Convert RGB/HEX etc to paint formula I would like to work out how to mix paint using the RGB or HEX etc information.
I have inherited a commercial paint tinting machine that uses liquid tints eg, yellow oxide-axx, fast violet-j, black-b.
I can use my computer to get the basic information about a colour I'd like to recreate, but have no idea how to convert this information.
As an example, I would like to make a 'yellow' paint. The information I have for it is R=253, G=255, B=112.
I understand that the yellow colour I'm looking at on my computer screen, will look different on my cellfone screen and that there is also variants in the base white/clear I will use to add the tints to.
Hopefully someone out there can help?
Thanks
Marieah

I have to question this.....Why do you even want to mess around with this? There are a few really good reasons that show that this makes no sense.

1) When you go to buy paint at your supplier (hardware store, big box or paint store) there is generally little or no difference in price of the paint whether you buy the straight white in the can or have it colorized to your choice. You can even bring in a sample at most outlets these days and they will mix to match.

2) If you want to use your machine you have to pay separately for any tints / colorizers that you would use.

3) These machines can be a real mess if things leak or break.

4) I believe that these machines require regular maintenance that becomes even more important if there is not a minimal amount of usage of each colorizer dispenser.

Based upon these factors I would have to suggest that it makes no economic sense even start with this.


Are molds dangerous to health if they are not in my own apartment? I need a help to decide if I will move out from this building because of mold and health risks. Is it dangerous to live in a buliding in which the hallway is full of mold? I've been reading about mycotoxins flying in the air, but I don't understand if there is a threat to health for me in a nearby apartment (without mold).

Here are the pictures of walls in a hallway of building. There are really lot of mold stains. But to repeat, there are not in my apartment. All of this mold appeared in just two days, during floods in the Balkans.

Most molds are harmless, or are at most an allergen. There are a fairly small number which are toxic to one degree or another.

So a lot of the fear you see is overreaction, or is folks with serious allergies. If you aren't allergic, and don't have reason to suspect that this is one of the nasty ones, it's mostly an eyesore.

The real problem is that, once established, mold can be very hard to get rid of short of ripping out any material it has grown into. A bit of dampness and old spores can bounce right back.


Why isn't door knob tight to the door? I installed a door knob earlier in the year and thought everything went fine. Come winter, my house was not retaining heat. Found that the outside half of the door knob was not sitting tight to the door, though the inside was. This was letting air in around the knob, which I could feel with my hand from the inside with the door closed. Finally saw that there were two metal nubs on the outside of the housing for the mechanism that sits inside the casing of the knob were preventing it from sitting tight to the door.
Are these defects that need shaving off? Sanding it of course didn't reduce it enough. Is the hole for the knob not big enough? This is my first time running into this, and I didn't see anything in my Googling.
The door is standard 1-3/4 in. thick with 2-1/8 in. bore. Door knob is a Kwikset 991CN3SMTCPK4. See attached picture for gap and the nub I'm talking about that is impacting the metal door.

After thinking to search specifically for Kwikset locks with this issue, I found this video referencing it. Guessing it's an issue with at least some Kwikset knobs. Thanks for the helpful comments. https://youtu.be/skME0j8hsOM
ETA: at least some Kwikset knobs have these two metal nubs or dimples on them. The video's solution was to use a course metal nail file to grind the nubs down to not create the gap. He didn't mention the cut, but I'm assuming at least second-cut.
Isherwood mentioned above that these dimples serve a purpose, and, with enough tightening of the screws, will dimple the door, eliminating the gap. I tried this first, tightening the screws even tighter than I already had them and the gap disappeared, or at least was unnoticeably small.
So both would work, but I'm marking theirs as correct since the dimples are supposed to be a feature.


How should I build up stair stringers (instead of cutting them out)? I'm thinking of building a stair stringer using a 2x6 and reclaimed wood triangles.
How to fix the triangles on the base, long screws, nails?

Our wood working site might have some good ideas.
If I was doing this, I'd be gluing the triangles to the 2x6  and then use dowel rods, one vertical and one horizontal, for additional support. You could also use screws depending on how you wanted to finish the stairs. Since you're reclaiming the triangles, the dowel rods might be more appropriate.


How Do I Repair this Door Damage? The previous owner apparently hacked out a piece of the door. How should I fix it? If I use wood filler, what's the best way to mold it so that it's square? Is there a better fix? (I don't want to replace the door.)

Assuming this is an interior door, I'd just scribe the top of the door parallel with the top of the jamb and plane it to the line.  It actually looks a tad out of square and a bit tight in the jamb.


If an overflow gasket does not fit, can it be rotated? Our new tub is very vertical at the supply/drain side at the overflow hole. The drain fitting we have slopes backwards very slightly where it connects. The rubber gasket for the overflow is very steeply beveled (~1/8" to 3/8" thickness). It appears to fit better if the thick part is at the top and I've seen comments online that both say thick to top and thick to bottom.

When fitting thick to top, it fits closer, but not enough to seal the bottom. When fitting thick to bottom, it has a snug bottom, but a large gap after halfway.

I saw some posts saying you can rotate the gasket and get a good fit in cases where neither work and it seems to work that way. Everything at least fits, but is this a poor solution? I can't seem to get anything not quite as sloped. Would silicone caulk fix a thick top/bottom situation?

I would replace the rubber gasket you have with a more pliable foam-rubber replacement (commonly available at plumbing shops). This should allow you to place the gasket in the normal position (thick at bottom) but to give it a squeeze to effect a seal all the way around.

In the end, it is the seal at the bottom that is most important. Why? Because any water that gets to the overflow under normal circumstances is just incidental splashing and not likely to cause a huge problem. In the worst case (actual high water level, the reason for the overflow port), large amounts of water will be flowing through the bottom part of the hole. Any gap there will result in floor/wall/home flooding and damage.


How can remove this window screen to repair it? My friend's dog tore through the window screen. I can't seem to get the screen off--it has no pullable tabs and no bottom levers to help pull it out. The house seems to be new and I'm hoping that this isn't one of those windows where you have to replace the WHOLE THING just to get a new screen.

Follow the link to the pictures https://plus.google.com/u/0/115787094028199748730

Even if you could just tell me the model of the window, it would be greatly appreciated.

This is a pretty standard screen repair. You need to remove the spline to get the screen out, which can be done with an awl or a narrow flat-head screwdriver.

You'll need a new screen, spline, a spline install tool (under $10), and a sharp utility knife.

It's not very dificult, but does take some patience.

It looks like this is a fixed window, so you'd have to install in place.

Position the new screen, and then push the spline into the channel, pulling the screen tight as you go. I'd start with the top edge.

It's critical to get the first edge straight. Start with enough spline sticking out so you can wrap it down both sides, and on one side, also run back along the bottom. You should end up with a single piece of spline with the ends in one corner (though this isn't crtical, and if you have to cut it that's fine).

Work your way down both sides at the same time, keeping it tight as you go, then finally install the bottom edge.

Finally, cut the excess screen off using the knife.

Here's a full guide (and the source of these pictures): http://www.familyhandyman.com/windows/repair/how-to-fix-a-window-screen/view-all


Direction of wood flooring Flooring will run long ways parallel to walls in hallway. Then the hallway runs into the living room with a large white brick fireplace at the far end. How should the wood be laid? There is a bank of 3 large windows on the left side of this room, not on the wall with the fireplace. The living room then l's into the dining room.

USUALLY, for the sake of aesthetics, wood flooring is laid parallel to the longest wall(s). There are times, though, when - because of the floor joist direction and lack of rigidity in the subfloor - the other (perpendicular to the longest walls) direction is better.

If the flooring is laid crosswise to the floor joists, it's easier to get the mopboards/baseboards scribed or flexed to match it - there's less ripple.


What is the easiest way to remove a large root in a post hole I'm digging? I'm digging a 36" deep post hole for a fence I'm putting up, and about 15" down I ran into a very large root. Since the root seems to be running almost directly in line with the fence, and there isn't a tree attached to said root, I'd like to get rid of the root.

I've been using a reciprocating saw to cut out hunks of it, but this has been very tedious and not as effective as I would like. Is there a better way to get rid of the root? It appears to be around 9" in diameter

A reciprocating saw works nicely, with the proper blade. You can buy a tree cutting blade for work like this, 10-12 inches long, with long sharp raking teeth.

We had an ice storm, and the clean up of hundreds of large branches and trunks was done entirely by reciprocating saw, wearing out only three of those blades in my Porter Cable. Some trunks were over a foot in diameter. (My chain saw chose that time to be singularly uncooperative.)


Oven spare parts - does serial code matter I need to replace the heating element on my whirlpool oven. The model number is AKZ451/IX/01 and the serial code is 858545115073.
When looking for spares online, I see heating elements listed as compatible for the same model but different serial codes - often for the same code but ending -072 or -074 rather than -073.
Will a heating element fit the same model but different serial code? Or do I need to find one that matches exactly?

Yes, it often matters.  Manufacturers make design and parts changes through the life of a product and the heating element may come in multiple versions depending on which revision of the product you have.  The serial number or code is what gets you the right part for your unit.
I'll add that they generally don't list the serials like this unless it does matter.


Environmental protection for computer equipment in unheated garage I live in Minnesota, and I have an unheated, detached garage. I would like to place an "offsite" data backup device (possibly a NAS) in the garage, which I should be easily able to connect to the wireless network in the house (in case of fire, burgling, etc).

My biggest concern is the cold in the winter; I understand most computer equipment has a published operating range down to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and I expect it to be, at times, up to 60-70 degrees colder than that during the winter. I'm slightly concerned with the heat in the summer, though days where the temperature in such a garage would be too hot for a computer would be few.  I'm also somewhat concerned about the physical security of the equipment.

I'm interested in building or buying some sort of a modest-sized, climate-controlled enclosure in which I could put a computer and/or NAS, that would ideally provide:

a safe operating temperature for the equipment, but in an energy efficient way (keep the temperature just warm enough and/or just cool enough to not put undo stress on the enclosed gear)
ventilation for the equipment; I'm not completely certain, but I don't think a sealed / airtight enclosure would be good for a computer-like thing
some degree of physical security for the enclosed equipment (in case of garage break-in)
not interfere with the wireless network unduly (it does need to attach to the network to serve its function)

I've googled a bit, but I haven't found anything along these lines either for sale or as a hobbiest project. Maybe it's out there and I haven't stumbled upon the right search terms.

Can anyone offer advice / suggestions on some sort of enclosure that fits the bill?

Thanks!

First off, as long as the temps stay in range, I don't think you'll have a problem with an 'air-tight' container. The only reason computer equipment needs airflow is because it's dumping heat into that air. As long as you have a little bit of air, and can keep it at an acceptable temp, low airflow won't be a problem. You can't go zero airflow because the equipment in question isn't built to heatsink to it's case.

Off had the first thing that occurs to me is a 'garage fridge'(something like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B2P2G8/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3788940351&ref=pd_sl_6z7wf02xh3_b)

The thing includes a heater system to keep it's refrigerated section from freezing in cold temps.

That's really more than you need though, because it's going to try to keep stuff cold when you really only need it to keep stuff room temp. It's going for a much narrower temp range than you'll care about.

If I were going to try this, I'd get an old fridge (doesn't have to work), and build my own controls (some kind of micro-controller) - I'd cut some kind of vents with controllable louvers and fans into the top and side.  And some kind of heating system (really small space header? dunno). I'd add in a temp sensor, and turn the heater on when things get too cold, and the fans on (with louvers open) when things get too hot. If the temp gets out of range, cut power to the device in question.

If you want it to deal with hot days as well, then get a fridge that WORKS, and put the chillers it into the mix as well - if things get hot enough that the fans aren't doing it, cut them, close the louvers and hit the chillers.


How can I use toggle bolts with limited depth behind them? I have a predicament, I am putting up a shelf into the wall.

The wall is plaster, and then hollow and then concrete. I have screws with toggle bolts on them.

The 2 inch screw with the toggle bolt was too short to get the toggle bolt inside the plaster to the hollow part.

The 3 inch screw with the toggle bolt is too long because it hits the concrete. But the toggle bolt will reach into the hollow part.

How do I approach this dilemma? Do I need to drill into the concrete somehow? I think my current drillbit is incorrect for doing this, but I'm not sure.

Insight appreciated

Are you comfortable with cutting the bolt to a length between 2" and 3"?  That would be simplest.

Another possibility would be to use another piece of wood between your shelf and the wall to create more thickness for the 3" bolts.

If the concrete is actually concrete block, you can drill into that quite easily with a masonry bit from your local hardware store.  If it is an actual poured concrete wall, best not to bother.

ADDED:

To shorten the bolts:

A) Take the bolt to a hardware store, tell someone you want the same bolt but in a 2.5" length - this is likely the easiest thing.

B) Cut the bolts:

Thread a nut onto the bolt and spin it back towards the head.
Use a hacksaw to cut the bolt (if you clamp it, clamp on the nut and head - not the threads) - OR - use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel - OR - use boltcutters!
Unscrew the nut from the bolt; this will clean up the damaged threads where you cut it.


Two wall switches appear orphaned... What to do? in my old house (built 1960, significantly transformed 1980, minor transformations 2010), there is a three gang of simple two way switches in the section that has been created in 1980 and transformed in 2010. My ownership postdates both of these...
I am automating and refreshing. The old switch is almond and ugly; I am going white, and where appropriate smart switch.
One of the switches controls the (only) ceiling light fixture [edited]. I have replaced it with a smart dimmer. All good.
The issue is with the other two switches. I can't figure what they control, if anything at all. There's only receptacle outlets in the room, and none is controlled by either of the switches. The receptacles' tabs are not broken, so I checked whether someone might have forgotten to break them, but that's not the case, the other wires in the receptacles are for daisy chaining these receptacles. I also checked that they are not controlling anything in the adjacent rooms. I can't find what they are for.
I don't want to leave them as they are due to the ugly, dirty almond color. My options appear to be:

replace with white switches (that control nothing)
remove them, put wire nuts on the wires, and use a big old ugly blind/blind/open three gang plate
install receptacle outlets instead (and cap the load wires with wire nuts)

Does that make sense? Must I identify/trace the load wires' paths to remove fully or cap them in a junction box, or is it ok to just cap them locally? Would there be any concern in using option 3 here? Any other option I am missing?
Thank you

I would caution to not remove anything you do not know what it controls.
House fans are common, an exhaust fan in the attic?
I caution that trying to make resistance measurements is normally a waste of time and I have seen a lot of ruined meters when DIY folks and apprentices have measured live circuits.
Why are resistance measurements questionable?
A thermally switched attic fan will show open in the cool winter being 1 switch and the light fixture for that fan that the light burned open.
I was called in to repair some wiring in an exactly similar case.
The owner found the dead light and fan later and wanted them to work, 4 or 5 total trips into the attic to identify the feeder and verify the removed switch’s  then to reconnect and verify took over 2 hours to get repaired and working. The owner then remembered removing the switches.
I had an emergency call a sump pump quit working and the finished basement was flooding, when you are looking for a failure not a switch the owner took out in the summer it takes longer and emergencies on a weekend night cost 2-3x if you can get someone! The owner had tested the circuit and it was open the sump was empty and the float switch opened the circuit.
So there are 3 different cases a burned out lamp, a thermal switch and a float switch that made the circuits look like nothing was there.
You mentioned putting in receptacles, this may be a possibility depending on how things are wired. Do not assume that white is a neutral in switch box especially if it connects to a switch in this case it is normally a hot and even though code recently changed requiring neutrals at most switches reality is most homes will have old style switch loops for decades to come.


Water heater leaking from the top? I recently noticed that water is pooling on the top of my water heater.  When I took a closer look it appears that the leak is coming from where a metal hose comes into the top of the water heater.

I'm thinking about unscrewing the hose, wrapping some plumbers tape around where it screws on and seeing if that solves the problem before I break down and call a professional.

Does this plan make sense?
Are there certain steps I should take to make sure that when I unscrew the hose scalding hot water and steam does not come geysering out?

IME, the plan does not make sense. Water heaters don't last forever, and usually when they start leaking it's time to think really hard about replacing them before the leak gets worse. "Plumbers tape" is not likely going to get you very far. If the leak is due to corrosion of a thin flexible tube ("metal hose") it may fall all the way apart when you attempt to remove it, necessitating an emergency call to a professional, a quick trip to the hardware store, or doing without hot water for a while. At least make sure that you time your operation when the hardware store will be open.

1a. - if you've misidentified a flexible electrical conduit as a metal hose, it could get even more exciting. Though hopefully not if you've turned it off first.

Two. Turn off the water heater. Run hot water from any/all hot taps until it's not hot. Turn off the cold water supply to the hot water heater.  Leave a hot tap open (water should stop coming out when you turn off the cold supply to the hot water heater - leaving it open serves as a vent to allow air in when you drain the heater) Use the drain on the bottom of the hot water heater to drain it. You might be amazed at what comes out the drain at first ;-)

If all goes well, remember to refill the water heater (close the drain, leave the hot water tap open, open the cold supply valve, wait until air stops coming out the hot water tap, close the hot water tap, and check for leaks) BEFORE you turn the water heater back on. If it's turned on while full of air rather than water, it's not good...


Detecting mold with a blacklight I've heard anecdotally that mold will glow green under a black light (UV light). Is this true?

There's a room in my house with a musty odor, and I'm trying to determine the source of the smell. There's a substantial amount of unpainted wood - here is a sample of what it looks like under an ultraviolet light:

(Photo specs: 1s f/4.5 exposure under 2 48" 36W T8 UV lamps.)

Does this indicate mold growth in the wood? (Freshly cut wood exposed to the same UV light does not reflect the same green-yellow color.) I have tried cleaning the surface of the wood with mold/mildew cleaner, to no effect. My understanding of mold growth is limited and I'm having a hard time coming up with reliable information about it.

What's the humidity level in the room? I'd go get a $12 humidity sensor and see what you got. My understanding that mold can grow >= 60% RH, though there are other factors (e.g. moisture will condense on a cold wall with a lower relative humidity). You may need a dehumidifier if you're too high. Of course that won't kill the mold but will keep it from growing.


Do I need to insulate both hoses on a portable AC? Dual hose AC portable systems have an exhaust and intake hose. The exhaust hose gets tremendously hot, and obviously it helps if it is insulated.

What about the intake hose, is it worth the cost to have that insulated?

No.

You insulate the exhaust hot hose because you want exhaust air to stay hot until it is outside.  If heat radiates off the hose while still inside, that heats the house back up and partly negates the work your AC just did.

Usually you don't really care if your intake air gets a little cooler on the way in to the AC.  The only reason I can think of to insulate the intake hose is if your intake air (from outdoors) is also considerably hotter than your conditioned inside air, and you risk heating the inside just with your intake air.  I suppose if you are in a very hot climate and you are getting things really cool inside that might be the case.


How do I exchange a non polarized Christmas light plug with a polarized plug? One of the two wires on my small white Christmas lights broke off at the male plug (which has a fuse and is non-polarized). It broke right against the plug so I can't strip each side of the broken wire and wrap them together.
I have two questions; I can not find a non-polarized replacement plug that is meant for Christmas lights. Do they exist? If not, how do I use the replacement "vampire" type clip (which is polarized) if I don't know which of the two wires is hot? There is no marking or ridges on either wire. I can make this string my end string (since the polarized plugs I've seen do not allow you to plug in another string) but I want to make sure there is no issue with polarity and that I won't ruin the string of lights (and the strings behind it) and/or the outlet I will plug it into. Thanks

Because the original plug is non-polarized and can be plugged in either way, you can just use a polarized plug. It just limits you to plugging in one way.

The more important issue is the fuse. Because the lights were provided with a fuse, we have to assume it is unsafe to omit it. It is certainly against the electrical code to omit it.

You can buy an in-line fuse holder and splice it into the (now) hot wire, right next to the plug. Just make sure to get the same amperage fuse (rated to at least mains voltage).


Stop pipe from banging without removing floorboards We have a pipe that bangs for a while right when we turn the heating on. I managed to isolate where the pipe is (under the floorboards on one room), the problem is that I can't lift the floorboards because they go under a built in wardrobe, and I don't want to cut them in case I hit the pipe.

I read that an idea could be make a hole on the floorboard right on top of the pipe (I'll need to figure out how to do it without hitting the pipe) and just inject insulation foam, but I'm not sure about this method.

Has anybody have any suggestion or similar experience?

You can control the depth of cut very accurately with a circular saw.

However, banging pipes are usually caused by water-hammer, and securing the pipes doesn't completely cure the problem. You (or a plumber) can install a shock arrestor (various types are available) near the valve that is causing the problem.


Bending bars of iron gate We just moved into a new house with some iron fencing around the backyard and a large double gate to allow access to the backyard. Unfortunately one side of the gate was damaged at some point in the past and the two sides don't meet anymore and the latch doesn't close. Even worse the gap is big enough for my dog to slip through.

How can I bend that one bar back closer to true so that the two sides meet and my dog won't be able to run away? Trying to save myself the large expense of having to get a whole new gate.

My first thought was to use my car's scissor jack as recommended in this answer to a very similar question, but I don't think I could get it to fit in between the two bars in the right spot. The clamp spreader I feel is probably a good option, but I'm not sure how to use anything that spreads while preventing the bar next to it from bending instead -- which seems like the most likely outcome given the inward bent.

You can use what's called a "come along", it's a portable hand operated winch-like tool for moving things short distances with a lot of force. The thing is, you will need to find a point at which to anchor one end that is significantly stronger than the bar, like a fence post, otherwise if you just connect to another bar just like it, you bend them both.

This video shows the general operation of it, you would need to adapt to your situation. Small light duty ones are inexpensive or in many cases you can rent one from a rental yard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FfVsfto7-g


Sealing an OSB floor in a shed We have two sheds with OSB flooring..  We have an ATV that we use for snow removal, and it is parked in the shed before & AFTER plowing snow.  We are very concerned about "melting snow" ruining the OSB flooring and want to put down a waterproof paint/covering on the floor to repel moisture from melting snow..  Any suggestions out there???  Any & all will be appreciated. Thanks, Nancy

Why not consider putting down a sheet of vinyl similar to what might be used on a kitchen or bathroom floor.

You would have to ensure that the underlying OSB flooring material was fairly solid and all joints supported. If it is just one layer of OSB you may want to start with a second layer of OSB that has the sheets installed in a manner that no joints in the first and second layer are in the same places.


Can I splice grounding wires together to reach an old outlet that needs a ground? I have a two prong outlet in my house and there is a ground wire behind it, not connected. The ground wire ends in a junction box halfway to the breaker box. Only the neutral and hot wire continue from there.

Can I connect another ground wire and continue it to the breaker box?

As long as the wire is sound and is joined old and new properly, i.e., not just twisted together but secured with a twist lock or crimp connector it meets code and is fine.  Consider that the hot and neutral is already joined there so the ground connection does not degrade that circuit and is quite proper.
That said - anytime you can replace old wiring with new is a good thing.  If you are running a wire from the panel - I would recommend you run entirely new nm or romex cable as far as you can.


Automatic sprinkler valve will not shut off I have a 3/4 inch inline automatic sprinkler valve that will not shut off, whether it is turned on electrically or by unscrewing the solenoid.  It drives a drip line with about 15 heads, so the flow rate is rather low.  If I close the main shutoff valve to the system and reopen it or open a drain valve downstream so the flow increases dramatically it closes fine, so it appears to depend on the downstream pressure being high.  Can anyone help with the cause and fix?  Normally I would just replace the valve as they are not expensive enough to fight with, but I am concerned about getting a new one in.  I have unions both sides of the valve, but the pipes seem fixed in the ground.  I would have to find one the same length and get the unions to mate without pulling or pushing the pipe.

Opening a drain valve downstream will not raise downstream pressure, it will increase flow and lower total system pressure.

If there is any flow the valve should close, as pressure above the diaphragm equalizes with supply pressure upon closing of the solenoid pilot port.

Get the brand and model # of the valve and order a rebuild kit for it as your problem is very likely to be mechanical. Turn off the supply and remove the valve bonnet, inspect and clean internal components (flush all ports to remove debris, check the diaphragm and support rings for damage or cracks, inspect the sealing surfaces and seats). Replace the washers and diaphragm with new ones from the rebuild kit.


Running LED strip lights Hi all I'm in a bit of a pickle
I bought a couple of rolls of 5m 5050 DC12V 60LEDs/m in warm white colour for a home project..... The only problem is that when they arrived they didn't come with anything else, no power supply, no adaptors of any kind, no transformers just the two rolls of lights.
My qusetion is can I run these lights on a normal 12v charger, multi voltage adaptor or do I need to buy the proper transformers/adaptors to power these.
Thanks in advance for any help/ advice that can be given

Typical 5050 LEDs are rated at 0.24 Watts per LED.

At 60 LEDs per metre, your 5 metre strip has 300 LEDs requiring at least 300 x 0.24 = 72 Watts.

At 12 Volts, a 72 Watt load draws 72 / 12 = 6 Amps.

I would obtain a 12 Volt power supply that is rated for at least 100 Watts (8 or 9 amps).


Durable top coat for MDF worktop / workbench I need to build a desk / worktop / workbench for my retro computer projects. It will be used daily, so I want to have extreme durability to protect against wears, scuffs and scratches as much as possible. I have MDF cut to size, sealed and primed. What product type to consider for a top coat and why? Should I go with polyurethane, epoxy, latex, oil? Opaque black or white would be nice, but the priority is the durability. I'm UK based, I have experience with trade products of the brand with the big white dog.

Honestly, the best option for a bench that expects hard use is a sheet of 1/8" "tempered hardboard" - I don't know if that's one of those places where we are separated by a common language or not. Masonite® is the best known brand name, though they make multiple products so that may not be definitive. You put a trim board sticking up 1/8" (or the thickness of the hardboard you can get, which might be in mm, of course) all around the edges of the benchtop, and the hardboard just drops into the recess (it lays flat very nicely, so it will stay put until you pry it out of there.)
When it's been scarred, burnt or otherwise damaged to the point that it offends, you flip it over for a whole new surface, and when that one offends, you replace the whole thing - the stuff is relatively inexpensive.
You can get it with one side melamine white - otherwise the color is a moderate dark brown, and for most workbench purposes I'd find the melamine a bit hard/slippery.


Why does my dusk to dawn light go off when the furnace kicks in? My dusk to dawn light goes off whenever my furnace kicks in throughout the night. It obviously comes back on right away, but it takes a minute or so to be fully restored.

What is the reason behind this and how can I fix this?

Understanding the problem
Think of your wiring like a pipe full of water, and each device like a pump. Each pump draws a specific amount of water, but not necessarily the same amount as any of the other pumps, and the water in the pipe can only be supplied at a fixed rate.

When the light turns on, it "pumps" a small amount of water from the supply pipe. This amount is far less than the pipes supply rate, so there is no problem.

When the furnace comes on, it "pumps" a huge amount of water (for a short time). This amount is close to, or greater than the amount of water in the supply pipe. This means there is less water in the pipe for the light, so the light cannot function properly.

This is an over simplified, and arguably inaccurate analogy.
Solving the problem
First off, Having the light on the same circuit as the furnace is not correct. This should be fixed as soon as possible, and will likely solve the problem you are seeing.
This could be an indication that one of the components of the furnace is reaching the end of its life, and needs to be serviced.   High current draws in an appliance are commonly caused by motors. Motors will draw more current while starting than they do when they are running, this is known as inrush current and can quite a bit higher than the devices full-load current.  This large current draw during start-up can be increased if additional force is needed to get the motor spinning, for example if the bearings are going bad.  You'll want to inspect the furnace, and pay close attention to any motors.  Make sure they are properly greased, and working normally.
If this has always been an issue all along, the furnace is probably operating normally and there is nothing to worry about.  If this has only become an issue recently, you may want to inspect your furnace (or have a professional inspect it).


Choosing a soundproof apartment - how wall and ceiling material predicts sound levels Looking at different flats for a new home I would like to determine how much noise I would get from neighbours based on the brief visits to see the candidates.

How could I measure that practically?

Would knowing the wall materials help for instance as I have no idea whether say stone or wood walls would be better at insulating noise or not?

Not really a home improvement question, but this does seem the best match on SE...

It's all about mass and decoupling.

Stone or brick walls have a lot of mass compared to stick-and-plaster walls. That means it takes more energy to get them moving, wich means your side of the wall doesn't vibrate as easily, which will block a lot of noise.

Hollow plaster walls can't give you that without special construction -- offset studs so vibration isn't passed through the studs from one side to the other -- which costs more and is rarely seen outside rooms constructed specifically for sound isolation. (In a studio, mass is sometimes added back in by filling the space between the plasterboard walks with sand -- and yes, you hope you'll never have to alter that wall!)

BUT... Remember that sound can travel through floors and ceilings too. If you can get an apartmenton the top floor you'll pay more in heating and cooling but won't have noises coming from above.

Usually being in an apartment means putting up with some noise, and negotiating with neihbors on how much and when that's acceptable.One reason I finally bought a house was wanting the freedom to make a reasonable amount of noise at 2AM occasionally.


How can I repair this unusual joint that leaks? Got a leaking drain at the back end of the P-trap.

When I pulled the PVC trap apart, there was no washer.  Also, the male 90 pipe has flanges that keep the metal nut on the pipe.  Haven't seen this type of joint before.  Those flanges will defeat the standard PVC joint washer.

How can I stop this leak?

Here are 4 photos of the drain setup with a close up of the strange 90 & its nut & flanges.

Kitchen Drain From Disposer

P Trap

Loosened Nut At Back Of P Trap - No Washer

Male 90 That Slips Into Back Of P-Trap

The typical mid-trap joint of a plastic P-trap does not have a washer. Instead there is a tapered end that fits down into a smooth beveled hole on the opposite piece. The tightening of the nut forces them together to form a tight seal. Your's looks to be this type.

If this joint is leaking for you then there are several probable causes.

There is crud on one or the other side of the tapered part of the joint that keeps it from sealing 100% when the nut is tightened.
The nut may have cracked and is not able to hold the necessary pressure to keep the tapered pieces together.
One or the other of the pipe joint ends may have cracked due to aging or faulty plastic.
The smooth tapered parts on one or both parts of the joint may have been cut or scratched.

It may be possible to stop the leak by a thorough cleaning of the parts. If it is a damaged part then the simplest fix may be to purchase a new set of trap pipe, nuts and washers and just replace the thing. These parts are not at all expensive.


How do you wash brushes? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but I am interested in any brush washing tips that help prolong the lifetime of my brushes.

Water-based paints are easy, but with paints that require thinners / white spirits things are a little trickier.

My personal method is to pour some white spirit into a small container, thoroughly 'swish' the brush around, then rinse it with hot soapy water. I repeat this around 3 times, with a clean tub of white spirits each time.

However, despite this, my brushes are still a little stiff when I come to use them next, and do not deliver the same even finish they did when new.

Any tips?

When using mineral spirits(MS), I keep a "used" bottle and a new bottle. When the new is empty, I make it a new "used"

I usually do the first round using used MS and return it to the used bottle.

Once the brush is mostly clean, I start using fresh, clean MS.  I usually do 2 rounds or more, if paint is still  coming out

I don't do a water/soap step until I'm sure it clean.  If I'm using a china bristle brush (natural white or black boar bristles), I NEVER use water with it.

If a brush has accumulated gunk and isn't getting clean, a soak in a "Brush cleaner" product will restore it.

PS:
The used bottle, if left undisturbed long enough (2 mos) will self-clean and be nearly new (the solids will settle on the bottom).  This then argues for a third container, between new and used.  You should NEVER put MS down the drain.


How much work is involved to change a conventional boiler to a combi boiler? We live in a circa 8 year old detached house in the UK.

We've been having some problems with our heating system, mainly the hot water tank and we're wondering how much work is involved to change to a combi boiler (we want to get rid of the hot water tank so we can use the cupboard as stairs to our attic anyway so this is the perfect excuse ;-)).

Looking online there are some conflicting accounts of the work involved.

Is it just changing our boiler in the kitchen to a combi boiler, removing the hot water tank upstairs and "joining up some pipes" or will we need work done in every room?

Trying to understand the amount of required "damage" that might happen!

will we need work done in every room?

I haven't done this but I'm pretty sure that most rooms do not need to be touched. Only

The boiler location obviously
The airing-cupboard - removal of hot-water tank, replumbing.
The loft (attic) - removal of header tank for hot-water etc.

You are changing from this

to this

Images from wellwarm plumbing - no affiliation

The diagrams above are the best I could find but have a couple of anomalies:

the pump and zone-valves are usually next to the boiler, not next to the hot-water tank.
I would expect to connect to existing hot tap pipes in airing cupboard, not run new supply pipes to a different location.

Details obviously depend on the exact arrangements in your home - but in general, I can see no reason to alter anything in other rooms.


What should I do about a pin hole leak in pvc water pipe? I have tried JB Weld products, epoxy, water epoxy, and water tape.  I do not want to replace the pipe--just fix it for now. The pipe is a cold water supply.

Your best bet to fix the leak is to turn off the water, drain the line, and then cut out the bad section and replace with some new glued in fittings and pipe pieces.


Does this wiring sound right? First let me preface this by saying that I am very comfortable doing basic electrical work.  With this project my electrician is on vacation and won't be back for a few weeks but I wanted to see if I could tackle this myself.  I have a drawing that I could attach but it is terrible so here goes.

3 wire yellow romex to bathroom with red and black hot and white is neutral.
3 wire yellow is going to a box with a GFCI and light switch.
Red is set to go to GFCI and to switch controlling two sconce lights.
Black is set to go through box and on to two can lights and the ceiling fan with switches on opposite side of the wall.

He told me where everything was going when he left but I am not one to guess when it comes to electrical and thought I'd ask.  Here are my thoughts...

black bypasses everything in the box and continues on to the fan and can lights.
red goes to the LINE of the GFCI, then from load to switch next to it and on to the sconce lights.
white pigtails to GFCI and on to can lights and fan.

I believe red is 20 amp and black is 15.

Does this sound right?

The yellow romex means that it contains 12 AWG wires which is suitable for any circuit 20 amps or less, this is appropriate.

The GFCI outlet seems to provide fault protection for the can lights that are operated by a switch.

Some things to check:

The NEC requires that a bathroom fan is on its own circuit.  You can verify this by making sure there is a 20 amp circuit breaker at the box that is feeding the red wire.
The wire has different circuits on a shared neutral.  This is acceptable only if the breakers for the two circuit are on a single throw switch.  If one breaker trips then they must both trip.
You didn't mention a bare equipment ground.  Ensure that everything is appropriately grounded.
Ensure that the manufacturer specifications on the fan call for a 20 amp circuit.
Is there also a switch for the fan?  You didn't mention it but unless you want it to run constantly then it will need a switch.
You mention that you believe black is 15 amp and red is 20 amp.  I can't believe the lights would require 20 amps and the fan 15.  Double check which color leads to what circuit breaker before you continue.


New fiberglass batts near HVAC ducts I have R19 fiberglass batts in my attic. There are large soft insulated HVAC ducts covering the batts in some places. I would like to put in new R30 on top of the R19. What is the proper way to install it near the existing HVAC ducts? Should it go over them, under them, or up to them?
Thank you

Those ducts are flex ducts they do have insulation in them but it is limited.
If you have enough length in the flex duct I recommend adding insulation under the duct because the flex duct is not hard to collapse.
The ducting is lightweight and although it will slightly compress the additional insulation the new insulation will work better if it can be laid continuously under the duct.
Where the duct is at the roof if you don’t have enough slack to put underneath stop right at the duct for best results.


Replacing Lighted Ceiling Fan w Fixed Light I just replaced a lighted ceiling fan with a fixed light fixture. My wall has two switches, one that controlled the fan and another that controlled the light. At the ceiling junction box, there was an off white wire, a black wire, a red wire, and the ground. My light fixture had black, white, and a ground wire. I connected the black to black, white to off white and the ground to ground. I capped the red. The light works fine when I turn it on and off but the light is now controlled by the switch which previously controlled the fan. That tells me the black wire in the junction box powered the fan previously and now sends power to the new light fixture. My question is can I keep it this way or should I connect the black fixture wire to the red junction box wire?

You explained it perfectly and yes, you can keep it that way or switch the black wire from the fixture to the red wire and cap the black. You would want the switch that's the easiest to find, in the dark, to control the light.


Need to add C wire for WIFI stat I currently have a 4 wire system and want to add a WIFI Stat which as we know needs a C wire. The current wire was an 8 strand cable so I already have the wire to hook up. I think I know where, but hoping someone is more knowledgeable on it. In the photo, where the blue and red wire are hooked, I think is the C terminal I need. Thanks in advance for your help.

Of the two lower screws on the tan panel one is already connected to your thermostat, the other one is he C terminal.  (probably the left one is C)

in a typical extra-low voltage thermostat system a transformer provides 24V AC , one terminal goes to the thermostat and the other terminal (called common or "C" ) goes to the relays and solenoids that control control the equipment,  that shiny thing looks like a 24V doorbell transformer and the tan panel is mounted over the output terminals, so the terminal with most wires is almost certainly "C"


What could be causing my three way switch to malfunction? Ok we recently moved in. There is a problem with our kitchen three way switch. I have not opened the box yet, but feel comfortable doing so, and working with a volt meter and what not.

Here is the problem. The switch that turns off the light HAS to turn it back on. Once on, either switch can now become the switch that turns off the light. That results in both toggles being down when the light is on, and of course the side that turns the light off winds up with its toggle UP.

I've put in a three way switch in the past. So I am familiar with the common terminal and the traveler terminals.

Before I attacked this, I wanted to see what you folks think.

You have a simple mis-wire somewhere. As previously stated, you need to open both switches and see how everything is wired. Get a few good diagrams of common 3-way wiring patterns and see if one is like the way yours are wired. A Google search will bring up many.
The position of the switches does NOT matter at all. What matters is identifying the feed wire, the load wire and the travelers. In many cases even colors don't matter (or at least are not consistent).


How to connect multi-strand sheathed wire? We are trying to move our electric stove to another room. However, that room does not have a power outlet that matches the stove. Therefore we want to extend the current stove cable. We want to cut the current cable in halves, and connect a new section of cable in between.

This is the cable that we want to install (AWG 8, 7 strands), what would be a good way to connect two cables of this type together?

Sounds like a bad plan.

"We want to cut the current cable in halves, and connect a new section of cable in between."

And then what? Hide the splices in a wall or under cabinets? No. Leave it on the floor or stapled to the wall? No. Run a completely new wire into the stove and get a replacement plug? Yes.

Or do it the right way and install an outlet where the stove now goes.


How do I connect the two cables entering a switch box for a light? I removed the original light fixture from the side wall which was not connected to a light switch but had a button that turned the light on and off on the fixture itself. I took the original wire in the wall and extended it further down the wall where I had made a new box for a light switch. From that new box I took a second cable and wired up the wall over the ceiling into a brand new light fixture. Now I have two separate cables at the swtich box to connect into a single light swtich. Since the single light switch has only two screws, how do I connect the double white and black cables to it?

Short answer:  in the switch box, the blacks go to the switch terminals (not the green one - that's for the bare ground) and the whites are spliced together with a wire nut or other connector.


What is the best type of underlay for vinyl flooring? I want to install vinyl flooring in my bathroom. Someone in a DIY shop told me that vinyl flooring requires hard underlay like 1/4 inches plywood. If vinyl flooring sits on top of carpet underlay, vinyl will break. Is that true, or somewhat exaggerated?

On the other hand, having to precisely cut plywood in order to make it fit the intricate shape of my bathroom floor scares me to death. How to cut rigid stuff like this anyway?

One way to work out the plywood shape is to make up a template out of heavy paper. You can open paper grocery bags out flat  for this and tape pieces together to make up the template. This can then be transferred to the plywood for making the cut lines.

Two things to consider.

Pickout where an edge seam will be for the plywood as it may very well be necessary to cut several pieces of plywood to get it possible to lay it into place.

Another thing is to remove any base boards and the toilet stool before laying in the plywood and vinyl. The vinyl is ideally placed under these items. Additionally the baseboard being re-installed means that it will cover where the plywood and vinyl do not fit perfectly against the walls.


How do I attach vertical blinds to drywall with a half inch space then a concrete wall behind it. They are heavy How do I hang vertical patio door blinds on drywall with a half in space behind it then a concrete wall.  I cannot access the concrete directly to manipulate certain screws etc.

Here's what I would do.
Make a standoff spacer to bridge the space between the concrete and drywall surface.
Make the spacer out of a piece of small PVC tube, or better, aluminum tube, say 3/8ths or 1/2" diameter at most, cut to match the distance from the concrete to the outside drywall surface.
Drill through the drywall into the concrete with a masonary drill to accept a Tapcon screw. Make sure the drilled hole is deep enough (maybe half an inch longer than the screw's reach) and work the bit in an out to clean as much dust as possible from the hole.
Enlarge the hole in the drywall to accept the spacer. Use something for a depth gauge that you can push in against the concrete and mark the drywall surface, pull it out and measure the distance, and cut the spacer to that length. Install the Tapcon through the bracket and spacer into the concrete.


Furnace blower motor starts but then starts clicking and eventually stops with a loud buzz I have a Bryant furnace with a multi-speed blower.  Yesterday I just replaced the capacitor and confirmed it is still working.  The furnace turns on fine and the blower motor starts up when expected.  About 5 minutes in you begin to hear a small clicking noise from the motor which then slowly gets louder and louder.  About 3 minutes later the buzzing gets really loud and the motor slowly stops turning and its just buzzing.  The furnace then shuts itself off.  Unfortunately I can't seem to get an amp meter in anywhere to test the draw but the issue is consistent.  There is no buzzing from the relay on the circuit board and the fan has not yet changed over from high heat to low heat.  Is the motor bad or is there something in the circuit board that is bad?  Its hard to test since the circuit board is in the compartment that the blower is in.  Thanks

The bearings need to be oil at least during your annual maintenance.....the what? Yep once a year your system needs a checkup, just like your car, it needs checked, tuned up and repaired as needed. A lot of people don't realize this. The bearings could be sealed and in that case, your motor might need professional help or replacement. If you pull the motor out, look for oiling holes that you drop oil drops into. Your furnace manual would tell or show where they are. The manual or a label on the furnace should also state the type of oil to use. I have a Carrier furace and a label on the blower housing had this info. Bryant, Payne, Carrier and Day And Night are all maufactured by Carrier Corp.


Wifi Thermostat to Reznor Garage Heater. No "C" wire connection on terminal strip I just had a 75000 btu Reznor UDAP garage heater installed.  Can I run a "C" wire for a smart thermostat if I don't have a C connection on the terminal strip?  There is a C connection on the circuit board and an unused W2 connection on the terminal strip.

There are 4 connections on the terminal strip  R, G, W1, W2.  The current thermostat is connected to the R and W1 terminals.  The G is connected to the circuit board from the terminal strip, but looks to be unused tight now.  The W2 has nothing hooked to it, i.e bare terminals.

My question is, Can I use the G terminal (since it's connected to the circuit board already) to connect my C wire up (to provide 24V power to my smart thermostat), or should I connect a wire from the unused W2 terminal and connect it to the C terminal on the circuit board, and us that to run 24V power to the smart thermostat.  Or is the heater just incompatible and I'll need to buy a battery operated wifi thermostat?

Glen.

After more carefully reading your question:

Neither G nor W1 are suitable to use as a common (C).  The C connection is there in the unit as you said, but not present on the rear terminal strip.

Based on the manufacturer schematic, it does appear that "W2" on the rear terminal strip of the single stage unit is truly not connected to anything, so you should be able to extend your "C" terminal from the interior circuit board to W2 on the rear terminal strip without any adverse consequences as you mention.   It would probably be a good idea to relabel "W2" on the rear to "C" as well.


Dimming multiple led light bulbs (parallel or in series) I'd like to install 5 dimmable led bulbs.

I'm trying to find how to connect them. But I can't get a clear answer. I can get information of the benefits of wiring leds in series/parallel but none of them mention a dimmer.

The question is if I should wire them in series or in parallel?
And does this affect what kind of dimmer I need?

Those are light bulbs.

You must connect them in parallel just like you would connect other 240V light bulbs in parallel.

You must use a dimmer intended for LED lights.


How can I bug proof walls before they are sealed up? How can I make a wall bug proof or resistant?  I know about in wall pest control tubes but I am looking for other solutions.
I fixed a wall damaged by water. I replaced the wood and drywall and I added insulation. I want to know if adding boric acid or diatomaceous earth to the wall will help reduce the number of bugs coming in my house. If I do add either how long would they last?

With modern construction I would ask for air sealing, if air cannot get out bugs can’t get in , some locations require it for energy conservation. As tight as modern houses are sealed up I would not want any products in the wall other than insulation.


How can I efficiently dig small footing holes? I am trying to dig holes that are 18" square, and 12"+ deep.

The site is mostly undisturbed soil, although there is a thin layer of topsoil or fill in some areas. The soil is glacial till, so a mix of sizes. Plenty of rocks.

I use a mattock to loosen the ground, then a shovel to, err, shovel it out and clean up the sides. I have trouble when I get close to the 12" mark, because I can no longer swing the mattock into the hole. If I need to go deeper (because I hit soft fill dirt) then I'm kinda stuck.

It's also taking a while, and I have 30 holes to dig, so I'd like to think about ways to speed things up.

For context: I'm going to fill with gravel and set pre-cast pier blocks on top.

Any suggestions?

For that size hole, I'd probably go with a Post Hole Digger.  If it's sharp and there aren't too many rocks or roots, you just shove it into the ground, pull the handles apart, and lift.

However, for the number you're going to be digging, it might be better to visit your local tool rental shop, and rent a gas powered auger.  If you can get a second person, the two person models are a lot easier to control ... you can then square it off with a shovel, and either get the last bit out by hand, or with a post hole digger.


What is the maximum voltage you can have on exposed rails? In this question, someone has a desk lamp with power totally exposed on metal parts.  You also have installed overhead lighting on open rails doing the same thing.

What does NEC say about the maximum voltage permitted on such installations?

I am interested in fixed installations (not cord-and-plug) which are readily accessible, e.g. Low hanging low-voltage lighting that you could reach out and touch.

I am also interested in the outdoor rules, because my nefarious plan is to use the racks which hold up solar panels to carry the current from the panels, so the racks become massive feeder wire that lets me keep voltage low.  Some of the panels will be on the ground.

Is the maximum voltage different for AC versus DC? If AC, does it mean RMS  (the normal way AC is measured) or peak (1.4x more)?

690.31(A) nixes your diabolical plan

Unfortunately, unless you could find a racking system specifically listed to connect the contained panels in parallel as you describe, you can't do what you're after, as 690.31(A) requires a Chapter 3 wiring method, or a wiring method explicitly listed for use with PV panels, for all PV system wiring:

  690.31 Methods Permitted.

  (A) Wiring Systems. All raceway and cable wiring methods
  included in this Code, other wiring systems and fittings specifically listed for use on PV arrays, and wiring as part of a listed
  system shall be permitted. Where wiring devices with integral
  enclosures are used, sufficient length of cable shall be provided
  to facilitate replacement.

  (1) Identification. PV system circuit conductors shall be identified at all accessible points of termination, connection, and
  splices.

  Where PV source and output circuits operating at voltages
  greater than 30 volts are installed in readily accessible locations, circuit conductors shall be guarded or installed in
  Type MC cable or in raceway. For ambient temperatures
  exceeding 30°C (86°F), conductor ampacities shall be corrected in accordance with Table 690.31(A).


Connected Garage door opener with a wall console controlling two doors I have a three car garage. I have two doors: one double door and one single door. At the moment I do not have any garage door openers. I'm looking for two garage door openers that I can operate from one wall panel. A nice to have would be having the doors controlled via the internet (webpage, phone app).

I am currently look at the Chamberlain brand. They are connected, but I can't find a single wall panel that is compatible with Chamberlain that will run two doors.

Those Chamberlain door openers are nice. There's a Chamberlain/Liftmaster 2-door wall control for the inside of your garage. I'm not aware of a 2-door keypad for the outside though.


Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun I have a Mahogany door that costs me about $700/year to keep it stained and covered in urethane.  It is in direct sun and just takes a beating.

I don't want to put a storm door on it because the storm door will just raise the temperature even further.

I am tired of the time it takes; I am tired of the money it takes.  I just going to have it painted.

I had one painter casually recommend equipment paint but did not give me a specific brand (he was not going to do the work).

I had another painter recommend Sherwin-Williams Duration Gloss.

Should I investigate further on getting the door painted with equipment paint?

I take it for $700 you are paying people to do this work.  And I gather these are garden variety handymen using random products bought at the local builder supply; when people say "polyurethane" without any qualifiers, they usually mean the Home Depot stuff.

Have you talked to marine/boat painting places?  There are a variety of products intended for marine brightwork which will perform much, much better.  Because, obviously, they operate in VERY challenging environments.

Oh, and to head off a common misnomer about marine products, "Spar" varnish is not the stuff. Spar varnish is lousy varnish which has all its best properties compromised away so it can flex without cracking, as it needs to do on spars.  If you're not regularly bowing that door 2" every time you open it, you don't need or want spar varnish.

Now if you're really, really hellbound and determined to paint that door, the products your painter was talking about are alkyd enamels.  They're not water-based, so they are stinky.  They are also illegal to apply to buildings in some jurisdictions, but there's a weird loophole that lets you buy them in quart cans.  My Sherwin Williams dealer cheerfully sells me alkyds by the gallon, but is always "out of gallon cans" and sends me out the door with four quarts.  (I actually am painting industrial machinery; I think they just don't believe me).

While you're at the boat place, you can also ask them about marine LPU.  This is a 2-component linear aliphatic polyurethane like you haven't met before; same basic stuff as Imron and what they paint airplanes with.  That stuff, I do use on architectural surfaces.  I have doors I painted 8 years ago. You can't tell I didn't paint it last week.


What would my bedroom wall switch control if not the ceiling fan or outlets? In my second floor master bedroom there is a light switch right when you enter the room.  It does not appear to control anything.  I have separately checked every wall outlet and they all work with the switch off.  There is a ceiling fan with no light that works with the pull chain when the switch is off.  There is not other overhead lighting
If I add a light kit to the fan, or install a new fan with a light, is there a chance that the wall switch could control the fan light?  Maybe there used to be a fan with light that was replaced to only be a fan - could you wire a switched fan to work without the switch?
Behind the switch:  a look into the box shows that the switch is connected with red/black wires both tested and live.  These red/black wires go up.  There are two other points wired with black and white using the same box.  One set also going up and one set going to the right.  It also appears that the power source comes into this box.  From the top of the box, left to right...red/black to switch, black/white/yellow, black/white.  Out the right side...black/white.

hard to see but this is the inside of the outlet that contains the red wire.  This outlet is furthest from the switch in the opposite corner of the room.  Red wire comes into the box, gets capped with another red wire and then exits.

All outlets in the room are checked and only one contains the red wire.  It does not connect to the outlet though.  It goes into the box, gets capped and then exits.  I have not taken the fan down yet but that might be my next step.  Thanks for the input so far.

This is inside the fan cap where a light kit can be installed.  Does this red wire coming through mean I found what has come from the switch or do I still need to get the fan off from the ceiling?
Here is the fan connection to the ceiling...

***Both red and black wires coming from the ceiling are testing hot/live when the switch is in the on and off positions

If both sides of the switch test as hot with the switch in either position, I'd give odds that the switch is supposed to control a half-switched outlet. What has probably happened is that someone replaced the outlet and didn't break the tab on the hot side. The result is that the always-hot side is also feeding the switched-hot side through the unbroken tab.

[Photo from another stackexchange post]
Check the outlet boxes, looking for a dual receptacle with both black and red wires going to the hot side but an unbroken tab. Breaking off the tab should fix the problem.


How to protect an outdoor electrical cable which can’t be buried? Last week we had an electrical point installed at the bottom of the garden (about 15m from the house). The cable runs alongside the property boundary. The electrician did not bury the cable as the weather was “so hot” that day and advised that the cable needs to be buried 50cm underground. Obviously I’m very annoyed, and that’s a separate story. I’ve started to dig out the trench where I can but have two questions:

Can the cable be left as it is (on the ground/on the ground with a protective Hard plastic cover over it) for the section where is runs under a row of conifers?

How to best protect the cable for areas where it cannot be buried (there are two trees along the boundary and so I won’t be able to dig the trench under their roots). The cable will have to come back up from their trench, over the roots, and back down).

Finally, can I check I am doing the right thing by burying what I can; putting a warning tape over it; filling in the trench; putting something like wooden sleepers down that length of garden as an extra measure/reminder that there is cabling there?
Many thanks

Was this guy an actual licensed electrician?  Was there a permit pulled for this work?  Did the building inspector sign-off on the work?
Of these questions I suspect the answer is "no" to all of them!  Even if #1 is "yes" clearly he's incompetent and/or lazy.
Anyway, what you have is unacceptable and the wire should be protected from the elements and from damage.  Simply laying it on the ground, even with some type of warning tape is not going to change that.
The line needs to be buried but before doing that you need to determine if the wire used is rated for direct burial.  If should have a "UF" designation on it.  UF wire is more expensive than non-UF types and that's what concerns me regarding your "electrician".  He cut corners on the installation, he may have cut corners on the materials as well.
Also, this type of circuit (i.e. outdoor) needs to have a GFCI breaker installed.  Where did the hookup to existing power happen?  Did he run a new circuit from the panel or did he just splice into an existing circuit?
In my opinion a license professional electrician would NEVER do such shoddy and incomplete work.  Hopefully you didn't pay this clown yet.


Running empty refrigerator Can I keep an older refrigerator, which is empty, running on the warmest setting for an extended period without worrying about smells?  Will it save considerable energy by turning it to the warmest setting?

A clean refrigerator will not smell. The air inside would be entrapped and accumulate no other odors. If not fully clean, anything inside that might decompose would not do so at a suitably low temperature. Clean is still better than cool and old, however.

There is no harm in powering off the refrigerator. One can place a magnet on the door frame to prevent complete closing, which would allow any minor odors to escape. I have a dorm sized refrigerator configured in this manner and it does not smell. The door is about 12 mm open (1/2") and when started after three years of being unplugged, cooled properly and ran normally.

You will save energy at the warmest setting but not what I would call considerable. With the door closed and not opened for extended periods, the compressor should not operate as frequently as when in use, but will operate to bring the temperature back to the dial setting as needed. Temperatures outside the refrigerator and the insulation quality comes into play for that determination.

Not a duplicate, but another post to contribute to your question:
Unplugging vs running an empty refrigerator


Does shale rock call for a larger well diameter? I recently bought a house in the western most Finger lakes, in between Hemlock, Honeoye and Canadice lakes. The house needs a new well.
I've gotten one quote so far -- $10,000 for the well and all the associated labor and supplies. It is for a 6 inch well at 140 feet. Another well driller I talked to said, because the area is mostly shale rock, I am going to need an 8 inch well. Is that true?
How does shale rock affect the diameter of a well I need? I have read online that shale can offer poor yields, which is what the other driller also suggested -- is that true as well? What kind of well do you think I should go for given my area is mostly shale?
Thanks!

WOW, a lot to digest here between the OP and comments.  Here goes:  I have to agree with Ecnerwal, there is no reason to go with an 8" casing, it would be a LOT more expensive than 6".
Drilling wells is often a crap-shoot. To minimize the risk, in my area (Western Washington State), our Dept of Ecology maintains drilling well logs for every well drilled.  These logs contain what material was removed and at what depth and the depth when water was found. You could look into it if your area maintains logs like that.
On my property I have 2 wells, about 100' apart, one is a fantastic producer, at least 40 GPM!  Not that I need nearly that much, but just got lucky.  The other well only produces about 4 GPM.
I believe that attempting to refurbish the existing well might be your best bet. Like Ecnerwal said, a low producing well can slowly feed a large water holding tank that would be pumped from into a pressure tank or even a constant pressure pump that would pump from the holding tank into the distribution system.  Constant Pressure pumps vary their speed based on demand and don't require a large pressure tank.
If I were you, I'd base my decision on any available well drilling logs in your area. Drilling a new well has no guarantees. Look at it this way: If the refurbishment of the existing well wasn't satisfactory,  but still somewhat functional and you drilled a new well, at least you'd have a backup well in case of problems with the new one.


Electrical wiring question - interconnect question i have three ventilation fans on three different circuits that are connected to a switch in each bathroom.  (One fan/bathroom)

The fans are all connected to exhaust ducts that terminates into a shared duct for my building.

I would like to put an electronic damper at the end of my duct that is opened when any one (or two or three) of the three ventilation fans are on.

Is there an electronic device that I can connect all three circuits to and it will then only pass 120v ac or 12v doc out when one or more switches are on?

There may be other ways, but I'd use simple relay logic.

Three separate relays, switched contacts wired in parallel, connected to power for damper and damper.

Each relay has a coil that controls the relay - those are connected (individually - one relay coil per circuit) to the switched circuits.

Any one circuit being on will open the damper. Two or three circuits on will leave the damper open. When the last circuit is shut down, the damper closes.


14/2 wire 2 way switch adding 14/3 wire to make it a 3 way I want to turn a 2 way switch into 3 way with 14/3 wire. I am assuming wire nut the white wires, and put the other wires on the switches.

I bought 2 3 way switches as well.

On the 14/3 cable, tape the white wire with black electrical tape on both ends. This is always-hot.

Tape the other two wires with yellow tape on both ends. These are travelers.

The reason to mark with tape is a) with white it's the law; and b) with yellow, it turns a typically very confusing 3-way box into easy mode. 3-ways are notorious for having no color codes at all, and your next 3-way might have white/red travelers.

In the existing switch box, there should be two wires on the switch.  Whichever one is always-hot is attached to the black-taped white wire from the new /3.

Next, in each box, the 2 yellow-taped wires are put on the 2 brass (yellow-ish)  screws on the 3-way switch.

In each box, there should be 1 wire left.  That goes on the black screw of the 3-way.


Can one hinge allow for a flat 180° without a gap and an offset at 90° (see drawing)? I cannot visualize how a hinge can have two pieces of wood butted together with no gap and allow one piece to sit inside the other when at 90°

Note that the underside of the wood cannot have any protrusions, so the hinge cannot go there. Also, this is 1/4"|6mm boards, so I'm planning on gluing the hinge to the wood

This feels like a solved problem, but I don't know what to look for

Cheers

UPDATE: I'm going with Jasen's answer: making the planks themselves the hinge

You could go down to your local woodworking shop and ask for a full overlay hinge for thin materials. They should point you toward a beast like this:

Looks like this closed:

Picture courtesy of https://tddhardware.com/


How can I repair a leak in my anti-siphon spigot? My outside hose pressure relief valve leaks when the water is on. It comes out near the top of the valve where it connects to the facet.

I have been unable to remove it, the set screw is shot after 18 years, I can turn it about 3/4 of a turn and that is it.

Any secrets for a quick fix without having to replace the facet.

The anti-siphon valves I installed on my outside faucets are brass and one could  drill multiple holes in the brass around the set screw to weaken it, then tear out the screw.


Remove stuck tailpipe from sink I want to replace my kitchen strainer and to do this, I'm trying to replace the tailpipe - but it's stuck. I was able to unscrew the nut all the way I believe. If you look at the picture below, you can see a little pvc on the tailpipe showing...I'm not sure what is still holding onto it.

Any advice? Thanks!

You have to remove the white PVC pipe from the strainer by removing the brass nut and pulling down on the white pipe. Once that PVC is removed you need to remove the metal nut which is shown just above the brass nut in the picture.  This will allow you to remove the sink's strainer. Good luck


Is there a reason to install anti-siphon valves and a backflow protector on the main line? The irrigation system that came with our house (looks like a DIY job) has a backflow protector on the main line and all the valves are anti-siphon. The valves are old and some of them leak so we're planning to replace them. I'm wondering if there's a reason why the valves are anti-siphon instead of inline. I've seen a few instances of this configuration on the Internet, but with no reasonable explanations.
As far as I know, our municipality doesn't have any rules requiring valves to be anti-siphon. In fact, we live in an area that can freeze overnight as late as June and as early as September, so moving to inline to get the valves underground would help make the system more resilient to freezing.

I agree it seems redundant to use anti-siphon valves in combination with a backflow prevention device. But people don't always choose these valves because they needed the anti-siphon feature. Maybe the person who chose them just doesn't like operating or maintaining valves that are underground (harder to bend and reach) in a box full of spider webs. They could have preferred the up-and-down arrangement of the above ground anti-siphon type rather than the basic inline type.
Your "authority having jurisdiction" gets to have the final word on the matter, however. Call your water supplier and ask them whether you have an accepted type of backflow prevention device and whether they require anti-siphon valves too.


Will a french drain help the runoff ditch in front of my house? Like most rural yards I have a shallow runoff ditch between the road and my main yard. Over the whole 40 ft span the ground seems to slope in a consistent direction towards a larger common ditch/creek. But there are a few 1-2 ft spans of it that flatten and hold ~1 inch of water occasionally, causing the entire span to stay saturated.

The soil in the runoff ditch is clay so it's prone to saturation anyway. I wouldn't care much except for the fact that I need to mow the grass along this area, and 2 inches of clay mud isn't conducive to that. The soil does occasionally dry, but it can also go weeks as mud, especially in the spring.

Would a smooth-piped french drain with a fabric pipe sock & gravel help this situation? The saturated area is about 40 ft long and 3 ft wide.

I'd also like to get some thicker grass to grow there to help with evaporation, but not sure how much that will help the situation.

It sounds like the grading of your ditch and/or yard degraded (pun not intended) or was never perfectly graded.

even a a berm of a few inches is enough to trap water in a puddle and saturate the soil. Especially clay.

Some time with a shovel and a laser level to grade the yard and ditch better would be more effective.

If you lack a laser level or the eye to find the high spots, you can instead mark where the puddles end and dig there to lower the soil to provide a runoff path for the water. Repeat until you have no more standing puddles after rain. Put the excess soil into the puddle itself. (pull up the grass sods first as needed)


Soldered copper vs threaded copper at shower valve I am replacing a shower faucet. The previous install soldered the copper to the shower valve but I am considering using threaded copper in case I ever need to replace it. What are the pros and cons of each type of install?

In all my years, threaded or soldered, I've never replaced a valve with the same valve, and definitely not with the threaded connections. If you think about the logistics of unthreading a shower valve to reuse the connections, you'll see what I mean.

I've come to the conclusion that the threads are for convenience of installation, not re-use.


Attic remodel with roof ventilation issues We are wanting to convert our attic space into living space. The challenge is that the rafters are 2x8 and the boards are on two-foot centers.

The last time we had the roof replaced, they added a ridge vent to improve air flow and we have soffit vents. We can't buy insulation to fit the space and if we do, it blocks any air flow after we install sheet rock to the ceiling. We are not sure what to do.

We want maximum insulation but adequate air flow.

I can add pics later if it lets me.

Thoughts?

Assuming modern 2x8s:

Purchase sheet foam insulation (you want "best" so polyiso gives the most R per inch as far as I know at present)

That's commonly available in 2 or 4 foot wide sheets 8 feet long, perhaps different or perhaps not so different in metric areas.

Trim to (measure to be sure, your roof may be less precise than would be convenient) 22-1/2" to account for "modern" 1-1/2" wide by 7-3/8" deep "2X8" on 24 inch centers. Either buy 6 inch thick sheets, or buy enough sheets to add up to 5 or 6 inches thick for this part, leaving a 1-3/8" to 2-3/8" gap for ventilation between the insulation sheet and the roof sheathing.

For best results, use another 1/2" to 3/4" full sheets of Polyiso over the face of the rafters before sheetrock to provide a thermal break.

This will cost considerably more than cellulose or fiberglass, but it has better insulation values and provides ventilation.

There are other (less expensive to install, less insulation value so more cost to own long-term) approaches, such as using ventilation baffles stapled to the roof sheathing (underside) in each bay for the ventilation, and then using "6-inch" rockwool or fiberglass - cellulose is also an option, but trickier to install - I would still suggest spending for an overall layer of foam covering the face of the rafters as suggested above. If your local retailer does not stock 24" wide batt insulation, discover the joys of online ordering, or consult a real building supplier rather than certain blue and orange retail box suppliers.


1" inch pipe connected to 3/4" pipe at meter outlet The meter outlet at the street has a 3/4 check valve.

If i am connecting 1 inch pipe to the check or back flow valve, what are the effects on flow and pressure ?

Putting in 1” will reduce pressure losses especially important with long distances from the meter to the house static pressure will not be affected . In my state 3/4 is the minimum size and 1” is recommended up to the water heater split if there is no pressure reducing valve. if You want other information, you could ask it by editing the question.


How to determine why an AFIC or GFIC breaker tripped? GFCI and AFCI breakers trip under specific conditions, unbalanced current, and a detected arc, respectively. However, they also trip under ordinary overcurrent conditions in the same way that ordinary breakers do.

When one does trip, how can you determine whether the cause was just plain old excess current or the special case for which the breaker was designed?

If you know that the toaster-and-the-teakettle-and-the-microwave were all on the same circuit at once, you have a good clue, and if you are standing in a puddle running a power tool when your GFCI breaker trips you may survive to have a clue, and possibly if you are powering a device with a non-linear load.

However, even in these cases you don't really know for certain that there was no arc or that there actually was a current imbalance.

Especially since the tripping may appear random and not intentionally repeatable, short of sophisticated analysis of your residential wiring, is there a way to at least narrow down the possibilities?

1 - Get an Electrician.

2 - Reset the breaker & turn back on, then press the Test Button or Procedure & turn it back on to rule out breaker issues. Of course, if it stays on & only trips with the Test then the circuit's expectedly good all the way around...for the moment. The overall Wiring of the circuit is very rarely defective or affected by events such as these, due to breakers. So, you can be fairly confident that the wires in the walls, floors & ceilings are still sound.

3 - Carefully & cautiously remove the Electrical Panel's cover & only visually inspect that everything of the same colors are matching everything else of the same color. Anything visually popped loose will need to be re-attached & the entire panel should be killed with the Main Breaker & all connections screwed tight or confirmed to be tight & that nothing moves when pulled upon. Then, look closer for any signs of black smoky scorch marks anywhere & then for anything being melted or discolored. If everything looks good, then gingerly replace the Electrical Panel's cover & pat it on the front only to thank it for not killing you.

4 - Switch Off the breaker & go rip out the circuit's outlets & switches to inspect those ends of the circuit. Bring a Flathead screwdriver along to remove cover plates & to physically confirm that all screws are tight & pull on all connected wires to confirm nothing's slipping. Pull out the mashed-in wires & unscrew one wire nut to confirm the wires ends were twisted together. If not then twist them & replace the wire nut until it's tight, if they were twisted then just screw the wire nut back on tightly. Repeat this for the remaining wire nuts throughout the circuit. If your outlet & switch screws don't seem to be used then replace those outlets & switches. They are friction connected & are notoriously the cause for trips & much worse, the idiots that be should've never allowed them & anyone that used them was not an Electrician. Any scorch marks or melting of anything, including wire ends will need to be removed & the outlet or switch replaced.

5 - With the power still off, check that the circuit's light fixtures & anything plugged into the circuit are visually & physically sound as best you can. Check that wire nut connections at lights are twisted together. And, look & feel plugs & plug wires for any cracks, cuts or melting, scorch marks at or above outlets & loose connections at outlets & the devices the plugs are attached to.

All of the above, of course, also applies to exterior wiring & devices. Though, these items may be more difficult to remove or disassemble. You may need to re-caulk for waterproofing, split or cracked gaskets should be replaced & loose mountings should be re-tightened.

Due to the extent of the above procedures. Consider replacing outlets, switches, light fixtures & even damaged cover plates. As an additional step in avoiding phantom trips, all outlet & switch side screws should be wrapped twice around with Electrical Tape to ensure that no-one & nothing accidentally interfere with the circuit's proper operation.


Help me choose AC model I need air conditioning (no heat; I've got hot water radiators) for the main floor of my house (around 1000 ft2).  I was offered the following models (mostly Carrier) (ordered by price, descending):

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/acheatpumps/ac/performance.shtml
and
http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/coils/fan/infinity.shtml

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/acheatpumps/ac/comfort.shtml
and
http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/coils/fan/performance.shtml

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/acheatpumps/ac/comfort.shtml
and http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/coils/fan/comfortdeluxe.shtml

http://payne.com/16seer_pa16na.html
and
http://www.docs.hvacpartners.com/idc/groups/public/documents/techlit/ss-pf4m-02.pdf

Do people here have an opinion on these models?  Since the info is scarse I'm mostly trying to guess what the differences are.  The model pairs seem to be roughly separated by $1K in price.  Are the more expensive ones simply more efficient or do they have other qualities I might need?  Is the efficiency going to really pay off quickly enough for the price difference?  Your opinions and other comments please.

Carrier is one of the better brands.  (However, most brands are pretty good these days.)

If you plan to stay in the house for years, look at systems with a higher SEER rating, as those are more efficient.  A more efficient system is generally more expensive, but it can pay for itself with lower power bills.

Units with a >16 SEER rating are eligable for a 2011 Tax Credit.  My local power company also had a rebate for high-efficiency HVAC, so look into that too.  (There may also be state and local tax credits).

Make sure the outdoor and indoor units are a matched/supported configuration, with an AHRI certificate.  You'll need that for any tax credits and rebates.

Some features to look for:

Higher end systems often have a better warranty (5 year vs 10 year).
On the outdoor unit, a two-stage compressor is nice because on moderate days the system doesn't run full blast, which is more efficient.
On the outdoor unit, a scroll compressor is quieter.  This can be nice if the outtdoor unit is next to your deck or window.  (Some units can be pretty loud.)
On the indoor unit, variable speed fans are quieter, more comfortable (they gradually speed up and slow down vs a sudden on/off), and help regulate humidity better.
A higher end indoor unit often supports a thicker air filter (e.g. MERV10 or MERV16).  Your typical 1" air filter is just some mesh over a plastic frame.  A filter like that can trap clumps of dust and hair, but not fine particles.  A higher end air filter is a few inches thick and looks like the air filter in your car.  They can trap finer particles and improve the air quality in the house.
A higher end thermostat may be necessary to fully take advantage of the features provided by your indoor/outdoor unit.  Higher end thermostats also provide fancy features like extra dehumidification, touch screens, scheduling, etc.

However, all of these features can be irrelvant if the installation was poorly done.  A top-end system can have tons of problems because it wasn't installed properly.  (e.g. The dehumidification feature can be a moot point when you find out the installer took shortcuts while wiring up the thermostat and air handler.)  Find a reputable HVAC contactor that is experienced with the brand/model of system to be installed.

Ultimately, you need the following:

A system that is sized properly for your house (tonnage/BTUs).  If the unit is oversized or undersized, you will have problems.
A manufacturer-supported combination of indoor unit, outdoor unit, and thermostat.
Properly sized ducting (both supply and return) that is insulated and doesn't choke airflow
The installation to be performed properly, in accordance with the manufacturer's reccomendations.


What technique could I use to re-color the doors, moulding, and cabinetry in my house? Our house is nearly 10 years old, and we are starting to feel that the color scheme adopted by the people that built it is starting to feel outdated.

As you can see in the pics, the flooring, doors, moulding, and the cabinetry throughout the house is all the same kind of orange color.

We are interested in replacing the flooring with something that is darker brown, but fear it wouldn't look good with the moulding that is lighter.

How could we go about redoing the coloring on our cabinets and moulding to all be in sync? Do I need to sand it all down and re-stain from there? Given how much wood there is, that would take forever!

You can go as dark as you want but once you go black, there is no going back.  There are a ton of stains on the market that specialize in staining over an existing stain.  You would have to test them out to find one you like in a recluse area of the house.

Is the job a big deal?  For sure.  You may not think your trim and floors are modern looking or trendy, but just from the few pictures they are certainly done really nice.  And that is a really big deal.  You have some really clean lines and the staining is very uniform.  I would assume that if restained that it will not look as professional.

Is it worth it?  If you truly aren't happy with it and you will be in the house a while then do it.  Are you expecting to gain equity because the house is more fashionable?   I could only see this working out if the house is very high end.  The fact is the current colors don't look bad at all and could be more fashionable in 5 years - and these colors are never out of fashion.

To do this right is just a ton of work.  Restaining is a bit easier on flat surfaces that are easier to control.  All the trim is curved with details.  Meaning it is going to take a lot more time and it will take a good deal of skill or trial/error to get it to look as good as it does now in a uniform darker color.


Rocker switch in bedroom stuck? possible obstruction? Searched the site but didn't find anything similar to my question.
I have a rocker switch for my bedroom light. Actually, there are 3 switches all side by side with one 3-opening faceplate for all 3. This morning, the middle switch just stuck - like something was blocking it. I couldn't push the bottom half at all, it was just stuck in the on position. The switch itself didn't budge at all.
Not being the fix-it-myself guy AT ALL, I was hesitant to just go and buy a new switch. I turned the power off and took off the face plate. I unscrewed the top and bottom screw a bit on the rocker switch, pulling the switch out but not disconnecting any of the wiring, and all of a sudden the rocker moved again, almost like an obstruction had freed itself, maybe a tiny piece of drywall or something? Turned power back on and everything seems fine.
Should I still have it replaced? Is it a possible there is a safety mechanism in the switch that blocked the switch from moving, and I somehow un-did the safety, allowing it to turn on/off again?Or is it more likely (and safer) that I just dislodged something that was blocking the rocker mechanism, and now that it's free, everything is fine?
Thanks!

There could have been something trapped behind the faceplate. At this point I would probably say that was the cause , However if it happens again something inside the switch is failing not really a safety issue because the plastic encases the contact set.
So go ahead and use it as long as it is switching it should be fine. If it hangs up again get a new switch turn the breaker off and swap wire(s) 1 at a time re mount and turn the power back on.


What is this, and I can pump my dehumidifier water into it? We got a dehumidifier with a water pump recently and I'm just now looking for a place to drain the water.  What about using this p trap in the middle of this pic:

I believe that brown rubber hose is an overflow pump from another appliance (I'm forgetting what, off hand).  Is there any reason I wouldn't want to set up a dehumidifier to pump about 2 gallons of water a day into that pipe?

Should be fine.  All HVAC equipment that make condensate drain into risers just like this, no need for air gap because the source of the water is not connected to the potable water system in the house.


What is going on with my central air? I have a re-occurring issue with my central air. I have changed filters, cleaned all three intake vents and even had a serviceman out on three different occasions (two separate companies).  My problem is low air pressure out of the cooling vents, and the outside line freezes up within one to two hours.  The temperature in the house is anywhere from 80 °F to 85 °F, even though the (digital programmable type) thermostat is set to anywhere from 77 °F to 79 °F.  After a couple of hours there is no change in temperature, less air pressure and a frozen line. All three serviceman say the Freon levels are good and air pressure is good, yet my home doesn't cool down.

This is becoming a costly issue with no coolness in sight. What's your suggestion?

Note: I have two adults, five kids and three dogs, and have never had this problem in any homes before.

List of possible causes and fixes:

Insufficient airflow.

You have identified this issue but not the cause.
1) Take all air filters out of the system. Give the system 30-40 minutes and see if this fixes the issue.
2) Ensure all vents are fully open.
3) Verify and/or adjust the cooling blower's air speed. WARNING: Turn the power off to the HVAC before doing that. The only way to verify or adjust the speed is to get the manual and find the table that lists the dip switch settings. Somewhere on the circuit board under the cover of your air handler there will be a tiny block of dip switches that control various things like the blower's speed for cooling and heating. A lot of shady service men will set this too low and continue to charge you for service calls. Then there is the group that doesn't even know it exists. ugh.. If you do change it set it to the middle-high setting. Usually there is low, medium-low, medium-high, and high.
Leaking freon.

You might have a tiny pin hole in the copper some where. Your service guys indicated this was ok. If you trust them then this is not the issue.
Copper tube is not covered with insulation.

Go to the box store now and get some black "pipe insulation" where the copper tubes are located and then cut it to cover the tube. This is a four minute job and will at least prevent the tube from freezing; which can damage your system by the way.
You condenser coils are ineffective because they are full of debris like grass and dirt.

The condenser is the big unit outside and if its clogged with dirt it will not allow the freon to release its captured heat from your house. You can fix this yourself by either spraying the coils with a water hose or by renting a pressure washer that allows you to add soap to the water slowly. This happened to me last year because of grass clippings and dirt build-up and this can happen to anyone regardless of the age of the HVAC system.
1) Make sure you spray from the inside out. You must take the cover that holds the fan off and the shroud/cage off too. Why? Because if you spray from the outside towards the inside your just pushing the debris further into the coils possible lodging it in there forever.
2) If you go for the pressure washer DO NOT get too close with the nozzle. If you put too much pressure on the coils they will fold and you'll ruin your unit. Pressure washers come with various sized nozzles and you should use the biggest nozzle first and if it isn't working then move your way down to the next smallest nozzle. Bigger nozzle = less force. Either way you need to get some soap mixing with the water at a good pressure in order to clean the coils. Its best if you take the shroud off so you can get to every square inch of the coils.
Your compressor or fan is not turning on.

1) Check the wires that run to your unit. A lot of times there is no cable management for these wires and they are just dangling in the elements as they run from your house's foundation to the unit. They can easily be cut by a weed-wacker. Re-connect/solder if this is the case. Make sure you use some heat shrink tubing to protect the connection from the elements.
2) Your relay switch is broken. Lots of times small critters crawl into the relay and get electrocuted when the relay kicks in causing a small explosion that's powerful enough to crack and melt the plastic relay and the metalic parts just enough that it stops functioning. The easiest thing to do there is get a replacement. Service guy should have already checked this but who knows if yours did..
3) Your compressor has failed. Seek professional advice.
4) The fan has failed. Seek professional advice or look at potential wiring issue.