Timer needed on bathroom vent fan? Does the International Building Code (IBC), or International Residential Code (IRC) require a timer on bathroom vent fans? (I realize all code is local, but just trying to get the standard rule.)

IRC - 2006

Requires bath fans only if no operable window.
Bathroom ventilation can operate intermittently at a minimum of 50 cfm or continuously at a minimum of 20 cfm, the same as 62
Bath fans must meet the design airflow either through on airflow either through on site testing or using their certified rated flow at 0.25” water column.
Bath fans must be rated at 3.0 sones or less or be replaced by a pickup grille for a remote fan.

Also I don't think the IRC has had any major updates in this area since this 2006 publication.  So no mention at all in the IRC of timers.

However...

On the west coast especially right now it is all about energy efficiency.  They want everything on timers and dimmers.  We did two houses in Oregon last spring and the inspector mentioned the timers we had on our fans.  (I have put timers on bathroom fans for at least 10 years as my "cheap" install)  So he tells us it is code but that he has been passing some without, given they promise to upgrade to this.  He shot me a link and I will throw in a quote that should answer your question:

  Controls:

  The code now requires that intermitte nt fans be controlled by a
  dehumidistat, timer or similar means of automatic control. This
  requirement can be found in Section M1507.4. A light switch
  controlling both the fan and light is not considered an automatic mean
  s of control, and is no longer allowed in rooms containing a bathing
  fixture. It is speculated that the use of a 30 minute or 60 minute
  spring-wound wall switch timer will be the predominate means of
  controllin g the typical bath fan system under the 2008 code. Some
  folks are confused by the language “.....o r similar means of
  automatic control.” The intent was not to have the fan come-on
  automatically, but to shut-off automatically. When using a
  dehumidistat, the humidly percentage is set by the user, and when the
  humidly level reaches that set point the fan will turn on
  automatically and run until humidity levels dr op below the set point.
  The same applies to a spring- wound timer, the intent is to have the
  user manually set the timer to shut-off sev eral minutes after they
  have left the room. This new code language is not expected to cu re
  all moisture related problems associated with a bathing facilities
  because it still requires participation from the occupants of the
  home, but it’s a good start. Although a minimum and/or maximum
  duration for the timers was not specified in the code, it is
  recommended that a minimum 30 minute or maximum 60 minute timer be
  used. The use of longer duration timers is not recommended since there
  is no need for the fan to run for hours after the user leaves the
  area. The 30 min./60 max. numbers were discussed during the code
  review process and this was the recommendation of the code change
  committee.

  What’s an example of “.....or similar means of au tomatic control”?
  One example might be a motion detector/sensor which turns on when it
  senses moveme nt in the room and stays on for a period of time after
  movement has stopped. This method is frequently used successfully to
  activ ate lights in commercial bathrooms, and there’s no reason it
  couldn’t be used for residential bath fans too. The intent of this
  language was not to limit the activation of the fan to a timer or a
  dehumidistat, but to allow for some design flexibility and allow the
  use of new technologies.

I think if I remember you are in NY.  I do most of my work in IL/MO.  I doubt the energy conservation codes have passed through in our areas yet.  But... they are coming and it is a good thing.  If you want exacts this will probably be a state by state resolution and then you have to have someone locally enforcing it.  So to answer your question is it code?  Yes and no.  Should it be standard now for anyone doing an install?  Yes.


How to hoist hot tub out of surrounding deck? I need to raise a hot tub out of the deck in our back yard to address a critter problem (rodents have been living underneath so I need to clean it and critter-proof it.) The deck seems to have been built around the hot tub and it doesn't seem possible to disassemble the deck in a non-destructive way, so I'd like to hoist the hot tub directly upwards. Currently there is 23" of hot tub above the deck and 20" below the deck, resting on concrete. There is maybe 2" of clearance between the sides of the hot tub and the deck.
What I have in mind is to build a gantry crane similar to this gentleman's, rent two half-ton chain hoists to hang from the crane on either side of the hot tub, then raise it up and support it with wood braces or cinder blocks while I work on it, or possibly flip it on its side on top of the deck. Afterwards I would use the hoists to lower it back into place.
Because I'm hoping not to have to do this again, I'd like to avoid investing too much in disposable lumber and hardware. I was thinking of using 4x4s for the vertical posts, 2x6s for the horizontal support at the top, and 2x4s for the diagonal supports. To secure these pieces together I would use lag bolts with washers and nuts.
Does this plan make sense? I have fairly limited woodworking experience. What size of bolts would be sufficient? I was thinking 1/2" but they are somewhat expensive and I expect may be overkill. Here are a couple drawings of what I have in mind (front and side view):

Edit 1:
Here is a photo of the hot tub with some of the surrounding deck boards removed:

I am guessing the hot tub weighs something like 800 lbs, plus or minus 200.
The double 2x6 support resting on top of the tub in the picture above was slid out of the hangers built in to the deck; I imagine it was built that way to allow for easy access to the motor on that side. The other joists surrounding the tub are not easily removable. If I'm unable to lift the tub out I think I would need to disassemble and rebuild that entire portion of the deck which is about 14x14' including several steps.
To connect the tub to the hoist I was thinking of using screw eyes in the wood at the base of the tub. I haven't really figured that part out yet, so my drawing is a bit misleading.
Another consideration: I don't know if I will be successful at critter-proofing the thing on my first attempt, which is partly why I'd like to build a reusable crane in case I need to do this again 6 months from now (as opposed to destroying and rebuilding the deck multiple times)
Edit 2:
Some more photos:

I'd be cautious building something like this with limited woodworking experience. Typical framing like this would have 1/2" bolts and your rough sketch is similar to other stable gantries.
I see this a lot in Florida where people have partially below grade hot tubes and need to raise them for drain and piping replacement. Renting a gantry seems to be the popular way to do this. Some with wheels on the base allow you to move it out of the way to do your work. See picture below. This might save you some time and keep you from having to build one yourself.

I have no business interest in any rental companies.


Can you shorten class B water heater vent pipe? New gas hot water heater is 5" taller than old (of course the same size would be too easy).Flex water and gas lines -no problem; but the class B ( double wall ) exhaust vent is ? Can it be cut? How? I need to remove 5". There is an 18 " straight run ( no joints) up into the attic, and straight up through the roof; very simple layout. At the bottom ,it has 2 adjustable elbows to connect to the heater, they can't reasonably be cut. It is near the side of the house so the attic clearance is about 18" at the vent so I don't want to work there if possible. The vent is nominally 3" , actual O.D. about 3.5 "

The short answer is no. B-vent cannot be cut.

But there is hope. You don't have a joint in the straight run but you do have two 90s

This shows a B-C adapter with a C vent 90

C vent isn't actually a thing, it's just what people called regular venting.

Everything below the B-C adapter is fair game you could potentially remove the B vent 90s attach the B-C adapter to your straight run and then use C vent the rest of the way. C vent 90s are smaller and easier to work with. You can even trim up to the rivet to buy some space.

Without a picture it's hard to say what will work but there are 12" flexible sections of B vent available.

12" B vent flex

www.amazon.com

Unfortunately they are proprietary. You would have to match it. But 1 12" flex could buy enough space if you replaced the two 90s with it. (again pictures would help.)

The last tactic in the arsenal is pushing it up through the thimble. This will require going on the roof.

B-vent chimneyHart and cooley

Before you push it up (if necessary) you will need to make sure there are no screws going through the flashing into the B vent (you don't want to disturb your flashing) they might be hiding under the storm collar. The firestop (if equipped) may also have screws in it. That would pose a problem. They would also need to be removed. Once it's pushed up reattach the storm collar back just above the flashing.

Hopefully method number one works. You may need to do a combination of all three.


Can I use compression connections on rigid "L" copper? I'm running 1/2 inch "L" copper to plumb my bathroom. I was intending to use the same pipe for the risers and stubs, which will connect to shutoff valves with compression fittings.

I was going to use the standard Brasscraft valves available from HD. Someone told me that I can only use these types of valves with "M" copper.

Is this true? Should I buy some M pipes just for the stubs?

Compression style stops work the same on Type M and Type L, they both have the same outside diameter (O.D., 5/8").

Type M is thinner walled and (IMO) substandard. It is cheaper for a reason, you should use Type L.

As a sidebar: it seems you are familiar with soldering since you are plumbing the bathroom yourself, so why would you use compression (or "Sharkbite") connectors? It will just set you up for difficulty when (not if) the stops start to leak-by later on and you have to replace them. Solder male adapters to your stub-outs and use thread-on stop valves.


How might I attach pieces of lumber between two garage ceiling joists for the larger goal of mounting a punching bag to the lumber? I'm extremely new to home improvement and am seeking some input from people far more experienced than myself on the following project. In short, I want to install a punching bag in my garage. The bag (see here) itself will be attached to a Spider Mount (see here). And the mount will be attached to three or so pieces of lumber (that I'll need to purchase) that will be nailed between two ceiling joists/ties (not sure of the terminology) in the garage.
How do you suggest I go about installing the lumber between the two joists?
Here's a picture of the two ceiling joists in the garage where I'll hang the bag. The joists measure 1 1/2" thick and are 5 1/2" wide. The span from one joist to the other is 49". Please note the the covering over the joists is not the garage ceiling—it’s just plywood the previous occupant used for storage. I won’t be drilling into this plywood or the garage ceiling. I’ll only be adding to the two joists pictured.

My inclination is to install three pieces of lumber in between the two joists. I’d then attach the Spider Mount in the center of the three pieces of lumber. I’m thinking that each of the lumber pieces would be 3” thick x 5” W x 49” L. I could get these cut for me at my local Ace’s lumber yard. The Spider Mount measures 13 1/2” W x 17 1/4” L. The unit comes with four 3/8” x 2.5” lag bolts for mounting, so I’m assuming the pieces of lumber need to be thick enough (such as 3”) to suit the lag bolts.
Here's a sketch of how this would look:

Once the lumber and Spider Mount are in place, I’d hook the 80-lb. bag to the mount.
So that's the general idea. My primary question to the forum is, "How should I install the pieces of lumber to the joists?"
Which wood should I use, and of which dimensions?
How to go about the drilling? Which size for the drill bits and screws?
Should I incorporate joist hangers to reinforce the lumber to the joist joists?
Clearly, I’m very new to this type of work so the more description people can offer the better. I appreciate it!

You'd have to install some more supports to your framing in order to prevent damage to the existing framing members. I'd also suggest mounting the Heavy Bag as close to a wall as possible rather than mid-span.
The ceiling joists will be carrying most of the weight and jolts. The ideal support would include a vertical supporting member under each joist and between the heavy bag. But this may not be convenient or appropriate. The (3) 2x6 boards in you picture should be installed to the joists 'on edge' and not on their 'face' (flat). They'll be able to hold greater stresses and weight.
The instructions don't mention this but it is shown in the web sites picture which shows it mounted to 2x10 joists.
I would think at a minimum you'd should sister in (2) new ceiling joists, one to each of the existing joists; spanning wall to wall. Than bridge between them with a doubled cross piece spaced for the size of your spider hanger. Also some single pieces of bridging spaced at appropriate intervals would be wise. Use 3x9 inch deck screws to join all lumber.


Requirement for splicing neutrals in a switch I am going to install 4 LED downlights on a 3-way switch.   My plan is to do panel-switch-switch-lights...  similar to this image

I will be using THHN inside conduit from panel to first switch, and from first switch to second switch.   My question is do I need to splice the neutral in the first switch box, or can I just make it a continuous run from panel - through first switch box - spliced to NM-B in second switch box?
Alternatively, is it good practice to splice here (provides future capability) or bad practice (unnecessary point of failure)?

If your splices are failing, that is a technique problem.  A competent wire-nut splice should be reliable.

It doesn't matter legally, you can either leave zero spare length, 18" of spare length so you can splice to it if needed, or actually fit a splice.  You always have the option of running a replacement wire if needed since it's conduit -- that's why it's legal.


Parallel connected LED lights -last one is dimmer, why? I have 3 Lutron LED recessed lights (9W) with individual driver each(came with the lights) connected in parallel and wired to a Lutron dimmable compatible switch.

For some reason when switch is set to full dimm mode and turned on, the last LED is not coming on. When it's set to anything a bit brighter than full dimm it comes on but slightly dimmer. The first 2 lights are working great.

When I start on full power and then go all the way down to full dimm the third light stays on but also slightly dimmer.

When turning off on medium dimm level, the first 2 lights go off immediately and the last one takes a bit to turn off. As if it's continuing to use residual electricity or something :/

Lights are feeding from receptacle which is on 15A circuit.

The connection is as follows:

What could be the cause for this behavior?

Not all mains powered LED lights are compatible with all types of dimmers. And when you do happen to get a proper LED compatible dimmer with dimmable LED bulbs/drivers it is not uncommon for not all of the lights to work exactly the same.

If you were to swap the positions of two of the LED bulbs/drivers that you have installed you will most likely see the aberrant behavior of the one LED (like your last one of three) move with the bulb/driver and not be related to the position in the circuit. There are a couple of good reasons for this:

The amount of energy used by each LED bulb/driver is so small that there is not going to be any appreciable voltage drop along the typical 12AWG wiring that is used to hook up a string of three lights. That of course assumes that all the wire interconnections were made with really good quality wire nuts and good workmanship so as to eliminate a high resistance connection.
The circuitry used in each LED bulb/driver is not going to be a precision designed circuit with carefully tuned behavior with respect to how it reacts to the chopped AC voltage waveform produced by the dimmer unit. Unfortunately the circuits used in LED bulbs/drivers is typically produced in a way that keeps cost to a minimum. This will result in the various bulbs/drivers having different thresholds of chopped AC waveform where they will come on or turn off.

The best advice, if the behavior that you are seeing is too annoying, is to swap in additional LED bulb/drivers until you find a set that all operate to your satisfaction. This need not be an issue having to purchase extra LED bulbs/drivers because in many cases of converting a home from the older incandescent lighting to the energy saving LED lighting you will have some lighting circuits that only have a single light position. You can place units that didn't play well in a group at these locations. And in some cases if the dimming behavior of some units is objectionable you can choose to equip those particular lighting circuits with full on/full off switches instead of dimmers.

I have recently done a 100% conversion of my house over to Lutron smart switches and smart dimmers. I have experienced first hand results of how various LED bulbs and some light fixtures that drivers+LEDs react to being controlled by a dimmer. In several cases I veered away from using a smart dimmer in favor of using a smart on/off switch for the reasons mentioned above. I also experienced some LED bulbs that gave out distinct noise when operated at a dim setting and so replaced those with newer LED bulbs that had a better dimmer compatibility. (This latter has occurred because some lighting positions were changed to LED bulbs a few years ago when regular manual flip toggle switches were in use and the earlier bulbs were just not as dimmer compatible). And finally in some lighting fixtures where there are multiple low wattage bulbs the decision is to stay with incandescent bulbs because of the desire for all the bulbs to exhibit uniform behavior when power to that fixture is controlled by a dimmer. I have not yet addressed two multi-bulb fixtures that use halogen bulbs. These work nicely with the smart dimmers but eventually I will want to look at converting those over to energy saving LEDs. I may be looking at having to do fixture replacement if I end up having problems with multiple parallel halogen->LED replacement bulbs. In that case the most viable solution will likely be a new fixture that uses multiple low voltage LEDs that are sourced from a single driver.


Can solid offset blocks be used to build a retaining wall in excess of 5'? We need to build a retaining wall near our pool area.  We have not made final decisions on it, but it will be a minimum of 4' tall, and possibly 5' or more.

Many online tutorials recommend solid blocks with a back lip for walls up to 6'.  These blocks don't require mortar or additional supports, and the lip makes placement very quick and easy.  So I would love to use them.

However, when viewing these products on the websites of the two major home improvement retailers, the official response on all has been that these blocks should not be used for walls in excess of 2'.  Said responses have also stated that any wall in excess of 2' tall should be engineered.  So I'm unsure if they're saying their blocks cannot be used in a wall taller than 2', or if they're saying that they may work but are unwilling to take liability for that claim due to potentially poor installations.

So can these offset blocks be used to build a 4' - 6' tall wall if the wall is properly designed and constructed?  Or would cinderblock with rebar supports be required?

Project Details

In case these details are relevant:

This wall will sit just off of our pool area patio, where there is currently a steep slope up to a gentle-sloping side yard
The wall will likely be around 15' long, with a max height around 5' at one end and a height of 3' at the other end (the yard being held back is lower over there).  There will be stairs at the short end leading up to the side yard
I plan to dig 6" down for the first row of blocks, set on paver base
I was not planning to pour concrete around the bottom row, but can if necessary.
I plan to backfill behind the wall with 3/4" gravel over a 4" drain pipe, all enclosed in landscape fabric, with 3" of topsoil on top.  Gravel filled and compacted after each row of blocks.

There is another and better choice than solid blocks with lips and cinder blocks with rebar. Look at both Keystone and Versa-Lok (versalok.com/products/residential-commercial/standard). These are concrete blocks with heavy fiberglass-epoxy pins which hold the courses together. There are other similar systems now which may be cheaper than Versa-Lok and may be adequate for a wall 4 ft or 5 ft above grade.

Thirty years ago we got a retaining wall built on the downhill side of our lot, wrapping around back until the top of the wall reached grade.  The height is 4 blocks or 32" giving a max height above grade of 28".

The contractor used Keystone "compact units" about 44 lb each. The Keystone blocks are held together with stout fiberglass epoxy pegs and have four holes on top for two pegs (and two holes on the underside) giving a choice of two different offsets per course, about 1" and about 2". This was somewhat overkill for this wall, but it certainly has not shifted. I did not want the possibility of blocks on top ever getting loose and falling on a child or a dog.

I think Versa-lok has some features that make installation easier and result in a very strong and long lasting wall which is easier to build. For example Versa-Lok has slits in the top of each block into which a special gripper is inserted to allow carrying and positioning of the blocks with no need to have fingers in danger.


How to clean brush after polyurethane? I used a brush to apply polyurethane on some trim work. I tried cleaning it thoroughly with paint thinner after but still got poor results--the brush bristles would stick together and the brush was unusable. I also heard mineral spirits and acetone may work. Should I try something else or are brushes pretty much done after a single use?

I have had trouble cleaning them with everything and had the same problem,  until I found a jar large enough to put the brush in filled to the bristle level with thinner keeping it tightly sealed. (I do clean them prior to putting in the jar).
When I need them take out shake dry and they work like new brushes for months without being used or when I have a project that gets a new coat every day for a week. (I find the higher quality brushes provide the best coverage so I hate to toss them with just 1 use)


What is this external telephone wire cover called? What is the correct term for this external telephone wire cover? I have searched for external telephone cover and similar terms but can't see one to order.

It was once a brand name (and still is) but you'll often hear covers of this sort called Wiremold, which also describes the rectangular wiring cover below the box. In my years of cable television, I've probably seen dozens of different designs of telephone covers. I would expect that you may not find an exact match, unless you happen across new-old-stock somewhere.

My quick Google search shows that even Google considers Wiremold to be a generic term for plastic wire routing covers, typically surface mounted.

Most of the US telephone companies combine the cover with the demark with terminology to indicate that it's the "consumer interface module" or similar wording.

Because it's low voltage wiring, it's also unlikely that your zoning codes have specific requirements. You should be able to find something to your liking in a big box store or online, searching wiremold telephone cover.

I found this on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/OUTDOOR-CABLETEK-ENCLOSURE-UTILITY-CABLE/dp/B00BMVV758/ref=pd_sim_60_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z9AMC9Q9J088Q2ZD1K1J


Should there be a screw securing the main breaker in my electrical panel? I'm trying to find the breaker to switch off a light fixture to install ceiling fan. I've tried all but the ones dedicated to ac, furnace, dryer etc. I decided to switch off the main and encountered this. Is this safe? Can I switch the main safely?
Thanks!

Yes, that screw needs to be there.  No, it won't mess up switching off the main.

Your electrical panel uses a backfed main breaker configuration.  This works fine, considering the main breaker is always going to be a regular breaker and thus rated for backfeed (GFCIs and AFCIs have LINE and LOAD terminals as they are not backfeedable).  However, this invokes NEC 408.36(D) in order to keep the main breaker from coming out and exposing someone to live mains when they pull the deadfront off:

  (D) Back-Fed Devices. Plug-in-type overcurrent protection devices or plug-in type main lug assemblies that are
  backfed and used to terminate field-installed ungrounded
  supply conductors shall be secured in place by an additional fastener that requires other than a pull to release the
  device from the mounting means on the panel.

The screw you see is that "additional fastener" the Code requires.  It won't mess up switching off the main breaker, either, as the handle OFF position is a mirror image of the handle ON position, roughly.


Can the neutral for a spa circuit be tied to either the neutral on a return leg or ground? I am in the process of adding a pool heater.  240V (60A breaker/40A max load/3 wire)
I also want to put this in a GFI.  I have a SquareD/homeline box, which does not offer 60A GFCI breakers.  So, I purchased a spa disconnect to place outside (in addition to the standard 60A breaker in the panel)
However, the run out there is pretty long - about 215'.  So, I don't want to pull an extra neutral wire just for the hell of it.  (I'm running 4ga wire to the heater due to the length of the run). From what I understand, 6GA wire would have been sufficient for the 40A max load and that length)
The GFCI that I got looks like it requires a connection to neutral.  So, I can do things one of two ways.

Spa disconnect in basement at panel, and wire up the heater direct.  I'd rather not do this - I'd rather have the disconnect outside if possible.  However, I know that I can fall back on this.  This would (at least) shorten the length of the wire needed between the panel and the GFCI.

Spa disconnect outside.   I do have some spare neutrals out there already (for accessory power, pump power, and chicken coop power... 2x20A AFCI/GFCI breakers running over 8ga wire..

Question A
Can I tie the neutral on the spa panel GFI to the neutral on one of the 20A return legs?  Would this cause issue with the GFCI/AFCI function of on the main panel?  I assume that the neutral wire is ONLY used as a reference - so I shouldn't be adding any real current to the return
Question B
Can I tie the neutral on the spa panel GFI to the return ground?  Technically, both are tied to the same bus bar in the main panel.   (my question remains the same with the neutral in the GFI outside being more of a reference, and not really responsible for any "real" current needs)

The answer to both A & B is NO.
The only place the ground and neutral can be tied together is in the main panel if under the NEC.
There is a 3rd way pull 4 wires.
Not wanting to pull a 4th wire would be a very shaky legal defense if someone bootlegs a ground and there is an injury.
If you only power a 240v load a neutral is not needed and that 3rd wire can be your ground but no tying neutral and ground together.


36-70V stray voltage from switch box? Today I wired in a new LED utility light in my work room. The light I replaced (wired by a former home owner) was a typical bulb hung from an electrical junction box light bulb cover.

The box from which the old bulb hung serves as the junction for the light, a switch for the light, the furnace, and an electrical outlet.

The light switch has a single cable from the junction box, and within the junction box the light bulb was connected in parallel with neutral coming from the switch (so in fact, the neutral from the switch is actually "hot"). So question #1: is this a bad way of wiring? I disconnected the old bulb and wired my new light in the same fashion.

While examining my work for safety's sake, with the light on, my multimeter read ~70VAC from the surface of the switch box to the junction box. With the switch turned off, my multimeter read ~36VAC. Upon closer examination I noticed that the ground from the cable to the switch box was cut short and not attached to the junction box.

I opened up the switch box - the single cable that comes in has black and white on one pole each, and ground attached to the box. It doesn't look like there's anything frayed or otherwise amiss.

Can someone help me understand why there's voltage between the switch box and junction box, and whether I'm in danger? I'm on my way out now to pick up supplies to redo all of this because it's a bit of a mess. I intend to combine the outlet and light switch if I can find the right supplies.

Update (pictures):
As requested, here are some pictures. I just picked up some supplies to redo all of this. But I'm still curious about the stray voltage.

Digital multimeters, like older VTVM's, have very high input impedance and can measure tiny currents picked up through capacitance with an adjacent wire. Just touching one probe while grounding the other with a finger often shows such capacitive AC pickup. If that is the only source of the reading, then it's insignificant, not a safety issue.

To confirm that there is no issue, put a 100 kΩ or so resistor across the probes to provide a small load (about 1 mA at 100 VAC) while measuring the voltage. Leakage of 1 mA would not be a shack hazard, but still should be less than a few volts.


How to re-attach old bathroom floor tiles Many of the old tiles on my bathroom floor are simply coming loose. See the attached photo. The land-lord is not prepared to replace them with new ones and I can't afford to do that myself, so I am looking for a relatively simple/newbie way to re-attach them to the concrete that lays beneath.

In plain English, I need to know what glue/adhesives/products to use, what steps to take and any mistakes I should avoid.

Those tiles did not adhere properly for one or more of several reasons: inadequate substrate preparation, inadequate or improper adhesive, adhesive not used correctly, etc.

My opinion is: not enough adhesive was used to bond the tiles. Also, the concrete may not have been made completely smooth and clean prior to installation.

There are two basic ways to bond that tile to concrete, the most common method is thin-set mortar (a cementitious tile adhesive), the second would be a pre-mixed tile adhesive sometimes called mastic.

You should:

use a putty knife or margin trowel to assess how well all surrounding tiles have bonded (pry up just a bit, gently) and remove any additional tiles that are not properly bonded, as these will be likely to come loose soon if they hav not already.
scrape all remaining adhesive and anything else from the concrete with a razor scraper, then wash concrete clean and let dry.
remove as much old adhesive from the back of the tiles as you can (this will be difficult, especially since the tiles appear to be so small); if you have new matching tiles available then use those instead.
install the tiles, following the directions for your chosen adhesive carefully (I would probably use the mastic because you will have a better chance of getting the tiles level with the surrounding field). I cannot tell how large those tiles are because there is nothing for scale in the picture, but it looks like mosaic so if it is and there are specific instructions for mosaic on the adhesive package, follow that.
grout only after waiting appropriate time recommended on adhesive instructions.


How do I repair this hole in my ceiling? So I did something stupid and I screwed up my den ceiling:

For scale, the hole itself is about 3-4 inches long, but the overall damaged area is about 9 inches in diameter.

It's hard to see, but it looks like there is about 1 inch worth of layers of plaster (?) and what looks like cardboard.  The ceiling has a texture to it that I would also like to preserve.

What materials do I need, how do I go about repairing this, and how do I get that textured look?

I would cut out the area of the hole to a rectangular shape past where the broken plaster exists. If you are very close to a ceiling joist then cut that side right even with the edge of the joist. Next take pieces of pine 1x3 or 1x4 boards and place them up in the ceiling overlapping the edge of the hole. Use dry wall screws to secure the boards through the existing drywall. If there was a ceiling joist by one side then screw the 1x3 flat against the side of the joist so that it makes a 3/4 inch overlap into the rectangular opening. The next step is to cut an appropriate sized piece of new drywall that will fit into the opening. A really tight fit is not necessary. Screw the drywall piece to the already installed pine boards so using more drywall screws.

(Note: Do not try to use drywall nails for any of this. It will create a bigger problem than you already have.)

After the drywall is installed use some of the drywall tape that is an screened mesh with sticky glue on one side. Cut lengths of the stuff and stick it to over the seam edges around the sides of the rectangular area that you had cut out. This mesh tape is typically 1.5 inches wide and I like to put one strip centered over the seam and then run two more, one on each side of the seam so that you get about 3 inches of total mesh coverage to the ceiling material around the hole.

The next step is to use pre-mixed drywall mud and a wide mudding knife to cover over the seams with layers of dry wall mud. I use 6", 8" and 12" wide tools to permit wide feathering of the mud out onto the ceiling over the joint area. The key trick to the mudding process is to not get carried away putting it on too thick. Use thin applications and let dry each coat. If you trowel it in smoothly each time you can really cut down on the amount of sanding you have to do at each coat of the mud. Another two secrets, vacuum and wipe all dust off the patch area after sanding before going to the next steps, and secondly work with the mud from a separate rectangular mud tray instead of the mud bucket. You want to keep the mud supply clean and not let any dry particulate get into the bucket. Any left over in your mud tray should not be returned to the bucket as it likely has junk in it and will lead to misery later!!.

Once you have the patch nicely mudded in and feathered out so that it looks good from the floor as being flat and even it is time to address the texture issue. You can buy cans of spray on texture material but I have had only moderately successful results with them. I have had far better luck with using a 4" paint roller with a very high napp roller. Thin down some drywall mud in a paint tray and then roll it onto the ceiling over the patch area. Note it takes very little water to thin the mud and must be very well mixed. You will have to experiment with the thinned mud consistency, roller napp type and rolling technique. I have found that if you roll out onto the existing textured ceiling you can blend in the patch area very well even if the paint roller applied texture looks somewhat different from the existing texture. Two other tools can be applied to modify the texture as well, a wall paper glue application brush and a large natural sponge.  Once the texture has dried apply a coat of primer paint and check the result. If more texture is needed or more blending is needed then reapply mud and paint again.

These pictures show views of the proposed 1x4 pine board framing added around the periphery of a patch cutout hole. The first picture shows looking up at the opening in the ceiling. The second picture shows the view from above the ceiling in the attic area. Note that the edge of the hole has been cut along side of a ceiling joist on one side of the opening.


How should I connect this HVAC replacement motor? I have an old GE central heat and air unit. I have gotten a universal motor to replace the old fan/blower motor. The wire colors don't match up. The unit has white, blue, yellow, and black. The motor has the two brown to capacitor, red, white, yellow, blue, and black. I need help making them work.

Is this  a belt drive or direct drive motor? If you look on the motor there should be a wiring schematic/diagram. If it is a direct drive, the colors  determine the shaft speed or the RPM. Usually, Black is high, Blue is medium high, Yellow is medium low, Red is low. Or Red and Yellow could be interchanged. White is the neutral. look on the motor or wiring cover plate. The unused wire is taped off  Yours is probably; black to black, blue to blue, furnace yellow to red or yellow, and white to white. Tape off the last wire. However check the wiring schematic just to be sure. If it a belt drive you will need a wiring schematic. Is the motor a single speed or multi speed? If you are not sure how to hook up the motor seek professional help.


Would upgrading hot water radiator heating result in much better efficiency? My wife and I are thinking about buying a funky old house where we live, in southern Ontario, and trying to prioritize upgrades. There's a lot of knob and tube to replace -- top priority -- and some old iron plumbing stacks that will probably be second tier.

Third tier gives us lots of options, but nothing mission critical like the wiring or the plumbing. One strong contender is replacing the hot water rads, which are all those old baseboard "public school" style -- large metal boxes with dials on the front -- and seem to be several decades old, at least. The boiler system seems to date from 2002 and has been inspected annually and seems to be, on cursory inspection, in good shape.

The question is obviously if there's a huge efficiency gain in upgrading them. The utility bills (for the gas-heated boiler, plus electricity) from the previous tenants seem high, but they're also fairly wealthy and quite elderly, so they may have just kept the place jacked to 80 degrees all year round without much thought to consequences. Windows are about 80% upgraded, so there's work to be done there as well, but I'm mainly wondering if replacing baseboard hot water rads with new models is a "pays for itself" upgrade or mainly an aesthetic choice.

EDIT: Here's a not dissimilar picture to what we're looking at: this style, but twice as deep (it extends twice as far from the wall), and with a knob in the middle of the vents. I've assumed the knob opens/closes some sort of valve, or controls something with the vents, but I cheerfully acknowledge that I really don't know exactly what's up with these.

Why is knob and tube top priority to replace? It's quite safe if left alone. You only need to replace it in visible areas: the stuff behind the wall doesn't need replacing.

You might want to add some circuits in certain rooms, but you don't have to remove the old ones.

No upgrading the radiators (from your description they don't sound like baseboard heaters) will not increase efficiency. Forget about "huge efficiency gain" - it's doubtful you will have a gain at all.

What might increase efficiency (somewhat) is balancing them. An old house like that probably has only one zone, so you need to adjust the settings on each radiator so that the house is balanced - that some rooms do not end up hotter than others.

This can take a long time to do. To start with, do nothing - someone might have already done it for you. Then see if the rooms without the thermostat are hotter or colder than the one with. If all the rooms are hotter/colder, then adjust the radiator near the thermostat the opposite way.

Now that you have it mostly set, start adjusting each room based on the temperature. Wait like a day between each change and be aware the correct setting may vary based on the outside temperature, which is annoying, so you'll just have to find some reasonable midpoint.

If you want to upgrade anything it should be the insulation on the house.


What gap from water heater to ceiling? I am mounting a new large (150L) water heater inside a bathroom. What gap should there be between the top of the device and the ceiling? Some concerns:

heat retention instead of being transferred to the neighbours above
an unenclosed shower(-head) is located 1.3m away; so the lower the heater, the more water spray
space underneath.

My current bet is 0.2m from appliance to ceiling.

There should be minimum clearance specifications in the installation manual, so you should consult that. Anything else mentioned here is speculation.
You should shield the water heater from the shower spray.


Replaced 3-way lamp socket and cap doesn't fit I bought a replacement 3-way lamp socket and the cap on the new one is too small to thread into the lamp base.  I went to the hardware store and purchased an adapter so it would fit on the new lamp socket cap.  BUT now with the extra height of the adapter my harp is too short.  I found a floor lamp in the house to put on the lamp but now the lamp looks ridiculous as too much of the lamp socket shows and it is much taller than the matching lamp.  Is there a socket I can purchase with a larger socket cap so I don't have to remove the original thread from inside the lamp and can have the right size harp on the lamp?  I have been searching online but do not see offering for a larger cap on the socket.  Any help will be appreciated otherwise I suppose I am going to have to take to a lamp specialty shop.

You are looking for a 3-way socket with a 1/4" base.

Search for that on the internet and you will find them for sale: 3-way lamp socket with 1/4" threaded base


What does that mean if my LED light bulb starts blinking when I turned it on? I have an LED light bulb: Philips 60W incandescent equivalent

I've owned it for about a year and have been very happy with it.  This morning when I turned it on, it started blinking.  Not flickering, but a very deliberate one second on, one second off, one second on, one second off.  This continued until I fiddled with the bulb at which point it came on and stayed on.

It has never done this before.  I unscrewed the bulb and it rattles.  Something in it may be broken, but it still seems to work.    I couldn't find anything on the Philips website about this type of behavior.  Does anybody know what it means?

I called Philips about this issue.   They said that it indicates that the bulb is broken and needs to be replaced.  Some LED bulbs have enough electronics in them that they are able to have diagnostic circuits and to report errors in this manner.


Is sanding the best option to remove peeling wall paint? I have purchased a house and it seems that the previous occupiers used incredibly cheap paint which is just peeling off and bitty, almost the texture of dry PVA glue.

It has been suggested that I sand the walls, but I'm not sure if that is the best option.

What I want to know is the suggested method to be able to paint over it, and if it is sanding then how can I do large areas quickly?

Lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978 in the United States and as late as 1992 in the UK, so any house that was painted previous to that date could be lead-based. If sand it becomes a dangerous air born particulate. If inhaled and absorbed into the blood stream.... Well, we all know it's bad for you. If you are unsure there are test kits for lead in paint: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Lead+paint+

After donning protective gear (respirator [filtered type], disposable suit, etc.) scrape as much of the offending paint from the wall as possible. Use a wide head scraper with a handle above the scraper head which will enable more force to be exerted onto the sharpened steel thusly removing more paint faster. Try to use sanding as a final, desperate act. If you do need to sand you will need to make safety accommodations for the dust: plastic tarps to enclose the area, window fans to exhaust wayward dust, vacuums attached to sander exhaust ports. And the tedious clean-up of the surrounding surfaces when sanding is done for the day. Place all paint chips  and any disposable gear in a plastic bag and tape it closed. Bring it to a local hazardous waste collection site.

Wash the newly exposed walls with a solution of TSP and warm water. Once the freshly washed walls have dried sand with 80-100 grit paper, wipe the walls with a damp rag. Prime and paint as usual.


How can I fix chipped paint from the wall? I've gone and accidentally scratched the paint off my wall. It annoys me. The scratch isn't big, but if I can see it I'm sure everyone can see it. Is there an easy way to fix this chip/scratch without having to sand and repainted the entire wall again. The scratch is tiny... but my OCD is getting the better of me and my eye twitch is getting larger the more I look at it.

You'll want to fill and level the patch with some spackle or joint compound (drywall mud). Carefully remove any loose paint first. Use a putty knife to press and level the material. Sand lightly when it's dry.

Then repaint, ideally with a small roller to create a similarly-stippled texture. Blend outward to better hide the new paint.

If you don't have paint on hand from the original job, you'll probably need to paint the entire wall, though you may not need to completely edge everything if you get a close match.


Want to connect and old standard ceiling fan to wall light switch These are oldish standard chain-pull operated ceiling fans in  our bedrooms

The light is operated by a wall switch or the one of the chains in  the fan, The fan, it is only operated by pulling the chain. I would like to connect them to wall  switches... one of those light-fan combo switches similar to this one

But I don't know if that is possible at all? and if so; what is involved or complex would it be? Does it need to have new wires sneak through the ceiling and walls?  Would it require to hire an electrician or could I - handy with doing things myself but don't know much about electric stuff-- could do?

This is definitely possible, but whether you can diy is another matter. It would require running wires inside walls, through holes in top plates to connect the switches to the fans. You would have work in the attic and probably drill extra holes in top plates.

Depending on the age of these fans and make/model you might be able to get the control you want using wireless remote switches. If you did this, you would not have to run a cable and could work entirely in the living space below the ceiling. Personally I prefer the wall controls like you are envisioning, but a professional electrician would be able to do this far, far easier than an inexperienced diyer.

Could you send pics of one or more of the fans? How old are they?


Hand tool for packing dirt What is a good simple hand tool for packing small surfaces of dirt to prepare it for laying concrete? I've seen big pneumatic hammers at large construction sites and was wondering if there is a good manual version of it.

I use a plate tamper. Most of the hardware stores, garden centers, and big box home improvement places around here carry them.

Image from http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/tampers-from-building-supply-centers/


Plumbing and septic: bubbling and backing up My mother lives in a two bedroom trailer with two full bathrooms. It's got a septic tank, but the toilets bubble and back up anytime she uses the dishwasher, washing machine or runs water in the sinks or tubs. Worse, sewage backs up into the tubs and over fills the toilets. What could cause this? Could it be a blocked air vent for the plumbing, a clogged pipe, or a septic problem?

Simple answer: yes, it could be any and all of those. In my experience, clogged main pipes is the most likely cause. (See below for more detail.) If you cannot use a motorized snake yourself to clean out the system, hire a professional. There is also a chance the septic system needs to be serviced.

Recommendation

Hire a professional plumber who can use a motorized drain snake ASAP. We had a similar issue, neglected it for a year, and during a visit from the in-law, the toilet decided it was done and overflowed. The HVAC system was also a victim (in-floor registers). By waiting until two days after the overflow, we saved a few hundred dollars over an emergency call, but we could have saved more by addressing it quickly.

The individual who does the "snaking" should be able to snake the entire system, from all clean-out locations (our system had multiple). Also, if the system has vents which can be compromised (squirrels or other pests with nuts etc.), consider having those cleaned if the price isn't prohibitive. The company who provided the service to us charged by the hour a much reduced rate after the first hour had elapsed. If we had the option, I would have preferred this. (In our case, the service personnel had two more calls to make after finishing our property after 5 pm. I was told that if anything wasn't completely working properly, the servicer would return on their dime, and I wasn't about to keep someone from their family around the holidays.)

Update

I can now say from definitive personal experience: hire a quality professional to minimally snake and clean the system - but preferably have them do an inspection as well. A

Do it right, right away.


Low water pressure in the early morning hours Good morning. I am having a real problem that no on seems to know how to fix. In the early morning between 4 am and 7 am I have no water pressure. It is impossible to take a shower. The whole house has no water pressure. At first I thought it was the sprinklers outside that went on from 1-3 am that was the cause of this. The sprinkler system has been cut off and I still have no pressure. Please help. Also note, no one else on my block wakes up at 4 in the morning to shower and no one else on my block has experienced this problem. PLEASE help. This is ruining my mornings!!! Thank you !

Check that the water softener hours for running and doing it back flush (if you have one).

If it is not a running softener, a water pressure gauge that attaches to your hose bib is a fairly cheap purchase.  If you obtain one hook it up to your hose bib and record the pressure low values and what you consider normal values.

Then obtain permission from one of your nearest neighbors to attach it to their hose bib.  And record the pressure at the same time you had recorded your values.  This will isolate if it is just your home or the whole neighborhood.  If it is the whole neighborhood take the readings to your water service provider and request them to investigate.


We just bought a house and the guest bathroom has an awful smell coming from the toilet, how can we figure this out? The guest bathroom has an awful smell coming from the toilet, how can we figure this out? It isn't too bad, but it isn't something we can mask with anything.

When I bought my home I had a similar problem and I found out that the wax seal at the bottom of the toilet had deteriorated. When I replaced it and cleaned up the goo around the bottom of the toilet then the problem disappeared. But the above answer can also pose the same problem but once it has been eliminated I would also check for the wax seal at the bottom of the toilet.


Electric Baseboard Heater Thermostat Replacement My house is mostly steam heat, but prior owners put on a small addition and also  turned an upstairs closet into a bathroom. These new rooms have electric baseboard heat.
Heaters work fine, but thermostats are crummy. Especially in the bathroom. It only functions as an on off switch at the moment so I want to replace that one.
I'm handy enough not to kill myself swapping it out, but not well enough informed to pick out a replacement.
The bathroom is heated by a single heater with a label indicating:

750W @208VAC
1000W @240VAC

The existing Thermostat has a label indicating:

125/250/277 VAC
22A Double pole

Attached are pictures of the the spec label on the heater (the bathroom only has one of the smaller baseboard units) and the existing thermostat.
I cant find these exact specs in a replacement thermostat. Specifically I'm finding sats rated for 240v, 3600W, and 15A So my question is: Can I use any line volt stat rated for greater than or equal to 1000W and 240V or are there other considerations? For a single 1000W heater, the existing 22A stat seems overkill, no?

Any thermostat rated at or above the heater ratings should work fine. 3600W is a good number because that is 15A @ 240V, which is also a common breaker size. My guess is that the original installer used the same thermostats everywhere, costing a little more but minimizing the number of inventory items. 3600W/15A also allows you to upgrade a bit in the future without replacing the thermostat.


Ejector pump instead of sump pump in basement I need both groundwater drainage as well as laundry room sewage pump in basement.
Should they be separate pumps (asump pit with pump and 40 liter sewage ejector reservoir with pump) or could ground water drainage be connected directly to ejector pump reservoir?
If so, any precautions need to be made to avoid sewage water going under the floor in drainage pipes? Or does that add too many risks and best to go with two separate systems?

At the end I will go with 2 pumps and 2 reservoirs. Sump pit and small pump will be deeper, but only for emergencies as I don't expect much water there. For ejector pump I'll go with all-in-one pump that will be placed in sealed reservoir under floor. Better redundancy and avoiding accidental mix of sewage and drainage this way.


For a multi-stage system, which stage is for what fan speed? With a multi-stage system, which of the two stages spins the fan faster? Which is the default and which is triggered when the temperature is further away from the specified value?

Not sure you are giving enough information here to know where to begin to help answer. But I'm going to make some assumptions as I think I know where you are going.

Are we talking about a forced air furnace? I'm assuming so.

Are you meaning to ask "with a variable speed" or "2 speed" or "multi speed" blower motor what is the trigger for the speeds to kick in? Assuming so:

This is going to depend on furnace manufacturer, thermostat model, and the system installer. For example, furnace Control boards and smart/programmable thermostats are programmed to react *(in some cases as a smart-learning mode) to what speeds affect the temperature stability in the home and will self regulate. Large swings in temperature can trigger high speed regardless of program.

Some systems also allow you to set it static, either high, or low. Also, some installations have external temp switches and will only use high speed when the delta temp outside is below or above a set point.

So there are many things that can control fan speed. When it comes to multistage, this can be referring to dual heating units, or different set points for BTU generation.


How to attach rebar to a sheet of metal? I need to use some rebar, driven into the ground, to support a metal sheet:
 ______________________________________________________________
|                                                              | <-- thin aluminum sheet
|        ||                         ||                         |
|        ||                         || <--rebar next to sheet metal
|        ||                         ||                         |
|________||_________________________||_________________________|~~~~~~~~~ <-- ground
         ||                         ||
         \| <--rebar underground    \|

What is a good, strong way to affix the rebar to the sheet metal?

Your intentions aren't entirely clear, but here are some general ideas:

U-bolt clamps through holes in the sheet and around the bar
Hose clamps through slots in the sheet and around the bar
Wire through holes in the sheet and around the bar
A friend with a welder (though the dissimilar metals make this challenging)
Bolts through the rebar and the sheet
Screws through the sheet and into the rebar
Wire around the bar from below the sheet to above


Interior staircase with closed stringer My interior staircase has a closed stringer and I want to change the first step to add a bullnose tread.  Can I cut the stringer: is there any way this can be done?

I

Peel back the side of the carpet just enough so you can see if the tread has been dadoed (sits in a trough) into the stringer.  If not, the tread is likely just nailed onto the riser and can be gradually popped off using a hammer and a block of wood under under the tread lip.  If the next riser is on top of the tread rear, the nails holding the two parts may have to be cut with reciprocating saw or sabre saw (if you're good!)  Can't say where the nails will be, locations vary.

If the tread is in a dado on both sides, a piece will have to be cut from the middle front to back and the three pieces pulled out.  Your stairs look like typical stairs intended for carpeting.  Often, what looks like a stringer is a trim plate slid between stairs and the true stringer and disassembly is easy.  The outside has an identical trim plate running top to bottom.


PVC Pipe for sprinkler system broken in multiple places Roughly 2 years ago I posted this question: Need Sprinkler Cracked PVC Pipe Repair Suggestions
There was a lot of good suggestions, but now the issue has gotten much worse.
In the image below I'm going to attempt to paint a timeline in which we have attempted to fix our PVC piping breaking issues.
Mid-2017 (BREAK 1). We discovered a pipe broken near the corner of the wall. The way we fixed it was to cut the pipe and replace it. This solved the issue for 2 years.
Jun 2019-Week 1 (BREAK 2). There was a peanut sized crack on top of PVC pipe, in which our handy man decided to drill a hole bigger than the crack and place an attachment on top and create a new sprinkler head instead of cutting the pvc pipe. Because the communication cable ran along the bottom of the pipe (stupid). After that was fixed, we tested our system, and discovered another break. Ironically enough the handyman still managed to cut the communicate cable.
Jun 2019-Week 3 (BREAK 3). After fixing break 2, we noticed the pipe was also broken at Break 3. We fixed this issue, by cutting from break 3 to break 2 and installing a flexible hose and glued it. Again we re-tested our system and discovered a water flowing under all the soil near "break 4", flowing into the ditch seen around BREAK 2.
July 2019 - Week 1 (BREAK 4?). This is where I need people's advice. I don't know where break 4 is, and i'm not interested in looking, because that 50 foot tall tree won't stop growing, and will continue to cause problems.
Here is a full screen image

The big problem is the area where this tree is located. As you can see in this hand drawn image. The first image (real) shows top part of this hand drawn diagram. The line in the middle separates the 2 areas, where the roots are above the ground and where the grass starts below the line. I'm assuming the PVC pipe runs all the way down (somehow) to the rest of the sprinkler heads (which are large black dots).
I need to rerun this PVC pipe in a different way from the water source seen on the upper left, that avoids the top tree all together. But how is the question. That ditch you see near break 2 took almost 2 full days to cut the tree trunks in order to finally see the pipe. When break 1 occurred in 2017, that also took a good 3 or 4 days to finally reveal the break.
Any suggestions?

I do not miss those California sprinkler systems.

You have a long thin L shaped strip that needs to be watered, bounded by a wall on one side and concrete on the other.

My proposition: abandon the underground sprinkler system.  It is loudly telling you it is more trouble and expense than it is worth.

Underground sprinklers are nice and unobtrusive for expanses of lawn and formal gardens.  You have neither.  You can easily run an aboveground length of PVC along the base of your wall.  You could salvage sprinkler units from your old system and position them along the new PVC completely above ground, pointing away from your wall.

Everything will be in view and easy to maintain.  Leaks will be immediately obvious.  Your new pipe will be against the wall and so out of harm's way as regards people walking or mowing.  The roots can do what they want underneath.


Rain water leaking around attic furnace I bought a house a few months ago and when I bought it I noticed what appeared to be a water spot on the ceiling of the top floor. Of course I didn't do anything about it until heavy rains over the weekend made it worse. I climbed into the attic to see what is going on and found water around the attic furnace directly above the water spot:

From what I can tell, there is a drip tray around the furnace for collecting water, and that PVC pipe is supposed to drain it. I can see if the try or the pipe has a leak, but I'm more concerned about how the water is getting into the tray and whether it's normal for that much water to accumulate. Is anyone familiar with this setup?

If condensation can be ruled out, and it only leaks when it rains, is it oil or gas fired? If yes, then it most likely has a chimney, and probably a metal one. Depending on your roofing material you should have someone look at the flashing around the chimney.


How can I remove faux brick from a kitchen wall? My kitchen has these fake bricks placed over the drywall on the walls around the cabinets.

My question is, is there a way to remove just the bricks without completely tearing down the cabinets and drywall and starting from scratch?

You cannot remove this fake brick without damaging the drywall under. You will have to replace the drywall, best solution, or do one hell of a good skim mud coat over the damaged drywall.  You can use a Rockwell Sonic Crafter or similar tool to cut the drywall cleanly at the edge of the cabinets. replace the drywall, mud it in, and paint.  There is no easy way in this case.


Plumbing UK sink waste We've had a new extension added to the house which has a drain under the concrete. We're left with a 110mm (I think) vertical pipe which our waste needs to go down inside the extension.

This waste is only for the sink and dishwasher. Toilet and bathrooms go down a waste pipe at the other end of the house and meet on the main sewer pipe which was sorted by the builders.

How do I leave the connection between the 40mm from the sink to the 110mm?
Do I just drop some of the 40mm inside the 110mm pipe so that it can drain away?
Does the connection need to be blocked off with a rubber seal to stop smells?
I assume if I do need to seal it up that I'll need to have a T joint or similar above so that it can be unblocked if necessary.

You want something like this.

This is a rubber connector which goes in the top of the 110mm pipe, and the 40mm pipe slides in to it.

Yes, the connection needs to be sealed to seal off smells.  If the 110mm pipe gets blocked (unlikely, because any blockages are much more likely to form in the 40mm pipe), you can easily disassemble it.

Note: The link is to Screwfix because that was the first result I found.  I wouldn't actually buy from Screwfix.


What would cause my line sets to equalize in cooling mode? My heat pump line sets only get different temperatures briefly on startup in cooling mode. Then the hissing noise stops and they equalize and only the lower 1/4th of the a-coil gets cold and condensates. In heat mode they seem to work fine, one hot and one cold. A tech came out and said i was low on refrigerant 410a and added it to my system. I still have the same problem.
I have a Nordyne split system electric heat pump. Model #JT4BD-030K 2.5 Ton Phase 1

Try to find a good heat pump guy and not the "fool" you called before. The problem could be a faulty reversing valve, faulty compressor, refrigerant charge, bad metering valve or piston or any number of other conditions. Most guys just attach hoses and add more refrigerant without looking for the REAL problem. They know very little of what happens or is supposed to happen at any point in the refrigeration cycle. Many of the problems associated with an A/C unit or heat pump can be diagnosed without the use of a set of gauges and a bottle of refrigerant. A real service tech will stop, listen and touch before getting the tool box.
This reminds me of a real life story that I observed many years ago. The tech replaced the compressor, contactor, high and low pressure controls, thermostat and control transformer, each on different calls only to find out that the real problem was a burned out control fuse. True story. And this guy had years of experience.
my 2 cents


Replace manual thermostat with programmable I have a Flair 3-wire thermostat, open common and closed, with 3 terminals marked 4.5.6. 4 black wire=open terminal, 5 white wire=common terminal, 6 red wire= closed.

I want to replace with a programmable thermostat but cannot find any cross references with this configuration. White Rodgers has a diagram for my thermostat but no chart to tell which terminals to use. I have a new 70 series White Rodgers programmable thermostat with the following terminals: R C W2 E Y O/B G and L.

You may not be able to.  The programmable thermostats commonly sold are designed for on/off control of a heating and cooling system.  The Flair line of thermostats are designed to control a Flair damper that is allowing more or less air into the room.  The Open and Closed Signals move the damper in that direction.  I believe the Flair is an variable system, not the on/off a thermostat is designed to control.

You could try an old hack from the days before programmable thermostats.  Mount a 4 watt incandescent nightlight directly below the Flair thermostat and wired into a light timer (or a home automation module).  When the nightlight is on the thermostat will be fooled into thinking the room is a few degrees warmer than it actually is and the real temperature in the room will be "set back" several degrees cooler.

If you have some electronics skill a SPDT relay could have its contacts wired to the Flair wiring.  (Closed to the NC relay terminal, Open to the NO terminal, and common to common.)  A low voltage power supply (under 24V) that matches the coil voltage of the relay could be wired to the could be wired into the R terminal of the thermostat, and then out via either the RH terminal (heat) or Y (cool) and to the coil, then back the the power supply.  This won't work if the thermostat is designed to be powered from the furnace instead of having its own batteries.


no ground bar in electrical subpanel I found that the subpanel in our newly built home may not have ground bar, though it has neutral bar. I attached photos for confirmation. Please let me know if there is any code violation. The house was built this year and located in California.

One more image showing where the big wires enter the panel box:

There is a ground after all

The ground bars on most loadcenters, when fitted, are located on the far left and right sides of the enclosure, so they often get buried behind wiring in the gutter spaces, and this appears to be the case in your installation.  (In your third photo, you can just see one peeking out from behind the wiring in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture.)

Your fourth photo also shows the bare fat wire that is the ground in the feeder cable (what appears to be a type SE-R cable), running off what I presume is a lug on the left-hand ground bar, and the empty hole on the left-hand side of the neutral jumper bar, next to the red wire, is correct for a subpanel (it is where the bonding screw goes when this panel is used as a main).


The under part of my kitchen sink is flaking off some white particles The underside of my sink in my kitchen is crumbling off onto my cleaning supplies. What do I do to stop that and what is it so I can make sure it doesn't return?

The white material that is flaking off looks like an insulation/sound deadening coat applied by the sink manufacturer. It wasn't supposed to come off. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a quick & easy solution.

The white material looks friable (it breaks up into dust). I see the white dust on your garbage disposal unit. If the sink is over a couple decades old, have a flake of the material looked at by a lab that deals with asbestos. Wet a paper towel, dab up a sample and drop both the sample and the paper towel into a zip-lock baggy. The lab will just look at the sample with a microscope, so it shouldn't be expensive. Often they will take a look at no charge.

If it contains asbestos have an asbestos abatement contractor remove the sink. Again, don't assume their service is super expensive - abatements are very common.

If the material doesn't contain asbestos, here is a suggestion: Remove everything that is stored under the sink to enable your access. Wear respiratory and eye protection - a good dusk mask and goggles. Scrape the material off the bottom of the sink. It looks like it may come off fairly easy. The tool that comes to mind is a paint scraper. A dust management tip is to wet the white material with a spray bottle before you scrap it off. I would clean up with wet paper towels rather than a broom or a vacuum, just for better dust management.

After the bulk of the insulation is removed you could coat the bottom of the sink with an encapsulant, or even another sound deadening product.


What is this balloon with "eyes" printed on it, hanging from the eave on this house? I have seen this, or something very similar on various houses in the city I live in.  It is rare enough to be remarkable, but common enough to make me think it is a "thing".  Any ideas?

That is a balloon bird repellent device. It is designed to mimic the appearance of an owl to scare away smaller birds and prevent them from building nests in the eaves, or to prevent them from flying into windows. See https://www.amazon.com/Balloon-Bird-Repellent-Effective-Solution/dp/B01DAFTNEU


Square D QOC 12 125: Is it possible to bring this subpanel up to code? I opened up this subpanel for the first time because when I opened the walls for contractors to install floor drains, I found a circuit with four splices that were any/all of:

not enclosed in junction boxes
did not use wire nuts
tapped into NM cable rather than cut and spliced
no ground wire in sight; all 12/2 without ground cable

Fortunately, that particular work appears to be isolated to a single circuit so I decided to replace the cable from the subpanel breaker.

The subpanel, however, is ungrounded and all the neutral and ground wires are bonded to neutral. And other problems - I am particularly amused by the cable routed over the edge of the panel rather than through a knockout. It does not have a master cutoff although the panel is on its own breaker in the main panel.

Can this panel be brought up to code by adding a proper ground bar and ground conductor back to the main box, or am I looking at a subpanel replacement project here?

New subpanel time

The reason is, there are several structural issues with how this panel is mounted, so it has to come out anyway.   So you might as well put a proper panel in here. And believe me, it'll be a relief!

The structural issues are:

Sheath not extending far enough into panel for most Romex circuits.
The panel doesn't even have a ground bar, and it's a subpanel
insanely overfull neutral bar, even before the green grounds were added
cables entering without clamps at all
Box setback from wall surface; it's ok with switches but you're seriously not allowed to do that with service panels what were they thinking?

Separately from that, the panel is way too darn small, and I know this has been impacting your project, in ways that you've just been working around up til now.  Like the insanity with the bathroom outlet feeding a lot of other stuff, I'm sure there's a lot of that going on.  I mean the subpanel got put in in the first place because the main panel was full;  and it's full too. Not good.   You should always have loads of extra space.

You need to make the call on size, but we beat the drum hard for Big Big Big.  I for one like to see around 48 spaces between both panels. Absent better information I would call for a 30-space.  Space not circuit; a 20-space/40-circuit panel only counts as a 20.

A main-lug panel will suffice, and you can mount it inverted if the existing wires will not reach.  Bus amperage doesn't matter.   You can stay with Square D "QO" if you want to reuse your breakers and pay 60% above market for any new breakers.  One advantage of QO and Eaton CH is the breakers are only 3/4" tall, so panels are shorter for the same number of breakers. Either get a panel with included ground bars, or add them.

Retrofit a ground wire between the main panel and subpanel.  The old cable is fine unless you want to up-size it; if you do, go aluminum.

If you keep it

First, keep in mind that work is not necessarily grandfathered merely because it is old.  It's only grandfathered if it was correct at the time it was installed.  Many a dryer and range circuit is run with /2 w/gnd NM cable, which was never legal.

If you look at the list at the top, that's pretty much your punchlist.  First and foremost the panel must be de-installed to move it outward so it 1/16" proud of the wall so the cover can bottom out on the panel body. If you want to have little hatches above and below it for access to the wires, that is fine.  Then it either needs to be repositioned so the sheath of each cable can enter the box by at least 1/4", or you need to terminate those cable runs in a junction box above or below, then bring it on into the panel with a jumper. I prefer to connect the junction box with an EMT conduit nipple (short pipe) of about 2" and bring the wires into the panel proper via the EMT.  You might even be able to do it with existing wire length.

Further, the neutral bar must be addressed.  You can't finish the job with 2 wires in any slot.  Some panel makers allow 3 on ground wires, but nobody allows double-lugging neutrals. I can't see how you can need more than 12 neutrals in a 12-breaker panel, though.  All the grounds need to go, for that and separation reasons.  Quite likely a common Square D ground bar will bolt up to this panel into existing holes, but your Square D dealer will know for sure.

A Square D dealer means a real electrical supply house.  The big box stores don't even own the correct catalogs, let alone have any experience interpreting them.


Can I attatch my garden hose to a hose bib on the water main? I was looking for a hose fitting closer to the front of my house when I noticed this valve with what appears to be threaded for a hose fitting right off my water main next to the water meter (Blue circled in the picture below).
Can I just screw my garden hose into it like normal and use it without blowing something up because of pressure or something?
I am not sure if attaching a garden hose so close to the water main will mean it's over-pressurized or something.  I don't know about plumbing at all.
As a side note; why are there three water main valves (yellow valves) all so close together (2 right away at the wall and one more after the water meter)?
If I ever need to turn off my water main does it matter which of the 3 valves I use?
The water main comes into the house from the street in the wall in the upper right.

Of course trying to determine why something was done years ago is speculative. My guess would be that the valve on the left was the original shutoff. The hose connection may have been a whole house drain. This would allow you to drain the plumbing in the event of a no heat situation or long term absence. The two yellow ball valve were likely added during a meter upgrade or when it was determined that the original shutoff did not completely stop the flow of water. My primary concern with using it would not be pressure but  the age of the valve.It looks older than the valve on the left based on handle design. It is possible that it may leak when you try to shut it off.


Trying to change a faucet, there's a piece of metal that prevent me to use a basin wrench... What to do? There is this kind of tube that prevent me to use any kind of wrench to unscrew the nut in it. But without unscrewing it, I cannot get the faucet out of its place at all.

Is there a simple trick, or tool, that would allow me to go up there unscrew it. That tube is ~ 5 to 6 inch long.

https://www.amazon.com/Moen-118305-Installation-Tool/dp/B002PB1JJS

You need an extremely deep socket. Most faucet manufacturers make them, and they're often included with a new faucet. That metal collar makes it look like a standard basin wrench won't work, but it's worth a shot if you have one.


grounding homemade light fixture I am making a light fixture with iron plumbing pipe and 18-2 lamp wire (yeah, I'm one of those people). I just want to clarify a couple of things - with the 2-strand lamp wire, the one with the ridge is the neutral, right? There is no plug to go by as I'll be hard wiring into box in the ceiling.
Also, the fixture should be grounded for safety - what is the best way to add a ground wire to the actual fixture? the one from the power supply is around the ground screw in the junction box and should be paired to one attached to the fixture itself (with a marette), shouldn't it?
Thanks for your help,
d

My first suggestion would be to get 18 AWG fixture wire (TFFN/AWM) instead of lamp cord -- portable cords aren't rated for use within fixtures, and I'd cite one inside an originally permanently wired luminaire as a 400.8 violation.  As to grounding the actual fixture -- I'd use a standard conduit grounding bushing such as this one for 1/2" pipe where the fixture attaches to the ceiling box (presumably through a conduit knockout faceplate).


GFI on a 3 prong plug keeps tripping Can someone tell me how to troubleshoot this problem.

I have a switch at the end of a circuit that operates my pool pump and its 15 feet away from a 3 prong receptacle that feeds the to the switch.  At the end of the pool season I disconnect the pool pump from the switch and I use electrical tape to insulate each individual wire.

Now here's my problem.  The 3 prong outlet (that feeds power to the switch that controls the pool pump) is use during the winter months to operate a 3 prong winter pool cover pump with a GFI plug.

This pump has worked for the last 2 months now suddenly its tripping the pool cover pump GFI.

I used a receptacle tester that identifies wiring errors and it says the receptacle is wired correctly.  I then plugged a radio in the outlet and it worked but when I plug the 3 prong pump in the GFI on the plug will trip.

Not knowing if the receptacle was defective or damaged I decided to replace it with a new one but the pool cover pump GFI plug still trips.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to trouble shoot or fix the problem?
Thank you,
Dan

Outside outlet possible moisture in the box causing the trip since the pump works in other gfci protected locations and you have replaced the device, there may be a minor ground fault in the wiring and the pump together they add up to enough to trip but seperatly they are ok. The removing the wires and tape has me scratching my head but this would be my guess that there are multiple minor ground faults that adds to enough to cause a trip.


How do I test the capacitor on a high velocity fan? I have a high velocity fan that seems well-made but quit on me last year.  When I turn on the switch, I get no movement, no hum ... nothing.

I'd like to think the switch is at fault ... but I notice it has a capacitor labeled 7 pico Farad, 250 VAC (the unit is 120 ... I'm just reporting what's on the capacitor).

Basically, it could be the switch (in which case I'll bypass it and have it run on high whenever it's plugged in), the capacitor (in which case I want to replace the capacitor), or the motor (in which case, I'll through it in the scrap bin).

Should I jam the leads of my multi-meter into the wires coming out of the switch to test?  Or ... test the capacitor somehow?

Thanks!

A capacitor is defined as two conductors separated by a dielectric. Consequently, there is no direct electrical connection between the plates or conductors. Current only flows to charge the plates by pulling electrons out of the dielectric.

So, on a good non-polarized capacitor, connecting your ohmmeter across the capacitor should show low resistance at first and climb to overload as the capacitor charges up to the voltage of the meter and resistance to current flow increases. Reversing your leads will then yield the same result.

A shorted capacitor will show zero resistance either way.

An open capacitor will show infinite resistance either way.


Lubricant for squeaky doors I'm looking for a long term solution to my squeaky doors.  Our home is fitted with brass hinges on all doors and lately they have all been starting to squeak.  I've tried several silicone based lubricants but none have solved this issue permanently.

Properly lubricating the hinges should stop the squeaks.  In short, you remove the hinges from the door, lubricate them, and put them back.

You'll want to use white lithium grease.  It works very well for metal on metal contact.

I'm assuming simple door hinges here, like these

You'll want to do each door one at time.

Long Process

Have someone support the door while you knock the hinge pins up and out from the bottom of each hinge.
Lean the door up against the wall and unscrew the hinges from the door and the jamb.
Lay out the hinges on newspaper and use the lithium grease to lubricate the pins and the inside of the barrel.  The barrel is the tube that the hinge pin passes through,
Usually, you let the lithium grease dry before reassembly.  Follow the directions on the grease.
Finally, re-attach the hinge wings to the door and jamb.
With someone holding the door, re-insert the pins from the top.
Enjoy the silence.

Short Process

Have someone support the door while you knock the hinge pins up and out from the bottom of each hinge.
Lay the hinge pin on newspaper and use the lithium grease to lubricate it.
Usually, you let the lithium grease dry before reassembly.  Follow the directions on the grease.
With someone holding the door, re-insert the pins from the top.
Enjoy the silence.

Do one door first, and give it few days to make sure the squeak is gone.


Why is the flow from overhead tank merely a trickle? The height A is 6 ft and B is 2 feet

The way you've drawn it, during the "limited time", the static pressure at the tap is determined by the vertical distance between the tap and the water surface in the "overhead tank" and not the "storage tank".

Outside the "limited time" the static pressure at the tap is determined by the difference in height between the tap and the water surface in the "storage tank".

Restricted flow to the tap is probably due to a blockage (or insufficient pipe diameter for length of run) somewhere in the pipework. It is possible that non-return valve NRV2 is blocked, faulty or installed incorrectly.


Can I change a 15a breaker with a 20a breaker? I upgraded my bathroom fan to a bigger, more powerful fan. The problem is it is on the same 15a breaker as the 2 bedrooms and the bathroom. It is connected to a light above my tub and the three wires that come up from the dual switch on the wall via a junction box.

The house was built in 1942 and the wiring from the switch to the junction box is original, so the three wires have the cloth coating but look to be copper on the inside. The wire from the fan and the wire to the light above the tub are both newer.

The problem is every time I turn on the fan or the light it blows the breaker.

I even disconnected the light above the tub and replaced the wall switch with a single switch and when I turn the fan on, all the lights dim and it then throws the breaker.

I am wondering if I can replace the 15a breaker with a 20a breaker and how would I go about doing that? I already purchased the new 20a breaker.

No, you can't just "upsize a breaker".  The breaker has a job, and you would break its ability to do that job.  I gather you don't understand what that is, but fooling around with creaky old wiring... Well, I'm glad you asked first.

No, take the breaker back to the store.  The only breaker you should be installing is a 15 amp AFCI. Where you have old/suspect wiring, AFCI is a fantastic safety system.

Anyway, that won't fix your problem

Breaker size is not the issue.  Bathroom fans are considerably less than 1 amp, they certainly shouldn't be tripping a 15A breaker, for Pete's sake.  Your fan has a big problem.  It's not supposed to do that at all.

So either the fan has been miswired, or, the fan is defective.

Maybe it's time to call a competent handyman or electrician.


cracks in concrete walls in garage I live in a high-rench type of house, where garage is on the lower level. The walls are concrete, and I found long crack running along the corner (see attached photo).

The house is not in a wet/damp area, I don't have any mold or such in the house.

I'm wondering how critical this might be. So far it's only single crack. Will sealing/gluing the crack help? What is the right way to seal/glue?

Thanks!

Cracks in concrete are quite common, there is nothing you can do that would stop the crack. I have in the past attached separate pieces of heavy plastic, marked a line and taken a photo, then checked it a year later, in many cases there is no movement is some I have called foundation specialists. Depending on the construction they may say there is nothing they can do, in some cases they can stabilize to prevent any further shifting. I would mark it and take a photo so you have a date and the condition, then check for movement later.  If you look closely almost all concrete is cracked, if it is not now give it 10 years because as my Dad told me over 50 years ago there are 2 types of concrete the kind with cracks and the kind that will crack.

Note I used plastic to see if the wall was settling and or shifting, in that case it was a shift and we removed the back fill that was causing the shift.


How do I lower a cold air return from the ceiling for a basement rental? I am living in the basement level of a rental unit with forced air heat.  There are 9 heating vents and one cold air return, all of which are in the ceiling.  The air isn't mixing very well resulting in a hot ceiling and cold floor.  I would like to hack together a cheap cold air return that we can lower down to the floor.  I suspect it will dramatically increase the comfort in our apartment.

Can you recommend a cheap non-permanent solution?  I'm imagining a plastic flexible pipe with a standard attachment to a heating duct.

We did this in college with corrugated boxes and duct tape.

The ideal solution is to get a ceiling fan to help mix the air more.