Is a ground required when replacing an old single pole single throw switch? I need to replace a switch that controls a single light source in a bathroom.

The switch has two wires connected to it.  I bought a replacement switch that has two screws (one for each wire), and a green ground screw.

Is it OK to connect just the two wires to the new switch and have the green ground screw unconnected?

This is not a remodel.  Just trying to replace a switch that's broken.

EDIT: strangely, I didn't see a ground screw on the original switch.  Was this permissable at some time?

EDIT 2: Picture as requested.  The left switch is for a light source and is the broken one.  Right switch is for a fan.  The two switches are on the same circuit.  The outlet is on a separate circuit.

I can't tell if the box is metal.  It seems plastic but could be painted metal I suppose.

EDIT 3: With switches and outlet pulled out.

Because you are replacing the switch, not installing a new switch, you can get away without a ground. You should install a nonconducting, noncombustible faceplate though.

NEC 2008
404.9 (B) Exception.  Where no means exists within the snapswitch enclosure for connecting to the equipment grounding
conductor or where the wiring method does not include or provide an
equipment grounding conductor, a snap switch without a connection to
an equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted for replacement
purposes only. A snap switch wired under the provisions of this
exception and located within reach of earth, grade, conducting floors,
or other conducting surfaces shall be provided with a faceplate of
nonconducting, noncombustible material or shall be protected by a
ground-fault circuit interrupter.

If you were installing a new switch, you would be required to provide an equipment grounding conductor at the outlet. And the switch would have to be properly grounded, in accordance with the National Electrical Code (NEC).
There was a time when an equipment grounding conductor was not required at each outlet, so it's fairly common to come across this situation (especially when working in older homes).  You'll often see exceptions like this written into codes, so as not to require a full rewire just to replace a switch.
New info, Better answer
If you are replacing a switch a ground is not required, as per the above exception. However, if you're installing a switch; replacement or otherwise, into a metal box that is grounded. The switch will be ground via the devices yoke and mounting screws. So if the metal box is grounded, the switch is also grounded.
If the box is nonmetallic, and there are other grounded devices within the same enclosure. You can ground the new switch using a jumper between the switches grounding screw, and the other devices grounding screw.  Just keep in mind, that you can't terminate two conductors under a single screw terminal. So if you do this, you'll have to use pigtails to make the connection between the devices.


How is garbage disposal installation different in a sink without an existing disposal? I'm planning on buying a garbage disposal for a sink that does not currently have one. All of the installation instructions I have found assume that I would be replacing a garbage disposal rather than installing one in a sink that only has a drain.

Will installing in a sink without an old garbage disposal require any additional skills, equipment, or parts beyond an ordinary replacement? What installation steps, if any, will be different?

Most installation kits will come with the replacement sink basket that the disposer will mount to.  You'll need plumber's putty to seal the basket as you install it.  Typically it is just a nut or snap ring.

Some of the drain pipes will need to be rearranged to connect to the offset outlet on the disposer.  This is basic plumbing, and with patience an a few trips to a hardware store can generally be done.  Do not permanently remove the waste trap.  The work can difficult without experience, consult a good book on plumbing or hire a licensed plumber.  You will also need electrical power and a switch for the unit, which may require a licensed electrician.

Also sewer districts have been making rulings about the use of disposers in their jurisdictions.  Some encourage their use, most are starting to discourage or ban units.


Barn Door with no header I want to install a barn door across the opening to the master bathroom. There is no header and I don't mind there being an open area above the door for extra air flow. What is the best way to do this? Also the 2 walls are not perfectly square. They are off about +/- 1/2". Any thoughts?

I suppose "no header" would mean that it's a passageway, clear from floor to ceiling, rather than having a foot and a half of wall overhead as a doorway would. Rather than saying the walls aren't "square," maybe it would be more clear to say there's a jog or offset between the walls on either side of the passage -- they aren't collinear.

Mounting a barn door here shouldn't be terrible. Barn doors hang from and slide along an overhead track. Choose one with a track that looks stiff enough it won't deflect sideways nor sag in the span across the passageway.

The offset between the two walls can be dealt with by shimming. Blocks or a strip of wood could be mounted to the "background" wall to create a surface about the same depth as the "foreground" wall; then the door hardware could be mounted to those blocks on the one side and directly to the wall on the other side. That's just one idea. It might be possible to use thicker blocks on one wall and thinner blocks on the other so as to keep some consistency on both sides. Or maybe the track mounting hardware for the specific door you'll choose would be adjustable so that the space between the door slab and the wall is adjustable. If so, simply adjust it far from the wall on one side and near to the wall on the other side.


How do I increase the pressure in my sprinkler system that runs off a well? I'm trying to build a sprinkler system for my large yard.  I've set up 2 zones each one with 8 heads being supplied by a 2HP well pump.

I'm using 1" pipe everywhere.

The first zone works fine and the well maintains about 70PSI; the second zone, which is about 20 yards longer than the first and also has 8 heads, works but the well pump is cycling.

I'm guessing that the problem is that with the longer line, I don't have enough pressure to push enough water through.

If I split the 2nd zone line into two with 4 heads on each line, would that work?  Each line would be shorter but I'm not sure that would make any difference.

Any advice?

"Cycling" in a pressure system is generally when the pump is turning on and off too quickly. Pressure systems are specifically designed so that the pump runs up to its maximum pressure, then you use water from the pressure tank, until it reaches the minimum pressure, at which point the pump turns back on and runs until it reaches the maximum.

The recommended minimum run-time for a 1-2HP pump is usually 2 minutes. How you get to that is based on the flow rate of the pump, and the size of the tank.

Based on your 150gallon tank, and not knowing your flow (in gallons per minute, GPM), based on this tool here's some example flows/times:

16GPM: 3 minutes
20GPM: 2.5 minutes
24GPM: 2 minutes

As you can see, the higher the flow rate, the shorter the pump will run.

In your case, it sounds like one zone is basically matching the flow rate of the pump (you could verify this by watching the pressure gauge while it's running, it should be fairly steady). While this may reduce pump starts, if you use water elsewhere at the same time, your pressure will drop and the pump will not be able to keep the pressure as high.

Now, the flow rate the pump puts out depends on a couple things, most importantly: the pump itself (and now many stages it has), and the depth to the water level. Each submersible pump will have a chart showing the flow rates at different depths, so you'll need to find your model and the water level to figure this out. Here's an example though, using a 2HP pump I found while running at 60psi (depth to water: flow rate):

20ft: 23.9 GPM
60ft: 22.7 GPM
100ft: 21.3 GPM

At first glance, this seems fine. My guess right now is that your first zone matches the flow rate of the pump, while the second zone is simply a lower flow rate than the pump. It's no problem, things are designed to work this way.

If you really want to reduce the cycling, you can hook up a bigger or a second pressure tank. This will give you more capacity, and so the pump will run longer, but it will also stay off longer while you use water stored in the tanks.

Now, if you had fast cycling (eg, <2 minutes run time) or "rapid cycling" (a couple seconds of runtime), then that would indicate a problem with the pressure tank. Normally the tank should be pre-pressurized at 2psi below your cut-off (low) pressure point - so in your case 43psi. To check this, you'll have to turn off your pump and let the water drain out (open a tap somewhere). You can top it up with a normal air compressor.


How is ground wire handled on 240V outlet? I'm in the process of moving 240V outlet. The outlet has three wires connected.
See the image:

In the junction box I can see the ground coming out of the outlet.
See the image:

So where is the ground wire inside the outlet? I'd like to know how this is handled.
Update: for some reason I didn't notice ground attached to the neutral. But it is there

Then I noticed a orange label and found the instruction:

So I wired the stove cord according to the code:

Measured all the connections with the voltmeter and all is now set up correctly. Thanks to everyone!

That outlet looks like a NEMA 10-20 or 10-50 and is an ungrounded outlet.  There are two 120V hot lines and one neutral.

This is an old outlet type and is no longer permitted in new installations.


Identifying well water filter Just moved into a new home with well water and it looks like I have two types of filters.  No identifying labels so I'm a little confused about what is what.  In my previous home, I just had a plain sediment filter.  This new setup looks like a sediment filter -- odd that it would have opaque cover though -- and some three-phase filter with pressure gauges.

All of those are sediment (or possibly carbon) filters.

Three of them in a row is common for having increasing levels of filtration, eg: 20 micron -> 5 micron -> 1 micron.  This captures bigger particles earlier, which increases the longevity and effectiveness of the smaller filters.

The pressure gauges give you an idea of which filters are getting clogged so you know what to replace.

There's no functional difference between opaque, translucent and clear filter housings -- it's just a different design. Arguably with the clear housings you can see how "dirty" the filter is, but practically speaking, it's much more useful to have pressure gauges. A filter that looks "dirty" may still be quite effective, while one that still looks fairly new may actually be clogged internally and need to be changed.


Best Way to Extend 30A 120v circuit over 300 feet? I have an old barn to which i'd like to provide electricity.

The problem is that the barn is about 300 feet away. I understand that voltage drop over 300 feet is fairly significant. Buying thicker wire to accomodate voltage drop of that magnitude may be very costly, and I'd have to figure out how to terminate the end in the panel at such a thick gauge.

Is using a transformer at both ends a viable/smart solution?
Would using two conductors in parallel be a better or safer option?

How is something like this done normally?

Concentric-Neutral cable is relatively inexpensive and is intended for direct-burial. Personally, I'd be getting the 2 AWG stuff but that may be more money than you want to spend.

Note that you will need to drive ground rods at the barn. Two rods a minimum of 6 feet apart should be good.

Be sure to both bury it deep enough and put a pressure-treated board over top of the cable before you pile the dirt back on top.


Installing Spigot Upside Down and Close to Ground I live in a trailer and am debating attempting to put a hose outside/on the side.

A few considerations:

I have no plumbing experience
It gets -40 where I live in the Winter

I have read great things about PEX & "Push Connectors" which made me think I can tackle the project, but my main concern is the spigot near ground.

I plan on shutting off the water each winter just FYI.

Question:

Is it safe to put the drain-cock spigot connector near ground? I'm talking within 6"
I was concerned with "akwardness" as well and wondered about installing the spigot upside down so the connector is facing upwards. Does anybody see any issues with that?

Drain Cock w/ Spigot

Similar DIY Post:

options-for-replacing-an-at-grade-hose-bibb

Here is my shopping list so far if you see any issues:

Ball Vavle w/ Drain
House Mount
Hose
PEX Connectors (Not even sure I'll need this, but I'll get them in case)
PEX Pipe
PEX Cutter
Is there anything I'm missing? I hate starting a project and missing a tool, seems to happen every time!

The only thing left is for me to look at the setup downstairs and figure out how I can "T" off of it.

[Update]

This is in a mobile home park.

Thought I'd share what I ended up doing. I tore out all the copper pipe "main line" and replaced with plastic pipe. I added a "T" and then installed an 18" frost free silcock basically at grade. I added heat-tape and insulation on the inside, now I'm just debating on if I need to cover the valve in the winter (perhaps with a simple box?). I don't usually do what I did above (post multiple questions), so I created a new thread with that simple question --> Frost Free Silcock - At Grade - Problem in Winter?. I'm also debating on not shutting off the water on the inside (I did install a Ball Valve with a drain right by the "T"), but worry about heat tape on an empty pipe. Thinking about it, I doubt that would be an issue as CPVC is rated like 200F, but the point of posting the question was to get feedback :).
In regards to the "awkard angle". I will be digging out a bit under the bib to allow for the hose attachment and having it at the "proper" angle.
Thanks for all the tips!


What types of filing tool is more suitable for this task I have a screw that is stuck on a metal plate. What type of filing tool will be suitable to file the screw head so that it change from round to square shape?

For a small screw, a warding file with a flat edge. For a larger screw a normal flat metal file with a flat edge.

By flat file I mean one with a rectangular cross section. These usually have cutting teeth on the larger "face" sides. The thinner edges usually have one narrow edge with teeth and one narrow edge that is a smooth "safe" edge without any teeth. You can buy these at any DIY/hardware store.

This assumes the screw is a normal unhardened steel or brass machine screw of modest size.

A fairly common way to remove stubborn, seized, corroded or damaged screws is heat, penetrating oil and a "screw extractor"


How can i repair a nail head size leak on a vertical cast iron sewer pipe in my basement House was built in 1958, the pipe is in good shape except for the small rusting now leaking nail size spot. I tried rustoleum, that is not helping. will epoxy work?

Epoxy is unlikely to make a lasting repair. What you need is a pipe repair clamp, which is a stainless steel band with a rubber gasket inside it - the "in place repair" type have a beveled overlapping edge so the clamp can be opened up and slipped onto the pipe, then clamped in place to seal the leak. They look similar to the "hubless coupling" clamps but those typically use a gasket that needs to have the pipe cut to slip onto it.


Sewer odor from basement floor drain I'm experiencing strong "sewer odors" coming from one of the basement drains. This is an old house (meaning the basement floor drains don't have an elbow bend and instead run straight down / there is no p-trap), but the strong odor is only present at one of three drains--which happens to be right by the furnace.

The rest of the plumbing in the house is new (just over 1 year), and the smell hasn't been an issue until the past month or so. Temperatures are still in the 30-50s range.

I'd gotten some "septic helper" at Home Depot, and was looking at ordering some active enzymes, but was not sure if they'd remain in the area long enough, or would be quickly whisked through.

Pouring water into the drain helps a little, but it's a daily exercise to even keep pace.

Basically, I'm not sure what to do to treat the root cause of the issue, and keep the odors from making me gag.

Any help would be appreciated!

Just cover or seal it since it's not being used for anything. If it has a screw-down grate you can take that up & punch the screws through even just a plastic lid or its portion & screw the old cover back down for a solid seal...coffee container lid, peanut can lid, etc.

The Home Improvement stores also have plumbing plugs for most sizes of pipe, which are more permanent & better sealing. They expand as you turn the wing-nut to lock into the pipe fairly well. Plug all 3 drains so the house can't fill with either methane or just stink at any time.


Siemens Spring Clip and Bus Bar not compatible! According to a Siemens customer service. He checked his stock too and it's like that, and it was supposed to be normal. Is it really normal to have the spring clip and bus bar stab only having electrical contacts at the bottom? He wrote:
"I have checked older GFCI 20amp 2 pole breaker that has same structure that you show & fits the same as your photos indicate. The surface contact of the breaker contacts to the load center stabs seems to be sufficient & has not changed and there have been no reports of failures."

In 1998 and 2010. Siemens QP were recalled due to one reported failure. So do they have to expect smoke and fire before it is considered as one report? Does anyone who have accessed to more knowledgeable Siemens engineers please ask them about this. Harper? Thanks.

This is a more scientific test. I used a feeler gauge blade and inserted the thinnest (size 0.0015") in between the bus bar and spring clip:

You can see only the contacts at the bottom of the spring clips and bus bar are connected. This is the same in all sides. Do you still agree that there is no problem? This can cause arcing, heat, burning, and fire. I think Siemens made a mistake. Their regular QP breakers fit perfectly (You can't insert any blade in any part).

How do I take this to the attention of Siemens? Their customers service said the breaker is a listed as compatible with the enclosure based on the literature but actual examination didn't support it.

@samzun - very frustrating, it seems like you're doing your homework and still you have this problem.  It's very good that you caught it though.

I can only see three possibilities:

Someone at Siemens made a mistake confirming compatibility of this
breaker.  I do not believe this to be the case, but Siemen's web
site and literature are not really helpful.  If this is the case,
I'd expect Siemens to provide the correct breaker.
The breaker is
defective.  (Since other breakers fit, I doubt the panel bus is
defective.)  Again I'd expect a warranty replacement either from the
retailer or the manufacturer.
The breaker is a counterfeit.  You
might get a refund from the retailer, but I'd bring it to Siemens
attention.  Siemens and other manufacturers are very interested in
stopping counterfeiters.  See this document from Siemens: Counterfeit
Circuit Breakers: A Growing Threat

If I can make a suggestion, in this and other questions, you are struggling quite a bit working with your panel bus.  It might make more sense to use DIN rail mountable breakers which are commonly used in Europe.  There's no bus with this system.  This seems to me a much easier way to retrofit GFCI protection with your panel.  For example look at the Eaton QPGF2030 or QPHGF2030 breakers.


GFI Leviton LB115-DS Testing at outlet with GCFI Tester We're purchasing a new construction home and had an inspection done on it. The inspector flagged that the bathrooms were not GFCI protected. The builder is telling me that the panel is using leviton GFI breakers (https://www.leviton.com/en/products/lb115-df) in the panel in the garage. I think they are model LB115-DF. I bought my own GFCI tester (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-Test-Meter/1000970284) and tried using that on the receptacles. The circuits in the kitchen trip when I press the test button on the GFCI tester. In the bathrooms, when I press the test button nothing happens. The power stays on to the outlet. The garage and laundry room receptacles trip when I use the GCFI tester and press the test button. All of the resets are on the panel in the garage.
Is the GFCI Tester I'm using not the right tool to test GFI Circuit Breakers? Also, all the breakers in the panel look the same. So I would assume all the circuits in the house have that protection, but it seems like only the Kitchen, Laundry, and Garage trip with the tester.
Is there a potential wiring issue here? Do I need a different tool for testing this type of breaker to be confident its working right?

If this were a old home I would say no problem if the tester on the breaker worked. But since this is a new home get the contractor to connect the grounds.
The GFCI can and will function correctly as it doesn’t use the ground at all in its circuitry. The GFCI circuits detect a difference in the current on the hot and neutral if there is an imbalance they will trip.
Your circuit tester places a resistance of ~15k from the ground to the hot causing a properly wired receptacle on a GFCI breaker to trip.
If both your’s and the inspectors testers did not work some one was lazy and did not connect the ground and that is why the GFCI test is not tripping the circuit.
It can be a simple case of a wire coming loose but make the contractor fix it it will probably be a simple fix.


Is it safe to combine 2, single pole 20 amp circuits? A few years ago a contractor added two 20 amp lines from the breaker box to a knee wall on the second floor where they terminated in a junction box. They were put there for future use in a central AC system.

We did add central air eventually but those 20 amp lines weren't used (so I thought). I was going to connect to one of those lines the other day so I could add an outlet to a wall without any, and noticed that inside the junction box those 2 lines were connected and powering a 12 awg wire which I haven't traced yet.

Is it safe to have those 2 separate 20 amp lines, each on separate single pole breakers, connected to each other? Does that connection create 240v but still at 20 amps?

Here's a photo of the junction box:

Depending on how it's connected, and how the breakers are oriented in the panel. Yes, it could provide a 240V 20A circuit.

If this is how it's being used, then the breakers should have their handles tied together.


Wiring an in-line on/off toggle switch on an LED lamp with additional controllers is not working as expected I purchased a USB powered (5 volts) LED lamp that included a controller with (from bottom to top in the picture):

power switch
brightness decrease
warmth selector
brightness increase.

I am attempting to put an in-line toggle switch to control the power to the lamp, but I'm facing an unexpected result.

I wired the toggle switch in between the power supply and the controller so it would be the open/close point for the circuit, but what I am seeing when I plug it in is that the power switch on the controller (#1) takes precedence and is 'reset' each time the toggle is flipped. I know this because the controller has an led indicator when it is receiving power. So, if the lamp is on, I can turn it off with the toggle, but when I flip the toggle again, only the LED indicator illuminates indicating the controller has power but the lamp does not turn on. I have to press the power button on the controller to turn on the lamp.

How can I override/bypass/circumvent the power switch on the controller/board? I want the toggle to control the circuit closing and opening (the lamp being on or off). I'm hopeful its a simple as moving the toggle switch 'after' the controller, between the controller and the lamp, and not messing with the white (data) wire, just cut into the power (red and black) wires. Any advice is appreciated as I'm sure my description of the problem reveals my novice skill and ability.

(click to enlarge image)

Yeah, this is a "throw parts at the problem and hook stuff up randomly" type deal.  There is a significant knowledge gap here.   Not least you did not notice the circuit is on with the switch off, that shoulda been a giveaway that you had it wrong, and you should've stopped right there and done more research.
The way a switch works is it either shorts out its two terminals, or it does not.
With the switch on, you are shorting out all four black and red wires to each other.  This is creating a dead short to the power supply, forcing it to crowbar, because it's a smart supply with protective circuits.  Had it been an old style transformer, you would now have a transformer glowing cherry red-hot.
With the switch off, you are using the two terminals of the switch to carry power from the 5V supply onward to the LED controller.  Which is then functioning normally, but, 24x7.
Experiment... since it's only 5 volts DC
So let's keep using the switch as a splice block for now, so we can learn stuff.  Try unplugging the power supply, then remove one of the red wires from the switch. Keep the switch off!!!  Plug the power supply back in, what happens?   Ah, the light is off! Don't throw the switch!
Now, take the loose red wire, and short it to the terminal that has the other red wire.  What happens?  Ah, the LED system turns back on!! (or at least, is now turnable on).
So if black and black are connected, shorting red to red causes the system to power up, and separating red from red causes the system to power down.  Gee, now if only we had some sort of gadget that would selectively short or separate the red wires!  Where could we come up with such a gadget????  Think think think....
Of course, you'd have to stop using it to splice the black wires, then, wouldn't you.  You'd have to come up with another way to join those.
The better way to do that
Of course, once you have the switch wired correctly, which I trust you will figure out, you notice something still.  Everytime you shut off the switch, the LED controller forgets where it was.  It forgets last brightness and color.  That's because it's not designed to be turned off at a physical switch, it has a soft switch (#1).
So if you want it to stop forgetting, you must power it 24x7.  So how do you physically turn off the lights?  You can use the "switch to interrupt a wire" method on the common wire for the LEDs.  As it happens, I can read the PCB traces and I see the red wire (on the top side of the board) is the common wire.  That is typical; red is conventional for + voltage, and LEDs are positive common.
So if you install the switch to interrupt the red wire (of the 3 wires), then the LED controller will continue to remember and output what you last set, but the switch will prevent the LEDs from actually lighting.


Properly venting a gas water heater Ahh, the joys of an old house.

The former owners of my house did some funky stuff with venting the water heater. Let me explain:

the water heater is in the basement
there is a 3 in single
walled vent pipe that goes up towards the first floor at about 45
degrees
next there is a joint that points up into the first floor
a short single walled 3 inch vent goes up into the floor
now
in the first floor in a closet there is another joint that connects
horizontally into a vertical 12 inch(?) mega pipe.
this "stand
pipe" appears to have been used as a exhaust vent for an oven in the
kitchen, but is no longer used for that.
at the top of the pipe
you can see that this big pipe is double walled and has a 10 inch (?) clay pipe
going through the attic and out into a roof vent.
the roof vent
is new, it is a standard vent with the cap on it.

So, my question is: can I just connect a double walled vent pipe from the basement joint (#3) up through the attic (#8) (after removing all the funkiness (#4-7)

Here are a few issues:

ideally this double walled vent pipe would be in the wall and not in the middle of the closet as it is now. I believe that is safe, and it can touch drywall/studs as long as it is double walled.

Edit: No it is not safe. d-wall must be 1 inch from combustibles

I'd like to plug the hole in the attic. I think I can safely just cut a piece of drywall to fit around the smaller double walled pipe.

Edit: No it is not safe. d-wall must be 1 inch from combustibles so you can't let sheetrock touch the pipe. You must use a "firestop" flashing

we have a whole house fan. This means the attic gets pressurized. Is there any issue with vent pipe being so loose in the old riser on the roof? Ie can the pressure go up the riser and then down the vent and backdraft? I suspect this is not an issue. I could also seal the riser from inside the attic to prevent issues.

Edit: I should use a firestop again directly under the roof plywood so the pressurized attic air can't escape up the old vent riser.

Comments?

I did a lot more research and I have concluded that what I proposed is mostly safe. There are a few important points

Single wall vent pipes must be 6 inches or more from combustibles (this includes sheetrock!). That means you basically can't use it in walls or near joists/rafters.
Double wall vent pipes must be 1 inch or more from combustibles. You can't put it against sheetrock or studs, etc. That means for a 3 inch pipe (4-5 inches double walled) you need a 6-7 inch wall.
You should use a firestop (a sheet of flashing with a pipe sized hole) at walls and floors/ceilings to keep the pipe a safe distance from studs/sheetrock.
to prevent backdrafting from a Whole House Fan another fire stop should be installed directly below the roof plywood to limit the airflow from the attic to the top of the vent pipe.


How to wire isolation relay to create C-wire I'm trying to follow the ecobee instructions here:
https://support.ecobee.com/hc/en-us/articles/227874527-ecobee-thermostat-installation-with-an-isolation-relay

Which uses a wiring diagram as such:

I have this relay:

And here is the wiring diagram for the relay:

Can someone tell me how the ecobee diagram translates to the relay diagram? Which numbered terminals are going to T & T and which one is going to W1 and Transformer N? Thanks.

Edit:
Additional info about my specific setup.
This is the overview of my furnace:
https://i.imgur.com/4d6PZcL.jpg
I have the main zone which is where I want to connect the smart thermostat. I have a 2nd zone which I'm leaving alone. I have a 3rd for the water tank which I'm also leaving alone.
This is the wiring for the main zone. The T&T are in the upper right and although you can't see it there is a 3rd green wire that is currently not in use but available.
https://i.imgur.com/Ygiv3nR.jpg
main zone (aquastat) diagram:
https://i.imgur.com/Fjvl6KQ.jpg
zone 2 diagram:
https://i.imgur.com/4yzNPUA.jpg
zone 2 wiring:
https://i.imgur.com/2bt0huQ.jpg
water heater wiring:
https://i.imgur.com/yBoI9Aq.jpg
igniter:
https://i.imgur.com/UyUQV9u.jpg

You actually happen to have the relay oriented in your photo the same way the relay in the diagram is oriented.

W1 to terminal 1
C to terminal 3
Boiler T&T wires to 2 and 4


Interior 30s wall construction can anyone identify the materials in this wall? It's an interior wall in a 1930s UK house. Obviously ... bricks, and the outside is some kind of lime plaster I think. What is the black material?

"Brown" or undercoat plaster - i.e. not finish plaster (what shows on the outside.)


Can I use 0000 steel wool to remove streaks in my polyurethane finish? Can I use 0000 steel wool to make a better uniform finish?

I would use a dual action orbital sander and wet/dry paper @1200 grit a very wet sponge to dampen the area dont press down let the sander float and as the streaks are cut out the residue will turn milky, keep wiping and moving this high grit with water will leave a mirror finish, I have used 800 & 1000 to remove larger imperfections but the 1200 works best in my opinion. (agree with JPHIL dont use steel wool)


Switched outlet has open neutral when switch is off I have recently purchased a house and in checking out the wiring, noticed one room has a switched outlet that is miswired.

When the wall switch controlling this is on, the outlet is fine but when it is off, a tester shows the outlet has an open neutral.

I have yet to cut the power and open up the receptacles but what should I be looking for?  Would this likely be a wiring issue in the outlet itself or at the switch? My personal guess would be that the switch is wired wrong but I've not run up against an open neutral issue before.

Some dopehead put the switch in the neutral wire, which is forbidden by Code as it's a shock hazard.  You'll have to turn power off to the circuit, and then pull both the receptacle and the switch out.  If you see a white wire going to either the brass screws on the receptacle, or any screws on the switch, that's your problem, unless you have a switch loop; in that case, look for a black-flagged wire (or a black wire) wire-nutted to a white wire.  (Someone also could have left  the black paint or tape flags off the switch loop's white wire, and then some dunderhead later on screwed it up without realizing what he was doing...)


How should plywood sheathing be detailed around bolts/bearing plates in seismic retrofit work? The City of Los Angeles standard planset for seismic retrofits shows the anchor bolt's bearing plate (washer) resting on the sill plate (vs. resting on the 2x blocking of the shear wall). But there is no guidance on how to cut the plywood to clear the bearing plate and nut where it interferes.

Can I assume that this cut is not a significant detail? The planset does specify radiused cuts (minimum 1 1/16" radius) for other intrusions into the bracing plywood.

From the planset--anchor bearing plate on sill plate, and radiused cuts shown for intrusions ("DO NOT SQUARE CUT"):

Bolt clearly interferes with sheathing in side view:

You may be able to replace the regular square bearing plate (which features a hole in the center) with a bearing plate featuring a diagonal slot.  This slot permits the bearing plate to be placed off-center of the bolt, perhaps enough to prevent any interference with the sheathing.  Simpson Strong-Tie makes a couple different slotted bearing plates for this purpose, models BPS and LBPS.

Note that a 'standard cut washer' must be placed between the nut and the bearing plate when using diagonally slotted bearing plates.  The washer will help ensure contact with the bolt.  The idea is that oversized bolt holes (or slots in this case) allow the mudsill to get some momentum during a quake as it moves horizontally.  You want to minimize this slop, which can help prevent the mudsill from splitting under seismic forces.  That is why Plan Set A and similar plans call for a maximum of 1/16" oversize for bolt holes (though certain Simpson Strong Tie adhesives call for larger holes, which is OK).  Anyway, pick a large round galvanized standard washer where the hole is just big enough for the bolt to pass through.  You still need the bearing plate as well.

Also, you want one edge of the bearing plate to be within 0.5" of where the sheeting will be installed (closer is OK).  Keeping the bearing plate near the sheathing helps transfer dynamic loads between the sheathing and the mudsill, while minimizing 'cross-grain bending' forces which can split a mudsill.

If that won't do, another option is adding a horizontal 2x4 across the stud bay just above the bolt and nailing to that (cutting away sheathing below this horizontal, using radius cuts in the two upper corners, similar to a cut-out for a crawl space vent).  Cutouts like this diminish the shear capacity, requiring an adjoining stud bay to be sheathed as well.

You could also take the drastic step of sawing off the bolts and replacing them with Simpson URFP foundation plates.  But that is costly and time consuming.

A slight shallow radius cut could be made in the bottom edge of the sheathing to clear the square bearing plate.  Such cuts should be slight so they do not interfere with the nailing pattern where the sheathing meets the mud sill.  This is not an ideal solution, but may be your best bet if slotted bearing plates or replacing the bolt are not options.

Whatever you do, confirm with local code authorities.  The FEMA Plan Set is another good reference, as are the shear wall and earthquake retrofit books by Thor Matteson, which mention this situation.


Cracked heat exchanger, gas furnace, a scam? Had gas furnace serviced (routine yearly) and was told the heat exchanger was cracked and might pose a CO problem.  System shut off and tagged. Told I needed to replace exchanger or get new furnace.  Got second opinion next day and they found no CO and said previous check (other company) couldn't diagnose cracked heat exchanger so easily (said it takes a variety of tests to diagnose).  They couldn't find anything obviously wrong with furnace, checked CO levels 4 times over approx. an hour, all normal.  Should I get a third opinion??  Think first company was pulling a scam?  Furnace is 16 years old, but want company I can trust....ugh
Liking second company.  Any opinions?  Thanks!

You can buy a CO detector at Walmart for $20 bucks and you will know for sure.
EVERY home with a gas appliance should ALWAYS have a CO detector


Can I mount an 80" TV where only one stud is available? Possible Duplicate:
  How can I mount a TV when I can’t find studs inside my wall?

I am looking for some opinions here.  When my electrician tried to mount my 80"TV above my fireplace, he found out there's actually only 1 stud available for him to do the mounting, he told me I need to retrofit the wall to increase the stud by 2, otherwise I can't do the work.  However, according to my contractor, the TV can be easily mounted with only 1 stud, all I need to do is to bolt a rectangular piece of plywood (the size of my TV mount) to the stud and then mount the TV mount on top of it.  According to him, he'll also nail the rest of the corners to the sheet rock and he thinks it's fine.

My electrician disagrees with him and I am completely puzzled.  Any opinions here?

Above your fireplace the stud likely doesn't continue to the floor. Most likely it's atop a header above the fireplace. Now, I'd guess the "header" is just another 2x4, flat, spanning the space of the fireplace... not a "real" header.

This means that you don't have much downward support for the weight.

In my opinion, if the TV is not going to be on a moving, tilting or swiveling mount it will probably be ok with the following process:

Precisely locate the stud using small finishing nails tapped in to locate the edges. This is to get you into the true center of the stud. Take a sheet of hard-wood ply (I like birch) the full concealable height and width of the TV. This will accept multiple pre-drilled lag bolts directly into the middle of the stud. I'm nervous so I'd use three of them.

Then I would glue the plywood into place against the drywall and bolt it into the stud. Let it cure, then attach the TV mount to the ply.

Primarily, though, I would wonder why there's only a single stud above the fireplace!


Tiling over old 2x6 tongue and groove subfloor. Underlayment? Levelling? So my house has 2x6 car decking/tongue and groove/whatever-you-want-to-call-it subfloor that I am going to tile over, both in the kitchen and the bathroom. The rest of the floors are 3/4" oak as you can see in the pictures.

Underneath the subfloor is post and beam construction--4x8 beams about anywhere from 3-5' apart from one another (3' from the outside wall, then 5' thereafter). So the 2x6s span from 3-5 feet at a time.

There are two spots that I replaced some old rotted sections of the T&G which you'll notice in the pictures below. The older sections of subfloor were a bit springy in spots so I nailed some 2x4s flat from below, putting a nail into each piece of 2x6 along the way. This stiffened them up considerably and there's hardly any give to them anymore.

My question is how should I go about laying tile over this? I have the 3/4" wood floor to tie into so I don't want to go too crazy with additional underlayment.

From some initial research, it seems my best option might be to go with a layer of 1/2" plywood screwed to subfloor, then thinset/screw some 1/4" concrete backer, then thinset/tile. If I start with ply on the subfloor, do I need to use tar paper underneath that or should I use some self-leveler before laying down the ply (or do you do this on top of the plywood?).

I quite literally did this exact same thing a few years ago.

First ensure that all of your structural posts have support beneath the house to foundation.

Then I got decking screws and screwed the planks down everywhere they were already nailed.

Then I bought about 50 sheets of CCX ply and lots of subfloor glue. I glued and nailed ply over the entire floor using shanked dipped nails.

Now I had a very stout floor about 2" thick....

Ditra over that, tile over that.


How can I fix the noise level in my home? When anyone walks above me in our two level home it sounds like a herd of elephants stomping through. Is there any way to fix this?

There's two principles to soundproofing that actually work: Isolation and Absorption. The trick is figuring out the right way to implement them. Be careful of anything that doesn't follow these two principles.

The Absorption principle is how acoustic ceiling tiles and carpets work: They absorb the sounds as they pass through the material, or they keep the sound from making it into the intermediary material (the floor and frame of your house) in the first place.

The Isolation principle focuses on uncoupling the materials so that sound can't be transmitted through them and amplified. It's equivalent to rubber feet on appliances or rubberized engine mounts.

Note that drywall is a poor absorber. It's a reflector and can also be an amplifier. Speakers work by vibrating a large flat surface; in the same way that your kids vibrate the floor above which vibrates the frame of the house and the large flat expanse of drywall on the ceiling below... which amplifies the sound.

If you want to focus on absorption, a few ideas would include putting carpet down upstairs (or thicker padding), possibly attaching tapestries or acoustic tiling to the ceiling downstairs, and hanging draperies downstairs so that sound doesn't travel through the entire house. If you have wood floors, I'd start by putting down area rugs and runners on the stairs and hallways... that will be the most bang for your buck, and helps protect the floors from people walking above. This is also the least intrusive way of soundproofing your home.

Isolation involves a structural refit. You would need to tear the drywall off of the ceiling on the floor below, and put it back up with an uncoupling system that generally includes acoustic caulking and rubber washers to keep the drywall from communicating the sound from the wood framing it is attached to. This is obviously expensive... but when done right will provide a good solution. If you go all out, you'll do the floor above, too, but that's a huge mess that involves tearing up the subfloor, and it's probably not worth it.

Solutions that may provide a bit of a temporary fix but don't generally fix the problem include filling the cavities between floors with insulation. A thicker carpet would be a better fix, because with insulation you still have the frame of the house transmitting the sound to the drywall -- putting insulation in the cavity is equivalent to putting a pillow in a bass drum. It's still loud, just a little muted. Insulation is however valid if you were to have uncoupled the ceiling from the joists first.


Use wood stove in fireplae until the pipe is hooked up and chimney lined We just bought a wood stove and won't have the chimney lined for a couple of weeks, can we still use the wood stove and expect the existing brick fireplace and flu to be able to exhaust the wood stove through the chimney?

I wouldn’t. If this is an insert, smoke will “leak” out around the insert and the fireplace opening.

If there’s a problem and it catches fire, the insurance company will void your claim because it wasn’t installed properly. (The Fire Department always wants to know the cause of the fire.) I’d get a Building Permit too. Then you’ll get an inspection and know it was installed properly.


Ceiling options when junction boxes are present? I know that traditional drop ceilings are an acceptable choice when junction boxes are present in the floor joists.  I was looking around at Home Depot for pricing and found this PVC system that allows for a flush mount type drop ceiling.  The tiles are removable, but it requires snapping out a couple of cross T's.  Is this specific ceiling still considered accessible?

The ceiling max website says the tiles are removable so yes the area is still accessible.


How long should I wait before painting a concrete patch? How long do I have to wait to paint a polymer concrete repair such as Sakrete Top N Bond with Behr one part epoxy concrete paint? The repair is indoor and temp. is about 60 degrees F.

According to the datasheet (PDF), it reaches foot traffic compressive strength within one day and you can drive vehicles over it within three days, but doens't reach full compressive strength until 28 days. The PROPER answer here is probably 28 days, which is pretty consistent for any concrete products.

You can probably safely paint it within three days, but I'd be worried that concrete wouldn't reach full compressive strength or that the bond with the underlying concrete would be affected by moisture not having any path out.


Do I need both contacts to open/close on a centrifugal switch? I have a bench grinder that doesn't want to start. I figured out the problem: bad centrifugal switch. It's a two-contact, normally open affair (it starts closed, then as the grinder spins up the weight is taken off and it opens). One of the switching contacts is great. The other looks like the part that was actually making contact got ripped off, or fused to the bottom and then when it sprung back ripped off, or something like that. I verified it's the switch causing the problem because the broken contact arm actually stuck a bit when I closed it, so I pushed it closed until stuck, reassembled the grinder, and it started normally.
This grinder is ancient and the switch would be a complete pain to replace, both mechanically and simply finding a replacement. I'm wondering if I really need both contacts to actually open/close for longevity in the future. Could I just solder the ripped contact arm down to the contacting section? I'm assuming that both have to be closed in order for current to flow, so is it enough to just have the centrifugal part of the switch only open/close that single contact arm?

Surgo I understand the goal I repaired a similar motor not long ago 1-1/2 Hp on a 56 motor frame Dayton brand.
The contact set in my unit was 120/240v in the low voltage connection only 1 contact was needed (to tell the truth I did not look to see if it was different for 240v)
These centrifugal switches are used across many sizes and brands.
I got the machine running again by changing over to the unused contact.
I needed a backup or better repair and then found an aftermarket centrifugal switch assembly for under 15$ (I Could not find the correct one on grangers website).
Google or whatever search engine Search for centrifugal motor switch they are sized in mm so you will need your motor shaft size in mm I believe they had 1/2 inch through 1.5”. for example I needed a 16.5 I think it was a L16 it screwed right in.  This was cheaper than $235.00 for a new motor,  35$ Later I had a new motor 2 bearings and the switch.
You may want to check your bearings because end play is what damaged my switch.
I did look for your wiring configuration and came up empty so you may have to trace the connections on the board to the windings they may not be connected as mine were not. They could have a combination of changing the coil configuration + a capacitor and at the time of manufacturing it just used dual contacts where only 1 is needed to bring the cap in and start winding.
If the start winding is held in the motor will overheat because of the extra field coil that provides the torque to start.  so look at the configuration it may be fine but you need to know or you will let the magic smoke out if left on for long.


Sink upgrade - single sink double wide...any cons? We are changing our sink to a single sink. Are there any cons with this configuration?
There will only be one drain and it goes through the garbage disposal.

Having done this same thing myself a couple years ago, I think the only real downside is not having a built-in divider. And, for me, it's not really that much of a downside. Some people like the divider, since it helps with dishes (you have a wash side and a rinse side), or helps organize dirty dishes. I like having the extra space, and the double-wide single-basin sink allows me to wash bigger pots and pans more easily.

With a single basin, if the drain clogs you're out of luck until you fix it. Or if the disposal leaks. At least with two basins, you could use the other basin until you fix it, assuming the clog isn't past the junction of the two. Unless you clog drains often, though, this is really a non-issue.


Clean and lubricate garage door rails I have a garage door with a rubber belt drive. I would like to know the correct way to clean and lubricate the rails as it is screeching a bit when opening and closing. Can I wash out the rails with soap and water and lubricate the rails and wheels with WD-40 or 3-in-one machine oil?

Here are some photos of the door.

(mild) Soap and water, sure.

Don't use WD-40. It isn't a lubricant. Instead, look for white lithium grease. You can get it in a spray can with one of those small straw like things to put it exactly where you want it.


GFCI on sump pump circuit? I have a house with sump pumps on two sides. In the rainy season they run about 5% of the time. When one fails, as has happened a couple times, water runs gently across the floor to the other pump; no big problem.

The pumps are plugged into separate circuits.

My neighbor (an electrical engineer, not an electrician) is pretty insistent that those outlets should be GFCIs.

Is that required by code in California? Is it a good practice?

High On Safety

First, your neighbor is "goin' crazy for safety".  Being far from city water, one of our facilities has a Caterpillar diesel fire pump. The pump intentionally has no trips for low oil level, pressure, water temp or water level.  That's because you don't want dueling safety systems - don't want to trip to save the fire pump only to lose the warehouse.

So your neighbor is like "I gotta shiny new safety toy, and Im'ma put it on everything."  Whoa there, Nelly.  GFCI is a safety system.  Just like the fire pump, you don't create dueling safety systems.   contradict another safety system's functioning.  Safety systems include refrigerators, radon systems, fire alarms, fire pumps and yeah, sump pumps.

That is not to say one should completely ignore the risk of electrical shock. You should certainly make full use of other methods to ensure the safety of the sump pump.    The traditional method of ensuring all current-carrying conductors are encased in grounded metal, guarantees that wayward current cannot reach a human without reaching grounded metal first.  A milli-ohm path back to source assures an instantaneous breaker trip.

The use-case for GFCI is ungrounded 2-prong portable appliances, particularly those dropped into a sink full of water connected to the water supply via plastic piping.  Putting one on a grounded refrigerator is absurd.

Now, there is another rule which calls for GFCI protection for receptacles in any basement area.  However, that rule is based on the fundamental premise that anything and everything will be plugged into those receptacles.  Many AHJs will grant a waiver for single receptacles (1-socket) dedicated to a single appliance for which GFCI protection is not appropriate, and labeled as such.  In my view there should also be ample other sockets right nearby, so there is no temptation to borrow that socket or put a splitter on it. If the AHJ is not tolerant of that, I would simply hardwire the appliance, which utterly eliminates the "receptacle/anything" issue altogether.

Do not use GFCI receptacles.

OK, that's a little harsh.  I'm trying to break you of the idea that GFCI is a receptacle. Actually,  GFCI is a "little black box" that protects downline loads.  Obviously, a GFCI recep protects its own sockets, duh.  However it's possible for any GFCI device to protect any other points-of-use attached to its LOAD terminals. On the other hand, over-use of LOAD is a nightmare for the careless.  Because of that, nothing should be ever connected to LOAD unless what that is is known. You don't want a GFCI reset to be in an improbable and unexpected place, though labeling helps that a lot.

Note that proper labeling is mandatory when protecting downline receptacles. They must say "GFCI Protected [ / No Equipment Ground ]"  They should say "GFCI Protected - Reset in Hallway".  You can custom-make those labels on a P-touch or whatever; you don't have to use the blue ones.


Moving a doorbell transformer Can a doorbell transformer that is on the outside of a wall be place inside the wall behind the drywall. I’m concerned about it getting too hot. Mine is in the kitchen by the ceiling lights

The door bell transformer is mounted to a mains electrical box. Electrical code requires that all electrical boxes remain accessible. You cannot bury or hide an electrical box.

This translates to the fact that you cannot cover the electrical box + transformer behind drywall.


can I link a portable washer to 'conventional' laundry hook up? seeing that my leasing agent is putting up my rent per month by over $50 and no option to move, I'm thinking of ways to cut cost - one thing is to stop renting a washer for $22.50 a month and just buy a unit. I am considering buying a portable washer (something like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-1.5-cu-ft-Portable-Washer/36758182#about), but I'm trying to figure out if I HAVE to use this next to my kitchen sink, or whether I could just link it to the conventional laundry hookup that's already in my apartment...any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

Check with the manufacturer, but if you're willing to wash in cold water you should be able to use the "real" laundry hookup.

Looking for used machines is definitely worth considering, though.


Stopping outside damage from active outside loo overflow pipe Why is  the outside WC cistern overflow pipe almost never plumbed so that it does not trickle over the brickwork, thereby eroding the mortar and causing damp bricks? Since cisterns overflow levels can be recurrent problems why not make the outside spout long enough to prevent trickling over the brickwork?

It's just what happens when you have too many subcontractors. Details get ignored. Your question is a pet peeve of mine as well.

Personally, I'd add a collector and downspout, when it's my job. Over time, prevents the side of your building from looking like an abandoned mess.


Mystery pipe under my sink and an intermittent sour smell First question, what is the black pipe in the picture above where the drain pipr goes into the wall?

Additionally, we have an intermittent sour smell coming from this bathroom.  I replaced the wax seal of the toilet thinking that might be the problem.  However it was not.  Last night, the smell occurred again.  After some investigation and wafting, i think I narrowed the smell to underneath the sink (hence the picture and post).

I guess the second question would be how do i get rid of the sour smell?

I seemed to have fixed this issue with a 90 degree elbow to fit over the pipe that comes out of the wall, and an Air Admittance Valve that I put on the other side of the elbow pipe.  No glue or tape was necessary.


Laying vinyl over a floor with both particle board and tiles In our laundry, I need to replace a section of the floor due to water damage. I am planning on putting a yellow-tongue 19mm thick particle board over the left-hand side of the photo to fix the floor. The right-hand side has tiles (area is about about 900mm wide).

Over the whole room, I want to put a vinyl floor or similar. I am worried about the unevenness of the tiles coming through the vinyl and being able to feel it underfoot. What are my options for making a smooth base (my guesses below):

Nail 6mm plywood sheets across the floor. This is straightforward on the wood, but how to attach it to the tiles?
A self-levelling compound. Does this just go over the whole floor, tiles and wood? Do I then need to waterproof it?

I would remove the tile.  Then put down the sub floor as you described (not sure about your choice of material) over the left hand section.  If what you then have is fairly flat, cover the entire floor with 1/8" luan plywood (I think this is what they used in my laundry).  The final covering was vinyl plank.


What's the best way to attach timber cleats to stair stringers? I'm using 2x4 timber cleats to support the treads for a set of stairs going up to a deck. The stringers are 2x10 and both the stringers and 2x4 are pressure treated pine. What would be the best size and type of fastener to use? I was planning on using M10 carriage/coach bolts.

You're supposed to figure that out from the load table mumbo jumbo.

TABLE 9.14 LAG SCREW (BOLT) CAPACITY FOR SINGLE SHEAR CONNECTIONS (LBS.), page 69, Chicago deck code, PDF.

3/8ths (M10) is the middle of the road; it's better than using 1/4" or 5/16". Use stainless steel fasteners. You must pre drill your holes for cleats. Ideally it's an actually cut stringer; notice how cleats aren't even an option.


Toilet sits directly over sewer return -- what sort of venting? We are converting a 1st floor coat closet into a powder room. The closet sits directly over the sewer line running in the basement floor out to the street. Instead of tying into the existing soil stack which is about 15ft away across several joists, we are thinking of breaking the concrete in the basement and going straight into the sewer line. Waste from the toilet would flow directly vertically downwards via a 3-4" PVC and into the sewer line, a distance of about 7ft. My question is what sort of venting is needed for this? If none were required it would simplify the project considerably.

There are those that still maintain that a toilet needs a vent.
Take a look at this question here for one such opinion: Do I need to add a vent when moving a toilet drain across the bathroom?
However, the IRC has an exception for toilets (water closets).
From the 2009 International Residential Building Code

SECTION P3105 FIXTURE VENTS
P3105.1 Distance of trap from vent. Each fixture trap shall have a protecting vent located so that the slope and the developed length in the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting are within the requirements set forth in Table P3105.1.
Exception: The developed length of the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting for self-siphoning fixtures, such as water closets, shall not be limited.

So, the IRC is basically saying with a toilet (WC) you can run as far as you need to horizontally to get to the nearest stack. It would seem then that you could make a new stack and drop into the sewer line using a wye and an eighth. If all the rest of your plumbing is properly vented you should not have any issues.
Now, if you are making a powder room you will have a sink in the room also that needs to be drained and that definitely needs to be vented properly. (up to the attic and tie into the rest of the vent system) And with that sink drain line you could wet vent the toilet line up to the dry portion of the vent.
Good luck!


How freely should a central A/C condenser fan spin? Last year my home's central air condenser fan motor stopped working. When I noticed the house wasn't cooling down I went outside to investigate and found there was a humming sound coming from the unit, but the fan wasn't turning.

After researching the problem online, I found the capacitor may be bad and causing the problem. The capacitor wasn't blown, but I replaced it anyways. The problem still existed; Fan won't spin and a humming sound is coming from the unit.

So, I inferred that the motor must be bad. Yesterday I unbolted the fan from the unit to try and spin the blades by hand. To my surprise, it spun. It spun 3 to 5 rotations with a medium amount of force (the same force it would take to bounce a basketball 8 feet in the air). I expected the motor to be stuck and not spin at all, so now I'm second guessing myself.

My question is: How freely should it spin? I've read in numerous places that the blade should spin "freely", but I'm not sure what that means. Should it spin around 50 times with a medium amount of force? If I was holding it up in the air, should a 15mph breeze spin the blades like a pinwheel? Or is the 3-5 rotations freely?

If you replaced the start capacitor, and you are getting proper voltage to the fan motor than the only thing left is to replace the fan motor. If the fan turns at all without forcing, it should spin when powered up. If the fan turns freely or not is not a definitive indication that is good or bad.


What fails in a centrifugal pump when it runs dry? A 3/4 HP 10 GPM shallow well pump for irrigation ran dry for a couple hours due to a technical failure where a feeding valve mounted at the pump inlet blew out of its hole. All the water being pumped escaped from the hole and allowed the pump to lose prime and run dry. When I got to it everything was really hot.

After fixing the PVC and re-priming I tested the GPM and determined I have 50% less (5 GPM). I need the full 10 GPM for my system to work properly.

What exactly failed inside my pump from running dry and can I fix it? I have had this pump apart in the past for another reason so I am comfortable with replacing parts inside.

I'd rather buy overhaul kit parts for $30 than a new pump for $200, but if you think it's too far gone and might not work fully to 10 GPM after the repairs I'll just get the new pump.

Dry Pump failure modes

Some irrigation pumps are created the impeller housing casting an integral part of the motor and depend on the water flow through the pump to dissipate heat instead of using rotor fins and airflow for cooling. The reason for doing this is that they tend to be in high moisture locations or locations where detritus can be sucked into the pump and cause a fire hazard. With no cooling, the field windings will get really hot and can cause the thermal shutdown to trip, causing the pump to cycle on and off as it heats and cools. The heat can destroy the enamel insulation on the coils, causing them to short.

The impeller shaft seal being run dry can burn it out due to friction and lack of water lubrication. You will know when this happens as there will be a leak.

If the pump has a plastic impeller and it gets too hot, it can warp or loosen on the shaft if it's a press-on fit.


How can I enclose and cover a well in a driveway? I have a well that is currently enclosed in a large, unsightly manner with a 1/2" steel sheet. I am having the driveway redone and I want to redo this so it is just a round hole with a cover. How can I approach this without buying one of those super heavy concrete pipes? Can I use brick for the wall of the hole? I only need the hole to be around 15" in diameter. The hole is about 3 feet deep currently.

Here is what it currently looks like under the steel cover.

Those concrete pipes are surprisingly inexpensive.  Get one that they have a man-hole cover to match.


Light fixture holes don't align with junction box I bought a light fixture for my bathroom and noticed the screw holes on the fixture are in a N/S orientation, while the junction box is in an E/W orientation. I am able to rotate the existing bracket to accommodate the different orientation (the one that came with the fixture is too small), but I'm wondering if I should replace the current box with one that has a N/S orientation, or if I can screw holes through the drywall to hold the fixture. I did rotate the one piece of the bracket to go into a N/S orientation, so I could attach the fixture to that, but that part of the bracket doesn't screw into anything behind it. The fixture will go on the wall, not the ceiling.

There is a round plate adapter made to give you the right orientation. Any lighting supply house can help you. Good Luck.


Washing machine won't turn on - loose connector on PCB - how and where do I reattach it? My washing machine is completely unresponsive when plugged in to a working outlet. I opened up the machine to take a look and found that this connector had come loose. It seemed to me that the 'mouth' of the connector probably attached to the row of 8 pins visible in the top left corner of picture 3 below. I tried pushing it into place but it was still a little loose, so I held it on whilst plugging in the machine to test. No luck, having tried both sides up.
Could anyone a little more familiar with PCBs advise me? Am I attaching the connector all wrong, or is there perhaps something missing?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I think you are trying the wrong location entirely.
That appears to be an edge connector [ it clips over the edge of a PCB ], and at first I thought the spot where it goes is on the lower right of the 3rd picture and the lower left of the last picture. But I don't think that is correct, looking closer.
It only goes on one way - the slot cut between the connector pads matches a divider between pins - but the position of the slot [7 pins one side, 1 pin on the other, while the plug has 3 pins on one side, 5 on the other] does not add up, and the closed end of the plug (up in your second picture) requires either another slot or a set of pads at the edge of the board it clips to.

So, you're looking for a different 8-pin edge connector on the PCB, but it'll have a divider between pins 3 and 4.


Are tamper resistant receptacles really safer? Tamper-resistant receptacles (marked with TR, sometimes know as TRR) are designed to be safer than regular outlets by making it more difficult to insert foreign objects. That said, there are lots of examples of things that were supposed to be safer which turned out to be more dangerous (uk outlet covers, wing floaters, margarine, etc.).

I could imagine tamper-resistant being less safe if they encourage kids to use both hands to insert foreign objects (disabling GFCI) or parents to leave extension cords in permanently to accommodate damaged plugs (increasing fire risk). is there any evidence to suggest that they are, in fact, safer than standard receptacles in the real world?

TRR are required by the NEC as of 2008 and contain built in shutters that prevent the insertion of an object into a single hole at a time.  I could say that its obvious that most kids are going to try to only insert a single sharp object into the outlet, but I don't have any study to back that up.

However, there is a widely cited research study done by the Biokinetics Research Laboratory of Temple University that shows how ineffective many of the plastic outlet covers are.  This study was done way back in 1997, but these plasic covers haven't changed much over the years.

The main points here are that 100% of kids age 2-4 could pull of one of the types and almost half of 4 year olds could pull off all three designs in less than a minute.

Now, it's true that this doesn't directly answer your question with a study of TRR outlets, but it does show that "standard" child protection was not adequate.  Since TRR's have a physical shutter inside and should then prevent a non-zero number of accidents, they are probably better than no cover or a cover that can be removed (or forgotten by an adult).  This should help with your research if nothing else.

Additionally, this blog from Leviton states (without a citation... I know...) that:

  TR receptacles have been mandated in hospital pediatric wards for over 20 years and have proven to effectively prevent electrical injuries.

How do they know?  Well presumably because they design and sell the devices to hospitals, but some hard numbers would be good.


Power surge upstairs, all power out, 1 outlet sizzling Basically my upstairs room surged while I was in it and the entire upstairs power went out, 1 outlet in my room was literally sizzling or arcing but never burst into flames. Unplugging everything from the wall eventually made it stop. Now the power is back on upstairs, the outlet smells. And the maintenance guy is replacing that particular outlet and saying it should fix it.

I'm afraid to sleep in there or use any power. How can that 1 outlet make the whole upstairs turn off. Should it be okay?

Most likely explanation:

The outlet had a bad connection, and the wire finally popped out enough to cause trouble. This is very bad for the outlet, as electricity will arc across short distances; this caused the sound and smell. (This is an infamous failure mode of back-stab outlet connections.)
The other outlets went out because they're daisy-chained together, and there was a bad connection at that one outlet. (I don't think you're supposed to do that, but I wouldn't be surprised. Not that big of a deal, it's just not up to code.)

Alternately:

The outlet that was arcing may have had a short in it. Electricity was able to go directly from the live to the neutral. This is very bad for the outlet, and caused the sounds (electrical arcing) and the smell (burning plastic).
If the breaker/fuse tripped it was because the circuit was using way too much power. This caused all the other outlets to go out because they are on the same circuit. If the breaker didn't trip, the other outlets went out because there was a dead short in the circuit.

In either case, once the outlet is replaced, everything should be fine. Items plugged into other outlets shouldn't be damaged, and other outlets shouldn't have been damaged.

However, your question sounds like the bad outlet hasn't been replaced, and the power is back on. If so, this isn't good. The power should be turned off at the breaker/fuse box until the bad outlet is replaced.

In general, this would be a good time to make sure your smoke alarms work, and know where your breaker box is located. While I wouldn't expect a repeat, that's just a good idea in general, and you're a motivated learner right now.


Sealing gap between exterior door threshold and wood floor Our exterior front door sits on what was once the house's original front porch. Those old floor wood planks extend under the front door's threshold, but there is a noticeable gap between the planks and the threshold. You can see sunlight through it (photos attached). What might be best way to seal that gap to prevent drafts and critters from crawling in? Spray foam?

I would use Quad Sealant.

Use painters tape to mask off the floor boards and the threshold and then apply Quad with a caulk gun, Just enough not to much.

Then dip you finger in Denatured alcohol and gently smooth it out by running your finger along the bead a couple of times to remove excess and make smooth.

Remove tape repeat with the moistened finger, carefully and lightly, just enough to smooth out the lines left from pealing the tape off.

You will still have the seams between the boards but the main gap between threshold and boards will be sealed. You may try to force some quad into those seams, Tape them off first, the quad is difficult to clean off.


Would a french drain solve my water issues? My yard slopes toward my house. The foundation is 2 to 3 feet below the yard. I have water that seeps into the crawl space after large rains. Would a linear french drain 6 to 8 ft. out from the house work?

If you have an area to drain the water two that is lower than your crawl space a French drain will work great.
I have seen folks put them in with the drain point higher than the low area they were trying to keep dry.
In some cases if natural drainage is not available a small pit in the drain can be pumped to the storm runoff, this is requires in some areas to prevent standing water under the house.


Why do I have 4 brown (live wires) in my light switch - and no blue (neutral) The dimmer switch in our bedroom has stopped working properly, so I bought a new simple 1 way switch.
I  opened the unit to find 4 brown wires 3 of them wired in to L1 port and 1 in to the C port. Also the earth wire, but no blue neutral. There looks like some sort of loop in the background but I'm a little confused.
Does anyone know what is going on?

Box for light switch may not have neutral, because switch interrupt only live wire. Just two wires to light. Neutral is in lighting fixture. The dimmer designed to replace regular switch. If it has some sofisticated electronics that powered by small current going via light in off condition.


How do I use three-prong appliances when my outlets are mostly two-prong? I am living in a house where most electrical outlets are two prong.  There are a smattering of three prong, in particular where an addition was put on.  Am I hosed when it comes to where I can plug in electrical appliances that have three prong plugs?

I'm assuming you're in the US.

Get a tester and see if the box is grounded. A two lead neon type tester works well for this. Insert one lead into one side of the two-prong outlet and touch the other lead to the screw that holds the plate on. Try the other side, too. You may have to scratch off some paint if the screw isn't bare metal. If it lights up that's good news. You can use a multi-meter set to read AC voltage or another type of tester instead of the neon one.

If you have grounded boxes, you can either buy two-prong to three prong adapters that have a lug that you put the plate's screw through or you can buy replacement outlets that are designed for retrofitting in this application.

Your other option is to have an electrician come in and upgrade your wiring to full grounding.


Roll-on epoxy over self leveling concrete Just started cleaning up my basement and trying to make some livable space for cheap.

Right now we just have the concrete floor from the foundation, It is not level and it is very rocky ( Not smooth at all).

I plan to pour self leveler until the floor is smooth and level, then I will roll on the epoxy.

Will the epoxy provide sufficient protection for the self leveling concrete?

I saw on another thread that someone said to use a concrete resurfacer. Which means it isn't self levelling. So the work to get it flat will be about 3000 more calories than your self levelling idea. But from what i know about floors you have to wait 20 days after pouring concrete before putting the epoxy down. Because of moisture evaporation and the drying process. Good luck.


Converting a table into a counter I want to take a sentimental (but not expensive) table that my father built my husband and I for our first apartment. He used old spindles from my parents first home and the hardwood . And made a table from it. I want to basically cut the table in half length wise and attach it to my kitchen wall. As a breakfast bar of sorts.
I imagine I need to build a support onto the wall for the table to attach itself to- as well as some other supports but I'm unsure of exactly what to do. I can cut it- but attaching it is the hard part. Please any advice would be great. I normally ask my father because he's a master craftsman but I want to surprise him with my ingenuity be skills that he has taught me.

A simple 2x2 cut and then mounted to wall so the table half will rest on it.  Then from the underside of the 2x2 attach the table with screws that will pass through the 2x2 but short enough they will not go completely through the table top.


Flattening frameless wall mirror So, I purchased a frameless mirror to mount on my bedroom wall and it was sitting on the floor for a few days before I had a chance to mount it.  When I mounted it today, I found that it was slightly bent and therefore will not sit flush against the wall.

Had no issues mounting it, just bugs me that it's not sitting flat.  Anyone know how I can correct it and flatten the mirror?

I'd agree with DA01 here. It's far more likely that your wall isn't perfectly flat rather than the mirror being distorted.

The simple way to test this is to get a spirit level - or anything with an edge you know is true - and lay it across the mirror. If it doesn't lie flush then the mirror is warped. You can do the same with the wall.


How should I connect nipples to a hot water heater? I recently installed my new hot water heater.  I know nothing about plumbing and my installation procedure was informed only by sketchy home depot employees and youtube.  One of the issues I'm having is that the nipple to tank connection on the cold supply ( water in ) leaks; it's a pretty slow leak so I just kind of watch it for now.  I used Blue Monster thread tape.  However, I was unaware of the technique of wrapping the tape to match the rotation of the pipe so that it doesn't mess up the tape when you start turning the pipe into the tank.

Note, the water is specifically coming out of the nipple to tank connection.  The water accumulates down in the little well in which the tank's female threads reside.  The only other potential source would be the connector hose to nipple connection and it's subject to an easy visual inspection that shows it's not leaking.  I'm using a flexible, stainless connection hoses, not soldered copper to connect my heater to supply lines.

On the internet, I mostly see recommendations to "muscle up" and tighten it even tighter.  Well, muscling up with a 14" pipe wrench seems like an awful lot of force; in fact, I would guess that the torque goes up to automobile specs.

Is muscling up right?  Can someone be a bit more technical and describe how those fittings are supposed to be handled?

For most threaded connections, first hand-tighten and then using a wrench, tighten in quarter-turn increments.  If it leaks, give it another quarter turn.  You shouldn't need excessive force with a wrench to tighten it.

For anything other than compression fitting, use Teflon tape and/or pipe dope on the threads.

Make sure that it is not cross threaded. If you need excessive force from the beginning, there is a good chance you have cross-threaded it (assuming the correct thread type).


What leaked out of small copper line when I blew a hole in on my air handler I changed my blower motor out and in the process a wire arced out on a small copper line and blew a hole in it. What leaked out? I have since soldered up the hole and have not run the unit. I fear that if it was freon that leaked out it would damage unit by running it. It wasn't a cold gas though cause I put electrical tape around the hole as it was leaking just to try and keep dirt and outside air from it. The big copper line with insulation around it is fine.

It wasn't liquid. I figured it was freon but it wasn't cool to touch. On the inside of my house at the air handler there are two copper pipes that run up to my coil. One is big and insulated the one right next to it also runs to coil but is only like a 1/4 inch in diameter more or less. This small one is the one I blew a hole in. It was some type of gas or air. I taped it as it was leaking out but like I said it wasn't cold. Here's my worse thought, if it was freon then I will have to pay to vacume and dry then recharge which is about 700.00 dollars. 70.00 x 5lbs of freon 90.00 for them to drive out rest is labor. Just was hoping it was not freon that leaked cause it would save some trouble. I can weld pipe and work metal but I don't do freon lol.

If by "air handler" you mean heater/air conditioner/cooler unit, then yes you have punctured your refrigerant line. The big and small pipes are the in and out circuits, the gas will only be cold if it is on the appropriate side of the cycle and if the compressor is running.

This will be an expensive mistake. Your soldering job needs to be gastight, structural (won't pop off under pressure) and not introduce contaminants (like flux) into the system. Next time, disconnect the power.

If the unit is older (say > 10 years) you should consider replacement. If you are going to spend $700 on service it is well worth checking the cost of new units. If it is over 20 years old I would simply replace the thing.


Waterproof seal between two submersed pipes I have an odd problem.  Essentially I am working on fabricating a connection between two fiberglass pipes that are intended to be submerged underwater (depth 30ft).  No water should make it inside of the pipe so I need the connection to be waterproof.  I am imagining something with an O-ring and a screw like mechanism (similar to a toy submarine) but I can't figure out how to create this or hack something together.  The pipes have an outside diameter of 4.74 inches and there are no threads, just a straight cross section.  I can't seem to find any sort of coupling with this weird diameter, and I'm not sure how I'd attach one if I did. Any advice?

You might try using a no hub plumbing connection, it's like a rubber pipe with a metal band around it.  I'm not sure if they come in 4.75 diameter though.

something like this


Garbage Disposal - Water Shoots Up Non-Disposal Side Understand this is asked often.  Each case is different though and have not found someone with my plumbing configuration (see pictures).
So when we turn on garbage disposal we get water shooting up non-disposal side just about every time.  I am almost sure it is not a clogging issue.  As a test I filled non-disposal side sink entirely with water and pulled plug, observe no water backing into garbage disposal or garbage disposal side sink (i.e. it is going down drain quickly).  I am convinced this is one of those "garbage disposal shoots with great velocity, takes path of least resistance, goes up non-disposal drain".
I have attached pictures of my plumbing.
Based on all I have read it seems the disposal drain needs to tie in using a T-Baffle to force the waste to go down and not shoot across the 4 way connector.  If you look closely a lot of the pieces are glued.  I don't think I can get that 4 way connector out without cutting.
What would be the best solution?  Some sort of check value in the non-disposal line?

Update - Added additional sketches and a picture of our home exterior to illustrate it would be difficult to have an exterior vent.

Jimmy's Solution.  Question - where would AAV go?

Exterior - I have included this picture to illustrate how difficult it would be to have exterior vent.  The top of the 2nd roof is rubber/flat.  The vent stack for bathrooms is far removed.
<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/eYeWg.jpg" alt="Exterior - I have included this picture to illustrate how difficult it would be to have exterior vent.  The top of the 2nd roof is rubber/flat.  The vent stack for bathrooms is far removed.
" />
Double Wye - Could I simply replace the 4way connector with this?

Replace that 4 way junction with two wyes offset from each other (you might drop the disposal trap a few inches to achieve this) and extend the aav arm as high as possible.
The pressure from the disposal may be forcing the aav shut, and between the poor configuration of the hub and the resultant lack of venting the opposite sink is the path of least resistance.
Yes you will have to chop that monster out.  If you can't configure two offset wyes at least get a double wye hub and raise the aav.


How to replace drywall adjacent to wall cabinets and then tile over it? I just had the cabinets and countertops in my kitchen replaced. The new stuff doesn't quite line up with the old tile. The drywall behind it is pretty old and torn up, and the gaps between the tile and countertops/cabinet are only about 1", so I'm planning on tearing it out, putting in new drywall, and tiling over it.

Below is a picture of my microwave and a box of Cheerios -- and the wall/countertops/cabinets. :)

My question is: is it OK to leave a small seam in the drywall right where the cabinet/countertops meet the wall? I don't see how I can mud over the seam since it means I would need to mud under the cabinets/countertops. Can I just caulk the seam, or will the tile grout be sufficient?

Thank you!

An untaped (unsupported) joint is an opportunity for more flex than you want in a tiled wall. I'd definitely try to bond the new and old drywall as well as possible.

Unfortunately the best time to replace the drywall was while the cabinets were out, when you could have cut the drywall up above the lower cabinet line and buried it. Now, I'd probably either cut right at the top of the tile or try to remove a row of full tiles and come down a few inches lower. In either case you should be able to tape the joint with fiberglass mesh embedded in a skim coat of tile mortar.

The alternative would be to put in framing blocking behind the entire top edge of the new drywall, or to use something more robust, such as cement board. Just don't leave it to floating drywall and the tile itself to prevent flex, and therefore cracked tile and grout.


What is a wall called which has plywood installed behind the drywall? I live in Japan (non-native Japanese), so this may be only something done here.

Some of the walls of my house are reinforced to aid in mounting cabinets and shelving.  It was built this way from the beginning.

In these areas the wall is 12.5 mm drywall, then 12 mm plywood, and then the standard wooden 2x4 framing behind that.  It is not like this in all walls, only a few areas.

For example, it has the same reinforcement for the kitchen cabinet wall, walk in closets, stairway railing, and a few other areas.  Basically anywhere something needs to be hanged.

Before buying the house I was told by the construction person that it makes mounting shelves and cabinets easier (no need for anchors).  It seems like that is the main purpose.

I have searched in Japanese and English and still struggle to find much information on the Internet.  Everything I find is usually about drywall only.

Is there a name for this type of wall or construction method?

I don't know that there's a name for the wall as a whole. The sheathing is something I'd simply  refer to as "backing", as in "this wall has integrated support backing". It's also commonly done with lumber fit between studs as needed.

There are walls with integrated plywood that are part of the structural design. They're known as "shear walls" and they provide diagonal rigidity, often in earthquake or hurricane zones or in larger buildings. That's not what we're talking about here, though.


Can I splice a main neutral in a new feed thru (meter panel) box? I replaced an old existing meter panel with a 200 Amp feed through. The problem is I came up about 3 inches short with the neutral for the underground feed to the house. My question is: Can I add a piece of neutral with a crimp connector inside the feed-through panel?

The code allows you to splice service entrance conductors (230.46) 2011 code book.  But you cannot splice them in the meter can.  You have to use a weatherproof box seperate from the meter can; if installed outside, and weatherproof fittings.  The splice must be made with approved equipment.  Remember a chain is as strong as it's weakest link.  If you ever have a problem with the feed it will be thewre.  Best thing to do is re-run the line if it's economical it would be best.


Can I operate a well pump with no pressure tank by using the breaker as a switch? Working on my cabin.  Have a drilled well about 100 feet away (maybe a bit more, uphill).  1 inch black PVC well pipe comes into dirt crawl space, pier construction, under cabin.  I brought it upstairs so only 10 feet is exposed in crawl space.  Wrapping heat tape today on well pipe.  I don't have the pressure tank and such set up.  Any reason I can't just power up the well for now and turn it on and off with breaker, then have a pipe with water that comes out ?

Thanks.

Not really.

You can do that if you only turn on the pump when you're consuming water. You don't want the pump running if no water is moving. You'll wear it out.

The point of a pressure switch is to prevent just that, and the point of the pressure tank is to reduce the frequency of pump startups (along with stabilizing pressure during usage).


What is the advantage of PEX pinch clamp vs. crimp rings? I just saw these for the first time today at Lowe's:

The advantages I can see over the crimp style are:

A single tool can work with multiple PEX sizes
That single tool is cheaper than a single-size crimp tool (~$40 vs ~$80)
The tool grabs and pinches the raised segment of the clamp, so it doesn't need to wrap around the tube which should make it easier to use in confined spaces

Has anyone used this type of ring for PEX work and have any thoughts on them?

The benefits of the clamps are exactly as you say - the biggest one being that they're sometimes the only option in a cramped area. They used to be over 5x the price of the rings, which adds up very quickly -- but I see now they are only slightly more expensive.
I don't think they're any less reliable than regular pex crimps, I know of some (at my cottage) that have been fine for 5+ 10+15+ years now.


What backer board for Kohler Choreograph in the shower - osb or greenboard? I want to install Kohler Choreograph sheets in my shower over tub.  It currently has a full fiberglass unit.  Should I use osb, greenboard, or possibly cement board, and do these have to be water-proofed?

According to this video produced by Kohler, you should use greenboard or other water resistent backer material.  I wouldn't use OSB, and cement board seems like overkill but could help if you needed to stiffen up the walls I guess.

https://youtu.be/4-s-pfbj0YU


Overboarding thickness - how much smaller will my room be? I have a lot of woodchip wallpaper and normal wallpaper, all painted over multiple times. Removing it is going to be hell.
So instead I was thinking of overboarding, but how much room will I lose to that? Some of the corridors are only 1m wide.
Presumably I'll need to put up trusses, screwed into the brickwork, and then plasterboard over those. Plasterboard is 10-13mm thick, plus say 10mm for the truss, on both sides, which suggests the corridor would end up being about 950mm wide at the end, not too bad.
Is that a reasonable assumption or will it be thicker than that?
This is a residential house in the UK. There will be wiring behind the plasterboard, i.e. through the trusses.

10 mm "truss" + 13 mm plasterboard (taking the high end) = 23 mm
23 mm x 2 (both sides) = 46 mm
10000 mm wide corridor - 46 mm = 964 mm

Your estimate of 950mm of remaining space seems reasonable.
Other than checking your math, I'm not sure what else we can tell you or what your real question is.


What type of wood panels could replace the glass in a storm door? A couple of days ago I opened the inside door and the full view window in my storm door shattered and fell onto the living room floor. I have been considering replacing the window with a wood panel. I do scroll fretwork as a hobby and was thinking of doing some panels with a frame that replaces the window part of the door.

What wood would you recommend for the frame and panels?

Redwood is widely available, it has excellent weather-ability, and it is easily shaped and cut.


How do I keep the plastic window insulators sealed when the window has a sill? Last winter I covered my windows in my apartment with a window sealing kit so keep out any drafts. The winds and temperatures are pretty extreme around here and the plastic would peel away from some sections.

The windows are inset into the wall and don't have any trim around them besides at the bottom where the sill sticks into the room. This creates a problem because I don't have a good way to seal around the sill so I had to just stick the plastic to the top of it. The wind and temperature causes the tape to peel up a lot easier in this setup because of the angle the tape is stuck. I don't really see any other way around it.

Any ideas for how I can set this up better to make sure this thing stays completely sealed through the winter?

 (This picture I stole from http://abillco.com/sills-wooden-mdf-pine-oak-window-stained-painted/index.htm)

That sounds like it would work but its involved.  I do what you do and use the double stick tape on the flat top of the sill.  Then before I shrink the plastic I get normal clear packaging tape and go around the whole window again.  I get a lot of draft and condensation and over the years this technique evolved and seems to work.


What would cause all my dimmers to dim less? I have 4 different rooms with dimmers. Something changed that makes them not dim enough. If it were one room I'd guess a switch problem. If they were all LED's I might think it was the switch or the bulbs. The dimmers are the type that is supposed to work with LEDs. They all worked fine until about a week ago. So just to be clear: a week ago the lights would dim to just a faint glow. Now when the switch is flipped they only dim about half of full intensity. No other symptoms or electrical issues that I know of.

Virtually all new dimmer switches are "smart" switches.  They contain tiny computer chips that control the dimming functions, and most smart switches have internal "parameters" that can be set with values to define things like minimum and maximum brightness, dimming speed, brightness step levels, etc.  These switches often allow the user to change the parameters by holding the switch buttons down and tapping or clicking following a certain pattern.

For some reason I've found that certain people have a knack for messing up these switches - perhaps someone is holding down the dimmer button instead of clicking the paddle.  It's incomprehensible to me how they manage to stumble into the pattern to mess up the parameters.  And it's pretty much impossible to guess how to undo the damage without proper documentation.  You'll need to read the manual for your specific switches to understand the different parameters and settings, and how to restore them.

You may find it easier to perform a "factory reset" on the switches, but be warned this could cause a home automation controller to forget the configuration for the switch.  Then you'll find your lighting problems have suddenly become computer problems, and that's even less fun.

If they are part of a home automation system like Z-Wave or Iris, the parameters can be easily set and reset by the installer using the system controller and a computer.

As you read through the manual, look to see there is a parameter like "disable changing parameters from the switch".  If so, I recommend setting it to avoid accidental repeats of this problem in the future.


Dual heat zones strongly connected vs setback thermostats Similar to a question just asked, but i think it's different enough...

I have a two-zone forced-hot-water heating system, where each floor is its own zone. The zones are connected by an open stairwell.

It seems reasonable to me to set the downstairs back farther at night than upstairs, keeping the upstairs bedrooms a bit warmer.

The question is, given convection in that stairwell, does it really make sense to let the upstairs setting drop below downstairs during the day, or would I need to isolate that stairwell (or at least close all the upstairs doors) for this to really save energy?

Convection in a stairway, in a reasonably tight house, is way overrated.

Given the square footage of wall and ceiling space - I do not see how the stairway makes much difference.

I run a fan 24/7 at the bottom of my stairs, adjust vents to the seasons, and still can not seem to get my system to play nice. I do have a single zone forced air, so it is not a direct comparison, I realize.

Heat loss is proportional to the difference in temperature. And it is nowhere near linear, turning off/down will always be the most energy-efficient.

It is likely to not the same as comfortable for certain, but is true in the case of BTUs


Are the drawers in dual drawer dishwashers swappable? We have an integrated dual drawer dishwasher made by Fisher & Paykel which is about 14 years old now.  As is usual for these drawers, the top one gets used all the time, and the bottom one rarely.

The top one has been repaired once already, and now it's no longer draining water after a wash cycle.  The repair man says we should replace the whole unit with a standard dishwasher.

I'm wondering if we can swap the bottom unit for the top, or are they different designs?  I'm told the whole thing is a single unit so I can't just replace the top unit with a new one.

I"m sorry but I don't have the exact model to hand just right now.

I've dealt with these Fisher & Paykel 'drawer types' before. I agree with your guy: get a $200 DW and don't look back.

According to Consumer Reports, all DWs will clean your dishes, the only difference is noise level.

Swapping the drawers with each other is probably out of the question. Live with it, or get a cheaper and better DW.

What you can swap-out is the pump assembly (I think they're the same for the upper and lower). Give that a shot before you toss it. It should pop right out, no tools needed.

Also, make sure that drawer's drain line isn't clogged with a grease plug.