Half my circuit breakers are out I tryed resetting them all and reset main breakers I used a voltage meter and test them all half show power half do not. Any ideas what the problem may be?

6 volts with a digital meter could very easily be phantom voltage.

Sounds like you have half your service out. This could be anything from a bad main breaker, problem in the meter pan, the taps at the service drop, or a utility problem at the pole or the service drop itself.

CALL YOUR POWER COMPANY right away, they'll take it from there.


How should I cut odd angle miters when working with molding? I am installing some chair rail, and the points where it's a 90 degree connection (inside/outside) are no big deal... I cut 45s and then fit them together. But I have a couple of places where the angle is 130 degrees, so I have to cut at 65.  For this stuff, I was using a hand saw and doing the cut, but I am wondering what the best way to handle these odd angles?  Is there a trick or technique that could help me?

The standard way to cut mitered corners is with a miter saw, either a hand saw with a miter box or a power miter saw.

I don't know how you're cutting your 45ºs currently. If you're using a hand saw and want good control, I would get a hand miter box with an adjustable angle, like this one on amazon. Usually they have stops at common angles like 45º and 22.5º, but you can set it to any angle (I don't have any experience with this model though):

If you want something quick and dirty I would just use a carpentry protractor / angle finder to draw a line and then freehand it:


Connecting PSW inverter directly to service panel I am building am off-grid solar power system for my home. In a previous home I did the same, using a transfer switch from inverter to service panel. I want to avoid the complexity of a transfer switch this time, connecting the pure sine wave output from a large capacity inverter directly to my service panel, taking advantage of the branch circuit breakers and in-home wiring. I'll use an interlock switch to isolate the 200a main breaker.
1)  Am I correct that I can simply add the proper sized branch circuit breaker and connect the inverter output directly to that?  Of course, the interlock switch will prevent the 200a breaker from being on at the same time.
2) Must I use a split phase inverter? If the full power from the inverter (8,000w to 10,000w) is input with the one breaker I install, will 240vac items draw from that as well - or do I have to run a separate breaker for 240vac? I would truly appreciate anyone's assistance with this. John

Note that the simplest solution may be net metering.Where permitted, this uses inverters that monitor and synch with the power lines, and therefore can be connected in parallel with the grid. At the same time, your meter is replaced with one that can count both forward and backward; if you are producing more power than you need the excess gets sold to the grid, and when the balance goes the other way (eg at night), or when clouds cut your production) you buy power.

Major advantages include continuous aitomatic balancing of the two sources, no need to maintain a battery bank, and the joy of the midsummer bill when the power company may owe you money. (I haven't quite gotten a negative bill yet -- I've gotten negative grid usage, but not enough to overcome the $6/month account fee.)

Disadvantage is that, for safety reasons, these systems are designed to shut down when power is lost on the grid to avoid the risk of electrocuting someone who would have expected the downstream end of the break not to have voltage on it.

Theoretically it would be possible to run disconnected (in "island" mode"), but them you'd need to re-introduce transfer switches for safety, and you'd need a 60Hz 240-split reference for the inverters to sync to. I can imagine a setup where you'd disconnect from the grid and connect instead to a generator as "local grid reference", with the solar panels and the generator sharing the load... but that has complications in protecting the generator from reverse current, and it isn't a approved/supported configuration for any manufacturer I'm aware of. Maybe someday...

Anyway, I just wanted to toss the out as an alternative to explicitly switching between solar and grid. Depending on your goals and needs, it may or may not be the best answer.


adhesive for metal to glass I have a metal hallow medallion that I want to glue to glass. I have tries gorilla glue, silicone adhesive, e-6000, jewelry and metal glue from Aileens. Because of the hallow center nothing adheres. Any suggestions?

Go to Autozone and purchase automotive weatherstripping adhesive from 3M (8008). That stuff is seriously sticky and long lasting. It will take a few hours to set up, though. I have a test plate of glass that I've glued all sorts of things and have left outside in the elements for the last 5 years and still cannot pry anything off without breaking the glass.


Changing adjustable fixture light bulb when socket and housing are loose I'm having trouble changing a ceiling mounted adjustable fixture lightbulb. So there's two issues: one, the metal housing is loose and when I try screwing it in, there's a lot of grinding and varying pressure and popping. I'm wondering if the bent section means it's broken? And two, even if I do get it reasonably tight, the light bulb socket rotates independently and won't allow me to loosen the bulb to change it.

Thanks all. I know this may be a simple question, but my level of home improvement skill is quite low; and with how high up and hard to see it is, I'm afraid of breaking something since I don't know what I'm doing.

Cheers!

It looks like the lampholder part of the fixture had a threaded boss, which the swivel post screwed into, and that has broken.

You might be able to repair by disassembling and using washers, lockwashers and a matching threaded nut on the inside of the lampholder part. It would take significant effort so it might be easier/better to just replace the fixture. You should definitely not use it like it is.


What tools should I use for hand carving and whittling? I have been hand-carving hunting bows (ie: simple selfbows, straight backed
bows, steamed static recurve tips, etc) for a couple years. I used to do all of
my carving with a set of nice drawknives and push knives. I've moved into a new
place where I no longer have a set of vises to hold my timber so that I can
rapidly do a rough carving with the draw knives. I am sadly reduced to whittling
on my tiny sundeck, and there are no coop/public shops where I can get bench
space in this neighborhood.

What tools would be recommended for the following:

Rapidly shaving down a wooden stave to a bow shape
Fine removal of tiny amounts of wood during the tillering process

The only knife that holds up against these oak, osage, and especially hickory
boards, is my USMC utility/combat knife. I've bought a few nice whittling knives
from Lee Valley Tools, and while they work nice, they don't seem strong enough
to shave off large chunks without risking damage to the knife, especially the hickory, which seems to hold a blood grudge against keen edges. I'd like
something more efficient than this big knife though.

Another important factor is the ability to create a flat, consistent cut/scrape.
This was very easy using the draw blades or a jack plane, but much harder with
just a big knife. This is even harder now that I have to hold onto the wood rather than clamp it down in a vise or with some C-clamps.

Also, for the fine removal parts, I'd need something with a very hard blade,
especially when trimming around knots. I'm considering a cabinet scraper, but
they seem to remove too little.

Have you considered one of the portable workbenches such as the Workmate?

They fold to a pretty small package and come in a variety of sizes and prices.

Black and Decker used to make several Workmate vises in a benchtop and toolbox version such as these

They appear to be discontinued. I found mine at yard sales, but they show up online occasionally.

If one of these suits, you may be able to continue to use your preferred tools.


What type of lubricant should be used on PVC windows, and how often should it be applied? As far as I know, the lifespan of PVC windows is highly dependent on periodic lubrication. What kind of oil should I use to lubricate the moving metal parts of my PVC windows? Additionally, what should be the time span between two applications of the lubricant?

Quality sliding PVC windows use rollers. Keep the tracks clean, using a slightly damp lint-free cloth. The rollers take care of themselves.

On cheap PVC sliders, I use paste wax after cleaning the slot with a slightly damp lint-free cloth.

You can also use spray silicone. Clean the track with a slightly damp lint-free cloth. Spray the silicone on another lint-free cloth and wipe the track down.

Don't use any petroleum lubricants on PVC if you want it to last.


Can I have an office in my basement without egress? I'm looking to create an office space in my basement.  I live in a townhouse attached to 2 other units.  In the basement we currently have smalls windows near the ceiling.

From what I've read, it sounds like I need to add a second means of egress.  The only way into the basement right now is the main interior stairs.

The problem is that if I need to add a second means of egress, I need to go through the association.  I am pretty sure that they wont let me cut a hole in the foundation in order to add egress.

Are there any alternatives to adding egress?

You'll have to contact your local building department to be sure, but it's very likely that they'll require a second means of egress. They might also have localized information, on ways others in your area have dealt with the problem. It's not likely that you're the only person in your area that's wanted to add living space to their basement.

International Residential Code 2012
Chapter 3 Building Planning
Section 310 Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings
R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency egress and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room...
...Emergency escape and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
Exception: Basements used only to house mechanical equipment and not exceeding total floor area of 200 square feet (18.58 m2).

Based on this code, as soon as a basement is used for more than housing mechanical equipment, egress is required. Though I think most places allow storage and such, and only get picky when a habitable space is added to the basement.
According to the IRC, habitable spaces include any space used for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking.  Non-habitable spaces include bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage and utility spaces, and any similar spaces.
According to Mass.gov, Massachusetts follows International Residential Code 2009 with some amendments. Though it doesn't appear that there are any amendments to the section quoted above.


On a QO breaker, how do I distinguish GFCI from overcurrent trip? I have a 1-pole Square D "QO" type 1-pole, 20A GFCI breaker (not AFCI).  Plugged into it are:

Twenty-five CFL lights averaging ~15W each, so 375W nominal
A 1500W-nominal heater-fan, though, I suspect with the 100' of #14 extension cord, probably running a bit shy of 1500W

If the heater is on, and I plug in the lights, I get a breaker trip.  Often I get a breaker trip just with the lights.  I have tried splitting up and powering only sections of lights, with varying and inconclusive results.

It's not unheard of for CFLs to have a pretty serious inrush current, but I am mystified.

I really need to know whether this is a GFCI trip, or an overcurrent trip. The QO breaker has no lights whatsoever.  Can I get the breaker to tell me somehow?  Or should I dump this and go with GFCI receptacles?

Older Square D breakers
Square D does not provide any means to distinguish type/reason of trip.
Newer Square D breakers (date code 1130 and newer)
These breakers (at this writing) have white or purple TEST buttons.
The "Time Saver" (heh) diagnostics provide a method for the breaker to tell you the cause of the last trip.
Link.... link.
Generally the procedure is to turn the breaker off, hold down TEST, turn the breaker back on continuing to hold down TEST, and time the number of seconds until the breaker trips again.   The amount of delay (if any) reveals the trip cause - ground fault, arc fault, or overcurrent.
Note that Square D arc fault breakers have weak ground fault detection (for the purpose of detecting hot-ground and neutral-ground parallel arc faults) — so they can in fact trip on a ground fault indication.


Hot Water recirculation pump stuck when operating under water pressure The shaft of a hot water circulating pump (Wilo Star Z25/2) rotates freely when the pump is not under water pressure (i.e. when the isolation valves on the suction and discharge sides are closed). As soon as water pressure is applied, the pump's motor will not rotate any more.  Rotating the shaft through the plug with a screwdriver also become more difficult.  Why can this happen?  Can this problem be fixed?

I think your pump head isn't enough to win both circuit head and circuit pressure. If the pump was designed to operate at this kind of load, then probably it has a burnt coil.


HVAC with long duct run has insufficient flow Brand new system that feeds 3 bedrooms, one downstairs and two upstairs.  The system is hooked up to 2 electronic dampers for zoning.  The downstairs gets good and cold, however there doesn’t seem to be enough air getting to the upstairs.

It’s quite a long run to the upstairs bedrooms, maybe as much as 50’.  We don’t see to get the same pressure upstairs as we do downstairs.

From the picture below you can see the ducting and the connection quality.  Clearly these connections should be taped, but from brief inspection they don’t feel like they’re leaking air.  The returns also seem to lack much sucking power. To even feel the airflow I have to wet my hand and hold it up to the return.

Would a booster fan help?  Anything else?

EDIT: I noticed that the airflow was worse than usual and noticed that the refrigerant line was frosted over both at the coils and at the condenser.  So I clearly have multiple symptoms if not problems with this system.  The HVAC company is installing a blower into the supply duct, hopefully with increased airflow it will solve the cooling issue and the freezing of the refrigerant line.

Fixed! Two main issues, one was that the 12” duct was being constricted because it was being squeezed through a small area along with a line for the return.

The other was that they setup a feedback line from the coil directly to the return. Effectively there were three 12” ducts coming out of the supply, 2 went to the various parts of the house and one fed directly back into the return. Removing that feedback line gave us a ton more air. No blowers needed.


Apartment with no grounding/earthing... do I really need it? Just a quick question. I don't know much about electricity, so here it goes. I got an apartment where there is no grounding. In fact, there is no grounding for the whole building. I have 110v and 220v appliances installed.

Do I need to be worried about potential electric shocks?

The apartment is on the 6th floor, so it could be really hard to install a proper grounding wire.

Any suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanks.

It is a question of risk level.

People in the USA have lived with ungrounded circuits for decades. With care and proper maintenance you might reasonably expect to live with them without incident.

In other parts of the world, grounded circuits have been the rule for more than half a century.

There is a reason that grounded circuits are now required. That reason is mostly sufficiently large numbers of dead bodies or badly injured and incapacitated living ones.

An approved work-around in the USA is the fitting of GFCI outlets, which reduce the risk of fatal electric shock. But check local code.


What could be the source of sediment found in washing machine? I had my basement finished and had them put in lines for washing machines.

Now, after the first use or two of the washer, it won't drain.  I looked at the filter, and I found a lot of this stuff: .  There's not much in the picture since I threw most of it out first, but I'd say I've found a few ounces of it at least on multiple occasions after clearing the filter and drain hose of it.

When I I flushed out the drain hose, I didn't really find anything that seemed like it could be the source.

I asked the previous owner of the machines twice, and he said he hadn't had any problems with it.

Could this be coming from the water line?  Or could someone have maybe run the washer with a whole bunch of rocks?!?  I can't think of anything else.

Kids. Pockets. Dirt.

Even adults trek in a lot of dirt on their clothes. I would worry about it. That's what the filter is for and now you know how to clean it.


How do you find helpers for larger DIY projects? Question: In cases where you have the time and skills to do a project yourself, but physically cannot without a second skilled person to help, how do you go about finding and hiring someone that is willing to work with you?

Example: I'm planning to build a detached garage as an owner-builder. I know the applicable codes, drew the plans myself and have AHJ approval for them. I also have the carpentry skills and tools to do the framing. Unfortunately, I am physically incapable of doing certain tasks without additional hands, such as standing up walls and installing windows and doors.

I'm trying to find someone that I can pay hourly to assist me for a week or two. I've gotten a list of framers from the local building supply store, but they want to do it all themselves with their own crew, not work with someone they don't know.

I'm sure I could find "warm bodies" to hire, but I really need someone that has at least some relevant experience.

What strategies do you use to find skilled assistance for larger DIY projects?

Many community colleges offer construction trade courses. Have a chat with the instructor, he can often offer enthusiastic young students who are ready and willing to provide some sweat as an on-the-job learning opportunity.

The students get class credit, the only cost to you is to buy them lunch and provide water, no insurance/license, etc. required because they are covered by the institution.

This is assuming the instructor finds your project suitable and the work area safe.


Grouting travertine tiles: grout bag or float? I need to grout a travertine tile wall. Tiles are small, pattern of 2x2", 2x4" and 4x4" tiles.  The gap is approximately 1/8". Tiles are tumbled, and there are quite a few imperfections, pits, crevices, etc., on the face of the tile.

I cannot decide whether I should use a grout bag or a float to apply the grout.

With grout bag, it's obviously much more work, and I'm not sure I'll be able to tightly pack grout into 1/8" crevice with the bag. But hopefully I will be able to fill just the grout lines, and not fill the crevices on the face of the tile (it won't be possible to get grout out of them with sponging).

With a float, it's much easier (just float and sponge, same as ceramic tile) but I think tiles will look really bad with all these natural holes, crevices, etc. filled with grout.

So, which is the accepted way to deal with grouting natural stone (travertine) tiles?

In all my jobs, whether large or small tile, using a grout float has always been the way it has been done.

Bagging it would practically do the same thing. The tip of a grout bag is much, much wider than the joints, and you would need to force the grout in anyway, still smearing it over the face of the tile.


Under Cabinet led strip lights appear to be different colors/temperatures I have been in my home for about a year. My wife just noticed that the led strip lights under our cabinets in the kitchen are all the same except in one location, where they are less "white" and more "yellow". I don't recall the colors being this different in the past. Is it possible  for them to fade or change?
We don't have any remote or programming, they plug into a brick in an outlet under the sink and it looks like there is wiring connecting multiple strips in different locations.
Is this something I can somehow change, can these change on their own? Or is it likely somehow a strip preset to a different color temperature got mixed in?
Side note - not sure if it is related, we had flickering lights in a few places (not the one place where it looks more yellow) - is it possible for some type of damage?
It's a bit hard to capture the light in photos, but here is the diff between two area taken from the same position in the room

It varies dramatically by dimming/color-control method
If we're dealing with multiple modules listening to the same remote, that is a very different picture than common PWM control. If I'm sounding like Geordi LaForge on Star Trek, then you see the problem. There's a lot of tech here.
And I gather from your question that you don't really have the vernacular to get down-and-dirty on the gory details of this system's design.  That, however, is where the problem lies.
If you're dealing with RGBWW or simply WW (adjustable color temp)

in WW's case, that means 2 separate strings, one Warm White and one Cool White.
in RGBWW's case, it has that, plus, Red, Green and Blue.

Typically each of these 2-5 strings is dimmed individually, resulting in a blend of colors. Blending cool white and warm white gives you any color temperature you want, and of course R, G and B let you get funky!
If that's the setup, it's possible that one of the strings has gone out, leaving the remaining string stuck at full-cold or full-warm.  The "flickering" would be consistent with that.
If so, that's likely a simple wire repair.


How can I replace or repair termite damaged 2 x 6 tongue and groove sub flooring without altering the 1 x 6 hardwood floor on top of it? How can I replace or repair termite damaged 2 x 6 tongue and groove sub flooring without altering the 1 x 6 hardwood floor on top of it? The hardwood floor runs perpendicular to subfloor, and all of the damage is done between the floor joists. It still feels sturdy when you walk onit, but I want to reinforce or replace the subfloor.

i dont think it can be done.  the hardwood has to be nailed to the subfloor, and removing the subfloor from below would make it release the flooring.  on top of that, the stiffness of the floor is partially due to the connection between joists that the subfloor creates.  if you somehow removed the subfloor, putting it back would require small enough pieces to fit between the joists, which would substantially weaken the floor as the joists would not be connected any longer by the subfloor.

you could certainly reinforce it by adding sections of spruce plywood, and gluing them up against the subfloor from below.  use a good quality construction adhesive and then push it up from below with solid lumber blocking screwed laterally into the joists


Is it safe to flush expired food down the toilet? Let's not discuss the economics of this - the fact is that it sometimes does happen.

I don't think food is physically that different from "poop" (especially certain types of it)

Depends on the type of food.

Just because it will "go down," that doesn't necessarily mean that it's ok to flush it.  Grease is a rather popular example.

Unfortunately I don't know that anyone has compiled a list of all foods that will clog your pipes or otherwise damage your plumbing, but here's a start:

  Oil and butter
  Mayonnaise and sour cream
  Cheese
  Sauces and dips
  Salad dressing
  Cake frosting
  Pie dough
  Gravy
  Turkey and chicken pan drippings
  Fat remaining on plates from BBQ’d steak

http://www.elocalplumbers.com/blog/clog-prevention-tip-5461

Grains also aren't good, as they will expand as they soak up water.

If you want a safe place to dispose of a little extra food, imo, toss it in a bag and make a trip to a convenience store.  Toss it in the trash, go in and buy a soda.  The food that would've stunk up your trash can is gone, your toilet isn't clogged, the convenience store guy is happy to have your business, and you're drinking a soda.  Life is good.  :sunglasses:


Who should I call for a roof drain leak? We have a balcony above our garage attached to the house, that is surrounded by 3 stucco walls and has a drain in the middle that leads into our garage.

Example of random balcony with drain similar to ours.

The leak has created a hole in the dry wall below it. I cut a sqare of the drywall and discovered the leak is coming from the drain itself. Around the edge of the drain, water glides along the PVC pipe that goes toward the front of the house onto the dry wall.

My question is are as follows: Who usually fixes this type of problem? Plumber? Handy Man, Roofer?

What is the typical way they seal this type of leak? It was suggested to me that tar is the best option.

Water test around the drain right at the pipe with a little water running just at the drain only, keep on moving the water source a little bit to the outside of the drain until you get it to leak again to pinpoint your hole, then you will have a better idea who you need to fix the problem. I would say a roofer if it is on the roof are decking.

If it is around the drain it will be caulking with a type of silicone if it is getting between the drain and the roof membranes. it has a lot to do with what type of roof systems is on there now if it is leaking out away from the drain. There are different types of flat roof systems if the roof is small enough under 20 ft wide there are one pc rubber roof made by Good year and last a lifetime that will have no seems and will never leak again. This same type of membrane I have used over 30 years and never a problem, and I have also applied for pond liners and lakes.

When you add layers over and make several seems there will always be that chance of a seem leaking if the seems fails and then you will have to start over. The less seems, the better. Roofers would do the roof membranes, where some roofers also do decking if needed, if it has leaked for a while, then there may be some rotted decking.

Find the source of where the leak is coming from to know who to call to fix the problem. The membrane should also put on with a drain just like a shower drain where the membrane is locked tight on top of the drain with bolts as the membrane is cut with a hole in it only at the drain opening where it can not leak.


How does National Electrical Code section 300.4 (D) apply in this situation? Saw a picture of an example of code NEC 300.4 (D) where a furring strip was used and a wire was run parallel to the furring strip. Per the code, the wire was 1 1/4" away from the nearest edge of the furring strip.

This doesn't make sense since the wire has the same chance of getting hit with a nail if the wire was only 1/2" from the furring strip. I realize that this originated from the fact that a hole in a stud has to be 1 1/4" away from the top facing edge of a stud to keep drywall screws from hitting the wire.
But according to this code a wire can be just under the sheetrock as long as it is 1 1/4 " away from the furring strip. I don't understand the logic. Can you please clear up my confusion?

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 300 Wiring Methods
300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage. Where subject to physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be protected.
(D) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members and Furring Strips. In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed parallel to framing members, such as joists, rafters, or studs, or is installed parallel to furring strips, the cable or raceway shall be installed and supported so that the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 32 mm (11⁄4 in.) from the nearest edge of the framing member or furring strips where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent at least 1.6 mm (1⁄16 in.) thick.

I’m not a NEC attorney nor did I stay in that fancy motel last night but one of the “intents” of “the rules” is to reduce the number of material casualties suffered during construction.  A sheetrock craftsman won’t use 16-penny nails to mount sheetrock and is highly unlikely to miss the studs or furring strip with a standard drywall nail or screw, hence the 1 1/4” (and metal plates) rules.   Mr. Homeowner, while installing a shelving unit for knickknacks might use a 16-penny nail but I’m confident wiring a house with EMT would turn expensive in a hurry.


Is it safe to cut out my center stile in base cabinets? I have annoying center stiles in all of my cabinets which make door openings about 10 inches wide. The cabinet itself is approximately 25.5 inches wide and holds up a granite countertop. I would like to cut out the center stile to install pull out shelves but I can't tell if it actually provides structural support for the cabinet (pictures attached).

Of note: These cabinets are circa 1995 and the parts that I can see are solid wood. The shelves are attached and do not adjust. Is it safe to cut out the center stile as shown here?

The granite tops will supported solely by the sides of the cabinet, anything that is over the toespace, therefore your center stile is not structural, at least as far as the countertop is concerned. If a countertop installer tries to shim an installation at the center of the cabinet, I am sorry to say they would be doing it wrong. It must be shimmed at the sides of the carcass. The sides of the cabinet that go straight to the floor is where the structure is.

Although it is not needed for support of the countertop, it is needed for the support of the drawers and possibly the interior shelf. The structure of the face frame in the third picture shows the rail at the underside of the drawers is cut to either side of the stile you wish to cut out. When it is gone the only continuous part that will support the drawers is the upper rail under the counter. You could add another header, so to speak to take up support for the drawers.

One thing I think I see in your picture is that the left side of the cabinet looks like it has a toespace that turns the corner, so in essence, that cabinet side is not structural either. It looks like it is the last cabinet in that run, so the countertop installer may need to give some thought on how the top will work on that side.


Is my furnace vent installed correctly 96% furnace. The air intake was not directed and terminated outside as the old furnace was.  The installer said that over the years it has been determined that the inside basement air is better for the furnace.  Outside air intake is now old school. The pipe was there from the old furnace.  I’m not sure why they didn’t reattach it( instead cut it off ).
Also there isn’t any name plate on the furnace.  Installer said that happens at the factory.  Many brands come off the same line.  I looked inside for serial a number / date tag and found nothing. Seems like there is always something around the burner box area. Outside the furnace on the side is a model number G96vtn1002130a enter image description here

The other intake pipe appears to be capped. With no direct air inlet and the old line capped this sets up problems including code compliance issues.
I would verify with a local building code inspector, I don’t do furnaces full time but that would not pass inspection in my jurisdiction, to me it looks like a lazy installer trying to save a buck.
So my answer is NO it is not right. it should have a fresh air source.


Vacuum blows Breaker My Meile vacuum has all of a sudden started blowing circuit breakers.  It does not matter what outlet in the house I plug my vac into the breaker blows.  When I plug the vac in there is usually a spark at the plug.  I have had the vac for over 20 years with not problems. Any ideals

If your vacuum is blowing each breaker in your house, it is drawing way too much power, and you need to fix it before you have an electrical fire to deal with.

For a 20 year old appliance, I would look at the power cord, the brushes and the bearings, as failures in each of those could cause the problem you are experiencing.  Your problem could be something different, like a shorted winding in the motor.  This can happen when the motor overheats, which can happen when using long extension cords, and therefore having voltage drops with increased heating in the windings.  On power head units, sometimes the wires running through the handle will chafe and that can cause a frank short, but that is more rare.

Regardless of what the cause is, you should discontinue testing relying on the circuit breaker, and fix or replace the appliance.


What’s asbestos look like on heating vents? I’m repainting my heating register vents and noticed something on the ductwork I didn’t see before. Pics attached. Judging from a google search, it looks like the section of ductwork that connects to the baseboard is wrapped in asbestos.
I can’t find it on any other parts of my ductwork in the basement. Just on the pieces that connect to the baseboard register vents.
Should I be concerned? No plans to do any remodeling anytime soon. Is it worrisome that it’s so accessible to get at? And why would it only be used on this parts of the ducting?

I would say that looks like asbestos that I have done remediation on the white fibrous and board like material usually are I can’t tell the maroon color it could have been painted to encapsulate it.
The only way to know for sure is to test but this looks like it.


Which is cheaper? Tankless or Storage water heater? We are planning to build a family house, 2 adult, 2 child, 100m2, eastern EU.

We got stuck that what kind of water heating should we use.

Where we use hot water?:

shower
kitchen
sink in bathroom

Two solutions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankless_water_heating

vs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_water_heater

The question: which one is cheaper?

As far as I see the tankless looks much cheaper to create/build up vs. storage/boiler. (Initial cost is lower.)
For operating expense: again, the tankless looks cheaper, since it doesn't need to always heat up a 200L sized boiler to ex.: 60C. Only heats up the water what is really needed at the given place.
Only minus points for the tankless: maybe bigger chance of getting an electric shock?

Sometimes on-demand saves money, sometimes it doesn't.

The initial cost - the cost of the equipment plus the cost of the installation - can vary quite a bit.  You have to have the capacity on your gas or electric service to add this large load.  Don't forget to consider the life cycle of the equipment - storage tank water heaters don't last long.

The ongoing cost is harder to nail down.  The on-demand is usually less efficient heating water, but the storage tank heater has to make up heat losses from the stored water all day and night.  The more the water sits unused in the tank the more heat loss there is to make up.  For example if there's just one or two people in the household and they only use hot water a short period in the morning and a few hours at night, the heater spends a lot of energy just keeping water ready around the clock.  For a vacation home that's only used weekends, there's even more heat lost keeping hot water on standby.

You can look even harder at the cost of the nuisance heat.  In some cases nuisance heat isn't really much of a loss - the nuisance heat the water heater makes takes a little load off the furnace - others, the nuisance heat isn't just wasted, you pay for it twice - it adds a little to the air conditioning.

If you can talk to some people that have on-demand water heaters it may be more helpful than trying to do a solid to-the-penny cost analysis.


Changing light fixture and wanting to know colour codings for cables Am about to change an old wall light fitting with a new one.  The cable coming out of wall is 3 cables, red, brown and green.  All i have read state that red and brown are both live and green is Earth.  Does that mean I donthave a neutral as my light fixture is asking for a L, N and earth.

Don’t rely on colors, use a multimeter and check which is what.

While it may have started out ok someone else could have played in the past... So be safe and check. I only trust wiring I have done...


No toilet shut off valve in my NYC apartment So I'm trying to find the toilet shut off valve so that I can install a bidet, and I'm stymied.

This is what is where the shut off should be, and I'm not sure what I'm looking at.

There are normal gate valves under my bathroom and kitchen sinks. I live in a large highrise completed after 2010 that is a mix of apartments and condos.

Is that just some kind of valve? I tried putting a precision screwdriver in the little hole and there wasn't a screw in there.

Is there an access panel somewhere? I looked under my bathroom sink and it's hard to access the back -- I have drawers I'd have to take out to get in there.

Is there just no toilet shut off valve, perhaps to prevent people like me from messing with their plumbing?

I'm going to ask my super as well, but I was curious if anyone on here had any ideas.

That's a valve that's lost its handle

What you are looking at is the shutoff valve.  You simply aren't recognizing it as such because it has lost the handle/knob that you normally turn to actuate the valve.

I would try using a pair of pliers to turn the valve for now, and talk to the landlord about getting it replaced (probably with a quarter-turn valve).


Does the orientation of the 'Y' in the wye strainer matter? My wye strainer is clearly marked with a direction of flow, so how to orientate it with retaliation to that is not in question.

However, the directions are unclear if I can mount so that the 'Y' points upward or sticks out horizontally.   All pictures I've found on line seem to have it installed so that the 'Y' points downward as shown below.

I think it is understood the because of the force of gravity settling debris to the lowest point, the best orientation would be down. The screen assembly is located in the 'Y' branch.


How to run 10 AWG ground wire along basement wall? What would be a sturdy and efficient way to mount a single 10 AWG solid core ground wire along an unfinished concrete basement wall (connectors, fasteners, etc)? I'm connecting a server rack ground bar to ground to prevent static electricity build up. I planned on coming down from ceiling between the receptacles in picture.

The traditional would be drill holes, insert plugs and use a cable clip with a nail or screw. This is a lot of work. Alternatives would be to glue it.

As to connecting it, the Good way to do it is with cable lugs. That requires tools to install. Solid core may also be terminated directly to the ground lugs of the rack.

But note that you are not bonding to dissipate static. You're bonding to ensure that all conductive surfaces are at the same potential. Concrete is conductive, so if the concrete is earthed, and the rack is not, you may get a potential difference between the rack and concrete. This can shock you. For dissipating static electricity, a high resistance is commonly used to avoid dangerous currents trough the dissipation wire.


What type of fasteners should I use when replacing exterior deck boards? I have a wooden walkway that leads from my deck down to my pool.  Some of the boards are rotten and I want to replace them.  Is this a project for a Nail Gun (which is how everything is currently put down) or a Screw Gun?  Reason I ask, is that while the current boards are put down with nails, I have to hammer in the nails probably once every 6 months in random spots?  Would braiding on screws hold the wood down better and not have to be "re-screwed" every 6 months?

Decks have been built with screws for the last 30 years where I live. Nails are unheard of for the reason you mentioned. Your local hardware store will have a selection of epoxy-coated or galvanized screws in various colors that will serve you well. 2-1/2" is typical for 5/4 decking, and 3" for 2-by decking.

You can use a standard drill to drive deck screws. You don't need a screw gun, though the auto-depth feature they offer can save time on large projects.


How can I resolve air leakage under wall sill plates? I have a problem with air leakage under the base boards of our new home. I know there will be some temperature difference but how about an 8° to 10° difference? It seems to be all throughout the home. The home is built on a slab.

I have pulled back the carpet in areas and one concern I had was it looked as if the sill plate was bowed and not tight to the slab. I could stick a pocket knife blade between the sill plate and the concrete. The contractor has done a blower test on the house and assures me that we are at the standard for air leakage.

One of the closets can be as low as 49° to 55° on a cold day. This is not normal. At one point they pulled the carpet back in this problem area and you could see daylight from the garage under the base board. They applied caulk in one corner of the closet but still there is a big temperature difference. Any suggestions would be great!

This is an easy one. Caulk the gaps with a 100% silicone, polyurethane, or butyl caulk. Then reinstall your baseboards.


Opening up a kitchen wall without a permit I have purchased a townhome in Mahopac NY and absolutely hate the kitchen! I would like to remove a wall to create an open concept from kitchen to living space. I do believe its a load bearing wall. Ive been told that If it is, I will need a permit to have it removed. I am new to the area and do not know where I can go to apply for a permit. Can someone advise me? Also, if it is a load bearing wall, can I just open it up to create a semi open concept and create like a breakfast bar instead of removing the entire wall WITHOUT getting a permit? I am a new home owner as well as knew to the area, please if anyone can advise me, I would truly appreciate it.

You need the permit anyway even if you open the wall only partial because you need to add a support beam to carry the load and engineering is necessary. If you search the web for permit office and your county name it should be pretty simple to find. For the work you want to do you need more than just a permit. A structural engineer and some calculations are necessary. If you go the unofficial route you need to add a support beam in the opening and you need to double up your framing to carry the load. A good framer should get that done without much of a problem. Again, I am not liable!


Should I be concerned with the accumulation of road cinder in my garage? Albuquerque, like many municipalities during snow storms has its roadways scraped and covered in a sand cinder mixture. This winter has gotten off to an early start and the road crews have been out in force making our roads safe. The trouble is the sand cinder mixture used to assist with traction on roadways is starting to accumulate in my garage.

Is there a potential for harm to my garage's concrete floor? Do I need to be diligent about sweeping it out of the garage or can I wait until things warm up a little? I know this stuff washes away in the street, but should I be doing something to dispose of it rather than just brushing it out?

I dont think there is much to worry about.  Living in the snow belt in Ohio, our garage is almost completely black by the end of the winter.  We try to brush or even spray it our a few times if the weather permits.  But that is really to keep it from tracking into the house, not so much for the floor.

I would be more concerned with salt on your garage floor than the cinders.  The salt can certainly eat away and break down the concrete.

There are concrete sealers that you could apply in warmer weather than might help to protect it, but I have never heard of anyone doing that in a garage.


What is causing this stain on my driveway? I just finished sealing my asphalt driveway yesterday morning. Temps have been in the mid 90's and humid, and there's been no rain. As of this question, it's been about 36 hours since I sealed the driveway. I'm starting to see multiple stains like the picture below coming through the sealant. I think they were there before, but I thought they were just where the asphalt had worn more excessively. I'm not really concerned about looks. What is this and should I be concerned about it?

BMitch is right on his comment.   This probably wasn't "dirt" but was some oil, rust, other chemicals...  When you paint over them you dry them out and the result is a chemical reaction with the paint/stain because you are drying the material out - it cannot access air - and it will try to escape through the stains you see.

I know this because I paint my laundry floor every 3-4 years and I sweep it well but really don't feel like giving it a good cleaning.  My fix is to just put more paint over it - which works sometimes on the first coat and sometimes 2-3 coats later.  Is the paint bonded as good as it could be?  No.  But it is a floor.   If you don't want to see these you have to do some serious cleaning before painting floors/driveways.


Would connecting an ungrounded cable to a new grounded cable in a box violate code? A wire in my garage got damaged. Breaker is off now. The wire feeds the stove on the other side of a split level home. It is an old cloth covered wire, with no ground. Red, white, and black wires only.

I am going to get my brother (power company senior tech) to assist me in a solution, but want to get my head around it before breaking it to him.

The plan: The wire coming from the panel box is just too short to tie back into. I want to run a length of 6/3 cable (w/ ground) to an exposed 4-11/16 x 2-1/8 square junction box mounted in the ceiling (joist). Bring the new cable and old still running to the stove wire into the box. Use 3 appropriate Polaris connectors to complete the circuit.

My question....what do I do with the ground wire on the cable? The box should be grounded, yes? Can/should I ground the box? Would doing so be a code violation? What is the best solution other than the impossible task of running cable all the way to my kitchen?

The junction box must remain accessible, but I've a hunch you know that, as a good sense of rules and practices seems evident.

Yes, just ground the metal box.  I would use a #10 pigtail to the 10-32 ground screw hole on the box.  They sell adorable green screws for that purpose.

The stove is grandfathered, so it continues to be legal without a ground.  I didn't say "safe".  As such, I strongly encourage you to ground the oven at this time.  No need to fish a 6/3+gnd cable on that impossible route, you only need to route a bare #10 ground wire via any route. It does not even need to reach this box or the panel.  It will suffice to reach anywhere with a #10 or larger ground wire back to the panel, or metal conduit to the panel, or anywhere on the grounding electrode system (the wires from the panel to your water pipe or ground rods).

An equally effective (but $90) alternative is to fit a 2-pole GFCI breaker on the oven circuit, and jumper the oven as if it was grounded, i.e. Its internal neutral-ground jumper pulled. However, this method brings with it the chance of nuisance trips.


Bathroom exaust fan replacement My bathroom exaust fan was missing. Just the housing remained. I purchased a cheap fan and housing (Broan). After ripping the old housing out i discovered the new housing is not set up the same. Vent outlet and the mounting tabs are are on the incorrect side so cannot mount to exising joist in the attic. I have access to attic. But cannot figure out how to rectify the situation.  My issue is the actual mounting part. I can move the ductwork and electrical is easy. I just dont know how to mount the housing securely

If the only issue is mounting the fan, you can add a 2x4 or 2x6 (whichever matches your joists) perpendicular to your joists and attached to them in the attic. Like building part of a plenum box. Then attach the fan to that. Basic carpentry. I like GRK fasteners but any good screws (or even nails) will do. If you want it stronger you can use brackets but that's probably excessive for something as light as a fan.

Another alternative is to get one of the Panasonic fans that comes with a mounting bracket that spans the gap between joists on the attic side and lets you position the fan as needed. Cost is higher but hassle is less, and they are good fans. I know from experience.


What could be the source of a tapping type sound coming from my upstairs air ducts? We bought a new house a few months ago. I do not recall hearing this noise in the summer, when the AC was running, but then I wasn't in this room that much so I am not sure if it was happening.
We have a 3 floor house. HVAC system is in the basement. In the top floor, there are two air ducts right next to each other, both columned by dry-wall. One goes up to the attic and I assume feeds the air to the other rooms. The other is the return. The other end for both is in the basement.
The space for the duct is next to my office room.
When the heater is running, every now and then I hear a tapping noise coming from the duct. If the heater is off then no noise. Again, not sure if the noise would be there with the AC on.
It sounds like if a wire was tapping against something but there are no wires inside the ducts -- not that I know of.
I cut a 4" square into the drywall in front of the return duct and the sound is definitely coming from near/in/around the return duct.
There is no insulation around the return duct -- so its just hollow space.
I don't mind doing some work to identify the root cause but I have no clue where to look/start.
One person claimed it has to do with the lack of insulation because the air duct gets hot and is tapping against the wood beams. Could it be that? Any cheap fix?
I am including some pictures too.

I don’t insulate interior ductwork either. But I think what you are hearing is the expansion and contraction of the metal ductwork.
The noise can go on for quite a while when heating and then again when cooling down.
Stopping this on a verticals run is really tough and no cheap fixes I have heard of consistently work. I have had people tell me they drilled a series of holes and shot spray foam and it helped, this same “fix” had caused the duct work to start buckling or oil can popping every time the fan turns on or off and this can get really loud.
When that trunk line is more than 1 floor I will use a double layer of neoprene rubber 1/16” at the straps. This keeps the duct from moving on the framework the rubber spaces the duct and absorbs most of the noise but not all there can still be creaking at the joints I have tried to use silicone when assembling and jell type sealer that was available in the 80’s nothing has worked as well as the double rubber.
The problem with double rubber is it takes space and is kind of expensive last would be almost impossible to do after install.
If you try spray foam make sure to not fill the entire cavity because when it expands this causes the oil can affect if you don’t like the tapping you will hate the oil can.


Fill a hole around a radiator pipe Any ideas how I could fill a hole around a radiator pipe - picture attached

Should I use an expanding foam product or some sort of patch?

Thanks,
J

That's a large hole I would probably purchase a split flange cover (eschutcheon)

that goes around the pipe but unless you can find a large one a patch job will be in order first. The split flanges you want will be metal as the heat may cause problems for a plastic one. On the few hot water /steam systems I have worked on they usually have a small gap and fill the gap with insulation then a cover if you seal it tight you would be amazed how much noise it can make.


Connecting 14/3 off of 3 way switch to 14/2 line for new outlet I have 14/3 going to a 3 way switch. The switch is the 2nd switch in a line that controls a ceiling fan.  I need to connect a 14/2 line to the 14/3 which will power a microwave outlet.  If that makes sense.

Not possible for 2 reasons.
You don't have the right wires there
The problem with (traditional) 3-way wiring is that you don't have the voltages you need in the places you need them.

You need black, and white.
Generally, in 3/4 way switch circuits, always-hot and neutral are only available at the location the power enters the circuit.  But if that was your setup, you wouldn't be asking for help, would you? :)
The cure for this half of the problem is smart switches.  They need either 1 or 0 traveler wires instead of 2, allowing you to reclaim black to be an always-hot.
Kitchen receps can't serve anything else, and can't be 15A
Unless the microwave is a built-in, you are not allowed to install a receptacle in a kitchen unless it meets some rules.

It must be 12 AWG and 20A breaker
It must be a dedicated circuit that serves nothing but receptacles in the kitchen, pantry, dining room, breakfast nook etc.  (or ignitor/oven light on a gas oven, or a wall clock).

Since the circuit already powers a light, it can't add a kitchen receptacle to it.   Since the circuit is 15A, you cannot add a kitchen receptacle to it.
"But my existing wiring doesn't conform with that!"  Sure, that is grandfathered if the wiring was legal at the time it was installed.  However your new addition is not grandfathered and must comply with current Code.
The quasi-cure here is for the microwave to be a "built-in appliance" where the recep is behind the installed appliance and not accessible for any other purpose.


Moving Romex (or other NMB cable) to under the subfloor? While pulling up some linoleum to later install some hardwood floors, I found a little surprise. Someone had carefully laid the wires down, nailed them, and put a protective piece of wood over them. A joist runs on both sides of the wires; I'm guessing it's doubled up because there used to be a load-bearing wall there or something. How should I remedy this?

Unless there is something on the underside to prevent this, it would APPEAR that you should be able to drop the wires under the floor where they come down from above and turn - of course, that would require freeing up the wires so they can be re-pulled, or a mess of a junction box.

And there's the fact that this was not what was done to make me question if there is something blocking from below, or if it was just lazy weirdness when removing a wall that lead to this "interesting" approach.


Why does one light blink after installing new three way switches in my hall? I installed the new switches with the wires in the same location the new switch this is a lighted one.  the hall way light blinks on one of the bulbs in the off position. Do i have a bad switch or will this switch just not work.  I installed new switches in the front room and all work ok.

Likely you have CFL bulbs and no white wire ground.  If this is not your problem, it's somebody's problem who might read this.

The small leakage current through the lighted switch is enough to drive the CFL crazy.  Replace the CFL with a dimmable model, that might help.  Another brand might help.  Or maybe herbs and chanted words and some form of ceremony will make the flicker go away, hard to say.

Or find a lighted switch with a neutral connection that sends no current through your bulbs.
Or get some nice glow in the dark paint and put the regular switch back.


Adding a new light fixture to existing circuit without destroying the walls/ceiling This may be a stupid question, but is there any way to add a light fixture at the top of the staircase without directly wiring it to the existing light fixture at the bottom of the staircase? There are 3 way switches at the top & bottom of the staircase, with the circuit's power coming in at the junction box for the switch at the bottom of the stairs. I don't want to destroy the ceiling/walls trying to figure out where the existing wiring is routed since the switches are on opposite walls in the staircase.

I attached a rudimentary diagram.

With the existing light on, you might have luck with a voltage detector (my stud finder does this) to locate within the wall where the wires run.

You may be able to attach the new fixture into the 3-way switch at the top of the stairs, but you will probably have to open the wall somewhere to run wires.


Propane - Putting liquid propane in a vapor canister? I want to get a flame-weeder, but it runs off vapor propane.
The tank it comes with has a vapor valve - whatever that means.

Can I go get my propane tank filled up with any propane, or do I have to specify vapor vs liquid propane?

This is the canister that needs to be filled.

Propane liquefies under pressure.  All propane tanks hold liquid propane.  The pressure is maintained by a small amount of the propane that turns back into a vapor in the tank.  Propane appliances draw off the pressurized vapor, which reduces the pressure in the tank, and more of the liquid vaporizes to replace it.

If you read the description on your link, you get the tank filled at any propane refiller, and it's refilled with ordinary propane.

BTW, that looks like a regular propane tank.  The thing that can vary is the connector.  If you take your weed attachment to a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes, you're likely to find that it fits one of the standard connectors on their tanks.


How can I hang artwork on a rented home's walls? Hi,

I am new to this part of America. I need to hang few pictures and few other very heavy paintings. I am in rented single family home.  How should I go about doing this?

There are three ways:

Use adhesive tape designed for hanging pictures. This is the easiest method to install, and the easiest to remove when you move out, because all you have to do is stick tape to the wall. The downside is that the tape can only support several pounds, so it won't work for large pictures.
Use drywall anchors. These can be installed anywhere in your wall, but they can support only up to about 50 pounds of weight. That would be enough for most pictures.
Drive screws into studs on your wall and hang the frame from the screws. This method will support the most weight, but it requires you to find the studs inside your walls. Simply screwing into drywall but not into a stud will not work well.

Methods 2 and 3 would both leave small holes in your wall when you remove the drywall anchors or screws.


Wiring a ceiling fan with a light kit I have a ceiling fan with a light kit. Black, white, blue and green are on the fan and black, white and copper from the house. Pretty easy, but where does the blue go to?

If you don't have separate wall switches for the fan and light, or aren't using a remote, the blue gets attached with the two blacks.

In this case you must use the pull chains to control the light and fan separately. Other than a remote there is no way to control them separately.


Hill side soil erosion control around deck I've got a fairly large deck that sits, in part, on a hillside. Over the past years the soil is eroding away such that I'm getting worried about the outermost posts. I know I need to put a good amount of dirt back onto the hill side to build it back up. It probably needs to be done in stages too in order for it to settle properly before doing hardscape. The question is how to prevent the erosion from happening again. One challenge is that the base of the hillside is a seasonal creek that flows in the winter. The water doesn't come up the hill very far and it doesn't "flow" against the hill; more so just rests against it. But if you were to build a retaining wall all the way at the base of the hill, it would be exposed to the creek flow. Looking at the picture

The area is almost in shade the entire day and it's under a eucalyptus tree which dumps all kinds of crap around it so getting things to grow is difficult. I think the best thing to do would be to build a terraced retaining wall starting at the base of the hill back up. That'd be a large and expensive project so I'm not super excited about that option.

My latest idea would be to rebuild the hillside with fill dirt and then dump some 4"-6" gabion granite stones on top of the entire hillside. I'm talking the loose stones, not the cages with rocks you commonly see. I still worry those 4-6" stones are not large enough to stay put. So maybe I need bigger stones? My idea is based off of what I've seen around the edges of rivers and lakes sometimes. Is the stone idea going to work? Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Please ignore the square pavers in the photos. I know they will do absolutely nothing to help.

You might need a professional here, because my suggestion is indeed a retaining wall. What you do in cases like this is build the wall down to a solid footing. Make sure they put rods into the hillside to both hold the wall in place and help stay the soil. The wall will better resist the water and stop the erosion. Check with local regulations, but you can certainly build walls down into a creek bed structurally.


Can I widen the hole with a drill to straighten the handle? I messed up the measurements of one of the IKEA kitchen handles. 32mm Vs 29mm to the edge, so 3mm off.
Do you think I can drill to widen one hole left 1.5mm and the other hole right by 1.5mm and then tighten it straight without exposing the mess from the front or back? Is a 3mm move too much?
I'm willing to accept a half way house and maybe trim the discrepancy from 3mm to 1.5mm etc
If not what do you suggest?
Fill and re-drill?

I would plug both holes without enlarging them, glue a piece of dowel that fits and let dry.
Then check on the face that the handle will cover the dowel when the handle is mounted correctly, otherwise you will need to make it the same color.
Then drill new holes in the correct positions. The back side may be easily covered by using a washer or a screw with a wider head - usually the screws for those handles have a washer built into the head anyway.
The adage: measure twice, cut once also applies to drilling.


How can I fix gaps and broken mortar in a stone path I have a stone path that is all broken up.  What's a quick and cheap way to fix it? Please see the picture. There are several areas in the path that have this issue. Would putting a strip of concrete 1" wide all along the path would help keep them in place?

It seems that your problem is likely due to movement of the supporting soil under the stones, so your idea of a bordering strip to stabilize lateral movement is a good one. A strip of concrete only an inch wide would be difficult to create and probably ineffective. You would be better off with a larger border.

The method you choose to create a border would depend on how you want it to look, how much work you are willing to put into it, and what materials you are comfortable working with. Concrete would work if formed and poured properly. I would probably use a quick and easy method, like pounding rebar in to support partially buried pressure-treated dimensional lumber (1x4, 1x6, 2x6, etc.)

You will need to pull up the stones in the whole area, create your borders, than backfill with sand and tamp well until the area is solid and level. Then replace the stones and fill the joints with sand and tamp again.

Kinda like the picture below, except with lumber instead of flex border:


Will this existing Outlet Box support a 23 lb ceiling fan I live in a house that was build in 2015, this outlet currently mounts a light fixture. I want to replace the lights with a ceiling fan but I am not sure if the current outlet box will support the fan. The fan is 23 lbs in weight.

The text printed on the box

Carlon
4" Ceiling Box
20 CU. IN. VOL
328 CU. CM.

I have taken some picture and shared them at link below.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Apxt8MAKVTWKi7k1YVtGORzYttrPfA

It looks like just a plastic ceiling box without any extra support. If that is the case, the answer is no, you would definitely want to replace it with a fan box which you can get in kit form. See the picture. You can find these kits at Lowes for under $20. The nice thing is that it looks like you have a single cable coming in which makes the replacement much easier than if you had splices to take apart and try to get wired back together in the new box.

To get the old one out, it will probably take a hammer and screw driver. Bust it out, pry it out, whatever. Be ready for insulation to possibly fall out and make a mess. The new kit has a brace bar with feet on each end that need to be able to sit flat on the top of the ceiling drywall, lath & plaster, or whatever ceiling material you have. The brace bar expands as you twist it to spread across and wedge itself between the ceiling joists. You have to line it up with the center of the hole. Then the box attaches by way of four screws and a little horse-shoe shaped hanger that mounts over the bar. For a fan you should use the #10 screws. This kit I've shown can support up to 110 pounds.


Fill substrate gap before flooring tile I plan to set commercial flooring tile in a closet (so the aesthetics are secondary) and have 1/2" plywood over 3/4" OSB for substrate. Now, as you can see in the picture, the plywood wasn't perfectly cut to retrofit the somewhat irregular shape of the closet and has gaps about as wide as a carpenter pencil at the widest.

[[ Picture pending ]]

Should I try to fill the gaps with something like a square dowel + wood glue + wood filler or will it be fine to leave it like this. I don't expect anyone to be walking around these edges in the closet so I don't anticipate heavy load exposure.

If the areas are not going to be stepped on, go on over it, it will only be a bit of thinset going in there, and the tile will span it with no issues.


Do coal stoves lead to creosote buildup/chimney fire risk? One of the reasons we put in a coal stove as an alternative heat source was because several sources said coal stoves don't have creosote buildup, reducing the risk of chimney fire.

The instructions that came with the stove, however, state that we have to inspect the chimney for creosote buildup and clean it out once a year.

So do coal stoves have buildup leading to chimney fire risk, or don't they?

Yes, to the best of my knowledge all combustion creates some form of creosote regardless of the fuel source. Wood tar and Coal tar are the most abundant and well known forms of creosote.

Wikipedia


Making a temporary walkway I recently had a sewer line replaced, and part of the walkway to the house was dug up. I'll be getting a new walkway put in sometime in the summer, but until I do, and especially when the spring arrives, I'd like to have something to temporarily act as a walkway instead of the mud that currently exists.

The area to be covered (roughly) is marked in red in the photo below.  I don't care about aesthetics, but am looking for  suggestions of how to make a cheap temporary walk.

Your local home center(Lowes/HomeDepot) should have 12inch x 12inch concrete patio blocks  for about $2 each, even less if you find some with chipped corners. Since it is a short term project I would just lay them on the dirt following the original line. The blocks should spread the load enough that they won't sink too deep into the mud. When it's time to get your new walkway, just pick them up.


How to fix a hole in a hollow wall? We ended up with a hole in the wall, about the size of the palm of the hand. The wall is hollow. How could we fix it?

I would get two bits of wood or stiff card twice the length of the hole but less than the width of the hole.

Put a screw in each piece of wood, close to the middle.

Make sure the reverse side of the hole is flat and apply a strong glue to the back of the hole and the face of the bits of wood.

slide the bits of wood into the hole - one at a time - and position.

Then with a bar and two blocks use some string to keep the wood in position by tying the screws to the bar.

Once dry,  fill, sand and re-finish as necessary.

Edit based on Jimmy's comment:
A variation that will be quicker, if you don't have time for the glue to dry (or to avoid glue at all), is to run screws through the wall and into the wood/card backer, adjacent to the hole, to secure the wood/card backer in place, driving the screws flush with the wall surface. Patch the hole and over the screws at the same time.


Recommended proximity of HVAC vent to return air I have an upstairs room with an HVAC vent in the ceiling above the door. The return air is in the hallway just outside of the same door. This room also happens to be the hottest room in the house (by 5-10 degrees in the afternoon). I'm wondering if the duct location is incorrect? My theory is that the cold air is immediately sucked out of the room and never displaces the warm air in the room. Would moving the duct to the other side of the room make a difference in this case?

I'm not a HVAC engineer, but your reasoning and theory sound good and well thought out to me.

I strongly believe (until I'm proven wrong) that moving the vent to the other side of the room would make a (noticeable) difference to the room's overall temperature during the warmer months.

Does the same duct-work heat your home during the winter months?

If yes, you will also want to take that into account when repositioning the vent.


implications of small bottleneck in ductwork I need to vent a sauna room (~200F) with an inlet duct that will open below the heater and an outlet that will open near the ceiling at the opposite side of the room.  The ducts will be small (2").  Drilling through the studs I'd like to make the holes small (.75") to preserve structural integrity.  The only air pressure here will be that provided by the temperature of the air itself, from the outside (30-90F), to the inside (~200F).

Are there any downsides to the small bottlenecks through which the air is going to flow?  I'd think the air would just accelerate through the bottleneck and other than that everything else would be the same.  Do I need to drill bigger holes?

Thanks

Small-duct systems normally use a fan that provides high-pressure, not high-volume. Air will not move through those small holes without a fan unless there is a pressure differential, or a strong vertical convection caused by heat.
Use firring strips to build out the wall, and to get a better duct size and design. Then add an exhaust fan where the warm air exits the structure.


add a temp gauge or "dimmer" to cabinet fan I have an AC cabinet fan cooling a cabinet that warms with 2 CPUs and a couple external hard drives in it that are on 24/7.

However, the fan runs furiously fast and loud and it only really needs to draw a steady flow of air into the cabinet.

I'm wondering if there is a safe way to add either:

a thermostat of some kind that will turn the fan on and off when temp exceeds a certain temperature 'zone'.
a 'dimmer' or voltage regulator I could put inline that would dial back the speed of this fan.
both?

The fan is a 115v US Toyo Fan (model: ustf80381153w).

They make much quieter fans for this. There are many how-to guides out there on how to do entertainment center exhaust fan systems. You can google Entertainment center exhaust fan and see some pretty slick designs. There were a couple that were 'automated'

If you are using 120v you could always get a Attic Fan Thermostat and connect it inline with the Fan Power. something like this unit. It is settable from 50 degrees to 120 Degrees. Or something like this if you want it to look nice outside of the cabinet.


Is there anything else I should be concerned about while run low voltage landscaping cable through an exterior wall? I'm hooking up a 300 watt toroidal magnetic transformer located in my garage; it's rated for inside and outside use, I'm using its plug into a GFI circuit, and I'm using 12/2 (12vac) power cable rated for in-ground burial use. I'm planning on drilling an approx 0.5 inch hole and using 1/2 pvc conduit from transformer through the wall and down the exterior side into the ground. The max load that will be placed on this transformer is expected to be about 40 watts, using LEDs, with a max cable run of about 160 feet.

Is there some other requirement that I should be aware of?

40 watts at 12 vac is about 4 amp which leaves plenty of headroom on the 12ga cable (which is normally rated for 20 amps (with heat loss and safety factors included). But what if your wire gets cut? Shorted? the worst case max current that a 300 watt transformer can put out (if it really is a 300 watt not a 310 watt or 315 watt) is 25 amps which is flirting with the danger limit of the cable. Soi I would either put a 15 or 20 amp fuse on the secondary side of the transformer, use 10ga wire, or put a 2amp fuse on the primary side of the transformer. 2 amp fuses could be a trick to find, 10 ga is expensive, but a 15 or 20 amp automotive fuse will work just fine considering it is only 12 v. And since you are pulling less than 5 amps a smaller fuse would be fine.


What could this white substance on grout be? What could this white substance that appears on our shower grout be? I had cleaned it off less than 12 hours before this picture.

Overnight, we had a space heater on in the bathroom to dry out some shoes, so the temperature was about 35°C.

That is calcium buildup from hard water. Do you have well or live in the city? Some cities also use well water mind you. Another thing can be if it is city water, high chlorinated water. Ultimately no way to resolve either other than cleaning it with baking soda, vinegar or CLR.


How to deal with inadequate drainage of my walk-up basement? (Please correct me if any of my terminology is inaccurate!)

I have a "den" which is a finished walk-up basement (half-above ground, half below ground).  The den floor has vents, and when I look under the vent covers I can see about a six-inch gap between the bottom of the floor and the "ground" below the den.  (These vents are apparently heating vents:  Lukewarm air comes out of them when the furnace kicks in, but I see no metal ductwork under there.)

Very often, even after moderate rain, I can see standing water on the "ground" below the vents.   After very heavy rain, the water level can get alarmingly high, although the water hasn't gone above the floor yet.

The den does have a sump pump.  The sump pit is fed by a clay pipe which is about 5 feet underground.  I called a plumber who fed a video camera into the sump pit to see if there was a blockage in the clay pipe.  He immediately ran into a problem:

Basically, the clay pipe that is outside and the clay pipe that leads to the sump pit form a "T," and the outside pipe has a tiny hole that the plumber claims is inadequate to drain the outside water.  Additionally, this narrow hole prevented us from using the camera to see if the clay pipes extended all the way around the den.

The plumber says that this could be causing the standing water that I see under the vents, and that the solution would be to dig outside down to the exterior pipe to widen that narrow hole.  This solution doesn't sound so bad.

On the other hand, a waterproofing company I called says that I need to install an interior drain tile system to fix the problem.  This sounds like a very costly and disruptive undertaking since the den is finished and we would have to rip out carpeting and vinyl tiles.

On the third hand, a stormwater engineer from the city said that a little bit of standing water is to be expected in an older setup like this, and suggested that maybe I should just take a "wait and see" approach, or maybe I need to call the health department to see if I should be worried about mold.  He also thought that the standing water could possibly be taken care of by digging pits under the floor and filling these pits with gravel.

So I have three differing expert opinions and I'm totally confused:

How worried should I be about health implications of standing water?
How can these vents possibly be effective heating vents?  Has the metal rusted away?  Should I do something about them?
Is the standing water really something that is fairly normal and that I shouldn't be too worried about?
If not normal, what is the ideal fix?
Should I explore less costly / less ideal solutions first?

My bottom line would be that you want to do anything you have to in order to get the standing water out of there. That may very well require some work to redesign the outside drainage lines. I'd look into an outside drainage system that fed into a nice deep rock filled pit that allowed excess water to disperse into the ground away from your house foundation. You may also want to equip that outside pit (also known as deep french drain) with a sump pump to take care of extreme heavy rain or high water table incidents. After the drain situation is corrected I would look strongly at correcting the landscaping and roof runoff gutters to you minimize the amount of water that the drain pit is asked to handle.

All that work can be done outside without tearing up your floor in the den. Hopefully the area under the floor would then stay dry like it should.

As far as heating....trying to use a soil and concrete "tunnel to bring heat into a room it terribly inefficient. I would find out how you can disable that part of your existing heating system. Then have a suitable sized direct vent heater installed in the room for in room heating. A direct vent heater sits on the floor by the wall and has a concentric pipe system goes out through the wall. The heater draws combustion air in through the outer cool pipe and exhausts through the inner hot pipe. I've installed one of these in a basement room that was more than half under ground and had good luck with it. Obviously you have to route electricity and a gas line over to the heater if you have gas type heating fuel (either natural gas or propane).

An advantage of the separate heating zone created like this is that you can easily regulate the temperature to suit that specific room or just shut it off it the room is not in use.


Tub Drain SLOWLY Drains - If You Hold "Knob" Down It Drains At Regular Speed I am sure this is just due to age and wear and tear on the drain, but I do not know where to start.  My drain slowly drains, but if I hold the "knob" down it will drain at regular speed.

What should be my steps to replace parts in order for the drain to drain regular speed all the time?

EDIT
I pulled out the "knob" all the way out and the spring appears to be in tact as well as all connections.  When out of the wall, I can lift the "knob" up and down with no issue and the "weight" (or whatever you'd call it at the bottom) moves freely.  Surprisingly, there wasn't even that much hair or gunk built up on anything.

See this image, does someone notice anything off?

I assume you mean the "knob" is the drain open/closed lever located on the wall of the tub,.just above the drain, right?

If so, your most likely problem is that the drain mechanism is out of alignment. There is an "overflow drain" that runs down from behind the drain lever that you are holding, connects to the main tub drain, and continues out to whereever.

Inside that downward drain is a metal arm that connects to the tub drain open/close lever (the "knob"). When you move the drain lever up or down, it causes that metal arm to move up or down in opposition (It's like a seesaw, when this end goes up, the back end goes down.)

The metal arm is attached to a metal plug that will block the main tub drain, or release it.

You can unscrew the face plate behind the drain lever and pull out the face plate with the lever, the metal arm, and the plug. Once you have them out, you can almost certainly adjust the arm, changing the position of the plug up or down. That lets you set the position exactly right.

It may be that your drain lever doesn't stay put any more. If so, you will need a new set- these things come in packages from your local home center. According to my smartphone app with the orange icon, they sell for $20 USD upwards, depending on color and style.


How to find a shear force and bending moment on a slab,beam and column? I have no idea about shear force that how can i used it.also confused about bending moment when i try to  construct slab or beam

It’s complicated. Unlike wood joists and beams, concrete slabs and beams often are in “double bending”. That is to say, compression will be on the bottom and tension on top.

Determining EXACTLY where that occurs in a slab or beam is complicated and you’ll need an architect or structural engineer to help.


Is flexible gas pipe safe to use for main or long runs? The house we purchased is a "tear-down". A builder bought the older structure, partially tore it down and built a bigger house on the old footprint.  A lot of the original gas piping is still in the basement.  However, for all of the new runs, they used that yellow flexible gas piping.  This includes the main run up to the furnace in the attic, as the house is 2-zone heat & ac.

Articles like this one get me a bit concerned.  In your experience, how safe & resilient is flexible gas tubing?  What if anything do I need to be concerned about?  How do I protect myself and family if the integrity of any of this gas tubing were to be compromised?

There are two types of tubing most people think of, when you say "flexible gas tubing".  The first and more common, are flexible gas connectors.

These guys are typically 3-6' long, and are used to connect appliances to the gas piping. They are only to be used as a short link between the fixed piping and the appliance, and so are considered a "connector" and not true piping.
The other product; that may not be as well known, is Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST).

This stuff is made up of semi-rigid corrugated stainless steel tubing surrounded by a polyethylene jacketing, and is designed and approved to be used as a gas piping method.  There may be problems caused by lightning strikes, but the solution is to simply have an Electrician install a bonding device.
The author of the linked article seems to be unaware of the differences between these two types of tubing, and is simply spreading misinformation.  While it's true that you wouldn't want to plumb your house using only flexible gas connectors, this is not what's being proposed.
If you smell gas, evacuate the building and call 911 (emergency services).


How do I limit the water flowing through my neighbor's fence into my yard? Our neighbors yard is elevated and they water their yard a lot. The water flows over into our vegetable garden and floods it. I would like to add a barrier. Some ideas have been slim pavers with a plastic sheet, or a tree root guard. I looked at grass barriers but they are only 5-6 inches wide - this will need to be at least 12 inches to go into the soil and be tall enough to stop the water flowing in. What could I use as a good barrier?

You need to be careful how much you impede the natural flow of water off your neighbor's yard.  If your property is downhill of your neighbor's, the water flows naturally from his property to yours.  You could find yourself in legal jeopardy if you dam up or otherwise prevent that natural flow.

On the other side of the coin, your up-hill neighbor can not, and should not make changes to the topography of his property that would increase the amount of runoff onto your property.

There a legal doctrine involving this kind of thing, but I can't remember what it's called.  Here's one reference I found on line.

https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/what-can-i-do-about-water-drainage-on-my-property-caused-by-the-adjourning-property-43279


Kitchen faucet pressure good but then drops to very low This only happens in the kitchen. Turning on the faucet hot and cold, the pressure is fine but then drops and gets slower and slower. At its lowest, the water makes a swish, swish sound.

Difficult to say.  Usually high pressure on startup and a drop off to low pressure/ low flow indicates a restriction somewhere in the plumbing system.  In older homes the use of galvanized pipe is often the culprit.  Galvanized steel pipe clogs with minerals and corrosion over time and will need replacing.

Is it solely this faucet having an issue?  Is this faucet near a bathroom that is also having issues?

Since you say you are seeing the same effect on both hot and cold it might just be a clogged aerator.  This is a mesh screen in the faucet, usually right at the outlet.  Generally the tip of the faucet will just unscrew.  Remove it and see if the problem goes away.  If not, or if your flow problems are common in other places in the house you may need to consult with a plumber.


Can I use two wire nuts instead of one to connect 6 wires inside a 3-gang box? Is it considered acceptable practice to use two wirenuts in a situation where it is possible to use only one but may be easier to use two?

I have a three-gang box with six cables coming into it.  The person who wired it previously (homeowner, I assume) pigtailed 5 of the 6 black hot wires using a red wire nut.  Because he or she still needed to bring a hot to one of the switches, he put two hot wires on a single terminal of one switch (one went to the red wire nut, the other to the switch that didn't connect directly to the pigtail).

I assume this person did this because the wire nut wasn't big enough for all six wires.  However, my understanding is that two wires on the same terminal is not a good idea.  The best solution, clearly, is get a wire nut that holds all six.  As an alternative, I thought of having two pigtails - two wire nuts, each of which would receive three of the six hot wires as well as a wire directly between the two wire nuts (total of four wires into each nut).  I realize it makes sense to minimize the number of connections, but I am just curious to know if this is acceptable.

I am new to home wiring, but I hope you understand what I am asking and will let me know what you think of it.

You could also use a 6-wire push in connector - the light blue one is the one to look at.


When hanging two layers of drywall, can the first layer be hung with the facing to the studs? I am hanging a double layer of 5/8" type-x drywall with Green Glue, a soundproofing compound, sandwiched in the middle.  If I hang the first layer with the face facing outward like normal and then stagger the second layer over it, i'll have about a 5" pocket where the two joined beveled edges of the first layer would recess away from the first layer.  My understanding with Green Glue is that it needs to be between two rigid layers, so this 5"x8'-wide pocket would present an area where the sheets are not touching.

My idea is to hang the first layer with the backing facing outward.  When I hang the second sheet, the two layers will be back to back with no pockets in the middle.

It may not seem like there could possibly be any issues with this, but my experiences in home improvement have taught me to ask even the most loaded questions since it's better to risk looking like a fool up front than be in a full body cast down the road.

Edit:  I am also aware that perhaps a pocket of dead space would probably only server to make the structure slightly more soundproofed.  However, I think its best to have both flat sides facing one another to aid in the spreading out of the glue.

Green Glue does stipulate to be used between rigid layers. However, even the beveled edge of the drywall meets this definition.

The edge of the drywall is beveled so that the mud and tape when finished doesn't create a "hump" in the wall at the seam. If you don't mount the drywall with the beveling in the right direction (towards the room) then you will notice all the seams.

Let me preface by saying that I think the green glue installation will be just fine even against the beveled edge of the layer beneath but if you still want to make sure the surfaces are smoothly mated then you should install the inner layer backwards and the front-layer correctly.

That is, the stud-attached layer has the beveled side facing the studs. This leaves the rough edge (without bevel) facing the room. Then the finish layer adhered its rough side to the wall... thus the finished, beveled side faces the room.

On a side-note, are you also using low-density soundbard and insulating the walls between the framing members?


Cutting a window to see your garage from within the house I found this design concept that someone did of their house. They had cut a panel out of their house that allows them to see their garage which is a cool idea.

Are there any projects out there that have done something similar?

You'd do this like you would add any other new window. Find the studs, choose a location, cut square holes in the drywall on both sides, cut sections out of the intervening studs to make room for the new window, and frame the new window properly like this:

Then you would flash the rough opening's sill with self-adhering membrane and install the window just like any other one, then repair the drywall on both sides and add trim.

However, in terms of the wisdom of this plan, it seems questionable for a variety of reasons:

It's probably a fire hazard; no window is going to contain a fire in the garage as well as thin sheets of rock (drywall), and this is especially true if the windows are framed in vinyl or wood.
Windows aren't completely airtight, so you're creating more routes for nasty gasses and fumes from the garage to enter the house.
The garage side of the window is going to continuously get dirty from car exhaust and need cleaning.
If you don't happen to own two fancy sports cars, or you use the garage for storage, the view may be less than stellar.
Anyone you try to sell the house to may be less than enthused by a window into their garage allowing them to gaze upon their dirty Toyota Camry and boxes of Christmas and Halloween decorations.


Single pole switch installation - 4 wires in box I recently had a renovation complete with only the rough in work done for electrical. Due to the pandemic, its hard to get people to come by to finish the work. I am trying to install a single pole light switch for my laundry room, but i am confused by the layout of the wiring to the box. It seems there are four wires coming into the box - and i cant tell which to use to wire the switch.

Any help would be really appreciated, or an explanation. Thank you!

Bronson

Assuming US

...you didn't take a photo, did you?

Assuming you haven't mangled the old switch wires, take a photo of how they look and post it.

Typically (TYPICALLY!!!) you'll have a 'feeder' circuit- that'll be one set of black/white/copper coming in. You'll then have another black/white/copper going out (probably up, if it's a light, but that's because of the way walls work).

The 'feeder' circuit is going to be 'hot'. You have the power to the wall turned off right? You should also see a pigtail (wirenut) around one of the sets of wires- they should have been twisted together. The wire that went to the switch should have a bent curve around it.
The feeder wire is bent (black) and goes to the lower portion of the switch. The lighting circuit black goes to the top of the switch. The two white wires get tied together via wire nut.

The copper wires get tied together and two little 'pig tails' come off of them- one goes to the metal box to 'ground' it and the other goes to the switch (green screw) to 'ground it'.

But please, post photos. These are ALL ASSUMPTIONS. And if you aren't sure or don't know, please don't. You can hurt yourself badly.

And if you have any other colored wires- red for instance, your circuit is more complicated.

Also, if the breaker is off, you can cap off the switch wires with a wire nut and turn the breaker back on temporarily- that'll tell you if there is any down-stream wiring that would make this more complicated.

If you really only have 4 wires coming in- black/white and black/white, then you have no grounds, and you follow the same thing as above but no grounding the outlet box. So you need to be doubly careful as if you energize the switch it won't necessarily fault out but could energize anyone touching it.

And if you don't have grounds and this is a bathroom, then you need a special breaker called an Arc-Fault / Ground-Fault Interrupter. They're expensive, but you should have that in there to protect you and your family.


How can I fix mosquito problem in my garage, sealing garage doors I live in swampy Florida, I get pterodactyls in my garage at night, it's weird too like clockwork at 1am it seems they peak. The garage seems relatively well sealed. Are they getting in through the garage door most likely? I've found prallethin works very well but I hate using chemicals. Would prefer to beef up my sealing. Any recommendations on improving garage door sealing?

You don't mention what you observed to decide that it's "relatively well sealed".
You can get strips at your local lumber/big box store, which have a built in gasket.  Cut and nail/screw them to the outside frame with gasket slightly compressed against the door.  Do both sides and the top.  That will seal the edges.  If the door bottom doesn't have a gasket, nail a rubber one  on there too.

Example product

That should take care of the door, but my garage is also vented via the soffits, so small flying insects will always find their way in.  If you have them in large numbers, investigate their ingress and any attractants you may have.


Hot Water issues in entire apartment, How can I fix this? We lease an apartment and the maintenance has been less than effective at fixing this issue so was wondering what other people think about it.

We've got 2 showers and 3 sinks, this issue is happening across all of them. The water 80% of the time is room temperature, it will then sometimes get hot after about 5-10 minutes. Then it will quickly run out.. but sometimes it doesn't and stays somewhat warm for about 30 minutes or so. In the winter it is freezing cold water instead of room temperature so you can see how that's an issue.

The temperature on the water heater itself was set to max 'VERY HOT' and it's still having the sames issues. I've decided to turn it down and nothing's really changed other than the water not being scalding when it does work.

I've taken a few pictures as well so we can look at what's going on.

The pictures do not show anything useful, except that maybe the heater may be old.

it will quickly run out, the dip tube may be broken off.

The dip tube extends the inlet so that the cold water enters the tank at the bottom, below the hot water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fnQEIx-anI


HVAC wiring for wifi thermostat installation (Ecobee) gas furnace + AC I'm trying to determine whether I can install a wifi thermostat (Ecobee or possibly Nest) with my existing gas furnace (dual stage) and electric air conditioner, ideally using existing wiring but able to run new wires if necessary.

My existing thermostat uses a five wire cable, but it's not obvious that any of the wires are a 'C' wire. Here is the existing thermostat wiring (Honeywell RTH6400D) - the existing wires are labeled G (green), W (white), Y (orange), R (red), Rc (black):

In looking for a 'C' wire, I've used a multimeter to measure the current per some online advice and both the R and Rc wires appear to carry 27 volts (note 27 not 24).

At the furnace, the wires are mapped as follows:

Thermostat          Furnace
G             ->    G
W             ->    W1
Y             ->    Y
R             ->    R
Rc            ->    B/C

Here are photos of the wiring at the furnace:

The Ecobee website indicates that if I had an sixth 'C' wire then my existing wiring would be compatible however I'm wondering if my existing wiring can be used (with modification) instead. If the sixth wire is needed, then where would I connect it on the furnace? The 'B/C' wire might suggest "common wire" but it is already used for the Rc (black wire).

Here's the wiring diagram from the furnace panel:

It is normal for a 24vac control transformer to measure somewhat high under no load (i.e. 27v vs 24v).  It is 24vac system.

"B/C" on the furnace should be the common.  I am surprised the existing thermostat works connected like it is.  The only thing I can think of is that the thermostat is internally configured for a single power supply system and the "Rc" terminal is open instead of being shunted to Rh as is the case with many thermostats.  In this case if Rc were shunted to Rh it would pop the overload protection on the furnace board or the transformer.

Should be good to go on connecting the black wire to C on your new thermostat.  Do not connect any of the wires to Rc on the new thermostat.

Edit:

Schematic for Goodman AMV9/ACV9_XA furnace:


Hanging floating shelving I am making similar shelving to these and I am trying to figure out the best method to hang these shelving. Any suggestions?

An option would be a keyhole bracket mortised into each side of the shelf.  Add screws with drywall anchors and hang.


exposed doorbell transformer inside a walk in closet We recently moved into an apartment with the doorbell transformer exposed. The concern is that the transformer has been mounted in a walk-in closet, directly between shelving where clothing should be placed. Is there potential danger here? Is there a "box" or covering that can be used to protect the transformer and clothing?  Could this be considered a fire hazard? This does not seem to be appropriately placed.

Thank you for any advice.

The worst hazard here is snagging your clothes.  The transformer is low-voltage, so you can touch the wires and probably not feel anything.  If your hand was wet, you might get a buzz, but it's not dangerous.

Some transformers can get warm, but doorbell transformers normally do not because they are very low power devices.  You could hang a shoebox on it or otherwise cover it to avoid snags.