Why does my toilet make air noises when nothing is being used? There is no back up in sink or shower. Nothing using water is turned on. Flush handle is sometimes hard to press.   Why?

On the other hand, if you mean a hissing sound, that's probably a float valve not completely closing.

Metallic flush handles are sometimes hard to press after they corrode a bit or after excessive use; they form a catch that's been worn into their housing (plastic levers are less susceptible to this).


18 gauge wire on 18 branches I have 12 gauge wire to a 20amp circuit going around a bedroom.   Then I have a fixture with 18 G9 LED bulbs on a chandelier.  Do I just wire all hot leads to the hot 12 gauge and wire all the whites together which puts all the LEDs in parallel?  I mean, I don't see draw on any wire going high at all unless I put them in parallel I guess.  Thoughts?

I'm hoping this is the right gauge in the chandelier since it's from China and they don't typically follow code and only go for cheap.

To answer your question, yes, connect the hot leads to the hot #12 and the white leads to the white #12 neutral, wiring all the led lights in parallel. You can group or pigtail them.
You need to check the load in the bedroom to make sure you don't overload the circuit but led lights have such low wattage my guess is you'll be ok.

Where did you buy the chandelier, online? Is it approved for use in the area you live in?


Air conditioner not blowing air I have a LG air conditioner that i can find it online, not sure why. when i turn it on, there is no air blowing. not sure if it helps but the model number is hs-0964f73. not sure why but i cant seem to find it online.

The LG split unit I installed had a micro switch in the cover that stops the fan motor while the cover is open, make sure the filters are seated and the covers closed. If the fan still won't start you will need to check the control board for error codes. It's been a few years but I remember that switch was a pain.  Added from memory there are a couple of things that will stop the unit from working, dirty filters high liquid level (drain plugged) filters not seated door not fully closing. I am sure there were more there should be an owners manual it has a troubleshooting guide with quite a few pages of problems and solutions in the back but it has been a while.


Is a P-Trap needed for dishwasher return line? Currently my kitchen Plumbing is torn apart. I had new countertops installed and the plumber came today and said the top gas cap ((?) protecter from fumes I'm assuming) no longer fit and CUT it off.  He left to get new parts, never to return...
So, I'm installing my faucet and replacing the PVC starting just under the Y that attaches to a P-Trap. I've been told by a licensed plumber that the P-Trap is "old school" and the dishwasher drain line can go directly into the disposal. I see where it could be attached, is this correct?
I'm a "Shemale" Landlord, I've got a little experience with plumbing but far from a professional!!
Appreciate any advise!

Yes. The disposal unit should have a barbed inlet that is intended to receive the dishwasher's drain line.

As others have mentioned, be sure to check that the knock-out plug has been removed from inside the barbed inlet. You can remove it by using a screw driver and a hammer.

Also be sure that you run the dishwasher drain hose up to the underside of the counter, securing it there with a clip and back down to the disposal connection. The hose is secured with a pinch or gear clamp.

Both the dishwasher and disposal unit's instruction manuals should show how to do this.


Can I run NM wire and put an electrical box in the same wall stud cavity as a metal HVAC supply duct I want to run an in-wall HVAC supply duct up a wall and I would also like to put a electrical box for a light switch in the same wall stud cavity. Assuming the stud cavity is wide enough for both, can I put them both in there together as long as each one is anchored to the studs independently? Is it ok for them to touch or do they have to be physically separated somehow? (United States-Ohio if that matters). I am wiring it up using NM wire which would be stapled/anchored to the stud within 8 inches of exiting the switch box and every 4 feet from there up to the ceiling joist cavity.

I see no problem with that at all. Both are independent of each other. If they touch, it sounds as if you need to provide some sort of non conductive material between the duct and box,, or use a plastic box.


Can the floor framing in my 1930s bathroom support my tub and shower? I've stripped my 2nd floor bathroom to the studs and joists, installed new plumbing and electricity, and moved a few things around. The tub I'm putting in is acrylic, and weighs less than the cast iron tub I removed. But it holds 25 gallons more water. I'm also installing a glass shower enclosure with a tiled shower pan. And that should add about 200lbs. to the floor as well.

My joists span at least 10' but not more than 12'. They are 16" apart, except for the one parallel to a load-bearing wall, which is 24" away, originally designed like that to make room for the waste plumbing of the 1930s.  My question is: what kind of weight can I expect this thing to support? My real concern is the tub. It weighs in at only 105 lbs. But full of up to 60 gallons of water, it could weigh as much as 585 lbs. Do you think the floor can handle it?

I should also add that instead of using 1/4" cement board on the floors, I've poured self-leveling cement. At six bags, it adds at least another 360 lbs. to the floor.

If I assume you have 2x12 joists, then it's all good. If you want it better you can add full depth joist blocking perpendicular to the joists to try and help the floor out a little, but you don't have to.

If I assume you have 2x10 joists, then it's all good except for that joist under the shower/tub. It probably wouldn't catastrophically fail, but add a second joist next to it if possible. It'll also help prevent your new tile job from cracking by decreasing the live load deflection you'll get when filling the tub. If you absolutely can't add another joist there, you can add full depth joist blocking perpendicular to the joists to try and help the floor out a little.

If I assume you have 2x8 joists, that's bad. I hope you don't have 2x8 joists!


Wood between my windows is rotting, how do I fix this? I've attached images.  Not sure if I should just paint over it with epoxy or replace it entirely.

This was just a bad install and design.   I could go over numerous things that were done wrong but the easy solution is just throw a PVC (azec/hardi/whatever) board up there (they have ones with same wood footprint you have).   It really is that easy.


How can I know the 'capacity' of an electric socket? I bought an electric oven, and the safety instructions say that it should be plugged to an electric socket with "capacity at least 10 Ampere".

How can I tell the capacity of my electric sockets?

I looked at the fuses in the electric control box outside the house. There are 5 fuses with "6 kA" written near them, and the main fuse with "10 kA". But the safety instructions talk about the capacity of the socket, not the fuse.

If you have a device that draws 10amps, then the entire circuit needs to support that draw. This includes the circuit breaker, wire gauge, length and receptacle rating.

In the US where the household voltage is 120V, a typical lighting or outlet circuit is 15Amps, but you're only supposed to use 80%, so that leaves 12amps available. All other devices on the circuit count towards this limit.

So if your device needs 10amp, that means you can only have an additional 2 on the circuit.

Watts = Volts * Amps

240 Watts = 120V * 2amps

So as long as the wattage of other devices on the circuit add up to 240 or less, you would have enough capacity.


Ecobee 3 lite Installation -- Confusion about C wire (on furnace but not at thermostat) I am about to install the Ecobee 3 lite thermostat. On the thermostat end, there is no C wire - just the typical 4 wires - R,Y,W,...
On the furnace end though, there is white C wire too, which I do not know where it leads to (definitely not coming to thermostat).
Given the situation, following are questions I am looking answers for:

Can I simply remove the existing C wire and replace with the C wire from the PEK kit from Ecobee? Wondering what else may break in the house.
Can I simply keep the existing C wire as is, and add the C wire from the PEK kit in addition, at the same terminal?

Any info or any tips that can help me out in this situation are highly welcome.

Hast thou pulleth upon the wires at thine thermostat to looketh upon the point thine c wire might be clippethed at the jacket? Thou should.
Thou should not double up thine wire at the c terminal upon thine circuit board without praying thine luck is true, elste thou shall unwittingly risk fryingeth thine furnaceths brain. Do so without specific knowledge of its ability to accommodate such doubleth penetrant at thine peril tho it may be fine, I doth offer with humility and humble deference that thou mighdts turneth luck to surety with some calling of the blacksmith who manufactured this magical baseboard. May luck be at your side on your quest to fancier temperature adjustment.


How can I cut a floorboard while it's still nailed down? I have a 130 year old house with original floorboards made of 1+1/4 inch thick pitch pine (much, much tougher than today's cheap pine - it's like steel).

There's a section of floorboard that's been cut out to make an inspection hatch it to run cables, and it has been done badly - the cut (with a circular saw, I presume) almost missed the joist underneath, so the 'hatch' looks pretty precarious.

The cut is across 3 boards, and in an effort not to cut beyond the 3, they've stopped short, and just pulled up the boards, breaking the last one so that it's left a spur of wood sticking out (which you can't see when the hatch is in place).

Anyway, I'd like to extend the hole by another inch, and replace the 'hatch' boards with some slightly-longer boards take from somewhere else. I don't want to lift the boards that I'm cutting, because they've never been taken up, and I know from experience that lifting floorboards is bad for them. So, I want to cut them in-situ.

What I can't figure out is how to cut an inch off those boards, given that they're on top of the joist, and hemmed in by boards that I don't want to touch. I could probably use a circular saw for the middle part, but how to get the edges? I've had mixed results in the past with a floorboard saw, but it's really really difficult with boards as hard as these. Likewise chipping away with a chisel doesn't seem viable.

Any ideas?

Oscillating tool, like a Fein Multimaster and all of its off-patent brothers. (Truly, I don't know how I got by so long without one.)

But, could you not just slap a 2x4 on the side of the floor joist and make a sturdy ledge for your existing hatch?


how do I smooth out the bottom of a hole in granite I am using a diamond core bit to drill tea light holes in granite rock. I am not drilling through the granite, but am making stopped cuts.
I have used a 30mm diamond core bit to make the initial cut. Then used smaller core bits to drill out the core. The bottom of the hole is very rough - bumpy with the smaller core bit marks. I am hoping there is a way to smooth that all out.
How do I smooth out the bottom of the hole?

So, how rough is the bottom of the hole?
Was the hole drilled in steps from small to large or was it a knocked out core.
Some ideas could be rotating wood dowel of a suitable diameter with sand to smooth out the surface.
How smooth does it need to be - as long as the tea light sits reasonably square then it should be suitable.
There are low speed grinders designed for finishing holes like that but they can usually be found at stonemasons or marble suppliers - you may consider asking there, but it depends on how big are your pieces and how many for the cost.


How much Load Capacity does a 12' 2x12 board have? How much weight can a 2x12x12' untreated pine board safely support?

... I have two boards sandwiched (no OSB between - no glue) and the two sandwiched boards are only supported by square columns at each end. The columns support at least 8000 pounds each.

Putting those numbers into the sagulator, a 12' 2x12" Ponderosa pine board lying flat could support 100-125 lbs with about 0.2" of sag in the middle.

If it were on edge, it could support several thousand pounds. The sagulator says borderline sag began at about 12,500 pounds, but that was beyond their stated target sag of 0.02" / ft. I found that target sag at about 7000 lbs.


How to build a sliding wall section A typical interior door is about 30" wide. Double doors (eg. French doors) could make that wider, up to maybe 60". But I'd like to build a sliding wall section, perhaps 90-120" wide in place of an interior wall.

I imagine something like a sliding glass door (some people call them "sliders"), but made of some typical interior wall material like paneling or sheetrock (maybe even insulated to reduce sound transmission when the wall section is shut) instead of glass.

I think the critical design element must be the sliding tracks that I would probably not be able to build myself. But I would guess that once I have the tracks, I could build myself a wall section to fasten to the tracks and accomplish the goal that way. I'm sure that using lighter materials for the moveable section of the wall would be important. Does anyone know of a sliding wall track product like this?

And any suggestions on the best way to implement this idea using typical wood building materials?

I have overseen the install of, and eventually tuned up a set of sliders that were 5 sections of glass panels 8 ft each. 2 of the panels, one at each end, were stationary, the other 3 were operable. Each panel weighed about 500 lbs each with 1 3/4" thick insulated glass panels. The wood frame was about 3" thick. The hardware was lift-slide hardware The link is to the manufacturer that was used on this job, sorry the pic is crappy. It was shot from a long ways away.

The screen doors are in the way of the glass panels, but they are huge.

The point is I am trying to make with this is you don't need to use a glass door to do this with, although you can. It could very easily be a full wood panel as well.

The pic below shows another door system I did install from scratch, but the only picture I have that really shows anything, shows the bottom track and the panels. There are 6 panels in this wall (a different job than the other pic) 2 stationary and 4 operable. These doors were much lighter.


Removing mistakenly applied linseed oil over lacquer? I recently bought a small kitchen trolley from Ikea. The top is treated with linseed oil and the instructions that come with the furniture say to apply more oil after unpacking. I dutifully did this, but I didn't read the instructions carefully enough and applied the oil to the whole piece. The oil didn't seem to soak into the legs and, after checking the Ikea site, I found out that the legs are already coated with an acrylic lacquer. The oil is now a glossy, slightly sticky coating on top of the lacquer. It looks pretty unpleasant and is easily scratched. I'd like to get rid of it.

How I can I remove this? It seems unlikely I'd be able to remove it without damaging the underlying lacquer but if that is possible so much the better. It's possible to scratch it off on small areas but doing this cleanly for the whole piece would be a pain.

From a bit of Googling it seems turpentine would remove it but I haven't yet been able to find this in Switzerland. Would white spirits work?

From what I understand, white spirits/mineral spirits should work, but turpentine is maybe better. I also understand that WD-40 will work as well, but I have no first-hand experience using it for removing linseed oil.

Incidentally, I believe turpentine in German is "Terpentin" while "Terpentinersatz" is white spirits.

Both seem to be available here, for examples of products/brands:

"Terpentin" at Amazon (DE)
"Essence de térébenthine" at Amazon (FR)
"Trementina" at Amazon (IT)


Building a Work Area in the Basement - Requesting Feedback I am a new homeowner of about 2 months now. I have not done much in the way of home repair before now, but I do find that I am quite capable so far. My largest project so far was the re-tiling of my kitchen backsplash.

I am telling you this you know where I stand and my level of experience. As time goes on I find myself taking on projects that require a good "Man Space" as I call it. Someplace to store my tools, cut sheetrock, etc.. This is the area I am working with to accomplish that. Pardon the weird perspective from the panaramic photo. As you can see from the tool/paint collection I've built over 8 weeks, I am need of something to better organize and work.

I've commandeered a full wall of my Fiancee's Laundry room, as well as some of the wall next to the staircase. This is the layout I have in my head (again, please excuse my horrible art skills).

As you can see, this will consist of a variety of surfaces and storage areas. I plan to use standard Kitchen Cabinets to support the work bench surface. This will provide easy-out-of-the-box stability and storage. The back wall will be lined with peg board and/or storage bins. The left wall will consist of shelving I'm sure this will all need to be custom-cut to fit the area under staircase since it obviously gets smaller as you go up. In addition, that area has the back-side of an in-the-wall book-case as well as its support structure to contend with. I'm also considering leaving the paint cans pretty much where they are and just have an access door.

My question in this - since I am inexperienced in actual carpentry at all, my skill set pretty much consists of measuring, cutting, and screwing things together. What advise would you give me on the construction of this? Are the Cabinets a bad idea? Do you think there is a better / more efficient layout I could utilize? What type of lighting would you recommend? Really, I am just looking for any constructive feedback before I partake on this project.

Many thanks!

Echoing Steven's answer, I wouldn't do kitchen cabinets either.  I would get/build a real workbench that can hold 100's of lbs on the surface.
If you aren't up to building your own, you can buy some nice-looking kits from Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, or Sam's Club.  Maybe start with a ready-made workbench as the core of your workshop, and build the remaining shelving and storage yourself.
Here is what I use for my workbench.  I picked it because I liked the metal surface.  Since then, I saw this one at Sams, and I might pick that if I had a do-over.
Some things to consider that you may have not thought about:

Tools come in all shapes and sizes.  Big long things that need to be hung up.  Small things that go in a drawer.  Odd-shaped things that need a big open shelf.  Your needs will change over time.  Someone will buy you a nice big circular saw for Christmas, and then you'll discover it doesn't fit on the shelf.  Adjustable shelving and modular storage will go a long way.

Don't just think about tool storage.  Think about storage for supplies and scraps. You will accumulate a wide variety of nails, screws, wall anchors, nuts, bolts, washers, plumbing fittings, etc.  These will all need little drawers and bins for storage.  (Here is what I use)
Also, you will end up with big scrap pieces of wood, metal, and plumbing that will need a home.  This stuff won't fit in a drawer or on a shelf.  You'll want a big open box (a trash can works pretty well).

Vice (or "vise" depending on who you talk to).  Get one and bolt it to your workbench.  Holding stuff with your hand while you cut it is not fun.  There are different sizes of vices, with different types of jaws (smooth, jagged, etc).  Make sure you get one that is big enough to handle the pieces you expect to be working with.  Also, it is a good idea to pick a jaw type that can hold your work piece without damaging it.  I have a set of Vice Jaw Inserts that I use for delicate items.

Dust collection.  Cutting wood is messy.  You should have a decent Shop Vac (or equivalent) in easy reach of wherever you will be doing most of your cutting.  You may also want to consider locating your workbench/cutting area as far away from the laundry as possible so you don't end up with sawdust in your clothes.

Lighting.  A single bare bulb may seem like enough light in a regular basement, but it won't be enough when you're hunched over you workbench casting a shadow.  You will need some extra lighting.

Power.  You will need outlets all over the place.  Power saws have beefy current requirements, so long thin extension cords are a bad idea.  Also, the standard 15A circuit for all of your basement outlets may not be enough.  If you want to run your Circular Saw at the same time as your Shop Vac, expect a blown breaker.  Consider putting your workshop outlets on their own 20A circuit.  The circuit should be protected by a GFCI.  Pay extra for the heavy duty receptacles.  I like the tamper resistant outlets, because they keep dust out, and also seem to do a better job holding the plugs in.
Keep in mind that local codes probably call for all exposed electrical wiring in a workshop to be protected by solid metal conduit (protection against flying sharp/heavy debris).  If you install any new outlets, make sure they are protected accordingly.  If you have existing exposed wire runs, consider re-doing them with conduit, or nailing some plywood over the studs to cover the wires.

Fire Extinguisher.  Power tools, heat, sparks, fire.  Get a fire extinguisher that is at least 3A:40BC rated.  I would recommend 4A:60BC.  Make sure it is in arms reach while working (a few seconds can save your house).  Depending on your workshop layout, you may also want a second extinguisher by the door (e.g. you walk in the room and discover a flame).

Smoke Alarm.  It looks like the door to this room will be shut most of the time.  Does that room have its own smoke alarm?  If not, it should.  Consider a dual sensor smoke alarm to detect "fast" and "slow" fires.  If your existing smoke alarms are interconnected, you should connect the new one to the existing system.

First Aid Kit.  Should be in arms reach of the workbench.  Stop the bleeding fast.

Safety Goggles. Use them whenever you are cutting/drilling.  The tiniest little bit of fling crud will burn like hell in your eyes, if not make you blind.

Hearing Protection and Work Gloves (good idea Tester101).  Power saws are loud.  Scared my wife the first time I used my circular saw.  You can damage your hearing.  Gloves will help if you pinch your hands, and can dampen vibration from power tools.  (Get good gloves that are comfortable.)

Where will you wash your hands?  Pumice Hand Soap and Shop Towels.  Your spouse may not want these things at the kitchen sink.  I keep mine in the basement bathroom.  And don't wipe your hands with the "good towels"!


2 meters for 1 structure We are currently building an addition to our house. It was a duplex before (one part stick built, other part mobile home, they were connected by a common entryway). We moved the mobile home away and are building a stick built addition that will also have a 'mother-in-law suite'. Before, we had two separate meters for each duplex half. We would like to keep this setup with the new addition.

I have been told by an electrician that this was against code. He said he talked to the electrical inspector as well and he stated we could only do that if we had a fire wall between the two units.

I have been doing some reading and my understanding of the code does not reflect this. We have one service to the building (transformer from the electrical utility) that just happens to be connected to 2 meters. So while we can have only one 'service', we can have multiple 'service entrances', no?

So the question is can we have 2 meters for one structure that had 2 units in it? We have to follow 2017 NEC. This is in Minnesota, Blue Earth County. The utility is a local cooperative. The County does not impose or inspect anything here, the only aspect they consider for building permits is zoning and setback compliance, so they do not have a building code. Electrical is inspected by the State of Minnesota.

This is what we currently have (third meter is for an outbuilding on the property)

I'll take a crack at this but the NEC article that would deal with this is 230, Services, which I don't find very clear.  It goes without saying that unless you're prepared to literally fight city hall, the inspector's interpretation is all that really matters.

If you look at the NEC definition of a Building in Article 100:

  Building. A structure that stands alone or that is cut off
  from adjoining structures by fire walls with all openings
  therein protected by approved fire doors.

Note that adjoining structures are considered separate buildings only if they are separated by fire walls.  I guess they are considering the new setup to be adjoining structures.

Looking at the photo, I would think each of those meter pans are fed by underground service laterals to the same utility transformer.

Now look at

  230.2 Number of Services. A building or other structure
  served shall be supplied by only one service unless permitted
  in 230.2(A) through (D).

(The exceptions (A) through (D) are stuff that probably wouldn't apply.)

You could conclude that three services - three sets of wires serving three separate meters and main disconnects - require that the three spaces be separate buildings;  and per the definiton above, these adjacent spaces are all one building unless they are separate by a fire wall.


How to handle vanity replacement when finish materials do not continue behind existing unit? I had a plumbing leak under my bathroom sink that soaked the vanity before it was discovered and the water shut off. The vanity is cheap crap made out of particleboard that has swelled up like a balloon as a result. What a terrible choice of material. So now I need to replace the vanity with one of much higher quality, but there's a hitch: the bathroom was remodeled by the previous owners, and whoever did the work either didn't remove the vanity before doing the work, or else cheaped out on it to save on materials costs: the floor and baseboard tile was terminated at the base of the vanity, and walls behind it were not finished.

If I remove the vanity, there's a glaringly unfinished area of the bathroom. It seems like I need to replace the vanity with one of identical dimensions or else I'll have a ton of finish work to do, including hunting down several different types of tile that were used for the tile baseboards, which seems impossible.

What are my options here?

I ended up replacing the vanity with a slightly larger one and cutting the tile a bit with an angle grinder to make enough room.


How to remove / fix recessed light trim I have a recessed light that I tried to change to an LED bulb. I was able to unscrew the old bulb, but I can't get it out because there is a shield blocking the light from the can in one direction.

While trying to figure out how to get the bulb out, the trim pulled down from the ceiling drywall, and I'm unclear on how it attaches to the can above it, so I can't remove it, or re-secure it.

How are these trim pieces assembled?

Almost all recessed light trim rings are held in place by spring clips that grip the interior of the recessed can. However, some of those clips have sharp prongs to better grip the can.

You often have to use some force and wiggle the trim ring downward to overcome the grip. Sometimes, if you get a little gap, you can use a flat bladed tool, small putty knife or flat screwdriver, to locate the clip and push it towards the center as you ease the ring downward. Sometimes rotating the trim as you pull downwards helps, even though the trim is not really screwed in.

The trims routinely scrape a groove in the cans as they come out, but this does not damage the can and will be covered when the trim is replaced.

Work carefully, because some cans are not well attached, especially old work cans that may not be anchored to framing. I would strongly recommend turning off the breaker to the can before working. Turning the switch off is not enough, since there may be live hot in the can, even if the wall switch is off.

Finally, I would check, before removing the trim, to make sure that the lens does not come off by itself. If the lens were removable, it probably would require a counterclockwise twist while pushing gently upward.


DWV for deep basements How can you have waste pipes for underground stories of a building?

For example, my waste pipes are buried a few feet under my yard because I only have a crawlspace. If I had a basement, I imagine they would just have to dig the pipes deeper, which would still be possible because the city lines would most likely be deeper than my basement. But, what if you had a really deep basement or a commercial building that went several stories underground?

If sewage can no longer flow downhill by gravity, then a grinder pump would be installed at the lowest point to pump the sewage up to the sewer line.


Best method to tile over concrete block with drywall glued over it? We're adding a shower to a half bath and during demo discovered drywall has been glued to the concrete block wall.  Four feet of this wall will be used for tile in shower.  Our Tiler says he can use Kerdi waterproofing but the inspector says we have to use furring strips over the drywall and 1/2 inch concrete board over that.  Then tile.  My question(s): 1) Do we need to install some kind of vapor barrier in this scenario? 2) Can we use insulation board between fur strips and if so, foil facing tile or away from tile? 3) Any other suggestion to do this per code?

Thanks!
DParker

There are not many options to resolve this properly. So I will address your questions first.

  1) Do we need to install some kind of vapor barrier in this scenario?

The current best practice is to place waterproofing over the backer board and just under the tile. (ie Kerdi waterproofing)

  2) Can we use insulation board between fur strips and if so, foil facing tile or away from tile?

The answer is no and for the same reason no vapor barrier is to be used behind the backer board. The wall cavity should be able to breath and allow any moisture to evaporate.

Updated: Based on finding out it is a basement

So my answer to you is:
As mentioned by Ed - Spray with water to soften the drywall and it should easily come off to the paper.

Inspect and choose best method of removing glue: if it was glued unevenly.
Maybe snap lines or draw lines as a layout for furring strips. (no need to do more work than needed)

Fasten furring strips, use backer board, seal (recommended) with (ie. Kerdi waterproofing) and tile over that.


oven repair, is it possible the gas line is clogged? Mistaking a broiler for a storage drawer below the oven, my friend placed a single medium size piece of tupperware inside the broiler.  Naturally it was lit on fire, and a lot of soot (and fire extinguisher chemicals) were deposited on and around the igniter.  The igniter still glows hot when the oven is turned on, but I don't hear gas and it doesn't ignite.
Should I suspect the heating element is too dirty to work effectively?
That the gas line has become clogged?
Could cleaning some of these parts help or do they probably need to be replaced?

The oven/stove is a GE model JGBS22BEA1WH

Cleaning is always a good idea after a mishap like this, but if it does not immediately fix the problem, you should call in a professional repair service. A fire in an appliance, especially a gas fed appliance, needs a pro to ensure that the unit is still safe to operate.

Many plastics can form a pretty solid mess when melted onto metal. It may be difficult or prohibitive in time to clean some of those parts. Also, the burning plastic may have damaged a thermostat or electrical connects. Whether anything needs to be replaced is again a decision that should be made by a professional specifically familiar with this unit and who can directly inspect the damage (or lack of damage).


Can I use an existing 6/3 cable plus an additional ground wire for a sub-panel? I am installing a sub panel for a kitchen remodel. I have an existing sub panel directly below where I plan to install the new sub panel. The existing sub panel is fed off the main breaker box with an aluminum 2-2-2-4 sheathed cable, with a 70 amp breaker.
I have an existing 6/3 cable feeding an electric range that does not have a separate ground wire, which comes from the main breaker box. Since I am going to replace the electric range with a propane range, I no longer need the 6/3 range feed.
Does it meet code if I run a ground to the existing sub panel, and use the 6/3 range feed to energize the kitchen sub panel? I have read that it meets code to run a separate ground to the main panel via a new path to bring the range feed to code, but I can find no such provision while connecting to the ground bar on the existing sub panel.
Thanks

No, when you retrofit a ground, you must source the retrofit ground from the same panel as the conductors come out of.
Further, such a groundless feed can be retrofitted for ground but it cannot be used in new work.
It sounds like the house was built with electric, and you went to a lot of trouble to convert to gas.  This is often done "with a vengeance" because traditional electric ranges are so awful compared to gas.  So your logic is "Why NOT burn the bridge and make it impossible to go back, since any sane person will stay gas since electric is so awful". One technology change is inductive ranges, which by all reports are turning out to be quite good.
Another tech trend is toward electrification.  Given these sea changes, I would expect in 5-10 years a new homeowner may want to dispense with the propane altogether in favor of inductive range, extended range heat pump, etc.  This may be helped along by incentives either from gov't or power company.
Therefore, given that the 6/3 "no ground" feeder is utterly useless as a subpanel feeder, and still useful to the next homebuyer for fitting an induction range (and thus, adds value to the home), my advice would be to leave it alone.
--
I note your your existing subpanel has a 2-2-2-4 feeder going to it. That feeder is good for 90A (if the existing subpanel is). So I would simply "tee" off that existing feeder with additional 2-2-2-4 to the new kitchen subpanel.  Now both old and new subpanel are sharing a 90A feeder.  That's more than plenty for a gas kitchen.


What could be causing my sink and dishwasher to back up? My sink backs up when running water for 3 min. Also into dishwasher.
It's also a double sink.
On the other hand, my dishwasher also backs up into sink.
This causes a disgusting smell through my home.
Especially in the bathroom and my bedroom.

I do have a basement, and when water backs up into sink ..it also backs up out of floor drain downstairs.
I had snake run through and it's not appearing to be stopped up.
New pipes were put in under sink and it didn't help.

Please give me something I can do.
I'm a single woman trying to figure this out.

It really sounds like the drain line blockage is beyond the place where the basement drain exits the foundation and goes off to either the public sewer system or private septic system. Could be broken underground line, line filled in with tree roots seeking water through joints or holes in the piping, or sediment / deposits in the line that have restricted its flow.

Probably the best way to troubleshoot this type of problem is to use a inspection camera that is slid through the pipe on the end of a long cable with a camera display at the end. Some professional plumbers have these for sewer inspection. It may also be possible to rent one and use it yourself but then you do not get the experienced eye of the operator knowing what nuances to look for.


Are water heater blankets a good idea? Is it a good idea to wrap a water heater in insulation?  Does it lower the heating cost?  Does it shorten the life of the water heater?

A lot of water heaters (that I've seen anyway) are in unheated spaces -- basements, garages, attics (in some countries).  The rate at which you lose heat from the water depends mainly on two things:

the difference in temperature between the water and the outside environment.  The greater the difference, the faster the heat loss.
the R-value of the insulation between the water and the environment: the higher, the better.

The tank will provide some insulation, but adding a blanket for another layer of insulation will definitely help.  How much it will help depends on the temperature of the water and the environment the tank is in.

(The surface area of the tank is also a factor in the rate of heat loss.  While adding a blanket will increase the surface area, the savings by having the extra insulation will more than offset the loss the extra area will provide).

If anything, insulating should lengthen the life of the heater because it wouldn't have to work as hard maintaining the water at the set temperature.


Why won't my ice maker eject ice? I have a component-style ice maker, by which I mean it's not one of the modular kinds with holes for probe tests. It's similar to that style in that the water fills the mold, then the thermostat activates the mold heater once the water has frozen. A plastic arm rakes the loosened ice out of the mold.

At least, that's what's supposed to happen. About three weeks ago, my ice maker stopped ejecting the ice. The water filled the mold, and the ice froze, but the mold heater never turned on.

I took the ice maker out of the fridge and tested the heating element and thermostat with a multimeter. Both seemed fine. There is no water frozen in the supply tube, either. With an empty mold and a manual turn of the gear, the ice maker fills with water like normal.

I decided to replace it, but now the new one isn't ejecting ice, either. What am I missing?

Check the lever mechanism (mine looks like a flag) to make sure it moves properly.  That is the device that keeps the ice maker from constantly making more ice once the bin is filled.  There's a small spring on it that can become misaligned and keeps the ice maker from properly functioning.

Look at that "flag" lever closely.  The spring issue may not be immediately visible to you.  Move it back and forth.  If it's binding or does not return to it's static place when you move it, that's probably the case.


Can I use a single 20-amp breaker for a bathroom and adjacent small bedroom in my basement? I am in the process of wiring my basement.
 1. Main area
 2. Hallway
 3. Small Bath
 4. Small Bedroom with egress window.

I have a single 15-amp and 20-amp wire coming in from the electrical panel located in the garage.

Based on my reading I should use 12-2 Romex for all the outlets (even though the builder only use 15-amp for the new construction ). Then use 14-2 Romex for any lighting? Is this true?

So, I guess my real question is do I actually need a single circuit for the bathroom or can I share the circuit with bathroom and bedroom.

Nope, you'll need 2 circuits for this

Bathroom receptacles must be on a 20A branch circuit that is either dedicated to bathroom receptacles (and no other loads), or to the loads in a single bathroom (and no other rooms), as per NEC 210.11(C)(3):

  (3) Bathroom Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
  branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
  one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to
  supply the bathroom(s) receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall
  have no other outlets.

  Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom,
  outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted
  to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

As a result, the 20A circuit will need to feed the bathroom receptacles (and possibly the rest of the bathroom's loads as well), while all other loads (general receptacles outside the bathroom, and lighting loads) will go on the remaining 15A circuit.  All wiring on the 20A circuit will need to be 12AWG, as well.


I installed dimmer but the wall switch does not have a ground wire; is it safe? I installed this dimmer in my bedroom  https://i.stack.imgur.com/YR6mq.jpg
But when I removed the old switch I only found 2 black copper wires connected to the switch. I proceeded to connect this to the black wires in my dimmer switch and it is working. However, I am concerned about the safety of it. Is connecting only the black wires safe? I did cut out the green wire and made sure they connecting parts are covered with electric tape.

Here is a picture of how it looks now:

Update:

I replaced the dimmer with one that have the screwed to hold the wires. It also have a grounding green screw as in the image below.

I still can't tell if I need to attach anything to the green screw. In my apt, look like it's the same namely there is not grounding wires for those switches so I'm assuming the metal box is grounded.

Connecting the switch to the black wires is safe and correct if you used the proper wire nuts. You said you made sure the connected parts were covered with electrical tape. If that's all you used, it's not good enough. Go back and use wire nuts.

Never cut off a ground wire. If you don't have a ground in the box just tuck the wire in there for the future. There is a chance you've got a ground there if metal conduit or armored cable was used and screwing in the switch would ground it but not the way it should be. The switch is safe to operate as is.


how to strongly secure a wire over a couch frame to stretch seat spring webbing I have a wire piping that used to be secure around the frame perimeter of my couch base so that a flexolator webbing with springs would be stretched taut and clip onto it.  However, this piping has come loose and the wire that used to secure the piping frame has broke so now the webbing sags.  I'd like to clip/secure the piping so that it can be strong enough again to clip on the springs to it.  I tried heavy duty staples but that was too weak against the pull.  What is the best way to secure the piping back onto the frame to withstand the force of the springs and stretching when it clips back on.

Similar to this photo, the springs clip into a cable/wire/piping that goes around the frame.

I would probably drill holes through the piping and screw/bolt it directly to the frame. They won't budge if fastened properly with screws. I guess I would glue it as well...

Or how about some straps like these on both sides of each pipe:


Lower power supplied by home network after power glitch The other week I was at work when a massive power glitch hit the local area (lights dimming, computers shutting down etc). When I got home, just a few blocks away, something had happened to my home's electrical system; since then the halogen ceiling lights are slightly dimmer, the heater's fan spins more slowly, the toaster takes much longer to brown the same bread (and it too glows more dimly), etc.

I have a power meter provided by my energy supplier, and my 3 kW kettle that used to draw almost exactly 3 kW, now only draws 2.4 kW.

Can anyone guess what might have happened? could it be a problem with my home electrical system, or some substation, or else? It's being going on for a week now. Cheers!

I would

Check the supply voltage at a wall socket (expecting 230 to 240).

Using a plug-in Kill-a-Watt or similar device or
Using a Cat-II or better-rated good-quality multimeter with care.

Ask neighbours if they have similar problems.
Report the problem to your electricity supplier.

It might be worth looking for any obvious damage at or near the supply-meter or consumer-unit but I'd be surprised if there is visible damage. Anyway, you'd need an electrician to fix damage in or around those items.

(Assuming UK from user name)


Dryer vent hose not staying connected to the dryer vent even with clamp I cannot get the hose to stay on the metal vent coming out of the dryer.  I have tightened the clamp til I am almost bending the pipe but the venting material slides right off?
Help and thank you!

Just attach it with some small sheet metal screws.


How to install Light Fixtures - no ground in the ceiling box I am trying to install a lighting fixture that I bought from Ikea.  The ceiling box has one black, one white, one blue, and one yellow lines (as in the photo below).  But, I cannot find a ground line in the box.   Can anyone explain how I can connect the ground line in the lighting fixture?  Also, I would like to use a switch to turn on and off the lighting, but I'm not sure which hot wire I should use. I guess it may be blue or yellow.

Thank you!

If you don't know, get an electrician. Your life and property are at stake.

I could make some educated guesses here but if you followed them, had a problem, and I found out about it, I'd feel bad.


Water heater pilot light won't stay lit. Plumber says it's attic heat So I've heard most of the answers in other similar threads around here but this one was new to me.

I recently bought an older house and it has a natural gas water heater in the attic. Nothing terribly unusual about it. It's been running relatively well until recently, when the pilot light started to go out on a semi-frequent basis. I have a home warranty we got when we purchased the house, so I paid the money for a service call and the guy who came out told my wife that there was nothing wrong with the tank, that the attic was getting too hot and it was making the tank shut the pilot light off.

We had a large tree removed from one end of the house. That end also has a non-functional fan (we think they only had powered fans to exhaust hot air) so it's possible the attic is getting hotter than it did before. The bank (who rehabbed it after a repo) added two wind turbines to the main part to exhaust air. This plumber said they didn't move enough. He suggested putting a box fan near the tank to help keep it cooler.

This doesn't make any sense to me, and it sounded like he was trying to get the warranty company out of a repair. Has anyone heard of such a thing?

I realize this is an old question, but it's hot once again and the question may come up for someone else.. so I thought I'd venture an answer. I don't work as a heating/cooling professional, I'm just a homeowner.

Your plumber may be right, and from my experience, it is uncommon that he'd know that (unless, like you said, he was trying to get the home warranty company out of a bill and happened to stumble on the cause).

When your attic gets hot, and there is bad or no circulation, according to Charles' law, the pressure in your attic increases. If it gets hot enough, it can increase high enough that it can suffocate the pilot flame. So if you have no circulation in a hot attic, you can definitely snuff out the pilot flame. Replacing the water heater may not fix the problem. But probably neither would circulating the high pressure air in place with a box fan.

Check your venting situation, especially the passive elements. For example, if you have soffits, make sure they have not become clogged with blown insulation. I would take a blower of some sort (a shopvac that can be reversed for example) and blow them from the outside. Also, look from inside the attic and check what the situation is. If you've had recently blown insulation, it could definitely have caused a problem.

So my suggestion - clean your soffits and evaluate your passive ventilation. Resist the impulse to add active ventilation unless you know what you are doing (they can cause issues). If you can't figure out the problem, it may need the experience of an experienced roofing contractor who understands how to calculate your roofing needs and install additional ventilation. It could be that your two turbines are sufficient, but you are not getting enough air in through soffits and other inlets, for them to pull out. You can google for various formulas to consider how many feet of soffits or ridge vents/passive ventilation you need. If you have no soffits and only a non-functional active fan to push air in, that's probably your problem. I'd add soffits.

By the way, it is possible that as your water heater has aged, it is more sensitive to the increased pressure. This I don't know, I am just theorizing, and someone with practical experience should chime in. Replacing parts or replacing the heater may help or fix the problem, if you are just on the edge of the issue. If you've already fixed the issue, it would be interesting to learn what solution you finally arrived to.


Is tung oil a good product for natural oak cabinets? In my new house, all the cabinetry is natural bare oak. The house is about 8 years old. Chances are the cabinetry is original and doesn't appear to be finished with anything.

I'm considering using tung oil to help liven it up a bit and protect it. However, I've never used tung oil and honestly, rarely, if ever, do projects such as this.

Is using tung oil on oak cabinets a good option?

Are there better alternatives than tung oil? Such as a clear polyurethane?

I don't really want to paint or stain the cabinets because color will change. I merely want to protect the cabinetry at this point.

It's possible-but-unlikely that there's nothing on them. Most likely they were done with a penetrating oil finish, - tung, walnut or linseed oils, or in the most minimal, least-color-changing but non-hardening realm, mineral oil.

You could use any of those (use BOILED linseed oil inside, or else that never hardens, either) again, though linseed and tung may darken the finish a bit, or your could simply put a coat of paste wax on (I prefer "bowling alley wax" for non-floor purposes - it does not have the grit that some floor waxes do, and I prefer the clear to the "tinted" stuff, as well.) You can also mix walnut or boiled linseed oil with paste wax, rub on, rub off. Check the "look" of anything you intend to try on a surface like the inside of a cabinet door to make sure it works for you before you apply it to the whole face of the cabinets.

Polyurethane will drastically change the look of the cabinets from a "more like raw wood" to "clear plastic coating over the wood" look. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste (and hard to go back from.)


Third Wire in 14-3 Wire Showing 50V When There Should be None In the basement I have 19 recessed lights connected to 8 3-Way switches.  There were dimmers on the 4 switches located in the main 4-gang box, and they were making a lot of buzzing noise.  Not only that, the lights (CFLs) would flicker quite a bit and burn out a lot more quickly than they should.  So I decided to replace the dimmer switches with standard 3 way switches.  The new switches are working properly.  However, I noticed some strange voltages while I was checking things out.

There are 2 circuits feeding the 4-gang box with, as far as I can tell, one 14-3 wire which goes to the panel.  The red and black wires are the "hots" from the 2 circuit breakers at the panel and the white wire is apparently acting as the neutral for both circuits (I know that's a no-no, but I'm not sure that's related to the 50V).  The ground is tied to the other grounds.  The red wire is feeding the power to 2 of the switches, and the black wire is feeding the other 2 switches.  As far as I can tell by sticking my head above the drop ceiling, the white wire in the 14-3 is the only neutral going back to the panel and there are no breaks or junction boxes in between.

To rule out the possibility of something backfeeding voltage into the red, black and white wires, I disconnected them inside of the 4-gang box.  At the panel, I turned off the breaker for the red wire and still read 50V between the red and ground and 120V between the black and ground.  If I turn off the black breaker and turn on the red breaker, I'll read the 50V between the black and ground and 120V between the red and ground.  If I turn on both breakers, both read 120V to ground.  If I turn off both breakers, I read 0.0V for black and red.

So, theoretically, all I have is a 3 conductor + ground wire going out to a box with the ends completely disconnected, yet I'm reading 50V between one of the wires and ground if the other circuit is powered.  The only thing I can think of is that the red and black wires must be touching somewhere.  I tried a continuity test between the black and red wires, and found no connection.

I traced the wire from the panel to the 4-gang box and couldn't see any obvious kinks or cuts, etc.  Is there some electrical phenomenon which is causing 50V to appear on the other wire?  Was this mystery voltage causing the CFLs to flicker?  Is there anything else I should check out?

What you are describing is called a Multi-wire Branch Circuit, and it is completely legal (given that it's done properly).

The first problem, is that it doesn't should like the breakers feeding this circuit are handle tied together.  It should be feed by a double pole breaker, or the two breakers handles should be tied together.  You should not be able to shut off only half the circuit (red only or black only).

As for the voltage.  I'd suspect it's phantom voltage (inductive coupling), and so should not cause any problems (especially if the breakers were properly tied together).

If the breaker for the "red" conductor is off, and current is flowing on the "black" conductor. Because the conductors are parallel, and in close proximity, a voltage may be induced on the "red" wire.  There should be no current, however.  So if a load was introduced, the voltage would drop to 0.

You can determine if it really is phantom voltage, simply by using a low impedance voltmeter.  The low impedance meter will read 0 volts, while a high impedance meter will read the phantom voltage.  An analog meter is one example of a low impedance meter, though some digital multimeters are able to operate in both modes.


How can I keep a screw from slipping off a screw bit? I'm used to having magnetic bit holders, which will attract the screw, but sometimes the screw will still slip away sideways while screwing it in.

Today I watched an episode of Adam Savage's One Day Builds on YouTube and noticed a kind of bit holder that I haven't seen before:

You can see it in action around the 12:00 mark.

What is this device called and what other options are there to keep screws from slipping?

As for other options: I really like using square drive bits and fasteners (a.k.a "Robertson"):

They have several advantages over Philips-style screws:

The screw easily attaches to the bit and generally stays put (this is the attribute you seem to be looking for)
The square drive bit does not "cam out" if you don't apply enough pressure.
The bit and fasteners are much more durable, which means you don't generally need to worry about stripping the screw head or damaging the bit.

Admittedly this isn't a viable solution if you need to work with existing fasteners. Also square drive hardware can be a little harder to find, but in my experience Home Depot et al tend to have common fasteners available with square drive heads, and of course anything is available online.


How do I determine/control which heat source is used (heat pump, oil) I have a heat pump and an oil furnace for backup.

How does the HVAC system know when to use the heat pump and when to use the oil furnace?

Specifics: I have a Honeywell TH8320U1008 thermostat which handles 2-heat systems, and when I pull it off the wall and look at the wires one column of wires is labeled "Heat Pump" and the other is "Conventional". The manual makes no mention of setting a temperature where it switches from one to the other. Is there any way to control this?

A heat pump thermostat prefers to operate the heat pump under "usual" conditions as that is expected to be less expensive.  It will invoke the back up (or "emergency heat") when any of several conditions occur:

The current indoor temperature is more than 4 °F/2 °C cooler than the temperature setpoint.  This is the blockhead approach taken by primitive thermostats and intelligent thermostats when "anticipator mode" is disabled.
The outdoor temperature is cold enough that the heatpump can not operate inexpensively.
The "emergency heat" switch is enabled on the thermostat.

Some (advanced) thermostats might have an adjustable delta temperature value, but it does not look like the TH8320 does.  According to the installer manual (see page 17), there is a deadband adjustment, option 0310.  Besides directly controlling the deadband, it might also be used as the temperature delta or half of it.  Try adjusting the deadband, save it, and then adjust the setpoint temperature above the current reading (which will drift up as your hot hand and body will warm the thermostat) and see if the delta is affected.


Grohe shower leaks from faucet when shower head is selected I have a Grohe shower head, diverter and faucet (for the bath). In the last week I find that when I run the shower, I also have water coming from the faucet into the bath. What do I need to do to fix this?

if you mean you have water coming from the handle part of the shower (this is the mixing valve), then it needs removal and repair.  could be anything wrong, but its usually the front seal on these cartridges.  this unit looks like it has the diverter in the mixing handle, so the whole unit probably needs repair.

if you mean the water comes from a tub filler spout with a diverter valve in it (the little pull or twist handle that selects shower instead of tub filler), then the tub filler probably needs servicing or replacement.  most of them are less costly than replacement parts for the same unit


Can you just put drywall up in a basement without providing electrical outlets? I would like to add 2 by 4 framing and drywall in the basement to insulate and partition into a workout area and a closet. I plan to only use overhead lighting and not put in any electrical outlets on the framed drywall. Instead, electrical boxes will be mounted externally to provide electricity to exercise equipment where needed. The area will be carpeted.
Question is whether it is necessary to install builtin electrical outlets to drywall partitions in a basement (like every 10' or something like that).

To meet electrical code you need outlets at certain minimum spacings, at least one on each wall that's more than 2 feet long, no more than 12 feet apart, etc - but code does not give a rat's patootie if they are IN the wall or surface-mount.

Your future resale may be helped by putting them in the wall, however - but it's not code, just typical buyer preference against seeing surface mount devices in "finished" spaces.

"Only running outlets where you need them" generally does not meet code, unless you need them in enough places that you happen to cover the code-minimum spacing requirements.


How do I test a furnace limit switch? When my thermostat reaches the desired temperature, the furnace fan shuts off briefly, then cycles on and off a few times. Several internet posts pointed me to the limit switch, which seems to make sense, so I replaced it. The new switch exhibits the same problem, so I'm not sure whether I got a bad switch or there's something else going on. Is there a way to test the limit switch to rule that out? If so, where do I look next? There seems to be a resistor inline with one of the limit switch leads, but I don't know what it's rated at.

The furnace is a 25-year-old Carrier. The model number and serial number are illegible, and I don't have a manual for it.

grab a multimeter and figure out what the normal operation of the switch is. it's probably 12 or 24 vdc. leave the multimeter hooked up and watch it while the system is off, operating normally, and experiencing the problem. the resistor is probably a supervision resistor, so there are at least 3 possible outputs from the switch: open, resistor load, closed/short.

you can then decide the best way to diagnose the problem.

once you know how it should be operating, you can, for example, remove the switch and short or open or use the resistor to trick the furnace in to thinking it is still hot and the fan needs to keep running. if the fan doesn't run properly, then you know the problem is not the limit switch.


How to find where the slugs are coming from? Every morning in our newly bought house we are finding fresh dried tracks of slugs in our kitchen. I would like to know how to find where they are coming from and how to stop them from entering the house. Has anyone encountered such an issue?

EDIT-1: Made some interesting discoveries last night. The slugs don't enter if the room is lit. When we turn off the lights, they slowly start showing up. So I took my hand torch and came back after about 45 minutes and one was poking its head from a space underneath the drawers which are beneath the kitchen counter top. After I got rid of the first one, 3 more came in when I came back after 2 hours :( I still need to figure out if there are any cracks or holes through which its entering from the outside.

Found this useful link: http://www.allaboutslugs.com/slugs-in-the-house/

EDIT-2: Here's what I did to control them from entering: Removed the wood chips near the wall for about a feet and put paver sand and line of Uncle Ian's slug repellent. In the morning, the slugs braved the sand but I can see the U-turns in the track once they encountered the repellent. I chose that since it had only dried blood and cinnamon. No toxic stuff. But it was very irritating to the nose. As soon as I opened the bag and started applying it, I kept sneezing 4-5 times.

EDIT-3: Adding my comment as an edit here. The Uncle Ian's slug repellent only helped a little. Ended up taking out the board underneath the kitchen sink and the corner shelf beneath the kitchen counter and found out there was a big hole in the floor board. The previous owners moved the kitchen sink from the corner to its current location and both of them had holes which were not properly sealed. The slugs were coming out of those two gaps from the crawl space. So I bought the Styrofoam spray, filled the holes and boarded the shelves back. After that we didn't see the slug in the kitchen - knock on wood :)

There's probably a few air bricks behind your kitchen units. Nail bit of fine mesh over them outside.


Is a radiant floor enough to heat the room? I would like to know if an electric or hydronic radiant floor is enough to heat the room or if it's just to have a warm floor. And if yes, what is the efficiency (the time it take to warm the room, the cost on the electrical bill, etc.) compared to an electric baseboard heater.

My question is general to any type of floor but if the answer depends on the type I use, I would say its for my bathroom (12' x 12') with ceramic tiles.

Well it depends on the output of the radiant floor, but in general yes they are sufficient to heat a room.

We have underfloor heating (hot water with heat spreader plates under floorboards) in our upstairs rooms and they warm the rooms quite well. The floors are warm to touch (as would be expected). The temperature of the room is more uniform the heat is rising from all parts of the floor rather than from one section of the wall. We don't feel we need additional sources of heat in the rooms.

The rooms do seem to take a little longer to get warm than other rooms with a radiator, but the wooden floors may contribute to this. If you are heating tiles in a bathroom then I'd expect that to be quicker and as quick as a radiator.

I can't give comparative costs, but our heating bills don't seem excessive when compared to other people's with similar houses.


Reusing screw holes in lumber My townhouse has some outdoor stairs built out of 6" x 8" lumber (i.e., the first step is comprised of two pieces of lumber (with no "nosing")). A couple of the steps are rotten and I need to change the lumber. There is a metal railing along the stairs, which is held down with screws in the lumber. I will need to remove that railing when changing the lumber. When comes time to re-install the railing, will I be able to reuse the same holes for screwing the railing back in place? I don't want to leave some visible holes (in the steps that did not need to be replaced) if I need to use different holes?

edit: The reason for me saying the railing needs to be removed is that (I believe) there is a nail underneath the railing metal plate on the first stair. I cannot confirm without removing the darn railing. After I asked the question about reusing the same screw holes to one of my neighbors (who is no more handy than I am), he suggested that I cut the step off near the nail and slide out the lumber (instead of taking off the railing). I am not sure how I would cut off the lumber in the first place, let alone cutting it close enough to the nail under the metal railing. Based on the (somewhat comforting!) answers below, am I correct in saying that using the same holes, with possibly longer lag bolts, would maintain a safe railing and be much easier than trying to cut off the lumber near the spikes?

I don't see why not.  Just keep in mind that a fresh screw hole is going to give you a much tighter connection that going into one that has already had threads cut through the wood.  If you're worried about the holding strength, just go up one screw size and think of the old one as a pilot hole.


Removing post in center of two-car garage (20ft span) I have a two-story house with a two-car garage under two bedrooms. The two bedrooms have a non-load bearing wall between them and the garage has a 6x10 beam underneath with a supporting post.
I want to take out the post, by bracing or sandwiching the existing beam with LVLs on either side using through-bolts and end posts. The span is including supporting end-posts 247".
how many LVLs do I need and what height of LVLS? Can I use one 1.75" x 11.75" on either side or do I need more?

Well, you could try one LVL and if it collapses, then rebuild the floor and use two.
It really depends on how much stuff you have in the room above and how solid you want the floor to be. Do you care if the floor bounces when you jump up and down?
I doubt that a 20 foot wall is not load bearing. What is holding up the roof? If you go into the attic, are there joists tied to the wall header?


Is there a minimum distance required from the bottom of the sink to the outlet? Is there a minimum required by code from the bottom of the sink to the horizontal PVC outlet that goes into the wall?  I am putting in a utility sink and have the top of the horizontal wall outlet three inches below the bottom of the sink (yes I have a p trap in there

There's a minimum and maximum distance the vent must be from the trap (which is based on pipe diameter), but I've never seen a minimum vertical distance.

The bottom of the fixture should be above the top of the trap arm, but beyond that, it wouldn't make any difference (this should be obvious, as water doesn't flow up :) ).


How to remove milk smell from hardwood floor? I spilled a bowl of cereal on my hardwood floor.  Now the whole room smells like sour milk.  Tried mopping with H2Orange and water a couple hours ago, but it still smells.  There are a couple of forum posts online that recommend vinegar, peroxide (H2O2), and scrubbing with hot soapy water but there didn't seem to be any feedback to say what worked and what didn't.

Has anyone had this problem before and know the right way to get rid of the smell?

UPDATE: So far I've tried mopping with H2Orange, mopping with Pinesol, scrubbing with baking soda and wiping up afterward with cleaner, and scrubbing with vinegar and water. The vinegar was the worst, because then it just smelled like spoiled milk with vinegar in it. I'm currently trying Old English oil, it's similar to Murphy's Oil Soap. Any other suggestions are kindly welcomed, I'm about to give up hope.

Ok, so the thing that finally worked was Old English Oil! Murphy's Oil Soap will also work. Any other similar product/brand should do the trick too.


Painting aluminum garage door I need to repaint my aluminum garage door but want to use the right paint / process to do it.

Will an oil based paint like rustoleum work?
Is there a special primer that I need to get this done the right way?

I don't want the paint flaking off.

My garage door got a bit messed up when I sealed the driveway a few years ago - splattered tar on it. I tried using "oil-flo" solvent to clean the tar off and it seemed to work... also stripped some of the paint off.

The best bet now is just to repaint the whole thing!

I'm going to make this a little simpler than some of the comments you have gotten and say that it's really as easy as priming and painting with a good quality exterior house paint.

I would clean the surface well from dirt, oils and other contaminants and then prime with a exterior oil based primer such as this Zinsser Cover Stain primer (random selection I'm familiar with, but just an example).  It comes in quarts and gallons and will probably be cheaper than a specialty metal paint.

Once primed, you can use a quality exterior house paint tinted to any color.  This is a very common way to paint the doors to match house and trim colors, and should be a long lasting solution.


Soundproofing workshed floor & roof Roof high side

Window __o  o  o  o  o__ Door
         o--|--|--|--o
         o--|--|--|--o
         o  o  o  o  o

         Roof low side

I'm planning a soundproof shed using pine posts, laid out in 3.6x2.7m as above. Grid = roof struts.

Each post is +-10cm diameter, each gap is 75cm. Wall plan is immutable (give or take a few cm). Height is 1.8m on high side and 1.7m on low side of roof (tilt is for rain, no snow here). Treated pine posts are cheap, and good for years in this mild coastal climate.

Noise insulation is key, as I'll be using powertools in the shed. Wall sections will be filled with sand; and posts should transfer vibration into the turf. I also want to prevent roof and floor from leaking much noise. Ventilation being at odds with noise and water proofing, I have some misgivings about this.

Floor seems to offer two options, either enclose wall sections...

right down to the ground, with packed sand inside to maybe 10cm + fine gravel or pavers on top, or
leaving 10-15cm space at bottom and do floorboards / joists up to same height, for air underflow.

Ceiling noise reduction is more of a challenge, as noise out the top may travel. Should be lightweight as possible. Grid shows where roofing posts could be laid using saddle notches, sectioning the roof. Insulation then goes into those sections (about 10cm high given post widths), or on top of framework.

How would you soundproof this? Bonus points: How would you soundproof this while optionally allowing natural light in through the roof on days where noise is less of an issue?

Note I am not in UK/US/CA/AU or the like, so no highly specialised solutions, please.

There are a few approaches to soundproofing.  One is a lot of mass, like you're describing with your walls.  Another is mechanical isolation, two solid "walls" with no openings between them, a gap between them, which can be air, and no mechanical connection other than where they are fastened to the building structure.

You can use the same principle with the roof.  Make it a double wall of clear material such as this clear corrugated plastic panel, which will provide light in the daytime:

Those kinds of panels come in various lengths.  A standard size is often 8', which might be a hair short for your dimensions.  A 12' length can be easily cut to the size needed, and a little extra length will give you some protective overhang.  The panels are self-supporting, you won't need a bunch of roof struts or posts.  You also won't need to insulate the roof.

There are matching mounting strips that you would use at the high and low walls.  The inertness of the walls will dampen noise transmission at those points.

Rip some angled strips of wood to put under the mounting strips to compensate for the roof pitch so that the mounting strips will be square with the panel.

You can improve the isolation even more with a layer of rubber or dense foam weatherstripping, or even a strip of wool felt, between the mounting strip and the panel.

To separate the two panel layers, you use two mounting strips back to back on top of the first panel (use long screws to go through everything and then into the top surface of the wall).  The back-to-back strips will be offset by half a corrugation so the panel corrugations are parallel between the layers (uniform gap).

Between the high and low walls, there will be an air gap between the layers.  The combination of the plastic material and the isolated layers will be very effective at blocking noise.  It will also be very light weight.

At the two sides, you would need to seal in the sound.  The side walls will need a wedge-shaped top piece to follow the roofline, and the height will need to match the panel at that point.  The walls will dampen sound for any connection there.

The gap between the panels needs to be sealed on the sides, and both layers should be firmly fastened to the walls.  How to fasten and seal the bottom panel to the side wall will depend on whether the corrugation is facing down, up, or transitioning.

If it's facing down, put a layer of rubber or dense foam weather stripping, or a strip of wool felt, between the panel and the top of the wall and screw the panel down.
If it's facing up, round a board to fit the corrugation (use the mounting strip as a guide).  Alternately, if a standard diameter PVC pipe matches the curvature of the panel corrugation, cut a section as a mounting surface.  Use silicone caulk to adhere it to the top of the wall and fasten through it.
If the corrugation is transitioning, cut up a few mounting strips to create pieces that fit the gap between the panel and the top of the wall.  Position these every foot or so to serve as fastening supports.  Adhere the supports and the panel to the wall with  expanding exterior-grade foam, which will also seal the gap.  You can then screw the panel down at the support points.

Between the two panel layers, see if the gap is the same as a standard diameter PVC tube.  The tube can be glued to the bottom panel and act as the spacer (fasten through the tube at the support points).  Another option is to use foam pipe insulation of a slightly larger diameter than the gap, with a PVC tube inside it to maintain its shape (fasten through the tube).  The insulation will seal the gap between the panels.

If you plan to use the shed at night, put fluorescent or LED lighting inside.  You can fasten it to the top of the walls.

If your goal is to block noise, take the walls all the way to the ground.  Then put whatever flooring you want inside.

Ventilation will be a problem because any opening will compromise the noise control.  If there will be a wall facing away from your house and not facing neighbors, you could put a small window or two in that wall (triple pane will provide better noise control).  You can open them to get some air and close them while you're working.  From your description of sand-filled walls, you would need to frame out the openings.

If you want a "sealed system", you may need to just open the door occasionally for fresh air.  You can condition the temperature, though.  If you will be working and using equipment, there might be little need for heat, even in the winter, because it will be well-insulated.  In the daytime, you will also have a lot of heat gain from sunshine through the roof.

For cooling, you could use either a portable AC unit with an exhaust vent to the outside (put the hole on the least problematic wall, like the one facing away from your house, close to the ground; run a duct through the wall and use a self-closing exhaust vent to keep critters out), or a two part AC unit that needs only a small pass-through that can be easily sealed.


1x8 roof sheathing VS plywood/osb My 1955 home has a flat roof with 1x8 sheathing.   It's time to replace the roof, and I am considering replacing blown-in attic insulation with batts, at the same time.

The attic is only 20" between living space ceiling drywall and roof sheathing.   I'm trying to figure out two things:

1) If I should have the insulation replaced from below by creating attic access points in the drywall, or have it replaced from above by removing/replacing the 1x8 sheathing.

2) If there is any reason to replace the 1x8 boards with 4x8 osb/plywood sheets.

If it were my house, I would leave the blown in insulation in there and remove enough sheathing to blow in more, say maybe 16" total or at least dd enough to get it to code.

I would think 1 or 2 boards about every 6-8' apart will allow good coverage and depending on the roofing going back down, just add a layer of plywood over the existing sheathing since it is a strong base there to build on.

If the space is a continuous 20" deep over the whole attic, only place a maximum of 18" for the hot air to travel over the insulation to the vents


Why does my outlet tester show that my new, ungrounded outlets are grounded? I recently installed lights and outlets in our detached garage. This home is an older home built in the 1950's and currently ungrounded. To test my newly installed lights/outlets in the garage, using an extension cord from an ungrounded source and hooking it on to the newly installed circuits, everything works fine. Using my outlet tester, it showed everything was wired correctly. I would think it should show an "open ground" but it doesn't. I double checked my wiring and it appears to be fine. I DID ground the lights/outlets to the metal boxes which they are attached to.

I DID ground the lights/outlets to the metal boxes which they are attached to.

Are your wires in metal conduit? If so, you have grounded circuits and the tester is correct.

In any case, on new installations everything should be grounded. Old stuff can get away without connecting a proper ground but not new. Ground for new circuits has to make its way all the way back to the panel.

In addition, receptacles in a garage normally need to be GFCI protected either at the receptacle or the breaker. It is possible to install GFCI without an actual ground, but (a) that is not ideal and (b) that is normally only to retrofit some protection to receptacles that have no ground available. But the ground wire and GFCI perform different functions so having both where required - that always means ground, but GFCI only in certain locations - is the gold standard.


Why does the riser go before tread when installing hardwood on stairs? I want to install prefinished hardwood on my stairs and I have no difficulty with the process.
Every diagram I find online installs the riser first and then butts the tread to the riser.

It seems to me that I could hide the cut edges by installing the tread first, riser covers it (mill finished edge on the riser down) and then the nose lips over the riser (thus covering its cut edge). In this way I'm always showing the mill finished edges.

Is there a reason to install the riser before the tread or am I fine to install the tread first (riser lips over)?

The riser is installed first for the reason that you want a nice tight fit along the top of the riser to the tread above it. There is always the possibility that there is a small variation in the width of the riser boards or the height of the notches cut in the stair jacks. The back edge of the tread can then be slid right up to the riser for a nice tight fit. Since the tread bull nose generally overhangs the next riser down small variations in the width of the riser or the width of the notches in the stair jack are not noticeable.

There are other considerations as well:

As shown above it should be obvious that the treads can be easily removed if they require repair or replacement.
If you try to simultaneously get a perfect fit of the riser on both its top and bottom edges you will have a huge task in hand.
An experienced carpenter will install the risers and treads from the top of the stairs down so that they can always be fitting the next riser against the bottom of the previous tread.

When alternate installation methods are used additional molding is sometimes installed to cover up imperfections of the fit. Some folks may really like the added cove molding but it does detract from the clean lines of the installation as shown above - particularly when a thicker tread is used. Do remember that when ascending the stairs you get a straight on look at the quality of the workmanship. Lastly when the riser sits atop the tread some of the tread depth is lost.

(picture borrowed from this other question)


LED replacement for cicline CFL lamp I have a ceiling fan with an FCL-30EX circline bulb. It's marked as 2700K, 30W, 120V. My main issue is that it is very dim. I would like to replace it with an equivalent of 100W if possible.
Led would be preferable. Does such a replacement exist?
Thanks!

A quick search using The Google with the terms "FCL-30EX circline bulb led replacement" results in many links, although The Google prefers to search without the hyphen, "FCL30EX circline bulb led replacement." Additional research shows the CFL tube you reference is a nine inch diameter unit. Many LED replacements for this tube are plug-in without complications. Keep in mind that rating a CFL bulb for 30W is not the equivalent of an incandescent bulb at 30W. This would indicate that your desired 100W equivalent, if available would be blindingly bright.

A representative sample from amazon.com is listed at 30W, 1700 lumens:
CFL Replacement LED circline bulb although the comments indicate that it may be necessary to remove the ballast.

Use your favorite search engine with the previously noted terms for more options.


How can I replace a light fixture? I need someone to sort out this wiring question for me.  I'm trying to hang a flourenscent light in the garage, however, when I took the old garage light out (one of those round, single light fixtures, with 4 screws on the back for wires), it had 3 wires attached to it.

It had three white wires, one with a stripe (but I believe they are all neutral).  No ground or hot.  I went into the attic and checked out the junction box and it appears that there are two different wires going to it - one goes to what looks like the breaker box and the other which appears to go to the switch.  I do know that the breaker switch for this light actually controls the pantry light, the front door lights and the garage light (the one I'm trying to replace).  I'm guessing these are all daisy changed together, thus why they all don't work when I flip the breaker.

Back to the issue -

In the junction box, there was what looked  like 3 white wires attached to three screws of the old light fixture.  It also appears that there was two black wires (guessing the hot wires) are have a twisted nut cap on them and are tucked away into the junction box.  This goes the same with the grounds (bare wires), they are twisted, capped, and tucked away into the junction box.  Replacing this fixture has become a real mess of a job, since I don't exactly know where to go from here.  If someone could sort this out so that I don't make a mistake, that would be great.  The light fixture requires a hot, neutral and ground.  Would I be able to just attach all the neutral wires to the new light in the garage (including one for ground) since everything is capped off, or  will I need to make some wire changes and uncap the capped stuff?

Hover over any image for description / click for full size

I suspect the white wire with the stripe is actually the switched power from the switch. Putting together what you have said, I think your setup probably looks something like this:

Where the green wire is the ground and the red wire is your wire with the stripe.

If this doesn't match up with what you are seeing, then let me know what looks wrong and I will try to figure out how it is setup.


Does it make sense to try mounting the jigsaw onto the table? I'm trying to get my shop completed for hobbyist woodworking. I own a jigsaw that's very useful, but I'd like to be able to attach it to a table-like surface (still don't got a pro-table, I'm using a few boards of hardwood glued together).

What I'm hoping for is to make it easier to cut long straight lines - I can do this by hand, driving the jigsaw with a straight template, but having it attached to a table would help greatly.

I know I should get a real table saw at some point, just asking for a solution for now...

If it's a hand tool not designed to be mounted in that manner, I would advise against doing this as it has the potential to be dangerous. Think about what would happen if the tool were to become dislodged or the blade break off.  In the event of an emergency, how would you quickly shut it off? Saws like table saws and band saws should have an easily accessible shutoff button.


Best way to attach a steel t-beam to a wall? In my new flat I will build a huge platform into one of the rooms. It will be very much like a loft bed, but wider. I'm in a very early planning phase. The room is about 3m across (no plan or exact measurements available for now) and I want to span this width with beams. I'm seriously considering using steel t-beams instead of wooden beams. Products for fastening wooden beams are readily available. What would be the best way to secure steel beams to the wall?

While I'm open to other options, I'm mostly looking for a product or thing that I can bolt to the wall and that will allow me to fasten my beam.

Some facts:

The beams will be perpendicular to the wall plus minus a few degrees
The walls are thick 30-40cm, probably masonry
Any cuts in my beams will be off by a few mm, so I need some tolerance along the beam direction
The flat is rented, bolting stuff to the wall is ok but I won't chisel a hole in the wall or similar
I want to avoid columns, unless the best fastening option is not good enough
I have a master mason & carpenter whom I'll run my ideas by
The room has a ceiling height about 4m

Dimensioning Note
The beam will span around 3m. let's say I and some of my stuff stand right in the middle, for 150kg. This would mean roundabout 0,75kN linear force on the support and a torque of 1,125 kNm. Let's add a safety factor of 2 and ignore (for an unknown additional safety factor) that not all my weight will be supported by one beam. We are at 1,5kN linear force and 2,25 kNm torque if I cantilever the thing. This is what the wall and fastenting will have to bear. If there's no reliable way a structure bolted to a masonry wall can support this, so be it. But I'd ba amazed since I've seen builds pretty similiar that didn't collapse. I didn't pay close attention to the fasteners, though.

T-beams can be connected to walls by welding a flat plate onto the end of the T-beam, drilling holes in this endplate, and then bolting through those holes onto the wall.

Alternatively, brackets can be bolted to both the wall and the beam. Example of a simple connection. Example of a full moment connection. (Both examples are for I-beams, but the principle is the same.)

In your situation, it appears you are talking about significant structural works (i.e. you are talking about walking on the platform). The idea of a DIYer attempting this worries me significantly. If you don't know methods for connecting a T-beam to a wall, I suggest you are unlikely to know how to correctly size the T-beam, or design a sufficiently strong connection. I advise you to consult a structural engineer.


How can I remove a Philips screw with a stripped head? Possible Duplicate:
  How to remove screws with stripped heads?

I'm trying to take a cupboard off a wall, but one of the screw heads has stripped making it pretty difficult to do.

I have briefly tried to use a flat head screw driver and a hammer to give the screw head some definition (this may still be the way to go) but its not really working.

I'm sure this has happened to everyone, and there's got to be a reasonably easy solution, I just don't know it yet.

NO. Don't hammer a flat head screwdriver into the thing, hoping to damage the head more, but in a way that will allow you to remove the screw. It won't improve the situation, and it will just damage the screwdriver! Using a hammer like this will only (temporarily) relieve your frustration.

There are many varieties of "easy-out" or "grabit" screw extractor bits sold. Usually they will fit into a drill, allowing you to back out a damaged screw.

If I don't care if I damage the wood around it, I'll just break/pry out some of the wood around the head, enough to be able to grip the head with a pair of vice grips. For example, I have an old beater chisel, used expressly for this purpose. I don't care if I damage the edge, although I probably would not do so as long as I was careful. Or use a Dremel moto-tool to remove the wood around the screw head.

Of course, if you have a moto-tool, then another option is open to you. Use a slotting bit to grind a new flat slot into the head of the screw. The slot will now accept a flat head screwdriver.


permanently closing off a crawl space under a house I have a old small house that that was built in the 60s above ground with a dirt  crawl space underneath. There are two  access openings on each side of the house 28 x 18. There is no need to crawl underneath the house,Under the wood floor are Abs drain lines & a few copper water pipes. I would like to re-stucco the  whole house and close off the openings with the new foam board and stucco to make it more attractive looking. Any reason I shouldn't stucco over the openings?? The house is located in the Phoenix Arizona. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciate it....

The Code requires access to under floor space. (See ICC R408.3.)
If through the floor, it’s 18” x 24”, and if through a perimeter wall it’s 16” x 24”. If it’s below grade, then an areaway of not less than 16” x 24” is required.


Major issues fitting new drain to bathroom sink So I’m replacing a bathroom faucet. Faucet went on no problem. The drain however, is not going so smoothly. The previous drain was the metal popup kind. The new one is a Pfister push & kind (example here).

Now, this drain comes with a rubber gasket that is supposed to sit in the sink bowl, under the flange. The manufacturer expressly says not to use plumbers putty.

The problem I’m having is with my sink! There are two issues:

1) The sink is uneven so the drain does sit flush; as I tighten the assembly underneath, the drain pulls to the right.

2) There isn’t a recess that accepts the rubber gasket AND the flange, so both sit above the bottom of the sink. It seems like there’s some kind of ring of epoxy or plastic where the rubber gasket would otherwise nestle into.

So, what are my options? Ditch the top/sink side rubber gasket and use silicone? Try to remove that interior ring of material and hope the gasket and flange will fit into it and sit lower in the sink bowl?

I’m at a loss!

WTF is right! So the uneven sink drain is caused by porcelain chunks? If so they can be smoothed or leveled with a stone bit chucked into a drill. I'm unsure why the drain manufacturer doesn't want putty used with the drain? Putty is a neutral and mild sealer with no abrasive nor corrosive properties. Unless they give a specific reason for not using it, I would suggest it is your only option to make the new drain work. Perhaps that is what the white ring in photo #2 is for; an attempt to smooth and level the uneven drain opening. If it is solid it's epoxy. I see clear silicone in the photos; this must have given someone a headache in the past .


Looking for advice on this refinishing project Refinishing some wood builtins (veneer).  The photos below are of a shelf which appears to have the same veneer; I am using that shelf as a test bed.  I have provided several photos in different lights and angles.
Questions:

Does it appear I have sanded off all of the old stain (from the half I have worked on)?  I can't tell, because the wood grain is so dark in places.

What wood does this veneer appear to be, and would it need grain filler to make a smooth surface?

As you can see I have scratched the wood with my hand sanding.  I went down to 60 grit which was far too low.  I bought a random orbit sander and am thinking of starting at 180 or 220 to see how that goes for starters.  Thoughts?

There are some stain samples there.  The original stain was beautiful, and in some lights looked golden, and in others deep red/brown.  Almost opalescent.  Do you know how that kind of finish can be replicated?  I cannot take photos that do it justice.  Note, I am refinishing the tabletop of the builtins because it has a lot of sun damage, water damage, etc.

Do I remove white water spots just with sanding, or do I need oxalic acid as well?

How would you fill gouges on this?  Deep scratches made by dog nails, which are wide, but not so deep they penetrated the veneer.

Thanks so much.
[

You can probably sand these spots a little more but by hand.

It looks like an oak veneer so deep darn veins are desirable even if a bit of old stain remains. The picture with the 3 test stain splotches looks pretty good to me.


GFCI 20 amp breaker pops....regular plug works I have a dedicated 20 amp breaker in the panel box to a large 4 person whirlpool tub in my bathhroom.  I thought it would be great until I realized it puts out hundreds of gallons into my septic each time I use it. Therefore it sits pretty with no use over last 20 years...lol It works. ... but not worth blowing my septic field. So , I am remodeling my hall bath and bought a single 5 foot whirlpool tub that's manageable with my septic. I tore out old tub and it has a common wall with my large whirlpool tub. So, I piggy backed into the single 20 amp line as I wont use both tubs at same time ever. The new electric socket works with regular plug and no problems.  However, I figured electrical code probably calls for a GFCI socket since it's near water. So I sprung for a 20 amp GFCI socket and it trips when I plug anything in to test it. Wondering why it would trip and the regular socket works no problem?
Thanks,
Joules

You don't need another GFCI, just put a regular receptacle here

The breaker's a GFCI already (between the TEST button, and 680.71 requiring GFCI protection for the existing tub), so you don't need another GFCI device to add to the confusion.  Simply put a regular 20A receptacle in with a "GFCI Protected" label on the faceplate, and you should be fine provided the GFCI breaker trips when you push its "TEST" button.


I applied one coat on wooden planks using special paint for wood. Can I use regular paint for the second coat? The regular paint I'm talking about is: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnstones-304133-Coat-Matt-Emulsion/dp/B005Q7BOD4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489323024&sr=8-1&keywords=one+coat+paint.
The wooden parts I'm painting looks like this:

It is generally best to stay with whatever base material is used for the first coat. That is, if the "special" paint was oil based, then continue with an oil based paint. Switching to say acrylic or water based will not provide a good bond between paints.

Can you use it... well you can, but you may need to use several coats and you may find it comes off easily when bumped with the vacuum cleaner etc.


All toilets in my house flush slowly, afraid that there is a clog in the main line I have 4 toilets, and all of them appear to flush slowly.  They are older toilets (huge tanks), so there is definitely plenty of water going in (the bowl itself almost fills with water).  It swirls around for a definite long period of time, until it finally flushes.  I just got the house, and at first I shrugged it off; but now I'm starting to really notice it and I'm getting paranoid.

Is there any way for me to confirm that this is a backup in the mainline?
If so, what would be my best recourse to fix this problem?

I don't think I need to hire a plumber, but I'm just afraid there is a big clog in the mainline.  I had a friend who's sister kept flushing her feminine products down the toilet, and one day the mainline just burst in the basement and they had a bunch of sewage in the basement... which is really what I'm the most paranoid of.  I am living with 3 other guys, so if this clog is building up, I'm really afraid of just a lot of crap exploding somewhere...

Another possibility is just that all of my toilets release water too slowly into the bowl-- I read somewhere that I should get a 2-3 gallon bucket and just dump that water all at once into the toilet bowl to see if that's the problem.  I plan on doing that today probably, but I just figured I'd get this question posted first in case anybody had some anecdotes or advice for me

Slow flushing is not a symptom of a clog in the main line, that's not how toilets work.

You are probably thinking the pipe is full of water, so the toilet is having a hard time adding more, but if your pipe was full of water you would have water coming out of your bathtub! And every sink downstairs would be full of water.

A slow flushing toilet is simply an old, bad, toilet. It has nothing to do with the sewer line.

A sewer line is empty usually, unlike supply lines, sewer lines do not normally having anything in them, except for the few seconds after use. Even if the main line was slow (which it probably isn't), the small amount of water in the toilet would simply fill up the pipe above that part at a normal speed, then move down a bit slower - you would notice nothing.

Get yourself a new toilet, I like the Toto brand, you can buy one on Amazon for about $200.

If you had a clog the symptoms would be different: When you started using the sink it would work completely normally. Only after you ran the sink for a while (5 - 10 minutes even) it would start to slow down, and then it would stop draining and the water would just sit there. You would wait a long time and that water would very slowly drain down.