What tool should I use to cut metal roofing? I'm getting ready to install metal roofing on my building project. Wee! But I'm not sure how I should cut it.

The roof is a simple gable, 20ft long, with 8ft rafters. The roofing I'm using is 3ft wide, and length is in 1ft increments.

I'll need to trim all the panels them to length (taking off an inch or so). 2 panels I'll cut to width. I'll also need to cut the trim pieces to length.

I figure a total of about 60 linear feet of cuts. All are straight, and nearly all are square to the edge of the material.

The roofing is 29ga steel. Here's the manufacturer's product page: http://www.championmetal.com/Default.aspx?Redir=ProductTypePage&id=1&Type=Ultra-Panel#

My friend is storing an air compressor with me, so air-powered tools are an option. I'd need to buy fittings and an air hose, though.

I do own red (left) aviation snips, but for this much cutting, I think I'd buy yellow (straight) snips for ease of use.

The manufacturer gives this guidance:

  Steel roofing and trim should be cut with nibblers, tin snips or a
  profile shear. Although Champion Metal of WA. does not advocate the
  use of a saw, the reality is many people use a power saw in some
  manner. There are two concerns when using a saw. First, be sure that
  no burrs are left on the ends of the panel. The rough edges are not
  protected and will rust. Second, the filings coming off the blade are
  hot and will adhere to the surface of the panels and these will rust.
  Be sure all filings are removed from the surface as they will rust and
  pit the surface of the sheet.

Should I just use hand-snips? Buy an drill attachment? A metal blade in a circular saw? Buy an electric- or air-powered tool? Try to rent something? Maybe the roofing dealer will loan a cutting tool?

I used to use a 7 1/4" metal cutting wheel on a circular saw. Works good, but wheel wears down fairly fast.  There are also some good shear attachments that mount on drills.  I'd advise you to make the cuts on the end going to the top, not the exposed bottom. Definitely have some spray paint or primer to treat the cut end, because it will rust. If you put the cut ends at the top under your ridge cap, you will be fine.  The other alternative is to buy your panels cut to length before they land on the job. Several manufactures cut to order such as Everlast Metal Roofing.


240v Lights on a 12v Circuit? Is it possible to run 240v lights on a 12v circuit using 12v bulbs?  I have 6 240v lights for the garden, and here in the UK, unless you are qualified electrician and use an armoured cable dug to a depth of 60cm, you can't use 240v.  However I am allowed to use a 12v circuit.

So the plan is to have a transformer from 240v to 12v, then run a cable to each light in series.  The lights will then have 12v bulbs like the one below:

http://www.lightinthebox.com/1pcs-8a-lighting-e26-e27-3w-15xsmd2835-270lm-2800-6500k-warm-white-cool-white-led-bulbs-ac-12-v_p2972722.html?currency=GBP&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&sku=221_3079

Will that work? What transformer will I need? There are so many, I can't work out which one. The transformer will be inside.

If you look more closely at the link, the bulbs are actually for mains voltages, in one of the pictures, it states "Input Voltage 90V-264V". This is the voltage that needs to be provided to the bulb, and the voltage is then internally stepped down to 12V for the LED modules. So in this case, the name of the product is misleading. If you look at the fitting, this is the "E27" fitting, which is an industry standard, and so you should expect any bulb that will fit in this fitting will be for mains voltage.

Answering your question about the cable, the cable is designed for use at 240V, and will have a certain rated current. If you stay within these limits, the cables should be fine to use at lower currents or voltages.

LEDs are normally powered by DC voltages. Either they accept a lower DC voltage, or have a built in circuit to rectify and reduce the input voltage. If you decide to buy LED lights that accept 12V input, a transformer alone will only give AC voltage. It is possible to find 12V DC plug in transformers which could work for powering LEDs, but you will need to check that it can provide enough current.

Also it is possible that you might encounter problems with the length of the cable. This will depend on the cable length, the cable core diameter, and amount of current you need to provide to the lights, but resistive losses could result in a loss of a few volts, which could mean the lights don't work, or at least won't illuminate fully.


How to build canted riser for queen mattress? My wife has severe allergies and has found that sleeping on an incline helps matters. We have a queen mattress on an Ikea MALM bedframe, and I'm trying to think of a simple way to test this out easily and cheaply.

I'm thinking of cutting pieces of wood to fit and stacking them flush against the headboard, each layer a little shorter length-wise, to create a basic ramp. I'm told that a 15-degree tilt would be enough. A queen mattress is 79.5  x 76".

My questions are:

Does this seem reasonable, e.g., any gotchas here? Or is there a simpler (and cheaper) way?
If the answer to the above is 'yes', what type of wood should I go for? Regular lumber? Plywood? And how thick?
Based on a given thickness, how many pieces would I need, and how long should each be, to make the 15-degree tilt?

"My wife has found that sleeping on an incline helps. I'm trying to test this." To confirm her findings, or that you can sleep on it? --Two cinder-blocks and one brick makes for 20 inches to test it. Confirm this and then proceed. Personally, I'd build it like a deck:

The structure using 2x6's or larger, joist hangers, blocking, and on 16" centers. With 3/4" cabinet grade plywood as the 'deck' and sides, finished with poly. Keep in mind that unless you own a table saw or (even) a very nice circular saw, the angled 'faces' will be hard to cleanly cut. Try to keep the factory edge at the top, where it will show the most. Ripping the angles on the joists isn't going to be fun without one, either.

Kind of like this (not exactly built the way I mentioned), but the pitch makes it angled, it doesn't 'account' for it, like in the picture:


3.5" round box for wall sconces, cannot make work with many fixtures My electrician on a remodel installed all 3.5" circular boxes throughout. I am finding that everything I want to install wants to have a 4" box. I have seen the spider plates, universal crossbars, nothing meets this particular issue:

The box holes are spaced 2.75" apart on the horizontal. All of the fixtures I am trying to use have a plate that mounts to the box, then has holes for studs - spaced 2.75" apart, that you must level on the horizontal and attach the fixture to. If the box holes were diagonal or vertical there would be no issue. The stud holes line up EXACTLY with the box mounting holes - meaning the only way to screw the plate to the box is to use the stud holes which then means you cannot mount the fixture.

What the heck? Any ideas how to solve?

This is the mounting plate that came with the fixture. The circled holes are where the mounting studs for the fixture must go and need to be level for the fixture to hang properly.

Image link copied from comment on an answer

I believe that an "offset mounting plate" might work for you (click for larger):

Sample swivel offset crossbar

In this type of plate, the front and rear elements are offset from one another so you can have the box mounting screws and the studs for the fixture practically on top of each other.

The box does look slightly recessed into the wall which could work in your favor here.  The only issue would be the sconce sticking out too far from the wall, but you may be able to flatten the bracket some to account for that.

There are other styles of this bracket that could work better - I just grabbed the first example I saw.


Power to plug but nothing works Ok so I have power to my plug and it’s on its own line so I hook up a  analog multimeter to check and see how much power it is giving but it blows a fuse on my multimeter.
Can anyone tell me what’s going on please

Based on a few decades of replacing fuses in multimeters blown by students, you are attempting to measure the wrong thing (or slight possibility these days that you have a very poorly made cheap meter that does not function correctly, but really, slight .vs. applying the meter incorrectly.)

Typical cause is attempting to measure amperage in a manner that makes the meter a short-circuit until its fuse blows.

Amperage is only measured in series with a load. Voltage is measured in parallel with a load. Power requires measuring both, and is most easily achieved with a purpose-built plug-in power meter that can measure both at once, and can't be hooked up wrong.


Tile pattern with two different tile thickness We are in the process of tiling our kitchen floor. We would like to do a pattern with two different tiles, some are large planks that are 1/2 thick while in the middle we will have some small tiles at 1/4 thick.

What's our best options to lay everything flat ? Using more Thinset under the 1/4 ones ? using a 5mm easymat ?

Thanks for your help.

5mm Easymat (or similar product) is the better solution. You don't want to build the thinset up too much.


ceiling fan/light fixture wiring with 3 (3-wire) cables I am replacing an old (1980s?) ceiling fan with light.  The light and fan were turned on with one wall switch and pull cables on the fan.  I pulled out the fan fixture and found wiring in the box that I am trying to understand.  My primary purpose is to leave the circuit wiring safe while I find a new fixture (and then ultimately to wire the new fan correctly).

In the ceiling box I found three cables, each with three wires (1 black, 1 white, and 1 copper).  The 3 copper wires from these cables are all pig-tailed together, and so are the 3 white wires, the black wires were attached to the fan/light wires. I think what is going on is that one cable is the feed to the box and the other goes off to the rest of the circuit.

I pigtailed the 2 black wires from these cables together and everything in the rest of the circuit seems to work. I tested the wires and the white pig-tail is not hot and neither is the copper ground pig-tail. My black pig-tail is hot, but the final black wire for the third cable is not hot.

I think the final cable may be for the switch loop. However, based on everything I've read, it sounds like the white wire from the switch loop cable should be marked black because it would be switched hot and should not be pig-tailed to the other white wires (but it was and everything worked for many years?).  What am I missing??

Whites all together with a switch loop, that's not good.  It means you are switching neutral.  Power is going

from the 2 black wires (supply and onward) to the fan's hot...
from the fan's neutral  to the switch via the black wire
and then from the switch to the neutral bundle via the white wire.

That is bas-ackwards and was wired by an amateur.

First, the switch loop cable must be identified and both ends of the white wire marked with black tape, per Code.  Also, this white must be used as always-hot, per Code.  This is why: electricians are expected to test wires, and by making white always-hot, it will clearly test as hot every time.  Otherwise if the switch is off, it will test as not hot, and could be mistaken for the usual hot-neutral pair. There was once a rule that white wires didn't need to be marked if the usage was obvious, but you just saw how it isn't obvious even in a simple situation.

I for one am a big fan of marking switched-hot wires with red tape, so I'd mark both ends of the switch-loop black with red tape, while I was in there. Also the black wire on the lamp itself.

Switch-loop black and lamp black (the ones I'd mark red) go together.

The remaining blacks are supply and onward power. They go together with the switch-loop always-hot (white tagged black).  The remaining wires are all white, they go together.


Will dark gutters stay ice free better than light colored gutters? There is a good answer at the related question What are the pros and cons of installing a roof heating cable? about ice dams and such.  I have a dark colored roof and I have dark colored leaf covers (Gutter Helmet, brand).  I have a roof snow rake, and I am generally able to keep the ice dams from being a problem.  But my gutters and down spouts are white.

When you pull the snow and ice away from the edge of the roof (roof rake), and the sun hits, stuff melts and in my experience on many of those cold sunny days, it drains nicely into the gutters and downspouts where it freezes solid.

If I paint or replace my gutters, would a dark color add sufficient energy to the gutters and downspouts to impact keeping them unfrozen?  I looked around online and nothing jumped out at me.  It seems obvious that a dark colored item in the sun is going to be warmer than a light colored item, but is there a reasonable chance for dark colored gutters and drains to help with ice issues?

I had problems on the south side of the house with the elbow and spouts coming out from the elbow at the ground level freezing up. Last winter I wrapped the bottom elbow and spout with black plastic bags and I had  no freezing. You must brush the snow off of the black so the sun can do its job.I am thinking of painting the bottom elbow and spout flat black this year. I am in Wisconsin so the winters are cold.


C-wire on Weil McLain cGA Gold has low voltage I am trying to run a new c-wire for my new ecobee thermostat. When I finished running the c-wire from the thermostat it did not turn on. I tested the voltage at the boiler and it is only reading 17ac on the multimeter. Is there a way to fix this so that it powers my thermostat?

Yes you have 24vac at your boiler.   Assuming you have enough conductors in the wire to your thermostat, it can be powered.
How many wires come from your thermostat to the boiler?  The old thermo in the wiring diagram looks to just be a switch on the hot leg of the 24vac, you'll need the neutral side ( c-wire ) run to the thermostat as well.  Where did you pull your c-wire feed from ?
It looks like you've circled something that has a ground, an aquastat, and the outgoing hot leg and incoming hot leg of the 24v.
The wire nut you've circled - I am going to assuming is your new c-wire - has a blue wire and a black wire and I can't tell where either of them go.


Main breaker trips when I turn on the welding receptacle breaker When I turn on my welding receptacle breaker (50A, 240V), it trips the main breaker.  There is a flash/spark that comes from the connection of the welding receptacle's ground wire to the panel.  One other ground wire is connected at the same spot (220V) as well as some copper wire that exits the panel and goes outside (... the ground?).

Other information: the panel is in very good shape, is about 10 yrs old, the welding receptacle has never been used before.

Thanks very much for any help!

PYou have two big problems.

A squirreley ground

You can't put more than one ground wire in one hole in a ground bus(unless it's labeled to do so), and you probably can't do it with larger wires.  The most important ground** on that entire bus (assuming it is a combo ground+neutral bus) is the bare wire that exits the panel and goes outside**.   That is the grounding protection system.  If it has problems, it will float your grounds, any ground fault will energize all your grounded places (chassis of machines etc.) compared to actual earth.  A serious ground fault will float it a lot.  And you've got a serious ground fault right now.  So it really matters right now.

It sounds like somebody did some shoddy work and just stuffed the wires wherever, cranked down screws (if they did that) and hoped for the best.  Nuh-uh.  Fix all that and fix it right.

If you don't have enough room on your ground bus, you can buy additional ground buses from the panel manufacturer.  Another (temporary) option is to pull several smaller grounds off, four at a time, and wire-nut them together with a pigtail, and put the pigtail on the ground bus. They even make ground wire-nuts that let you continue one wire through the nut.  The pigtail should be the size of the largest wire, ideally do like-size wires together.  Don't do this with neutrals.

A ground fault!

You are lucky that ground worked well enough to trip the breaker.  You have a ground fault, or a "hot" wire coming in contact with ground.  It may be in your wiring or your receptacle.   Or it may be in the welder itself.   Unplug the welder, and light up the circuit one more time.  You better not see any sparks this time from the ground!  If you do, you skipped the above step.

If it doesn't trip, you've now narrowed it down to the welder itself.  I would first check its power cord and plug, and then off to the repair shop it goes.

** actually, as Tester101 mentions, the most important ground is the neutral-ground bond in the main panel.   Since your ground bus is apparently overfull, and that's unlikely for only grounds, I assume this bus is being used for both neutrals and grounds.  That makes the neutral-ground bond inherent, and so I am disregarding it.


How do i properly use conduit across roof shingles? I am grounding an antenna and I have two 10 gauge copper wires from the antenna and coax ground block to the ground rod and I am going to put the wires in some 3/8" flexible conduit. Is there a proper way to do this across shingles? I can't find anything online.  The way my roof is set up the highest peak is in the middle of the roof away from the side of the house so there is about 8 feet of wire running across the shingles on a side roof area. Do I need to have this raised off the roof or can I just lay it on there?

Here is a picture of how I have it temporarily, the edge of the photo is where the roof ends and it goes down to the ground rod.

If there's a solar equipment distributor near you, check with them. Products like this

exist for this very purpose.

Ironically, because you're just grounding the equipment, the conduit itself, if it's metal, can serve as the grounding conductor (so it'd be empty conduit).

Look for "conduit roof flashing."


Foul smell in bathroom, ONLY when air conditioning is NOT blowing/running There is a smell in an interior bathroom with no windows.  The tub is rarely used.  When I noticed the smell, I got on my hands and knees to sniff everywhere, stuck my head in the toilet tank, shoved my nose in the tub drain, put my head in the vanity, and so on.  Nothing smells up close, so I threw bleach down the sink, toilet and tub.  Since the tub hasn't been run since I last cleaned it about 3-4 months ago, I figured that was the culprit.  I ran hot water in the tub, cleaned it again for good measure, and thought the smell went away.  That was when I noticed that the smell goes away when the AC is running.  If there is no air being pumped in, the smell is there.  That allowed me to rule out a dead critter in the duct work.  Any ideas????  Thank you!!!

To me it sounds like the vent from the bathroom to the outside must have moisture in it and growing something. I say this because many HVAC systems have a small percentage of fresh air added when they are running and this keeps the air moving out of the bathroom. When the System is off the smell wafts back into the room.
You may be able to use a spray disinfectant, Remove the cover, turn the fan on and direct the spray into the fan (not the motor) and spray for a few seconds,,, or minutes. put the cover back on and see if the smell is still there in a day or so.
I am guessing you have a fan since there are no windows and this has been code for decades.


New induction CB tripping Just moved into a house that has Hager CB's all labelled. Brilliant. The one that is currently causing me problems is the one for what is labelled 'gas hob' with 6A Hager circuit breaker. I fitted a Neff Induction hob rated at 4600w and works ok with 1 hob on. Try any more and it trips. Quite prepared to upgrade it to 20w CB, but how do I know what rating the wire is between the hob and CB?

Given it's a hob, I'll guess UK or related, 240VAC countries. Doesn't really matter much, the answer holds for wherever you are.

Basically, a gas "hob" or cooktop or stove or range does not use much electrical power. So it will tend to have a small breaker and small, low capacity wiring. The heat comes from burning gas, not electricity.

Changing a gas hob to an electrical induction hob will require a complete refit from the breaker panel to the hob in order to have properly sized wire and breaker for the vastly larger electrical load, as you are now trying to make heat with electricity.


How do you paint over copper? The top of a bay window I have is covered with a metal sheet.  The patina and color of the corrosion on it suggests that it might be painted copper.

What sort of paint should I use to freshen up this sheet?

Since you are asking about painting the copper:

Wash the surface well and scrape off any loose debris.
Prime the surface with an oil-based primer such as Zinsser Cover Stain
Apply two top coats of the exterior paint of your choice.


How do I determine where to connect a new C wire inside my furnace when no control panel or wiring terminal exists? I am replacing my existing thermostat with a new smart thermostat that requires a C wire connection and the old unit did not. I intended to utilize the unused Blue wire which is not connected on either end. The thermostat connection is straight forward but inside my furnace there is no control panel and no wiring terminal to connect the blue wire to. From what I’ve read so far I may be able to splice into the 2 twisted white wires coming from the condenser unit and some other device but I’m not sure if that is correct.

You will need to connect the blue wire for "C" to the wiring node that corresponds to the "BL" connections at the transformer as indicated by the yellow highlight in the following picture.

Do not connect to those two white wires unless you first confirm that the also connect into the "BL" node at the transformer.

Note from the picture that this "BL" node is also connected to the ground connection of the furnace. This is most likely the metal frame of the furnace so you could look also for a screw that attaches to the metal frame and attach your blue wire there.


Drilled into white/cream colored plastic behind drywall, what is it? I'm installing a closetmaid shelf in my closet in a 2nd floor bedroom. I was drilling behind drywall and on one of the holes I marked I hit some kind of plastic. I'm not sure if its a wall or pipe, but it is white in color (I've already shaved off pieces of it with the drill). I'm confused because I used a high quality stud finder and it shows nothing there. Well, the plastic is technically 1/2 inch behind the drywall so the stud finder possibly missed it (maybe).

This hole I drilled into is close to the edge of another wall (a wall of one side of the house). The plastic is adjacent to another stud, though. Doubtful that it might be plumbing (subjective) since the side of this wall is not shared by any walls of a bathroom. The wall is directly below an attic and the floor below are just regular living rooms.

Any idea what I drilled into? and whatever that may be, would it be safe to drill into ?

No, it's not safe to drill into something unidentified.

White PVC is most commonly used for waste water (and vents, which are connected to the waste water lines but carry sewer gas to a vent the roof) and central vac. Schedule 20 is used for central vac and is much thinner than the Schedule 40 used for plumbing

It's also possible it's a conduit run for future use, eg running wires from the basement to the attic -- which may or may not have something in it now.

Now that you've hit it, you really need to open up the drywall there and figure out what you're dealing with, repair it, and then patch up the drywall. I'd suggest just opening a relatively small hole first to inspect it, then cut a bigger one if needed once you know what you need to do.

If it's central vac or plumbing, you'll have cut out the damaged section and replace it. If it's small hole, you may just be able to cut just that tiny bit out and replace it with a single coupling. For a bigger hole you'll have to replace with two couplings.

You can probably post back with a picture of the damage and describe what you see inside and we can provide better insight into what it is and how to fix it.


Can I convert a 120v circuit to 240v without running new cable? Installing a new heat pump with a contractor and he said he can convert a 120v outlet to 240v outlet on site without bringing new wires from electrical panel, heat pump specs is attached and it has a 5 amps circuit and 15 amps overcurrent protection. Contractor says as long as wire gauge is enough for the amperage, it should be fine. I chatted with other contractors but none of them have brought up this option before. Want to know if this is a safe practice?

IF the outlet is the ONLY outlet on the circuit, it's perfectly fine to change it to a 240V outlet (or disconnect, given it's for a heat pump) and change the breaker to a two-pole 240V 15A breaker - all your 120V wiring is already rated for 250V if not 600V. Since 15A/14Ga is the minimum wire size for house wiring, the wire size is already adequate by default for a 15A circuit.
If there are other outlets on the circuit, then there's going to be a problem, or more changes / rewiring will be required.
The white wire should be remarked red (preferable, IMHO, more obviously not just tape for tape's sake) or black (or any other "hot color" so not gray, white, or green) at both ends.


Is a GFCI allowed to be below a washer water connection? We just redid bathroom/ laundry and noticed that washer 3prong and gfci were beside but below washer shutoff and drain. Isn't it dangerous to be so close to a water source and why didn't contractors or inspector notice it

Well, the GFCI receptacle will protect things plugged into it.  However nothing protects the GFCI receptacle, and if water gets into the junction box behind the GFCI, it can potentially "go around" the GFCI and electrify the walls or a puddle.

The right answer to that is to move the GFCI to a location that feeds this location. This might be another receptacle somewhere, or it might be straight to the circuit breaker itself.  Locate a GFCI there, either as a receptacle at that location, or a GFCI breaker.  Then, place the line to this washer location on the LOAD terminals of that GFCI.  Fit a plain receptacle here.  Now, if water gets into the junction box, that upstream GFCI will trip and protect the wire, receptacle, and everything plugged into it.


Install a water tank without losing main pressure In my zone, there is a really good water pressure. The problem is that when there is a power outage, the pressure gets really bad to the point that there is no water in the house.

To solve this, my neighbor installed a water tank on top of his house. This made his water pressure to go down to the point that you need to get close to the wall to use the shower (on the second floor).

Is there a way to install a water tank without losing water pressure?

Something came to my mind but I'm not really sure that this would work or if there is going to be complications in the future.

The check valve could be something like this one i found in amazon.

I think that this would yield the same pressure (or close) as without the water tank, but when there is a power outage, it will start using the water from the water tank.

Is this feasible? It seems logic to me, but I don't know much about this so I might be over looking something really basic :).
Will the check valve decrease the pressure?

If not, what are my alternatives for my scenario? I want to have a good pressure and won't mind to have low pressure (but water in the house) when there is a power outage.

Your check valve is in the wrong place.

If you're going to do this, you should use three valves -- one to automatically fill the tank, one to maintain the water pressure in your house, and one to keep your water stash private.

Install a float valve to shut off the tank fill when the tank is full.

Install a check valve to prevent water from flowing from the house plumbing directly into the tank while allowing the tank to empty into the house plumbing (right side of diagram below).

Install another check valve to keep your tank from emptying back into the public water supply during power failures (left side of diagram below).

The combination of these three valves allows the tank to hold water at a much lower pressure than your public water supply, which is necessary to keep the tank from overflowing.


Soundproof basement and bedroom vents I'm in the process of finishing my basement. Added rocksaul to the ceiling and you can still hear everything in the basement through the vents. How do you soundproof a vent in a basement so that the sound doesn't go through the vents. While still allowing air to go through and heat the house?

We line the ducts with “ductboard” insulation and use sound baffles. Often we’re concerned about hearing the  sound of the fan coming on or turning off. We’ll use sound baffles to block the clicking sound from traveling down the duct. However, we usually “up size” the ducts to accommodate the added “blockage” in the duct.

Also, we design the system so no two vent/grille openings are too close together without sound having to travel about 10’ - 12’ before coming out the next vent.


What open source home automation software exists? What are the differences between them? I just bought my first apartment and I am now looking to setup a cheap home automation system.

I would like to control :

light
electric shutter
heater thermostat
other stuff in the future

I am looking to an open source software that I could install into a cheap linux box and which could be accessible from internet (mobile or desktop) with a nice UI.
It would be best if it was technology independant (not X10 only for example) and plugin base to be able to add support for a new specific device in the futur.

I am also ready to do some code hacking to make it better as I am a web developer. I am a software and electronics engineer so not afraid of new tech.

A good community supporting the software is also a plus.

For info this is what I found with a first internet search :

http://www.domogik.org/
http://www.openami.de/
http://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/
http://lifedomus.blogspot.com/
http://www.opensourceautomation.com/
http://www.linuxha.com/linuxha/
http://www.catrpillr.com/

So far all the arduino/home automations I have seen are custom built. We are planning on using Domotic Home in our hacker group.


Replacing ceiling fan with regular light and new fixture won't shut off I'm replacing a ceiling fan with a regular light fixture.  The fan was connected with black to black, white to white, and a red wire to a blue wire in the ceiling fan.  When I connect the new fixture, just a plain two bulb light fixture, black to black white to white and cap the red the light will not shut off from the wall switch.  There was no ground from the fan fixture, but there is from the new one which I connected to the ground on the mounting bracket. So I expect the red wire runs to the switch, but how do I connect it to the light fixture - which wire connects to which wire? Red to black and cap off the black (there are two coming down) to each other in the ceiling? and white to white?

... it was supposed to be a comment but I don't have enough rep to do that.

It looks like you have connected the 'live' of the former fan (that almost surely was turned on by pulling a cord) to the 'bulb' cable.

My suggestion is open the wall switch and taking note of colours: you have to connect to the light fixture the cable of the same color as the one coming from the switch

... my guess is that red was coming from the switch and black was the fan's 'live'. so just swap back with red and all should work (at worst the light won't lit)

PS: remember to insulate the unused cable

EDIT: my guess was right: black is the live (from brakers) and red is the swiched line. swap black cable (on the fixture) with the red one and your issue willbe solved

SO:
White: neutral (common)

Black: Live (uninterrupted) - not to be connected for lighting

Red: Live (interrupted by the switch)


Sewage? Or is my dog just farting? Periodically, I am encountering a very sulfurous smell in my house (1945 construction, interior completely remodeled/renovated in 2012). It smells strongly of sewage.

The smell is strongest in the adjoining kitchen, which does have a bathroom above it.

However, I don't believe that the smell is related to the bathroom. Because of an unrelated problem (poor caulking around the upstairs tub leading to small water leaks into the kitchen ceiling), I have cut a small hole in the kitchen ceiling, basically directly underneath the bathroom. When I sniff around there, there's no sewage smell at all, so it's probably not a leaking toilet or anything.

In the corner cabinet in my kitchen, there is a persistent smell, but not as strong as the periodic smell I am encountering.

The connector to city sewage runs under my kitchen, in fact, directly under where that corner cabinet is. However, I've looked at the pipes in the basement/crawlspace, and cannot see any leaks, nor can I smell any sewage at all.

Finally, sometimes the smell isn't in the kitchen, but in the adjoining living room, which has absolutely no plumbing in any adjacent wall or above or below.

My question is: is there something I should worry about and pay a plumber to investigate, or is my dog just showing me her love?

“Periodically” is the key word.   Keep a log of what water usage (if any) you’re using when the offensive odors blossom and look for correlations.   Might want to keep a log of what you’re feeding the dog too.   (grin)  The source of odors may have nothing to do with your water usage.   A friend can tell the speed of the wind by fluttering of water in one of the toilets, when it is really windy a stink will fill the house.   He’s had the vent pipes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain-waste-vent_system) cleaned to no avail.  Another friend can tell when the neighbor gives their dogs baths, apparently the abundance of soap bubbles interfere with the vents.  (Too long for a comment.)


New thermostat for electric radiant ceiling heat I live in the Pacific NW where radiant ceiling heat is common in older homes. I a have home built in 1969 and want to upgrade the thermostat to something newer that we can program and save money. This should a be easy fix it would thing but having a hard time figuring out what thermostats would work with my system. I have a King Thermostat Model m601 Single Pole LR10499 22A-120/v240;18A-277VAC. So I think I need something that matches those numbers, the problem is there are 2 sets of them and not sure which I have, and finding ones that support both seems harder and I just keep finding ones like what I have inaccurate analog thermostats.

I figured it out and installed a new thermostat today, wish I could have figured it out at the beginning of the heating system. I figured out what the Single Pole LR10499 22A-120/v240;18A-277VAC means. I just had to think about it longer. So it means 22 amps for 120/240 Volt system or 18 amps for 277 volt system, and since I am in the america 277 does not matter. So I need something for 22 amp system. The next part was to figure out the voltage. I looked the breaker box and the heating system was on a double breaker so that means I need a 220/240 thermostat. I ordered a King ESP230-R Electronic Line-Voltage from amazon. I found the king page has a lot info on there thermostats.

I hope this helps someone else and they can too start saving the plant and there wallet!


How do I know if my gfci is self-testing? Are self-testing gfci mandatory since 2015?
(My house was built in 2015).
Is there a way to tell if my gfci are self-testing? (Without uninstalling preferably as if I take it out of the wall, I might as well replace it.)

All the gfci I have come across have a button labelled “push to test”.
This puts a “fault” across the output and if it fails to react then the unit needs to be replaced.
The proper testing machine will measure the response time and report if it is still within the acceptable range.
There may be some that don’t have test buttons but I have not seen any.
Edit: Just for those who confuse the reset button with the "push to test" button here is an image showing one with both... I assume that that clears up the issue:


How can I fix a big crack on an old hutch? A full wood side of an older hutch has cracked, probably along the grain. It seems gluing was attempted (there was some dried glue or silicon-like substance in the crack) unsuccessfully.

Can I fix that side or should I replace it altogether? It is connected with dovetail joints (top and bottom connections), and some sort of mortise and tenon joint for the drawer construction.

It will be difficult to replace the whole side but it doesn't appear to be necessary anyway since the crack seems to be mainly cosmetic.  Since the piece looks like it is painted this is what I would do:

Use a bar clamp across the width of the case to snug up the crack as much as you can.  (If it will close all the way then also put glue in with a small brush.  Unfortunately if there is old glue then the new glue is unlikely to hold well.)  With the clamp holding the piece in place drill countersunk holes and secure it with a couple screws.

You can buy wood plugs or use short lengths cut from a wood dowel to cover the screws.  I would have the plugs on hand so you know what size you need to match when you are pre-drilling for the screws.  Or, you could also just use bondo or other filler to cover the screws instead of the plugs.  As long as the screws are holding the pieces fairly securely you can also fill a small remaining crack with the bondo / filler.  Sand the filler and repaint.


Correct way to orient laminate flooring planks? We are installing laminate flooring in our house and are considering how best to orient the flooring planks. The flooring will be installed in the Living Room, Dining Room, hallway and 3 bedrooms. There will be transitions placed at the doorways to each bedroom off the hallway, but the Living Room/Dining Room/Hallway area will be one continuous lay.

In terms of which way to orient the flooring planks, we have seen conflicting recommendations. We've read that, generally speaking, the planks should be aligned along the long axis of the room. We've also seen advice that the planks should be placed parallel to light coming in through windows. Lastly, some say that planking should run down the long axis of the hallway.

Given the floorplan as laid out above, how should we proceed? Should we lay the planks in a north/south direction, as that is the long axis of the Living Room/Dining Room area (and natural light will also enter from the north and south)? If so, as the flooring runs into the east/west hallway, it will run perpendicular to the hallway's long axis, which I fear could make the hallway appear short and stubby and give it a "boardwalk" effect when looking down its length. Should we instead orient that entire area east/west instead?

Also, once we establish a plank orientation for the main Living Room/Dining Room/Hallway area, should the bedrooms conform to that orientation as well, or should each of the bedrooms be decided individually based upon its individual merits?

"Running down the long axis of the hallway" is just a specific case of "running along the long axis of the room".  I think this is very important, especially in a hallway.

In your case, I would do both.  Lay the living room and dining room planks north-south, along the long axis, in one continuous piece.  Then, put in a transition at the hallway and run the hallway boards east-west.  Even though the transition isn't ideal, I think it will be much better than having either the front rooms or the hall seeming "compressed".

Then, at the bedrooms, you could revert back to the living/dining room orientation.  This would have the effect of the hallway being "different", pulling all the similar rooms together.

In fact, if you're feeling inspired, you may even choose to use a different wood color for the hallway.  Your mileage may vary :)

One thing to be aware of is that a house usually isn't square.  If you have any features with parallel lines, such a tile hearth, make sure that these areas are lined up precisely with the laminate planks.  The eye will easily pick out any problems there.  On the other hand, you won't even notice if you have to taper by an inch or so over the length of a room.


Can anyone identify what brand/company makes tracks for these curtains? There are snaps on each end and the plastic "hooks" run along the entire top. I need to purchase tracks for these, however, I can't find the company they are made from.

These appear to be Ripple Fold curtains.

It is a proprietary system of curtains which allows for hanging a wide variety of fabrics without having to create gathers in the traditional way.


Replacing existing ceiling fan, with on/off switch only to wall mount control of light/fan My old ceiling fan switch used black, red, green (ground) no white. Built after 2004 white was in outlet box, 4 white wires but all together in single cap - not used. New wall mount switch has separate fan on/off, and light on/off - wires are black, red green ( ground) and white ( assume neutral). There is an adjacent wall light switch in the box that uses black, red, green - no white.   So, I am guessing I need to access the whites for my new fan. When I first wired I capped one of the 4 whites to my new switch - the other light switch would not power on . I put the borrowed white back to the 4 wires capped together and the second switch worked. I am unable to test the fan until I wire the new fan from ceiling. I would like to make sure the wall switch is functioning before I get the ceiling fan wired in place.

So, how do I wire the new switch with the existing scenario ? Which of the 4 bundled white wires do I use, or do I wire my white wire from the new switch to the 4 bundled white wires?
Please Help!

To just answer your question, you need to attach your switch white wire to the bundle of white wire. You never, never want to separate the white bundled neutral wires and then energize the circuit unless you really know what you're doing... like as a professional.

Be sure to turn off your breaker before doing any of this wiring.

If you include pictures of the box and switches, we can help you further.


garage storage area project Thanks for reading my question!

I'm trying to setup a storage area in my garage.  I have an RV garage which is 14.4 feet tall and no RV so right now it's useless space.  I'd like to make a room above that I can store things in.  Likely kids will be climbing around in there too so I want to make sure that it's not going to just fall apart on me.

The garage area is 14 feet wide from wall to wall and I'm thinking 12 feet from the back to where the area should stop.  I would put ledger boards (is that the right word?) all around the edge and attach joists with hangers.  Then put sheeting on top.

Here is my drawing:

So here are my questions:

Is 2x8 enough for this or should I use 2x10

If I can use the 2x8 it seems like it's less weight over all and I get 2 more inches (as my ceiling is only 14.4 feet when I divide that into 2 pieces every inch will count!)

Which way should the joists go?  (across the short or the long dimension)

If I use 14 foot they are longer but I'll be using 2 more and they secure to the walls.  If I span the 12 foot length the joists are shorter but will attach to the floating header (2 beams).

If I go the long distance from looking around I would want to put spacers in between the joists I believe.

Here is the layout of my garage.

ledger boards (is that the right word?)

That is the correct word

  Is 2x8 enough for this or should I use 2x10

2x8 @ 16" oc in the long direction of 14' will support more than 40 psf loading

  Which way should the joists go? (across the short or the long dimension)

The short direction is typical as it allows for higher loading for a given joist size or conversely a smaller joist for a given load. Blocking at mid-span of the joist is necessary. In your case, to avoid a beam, which would likely be deeper than the joists and undesirable in this case, I suggest spanning the longer direction.


Need wood size identification (or suggestions) on barn door picture Basically I want to build the exact door below, I really like the look of it and don't want to alter it if at all possible.  I started to plan things out, but I don't do much wood work.  I'm having trouble visualizing the wood sizes I would need to recreate that exact door. My door opening is 32" so I figured a 36.5" door should leave enough over hang on both sides.

Specifically the diagonal and framing pieces. I'm not sure what size piece of wood that is, or if my framing wood makes sense for the diagonal pieces as shown in the picture. I was thinking using a 2x(something) for the framing and a 1x(something) for the diagonal pieces to give the door a little depth, so it's not just a flat door.

Below is the picture of the original door and my plans so far for the pieces. Also, with my inexperience, I was planning on using screws, but also am not sure the size of screw I would use for all these pieces. (ex. #3 1 1/4 in)

If you're doing the herringbone inside you won't use 1x8. You'll run 1x6 all the way out. This design probably ends up the thickness of a two-by (1-1/2"), so your front frame probably shouldn't be two-by. I'd use the same 1x6 for everything (tongue-and-groove for the herringbone, square boards for the frame). If you don't use tongue-and-groove for the herringbone you'd need to apply a backer of something like plywood. It'll tend to crack up and be unstable otherwise.

You'll need to decide whether you want exposed fasteners (for a truly rustic look) or hidden fasteners (for a cleaner and more modern look). If the former, you probably want conventional nails. Screws would destroy the illusion. A good quality wood glue carries most of the load.

Here's one simplified plan:

Build your front frame using dowel or biscuit joints, pocket screws, or whatever you have available or meets your skill set. Square the frame by measuring from opposite corners. Skew as necessary to equalize those dimensions.
Flip the frame over and draw a 45 degree diagonal line as a reference. Lay some boards out and shift the line as needed to vertically center the angle joint rows.
Assemble the herringbone. Use appropriate nails or screws to fasten the ends to the frame, and use wood glue on the tongue-and-groove joints.
Sand edges and corners, or use a router to bullnose.
Stain and seal or paint.


What black wire is it & the connector at the rice cooker? Related to my previous question here,
I made the biggest mistake of my life to cut the black wire instead of the thermal fuse wire.
I need to replace the entire black wire & its connector at the end.

overview of the entire broken wire

close-up photo shot of the connector

connector at the power supply
What is the black wire type?
Can I strip the black wire insulator and connect with the other black wire from here by soldering?
If not, what suggestion can you offer for me to join the black wire?
Thank you

The wire is called fixture wire it has a fiberglass looking outer braid and many times a very thin white Teflon type inner insulation. The size of the wire is based on the wattage of the cooker on the “spade” or disconnect that is a female and if in a hot area requires a high temp female crimp connector standard nickel plated copper may work but may not last long, the same with nickel plated copper splices when hot the copper may relax. It took me a few high temp repairs to find ~900 degree f crimp connectors, if you also posted about bad fuses a day or so ago I would solder the same as my other advice but in this case most insulation other than fiberglass/ high temp slide over will be the best option.


PVC to CPVC transition Is it OK to solvent weld PVC to CPVC? I have a Schedule 40 PVC line outside a building and need to transition to CTS CPVC for indoor plumbing (because code). I'm wondering both from a practical (will the 'dissimilar plastics' actually fuse) and legal (does UPC allow it) perspectives.

Spears and Lasco both have an IPS x CTS transition bushing (made of CPVC), I can't tell if it's only intended for going between CTS CPVC to (uncommon) Sch 40 CPVC or also perhaps for what I'm trying to do.

Of course another option is a threaded joint using MPT + FPT adapters, but since it's going to be buried I'd prefer a solvent joint.

My understanding is that you can do it if you use CPVC cement - but not ordinary PVC cement.

Here is one reference (from a commercial products supply company) which confirms this:

  Does CPVC to PVC Glue Exist?

  ...you cannot use just any PVC cement to join these two materials
  together. CPVC, as we explained earlier, is a stronger version of PVC
  pipe with a higher melting point and tougher chemical structure. This
  means old-fashioned PVC cement will not be fully effective on CPVC.

  There is no special “CPVC to PVC glue,” so chemically joining CPVC and
  PVC requires solvent cement and primer that are strong enough to fully
  bond CPVC pipe.

  To connect PVC to a CPVC fitting (or vice versa) follow these steps:

  Brush CPVC primer on the outside of the pipe and inside of the fitting about 2 inches deep.
  Immediately apply a light layer of CPVC cement to the area that is primed outside the pipe and inside the fitting.
  Slide and twist the pieces together then hold them together firmly for 30 seconds.

Also, here is a reference from Weld-On, one manufacturer of (C)PVC cements which also concurs with this advice:

  Q: Will CPVC solvent cement work on a PVC piping installation?

  A: Yes. CPVC solvent cement technically will work on PVC piping.
  However, we recommend that the correct ... primer and PVC solvent
  cement for the particular application should be used. Please note that
  PVC solvent cement, because of temperature limitations, is not
  recommended for CPVC piping.

Now, just because it is possible doesn't mean that you should do this. For one thing it might not be to code if you used materials in a way not recommended by their manufacturer. Aside from that, in a critical system (like sewage for instance) you should think carefully if it is worth taking any risk at all.

On the other hand in a nonessential area or in some kind of temporary / emergency circumstance, this might be a reasonable course of action.


New light switch causing other switches to not work I'm by no means a professional but I've switched out plugs before (we wanted white instead of almond) so I thought installing a new zwave light switch would be the same. I installed it fine, the switch works, however, we've noticed two other light switches no longer work (one in the kitchen and one in the closet, they do all share a wall). Is it possible for that new switch to cause the others to not work like that? It doesn't seem like it but again I'm no professional.

I did turn off the power to the house via the main switch to install the zwave switch. I thought maybe I tripped the breaker they're probably both on but I've switched every breaker on and off already and that didn't seem to fix anything. Any ideas?

Edit added photos:

While looking at your picture makes it difficult to tell how you wire nutted the wires in for your new switch (those neutrals are in the way - if only they were pulled out so we could follow the wiring back to each connection). That said I will take two stabs at the issue here and the problem is most likely one or the other.

Your Z-Wave should be configured like this:

Line In : Bottom Left.
Neutral : Bottom Right.
Load : Upper Left.
And if it has 3-Way traveler : Upper Right.

The most likely scenario I suspect is:

  Perhaps when you added in that Neutral Line for your Z-Wave you did
  not get all of those neutrals together in the wire nut very well - I
  have known this to happen to people not just on the neutral but the
  hot side as well - the line in side just did not get wrapped up with
  all of the other wires , because the installer simply added one wire and tried > to use the same wire nut, which was fine before but a tad too small now and the
  wire slipped down a bit and did not make connections with all wires.

Another possibility is:

  Perhaps you disconnected the line in that would be considered the
  power distribution line serving all 3 of those switches and then you
  attached it to the load side of your Z-Wave?


Should I install the jumper on my new limit control? I needed to replace fan and limit control (White-Rodgers, model 5D51-35),   because the fan switch was broken (fan would constantly run) and heat would not stay on.

I took a picture of the control, the way it was wired and labeled the wires.  The control had:

two wires running to the limit side
one wire running to the lower
fan side.
a jumper copper wire running from the upper limit side to
the upper fan side.

When I took the part into the supply store the sales person told me the jumper wire was not supposed to be connected.  I installed the new control without the jumper and the heat will come on, but the fan will not come on.  The instructions indicate if you have a low volt or millivolt do not use jumper. How do you know if it is a low volt or millivolt system.  (I'm using a 120v system.)

Do I install the jumper line because the fan will not come on. (jumper line was connected on old control)

The limit switch is a normally closed switch that opens on a temperature rise.
The fan switch is a normally open switch that closes on a temperature rise.

Think of them as 2 separate switches that are side by side in a common enclosure.

Each switch needs a power supply and each switch lets that power run through it under the proper conditions.

They both sense the same temperature inside the furnace.
So when the burner kicks on and the temperature inside the furnace rises it causes the fan to come on. But if the temperature inside the furnace gets to high (blower motor fails, blower belt breaks, filter dirty so air flow is low etc) then the Limit switch will open and cause the burner to shut off.

You need the jumper that will put 120 volts on both INPUT sides of the switches Fan/Limit control.

That way as the furnace heats up, the normally OPEN fan switch will close it's contacts to turn on the fan motor and the normally CLOSED limit contacts will remain closed to let the power through the safety circuit and only open in the event the furnace gets to hot and will cause the gas valve to close.

Now it is important to note that from your description of your issue that you have a high voltage limit control. Some furnaces use a low voltage limit control, in that case you do not use the jumper.

I just noticed that your question is 2 years old....duh me..... well I hope this helps anyone who has the same issue.


What is the best way to level an existing playset with only one person? I purchased a used playset from a neighbor who was gracious enough to help me get it into my backyard. I was able to fix it up reinforce the corners with hurricane straps, re-stain it and put it at the most level portion of my yard. However it’s off by about two or 3 inches causing some slight rocking. I’m worried about the effect this will have on the joints after years of use. I am pretty much on my own so what is the best way to get this as level as possible? Should I just shovel underneath the portion that’s too high on a rainy day to try to get it more level? Should I try to place bricks or 2x4s under it? Any advice is appreciated.

Seems like there are at least three questions here: how to temporarily support the structure so that work can be done, what materials to use for shimming the low points, and how to figure out where to add or remove materials (and how much).
Temporary support
It's tough to install a good base or to make adjustments when you've got something already sitting on the ground. Elevating it off the ground just takes a little creativity and resourcefulness. You might already have some kind of jack around the house (or a desire to buy one): a bottle jack, a floor jack, a tire-changing jack buried in the trunk of the car.. You may need to add blocks of wood to support the jack on the ground and/or to help the jack reach the play structure. Have some kind of cribbing material (more pieces of wood, usually) on hand to support the structure while it is raised.
Even a shovel or and a rock or block of wood as a fulcrum can work to pry something up an inch. A method I especially like is the "2x4 jack" as explained in this youtube video.
Foundation/support material
This depends a lot on what materials the play set is made of, how large the surfaces are where it bears on the ground, and how good your soil is for supporting the play set. Not knowing details about any of those things I'll give general ideas. Bricks make a nice support. Many home centers carry precast blocks and pavers in various shapes and sizes; some of these might be a good fit for your project as well. Finally, 2x4 or 4x4 pressure-treated wood cut into blocks of appropriate sizes might be useful.
It may even be fine to support the structure directly on the bare soil. In this case you can simply dig down the soil in the high areas or add soil, rocks, or bricks/blocks/whatever in the low areas.
What's level?
If you begin by finding how far out of level the ground is now you can make better choices about whether to dig the high parts down, build up the low parts, or do a combination of the two.
A water level is a pretty simple and inexpensive way of leveling points over a relatively large area, especially where obstructions make the use of a string and/or straight level impractical. There are fancy little kits for this, but all you really need are a bucket full of water, some tubing, and a measuring tape. Only the last few feet of the tubing has to be transparent (but all of it can be). The basic idea is that one end of the tube is placed in the bucket and the bucket and tube are filled with water (remove air bubbles from the tube). The far end of the tube can be moved freely around the site; the elevation of the water inside the tube will remain constant. Measure the distance from ground surface up to the water's level. Whichever point has the least distance to water level is the highest; the point that has the greatest distance is lowest; the difference between the two numbers is the difference in elevation.
That's probably not enough words to make a really clear explanation.. but I'm sure there must be a few youtube videos which will make it clear!


Manufacturer pairs 6 ft tall vinyl fence with 8 ft posts - should I find 9 ft posts? My research has shown that fence posts should be dug to a depth of at least 1/3 of the height of the post—for a six foot fence, the post depth would be 3 feet.

I purchased a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence from Lowe's, and the manufacturer's recommended post was a 5"x5"x8' post, an entire foot short of what I would have expected. Indeed, Lowe's doesn't even appear to sell a 9 foot fence post (without routed holes). Should I return the 8 foot posts and find something longer? Or is there some way to approximate a longer post (e.g. concrete+rebar going deeper or something?)?

My soil is extremely rocky (on a mountain in Utah County), but otherwise loamy.
It's not usually windy, 40 mph sustained winds with 60 mph gusts would be the strongest wind you might see in a year. Most of the length of the fence will separate my house and the neighbors, about 20 feet away from either house, which I'm hoping should should act as a windbreak.
The frost line here is 36 inches
I'm planning on using concrete to set the posts.

I'm about to put some of these in myself. I believe the manufacturer's instructions answer this question in Step 2c, shown below. Note that the post does not extend the entire depth of the hole, but the hole is back-filled with concrete to a 30-inch depth before placing the post. That way, the concrete holding the post extends past the frost line, even though the post itself does not.


How can I make it easier to get to the sprinkler valves in the future? I'm digging up my sprinkler valves for what is probably the 3rd time in as many years.  I'm replacing this valve on the right which isn't closing to cut off the water properly.

I dug for about 2 hours through clay and rock to get this far.  And it's 100 degrees outside so I had to stop.

Can I replace these circular round box with a big valve box?  The purpose being less digging next time another valve needs to be replaced.  Ideally I could leave these pipes exposed so I don't have to push all this dirt back again.

Are there any other ways to make this job or future jobs easier?  I feel like this setup is a huge mess.  Especially compared to setups I've seen on youtube demonstrations.

I would definitely go with the bigger valve box. Also, think about using the compression repair sleeves. It makes the repairs and replacements so much easier and you can use them over and over. Good luck./


Is this cracking foundation under a jack post a problem that requires repair? I am buying an already-built new home. I find this in the basement. The builder says it's okay, but I am really concerned. Is this really a big issue? What steps would be required to repair it?

This house is close to the retention pond. Is that the reason why the soil is getting soft?

I'm not familiar with USA house construction methods (I live in the UK) but speaking as a mechanical engineer, I wouldn't even stand near that thing while debating how safe it was.

That bolt is presumably supposed to be fixing the post against it popping out sideways. I suppose it was meant to be bolted to a metal beam underneath the concrete. So either that whole beam has sunk, or all the rest of the concrete floor has heaved up for some reason (ground water underneath. maybe?) or there isn't any beam there at all, and it's just an undersized-looking bolt sticking into a bit of broken concrete.

It looks to me like it's just waiting for the right moment to make a nice loud PING as the post flips out sideways and the whole floor above it collapses.......

One more thing. That metal post didn't get longer by magic. So if it has pushed a hole in the floor, whatever is on top of it must have settled. That could mean the whole house is sinking unevenly for some reason.


Second floor radiators only heat with all other radiators off I have 2 rads on the second floor that will get hot water flow only when I stop all flow to the other rads on the system. Even then, the flow is very low.

I have had this system for 10 years and this is a new problem. I have bleeds on each rad, and there does not appear to be an air lock, anywhere.

I am wondering if it may be the circulation pump, or the pressure regulator. I don't think it is corrosion that is shutting down flow to both second floor rads simultaneously. Each rad has dedicated piping from a T off the boiler.

When I remove the bleeding cylinder from each rad on the second floor NO water flows out, unless all other rads are shut off.

Is it pressure in the system that gets water to the second floor, or is it the pump?

It looks that pressure is low, the highest point in the system must still have enough pressure to expel the water in it. That you can remove the bleed cylinder without making a mess is the biggest clue.

Add more water into the system (usually from a tap near the boiler) and bleed the upstairs radiators.


Do I have space in the main panel for a 60 amp double pole breaker? Completing a workshop in the garage and I've installed a 60 amp sub panel in it for all the garage circuits. I plan on running 6/3 nmd from the main panel to this sub panel (a run of about 15 feet). That all is okay but my problem is I may not have space in the main panel for a 60 amp double pole breaker.

Looking at the attached photos, is there any way I can make space for this new breaker? If not, what are my options?

Thank you!

The ordinary generic answer for a short sub-panel run would be to relocate two 120V breakers or 1 240 V breaker to the sub-panel, sized appropriately for those additional loads.

But you have a FPE Stab-Lok panel, so you should replace it before it catches on fire, and when you do, buy enough spaces in that new main panel.

The house you save will be your own. One of many stories:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/despite-previous-safety-concerns-this-circuit-breaker-is-still-in-homes/2018/05/08/8927af86-4ef9-11e8-b725-92c89fe3ca4c_story.html


Is gasoline usable after being stored in a Rubbermaid trash can? I had a fuel leak in a generator gas tank.  To fix it I needed, quickly, to drain the gas and had no available cans (in Florida, all are full pending Irma). I had a clean Brute trash can I had used (but no longer) for mixing water for an aquarium, and used it.

Yes, it's outside, covered, away from anything, etc. No fire safety lecture please.

My question is: When I get the tank repaired, probably tomorrow - is the gas usable?

I can't find what they are made of.  They are food safe, and their site gives lots of "quality" comments, but nothing about what it tolerates.

I would far rather use that gas than try to transport it to be safely disposed, not for cost reasons but safety.  Plus I don't think I can get it transported before the storm hits (and will not move it inside) so it stands a good chance of spilling.  I just don't have other containers to transport in, and the trash can won't fit vertically in my vehicles.

And again, the can was clean and dry before, not worried about dirt or water. Worried about the gas dissolving some of the can and then ruining the generator if I use it.

Anyone know the chemistry of those cans, and whether gas will stay in them for 2-3 days without becoming corrupt in some way?

If it matters it's a 20hp Honda engine in which I would use it.

Thanks,

Linwood

PS. Please don't suggest I go buy more gas cans, as I mentioned we are days away from the hurricane and there's nothing like that to be had anywhere in S. Florida. I can probably find more gas, not an issue, but I have 10 gallons in a can and don't know what else to do with it before the wind hits.

Here is what I know from reading and a real life experiment.  LOTS Of sites (google HDPE and Gasoline) say that it can be used for storage, but I saw none that looked very authoritative so I will not quote them. Some few similarly say no. Wikipedia comments that over time they may become saturated as gasoline permeates the material, but later goes on to mention their use in autos, so pick your answer.

I needed to use it for a short term (about 4 days). It worked fine.  The resulting gas did not appear affected (no cloudiness, and it ran fine afterwards), and the can did not appear significantly affected (not soft or distortions on the surface where it was). The can stinks strongly of gasoline despite repeating washing so it may be a permanent odor effect. My guess is even a few weeks would be fine.

Note my can had been used previously for producing RO water for an aquarium so I knew it was very clean; contamination is clearly a risk. And it won't be used for RO water now, obviously.

My conclusion is that in a pinch this works great, but I think I would be reluctant to trust it for longer periods.  Since the top is hardly a solid seal, I think trusting it for long term would be wrong for all sorts of other reasons also.


filling a 3 inch hole in a fire rated dry wall ceiling My sprinkler system in my condo was just decommissioned and 12 sprinkler heads will be reomoved.  As a result I will have 1 sprinkler head hole in the ceiling of each room in my condo (total of 12). My ceiling is fire rated with 5/8 inch drywall.  Can I use a round self adhesive vinyl plug to cover the whole if I stuff the hole with fire rated insulation. Or can you suggesdt another way to cover these holes vrs drywall and the mess it creates with spackling and sanding.  Would appreciate any help.

Ed

The opening must be sealed in accordance with the listing of the rated ceiling/floor assembly. This will vary among the wide variety assemblies currently and previously listed. Unfortunately, there is no generic correct answer. A correct code compliant solution requires research and expertise atypical among homeowners, or plain dumb luck.


Electrical wiring for this ceiling lamp with many bulbs? I saw this ceiling lamp on the internet, and I thought I would try to build it. I'm trying to be more DIY, but anything related to electrical is new to me.

This question is related to the electrical part of this lamp. Please assume that I know nothing about electricity.

A few questions:

What cables or accessories do I need so that the bulbs hang several from the piece of wood? I was thinking of buying several of these, but then I would need to join all that wiring. And that's my 2nd question.
How do I join all those electric wires into one so that I can connect?
Last but not least, are these cables strong enough to hold the glass bottle?

We used to have another ceiling light here, so the eletric part in the ceiling already exists.

My concern would be heat in the bottles. I would definitely use LEDs - incandescent would produce way too much heat. An ordinary mass-produced, UL-listed item will have engineers figuring out heat dissipation requirements and testers to make sure it all works the way it is supposed to. With a homemade setup, you are on your own, so definitely design conservatively as much as you can. A glass bottle may seem little different from a common chandelier "globe". However, a glass bottle is designed to be sturdy and, to a limited degree, to actually keep heat out (i.e., to keep contents cold for a little while after removal from the refrigerator), so it may not dissipate heat as well as you might expect it to.

If it were me, prior to assembling the entire contraption, I would put one light in a bottle and hook it up and measure the temperature on the outside of the bottle. If it gets "too hot" (I know that's vague, not sure at the moment what temperature that would be), better to find that out with a couple hours of testing at a normal height than the hard way (shattered glass) above your hear in the middle of a party. Many materials will also suffer degradation from repeated heat/cool cycles, so heat dissipation is a long-term, cumulative (to some degree) issue.


How do I make sure that a new washing machine doesn't overflow? My house suffers from a chronic lack of planning on the part of the designer. For example: the piping to my washing machine is both too small, and angled so that the water has to run uphill. This means that unless we interrupted the machine every 50 seconds or so, the pipes would overflow and spill water all over our carpet. Not fun.

So, our washing machine now looks like it is dead (of unrelated causes), and I was wondering how I might find a replacement which simply empties a little slower. They don't normally advertise "rate which the water is pumped out." Is there some number that is commonly used to determine how powerful the pump is? Or should I look into alternate means of stopping this overflow problem?

The only real answer is to fix the root plumbing issue.  You are basically begging for problems by not fixing it. This can do serious damage to your house over time.  There might even be health issues if the traps are not holding water (water flowing out of them due to incorrect slope) and sewer gasses are escaping into your house, not to mention the likelihood of mold too.

As a temporary measure, I would recommend putting in place a laundry tub and have the washing machine empty into the tub. This way, the tub acts as a buffer and holds the water while it drains.   New HE machines don't use that much water compared to top loaders so this might help too.

But seriously, get this fixed.


What are the consequences of incorrect positioning of air separator (and swapped return/flow) in solar heating system? I've moved into a house that has a Vaillant Solar system for helping heat the water. We had various issues that resulted in a Vaillant engineer visiting, who pointed out various problems, including a missing air separator.

The installer returned and added the air seperator, and I thought this would be the last of it :)

However; we've noticed that over time the pressure has been dropping; and rising again when hot (this rising makes me think it's not just a leak). When the last work was done, the pressure was 2-3 bar even when cold. The pressure relief valve is 6bar. Today, the pressure is 0.5bar at 30-40 degrees; but rises to around 2bar at 60-70 degrees.

After checking the manual again; I believe there are two issues; but I'd like to know the impact of them (whether they're the likely cause) before embarking on the mission that is trying to get Taylor Wimpey and/or the installers to fix stuff; because it's a world of pain, and nobody seems to have a clue about how this system works.

Here's a picture showing the system and where the air separator should be installed (page 28 of the manual):

I've marked some things in red relating to the positioning of the air separator. The things that appear to be incorrect in my system are:

The air separator is on the incoming hot fluid from the panels; which is shown here with a big X through it. This means the fluid going through the air separator is hotter than if it was on the pipe returning to the panels. Could this be the cause of pressure loss after hot days? (the system is supposed to shut off at high panel temperatures, so I would expect the fluid here to never be steam; but since the manual has a big X I'm wondering if there's a good reason for this?)
The pipes into the coil in the water tank are crossed over - our incoming hot fluid goes into the bottom of the coil, not the top as shown here. I'm not entirely surprised by this, as the incoming pipes from the panels were crossed further up too causing another issue they had to fix. I'm not sure if this problem should really have an impact on anything (in fact, to me, this seems more sensible, pushing hot fluid up instead of down; but I known nothing about any of this stuff!)

So; in short:

Are these problems enough that we should be fighting with Taylor Wimpey again?
Are either these problems the likely cause of gradual pressure loss?

Having the coil connections crossed over will decrease the efficiency of system.  In the worst case it would be better to turn off the solar part of the system than have it run as installed!

In a heat exchanger like this, you want the outgoing fluid to be as cold as possible.  For this reason you want it exiting the bottom of the tank where the water is colder.

In your case it might be so bad that hot water tank is heating the fluid above the input temperature and that the solar system is actually removing heat from the hot water tank.  Even if it's not that bad it's definitely not good.

For more information look into counter-flow heat exchangers.

I don't know what would cause the pressure drop but I would agree with you that it appears your air separate was not installed as per the manual.


What size beam to I need for a 14ft sliding door opening in an exterior wall? I have a 2 level gable roof house with no basement. I want to replace a 6ft sliding door with a 14ft sliding door.

this particular wall has the 6ft door and a 72 in window, it is an exterior wall, the joists runs perpendicular to the wall and the wall also runs perpendicular to the roof peak.

the total width of the wall is 17.5 ft.

is this a load bearing wall? if it is, what size beam do I need to install?

An exterior wall is almost certainly load bearing in any standard-design home structure. So yes, you will need to compensate for that if you are opening up a section of the wall.  Considering that you intend to have an opening (14') in a 17' wall, which comes to more than 80% of the wall's length, the beam is going to have to carry nearly the entire load, which makes it imperative that you get it sized and installed right.

As far as beam sizes...you really need to consult a structural engineer as there are many factors to consider and the last thing you want is for your changes to compromise the integrity of your structure.


Generator and auto transfer repair I have a 100KW diesel generator with a 400amp ATS (Cummins) feeding a 400 amp service. It exercies once a week with load transfer it starts and transfers like it should however when it is time to flop back over to regular electric it does not flip back to reg power (actually everything goes dark in the house)and the generator does not stop running. I end up having to turn the generator off manually and leave it on manual and I have to manually flop over the transfer (several times before it will flop) switch back to regular electric where do I start? This issue has now happened twice over the past 6 months last time we just operated everything a few times and all seemed normal worked fine till today

Please contact an approved qualified service technician to troubleshoot this generator.

A 100kW generator and transfer switch for a 400A service IS ABSOLUTELY NOT a DIY situation.


Why is shower water temperature not adjustable? The temperature in my Hansgrohe Thermo Balance shower is always the same, no matter which way I turn the knob. It's generally warm enough to shower, but I cannot adjust it neither hotter nor colder. It uses a push-and-turn mechanism to adjust. The temperature adjustment is working correctly for all the other sinks and showers in my house. I tried adjusting the maximum temperature on the cartridge, but that had no effect. Do I need a new cartridge or am I overlooking something?

Thermostatic controllers typically become calcified over time. This can result in the temperature not setting properly when you adjust it or even vibration and/or knocking in the valve. Sometimes just turning the knob rapidly several times from stop to stop will loosen things up. The manufacturer also provides videos on cleaning the valve which you should try if you haven't done it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTmyay1LAyY
If none of this works you'll probably have to replace the cartridge which is a fairly simple procedure if you're handy at all.


What is the point of this doorway "header", and can I simply remove it? We're remodeling a room with a severely undersized doorway - it is much shorter than the standard 6'8", so much so that I hit my head on the jamb if I don't duck when walking through it.

After demolition, I discovered a "header" (circled in red) with a good amount of empty space between it and the top plate:

It seems to just be toenailed into the king studs on the side, and isn't supported by anything except the thin jamb strips. Therefore, I doubt it is doing much in the way of supporting or bracing this wall in any way.

Can I just remove this "header", and move the jamb to the bottom of the top plate? Or do I really need to install a new header+jack studs? This is a single-floor house, and the only load on this wall is (perhaps) the roof above. It seems to me like the doubled-up top plate and king studs are more than enough to support the load.

A bigger picture:

Yes, you can remove that. Its purpose was solely to support drywall and whatever door or trim was installed. It is a header, just not a load-bearing variety. If it was there would be something transferring load from the plate above, and it would be taller.

Modern code aside, you may find that a pre-hung 24" door (should you find one available) slides right in after your rough opening height adjustment. If you can't find one, it's not too difficult to reduce a wider door and jamb.


When installing new natural gas plumbing system, can I include multiple capped tees for future branches? I'm getting natural gas service installed and am plumbing in the system. Initially, the only appliance will be a gas water heater. I want to run the mainline and future-proof for new appliance installation later on (e.g. furnace, fireplace, range, etc).
Is there any issue with, during the initial install of the mainline, including several tee fittings stubbed out for future branches to where these appliances will probably be located? Specifically, I need to know if this would be a code violation and/or if the inspector would think me crazy.
Is there a better, more professional, or appropriate way to leave stubbed out ends for future installs?
Code should be in context of my locale: Snohomish County, Washington State, USA.
REF: WA State Residential Code (adopts IRC 2015)

Having extra tees in place will stand out as uncommon but it's not inherently a code violation nor crazy. Inspectors may easily identify differences in workmanship between seasoned professionals and DIY/newbie/apprentices but don't worry about that. "Different" isn't "bad."
One thing you would need to do is oversize the pipe you do install now: having extra ports for addition of future loads is no good if the main pipe isn't sized adequately to support those loads. Knowing nothing about the appliances you have in mind nor the pipe length involved, but having gone through the pipe sizing exercise several times, I can suggest you're most likely going to want that main pipe to be 1". If high-demand appliances like a tankless water heater or large furnace are in the future, or if you find the difference in materials cost to be insignificant, you might choose to use 1-1/4".
An alternative to having a DIY manifold of capped tees is to install a tee where an elbow would ordinarily be used. That gives you a threaded port "for free" to which you could attach something later. In particular, the "something" that gets added later could include another tee so that again there's a spare port for later. The practicality of this depends on the layout of the room and the piping. I mention it only to point out that you may not need to add several tees now -- having just one tee now and remembering to add more later is functionally equal.


How do you control what angle plumbing joints go in at? I'm an electrical engineer, working on repairing a somewhat complicated pneumatic system, but I figured this would probably be the best place to ask. This is probably a very basic question to anyone who works in plumbing, but I couldn't find anything about it online.
When you have right-angle pipe fittings, the kind with NPT threads that you screw together, how do you control what angle they screw in to? If you just screw two things together, the relative angle between them will be essentially random as it depends on the exact angle of where the thread starts and how far the threads engage. But we need to put in pipe at specific angles to align fittings to other parts of the system, so how does one actually do that?

There is a range between "tight enough" and "too tight" - most alignment for NPT threads is done by using that.
Then again, there are unions and compression fittings (Swagelok, and lesser versions) that remove the connection between the threads and the sealing surface. The vast majority of "complicated lab gas manifolds" I did many moons ago were done almost entirely with Swageloks.


Covered Porch Support Concrete Crack The front step of my home is made of concrete, on which supports the overhang via two posts on each corner. One of the corners of the concrete has developed a good sized crack, and it's taking the post supporting the roof with it.

This has taken a little over 2 years to develop, and I would like to take action this spring to fix it. I'll probably get a local insured GC to handle it for me.

My Question: What should I be aware of with this porch? What steps would you take to possibly slow this down? Could I fix this on my own (with extra hands of course)?

Is that post directly above, leaning? If so, foundation is settling and that is a bigger problem. If not, then the crack has probably developed from water seeping into the concrete around the anchor that is holding the post, then the water freezes and cracks the wall. Fixing the concrete without sealing the crack around the post anchor, will allow water to seep back into wall, freeze and then crack the wall again.

"No" you can't slow it down and "no" you can't do it yourself. If the foundation is not settling, the best way is to remove the concrete that has cracked away from the main foundation and re-pour a new section of concrete to match existing. (You can't re-pin the broken portion back to the main foundation.)


Adding switch and new fixtures to basement chain lights. Why does it short? I have 2 pull chain light fixtures in my basement laundry room, and want to add 2 fluorescent fixtures and a switch at the door. The wires in the box are a black, white, and ground. I have run a 2 wire cable to a single pole switch and then another 2 wire feeder from the switch to the fixture. The light comes on but every time I turn the switch on it trips the breaker. There are 4 black and white feeds in the box already. Do I need to run a 3 wire feed? Or why does the switch keep tripping the breaker?

You have a short that occurs when you turn the switch on. You do not need a 3-wire feed, just the usual 2+ground. If the short occurs only when you turn the switch I'd expect the short to be in the wiring after the switch, e.g. in a light box or in the light fixture. You should make sure your grounds are properly connected and that ground and neutral conductors are isolated from hot.

If you are not able to quickly pinpoint the problem, I'd recommend you draw out a diagram of the wiring and make sure you understand exactly what needs to be connected and how. Then go through the whole circuit and make it match. If you don't feel like you fully understand the desired layout, I'd recommend you consult an electrician or at least someone experienced with electrical work. Electrical is not super complex, but there are pitfalls where things seem functional but are not safe.


How do I seal a leaky roof and repair the minor ceiling damage it caused? We recently had some very heavy rains and during the worst of it we had some leaks. When I noticed the problem, I went into my attic and found out that the leak was coming from around a vent in the roof. The leak was not severe even when it was down-pouring. When the rain slowed down the leak went away. However, because it did leak some I have the following problems.

The leak itself. What is the best way to repair this leak? From the outside with some kind of sealant? From both the outside and inside with two different kinds of sealant?
Very minor water damage to drywall. When I moved the insulation away in the attic, you could see where it had dripped down onto the drywall, and because that part of the ceiling is angled, flowed to a crack in between two pieces of drywall and made it's way through. Do I need to do anything with the drywall itself? It does not appear warped, rotten or anything else.
The ceiling (pictured below). What is the best way to put this back together?

It is normal to fix the leak by the vent pipe using roofing cement from the outside. It is hard to provide guidance on specific details for your case because we have not seen your vent pipe location and installation technique but here are some things to consider.

There is normally a metal, plastic or rubber flashing piece that fits around the vent pipe and includes a riser piece around the pipe that comes up some distance from the roof surface. If this item is torn, rusted through or cracked it may really be necessary to replace it. The riser is either self sealing to the vent pipe, has a rubber gasket around the pipe to seal it or roofing cement is used to seal the riser/vent area.
The vent flashing piece is normally installed in such a way that it goes under the shingles on the up slope side. Roofing cement can be used under the shingle tabs on this up slope side to keep them glued to the flashing piece but if properly installed would not normally be necessary.
The vent flashing on the down slope side is installed over the top of the shingles. Roofing cement can be used under the flashing to seal against the shingles but in normal installations should not be necessary. On this exposed part of the flashing any exposed nails should be sealed with a dab of roof cement.

Here is what a typical vent installation looks like:

For your drywall issues - If the drywall material itself was not exposed to water for a long time and dried out quickly you are probably OK without having to replace it. If it had standing water laying on it for a longer period if time then the integrity of the paper material and the inner core may have been compromised. This will be noticeable if the drywall in the exposed area is sagging, has peeling cover paper or the gypsum material inside the drywall develops a crumbly texture. If the drywall has these degradation characteristics it would be necessary to cut out the areas that are affected and install a new piece. If having to do this cut a large enough area so you can either make the new joints at a ceiling joist or install 3/4 inch thick pine boards flat at the edge of the cut out area. You screw into these wood strips from both sides of the cutout area to hold the patch even and secure with the existing drywall edge.

The picture that you show is apparently where the water leaked into the crack between two sheets of the drywall. It wetted the drywall taping job on the finished side and it let go from the underlying drywall paper material. The proper way to fix this is to use a sharp razor knife to cut away the parts of the taping that have failed back to where the joint is still secure. When cutting use extreme care not to cut into the drywall paper itself. Then clean up the exposed joint area and apply new taping material in the joint area. The cleanup should include some sanding of the adjacent painted area to cut the gloss surface. I recommend the newest fiberglass web type tape with the self stick surface on one side. Install this tape material over the joint areas and out onto the existing ceiling surface by six to eight inches. Then use a wide taping knife to apply a new layer of drywall mud into the open seam and out onto the surrounding ceiling surface. The idea is to feather out the area from the patch out onto the adjacent surface. It is usually recommended to do this process in two or three thin coats instead of trying to do it all at once. Sand smooth as each coat has dried. I then recommend painting the new patch area with a good quality primer paint.

Next you will want to try to hide the patch. This requires trying to apply a replacement texture to the ceiling over the patch. For the type of texture showing in your photo I have had success applying a thinned drywall mud over the primed surface using a three inch paint roller with the longest knapp you can find. There are other techniques that can be tried as well including using a wet real sponge in thinned drywall mud. (It takes experimentation). After you get some kind of replacement texture in place then paint over it with another coat of primer. Finally you can arrange to repaint the ceiling to get a uniform finish.


Loud vibrating when using hot water! I recently moved into a new condo with 2 kitchen sinks -- a main one and one embedded in an island.  There's a lot going on under the main one -- the cold water is split so that it leads to the faucet and the fridge, hot water split to lead to the faucet and the dishwasher.

When I turn on the hot water all the way (so there's no cold water coming out at all) the valve under the sink starts to vibrate very loudly.  It sounds like a bad muffler!  And if I open up the doors under the sink I can see it vibrate very quickly.  It's hard to tell if the noise is coming from the water heater (which is right next to the kitchen) or the valve itself or maybe both.  If I twist the handle slightly to let some cold water out of the faucet too, then the vibrating and noise stop.

This does not happen on the other sink (which is on an island and has its own line).

Any idea why this might happen and want I can do to solve it?

This is most likely due to a partially closed shutoff valve under your sink. Most such valves are designed to stop water but not to just reduce the flow, so if the valve isn't fully opened, it may be partially obstructing the water flow in a way that generates lots of noise/vibration. So check the valves supplying hot water to your sink and make sure they're completely opened.


Can I split a 120 circuit from a 240 circuit when there is a neutral wire available? I have a 240 volt circuit feeding a water well and want to "split off" a 110 circuit for a light and small heater. The well has a safety break of 13.2 amps max.  The wire is apx. 100 feet long, 8/4 with a 20 amp breaker. Can I add a load center at the well, use a 20amp,240 volt breaker for the well, 15 amp breaker/120 volt outlet (or 2, 1 on each leg) utilizing the neutral wire back to the original load center.  Currently it is protected by a 20 amp breaker, will a 30 amp breaker be too too much for the 8/4 wire?
Thank you,

Assuming it's 8/4 copper wire, you could even use a 40A breaker to protect it - if aluminum wire, 30A.
You have a 4-wire feed, and you'll need to isolate the ground and neutral in the sub-panel. If your well casing is metallic, presumably it's already tied into the ground wire - if not, it should be (they make one heck of a ground rod.)


Ceiling fan and light on separate three way switches, code compliant? I am in a new-to-me house built in the 1970s.
We are on the 2014 NEC.

I have two long living rooms, one with the ceiling fan improperly wired, and one without a fan at all.

I would like to have in each room one ceiling fan with the fan and light controls separate. This is a common request and easy to find plans for. What I would like to do in addition is to have three way switches for both the fan and light. Imagine a long room with the fan in the middle and at each end a two gang box with one switch for fan and one for the light. This is not easy to find plans for.

I have drawn up a simple plan as to how to do this like simple 3-way switch wiring but don't know if this is acceptable.

Most of the things I have read to this point state that this is not OK as when only the fan or only the light is in use, some current would be flowing through the neutral wires in each cable between the three way switches, which is not allowed.

I am wondering if this wiring setup is compliant with the 2014 NEC.  If not, I ask why not, and what would be an appropriate way of wiring this.

The current source cable is at a wall switch box but could be moved to the ceiling fan box if necessary.

You have a rather...neutral problem on your hands

In your diagram, the neutrals in the two inter-box cables are connected in parallel.  This can be interpreted as a violation of 300.3(B) and 310.10(H) regarding current-carrying conductors in parallel outside the same sheathe or raceway.

In practice, what will happen is the parallel neutrals will create a magnetic field between them, which will heat any ferrous metals in that field to at least some degree.  This can make for a bad day when it's a bit of junction box between two knockouts that's getting toasty inside your wall!

Fixing this might be actually rather easy, though. One option would be to use a 14-2-2 from the fan/light back to the switch -- this allows the fan and light to be wired to their own neutrals, although you'd probably have to modify your fan to bring the light's neutral out separately to do this.  In this case, the fan-travelers and fan-neutral are in one 14-3 between the switches, while the light-travelers and light-neutral are in the other 14-3.

Of course, if you can run a conduit or listed surface raceway between the two boxes, then you can simply pull in whatever wires you need provided the conduit fill isn't exceeded.  There are also multi-wire metal clad cables available (with 6 wires or even more) that could be applied here if a conduit run is impractical, although you'd need to order them through an electrical supply house.


Kasa “Smart” Switch does not turn off the light My house has older wiring and a lot of stuff is rigged in a weird way.  When I installed the Kasa switch, I was careful to only connect black to black and white/neutral to neutral and ground to ground (green).  But i will confess to playing “wiring roulette” when I noticed that the lights came on, but would not turn off.
The old switch that was in there only has a black connection and works fine.   However, it appears to use the live load connection from two different conduits in the wall.
I have no idea how to connect the Kasa so that it will use these wires and “switch”.  It connects to the WiFi just fine, and as I said the lights are on but just won’t turn off .
Any help appreciated

I tried the solution provided and it didn’t turn on the light at all.  The old switch seems so simple, using only the black, but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.  The Kasa SmartSwitch was getting power and connected to my wifi, just didn’t control the light, on or off.   I put back the old switch the way it was, and it works just fine

The whites and greens are pretty straightforward.
However I believe this switch has two black wires.  One of them should be identified as "Line" or "Supply".
Also, 2 black wires went to the old switch.
I want you to connect the "Line" black wire to one of the 2 black wires that went to the switch - preferably the one that is nutted to other black wires.
Cap off the other 2 black wires (1 from switch 1 from wall).
Now, see if the smart switch will power up and identify itself on the Internet.  If it does, go to the next step.  If it doesn't, you got the wrong black wire.
Once the switch powers up, there you are with 2 black wires capped off and unconnected.  Connect them to each other and the light should now work.