Condenser fan motor overheats and then shuts off I recently installed a 3-wire Protech 51-100999-03 condenser fan motor (1/6 HP, 1075 RPM, .73 A, CCW rotation) and a 24" dual blade, 28 degree pitch, CCW fan blade. New motor has same specs as old motor (TradePro TP-C16-1SP2 6-wire motor) except old motor was rated at 1.2 A.
In addition, I installed a Protech 50 + 3 μF dual run capacitor and a Protactor single-pole contactor.
To wire the circuit, I wired:

(pictured)

line voltage wire (white) on L1
line voltage wire (black) on L2
24v wire (yellow) on coil of contactor
24v wire (black) on other coil of contactor
red wire from compressor on T1
black wire from compressor on T2
orange jumper wire on T1 (and on Com terminal of capacitor)

(not pictured)

purple compressor wire on Herm terminal of capacitor
ground wire attached to ground strip on condenser assembly
orange jumper wire on T1 and on Com terminal of capacitor
orange wire from condenser fan motor on Com terminal of capacitor
black wire from condenser fan motor on T2
brown wire from condenser fan motor on Fan terminal of capacitor

Problem
The condenser fan motor will run for perhaps 30 minutes and then it noticeably overheats (burning hot) and stops.
Tested Capacitor
I tested the capacitor using Fluke DMM. Herm-Com tested at 50.2 μF and Fan-Com tested at 3.2 μF. The old wiring configuration used two capacitors: one for the condenser fan motor and another for the compressor. I decided just to use a dual run capacitor.
Fan Blade
I warped the old fan blade while removing it from old condenser fan motor. I had it on the new motor for an hour or two. It was moving air, but I could see a slightly wobble at the shaft. Not extreme, but noticeable. So, after the condenser fan motor overheated the first time, I turned the power off at sub-panel. I bought a new blade yesterday (24" dual blade, CCW rotation, 28 deg. pitch). The same overheating problem occurs before and after the fan blade replacement.
While it ran with the new blade, it was pushing a good amount of air out the top of the assembly. No air coming out from the sides, so I suspect the blade is located properly on the shaft.
Cleaned Coils
I disassembled the entire cage for the condenser to paint it. While I had it diassembled, I cleaned the coils. The overheating problem occurred before and after I cleaned the coils.
Now, I have no idea what could be causing the overheating except for a faulty motor. Any other ideas?

Is this condenser fan motor for a split system with the condensing unit  outside? Can you check the running amperage of the new motor to make sure it is not running in an overloaded state? Are you sure that the new motor is the same H.P. as the old motor? Did you check the old and new motors to make sure that the input voltage and RPM  are the same? There has to be a good reason for the new motor to overheat.


Why do foundation bolts at corners deteriorate faster? I replaced the washers on a house's foundation bolts (replacing old round washers with larger square washers).

On 6 of the ~30 bolts, the nut was rusted in place and the shaft was eroded where it sat in the sill plate. Trying to unthread the nut just twisted the bolt until it snapped. All the other nuts unthreaded without much effort (and some Liquid Wrench or WD40).

These 6 damaged bolts were the pairs at 3 of the house's corners. What would cause that? (I've replaced these bolts with UFPs, but am wondering if it's a sign of some other issue that should be fixed.)

Corrosion is a process of moisture and oxygen on the steel bolts. There is no special reason for the bolts to “rust” at the corners than any other location, unless 1) proximity to crawl space vents, 2) coincidental subsurface moisture (uphill locations) at those locations, 3) surface moisture (downspouts) introduced at those locations, 4) leaky siding joints at corners, etc.


Can I connect a dishwasher to a garbage disposal instead of the sink overflow? I would like to install a water purification unit under my double kitchen sinks. I currently have a dishwasher and a garbage disposal connected. What is the proper code when doing this. More specifically, may I connect the dishwasher drain to the garbage disposal instead of the overflow port on top of the sink. I want to use the overflow port hole for the purifying units facet. I live in Escondido, California. My sink is cast iron and porcelain. If I can not hook up the dishwasher directly to the garbage disposal I would like to drill a new hole for its facet. What type of drill bit do you suggest I use?

You can hook up the dishwasher to the garbage disposal - that is a normal installation. There should be a location on the disposal - typically a plastic part that gets knocked out to connect the dishwasher hose. You will probably need an adapter for the disposal - this often comes with the disposal but is probably long gone. If you post the model of the disposal, we can provide more info.

"Drilling" sounds like you may be referring to a traditional air gap in the top of the sink. Dishwashers can be connected that way, but they can also be set up with a high hose loop. Basically the drain hose from the dishwasher loops up to just under the counter, effectively forming an air gap (the only way sewage could get backwards into the dishwasher would be if the sink filled up to the same height as the top of the hose loop). The other end can go into the disposal. If you do this then the old air gap can be removed and the hole used for water purification or soap dispenser or whatever you want. See  one of my other dishwasher answers for a diagram.


AC pressure switch tripped / failed? Long story short AC stopped working went to investigate found issue to be pressure switch

(presumably, not sure if switch is high or low side) push to reset switch seems fine (image shows continuity)

and I am getting proper "activation" voltage (shown here https://imgur.com/FmU7BGb) (not sure what the correct term is), contactor activates fine if I hook it up directly.

Is it a pressure issue? has the switch failed?
What should I do, can I bypass that switch temporarily (so half my house isn't 90°)? Is it even possible to replace such a switch without removing all of the refrigerant?
Edit: I seem to get voltage through the switch but when I connect the other end to the contactor it drops off. In other words the switch seems to be high resistance and not completely cut off, this leads me to believe the switch is faulty

I can tell you now that the condenser should be cleaned but I guess that's off topic.  If you are confident about the switch then most likely you will have to reclaim the refrigerant, replace the switch, pull vacuum and replace refrigerant.  Minimum items needed, Reclaiming pump, Reclaim cylinder, vacuum pump, gauge set, etc.  You'll need a service tech for this one.  If you do bypass it, clean the condenser because because that can cause an elevated head pressure.


Advice on wiring garage coach lights I'm planning on replacing the garage coach lights at my house. We have a junction box on the inside of the garage, directly behind where the fixture is mounted however it's behind the plywood / cedar clapboards. This is my question:

The wires for the fixture are not long enough to pass through from the outside of the garage to the box on the inside wall. The wires are about 4 or 5 inches and I probably need at least 10 or 12 inches. Plus, the fixture should be properly mounted on some time of box. I've purchased the outside mounting box shown in the images I've included. Question: Should I use 18 gauge wire from splices in the outside mounting box and connect them with splices in the inside junction box or should I use 14 gauge wire for this connection between the two boxes? Keep in mind that there isn't a lot of room in the outside mounting box. Also, for the ground, can I also use similar 14 gauge wire to extend the ground to the inside box. The fixture takes a max of 2 60 watt lights however will most likely be using LEDs

Images showing outside fixture mounting product is not my house rather its from the product listing.

Images of the fixture and boxes:

https://imgur.com/a/fwQ1FZh

Thanks for any help / guidance.

What you want is a "jumbo pigtail"

Take a length of 14/2 W/G UF cable, run it from the inside box through the wall to the outside box (through knockouts using cable clamps, not out the lid of the inside box), and wire it white-to-white, black-to-black, bare-to-bare in the inside box (with the breaker off of course).  Then you can wire the coach light fixture to the "jumbo pigtail" in the outside mounting box.


What do I use to mount a heavy framed mirror to a stud wall? I recently got my grubby hands on a beautiful, but extremely heavy, 4' x 7' framed wall mirror; it probably weighs around 100lbs, if not a little more.

I know what (exterior) wall to mount it on, exactly where the mount-points are, and have already installed two wood screws (2" long) into the studs. The mirror came with a pre-installed wire, and I'm hoping that these two screws would be stable enough to hold the mirror.

When we tried actually installing the mirror, we tipped it onto one screw, and tried to pivot the rest of the mirror onto the second screw. In the 10 or 15minutes that this process took, I observed the first screw start to tilt downward a little bit. Didn't want to take chances with such a heavy object, and stopped the entire process.

Here's my questions:
01. What specific hook or other fastener can I use to safely hang this mirror?
02. Will just two such fasteners suffice, or should I use more?
03. Should I remove the mirror's wire and use just the D-rings that it came with?
04. If I use #03 above, what method should I use, considering that there aren't any studs close to the D-ring mount points?

Thank you!

You'll probably have an easier time using a picture hanger than a screw, and it will leave your wall in better shape when you remove it. Picture hangers transfer the downward force into pressure into the wall because the nail is mounted at an angle. The screw, on the other hand, is being bent because you're acting as a lever, where the stud is the fulcrum, the drywall is just empty space, and the wire is the force applied at the end. Even if you get a stronger screw, you're still placing a significant twisting force into the stud.

You can't use your typical picture hanger for a task like this. The small hangers that come in most kits are rated to only 20-30 lbs. However, you can find hangers like this one that is rated to 100 lbs (and I'd still use two of them, since it will make adjusting for level much easier and reduce the risk of failure).

The other option is called a french cleat which are two interlocking rails, one that attaches to the wall, and the other to what you're hanging. As long as you install them both straight and level, you don't need to adjust the mirror for level, and it distributes the weight across a larger area, reducing the risk of a failure.


One Circuit Tripping Another Circuit We just had our kitchen remodeled, and 5 new electrical lines were installed:

Line/circuit 1: Room lights and hood

Line/circuit 2: 1st 1/2 of the outlets + 1st GFCI outlet

Line/circuit 3: 2nd 1/2 of the outlets + 2nd GFCI outlet

When we turn the hood on along with the room lights, it trips the breaker to line/circuit 1, even though only 4.7 of the 15 amps is being used.  The GFCI outlets also sometimes trip even though they are on separate circuits.

When we turn the hood on without the room lights, it works fine and uses only 0.7 of the 15 amps.

When we plug the hood into the GFCI outlets (Line/circuit 2), it trips circuit 2 AND circuit 1, even though it is not longer connected to circuit 1.

Any ideas?  Crossed circuits?  Problem with the hood?  Other ideas/recommendations?

Thank you!

You either have a short or you are back feeding from another circuit. I'm not sure, but let's start at the Panel. Since you know which breakers are tripping,  turn off one circuit breaker and check the load side of the that breaker and see if we are reading a voltage. Try it again in reverse with the other breaker. If you are reading voltage with the breaker in off position then you know you have a phase to phase sort somewhere in the wiring. You simply have to go out and find where they are connected together. By the way use a voltmeter.

I would be looking for a white wire that is being used as a part of a switch leg that is somehow feeding back into a neutral.

If you have no voltage as discussed, then disconnect all equipment and check to see if it is the wiring or a piece of equipment. If it's the equipment, get it replaced. If its the wiring we are back to tracing the wiring out.

What ever you are doing just make sure the power is of before working on it. I would only have the power on when I was looking for voltage.

I am assuming you installed the 5 circuits yourself and are familiar with what was done. If you had an electrician do the work, just call him and have him come back and fix his problem.

Good luck and stay safe.


I was not able to get a smooth finish on a shower pan, how can I smooth it out? I am in the midst of a custom shower project. I am building a shower pan using the "traditional method" which is a concrete pre-slope, then a PVC membrane, then a top mortar bed, and finally tile.

The top mortar bed on my shower pan dried today. Turns out I really am not good at smoothing concrete. I can't lay tile on this. The slope is fine, but there are some dips and humps and a few divots in the pan. The curb is OK but there are a few uneven spots that I need to deal with.

I've been relying on Floor Elf's website and e-book. The author does a good job describing the right way to do the job. However he is an experienced tile man and I think has glossed over some details that I think I need.

How can I smooth this out?

If I have to redo the top bed I will, but I would like to avoid that entirely. I hesitate to use more bedding mortar as I found that difficult to work with the first time. I feel like I need a 'wetter' mortar. Can I use floor levelling compound? Can I use thinset to fill the low spots in then more thinset to stick the tile?

My technique sucks. How can I improve and get a smooth finish?

How can I maintain the multi-direction slope from the four walls to the offset drain? Sloping along one plane isn't too hard but maintaining a slope along two planes has proven tricky.

How can I lay out a smooth frame or reference line for mortar work?

Tile setters use an abrasive called a rub stone:

But you could probably use a sanding block. After making it as flat as you can, apply a layer of thin-set mortar. Before doing this, read up on techniques for using thin-set.


Why does new Ikea furniture (Kallax) make a liquid sound when moving? Does anyone know the cause of Kallax furniture (and perhaps more Ikea pieces) making a liquid "wooshing" sound when you move/turn over the furniture?

I purchased two Kallax bookshelves from Ikea (Nov 2015). When I flipped the bookshelves over while moving each of them, they each made a "wooshing" sound as though there was liquid inside of the furniture. Could be unrelated, but I also noticed that the furniture had holes on the top, as though to let the furniture "ventilate" (the holes served no functional or design purpose). I could replicate the sound each time I flipped the bookcase over.

Note, I drove the piece from Ikea to back home and put it together as soon as I got home.

Yes, it can be very true indeed that the 'wooshing sound' that you are talking about is the result of the scrap material that was left unchecked during the production of the furniture. Many a times when hollow parts/ material (like the bamboo arms for wooden chair) are used for designing the furniture, the fine particles of wood dust or scraps resulting from the use of chisel or any other tool may get accumulated into these cavities.
I have been working as a furniture repair guy at the Austin Furniture Repair where I have a lot of these cases. So, rest assured as it might not really be that big a problem. Hope it helps!


Water filtration system recommendations I'm trying to get my parents a good water filtration system for their home. They live in Mexico so the quality of the water might not be as good as in the US. They have to buy bottled water every week and so I would like to get at least the same quality.

There seems to be 3 types of water filtration processes (UV, reverse osmosis, carbon filter) and from what I've gathered the best is to use the 3 of them if one wants good quality. What systems would you recommend, when I search online I mainly get websites of companies advertising their products so I'm interested in knowing more of what you have to say about this. Ideally I would like to find the type of product(s) I want to get them and then start to look for them in Mexico or, if some of the parts are not too big, ship them to Mexico from here.

A 5-stage reverse osmosis / UV filter will likely give you the results you want.  This will filter out heavy metals as well as viruses and bacteria.

Downsides:

Cost (~$400, plus consumables)
Maintenance (new filters every 3-6 months, new UV lamps / membranes periodically)
Waste water (Every gallon of purified water produces at least 3 gallons of waste water)

After installing, I would definitely send a sample of the filtered water off to a lab to verify that it is potable.


Is it okay to use brass inserts in a plastic reverse osmosis pipe? I've learned that letting metal contact reverse osmosis filtered water is generally a bad idea as it corrodes the metals and leaches them into the clean water supply.

However, I'm having a hard time finding a fully plastic 1/4-in compression fitting (1/4-in female to 1/4-in male) to connect my RO line to my refrigerator.  Should I be concerned about the copper insert that will be in contact with the RO-filtered water?  Will it affect the integrity of the connection and/or the water quality?

Here are some that appear to be fully-plastic, and/or plastic + stainless steel

Without knowing what particular fitting you need (1/4 compression to what?), hard to get more specific than that. Full plastic fittings are out there, and really are what you want, as RO & DI water do love to eat anything that will  give them ions. My reading on the above fittings is that the stainless (which is as good a choice as you get in metal, though aluminum may also work well from what I recall of an old lab D.I.W. system) is not in the normally wetted path.

Here is another supplier's nylon/polypro fittings:


connecting a light to a half switched receptacle Is it permissible according to the National Electrical Code to install a light and connect it to an existing half switched receptacle?

I know of no regulation that would limit you from connecting a light fixture to the switched side of a half hot receptacle. Essentially, you would simply be controlling two items with one switch.


Whirlpool washer stopped mid cycle I have a Whirlpool washer (wtw5000dw0) that stopped in the middle of a wash cycle. I think it stopped before the drain cycle so the washer is currently full of water. When I try pressing the button to restart the cycle, it either does nothing or sometimes the LED for 'sensing' will flash for hours without anything happening. I read somewhere else that the lid latch can wear out and cause the cycle to stop before the drain. I also read that it could be an electrical problem with a blown fuse or something. I'm just wondering if this is true and if it is worth trying to fix myself.

If this happens "end of wash cycle, just as it should be starting to spin/drain" then it is very likely the lid switch. See # 14 in this parts diagram

If this is the problem then, depending on how exactly it failed, you can temporarily bypass it (either via wire or - according to some references from the linked page - possibly using magnets) to make sure that this is really the problem. But I can tell you from personal experience with older models that this is a very common problem, with an easy fix.


Where do I need to drain the footing drain when I waterproof a basement from outside I am planning to waterproof a basement. (please see the attached picture). I would like to know if the component labeled collector on my attached picture is needed. Since my lot is virtually flat I am wondering if I have to slope the yellow pipe and how much would I need to do it since that dictates how much deeper I have to dig
This is a finished basement and I don't think that I am getting a lot of water. I can smell something wet but it is on and off and only in specific areas. The wall has a crack under the right side basement window. I just wonder if I need to seal the crack and if I can just waterproof that area under the window and no French Drain at all or I do have to go for the entire wall.

The corner that is next to this window has some exterior efflorescence above the grade which I am told it is a sign of underground wall humidity. There is also a patio that seems to be level instead of being graded. This may be the cause for that increased humidity and for the water that collects in the left corned of the patio near the basement window that has the crack.
I was thinking that a surface French Drain might eliminate to problem but I suspect that the patio is in fact permeable to water and the clay soil might in fact be the one that drives the water to that corner
What would you recommend in this case? It has to be a DIY solution, we just bought the house and we can't afford to spend lots of money (tens of K) to fix this

For more pictures please see my other questions related to this topic posted in this forum

Two obvious options:

1) Dry well. Give the water a place where it can flow into the ground quickly, then leach away at whatever speed the soil will permit. Basically the same principle as a septic tank, but for the unwanted groundwater. If you really want a bottom-of-foundation drain, the well has to be that much deeper; not a small project unless you have a hill you can take advantage of. Does require that the soil be porous enough that the well will drain faster than you're filling it, at least most of the time.

2) Sump. Give the water a place where it can be collected and then pumped away. My area forbids connecting sump pumps OR roof gutters to either sanitary or storm sewers, so a common practice is to pump the water to the edge of your property in a place where it will drain across the sidewalk, into the street, and then into the storm sewers. Does burn some energy and requires replacing the pump occasionally, but avoids the need to excavate that well; the sump only needs to be large enough to gather enough water to make operating the pump worthwhile (it'll last longer and burn less energy if it's doing fewer, longer cycles rather than many short ones). Theoretically, you could even run some of the water from the sump out to rain barrels for gardening use, since it was in the ground anyway... but that's probably overcomplicated.

If you talk to the pros in your area, they may have other suggested solutions appropriate to your terrain, climate, soil, etcetera. I've found that a good contractor will sometimes be willing to advise even on projects they won't get, in order to build goodwill so they're the people you call when you do need more expertise/manpower/coordination.


Is it safe or normal to close/cover junction boxes but use existing line to power new boxes just a few (6-12) inches away from the old ones? We have 2 pendant lights hanging over a breakfast bar in the kitchen. The boxes are easily accessible in the attic. We'd like to move them back a few inches and then add additional wiring for a 3rd box/light. Electrician wants to close/cover the 2 existing boxes, add 3 new ones in a row and use existing line to power the new. Keeping in mind the 2 existing ones could be moved back - creating slack in the line - before adding a few feet for the 3rd/new light,  why not just do that? Thanks much.

There's no technical reason that he can't move the boxes. It would certainly be more elegant.

My best guess is that your electrician doesn't like drywall repair/ painting. If the ceiling is textured, that's a strong disincentive, as matching texture is hard.

He'll definitely save you money with his approach.


Repair power cord with heat shrink tubing without cutting or disconnecting cord Is anyone aware of any heat shrink tubing that is large enough to go over a three-prong plug but will still shrink enough to fit a power cord (size of an outdoor extension cord)?

The cord is damaged and I'd rather not disconnect it or cut it in half if I can avoid it.  But all the tubing I've seen doesn't have a high enough ratio.

I'm not aware of any shrink tubing that will shrink that much and still insulate the wires. If the damage to the wires is such that you will need to use shrink tube for an individual wire that might be reason enough to cut through the cord at the damaged point. If the damage is near the male or female end consider lopping off the plug closest to it and replace with a repair plug. I have used a product called "liquid tape". It is sold specifically to be used for re-insulating wire sections. Once the damaged wire is soldered you brush the "tape" on. It dries within a few minutes to a flexible and tough coat. Here's da link:  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=liquid+tape&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aliquid+tape


Proper Circuit Disconnect Size I am concerned by the size-selection' s installation of an "80A Service-Disconnect" on a 200A uni-pak, to feed the nearly 2,200 square feet modern house with a 5 Tons HVAC central system. Very modern and over-sized appliances including Sub-Zero like refrigerator as well as numerous recessed lights.

The residential work, Southern California, is recently completed by an electric contractor?

The property has a gas-fired tankless water heater, gas stove-Oven appliance.

Does current load calculation for capacity design assumes meeting 70%-80% of the current need, therefore leaving 30%-20% for potential future need, i.e, expansion or load changes need?

Is the 80A size sufficient? it does not look like there is room for expansion, if any is desired in the future.

The minimum service size in the NEC current code is 100a (Ca. may have an exception) the wire to the service can be derated 83%. I don’t know how they got away with a smaller service but all gas appliances 60amp would probably be fine, even A 48” sub zero doesn’t draw that much power especially if full I love mine. And the 5 ton ac is probably the largest load on the system at about 30 amps , the total lighting and receptacle load would be 28 amps if everything was maxed out so you still have room for garbage disposal trash compactor etc. the dryer may be electric and if everything and I mean everything is on at the same time it probably would be ok because of load diversity load calculations are covered in article 220 of the NEC if you want to look them up.


What is the best way to fill a hole in a concrete basement floor? My basement floor has a hole cut where the water line enters the house. This hole is around 2ft square, and digging down a little I hit dirt and small roots. I'd like to seal this hole as I believe it provides an entry point for insects.

In the picture above, you can see the water line coming in and leading to the meter. The tubing along the wall on the left is electric conduit, grounding the service panel. Note that the horizontal part of the water pipe is actually below the level of the nearby concrete floor, so a new floor in this area would have to be lower than the rest of the basement floor because I don't want to encase the pipe and valve in concrete.

What's the best way to fill in that hole? A few specific concerns:

Do I need to lay down a layer of gravel or something above the dirt?
Would the new concrete need to be tied into the existing floor somehow?
Is there a minimum clearance around the pipe that I should preserve?
Are there any structural concerns digging or pouring concrete here? The foundation is fieldstone parged with mortar.

The house was built in 1892 and I suspect this hole was cut when the water line was changed from lead to copper.

Let's not over complicate this little project.  I have seen these open sump holes hundreds of times. I am absolutely sure there are no structural issues here, how long has the house stood without concrete in the hole? There was probably not a concrete floor when it was built and for many years after.  If you want to simply keep stuff out and hide the dirt then let's do it simple.  Dig out to about a total of 4 inches below your water pipe and valve. Mix up a small bag of  Sacrete concrete mix and fill the hole to about 1 inch under the pipe. Float it smooth, you're done.  There is no need to get carried away with a special base etc. The size and weight of the concrete patch is negligible as far as settling or shrinking is concerned. Get the stuff and be done with it in an hour!


Can I build a dry room in a moist garage? I have a garage that lies in sloped terrain with the back wall almost fully below ground level. The garage is very moist, probably because of water seeping through the walls and floor.

I would like to build a small metalworking shop in the back of the garage. The shop would need to be reasonably dry to avoid rust on equipment. I have thought about building the shop almost like a shed within the garage, with a few inches of air between the garage walls and floor and the shed. The shed will have to be insulated because of temperatures below freezing in the winter.

Is this at all possible without digging around the outside of the walls and fixing the drainage?

The major cause of rust on machine tools is fast changes in temperature during humid weather.

Imagine this scenario: you have a large pile of steel sitting in your cold garage at night. Because the garage is dug into a hill, if the garage is well-insulated, the temperature of the steel will be near the ground temperature, probably around 5 C. During the afternoon, warm, humid weather arrives, and you decide to go out to the garage to do some welding. You open the door, and a breeze of 20 C, humid air blows into the garage and hits the cold metal.

Cold air can't hold as much moisture as warm air. When the warm air hits the cold metal, the air is cooled. (The metal also warms up a little, but more slowly.) If the air is humid enough and cool enough, condensation forms on your steel. That's when you get rust.

To prevent rust, you need to do two things:

Reduce the permeability of the garage to air.
Regulate the temperature of the garage with heater that has a temperature sensor of some sort.

You can try a dehumidifier, but for the cost, I suspect that a heater is a better deal.


Is this plumber's putty? Is this giant mess made of plumber's putty, and if so, what can I expect to find behind it if I chisel (or Dremel) it off?
It has a slow leak so I'd like to fix it, but I'm not sure what it is, and I'm trying to prepare for what I'll need to do once I get it off. (Perhaps a trap adapter to marry the PVC + main drain pipe nipple?)

Plumber's putty is usually soft. If it is hard (you mentioned chiseling it off), it's more likely some sort of epoxy putty that someone used to try to repair a broken pipe, and those things rarely work for long. I would expect to find a broken drain line that was too far into the wall to fix easily, or an old pipe that was cut off too close to a fitting to be able to glue a new piece onto it, meaning you may have to open up this wall to get to it and fix it right. That patch job just delayed the inevitable, and that has now fallen on you...


Wiring Light to Wall I have built a light that I am going to screw to the wall. The light's cord was originally a male plug at the end that I cut off. See below.

I have wiring access from a junction box in the wall. The wires are 12 gauge wires and I'm wondering if it's safe and proper to pigtail the cord's black and white to the wall's 12 gauge black and white, cap, and attach the light to the wall.

UPDATE:

Here is the light I ended up hard wiring. The piping is all metal and the light bulb receptacle is plastic.

There is no way to determine with certainty whether it is safe and proper.

Commercial fixtures that are UL approved are inspected and tested to ensure safe, and they are evaluated against the Code to determine proper.

A home brewed fixture may be fine, and may even be far beyond the minimum standards for safe, but without an objective review, there is no way to determine.

Generally fixtures need to be affixed to the box using the built in attachment points, and wires need to be contained within the box or within the fixture itself (that has been evaluated to ensure safety). There also needs to be no way that live wires are accessible or that exposed metal parts are energized.

In general, the Code does not permit a fixture to be used in a manner other than that for which it was designed. By changing the electrical connection mechanism, you are not using it in the manner for which it was designed. So you are probably outside Code.

That does not mean it will not work, or that it is not safe, only that no one can give you assurance from a distance that it is safe and proper.


Installing Ring Doorbell Pro -How to replace doorbell transformer with this setup or bypass? I am in the market for a Ring doorbell and was  googling on how to find a doorbell transformer.  I believe I have found it - but it’s attached to the furnace switch.

The wires connected to the transformer are skinny and sticking out from the wall (a sign that this could be the doorbell transformer).  But to be  on the safe side I did the following tests:  Remove one wire from the transformer and test the existing doorbell  and the furnace - when I turned  ON the furnace switch the furnace light STILL turns on but when I pressed the doorbell button the doorbell stayed silent.  I put the wire back onto the transformer, and the doorbell was ringing again.

The transformer shows 5va- 10v so this is way underpowered - How do I replace this transformer with this setup? Or would the Ring bypass option work?

Once you remove the cover of that box with the switch and everything else, you should see three wires coming into the top of the box from the transformer.  These are usually white (neutral), black (hot), and green (ground).  Take a picture of all the wire connections and make sure that everything gets connected the same when you wire in the new transformer.  There will be additional wires in this box that are connected, and these connections all need to remain the same.

The transformer will most likely be physically attached to the top of the box with a conduit nut (inset of picture).

These can be hard to remove and install in a small box, but the basic method is to place a flat headed screw driver on one of the raised portions of the nut and tap it with a mallet to spin the nut in the correct direction.  The new transformer needs to be tight.  Loose connections lead to loose or damaged wires, and that leads to bigger issues.

When you reattach the low voltage wires to the transformer (the red and white in your pictures), it doesn't matter which screws the wires go to because it is alternating current (there is not a positive side and negative side like with a DC power adapter).

Any "modern" doorbell transformer will be 16VAC, which is what the Ring wants.  You are correct that this 10VAC transformer is not powerful enough, regardless of how you wire the Ring.  Note that if you plan on using your current chime, a higher voltage transformer might not work.  It could damage the chime (immediately, or in the long run).  Plan on replacing or removing the chime as well.


how long can i expect tile paint to last on a bath and vanity I hope to update my bathroom by painting the bath and vanity to white from cream. How long can I expect this to last ?

The longevity of any paint job depends on so many factors; it is my opinion is that this question is too broad (see the How To Ask page for details).

That being said, you will get the longest life if you:

properly prepare the surfaces to be painted; that means thoroughly sanding all surfaces and perhaps acid-etching the "bath" (if by the term "bath" you mean a porcelain coated bathing tub) if recommended by the coating manufacturer. Note- this is the most important consideration, hence is listed first
apply the paint exactly as directed
use the best quality applicators
use the highest quality paint product

The conditions the coating will be subjected to will also determine longevity, such as moisture, light, cleaning methods, human contact, etc.


Bathtub drain has hole in it and the pop up drain is also stuck I am wanting to know who I should call to fix a bathtub drain pipe and the pop up drain on a bathtub.
The house is a one story on a concrete slab. The clean out is between the kitchen and the bathroom. Not much room to work there. My son has used lots of drain cleaner on the drain, thinking that it was clogged, but more than likely it was the pop up that was stuck all along.
We had one company out for an estimate, but they mentioned that it might be possible that they would also have to dig up and replace the sewer line also, for an extra 3,000.00. 700.00 to fix the drain and pop-up and 3,000.00 if the sewer needed replaced also (that was just a figure he threw out, not an official estimate for the sewer).
I know that he was more than likely acting in our best interest pointing that out, but it also sent up a red flag, that he just might kick it and break it also. I really want someone who knows what they are doing and will be as gentle as possible, so as not to break that sewer line.
I need to know where to start; Would I call a plumbing company, bathtub company or a sewer company?

At my house a slow bathtub drain is from my wife and granddaughters showering. the pop-up assembly usually unscrews if it already has a hole and you can’t unscrew by hand get a pair of pliers and unscrew it if it is still draining slow. unscrew the drain nut a basin wrench is the correct tool but I use 3 screwdrivers all the time.
Hold 2 screwdrivers in the drain cross bars and the 3rd in me other hand and use that one to twist ccw. Sometimes they are tough but once broken loose they usually unscrew easily. Slowly pull the nut up and you may find a plug of hair about the size of a mouse.
If you have a rubber seal I just reassemble, if it looks like a paste or silicone it is normally plumbers putty and needs to be cleaned out and fresh putty installed.
Plumbers putty is cheap, roll it like play dough to make a ring around the hole let the ends overlap put the nut back in and tighten. Some of the putty may squeeze out that’s ok just get it tight this is the seal.
Check to see if it flows normally, if it dose quit using drain cleaner it really is a waste on slow moving drains as it just goes down the drain. If needed get a new pop up or just a cheapie rubber tub plug or disk.
I would question any plumber that jumps to $3000 fix before cleaning a drain. And then running a auger or jet down it this may be repairable in 10 minutes. I have done it to my house many times and one of the things I check on houses we flipped in the past.


Ceiling Fan with 2 Switches and Remote I just recently bought a the merwry ceiling fan from home depot.  It's a wireless fan with remote and I have 2 switches in my house, 1 with light dimmer.

I wired everything up and everything seems to work with both switches.  Is there any way to wire the ceiling fan so that both switches work and also the remote works for both light and fan?

Right now, I can control the ceiling fan with both switch and remote but I can only control the light with the switch and not with the remote.

No, there's no way to do that with those cheapies.  Use of the remote is vital to reducing the cost.

Literally no way.  I do some exotic things with electrical, but nope.

You bought it for the savings, enjoy them, don't look back.  No regrets!


Any ideas for how to use solar to offset electricity in an apartment? I have 2 solar panels and a deck that is east and south facing, so it gets plenty of sun. I've been trying to see if there's a way to use those to help offset electricity in an apartment. Any ideas for this?

You could add a regulator (appx $88 at a local supplier) and storage battery(ies) ($77 for a 35AH, same supplier), to feed low voltage lighting ($11 per 750 mah array) at night. However, since you are paying around $0.11/KWH at the wall, it will take a long time to break even on the expense of a) battery b) regulator, c) wiring, and d) low voltage lighting. The same money spent on increased insulation would likely provide a much quicker return on your investment.


Mini Fridge thermostat turns on/off doesn't cool I have a Magic Chef Mini Fridge 2 door from Home Depot (HVDR430SE) that doesn't cool. It has no evaporator or condenser fan because it is a sealed unit. The thermostat clicks on, starting the compressor and turning it off also stops the compressor but nothing cools. Is the fridge worth fixing. It's new but I can't return it.

Throw it away and go buy another, they cost more to fix than to replace.


How can I cut a vinyl chair mat to shorten it? I need to cut a few inches from this PVC chair mat (if this isn't PVC, can you tell me what material it is). How do I achieve this?

I though of using an acrylic knife; will it work? The line will be straight and 40 inches long.

I've cut chair mats by laying them on a flat work surface. Then secure a metal straight edge along the cut line. (In my case I clamped a long piece of aluminum bar stock in place to the work surface with the mat in between).

A utility knife with a sharp blade was then used to score a cut line along the straight edge. Chair mats are a relatively soft plastic and it was not possible to use a score and break off type process. Instead I cut in the same place along the straight edge 3 or 4 times. I then removed the straight edge and clamps and positioned the cut line along the edge of the work surface. This allowed cut area to be opened slightly as the part to be removed was bent down over the edge of the work surface. Once the cut line was opened like this continued passes of the utility knife blade in the cut groove allowed the cut to be made deeper and deeper and eventually finish the cut.


How to wire switch with 8 gauge wire? I want to connect 8 gauge wires to a 30 amp safety switch (http://smile.amazon.com/Leviton-3032-2W-Toggle-Double-Pole-Grounding/dp/B002MPPTBQ), but the wire is too thick to wrap around the screws on the switch. What's the best way to attach the wires to the switch?

(don't worry, they're on a 30 amp breaker in the panel)

10 gauge wire should certainly fit on the screws; get a short bit of solid 10ga wire and pigtail that onto the switch.  10 gauge is legal for 30 amps, and a few inches of 10ga isn't going to defeat the purpose of running 8 gauge.


How should I insulate my concrete ceiling in a safe room under a concrete porch? We have a safe room roughly 25' long  x 7' wide x 10' tall. It has concrete walls with a metal ceiling and concrete covered porch above it. The room gets very cold in the winter, I suspect mostly due to the uninsulated ceiling. Right now we have an open door to your conditioned basement from the safe room. How would you recommend insulating the ceiling?
I have considered:

Foam board attached to metal. I wondered if I could glue this up or would have to attach some other way?

Spray foam ceiling. I am guessing that would cost much more than the foam board and wouldn't be something I could do myself.

Putting a door in the opening to the safe room to slow the cold air. This would help but the room still shares uninsulated concrete walls with the rest of the basement.

With any option I have to deal with minor water leaks when water blows onto the porch and leaks through the concrete.
Thank you for any ideas and suggestions!

Given it's 10 feet tall a dropped ceiling and insulation batts would be the "most obvious" approach (to me) if you deal with the leaks from above by sealing them above. Come down to 8 feet with a grid and place batts on top of the panels.
If you let it leak, then you need to come up with a way to redirect the leaking before you hit the insulation, or use insulation that doesn't care (and costs more.) Something like a set of sloped 2x4 "rafters" to support a piece of plastic attached at the high side and directed into a gutter on the low side, then hang ceiling below them and insulate between.
If the concrete walls to the porch floor are partially above-grade and uninsulated inside or out, then they are also contributing to the cold, since concrete is a terrible insulator, at roughly R1 for 15 inch thickness. Concrete below grade transitions to seeing less extreme temperatures on the outside, but still generally below "comfortable" for people for much time.


Common kitchen/bathroom countertop devices that use 120V20A I currently have a 110V20A GFCI outlet in my guest bathroom. It's the older type, with red and black buttons, and I'm planning to replace it with a new TR/WR GFCI receptacle as part of a general electrical maintenance and childproofing effort.

I cannot think of a single device that I have ever seen or owned that has a T-bladed plug for 20A draw, much less anything I would plug into a bathroom outlet. So, I currently see no reason to replace like-for-like, and as I have had some serious issues trying to plug things into 20A TR outlets (the shutter design is different in the ones I've seen, and requires not only that something be inserted on both sides, but that roughly equal pressure be applied to both sides) I'm leaning toward downgrading to 15A.

So, questions:

Can anyone think of anything you'd commonly find in your bathroom, that would plug into a countertop outlet and need 20A draw?
On the same note, are 15A GFCI outlets rated for 20A "pass-through", like normal 15A outlets are? "Pass-through" is particularly important for these, as they protect "downstream" devices, which could draw up to the full current rating of the entire circuit through the internal protection circuitry.
Lastly, I will probably at some point replace similar outlets in the kitchen (120V20A GFCI non-TR/WR). Same basic question; is there anything anyone can think of that would normally be found on a kitchen counter and would require 120V20A? Or when I replace these, should I just go for 15A for simplicity?

This Blender which is used in the "Will it Blend" commercials requires a dedicated 20amp circuit.  I have a smaller model but it still pulls 10amps!  Now most people don't have these, but there certainly are all sorts of mixers, blenders, bread makers, etc. that might require this type of amperage.

I believe that you are required by NEC (in new builds anyways) to have dedicated 20amp outlets in the kitchen.  I think that it's not so much that a single device will pull 20amps, but two devices plugged into a single outlet might.


Water pressure issues I've been seeing some strange water pressure in my house, nothing has changed recently.  I had always seen the pressure coming out hard at first, after the water heater had been running, but the pressure seems higher lately.  I found a leak behind the fridge that I think was caused by the high pressure, ruined part of the floor in my kitchen.

City water comes in at about 90 psi, there is a pressure reducing valve that reduces it to about 40.
Hot water temperature was about 130F

I just replaced the expansion tank with another 2.1 gallon expansion tank, it was precharged to 40 psi, I double checked it and left it there.  Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the old tank, it was only at 10psi once removed, but it still holds air.

Now, with the new tank on, I still see bouts of high pressure.  I clocked it at 100psi this afternoon.  100 seems very high to me, I've never noticed it that high in the past.

Do I need a bigger tank?  Just odd that this started out of the blue..

Either your PRV is bad, your gauge is incorrect or being used incorrectly, or the end points in question are old and just in need of repair as these things happen (and if all installed at the same time it is not unheard of that they fail around the same time).

It does not make sense that your water heater is a culprit nor the expansion tank.


Are these joists deep enough for the joist spacing / beam spacing I am planning on my deck? I'm building a deck in the garden, have planned, purchased and started building the deck. I've been laying out some joists on the support beams (wider timbers bolted onto the posts) that I've temporarily put in position, and I'm slightly worried that the joists I have purchased are not going to be strong enough. They feel firm enough when laid out as a test, I just don't want problems a couple of months / years down the line.

On the not so worrying side:

The timbers were listed at the merchant as joists. They don't flex significantly when I stand on a single joist and jump up and down a bit, and when I've laid a couple of decks across as pictured and stand on the deck, it doesn't feel springy.

I have enough timbers to lay the joists with 220mm centres, which seems pretty close.

The deck board I have is quite good quality - 32mm thickness.

What's worrying me:

The only thing that is really worrying me is that they 'look' a bit on the thin side, and everything I've looked up online seems to reference minimum 6 inch joist depths.

Measurements:

Max spacing across main support beams: 900mm

Joist spacing center to centre: 220mm

Joist with: 50mm

Joist depth: 75mm

Picture:

I have read that "In general terms, joists spaced 16 inches on centre can span 1.5 times in feet their depth in inches". If this is true, they should be able to span about 1300mm, I'm only attempting 900mm. I hope that's right!

Any advice appreciated.

I can't find a floor joist span table that goes smaller than a 2x6. However, the American Wood Council calculator gives an allowable span for #2 Southern Douglas Fir 2x4s (~35mm x ~90mm) at 16" (405mm) centers at 5',8" (~1750mm) with a wet condition 10lb dead load and 40lb live load.

If the dimension measurement is accurate, the joists wouldn't get past my local inspector (around here it's 2x6 minimum for deck joists), but even at 12" (300mm) centers you could probably park a small car on it with 900mm spans.


Pieces of soft black gunk on dishes I have a whirlpool (aka amana) dishwasher I got from home depot a year or so ago, Model # WDF510PAYW.

A month or so ago I cleaned the upper and lower filters for the first time.  They were full of soft black gunk.  (Next time I will read the manual.)

Since then I am getting small pieces (1/8" to 1/4" in diameter, but thin) of black gunk on my otherwise clean dishes.

I had hoped that this would be temporary and the dishwasher would clean itself over time. That has not happened.

In addition to black pieces on the dishes, there is a black film on much of the inside of the dishwasher. (See photos.)  I still get some soft black gunk in the lower filter and some grey film in the upper filter, which I clean often.

I tried running it through empty with some vinegar.  That did not help.

Any ideas on what I should try now?

Thx.

PS What is the round, hat shaped plastic piece in the lower right hand corner of the first photo? It has some black gunk under it but I cannot get it off to clean it.

here]3]3

It looks like mold or black mildew.

It commonly starts growing on and in the door gasket, which is somewhat porous. It collects on the filters until, as you have learned, you clean them. Then small pieces escape and stick everywhere.

Bob Villa and others recommend bleach or vinegar for controlling mold in a dishwasher. But your infestation looks too far advanced for such mild treatment.

You should use a cleaner called Affresh which was designed by front load washer manufacturers to remove mold and mildew build up.

Unfortunately Affresh and like products are not good at cleaning the mold from porous rubber parts. Try flexing the gasket away from the tub and scrubbing behind it with a stiff toothbrush.

If this doesn't work then you will probably have to replace the door gasket. The part costs around $80.


How to connect metal conduit to in-wall NM cable? I have NM cable in metal conduit running along a wall. At a corner, the conduit enters wall space, and ends at a metal box in the wall. The line is continued by in-wall NM. How should I handle the point where the conduit enters the wall? Just a hole in the sheetrock?

It sounds like you're sheetrocking over the existing wiring.  If that's correct, I think this would work.  The challenge is you want to make the transition from conduit to plain NM in a box, and you want the plain NM concealed inside a wall, not out in the open where it's exposed to damage.

remove the box from the end of the conduit
install two boxes in the face of the new wall, maybe one at switch or sconce height, one at receptacle height.  (These boxes will be accessible through the new sheetrock.)
Cut the existing NM mid way between the new boxes
extend the conduit to the upper box (with the NM in it)
splice in a new piece of NM from the upper box to the lower box


Bosch power drill malfunction My husband and I have ripped down an old lath & plaster ceiling and we are trying to board it. However, my husbands Bosch drill keep switching itself from screw to hammer mode, which means the screws are not going all the way into the joists. Is an expensive repair needed or are we better off ditching the drill and buying a new one?

Many thanks

First, make sure the "hammering" you are experiencing is not the clutch, doing what it is designed to do.

It is not uncommon for the switching mechanism from drill to hammer-drill to break and stop functioning properly. Whether it is worth repairing depends, Bosch sells different grades of tools. A professional grade Bosch hammer drill might be worth repairing, a consumer grade one would not. To even get a quote on repair cost you have to pay to ship it to an authorized repair center (or find one and take it there).

Consumer grade Bosch hammer-drills sell for as cheap as $60 (U.S.) at discount hardware stores, your repair price would likely be equal to or higher than that.


what to do where hardibacker meets drywall? Went to remove old tile from laundry room sink backsplash and it was placed onto textured and painted wall(believe it was an after thought of previous home owner).  As the tile was removed it pulled all the paper from the drywall.  Had to cut out the the rest of tile and drywall out.  Now we are down to bare studs and was going to place hardibacker in place of drywall.  What do I use to tape and float the seam between the backer board and the drywall? Do I need to tape the seam?

You should have framing backing a seam between wall panels, especially if one of them is going to have tile on it.

The reason is one panel can flex if any load is placed on it (e.g. lean your body against the wall) and with that floating edge, it will be easier to crack grout or tile. It has less support than the center of a board.

I would rip out drywall to the nearest studs then sister those studs. Add horizontal backing as well between the studs, assuming the tile is not going all the way to the ceiling plate. Then attach your cement board: it should have a wooden lip all the way around to attach to, with that wood secured to the studs. That wood you added becomes part of the framing.

That will give a much sturdier backing for your tile.

Note: you can certainly have a floating seam, I have seen some people say that is fine. There are ways to do it. But if you have each seam backed by framing, you will get much better results.

Also, do not forget about vapor barriers and waterproofing if required by local code. Cement is porous and does not stop moisture: something like REDGARD will stop water in its tracks.


Pfister bathroom faucet -- where to remove top part of hose from faucet? we're having trouble with a leak in the faucet hose. It seems to be leaking after the valve on the hot water side, local valve has been shut off.

I can see a nut where the hose connects to the valve on the bottom end of the hose, but where does the top part of hose connect to the faucet (to remove and replace the hose)?

Thanks

It looks like the flexihose is crimped on the to faucet lines but it's very hard to see on the first image, there seems to be a brass coloured hexagonal piece at the end of the pipe but based on the image I'm unable to tell if it's a crimp or screw fitting.

What would be best at this point is to remove the faucet by disconnecting the hot and cold water flexihoses from your valves and unscrewing the faucet's mounting bolt.
Once you've got the faucet out you can take a closer look at the flexihose connection.

The you'll most likely have one of two situations:

Either the flexihose is crimped on and it will probably be best to replace the whole faucet.
Or if you're lucky it will be a screw-in flexihose which can be removed, remove the flexihose and take it to your local hardware store to get a replacement hose. After that it's just a matter of screwing the new flexihose on and mounting the faucet back to the sink.

If you've removed the tap check to make sure the gasket between the tap and the sink is still ok or if it also needs replacing. (Sometimes a good cleaning is enough though!) This will help prevent water leaking down from the top.


fixing tornado damage We had a tornado touch down in our neighborhood last night. Everyones ok, but there's quite a lot of damage. We lost a 2'x8' section of shingles along our roofline and have water damage all throughout our drywall ceiling. The weather is supposed to be clear until Sunday. Should I cover it with a tarp immediately?  We still have all the plywood on the roof so I don't know if it would be better to let it dry or not. How should I attach the tarp? Nails, screws, tape, rope?

I agree, let it dry out as long as you dare.  When you do have to cover it up, get a tarp that is plenty large enough to cover the damaged area. A pic would be helpful. Get enough 1X3 cheap strapping and use it as a large washer with your tarps.  i'd try to go over the peak, roll the  edges of the tarp around the strapping and pull it as tight as possible and nail it down with 4 or 6d double headed nails.  Then take more strapping and install it perpendicular to the ridge line on 4 ft intervals.  This will help prevent wind from getting under the tarps but let water flow easily down the roof.

Sorry to hear of you misfortune, glad to hear you and yours are OK. A lot of people we not so lucky in the last couple of days.


What are my options for hardwood floor scratch and gouge repair? I have a 10 month old puppy who recently discovered her (apparent) love for the taste of wood putty. There was a rather large knot hole that had been plugged and finished in our living room floor that she spent considerable time chewing out.

So now what we have is a about a 1/4in deep knot hole surrounded by deep scratches from where her teeth dug in.

What is the best option for repair? The guy at my local hardware store recommended sanding the area out, building it back up with putty, and then restaining. I do have several cans of the original stain/varnish so I'm hoping to get a pretty close match. Please help!

One option is to replace the board.

You would need to:

Cut out the old board.
Find a board that matches the type and grain of the rest of the floor
Install the new board.
Stain it to match.
Buy your dog a chew toy. :)

UPDATE

You can remove most of the old board by:

Cutting it out with a circular saw.
Using a hammer and chisel (or even a flathead screwdriver) to chip out the ends.
Chisel out the old tongue from the groove in one of the boards still in the floor.

To fasten the new board:

I would apply a liberal amount of would glue to the subfloor.
Slide the tongue of the new board down into the old groove (that you chiseled out).
Put a few face nails in the new board.
Fill and sand the nail holes.


How close together can I put two drywall anchors? I was putting up spice racks in the kitchen and I seem to be off by a half cm on one side with the screws. As a result, they're just a touch too close together and I cant get the screws to line up with the keyhole slots on the back of the rack.

Right now, I'm evaluating my options and it looks like I'll have to remount it up or down a bit... ideally as close to the original holes as possible or else the height becomes an issue.  In an ideal world, I'd be able to patch the hole and redrill it a half cm over so that the racks can be mounted at the height I had originally wanted.  I've never patched drywall before so I don't know how sturdy it would be if I did that.  The rack itself is small.  Won't be more than maybe 2 or 3 pounds fully loaded (including the weight of the rackJ)

This is the keyhole slot style I'm working with.  What I have is metal, so I can't easily cut it wider to compensate for the hole.

I love those anchors and use them all the time. Don't bother trying to patch the hole and re drilling it, the patch won't hold. Leave the old anchors in the wall and install a new one an inch or so to the right or left of the old one. Then measure the distance between the keyholes, center to center, and measure that distance from the center of your new anchor to where the next one has to go. Drill a small hole at that point, don't use the "drill point" on the anchor as they can shift when screwing them in. Screw in the new anchor and you should be good to go. You can now go back and remove the old anchors and patch the wall or just leave them there. Good luck.


What are the pros and cons of a vented vs unvented crawl space? I find it very confusing to read and hear conflicting advice on crawl space: vent vs air seal, different ways to do insulation, vapor barriers vs not, etc.

Mine currently has some moisture and has a 6" square hole in the exterior wall and 2 large 3' square openings to the basement next to it.  What should I do?

BuildingScience.com recommends conditioning the crawl space: http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0401-conditioned-crawl-space-construction-performance-and-codes

One concern I have with laying plastic on top of the dirt is creating conditions for mold.

I'd like to hear independent opinions from DIYers rather from websites and people in the industry since those usually have an agenda.

How did you do your crawl space?

Edit:

Sounds like the vapor barrier and insulation at the wall would be the better approach.

According to this: http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11810 my zone (anything north of North Carolina) is OK for the vapor barrier.

Further questions:

Should I have the 2 inch rigid foam at the walls and vapor barrier on top or underneath or...?  I cannot find this detail on the Internet.
"Conditioning" the crawl space means I have to ensure air intake and outtake for it, doesn't it?  I currently don't have AC, BTW, only window units.
AskTheBuilder is talking about using high performance vapor barriers here: http://www.askthebuilder.com/B403_High_Performance_Vapor_Barriers.shtml Does anyone have experience with those?  Where do I buy that stuff?  I only found this: http://www.insulationsolutions.com/products/viper_CS/information.html

Most crawl spaces are vented if they have an earth floor or are prone to moisture. If you insulate between the floor joists with a moisture, mold and vermin resistant insulation (foam as we discussed before) you would still want some ventilation. The only time I would seal the exterior walls would be if I also used a pretty darn water tight moisture barrier over the floor, tuck taped to the knee wall at the bottom of the joists. You would be creating a dry cell and blocking movement of cold air through and under the house. This is typically done with a rubber/neoprene type compound sheet commercially, but can be done effectively  with a couple of layers of good 6 mil poly. This poly is avail at Lowe's, HD, etc. in 10 and 20 foot wide rolls, 25 to 100 foot in length. You can use Tyvek tape to seal the seams and around posts etc. Leave yourself a way to enter the space to check humidity levels occasionally for reassurance.


How to fix a leak in pipe valve? I am an amateur. There is a leak in this pipe valve. Water is dripping. Should I try to fix it myself (how?), or call a plumber?

If the leak is from under the nut at the handle, remove the nut and the handle. Under the handle may be a nut. If so this is a packing nut. Tighten the nut clockwise just a bit at a time until the drip quits. If there is no packing nut then replace the handle and tighten the nut for the handle: this nut could be doing double duty as a packing nut and to hold the handle on. If neither attempt stops the drip you may have to replace the valve.


Is it expensive to switch from an 80% to a 90% efficient furnace, to comply with the new mandate? I'm told by some HVAC companies via mail flyers and websites (example) that it may be very expensive to retrofit new PVC pipes to update an 80% efficient furnace to a 90% one.  Therefore, the logic goes, it's better to install a new 80% furnace now before the new mandate takes place on May 1, 2013.  Does that ring true?

PVC is relatively inexpensive so the main cost is installing it. If your furnace is near an exterior wall, they'll simply make a hole in that wall and run the lines directly out. If your furnace isn't close to an exterior wall, then you need to run the lines through the ceiling, preferably in the direction of the joists, until you reach an exterior wall.

If that ceiling is already finished with drywall and has other utilities running through the space, then the expense will be to open the ceiling and get the vents properly routed. Drywall repair can be a DIY job, though mudding the joints tends to be an art if you want it to look perfect. And most HVAC installers would likely outsource that job to another contractor. The second contractor is where the price on the job can start to jump.

That said, the added cost is only in that specific scenario, which is a minority of the installs. And you'll recoup that cost over time with a more efficient HVAC. Therefore, I'd avoid prematurely replacing a furnace since that will be the most expensive option of all. And I'd also recommend against using contractors that are sending out fliers or knocking on doors to get business. The good ones don't have to look for work, they've got a waiting list for their services.


How can I confirm a skunk inhabitation, and then persuade the stinky squatter to vacate? I'm fairly sure a skunk has taken up residence under my deck. I'm concerned that my dogs may be sprayed, or worse contract a disease and/or parasites from the animal.

Our area is loaded with skunks, and I recently noticed a hole dug out leading under our low deck.  I often smell a skunky aroma in the evening and at night, especially in the vicinity of the deck.  I'm not positive it's a skunk den, and I'm also not sure how to confirm either way.

Once I've determined it's a skunk den (or not), I'd like to persuade the animal to leave. I now live within city limits, so my typical shotgun remedy is out of the question (neighbors and local law enforcement don't like late night shotgun blasts, or maybe any shotgun blasts). Since we live in a politically correct world, and this is a PC site, solutions should be humane.

You can try using fox urine in the vicinity to repel the skunks. You can buy it in the hunting section of sporting goods stores. As far as determining if there is a skunk there or not, it could be trick. A motion sensor trail camera would definitely work, but is probably not worth the investment if you don't already own one. To avoid future visits from skunks be sure to keep garbage secure, and avoid compost being out in the open.

The humane society website has a nice section on skunk problems also.

They will not suggest fox urine because the methods of harvesting it don't align with their views, but they mention using kitty litter, which seems like a reasonable option if you have any at your disposal.


How can I install a washing machine in the kitchen? i am looking to install  only a washing machine (no drier)  in my condo under the counter in the kitchen. my brother tried to install it for me but some plumbers advised him not to just hook it up because of the plumbing system 2 inch 1 and 1/2 inch... in any way i understand the concern but i just want to know if it is possible if i hire a professional plumber can they be able to change the whole plumbing system to accommodate the washer in the kitchen ? if it is easy to do it my brother can do it but how? i appreciate any comment.

A friend of mine recently purchased a portable washer that hooks up to the sink. Are you sure this won't work for you, instead? It would avoid having to tear out cabinets, etc. to put an appliance never designed to be put in a kitchen, where it shouldn't be. It might be somewhat in the way when in use, but avoids taking up cabinet space when not in use, as it can be wheeled out into another room when not needed.

She purchased the kit that made a small washer portable (wheels, drain line that goes into the sink, and the hoses that connect to the faucet.)

Also, these units are typically of very small capacity, which might be a consideration. Is there no other area where a compact washer/dryer unit for condos would fit?


Burned neutral wire on breaker I recently asked for help because my dishwasher was tripping the circuit at random points in the cycle a few times last week. It was suggested to switch the breaker for another to see if it was a faulty breaker causing the issue since the appliance was new and well under 20amp power requirement: Faulty breaker? Older than the others?
So i finally started the process of switching the GFCI breakers today (after not using the dishwasher the rest of the week).  The neutral wire on the breaker in question is burned! It has even burned into the coil on the breaker, which the neutral was touching. The live wire is fine.

In the picture, i have reinserted the neutral in the correct way, under the metal plate. But when i took it out originally, it was attached between the screw and the plate - you can see this bit of the plate is burned too. All the other breakers seem to have the wire screwed in correctly. Seems pretty dangerous to have left this breaker badly installed since it seemed to have created a fire risk.
For now i have put it back with the breaker switched off. I assume this is safe since now there is no power running to the neutral wire.
So could it have been an incorrectly or loosely installed neutral wire causing the shorting? I guess in this case, I can cut back the burned neutral wire and replace the breaker with a new one. Or could it be something else - do i need an electrician to investigate?
Thanks

Most likely, the neutral wire connection failed because the wire was not properly torqued down.  Even experienced electricians cannot set a torque any more reliably then their spouses - that's been tested.  It's why Code now requires use of torque screwdrivers.
The connection got hot, passing heat down the circuit neutral (copper is a very good thermal conductor), enough to cause thermal damage to adjacent wires.  Note the damage to the neutral pigtail.
So, this failure does not condemn the GFCI breaker.  It certainly does not disparage the other GFCI breakers.
Switching breakers will fix it, because you'll be unscrewing and re-screwing the screws, changing the torque setting. You'll probably be luckier this time.
Unfortunately the breaker that had the burnt-up wire is toast.  The heat was at the wire-breaker contact point, and if it was hot enough for heat to walk down the copper wire and burn other wires, it was also hot enough to ruin the breaker plastics, gut the GFCI electronics, or throw the thermal bi-metal strip out of calibration.  Into the trash it goes.


How can I make a switch activate two circuits, when both are normally switched independently? In my garage I have two lighting circuits with two separate switches in the same junction box.
Total, on both switched circuits, I have 16 recessed lights, each is a 15w LED. One switch is an occupancy sensor and turns on 6 of them. The other switch turns on the remaining 10.
The idea is that sufficient lighting turns on automatically when I enter the garage. But if I'm working on some project I want more lights so I turn on the second switch for full lighting.
You can imagine if I'm working under a car or something that the occupancy light will turn off (and I flail around to activate it again). What I want is for the second switch to turn on all the lights, even if the occupancy isn't triggered.
How can I wire this?
I have one line to the junction box. The box has two switches and two load wires. One load with 6 cans, the other with 10 cans.

The easiest way is to replace the manual switch with a double-pole switch, such as this example. This allows you to switch two independent circuits with the same switch. Connect the original switch connections to one pole of the switch. connect the other switch pole in parallel with the motion detector (extend the wires connecting to hot and switched-hot at the motion detector to connect to the other switch pole). If the motion detector has built-in wires, you can add the new wires to the existing wirenuts. If the MD has screw terminals, it would be best to add pigtails (short wires) from the MD to new wirenuts and then to the existing and new wires.
If you are unsure which terminals are which on the double-pole switch, try connecting just in place of the old switch. Once you have that working ysing two terminals of the switch, use the other two terminals to for the MD connection.


Diffent voltage on each side of bus bar Having trouble with lights in my barn some are dim some really bright checked bus bars in panel one side is 89 volts other is 159 volts

Classic "lost neutral"

They are different, but add up to around 240v... That is the classic symptom of a loose or open neutral in your cable or more likely, its terminations.

Hot to hot, the voltage is 240V.  You have two sides of 120V with neutral in the middle.  If the neutral is working, it forces each side to 120V.  If the neutral is lost, then the two sides are simply in series, and they will add to "whatever" based on the loading on each side.

This can be quite destructive to equipment and even start a fire.   I would shut off everything (240V-only loads are OK) until you can fix it.

Also, if one terminal is failing, possibly others are too.  When you find the problem, check the two hots and ground also.

Or it could be no neutral

In older installations, we sometimes see really dumb setups like 2-wire 120V circuits converted to 240V by trying to use the local ground rod as the neutral.  This doesn't work. Dirt doesn't conduct electricity very well. It can't function as a "current return".  This acts like a "lost neutral", energizing the neutral and the ground to hazardous voltages. Not good.  In this case, it might have been like this all along and you only just noticed, or soil conditions changed where it's not returning as well as it used to.

This entire type of setup needs to be taken out of service ASAP.  Convert it to 120V only, convert it to 240V-only (no neutral in use - easier than ever now that many lights are 120/240/277), or use a transformer to convert it into its own main service.


How much grease accidentally going down a drain is a concern? I always try to dispose of my cooking grease safely, but I'm curious as to how grease actually causes a clog in a drain.  For example, if a bit of cooking grease gets down the drain one time, will it expand and clog the drain almost instantaneously?  Or does clogging a drain with grease require repeated abuse / grease and oil constantly being run down the drain?

Edit: Let's assume the grease is a small amount of bacon grease (>1/8 cup), and the pipes are standard 1.5" in diameter pipes.  If accidentally poured down the drain in the morning, what are the odds it would stop up the whole drain?

In general, a one-time slip-up dumping grease down the sink won't cause any clogs. Grease creates clogs over time, by building up layer upon layer inside the pipe until water cannot pass through (easily) anymore.

This is most usually a problem with greases that are solid at room temperature but liquid at cooking temperature (or under hot water). When hot, it is liquid enough to be poured down a drain, but very soon after (i.e., while still in the pipes) it cools enough to solidify. It does this on the walls of your pipes. Cooling rates aren't uniform, so the grease doesn't always cool off and solidify into your pipes at the same place each time you pour it down the sink. Over time, enough eventually builds up to cause a blockage. Very similar to plaque building up on your artery walls and causing a heart attack.

Any kind of improper slope of your drain can exacerbate this, and cause the buildup to occur faster. A lot of bends in the pipes, excessively cold pipes, or debris in the pipes could accelerate this as well.

Running hot water down the drain will only push the problem further down the line, as you'll still have the problem of the grease (and water) cooling and solidifying.


Garage door freezing to the ground on cold days My door sticks opening after couple of hours and definitely cold mornings. This happens when I try to do it manually or with opener engaged.  It’s literally jammed. My 8 year old son can put a shovel at the bottom of the door and stand on it and it will click and free up. Literally .25 inches from initial force and then it’s fine.  After initial opening it will behave the way it’s supposed to for 15 mins to all day if it’s a warm day.

If your son is prying up with a shovel to break it loose is it freezing the rubber seal to the ground. On rubber seals on my truck doors I spray them with Pam cooking spray and they don't stick when frozen. This may also work on the seal at the ground. It's worth a try.


How do I repair a leaking shower? I have been a renter in a duplex apartment for several years, and I am unfortunately having some trouble with my upstairs shower.  It has been clear for some time that the shower unit has been in need of repair, but recently water has begun leaking through to the first floor bath and it is obvious that the backer board behind the tile near the shower faucet has become soggy - tiles near the bottom are beginning to detach and it seems a large section of the tile wall is in danger of failing completely.

What would be the minimum expedient repair required to prevent further damage and allow the shower to be usable (until the inevitable renovation that will take place when the unit is vacated)?

I live in the Northeast U.S.

No one can really tell you what the cost will be online. You're going to have to have a contractor come out and take a look.

It could be as simple as replacing the tiles and grout.

It could be as complex as gutting the bathroom and completely replacing all the rotted framing (if it's rotted).

So, could be $500. Could be $10,000.

There's no easy fix for this. Your best bet is to just top using it.


LED lamp keeps glowing when dimmer is turned off (I know this question has been asked before (here), but I followed the advice recommended by the users in that thread to help remedy the problem, but the lights still glow.)

I recently bought dimmable LEDs for my house, and I've noticed that the lights glow a little bit even while the dimmer is turned off (I have illuminated light switches to DO NOT use the neutral wire). I suspect this is due to the wall switches using the light bulb itself as neutral. When the wall switch is on, the bulb gets full line voltage. When the wall switch is off, the bulb is the neutral for the light of the wall switch, causing a tiny current to flow through the bulb.

I replaced the dimmer with the Luron MACL-153M, a digital dimmer that is specifically made for LEDs/CFLs, but that problem still persists (note: this dimmer also DOES NOT use the neutral wire, and is illuminated with a small light).

I then replaced one room's dimmer with a smart WiFi switch that DOES use the neutral wire, and walla, no glow. Also, if I use a non-illuminated switch, the LEDs do no glow while the switch is turned off.

So I tried a solution that seems to work for the rest of the rooms where I don't want smart light switches. I added a 10k ohm resistor in between the load and the neutral (so in parallel), and it seems to "drain" that small electricity leak from the dimmer. When I did this, the LEDs did not glow when turned off.

Now, my question to the community is: Is there a safer way to do this? Of course I covered all exposed wires with electrical tape, and my resistor is rated at 200 volts (I live in the US). And theoretically, this resistor is acting just like another bulb on the circuit, but that does not emit light.

I looked around for a non-wifi/Bluetooth/etc. dimmer that uses the neutral wire, and the only one seems to be a Leviton one that costs $60--way too pricey. Adding a resistor in parallel makes sense and is much more cost-effective. Please let me know if this is ok/safe long term.

First and foremost, absolutely required: this has to be inside a steel box.  No plastic boxes.  The metal box needs to be grounded. This will keep containment on a variety of problems.

Thermal calcs can be quite complicated so I like to shortcut them by leaning conservative.  Everything in modern mains wiring is rated at 60C.  I assume ambient is about 30C.  So I'm looking for a solution that will give about a 20-25C rise.

Power resistors are real fond of giving 180C or even 350C rise at full rating.  Going "I'll derate by 30% and that'll be good" is a noob mistake. I've had to use a 1000W resistor to get an acceptable rise at 230W.

Also using a resistor like the anodized aluminum types which require a heat sink, is inappropriate unless you attach it to a heat sink.  They have favorable thermal ratings, but only with the heat sink. Junction boxes are not listed to be heat sinks.

Experience led me to an Ohmite L25 series with lugs. The data says we'll have just shy of a 20C rise at 1.44W and that will be fine.  The lugs will allow crimp lug attachment with #6-32 or 8-32 screws.


What can/should be done to mitigate asbestos danger after a disturbance? I took down the ceiling from an approximately 12x10 foot room to deal with some rodents in the insulation and it turns out that the (painted) popcorn texture on the ceiling contained/contains asbestos.  Mistakes were made, etc.  I already have the material (infested insulation, drywall, texture and all) in contractor bags and under a tarp out of the house.  I guess I'll need someone who deals with hazardous materials to pick them up, but my actual question is:

  What do I need to do about the rest of the house?

There was obviously a fair amount of dust involved tearing the ceiling down (though I guess that was mostly gypsum---I didn't scrape the ceiling, just took the drywall down in big slabs).  Is the whole house potentially "contaminated" now?  Is there a way for me to test the level of airborne asbestos (not to test the popcorn texture, but to measure the level of airborne contamination)?  I imagine that there's some correct response between "clean up the area and forget about it" and "abandon the house."

Update: I got in touch with a remediation firm near me who suggested that the appropriate next step was a dust sampling (as opposed to air monitoring).  The pricing is also much more reasonable than I was expecting, less than $50 per sample, if I bring them in myself.  I'll update as my situation develops.  The good news is so far the costs to assess the situation are not onerous.

Professional air monitoring is the first step: expect a bill in the range of $500 (a technician stays on site for the entire hour or so test).  A little compressor draws air into a sampling can, which is analyzed in a lab.  They physically look for captured fibers and can find a single fiber in a sample.

Asbestos removal is surprisingly expensive, and must be done by a licensed firm (at least in the USA).  In California USA I was quoted $750 in tipping fee alone for one square foot of asbestos paper, though a bigger firm can combine with other jobs.  Everything is registered and tracked.  As usual get multiple bids: you may have trouble finding a firm willing to clean up after someone else's mess.  The full procedure involves huge quantities of plastic, creating a negative air pressure zone where the worek is done.


How to remove this door knob on the mortise lockset? I have an old mortise lockset that I want to replace. And I already removed all the visible screws and the cylinder. However, I am not able to figure out how to remove the knobs. I could loosen the cover a little bit and I saw a "half" screw head on one of the knob. Posting some pictures here as well.

There should be a catch release hidden on the underside of the inner knob. Push in, hold, pull knob out with your 3rd hand.

If you don't care about the knobs you can be lazy and just cut/bend/crush the escutcheon plate to get to the screws.


Can I use this spray gun with my air compressor? I have a spray gun that needs 4.4 cfm and 60 psi to work. My compressor is only 2.6 cfm but 135psi with a 6 gallon tank and a 2hp engine. Will this setup work to spray paint?

Sounds like you're using an automotive sprayer. You need to set your compressor's regulator to 60 PSI max or the can may explode. If the compressor doesn't have an adjustable regulator, you'll need to install one.


Where is this wall water damage coming from? It was raining today. At evening, I notice something's wrong on the wall. Is it a re-pointing issue?

The partially damaged wall is only under the windows. I accidentally leave the window open and by the time I fond it, there were some rain on the window wood frame. The room feels extremely humid. I looked out on the brick wall, the pointing seems fine. If the leak starts from the roof, would the wall above the window also be damaged as well? We just replaced the roof couple days ago. However, there's a missing medal that the roofer hasn't installed yet.

It appears to be a leak - where the leak is could be anywhere from near the damage (but it's usually not) to the roof, and it may not be directly above, depending on the path the water is taking. While I suppose it could be repointing in a brick or stone wall, I'd probably start looking at the roof, unless looking at the outside of the building while it was raining indicated something obvious lower down (a broken or clogged gutter spraying water on the wall, for an example.)


2 way switch operates opposite to my preference I have two sets of 2 way switches in my new home but I prefer the lights to be off when both ends are in the "off" (as compared to regular switches) position. Conveniently there is one double 2 way switch that controls both downstairs and upstairs hall lights. I turned the MCBs for all the lights off and took this photo:

In order to make the switches off in the "off" position is the basic principle just to swap the blue and yellow wires from each cable?
Edit: Thanks to @JimStewart I realised that I needed to check one of the other switches to confirm the wiring arrangement, so here it is:

So my understanding is now that I need to swap the red and blue wires from each cable on the first switch, right? What other steps (aside from turning the power off again) should I take for maximum safety?

Swap the travelers and that will reverse the switch position.  Note: make sure NOT to swap the common, as if this is done, the switch combinations won’t all work.


Venting computer equipment, and negative pressure in the home? I've got some computer equipment that burns really hot (90 celsius exhaust), and I thought it'd be a great idea to recycle that heat to keep the house warm in the winter.

The equipment is in the basement, and I routed the exhaust through 6" insulated duct into a heat register that blows in the home.  The problem is it's too damned hot!  As a test, I've put the thermostat at 19 degrees - and the house is at 24-25.  Furnace hasn't run in a few days.

I'm considering venting outside instead, tapping into the exhaust for my HRV.  I worry though, that sucking air in the basement and pushing it outdoors like this could have adverse effects such as negative pressure.

Should I worry about this? Sucking air in from inside the home, and pushing it straight outside?

Thanks for your guidance.

Negative presure is actually a serious problem.  Modern homes are tight enough that a negative pressure device like a dryer venting has the potential to pull negative pressure on the house and interfere with gravity (convection) exhaust stacks on fuel furnace, water heater, etc.  This is why heat exchangers are a thing, and many machines are now direct vented, with double vents, inner for exhaust, outer for combustion air.  (Bonus, the exhaust heat warms and dries the combustion air).

Also, it is a shame to throw away perfectly good heat.

The cheap way is to block doors open and set blowers/fans in doorways to pull the heat around the house.   In summer, open basement windows.   However this is not a reliable solution and requires a lot of awkward fans-in-pathways and manual arrangement.

Other venting plans are up against a basic fact: air is not a very good thermal transfer fluid.  Water is ideal, and adding antifreeze doesn't hurt much.

from here on out, when I say water, I mean antifreeze, ideally propylene glycol which is basically edible. A spill will bring vermin rather than kill cats.

Surprisingly little water flow will do a fine job of cooling a PC, even several chips plumbed in series.   (Another way of saying this is, heating water is hard).

Water cooling - push the water around

If practicable, use water-cooling on the equipment. This detailed "whole room water cooling" video series goes deep into the nuts and bolts of it.  They do a few things I don't agree with, like dingdonging together a bunch of PC radiators instead of just getting an old automobile radiator (with attached thermostats and electric fans) from a junkyard.

But the basics are the same: cooling plates on the hot running chips, pumps in the PCs, a hot/disposal water trunk, and a cool/makeup trunk.

Now in the simple version, you plumb all the heat outside, to an automobile radiator.  Keep its built-in fan thermostat and fans.   Wire it off a 12V supply, so the thermostat operates a 12v relay which supplies power to the fans.  Plumb it so water reaches the thermostat last.  That way the fans only run if they're needed, just like in the car.

In the more complex version, you make stop(s) and get to the automotive radiator last, but first, you make a tour around the house and use the water-heat "any which way you can".   Now this is very similar to hydronic heating systems used in wealthier homes in the US, and multipurpose boiler" systems in the UK.  I'm not an expert in those systems, so I'll explain the general gist.  And they may not be in this sequence.

First stop: household heat

You take hot water either to a heat exchanger in the furnace, or baseboard heating around your house, whichever is more practical.

In the normal state, water flow bypasses your furnace or baseboards and goes onto the next thing - that way it doesn't overheat your house.  When your house thermostat calls for heat, it stops bypassing and flows througH the furnace/baseboards.   You'll need a 2-stage thermostat (or 3-stage if you already have 2-stage).  You would want to program this as the first stage.  When the house is not warm enough, the thermostat will call first to use this free waste heat.  If that works, the thermostat will cycle it on and off (bypassing or not). If that is not enough, it will then call for your normal heat to fire up.

You need a diverter valve.  During a call for heat, the valve operates and forces water through the circuit.  If the little pumps inside the PC's can't push water around the heating circuit, you may want to have a booster pump turn on with the diverter valve. If the booster pump is a type that tends to block flow when it's off, you may not even need the diverter valve!

Other heat dumps, er, I mean uses

Next stop is the water heater.  The bypass valves will be a bit more complex, because if your heater is already 60C, you don't want to run 50C water through it.  Or you may have an on-demand heater and let your system "help it out", but in that case don't heat standby water 24x7, as this will breed legionella.  (A recently discovered problem that reared its ugly head in the Flint, Michigan water crisis).  There's a real science to getting hot water right, without scalding or breeding legionella.

Then you go on to any hydronic floor heating you may have.  Now, this is a bit of a problem, because if your servers aren't running for some reason, or if the furnace/baseboards have already taken all the heat out of the water, then no floor heat unless you have an alternative heating method.  The other option is to do the floor-heat circuit first before the furnace/baseboards, since the furnace has a plan B, and the floor heat does not.

Finally the outside radiator

Now if everything bypasses, or if the servers are making more heat than the non-bypasssing things can use... Then the heat winds up outside at the aforementioned automobile radiator.

The only other serious concern is condensation.  You don't want fresh cooling water arriving inside the PC colder than about 10C, as it risks causing condensation inside the PC.  This problem could be reduced by careful ducting around the outside radiator, so it doesn't convection cool very well, and needs the radiator's fans to run to be effective. When the fans cycle off, it shouldn't do much cooling.

If all else fails, have the PCs gravity draw from a tank of water above them, and have the radiator discharge into that tank.  That way the tank temperature changes slowly.  Then a bypass valve on the radiator when tank temp is below 15C.  The tank is to keep the bypass valve from rapidly cycling.


What is this four connector-post, square electrical device mounted to my interior wall? I stumbled across this device while renovating the bedroom of my house. It is screwed into the wall. There is only one wire going into it. The wire has several small diameter wires inside the sheathing and those wires are connected to the device in some nontrivial fashion.

Is it something abandoned?

It's a beat up telephone jack. You can see the actual plastic jack off on the left, and there was originally a cover over the box.


How to make this drain better The original problem was that running the garbage disposal would force water into the other sink.

I assumed that happened because there wasn't anything blocking water from flowing between the two (typical t-fittings for drains have a plastic piece to prevent this)  So, I tore that out and made it look like this.

That's all well and good, but I have the same problem.  I think it's because the drain in the wall is high compared to the bottom of the sink.  I had someone suggest using a double wye at the wall; his thinking was the angles would prevent water from flowing back.

Is this legal? Are there better ideas?

Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) has this to say about horizontal drain lines meeting other horizontal drain lines.

  706.3 Horizontal drainage lines connecting with other horizontal drainage lines shall enter through forty-five (45) degree (0.79 rad) wye branches, combination wye and one-eighth (1/8) bend branches, or other approved fittings of equivalent sweep.

So you'll have to use a 45 wye, or a combination wye & 1/8. This configuration gets the water moving in the proper direction, before it's dumped into the other line.

45 wye

Combination wye & 1/8

You'll also want to avoid trying to make water go up hill.

Go back to the original setup. Then...

Remove the 45° fitting near the wall.
Come straight out of the wall, and install a 45° wye.
Connect the trap on the right of the image, into the straight branch of the wye.
Connect the trap on the left of the image, into the angled branch of the 45° wye.

The red lines represent the 45° wye fitting


Two hot wires in switch junction box I have a switch on the wall that doesn't seem to do anything. I decided to investigate by pulling the switch out and to my surprise, it was a 3-way switch with only two connections (black and white but no red wire). An even bigger surprise was that the white wire always measured live on my outlet tester regardless of the position of the switch. I figured that either the switch had failed short or the white wire was connected to live for some reason. I disconnected the switch and the white wire still tested live. I did a continuity check between the black and white wire (with the breaker off) and found that there was indeed a direct connection.

All of this explains why the switch didn't do anything. What I can't explain is why this junction box was wired like this in the first place. I've changed just about every other switch/outlet/light fixture in the house and this is the only instance I've seen of dubious electrical wiring. I'm chalking it up to an electrician's error and planning on capping the two live wires and putting an unconnected dummy switch into the wall. Does anybody have a better idea on what might be going on here or what I should do about it?

Its a split/switched receptacle

And you forgot to break the tab off.

At the other end of this cable, one of the wires (most correctly the white) is spliced in with the hot wire(s) going to one socket of the outlet.  The other wire goes to the hot terminal of the other socket. This causes this one socket to be switched-hot with the switch, while the other socket is always hot.

This is done to support a floor lamp; it meets the technical requirements to have a light in the room that Code requires, without the expense of cabling an additional outlet (point of use) at the ceiling.

When you did not break off the tab on that receptacle, you caused both sides (black and white) to be shorted, annulling the function of the switch.

Hunt it down.  The giveaway will be a white wire where one is not expected (pigtailed with blacks, or on a brass screw).