Doubts about quality of wood-frame construction I recently had a shed built by what I thought was a reputable company.  Now I'm in doubt about that quality of the construction, but I don't really have a reference to compare it to.  I'm looking for experienced opinions.

At least one of the builders apparently had a problem holding the nail gun straight.  Dozens of nails missed the studs, including some coming up out of the bottom sills of window frames.  Here's one of the worst areas, in the roof.  (The city building inspector passed this.)

The prebuilt door frame is screwed tightly to the framing on the hinge side, so there's a half-inch gap on the lock side.  As a result, the deadbolt is anchored in nothing but the wooden door frame and a couple of questionable-looking screws.

Two of the windows are sitting directly on the bottom frame, leaving a large gap at the top.  The other is visibly crooked.  When I had new windows installed in my house, the builders carefully shimmed the windows so they were centered.  I anticipate problems finishing the window casing with the large gap at the top.

The windows are identical to those on my house, but the shed builders used molding half as thick, leaving this huge gap and protrusion.  I'm concerned that water will enter here.

Am I right to think that these are problems that should be fixed?

None of this should be acceptable if you are paying someone to build you a shed.  Period.  Yes it passes inspection because it is not a habitable space, meaning that code wouldn't allow someone to live there so the only thing the inspector cares about is "Will this collapse and fall on someone?"

I am thinking you paid this company money based on a more stringent guideline of the building not collapsing.  I would make them fix each of these issues or tell them that you can find someone to do that and take that off their cost.  If you have not paid them in full you have all the leverage you need.  Any small claims court would not accept this from a professional company - it is not like you hired Joe from craigslist.  Now if you have already paid them fully, your beef still is right but good luck getting them to fix anything other than the window and rescrew door.


Correct sockets to be used with 277v light bulbs I am a project that requires 277v lighting. I have found medium based light bulbs that are rated to work on a 277v circuit but the not a medium base socket that is rated for usage above 250v. I have contacted bulb manufacturers and no one seems to know the answer. That brings me to believe that it would be fine to use these 277v light bulbs in a 250v socket. Am I right or what am I missing?

According to the National Electrical Code, the voltage limit on lighting in a dwelling unit (including motels, dormitories, etc) is 120 volts. You are not allowed to use higher voltages for these occupancies.

The only lighting that normally uses 277 volts is flourescent or HID lighting in a commercial or industrial occupancy. The HID lamps in these locations use mogul bases not medium.

The medium based bulbs you are talking about are probably for use in Europe not the US.


Two Hot Circuit Damage So to get to the point, I was wiring up LED high hat lights and I powered lights from a 2-way switch, which was getting power from an outlet. The switch got power from a white wire that was acting as a hot but was not taped with black tape. Not thinking, I didn’t realize this. So when I wired up my LED lights, I ran the white wire (which was hot, not neutral) to the white wires in the LEDs, and the hot black wire to the black wires in the LED lights. When I flicked it on, clearly something was wrong and the lights were very dim and fluttering. I turned it off shortly after and realized what I had done. I fixed my mistake and rewired the outlet that was powering the switch, turned the white wire back into a neutral, and everything works great now.
I am posting because I am wondering if there was any permanent damage from what I did? Is there a risk of fire due to my mistake? Is the 14/2 Romex damaged internally at all or the LED lights from receiving two sets of hot? Or should I chalk this up as a lesson learned?
Thank you

I think you had a switch loop and put the lights in series because the switch leg was a hot white and black switched. I don’t think you hurt the lights, as any load that was turned on in series with this load caused a low voltage situation, and the driver was trying to fire but did not have enough voltage thus the flashing. This also possibly could be due to leakage but the same in either case your lights are fine.
Your lights did not have a return path but had voltage so they flashed or were connected in series, so the voltage was too low, but there was a return path via the other load.
Glad you figured it out but I think your lights are fine.


230v GFCI spa with 115v spur Currently I have:

Main breaker panel
Conduit to outdoor socket, GFCI protected
Onwards connection to next outdoor socket

I'm having a hot tub, currently 115v plugged into the GFCI socket, upgraded to 230v (new 230v pump, existing dual voltage controller/heater). The 115v GFCI socket will be replaced by a 230v GFCI disconnect for spas, with new 6awg 4-wire wiring to the breaker box.
I ordered a 115v spur breaker which (if I understand correctly) will be inside the GFCI disconnect as an optional extra. Can I use that spur to run to the next outdoor socket (#3 above)?
Pump is 10A, heater 22A, GFCI disconnect max 50A.
I know the hot tub has to be hard wired with a dedicated supply but I don't understand if that includes downstream. If not, that's fine, just more work to connect item #3 to a different outdoor circuit.
Side question: how high off the ground does the GFCI disconnect need to be? The current 115v one is only about 18". Distance wise it's about 6ft from the hot tub, line of sight.
It will be inspected; just want to get it right rather than need a repeat inspection.

Yeah, this is just a 4-space NEMA 3R breaker panel with a GFCI breaker fitted for you
There really isn't much special about "spa panels" like yours; they're just small, outdoor rated, main lug breaker boxes with a GFCI breaker already fitted in them. So, you could fit a 15A breaker (or even a 15A GFCI breaker, as your panel is a Midwest Electric unit, which means it accepts GE THQL breakers) in one of the spare slots and run your outdoor socket(s) off of that, or even have two outdoor socket circuits on two separate 15A breakers!  And since the hot tub's on its own breaker in the spa panel, none of what you do with the extra slots will impact it provided you don't overload the feeder itself.


Why are some rooms warmer than others with radiant baseboard heat? We have hot water baseboard radiation heat. How is it possible that the first room the hot water is supposed to heat is cold and the second and fourth room are to hot and the third and fifth rooms are just right?

Most hot water baseboard is not radiant to any significant extent - it's a convector (air heater) and most can be adjusted to flow more or less air (resulting in more or less heat) by adjusting "flaps" on the baseboard shell. They can also (especially old setups in place for a long time) be impacted by buildups of hair, lint, dirt, dust-bunnies etc. that block the flow of air, so opening up the shell and vacuuming and/or blowing out decades of detritus can make a big difference.

An article from the Bangor Daily News...


What is causing my front door to sweat? The front door of my house (which is rarely ever used) sweats so badly during the winter. At first I thought it was just the glass, but after a closer look it appears that the rescued areas are also sweating. I have not yet installed a storm door, could this be the issue?

Condensation occurs when moist air contacts a cooler surface.   Adding a storm door will make the inside surface of your front door less cool, and may help reduce the condensation.   You may also have excessive humidity from (for example) showering without using an exhaust fan, cooking, etc.

I would suggest getting a device that measures relative humdity (Here's one example of many that appeared when I searched "indoor humidity" on Amazon; to see if excess humidity may be part of the problem (note that recommended levels vary with the outdoor temperature).


Neutrals and Grounds tied together in the panel? I’ve only ever worked on my own panel. In my panel, there is a seperate ground bar on one side, and all the ground wires go there.

On the other side is a seperate neutral bar, and all neutral wires run to it.

And of course in the middle is the hot.

So that’s what I’m used to.

Well, I went over to my parents today to help my dad install an outlet. While there, I noticed that in his panel, their electrician  twisted each neutral and ground wire together and then plugged the twisted wire into the same bar?

Is this normal? Ground and neutral twisted together and then loaded onto one bar?

no no no, bad idea.

Anytime you twist 2 wires together, you make them better connected to each other than what they're attaching to.  That sets the stage for a spectacular, lethal failure.

Also, the neutral bars are not rated for 2 neutral wires per hole!

So, this combo has trouble with its connection to the bar. Now, power returning on neutral can't get back to neutral, and floats at 120V.  Worse, it connects itself to safety ground, so now all your grounds are floating at 120V.

Now, in a main panel, neutral and ground bars will be bonded to each other.  So it isn't wrong to have neutrals and grounds landing on the same bar.  But they must never be in the same holes because the panel labeling says 1 neutral per hole.  Some panels allow 3 grounds per hole, but they don't need to be twisted together.  Again if the ground twist group lost contact, they would only share ground faults - another hazardous situation.

I don't know what goes through people's heads. Obviously these Romex monkeys get it in their head that "neutral and ground are the same thing" so who cares, and they think they're putting flair in their work I guess because they're bored.

Probably the best fix here is to get a separate accessory ground bar, fit that, and move grounds over to it as able.  That will also prepare the house for AFCI or GFCI breakers.  AFCI are a good idea with older wiring. Ironically, Code requires them for newer wiring!


What type of roof lasts longest? What is the most durable roof for the Pacific Northwest where we get a lot of rain, a short summer, and less than a foot of snow?

I'd like a roof that requires no maintenance and could theoretically last hundreds of years.  Options which aren't more than two or three times the cost of typical roofing are ideal.

I like the thatch idea!  ;-)

According to a variety of sources--for example this one--it's probably slate shingles, closely followed by concrete or clay shingles, with metal not far behind. In all three cases, barring natural catastrophes, you will have passed on before the roof wears out.

There are terra cotta (clay) roofs in Europe and the middle east that are hundreds of years old, but there are also people who maintain those roofs and occasionally replace broken shingles. Metal seems appealing in the Pacific Northwest, especially if you're in an area with extremely high snow loads, because the metal roof itself will be very strong, but weigh less than slate, clay or concrete. You can apply metal to a very steeply pitched roof that will shed snow more easily (reducing the load on your structure and on the roof itself), and it will have ridges extending down the slope of the roof that will help naturally segment the snow into sheets and provide a channel for it to slide on. And, of course, some people like the sound of rain on a metal roof.

There are architectural composite shingles that look more or less like traditional cedar or clay shingles, but they haven't been around long enough to know for sure how they perform over decades or more of exposure. Cedar shingles would really look nice, but you'll be replacing them in your old age.

"Traditional" asphalt shingles will probably cost between $0.80 and $1.50 per square foot unless you have a complicated roof design, which will drive the cost up. You might get away with doing a metal roof for three times the cost of asphalt and still have a roof that will outlive you. Slate will probably cost at least $10 per square foot, up to $40. Clay and concrete will fall somewhere in-between.


Closed the closet door and Kaboom the acorn thumb latch broke off. Looking for a solution to open it After I closed my closet door the acorn thumb latch fell apart. The part I depress with my thumb fell off in front and the door is locked. There is a small hole where the thumb piece was inserted, but I can not see much as the hole is small. There is a video on Thumb-klatch install on YouTube so I now believe the piece in the back must be moved up to unlock the door. My two questions are what tool can I insert through the small hole to lift the latch upwards? if that does not work, how can  I remove the two large brass hinges that are holding the door on? Any Tips or knowledge appreciated.
[![The actual door that is locked.][2]][2]

A screwdriver (suitably small/thin)
A wire
An ice-pick (right, nobody but old folks has those)
A nail
Pretty much anything that fits through the slot and allows you to lever up the latch bar. That will be easier if you can hold the door in such a way that there is little to no pressure on the latch.
Point the tool of whatever sort downwards as you push it in, then tip and lift it upwards.
It appears that even if you were to remove the hinge pins, the fit of the door in the frame is such that you probably can't pull that side of the door outwards, due to interference by the barrels of the fixed hinge.
If the latch broke, you may be able to just pry up the remaining bit of the latch, if that is still in place.
Depending how the doorframe on the latch side is configured, an old credit card inserted between the door and frame below the latch and moved upwards may also work.


Priming plywood for better adhesion of flooring tiles I've had problems in the past with gluing commercial flooring tiles to OSB subfloor using the standard adhesive that looks and feels like contact cement. I followed the instructions and let the glue cure for about 30 min before setting the tiles but some tiles eventually came unglued. May have been partly because the OSB surface is rough so the contact surface wasn't evenly distributed (just a guess).

In the project I'm doing now, I actually set 1/2" plywood (smoother than OSB) over the OSB and I plan to put tiles on top. My question is, is there something I can prime the plywood before applying the adhesive so that I can achieve a better and more durable grip than I did in the previous application.

If you use a proper underlayment (which OSB isn't), you don't usually need to prime when using a roll-on or brush-on adhesive. It is a good idea, however, when using self-stick tiles, which have a less aggressive adhesive.

When in doubt, read the instructions. If a primer would be beneficial manufacturers aren't shy about saying so. They want your project to succeed as much as you do for liability and reputation reasons.


UK Sewage connection - is an external rodding point mandatory I have a house extension built circa 1997. Inside there is a three-port shallow inspection chamber where a shower and toilet join to a single 110mm waste outlet heading out of the house.

Outside the house against the wall there is a roddable Bottle Gulley. Upon inspection it has no inlet connections opened, the roddable outlet is simply connected to the aforementioned extension waste outlet via a Y-fitting.

My question is, at the time of building or now, did/does the code specify that an external rodding point should be fitted? I realise it makes sense, but it technically is possible to rod the run to the sewage plant from the inspection chamber inside if required (it's a straight run no bends) (and ok albeit with some mess inside) which negates the need for the rodding point outside.

I am asking because this otherwise unconnected bottle Gulley is in the way of where I want to build a step and I'm not clear whether it's a nice to have and can be removed or is required by regulation.

(FYI the length of pipe between the bottle gully and Y fitting on my drawing is exaggerated, in reality it's right next to it making almost a straight run for rodding)

Many thanks for any guidance
Ian

Approved Document H says:

  2.46 Sufficient and suitable access points
  should be provided for clearing blockages from
  drain runs which cannot be reached by any
  other means. The siting, spacing and type of
  the access points will depend on the layout,
  depth and size of the runs.

There is nothing to suggest that the access points need to be external.


overfilled box remedy I used a box to splice wires when moving conduit during basement renovations.  I'm in Chicagoland area and use 1/2" EMT.  I spliced 4 circuits back together in a 4 x 4 x 2-1/8 box with cover. The circuits are 2 15A and 2 20A circuits, which are 4 12 gauge and 4 14 gauge wires.

My box fill calculations are:
No continuous wires, so there are 8 12 gauge and 8 14 gauge wires entering box.
8 x 2.25 + 8 x 2 = 34 cu. in.
The box capacity is 30.3 cu. in. with flat cover plate

Is this correct?
If so, can this be remedied with a 7.3 cu in mud ring and blank plastic cover plate?

The mud ring sounds like it would work as long as the cu inch is listed, but now you're stuck using a plastic cover.  You could use a box extender with a regular 4x4 cover -

The one above is a Garvin BEX-450, a 1/2" extender for a 4" box, but there are many many variants available.


Creating a Pipe for Ethernet and Video Cables I've got my computer desk about 10' from a closet where I want to put my computer along with network drives, etc. I'd like to run 3 HDMI cables, an audio and 2 ethernet cables to the large closet.

My thinking is to run a "pipe" that is big enough that I can run a fish through it to pull cables through as I need them. I don't plan on running anything but low voltage computer stuff (no 110).

any suggestions for what "pipe" to use, how to make it not look horrible by my computer desk?

You probably will not be placing a larger diameter pipe horizontally in a stud wall for 10 or more feet because of the fact that you would be sacrificing much of the strength of the wall studs to do so. If there is crawl/access space below the floor or above the ceiling the obvious choice would be to route the pipe in those spaces making sure to use sweep corners so that the bends are are easy to pull cable through. PVC pipe, which is available in a range of sizes, is likely going to be easiest for you to work with.

If the cable route is going to have to be routed within the room space then you have a number of options and things to consider:

Just placing a round pipe against a wall can be somewhat inefficient because it sticks out into the room farther than some other options.
There are commercially available cable raceways that you can purchase that might be just the ticket for you. Variable sizes exist and the top typically opens or pops off to allow access to the inside. Some raceways can also be painted to match the room colors.
There is a technique to install cables behind a larger cove molding that would be installed at the upper corner between the wall and ceiling. You could combine the cable installation with trim in the room. Be aware that this choice can be hardest to install cables later after the trim is already in place.
I have used a scheme in the past to hide wiring along a wall behind a PVC pipe that was split in half lengthwise. It took a special fixture made up of boards and 2x4s to hold the pipe safely and securely so that I could use a circular saw to cut the pipe. The half pipe was painted after it was attached to the wall using a narrow strapping material.


Source for non TR 20A outlets? Are there suppliers that will sell 20A non TR outlets?  From all the grief I've read about the TR outlets, when I wire my garage, I would rather mount all the outlets 5.5 feet off the ground, and use non-TR outlets.

Sorry but shopping questions are off topic but Leviton sells 15 and 20 amp non tamper receptacles, in both spec grade and builder (crap) grade. Every big box store sells both tamper and old style in both 15 and 20 amp.


Sub Pabel Install, NEC 250.24 question, Mixed ground/neutral at main Did this install today on my home. How'd I do?

I asked an old electrician and he said that I ought not to mix the Neutral with the Ground at the main like that cause "it could cause problems", though he did not give further detail. But if the Neutral and Ground Bus are bonded in the main anyway (which they definitely are on this panel), what does that matter? I used the ground bus for the #6AWG Neutral (white wire) because the other buses did not have any opening's big enough for the #6, at least it didn't look like it would fit...

I used #6AWG THHN for all 3 conductors and #10AWG THHN green for the ground, and these are are conveyed in the Steel Flex 3/4" you can see coming in from underneath. I installed bushings in the FMC where they connect to the compression fittings. The Sub panel Neutral is Isolated. This is fed from a 50 Amp (Connecticut Electric UBITBA250 Challenger “A” Series Circuit Breaker, 2-Pole 50-Amp) housed in the main. Which used to house a 30 amp for an old electric dryer circuit no longer in use. I had to source breakers for this old Challenger panel and they were pricey.

It's mounted to a 3/4" plywood board that is then fastened to the studs. The main is a 100 AMP service and according to the usage calculations for the house I'm well within that. Most big appliances are gas. I needed more outlets in the garage for my dust collector and table saw.

I live in San Francisco. The Panels are located in the garage at street level. Plan is to run 1/2" emt to job boxes along the workbench top, protected with GFCI outlets. I may at a later time install a 220 for the dust collector and a welder, which is why I went 50 amp.

So am I gonna burn the place down?

OK the NEC and AHJ have always allowed the grounding conductors (Ground) and the grounded conductor (Neutral) to be connected to the neutral bus bar in the main panelboard or loadcenter. You are correct the busses are interlocked and bonded. The only reason some electricians put the ground on one side and the neutral on the other is because of the "workmanlike manner" clause. I have never seen where mixing them has ever caused any problems.

Now, your sub panel is not covered under this rule due to the single point of ground rule. You need to install a grounding bus and an isolated neutral bus. Each bus must be connected from the service panel with a corresponding conductor and you do not bond the sub panel neutral. This is true with any other device, equipment or sub panel installed downstream of the service panel.


Removing a vintage plastic tap head I have plastic tap covers (kitchen sink) which need replacing as they are mouldy inside and cracked    ..... but I cannot access the screw which I can see through the plastic top.... maybe they are 'lift off' type..... they are about 20 plus years old!

Will I have to replace whole tap? etc.

I will try to answer this question without seeing a picture, or knowing what exactly kind of tap you have.

Typically with an old tap that is not in good condition, it would make more sense to replace the entire thing instead of trying to replace parts on it. Plumbing fixture manufacturers are notorious for constantly changing their designs and making them incompatible with their older models.

If you can see the screws, then I am assuming there is a plastic cover over the screw. If you take a thin bladed screwdriver, or a similar tool and push it between the cover and the tap, then you may be able to pry it off.

If you are unable to remove the screw cover, then you could try using a mini hack saw to cut the cover off. Alternately, you can try using a drill to get to it. Obviously, this is a destructive approach.

Once the taps are removed, then you should be able to unscrew the fixture from below and remove the entire thing. As long as you have a standard sink, then you should be able to find an inexpensive replacement.

EDIT: It is less common, but some of the covers are the screw off type instead of pry off.


Underground Electrical Outlet I have a 240v outlet in my front yard that is rarely used.  It is a pain to mow around and I have never had a need of it (installed by previous owners to power a refrigerated truck).  I do not want to remove it altogether as It could be useful in the future.

Does anyone know of a solution to place the outlet below ground, maybe in a dry box that could easily be opened and connected to when needed?

You should start by installing a lockout on the breaker that feeds this: so you can turn it off completely.  Then you've got your choice of trying to install a vault to hold the device (with attendant moisture problems), or simply disconnecting the outlet, capping the wires and throwing dirt over.  Leave some bright colored tape above it, and a note in the breaker box, to aid in a future treasure hunt.


How serious is mildew on the ceiling of the top floor of a house? If a house had mildew (I'm assuming it's mildew, it's black and slowly spreading) on the ceiling of the top floor of my house, what could cause this and how serious could it potentially be?

The building is a 3 story (minus the roof space) house in the UK. It was built in 1997, and the same family lives there today that moved in 16 years ago. If you want pictures or have questions, leave a comment and I will update the question. I don't know a lot about DIY/home improvement which is why I am asking here.

It probably means that you have a hole in the roof that was large enough to drip enough water to stain the ceiling (which doesn't take much, really) but small enough so that the amount of water dripping through is contained by the ceiling and does not leak through inside the room.  I would try to get the coordinates of the stain on the roof and get on the roof, project it there, try to find the hole and patch it.


Electricians left breakers unhooked Handy homeowner here. Electricians ran wire and put in 5 new breakers on my panel as part of an addition to my house. One is hooked up and feeds an outlet, the other 4 are dead. Flipping the switches does nothing. They left something unhooked, but I don't know what it is. I'd like to take over and do the easy trim work (outlets, switches, fixtures) myself. I opened up the panel, but don't see anything obvious. Thoughts on how to liven up these breakers?

Stop turning on stuff, when you do not know why. They left one outlet to work with. Pulled the wires are coming back to finish. Now you have stuff on were someone can get hurt, drywallers painters all think wires are dead. And i hope the electrician knows you did this. Or you can add him to the list. Why would anyone do that i do not know.


Using 10/2 and/or 8/2 for a 240 only 3-prong I have 2 dedicated circuits:

40 amp water heater
30 amp electric range

Both have 2 hots and a neutral grounded at the panel. One runs through a junction box where the wires are connected and continue to the water heater, the result of a previous revision. All wires are individually insulated and encased in EMT mounted to the overhead joists in the basement.
In order to add a ceiling, I replaced the "junction box to water heater" and "panel to range" runs
with FMT in the joists with 8/2 and 10/2 NM-B. The white and black wires are used for the hot and the uninsulated ground for the neutral. I used extra insulation from the stripped wires to cover the exposed tail portion of the ground so there would be no contact with a box or other hot, but it's otherwise still a bare ground inside the sheathing.
The dryer plug is an old 50-amp style (no ground), and the water heater connect directly to the 2 hots and neutral, no ground either.
What, if anything, is wrong with using the bare ground as the neutral? I've seen mentions of insulation being required in the NEC and elsewhere but am unclear on whether it applies or what the real risk is here.

No, that's illegal and has always been illegal.
You are confusing neutral and ground, which is understandable since they go to the same place in the main panel.  However they are actually different and separate; they are tied together in the main panel and that is the only reason they're allowed on the same bus.  Don't let that confuse you.
The water heater actually needs 2 hot wires and ground.  The water heater does not want neutral.  So in that case, /2+ground is just fine.  However, because the white wire is used for a hot, you need to re-mark the white wire with black or colored electrical tape on both ends.
However, the range actually requires 2 hots, and neutral, and it also requires ground if it is installed post-1996.
Even prior to 1996, it was never OK to use /2+ground cable as the 2 hots + neutral.  So this work you recently did with 8/2 cable will have to be removed and re-done.  Now prior to 1996 you could use SE cable or /3 (no ground) cable; however that ship sailed when Courtney Love was top of the charts.
Now your only option is to run 8/3 w/ground cable.
Further, you are now required to use a 4-wire connection with ground.  So if the range is cord-and-plug connected, it needs to use a NEMA 14-50 socket and plug.
I'm sorry you have to redo it, but frankly, the "groundless" range connections are pretty scary.  A simple problem with the neutral wire can electrify the chassis of the machine.
Lastly, "the last guy" used conduit.  People don't use conduit unless they have to... so probably, you have to.
Another thing of note is that #8 THHN in conduit is allowed 50A, but #8 NM cable is only allowed 40A.  So that #8 NM cable would need to be breakered 40A in any case.


What type of lag bolts should I use for a deck? I am looking at galvanized lag bolts (for the ledger) and carriage bolts (for attaching the beam to the post) for a deck. I can't find "hot-dipped galvanized" bolts/lag screws only galvanized. Is there any difference between "hot-dipped galvanized" and products labeled "galvanized finish" or can I use "galvanized finish" bolts on my deck? Should I instead get the stainless steel variety?

Here is what I was looking at:

1/2 in. x 6-1/2 in. Galvanized Carriage Bolt

1/2 in. x 4 in. Galvanized Hex-Head Lag Screw

You may not use electro-galvanized bolts for ledger or joist-beam attachments.

See IRC 502.2.2.1. Hot dipped or stainless steel only.

Electro-plated is also not appropriate for contact with treated lumber.

It may be that the bolts you listed are hot-dipped, but usually those magic words are listed, due to the code requirements.


What product should we use to finish stair treads? We are preparing to paint or stain interior basement stairs in a rental house.  What product would be best for finishing the treads?  We need to consider durability, non-slick surface and fast dry/cure time.

~20 years landlord experience, we learned to stop painting all the trim white and use poly. It looks nicer/more expensive and does not definitely need attention every time it's up for rent. Paint gets dirty, urethane just looks properly aged.

Whatever it is, if it's made out of lumber, stain and urethane it.


Can a UL 1953 listed power distribution block be deployed in a panelboard cabinet? So, one of the things I want to do if I ever get a chance to have a house wired to my specifications is have each room have its own lighting homerun to the panel, but multiplex these homeruns onto a smaller set of lighting circuits at the panel in a star bus topology instead of the "daisy chain" of lighting circuits run all over current houses.  This makes the wiring of the house itself clearer and easier to follow logically speaking, while allowing multiplexing schemes that keep large, contiguous areas in the house from being darkened by a single breaker trip.

While 312.8 permits splices in the panel by ordinary (wire-nut or push-in connector) means provided the panel gutters do not exceed 40% wire fill and 75% overall fill, the use of twist-on or push-in connectors free-floating in the panel seems to be a somewhat...sloppy way to do this.  A perhaps more neat and workmanlike approach to the problem is offered by the use of UL 1953 listed power distribution blocks, which are commonly used to provide enclosure-mounted splicing and distribution points in industrial control panels.

While the products in question, when appropriately specified for wire size, are clearly suitable for the application at hand (a block rated for 175A continuous is not going to pose a problem on a 20A residential circuit), I know of no case where they've been deployed into a panelboard cabinet to provide cabinet-mounted splice or distribution points in a neat fashion.  Is this a Code-legal thing to do, provided gutter fill does not exceed 312.8 requirements?  Is 312.8 even applicable to splicing points that are affixed to the cabinet (vs. floating in gutter space)?  Would modifying a stock panelboard cabinet assembly in this way void the UL listing or violate some other portion of the NEC?

Although this is more frequently done in commercial and industrial gear, I have never found anything against it in the NEC nor have I ever had a AHJ say they would be against it (I'm talking about true electrical inspectors in major municipalities). So long as you meet the requirements you mentioned above. The only problem would be if you would be required to submit the calcs that show they don't violate the fill capacity and you may have to make sure the connections were not exposed to incidental contact per NFPA 70E.

The only problem I would see would be with the how UL would label it. As you know you are allowed to assemble control and terminal cabinets so long as you use "UL listed for use" material. But I have found a mixed bag of opinions from AHJ as to whether or not they want to allow that type of equipment that is not "UL approved" in their jurisdiction and the only way that I know of to get it UL approved is to submit it to UL and get them to approved it. It's obvious this is too expensive for the normal residential installation. The only other way is to find a manufacturer that has already submitted their equipment to UL for this type of modification.

Personally I am for it. It looks cleaner and is looks more workmanlike. I have actually been a part of a group that we assemble "Main Termination Boxes". for commercial installations. Instead of a big junction box with a birds nest of wires and wire nuts and we never got any blowback from AHJ's. But in your situation I would talk to my inspectors in the area just to see how they felt before I tried it.

In conclusion your design would meet NEC and UL listed requirements but it would not meet UL approved requirements.


Swapping L15-30 with L21-30 I have some plugs in my warehouse that have L15-30 receptacles. Inside the boxes are four wires: Orange, Black, Red, and Green. I would like to swap one to an L21-30 receptacle. It looks like the main difference between the L15 and the L21 is that the L21 has an additional grounding wire. I don't have a neutral wire in the box and the green ground is ran outside of the box. All wiring throughout the warehouse is inside EMT conduit.

Do I need to run a neutral wire or is there another way to accomplish this? Thanks in advance!

You can't do that.  It'll fry your equipment.

What you have is 240V "wild leg delta" (orange phase). This is 240V delta with a neutral point inserted halfway between red and black phases.  It is 240V specifically, so it will be 120V from neutral to red and black hots, and 208V from neutral to orange hot.  This gives it compatibility with 120/240V split phase (residential) service.  The NEMA 15 doesn't use neutral, you are powering a 240V/3 phase machine which doesn't care about neutral.

The NEMA 21 plug you want to install is for 208V "wye" 3-phase, with neutral in the middle and 120V from each phase to neutral.

The difference in phase-phase voltage (240V vs 208V) and the high difference between neutral and wild leg (208V vs 120V) is going to break whatever equipment you try to plug into it.

You might be able to jumper the motor for 240, but you won't be able to jumper the auxiliary equipment for 208.  You may be better off adding a 120/240V transformer inside the equipment to power its 120V auxiliaries.

Further, you can never bootleg neutral off another wire such as ground.  If the above hadn't been a problem, you would need to fish an actual, white or gray neutral wire through the conduit to be neutral.


Router safety - what did I do wrong? Long story short I was running my DeWalt fixed base router (8000-24000 RPM) on a piece of work when it started making a funny noise.

I lifted the router up to see why it was making the noise, and FWOOOM the router bit launched itself into the air!

I found it on the lawn on the other side of the house, with the stalk all twisted to one side. It landed in soft grass so that damage must have occurred while it was in (or exiting from) the router.

No injuries occurred thankfully, but obviously someone easily could have been hurt. So, what happened? Was it just loose? Is my router card revoked and I should just go back to belt-sanding roundovers? What safety steps could I have missed? Thanks!

If the router bit was in the collet the correct amount and tightened correctly then you should have no issues. I noticed a few things when looking at your picture, it is an older shank that had some rust on it and a few dings, it is possible it is not seating correctly in the collet.

With that said there is the possibility that the shank walked out of the collect because there was to much pressure in a climb cutting position. In other words the shank was rotating clockwise and you were moving left to right, the router bit is walking over the piece and every once in a while it grabs and pulls the shank out of the collet slightly like a screw. It DOES NOT matter how tightly you lock it in the collect.

Working in the machine shop, milling machine work the same way, I have see cutters come flying out for the same reason. It happens. Best advise is to work right to left and avoid climbing on the piece, finish will also be better. If you must climb take smaller cuts.


Laminate Flooring For a Laundry Room I am in the process of remodeling my laundry room. Next step is to replace the flooring.

Currently the flooring is old one sheet vinyl glued down on concrete. I want to find out the feasibility of using click together laminate flooring in this application. Note that there will be full size washer and dryer sitting on top of the laminate flooring. Is that recommended or should this be avoided?

Let me add here that I am not asking about the type of vinyl flooring that has engineered plywood, MDF or hard fiberboard on the bottom.

Or would I be better off in this application to use a product like a peel and stick vinyl planking. (The place I work at recently replaced all their floors in hallways, entrances and high traffic areas with something like this).

You want either a pure vinyl plank or a WPC vinyl plank .   No affiliate to the link.   Just where I get close to 90% of my wood or vinyl flooring (I only get tiles locally due to variations).   But they will send you samples.   Also the orange big box has a house brand that is pure vinyl that is pretty good too.

When selecting size does matter.   Try wider planks and you want thicker.   These are all click lock and the thicker vinyl's click lock just works better - I am generalizing here but its true.

Most that I have used explicitly say no pad or anything under.   The theory is you do not want moisture trapped and a pad might cause issues with the locking mechanism.   The WPC variety goes into any basement bathroom I do unless someone makes me tile.

Another note.   Make sure it says "Waterproof" not water-resistant.   Get a sample and let it sit in a bucket of water for 2-3 days.   If it is made right it shouldn't even be phased and you dry it off in 30 seconds.   I tend to get dark grey or brown wood like planks and I everyone that sees them thinks they are super high-end.   Installs with a utility knife too.


How much tolerance is there for a frameless glass shower door? I did a shower remodel that involved moving a wall and re-tiling my shower. The new width for the door opening is 33.5 inches. I see pre-made frameless glass shower doors that are listed as being acceptable for 33" openings. Do frameless glass shower doors have enough tolerance to make this work?

The maker of the door will give you the max and minimum opening it will fit in.
Off the shelf shower doors, so they will fit varying sizes of showers will make up the difference by the lap/overhang of the glass on the hinge side of the door. This will only allow the door to open out, which is code. If the door is custom made, it would be possible to have it swing in and out.
Typically the biggest concern is the plumb of the walls and level of the curb. The caulk that seals the glass can only fill up so big a gap.


Should this section of water line be replaced? This is the water supply line coming into my basement. 4 feet below the ground (frost line). My house is from 1940 and I assume that everything in these pictures are original.

I recently converted from galvanized steel to pex beyond the water meter for my entire downstairs due to water pressure issues. I can't do the upstairs yet because I'm not ready to tear down walls and upstairs is getting full pressure so things are good.

Anyways, if I ask the city to shut off the water at the street then would I be able to safely unscrew either that short pipe or the valve? I would use copper and continue the run to my pex transition. I have a sawzall with appropriate blades for cutting steel.

During my project I tried unscrewing a few runs of pipe with pipe wrenches and one of the joints simply broke off instead of unscrewing so if that happens here then I'm not sure about how I would proceed.

We bought the house 3 years ago and it has looked like this the whole time.

Any insight is appreciated!

This can be a problem with old galvanized pipe if you had pieces break inside I would expect the same or worse here. I would purchase a kit for an emergency repair because my experience has been when 1 piece crumbles the rest is in similar shape. You should look into driving some ground rods also years ago houses only had 1 ground the water pipe, I have worked in a community that removed the metal pipe and installed plastic but they did not install ground rods, people were getting shocked so it would be a good idea to add them now while you are working in that area. Changing from galvanized to copper don’t forget to get a dielectric Union this keeps the copper from creating a circuit with the galvanized pipe and electrolysis eating the pipe in short time. After seeing the latest photo I would plan to replace everything from the Union on the meter to the house. This still could turn into a can of worms but I have had fewer problems with heavy cast than galvanized, the galvanized usually corrodes where the threads are cut through the zinc coating just as yours probably will.


How to patch in a hardwood floor board One of our floor boards is broken.  It looks like a bad patch job.  The patched-in piece is sunken into the floor slightly as well (between 1/16" and 1/8"); see pics for details.
Thankfully, I have access to a couple feet of original wood to use for a repair.  How do I patch this? More specifically, how do I secure the new piece to the subfloor?

It's likely that your floor is tongue and groove. That is, each piece of flooring has a tongue that sticks out on one side and a groove on the other side that the next piece's tongue sticks into. This is very simple for the initial installation, but it's impossible to install for a repair without some accommodations. The good news is that the accommodations are easy to make.
I'd suggest that a longer piece will be easier to install than this little short piece with the added bonus that it will look less like a patch, thus looking more like a just a short piece of flooring and, therefore, more "natural" in the floor and less like "here be a patch stare at it in annoyance".
To install your repair:

Chisel out the old repair. As short as this patch is, I don't think there's going to be any easy way of cutting this out with any sort of power tools. If you decide to lengthen the patch, you may be able to make a plunge cut with a circular saw to cut down the middle of the board, then pry out each side. It's highly unlikely that there would be any nails in the face, but if you cut too deeply into the subfloor, you could hit a nail with the saw blade, so take care. If you have a plunge router, you could use a straight cutting bit (an up-cut spiral bit would make easier work of this, actually) to slowly work your way through the depth of the flooring piece, but the caution about hitting a nail in the subfloor goes up even higher. You do not want to hit a nail with a router bit spinning at 25000 RPM. That's NOT GOOD™. Use all the standard precautions for using a router, of course, just apply extra care.
Get the remaining edges of existing flooring as square as possible so it looks like it was meant to be that way. An oscillating flush-cutter may be your best bet for getting the edges squared up if you're not handy with a chisel, but a nice, sharp chisel should cut your wood just fine. If it's a manufactured floor (not solid wood) the power tool will probably work better than a chisel.
Cut out your patch from a piece your spare flooring to match the length of the new hole (either existing size or lengthened).
Cut your patch piece to be a snug (lengthwise) fit into the opening you've just created. A very slight bevel (1-2°) with the back of the board smaller than the face surface could help making installation easier, but I would make it a very slight bevel.
On the back side of the patch piece, cut off the bottom portion of the groove. You want to cut only the back side of the groove, don't cut into the top side of the groove, you'll weaken the top surface. This could, potentially, allow the top of the groove to break off in the future, necessitating another repair.
Put adhesive into the exposed groove on one edge of the existing flooring and on top of the exposed tongue on the other side. You do not want any glue between the floor and the new piece. You can use standard, yellow, PVC carpenter's glue, or you could use something stronger like a construction adhesive. Standard yellow glue is more than strong enough, is cheaper, and it's easier to store an opened bottle than it is to store an opened tube of construction adhesive. I would not recommend epoxy - it's not necessary and they tend to set up too quickly. If you choose to go with epoxy, get one with at least a 10 minute working time - the longer the better. The next step could take a minute or two.
To install, push the patch piece, tongue first, into the groove of the existing flooring. You may need to use a block of wood against the groove side of the patch and bang it into the tongue with a rubber mallet. Use caution - if you bang at too much of an angle against the top of the groove, you could split it off, especially if this is a solid wood floor (it could split along the grain in this thin area). If it's a particle board based manufactured floor, the particle board is very likely to fracture along the thin edge of the groove. Your best bet might be to use an additional scrap of flooring with the tongue of your "banger board" inserted into what's left of the groove of your patch - this will distribute the blows across the grove and into the main portion of the piece, and will help align the blows across the face of the patch instead of at an angle to it. A plywood based manufactured board may have plys running across the groove, it may not - take a look at your flooring to see. Use appropriate caution with plywood, too.
Once the tongue is seated as far in as you can get it by driving it sideways, place your scrap block of wood on top of the patch and hammer the groove side down with your mallet. Ensure your new piece of wood is flush with the surface all the way around. Anything sticking up will be a trip hazard until it's sanded flat, and that will require refinishing (and a whole new question).
Wipe up any glue that squeezes out. You can use a damp rag, especially if the wood is already finished - the finish should do a fine job of protecting the wood from a few moments of damp. A tip I've recently picked up is to rub the glue up with some sawdust - this fills gaps with the sawdust and does not involve getting the wood wet, which can raise the grain. The drawback, in this instance, is that you really don't want a filled gap of sawdust visible as it will look noticeably different than the finished floor and the gaps between the other boards. If you have a narrow blunt object, like a putty knife, this could work if you wipe up most of the squeeze out with the sawdust, then clean out the joints with the putty knife. NOTE: I've no experience in this, so I don't know how well it may work.
Dry off the surface from any excess clean-up water. A quick rub-down with some paper towel should be sufficient.
Cover the patch with a sheet of waxed paper. This will help prevent any remaining glue from sticking to the board you're going to use in the next step.
Lay another piece of wood on top of the new patch and pile some heavy weight on top of the scrap wood. This will be your "clamp" to hold the patch down until the glue sets.
Let it cure for the amount of time recommended on the package. Be sure to allow additional time if your floor happens to be closer to the cold end of the working range of the glue. There's nothing wrong with letting it sit until the full cure time has elapsed, other than the minor inconvenience of walking around a pile of stuff on the floor.
Stand back and admire your handiwork!

Just be sure to take your time at every step of the way to ensure that you're not damaging any of the flooring that will remain behind or doing any damage to your patch piece as your installing it. Do more than one test fit if necessary to ensure the patch will fit in - ensure that tongue side fits in (lengthwise) next to the groove of the existing floor and make sure the groove side of the patch fits lengthwise next to the tongue side of the existing floor. Unfortunately, this is not a place where you can do a full test fit, as once it's in place, it will be very difficult to get back out without damaging it, so you'll have to go with "that feels about right".


20 amp, 220v, 2 pole GFCI Breaker Do I need a neutral white wire to install a 220v GFCI breaker in the main panel ?

Currently have 220v, 2 pole red hot, black hot and green ground in the circuit running pool pump timer and pump.

Or can I use the green wire as neutral?
I believe the answer is no.

Please advise.
Thank you.

No, you do not need a neutral "load" wire if you're running only 240V load. The GFCI will detect any imbalance between the two phases and trip if one occurs.  See picture below.

The green wire can never be used for anything but a ground.


Stinky air when I turn on the bathroom faucet...what is causing it? The sink is pretty close to the toilet...about 2 feet away.
I've noticed that often times when I turn on the faucet (either hot or cold), I smell a sewer kind of smell.

What could be causing it?  I thought traps were suppose to prevent this exact thing.

I think what you've got is a blocked vent pipe, or worse, a non-existant or improperly-installed vent pipe. The vent pipe is supposed to connect to from the waste pipe stack or top of a lavatory drain pipe up through the roof, and is there to equalize plumbing system pressure and provide a means for sewer gas to escape. If the vent pipe is blocked, then the water flowing from the sink will increase the air pressure in the waste pipes, possible forcing sewer gas through the toilet trap out into the bathroom.

Check your vent pipes to make sure they're clear and hooked up properly. The article here might be useful http://bradyinspects.com/plumbing-vents


Load capacity of 2x4s spaced 16" We are trying to finish an above garage attic space as a playroom (since the ceiling will be slanted - 7' to 4' headroom). The "room" is 25' x 8' and currently has 2x4s that are 16" apart.

My current place is to double up on the 2x4s by sistering them before putting a 23/32" plywood subfloor, topped with a light laminate or vinyl floor.

Is that a good plan? We don't intend to put any significant amount of furniture in here.

I don't think those rafter ties will work for support.  The width of the room isn't what's important so much as the span from support to support.  I can't imagine a garage layout that would have a span short enough to make with 2x4's, even sistered.  You'd also have to have the attachments to the top plate of the walls adequate to support the weight of the floor.  If one end of the span is supported by a beam up the middle of the garage, that probably wasn't sized to support a floor either.

It's doable (almost everything is) but it isn't as simple as doubling up the 2x4's.


Drilling thru cement floor with radiant heat flow below I want to drill screws through a 4 inch cement floor to install a cement plate or some form of metal bracket to hold a 6"X 6" vertical support beam that will help to support a horizontal beam. My problem is radiant heat (copper piping) below the cement slab.
How precise are those thermal electronic devices to pinpoint the copper tubing to avoid penetrating the copper piping ?? Or is there another way to stabilize the vertical beam to the cement floor ?

A thermal imaging camera will be able to pinpoint the location of the pipes, I have a flir camera that attaches to my phone it will even show wiring that has bad connections they cost around 200 and up and are a great troubleshooting tool for a DIY person. I have used my camera to find leaks where I could not detect water from the roof until it ran down a wall and made a wet spot on sheetrock. I have used it for sealing up duct work, and for electrical inspections. Finding the location of the radient pipe work would be another great use for this tool. When the heat is running you would take a image and the hot zone will be where the pipe is. Based on the work I have used my camera for I believe you could pinpoint your pipes within a 1/4" or even closer depending on how thick the concrete is above the pipe.


Can I shim the top of an 6x6 post that is supporting a beam? I'll admit it - I cut a 6x6 fir post 7/8" too short. I don't relish buying a new one because of cost, it being the weekend, and the attachment to the base pier is with a knife-style simpson connection which took some time to get right. The fir is not pressure treated - it's an inside application. Can I safely cut a 7/8" slice off of the left over fir post and glue it in there with PL? The beam is being attached using 5" L brackets on either side.

If I was making a shim, I would not want the grain running the short way since it will tend to disintegrate under load and time.   Ideally 7/8 plywood, partly because it is harder wood... otherwise plane or rip 2x6 or two 2x4s to the desired thickness, or 1x6 if the thickness will suffice.  I would also glue and screw it.


Is this home electricity supply panel ready for a current-sensing energy monitor? I want to install an electricity usage monitor ("in-home display", IHD) so I can track my home energy consumption. I have seen there are some products, like this Watts Clever which use a sensor over the LED impulse indicator of the digital/"smart" electricity meter, and others like Efergy Engage or Smappee which use current-sensing clamps ("CT clamps") that clip onto the electrical supply wire(s).

I have only a naive familiarity with my home electrical supply. While I know I could install the first type of monitoring product myself (the home is equipped with a digital meter with impulse LED), it is the feature set of the second two (namely online monitoring) that I really want; but I'm not totally sure whether the existing hardware is the right kind for attaching CT clamps to. It's not worth it to me if I'll have to pay for an electrician to come out and do any rewiring to accommodate it.

Here is the layout of my home electrical meter cabinet/breaker box. (I'm in Australia and the supplier is ActewAGL, and I have only mains supply - no solar or self-generation/storage yet.)

So at the bottom is the row of breaker switches which isolate different parts of the house (not visible in photo: they are numbered according to the laminated sign); and in the upper right is the digital electricity meter that the utility reads to bill me for my consumption (and where I'd attach the impulse sensor for the first kind of monitor previously mentioned).

I'm tempted to think the thick exposed wire in the upper left is the main supply coming into the house and where I'd need to go to attach my CT clamp, but it's strange-looking and I'm not sure. Here's a closeup picture:

My questions:

What's the chunky translucent plastic thing doing? (I'm guessing a main fuse between the main supply and the house, or some kind of filter?)
Why two different colours of wire? (I'm guessing red is the supply side before the fuse and blue is the fuse-protected house side?)
Can I be confident I don't need an electrician to expose any wires for me/that this is the place for a CT clamp? If so, is there a preferred side of that plastic protrusion (colour of wire) to place the clamp?

You're right on the money

Yes, you have indeed found your main fuse in that clear plastic fuseholder.    I wouldn't make any guesses about the wire colors, but that's OK, because either side will work for clamping the CT onto it.  If you want to double check, simply detach the fuse-section from the fuseholder -- that should kill all power to the house if our theory here is correct.


No power to the GFCI at end of run The two GFCI in the kitchen at the end of a run had no power.  Took them out and noticed no voltage coming into the line run GFCI (so no power to end GFCI either).  The 15 amp circuit breaker for this run indicates that multiple non-GFCI outlets precede the two GFCIs at the end of the run. All of the non-GFCI outlets are working...   I am assuming the line feed from the last non-GFCI outlet prior to the GFCI has been lost (shorted)... if this is right how best to find the short?

If you have NO Voltage on Line In at the GFCI - and I am talking the PHYSICAL WIRE and not the receptacle plug - then given you have power at the preceding receptacle and not at the GFCI - you have an OPEN circuit.

That means the wire is not feeding power due to a open connection or broken connection on the preceding receptacle or on the 1st GFCI.

  Why you have the second GFCI I am not sure and ordinarily you would
  place the GFCI first in the line and all other circuits down line from
  the GFCI are protected no need for additional GFCI's in that circuit
  run.

I think there are also some issues with placing a secondary GFCI in line with an existing GFCI, either one or both GFCI's might not work properly.

If it is at the receptacle end where you are measuring no voltage - the GFCI has tripped. Given you have two at the end of the run - is the other one tripped ?


What are these wire connectors and where can I get replacements? The closest name I found from searching online is "crimp terminals", specifically the first I believe would be "female round crimp terminal" and the second "female right angle crimp terminal", however I am not sure if that is descriptive enough to ensure I can find and order the proper replacements.
These are from a Dyson vacuum if it helps. The wire itself is severed, so I was planning to purchase same gauge wire (AWG22) and the 2 terminals.

The first (2) photo's show a Female "Bullet" crimp connector. The third shows a Female "Spade" connector. Both are available on Amazon.
They are sized according to wire gauge; that is the color coded crimp connector's only accommodate certain wire diameter's.
You may want to consider that a new bullet connector may not fit securely enough to stay in place. You may want to consider soldering the wire at the break and wrapping it with shrink tube. I've made repairs similar to your's and had to reduce the opening of the new bullet to keep it secure.


LED bulbs flickering We have a multistory apartment building where the hallway lights were switched from CFLs to LEDs. These lights are continuously on.

Originally the LEDs were SATCO 15W bulbs. These lasted about a year before beginning to flash/blink/flicker.

They have been replaced with FEIT Electric 10W bulbs. These now last less than 30 days before flickering.

The flashing goes at maybe 5Hz for a minute before going solid again before eventually dying.

There is no dimmer switch on the circuit (common cause of LED flicker). Am not sure what to check. Is there not enough resistance in the circuit? (The 10W bulbs don’t last as long as the 15W bulbs)

Check the voltage at the lamps. If it is nominally 120 VAC, a bad neutral connection could cause variations well over that due to uneven splitting of the line voltage. The power supply in the LED might be overheating due to over-voltage.

Also check if there is heavy fiberglass insulation above the light fixture, preventing convection of heat from the lamps. A larger fixture, with a wider-diameter plate against the ceiling, might serve as a better heat sink.


How to turn off water to replace main shutoff on private well My mother is on well water. Her main shutoff vale is quite old and nearly impossible to turn. I'd be comfortable replacing it (probably soldering a new one, or for sure a compression fitting) but don't know what to do to stop the water before this main shutoff valve.

I read something about turning off power to the well pump? Assuming I can figure out what breaker that is, is that all I do, and then drain the lines at a low faucet?

Yes, turning off the breaker for the well pump and draining the lines will prevent the water from coming back on and re-pressuring the tank and lines.

I'd put a note on the breaker panel to "stay out" until you are done.


Can I terminate my dryer vent next to my gas meter? Background

I want to move my electric dryer. This involves moving the exhaust vent. This question is about where I can safely terminate the vent duct on the exterior of my home.

I already understand the requirements to use 4" rigid metal ducts, and the maximum lengths of ducts, and that bends in ducts deduct from the length calculation.

Again, my question is about exterior termination of the vent.

Research

The only building codes I could find regarding dryer vent termination were the  International Residential Code, which says:

Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building.
Exhaust duct terminations shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer’s installation instructions.

If the manufacturer’s instructions do not specify a termination location, the exhaust duct shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings.

Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper.
Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination.

Question

The easiest location to place the vent is right next to my home's gas meter. My questions are:

Is it safe to have my dryer vent exhausting next to (22" away from) the gas meter.

Would a gas leak at the meter be exacerbated by hot-moist-linty air?

Is it legal to have my dryer vent exhausting next to the gas meter.
What constitutes a building opening? There is a non-opening window nearby, does that count as an opening? Edit: It's not a window per se, it's made from glass bricks.

An opening under the building code would typically be a door or a window.
If you have a gas leak, the dryer vent nearby doesn't significantly increase the hazard of the gas leak, because the hazard of a gas leak is massive.

On the other hand, blowing hot moist air on a piece of equipment is more likely to create maintenance issues and routing a new installation is typically pretty easy, it's probably worth a little extra trouble to avoid venting directly onto the meter.


What are the safety concerns in running low voltage wire to LEDs behind a wall? I've been using some fairly cheap 22AWG wire for running between flexible LED strips and their transformers. Some 24V some 12V, but all well below the amperage rating for this gauge.
The wire says it's rated for 300V / 80ºC. I don't remember what it was sold as. It may even have been sold as speaker wire. It's the type with 2x separate insulated stranded cores.
So far this has all been over the surface and over fairly short distances. (2m or so) but I am now looking at doing a slightly longer run behind a wall. It would run for about 6m and partly would be between brick and skirting board, and in other parts behind plasterboard.
What do I need to consider (mainly with regards to safety and legality) when choosing wire for this job?
Are their specific standards, heat/voltage ratings or particular insulation materials that I should look out for / avoid?

Speaker wire works well for this, and you can get in-wall rated speaker wire, which usually has a 2nd common insulation around both insulated wires (like cat5). You can of course use regular mains-rated wiring in wall, but it's hard to tuck into tight spaces where you might want to hide an LED strip, and connecting to it legally takes a lot of space.
Buy stranded wire with flexible jacket materials like silicone to have an easier time "origami"-ing and hiding. You don't need oxygen free copper or anything fancy. Buy a bigger roll than you need; doubling the length is usually only 25-50% more up-front cost.
In terms of size for LED lighting, 20AWG is a good starting point for typical run lengths and a few watts. Subtract 1 gauge from 20 for every amp (12w/24w) to avoid voltage drop. So, if you need 6 amps, use 14AWG. This correlates decently to the recommended power transmission amp ratings. To be sure, that thickness is overkill in terms of fire safety but it provides voltage consistency to the strips, allowing you to very accurately match/correlate brightness levels by counting strip segments.


What are the “rules” for connecting different kinds mains electrical wires? Aluminum wires can't be connected directly to copper wires - otherwise the contact spot overheats badly, such connections should only go through steel connectors. I was rather surprised when I found that.

What other similar limitations to wire materials are there for wire connections? Can I connect anything to anything with the only exception of not connecting copper to aluminum?

There are aluminum to copper wire nuts available, like Ideals 30-16.  Basically it is a wire nut filled with NOLOX.  It is made mostly for mobile homes that have aluminum wire and updating devices that might have failed or if you want to change the color, etc...  They are not cheap, about over a couple of dollars each.  You can but them on the internet or at mobile home repair shops.

Never use wire nuts that are rated copper only.  If you do you are looking at a failure in the connection for sure.

EDIT - For larger cable (I just saw mains in your question) you can used al/cu rated split bolts.  Use plenty of NOLOX then wrap in rubber tape and then a good electricians tape, not the cheap black tape.

Do not use the copper split bolts, they are rated copper only.  Make sure the connector shows al/cu ratings on it.


How to put polyurethane on wood, one side at a time I am working on an acrylic-painted game board and am starting to put polyurethane on it to get a high gloss finish. But being that it is a game board, I think it needs to be put on one layer at a time so as to avoid any kind of marks from setting wet poly on a stand, which leads to my question: what is the proper method of putting polyurethane on the board one side at a time? Would I be better off completely finishing the top, and then start on the bottom? Or should I do the top, let it dry, then the bottom, for each coat?

Doesn't make any difference, really; the question is number of coats per surface, not order they're applied in.

The thing to watch out for is that there will be a tendency for drips to run down the edges and onto the other face. You may want to use masking tape or other techniques to guard against that, though going with multiple thin coats rather than fewer thick coats will also help (and is the better practice in any case).

(This is one advantage of HVLP spray—the atomized finish dries almost on contact, so it doesn't tend to run unless you seriously over-apply it.)


Need an extension cord with lever or magnetic switch I'd like to put an appliance in a tall pull out drawer in pantry.  Ideally I want it wired so that it only receives power if the drawer is pulled out - once the drawer is pushed in, power is cut to the appliance.

Thinking the easiest way to accomplish this is some sort of lever switch or magnetic switch in line on the extension cord that cuts power when engaged.

Any input appreciated.

First off, you're not going to want to use an extension cord for this.  This is all going to have to be done with an approved wiring method. So you'll want to used properly secured and supported wire, that's approved for permanent installation.

Depending on how much space is available, and if you can find a way to mount it.  A door jamb switch, would be one way to go. They're most commonly used, to turn lights on when closet doors open.

The other option, is to use a low voltage circuit to control the line voltage to the device.  With this approach, you'll need a transformer to step power down for the low voltage circuit.  You'll probably find 12V and 24V transformers easily. Then you'll need a relay that can switch the line voltage. You'll also have to make sure that the coil is rated at the low voltage you've chosen to use.

Make sure all you're connections are made in properly installed enclosures, and that all the wiring and devices are installed in accordance with their documentation and the NEC.


Negative Pressure relief duct work for home We have an issue where smoke from the fireplace is getting sucked back in another unused flue into the basement.  After trial an error I discovered that it was being cause by negative pressure, I can fix it by opening a window in the basement 3 to 4 inches.  When the window is opening the draft stops coming into the unused flue.

I had an HVAC contractor come out and he gave us a solution to install a 6" fresh air pressure relief duct work with a barometric backdraft damper.  He proposed ducting this from the outside directly into the cold air return of the furnace.  He then said when we have a fire to turn on the fan to circulate air.

My question is when this relief valve opens and brings cold air directly into the cold air return and the furnace isn't running won't this just circulate cold air throughout the house?  Shouldn't it be brought thru some kind of heat exchanger first then dumped into the cold air?

I purposed this question to him and he suggested turning on the furnace fan when having a fire to circulate the warm air from the fire to mix with the cold air that the relief valve is letting in.  Just doesn't sound right to me that the heat form the fire is enough to counter act the cold midwest air.

Does this sound correct?  Quote of material below.

  Install 6" fresh air pressure relief duct work, Includes galvanized
  wall hood with screen, barometric backdraft damper, 6" pipe and
  fittings, R-8 insulation, materials and labor.

When I add a make up air duct I usually do install it in the cold air return this usually filters prior to the air handler and conditions the air when the system is running.


Where is the ground wire on this light fixture controlled by a motion detector? I bought a Utilitech motion-activated floodlight 0072837. The installation instructions tell me to match up the white, black, and green (ground) wires to the house. I don't see any ground wire coming out of this light fixure. How would I ground it?

It looks like the fixture is plastic, so it's not likely you'll have to ground it.  The fixture strap (the brass color metal bits in the bag below the fixture in the photo) should have a threaded hole, where a green grounding screw can thread in.

Install a grounding screw in the threaded hole of the fixture strap, and attach the house grounding conductor to it.

I'm guessing the instructions included with the fixture are boilerplate documents, and are included with a variety of models.


Stop tap has no effect on water flow I am dealing with the fixture in the photo.  There are 2 water inlets, one for the washing machine, and one for a dish washer.  The bottom valve opens and closes the water flow to to the bottom pipe.  However, the top valve seems to have no effect whether open or closed and nothing but a drip comes out of this top pipe.  Everything was working a few days ago until i shut off the top valve to fit a new dishwasher.
The turning mechanism of the top valve seems very light and I am thinking perhaps it could have broken loose from the valve so that the valve is shut regardless of the position of the handle.  Is this feasible?
Would appreciate any pointers regarding the waterflow problem and how to resolve.
Thanks.

It's possible that the valve has failed or that something is blocking it.  At this point, your best bet would probably be to turn off the water upstream and remove the valve.  Watch for anything that might have come loose from somewhere and clogged it up.  You should also be able to shine a flashlight in one end and see the light looking in the other.  When the valve is open, you see some light, and closing the valve darkens the side opposite the flashlight.  If moving the valve has no effect, you would likely benefit from replacing it.


Composite deck stair overhang vs. flush I am installing composite decking stair and I found there are two ways to do it:

One inch overhang:

Flush and show fascia edges:

What are the pros and cons of each method? I tend to go with the second one for the fact that I have a bunch of groove decking boards. I don't want to show the groove at the edges so having fascia boards to cover is nice. Of course, I could buy the non-groove ones but that's taking more time to order / delivery and shipping cost.

Thanks.

UPDATE

I just measured the height of the step (with the decking board below) and it varies. Since the length is like 20 feet, I see it's ranging from 6.25" to 6.75". That means I have to cut the fascia board regardless of which method anyways. For the overhand method (Option 1), it might be better looking to hide larger gap below the overhang I guess.

Either method is fine so it becomes a matter of taste and skill.

The first method is the overhang bullnose style, which is the most common. I believe you are using the Trex style grooved decking that utilizes the invisible clips. The grooved boards are definitely not what you want to use for the bullnose or any outside edge, as the grooves will show. You need the standard radius edge boards for those exposed pieces.  They may be in stock at your supplier. One major advantage is that two pieces usually makes a perfect 11 inch tread and installation is very easy and any mitered corners fit well together. Don't forget to use some glue and thin SS finish screws to keep corners tight.

The second method of flush mitered edges is very difficult to build correctly. All edges of the treads and risers should be rip mitered. Exposed ripped edges look terrible.  If you have ever tried to rip long lengths of Trex, you will find it is a lot more difficult than it looks. Cut edges of Trex can be very rough if you don't use a sharp 60 to 80 tooth blade, not at all like cutting wood with an 80 tooth blade to get a smooth edge. Trex is unforgiving if you wobble a little or pause during the feed through the saw. Trex does not sand well at all, so any imperfections cannot easily be sanded out without harming the sheen or texture of the finished, exposed side of the Trex. Long mitered edges can be very difficult to make fit tightly. You will have to glue and use lots of finish nails to keep the joint tight and free of gaps.  Another consideration is that because Trex is fairly soft, mitered corners are susceptible to chipping and denting.

I think you are seeing that my opinion is to use the bullnose method over the flush method when using Trex or any composite, flexible decking.


What are wrenches called that are just cut out of steel flats? There are wrenches that are used to get into tight spaces that are just flat pieces of metal with a hexagonal hole cut out of them. Often they come with things like table saws and are used to move the arbor nut and change the blade.
Is there are a name for this type of wrench?

While I agree that when applied to bicycle maintenance these are called "cone wrenches", in general they're simply "thin open-end wrenches" or "tight-clearance wrenches".


Inaccessible crawl space I'm in the process of buying a home. I had it inspected by a home inspector and a termite guy. They found that the part of the crawl space under the kitchen was too low to the ground to access. They said that anything could be in there since they couldn't get into it to see.

My real estate agent says many houses have inaccessible crawl space areas. She seems to think its not a big deal. Should I be concerned? How would I know if I had termites down there, and how could they be treated?

If you can't crawl in it, it isn't a crawl space - PERIOD.

This isn't an alarming issue.  But you should try to look at it in whatever way you can.  Floors that low to the ground can have dry rot, retain water and can create thermal issues in some climates.  It really depends if it was done right and insulated.

Now if I were buying a home I would almost treat this like a slab.  Know that you may need to tear up the floor to move electrical and plumbing in the future.  Inherently this is a bad thing and should make you think about the value of the home but it certainly isn't a deal-breaker when buying a house.  (Mike Holmes would tell you to dig it down and pour concrete - but it just needs to be insulated really)


What can cause an electric water heater to stop working? Last night my electric water heater stopped working and I'd like to figure out whats wrong with it before going off and calling a repair service.

What are some things I can do to troubleshoot this? So far I've:

Did a quick check and it isn't isolated to a single room.
Checked the water heater for leaks, but everything appears normal.
Checked the breaker and it was not tripped. I also flipped it off and back on and that also had no effect.

Update:

I broke out my multi-meter and did some further testing:

I tested the breaker itself. It is working properly.
I tested the heating elements for resistance. Both read ~12/12.5 ohms
No power is going to either element (actually, there is but its < 1v)

A few things to check:

First check the boiler - is it heating water? Does your hot water tank contain hot water? If not, it could be the heating element, a fuse or part of the heater circuit.
If you have a timer controlling the boiler, check it is working- does the relay trigger as it should?
If that is all working but you aren't getting hot water to your rooms, next check your zone valves to see whether they open and close correctly.
Can you hear your water pump?
Have you tried bleeding your radiators?
Do you have thermostats in the house? Check they are working- usually a click as they trigger at the set temperature.


Code question: Can electric range outlet with 6 Gage wire be exposed under surface mount box? I am in the USA.
I want to change my propane stove to an electric stove.
I have read that I should put in a 50 amp outlet with 6 gauge wire.
The employee at the big-box store said I could make it easy on myself by using a surface mount box and run the wire up through the floor. Most likely, through the hole that will be left behind when I remove the gas line.
I asked if the wire needs to be protected in some fashion like with conduit.
He stated and it was not because it was not that far off the ground.
What is allowed via NEC codes?
Thanks
PS is 50 amp code on new construction for range rough in ?

NM, UF and SE all have specs in different chapters, but generally are all similar to the NM requirement in 2017 NEC 334.15(B) that "Cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by ..."
Unfortunately "where necessary" isn't well defined in the Code and is mostly up to the interpretation of the inspector. Generally a surface receptacle installed two inches off the floor, behind the range (like the instructions posted in the comments above) would not normally raise to that level if the existing hole lined up with the zone required by the stove. If it doesn't line up you could create a situation where damage is possible and protection would be needed if you don't drill a new hole. Some jurisdictions (like Chicago) have adopted additional requirements that require conduit, you can normally find local ordinances online.
Actually the code doesn't specify the exact size of circuit for a range, but the circuit has to have adequate capacity for the range used. For greater than 99% of electric residential ranges #6 copper 4-wire cable and a 50 amp breaker would normally satisfy the requirements for the range. Sometimes a 40A breaker is called out as required or allowed, but a 50A (NEMA14-50) receptacle is still used with a 40A breaker since NEMA hasn't designated a 40A configuration.


What are the guidelines for drilling holes through rim or band joists? I'd like to bore a 8" hole through 2"x12" rim joist. The hole will be used for a downdraft kitchen vent. Is that 8" hole size ok and up to code?

There are guidelines for boring holes and notches in regular joist, however, are there any guidelines or codes for drilling holes in rim or band joists?

I have never seen an issue with cutting through a band joist. HVAC guys will gut a whole section with reckless abandon, so it seems. If you are not cutting into the joists, you will be fine. I never had an inspector cite a band joist not being cut properly.

It might be wise to make the hole so there are at least 2 joists at least on one side of the cut. The band joists are to stabilize the end of the joists.

I would make the hole larger than 8" for an 8" duct. 8 1/4" minimum. All this assumes the band joist is fully supported by a foundation wall and is not spanning over an area as in going from pier to pier...


Levelling across multiple garden grids or concrete path tiles I'm trying to create a level, sturdy space outdoors, where I can ultimately set up a heavy workbench with various tools. This needs to be 2.5m wide, and 1.0-1.2m deep, giving sufficient area to both place the heavy workbench and to move around it on solid and steady footing. I can however only put up a temporary structure in the garden space.

Plan A has been to fill the area with self-levelling concrete at 10cm deep. This would make for a 500kg slab of concrete which, while level and sturdy, might need to be removed later.

Plan B is to use garden grids filled with gravel, on pre-tamped-and-levelled ground, or use prefab 1x1 foot slabs from the hardware store, fitting them together (though I don't like their bevelled edges as they will cause me to trip at some stage when I am focused on something more important and/or hazardous). I would then need to level across several of these "tiles", so hopefully a long spirit level would work. But Plan B means the surface is trivial enough to remove.

Having never levelled before: Is it likely I'll get a level surface just using unbonded garden grids or small concrete slabs, put together? I'd think their being individual would cause them to slowly settle in different ways, over time, even after serious initial tamping, thus creating an uneven surface.

I am hearing that you have checked the regulations and want to push the boundaries and if you get caught be able to easily remove all your work.

First and foremost you NEVER want a level ground in the out of doors.  You have to know where every drop of water that lands on your property will travel to.  I AM an expert with grading and drainage.  I taught that class in an accredited Landscape Architecture Program, University of Idaho.

What is the percentage of non-permeable surface you are allowed on your property? What slopes are you dealing with?  How close to your home's foundation will you be augmenting?

Gravel is a wonderful surface, I kid you not.  Crushed gravel, not pea gravel compacted is way cool but still has very little permeability.  I got a feeling you've looked into this, excellent, but tell me how much permeability you've already used up and how much more you want to add.  You can do this without permits but if your neighbors aren't great friends, they will turn you in for anything you do.  Thus worrying about taking up concrete or pavers or slabs or even deck would explain your worries.  There are a few ways around these rules but I'd have to know lots more information.  Or I could give you options that would allow you to sleep at night.

The reason they do this is sort of obvious.  Such as making perfectly level surfaces out of doors is just wrong.  If your property doesn't allow for water to get back into the water table because you've got it all concreted or covered with impermeable surfaces, you are only allowing water to gather and gouge and run amok through your city or residential area.  If everyone did what they wanted with their property we'd be in big trouble.  Be nice if the city would educate WHY the rules are in place!

Here is the answer to a perfectly level out of doors workspace; The ground below the gravel is SLOPED.  Above that the gravel is compacted to level and the 2 inches of sand is compacted to level...try to make at least a 1% slope for your pavers.  I need to learn to draw on this internet.  Using just words is tough. The area you need is not that big of a deal.  Don't mess with grids all you need are the cmu concrete modular units in paver sizes (2X7X9 inches) with their plastic edging.  Hard plastic you pound into the soil with huge spikes...not railroad spikes but this stuff holds your pavers in solidly.  No spaces in between pavers!  They should be 2 inches thick no thinner.  This makes a CMU paver.  4" compacted gravel (5/8 minus at the most) with 2" mason sand compacted then laying your pavers using the edging.  Wonderful surface.  Just be aware, most municipalities have rules for impermeable surfaces.

I love concrete. But pavers are far far more superior!  Look for 'Roman Cobble'. 4" of gravel, 2" of sand, make the subsoil with a slope, edge with 2X6 pressure treated lumber and you will LOVE this surface! Don't use any other color than dove gray with a small percentage of dark gray for your pavers.  It is up to you but there is not another color for concrete pavers or walls or any structure in the garden that works as well as dove gray.  Perhaps a bright blue painted something or other but you want your hardscape to blend in...all dove gray and the plants pop out like crazy.


Mystery connector search To fix a bookcase built by my dad who died last year, I am looking for the nylon or plastic connector that he used. They consist of a threaded dowel 3” by1/2” and threaded inserts 1”-wide insert for the 1/2”-threaded nut.  They works really well making bookshelves with the inserts in the shelf boards and in the spindles.  However, I have been unable to find anywhere.
Any suggestions?

I would call those fluted dowel pins. I use a similar style of pre made dowels. Finding that exact model may take some time but give fluted dowel pins or rods and that should get you close.


How to install new chandelier when impossible to fish wires? . Want to run a brown external wire to point where I can hang chandelier.  I can’t cut thru beams.  Any suggestions for where to find wiring, etc.

Assuming you have wires from where the green line starts, this should be simple enough, provided you're OK with some wires showing.

You'll want to buy

A heavy-duty (fan rated) metal fixture box (octagon) and screws to mount it into the top beam. I would suggest you buy a box with clamps built in
If you didn't buy the box with clamps, buy a NM clamp that fits the knockouts
Finally, buy the proper size wire in armored cable, as well as clamps to secure the wire to the beam

If you're wanting to add a switch, buy a surface mount metal box, switch, and switch cover


Do I need a pro-grade carpet cleaner? I have a 3000+ sq-feet two-story house and over the time the carpets upstairs and in the basement reach a point that cleaning is required. I looked around and eyed on these two products:

A pro-grade Bissell product
A cheaper Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Washer

Given the price difference I can only presume the former is better, but the specs didn't tell too much why is that, except that it has longer power cord and much heavier.

I'd like to know if I indeed need a pro-grade cleaner? Does it do a better job, for example it's capable of cleaning really touch stains while the cheaper one can't?

Personally, given those two options, the size of the area, and the children, I would go with the pro-grade (Bissell).

Why?

Area: You plan to carpet clean a large area. The commercial/pro-grade carpet cleaners have an advantage here in their tank capacity which means fewer trips to fill and dump water.
Warranty: Heavy duty items tend to have longer warranties because they are generally built to withstand more use. The Bissell's warranty is 5 years versus the 2 year Hoover.
Satisfaction: The Bissell's overall review is a good deal better than the Hoover's.

Factors that might make you want the non-pro-grade cleaner instead:

Weight: Pro-grade clears will be heavier than the regular cleaners. They normally have large wheels at the back so you can take them up steps, but that is not as convenient  as a light weight model. So, if you have any sort of limitation in regards to lifting, the pro model may not be right for you.
Cost: Pro-grade models are always more expensive up-front. In the long run, you hope it's cheaper, but warranties and product life are a bit of a gamble.


How do you hang something on sheetrock where there is a plastic stud? When hanging an L bracket, I ran a test drill to see if there was a stud.  I hit what I thought was the stud but it turns out to be a plastic stud.  How do I anchor through the sheetrock?  My screw will not pierce the plastic stud.

How old is the building you are working in? Only a very new one might have (ecostud.com/product_details.html ) plastic framing studs. More likley you have drilled into a plastic pipe. If your water is on and you haven't noticed a leak you have drilled into a drain line or a plumbing vent stack. If it was my house I would cut a small opening in sheet rock at that very same location to verify what you have drilled into and if it is in fact a pipe open the wall enough to repair the hole in the pipe.

Please let us know what you find.
And if it is a stud made of plastic explain why a screw would not pierce it.  Studs are after all supposed to be accepting of dry wall screws regardless of what they are made of.


What can I do about a spot of rotten floor where I need to put in one of my toilet bolts when replacing a wax ring? I am replacing the wax ring on my toilet. I put one of the bolts in it's slot on the floor flange and it sunk in through the floor. The rest of the floor seems to be ok. It is in an older mobile home. Is there a simple fix for this soft spot?

Mobile home floors are almost all chipboard of some kind. If you leave this damage it's only going to get worse and possibly soon now that it's rotten in the centre. I have come across a number of mobiles like this and I always carefully cut out a square around the toilet flange, remove the rotten piece and brace the edges underneath with plywood, then replace the rotten piece with 5/8 plywood. Works every time.


What is the most efficient process for replacing water heater T&P relief valve and flushing water heater? A home built in 2007 will come under new ownership. It is unknown whether previous owners maintained the water heater properly. Home inspector said that the water heater temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve should be replaced. New owner would like to replace that, and in addition, he would like to flush the water heater.

What is the most efficient process for both replacing the T&P relief valve and flushing the water heater (i.e., at once, rather than on two separate occasions)?

Turn off the water heater at its controls. Close the gas valve to the water heater (WH) or shut off power to it. Open the hot water faucet at the kitchen sink and tub or shower in order to purge all the hot water in the tank, let it run until it is cold, and then shut of all the faucets you opened. Go to the WH and shut off the water supply valve to the water heater.

Drain the WH by attaching a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the WH and running it outside or to a floor drain or a drain that is below the level of the WH, then open the WH drain valve so that water can drain out of the WH through the hose. You will need to break the vacuum by opening the T&P valve (if it is funtional) or the faucets in the house which will allow water to drain out. It will take some time for all the water to drain out.

Once it is empty you can replace the T&P valve (this would be a good time to replace the anode rod). Then, reverse the whole process.

Close the drain valve, remove the hose, and open the supply valve so water will start to fill the WH. Leave the faucet open so all the air in the line will be pushed out (there will be air in lines at all faucets but you can bleed them out later). Once water is flowing and air is expelled, inspect the T&P valve for leaks. You can then turn the power on (for electric WH) or gas back on and relight the pilot (for gas WH).


Is it possible to remove tile that is the third layer of flooring on top of asbestos tiles? We are planning on tearing out our upstairs bathroom and relocating it so we make room for an extra bedroom. The bathroom is in really bad shape: last remodel was in the late 80's, but at some point since then a tile floor (that super cheap, really ugly 1.5"X1.5" square, ivory, box store crap) was put on top of some hideous linoleum which is on top of intact asbestos. My house is 110 years old. Yep. Three layers of flooring. Typical I guess.

Obviously, adding yet another layer is unacceptable. Besides the weight issue (I would think), our plan would eliminate the wall between the hall and the (former) bathroom leaving an almost 3" difference in height in what would be the middle of the room. Adding more flooring to the hall area is just stupid and would make our already low ceilings (it's a 3/4 story upstairs) seem lower.

Is it feasible to remove the tile (at least) and it's subfloor (1/8 inch unidentified substrate) without disturbing the asbestos? I can deal with covering the linoleum layer with a new 3rd layer of carpeting or laminate but refuse to put a 4th layer of flooring in this area. Ideally, I'd like to also remove the 2nd layer (linoleum and plywood) and just have to deal with re-encapsulating the asbestos, but I am willing to take what I can get here.

I really can't afford to even think about abatement. My budget is already maxed out w/the plumbing necessary for this project.

For clarification, the floor layers in the bathroom are as follows from the top down: ceramic tile (thinset), 1/8" subfloor, linoleum, 1/4" plywood, asbestos, asbestos containing adhesive (I presume based on age of the house and typical installation), subfloor of unknown thickness/type.

I have 4 children (12, 7, 5, and 1.5) in the house, so safety is a priority, but like I said, I have a budget and I can't spend it all on an all out abatement project. I just want to know if I can expect to have less than 4" of flooring when this project is done.

The recommended procedure for linoleum asbestos is to encapsulate it.  Assuming it was properly encapsulated before the previous flooring were placed down, you should be able to rip out the tile down to the upper layer or non-asbestos linoleum without problem.


How to mount a 60 amp 2 pole 240 volt non-fused switch Got a Siemens 60-amp switch (LNFC222R) that's for a pottery kiln. One side of the switch will have a #6 Cu NMD90 wired to it and will go to the sub-panel, running through studs, just like the 14-2 wire in the picture. The other side of the switch will be wired to the kiln.

It's in a shed.  There are currently no walls and the studs are exposed.

Question:

How do I mount the switch?  Supposing I want to pass an inspection, do I need to cover the wall?  If I mounted the switch over a wall covering, how would the #6 Cu wire pass through the box and into the wall?  Does it need protection?  There is a knock out in the back of the box, but supposing I put up drywall and mount the box on top of it, I can't run the wire through the drywall because it's a combustible.

If I mount the switch between the studs, fine.  Easy peasy.  But say I want to finish the shed and put up drywall or cement board.  I could cut a hole that the switch fits through, but the box doesn't seem to be designed to be inset (so to speak) into the wall, given the way the cover opens.

Pictures show where we want to put it.

Thanks for the help.

Danny

Those switches are designed for surface mount, the operator or handle needs to be open. In the US that Romex will need to be covered below 8’ not just the kiln but the existing wire to the light switch.
Code allows for 1/2” sheetrock or plywood to protect the cables in the walls.
I would use plywood to mount the switch especially if you will be regularly cycling the switch.

The knockout in the back of the box can be used but you will want at least a 3/4” clamp I usually use 1” clamps with #6 4 wire cables because 3/4” is really tight and some brands do not fit 3/4”.  The clamp secures the wires and protects the insulation from the sharp edges of the knockout hole.