of the main part of the house.  I want to renovate the house by opening up the dinning, living, and kitchen.  This would involve taking out all of one wall and part of another.  The one that will be entirely remove is pretty obviously not load bearing because, among other reasons, it runs parallel to the trusses.  However, there is a wall that runs perpendicular to the trusses and it's the one I'm not sure of and wanted to get some advice.  Yes I'll be consulting a professional but I'm looking for some preliminary thoughts.

In my diagram below is shown the dinning room, living room and kitchen layout in my house.  The two interior walls I want to remove are shown, with the one labelled "Is it load bearing?" being the wall in question.  The large area to the left of the interior walls is open from the back to the front of the house with no supporting beam. Trusses run in the direction shown and they are the same across the entire roof.  I've verified that the "Is it Load Bearing?" wall has 24 inch-on-centre studs and removing the section I want to remove would mean removing 3 of 5 studs.  The wall has a single top plate and does not sit directly over the main support beam in the basement.  It sits about 1 ft off that beam.

Any thoughts on whether the wall is load bearing?  Is there anything I've missed?

       Ext. Wall
   +----------------------------------------------
   |   Dinning Room     |
   |                    |
   |         ^          |
E  |         |          |    Kitchen
x  |         |          |
t  |       Truss        |
.  |     Direction      |
   |         |          |    Is it Load Bearing?
W  |         |          +-------------------------
a  |         v
l  |
l  |
   |
   |   Living Room
   +----------------------------------------------
         Ext.Wall

I’m glad “you’re going to consult a professional.”

I’m sure he’ll check: 1) that all the trusses are identical, including the connectors, 2) there are no additional loads on the trusses over the kitchen area, like air conditioner, etc., 3) the floor beam is just for floor loading, (the wall does not need to sit directly over the beam in order to transfer the roof load to the floor beam, 4) the wall that is being removed is not for lateral bracing (are you in a high seismic or wind zone), 5) the perimeter footings are not reduced in size by the kitchen area,

Btw, it’s not just removing the wall...you’ll need to remove/reroute plumbing, electrical, hvac, etc. too.


Required Cabinet Width for Apron (Farmhouse) Sink Good afternoon. In the process of installing new cabinets this weekend, I discovered that I did not do enough research on how to install an apron front sink in a sink base cabinet, and how the two fit together. Here is the short list:

Sink must be supported by something besides just the cabinet box
This is generally 3/4" plywood spanning the full width of the cabinet, supported on each side
The installer must cut all apron sink bases on site, due to variation in apron sink size and design
It is preferred that the sink base cabinet is 3" wider than the sink itself

My problem is with the width. I have designed around and already installed a 36" wide sink base. I would like to put a 36" wide apron sink on top of it. There are photos online that show this situation, but I haven't had any luck finding a how-to for this exact situation - everyone else did their homework and got a narrower sink than cabinet. Does anyone have experience putting an apron sink on top of a cabinet of the same width?
(this is a photo from the web, not from the kitchen I am installing, but shows the width situation)

I followed the steps outlined above, and was able to very successfully set up the sink/cabinet this way. Here are a couple details to think about if you're considering this:

Apron sinks can be heavy, especially when full of water. I built a hardwood support inside the cabinet that supports the bowl of the sink, rather than just the outside of the sink that sits on the cabinet box. While it may work without this, it only took a few minutes to do.
Don't install the brace described above till after the countertops are in and the sink is fastened to them. The countertop install will dictate some shimming of the sink, and this is best done between the sink and the cabinet box. Once that is all set, remove the doors from the cabinet, slide your frame in, prop/clamp in the correct location to support the sink bowl, and screw from the inside to the outside of the cabinet, through the support, fastening it in place. Just remember to be very careful with screw length, to make sure you don't penetrate the boxes of the adjoining cabinets.
If you can't do the process above, get the brace as close as possible to the right position (before countertop install) shim as required, and go back and fill in the space between the sink bowl and support with rock putty. This is what I ended up having to do, and while not ideal, it worked fine.
Caulk the sink to the face frames of the cabinets around it. This is to prevent water from running down the face of the sink, across the bottom, and into the bare wood left from where you cut the cabinet off. These caulk lines will be largely hidden by the finished install.
Read the cabinet manufacturer's drawings for your sink base. We ended up using a normal apron sink base (rather than a "deep apron sink base"), even though the manufacturer's directions said otherwise. The "deep apron sink base" would have left a 4" gap between the top of the doors and the bottom of the sink. Our current setup has a 1/2" gap in that space, with the narrow section of the face frame above the doors reinforced with a length of 1-1/2" steel angle, painted and epoxied to the back of the face frame. This is a much nicer looking solution than the large gap. I wouldn't recommend going this route unless you're going to follow through and reinforce that face frame, because it is a weak portion of the cabinet without it.
Be careful as you're cutting off the cabinet box. There are likely pocket screws holding it together, or metal staples in the corners - locate these before you cut.

Thanks for the help!