What causes tub drain to gurgle when toilet flushed? Recently, the drain in my second floor tub makes a gurgling sound when I flush the toilet, which is located right next to the tub.  They are obviously on the same drain line. I know that there is a vent line going up from the bathroom through the attic, but I am not sure of the exact configuration.

In all other respects, both toilet and tub seem to drain normally.

What could be causing the gurgling?

Two options. Air is going in, or air is coming out.
"Gurgle" is caused by air being forced through the water in a fixture's trap. It's similar to the "glug" generated when you pour milk quickly from the milk jug.  It's air being forced through liquid, in an attempt to equalize pressures.
Air in
Vents placed strategically throughout the plumbing system, typically provide an adequate amount  of air. If the vent(s) get clogged/blocked/restricted, pressure differences inside and outside the system will develop.  If these differences in pressure are large enough, air will be forced through fixture traps in an attempt to equalize the pressure.
In this case, clearing vents; or adding additional vents in the case of improper venting, will usually resolve the issue.
Air out
If a large enough object (liquid and solid waste) is moved through the system fast enough; in such a way that the object blocks the entire internal pipe diameter, a high pressure zone can be generated on the front side of the object.  This high pressure zone may be able to force air out through fixture traps, as the object travels through the system. Think of it like the plunger of a pop gun.
In this case the solution is to increase the diameter of the pipe, eat less fiber, use less toilet tissue, or decrease the flush power of the toilet.


Why won't my weed whacker keep running? I have a Husqvarna gas-powered weed whacker.  Starting late last season, it tends to die when given full throttle.  Now, it will start when on full choke or half choke, but once I put it in normal operating mode (after warmup) it dies.

It's using gasoline that has the oil mixed in, but the gasoline is rather old.  Could that be a factor?

Is there something I can do to fix this myself?

It doesn't take bad gas or ethanol to crud up tiny carb jets and orifices. Any gas gets old and any gas dries into varnish over time, especially that which has been mixed with two-stroke oil. Proper storage is critical.

Seek out an exploded diagram or a how-to and disassemble your carb. Make note of all screw settings (count turns to fully seated) and take some phone pics and clean everything thoroughly with solvent. It'll run better than new.


Do the posts for a carport sun shade need to be embedded in the ground? I have an existing concrete area approx 10'x16' at the back of my carport. I want to install a sun shade/sail over it and have some questions on installing the posts I need.

Can I use the existing concrete with either 4x4 or 6x6 post bases (something like the Simpson strong ties at Home Depot) with concrete anchors? Will this be strong enough? was thinking of using 10' long posts.
If I go this route, do I need to attach the posts with some type of header beam to deal with potential diagonal forces?
Or do I need dig new holes for the posts and use new footings?

There are no reasonably-priced post bases that will support your structure in that way. The post bases you describe are not intended for that purpose. They merely maintain post location and keep them off the concrete.
You need to either set the posts in the ground (to a depth of about 1/3 the above ground post height) or build enough diagonal bracing into the structure to make it free-standing. In the latter case you'd still want to anchor it to the ground to prevent lifting and tipover due to wind.


What would a calculation be for the weight bearing capacity of 6 x 2 studwork? I'm building a campus board (a training aid for rock climbing) and my landlord wants to know how someone can be sure a person's body weight can be supported from it.

I'm at a loss on how to give him a calculation for this, I've been very impressed with some of the calculations offered here on other subjects. Can any of you help?

The construction details are -
Studwork: Structural 6 x 2 CL 25 grade timber. Glued and fixed with 4" 12's with PZ3 head screws.
Left side stud fixed with silicone and 12 no fixings into plasterboard reveal. Right side siliconed, fixed at 3 points into 8mm thick steel column, not compromising structural integrity. Cladded with 12mm WPB hardwood ply.
Campus board: Formed of 4 x 2 CL 25 grade timber. Studwork; cheeks, bottom & face formed of 2 no 12mm WPB hardwood ply. Glued and screwed with 3" 12 PZ3 head screws @ 150 centres.
Mounting: Fixed directly to 6 x 2 studwork with 4" 12's with 18 no PZ3 head screws into back rails, 6 no 8" 12 timberlock decking screws.

The "deck" is probably fine assuming you used joist hangers, blocking, and is less than 10x10. Attaching it to the structure should be minimum 5\8ths through bolts.

Follow this completely over blown code to eliminate any doubt. It is, however, for stuff you stand on, not climb.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/bldgs/general/Porch/Porch2011/RevPorch_Guide52611_Secured.pdf

I'd be worried about two things: pulling the whole thing off the wall and pulling off one of the campus boards, both solved with correct sized through bolts. Sounds like its solid as a rock, now you just have to make sure it doesn't come down. I think your landlord may be more concerned that it will fail from not being properly secured then any of the carpentry you built. For this you only need the specs from the fasteners used to secure it. Use 3\4in through bolts and washers where it attaches to the existing studs.

A grade 2, 3\4 bolt has a shear strength of about 10 tons.
https://nucor-fastener.com/Files/PDFs/TechDataSheets/TDS_013_Shear_Strength.pdf
You should check the pull-out strength of the other fasteners you used and throw those numbers at him, too.

What did you use the silicone for? "fixed at 3 points into 8mm thick steel column" with what? Picture please.


How is this toilet flange attached? I'm in the process of remodeling a bathroom and recently removed some dryrot plywood around the toilet.  I was originally expecting the toilet flange to be attached to the subfloor but it looks like it's somehow attached directly to the drain itself.

This looks eerily similar to the cast iron flange mentioned here: How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange?

Before I rent a pipe cutter and/or hire a plumber though, can I please get a second pair of eyes?  Is this indeed a permanently welded flange?  Or am I just missing something painfully obvious for how to remove it?

Yep, you've got to cut it and should then use a Fernco coupling to plumb a modern PVC flange into the system.  In the past I've tried unscrewing cast iron but it always breaks, sometimes shattering past a convenient cut point!


Will a magnetic flashlight attached to a metal junction box cause problems? I have a metal light switch box that is mounted on the outside of a wall and I would like to set a magnetic flashlight on it. Is electricity adversely affected by having a magnet near it?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Nnnooooooo.

Serious answer: A permanent magnet, even one a thousand times stronger than the one holding your flashlight in place, placed near your home wiring but not moving has no effect on the circuit at all. A permanent magnet as small as the one on your flashlight, when moved around near your home wiring (eg. when you take the flashlight and put it back), will theoretically generate tiny surges of current in the wires. In order to measure those surges you would have to be a very careful physicist.

A magnet moved around near a metal junction box will generate tiny surges of current in the box walls. In order to measure those surges you would have to be a very careful physicist with pernicious insomnia. Theoretically a tiny amount of magnetic influence makes its way into the interior of the junction box, via screw holes etc. In order to measure those surges you would have to be a very careful physicist who is going through a bad divorce and expects to never sleep again.

All this is of no practical consequence. Any magnet you would have around the house cannot interfere with your domestic electric supply.


Propane fireplace lights up, but turns off after 5-20 minutes I have an Insta-Flame HE 20 propane fireplace.  It's probably 25 years old. No thermostat that I know of. The pilot light is lit no problem.  I turn it on and it lights up good, but it always turns off.  It could be 5 minutes later or up to 20 minutes later. I have turned it on several times and it always goes out on it's own. Any ideas of what it could be or what I can check to diagnose?

My first guess was something with the pilot or it's safety features, but you mentioned that it stays lit?

So I did a quick Google search and found the manual for your fireplace:
Manual Download

If you read on down, you'll see that it has a few potential solutions to check for. Of the options, I doubt that it is the switch control since it does come on, although not stay on. Depends on the age and type of the switch as it could be wearing out or wires came loose, but that's unlikely to be a consistent problem like this.

The second check listed is for low voltage on the thermopile (thermocouple). It's a heat sensor by the pilot that checks to make sure it's lit. The last option is to clean the burner, but that doesn't sound like it'd be a problem that'd make your fireplace shut off every so often.


Installing a smart dimmer switch into 3 gang box I have installed dimmers in a single box and a gang box with 2 switches but never a box with 3 switches. And there's some confusion, so hopefully someone can help.  I am installing a new smart dimmer switch as shown in my photo.  I am replacing the middle switch.  The new dimmer requires neutral, and those are all tied together in the back of the box.

I plan to connect the neutral from the new switch to the neutrals in the back of the box.
The switch being replaced has two hot lines connected to it as you can see in my photo. Since I only need one hot wire to the new switch, what should I do with the 2nd hot wire that I remove from the switch I am replacing?
My problem is with the red load wire on the new switch.  Do I remove the load wire from the leftmost switch and connect it to load on the new switch?  Or do I have to actually connect a separate load line to my new switch red/load wire?

Just a note: The rightmost switch is a 3-way and is independent of this install and is not connected in any way to the lights which will be connected to the dimmer.

Any help would be appreciated.  I'd rather ask before trying this. Clearly, I am not an electrician!  If I were, then you definitely wouldn't want to hire me!! :).

NOTE:  Had an error in first photo. The one showing is now correct.

I think the kind of tester you are using is not accurate enough.

Here's a good way to find out which wire is HOT and which is LOAD on the middle switch:

turn off the circuit breaker
Turn off the left switch
Disconnect both wires from the middle switch and cap each one with a wire nut
Turn on the circuit breaker
Carefully remove the wire nut from one of the disconnected wires and touch it to the hot terminal on the left switch - if the living room recessed lights come on, that was the LOAD wire - mark it with a bit of tape
If the living room recessed lights do not come on, touch the wire to the load terminal on the left switch - if the eyeball light comes on then that was the HOT wire
Replace the protective wire nut before continuing
If no lights come on, try carefully repeating the test with the other disconnected wire
remember to turn off the circuit breaker again before continuing

These tests depend on your switches being wired correctly in the first place. If both wires from the center switch behave exactly alike, or if your testing trips the circuit breaker, your wiring may have errors that will require much more analysis.


What type of dirt do I need to fix holes in my driveway I apologize for this being a very basic question.  I have several holes and low spots in my dirt driveway (see picture below).  I want to fix it in the upcoming spring but I do not know what i would use or where I would go to get it?

Yellow pages (the paper kind may still be best for this, or an internet equivalent that actually groks "local" results), gravel, stone (headings.)

Crushed rock with fines (sometimes called "road pack") - you want all the fine dust so that it will pack and stay put, rather than only loose rocks that will move around. Depending on the supply in your local area this may be gravel that has been run through a crusher to reduce the big rocks to smaller ones, (crusher run, or various sifted grades such as "one inch minus" or "one and a half inch minus") or actual quarried stone that has been similarly crushed from much larger pieces.

If you find the right sort of vendor, you can simply explain what you are doing and they will know what to bring.


Will I have problems from waiting to grout patio tiles? I laid porcelain tiles on my patio a couple months ago.  Life and weather has kept me from grouting the tile.

Is a couple months between laying the tile and grouting too long?  What problems are likely to result?
How long after a rain should I wait for the tile to dry out before grouting?

Shouldn't be a problem. Clean out the gap between tiles with a garden hose (or pressure washer if you have stubborn "dirt" like bird poop), then blow out with a air gun and compressor.
You only have to wait til it's dry after a rain (or washing out) before commencing to grout.


What's the best way to hang frames and shelves on plaster walls? I live in an old house (about 90 years old) with plaster walls. I have all kinds of trouble hanging things up in the plaster, so I mostly just use 3-M Command strips whenever possible.
But there are a few things that are too heavy for Command strips, like very heavy mirrors or shelving. What is the best way to hang heavy objects in plaster?
I have an electronic studfinder, but (this is probably no surprise to readers here), it doesn't seem to work on my plaster walls. I've tried using anchors, but the plaster often crumbles when I drill into the wall. I've had problems, too, where I put the drill against the wall, turn it on and only a small crater is created - it doesn't drill through.
When I have to hang large objects, I just call a handyman. This is both expensive and embarrassing (I should be able to hang things on my walls myself!). They never, ever have any problems and nothing they've hung up has ever fallen or had any trouble of any kind.
What's their secret? I never thought to watch what they do, but they clearly have a simple, reusable system for hanging stuff up on plaster that I'm not aware of.

I live in an old house too.   I'll assume yours, like mine, has some history to it and has been renovated and altered over the decades.  You can't do DIY in an old house the way you can in a new one.  You can't follow simple repeatable rules. You have to learn how different walls are built and how different fittings behave.  Your handyman's secret is experience and adaptability, and you need to develop that yourself.
In my house, some walls are plaster over lath, some are plaster over backing board, drywall over plaster, two layers of drywall over plaster, two layers of drywall directly on studs .... you get the picture?   Yours may not have as much variation as mine but you'll have to learn what different materials feel like, learn what works in different kinds of walls, and you'll have to make mistakes and learn from them.
Let's assume most of your walls are plaster over wood lath.  I've found that usually by drilling appropriately I can hang most heavy things (not shelves) on that.   My "secret" ... Use longer screws than you would for drywall.  Drill a small hole and feel your way.  You can usually tell when you transition from plaster to lath.  Keep drilling to see if you've got a stud.  If yes, just use a 2.5" screw and you're good to go with anything.  If you don't hit a stud then drill a larger hole into the plaster but not through the lath, large enough for a plastic anchor.   Insert the anchor, which will stop at the lath, and cut off the excess.   Then use a 2" screw.   These are pretty strong and a couple of them will hold up almost any picture.
For shelving you have to find a stud.   Sometimes a magnetic stud finder will find the lath nails but not usually.  Sometimes it's just trial and error.  Either drill lots of tiny pilot holes til you find a stud or drill a 1/2" hole and insert an endoscope to find it.
There is another solution:  Don't hang shelves on your plaster walls.  Buy standing shelves.  Pretty much anything else can be hung safely by developing an understanding of how different screws and anchors behave in different materials.
One last bit of advice: Join the Facebook group "Historic Home Renovations" and share your questions and experience there.
Good luck!
EDIT: I should have added the possibility of a really good stud finder.  There are new ones, quite expensive, that pair with a phone app to show you much more than a traditional stud finder can.   I don't have one and haven't spoken to anyone who has used one successfully in an old house.  Everything I know about them is from their fancy youtube infomercials, and of course according to those they can find a postage stamp hidden behind a concrete block wall.  Or something like that.  Maybe worth a try ... and you still need to get to know your walls to use one of those successfully, in other words they are not magic, but they might help a little.


Can I drill a cast iron enameled shower pan for door installation? Drill in hand, about to do it! Should there be concern here?

Yes, you can drill and tap the hole for threads. You may have figured that out already.


Grounding help: steel studs, ENT, and NM + M boxes I have a structural steel stud condo with 5/8 Fireguard Sheetrock wall. Ref the picture below - I am wondering about grounding requirement given the metal box + steel stud + ENT. There are three conductors in the ENT, (W, B, G; 12 gauge THHN). The outlet at bottom (green) is original with a grounding screw on the box. The NM 2-gang outlet box (blue) is for a light switch and receptacle. The switch will feed the metallic sconce box at top and another one.

Given that none of the metal boxes at Lowe’s seem to have grounding screws, I’m wondering what to do with the ground wire in the sconce boxes, or if I should switch those to NM. My difficulty is that this is a 1hr firewall and that 11gauge steel studs SUCK to work with.

Any and all advice appreciated. This is a short-term vacation rental on coastal Carolina.

Edit: this is the wiring I’m planning to follow - switch is a Lutron Caséta dimmer, and will be powering LED bulbs.

As for grounding screws, you buy a bag of 50 of them (or generic 10-32 screws), and the (threaded) holes for them are in virtually every metal box, usually in a "dimple" so that the grounding screw can be screwed in even if the back of the box is hard up against a wall as mounted. They are not supplied with the box.


Best cost efficient plug-in heating devices / radiators We moved to a 2-bedroom apartment that has baseboard heating devices installed. Our first electricity bill was huge (around $400) and we only used 3 of them and not all day long.

Here is a pic of the baseboard heaters we have installed:

We would like to buy some plug-in radiator that are good for heating a 1070 sq feet apartment but as cost/energy efficient as possible. What are the recommended solutions?

Electrical baseboard heaters and plug-in resistance heaters are already 100% efficient, in that 100% of the electrical energy that goes into them is turned into heat. Whether it's a ceramic heater, oil-filled radiator, or radiant heater, they all are 100% efficient.

However, as you found out, even at 100% efficiency, electrical resistance heating is expensive.

This is why many people that need to use electrical heating will use a heat pump, which can actually be more than 100% efficient because instead of creating heat directly from the electricity, they pump heat from outside the house to inside the house. But this is not a simple retrofit, so you can't simply replace your baseboard heaters with a central heat pump system (though if you live in a relatively mild climate, you can find window unit heatpumps that might be more efficient than a baseboard heater)

One thing that might help would be to turn down the baseboard heaters, and use radiant heaters in places where you want targeted warmth. For example, if when you're in the livingroom you spend most of the time on the couch, you could turn down the thermostat in that room and use a radiant heater in front of the couch (but a safe distance away) to keep you warm even if the rest of the room is not comfortably warm.


Tongue and groove floorboards - which way up? I bought some tongue and groove floorboards. I noticed the tongues and grooves were not centered in the edge but were offset.

   ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
 ┌─┘                                         ┌─┘
 └─┐                                         └─┐
   │                                           │  ← thick side
   └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

I guess there must be some reason for it. There must be some benefit.

Which way up should I lay these, as shown in diagram or the other way up?

P.S. To make sense of comments & parts of answers that relate to the specific boards I was using - see prior revision.

It is thick side up, but to use that for flooring it was not milled properly. Yes the top is to be the thicker side but the thin side is too thin to hold up over time and not crack here or there. There should be a relief cut on the bottom face to help prevent cupping and where the nail goes through to keep the splinters raising the board off the subfloor.

Although I would not use it for flooring, and you are stuck with it, do not use an underlayment paper, use a good construction adhesive over the subfloor to hold it over the long haul and blind nail it down, letting the glue be the work horse here.


Ceiling Hole in Closet, Sprinkler? Light? What is it? There is this hole with this gadget in the condo ceiling which is in the bedroom closet. I cannot tell what it is exactly? Does anyone know what this can be? Thanks!

This looks like a concealed fire sprinkler head that doesn't have the finish trim installed on it.  The sprinkler on the left of the image is complete with the flat trim.

In this type of device, the exposed metal plate is made of a metal that melts at very low temperatures.  The fire melts the metal, and the sprinkler activates.

Similar: http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=7441

You should be very careful with the device.  Do not touch it or poke it.  Since it is in a closet, the installers probably just didn't bother installing the trim, or saved the trim to use later if another more visible unit was damaged.


What does a vent stack look like? Excuse my noob question, but what does a vent stack look like? It's pretty easy to tell which pipes are for waste (I can hear the water running through them), and I'm assuming that all of the pipes with a cleanout are waste as well, but not sure what I should be looking for when trying to find a vent stack to tie into for my bar sink and dishwasher.  Is it possible that my basement doesn't have any vent stacks since venting goes up??

There will always be a vent stack in a home if you have plumbing in it.  they usually poke out the roof to vent and go all the way to the basement and under the basement floor.  All the waste water dumps into these pipes and exits the house to the main waste pipe outside your home.  Depending on how many bathrooms you have the number of vent stacks can differ but most homes with one bathroom and a kitchen have two vent stacks.  The bathroom vent stack will be the larger one (3-4 inches) and the kitchen is generally around a 2 inch pipe I believe.  Usually when you tie into a vent stack you cut out a chunk and insert a "y" fitting of some sort.  I am no plumber by any means but I have observed this being done. Also, when you tie into a vent stack there is a code in my state where you have to have the vent for the tie-in go above the fixture above it (i.e. above where the kitchen sink drain dumps into the stack if you tie into that stack)  I think the name of that would be a branch vent ( see my simple diagram below). Good luck.


Is it possible to replace the lock on this door that has been painted on? I have a very old door with a very old lock, pictured here:

It doesn't close because the previous owner stuck some wood in the latch, and there doesn't seem to be any place for the lock. I'd like to replace this, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. The screws on the face plate are painted over, and it seems to be pretty far in there, and the strike plate is totally painted over.

Will it be possible to replace this with a more modern door handle? Any ideas? Thanks!

How can I remove a Mortise Lock and deadbolt from a door?

The paint's no problem. Cut around the door knob escutcheon with a sharp utility knife, so it doesn't rip chunks of paint off the door. Do this anywhere there's paint-glue holding in metal parts. Scrape the paint out of the groves in the tips of the flat head screws using a screwdriver or the knife if you have to.

How do I replace mortise locks with bored cylindrical locks?

That post says don't. Replace it with another mortise lock. Other posts mention having a hard time finding a match for their hardware, you might want to see if you can get yours working again.


Lighted Switch Wiring I have installed a lighted single pole switch. The light on the paddle does not come on and the hot lead and the switch leg both show hot when the switch is in the on or off position. When I remove the switch the wires test normal.  What is going on?

Lighted switches, as with many other devices (smart switches, timers, motion detectors, etc.) need to get power for something else - i.e., they don't just need power for the light.
There are a few ways of doing that:

Batteries - This is incredibly simple but means changing batteries periodically and doesn't work well for a lighted switch because it would drain the battery pretty quickly.
Neutral - This is the preferred method. Unfortunately, many older houses (like mine) were wired with switch loops, which often (older houses: almost always) do not provide neutral in the switch box. Adding a neutral is easy with conduit but hard (usually) with cables. The NEC now requires neutral in the switch box in new installations most cases (except conduit), but that is a very new requirement.
Ground - Ground is electrically equivalent to neutral in terms of voltage level. It is not supposed to be used in place of neutral. However, code typically allows for some very low-current exceptions, including certain types of switches. This is only allowed if the switch is listed (e.g., by UL or ETL) for that installation method.
Leak through Load - This is an old method that avoids extra wires (yay!) and batteries, but it doesn't work well with LEDs. A small current passed through incandescent bulbs will normally not be noticeable. With LEDs, it can do any/all of: dim light on when switch is off, blinking, not work at all, work but cause the LEDs to fail prematurely. In general this will have a better chance of working with dimmer-compatible LEDs, but even that is not 100% guaranteed.

Your best bet in general is:

If you have (or can easily add) neutral, get a switch that requires neutral, as that will mean it is designed to use neutral and not to leak through the load.
If you do not have neutral, see if you can find a switch that specifically does not require neutral and requires ground. Note that almost all switches will include a ground screw or wire, but in many cases it is not required. You are looking here for something that must have ground.


What are the requirements for supporting non-metallic cable through a finished wall? I know this basic question has been answered before by reference to 334.30(B), but there's an aspect I don't understand.  Does 334.30(B) allow unsupported installation if 334.30(b)(1) OR 334.30(b)(2) are satisfied or only if BOTH are satisfied.

My situation is finished walls with some ungrounded NM leading to three-prong sockets (I already added GFCI protection, but I'd like a physical ground too) and a couple of places with 14-gauge NM on 20-amp circuits.  I have already replaced some by adding grounded NM drilled and fished from the attic crawlspace through the top plate, down through the horizontal fireblocks and down to receptacles near the floor.  It's stapled near where it goes through the wall's top plate and it's clamped in the new box (old work boxes, but the kind that screws into a stud, not the kind with the useless blue tabs).

I'm satisfied that it qualifies under 334.30(B)(1) as being fished through an enclosed space and that stapling is impractical, but I'm wondering if I'm also required to comply with 334(B)(2)'s requirement of no more than 4-1/2 feet between attachments.  It seems that it wouldn't make sense to require attachments every 4-1/2 feet where impractical, but it also seems like the code is missing the word "or" between parts (1) and (2).

I'm worrying about nothing and my installation complies with 334.30(B), right?

You should be fine.  334.30(B)(1) allows you to leave the cable unsupported where it's fished through a finished part of the building.  Which is what you're doing.

334.30(B)(2) removes the requirement to support the cable within 12" of an enclosure, as long as you're within 4 1/2' of the last point of support, you're connecting to a luminaire or other electrical equipment, and the cable and point of connection are within an accessible ceiling in a residential dwelling.


Using a solar system with a condensing boiler for the central heating instead of tap-water? According to the manual of my AWB ThermoMaster 2HR 28.02WT Condensing boiler, it is compatible with a pre-heating solar system for tap-water only. It even has extra facilities to ensure that the coolest water goes through the condenser part (HR part) of the kettle before being preheated by the solar system to get a higher efficiency.

So this is the supported scenario:

They claim that it is not possible to use the solar system for pre-heating the central heating circuit. What is the reason for this? It should be a lot easier since I'd only have to insert the solar system in the circuit on the cold side just before it goes back into the CV?

In my situation it makes a lot more sense to use it for central heating instead of tap-water. The heating is on all day (my wife and children are at home most of the day). The kitchen has its own boiler, so the hot tap-water would only be useful for the shower (normally only used after the sun has set).

The plan:

My reasoning was first that the CV system might be checking the temperature of the returning water to determine how much extra power it should add for heating, however the system looks simple and my guess is that it only takes the room-thermometer as input for determining the needed heating power.

Could anyone explain why it is not supported and what other systems do differently to support it? There seem to be many systems on the market that do support it, but what is the big difference between what I already have and those?

You can solar heat the primary loop with high temp evac tubes in principle but what happens is you mess up the control of the return temperature which is critical for the operation of the condensing boiler. Preheating the tap water is the better approach because you are heating the water before the boiler loop tops it off. This doesn't affect the existing control logic at all.


How to figure out how far back a kitchen sink goes when the underside is not exposed? I'd like to replace my kitchen sink with one of the same dimensions. However, there is wood cabinetry concealing the entire underside of the sink. Perhaps it is standard to have the same sink wall thickness on the front and back, and thus I could just measure the inside of the basin and double the front wall thickness?

A guideline is at most 4 inches from the lip of the counter to the front of the sink. This has to do with sink access for little people.
The back does not have to equal the front, but you need to keep space for your faucets of course. The issue is mostly the clearance required by the faucet, underneath. Usually that's another 3 inches or more, but read the specs.
The drain underneath can generally easily be moved to reach further back or front, or sideways as needed, to meet the above requirements.


How do I find out who manufactured the plumbing in my home? There is a nationwide class action lawsuit going on against defective manufactured copper piping in homes. I need to find out who manufactured my home's copper piping to determine if my piping qualifies under the lawsuit. What resources should I investigate to determine the said information? I do have a home that is a part of a planned community, a.k.a. a "cookie-cutter" home.

You would physically examine the pipe to find markings printed during the manufacture, which are usually printed in blue or black and identify the size, grade, and sometimes the manufacturer and batch.


How to make or find a wall plug cover for mismatched double plugs I have 2 pairs of wall plugs (as depicted in the first image) that have different profiles. Most of the double pairs of plugs in the house look like the ones in the 2nd image and can fit the standard wall plug covers that are easy to find online. I haven't been able to find anything online that would fit the plugs in the first image.
I bought a double plug wall cover like in the second image and tried a couple of things to modify it to make it work on the mismatched plugs. I tried using both a hacksaw and a heated pyrography knife to cut out half of the cover so it would fit over the left rectangular plug. I did this twice with 2 covers and both times I failed. The plastic of these covers was just too hard and brittle and no matter how gentle I was it cracked at the end and the saw and heated knife could not get through it.
What ideas do you have to get a cover over these plugs?

What you want is a decorator/duplex combination wall plate
What you're after is a 2-gang wall plate with a decorator (Decora) opening on the left and a standard duplex opening on the right, like so:

You should have no trouble finding one of these at the local big-box store.


How do I refill a fire extinguisher or should I just buy a new one? My fire extinguisher is out of charge and I want to either refill it or buy a new one.  Is it better/cheaper to refill it or just buy a new one?  (Can I even refill this fire extinguisher?)

EDIT:

I used to be a fire extinguisher repair tech.  This unit should not be refilled even though it is possible with the right equipment.  The plastic/nylon heads will develop cracks and leaks over time.  Buy a new unit with a metal head.  Those can be refilled and will last you a long time. Amerex, Badger, General, Ansul are all decent brands.


Refrigerator cycles off/on, comes on fully when condenser fan is unplugged I have a refrigerator which cycles off and on fairly rapidly, about once every two seconds. This has been occurring intermittently for some time. Today it finally failed to come on.

I finally got it to come on by unplugging the condenser fan for 30-45 seconds. The compressor comes on then I can plug the fan back in. The fridge appears to run fine after that. It did shut off but I had the doors open to do some cleaning.

I have taken the additional triage steps based on advice from around the internet:

tested compressor for open windings by checking for resistance between each pair of three terminals. They came out at ~4, ~6, and ~11 ohms.
tested the starter relay, this unit has a combined starter + overload. One pair of terminals had continuity, the other two pairs did not.
inspected for loose terminals and connections
examined the controller board for loose components, swollen capacitors, or missing electrical smoke (carbon scoring)

I suspect there is an electrical issue with this fridge because of the behavior seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-W7UabD1E

Using the water dispenser would cause the compressor to shut off and no water was dispensed. When taking the burnt out bulb out of the water dispenser, water is issued and the compressor does not shut off. This does not appear to fix the issue but is clearly related.

What components should I test further or replace to fix my fridge?

I believe this is generic to many models but mine is a GE PSC23MSTCSS.

Update: Fridge ran overnight and cooled down to normal temperature. The ice cube dispenser does not work and causes the compressor to click off. It is as if any additional electrical load causes the compressor to turn off. Removing a load by unplugging the fan allows it to start.

Update 2: I found a diagnostic process. During normal operation, this shows everything as passing. During the failure mode it fails at least the fan test. This leads me to believe that the condenser fan needs a detailed cleaning or replacement. The other electrical gremlins, such as fault modes occurring when dispensing still makes me suspect the board.

The fridge now works perfectly. I had to replace the main logic board. On closer inspection there was a resistor which had charring on the back and front of the board. Perhaps I could have replaced the resistor but I don't know what else might have been effected and I was running out of time.

This fits with the symptoms in that there were seemingly unrelated sub-systems effecting each other.


Want to drain/change compressor oil, but there's no outlet I have an air compressor; the brand was supposedly Karson but it's actually a rebranded Fiac compressor. I wanted to change the oil; but I realized that it has a window-level, no actual dipstick and also there is no oil outlet. I feel like I'm being trolled.

See the pictures for reference.

If there's a window, you don't need a dipstick.

If there's no lower outlet, open the inlet and turn it over. Or, suck it out (auto parts stores typically have something for doing that.)

Compressor oil changing does not need to be especially convenient as it's relatively infrequent, and the scale of compressor you show is not impossible to turn over by hand - so, no drain plug = one less place to leak, not "trolling"


What could cause poor drainage in the kitchen and baths? After having my septic system (tank) cleaned about a month ago, I've noticed a foul odor in the bathroom of the master bedroom. I've also noticed the smell outside near the master bedroom.  It's not smelling in any other part of the house. A couple of weeks later I noticed that the kitchen sink is not draining properly, but only on the right side. The bathtub isn't draining properly nor are the toilets flushing properly. The toilets flush as if they're not getting enough pressure or water flow. After flushing the toilet twice and sometimes a third time then it will flush where you can hear the flushing sound that lets you know it has flushed.

What could possibly be wrong?

You may want to check to see if the sewer line vent pipe(s) that go up through your roof are plugged up. A plugged vent line cap prevent proper sewage water flow in the drain lines.

The foul smell in and around the bedroom area could also be caused by a plugged vent pipe that is keeping sewer gasses from dispersing in the proper way.


Plumbing: Dual volume control valve WITHOUT mixing This is probably a total newbie question, I apologize in advance.

I have two pipes, hot and cold; I'd like to set up a single control point that turns the flow on both of them on or off, at the same time. I've been scouring the internet but I just can't find it.

Requirements:

I don't want a thermostatic mixing valve - I need the output to still be two pipes, hot and cold.
I don't want two knobs. Two knobs would be an easy solution but not the one I need cosmetically.

Laundry Shut-off valve - any hardware/plumbing store or the internet.


Which to replace - the water heater or the 3-way switched plug adapter or something else The situation: There is a 5 year old electrical tank-less water heater. The water heater is connected to a 3-way switched plug adapter, which is shared with another two electrical devices, before connecting to the main switch. The water heater switch off itself even though the switch (3-way switched plug adapter) is on. The water heater plug feel hot (not warm) on touch. This has happen on multiple occasions for the past 2 days. The water heater is used not more than 10 times per day (not more than 25 minutes each time).

Should I replace the water heater or the 3-way switched plug adapter or something else?

I was trying to figure out what "3-way switched plug adapter" meant until I Googled it and realized it's a UK idiom.  So you mean one of these?

No. Just No.

Unplug that on-demand heater at once.  An on-demand heater takes far too much power to work with those adapters. It needs to be directly plugged into a listed receptacle.  Realistically, it should probably have its own circuit, and be hard-wired onto that circuit so no plug is involved at all.  (though UK does have nice beefy plugs).

I think you'll find the heat is not from the plug proper, but from the 3-way adapter getting rather much too hot.

Those 3-way adapters are intended for things like cell phone chargers or at worst, a television.  Big loads like a heater are right out.  If in doubt, look at the amps, watts or VA the device draws, if it takes more than about 2 amps or 500 watts/VA, it's too much for one of these.


How can I disconnect power to an ADT alarm system? I recently bought a house where the previous owner had an ADT alarm system.  Since home alarms are next to useless, I didn't continue the service.  Recently, I had a power outage due to hurricane Matthew.  I left the house and came home a few hours later to the alarm system beeping like crazy.  It had to go.

I removed the keypad with no issues.  I unscrewed everything in the control box and removed it.  Unfortunately, nothing was labeled.  There are eight sets of 22/4 wires (not 100% sure on gauge, but it doesn't matter).  I'm sure one set went to the keypad, one set to the motion sensor, one set to the front door.  But that leaves, 5 sets for... who knows?  Obviously, one is for power.  While removing the control box, a red and black touched and I saw a small spark.  Its getting power from somewhere.  Where do I look to disconnect the power?

Well, I ended up going into the attic and tracing the wires.  Hot and sweaty work, but I believe I found the power lines.  They ended up terminating to a powerbrick that was run through the ceiling of my garage, next to the garage door motor plug.


How do wire a dimmer in a 3 gang box with one incoming line. How do I make my dimmer work? Right now it does not work :(
Any help. Diagram attached of current setup. I would appreciate any help. I am presuming it is because I am not completing the circuit for the fixture on the switch but not sure how to handle that given the current setup.

You bought a 3 way switch. This is not a three way switch circuit. Return it for a proper one way dimmer switch. I have always found the "all-purpose just cap of the extras" type of components to be sketchy.


What can be used for CPVC firestops? What materials to people use as a firestop for where CPVC lines penetrate through the wall/fireblocking?    According to the manufacturer, apparently CPVC does not play well with certain materials.

"CPVC products can however be damaged by contact with chemicals found
in some construction and ancillary products such as thread sealants,
anti-freeze solutions, fire stop materials, etc."

In addition,

DO NOT stack, support, hang equipment, or hang flexible wire/cable
(especially communications cable), or other material on the CPVC
system.
DO NOT expose CPVC products to incompatible substances such
as cutting oils, non-water based paints, packing oils, traditional
pipe thread paste and dope, fungicides, termiticides, insecticides,
detergents, building caulks, adhesive tape, solder flux, flexible
wire/cable (with special consideration for communications cabling),
and non-approved spray foam insulation materials."

Also of concern is that CPVC will expand up to 3/16" on a 10' run, so not sure it that has implications as well.

There are fire stop caulks that are designed for use with CPVC. Just check the tube before you buy to make sure it specifies CPVC compatible.


How do I cut bamboo flooring with only a hand miter saw and a circular saw available? I am about to install some hardwood flooring, which calls for cutting a number of planks crosswise, very accurately. The best tool for this is a miter saw, but I only have a circular saw, and a hand saw with a miter box.

The wood is vertical strand bamboo, and the area is about 300sqft.

Is it feasible to use a hand saw for this project? I'm particularly concerned with chipping/shredding the edges. Also, I've read bamboo is rather hard to saw. :)

If hand-sawing is out, are there any miter box attachments for circular saws? Googling has only turned up websites of people building their own miter boxes.

Generally, when you put in a floor, all the edges you cut yourself are covered by molding, so that the flooring can expand and contract. If that's the case, then your cuts don't have to be perfect.

I wouldn't, however, want to do it with a handsaw. Bamboo is very hard and it will take a long time to cut.

In most places you can rent miter saws for a small amount per day. That will be far easier than doing it by hand.


I want to mix indoor acrylic enamel paint with indoor acrylic paint I have interior Beauti-Tone enamel acrylic paint. It cleans up with water it says. And I have Beauti-Tone interior acrylic paint but it's a little too dark. Can I add a tiny bit of the white interior enamel acrylic paint to it to lighten it up a bit?

I doubt it. White paint is weak at lightening colors. It requires a "large" volume of white to make a real change. Tinting does work well the other way: a small amount of colored paint will tint white paint very easily.


Roller Blind in window ingress I am attaching a roller blind in a window ingress and the lintel is steel which is proving hard to get through. Will it hold if I attach a batten of wood in the ingress with grab adhesive to the plaster and attach the blind to the wood? What adhesive would you recommend?

Even if you could secure it to the drywall any excess downward force will pull the blind off as the surface of the drywall will separate.
The options are to either drill into the lintel with a suitable metal bit or attach the blind to the vertical part of the window jamb with mounting brackets.


Remove screwdriver tip from screw hole Gonna be a weird one. I've tried to open up a Neato Robot Vacuum to fix a small problem and I've found myself in a doozy. Trying to unscrew it, the tip of the screwdriver must have been loose and fell into a screw hole. The problem is that it won't come out now.. I've tried grabbing it with a pair of pliers but it's too much of a tight fit, I've tried shaking the hell out of it and bumping the other side but it seems to be really stuck in there. Any ideas?

Have you tried a strong magnet? Most of my drivers that use those small bits hold them in place with a magnet so the bit becomes magnetic. A strong magnet may take it right out where shaking won’t.


Can an electrical subpanel go underneath plumbing? I was about to wire up my new basement subpanel when I realized I had put it directly under a toilet.

I don't think this is a code violation. I can relocate it with some difficulty. I'm also considering a hack like cutting a slightly larger piece of PVC in half and putting it under the plumbing pipe to carry any water to the other side of the joist.

Is the present installation unsafe? If so, what should I do?

The National Electric Code strictly prohibits the installation of water piping above the service equipment you described.
Art. 110.26(F)(1)(a) states:

National Electrical Code 2008
Article 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations
II. 600 Volts, Nominal, or Less
110.26 Spaces About Electrical Equipment.
(F) Dedicated Equipment Space.
(1) Indoor.
(a) Dedicated Electrical Space. The space equal to the width and depth of the equipment and extending from the floor to a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) above the equipment or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower, shall be dedicated to the electrical installation. No piping, ducts, leak protection apparatus, or other equipment foreign to the electrical installation shall be located in this zone.
(b) Foreign Systems. The area above the dedicated space required by 110.26(F)(1)(a) shall be permitted to contain foreign systems, provided protection is installed to avoid damage to the electrical equipment from condensation, leaks, or breaks in such foreign systems.

You can place the piping from the toilet above the electrical panel provided it's located above the 6 foot high dedicated space, and provided it "is installed to avoid damage to the electrical equipment from condensation, leaks, or breaks in such foreign systems."


What should be done with dirt from digging out sewer drain pipe? I had a backed up sewer drain, and had to have it cleared. I also had it scoped and was told it was broken.

I have dug a 4'x4'x4' hole to get to it - and found out it was completely shattered. I am working on replacing that now.

My other issue is that I have a huge pile of pretty nasty dirt next to the hole. Surely this cannot be reused, so what do I do with it? I am also assuming it can't be treated and left out or just tossed.

I have not been able to find an answer online, so I thought I would try here. Any advice?

EPA discussion of waste treatment with lime
One common sanitizer for sewage is lime.  A farm supply would have it.  You must layer the dirt and the lime, a 1:10 ratio (1 inch of lime to 10" of dirt)

Care must be used against touching or breathing the lime directly.  Hydrating and mixing each layer (or lift) will ensure the dispersal and neutralizing the bacteria (and smell).

Historically used in pit toilets and at disaster scenes for mass burials.


What is wrong with my central heating? I have a central heating system that was installed in this house in 2006.  Tonight, while I was taking a nap my wife said that she suddenly heard a loud whine/whistle sound that slowly lowered in pitch and loudness.  As it lowered the heated air that was coming from the vents slowed down with it.
At this point she turned off the heater at the thermostat and woke me up.  The entire house smelled very strongly of an acrid burning smell (like an electrical fire).

The smell has gone away now about an hour later, but in that time I checked the basement where the heating unit is and it didn't smell at all.

When I looked at the heating unit, it had 2 breakers and neither were tripped.  I opened the side panel and manually moved the blower and it turned fine.  Then about 20 minutes after it happened I turned the heat back on and the blower started, but very slowly and after about 60 seconds slowed itself down again.  If you manually push the blower while it is on, it will spin for a few seconds then slow.  You can hear that it's trying to move itself.

If you flip the left breaker only to off it completely stops and makes no noise.  If you flip the right breaker only to off nothing changes.

When it comes to home repair I am as useless as a noodle in a tornado.
Also, cannot afford a repairman at this point...and it's below freezing outside.
:(

BIG EDIT
Took some pictures for my own sake and for explanations sake:
First, here is the whole picture:

Here is the capacitor (the only one I can find anywhere):

When I shorted the capacitor and then tested it for voltage I get nothing at all.  I have no idea if that's normal but I only have a Voltage meter not a Multimeter.

Here are the wires that went into the Capacitor:

The 2 purple ones went to the same terminal (top) and the orange went to the other one.
The thick purple and the orange ones then went to the back of the blower motor, while the small purple one traveled up to this thingy:

I have no idea what it is or what it does.

So where do I go from here?  There are so many wires that I can't make sense of them all and I have no idea what the "thingy" is or if it's the problem.  Any help is much appreciated.
P.S. -->  When I shorted the capacitor with a screwdriver to test it, nothing happened at all.  No small spark or anything.  Is that normal?

This may be as simple as the "start" or "run" capacitor going south (because the motor starts but dies afterwards, I suspect that the run capacitor is blown).

If you are comfortable digging around in the control box for the furnace, then you should be able to find 1 or 2 large-ish capacitors.  If you have a multimeter, you can test them against the specs that are listed on the casing.  They should be within 10% of the nominal value.  If you don't have a meter, then you can still give them a physical inspection.  Occasionally, they will bulge or leak or give some other indication that they have failed.

If you find that either of them has failed, then you should be able to find a capacitor with similar specs online (or at a local HVAC supply).  It should not run you more than about $15.

Here is a link with additional info and a short video explaining more about the capacitors.


Electric sump pump sometimes fails to engage / kick on I have a sump in my basement that collects water from (I believe) outside of the house through some kind of foundation drain / weeping tile.

Lately with all of the snow melting and rain, I've noticed that the electric sump pump is not always kicking in on its own. Sometimes it does, but often I hear the backup (water-based) pump instead.

I've taken a look down the sump and it looks like the float for the switch is rising but still isn't engaging the pump. If I gently jiggle the discharge pipe, it kicks right on.

See this video, with the electric sump pump in the bottom-center of the frame (green) and the white float right above it (note the water level is already at/above the float): https://vid.me/IM6i

The float seems to rise but at some point, the water level rises over it. Could the float be waterlogged, so it does not have enough buoyancy to engage the pump? Or could it be something with the rod that connects the float to the pump? Why does it happen intermittently?

How should I go about investigating further?

Thanks for the help.

The float should travel freely up and down on a vertical rod.

As the float rises toward the top of its travel, it operates a switch.  This is the switch that turns on the pump.

Raise the float manually.  The switch should operate and the pump should turn on.  If it does not, it is the power supply, the switch or the pump.

It should be obvious just by looking at the float whether it is floating or not.


Wire nuts safe to cap off live circuit Enclosed porch on side of house for washer/dryer. Only light is controlled in kitchen, not at new entry door, so installing 3-way switches. Am bringing power in on new grounded circuit.(house built in 60s so no ground) My question is will it be safe to just put wire nuts on old wiring to original switch and just leave alone for now. Will replace this wiring probably 6 months down the road when I redo kitchen. But for now would like to just cap of the ends and leave since that wire comes in from kitchen light along with other wiring that fans out to receptacles and den etc...

Yes, it's safe and code compliant to cap the wires in the box with wire nuts.  Just fold them to the back of the box so they're out of the way.
Most people wouldn't worry about this in am million years, but wire nuts have a rating for the combinations of wires that you can use with the wire nut, and some wire nuts are rated for single wires.  The little gray ones like Ideal 71B are rated for a single #14 and the Ideal black 59B are rated for a single #12.  I find the little blue wire nuts hold a single #14 or #12 solid or stranded fine and keep them around just for that purpose, but they are not rated for that.  Call me a renegade.
Some people cap wires with wire nuts without stripping the wire, but they hold best if you strip the wire so the wire nut bits the metal not the insulation.


Can I run PEX water lines/PVC drain pipe in "warm" side of insulated exterior wall? I want to re-plumb the PEX water lines + drain supply line in my laundry room. The back wall of the laundry is an exterior wall with standard fiberglass insulation. Currently, the water lines to the utility sink and washer come up through the floor, out sideways through an interior wall. The washer drains into my utility sink. The utility sink drains into a PVC drain pipe that is vented.
Question, is the following plan good/bad/horrible?

Install an outlet box into the back exterior wall, affixed to a wall stud, allowing at least 30" of height for the drain pipe.
Run PVC drain pipe behind the wall, then out the wall, and tie into P trap underneath the utility sink.
Run PEX plumbing up from basement, behind the wall, and connect to the outlet box.
Turn off water main, cut existing washer water supply lines in basement, connect to new PEX plumbing with Sharkbite push-in connectors.
Patch the holes.

I would say this would be much better than the current surface mount of the pex. It will look better and less chance of damaging the lines.


Shut off cold water supply valve on the heater, now can't turn it on The valve just spins freely. What could be the problem? I'm getting cold water pressure just fine but only an extremely weak flow of hot water. Tried different fixtures. I don't know why this happened. Nothing seemed to break, it didn't require a lot of force to close it. It's an electric heater.

Edit: https://youtu.be/gxz6fYfMloE

Posted a video of how it turns freely. You can see the whole tank at the end.

That appears to be a gate valve.  There is a threaded portion inside the valve that goes inside of a block of metal that moves up and down when you turn the handle.  Since you can turn the handle, but the flow of water doesn't seem to increase, the gate has somehow become detached from the screw.  Maybe the threads have stripped out, or maybe the screw shaft has broken.

Even if I'm wrong about the exact type of valve, that one is broken one way or another and will need to be replaced.  Ball valves are a good choice for water heaters because they tend to be less likely to stick and are easy to turn off (only takes 1/4 turn).  This shouldn't be a big deal using modern push-to-fit connectors on that nice copper pipe.

Feel free to post an additional question if you run into problems with the valve replacement.

Now that I think about it...  Before anything else, try to push down with a good amount of force on the handle while turning the valve to open it.  Perhaps you can get the threads to bite down and pull the gate up.


Is there a way to change this circuit so that the receptacles are not controlled by switches? I have this one outlet in my house that, when exposed, has three wires protruding from it (while there are two wrapped in a nut).  As far as I can test, two are feeding power and one is acting as a feed/neutral.  One of the power source wires is controlled by a two-way switch, while the other one is controlled by a three-way switch.  That three-way switch (along with the other three-way switch) controls the chandelier in the house.  There is also a light outside our front porch that is controlled by a two-way switch and is somehow tied to the outlet because when the outlet isn't wired correctly, neither the chandelier nor the outside lights work.

Right now, the outlet is wired so that one hot wire (black coating) is connected to the hot side (right side) of the outlet, while the other two (both in white coating) are connected to the neutral side (left side).  With this configuration, the outside lights work, the chandelier works only when one three-way switch is on and the top outlet works on and off with the two-way switch but the bottom part of the outlet doesn't work at all.  I really do apologize for the VERY long-winded question but there are so many nuances that I don't know how to be more succinct.

With this configuration, is there any way to not have both outlets feed off switches?

OK, first of all, plainly this is a mess. The fact that there is a white wire hooked up to a black wire without any recolouring of it alone says that (1) there's some amateurish stuff going on here, and (2) you cannot trust any of the white wires to actually be neutral until you prove that they are.  So proceed cautiously, and take notes as you go.

There are a lot of questions here but a good one is:

  What's the easiest way to track a specific wire to see how it flows without ripping out the walls?

Start by obtaining a long three-prong extension cord. Plug it into an outlet that is on, and verify with a voltmeter that there is voltage between the hot and neutral, there is voltage between the hot and ground, and no voltage between the neutral and ground.  You now have an extension cord which you can use to provide a known ground and a known hot.

Next, turn off the power to everything that you're going to be working on.

Next, put a piece of tape with a number on every wire that you're going to be working on, and start making notes about the color and location of each numbered wire end, and what they're hooked up to now.  Take photos. You want to be able to put this back together the way you found it later.  Number the switches as well.

Next, carefully get all the wire ends exposed but not touching anything, and turn the power back on. Use your known ground and your voltmeter to determine which wires are hot under every combination of switches.  Remember, some of the whites are hot.

Turn the power back off again.

Test everything again to make sure that no, really, the power is off.

Now test everything again against the known hot to find out which wires are neutrals that run back to the panel. Again, test everything against all combinations of switches, remembering that at least one mistake has been made in this wiring so far; there might be more. Interrupting a neutral with a switch is almost always wrong, but I have found plenty of interrupted neutrals in old houses.

Now unplug your extension cord from the wall and get a flashlight. Rig yourself up a continuity tester out of the extension cord and the flashlight. (Of course if your voltmeter has a continuity tester, use it instead of jury-rigging one out of a flashlight.)

Suppose you suspect that wire ends labeled 2 and 9 are the same wire. Attach end 2 to the extension cord ground. Run the extension cord to the other. Now wire the extension cord to the battery, the battery to the light, and the light to end 9. Did the light go on? Then your hypothesis is confirmed. Did it not go on?  Try every combination of switches.  Again, record your observations.

Keep doing that until you have enough observations to form a consistent theory of how the wiring runs through the walls.  Draw a diagram.

Once you're there, you should be able to solve your problem. If you cannot, then you'll be able to post a question here with a lot more information.

Also, take this opportunity to ensure that every wire is correctly coloured, by putting tape on miscoloured or confusing wires. Also, if there are oddities such as a box that has hot wires from two different breakers, make a note of that for the next guy.


How can I remove a hot water timer installed by the property owner? My landlord has just installed a device that cuts hot water supply after 3 min of using hot water.

I open the hot water tap and after 3min then water out of the tap run out meaning Nothing comes out then after 12min there is hot water again and the cycle continues. There is nothing wrong with the cold water tap. There is no timer in the cold water only the hot water.

What is the device called that he used and how do we remove it.

The device is probably something like a hot water timer (but installed upstream, in the mechanical room), which comprises a timer mechanism and a shutoff or diverter valve.

As to how you'd disable it, you'd have to find out the model of the device. Chances are it can be disabled via its controls. Otherwise it would need to be removed and the pipe spliced.


Why is there an arc when I pull a plug out of an outlet? I notice that, on some of my (self-installed) power outlets, when I pull an appliance plug out of it, there is a small arc.  This most frequently happens with an iron, which has no switch of its own and is on when you plug it in.  Can anybody explain why this is happening, the physics behind it, is it "as designed", harmless, or indicative of an issue (potentially a fire hazard)?

Whenever you have an appliance that is drawing current, and you pull the plug while it is in operation, you are going to draw an electrical arc. The voltage is high enough that current still wants to flow through the air to power the item.  This is not a good situation. Items that draw high amounts of current, ie; high wattage, should have an on/off switch in them to prevent this situation.  To some degree, it happens when you plug them in as well.

The effect is that you are burning the metal contacts in the outlets and the prongs of the plug.  As they become pitted and blackened, they do not conduct electricity as well, become highly resistive, thus creating heat and eventually will fail or burn up.  This is an unsafe condition.

The solution:  Make sure appliances are off before you plug them in or unplug them.  If you own an iron, then always set its temperature dial to 0 (zero) or "Off" before you plug it in or unplug it.  (Source:  Panasonic's "Important Safety Instructions" page).


How do I prevent interior doors from sticking in the winter? We have several interior doors that only stick or won't completely close in the winter. We also get cracks in the drywall mud above the doors so I think something else is going on besides just humidity changes in the door and frame. This is a wood framed house with wood trusses and a metal standing seam old-fashioned roof. I remember hearing a DIY radio show discussing the issue but I can't remember the solution. I think it had something to do with the wooden trusses in the attic. Any information is appreciated.

Make your doors smaller .  The jamb stops for doors are usually jutted out a half inch or at the very least 3/8".  There is no need for the door to be rubbing against the jamb that tight to where it would ever stick.  I suggest the use of a small electric hand plane and shave off in 1/32" increments.  You will need to remove the handle and the faceplate.  Also if you get beyond 1/32" you may need to chisel out the faceplate rectangle a bit.

You can try sanding the area but I have found that by the time I sand, and door works well... I put a few coats of paint on the area and then bam I am back to square one.


Replacing 2 hot water heaters with 1 I've recently purchased a home that has two hot water heaters - one at each end of the house. One in the garage, one in a closet. They're both showing their age, and both cost quite a bit to operate. My goal of this change is to make sure I have equipment that's not on the verge of failure, while also making sure that my energy usage is as efficient as is practical.
What comes to mind as an option is to replace the one in the garage with a heat pump/hybrid water heater (something like this), and run a recirculation pump to the other end of the house, removing the existing second hot water heater entirely.
Does this seem practical, or should I consider something else?
I'm in Florida; do not have a gas hookup; I have grid-tied solar @ 12KwH.

Not quite sure what you mean by "showing their age": electric water heaters either leak or don't leak and work or don't work (mostly). Predicting time of failure is difficult. I have a rental house that has an 80 gallon electric water heater that's probably about 40 years old and working fine.  Others I've had to replace after 15 years.
But getting to your question, yes, consolidating 2 water heaters into one is a good idea and presumably you'd put the new one in the garage, freeing up closet space in the house.
Bear in mind that a heat-pump style water heater will COOL the space it's installed bc it pulls heat from the air.  In FL that may be a good thing! Not so much in the north.
You'll have to do some additional plumbing to install the re-circ pump, depending upon your exact plumbing layout.
You might also want to consider a timer on the re-circ pump.  I have re-circ and a timer in my house and set it so it doesn't run between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.


What is the proper glue to use to bond two pieces of plywood together as a substrate for formica? We are preparing a kitchen counter top for new formica.  The original plywood is still intact but is rough, so we will glue 3/8" plywood on top of it for a smooth durable surface.  What is the best glue to use to bond these two layers of plywood together, given they will be the substrate for the formica?

I don't think it's going to be critical but when in doubt: PL. As far as I can tell, PL Premium can bond anything to anything. In a case like this, do a bead around the perimeter and bolts (quarter sized blobs) about 8" inches apart in a grid and you'd have to sacrifice a goat to a powerful deity to get those two pieces of plywood apart. The more important bond to consider is the laminate to your substrate. On that topic, counter tops are made with particle board, not plywood. PB is cheaper, flatter, and free of voids. Go particle board if you can (yes they make it in 3/8"), if not don't worry just make sure your plywood is of very high quality.


Will using concrete anchors in wall studs cause problems? While installing a wall mount for a 48" TV, I realized I made a mistake. I drilled a ⅜ pilot hole in the wall stud and then installed the anchors provided with the mount that the lag bolts would be secured in. Going back to the instructions I realized my mistake, having used the directions for the "Concrete wall installation" instead of the "Wood stud wall installation."

The Concrete wall installation instructions say not to use these for a wood stud installation, but rather to use a 7/32 pilot with the provided lag bolt.

As far as I can tell, the only difference between the concrete and wood stud installation is that the concrete uses the provided anchors, and both use the same 4 lag bolts.

So do I need to fill these holes with wood filler or something and start over, or will the concrete anchors make a difference at all?

Yes I'm afraid concrete anchors are not appropriate for wood studs. Sleeve anchors rely on being able to press against the sides of their hole with enough pressure to counter act the pull-out weight of the load they're bearing. If the sides of the hole are somewhat squishy (like soft pine is) the anchor will probably fail. You can:

Move the unit slightly and re-drill properly sized holes, just make sure to move them at least 2" away from the old holes.
Fill the holes with 3/8" dowels and glue and then re-drill.
Bore out the holes in your hardware and use a 3/8" lag (or whatever size works with the holes you drilled) if your hardware will allow it.


Replacing bath fan light heater - Existing Wire is (3) /2 cable Old fan light heater was on a triple switch where each function had its own switch. I am a amateur DIYer, have tried each and every way possible to wire it. I either get nothing or the switch is bypassed causing the fan to run continuously. Please Help!

If you have 4 cables going into the switch box and the white wires are pigtailed together and there is a hot, black, connected to the common post,  then  connect your three white wires from the switch box to the three white wires from the fan unit. Then connect each switch wire to one of the wires from the fan unit. You can rearrange the switch locations in the switch box for your preference. Remember to shut off the power at the main panel before doing any work.

In the future, don't just try all different combinations to see what works. Sometimes things will work but can still kill you..... Take pictures and come back to this site for help before you start. There are some really smart people (not me) that will help you out.


Damp smell in basement I have a gap between outside wall and pavement.

Could this be the reason for damp smell in the cellar?
If I poured bitumin down said gap, would this help prevent the dampness?

If you can identify that the basement dampness comes principally from the wall on that side of the house, then you may find dampness abated by creating a water/moisture barrier between the wall and ground; or at ground level, preventing run-off from entering the fissure.

If you have a dirt floor in the basement, chances are that the moisture comes up all-over, and thus sealing the wall (where you mention) will have little effect.

If the moisture is not apparently from any one wall, then all the walls maybe permeated with groundwater — or the floor could be the bigger culprit.

If basement walls show sign of moisture penetrating, then you could use DriLoc to seal them.  DriLoc must be applied to dry walls, so if the walls are always moist (not just when it rains) then you would need to bring in a heater + fan + dehumidifier to 'bake' the moisture out of a given section of wall, DriLoc it, and keep moving your 'dryer' setup to prepare and DriLoc all the walls this way.

If the floor is dirt, you will need to cover it with a moisture barrier nd then pour concrete (or similar) to seal the floor.

If you do all this, remember to leave the basement this way for a year or so before doing any further finishing down there — to be sure the fix worked completely, and/or to check for imperfections in the application of the fixes.


Extending the wires of soil moisture sensor without voltage drop How can I extend the wires of my soil moisture sensor without dropping voltage?

My control box is 15 meters from the plants. I also have my 5v power supply for my sensor. I have 2 sensors.

Specification for control box:

  Power supply: 3.3v or 5v
  Output voltage signal: 0~4.2v
  Current: 35mA

  Pin definition:
  Analog output (Blue wire)
  GND (Black wire)
  Power (Red wire)

If you need to reduce the voltage drop over a given distance, you need to increase the size of wiring being used.

In this case, with a load of 35mA and a distance of 15m, the voltage drop using 16-18ga wire would be negligible.  As in less than a half percent.

Here is a voltage drop calculator that you may find useful:

Voltage Drop Calculator


Is it safe to replace a switch with a dimmer on halogen spots? I live in Europe (so we're on 220V), and in the house we've got two halogen spots (on a transformer) on a plain switch.

Is it safe to replace the switch with a dimmer (like these)? Do the transformer and/or halogen spots need to be of a type that supports this? If so how can I tell if the are already or not?

Unfortunately, my lack of Dutch comprehension prevents me from giving a definitive statement on your situation (do you have an English translation for those switches?).  That said, I live in England and all of the halogens (with their transformers) in my flat are on dimmer switches, so it is absolutely possible to have dimmer switches on your lights.

However, you are going to have to make sure that the transformers that are currently installed in your house will work with a dimmer switch (it is possible that yours will not) by checking the manual or looking it up on the internet.

And definitely take care when working with your electrical system.  If you at all feel uncertain or uncomfortable, it may be worth the peace of mind to talk to or hire a professional.


What are your recommendations for bedroom recessed lights in a step ceiling? While remodeling our bedroom we are considering recessed lighting. The bedroom has a seating area also - the bed area is 14' x 15' and the seating area is 10' x 9' (overall length is 24 ') and the ceiling is a step ceiling (30" from wall and 8" high). Each area has a light switch which controls overhead lighting. Would the recessed lights (assuming 4" lights) spaced every 4 ft and 15" from the wall (1/2 the distance of the step ceiling) be adequate (assuming a 40-50 w bulb?). We also have 3-4 lamps in the room also.

In general I think you are better off having too much light versus too little. If you plan using 50w bulbs, and it turns out to be too much, you can always use lower wattage bulbs or a dimmer.

Be sure to take into account the reflector type of the bulb as this will dictate how much the light spreads.

I disagree with Justin K because if you have too few lights, you start to get shadows and dark spots and assuming you're already at the max wattage, there is nothing you can do to improve the situation other than install more cans.


Are generator "bonding plugs" safe and legal? I've been researching portable generators, and I have learned that models with a floating neutral need to be grounded.  Some people say you can bypass this requirement by plugging a "bonding plug" into one of the generator's outlets.
These bonding plugs are basically a normal 120V electrical plug with the neutral and ground pins connected to each other.
Is this a safe and legal (in the US) approach to portable generator grounding?

Are you talking about just plugging in a plug with no cord, that internally connects Neutral to Ground?  I imagine it would work perfectly... until someone who doesn't know what it's for assumes it's a simple outlet cover and unplugs it to plug something else in to that outlet.
As far as whether it's code-legal, probably not.  Code tends to frown on things that make it easy to create a dangerous situation inadvertently, which this certainly would do.  The electrical code (AFAIK) doesn't say anything about this situation directly though -- instead, the code says you must use equipment that is UL Listed (or listed by some other NRTL, such as ETL), and that you must follow its instructions, which were part of the UL listing.  If your generator says that you can bond neutral and ground with a "bonding plug", then it's legal to do so -- but you probably won't find any that say that, because I don't think UL would approve a bond that can be removed during operation.  Instead, the instructions will probably say how to open up the unit and bond N to G internally, or it will say that you must use a 4-wire feed to a panel that bonds N to G already.


Replacing rusted metal front porch posts My parents' front porch is surrounded by old medal posts that have undergone a lot of rust over the years, and this spring we noticed that at least one of the posts is no longer connected to the ground.

Here are some photos of the posts, as well as the rust damage and their current connection to the house at the top. They're currently attached to the solid concrete porch with bolts at the bottom and screwed into wood above. The screws are somewhat rusty, but holding on. The wood seems to be in very good condition, although it could use sanding & fresh paint.

They don't have a lot of money to spend on repairs, so I've offered to do all the labor for them. I'm willing to put in as much work as necessary to make sure their house is safe and stable for the rest of their lives. I just need to make sure I'm tackling it the right way.

I have several questions about how I should approach this, so I hope you'll all be able to give me some guidance.

Materials

The first concern is what to actually replace the posts with. Would a 4x4 treated post be adequate to replace each one of these? I'm not certain what type of metal the existing posts are, or how much weight they're carrying.

Most wood posts I'm finding specify they can carry 1500-2000 pounds, and my intention would be to replace them 1-for-1. (Currently there are 8 or 9 posts, depending on how you want to count the front corner.)

I've been thinking about something along the lines of these posts. Would that be adequate to replace the metal supports?

Update: Based on discussion in the comments, as well as taking a closer look at the pictures I took in the spring, I don't believe the existing posts are structural. So my concerns are really about technique, more than material. Any answers/advice to the thoughts below would be greatly appreciated.

Technique

The actual mechanics of replacing the posts are also a concern.

First, what's my best option to support the upper railing while I remove the old post and set the new one? I have access to post jacks via my father-in-law's work. Would that be ideal?

Also, how do I need to tie into the concrete? It seems to me that I'd be better off having some sort of rust-resistant metal bracket underneath the post, rather than have the wood sit directly on the concrete. What would that bracket be called? Is there another option that would be better?

At the top, I anticipate the wood posts (assuming we go that route) would sit directly between the solid blocks, which are a bit smaller than a 4x4. Can I just drive screws through the rail at an angle, or should I try to tie them directly into the 3x3 blocks? I do have a pocket hole jig, if that's the best way to go.

Depends on what you mean by non-structural. I think it's very unlikely that the overhanging roof is self supporting as it seems to be a large span. More likely that the posts are holding some of the weight.

Rather than replace the whole posts with something else (and altering the 'feel/look' of the place), what's your welding like? I only ask as the vast majority of the metal posts are fine. Cutting the 'feet' off each post and welding in new metal is not terribly time consuming and could be done one at a time negating the need for additional supports (handy since they are in pairs!).

I can't quite tell if the posts go into the concrete (hopefully not) or sit on top in some kind of foot. Maybe it's possible to make up some new 'feet' that can be welded/bolted into place with a little flair and ingenuity (after cutting away the bottom part of the post). Just a thought....


Is it possible to replace my phone wires t network wires in the walls? In my house I have telephone access point in each room. Is it possible to replace them with network cables?

I have tried every option I know to get WIFI signal in my top floor but always getting poor signal or none.

Do I need professional to do so? Or can I do it alone.

I don't know if this is the right place for this question but I trust this site!

If you are thinking of using the existing phone wires to pull ethernet cable through the walls, the answer is most likely no.  The phone wire is almost certainly smaller, so it will probably be passing through smaller holes. On top of that, it is likely stapled to the framing.

That said, fishing new wire through the walls usually isn't that hard if you have access to the bottoms and tops of the interior walls in the basement and the attic. The easiest way would typically be to wire the first floor in a star pattern from the basement, and the top floor in a star pattern from the attic, then connect them with one cable running from basement to attic. Good places to try and fish a basement to attic cable would be alongside the main vent stack for your plumbing or through a wet wall. If you don't want to put individual jacks in the walls, you can always just run one cable and put a second access point on the upper floor.


What brand and model is this thermostat? Does anyone know what brand and series this thermostat is? I'm looking to find the user's manual. The cover that flips open fell off and it's lost. Thanks in advance!

This looks like it could be the CP1719, or one of their related thermostats, from Comfort Stat.

Here's the manual to that thermostat:
http://www.comfortstatusa.com/thermopdfs/cp1719.pdf


Which NEC code sections deal with outdoor junction boxes? We had a neighbor move our junction box that is in a utility easement over our neighbors property. When he moved it, he used up all of the slack in the box and he also buried it under 4' of soil. Additionally, he built a garage where the foundation is about 6" away from the box. I was hoping someone here could help me reference applicable National Electrical Code that we can use in our defense as we try to get our box restored .I really can thank you enough for any help, and if you need any additional information, please let me know.

Start with NEC 300.2 and keep reading.
I don’t see an issue the connections are in a box.
junctions underground for UF wire do not even require a box. in that case a listed UF splice kit would be needed (yours appears to be in conduit).
if they pulled the slack from the junction at your box not this one, you may have a case.
Since it is after the meter contact the electrical inspector and ask if a permit was required for the work and did they get one and was it inspected?
The grounding conductor (green wire) is normally required to be an irreversible compression type or welded. I can’t tell but the Polaris connections are acceptable in a box.
the top needs to be accessible not buried. I am not sure if your 4’ comment is the depth of the splice or box top. In conduit this is well below the requirement (safer).
Each jurisdiction has there own requirements that would pass in my state if the green wire is in a crimp connector or butt splice.


How to fix front door that needs to be pulled for latch to open? My front door lever/latch feels as if locked from the outside when unlocked, either you have pull the door a bit and then press the lever or press down really hard and the lever opens the latch. Is this normal, or is there a way to fix this?

This is likely related to alignment of the latch (the mechanism that runs through the edge of the door, from the lockset to the door frame) with the strike plate (the metal plate attached to the door frame which guides the latch plunger to its "latched" position).

Look closely at the strike plate for signs of misalignment; like heavy off-center scratches in the area where the latch "strikes" the plate. Look for indications that the latch is not lining up with the hole in the strike plate.
Sometimes this happens due to settling/movement of the house due to seasonal changes, and can be remedied by filing the hole in the strike plate. Try removing the strike plate and watching how the latch behaves, at the edge of the door, when closing the door.

There could also be one or more of numerous other problems: loose hinges, loose lockset screws, warped jamb, warped door, worn out latch, worn out lockset, wall movement, etc. Start troubleshooting and eliminating possible causes until you find what the problem is.


Should we be rewiring or pigtailing the aluminum wiring in our condo? We have purchased a condo home that was built in 1975.  The inspector brought up the hazards of aluminum wiring.  Since we have very little knowledge regarding this area we were wondering if we should rewire the entire place or if it is OK just to have an electrician pigtail? Can you please help? We just want to ensure our safety.

Aluminum wiring is not the fire hazard people would have you think it is.  In fact it is perfectly safe and there has been studies showing that the only increased chance of fire is produced with an improper installation.  This usually means that contractors using outlets or devices that are not rated for aluminum.  This does cause the wire to eventually overheat at contact and expand/contract so many times that it becomes brittle and can short.

Pigtailing aluminum is perfectly acceptable.  Your electrician would just go to every outlet and pigtail the aluminum with a short copper strand using a Al/Cu Wire Connector (these are usually purple for identification).  This is probably the best solution for lights and other "non" outlets.  For outlets you can pigtail or just connect an Al/Cu rated outlet.

However your local building code may have stipulations - mine is fine with correctly rated outlets.  I have read in other places that they require pigtails and I have read in other places (an electrician driven county) that they require a rewire.


Glass materials for patio cover I found this picture and interested in knowing what glass materials being used for the patio cover. Is it just fixed single pane glass (from local home improvement store)? And if so, how do I attach it to the lumber?
If not, is it some fixed window glass with custom size?

Those overhead clear panels are assuredly not the standard single thickness window glass. If glass is used in an application like this it is going to have to be a tempered glass. Thickness required would be dependent upon the width and length if each panel. I would not be surprised to find glass being close to 3/8" if not even 1/2" thick.
Glass panels like that are extremely heavy and the framing structure to hold it in place will be substantial.
If you do some research you may find that the pictured patio cover is not glass at all but instead made up of clear acrylic panels. This would be much lower weight and be in line with the type of framing structure showing in your picture. Do an image search on Google with "clear acrylic patio roof" and you will see many examples that look a lot like the picture that you show.


What's the right tool for painting joist bays in my basement? I'd like to paint the joist bays in my basement to brighten the basement up. No, putting up acoustic tile is out of range for the budget, but paint is in.

I've tried a small portion with a roller and brush, but I'd like an easier way.

I've considered renting an airless sprayer and doing all the bays in one shot; however, I'm not sure I can get it all done in one day, and I'm wondering about the home/handheld sprayers (like the Wagner line).

Can these sprayers paint overhead?

Am I in for more work than it's worth trying to tape and tarp everything I don't want paint on from the atomisation of the paint into the air?

A true paint sprayer (spray gun, air compressor, etc) is the fastest option in nearly any household painting project (aside from trim).

The airless systems that run via electricity like the wagner system isn't nearly the same thing. I used that system to paint our picket fence and while it was faster than brush alone, it wasn't THAT much faster and not nearly as fast as a true spray gun would have been.

So, I suggest that now is a perfect excuse to invest in a serious air compressor! ;)


How can I remove mice from my house? I live in a townhome which is a 2nd and 3rd floor unit. On the 3rd floor is a closet with a crawlspace entrance which is the attic. There are definitely mice running around in there.

I tried to setup mouse traps to catch them near the entrance, but none worked for a couple reasons. One, there is an attic vent in there, and the wind comes down into our attic pretty strong which sets off the classic mouse traps, and also flips over the flimsy glues traps. Two, I highly doubt they come close to the entrance of the crawlspace, which is the only place I can set the traps because 80% of the attic is insulation. I only ever hear them running, from the 2nd floor, in the ceiling, underneath the attic, in the back of the house. Third, it sounds like they are using my attic as a "highway," only scurrying from left to right. Never to the front of the attic.

We have 2 cats so I am not really worried about them getting into the house. I assume if they every do make it in plain view, then the cats should be ale to chase them out. But,  our cats are never hanging out in the cabinets, so I assume it is a matter of time before they find their way in. Also, I am still concerned that they could be nesting in my attic, which could mean there are hundreds up there. Gross!

I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I can't set a trap all the way in the back of the attic. I cant set traps outside because they could be entering from someone else's house so it would be really tough for me to find the access point, nor do I think my neighbors would appreciate me setting traps with cats and kids running outside all day.

As a side note, my wife thinks I am nuts and isn't too concerned about it. She thinks they will not enter the house because of our cats.

Being the persistent man that I am, I still want them gone. What is the best way to get rid these critters? I really want them completely removed from the house, but I am not able to find a good solution. I am seriously debating buying some of that d-con poison, and chucking it all the way in the back of the crawlspace, or my last resort is to call a professional...

I used a tall plastic bucket once to catch the mice in the garage - I just put a small amount of dog food in the bottom, they could not climb the walls or jump that high to get out.  I used a "ramp" made of simple cardboard to the top so that they could hop right in!  Safe, no poison and easy to carry out when "full".


How can I modify this dryer vent cap to keep lint from getting trapped? As mentioned in this question I installed this dryer vent cap on my roof

As you can see, there is a gap between the flashing and the cap, presumably to let water out if it gets in.  This is installed on a 12-12 pitch roof.

I found out the hard way that it's getting clogged by dryer lint, therefore blocking any water that gets trapped inside.  I contacted the retailer and their suggestion was installing an inline lint trap as well.  This isn't an ideal solution for me, as my options are to put it in the attic space (where I'll forget to clean it out) or cut an access door in the laundry closet wall and install it where the duct heads towards the roof.

I'm interested in any suggestions to modify the cap itself to decrease the chance of lint getting trapped.

I cannot say I'm a fan of the design of that vent - although looking at your other question, I'm rather surprised that lint is falling down into that gap.  Possibly your fan is creating too much pressure, and it's backing up inside the vent at the 180 and thus air is escaping through the pushing some lint down into that gap, where it can get stuck.

If that's the case, then you might try installing a baffle inside the vent to force lint up far enough in the vent so that it has to go out the intended port, but which still allows water out.  Like so...

Sorry, the color doesn't show well, but inside I've added a piece of metal running from just below the intake port to nearly the end of the angled portion of the vent, with a brace connecting it to the body to keep it stable.  You can't see it but there should be drip holes at the point where the new plate hits the flashing for water drainage.

The idea being, lint flies in and cannot be forced directly down to the gap in question, but water will hit the tray, run back and go through the drip holes.

That or replace it with this


Which way should furnace filter face? I replaced my furnace filter (every 30 days) but upon Googling, I've found it has to go certain way. It's suppose to go the way where the arrow points for the airflow. But my filters have no arrows on them.

How would I tell which way it faces?

Better quality filters generally will be directional. This is due to the filter containing a coarse and fine media or one side being reinforced with wire or mesh to support the filter against the flow of air. It may also be designed to flow air better in one direction. If you can feel or see a density difference between sides the least dense side should face out If the filter is not labeled it should install in either direction as there is likely no difference  from one side to the other


Possible to flatten warped wood? I have two sections of 3x12" wood that have been out in the weather for a few years and are now bowed across the 12" width of the wood.  The dip is pretty severe, maybe 1/2 an inch?  It seems like sanding would take way too long.

What would be the easiest way to flatten them out again?  Is there a tool designed to do something like this?

The power tool you would use to take the board down would be a thickness planer:

It has an adjustable cutting head and you run the board through it in successive passes to shave off the surface.

However, unless you do a lot of rough lumbar milling or are into fine woodworking, it would probably be silly to buy one. Maybe you can rent / borrow?

Note that a thickness planer is good at making 2 faces parallel, but it won't be much help if the wood is also twisted or bent along its length. The twist will just follow through the planer and you will end up with a twisted board with 2 parallel (but not planar) faces.

Edit about the suitability of thickness planer:

Several people have pointed out that to use a thickness planer you are "supposed" to have one face flat already. I guess that's optimal but I have used a thickness planer many times to "save" cupped boards. If you have a great piece of wood, you might as well try something, right?

Start with the convex side up, so that the board is stable against the base and doesn't rock.
Work in small passes at the beginning. If you try to take too much off the planer will press down on the board and flatten it without really cutting.
Once you have flattened the convex side you can alternate faces.