Receptacle Tester Showing Open Hot The last 30 years we've lived in this house, we've had a problem with 1 of the bedroom's electrical receptacles.

On the same wall, there are 2 receptacles about 10 feet apart on opposite sides of the wall. The top plug on each don't work, and the bottom plug do work. The switch in the room has never worked, and we assumed it was because it's connected to those 2 (top) plugs. Since the room adjacent to this one has the exact same setup, but actually do work.

I decide to tackle the problem finally and bought a Receptacle Tester. The reading had no lights turn on. Which indicated Open Hot on the tester. According to the manual this means that the hot contact is not connected.

Does anyone have an much more in-depth explanation about what Open Hot means?

Is this something I could easily fix myself? Is it possible that the switch itself is actually bad?

Offtopic question, There is button on my receptacle tester in the middle, and when i pressed the button while connected to the open hot outlet it gave a faint glow.

What does that button actually do or represent? And what does the faint glow indicate?

Thanks.

Open hot just means that the wire that should be hot is not connected to the power supply. The neutral and ground are possibly still connected. This is a common way to switch receptacles by adding an extra (red) wire that goes through a switch.

You should check continuity between the outgoing (switched hot) wire at the switch and the red wire (going to the top receptacle) at the receptacle. If there isn't continuity then there is a break in the cable or it's not a switched outlet setup.

If that is the case and you want to be able to use the top outlets again you can connect the top and bottom hot sides of the receptacle and cap off the supposedly switched hot. You can then remove the switch and cap of the wires that go into it.

If there is continuity then you should be able to replace the switch and the receptacles will work again.


Elegant solution for wall mounted laptops holder I'm looking for an elegant solution to mount laptop holders. I also looked at standard shelves with brackets, but for me it's not much of an elegance.
I have 4 laptops to be displayed on the wall in 2 x 2 configuration (its for display only to see progress of things from a bit of distance, no humans are standing there to work on them)
I like this product which is just holder only (not meant for mounting) and trying to work my way to mount it somehow to the wall. Each laptop is about 14x10 inches.
I can place two laptops in a row its just I don't like the shelves with brackets too much.
Any lateral thinking ideas are welcome.

Drill holes in Aluminum laptop holder.
Hold on wall level and mark location on holes on wall.
Use appropriate drill bit to install anchor in wall.
Use appropriate size screw for anchor and a flat washer to mount holder on wall.
Place laptop on holder, stand back and admire laptop and handy DIY work.
If you are mounting 2  ( or 3 or 4 ) laptops all on the same horizontal plane then you mount all of the holders on a nice piece of wood and then mount the board to the wall. This way you can make sure you get the screws  into   studs and you do not need anchors.
Editors anchor choice


AC in the attic affects downstairs but not upstairs We have one AC unit (roughly 1 year old) connected to two zones: Zone 1 is upstairs and Zone 2 is downstairs.

Yesterday, our AC seemed to completely stop working for the upstairs but continue to work well for the downstairs. Not being very familiar with this topic my wife and I began some common-sense troubleshooting to see if we couldn't gather up some helpful information for relaying to a technician before they make a trip out. Perhaps we could get some further information here as well.

The upstairs is Zone 1, and when it's on it registers as being on in the panel in the Attic. No flashing lights for any zones at any time suggesting a short-circuit. When we turn on the air from the thermostat upstairs, it registers at the panel and kicks on the AC unit. The same is said for the downstairs, which works fine.

In the attic we did find that the last part of our unit, a giant silver box where the air leaves the unit (sorry for the highly-technical terminology, hehe) had some foil tape that was coming loose due to condensation - this created a rather large gap that allowed a lot of cold air to escape into the attic. We pressed this tightly, but found no improvement in the airflow upstairs.

So the facts are simple, the unit works. It blows air to the downstairs with appropriate force and at the expected temperature. It does not blow air upstairs although there is one vent in particular that you feel as though you might have some cold air dropping out of...it's one of those things where you wave your hand next to it for about a minute saying, "Wait, I think I feel something...".

The Panel works upstairs, no shorted circuits. There was a visible gap in the taping but pressing this closed doesn't appear to fix the problem. No other noticeable gaps or sounds of air escaping.

All I can wonder now is if there is a fan that pushes air to the upstairs vents and a fan that pushes air to the downstairs vents. If so, the fan to the upstairs may have lost power or been prevented in some other way.

Given this information, and the fact that AC units are apparently very popular with home-owners, is there anything I'm not considering or something I should double-check before I pay a technician to come into my home?

Here's a rough-sketch of what our unit in the attic looks like:

Summary:

Our air-intake works just fine upstairs. The filter isn't old and prevents no air-flow. The panel is working just fine, and the box prior to the Air Out is full of cold air that was being back-blown through a gap in the foil tape onto the box left of that area. Fixing the gap doesn't seem to have remedied out problem.

Generally, there are not 2 fans. Instead, there are electrically controlled dampers that open and close based on signals from a control unit. The damper for your upstairs vents is probably jammed.

The control unit for the dampers is usually mounted on the wall near the air handler, or directly on the air handler. There should be 4 to 6 wires coming out of the controller: one for each thermostat, one for each damper, and possibly one or two more going to a power supply or to the air handler. They're probably labeled if you open the cover. Follow the cables to find the dampers.

The dampers that I have in my house have a cover that you can pop off to get at the damper and move it by hand.


Mounting Ceiling Fan to Old Junction Box I would like to install a new ceiling fan, but when I removed the light fixture I found an old junction box. The box is about 3 inches deep but tapers to create a rim which is level with the ceiling. The ceiling is plaster and there appears to be a layer of wood under it. It's hard for me to tell what the junction box is screwed to. I'm on the top floor of 1920's condo, so I don't have access to view it from above (attic,etc).  I'm hoping someone might be familiar with old junction boxes to help me determine what my next move should be. Thanks]1
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Boxes mounted with a center nut/collar are usually installed between joists on a support bar like the picture below. You're going to have to cut away the ceiling to expose the entire box. The cloth wiring you have is very old and there's a good chance it will crumble and the insulation will crack when you move it around. You'll have to straighten out the wire carefully, after you've turned off the breaker supplying the circuit. Then remove the nut/ threaded collar from the threaded nipple. The box should come loose. Remove any clamps holding the wires in place and unconnect any wires to completely remove the box. Take pictures so you'll know how to reconnect them. You might have to cut away a bit more of the ceiling to get behind the box to undo the clamps. Cut away the box support and install another one similar to the one below but rated for a ceiling fan. Run the wires into the new box and then attach the new box to the support bar. Repair ceiling or get a fan cover plate. Mount your new fan.

This will be very risky for a DIYer because the wire is so very old and likely to be unusable after moving it around so much. In that case, you'd have no option but to rewire the entire circuit. Being in a condo, there are probably rules about homeowners doing electrical work in their units. Consulting a pro might not be a bad idea.


Blade types for dry cutting pavers, diamond or composite? When are diamond blades worth the extra money, or required?

I've been dry-scoring to 1/3rd thickness different types of pavers for a couple small 20-30sqft projects around the house, using the $2-$3 composite 7" masonry blades from Home Depot in a 'disposable' (but yet to wane or fail) light weight 10 amp $26 Drill Master circular saw from Harbor Freight.

Takes some time and requires rotating through different depth settings, but works fine.  If I were to start a big project, I'd look into a wet saw. But for now, dry cutting next to a 20" box fan is ok.

What would be the advantages of switching to a diamond blade?

Diamond blades aren't that expensive and cut much more quickly. They're much thinner, for one thing. I wouldn't use anything else.

However, doing so with a circular saw won't gain you much. Maneuverability is poor, meaning you're stuck cutting through the material in a big bite. A 7" angle grinder is the ticket. You can slide it back and forth and cut with much more control.


Where can I find replacement covers for these vents from 1969? I recently bought a house built in 1969. After moving in I attempted to close and open vents to direct AC and heat into the rooms that needed it. I quickly experience these vents are hard to open and close, you need to essentially stab these things with a large screwdriver to engage the closing/opening mechanism.

They're 25 inches wide, 5 inches tall, and stick out from the wall a good 3 inches. My question, is there anywhere I can buy replacement covers for these that open and close easier and (in my perfect world) sit flush against the wall? I've tried taking one off the wall and it was a pain, the screws have been painted over several times.

I've attached a picture of the vents below.

That is called a Base Board diffuser.  They come with & without damper. They come in standard lengths, 24" being one of them.  They come in white and brown.  They are available in various styles, heights and depths.  Amazon lists a number of them.  Also Supply House.com stocks several.  The HVAC wholesale houses will stock some and if you can find a salesman who is helpful I'm sure he could round one up for you.  If you go to a wholesale house consider taking the old one with you.  Happy Hunting. P.


water draining from toilet after flush I live in a two storey house with 3 toilets (two on second floor and one on the main floor)  the main floor toilet after flushing drains to a low level . I have inspected for water under and around toilet and even underneath in basement and now water , I have replaced the fill tube and the gasket between tank and bowl. if the vent was restricted would that not affect all toilets. any thoughts

"after flushing drains to a low level"

The level in the bowl after flushing is determined by:

the length of time the flapper is held open (not open long enough = no flush, inadequate flush, or low water level in bowl after flush)

AND

the bowl-filler function of the fill valve in the tank/cistern. Commonly, the bowl-filler function is arranged such that a hose directs water into the bowl (usually via the overflow tube and rim clean holes) during the entire time the fill valve is open. Some fill valves allow adjustment of the bowl-filler duration/flow/volume.

If it were a venting problem, it would occur at random times (or specific times if related to other usage of drains), rather than only when the toilet in question were flushed...


How should I connect my solar panels to each controller for optimal performance (series or parallel) without buying new charge controller? I have four 355W solar panels and three 315W solar panels.  I have a 40-amp mppt and a 30-amp mppt charge controller with 100V Max PV voltage.
The distance solar panels to charge controllers is around 15 meters and the distance battery to charge controllers around 1.5 meters.
My battery bank system is 24 volt. The solar panel voltage is around 37 volts.  They are not connected yet.
Out of the three 315W solar panels, one is pointed south, the other 2 east. he one pointed south is shaded until 9 AM.  They are at 16 degree angle. The other four 355W are not yet installed.
The system is in the Caribbean.
I have 8 6-volt batteries in 2 parallel strings.
I need help with the wiring of the solar panels (series or parallel) and also the wire gauge.
Thank you in advance for your help!
The specs for the 315W solar panel are:
 Pmax = 315 W
 Max voltage = 37.4 V
 Max current = 8.42 A
 Open Circuit voltage = 45.5 V
 Short circuit current = 9.12 A
 Power tolerance = 0~+6w
 The maximum fuse rating = 15 A

The specs for the 355W solar panel are:
 Rating power at stc(Wp) = 355 w
 Rating power voltage(Vm) = 37.58 V
 Rating power current(Im) = 9.45 A
 Open circuit voltage (Voc) = 46.26 V
 Short circuit current(Isc) = 9.85 A

Your panels are 37V yet your controller is 100V max.  Since 3 panels is 111V, that means we can only wire 2 panels in series.  That also means odd panels will be a problem.

But so far, the odd panel already is, since it has a different facing than the other panels.

The mixed panels are so close in working voltage that they can be paralleled without worry.  However that will necessitate fat cables.

To work them in series, will require they be facing the same direction and recieve sun at about the same times.   If they are in series, and one is in sun and the other in shade, you will not get much out of that array - whereas if they were in parallel, you would at least have the sun-lit one.  However parallel requires fat cable.

So for right now, the two 315W solar panels that face the same way can be placed in series and wired to one of the controllers.  The voltage drop calculator says #12 wire will be fine for this purpose with only 2.11% voltage drop.   The single 315W panel facing oddly should go on the other controller.  This can use #12 but will have 4.22% drop; #10 wire brings this voltage drop into line at 2.55% drop.

When you add the other 4 panels, again the question will be if they can be grouped in pairs, with each member of the pair facing the same way and going in/out of shade at about the same time.  If so, they can be placed in series.

Multiple pairs of series-wired panels can then be paralleled together for the cable run back to the panel.  Two panel pairs should use #12 for 4.22% drop, or #10 wire for 2.55% voltage drop.  Three panel pairs could use #10 wire for 3.83% drop, or #8 wire for 2.52% drop.  Or, each panel pair could use its own #12 cable going back to the controller. Your call.

Individual panels should each get their own home-run, as it will not be economical on wire to try to parallel them.  Use #12 with 4.22% drop, or #10 for 2.55% drop.

The series pairs of panels should  be paralleled onto the larger charge controller.  The individual panel(s) should be paralleled onto the smaller one, but no more than 3 panels onto this 30A unit.


How do I prepare a painted wall before applying an orange peel texture? I have a sheet rock wall that had been primed and painted.  I would like to put a orange peel texture over the top. What do I need to do to prep the wall if anything?

If there is any sheen, de-gloss by sanding then thoroughly clean the wall.


Is it safe to mix and match light bulb wattages and sizes in same fixture? I have a one of those two-head spotlight fixtures in my back yard. The fixture is under my deck roof and never gets wet. Each socket is rated at 120 watts max. It's designed for the PAR38 spotlight bulbs.
I want to use a 90-watt PAR38 spotlight bulb (brighter light for the yard) in one of the sockets and a 45-watt A60 standard-size bulb (dimmer light for the deck) in the other socket. Is it safe to mix and match bulbs like this?
Some Google searching seemed to indicate that it's safe to mix and match wattages, as long as you don't exceed the fixture's maximum ratings. However, I couldn't find anything on mixing bulb types.

Yes, you certainly can use bulbs of different wattages in your fixture. The fact that one socket pulls more current is not important.
Bulb size is mostly a matter of light distribution and heat management. It's not relevant here as long as you don't have them up against something flammable or enclosed too tightly.
As you said, follow max wattage restrictions (though they're largely moot with modern LED bulbs).


Will an attic fan in a garage also cool the adjacent house attic? My attached 2 car garage typically gets over 100 degrees in the summer. I have an insulated garage door. The garage has a drywall ceiling and attic space above that is connected to the rest of the ranch home attic.
If I put a whole house attic fan in the garage, would it cool down most of the attic or only the attic near the garage? I was thinking I would get some benefit from cooling my attic down in the evenings after the sun went down?

To ventilate a garage you want to exhaust air from inside the garage to the outside of the structure and not into the attic. The garage gets so hot that I think you should keep the ventilation separate from the rest of the house. Also there may be code requirements to separate the garage from the living space due to fumes.

If I were going to ventilate a garage, I would put in an exhaust fan in the ceiling or in an outside wall and have a fresh air inlet vent as far away as possible, on an opposite wall if possible.

Another possibility would be to have a power exhaust fan like a kitchen hood going out the roof and a vent coming in a wall or through a soffit to keep the inlet air as cool as possible.  I wonder if the largest ceiling exhaust fan of the type designed for a bathroom could be vented out a soffit to avoid a roof penetration.

For example


Can I install 2 240v baseboard heaters in separate rooms? Can I install "2" 240v baseboard heaters in separate rooms?
supplied by "1" Quad 2-pole 240 volt circuit breaker with a 10/2 or 10/3 wire?
each baseboard heater pulls about 500 to 600 watts each. Both are new installations with new wiring.

Sure.
It's normal for this sort of setup to have a separate thermostat in each room, but there's no need for a different circuit (nor for 10 Ga wire, from what you have specified so far, which could be fed by a 10 or 15A 240V breaker on 14Ga wire, with considerable room for expansion. - If they pull 600 watts each, you need to provision at 125% for a heating load as it's "continuous", so 3.125 Amps each, so 4 will fit on a 15A breaker and 14Ga wire, 6 on a 20A breaker and 12Ga wire. If 500W, 5 and 7 for the same cases.)
Nor would you need /3 wire for typical 240V baseboard, which don't use neutral - /2 wire with ground is quite adequate and typical for those - be nice and put red tape on the white wire where you connect it, though.


Washing machine drain line goes up I am looking to purchase a house where the location of the washing machine is such that the drain needs to pump water to a location higher than where the washing machine would sit.

The existing drain line has a one-way flow valve installed about 2-3 feet beyond the point where the washing machine would connect to the drain. That 2-3 feet is a vertical pipe so it would seem that the water in that pipe is at risk of draining back into the washer.

We have had a general inspector and a plumber look at the setup and they both claimed it was odd and I should install a separate pump system to make sure no water drains back into the washing machine.

I've never actually owned a washing machine before, do most washers have a pump in them already? Are there special models I should look at? Or do I need another system that can prevent the back-draining?

Realized I do have a picture:

If this helps, I have a similar setup in my basement, to avoid using a sump pump. I do not have a check valve, but that's a great idea. I've been running the same washing machine like this for 15 years now.

It may not make it technically correct, but it does work fine. Never had any issues.


Best / easiest way to remove old electrical connectors? I am planning to install gutters on my home. This means I need to remove the old and defunct 1950s style power pegs from my house (see photo).

I am thinking sawzall but it might not be the cleanest or flushest cut. Can they be unscrewed with a wrench if turned counter clockwise? What's the easiest way to remove them as cleanly as possible?

Thanks!

Use a pry bar through the eye of the anchor. You are correct, rotating top left will bring them out. Alternatively, an adjustable wrench over both sides of the eye works very well. Turn it right out, don't cut it off, because it's much easier to caulk shut a hole or put new flashing over it if there's no stub sticking out. There are some eye bolts that go through the wood and have a nut on the inside. In those cases, you can remove some soffit and put a wrench on the nut inside. Don't get hit on the head when it comes out, and don't stand on the top step of a ladder.


Moving a vent/stack pipe Currently my kitchen vent/stack pipe joins with another stack and I need to move them to allow a window to be installed.
Can I just redirect them to the right hand corner then up that corner stud, under soffit for reconnect or existing roof vent[![enter image description here][1]][1]?
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/GQQ91.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DsTNh.jpg)

Where "just" involves maintaining appropriate slope and position, yes. It appears that you have two vents joining "more than 6" above the flood rim of the highest fixture on the floor" and you have to respect that - you cannot make the two vents one (nor run them at less than 45 degrees "upwards") below that level, you have to run them as separate vents and join at or above that level. i.e. you cannot run "horizontal" under the counter.


Why did insulation and vapor barrier cause mold in my storage shed? I recently installed insulation in my garden shed and covered it with a plastic vapor barrier.  This was done in the summer when the weather was warm and sometime humid.  Shortly after I'd finished this installation I removed the plastic from the walls so I could install some electrical.  when I pulled down the insulation I found black mold.  My question is why would mold be present and why so fast?  I thought I insulated correctly.

Vapour barrier goes on the cold side of the insulation.

The problem here is that for an unheated, Un-airconditioned shed, the outside will always be the cool side.

Insulation won't stop heat transfer, it only slows it down.  A closed shed, no matter how well insulated, will always turn into a sauna.

Now you have a hot, steamy inside, and a (relatively) cool outside (especially at night).  If you put the vapour barrier on the inside, sandwiching the insulation in, the condensation will occur within your insulation. Hence, the mold issue.

You're better off without a vapour barrier in this situation.  This way the batts can dry out.   Even better would be some rigid foam insulation, but I really think that insulation in this situation is a waste of money.


Oven has 2-prong plug plus earth wire. Socket is modern 3-prong. How to connect? My 110V toaster oven has a 2-prong cable. Also, the oven's chassis has a screw with a connected green/yellow earth wire, which I want to ground.

My wall socket is a modern 3-prong with earth and all.

Is there a special adapter that can convert the 2-prong plug + earth wire into a 3-prong plug? Is that the right way to go?

Thank you!

You could install a replacement three-prong plug and wrap the cable and extra wire with loom to keep them bundled. It's probably not strictly legal, but it's generally safe.


What tool for easily cutting cardboard is child-safe? What is a child-safe (for a 10 year old) tool to cut cardboard (~1/4" thick, from a typical cardboard box)?

EDIT:
I'd like the child (who is fairly responsible) to be able to use this independently for a lot of cutting.  I don't feel comfortable with leaving her with a box cutter (also her 8 yo sister might then get access to it). Also I don't find box cutters to be terribly easy to use when making precise cuts.

I found three:

Klever Cutter (cost is about $3 ea. but I suspect they don't last long. Can't replace the blade.
Skil powered cutter (downside: expensive and a bit more dangerous)
Powered scissors  - (Downside: I think they'd be pretty slow)

[Please see the revised and expanded version of this answer at Parenting Stack Exchange.]

When I was the age to be cutting holes in cardboard boxes for fun, the tool I had was a serrated knife — I think it was sold as a very cheap steak knife. The blade was, basically as dull as a letter opener (and somewhat flexible), but the serrations made it quite effective at cutting cardboard like a saw, either neatly or roughly depending on the force applied. It did have an end pointy enough to require some care, but that was never a problem that I recall.

It also makes a great noise when cutting a large panel, especially the side of a box, as the cardboard vibrates.

I don't have any specific product recommendations as this was a few decades ago.


Is insulating suspended floor void with spray foam effective in reducing noise? I am having my cinder block party wall insulated with stick-on panels. The property is a two story terraced house, and it has been recommended to insulate the void from floorboard to ceiling between joists to a depth of 1m from the wall. An overviewshows the layout of the entire project if you wish to see the context.

The relevant part for this question is the following diagram showing the joists, and in order, images of the joist hanger and baton between joists obtained via an endoscope.

Notes:

The floorboards extend continuously under the internal wall separating Study and Bedroom. It is preferable to insulate without lifting the boards.
The top end of the hanger protrudes above the joist and appears to curl over towards the brick face. This suggests it is embedded in the mortar between rows. The image also shows the bottom edge of the skirting board which seemed to have the same metallic colour as the hanger, so at first it looked like a metal rail.
There is a lot of rubble on the ceiling, making it not clearly visible.  The ceiling appears to be nailed to a baton spanning two joists. A probe with the endoscope did not reveal any other batons in the void between two joists.

The internal wall separating study and bedroom has been built on top of the floorboards making them difficult to lift. The floorboards are sanded, varnished pine, and so I am exploring the idea of filling the void with spray foam.

The recommended density for a mineral wool insulation is 45 - 60 kg/m3. I have found one spray foam product (Icynene) with a density of 35 - 40 kg/m3.

Would this density be effective in reducing noise transmission from wall to joists and ceiling?

I believe that rock-wool would give better results.

That much spray foam is going to be very expensive...and messy, especially if this is a DIY job.


How to cut bluestone slabs I'm installing a dry-laid patio covered with 24" square, 1.5" thick, geo-cut thermal bluestone slabs. These are the cuts I will need to make:

22 slabs will need a straight cut across the entire 24" length
4 slabs will need a straight cut at a 45 degree angle to the square
face (a few inches in length)
1 piece will need an inside corner cut (remove a small rectangle
from one corner)

The slabs will be placed with minimal joints so straight cuts are important.
The cut edge won't be visible so surface polish is not important.

It's a fairly large project (430 SF patio) so I'm open to purchasing or renting equipment if that speeds up the job or gives better results. I own a small angle grinder (4-1/2" blade, 8.5A motor) and a circular saw (7-1/4" blade, 15A non-worm drive motor) and a few basic stone-shaping hand tools.

Have any advice on making these cuts? I'm particularly unsure how to approach an inside corner cut.

I have cut sandstone with both a sidewinder and wormdrive. Use a high tooth count so it won't chip the edges as bad but it will work, also safety glasses / face shield gloves and even long sleeve shirt help protect you, thanks for what blue stone is.


Is it OK to have more than one neutral wire in the same connection on the neutral bus bar on a main panel? I'm installing a new 100 amp panel and have almost run out of openings on the neutral bus bar and still have 4 more breakers to install. Can I double up on the neutral side or should I start using openings on the ground side. The neutral is bonded and this is a main service (not sub panel) I'm a bit of a neat freak with this stuff and would prefer to keep grounds and neutrals separate but not at the cost of safety.

Neutrals must be one to a hole. No exceptions.

NEC 2011:

  408.41 Grounded Conductor
  Terminations Each grounded conductor shall terminate within the panelboard in an individual terminal that is not
  also used for another conductor.

Since this is the main panel there is typically no separate neutral and ground bars, although additional bars that attach directly to the back of the panel box MUST be for grounds only. The metal panel enclosure CANNOT be used to carry current.

As long as both existing bars are connected by a link bar or other path you can use either side for neutrals. Grounds typically can be two and even three conductors to a hole, sized #14 or #12 and sometimes #10, and must be the same size. So if you need to make room you can double up on some grounds.

Neatness is all well and good, but fanaticism at the cost of convenience and logic is silly. Keeping the grounds and neutrals on separate bars in a main panel makes absolutely NO sense at all. IMO it is neater when all the wires don't cross from one side to another.


please help me understanding this wiring From what I understand the black wire on the side is the Live wire. I was thinking that the other black wire would be the Load but I usually see them connected to the other side. The red probably is the traveller (this is not even a three way switch) but if that was the case wouldn't the other black wire be connected to the other wise as well?

Sorry if I am not making much sense. I switched a light switch last week where the bottom black one was a live wire and the top black was the load, was hoping to see the same inside this panel but the different wiring is throwing me off.

You have two black wires that are effectively tied together through the lower screw and the push in connection on the back. It is likely that one is the hot feed to the switch and the other is an unswitched hot connection to some other circuit downstream, such as another switch, or an outlet.

The red wire is probably the switched hot going to the load.

If one of the black wires is hot to another circuit, there should also be white wires in the box connected to each other, probably at least 3 wires. One would come from the main panel, one to the load and one to the other circuit that shares the hot lead on the switch. There also may be more wires in the box unrelated to this circuit.


Does it make sense to install a fan at an A/C register to draw more airflow on a slow branch? My house has always had a problem with airflow to the back bathroom.  The 6" pipe in this image is the feed from the main hallway to the back bathroom.  House designed in 1973.
It seems the only way I can increase airflow to that bathroom would be to put a fan on the register or prior to register to draw the air from the main hallway at a higher rate.  I figure I can add a fan with a relay switch controlled by a thermostat through Home Assistant to kick in when the conditions are such that it would be needed.
Is adding a fan to the register a thing that actually happens as a solution for poor airflow?

You could partially or totally shut the vents in rooms that are the correct temp.
This would force higher air flow into your back bathroom.


What are the downsides of a pressurized room? The door to a bedroom is closed 24/7. Someone told me, "Be careful. It sounds like you are pressurizing the room."

The room is fairly pressurized, I suppose; I can feel air rushing out from underneath the bottom of the door if I stand outside the room and in front of the closed door.

But what is bad about that? I don't understand the practical significance of air pressure.

In a properly configured home, the return air ducting is the exit path for airflow. There's no significant pressure buildup in any room regardless of door position.

In older homes without return ducting, or vents solely in common areas, the return air path is indeed through or around the door. Still, pressure buildup is extremely small unless the door is extraordinarily well sealed.

You should probably ask "someone" what his or her concern actually is. The pressure differential in your situation is miniscule--probably not even enough to pop your ears. The only downside I can come up with is the accumulation of dust bunnies outside your door.


How can I fix a leaking expansion tank? My  expansion  tank  hangs  vertical  from  a  pipe.  It  leaks  from  where  the  tank  connects  to  the  pipe.  I  can  see  some  pipe  dope  where  it  connects.  What  can  I  do?

Remove the tank, re-dope the pipe or wrap it in teflon tape, and reconnect the tank. You'll want to shut the water off first as gregmac aptly suggested; ideally there is a shutoff valve on both sides of the tank, otherwise the water in your house will drain out at low pressure.  If you only have one, you'll want to relieve the downstream pipes of water through the faucet closest to the tank and then be prepared to catch any excess with a bucket(s).


Can I safely power a three-prong electrical device from a light socket? I have a covered lampholder (light socket) outside my house that I want to use to temporarily power a plug-in string of indoor/outdoor lights. Using CFLs, the total wattage of the string of lights will be lower than the rated wattage (100 W) of the lampholder.

The string of lights uses a grounded (three-prong) plug. Is there a way to safely power this using the lampholder?

I can't find any lampholder-to-outlet adapters that give you a grounded outlet. Are there any?
Would it be safe to use a two-prong lampholder-to-outlet adapter with a two- to three-prong grounding adapter? Is there anything I can do to make it safer? Keep in mind that this is outdoors, under small cover.

If you're talking about an E26 lampholder (the medium screw-in base widely used in the US), there are only two electrical contacts: live is at the back of the lampholder and neutral is the screw thread.  While the light fixture itself should be grounded, it's not available via an adapter.

In an outdoor situation, ground protection is even more important than indoors; if your exterior circuit also includes exterior receptacles, it should already be covered by a GFCI.  As I said in an another answer, that breaks the circuit if there's a ground fault, but without a ground connection, any current is going through you to ground, instead of through the ground lead.  So no, it's not safe to use a two-prong to three-prong adapter and leave the ground on your lights disconnected.

I have seen exterior light fixtures with a grounded electrical outlet built into them; if you were able to change the light fixture, that would be the safest way to go.


Going from dual bowl sink to single bowl I am going from an old dual bowl sink, which contained a garbage disposal which I am trashing, to a single bowl sink.

I have a Y pvc splitter glued to the waste line. Is there a way to cap off one of the ends of the splitter?

With the one remaining open port I was planning on purchasing a new p-trap and straight pipe with dishwasher runoff plugin to attach to the new sink.

Am I missing anything in connecting to a new sink? Do I need to have a plumber come and remove the Y-splitter and start with a fresh connection to the waste line?

Thanks,
Mike

I would not call a plumber. I would see if I could get a plug fitting for the slip joint nearest the Y and remove the left hand branch (no cutting or gluing). This frees up space under the sink. EDIT I couldn't find what I was thinking of, but there must be some fittings that would seal the 1 1/2" drain pipe.

You would connect what appears to be the dishwasher drain to a special tailpiece designed for DW connection above the trap on the right side.
DW tailpiece, e.g.,  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-x-8-in-Plastic-Dishwasher-Wye-Tailpiece-C9816/205153966 or get a longer one if needed: Watts long DW tailpiece


What is the lifespan of pvc cement? My house is 32 years old, due to other reasons I have my bathroom floor removed.
Looking down at the PVC pipe that is used for the tub, sink and toilet got me wondering.

What is the lifespan of PVC glue when used to connect two joints?
Would hot and/or cold water flowing through the pipe cause the lifespan to shorten?

When installed properly, the life should be indefinite. The hot/cold should have little effect, unless those temperatures are extreme.


Hot water to bathroom sink slows to a trickle after shutting off valve for a moment Here's the setup:  Bathroom sink faucet with two handles.  All working great to start.
I had to shut off the hot water valve for a moment.  I did that.  When I turned it back on, the hot water came back on, but at about 50% of the previous flow.  That's weird.  Not sure what happened, and thought maybe the valve closure kicked loose something that got caught in the aerator.  But cold water pressure was perfect going through the same aerator.  (Checked the aerator anyway, and it was fine.)
Then I thought maybe the way I had turned the hot water back on had messed something up - maybe with the way the hot and cold joined together.  So I tried turning the hot valve off/on with the hot water faucet opened up full.  Now hot water is barely present: a trickle -- maybe 5% of original flow.  Tried going off/on with the cold water flow opened up full.  Same result.  Cold water is 100%. Hot water is 5%.
Where should I look next?  The hot water heater is fine (flow to all other sinks and showers is fine).  It's definitely at the faucet level.
Air in the line? (I don't know how to figure that out or what to do).
The cartridge inside the hot water handle? And what would I do there?  I've seen references to backflushing the faucet, but I'm not sure how to do that.  But I'm game to learn.
Thanks in advance for the help.

It sounds like some debris from the shutoff valve ended up in the faucet cartridge or the airator. The flow starting strong and quickly could even be a chunk of the shutoff valve seat that has crumbled getting stuck so the flow starts out good then the chunk blocks the flow to a trickle, disassemble and possibly flow water into a bucket will probably flush the debris out of the system.


Can teflon tape be used on a threaded joint behind a wall? I'm remodeling my bathroom. Last night I took the cement board off the wall where the pipes run for the shower. One of the pipes that carries water to the shower was corroded. Upon further inspection, I noticed a small leak at a threaded joint (more or less where the hot water knob is). Can I simply take the joint apart, wrap teflon tape around it, and put it back together? Remember, when I get the bathroom rebuilt, this will be behind the tile shower, so I do not want to have to get back there again. How long should the teflon tape last?

Would you advise doing the cold water side too? I figure it is only a matter of time before that is leaking too. Might as well get it now, right?

I would examine why the pipe was corroded. Was it a galvanic failure caused by joining copper/brass to galvanized steel?

Remove the fitting entirely and inspect/clean the threading. If the threading is damaged then replace the valve... In fact, you could replace the valves anyway if they're old and you've got the wall off. Many modern valves have replaceable cartridges that can be swapped when they wear out rather than having to replace the entire valve.

But onto your actual question: Teflon tape will be fine if used properly (wrapped in the right direction, not torn, etc). You may consider using high-density tape.
For in-wall pipes I like to use pipe dope instead. Depending on the nature of the joint (and especially if it's between plastic and metal or two dissimilar but non-reactive! metals) you can use both:
Tape first, then put dope on top of the tape. For fittings, both plastic and brass can change shape easily....the threading/tightening can change the shape so the tape fills voids in the threads and the dope seals it.


Vapor barrier on heated entertainment shed i am building an 8x10 entertainment shed with a loft for kids to hang out and have sleepovers in, i will be heating it. I have tyvek and t1-11 it is on 4x4 skids on top of the Concrete patio and has 3/4 plywood flr & sliding glass door,What do i use for vapor barrier and where and for insulation?

The insulation goes in the stud bays between the studs. There are several options for insulation some of which are fiberglass bats, spray foam or solid foam  sheets.
Once the stud bays have been insulated then you cover the entire wall with a sturdy visqueen or plastic. 4mill will suffice, but 6mill can be used.
I like to staple the visqueen around the perimeter and leave enough so that it wraps around to the adjoining wall and ceiling and then staple and caulk that wall or the ceiling’s plastic on top of that.
For added Insurance  you could run a bead of caulk all the way around the perimeter of the wall before you staple the plastic on but you do not need the caulking on each stud.
If you puncture the plastic anywhere make sure you repair it with a suitable plastic tape.
Do a search on YouTube for how to install vapor barrier in new construction and you will Have much information at your disposal.
Caveat: Not all information found on YouTube is correct so be sure to watch several videos,  And research in other places.


How to find tinted covers for ceiling light fixture I have a light on my ceiling, rather than being a socket with a bulb it is a ring of small LEDs with a plastic diffusing cover over top. I would love to play with the lighting, making it warner, or possibly deep blue, but I am not sure where to start - I'm wondering whether this is a generic light cover that I can replace with a tinted one or if such things are not standardized.
(https://i.stack.imgur.com/iVqdV.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/klmgL6c.jpg)

You could try to change the color character of the LED light a small amount using an alternate diffuser cover or by adding color filter sheets as mentioned in comments by @jsotola but I would comment that the results are not going to be optimum. Color filters work by allowing only certain ranges of wavelengths of light to pass through while others are rejected or attenuated by a large amount. With an LED light source, which are not broad spectrum devices, the resultant light level through the filter will likely not be particularly useful as a light source.

My suggestion would be to consider changing the character of that LED light fixture by adding additional color selected light to either the fixture or the room by installing an RGB LED light strip. These strips can be controlled to emit a huge selection of different colors that would increase the net light output into the room instead of reducing it.

You would have to install a separate power source and wiring for the RGB LED strip and it's color controller. If you try to do something inside the existing fixture you may have issues with safety where added low voltage circuitry is installed next to AC mains voltages so do consider the options very carefully before starting to experiment with these ideas.


What is the principle behind "circuit total limitation" (CTL) for electrical panels? Contemporary electrical panels/loadcenters limit the number of tandem circuit breakers that can be used. Is this because areas of the underlying panel bus bars can overheat despite all of the individual breakers (including the main) operating below their rated trip current? Or is it because of the risk of a neutral slot being used by more than one circuit? Both? Something else?

It is to limit the total number of circuits, and so the total load on the bus etc.  It doesn't have anything to do with the neutrals.


Cracked porcelain shower repair I live in Greece and have a very traditional house.I can't yet find a replacement porcelain shower tray the same dimensions. The original is cracked in several places but not leaking. I was thinking of covering it with a glue, a foundation and tiles or painting it with something that might stick??? Any ideas until I find a new one?
Porcelain on concrete maybe Anyhow, very thick and heavy dimensions: 70cm wide x 65 deep x inside height 12 and outside 18.

Thanks for your input. No it doesn't leak "yet". I've tried the repair kit which I had to get posted here indirectly as there are restrictions on liquids sent through the post to Greece. It chipped off again and doesn't work on hairline cracks. I do airbnb renting, so not so nice for guests to see it bodged up. I would like to find another but it's about 25 years old, so a bit vintage. I've just made a wooden palette to stand on (suggestion of a friend), so hope guests don't peak underneath.


Hard piped connection to water heater with anode rod on outlet I have a water heater installed 4 years ago that I want to change the anode rod on.  This water heater has the anode rod combined with the outlet nipple.  I went to change it but it is hard piped to the water supply, preventing me from easily removing the anode rod.  Picture below if it does any good.

What is my best route forward?  I would like to plan on changing the anode rod every few years so this isn't a one time thing.  I guess I could get a CPVC to brass MIP adapter:

and then a flex line.  I hear that flex lines are prone to random leaks and sometimes not allowed to code.

Are there any other routes other than cutting the CPVC every few years and redoing the connection?

I can't imagine a code that would prohibit flexible water lines, but all building codes are up to the local jurisdiction so it is possible.  In earthquake country on the west coast, flexible water lines are required in some places and optional but recommended in others.

Looking at, for example, Daly City water heater requirements (http://www.dalycity.org/Page192.aspx) say flex lines are recommended but not mandatory.  In either case, "A union or flared connection is required on hot and cold water lines to facilitate removal of the appliance (CPC 609.5)".   Flex lines give you the flare connection.

There are two common types of flexible lines for water heaters: copper and rubber+steel.  It could be that in your jurisdiction, one type is allowed but the other is prohibited.

A union is a pipe joint with matching threads, made specifically for allowing disconnection of a hard connection.  Whoever installed yours without a union didn't know what they were doing.  You can easily add a PVC union to the existing setup if you want to avoid adding a flex line for any reason.

But personally, I would install the copper flex lines on both hot and cold, until a local inspector told me specifically it was not allowed.

And while you're at it, if this is a gas heater, make sure it is 18 inches off the floor too.  :-)


Is there a method to transpose specific pilot holes? Bathroom drywall with wood beam behind it.

In a very specific location, created 2 pilot holes (through the drywall into the beam).

Want to attach a wood plank, exactly into those 2 pilot holes.

When the wood is held over the 2 pilot holes...I don't know where those two holes are....but I want to drill the plank specifically into those holes.

Any input on this method?:

Drill pilot holes.
Place small amount of ink/paint around the whole.
Place the wood plank on the wall where it needs to be attached.
Remove plank and drill holes where the ink is (on the back of plank).
Place plank back on wall, align holes, fasten with wood screws.

Any other methods?

cut the head off of two bolts or nails that fit snugly into the holes, and extend out from the drywall some amount - may 1/4".  Line up the board over these pegs, and hit the surface of the board with a mallet over each peg.  This will make an indent on the back surface that you can drill.  Be careful that your first hit doesn't mess up your alignment for the second one.


Shower drain location I'm planning to remove a bathtub and replace it with a shower.  I'm planning to create the shower base myself, rather than buy a pre-made pan.  However, I won't be able to move the drain, since I'm on a slab.  So the new shower base will be the same dimensions as the tub, with the drain in the same location.  Is there any problem with setting up the shower this way?  If I put the shower drain on the end rather than in the middle, will it lead to any issues that I'm not expecting?

As long as you have sufficient slope to the drain you are okay.  Typically 1/4" per foot.


Identify this old E27 5W 230V short lightbulb I've recently discovered (under a ceiling that I took off) and old wall-mounted lamp. It has a curious lightbulb which I failed to identify so far. The lightbulb works right now (gives a beautiful "retro" glow), but should it ever die, I'd like to know if there's an option for a replacement. The issue is that the bulb is very short - around 15 mm - to fit the small housing of the lamp.
The lightbulb is 5W, has an E27 thread. Location is Netherlands (230 V).
I would appreciate help with identifying this lightbulb - or information on similar bulb types that would fit the housing - so that I can search for replacement options.

The nearest I can find in size and wattage is a Bulbrite Industries, Inc. E26/E27 7.5 watt "25G12/CL-220" at this website:
https://bulbman.com/globe/3391-25g12-cl-220.html (I don't know anything about bulbman.com)
It looks like a 220v decorative bulb. I have not been able to find a direct replacement.
Based upon the filament supports, it looks like a very long-lasting bulb design. If the bulb is rated for 230v and is being used in a 220v environment, it will last roughly twice as long as its rating.
If the color doesn't matter, you could use a 7.5 watt S11 sign light bulb with an E26 base. Unknown availability in EU.
Or you could go with any number of LED replacements.
This was a challenge to find a relatively close match in the US.


My deck dies in a funny pattern -- does that mean this board is upside-down? My deck looks like this after it rains.

One board and parts of others are damp for a long time after everything else has dried.  What could cause this and is it hard to fix?

My only guess is that the board is upside down relative to the others.

It looks like that board may be right under the edge of your roof. Do you have gutters installed? It could be that whenever it rains that board is constantly saturated by roof runoff.


Draining sediment out of my hot water heater Trying to improve the odor of our well water, I’ve installed a whole house filter and a UV sterilizer (adding it to an existing water softener).  Now, the cold water (still with a lot of iron) smells OK, but the hot water actually stinks a bit worse.

I want to shock my water system with bleach, following instructions I’ve found here, and I’m told I should drain sediment out of the hot water heater first.  So, I did, and the 1st five seconds’ flow was an opaque brown.  But then the water suddenly turned quite clear, and stayed that way for a couple of minutes.  I closed the drain, and a few minutes later, reopened it: the water quickly turned a light cloudy brown, and an hour later (after several opening and closing of the drain) the water remains cloudy.  (The hot water from the taps is clear.)

So, what should I do?  Keep draining until it runs clear again?  Leave it for a day, and try again?

One common fix for smelly hot water heated in a conventional tank style water heater is to replace the magnesium type anode rod with an aluminum or zinc made rod.  For some reason the magnesium rod coming into contact with certain water chemistry results in a less than pleasant odor. As to the water quality in your flushing the tank, you are over-thinking it.  Put it back into service. That is not your problem. Areas with severe iron content problems often have to consult with and get help from a professional water quality expert.  It can take very special chemistry to deal with problem chemistry. Good Luck. P.


Electrical Connection AprilAire 600M Bypass Humidifier I have a 2-stage furnace and I want to connect the 24VAC from the humidifier to the thermostat connections on the control board.  Since the control board has W1 and W2 connectors, which one should I use in conjunction with the C so the humidifier operates when the blower runs?

W1 should work

If you want the humidifier running whenever the heat's running, then using the W1 and C terminals on the thermostat connection should indeed work.

...but, I'd make sure there's a humidistat on this

However, I would make sure there's a humidistat controlling the humidifier (it can simply be in series between W1 and the humidifier, provided it's an open-on-rise/close-on-fall type) as well, as too much humidity is a rather effective way to slow-kill a house.


Not finished walls in electrical room The electrical room in the basement of the condo building I live (3 floors + basement, top floor has a mezzanine, 8 units total, in Montreal, Canada) has walls not finished. See photos.

There are gaps in the corners that weren't finished, so basically free air flows into the walls. I wonder if this has a function, or it was just laziness from the builder to save time.

Are these openings something that we can fill with silicone and be done with? Any recommendations on how to proceed?

More information:

My concern with these gaps is that due chimney effect the air flows to my unit (top floor). I have to keep on top of other units so they periodically fill the P traps that dry (especially the emergency one, next to the hot water tank, that one is never used). BTW: I do not discard that there is a crack in the vent system, but again, the smell goes up, from within the walls. I already got two different companies checking for mold, and a plumber who wants to do a smoke test, but the condo association just doesn't smell anything (according to them). So I am left with no options.

I'd like to minimize the flow of air.

Yes, the gaps are a “Fire Code” issue, ( in the U.S., anyway...I don’t know about Canada, but I suspect it’s similar.)

You indicate your building is 3 stories plus a basement. In the U.S., this requires “Fire Resistant” construction, unless there are automatic fire sprinklers throughout the building.

What this means is that gypsum board must be on each side of each wall to protect the structural framework of the building. They call this a “1-hour Fire rating”. Without this gypsum board covering the building is “non-rated construction” and the building is limited to 2 stories.

Gaps in the gypsum board covering is of utmost concern in the electrical room where a fire is of extreme importance.

I would notify my HOA or building management services of this concern. If they do not take action, I’d notify your local Building Official of your concern.

I doubt the gaps are creating a smell into your unit. There may be a broken sewerline in the wall that allows a smell to seep into your unit. If you cal “rattle” pipes, that would be an indication that pipes are loose, broken, etc.

Another option to your smell situation could be that a vent below you is tied into your sewerline allowing the smell to seep into your unit through the plumbing vents. You’ll need access to the lower units and a smart plumber to figure that one out.


Need advice to prevent runoff water from going into neighbor's yard I'm looking for some advice on what I can do to prevent runoff water from going into my neighbor's yard. I am an auto detailer so I am constantly washing cars in my driveway. The neighbor also parks his truck and RV camper in the dirt section of the yard. Here is a picture so you can see what I am talking about. :-)

..Your driveway would be the cracked concrete slab to the left, I assume?

If the picture is not misleading, there appears to be some slope towards the street. If so, rent a concrete saw or buy a concrete blade for a saw you own (but unless you own a water-cooled saw, a rental saw that is water-cooled will generally do a better job, faster) and cut a bunch of grooves 1/2" (or so) deep leading to the curb/gutter at streetside.

That may be all you need to do, or you may need to make some sort of raised edging at the right side of the driveway. That would probably best suit the area if formed from concrete, but something like a rubber glue-down garage door bottom seal (the type that's stuck to the floor, not the type that's stuck to the door) might be quicker and cheaper, until it dies in the sun and needs to be replaced.


Extension cord reel - (Red) Reset button not staying down I have the below cord reel, rated 1000watt rolled and 3500watt extended. It was working great until someone used it to power a welder. The person told me that it stopped working a few times and he would reset the button.

Now the red button stays up, it will not click and stay down. It clicks and goes up right away. Tried it even without being plugged in, the same. I unscrewed it and everything looks new inside, no sign of anything burned or whatever. The cord also looks good, but since it does it even unplugged it may be something else.

Any ideas? Thanks.

The red button is part of what is called a thermal circuit breaker. They open circuit when there is a current overload and pushing the red button is designed reset the breaker back to the closed condition. They are used in gear like this because they are low cost. But along with that they have a limited life time and limited number of trip cycles before they fail.

You could check as to where that cord reel was manufactured and if it has a legitimate safety agency listing. There are many products manufactured in certain countries where the quality of components is really low and fake safety agency marks are applied to the product labels. If your reel is one of that type it probably failed due to a crappy thermal breaker.

Even if the thermal breaker is a better quality unit it may simply have been severely over stressed by the user trying to run a welder on an extension cord like that. There was probably no attention paid to the ratings of the cord and the power requirements for the welder.

It may be possible to replace that thermal breaker if it is a standard component. If it is a custom or unknown component then your fixup job could be a bit more complicated. There are panel mount type thermal breakers that you may want to research to see if you can find something that would work as a replacement. But do be aware that as soon as you start to repair a low cost device like this, if the device does indeed have legitimate safety mark, that you would have to use exact replacement parts to maintain the certified safety rating for the device. Using cheap replacement parts may very well not be safe at all, especially if they are junk from certain countries.


How can I remove skunk smell from house? I apologize in advance if this is off-topic but I'm in need of some help and not sure who to ask.  Our dog got blasted by a skunk and went inside the house.  We've got the dog under control but the house still smells awful (I think some of the oil dripped on the floor).

Are there preferred/recommended techniques for getting rid of the smell in the house?  Thankfully we have laminate floors instead of carpet but I'm concerned about the smell seeping into the walls and furniture.  Do I need to get industrial degreasers? I've heard that a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish detergent might help.

I have used that mixture with good success.  Make sure to wipe down everything that the dog might have come in contact with, and I mean everything. Floors, walls, trim, doors, etc. You might need to repeat the procedure a few days later.

The skunk odor tends to linger quite a bit and you will find that it gradually reduces in intensity over time but is still evident.  Anytime your dog gets wet you smell it, likely for months!

If it is really bad and does not go away you might opt to bring in a professional cleaning company who will have stronger chemicals to deal with it.


What options do I have to rotate a horizontal 2-gang switch box? I'm working on replacing the light switches in my house, but I've got one box that I'm not sure what to do with. It's a two gang box with double switches in each slot (4 switches total). It looks like the box was installed horizontally instead of vertically (screws on the sides instead of the top and bottom). This allowed for all 4 switches to be vertical instead of horizontal as double switches normally are.

However, I'm planning to replace the 2 double switches with 1 single switch and 1 double switch as one of the switches can be eliminated, but I really don't want the single switch to run horizontally.

Are there any gadgets or tools that would allow for easy rotation of the switch box? It's conduit so I don't think physically moving the box is going to be easy.

Here's what it looks like now vs what I'd like to put in:

Your plan ain't gonna happen.  There's no way to do that.   I realize from your perspective it seems obvious that somebody ought to make "kit" for that, but they don't. Nobody installs junction boxes sideways like that.

Since you won't turn the box, you are married to this sideways arrangement.   That's OK, it may still work out.

Your particular line of switches, there, is called Despard which is largely obsolete.  The problem with Despard is they use bizarre and largely unobtanium switch plate covers.  And part of the problem with their covers is they don't have a good answer when you use fewer than all three voids, or all six in your case.  For instance I have a 2-gang switch plate with 3 switch positions populated (out of 6). They improvised the cover plate by wrapping a 6-hole cover plate with wallpaper.  You don't have much other choice, you can't leave empty holes for curious fingers to explore!

However, the market has plenty of dual switches which use either the common "dual oval receptacle" cover, or the "Decora style" rectangular cover.  They even have a few triple switches in Decora, in case you want to just have switches 1-2-3 in the first rank, and nothing in the second.  That may be the option for you.

Note that all double/triple switches on the market have the throw going sideways.  That means in your sideways box, the throw would be up and down.  Which would validate the designer's original vision after all.

You realize, of course, that a single switch throws nominally "up and down", so in your application would result in a sideways single.


Semi-finished basement, water-resistant "baseboards"? I'm planning on applying foam-panel insulation over my basement's concrete wall. I'm told a fire barrier is required over that, either plasterboard or decently-thick plywood.

I've been considering making the bottom few inches a separate piece, so it can easily be replaced if we get a Water Event. Simpler than having to cut it free and might reduce wicking upward.

My question is, is there something else I could consider using as this "baseboard" which would have the needed fire rating and be likely to pass inspection but be inherently waterproof? Obvious thought would be to build up a few inches of of brick or concrete inner wall... but I'm sure someone out there has a better answer.

Or should I just put in french drains and trust the sump pump?

I'd consider fiber cement trim board.  Almost all of it is Class 1 (A) fire rated, it's easy to find at the big box stores in a variety of dimensions, and it will most likely pass for baseboard if it's thicker than the "plasterboard or decently-thick plywood".


How do I fix a broken nipple under my sprinkler head? I removed a broken sprinkler from my front yard.  Apparently, whoever installed (previous owner) it did not thread it properly; the threaded nipple snapped off. What do I need to do?  How do I replace the nipple?  I see a white nut.  Do I need to remove that and get a new nipple, or is it more involved?

A picture would make it easier to help, but I would guess the white "nut" you see is probably the PVC female adapter that is glued to the pipe.

If you can do it, the fastest fix is to unthread the nipple from inside the hub, then just replace it with a new nipple.

If you can't do that, you'll have to cut the adapter off, and then glue a new one on (PVC glue is permanent -- once it sets, it's never coming apart). If there is enough room you can just glue a new adapter on, and then get a slightly longer nipple to keep the sprinkler head at the same height.

If there's not enough room, you may need to dig it up some more, cut the elbow or T below off, and replace everything.


What type of sealant to use on skylight to seal glass and frame I have a leaky skylight, I actually think that the leaks are coming from the seal between the glass and the frame rather than around the flashing or anything like that. What is the best calking / sealant to use, obviously it has to be something that is UV / Weather resistant, preferably clear, able to flex in hot and cold. Any suggestions?

Just don't use silicone sealant as you cannot paint it, leaving the window doomed to future failure.

I use paintable caulks which are advertised for use in marine type environments (read boats etc.), on the principle that if it's good enough for a boat, then it should be great for a window etc. as they face a similar weather lashing.

It's pointless mentioning brands as they vary country to country but just make sure what you choose is paintable and very expensive! Cheap stuff usually has hopeless durability, whereas the big brands make stuff which lasts decades.

Most of my customers are regulars and I'm old enough to see some of the work I did 25 years ago plus, and some of those old sealants are still going strong.

Incidentally, what is the original sealing system used frame-to-glass? (rubber seal, putty strip, etc.).


unistrut channel on wood post I am mounting my meter/distribution panel & RV panel on a 6x6 post (opposite sides). I was thinking about mounting Unistrut channel to the post for better support across the back of my main panel and to allow me to shift it to one side so i can line up my back knockout with the back knockout on my RV panel which will be mounted on the other side of the post.
Now I know I can just bolt the panel directly to the post and just off set it to one side to achieve the same result, but I thought the channel would also provide more support and the little screws coming out the back of the panel would not be digging into the wood. Am I over thinking this?

If you use strut get the 1/4-20 strut nuts and they will hold the panel to the strut with no problems, make sure to lag the strut in place. I use strut regularly for mounting when the box(s) or disconnect(s) need spacing or proper support.
Make sure to debur the edges if you cut it or you can end up getting a nasty cut putting the nuts in the channel.


2 layers of plastic film window insulation? I am insulating a single-pane window with plastic film (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2GW?keywords=plastic film insulation&qid=1453679450).

This window can't be opened, so I will keep the plastic even in summertime. This also implies that there are no drafts through this window.

Is it worth to add more layers, separated by ~1 inch? Is it worth the money? Is it worth the effort?

My guess is yes (slightly). This may create a barrier of still air that will get a bit warmer by the sunlight (although it is not facing south). More convincing arguments?

There are, as always, tradeoffs. First, 1 inch is more than is generally considered ideal - 1/2" or so is preferred as it's less prone to internal convection currents. Yes, plastic window film kits are often installed with considerably larger spacing, but they are also commonly installed on less than ideal windows where they stop actual drafts...

Any multi-pane system comes with a very basic tradeoff - more panes, less light. Neither glass nor plastic lets all light through, and multiple panes/layers have a multiplicative impact on the light transmission - if a single pane lets through 90 % of the light, two let through only 81% and 3 let through only 73%...

The additional layers do provide improved insulation value over a single pane, though even a triple-pane system is still a poorly insulated area compared to the rest of the wall (if the rest of the wall is properly insulated, anyway.)

I suspect hard data on the effectiveness of plastic film layers would be difficult to source (though I could be wrong, I don't feel like looking for it right now based on that suspicion) but you'd probably see far more difference from REPLACING the old single pane window with a modern, low-E double-pane unit than from covering it with 2 additional layers of plastic film - but the cost would also be higher.


Do I need a vapor control membrane inside the roof if I have a breathable underlay outside? I am a DIY'er working on a cottage in a remote part of the UK.
I don't really have access to a professional roofer so I've just been having a go at it myself with some labourers.
So we have constructed a pitched roof and it is stopping any bad weather getting in.
The construction of the roof is:

Concrete roof tiles
Klober Permo Forte underlay
Sarking timber

Picture for reference:

Now I am about to do the insulation and framing inside the roof, do I need to put a vapor control layer inside the rafters?
If I need a vapor control layer, does it get stapled to the sarking or does it sit under the gyproc (dry sheet)?
The trusses are 250mm depth (2'x10') and I will be putting a gyproc sheet with 150mm PIR boards, making it a cold roof.
Picture for reference
(note the roof rests on 800mm thick stone walls)

Vapor barrier against the inside of the building envelope is to prevent interior moisture, caused by normal human activity, from condensing at the dew point. That usually occurs somewhere in the insulation layer and can result in very wet conditions or frost buildup.
So yes, you still want a vapor barrier inside the insulation. What you put on your roof is largely irrelevant.


How to fix my leaking toilet tanks? Both of my toilets starting having the same leak at the same time and I can't figure out where it is coming from or how to fix it.
The water is coming out from the tank where it meets the bowl and is slowly dripping out the bolt holes. I replaced the bolts and rubber washers that hold the tank to the bowl but the problem continued.

For what it's worth, my furnace went out this winter and the house was 45 or 50 degrees for a week or so and that is about the time when the leak started.

This might sound strange but sometimes people inadvertently lean against the tank while sitting on the toilet seat.   This can put pressure on the large gasket that is meant to seal the tank to the toilet.  Even a new gasket can be compressed on the back side near the wall of the ring gasket which could cause leaks on the front side of the gasket. In the beginning of this happening, the leak may stop once a person stands up but eventually the rubber gasket can deteriorate and lose its sealing ability. A possible  fix is to avoid leaning back against the tank. Depending on the gasket, it might have to be replaced if it has been damaged from compression. Another preventative solution is to put a proper size board or  other solid material that fits the space between the top, back side of the tank just below the lid and attach it to the wall so that if someone leans back, the block of wood can help prevent tank from leaning. Nash Stephens


How to repair holes in concrete driveway? I have a concrete driveway that is chipping.  Is there any good options to fill these chipped areas?

Check out Sackrete Top'n Bond - a patching cement with latex additive.  It's great for patching concrete, adheres well and is quite strong.  It's easy to apply and is intended for this use.  Just check color first.


How should I fill in a trench left by replacement of a sewer pipe? I recently had my main sewer pipe that runs underground to the main pipe replaced, and I left it open for a few days to check everything is okay, and it seems to be. This is just a small run of pipe, about 2 meters in my back garden from our house to the main shared pipe.

What is the best way to fill the trench back in (I got rid of the original soil dug up as it was contaminated with faeces)?

I have done a few google searches, but found nothing conclusive. Is pea gravel (10mm) good for a base layer to just cover the pipe? After that should I use soil/ sand? Do I have to press it all down?

I am in the UK.

You don't say where you are located, but in the UK, to comply with Building Regulations, it would be typical to both bed the pipe on and backfill immediately around it with pea gravel or single-size stone.

Above that, it would depend what is on top of the trench as to how you'd backfill the rest of the trench.

Under a road, you'd likely use MOT type 1 stone, which is generally specified as being compacted in 150mm layers.

Under a grassed area, you could simply backfill with soil. You don't need to compact it, but be aware that it will settle over time. One way to counter this is to over-fill the trench, so it will (hopefully) settle to finish level with the surrounding area.

(Further assuming you are in the UK, if the work is subject to Building Regulations, the local authority Building Inspector will want to inspect and pass the drain before it is covered up).


How can I stop this drain pipe from backing up? In my basement laundry room is (to my knowledge) the only drain pipe in the whole basement, which hooks into the end of the main line as it exits the house and heads to the septic tank. When we moved in a year ago the drain was loosely plugged by an expanding ring cap. Never having owned a house before I didn't think much of it, but soon enough I learned what it was and why it was there, when a liter or so of black sludge backed up and forced the cap off and nearly ruined the carpet outside the room. Needless to say the smell was horrid. We cleaned it up as best we could and I snaked it five times (and two more from a toilet downstream [installed right onto the main drain line]), but nothing was draining, so we called a plumber.

The plumber took a much larger snake to it and eventually got it flowing again (after ripping out the toilet and snaking it from both directions) but couldn't identify the source of the clog. Meanwhile all the material that was coming up looked like mostly-decomposed food (though nothing we actually eat strangely enough) mixed with the sludge. We also noticed that running any water in the house except the aforementioned toilet caused the sludge level to rise in the drain.

Now the kicker - despite flushing the drain out with buckets of water every few days, a year later it has happened again. We took the same actions to clear it up, but still have no idea what the source is or how to fix it.

The drain itself smells awful, and has since day one (they had it masked with an air freshener when we moved in) so I'm sure it's an ongoing problem, but I'm clueless how to fix it without literally ripping up the basement to replace the pipe.

Can anyone offer advice on how to solve this issue or at least theorize on what the cause is?

The plumber you had out kind of left you hanging.  He should have put a camera down there to give you more details on what is going on.

Basically your septic tank is backing up or you have an issue with the main line.  It could be slight collapsed or pinched or have roots growing in it or whatever.

So your first step is to have someone come out with a camera to tell you what the issue is.  For something ongoing though like this I am guessing you have a pretty big job so brace for the worst.  From your symptoms I am going to guess you have an old clay main line that is broken/collapsed.  To replace this it involved a lot of jackhammering, digging and moving concrete.


Which foundation type for conservatory? I live in a new property where due to the underlying characteristics of the land, piling was required for the foundations.
Due to the additional cost, I'd like to explore what options for extension or conservatory I might have that do not require additional piling.
Does anyone know if there are regs relating to size, load or construction that might determine whether I have to pile or not?
Thanks

The Code says the foundation need to be “adequate” for all loads.
Most people think of vertical loads, but there are horizontal loads, freeze/thaw loads, etc.
I too live where the ground is mush. Usually we install piling, caissons, etc. However, in certain situations we install a “floating slab”.
This system is a structural slab (with reinforcing steel) with edges that turn down about 12” at the edges. (We don’t have a frost freeze/thaw issue here. If you do, you may want to extend it somewhat.) We install about double the amount of reinforcing steel than we use in stem walls.
We use this system for small, simple, fairly symmetrical buildings...which sounds like your project.
You’ll have one additional issue of where it connects into your existing house. Because your house is on piling, it will not move (settle) over time. Therefore, I’d recommend the structure be a few feet from your existing house where you can plan for a few inches of settlement. The connection space between the two structures can fasten (rest on) on both structures and flex when the conservatory settles slightly.
In fact, installing augured piling, hammered piling, etc. next to your home may cause significant damage (cracking plaster, cracking windows, etc.)
Any plumbing or electrical supply lines should have blockouts through the slab so it’s flexible.
Because of all that glass in your conservatory and you don’t want any differential settlement in the walls, I’d recommend you design the perimeter foundation as a concrete beam. You’ll probably need an architect or structural engineer (not a civil engineer) to help you.


Could Velcro be use to install secondary glazing rather than magnets? Does anyone know why secondary glazing (ie perspex sheets fitted inside the window) are typically connected to the windows with magnetic strips?   I'm wondering if anyone has used velcro strips instead, and what the downsides are?

The magnetic strips will, imho, separate easier compared to velcro, so subsequent removal for cleaning etc is easier.

Once you get magnets sufficiently far apart, then the force becomes much lower.


What's the name for a bar connecting two parts for reinforcement? This shelf bracket has an oblique bar connecting the two arms, to make it stronger. That bar makes it a 'Heavy duty shelf bracket'. Does that bar have a name? Like 'reinforcing bar' for example.

I checked the definition of 'crossbar' and it doesn't fit into it because it's not a horizontal bar.

Another term for this sort of feature is gusset.

Often enough, a gusset is a flat plate engaging both parts at one edge, but it appears that when used with "shelf" the brace reference is translated to gusset. Both terms appear to work well.

The image above shows double braces held in place by gussets, although if there were no gussets, the term apparently still applies. Brace is better terminology, though.


Does it make sense for a freezer to work , but the refrigerator to not work? We have a relatively new fridge (~2 years).  Its got the double door over/under freezer, but the door has a weird way that it closes in that it can get stuck open very easily.  The fridge was left open most of the day by out of town house guests.  Its been closed most of the evening, but it still doesn't seem to be cooling off.  Going to give it overnight and see how it goes.

The freezer is still cold, though.  So my question is, at least as an initial troubleshooting step, does it make sense for the fridge portion to not be cooling, but the freezer still freeze?

An alternative is that the freezer ran for so long that the air vent from the freezer to the fridge has frozen over with ice, so no cold air can get from the freezer to the fridge.

Ironically, you need to warm up the freezer for the ice to melt.


Stop water pooling on a shower pocket shelf? I have just moved into a new place and the walk in shower has a great, but flat, pocket shelf cut into the back wall. However the water pools after every shower which requires me to pick up all the bottles and wipe it down. Very annoying. What would be the best way to stop this? Can you put in a gradient to the base of it easily? Any ideas would be very gratefully received!

Short of taking the shelf up (which might not be possible depending on the relationship of the shelf to the wall stone, and will probably be difficult in any case) you are going to need to cut channels into the surface, as it has been (improperly, by my lights) installed flat, rather than properly sloped to drain.

If you can get the shelf out intact (or not intact, and you get a replacement) you can shape the mortar bed to let the shelf self-drain without surface cuts.

Fortunately marble is pretty easy to cut channels into, as stone or tile goes. Granite or porcelain tile would be a lot more difficult to modify in this way. Make sure that the channels are angled to drain (deep on the shower side, shallow towards the rear.)


How should I fix a sagging door? Here’s a picture of the door. Notice that you can see light on the handle side...right-bottom side.

This is because the top hinge on the left is attached to a piece of wood and that wood is separating a bit from the door frame.
Top hinge (notice the vertical crack in the wood close to left side of the hinge)

Middle hinge

Bottom hinge - Notice the black gap gets narrower as you go down from the top hinge to the bottom hinge.

If I hold the handle and lift vertically, the door is easier to close and it doesn’t rub as much against the frame.
Can I just take the screws off and put in a really long screws?
I can potentially bend the top hinge, but I feel like that will only be temporary because of the hinge is separating from the wood (the crack next to the top hinge)
UPDATE
I took out a screw from the hinge and it was only 1" long. So, I took a few 3" screws, drove two of them into the top hinge and one in the middle hinge and the door now closes without any binding at all.

It's quite likely that 3-4" screws will grab hold of the framing behind that top hinge and pull it tight, completely fixing the issue.
It's possible that you may need to loosen the screws in the middle hinge, tighten down the top hinge, then tighten the middle hinge screws.
Also, be on the look out for any nails or screws that hold the casing against the framing. Usually, when a door is installed, the opening is 1/2 - 1" wider than the door casing so there's plenty of room to get the frame nice and square in the opening. This extra space is filled with shims to hold it in alignment, then it's nailed or screwed through the shims to hold it steady. It's these screws/nails that I'm referring to. They may have been covered with wood putty before the frame was painted, so they may not be very obvious.
If it was nailed into place, the nails may be slowly slipping out of place, but the heads are remaining buried under the putty. As you pull the frame back straight, it may actually pop the nail through. This will be obvious, and you only need to hammer it back in, then use a nail-set to get it below flush. Some putty & touch-up paint and you're done.
If it was screwed into place, the screw could cause the casing to bow as the threads hold the casing in place while your new, longer screws pull the hinge back in line. Use a long straight edge to detect this. The high spot will likely be a screw location & a magnet should confirm it. You may have to scrape some paint & putty away, loosen these screws, tighten the ones in the hinges then drive these back home.
Finally, do not try to bend the hinge. It won't fix this problem and it will create new ones.


Where is the C wire terminal on my boiler I am trying to connect the T5+ smart thermostat to my oil based furnace. I see there are only two used wires at the thermostat  R And W but 3 additional cores available. My boiler is a old Weil McLain AB/468. Can you help where I can find the C wire terminal on this furnace/boiler so I can complete the install for the thermostat. I would be very grateful. I’ve added couple of pictures that I how will help

Welcome Harj!

Looks like your boiler is steam. If it has all of the original equipment, it doesn't have a C connector. Even with new equipment, it probably doesn't have one. If it does, it will be right near where the thermostat wires connect to the boiler. You'll either need to get a plug-in transformer to get power from or you might be able to tap into a 24v transformer at the boiler if there is one.

This might help you if you want to use a existing transformer:
https://www.doityourself.com/forum/boilers-home-heating-steam-hot-water-systems/514502-need-c-wire-boiler.html


How can I remove this single hole American Standard bathroom faucet? I see no screw and it doesn't seem to be attached at the bottom. How do I remove this leaky faucet to get to the washers?

Your nuts are right here:

The threaded bolts are attached to the faucet, and if you unscrew thenuts, you can remove it. The nuts are longer than usual ones, presumably so that you can get a reasonable grip in a narrow space.


How do I know if my high limit and low limit are set correctly on my aquastat? I have a boiler that is only providing heat for my heated water baseboard system with 4 zones.  I've always thought that the high limit on the aquastat was set too low. The temperature on the boiler reads around 145 when the heat cycle ends.  Most of what I've seen on heating sites recommends 180 or higher.

It all depends on what type of system you are running. The lowest temperature possible sufficient to satisfy the heating load is recommended due to the fuel savings.

To give you an idea

From a NHB service manual

I personally wouldn't set anything contactable to more then 150ish°F.


running sprinkler wire over ground I have a question about sprinkler wiring. The sprinkler timer is located on the front wall of my house (this was done by the previous owner) and I should run a wire from there to a sprinkler valve located in the backyard. I was thinking of running the wire along the exterior wall, stapling it right below the roof. Then, when I read the articles of sprinkler wiring, most suggest to bury them under the ground. I am curious if it is ok to have over-ground wiring. The total distance is about 70 ft.

Thanks,

Ensure that the sprinkler wire you select is rated for UV exposure and a suitable temperature range for your region. Buried wire is generally protected from these elements by virtue of being buried.

You may also consider placing a UV rated conduit the protect the wire above ground.

Either way, sprinkler system wiring is considered low voltage and there are very few codes governing the installation. Being above or below ground shouldn't be a safety concern.


Welding electrode diameter suggestion? I am just starting out welding. The job is to fillet weld 2"x1" 16 gauge (1.2mm) Rectangular Mild Steel Tubing for fabricating a frame. I have a 250 Amp DC welding machine. Can you suggest Electrode diameter and current? I currently have 8mm electrodes. Would they work fine if I used a low enough amperage setting?

In my humble opinion, 8mm rods are way to big for 16 gauge mild steel. You'd need about 250 Amp for that size rod and you'd melt your stock. I wouldn't use a rod any bigger than 1/8". You'd need 50 to 90 Amps for that size rod. A 6013 welding rod should work fine and it's good for ac and dc welders.

Since you're a beginning welder, practice on a few pieces of scrap stock just to get the feel of a smaller rod.


Removing sap from an old railing I have an old railing that has hard, crystallized sap that has seeped through. I'd estimate it could be 75 years old. How can I remove the sap without damaging the finish?

If the sap is really hard, you should be able to knock it off with a quick swipe with a scraper. The finish underneath might be compromised, though.

If its still a bit gooey, you might try hitting it with a spurt of compressed air from a can to cool it down.


direction of globe and gate Valve In our plant valves are installed at BFW and SHS lines in opposite direction as mentioned on the valve body.Do this will create problem in future?? Valves are globe and gate type sizes are ranging from half to 4 inches

Fluid flow across a valve wears away (erodes) valve components. The closure components (the valve seat and disc) are components of concern because the ability to effect tight closure is affected by that erosion. Globe valves are designed for regulating flow, the fluid travel path is designed to cause even wear to the closure components when the valve is open fully or partially (throttled). Backward installation changes the fluid travel path and will affect valve wear, perhaps causing problems with tight closure later.

Gate valves are designed to be operated fully open or fully closed. If there is a preferred flow direction indicated by the manufacturer it may have to do with the valves designed ability to withstand a certain pressure drop across it when it is opened or closed.


In this scenario is my electrician giving good advice? So I asked Why does my ceiling lights require some other outlet in the room to be turned on and off again before it works? a while ago, and the consensus was that my electrics were arcing and that I should check with an electrician.

Well, I have done that and he told me to try swapping our energy saving light bulbs with regular ones and to see what happens.  Once I did this the lights worked as normal (switch them on they come on, off and they go off - no need to turn on any other electrical appliance).

He also made a survey of my house and what he said was that we simply need to replace one switch (a dimmer that makes a buzzing sound that he thinks is dangerous) and to replace the fuse box (which he estimates to be about 30 years old).

As you can tell, I know nothing about electrics, so does this seem reasonable?  Would changing the fuse box mean that I can use energy saving bulbs again?

Would changing the fuse box mean that I can use energy saving bulbs again?

No, you can use energy saving bulbs on a 30-year-old fuse-box.

Fuse-boxes don't contain fuses any more, they contain circuit-breakers (of varying types), so you'll find that "consumer unit" is the current name for what were once fuse-boxes.

Replacing a consumer-unit would be expensive.

  replace one switch (a dimmer that makes a buzzing sound

Most dimmers are incompatible with energy saving bulbs (CFL). Unless you really want a dimming capability, you can just have that replaced with an ordinary light switch. This should be a very low cost (a competent person should be able to do this in 10 minutes, the parts would cost less than a sandwich and a coffee).


There is a scorch mark in the wall There is a scorch mark in  the wall where the pipe goes into from the hotwater heater. Should I be concerned

As long as nothing's smoking & there aren't any flames then, Nope. It's a typical sign of a propane like torch's use for copper plumbing & it could be from a long time ago. The plumber should've used a flame shield & you can clean it off if you'd like. Isopropyl Alcohol or just Swabs usually get rid of it pretty easily.


Toilet makes screeching/chirping sound when anyone in my building used water Like the title says, when anyone in my building uses water, my toilet makes a really loud screeching/chirping sound. I've found that by pushing down on the black arm, the noise stops, but when the arm comes back up, the noise starts again.

Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this and/or how to keep the arm from coming all the way up?

I would just replace that valve (and probably the flapper too). They are cheap enough and from your description it can't be working right. Make sure it is installed and adjusted per specification, and you should be all set.

Firstly, you don't want it held down, holding it down is what is true when the tank is not full and therefore, it will open the fill valve to fill the tank. This means water running. You don't want water running 24/7 in your toilet, this is bad.

Now, when it is all the way up, it should not be running at all, but since (when water is being used in your building), the change in water pressure APPARENTLY is enough to starve that valve, just enough it squeals. At least this makes the most sense for what you've described.

Now, the reason why I noted to replace the valve seat is because the water may be trickling out just enough that the fill is barely on. This coupled with water pressure change......

Also... I'd be curious what size pipes are the water supply side to the things in the building. There really shouldn't be a big pressure change when one other thing is in use and your toilet (supplied by 3/8) shouldn't see a drop. But it does. (based on your description).


How to hang a heavy mirror with rotating support hinges? I'd like to hang a mirror on the wall. It's 4ft high and weighs about 50lb.

There are two hinges on either side of a metal frame.

The width of the mirror is exactly 32". I found that studs in the wall in question are indeed 16" apart.

I have two questions:

What kind of bolt should I use? I'm guessing it must have a pretty large flange. Is it possible for the two hinges to be stowed away behind the mirror? Is it a good idea to look for a kind of bolt/contraption that keeps the hinges perpendicular to the mirror and slant the mirror slightly down? What kind of bolt would work for that?
The studs in this area go down only from the ceiling to the middle of the wall, not to the floor. Should I worry that these are not suitable for a heavy object? I have no clue why my stud finder doesn't read anything from the middle of the wall down. The wall in question backs to the garage.

Update:

Here is the result. I used clamps and a 1/8" wire. A thinner wire would have provided sufficient tensile strength, but I was uncomfortable with producing crimping that will last. I opted for clamps instead. In any case, remember that during cleaning the mirror will take a bit of shaking, and so some extra strength in the wire and clamps will provide peace of mind.

50lbs is definitely something drywall or plaster can handle, but absolutely go with using the studs. Just regular wood screws or decks screws are fine, 2" to 2 1/2" long maximum to avoid any unknown electrical or plumbing. You can also double the screws on top of each other for more security.

Using the hinges or rings as they are will keep the mirror more vertical & tighter to the wall, but you have to very carefully level the screws based on the hinges or rings being under some amount load or weight. They may be out of level with each other or one may also be bent higher than the other.

Using the hinges or rings as anchors for a hanging wire, which is their intended & normal use, will bring the top of the mirror out from the wall & pitch the viewing angle down a little. But you only need 1-pair of screws side by side in one stud & leveling is done by centering the wire on the screws.

The short wall studs could indicate concrete, brick or cinder block construction halfway up the wall. The whole garage wall should read this way & was typically done to withstand slight car impacts. If it's just a 2 to 4' area then it could be the remnants of a fireplace or chimney.


what size propane back-up generator is needed to run What size generator is needed to power (if need be) a 3 h.p. well pump, a 1/2 h.p. cistern pump, two 16 cu ft upright freezers, and a 16 cu ft fridge in the workshop?

The 3 hp pump full load amperage should be 230 V 3910 VA x 125% since this is the largest motor 4887.5 VA.

The 1/2 HP would normally be 115 V 1176 VA.

3 refrigerators / freezer total 4320 VA for a total of 10,383 VA.  I may be a bit over on the fridge/freezer size since I used 80% of 15 amp x 3.

I would not go lower than a system that had a peak rating of 10 kW but a continuous wattage closer to 7.5 kW should work.

Watch out.  Some generators list their peak rated value and some list  continuous rating trying to make a smaller unit look like a deal.

I have a 8.5/13? (peak/continuous kW) that runs 2 wells (3 hp & 1.5 hp both 230 V) 2 fridge/freezers, all the lighting in the house and barn and power to run the wood stove fan with some reserve.