Old wires in kitchen ceiling seem wrong. Any thoughts? Just bought a new replacement ceiling fan/light for kitchen in house we just bought, which was built in 1912 and has obviously had a wiring update, but many years ago.

I switched the wall switch off and snipped the wires leading from the ceiling to the old fixture. The electrical box is brown plastic. The cable coming into the box has a white sheath and a black and a white wire, plus a bare ground, which is bent back into the box but not connected to anything -- just touching air. The black lead, assumedly the hot,  is connected to two additional black wires. They are properly wire-screwed, although no electrician's tape was used.

The white lead, presumedly the common, is properly wire-screwed to a black wire. (But, again, no tape.) This black wire has a little band (label) around it which reads "0".  The two black wires connected to the black lead have bands reading "2" and "3". What do these numbers mean?

I used a voltage detector and all three wires caused the detector's light to illuminate and the tone to sound. HOWEVER, However, the black wire connected to the white lead caused the voltage detector to react the strongest. The other two black wires, connected to the black lead, caused lesser reactions by the detector, one a little stronger than the other. The detector is a Sperry 50-1000 volts, $17 pen type from Ace Hardware, The black wire that is connected to the apparently common (white) lead activates the detector from 8". The other two, which come off the black lead, must be in contact with the detector to trigger it.

The new light/fan has a black, a white and a blue wire.

I've installed several ceiling fan/lights previously, but have never been faced with the slightly clouded wire-color issue, nor with the bent back but not connected ground.

Any suggestions? Thans for you help.

The numbers are almost certainly a courtesy from the previous electrician -- odds are that the other end of each wire carries the same number, so if you have all the electrical boxes open you can confirm how things are connected without having to trace everything electrically. They may also correspond to that original electrician's notes on how this was going to be wired. They almost certainly do not mean anything else.

The bare safety-ground wire should have been connected to a ground screw on the fixture, at least until you clipped the wires.

If wire-nuts are installed properly, they don't need electrical tape to adequately secure and insulate the connections. Tape can sometimes be helpful, sometimes be an unnecessary nuisance. Unless there's something odd about local code, not being taped is fine.

CHECK THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE FAN, but GENERALLY SPEAKING, the black/blue/white color coding on fans is that white is neutral, black is hot for one part of the device (eg the fan) and blue is hot for the other part of the device (the light). That permits turning these on and off independently from the wall switches, if the necessary wires and switches have been installed to do so. If you're replacing an existing light that only had a single switched circuit available, both blue and black from the fan get connected to black (hot) from the ceiling, and if you want independent control you use the pull-chain switches on the fan and its light fixture.

(If your fan doesn't have a light fixture installed, that can generally be added later quite easily; wiring both hots now means you don't have to open the ceiling again if you decide you do want a light there.)

Exception: If you were installing a wireless remote control -- again check the instructions that came with it -- that generally installs between the hot from the ceiling and the two hots to the fan and light, so it can provide independent control even if there's only one hot coming from the wall switch.


How to safely wire fluorescent lighting with three prong plug on the ceiling? Recently moved in to a new workspace with some very funky wiring.
Basically, there is a flourescent light installed overhead with a three prong plug. That plug goes to a power strip also attached to the ceiling - which in turn is connected to an extension cord running to an outlet at the floor.

Any advice on how to make this safer would be greatly appreciated. I am a total newbie.

Extension cords are not supposed to be used for permanent fixtures. These fixtures are supposed to be hard wired or directly plugged into a permanent outlet.

A common approach to solve this problem would be to install a switched outlet on the ceiling near the fluorescent lights. In many jurisdictions, you could use non-metallic cable to run the outlet and the switch. In some, you might have to either snake the cables in the wall or use surface raceways.

You could ask your landlord to make this change. Good luck.

Reducing the number of extension connections would somewhat improve safety, and ensuring that cords are not dangling in walking space or prone to being pulled or tripped over would reduce risk. One extension cord to the fixture is better than a cord and a power strip. Also make sure that any extension cord is three wire. DO NOT BYPASS THE GROUND PIN! But any of these patches are less than what is considered safe practice.

At very least, you may want to install a GFCI outlet wherever the cords are ultimately plugged in. This would provide some protection in the event of failure of the fixture or the cords.


Craftsman 917 Riding Lawnmower Not Starting I have a Craftsman 917 series riding mower that I purchased last year.  It ran fine for the first month or so but after that it was intermittently having issues starting.  I noticed the connections on the ignition switch were loose and rusty so I replaced the connectors.  Now I am not able to get the starter to engage via the ignition switch but I can get it to crank (but not start) when I apply power directly to the starter.  I am not sure if the issue is in the switch/wiring or if its somewhere else in the line of startup processes.  I was able to get it started a few weeks ago and it died out after about a minute of running.  I verified that fuel was making it past the filter so I do not think that is an issue.  I used the wiring schematic from the manual as a guide when replacing the connectors.  Any thoughts on how I can determine what the issue is?  I would like to temporarily disable all the safety switches to see if there is an issue there but I am not sure how to do so.  Can I just remove the connections from the ignition switch?  ( I think it would be A1 & A2)

So I was able to get it started by connecting directly to the starter but when the clutch/brake pedal was released it died so I must have either a crossed wire or bad relay somewhere


Why are ungrounded GFCIs required to be labeled? I discovered in my new house that someone had incorrectly connected grounded outlets (without any ground connected) to the knob and tube wiring.  I have read that the outlets can be made safe by adding a GFCI upstream.

However, electrical code requires that any ungrounded GFCI be labeled "No Equipment Ground."  Why is this?  What consequences as a homeowner do I need to be aware of to the lack of ground connection?  Are there certain devices I shouldn't use on this circuit?

Some surge suppressors dump surges to the grounding conductor, some audio video equipment requires a grounding conductor, some "smart" devices trickle current to the grounding conductor, etc.

It also notifies folks doing work in this box in the future, that they shouldn't expect to connect the grounding conductor. The label is also applied to all other outlets supplied by the GFCI, since it may not be obvious in remote boxes what's going on.


Repairing improperly installed flashing I am in the process of buying a house that has a roof with improperly installed flashing:

As you can see from the image, the flashing was installed on top of the shingles instead of underneath them. Our inspector said we would probably need a new roof within a couple of years and we can't afford to have it professionally reinstalled right now anyway, so I'd like to at least seal it up until we can replace the whole roof.

My plan right now is to fill the space under the flashing with some roof sealant like this PL S30 10 Black Polyurethane Roof and Flashing Sealant from Loctite.

Is this a reasonable temporary solution to waterproof it until we can have the roof properly replaced?

Since the flashing is there and will trap water your choice is a good one or a Henery's or Black Jack roofing product will seal the edge so water doesn't get trapped. I would go with the least expensive since they will all last longer than the time your inspector said was left on the life of the roof. Not much water will go to the side but wind can push it under and then it is trapped.From what I see in the photo the roof looks to have quite a few years left.


How should I level the ground for my above ground pool? In my area we get about 3.5 seasons hot enough to swim and I have a limited budget. What I have been doing is setting up an inflatable ring pool (14' x 3.5') to cool off in. The problem is my yard has a slope. My strategy is good I think. I place a board in the middle on a 2.5' bolt and try to work around with a level, digging the high areas and building the low areas and adding lots of play sand. See the images for examples.

My problem is the far side (where the wall is) always compresses and the pool leans as you can see in the third image. I am constantly afraid a kid will kick against that wall after the water is high and the whole thing will just roll down the hill.

What should I do that could solve this issue for less than $100?

You should dig down on the high side, instead of building up the low side. Or build up the low side in a more sound manner, though that will likely cost more than $100.


Securing slate decoration to a door I have a decorative piece of slate that I'd like to stick on my front door with a piece of chalk for neighbors to leave a note when I'm not around.

I'd rather not cause a lot of damage to the door, so ideally it would stick on with 3M pull tab adhesives.

My door is a 'santa fe' with grooves that run vertically, about half an inch deep.

Here's a closeup of the grooves.

The slate weigh's about three lbs, and measures 7" tall x 13" wide x 1/4" thick.

I tried this before with JUST pull tabs, and it held..... until I shut the door and it fell and shattered.

I think the problem is that the surface of slate is too irregular and slippery to work with the 3M command adhesive.

One thought I had was using an epoxy on the back to attach a smooth metal plate with eyelets for a wire to the back, then the tiniest nails I could find, put in to the door in the grooves at an angle. Maybe add rubber feet to the back of the metal plate to decrease bounce and swing when the door moves.

Or perhaps some corrugated plastic would be nice because it's lighter, and I could push the nail heads into it.

I'm in the Midwest.  Environmentally, my climate does freeze in the winter.  We usually hit 0 deg F a few times.  In the summer it gets up to 100 deg F.  The porch is covered, but there are storms half a dozen times a year where rain and high wind will soak the full height of the door.  The door is only 4 foot above ground level, but I have to consider the effect of wind blowing the thing around.

I am fine with modifying/altering the decoration in permanent ways.
I would like to minimize any permanent alterations to the door if they
would require any repair work to return the door to original
condition.
I want to be very sure that the decoration will not fall off unintentionally.

What's the best way I could attach this slate to my door with minimal damage?

Some Tips On How To Hang Almost Anything.

Suspend your slate  from the top of the door frame and avoid making unsightly holes. Cut a 3-inch-wide satin or grosgrain ribbon long enough, when doubled, to hang slate at the desired height.  Join ends, and fold them over 1/2 inch.

Sight Line

Hang it using invisible mono filament or fishing line instead of ribbon -- 5- to 10-pound test line should suffice, depending on the  weight. Tie or wrap the line around a flat-head nail on top of the door before hammering the nail down.Use a couple of flat-head tacks or a nail to attach the ribbon ends to the door top.

Up and Over

As the name suggests, an over-the-door  hanger simply hooks in place over the door. The hanger may not bring the decoration low enough, however, on a very tall door. If a long, sturdy hanger designed for large decorations doesn't bring it to eye level, use wide ribbon as an extension. Alternatively, make your own custom-sized over-the-door hanger using sheet metal, if you're metal-work savvy. File and sand the edges smooth, so they're hand and door safe. Use metal crimps to form the basic square folds for over the door, and the hook-like folds to hold the decoration.

How to Hang Heavy Items Without a Stud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SSJaO3gVPE

USING A DISC HANGER

Disc hangers are my go to for many items.  They were originally designed for plates, but I have been attaching them to assortment of things for years – most specifically my trays in my dining room.

They can be used on plates, trays, wood, any quirky item – you just need a clean smooth surface.  There are different sizes for different weights.

Start with a clean surface, then wet the back of the disc, wait about a minute (instructions are on the back).  Apply to your item, paying attention to where the hook is going to be – make sure it is not sticking out the top.  Here is the hard part – you really do need to wait over night for it to dry, or at least several hours(not my strong suit) for it to have a good hold.  Then, just use the same principals as hanging a framed picture and you are done.  The best part, if you change your mind and no longer want to hang it on the wall – you simply wet it again to remove it.

The disc hangers can be found at craft stores.

HEAVY HITTER – FRENCH CLEATS

When I have something heavy to hang – my go to is always a pair of French cleats.  These can be found big box hardware stores where you find picture hanging hardware

Each set has two pieces – one for the wall, one for the item – follow the diagrams on the package!  I used these to hang my daughter’s headboard, heavier artwork – and in this case – the tray being used as shelf.  I wanted to be able to put whatever I wanted in and on top of the tray – and not have to worry about weight and stability – especially since there is a glass table below it.

The cleats can be a bit pricey – but I think worth the investment of the peace of mind of not worrying about your item falling to the ground.

Step 1 – Start on the wall and find at least one stud that lines up with where you want your item to be.  If you can find two – that is even better.  The stud almost never ends up centered on the item.  If it did, you could use one and call it a day.  But to make sure it is balanced – I use two making sure at least one screw is in a stud.  For this shelf, I hit two studs, but not centered on the item.  Do some math.  Figure out placement so that you maximize the studs and then distribute the two out over the width of the item.

Step 2: Since the cleat is wider than the stud – you will need to use wall anchors for the second screw.  Drill pilot holes for the screw and wall anchor, insert your anchor and use a drill to attach the screws.  There is a level included in the cleat that guides you to keep it level (the wall anchors are usually included with the cleat).  There is also a level in the part that goes on the wall to ensure that you hang each one straight.

Step 3: Use a level between the two cleats to make sure that they are level with each other.  Repeat step 2 for the second cleat.

Step 4: Measure the distance between your cleats on the wall, and work in replica to attach the other half to your item with the included screws (drill a pilot hole first so you do not split the wood).

Step 5: Hang your item on the cleats.  The best part is you have some flexibility of moving the item left to right without compromising the ability to hold too much.

3M COMMAND ADHESIVE, HOOKS AND PICTURE HANGERS

There are a ton of3M Command products out there not that not only allow you hang things without putting a whole in the wall, but provide solutions for items that are challenging to hang.  This is one of my favorite and most sought out solutions.

In this case, I used single, two sided ones to attach a wood paddle to my wall in the kitchen.  But there are ones that you attach to the wall and to the item – and then they attach with Velcro.  The Velcro also allows you to re position things slightly as well.  I have used this on trays, small canvases and small frames.  They are definitely suited for lighter items.

RIBBON

Sometimes, it can just be simple.   I threaded a ribbon in the same color, for camouflage and hang it on a nail – done!

HOOKS

Sometimes the hanging method can actually be part of the display.  In these there cases I had heavy items that needed something substantial.  I decided to embrace that and use a vintage decorative hook to hang them.   I spaced things so that they one screw is in a stud.  For keys, I use wall anchors to screw into.

PICTURE WIRE

Sometimes, something that is not a picture frame, can be treated like one. When want to screw anything larger than an eye hole screw into it – one because it might  come through, two because  it could split the wood and three because you wont  be able to change your mind and take it out later if you choose to.

3M Command would not be strong enough if it is a heavy  item.

For this case, You should add the eye hole screws and run picture wire between.  Using the same principals of step 1.
NAILS

Sometimes it is as easy as a simple nail.  Position, the item – tap in a nail, hang it – done!

This is my own idea ,but I was thinking you could use a glue gun and on the back of your slate attach a few hanging loops,the more you put on the back of the slate the more it will distribute the weight and then you could glue a hook on your front door and attach it that way..The glue used in a glue gun is very strong and it is easily removed.I have never tried this but it might work for you.


Drainage on Pier and Beam House We live in Argyle TX and have a 42 yr old pier and beam house sitting at the bottom of a hill. I have called several people out for professional help and they want $5000 to $7000 to regrade put in French drains etc. I thought I could just create a swale and make a dry creek bed going around the house and directed down the hill more simply bit was concerned about how high is safe to build up on house side I'm assuming stay just below brick line?

I would avoid adding soil next to the foundation and instead focus on removing soil to make a swale 4 ft or so away from the foundation. For termite resistance it is best to keep the soil level at least 6 inches below the sill plate, and more is better.

I think a swale and dry creek bed are excellent solutions. If the topology allows it, they are preferred over underground drains.

Swales are much more in the province of a DIYer than are underground drains. I solved a neighbor's serious drainage problem with 8 hrs of work on my part using a mattock, shovel and wheelbarrow.

EDIT It could be that after a rain the water table around this house rises to ground level or above.  If this is the case, then true French drains would be necessary to drain the soil.


Grandfather old code during renovations? During renovations of a residential house when does new code apply or can grandfather the old code in.

I.e kitchen has awkward layout and not that practical to change.

Context: Kitchen landing spacings on each side of oven

It depends on the jurisdiction, my state I can move an outlet up to 6’ without having to update to current code. Even with the kitchen walls open I don’t have to update 3 wire range receptacles unless the panel is on a common wall with the range on that wall.

we need to under stand that updating surface finish (no structural changes) this is not a “remodel” but is redecorating, permits are not usually required for redecorating but they usually are for remodeling.

So it depends on the jurisdiction, new cabinets many call remodeling but it is truly redecorating.


Refinishing Outdoor Wood Table About 3 years ago I built an outdoor patio table from home depot pressure treated lumber. I walnut stained it and applied 3 layers of Helmsman spar urethane. It looks like the sun/rain has worn down the urethane finish so it's time to re-apply. It even looks like some of the stain is fading. I've never refinished wood like this so I have a few questions, which I think I know the answers for, just looking for anyone with more experience to confirm.

Is it right to stick with the same spar urethane or should I consider an alternative? (I think the same)
Should I expect a fresh coat of urethane to give the stain a more even finish, or do I just need to re-stain first? (I think I need to re-stain, I just don't want to)
How many coats of urethane should I do?  Should I expect another 3 coats to last me another 3 years?  If I only do 1 coat, will I need to refinish sooner, maybe in 1 year? (I think 3 coats would offer the longest durability)
How should I prep the surface before refinishing? I've read to lightly sand.  If I'm not re-staining, does that mean to hand sand just enough to not remove any stain? Is that even possible? After sanding, I expect the surface will be gritty from what sanding breaks loose.  Is it important to thoroughly clean all the grit off before applying the finish? (Was thinking to use one of those fine sponge hand sanders while trying to preserve the stain, and use simple green to clean)
Is sanding between each coat of urethane really necessary? Does the same apply for cleaning the surface after sanding and before the next coat? (Probably yes)
If I do re-stain, do I need to sand the surface down to bare wood? (Probably yes)

"...stick with the same spar urethane...?"

YES

  "Should I expect a fresh coat of urethane to give the stain a more even finish"?

KINDA The spar varnish will slightly darken everything, making the wood look like it would look if wet. Take a damp sponge to it to see if you like the look.

  "do I just need to re-stain first?"

SEE ABOVE

  "How many coats of urethane should I do?"

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS I usually start with a coat that has been thinned a bit, to facilitate penetration, then follow up with 2 coats.

  "Should I expect... 3 coats to last... 3 years?"

DEPENDS There are so many variables that affect finish longevity... but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect to get 3 years out of it. I would plan on giving it a "freshen-up" coat every year.

  "How should I prep the surface before refinishing?"

Hand or machine sand lightly with fine grit paper. make sure any bubbled up, cracked, peeling, flaking finish is removed and the surface is smooth.

  "Is it important to thoroughly clean all the grit off before applying the finish?"

YES Blow or sweep off the table when done with prep, then wipe it down with a damp cloth. Any debris left on the surface will end up in the finish.

  "Is sanding between each coat of urethane really necessary? Does the same apply for cleaning the surface after sanding and before the next coat?"

YES Follow directions

  "If I... re-stain, do I need to sand the surface down to bare wood?"

PROBABLY NOT Whether or not you need to sand at all prior to staining depends on whether the old finish prevents stain penetration. If the stain penetrates, no sanding required. I would recommend an initial fine sand prior to checking for stain penetration (if you decide it needs to be stained, I kinda like it as it is).


How do I tune a Bandsaw so the blade doesn't drift? I just bought a 9-inch Delta bandsaw and I know there are some things you have to do to get it tuned right so the blade doesn't drift etc., but I have no idea what those are.  What are some tips I should follow to get this tuned correctly?

The users manual for the saw should have all the information you need to get the saw setup. This is important because each model of saw will have different guidelines. If it is new saw such manual should have been in the box with the unit.

For a used saw that you purchased at some auction, sale or craig's listing there was not likely a users manual delivered with the unit.  :^(

There is help available on line though. Do a search on "Delta Bandsaw Users Manual" will turn up a good bit of information.

One link I found was here.

Key items that they list that would be applicable to band saws:

Ensure the blade is the correct length
Make sure the teeth are pointing in the right direction (up/down) when blade is installed.
Set the tension levers to apply tension to the blade
Hand rotate the tires that the blade rotates on to see if the blade tracks and centers.
If there problem then check the blade tension and adjust if necessary
Finally if the blade seems to want to come off the wheels it will be necessary adjust the coplanarity of the wheels to make sure that they are correct.


How can I tell if an appliance is grounded? We're doing some kitchen remodeling in our 100-year-old home and came across some very sketchy wiring hidden in the soffit. There is never any current running through the junction, and because there is only the white wire connected, we suspect that the two wires were spliced together during slapdash renovations earlier in order to ground an outlet/appliance somewhere.

We disconnected the junction and tested all the grounded outlets in the house (not many of 'em here) - nothing has changed, everything's still grounded. How can we test our appliances to see whether they're still grounded or not?

If you have a known good ground nearby (or can get one by using an extension cord), you can check that the appliance plug (if it has one) or its chassis has continuity to ground using a multimeter.

In resistance mode (measuring Ω), you should read 0Ω (or very close).

Note that that will only tell you that it's connected, not that it's adequate for the load: the ground wire should be as big as the hot, because it will have to carry the current if it's ever needed. There's not a way to test that, that I know of, you just have to inspect the wiring. I'd definitely be highly wary of a random wire connected as you've shown being used as a ground.


What’s the best type of durable caulk to use for stairs? I just finished installing the treads and risers and need to caulk. I’m looking for the most durable caulk type - something that wont peel in a few years.
I’ve been trying to research the best for this application, but having a hard time deciding. This list made it even more confusing.
Price is not an issue, looking for one with the longest life.
My stairs are a combination of laminate and painted board

Use the picture below as a guide:

You can caulk above and in the middle of the trim pieces on the side - in yellow.
the appropriate caulk here is the DAP Alex Plus.   Yes going there because I use this caulk because it settles with the smallest bead possible and it is a nice white.   I am sure there are others just as good, this is what we use.
You make the yellow beads as small as possible.   When I caulk trim like this you would have to get on your hands and knees inches away and inspect to see that caulk was used.
The red areas - DANGER - do not caulk these
If you had to take one picture - a snapshot - yes if you caulked them the picture might look slightly better.   But with people bouncing on the stairs, people with dirty feet and shoes... Caulking here will be an eyesore in a month or two.
Caulking stairs in the redzone is literally one of the biggest tells of a "bad flipper"
your stairs look great.   When you do something that turns out well, leave it alone.

Side Note: Those stairs can last a long time but laminate covering will wear really quick on stair nose if people are wearing shoes.   Also laminate is really bad taking metal rubbing against it.   So if moving a shelf put a blanket or rug on stairs for protection.


How would I convert a wood burning fireplace to gas? I have an insert that we use as a wood burning fireplace.  It would be fairly easy to run a natural gas line under the house to the location of the fireplace.  I would like to convert the wood burning to a gas fireplace.

The plumbing is not that hard, but you'll need a new fireplace and a new stove.

See if it's legal to use flexible corrugated line where you live. It's covered in a yellow plastic jacket. Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST).

It'll be MUCH easier to install, plus under a house where there is moisture it'll hold up better.


Should I get a structural engineer to inspect? The main carrying beam of our recently purchased 105 year old house is slightly rotated and seems to be putting more pressure on one side of the house. There is a vertical crack on both sides of the foundation (front and back of the house) stemming from the corner of the beam pocket on the side the beam is rotated towards. The cracks are not wide, but it's still concerning to me. Anyone else have similar experience or advice on how to proceed? Pictures of the back wall of the foundation(inside and outside)

Struc Engineer here and I have done a lot of foundation and as-built framing inspections.

Beam

The twisting of the beam is not an issue (based on the pictures and your comments).

Crack

The crack in the concrete of the foundation, which is wider at the top than the bottom, is caused by settling of the foundation in the one of the two adjoining corners. If you are on a hill or slope, then it is most likely on the downhill/downslope side. I expect the settlement is occurring to the left in the picture due to the crack being located on the left side of the beam pocket

Foundation settlement can also be caused by downspouts draining at the foundation or a lack of a curtain drain as well as other reason

Unless very recent, it can be very difficult to determine the age of a crack, especially via pictures. I can sometimes get a good feel about it onsite by close visual inspection of the interior of the crack as well from information that I would determine from the site and the history of the structure from the owner if possible

Is it a problem?

Yes, if it continues

Is it continuing?

That requires a site visit by a local structural engineer to determine

How fast is it occurring / how soon do I need to address it?

This is usually a relatively slow process and having an it inspected immediately is not necessary. However, as it continues to settle it will cause more issues in your house

How to mitigate it?

There are various methods, including 'pin piles' which is basically pipes driven into the ground with a bracket attached to the foundation, the load is carried by the pile rather than be the earth immediately under the footing

What do I recommend that you do?

Hire a local structural engineer to do a site visit by the end of the summer

Any tips?

Hire a smaller firm for better rates. They are also likely to have more experience in this area as the larger firms tend to deal with multifamily, commercial, etc


How can I cut 4x4 posts that are already mounted? I'm in the process of installing a handrail here and the former owner put these pressure-treated 4x4 posts without cutting them first. They're in the ground already and need to be cut at the correct height to where the railing itself will be attached.
Should I use a circular saw or something to cut from both sides?  I already know it won't cut through with just one swipe on one side.  Or maybe a good hacksaw or something?  Thanks.

It's common practice to set posts and trim them to height later. It's more difficult than you might think to set a post to a perfect height, and you don't always have the angles in advance..
Our strategy was to strike a line all the way around using a carpenter's square, then cut from all sides with a standard circular saw (four sides for level cuts, two for angles, or all four if you set the table angle). Be careful to hit the marks accurately. This leaves you with about a 3/4" square or strip in the center that you'd cut with a hand saw or reciprocating saw.
If you do this carefully there's not much left to clean up. If you miss a bit you'll have some sanding to do.


Should I connect or remove the paper insulation layer on wires when installing a new plug? I have 12/2 600v cable i need to splice into a plug but it has paper and a cloth like materials in the cable with the wire. Do I need to connect the cloth and paper to ground or just take them off and connect my black and white to the plug in order to create a complete cable with the plug?

Cloth and paper do not conduct electricity, so there is no use connecting them to any terminal. Simply snip them back.

If you bought 12/2 cable which is line cord specifically made to be cordage, it won't have a ground.

If you bought 12/2 NM cable, that will have a ground, but it is NOT to be used as cordage and should not be connected to a plug.


How do I safely get glue off of wood that's to be stained? I'm building a closet and I've just made doors for it. It's red oak wood with a rail & stile construction and raised  panels. I was a little careless and some of the wood glue (Titebond) escaped through the joints and are visible outside (see the picture on the right).

Normally, I would just sand it off if it was on a flat surface, but given that they're in the corners (and a little on the sides), it'll be harder to sand without gouging. I plan on staining it and am wondering what would be the best approach to removing the glue so that the wood will absorb the stain without any patchiness.

I was thinking that some cotton wool lightly dipped in mineral spirits should be sufficient to remove the glue, without any effect on the wood. Is this a good approach? Are there alternatives to this?

Mineral spirits should work.  If not, I would use Goof Off (or similiar).  There's lots of glue solvents, and wood glue should be pretty easy for any of them to handle.  I think it would dissolve right off, but I'd probably test it on any scrap red oak you have just to make sure it doesn't discolor.

Cotton may work, but I wouldn't be afraid to use a fine steel wool here, probably 000 like you would use for finishing polyurethane.


White scratches/spots on wood furniture- how to fix? Can anyone identify what the white marks are on this wood table?  And how to remove?  I’ve tried Murphy’s Oil Soap and no change.

I can't identify what the white marks are, but I can suggest some ways of covering it up.

If you have a can of brown shoe polish, you can rub some of that onto the wood and it will help cover up the white marks. Personally, I don't like doing this because shoe polish is wax based and can leave residue that won't absorb stain if you want to refinish the wood later.

The next easiest option is to buy a bottle of Old English Scratch Cover For Dark Woods. I use it at home and it works well for stuff like this. My biggest complaint about this product is that it doesn't last more than a year. It seems to fade over time and you have to reapply it.

Another option short of refinishing the wood is to buy a liquid stain that matches from the hardware store. You can apply it to the marks and then immediately wipe it off. You don't have to apply a wood sealer on top, but if you do it will last longer.

If you find that the white marks don't absorb anything and seem to be on top of the wood instead of inside of the finish, then you can try removing them with a scouring pad or some fine 360-600 grit sandpaper and retry one of the steps above again.

If this doesn't work, then you might be looking at refinishing the wood. This would mean sanding the top layer of wood off, staining, and then sealing with a polyurethane/polycrylic (read the stain's instructions for which sealer it recommends.)


How to open a door that has the insides of a door handle inside without a door knob Currently this is what my doorknob looks like below

I was trying to change out my doorknob and left both sides inside of the room but the AC kicked on and shut the door on me and now I am stuck outside of the room. I was wondering how I could I open the door?

See the lock insides? That's a metal sleeve, with an inside sliding piece. That inside sliding piece is connected to the latch bolt. Push it to the left, and voila!

Some additional details. This is what you see when you remove the knobs, shaft and escutcheons from a knob set. The central shaft, which is has a flat, vertical cross-section, goes through that D-shaped hole. Turn a knob either way, and the top or bottom edge of the bar pushes against that sliding piece to open the latch. (Hence bib's suggestion of using a large screwdriver to act as that shaft.)

I believe the smaller hole on the right is for a lock. Push a button on the (interior?) escutcheon and a round shaft is pushed into that hole, preventing the sliding piece from sliding. Low-tech, but quite functional.


Excessive Grease in Above Stove Microwave This weekend the wife and I replaced an above the stove Microwave that was installed 10 years previous when the house was constructed.  It was supposed to vent to the outside.

Over the years I was not confident of the installation as grease would appear in small amounts on the vents of the Microwave.  When I took the old one down, I did not note the interface with the outside vent so I cannot comment on that.  However, there was a lot of grease on the inside, outside, and against the wall that was hidden by the unit.  I was a bit surprised that there was not some sort of fire.

As some of you well know, when installing such a unit, one may have to rotate the exhaust fans on a unit so the air blows out in the correct direction.  The old unit was in the correct direction.

The new unit included a damper, that we installed.  The old unit did not have one.

So my question is:  Is such build up normal over 10 years?  Should I conclude that the unit was not installed well and that lead to the build up?

As I said we installed the damper.  We also removed all of the old tape from the vent duct to where it would sit on the microwave.  My wife (smaller hands then mine) then added new layers of what I can only describe as aluminum foil tape to the interface.  She tested, by turning on the fan, that there was no leakage.

Should this prevent most of the build up problems?

For what it is worth, we do eat pretty healthy.  However, this house had 6 teenagers in it at one time and often saw dinners and breakfasts with over 20 people.  So even having bacon occasionally let to a lot of bacon cooked!

Cleaning the traps often is another way of dealing with this problem.  If you are going to cook with a lot of grease or oil this will happen.

If you can remove the traps easily then soak them in Dawn dishwashing soap (and hot water) or 409 Cleaner.  I have used both and they work.  Let the traps soak in either one for awhile to eat away the built up grease, then rinse with hot water and let air dry.

Or just change cooking habits.  Less Oil/Grease and go to steaming.
Good luck.


Home AC Filter Location and Half Inch Sizes Our home AC system allows us to put a filter either in the ceiling intake or directly under the air handler intake.  I feel the ceiling intake may be better because more debris will be trapped before it gets into the air return duct work. Is a filter at the ceiling intake or the air handler intake location better?
We have been using an 18x30 filter in our ceiling intake, but the filters keep getting bent and sucked into the intake. The actual intake hole measures 18x30 and the filters are 17.5x29.5 and they just don’t fit very snug. We seem to remember when we originally moved into the house it had a filter that was 18.5 x 30.5, but that does not seem to be a standard filter size. Is 18.5 x 30.5 a standard size?
I was thinking get a cheap cut-to-fit "blue" filter to catch the large debris at the ceiling intake to solve our size issue and use a better quality filter at the air handler intake to catch the smaller particles. Is this double filtering too much air flow restriction?

There is no advantage of one location over the other, it's all the same air moving through.
Generally there is a bracket or sometimes just a steel rod that is jammed across the opening to prevent the filter from getting sucked in. Maybe yours got lost along the way? Mine did, so I just bought a piece of steel rod and cut it larger than the opening so that I wedge it in diagonally to hold the filter in.


Do I need AFCI protection on new lighting circuits or just for outlets? I am in the process of re-wiring a 100 year old house. I want to make sure everything is done to the new NEC codes. I need to know if arc fault protection is required on lighting circuits or just outlets. I live in a very small town and we share a building inspector with several cities in the county I live in. So I can't call him. He is on vacation for a couple weeks and was hoping to continue my project instead of waiting for him to return

You may be thinking of GFCI, whose purpose is to protect humans from shocks, and is mostly relevant on receptacles.

The purpose of AFCI is to protect structures from bad wiring by tripping when wires arc from a bad connection.   That is relevant anywhere there is wiring.   In fact, it's a pretty good substitute for rewiring buildings with problem wiring, such as really old houses or those with aluminum.  They would not be useless on lighting circuits.

Anyway, NEC 2014 requires AFCI for all outlets in bedrooms and many other habitable rooms.   The word "outlet" in NEC connotes any appliance that is served by electricity, including installed laods like lights, smart switches and the like.  This applies to new construction and remodels, not minor work.

In my opinion, the urgency for AFCIs in new construction largely relates to builders' love of very cheap parts and wiring methods, and I'm specifically talking about backstabs.  Though receptacles which wholesale for 38 cents each aren't helping.

You can haggle with your AHJ (the inspector) about whether AFCIs are needed for a panel upgrade.  I would want to add AFCIs because it would mean I would then feel comfortable not replacing the old wiring.


Replace Over the range microwave with hood I currently have a ductless over the range microwave. It's too close to the range. The heat from the range is melting the microwave handle. I want to remove the microwave and cabinet and replace it with range hood. I've already ordered 30" 900CFM hood. Problem is that there is no duct work at the moment and I have not done duct work before but I can't imagine it being that hard.

My situation is that right behind the kitchen is my sunroom so I can't use that route. Right Above the cabinet is the attic. Should I vent it through the roof or the side wall? If I vent through the roof, the distance between the ceiling and the roof will probably be 2-3 feet. If I use the side wall, I would need use a 90" elbow and from the elbow, the wall will be about 10 ft away. Here is the picture maybe there is another way that I can't think of? The sidewall I'm talking about is to the right of this picture. My Ceiling height is about 8ft.

Manufacturers will generally direct the installer to minimize the number of elbows and transitions, example:

There should be no problem installing it whichever way is easier for you as long as you follow recommendations and restrictions in the manufacturer's installation instructions and any other direction from your permitting authorities (if you are pulling a permit...)

I would recommend that you retrieve the installation details from your chosen appliance supplier or manufacturer, before you actually purchase the unit, so you can ensure that you are prepared to install it properly.


3-way switch wired with jumper between load and traveller Background -- I've been replacing all the switches in my house with casetta smart switches. On 3-ways, I've been abandoning one of the switches and replacing with the lutron remote controls. The original/builder/owner of this house was an electrician and wired it himself, so he did a few odd/shortcut things.

Today I came across a strangely wired 3-way that I'm not sure what to do with. The existing 3-way switch feeding the load had a jumper between one of the travelers and the load (not sure what the point of this would be). On the source side switch, when I connect either of the travelers to the line, both travelers (on both switch sides, with the wires disconnected) become energized. I'm not sure what to make of that.

On the source side, I've wired the casetta with the line, one of the travelers, neutral and ground, leaving one traveler energized but abandoned/capped. The load switch/fixture works regardless of whether I nut together the load with either of the travelers or all 3 together. Does what I've done/any of this sound unsafe? Really not sure what to make of the extra hot traveler.

this is the supply box - the 2 blacks in the middle are the line. Black and red above/below are from the same cable and are the assumed travelers.

this is the box supplying the fixture. bottom black is the load, other 2 are the travelers.

The traveler isn't really hot unless it's wired to something

That 26V you are measuring isn't a sign that some weird wiring is making the other traveler hot.  It's actually a phantom voltage caused by capacitive coupling from the wired traveler to the unwired traveler -- your meter is high-impedance enough to see it, but since only a tiny current can flow through the small inter-wire capacitance that is coupling this voltage over, it can't actually deliver power, and should be treated as not-live for wiring's sake.

Since you have the wires sorted out at this point, you should be able to wire the Caseta as a 3-way according to Lutron's instructions on the topic, which require connecting the mechanical switch at the other end from the junction of the load wire (ex-traveler) from the Caseta with the wire powering the load to the other ex-traveler, which then connects to the traveler wire on the Caseta itself, assuming you have a model of the Caseta that supports multi-way switching using a mechanical switch.


How do I wire this ceiling lamp? I have this metal ceiling lamp but it have two earth wires, one for the holder on the ceiling and one for the cover of the bulb, and I don't know if I have to connect them to the house wires or just leave them... can you explain me what to do with them?

You're meant to wire nut both fixture grounds together, and connected them to the 3rd wire ground on the circuit.


Why is my wiring hooked up like this Some background:  I wanted to replace a light fixture but I wanted it to be lower than the previous one so I had to move the wires but when I cut away the wall I saw there was a lot more going on than the wire for the previous light fixture.  There are 4 sets of wires going into this box from the back plus another grey one (lower right in picture) that is now disconnected since the wire nuts came apart when I started moving it.

Here's a picture

I tried to draw a color line to help differentiate the wires.

The wire coming in from the upper left is from the light switch.  As you can see the black wire is by itself and just goes to the light fixture.  However the white wire goes to where all the other black wires are spliced together.  The white wire from the light fixture itself goes to where all the other white wires are spliced together.  I opened my light switch plate and the switch has a white wire and black wire connected to it (sorry I forgot to take a picture behind the switch before I put it back together).

The house is at least 50 years old so it isn't too surprising that the wiring is a bit weird.

Why is it this way and not the way this guy does it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSyzLNUoGus

Also, what's the best way to put this back together so it's safe?

**For what it's worth, there was tape wrapped around the splice on the left side of the green line but no cap.

The video is wired differently, because the power (feed) goes to the switch first in that situation.  In your situation, the power (feed) is at the light.

In your box, the feed comes in and the white grounded (neutral) conductor is connected to the grounded (neutral) conductor of the light, and presumably a feed to another branch of the circuit. The black ungrounded (hot) conductor is connected to a feed to the switch (white wire), and again presumably a feed to another branch.  The other conductor from the switch (black wire), is attached to the ungrounded (hot) conductor of the light.

If you follow the circuit, power comes in to the box and goes to the switch. When the switch is closed, power comes back to the light. Once through the light, the circuit is completed back to the "neutral" wire.

To make this installation safe. Use twist-on wire connectors to make; and insulate, all connections.


My vacuum(s) cannot be pushed on my newly installed carpet We just had Innovia carpet (Carpet One) installed and when my wife tried to vacuum she could not push the vacuum over the carpet, seemed to suck up into the vacuum.  This was a Shark.  She then tried to use an old, height adjustable Hoover and had the same result.  A friend of mine, who used to install carpet, said it may not have been stretched properly.  Is this true?

Try going at it from a different direction. I have a low-pile rug that refuses to be vacuumed from one direction. Even while it's off, you can't push it that way.

Also, try pulling and never pushing; tip it up to advance, then let it touch down and pull backwards. Again, one direction is probably easier than the other.

If it wasn't stretched well, you'd probably be bunching it up just walking on it, so I think you'd know. Stomp your way towards a wall, if it bunches up, it's not stretched right.


Scientifically speaking, how and why does sweating (soldering) copper pipes work? A few years ago I remodeled my bathroom and learned how to sweat copper pipes. I've always been able to do it successfully since then, but I've always wondered exactly how and why it works. I've done some searching on the web but most of what I find are "how to" articles and videos, but nothing that explains the specifics of how and why it works. Can anyone give me some answers to these questions that have bugged me?

What exactly does the flux do?

What happens if all the flux burns away before the solder melts?
What if you didn't use flux at all?
What is flux in the first place?

Where exactly should you aim the flame? (I've seen differing reports on this one)

Right at the joint (where the flux is)? (in my limited experience, this seems to burn away the flux immediately and sometimes causes problems)
At the copper pipe, an inch or so away from the joint?
At the fitting that the pipe is being soldered into?

What exactly is the capillary action that draws the melted solder into the joint?

What causes it and how does it work?
Sometimes I find myself in a situation where the solder melts but just drips right off the pipe instead of getting sucked into the joint. What have I done wrong? I usually have to clean everything off and start over when this happens

I think @ArchonOSX has a good answer, but I'd like to expand a bit more on it (having a background in welding, brazing, and soldering).

Going point by point:

Flux typically promotes bonding between the base metals and the solder. It does this by cleaning the metal (removing surface contaminants), deoxidizing the metal, and preventing further oxidation. Hot metal tends to oxidize more quickly than cold metal, but the flux will remove oxygen (either by absorption, adsorption, or oxidation of the flux itself) where it is applied.

If all your flux burns (or gets oxidized) before you've finished brazing the joint, then the solder will be less likely to flow where you need it because the base metals will tend to oxidize. Solder doesn't bond as well with oxidized surfaces, so instead, it balls-up and drips off.
This is possible, but difficult. Unless you were in an anaerobic environment (and even then it might not work) you'd probably not get a good bond.
Wikipedia is pretty good on this one.

You want the metal to be uniformly heated so thermal expansion is uniform, so wicking is uniform, so everything is uniform. Copper, being a good electrical conductor, is also a very good heat conductor. If you only heat the joint, you might find it cools relatively quickly due to surrounding copper cooling the joint.

Not right at the joint (right away). When you are promoting solder flow, then you do want to focus the flame very tightly.
Yes, to heat the surrounding pipe initially.
Yes, because the metal here is also often a bit thicker than anywhere else, so it takes the most energy to heat up to brazing temperatures.

Capillary action is an interesting phenomenon that occurs when one material can "wet" another. Wetting is a process where the surface energy is lowered when the liquid-phase material is in contact with the solid-phase material. Some liquids, like mercury, don't wet others, like glass (forming an upward meniscus). Water does the opposite, wetting glass. The surface energy must be lower than the surface tension of the liquid to prevent beading (balling-up, which you see when the flux burns off). In small spaces, this wetting capability can cause a column of liquid to rise against gravity. For non-wetting materials, the opposite tends to happen.

I think I answered this part above.
When this happens, it's because the molten solder cannot wet the copper. Flux lowers the surface energy of the bare copper (another of its functions), which is how it promotes wicking, but if the copper isn't hot enough, it won't wet either.

HOWEVER, everything I just described indicates that the solder is on the surface of the copper (adsorptive or adhesive). In fact, the solder is able to form a localized alloy with the base metal that penetrates some distance into the base metal. This is why brazing (and soldering) can be quite strong, even compared to welding. This is an absorptive process and occurs because the higher temperatures allow copper atoms to move enough within their lattices to allow for an alloy to form. This process adds to the effects described before.


Pocket door that doesn't require much overhead space We are installing a door between a bedroom and a bonus room (which used to be a patio). The opening used to be an exterior doorway in a concrete block house. The opening is 80.5, and we would like to put a pocket door here; however, because it is concrete, we can not get any extra height. All pocket doors I have found require 4.5" beyond the height of the door (which would mean we would end up with a 76" opening). Are there any options for pocket doors that don't require so much space on top? We have plenty of depth to work with because the wall is thick.

Go to a real door supplier and see what they can offer.

You'll be removing any top framing from the pocket door kit and bolting the track directly to your opening (which will take a little bit of thinking, but that's the fun of this kind of project, right?), so that'll change the height. Even if it didn't, a 76" door isn't that terrible. (It's only a touch lower than typical.)


Do I need to angle/pitch pex tubing for draining in the winter? I've never installed any plumbing before, but I'm going to try to install an outside faucet/sillcock because it seems fairly simple.  The only interesting part is that the pex tubing will be run under a crawl space that gets extremely cold in the winter months.

I'm going to use a shut-off valve that can be drained, but I'm not sure the best way to pitch the pex tubing across such a long distance.  I was going to use simple talon clamps.

Do I really even need to worry too much about the pitch?

yes you do.  even if you drain it, its going to get water lying in low spots.  that will rupture the line if it freezes.  just make sure you slope it 1" in 4 ft to where you are going to drain it.  that way it will have no water in it come freeze up.  you can just mount it with stood off pex clamps


Small area of siding where adjacent pieces are not overlapping So, in the posted photo, it seems Iike the double black arrow indicates last full row of siding,the blue arrow is a vinyl trim piece up against the wood frieze board, and the red arrow is where there is siding maybe cut to size and these siding pieces are not overlapping.
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Somebody tried to make it better and the Gap is smaller, but the siding is still not overlapping.
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I would like to have this fixed to where there is no gap between the adjacent pieces of siding.  What are some thoughts on how this could be fixed?

You have siding overlapping to shield the house and direct water away. It seems like judging from the picture that the piece is so close to the overhang that the place will be free of water and therefore I would ignore it. If that is not true I would get a wider piece and overlap it with the first real siding piece.


Can I get power from a light switch to add a single pole light and light switch I have a single pole light in my hall way and want to add a recess light with its own dimmer switch next to the existing light switch

If your wiring is very modern, a neutral wire will be present at the switch box, and adding a new circuit that draws its power at that switch is possible and simple.

If your wiring is not modern enough to have a neutral wire will be present at every switch box, but your circuit is wired with power coming from the service panel to the switch first, then adding a new circuit that draws its power at that switch is possible and simple.

But - if your wiring is not modern, and your circuit is wired with power coming from the service panel to the light first, then there is no neutral path available at the switch, and adding a new circuit is problematical. You will have to draw power for the new circuit from somewhere else.

I don't know how to be completely confident that there is a neutral wire in the switch box, but if there is only one cable entering the box, and the two insulated wires of that cable connect to the two terminals on the switch, then there is no neutral present.

The neutral wire in a switch box usually appears as the white wires from two or more cables connected together, typically with a wire nut. If you have many wire nuts in the box, then the situation is more complex, but one of the wire nuts will be bundle of neutral wires.

Before you modify any electrical wiring, you must know what each existing wire is for and what it is connected to. Do not under any circumstances just start hooking things up to see what works. It is easy to create a circuit that seems to work properly but is in fact a deadly hazard.


Do building codes allow smaller nails when using gun instead of manually hammering? I would like to use a framing nail gun for a bathroom addition. Do people usually substitute a shorter nail for 16d 3.5", but keep the same quantity and spacing? Does that pass code?

Fastening schedules are quite straight forward. You look up what you're connecting together, and it tells you what size fastener to use, how many to use, the spacing between fasteners, and where the fastener should go.  There are no exceptions based on how the fastener is driven.

For example:

According to International Residential Code 2012, if you're going to end nail a top or sole plate to a stud, you'll use 2 16d (3 1/2″ × 0.135″) nails.


How can I run cat6 from my basement to the second floor? I was trying to get cat6 to an upstairs room on an exterior wall and was trying to follow along the outside of the air duct to give me a clear shot.  I've got the wall opened up on 2nd floor  a couple of 1/2" holes drilled through into the space below the floor.  The problem is that I'm centered over the air duct and can't get the snake to follow the downward turn of the duct so its getting stuck.   FYI, Its not clear if its the duct or the insulation

Don’t really want to open up wall on first floor
Some options:

1) find another cable snake that is more flexible that would be able to make turn from one of the exisitng holes.  Or get something into hole that can guide the snake so it goes horizontally first and get it between the outside of duct and exterior insulation.

2) drill (again) close to left stud within same space (electrical on right), thinking that this should give me a better chance by going between the edge of the opening and the actual duct.

3) open up the air vent so I can ‘pull’ the duct out of the way, using existing holes.  Concerned about screwing up the air vent and duct - making a bad situation worse.

You're almost certainly going to hit the top plate of the 1st floor wall, and possibly some fire blocking and duct bracing, so doing this without opening up the first floor wall is going to be difficult if not impossible. Not only do you have insulation to worry about, but there's also the vapor barrier that you don't want to tear by forcing the fish tape down.

Best option is to relocate to an interior wall, preferably one near a closet on the first floor so you can install some access panels high and low inside the closet should you ever need to fish more wiring.

Next best option would be to run directly through wall to the outside of the house and down some conduit from there. Make sure to seal the wall back up so it's watertight.


Can I use eye hooks in a cement retaining wall for my garden project? (Support climbing rose bushes against a cement wall.) Here is a pic of the wall in question. Don't worry about the cracks. I already filled it in and am going to do the stairs when the weather gets drier outside. If you see the strip of soil that separates the retaining wall from the sidewalk that is where I want to plant climbing rose bushes. Due to limited space and for a simpler, cleaner appearance I was thinking of drilling some holes and then using rubber/plastic anchors to screw in some eye hooks. This was my idea instead of putting trellises in the ground. Then as the canes of the climbing rose bush grow I will use garden ties to bring them closer to the wall by tying them to the eye hooks.

Here is a pic of the area in question:

My plans are as follow:

Repair cracks and broken stairs.
Apply a textured concrete coating to the entire facade to improve appearance.
Water-seal it to protect it.
Install a few eye hooks with appropriate anchors that aren't too big to support climbing rosebushes.

Also, to minimize the appearance of the eye hooks can I paint over them with the textured concrete coating so that the metal isn't visible? If not, can anyone recommend a suitable substitute? I've never used a textured concrete coating before but it appears that you just paint it on with a roller or a brush. I hope this makes our retaining wall look a lot better. That's an important part of my overall goal with this project.

Basically the look I'm going for is a climbing rosebush that looks like it's "hugging" the wall. This is the rosebush I am buying:

Thanks.

You could get a cleaner look by drilling the holes, inserting the plugs, bending  lengths of your wire in half, insert the U-end of the wire into the plug, then drive a screw into the plug, and not use screw-eyes.


Are the wasps gone yet? As I posted in another question, I had wasps entering my fireplace exhaust in my backyard. When I turned the fireplace on, I got a distinct burning smell; and then it went away.

Then I saw them crawling into a small space between two bricks in my front overhang. So I sealed it up with silicon. The next day, I saw a dead wasp there.

Now, I have a feeling (not 100% sure) that I saw a wasp fly into that front overhang area, and not fly out. I'm concerned that there's a wasp nest, and that they're not dead yet.

How can I find out for sure? Do I need to call a professional? (I looked everywhere in my house, but I couldn't find any signs of them.)

And, how do I find their new entrance to the nest, if there is one and there is a nest?

I would buy a lot of wasp spray and and spray it all around the overhang area. You might eventually start seeing dead wasps in one general area and be able to find the entrance that way. Of course, you may need to wait until summer since it's winter time now.


What Does The Code Of Screws Represent? I have different packs of screws. They all have unique codes.
E.g. 6-35-B1120-4RE*12

6 might be the diameter # (which is approx. 9/64 inches).
35 might be the # of threads. (It doesn't appear to have that many, but it's so small. Perhaps I can't see it, or perhaps threads aren't counted the way I'm first inclined to think they are.)
1120 might be 11/20 inches long.
R might stand for replacement (they came as additional supplies with a laptop).

Is any of this correct? Either way, that still leaves:

B: Bottom? Referring to the shaft length?
E: I have no guesses.
4, *12: If R does stand for replacement, the pack came with neither 4, nor 12 screws. It came with 5. There's the possibility that I just wasn't given the original quality from the seller. I have no other guesses what those numbers might stand for.

If it helps, I have 2 other packs of screws, each containing a different string of characters containing R:

8R0*1
4R2*4

Okay, I read this article,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Part_number ,
and I did a bunch of measurements and comparisons.

I might not be able to figure it out with 100% confidence, but I feel satisfied with my understanding now.

The 6-35 is redundant. A 6 Gauge screw is one that has a head diameter of 3.5 mm.

EDIT: Actually, the 35 probably isn't redundant. It's probably referring to the pitch (the distance between each thread)! Thus, the 35 would refer to a 0.35 mm pitch.

Some Googling suggests that you're right, @Jeff Cates , about the B: it's the strength/type of the compound.
The 20 is the diameter of the shaft (2.0 mm).
The 4 is the length of the shaft/screw in mm (whether or not length includes the head depends on the head type).
The R stands for Replacement.
The *12 is quantity (the company for the screws and the company for the laptops are different, so it's quite likely that the laptop company removes some of the original quantity).

That just leaves the 11 and the E. Considering that B is the compound, I'm inclined to think that 11 is the shaft and/or head model/style. Considering that all packs have a "1" (11, 21, AND 61), and they're all Cross-head, the "1" might refer to a Cross style. As for the E, it might be some sort of personalized/trivial note about the part (e.g. version #).

As for the question about my motive, @jsotola & @Jeff Cates: if I'm going to be working with something, I like to understand deeply how it works. Also, this can help me organize my tools better.


Mid door knob installation door shut and can’t open I got as far as putting in anti-rotation block and screwing in latch when door was pushed closed and now I cannot open it up in order to complete the privacy door knob installation.  Luckily I was not inside the bathroom. But now door is stuck and I cannot open it back up to complete the install. Argh.

Never mind! Figured it out.  Add knob and turn...lol.  Well originally tried that and it wasn’t catching. Apparently I did not have spindle pushed all the way in tight and in place.


What could cause a recessed light to come on when removing the neighboring bulb? I just installed a row of five recessed lights in my basement. All of a sudden, I have one light that shuts off. When I remove the bulb next to it, it turns back on. This row is daisy chained on the same 15A circuit.

What is causing this and how do I fix it?

If the last light goes out when the second to last is removed, the wiring error may be:

Where electricity travels through the second to last bulb, on it's way to the last bulb.  If so the last two bulbs may also have been dimmer than normal (if they are incandescent).

The bulb type matters here: using CFL or LED lights during testing can add to the confusion.


Can I use hollow wall anchors in a lath and plaster wall? I have a stable enough lath and plaster wall, which I would like to put a box framed picture on.

Usually with a box frame picture on to a plaster board or dry wall, or even a brick or stone wall, I'd drill two holes, put a baton in, and that would be the hanging point of the picture.

I have a proper (hasn't been touched in 100 years) lath and plaster wall. Thin wooden strips running horizontally, which then has plaster squished over it. If I put a wall anchor (such as this one) will this crack the plaster around the hole as it pushes the wings out?

I could find the vertical stud, but there will only be one (if that) in the middle of the short wall I've got, so will only give me one mounting point.

There are two factors: Your level of care, and dumb luck.

If the plaster hasn't proven to be particularly crumbly in your home, I'd go ahead and use that type of anchor, or this one:

Some tips:

Drill carefully. Don't push too hard and use a high spin rate. You might switch to a fresh bit when you encounter wood. You don't want to blow the lath out the back. The goal is to have a clean bore in undisturbed material.
Install gently. Use a screwdriver or set your drill's clutch to a low value. While it takes some force to deploy the anchor, overtightening guarantees failure. Stop when there's just enough tension to do the job.


What would be the cleanest way to wire a wyze security camera from a light switch in a staircase? I am planning to install a wyze security camera at the top of a staircase. There is a light switch right there I can draw from. Was thinking about wiring a romex from the light switch to the ceiling. But then how do I plug to the camera ? External outlet ?
What is a clean solution so that people cannot see all the connection if they look up ?
Thanks!

It looks like the white wire may be a neutral. This is good.
However, it looks like the switch is a 4 way switch (though I always though 3 way switches were used at the top of the stairs).  This is less good -- there's no consistent hot leg on it.
You can verify both of these with a multimeter.
So I don't think this box is going to help you much, as you need to have constant power and neutral to power an outlet.


Does x-ray lead paint detection find lead underneath latex topcoats? I have a 1921 home.  Guaranteed that the walls have lead paint somewhere beneath, right? All surfaces have been painted at least once if not 2 or 3 times since 2001.  The paint is all in good condition - no chipping. To my understanding, this is good encapsulation.

If we had someone do a lead survey with the xray gun, would these surfaces test positive for stuff beneath? Or does the gun ONLY test the surface layer?

I'm curious to know for sure that my surfaces are safe, but due to mandatory reporting/remediation, I don't want to risk testing positive from a sensitive instrument that picks up a signal from a very low risk and covered up surface.

The short answer is Yes, X-ray lead paint detectors can 'see' lead through top layers of non-lead paint.
But it depends to some degree on the thickness of the layers of paint as well as the type of X-ray detector 'gun' used.

There are 2 types used for lead detection: K X-rays and L X-rays.
The K X-rays have higher energy than the L, which means that they are less attenuated by layers of paint.

So a K X-ray lead detector will be better able to detect lead in lower layers of paint than an L X-ray detector.

If you're concerned that you might get a positive reading from an X-ray lead detector, then you'd probably be better off having a chemical lead test done instead, since this should only be able to find lead in the surface paint layer.


What size wire should I use to add an outlet to a light circuit? When my house was wired there was a wire left in the attic for a light, which was not installed.  I want to install an outlet, which will remain hot, then a switch and a light.

Can this be done and do what size wire do I need to use?

Check the Breaker
If the circuit breaker or fuse is rated 15A, then you can use 14 AWG (or larger) wire. If the circuit breaker or fuse is rated 20A then you can use 12 AWG (or larger) wire.
If the existing wire is 14 AWG but the circuit breaker or fuse is 20A then you have a problem and the circuit needs to changed to 15A or the wire replaced with 12 AWG.
Wiring
There are a couple of ways to do this. The simplest is to connect the existing wire, in a junction box, to an outlet (either in that junction box or run a cable to a new junction box in a preferred location) and then run another cable (either pigtailed to the first one or off the second set of screws on the outlet) to the switch and light.
I don't know if GFCI is required for the receptacles. If it is, I would recommend pigtailing rather than using the load screws as that will avoid (a) confusion about line vs. load, which seems to cause problems for a lot of people and (b) avoid a GFCI trip from turning out the only light in the attic.


Are two 6x6 posts adequate to support a stone or brick wall in an earthquake zone? Will 2 (one on either side) of treated 6 inch by 3 inch wood beams set 3 feet into concrete with a 12 inch footer support a rock or brick wall that weighs say 2000 lbs if the wood is properly mounted to the wall. The wall is 7 feet long and 6 feet high 15 inches wide. How much would wind be a factor?

 ________________________________________
|  ____                            ____  |
| |    |                          |    | |
| |____|                          |____| |
|________________________________________|

No, code does not allow masonry, of any kind, to be supported by wood:

  2104.1.6 Support on wood. Masonry shall not be supported on wood girders or other forms of wood construction except as permitted in Section 2304.12.


Why is my gas furnace vibrating when blowing hot air but not when blowing cold air? I have a gas furnace. I recently replaced a bad blower motor. At that time I also cleaned out the blower housing and squirrel cage. The AC runs fine with no vibrations or any symptoms of an off balance squirrel cage.

However, when I turn on the heat, the furnace vibrates. I think it is coming from the blower, but it seems to be turning freely and again, it runs fine with the AC.

Does the blower fan spin at different speeds for hot vs cold air, and could it still be an out of balance squirrel cage? Could something else be causing the vibration? It sounds like an slightly out of balance washer on a spin cycle.

The blower very likely does spin at different speeds when heating vs. cooling. This is not uncommon at all. In heating mode they typically are on a low speed, while in cooling or fan mode they are typically on high speed.

As such, it could certainly be the case that there is some imbalance in your blower that excites a harmonic frequency of your furnace at low speed, but when the blower is turning faster at high speed, no sympathetic vibrations are excited; hence vibrations with heat, but not with A/C.

As others have said, it may also be the case that you have an induced draft blower for your gas furnace that is causing the vibration, but these are typically much smaller blowers than the "main" blower.


Tile spacing both above and below 1/8", what type of grout should I use? I've laid tile sheets for my back splash in my kitchen.
The tiles on the sheets are not exactly the same by length (in comparison to the corresponding tile on another sheet).

Therefore I have grout lines which are mostly between 1/16" and 3/16" (but not consistently one or the other).
There are also some where the tiles are almost touching.
Most of the spacing between tiles on each sheet are 1/8" (though they vary as well, mostly larger)

I've read that unsanded grout will sag in a space larger than 1/8".

Which type of grout should I use (sanded/unsanded)?

Also one more thing, the store I bought my tile from sold me a bottle of Flexible Grout Admixture.
Should I use this in place of water or is it just a sales gimmick and I should return it?

Thanks!

I would use sanded grout.

You will have to work harder to force the grout into the narrower gaps, but it will fill.  It will self strain the sand particles out.  Try wiping left-right and diagonally with the grout float pressed very firmly to the tile

The admix is a good thing.  It makes for better troweling properties, which means it will level better.


Unable to remove hard turmeric stains on the apartment common carpet We just moved in to a new apartment and spilled some turmeric over the common carpet area in front of our main door. Tried treating the stains with stain remover, bleach and dishwashing liquid and so forth and so on. No luck with anything. Could anyone please suggest how to remove a week old hard turmeric stains on a colored carpet.

Tumeric is the most colorful component of curry. Good luck, tumeric can be used as a fabric dye. It doesn't come out of nice Brooks Brothers white shirts.

Good Housekeeping suggests the following for curry stains in carpet:

  Carpet

  Mix one tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent and one tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of warm water.
  Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent/vinegar solution. Blot frequently with a dry cloth until the stain disappears.
  Sponge with plain water; blot until the liquid is absorbed.
  Sponge the stain with rubbing alcohol; blot to remove the stain.
  Sponge with water; blot until the liquid is absorbed.
  If the stain remains, mix one teaspoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent and one tablespoon of ammonia with two cups of warm water.
  Sponge the stain with the detergent/ammonia solution. Leave it on the stain for at least 30 minutes, blotting every five minutes with a clean white cloth and more solution.
  Sponge with cold water and blot dry.

Personally, I would try it in an inconspicuous portion of carpet first in case it makes things worse in some way.


Making sure only one of electric shower or instantaneous hot water heater can operate at once I'm completing the renovation of an annex. The annex shares the mains supply with the main house which has a single phase connection rated as max 90A. I'd like to fit an electric shower (9.8kW) and an instantaneous electric water heater (9.5kW) into the annex; giving a combined draw of ~80A. Clearly using any other power hungry device in either the annex or main house (eg kettle, oven etc) would then take me over 90A. I thought that a possible solution is to only allow the instantaneous water heater to draw power if the shower isn't operating. Is anyone aware of any product which would cut power to the water heater if the shower is in use so that the max draw would be reduced or any other cunning solution (other than ripping out the shower and water heater)

Why do you need two?

In Europe, some showers have their own, on-board, built-in on-demand water heater just for the shower. This is called an "electric shower".

Which begs the question of why you need two on-demand water heaters, since you are already installing one for the whole house.  Simply using the one would solve the power problem.

Or, if your issue is that the shower and kitchen are distant from each other, and you don't want the long delay, then OK, we have to hunker down and have two heaters, and must solve the electrical problem.  But then, again, why a heater dedicated to the shower?  Why not a whole-bathroom heater so you can serve the sink also?

A relay would need to be current-activated

There's an easy electronics approach with a gadget called a reed relay, which placed next to a high current wire will engage.  It needs 10 ampere-turns to operate, typically, and you'd have ~40A going through that wire, so merely orienting the reed relay correctly should get the job done. Essentially, drawing current on the shower heater would throw the relay and knock out the other heater (I presume you'd want it that way).

However, the challenge here is doing this with mains-rated equipment acceptable to your jurisdiction. It's not as simple as "raid the electronics parts bin" since the equipment must be mains rated.


Oven probe thermistor inoperative The "meat thermometer" oven probe in our GE JB970SB1SS home range doesn't seem to be working. Ohming out the probe, it appears to be a thermistor with a resistance of around 57 kOhms at room temperature. Is there any way to find specs for this probe to determine whether it is the defective component? I think the probe is part number WB20T10024 but I'm not sure.

It turns out that the probe works after all; I'm not sure what was wrong. I did have to twist the connector back and forth a few times to get a good connection and reading. Anyway, in the meantime I did the science experiment of measuring the resistance vs temperature for this probe.

Here's the data:
T:  41.4, 80.9,  108.5, 118.0, 135.0, 142.4, 148.7, 156.7, 166.0, 176.0    °F
R: 158.9, 44.64, 22.78, 16.31, 13.20, 10.07,  8.37,  7.00, 5.673, 4.827  kOhm


Why do Contractor Levels have two vials with the same orientation? It seems to me that having multiple vials in the same orientation is redundant, but many levels seems to include this feature.  What am I missing?  There has to be some reason.

It's useful when using the level in the vertical direction (to e.g., check studs for plumb-ness) so that the bubble is at or near eye level no matter which end is up.


Round Metal Gate Fence Post is Spinning When Gate is Opened I need to correct a small problem with a metal gate post.  When the gate is opened to its full opening, the leverage of the gate pulling against the gate post causes the post to spin inside the post hole and then the gate becomes misaligned with the attachment mechanism (on the right of the gate).  Other than this, the post itself is very secure and stable.  In the attached image, the post on the left of the gate spins inside of its post hole when the gate is opened fully.  Additional image is provided to give you more detail on the post installation.

I'm trying to find a remedy to stop the post from spinning, but that does not require removing the fence post. Why? -- I don't believe there is adequate space around the post to dig it out and reseat it (due to the large amount of concrete surrounding the post).

Please let me know what ideas you have.

Thank you!

It appears the post has a couple straps around it, one of which connects to the top bar of the fence.  Try putting a bolt or self-tapping screw through this strap into the post.  This way the post will be kept from spinning by being locked into the fence more securely.


Should I replace my conventional interior water heater with an exterior tankless model? I'm shopping for a tankless water heater. When the salesman talked to me, he told me they install them outside and this is better because then the tanks do not take up room inside the house. I'm worried that the tank will freeze in the winter and that the installation will require a lot of extra installation costs such as plumbing, wiring, lines, etc.

Wouldn't it be better to just remove the old water heater, which is close to both bathrooms, then put the tankless in the same place, which would keep the installation costs down to a minimum? And, wouldn't keeping the water heater indoors eliminate any future weather concerns of freezing, draining in cold weather (which totally confuses me as to how this would be done and how you would then get hot water flowing again)?

Bottom line, which is best, which has the least maintenance, durability, and is less costly to install?

Your salesman is evidently an idiot. Perhaps you want to do more shopping and find a vendor with smarter people working for them.

You already have the space.
The space is well-located for short pipe runs to the bathrooms and
has plumbing in place.
Presumably the old water heater has a fuel supply and venting means, or you might have mentioned that as a concern.
Evidently it freezes in your area.


Do I need to prime/seal new drywall behind cabinets? If I were doing it, I would usually prime and paint before installing the cabinets. My painter for this project says he'd prefer that I install everything before he paints.

Do I need to use a sealing primer on the new drywall behind where the cabinets will be installed or can I leave it unsealed?

Yes, you should prime the whole surface.

Sealing/priming helps prevent penetration of vapors and moisture from the air into the drywall.  If you don't seal the entire surface, even though it's behind cabinets, penetration can happen - mind you it's not going to be significant but it can happen.

Plus the time involved to paint behind those cabinets that aren't there yet is minuscule.

This is unrelated but I don't understand your painter's objection.  Painting a wall with no cabinets on it is orders of magnitude easier than painting a wall with cabinets already mounted.  With cabinets in place, you've got to tape edges, you risk getting paint on your new cabinets, you've got a much harder time accessing the exposed wall (cabinets get in the way), and so forth.


Water filter setup - 1 1/4 inch pipe to 3/4 My house runs on well water and the main pipe that leaves the pressure tank is 1-1/4" copper. I am looking at installing a spin down filter and regular water filter for the whole house. My question is if I connect a T fitting which reduces the size of the pipe from 1-1/4" to 3/4" and then after the filters back to the 1-1/4" inch size will it have a negative effect on pressure or flow?

You are (and may not realize if you did not pay attention in geometry class) talking about a nearly 2/3 reduction in pipe size (area/cross section) when you go from 1-1/4" to 3/4".
Area of a circle = Pi r squared. 1.23 .vs. 0.44 square inches for the pipes under consideration here.
That will definitely have "a negative impact on pressure and flow" as compared to keeping it at 1-1/4" throughout.


Need help identifying these wires A friend of mine took down a ceiling fan to put up a light fixture. He was unable to get the light to work so he asked me to take a look. There is a 12/2 cable and a 12/3 cable coming into the junction box in the ceiling. I tested all of the wires, and there does not seem to be a neutral wire present. I took a pigtail light and touched it to all of the possible wire combinations and cannot get it to light up. If I touch one of the pigtail wires to a ground wire and then touch the other wires, all of them are carrying enough power to make the light work. I tested all of these wires with my multimeter and the black and the white in the 12/2 cable carry 120 volts, and in the 12/3 cable a white and a black one carry 120 volts and the red carries approximately 68 volts.
What could be going on here?  I'm an experienced electrician and this doesn't make any sense to me.
Additional information: There are 3 different ceiling lights total on this switch circuit. There are 2 3-way switches and 1-4 way switches. I tested the switches and they all seem to function just fine. My friend said he did not mess with the other 2 lights or any of the 3 switches. Flipping the switches doesn't change the voltage at the ceiling box. He said the ceiling fan worked fine before he took it down.

There was no neutral path present at the junction box in the ceiling. I went over all 3 switch boxes and the other 2 ceiling light junction boxes in this lighting circuit and was never able to determine the source of the trouble. I wound up pulling a new cable (always-hot, neutral, and ground) to power the circuit and supply a neutral path.
Additionally, there were 3 extra wires in the junction box in the picture that did not serve any purpose for the lighting circuit (both the black and white in the 12/2 cable and the red wire in the 12/3 cable). I capped those off and tucked them up into the junction box.
There appears to have been a lot of DIY wiring done in this home over the years leading to very irregular wiring. This made troubleshooting the issue challenging.


Reason For White Wire to Neutral What could be the reason for the 2 white wires on the right center side of the box?  One connects directly to the Neutral bar.
Does there appear to be room to add a 240 breaker to this box?  I want to provide for an electric vehicle charging station.

As other comments have stated, it is likely an AFCI or (more likely) a GFCI breaker. Can you determine where that circuit goes? Knowing its termination would help, since some areas, like bathrooms and laundry rooms, are more likely to validate that. Also, it's hard to tell from the picture, but the two white wires shouldn't be connected to each other at the screw terminal. If they are connected, I'm at a loss for what it could be, but if they aren't, then it's some sort of fault protection breaker. I'm a bit surprised by the lack of a test button, though.
It doesn't appear that you have room for a 2-pole breaker to provide 240V for an EV charger. You would need to see the blades on both busbars to indicate room for a 2-pole breaker. In the below image, the red circle shows a blade for the left leg busbar. This is visible in your panel. You would also need the blue circle (right leg busbar) to be exposed.

I know you didn't ask about this, but it seems like it might be a good time for a panel upgrade. You've got five 15A breakers, two 50A breakers, and five 20A breakers for branch circuits all on (what appear to be) tandem circuit breakers, but only a 100A main breaker, which is even taking up space because it's on the busbars directly instead of connected to a lug.

You might want to consider checking if you can upgrade to a larger panel, physically and electrically. Especially for EV charging, which can be a 30A or greater continuous load, you'll probably want to see about 160A service or higher. Depending on the size of the aluminum service entry wires (I can't see what size they are from the picture), you might not even need to replace those.

Something like a 16-slot, 160A (minimum on both) main breaker panel would help you future-proof your panel a bit, especially for adding EV charging capacity. Also, I was able to find a 20-slot, 200A panel with included circuit and main breakers for $150, so it won't likely cost you too much either.


What is the proper procedure to apply multiple coats of Polyurethane? Polyurethane is confusing me. ;)

I'm finishing a table top with polyurethane. I've sanded down the original finish to bare wood down to 220 grit paper.

I vacuumed and wiped it all down, then did a final wipe with a rag and some mineral spirits. After drying, I then put on the first coat.

It's been about 2 hours, and this is where I'm stumped.

The can says to re-apply coats after 2 hours, but doesn't say to sand. It does say that if you wait 24 hours, then you should sand.

Researching on the internet, the common advice appears to be sand between every coat.

So, the questions:

should one sand between every single coat?
how long should one wait before sanding?

My understanding of the can label is that multiple coats are fine after 2 hours WITHOUT sanding. They're also fine after 24 hours WITH sanding. Is that correct? Any thoughts on which method is better?

FWIW, this is a satin finish, as I'm purposefully trying to knock down any sheen to give it the barest-of-wood look I can, so super-smooth glossy isn't a priority on this project.

UPDATE: BONUS QUESTION!

What's everyone's opinion on 'with' vs. 'cross' grain bush application? Always go with the grain? Alternate between coats?

When you apply multiple coats of urethane, any dust or small flaws will be amplified with each new coat. If you want the smoothest finish possible, then wait until it is dry, very lightly sand with very fine paper (220 or finer) to remove any dust bumps, wipe it clean with a slightly damp cloth or tact rag, let it dry or buff it dry with a dry cloth, then apply the next coat. There is no reason to use mineral spirits, actually I would advise you not to use mineral spirits.

I see no advantage to applying successive coats with, then against the grain. As long as you apply an even coat with a good quality brush or foam brush and don't overwork it, any brush marks should disappear. The finished product should be so smooth that you couldn't tell which way you brushed the urethane on.  Also, if you are using a satin finish urethane, be sure to mix it well, stirred, not shaken. The dulling agents tend to fall to the bottom, so it is important to mix it well. No matter how many coats you apply, it should not become "glossy".


Which adhesive sealant for bathroom fixture escutcheons? I'm installing some shower fixtures and the escutcheons need to be sealed and adhered properly but I'm not sure how to do this the right way.

Here is a photo of all 4 fixtures/escutcheons. I'll refer to them by #1 - #4 starting from the top.

#1 The shower escutcheon is loose. It needs to be sealed/adhered
#2 The transfer valve escutcheon has no seal behind it. I will need it sealed somehow but the handle itself tightens it so no adhesive required
#3 The hot/cold valve has a foam/rubber thing behind it that is kind of sticky and leaves a gap at the 6pm location for water to escape. I probably will want to add additional sealant unless you think this is fine. No adhesive needed
#4 This is the output to a hand shower that isn't in the picture yet. This thing has a rubber gasket but it doesn't provide a way (that I'm aware) to actually compress it to the wall. I believe this is also supposed to have a sealant and adhesive.

What sealant/adhesive should I use? How do I apply it? Does it go inside or outside?

Here's a closeup of the #4 escutcheon when it's loose from the wall:

I saw this answer but I'm not satisfied with the depth it provides: How Can I re-attach my bathroom fixtures which are hanging loose from the wall?

I did mine with clear silicone.  Everything must be bone dry before application.  Just push the escutcheon flush to the wall and apply silicone around the outside where it meets the wall. The key to a good job with silicon is to make sure you don't over apply. Nothing is worse than having silicone spread out an inch past where it's supposed to be, especially on nice stone.  To prevent this, put some masking tape down first, both on the escutcheon and the wall.  It is hard to get tape to go around a circle, but the taping job doesn't have to be perfect. Leave a 3/16" gap for the silicone to adhere to the surface.  Apply the silicone and smooth with your finger.  For best results, dip your finger in mineral spirits (not water) before you smooth the silicone.  Make sure you pull the tape up before the silicone cures.


How to wire two loads when one depends on the other? I have 2 loads connected in parallel, and one power source. Obviously, they both get current independent of one another. Each load have an on/off key connected with, in series.
My goal is to let load (say: A) get current, if and only if load B gets current. However, load B should get current regardless of what's happening at A.
Edit: Device B is a TV LED screen. Device A is a separate speaker that I may or may not use with the TV (which has its own built-in speaker). The TV is already connected to a multiplug (with 1 switch for all) along with a DVD player. I connect the speaker to a separate dedicated wall outlet, that has a (modifiable) switch to turn on current. The 2 wall outlets are connected in parallel. Sometimes when I disconnect the TV the speaker stays unintentionally on. Which brings us to my question, if I can modify the 2 outlets:
Layman asking: Is there a way of doing so, using only wires and "know-how" (no fancy electric equipment at my disposal), and how?
If not, what's the alternative?

Please support your answer with illustrations.

Simple:
 Line Hot-----SwitchB----------SwitchA----
                        |                |
                      LoadB            LoadA
                        |                |
 Line Neutral-----------------------------

This does require switches (typically a normal wall switch) you can wire to - hacking into device B after a built-in switch is going to void all sorts of things, not the least of which is your insurance if it causes a fire after your modification.


Correct way to fix a broken block in a cinder block foundation I have a 1954 built house with a cinder block crawlspace foundation with about a 1 1/2 foot clearance. I can squeeze in, but not easily. I'm in Cleveland, OH, so there is definitely a freeze-thaw cycle.
I was crawling around looking for the source of a moldy smell, and found that one of the cinder blocks under our renovated kitchen was shattered.
My question is what is the best way to fix this - various masons have suggested filling the space with hydraulic cement with maybe some bricks tossed in for good measure to fill the void.
My thought was to grind the broken block out and "butter" in a new block.
What is the best way?

"Best" is what you can do in that tight space. If the cavity is filled with masonry it's probably fine. Ideally you'd replace the block with a like block and tuck-point the mortar in place. Might be easier said than done, though.


Are HVAC Transformers Interchangable (if their power ratings match) I'm troubleshooting the blower not starting in a friend's HVAC system.

We think the issue is either a) a blown transformer, or b) the relay that controls the blower has blown.

The next step is to test these two components, if it's the transformer, I am wondering if there's any special information I should have beyond making sure the replacement I buy is rated for the same step-down:

Primary: 120V @ 60hz
Secondary: 24V (40VA)

Both transformers are clearly marked as Class 2 by UL.

Do HVAC vendors add any proprietary components to the transformers that would prevent me from using a non-OEM replacement? Specifically, I would be replacing an OEM York transformer with a Honeywell transformer.

The voltage needs to be the same, and the VA needs to be greater or equal to what you have now.  If your transformer is 40VA and you replace with 60VA, that is fine.

I would stay within parts intended for use in HVAC units. Electronics supply houses will happily sell you 24VAC transformers, but they may not be listed (certified) for HVAC use.  Anyway, HVAC units will be cheaper due to being made by the millions.