How can I tell if this appliance, a kiln, is using 208V single phase or three phase? My kilns have recently stopped firing and it need new elements. I have to buy elements for specific voltage/phase combination. I didn't install the kilns - it was done by my studio mate before they left - so I am trying to sort it out. They are hard-wired into a breaker box, each of which has 3 breakers ganged up. The panel has other circuits on it that are standard outlets, so I am trying to establish if the kilns are 208 single phase, 208 three phase, or 240? I am ruling out 240 because of the fact that there are three breakers -- it seems more likely that it is 208 3 phase. Any thoughts?

To complicate matters, one kiln has '208 single phase' written on it and the other has '240 single phase' written on it. However, these kilns can be rewired and I don't know their provenance, so I don't trust the labels (thanks old studio mate for not writing the wiring down!). I will also contact the manufacturer but that could take weeks.

The kilns are Skutt km1227 and km10247.

This is in a shared studio that was historically a commercial space.

Here's the panel -- it looks like it says 3 phase, 4 wire, 120V - so that makes me think it is 208V 3PH?

Sadly I am at home now an don't have a picture of the breakers, themselves. That would have been a good idea.

The wiring is thick black shielded cable, one cable for each kiln.

Thanks for any insight.

Shut off the breakers, and open the access panel on the kilns, and then examine what is connected to what, with great care, and a kiln manual in hand. Skutt has good manuals, in my experience.

Since they can be wired in many different ways, and may no longer match the "as shipped from factory" condition or the "as Sharpied by someone, sometime" condition, you have several options. As you are presently in a studio with 3-phase power available, unless you anticipate moving to a studio without three phase power available, it would be an ideal time to wire them as 3-phase when replacing the elements, if they are not presently so wired. If they currently connect to triplexed breakers in a 3-phase panel, odds are very good that they are already wired that way - but examining what is connect to what will tell the truth.

You could also check the labeling on the kiln-sitter and/or fancier computer control unit, if so equipped. The original factory voltage/phase configuration should be stamped into a steel plate on the kiln itself, as well.

Finally, if in doubt, hire a competent electrician or kiln technician (your ceramics supplier will either have one or know one) if you are not confident of getting it right yourself. Being sure is worth it on something this critical, and it sounds like you let "your old studio mate" handle this in the past without being directly involved yourself. Pay attention to what they do, and why, and document anything that needs documenting.

If the "time to element failure" is not quite a few years, also review the kiln operators manual and be sure that you are conforming to good operating procedures for best element/insulation lifetime. They should last quite a long time.


Wiring new ceiling fan with only one hot wire and a remote What happens if I connected the two hot wires that were powering a ceiling fan and light together when replacing with a new ceiling fan with remote that had only one hot wired. I put all three in one cap. Is this dangerous?

It sounds like you have two switches feeding two switched hots and you want to connect both of these to the fan supply wire.
This is probably safe and will result in either switch being able to turn on the fan.
There is a small chance that these wires are on a multi-wire branch circuit and the hots are on opposite 120 volt legs. In this case, doing that will cause a short circuit and hopefully trip the breakers.
I’d recommend, just for general principles, to use just one hot wire and cap the other.


Can I expect any problems (sagging?) if I build my fence with 6'x8' panels like this? the horizontal boards will be 1x6x8
the posts will be 4x4x6

I am not sure if I should install the top boards or not

Update: The top board is not a concern. Sagging for the horizontal boards is my concern. Do I need the middle vertical 2x4 ?

Update: here is the final result. No cap board I will only cap the post. The picture shows the middle vertical reinforcement uncut yet and so are the posts.
That reinformcement is needed not for sagging but to prevent the boards to bend in the horizontal direction

I have seen one cedar fence installation in a very shady yard in Dallas where the cap board has kept the top fence rail from drying out. This is a 1st rate cedar fence in which the top rail is rotting from staying wet. The cap board is very attractive, but if this is the result it should be rethought.


How should I install a digital timer? I am attempting to replace a single pole light switch for the outside garage light with a digital timer as there no street lights. It is located in a two gang box which has another switch that operates a  two way.  there are five cables in the box. One is a four wire cable that connects the two way switch. I've isolated the wires that operate the single pole switch for the outside light.  The digital timer has four wires, black, red, white and ground. The directions state it will not work properly if not connected to a four wire cable.  Any idea how to wire the digital timer?  The timer is a Utilitech #0141224, model #UTDT9IW7.

Presumably the black and red wires are the hot and switched, corresponding to your current switch. If the box is gounded, that one's good. The issue (depending how the box is wired) may be that the timer needs a neutral connection, and if the box only has "switch loops" run to it it may not currently HAVE a neutral wire - in which case you need to get one there.

Now, when you say that there are 5 cables in the box, do you mean 5 multi-wire cables (black-white-bare/green) except one of them is red-black-white-bare/green and there are a lot of white wires connected to each other? If so, it's your lucky day, as one of those white wires will provide your neutral connection. Avoid white wires that are connected to switches, as those probably are NOT neutrals.

A picture would help a lot, but that's my educated guess, if you are using "cable" in the usual sense, as opposed to confusing it with "wire."


What processes do I need to carry out before repainting my wall? I’m thinking about redecorating my bedroom. It’s not very big, it’s surface area is 25.5m squared roughly.

The walls in my room are currently painted and are sort of textured as they have little bumps all over it. I want to get rid of this so I can have a smooth finish before repainting it, but I’m not entirely sure what I should do.

After carrying out some research, I found that I can apply a joint compound by carrying out the necessary steps to get rid of the bumps and apparently I can paint on top of it to if I apply a primer after. The only thing is, my walls are quite hollow and according to my sources, that means my plaster is blown.

I guess I have a few questions:

Will plaster do the same think as a joint compound in the sense that it’ll smoothen out my wall and cover the bumps? If yes, how do I prepare my already painted wall for it + Can I paint on top of it?
Will a joint compound make my walls less hollow in the way that plaster would?
Is it a bad idea to apply a joint compound to my wall (to remove bumps), then apply plaster (to make my walls less hollow), and then paint them?
What tools/equipment do I actually need to plaster/apply joint compound to my wall?
What products do I need and what processes do I need to go through in order to do everything I need to do before repainting?

If you couldn’t tell, I’m not very experienced in the building and house decor industry. However, hiring someone is not an option and I want this to be a personal project of mine and I simply can’t afford it.

Two long for a comment so added as a second answer: a photo of the walls in question would be helpful, I am used to working in 1900's and newer homes with these type the walls have a 1/2" to 3/4" of plaster or sheetrock the only way to make them sound less hollow is to have them filled with insulation. If you want to get a solid brick or stone wall sound an overlay sheeting may help like a faux brick wall , the only problem with these is I could always see the seams. To get rid of the bumps it depends on what type of wall it is but both start with sanding as I outlined sheetrock would use a finer grade of sand paper compared to plaster. Joint compound can be used in both cases for a base coat to get things close but a super flat finish would require topping compound much finer and easier sanding.


How do you wire multiple lights and a split receptacle with an end-of-run switch? I want to wire two lights and a split receptacle with an end-of-run switch. Here is the wiring diagram I've come up with:

Have I got this figured out right?

Perfectly by the book.

Neutral is available in the switch in case you ever want to replace it with a smart switch that needs power.

Black is always live and red is the switched live.


Support for butcher block desk If I am planning on buying a product such as the one shown here and to support it using a solution such as the braces shown here - How often would you place a brace - Is every stud (~16") overkill, can I get away with every other stud (~32"), further? - I don't want the desk to flex under any foreseeable circumstance. (dumb teenager deciding to sit/stand on it for instance).
I can't find any recommendations for a support schedule.

The site you linked states "space the brackets 18 - 24 inches apart" source 1 source 2, with the first 4-6" away from the edge. Because you definitely don't want it to flex, even under abuse, I'd err on the side of caution.

With a 8' desk:

24" apart would be 4 brackets.
18" apart would be 5 brackets.
16" apart would also be 5 brackets.


Crawl Space Encapsulation Question I live in Georgia (around the Atlanta area) and recently discovered mold in the crawl space of my home (I plan to have the mold professionally removed). My crawl space is about 30' by 15' (4' to 15' in height) in size and is vented. The ceiling of the crawl space has fiberglass batts that are starting to fall from moisture and rodents. The mold is forming on the wood where the batts are installed.

The crawl space has no duct work or machinery in it. It is a open space with a couple of wires, an AC condensation line, and the water main pipe running through it. I have not noticed any significant wanter build up inside, so I don't think a drain system is needed.

I was thinking of encapsulating (floor and walls) the space myself using 10 mil plastic sheeting, foam board, and calk.

My questions are, is encapsulation over kill? Is encapsulating recommended in high humidity areas? Do I need to reinsulate the ceiling if I encapsulate? Do I need a permeant dehumidifier in the space if i encapsulate, or would a temporary dehumidifer be ok just to dry the area after encapsulation?

Your situation is not uncommon.

Here's a study on crawl space encapsulation in the Southeast USA:
http://aceee.org/files/proceedings/2004/data/papers/SS04_Panel1_Paper07.pdf
(Moisture Solution Becomes Efficiency Bonanza in Southeastern United States
 Bruce Davis and Cyrus Dastur, Advanced Energy #DE-FC26-00NT40995 ).  And see also What are the pros and cons of a vented vs unvented crawl space?

Don't do the walls with anything impermeable: you'll trap moisture in the space which is worse than doing nothing.  Do consider doing the floor.  Using bubble wrap below the floor can reduce tearing of the plastic.  Note that some people worry about plastic leading to mold growth below the plastic: thus an effort to completely seal the ground.

You should get a humidity meter (they are not expensive) and monitor before and after.  Report back with measured humidity levels now and it might help refine the answer.


Copper tubing for refrigerator My copper tubing for the water line to my refrigerator became slightly bent while I was installing it is it a big deal should I buy new copper tubing?

Depends on how slight you mean by slightly.


Can I use a gutted sub panel as a junction box I am going to be replacing my all in one 100A breaker panel with a 200A panel. The old panel has the ground/neutral bus at the bottom of the box and the wires are cut too short to reach the bus bars on the new box. The hot wires may also pose a challenge as well. I have been looking for recessed J boxes but find it impossible to find online. So I was thinking of getting a indoor recessed breaker panel and gutting it and using it for a J box. Does anyone know if this will pass inspection?

I know I can use connectors in the main panel, but I prefer to do a cleaner job in the breaker box.

You don't need to do that -- you can get a flush-mount box by itself that fits your needs

What you're looking for isn't a "breaker panel", really.  It's just the cabinet that the breaker panel came in, so just get a suitable box instead.  The term you are after is "flush mount NEMA 1 enclosure", and it will look something like this (illustration and link for exposition only):


When to change Cutler-Hammer electrical panel and breakers? I bought a house about a year ago and I have an old Cutler-Hammer electrical panel. I see the number 2001 written on there, but no idea when it was installed.  I have a few questions about this panel:

When should a panel be replaced?
Should I have any concern that this panel is Cutler-Hammer (which is no longer in business, but was purchased by Eaton)?
I cant tell what breakers were installed, but they don't seem to all be cutler hammer.  Should I be worried that they seem to be different brands?
I would like to replace most of these breakers with Dual GFCI/AFCI (because old house, little kids).  Would this be the right breaker (Eaton) for this panel?

Not in your lifetime.
Nah, it's cool. Eaton has owned Cutler Hammer since 1978.
Alien breakers require immediate attention!
BRLAFGF115 and BRLAFGF120 are fine.

This looks like a Cutler Hammer "BR" 40-space panel that is full.

The panel is perfect.

Mergers & acquisitions are normal in that business. Eaton just chose to acquire Cutler-Hammer, instead of develop their own line of electrical equipment from scratch with zero experience and blundering into every possible mistake.  It's the same model numbers, same tooling, same factories, same everything. The only real difference is Eaton's logo is cooler.

This kind of panel lineage is normal; your panel actually harkens back to Westinghouse, Challenger, Bryant (hence BR), Cutler Hammer and now Eaton. Indeed, your correct BR breakers are UL cross-listed type C for Challenger.

I am a CH fanboy, but I will concede a couple of advantages to BR.  First, BR breakers are better supported, like their line of remote-control breakers nobody else has; like the BRRP and BRRSP (for BR panels) and nothing for CH. Second, anything Eaton does in their CH line, they can also do in their BR line, because BR breakers are wider; they can just put CH guts in BR bodies.

Eaton is also a specialist in making UL-Classified breakers for competitor panels; these require a tortuous UL-approval process to prove compatibility with the shape of the bus stabs on competitor panels, and Cutler Hammer mastered that to the satisfaction of UL, with their CL line, which is listed for several competitor panels.  You'll soon see why I mention this.

However, it's full of alien breakers

Which means you'll have a lot of Siemens/Murray QP, and Square D HOMeline breakers to sell on Craigslist.  None of those are UL-classified for this panel.

There's a myth, believed by some handymen, that any 1" breaker is compatible with any other.  I wrote that last paragraph to explain why that's a lie.  Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of your bus stabs are burned, because that's what happens. That makes the space unusable.  Fill the hole with any breaker painted red. (I don't like using factory hole-filler kits because I find them flimsy).

A few breakers in there are so old that they can't be identified by front markings.  If they're BRyant or Cutler-Hammer, they are fine.  However if they are Challenger or Westinghouse, into the trash they go. Westinghouse is just too old. Challenger was swept up in the scandal with FPE and Zinsco breaker safety, but unlike them, that only affected Challenger breakers; Challenger panels are safe as houses if you change the breakers to C/BR.

The right breakers for your panel

Absolutely nothing on Amazon is the right breaker for your panel. Amazon is inundated by third-party sellers, who sell counterfeits or straight junk off Alibaba.  Most people buying from Amazon don't even realize they're buying from the Amazon Marketplace flea market, which is the same quality tier as eBay.

Further, mail order generally for electrical equipment is a terrible idea, because equipment is generally of low cost and high weight, and that means shipping is prohibitive - and yeah, you pay for shipping one way or the other.  Price-check both local big-box stores and 2-3 local Electrical Supply Houses; big-box usually tries to be lowest on endcap high-mover items like 14/2 cable, but on most other things, a good electrical supply is the best price.  I just stopped buying at Home Depot after finding they are too expensive on most things.  Keep in mind not every Electrical Supply is actually an Eaton dealer.

All that said, the only breaker type listed or classified for your panel is Eaton Type BR (which is cross-listed Type C).  Eaton keeps prices low, which is why there are no classified options.  You're looking at $4.50 a breaker, unless you get up into AFCI or GFCI.

You have one CAFCI (Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor) breaker in there right now.  A CAFCI means it looks for two types of arc faults: series (bad connection) and shorting (wire sparking to ground). The latter provides a weak GFCI protection - too weak for human safety.  I assume the choice of  CAFCI for a jacuzzi was made by the same mouth-breather who specced all those alien breakers.  That's OK, it can be moved to a bedroom.

For places likely to be wet, dual-mode AFCI+GFCI breakers are ideal, so they confer GFCI protection to the wiring as well as the appliances.  However for receptacles that have no risk of being inundated with water, it's perfectly fine to use an AFCI-only breaker like that one, and then a GFCI receptacle at the first outlet, feeding the rest of the circuit from its LOAD terminals.

However, it's full.

Well, I see a few breakers that seem to go to nothing. I also see a whole-house surge suppressor that could easily be combined with something else on a 30A breaker, the A/C at the top right would be an ideal candidate since its position and sizing are correct.

So before you run out of space for normal sized breakers (note GFCI/AFCI don't come in double-stuff), start thinking about where a subpanel would make sense.  BR, of course, unless you want a generator interlock on that subpanel, then Siemens/Murray because they make a suitable $23 interlock kit (Eaton doesn't, and can't use QP breakers in BR).  One thing we learned about generator interlocks is you really, really want GFCI and AFCI breakers to be after the interlock.


How do I tell if a window I have is tempered glass? (I need to cut a hole) I have a full size double-pane all-glass patio door that I'd like to put a hole in for an air conditioner exhaust hose. I plan to drill a hole with a glass drill bit and then use a carbide rod saw to saw out the 5" diameter hole. I realize this will be a pain in the butt but there are no other places in the apartment I can cut the hole.

How likely is this door (or one like it) to be made of tempered glass? It looks to be at least 10 years old. Not sure how common tempered glass is in these kinds of applications. The apartment isn't really well-built.

The glass is SGG Climalit. I can't find one shred of contact info on their web site to ask them, though it looks like they do offer tempered glass options. This is in Spain. https://www.climalit.es/

Since you clearly are  not interested in advise on how to accomplish your task and you only want to know if your glass door is tempered or not AND since we can not answer this question for you then here is a test you can perform.

Step 1, - Cut a hole in the glass of your door.

Step 2, - After the glass breaks, look at the size of the pieces. If it shatters into a million little pieces it is tempered. If it breaks into larger jagged pieces and shards it is not tempered.

You can avoid steps 1 and 2 if you like and proceed directly to step 3 but this will result in you not knowing if your glass is tempered or not

Step 3, - Buy a new door with a half-length window and cut a hole in the non window section.

(This test is for entertainment proposes only, mostly mine although I am sure those who have been tersely rebuked by you for offering advice will probably get a kick out it. IF you do perform this test then I am not responsible for you breaking your glass, cutting yourself or feeling embarrassed for not taking advice offered.)


Replacing switches with connecting wire I live in a home that was built in the 1960s.  The switch for the front porch light started to go out and sizzled when turned on.  I replaced another switch in the house that had the same problem.  The wiring was pretty conventional and installation went fine.

The front porch one is giving me issues.  It is a double switch box.  When I opened it up, the left switch - lighted - had a black wire attached.  Then a second black wire attached that then ALSO attached to the switch on the right.  The other wire going to the switch on the right was red. There are (I think three) white wires in the box also, unattached and just capped.  I tried mimicking the exact set up, although it seemed jinky to me.  The porch light didn't work.   I tried skipping the middle black wire that connected the two switched and just using the one black and the red.  No working light.  For now all wires that used to connect to switches are individually capped off and a solid plate installed over it until I figure this out.   Help please!

Hmmm a picture might help but here is what I think you have...

The second black wire that also attaches to the switch on the right is the hot feed to the two switches.

The other wires that come from these switches (black and red) feeds their respective light fixtures.

The unattached white wires that are just capped are neutral wires (return wires from the light fixtures to complete the circuits) they should be left as-is.

If you have a no contact voltage tester it should glow close to the wire that is the hot feed from the panel. The one that previously fed the left switch. Be careful while checking things with the power on. Leave them capped for this test.

The hot wire goes to one switch and a jumper is added to the other switch so both switches have a hot feed. Then each switch has a wire going to their respective light fixtures. One of them is apparently black and the other red.

Hopefully this clarifies it a little for you.


Can the drain pipe in my bathroom vanity be turned to the side? Can the drain pipe in my bathroom vanity be turned to the side so that the middle of the sink can be further to the right.  I don't want ot have to move the hole in the wall.  I currently have a 30" vanity, and I want to buy a 48" vanity.  The center of the new vanity would be 24" as opposed to the current 15" center - a difference of 9".  I don't have any room to center the vanity since the toilet is just a little to the left of the vanity, so I would have to move it to the right - off center.

This shouldn't be an issue. With the standard P-trap, you can probably turn it so that it goes toward the side instead of towards the wall to get your 9". The important rule of drainage is that it always needs to slope down (other than the traps at each fixture) and that you can't get too far from the vent. Neither of those should be an issue with the change you're making.

Do be sure that the new sink isn't significantly deeper than your existing one since that could result in the drain needing to go uphill to get to the wall (which water doesn't like to do).


Tub only leaks when filled and plug removed my tenants called stating that water is pouring from their walls. They live on the second floor.  A new tub was installed directly above on the third floor and has been used only for showering without any water dripping this past week.  The tub was filled and when the drain was opened, this is when the leak occurred. They showered the next day and no water leak.  Only when large volume at once to drain.  Is there some overflow that can't handle all this volume/ pressure?  Thanks. Jill

There's no pressure/overflow inside the walls that would explain this. There is a tub overflow that connects to these same drain lines, and due to their position, they could be partially related to the actual problem.

This indicates the drain lines have a leak, likely a bad glue joint on the top of the drain line near the trap. If there's any partial blockage further down the drain that would worsen this issue. The tub overflow is also connected on the top side of these drain lines, and if it's improperly connected, that would be another example of a bad joint on the top of the drain line.

You'll need to open up the wall or the ceiling below to find and correct this bad drain line.


What size replacement fuse is required for this hot tub? I recently had a power outage that blew one of our air conditioning fuses (which we were able to fix) and one of the fuses (out of two) in our spa equipment service control board. Next to both fuse slots it says 3 amps, but the fuse that blew had this written on it:

BUSS GMA
3·15A 125V
(it is about 19 or 20 mm long)

Does that mean its 3.15 amps, 3 amps, 15 amps? I thought it was supposed to be 3 amps since it clarifies that on the circuit board so I got a 3 amp 20 mm bussman fuse from Home Depot.

It came with two fuses and one blew like a firework so I don't want to put the other one in with the chance that there is a short circuit causing it. Any help would be appreciated.

Here are some pics
Original fuse- http://imgur.com/crx3jvi
Pics of the service panel circuit board--
http://imgur.com/a/7733C

Is there a short circuit or should I just try getting a 3.15 amp 125v fuse (instead of 3 amp 240 volt fuse)

A quick google search lead me to this datasheet: http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/dam/public/bussmann/Electrical/Resources/product-datasheets-a/Bus_Ele_DS_2017_GMA_GMA-V_Series.pdf

There is one part (GMA-3.15-R) that matches your description and the current rating is indeed 3.15A.

If you're wondering why the current rating is such a weird number, it's because it is a preferred number (Renard series):

  R10: 1.00  1.25  1.60  2.00  2.50  3.15  4.00  5.00  6.30  8.00


Does a fireplace with switch on wall need to have the pilot on constantly Our gas fireplace has a switch on the wall as well as a gas control valve that needs an external key.
We had not used the fireplace in 5 years and called a plumber to get it to light.  He put valve inside fireplace to pilot position then pressed red button no pilot came on.  He repeated process multiple times.
Finally lit pilot with butane light with same valve in pilot position.  Pilot is on and switch on wall turns fireplace on and off.  Pilot stays on.
Should Pilot stay on?

In almost every case you have a gas valve with “pilot” and on yes the pilot stays on. This is normal, the quantity of gas is very small. The air in the line had to be purged and because the flow is low it took a while so none of what you described was out of line.
If it’s summer and you don’t plan on using the unit turn the gas to the off position with the yet and save a little and no additional heat from the pilot.


What are the possible solutions for an uphill septic system in rocky area around lake I'm looking to purchase a bank owned bungalow that had some really sketchy things going on with the septic system. I know that I will have to completely re-work the septic system if I purchase it and I'm just considering my options. There are three things that make it difficult.

It is close to a lake where they are particular about the septic systems.
The house is built on a rock ledge about 40' down from the road (plateau).
The only suitable area for a leach field is at the top.

My thoughts thus far are to create some sort of hybrid system using composting toilets, some sort of holding sump, and then either just get the holding tank pumped periodically by a truck, or install inline pumps that pump the contents of the holding tank up the slope to a leaching field at the top. Any creative suggestions on how I could possibly solve this problem would be appreciated

Forget a septic system and instead get a waste water treatment system. The output is drinkable, clean water. However, most people prefer to just use the water for watering the lawn.

This Old House installed one recently. See http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tv/house-project/show-descriptions/0,,20587082,00.html


How to fix wood stain drips? I have recently finished staining some wood 2x4s but I accidentally put too much stain on the wood. It dripped down to the other sides of the boards and it now looks sloppy and tacky.  We considered re-sanding the wood and starting over or just going over the stain again to try to even it out.  Will re-staining it work?  I don't think it will and I feel like it would be a waste of time.  Any help?  I am an amateur and don't know a lot about this.

Well you can do one of a couple things.

Stain the entire board.  This may be the easiest option, just clean up the drips down the side a bit (sanding them).  Then stain the sides and the back side of the board as well.  Rub it on, let it sit for a couple minutes and then wipe it off.  Unless of course as Keshlam mentioned you are working with a stain/sealer combo.  For reference stain sealer combos tend to fade much faster and protect for far less time.
If you don't for whatever reason want to stain the entire board simply sand the sides down and you're done.  It shouldn't be too bad since it ran down the sides, should not have penetrated all that much.  Make sure to sand evenly along the length of the side (including the spots not hit with the stain).


How can I transition between these floors at differing levels? I need some ideas for the transition trim. I don't want it too tall. I have kids and don't want them to trip over it.

Usual practice is to bridge the gap with a slightly raised threshold board, sloped on one of both sides, rabbeted underneath to account for the higher floor. I have two such in sight right now.


Is a 4000W line voltage thermostat sufficient here? I want to upgrade a baseboard electric thermostat to a programmable. The existing digital, non-programmable thermostat is rated for 22A (5280W) (made by PSG). The only programmables I can find max out at 16.7A/4000W.

The base boards are 2 units wired in parallel from one feed wire. They are rated for 8.3A/2000W (Marley 2548). The circuit is wired with #12 wire, 20A breaker.

It seems a 16.7A/4000W thermostat is fine. I'm just wondering if the higher rating of the original thermostat indicates anything to be concerned about, or was just a choice of the original installer for other reasons.

Well according to the math it will work.  I would like to see a little more of a safety factor. My feelings aside, the manufacturer rates their product to handle your situation.  I would go ahead. I suspect the manufacturer has built in some safety factor. Be especially careful to ensure all connections are clean and tight.


What size meter socket I am putting new 100 amp service to my garage. Do I use only 100 amp meter socket or can I use  a 125 amp

There is no reason why you cannot install a larger meter base than the one required. Keep in mind that equipment is rated to handle maximum currents not minimum. In your case a 100A meter base can only handle current up to 100A. Whereas a 125A handles up to 125A and will handle a 100A current without a problem.

Her's an idea. When I was working we always installed a 200A meter base since know you have the ability to upgrade a service if needed later, and comparing material cost the upgrade was minimal and labor is more or less the same. The only reason we would install a smaller base would be because of space restrictions.

Good luck


Can't hook up new faucet to shut off valve I am replacing bathroom faucet with American Standardfaucet.  My shut off valve has a tapered connection and will not accept the new faucet connection-threads will not reach.
Is there an adapter or do I have to replace shut off valve

That's a flare fitting on your existing valve. You may be able to find an appropriate adapter, but I couldn't dig anything up very easily.

The valve looks to be attached to your supply line with a threaded connection, so it should be fairly simple to replace the whole valve using a new valve with a threaded connection. Shut off house water, unscrew this one, clean the threads and apply new thread sealing tape, screw on the new one.


What types of chemical products stick to masonite in flooring context? I'm installing VCT tile in a new apartment, but after I ripped up the 100 year old carpet I'm finding masonite. The problem is the leveling compound and primer are picking off the masonite. The primer is note the worst case, but the leveling compound picks up way too easy.

To relay the floor with ply is $400. I'd like to weigh this decision against the possibility of using another leveling product that will actually bond to this underlayment.

The Masonite coverage was sufficient that replacement was not trivial. Since this is an apartment and not my own home, cost was a factor. The first good thing I did was take out those pieces which had water damage as no solution seemed to make good in that case. The board is just brittle and flakey, so it's not a matter of sticking, but of simple falling integrity.

I covered the rest with a fast drying primer, thinned down somewhat.

The replaced sections use  AC plywood, because I couldn't source enough Masonite and needed to finish the same weekend and move in. Now I have something to compare to and I can say both sections appear to be holding equally well.

So the answer is to use a primer over the Masonite and the leveling compound.

One note of caution, the underlayment was nailed down and the subfloor are planks, so it seems some nails were loose in the grooves. Also, I screwed down the underlayment which further pulled down the sheets. Over time I'm seeing small 'pimples' in the floor! I should have taken up these nails. Meh. What are you going to do?


How much larger than the fireplace opening should a door kit be? I have a dilemma with sizing my gas fireplace box to fit a new glass door.

The firebox is 40-in W x 23-in H

Medium glass door: 30-37-Inch width of firebox opening and 22.5-32.5-Inch height of firebox opening, with 37.5-33-Inch overall frame dimensions.

Large glass door: 36-43-Inch width of firebox opening and 25.5-32.5-Inch height of firebox opening, with 43.5-33-Inch overall frame dimensions.

So look like my firebox width is OK for Medium but the height of 40-in is higher than the Medium. Is that OK?

Or should I pick Large where both width and height is larger than my current firebox?

What is safe?

Thanks.

If adding a door kit I would want the frame to be at least 1/2" wider than the opening so it can be sealed with insulation. I use rock wool for the seal because it holds up to the heat.


Should my security cameras be raised up under the soffit for weather protection? I installed 2 outdoor security cameras. But now that I've look at them, I wonder if I should move them under up higher to where the roof meets the wall in order to shield them from the elements.

I've attached pictures. Thanks for the help.

If those cameras are rated for outdoor, then I wouldn't worry about shielding them from the elements. I would focus instead on capturing an appropriate image. Place them where you feel they will get the picture that you need.

If those cameras are NOT outdoor rated, I would recommend getting an outdoor rated camera. Most people are quick to buy a DIY camera kit but in my experience most of those systems are garbage. If you want to be able to actually make out someones face, then you need to get a very high resolution camera. Most of the people I know have 720p cameras which are good for seeing that something is happening, but not great for picking out fine details like license plate numbers. 1080p Is generally a good bet but for my front door, I use a 1440p camera. When I check on it remotely, I can literally see the ants on the ground in front of my house. I also get EXTREMELY clear images of the solicitors and others that come to my door. If you want some recommendations, please let me know.


Coleman 6230-901 outdoor unit fan running slow (and continuously) I have an old rental mobile and the heat pump is operating normally, except the outdoor unit fan is running all the time (unless the breaker is off), and it runs very slowly.  The run capacitor measures 28uf versus parts websites showing 35uf.

I might believe that might cause the slow problem, but not the "all the time" problem.  The schematic shows a one speed fan, so I don't think it's confused about what it should do.  Also, the schematic shows the "run" capacitor wired as a start capacitor for the compressor.  The "start" capacitor shows being the start cap for the fan.

It heats fine, although it ices up quickly due to the lack of air flow.  I didn't have a meter when I removed the capacitors, so I can probe a little more tomorrow.

I did replace the wiring harnesses in the indoor unit a few weeks ago as they had developed an intermittant and melted everything.  It's a 3500A912 unit with a 5871 adapter.  If I need a new heat pump, I'll scrap the mobile.  Unfortunately, I just spent a couple $K doing ceilings and carpet.

The motor to shorted to the case.  It will need to be replaced.


Can I safely wire a generator switch to two electrical panels I saw one similar question, but I want to be sure if I can do what I would like to do with the transfer switch. Here's the setup:

Siemens 200 amp main panel outside wall fed by meter. This panel uses one common bar to terminate both the neutral and ground wires. This panel then feeds a
200 amp Cutler Hammer interior subpanel. The neutral and ground use separate bars.

I want to install the transfer switch to the inside panel which has all the circuits I want to use except one, a 20 amp double-pole breaker for well pump in the OUTSIDE panel. Isn't this virtually like having all breakers in one panel?

So... I would like to route two pairs (red and black) from transfer switch to outside panel to feed the double pole well pump breaker to get water in power outage. Since the neutral and ground from the outside panel feed to the internal panel, then all I need to do is bring the neutral and ground from the transfer switch into the interior panel, right? Bringing those two also to the outside panel would be a no-no ground loop, right?

Lucky you

Your panels are set up very advantageously to put in a generator transfer switch.  All the loads you want to switch (but one) are already in a subpanel.  This makes this super easy.   It's almost like somebody planned it... Except the guy who put the pump circuit in the main panel did not get the memo.

You need to put a different transfer switch in between the two boxes.   There are a couple ways to do this.

One is fit the subpanel with a manual interlock switch.  This is a listed (offically tested) modification to the subpanel where it puts two breakers opposite from each other with a sliding plate so they can't both be on.   Simple and cheap, and you may even be able to retrofit your existing panel.  Must be thrown manually.

The other way is to pick a spot along the cable between the panels (or elsewhere if you don't mind rerouting cable), cut the cable, and insert the transfer switch inline.   This will work with any kind of transfer switch, including automatic.  You'll need to cut the cable on one side with enough slack to work, and the other side will be too short so you will have to replace that "half" of the run.  So choose location and cut point very carefully to your advantage.

That one breaker in the wrong panel

The stuff you are imagining, you cannot do anything like that.  In that approach, the options are break the law, backfeed the grid and kill linemen; or spend a king's ransom on more heavy cables than the underside of an NYC subway car, in a veritable Gordian knot of transfer switch wiring that nobody will be able to figure out after the fact. And the power company and inspector will absolutely hate it.

The right way is easy, if annoying: move the circuit to the subpanel.   Extend the pump circuit, all wires, to the subpanel and land it on a double breaker, ground bar, and neutral if used.  Do not continue to use the ground in the main panel, in fact if you make this splice inside the main panel, tape the ground wire with green tape to insulate it from the main panel.  It's not the end of the world if it grounds accidentally, but grounds must go to the same panel the hots do.

I know that's a pain, but it's way less of a pain than anything else you could do legally.

Not room in the subpanel?

This happens a lot, some guy drove back from the subpanel store slapping himself on the back for saving $30... by buying barely enough spaces.  Don't be that guy.   You're going to need 6 right off the bat - 4 for the transfer switch and 2 for the well pump.

Worst case you may need to replace the subpanel, and fortujately that is DIY-possible because you can entirely shut off the panel at the main breaker. Also a great time to be looking for transfer switch friendly panels if you want to go that way.  Don't scrimp - slap yourself on the back for buying twice as many spaces as you need today.  The bigger panels often come with "bonus breakers" which save you some money too.


Why are USA/Canada using individual GFCI circuit breakers? Where I come from, there are no GFCI sockets. Instead there is one circuit breaker on the main board that shuts down the entire house electricity in case the electric current returning to the main board is different than the electric current coming from the main.
In the house where I currently live in, there are GFCI sockets near water sources (kitchen, washroom) but not in the entire house and that doesn't make sense, any device can malfunction anywhere in the house and put people in danger. Why protect only some of the sockets?
Initially I thought maybe this is a redundancy system where you have both a main gfci for the whole house, plus extra protection at some more prone to risk areas. However, I used a gfci tester (essentially it connects the hot to the ground through some resistor) and it only trips the gfci sockets, and not other sockets in the house.

Different goals
European RCD (differential) protection, at least in countries using Terra-Neutral (TN) earthing as North America does, is focused primarily on protection from fire, with a secondary helping of shock protection under reasonable conditions.  The theory behind this is based on catching dielectric breakdown and associated leakage before it becomes a full-fledged carbonized (tracked) fault that gets hot enough to cause surrounding materials to smoulder, and it's generally accepted as a sound one.
However, in order to provide cost-effective protection for an entire distribution board, a small number of RCDs are used as feeder devices for a larger number of breakers.  This is practical because of the small number of circuits required by a typical flat or even a house under IEC-based systems and due to the lower amperages required as a result of all appliances being 230V at a minimum.  However, the combination of higher native leakage due to the higher operating voltage and that multi-circuit span forces the use of a higher IΔn setting, typically 30 to 100mA in modern practice, than would be ideal for shock protection.
The North American GFCI approach, however, is focused primarily on shock protection, and in particular, protection from secondary effects of shock on skeletal muscles in addition to keeping people from being killed by the shock disrupting heart rhythms (ventricular fibrillation).  These secondary effects include both involuntary skeletal contractions ("can't let go") and the more insidiously lethal effect known as electric shock drowning, or ESD for short.  This is where a mostly-submerged individual (nominally a swimmer) loses muscle functionality due to low-level (tens of mA) AC currents flowing in freshwater and drowns as a result, and is reflected in the original NEC GFCI requirement being not to protect bathrooms, kitchens, or any other place we think of as requiring protection, but swimming pool equipment such as lighting.  (Nowadays, low-voltage transformers are used for this instead.)
The upshot is that North American GFCIs are sensitive enough to provide excellent protection from shock; however, to achieve that 5mA sensitivity, they require a bit more circuit complexity than a RCD, which leaves them more vulnerable to failures over time and also means they can't be reverse-fed without causing permanent damage.  They also are more sensitive to nuisance tripping due to cable leakage than a 30mA RCD, which means that placing them in the panel increases the nuisance tripping risk vs. the receptacle (socket-outlet) type of GFCI most commonly seen in North America.
Furthermore, the reason we don't put them everywhere is because some appliances (still) aren't compatible with GFCI protection, or would be counterproductive to protect with a GFCI.  For instance, the NEC itself prohibits GFCI protection on circuits serving fire alarm control panels, as you don't want a ground fault somewhere to disable the primary AC supply to the alarm panel for an extended period of time, run the batteries dry, and thus cause the fire alarm to not work when a fire starts.  Likewise, refrigerators are generally not GFCI protected due to issues with hermetic compressor insulation breakdown causing nuisance tripping combined with the risk of food spoilage involved.
"Why didn't the US adopt the IEC approach?"
If you are wondering why North America didn't keep the sensitive GFCI protection against shock, yet adopt higher-level RCD protection for catching house fires, the reason has to do with the difference in voltages between the two systems.  In a 120/240V system, lights and most small appliances run on 120V while only heavy appliances run on 240V.  This has the upside of limiting the voltage to ground while making two utilization voltages available, but has two downsides.  First off, the lower voltages are less stressful on wire insulation, but the higher currents used increase the risk of a glowing fault at a bad connection causing a fire, which is much harder to catch than insulation breakdown leading to a cable fault.
Second, and more importantly, the higher currents involved mean that North American main breakers (incomers) need to be much larger and feed more branch circuits to feed an equivalent level of electrical utilization.  (The US NEC requires a minimum of 60A service for most things, and 100A for single-family houses, whereas a 100A service would be considered quite large by European standards as I understand them.)  This increases the cost of breakers considerably, and in particular, since North Americans use circuit breaker mains (incomers) instead of switch-disconnectors, having to incorporate RCD protection into them would drive costs up significantly and create space issues within already cramped panels as well.  (The US already had "Rule of Six" split bus panels when services started exceeding the 60-100A range, and the current generations of main circuit breakers used are quite cost and space-optimized compared to their molded-case equivalents.)
There are places where North America did learn a thing or two from international experience, though.  One of these was the protection of electrical trace heating cables used for freeze prevention in various places; due to the high potential for damage to a heat cable placed outdoors somewhere, the NEC requires what is known as ground fault protection of equipment, or GFPE for short, which is essentially a 30mA or sometimes 100mA IΔn RCBO (as they only come in breaker form) implemented using the same parts as a breaker-type (RCBO form factor) GFCI.  The NEC also calls for ground fault protection on high-power three phase services (1200A and up) due to the high degree of fire risk posed by faults on such systems.
Enter the AFCI, stage right
Continued concern about electrical fires in North America led the CPSC, UL, and electrical distribution manufacturers to examine the IEC approach, with sensitive instantaneous breaker trips and RCD protection.  However, there were issues with this; most importantly, 120V motors generate too much inrush current for IEC B and C curve breakers, with their sensitive magnetic trips, to handle.  As a result, North American MCBs use a less sensitive magnetic trip, closer to the IEC D curve, which renders them relatively insensitive to arcing short circuits (vs. the much less common bolted fault).
Nonetheless, the North American distribution equipment manufacturers pressed forward with creating a device that could try to catch arcing short circuits, insulation tracking breakdown, and other such pesky firestarting phenomena.  A couple different approaches were tried: Eaton/Cutler-Hammer came up with a "branch/feeder" AFCI design that combined GFPE with analog detection logic, while other manufacturers looked to a microprocessor based signature recognition approach.  Fractures during the standard-setting process led to compromises, though, and a GFPE requirement was not incorporated into the final AFCI standards; instead, a different requirement for "series arc detection" made it in, leading to the creation of combination and outlet branch circuit AFCIs.
Furthermore, early AFCIs were fraught with installation issues; their GFPE protection made them sensitive to improper neutral connections and required the use of multipole AFCIs when multiwire branch circuits were encountered, while signature detection proved to be a finicky technology to refine due to the sheer variety of sources and signatures out there, as well as the need to be robust against "normal" arcs caused by switching and motor commutation and a wide variety of RFI sources.  The former issue led some manufacturers, most notably GE and Siemens, to drop the GFPE function from their AFCIs altogether, while the latter has been a constant (albeit slowly improving) thorn in the side of AFCI technology, leading to quite a few callbacks for electricians even as the NEC AFCI mandates expanded quite considerably.
However, the NEC has also incorporated the requirement for 30mA ground fault protection for marinas due to issues with leaky boat electrical systems causing electric shock drowning hazards in lakes and rivers.  Will this lead to a meeting of the two sides of the debate? Will AFCI technology come of age after an extremely long and painful childhood? Will arc-fault detection fare better in the rest of the world than it does in North America? Only time will tell...


I have a basement floor with lots of moisture, can I paint or seal it to make it waterproof? My basement has a slight dampness issue, where if I leave things on the floor they will get wet.  There are no leaks and no standing water, the moisture seems to be wicking up through the concrete.
I conducted a simple test to make sure moisture in the air was not condensing on the cold floor, by taping a small square of 3mil poly to the floor. When I returned a day later there was moisture under the poly (between the plastic and the floor), so I figure the moisture is coming in from below.
I know they make products like DryLok for water proofing walls, but can it be used on the floor as well?  Are there better products available that are designed specifically for the floor?
I was also looking at Rust-Oleum EPOXY SHIELD Garage Floor Coating (since it looks nice and seems to be easy to clean), is this an appropriate product to use on a basement floor?  Will it prevent moisture from leaching in?
Update:

The basement already has a perimeter drain, and sump pump.
The basement will not be finished in any way, so I'm looking for a relatively simple and cheap solution.

Update:
I found a couple other products that may or may not work.

Home Seal from Endur-O-Seal.
Bone Dry Concrete Sealer

Can products like this really do what they say they can?
Update:
There was an area of the floor that had been painted (with an unidentified paint), so I did the plastic test there and there was no moisture under the plastic (even after a couple days of rain).  So now the question is what is this mysterious paint, that blocks moisture when no paint should apparently be able to do so?
I have determined that the moisture is caused by capillary action wicking moisture up slowly through the concrete, and is not caused by cracks or other sources of leaks in the slab.

In the end, I ended up using DRYLOK® LATEX CONCRETE FLOOR PAINT

It's holding up well so far, we'll see how it does over the next few years.


How do I replace a flange installed with primer? I had a leaky toilet and had to replace the subflooring in the bathroom. The flange is also rusty and a little warped and must be replaced. I've seen plenty of videos telling me to score the flange fitting and use a screwdriver or chisel to break the glue and remove the fitting from the pipe. However it looks like primer was used in my case and I can't get the fitting to budge. I'm afraid of breaking the pipe and ending up with a real mess.

What is the best way to remove the flange if it was installed using primer and glue?

Depending on where the flange is broken you could look into a .flange repair kit
If that won't do it, I would cut the old flange at the pipe with a mandrel saw from the inside of the 3-4" pipe. Then get a flange with a longer neck that will glue onto the existing pipe. Try to cut the pipe as straight as posible.


Why does my 240V range outlet have five wires? We're planning to install a new gas range with an electric oven in the spot now occupied by our gas cooktop. The previous cooktop was a broken 70s electric that the owners had disconnected from the power supply. Since we were converting to gas, I didn't take a look...until now! This isn't the wiring configuration I was expecting and am hoping the community can help identify what we have.
Here's a picture of the wiring -- pulled apart/capped to help see them better with multimeter readings noted on for the 2 hot wires:
And here's a picture of the associated breaker in the panel:

Finally, the range we're looking at has the following specs and I would very much appreciate any thoughts as to whether the current 60amp breaker is appropriate for the new appliance:
Electrical Requirements: 220-240V/50-60Hz, 35 Amps

11/11/20 Update:
First, thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and add clarifying questions -- really very much appreciated!
We moved some shelving out of the way this evening and found the conduit run. Pretty decent access, actually, in a not-too-scary part of the basement. Pictures below:

And here is the link to the range user manual we're planning to install - the "Electrical Requirements" section begins on page 31:
https://cosmoappliances.com/a/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/F965-manual-2.pdf
Official name is: Cosmo COS-F965NF 36" Dual Fuel Range with 5 Burners and 3.8 cu. ft. Electric Convection Oven in Stainless Steel
So, definitely planning to take Harper - Reinstate Monica's advice and "pull and replace exactly the wires you need now."
Again, thanks to everyone for their support! It has been super helpful and I would welcome any/all recommendations and suggestions.

The wires you have here are ample for almost any range/oven configuration... almost.
Well, you definitely have conduit. The 3-wire entry above might've been /3 armored cable, but nobody makes armored cable with four #8? 10? red and one #14? 12? white. And if they did, they wouldn't mark "TW" on the wires.    So the fat pipe is definitely conduit. Maybe so is the thin pipe.
I'm betting that metal conduit provides grounding.  So you're all set for a modern 4-wire hookup.
Note that since it is conduit, it is feasible to pull out any wires you don't like, and replace them with wires you do like.  This is a huge advantage over those poor people who have their oven wiring done in cable, and cannot replace that in-wall wiring without a bunch of carpentry, drywall and paint.
What do you have here now?
Your current wiring includes

A 24 or 32 amp 120V/240V circuit for a range or oven  (neutral for oven light),
Another 24 or 32 amp 240V-only circuit that does not,  and
a 15 or 20 amp 120/240V circuit that can serve either a single oven (providing neutral for oven light) or a multi-wire branch circuit powering two 120V sub-circuits e.g. microwave + vent hood.

I can't tell if you have #8 or #10 wire on the big stuff, but regardless, let's crunch the numbers.

If you use both circuits in this pipe, then you need to contend with a thermal derate. Because of the nature of split-phase power, each circuit contains 2 wires "that count" under this table:

So... 24A for #10 and 32A for #8.   This "TW" wire really ties your hands because it forces you to derate off the 60C column.
The TW wire is obsolete; it's been replaced with THW (H=High Temp: 75C) and finally THHN (90C).  If you did nothing else, it'd be productive to pull these wires out of the conduit, drag in a pulling rope, then pull in the same wires that are THHN.  That lets you run out of the 90C column, permitting 30A from #10* and 44A from #8 wire.
Or for that matter you could pull and replace exactly the wires you need now.  To determine that, we need to see your oven's documentation.  I do recommend using all-red for the hots, or a weirder color still, to signal to the next person that this is conduit and they can pull any wires they please.

* 32A by the math; but #10 can't exceed 30A because of NEC 240.4(D).


Well pump runs constantly; Pressure tank doesn't fill I have a well and pressure tank (Well-X-Trol WX-250).  Upon troubleshooting low water pressure in our home, I discovered that our pressure tank is never filling and our well pump is running constantly.

The pressure gauge at the front of the WX-250 normally shows a constant 27 PSI. This drops to 0 when the power is turned off to the pump, and drops to 10-15 when a faucet is turned on inside the house.
Initially the air pressure inside the WX-250 was around 10 PSI. I increased this to the recommended 38 PSI but it seems to not have had an impact.
I'm sure water isn't going into the pressure tank.  When I turn off the power to the pump and open the valve from the tank, no water comes out.

Is my problem with the well pump or with the pressure tank?  Could I have a blockage in the pipe that connects to the pressure tank?

Allowing for the possibility that it could be otherwise as diagnosis via internet is imperfect....

I see both a pump problem and a check valve problem here. While they may be located in the same place (if your only check valve is on the pump - which is the way mine is set up) they are not the same thing...though I also see another possibility that would do both.

Pump problem - pressure not getting above 27 PSI, or 15 with a faucet open.
Check valve problem - when you shut off the pump the pressure drops
to zero - unless you are using water, the pressure should stay at 27 if it was pumped up to 27. When you only had 10 PSI in the tank, there should have been some water storage - when raised to 38, no water could possibly make it into the tank, since that's designed for 40/60 PSI operation and won't take any water until the the water is over 38 PSI.

The third possibility - you have a leak in the pipe above the pump and check valve - so the pressure is limited, and the water drains away from the leak without the check valve being to blame. If you can go and listen at the top of the well while someone else turns the pump on, you might actually hear this leak, if its in the well above waterline. Or you might have a recently soggy spot in the yard if it's after the pipe leaves the well.

While I don't think it's to blame in this problem, I'd also suggest rechecking your tank pre-charge to see if it has stayed at 38 PSI or started to fall again. Often when the precharge becomes low it's not simply a matter of needing to add air - it's a failure in the bladder or diaphragm.


Can I use a motion sensor to control fluorescent lights that are plugged into an outlet? In my garage, the light switch by the door is wired to an outlet on the ceiling. I've got two, inexpensive 4' fluorescent lighting fixtures plugged into that outlet. I know that wiring a fluorescent light to a motion sensor directly can be tricky. I don't know if that applies to an outlet.

Is it safe to switch out the switch that controls the outlet with a motion sensor like the Leviton "Occupancy Sensor"?

It shouldn't be a problem, if you purchase the proper motion sensor. When shopping, make sure the sensor specifically mentions compatibility with florescent lights.

The Heath Zenith Occupancy Motion Sensor Wall Switch

  Controls up to 500 Watts incandescent and 400 Watts fluorescent
  lighting

According to it's documentation.

You can pick one up at Home Depot for ~$15.00 or Amazon for $32 USD (2018).

If you shop around, you can also find sensors that work with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Like this one from Hubbell Building Automation, Inc..


Always On (Closed, Loaded) Temporary Timed Off Switch In my backyard I have a couple of motion activated PIR lights. I also have string lights across the yard that need to be plugged in to turn on. What I would like to do is this. I would like to have a "switch" that the motion lights are plugged into. This switch would be always ON except when I press a button turn a knob etc, and then they are OFF but only for a time; i.e. 15 minutes, 30 minutes etc. The purpose for this is that when we plug in the string lights and are enjoying the nice atmosphere those create, we do not want the motion lights triggering on and turning off all the time. But, I also don't want to put the motion lights on a manual switch and then forget to turn them back on and be left out in the dark. There are lots of remote timers to turn things OFF in 15 minutes etc. But I want to turn something off FOR 15 minutes or 30 minutes and then allow it to come back on.

What you probably want is a spring wound timer switch with SPDT (single pole double throw) contacts to install in place of the ordinary light switch that now controls your outdoor motion lights.  These are available with timers spanning up to 12 hours.  The SPST variety of this switch is the most common and can only switch something ON for a timed interval, but the SPDT variety can either switch something ON or OFF, depending on the leads connected to the load.

One example would be the 2 hour timer by Intermatic, model FD32HW (I am not recommending this particular product.  It is just an example.):

Be careful when ordering because the SPST variety of this timer is by far the most common.


How to stop draft around pipe this natural gas pipe comes out of the wall to the back of my stove. The other side of the wall is the brick exterior of the home. However the previous owners didn't add on to the house like a porch that is only zone heated with electrical heat when desired. That means the other side of the wall is very cold during the winter. I can often feel a draft coming out of this area around the pipe. My question is is it safe to fill the gap with something like big stuff gap filler or is there something better to use. I'm mostly concerned about it being a gas pipe but I could just be overthinking it.

Yes, it is always a good idea to fill any opening that may cause a draft. The opening isn't wide enough for the use of an expanding foam.
Instead any type of latex caulking will work as would any type of Spackle or plaster.
Use a putty knife (or similar) to press the material fully into the opening.
None of what ever fill you decide on will effect the gas pipe.


How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange? I have a big old gawd awful cast iron (at least I think it's cast iron, the house was built in 1940) toilet flange that is in sorry shape.

See?

There will never be a better time to replace it - as we have the floor above and ceiling below it open, and it desperately needs it, obviously.

I have never done anything with cast iron before, however, and do not know how I should proceed.  Should I break the pipe back on the long straight stretch and connect to pvc using a rubber connector like this?

Or should I focus on just trying to replace the flange (which seems much more difficult to me...)

I know cast iron is hard to cut - is a grinder going to be more effective at cutting this stuff?  (Huge mess for the kitchen below :( - but I can hang trash bags or something underneath I suppose...)

UPDATE 5 Nov 2012

The end result:

Removing the old pipe
First you want to make sure the section of pipe that will remain, is properly supported (you don't want it falling). Then you'll want to install some temporary supports, to catch the portion of the pipe that you'll be removing.
Use a chain cutter, hammer and cold chisel, or grinder to break the pipe a few inches before the hub on the next pipe. This short YouTube clip shows how easy it is to cut cast iron with a chain cutter.

Next you'll want to use a hammer and cold chisel to break up the remaining bit of pipe, being careful not to damage the hub.  Once you get enough of the pipe broken up, you'll notice a lead ring inside the hub.  Using a prybar (or other similar tool), try to deform the ring enough that it can be removed (again, being careful not to damage the hub). carefully drilling holes in the lead ring can make it easier to remove it, just be careful not to drill too deep.
Once you have the old pipe and lead gasket removed, clean the hub up a bit and remove any bits of debris.
Install the new pipe
To install the new pipe, you'll need a 4x4 or 4x3 rubber compression donut.

Slip the donut gasket over the end of your new PVC pipe, and fit it into the cast iron hub (A bit of gasket lubricant will make fitting the gasket easier).  Work the gasket into the hub, until it is firmly seated in the hub.

Broken hub
If you were a bit overzealous and you ended up breaking the hub, you'll just have to use a coupling to attach the pipes.  Cut the cast iron pipe after the hub, then use a coupling to connect the pipe.  Make sure both pipes are well supported, since these couplings are not designed to hold weight.


How can I indicate when a shower is in use? Just bought my first home which has two bathrooms. We have guests stay over fairly often (family, friends etc) and on more than one occasion someone's shower has been ruined because either someone downstairs runs the hot tap (washing dishes etc) or someone else switches on the other shower, which makes both run cold.

Is there some cheap way of rigging up a switch (RF, I guess) which someone could press when about to get into the shower, which would light up a corresponding switch/light in the other bathroom (and/or in the kitchen to warn us not to run the taps)?

Or indeed, any better solutions to this problem (other than asking our guests to tell us/each other when they're using the water, which hasn't worked so far...)?

This is the sort of thing that's trivial with new tech, and quite involved (expensive) without it.

It's easy with a few smart things. Assuming hot showers, a humidity sensor can trigger action. powering a dummy sensor with the exhaust fan circuit could trigger. or use a microphone sensor, or a PIR (motion detector) above the shower. Once the trigger's in the system, you can have any output you want, like a smart outlet or app notification. You can even setup "gates" around it like min/max trigger duration, debounce, etc, that would be god-awful to do in "analog".

The system can be a home-rolled node-red setup, or a commercial turn-key like SmartThings or HomeKit. The initial setup would be cheaper than fixing the problem, and then you could do lots of other neat things. If you don't have one already, it's the way to go, and if you do, then just add a new sensor and call it a day.


Why is my drywall mud cracking? First of all, I'm new to all this. I recently applied mud to the corners and did some texturing in my basement. Two days later I notice there are cracks in some places. Why is this happening and what should I do about it?

UPDATE: Putting it on too thick was definitely what happened. I was just slathering it on like no ones business. Lesson learned...

"Why is this happening?"

The drywall mud was applied too thick

"what should I do about it?"

Either apply additional thin coats (sanding between each), or scrape it down and start over, this time using several thinner applications and sanding between each


DIY Floating Desk in New Build Home Evening all,

It's my first time posting so be gentle, I've been reading a fair few of your posts and hope you can answer my question.

I've attached a picture of where I would like to build a "floating" desk. the width is approximately 217cm, and I'd ideally like it to be 70cm to 80cm deep.

The white lines are my rough idea for the frame, and the red indicates a radiator.

The wall on the right is a stud wall, and I have no idea what the other 2 are. The back one is clearly exterior and the other is a joining wall with another house.

I'm basing it on the design used here: http://overthebigmoon.com/diy-file-cabinet-desk-blendtec-giveaway/

I could possibly use supports similar to those if absolutely necessary.

My question is really about support. Will the desk bow in any way? Is it too wide? Will the frame suggested be sufficient? Does any one have any other thoughts? How will I attach it to the walls?

Thanks,
Ashley

I guess nobody else is going to take a swipe at answering this, so I'll give it a shot.

Will the desk bow in any way?

Depends on load and construction details. With the items pictured, even a pretty lightly constructed one will probably not bow/bend/sag much, and there are ways to frame it so that a much heavier load could be supported. What you need to do depends on what you anticipate possibly happening to the desk - if people might sit on it, it needs a good deal more support than if it's just holding a modern lightweight computer and sundries. But if you might set a box of papaer or books on it, then it needs more again...

Is it too wide?

No, subject to adequate framing.

Will the frame suggested be sufficient?

Color me dubious on that front. While it's sufficient for the purposes it was built for (evidently) it's more fully supported than what you are proposing to do, which allows it to be not so robust - but again, this is also load dependent, though having the desk break IF someone sits on it (even if you don't intend it to be used that way) can be somewhat annoying.

Does any one have any other thoughts?

Stressed skin panel construction offers some interesting possibilities, depending what you are up for, and what you are looking for.

How will I attach it to the walls?

Multiple options. Ledger boards on each end are a good approach if you don't mind them being visible. File cabinets and no wall attachment as with the linked plans are another approach, but evidently not what you want. Huge shelf brackets as you mentioned in a comment are another option. Much of this comes down to YOUR concept of a "floating" desk or how important it is that the desk slab appears to be sitting there with "no visible means of support" and whether that means "nothing visible when standing 6 feet away" or "nothing visible when lying on the floor."

In the "can be effectively invisible" line, you attach angle iron to the side walls, build a thick-ish (you can thin the front edge) slab, cut slits in the ends that slide over the angle irons and slide it in place. That calls for some precision crafting. The slab needs to be thick-ish both so that you can have a non-contributing part below the angle iron to conceal it, and so it's stiff enough to span 2 meters while only being supported at the extreme ends.

Less drastically austere solutions allow for a cross-beam below the desk surface but beyond/above where your knees would hit it, and visible supports on the end walls that the desk slab sets on top of.

The giant shelf bracket approach is arguably "not really floating" but does have no "feet" or "legs" down to the floor.

All will hold the desk slab up. Different ones require more or less structure from the desk slab itself, due to greater or lesser spacing between support elements.


Why is there increased dryer motor hum while powered by a generator? We have an off grid home, solar powered 120v. While running the home on the backup generator (also charging batteries), the drum motor on the propane dryer has an increasing noise, then gets to a point where it trips the breaker on the generator, but the breaker on the manual transfer box (30 amps) and the 20amp breaker in the main panel are unaffected. I have check voltage and frequency at the dryer outlet with the generator running (dryer not plugged in the outlet), 119-121 volts and 59-61 hz which should be very acceptable. Also in a possible related sense, we have 4 ceiling fans 2 of which also get the hum situation but no issue with breakers.

Is your generator producing true sine wave, modified sine wave, or square wave output?

The motor's designed to work on sine-wave AC, which is what large generators are happiest producing, and which is generally the most efficient form since all the energy goes into the single frequency and can be easily drawn back out.

Square wave is easier for small alternators to produce, but has a lot of high harmonics which can cause resonance in motors, sometimes to the point of being damaging. Square-wave alternators may also be damaging to some electronics, for similar reasons.

"Modified sine wave" is a compromise between the two -- it adds another few steps between the most-positive and most-negative outputs. This reduces the harmonics to a level that most motors and electronics can handle safely. There are still going to be some harmonics, which may be made audible by the motor, but they shouldn't be strong enough to be damaging.

If you've got a square-wave unit, consider replacing it. If you've got a modified-sine unit and are still having trouble... well, switching to true sine wave will probably solve it, but you might want to get someone with expertise in this system to take a look at your set-up before you commit to that purchase.


Fix subflooring near wall with ventilation We ripped up some lino on 3/4" particle board and want to replace it with tile. The tile is 3/8" and I wanted to put down 1/4" backer board. Once I tore up the floor I found a piece of tin that had been nailed down to cover this hole.

Looking for any suggestions how to fill this in appropriately so that I can lay down tile and not have to worry about it cracking the first time somebody steps here.

The joist on the left is under the wall of course, and access from below can be done, but would be a real pain.

Thoughts?

Cut the opening around the old hole 2-3" larger than the hole that is there now, unless you can cut an edge in the middle of the joist. With that opening large enough away from the metal in the hole, set halfway under the newly cut edge, 2X4 placed flat so that approx. 1 3/4" is under the original floor and the rest is out in the opening. Glue this in place and draw in place with screws.

Cut a new piece of subfloor and screw and glue it in place too. The blocks you cut only need to be a few inches longer than the hole on either end. It will be stronger than the original.

On the side that is close to the wall you may not be able to cut 2 or more inches, if you can leave 1 1/2" of subfloor there, it may be tight to get the block in, but you will still be able to cut it with a circular saw. If you have a reciprocating saw or multimaster you could go as close as an inch, and still get screws in.


How do I remove glow in the dark paint from my walls? A friend of mine painted on the walls of the apartment we are staying in with glow in the dark pain, and we have to get them off of the walls because we will get fined for it. We did not realize this until just recently, and so we don't have the time or money to repaint all the walls that she painted on. She said that she might have done it way back in August of last year. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get the paint off without severely damaging the walls? And again, we do not have the time or cash to repaint all the walls.

You can try with soapy water.  But - having removed a lot of paint, what you're hoping for is probably impossible.  Even if you get the glow-in-the-dark stuff off, doing so will roughen up the underlying paint to the point that repainting is necessary.

You are stuck repainting, the question is whether you'd rather DIY or pay the landlord to do it.   First, I'd confer with the landlord about his plans and see if you can come up with a compromise.  Landlords don't make their money chiseling tenants out of their deposits.**  They make their money having the unit rented continuously, and uneventfully, with the least downtime and maintenance expense.   So see what can be worked out.

You'd definitely want a coat of quality primer like Kilz to keep the GitD paint from printing through the new topcoat.  Scuff-sand the whole wall (just a few swishes with a Scotchbrite pad to knock the gloss off, especially over the GitD paint, paint does not stick to gloss); wipedown with TSP substitute to remove chemical contaminants (body oils etc.); then roll and brush on the primer.  It's not a huge job, the biggest part of it is protecting your possessions and the carpet and window trim.  If the carpet is scheduled for replacement, it's good to know that.

** In fact they usually lose money seizing a tenant's deposit. Their cost of doing the work is far beyond the deposit, and beyond any amount they could ever hope to collect from a typical tenant, even if they went to court.  So they just say "heck with it" and move on.


Can I add a second 100A service panel alongside the existing one on the same feeder lines? I want to install central air conditioning in my home but my current service is 100 A, I believe.
If I were to upgrade to the 200 Amp service, could the breakers be configured where I have two 100 Amp main breakers? One will be the already existing breaker box servicing the house as usual, and the other would be just for the central air conditioning.
Is this possible to configure like this?

Not necessary.
All you need to do is get your 200A service, feeding a new service panel that is a 200A “main panel” with main breaker.  Then inside this panel, stick a 100A breaker,  then run 1 AWG aluminum wire from there to the old 100A panel.
The old panel must be re-configured as a subpanel, which requires removing all ground wires from the neutral bar, putting them on an accessory ground bar, and removing the neutral-ground bond.


How to repair subfloor softened by water damage My kitchen floor has developed a soft spot in front of the sink.  While we have no water leak at this time a few years ago the dishwasher leaked a bit of water on the floor because of a bladder crack.  I am not sure of what to do but was looking for some ideas.

I thought about going under the floor and placing a piece of plywood over the spot secured with liquid nails but I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions on how best to make a repair without having to replace the whole floor.  Also, if my idea is a good one how do I prop or secure the plywood in place until the liquid nails dries.

Thank you in advance for any help provided.

It may be easier to repair the sub floor from below depending on the space available. From under the floor you would install the plywood repair piece so that it (if necessary) fit between two floor joists. Good idea when you mentioned applying construction adhesive to the new piece. As a final step have some lengths of 2 x pieces ready and fasten them to the floor joists so as to support the newly installed plywood patch. There is a chance for the joists to be made of steel in which case carriage bolts would be substituted for wood fasteners (and pilot holes drilled in the steel).


Attach wall "peg" with dowel screw I'm building a cat climbing wall, and plan to have a series of large "pegs" as steps. My plan is to use 1-foot lengths of landscape timber (basically a 4" diameter log) and attach directly to the wall studs using one 3/8" x 3" dowel screw for each peg. All shelf brackets I've seen have a lower support brace and more than one screw connecting to the wall, so I'm slightly concerned that one screw won't be enough to support the cantilevered weight of a cat (~15 pounds, plus dynamic forces). Is this realistic, or will the screw pull out, or will the log put too much pressure on the drywall, or any other reason why this would be a bad idea? Should I just put the screw off-center toward the top of each log so there's more of a lower brace, or use bigger dowel screws, or will I need a proper shelf bracket to support the peg?

Assuming that:

the screws are at least 1/4" in diameter
they penetrate at least 1" into the stud
the timber ends up snug to the drywall

... this should work fine. The key is that installation leaves the timbers with no gap to the drywall that would allow movement. If there's room for movement, the drywall will eventually be damaged and the screws could work loose.

Yes, it would do to install the dowel screws closer to the top of the timber, say 1" down, to reduce pressure on the lower edge of the cut. You might put waxed paper behind the timbers while you thread them in to act as a lubricant and to protect the wall.

You could simplify matters by installing each timber segment on a backer board (say a 16" segment of 1x6) using three or four 2-1/2" screws, then simply mount those to the studs over the drywall. The torque load on the timbers would be transferred to and distributed by the backer boards rather than through drywall, which is quite soft.


Should our kitchen sink vent through the roof? Our kitchen sink vent pipe goes up through the ceiling but not through the roof, should it go through the roof?

This is actually pretty easy to remedy given that you have decent attic access.  You just route vent to the main stack.  Might have to cut out main stack in attic, support it, add a T to connect vent and put the pieces back together.  That would be easy way to code compliance and could cost as little as $30-40.


Vinyl Flooring: Wet glue underneath and pink and black stains on top I had vinyl flooring professionally laid 2 years ago. Now it is covered in black stains and a faint pink discolouration. We have the same flooring in two different rooms - in the kitchen (which is stained) and in the downstairs bathroom (not stained) which is next to the kitchen.
Today i pulled up the flooring to see what was causing the stains on the kitchen floor. The glue was still as wet as the day it was laid. The bathroom however, whilst a bit sticky, was pretty much dry. Does anybody know why this has happened?

The obvious answer is that something was done improperly.  What, exactly, is anyone's guess at this time.  Some possible explanations:

The adhesive used was the incorrect type, was past its expiration date, was not applied properly.
The surface over which the adhesive and flooring was applied was unsuitable for this application.  Here it helps to read and understand the manufacturer's installation instructions.
There is some contaminant on the floor that is interfering with the adhesive.
Your floor has excess moisture that is breaking down the adhesive.  Generally there are limits listed in the installation instructions.

At this point I'm sure you're well past the point of making a claim with the installations company but you might contact the manufacturer and see if their support folks have any suggestions.  Otherwise I think you're looking at a total tear-out and re-installation, likely at your cost.
You definitely want to understand why this happened so that you can avoid a repeat on the new installation.


Choosing Hurricane Shutters In Florida, it is now officially hurricane season. I am in the market for aluminum hurricane shutters. However, I do have some questions. Home Depot offers aluminum shutters that are either 48 inches or 96 inches in height. Can the shutters be cut to the size of the window opening? Also, my windows are sunk into the opening with a concrete sill on the outside of the house showing. So it does not allow for a completely flat surface on the outside of the house on the bottom part of the window with the concrete portion that juts out. How can I secure these windows knowing that the bottom track will be difficult to mount on this jutted portion? All of my windows are like this.

My shutters attach horizontally over the window. No track required. You may have to see a specialty hurricane shutter shop for these though. 1 tip from personal experience, spend the extra money to get aluminum shutters, they make installation much easier. It would also be in your best interest to see what types of shutters are recommended by your insurance company, and check your local municipality for permit requirements.


What would cause the water pressure to be too high for just a second? Lately when I turn on any faucet in my house the water comes rushing out at about twice the normal pressure for about half a second and then drops to normal pressure. I am worried the pressure is building up to high in the pipes. If I turn off the faucet and then turn it back on within a minute the pressure comes out normal. Its only when the water hasn't been used for a while that the pressure seems to have built up in the pipes. I tried turning the pressure down on my pressure regulator by turning the adjustment screw on top one full turn counter clockwise but the water still comes out way too high when the faucets or the clothes washer or shower is first turned on. After a second the pressure drops way down now that I adjusted the regulator.

The problem is your expansion tank, or lack thereof. Your home has a check valve somewhere in the system, possibly included with the pressure regulator or as part of the municipal water meter. When your water heater turns on, the heating of the water causes it to expand, and that pressure has nowhere to release until you open a faucet. What you need is an expansion tank installed in your water lines. If you already have one, then it has failed (they usually have a bladder separating the air from the water, and this can fail over time or if not properly maintained). Installing a tank isn't too difficult, but will require shutting off the water to your house, cutting your pipes, and adding a T to your water line. If you have an existing tank, then they are often threaded and are simple to replace (the connection is often threaded and can be screwed off). Note that if you don't fix this, valves in your toilet and other fixtures will start to fail, or the TPR valve on your hot water heater will begin to leak water.


GE profile cooking range traditional glass cooktop not working properly I have GE profile traditional glass cooktop

as you can see in the smaller yellow square, only the inside circle should turn red. But the outside circle turns red first.

Could you suggest -

what could be causing this problem amd what part should i buy to fix it? parts are available at this site
how much would it cost to fix it?
should i buy a new range - everything except below is working fine

-----------update 1 - adding model number

JP989BK1BB General Electric Cooktop - Overview

parts are available at this site

-----------------update 2 ---requesting part numbers for remaining switches

as i am going to replace one switch, i am thinking of replacing remaining 3 too. Could you take a look and let me know the part number? would i need 3 of Infinite Control Switch/ part 19 ?

The OP said he already tried power cycling it just in case it was some transient controller problem, so my next best guess would be that the switch is bad.

It looks like it's the switch marked part number 20 "Dual Burner Control Switch" on the product diagram on the parts page he linked to. Several people on the comments page for that switch said they had the same problem before replacing the switch -- the burner stays on high.

If a wiring diagram of the stove (or switch) is available, you should be able to test the switch with a multimeter. This site gives some guidelines, basically you're just testing for continuity between the switched terminals. With a switch like this that has multiple outputs (and possibly an independent indicator light output), it would be difficult to test it without knowing which terminal is which.


How can I put an audible notification on a yard gate? A friend who has become blind and wants her iron gate to squeak so she knows when she has visitors coming. The house has a locked door and doorbell, but everyone has to open the gate first.
I tried wetting the hinges with vinegar over a couple of days and the gate does squeak a little, but I can't help but think there must be a better way to get a louder sound.

This feels like an XY problem - you imagine a squeak would work, so you ask about how to make a squeak.   Instead, ask "how to alert a blind person when someone opens the gate"
I'd go with an Infrared interrupter beam right behind the gate, like a shop.  Have it wired to a chime inside, and do lube the gate properly to help it last longer.
If you want to be fancy, a wireless or portable chime unit could be ideal, at the cost of needing a charge or new batteries periodically.


Clogged plumbing in bathroom sink My bathroom sink is clogged, water is slow to drain.  Cannot get plug out and do not want to tear it down underneath.  Pipes are PVC.  What is the best "liquid" drain cleaner or anything else to pour down.  Hope my 89 year old mother in law hasn't dropped her wig bobby pins down it.  Thanks

I know that you said you cannot get the cleanout plug - but this is your best bet at removing large debris.

Try:

Wrap a small towel over the plug and turn counter clock wise ("Righty tighty, lefty loosy")
Use an adjustable wrench to break the cleanout plug free

If the above attempts do not work or you have already done that route:

Use a drain snake to free any debris causing the clog
You can use a toilet plunger by placing it directly above the drain in the sink, fill the sink until there is enough to create suction; (be careful not to splash too much)
Believe it or not, if a graden hose is accessible and long enough to reach the sink, place the hose in the drain and have someone turn on the water. There will be sufficient pressure to dislodge any debris.

I'm not a fan of using drain products, but if you must, go to your local hardware store and consult someone as this community covers the entire globe, it is difficult to give you an exact recommendation.


Typical process of rewiring a house Last week an electrician started rewiring our whole house. They started by running new wires into all the rooms and running the wires into gangboxes and into a subpanel in the garage.

I assumed to finish the job they would install the outlets and switches, and then the last step would be disconnecting the power and installing the new main panel and then hooking the power into the panel.

Would that be a typical/logical way to do it?

Instead, the first thing they've done is cut the power, start on installing the main panel and setting up the subpanel. There are zero outlets or switches installed on the new wiring, not to mention none of the light fixtures have been switched over to the new wiring either.

This seems like the exact opposite order they should have done things. Is there some reason for doing it in this order?

There's a really good chance we're going to have no power tonight, or at least only have power in a few outlets unless they work overtime (they started at 8am and it's almost 3pm now)

While I can't speak to your specific situation, in many jurisdictions the electrician is required by local law to install the wiring, leaving the electrical boxes open and without installing outlets, fixtures, and switches. This allows the electrical inspector to check out the wiring (size, number of wires, proper mounting) before the system is closed up. This is called rough-in inspection. Only after you get this preliminary approval is the electrician allowed to mount outlets, switches, etc.

This approach also allows the electrician to check out the continuity of the wiring before he adds devices that may complicate the testing.

Whether this is the case in your jurisdiction depends on local law.


Is it possible to de-gloss paint? I have some satin black enamel paint, after applying it I found it to be too glossy. I know you can make paint more glossy, for example by adding varnish to it, but is there a way to make it less glossy?

You can coat it with a satin clear finish. or even a matte finish. Both are available at most paint stores and big box stores.


How can I reclaim heat from an enclosed furnace room? Our home has two furnaces (oil fired hot air) and an electric water heater in an enclosed room (approx 6'6" x 9').  Three walls of the room divide it from the remainder of a finished basement, the fourth is an outside wall that includes a vent for combustion air intake.

In cold weather, especially when both furnaces run frequently, the room becomes quite warm -- into the 90s (F) at times.   I'd like to be able to divert some of this heat into the house without leaving the door open (which is quite effective, but inconvenient, as it opens into a spot that we often walk through).   I've already sealed as many air leaks in the ductwork as I can find (a total of four zones are served by the two furnaces, so there is a lot of sheet metal in there), I think a lot of remaining heat is being radiated from the furnaces themselves and the flue pipes (they are single-walled until they exit the room).

I'm thinking of putting  a pair of vents -- one high, with a thermostatic fan to blow the warm air into the room, and a low one, to balance the airflow -- in the wall shared with the office.   Outside of heating season, the vents could be closed to prevent outside air (from the combustion air intake vents) from circulating into the office.

The only specific risk I can see would be the risk of CO being pulled into the room if there is a furnace failure.   We have working CO detectors in the house, and I suspect it would be circulated throughout the house anyway due to leaks in the return ducts (around the filters, for example), so I'm not sure if this adds risk or not.   I know that furnaces in many homes I've seen are not in enclosed rooms, so perhaps I'm overthinking this.

Another alternative would be to install a door with louvers in it to allow the air to circulate.  It could be a simple door with just one vent, or a full louver door like the one below..


Unclogging sink drain My bathroom sink drain is clogged. I tried to use a hanger to remove whatever was blocking it up, and I got a nice chunk. But, I saw it was still clogged. There is a semi clear piece under the sink that is bendable. I removed that, but it seemed clear. It seems to me that the clog is in the bend in the pipe below that. I was not able to get anything out with my hanger, and I don't see a way to remove that piece. Any idea about how to fix it?

The best way is for you to procure a drum style drain auger and clear the drain with it. It is a worthwhile investment and will pay for itself many times over, once you become proficient with it.
I recommend a professional quality auger, because they work better and last forever if taken care of properly.