Possible mould damage from burst pipe On 15th December 2020 we became aware of a burst pipe on the side of our house.  The source of the leak was the cold water pipe leading into the hot water system on the side of the house (brick veneer).  I believe that the pipe had been leaking for about 2 days, and the temperature during this period was approx. 30 degrees Celsius (we're in Australia).
My wife noticed the sound of running water late at night - I investigated and found the leak. We noticed the the plaster board wall in our bedroom (directly opposite the leaky pipe) was quite damp and had slightly leaked out on to the floor (but was fairly contained, and easy to mop up with a towel).
I immediately turned off the water supply, and a plumber came the next day to fix the source of the leak.  The plumber said there was a lot of dampness in the wall and he recommended I file an insurance claim to deal with the dampness and possible mould issue.
When I looked at the meter, it had registered 3 months of water usage since the last meter reading (which was 2 months ago).  So a 50% increase in water usage over the 2 month period.
The insurance company sent a company with a dehumidifier which ran for approximately 2 days straight (except when going to sleep) pointing at the wall.  Prior to the dehumidifier running, they used a moisture detector on the wall and it had an extremely high reading.  After the 2 days, they came to collect the dehumidifier and it was still measuring a high reading (but they took it away as it was Xmas and we were going on holidays).  They said at this point, the dehumidifier didn't appear to make a difference and recommended someone come to look inside the wall.
A few weeks later someone came and did another moisture test and the reading was close to "normal".  This was corroborated with a plumber you used a thermal moisture detector and couldn't detect any moisture in the plaster, but detected a very slight increase in moisture at the skirting board (pictured).
Yesterday, someone attended again and said that because there was no signs of mould on the outside of the skirting board, they don't believe there is any mould inside the wall cavity (as mould would likely show itself on the outside of the skirting board).  The said they could remove the skirting board to look inside the wall, but based on their observations they don't think it needs to be done.
The skirting board spans the entire length of the bedroom wall, and removing it is not a small job as it may damage the plaster.
Based on what I have outlined above, is the insurance company right when they say the probability of mould is low in this scenario?  My biggest concern is any potential health issues caused by the mould.  I'm not sure if this is a case of "I can't see anything, therefore it's probably not there" or if they are just cutting corners here.
Photos below of the skirting board in question, and the source of the leak.

The inside walls of your home will have mold spores from day 1 keeping the home well ventilated and dry keeps the mold from growing.
If you look in your attic you will probably see some black spots that’s mold.
Mold needs moisture to grow if the wall is dry it won’t grow so at this point if the area is dry there won’t be mold growing since it sounds like there was no insulation to hold the moisture.
With that information having remodeled many homes both for myself and professionally the insurance company is most likely right.
They would not want to have the wall covering to start failing when it could be a cause of this pipe failure. And further damage resulting from not doing things right the first time.
So I believe they are correct and you will have no problems.


How to eliminate gaps in vinyl siding Has this siding been installed correctly.  Is there any way to close the gaps?

The sliver of a gap between lapped "boards" is normal, and those boards should be left to move with respect to one another. Normally laps are installed such that they have the least visual impact from one particular direction, such as from the front entry.

You've discovered one of the primary drawbacks to vinyl siding. Steel can be had in seamless lengths, but to my knowledge vinyl cannot.


Fridge works (or worked) but not the freezer I own a KitchenAid KSC24C8EYP02. Suddenly, the freezer portion stopped working. The fridge portion kept cold but not the freezer. I have found some posts with the opposite scenario, but not this one.

I suspected the control board and ordered a new one from Sears. Just put it in, only to discover that neither side working. The freezer is blowing air but not getting cold and the fridge is not cooling either.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I would check your circulating fan, then thermostat probe. These are both located in the back of your freezer. You will have remove the covering to get to them. Take pics with your phone camera as you go. It will make it easier to put back together. As far as your new board not working, I know its hard to believe but, you can get a new board that is defective. Mine did the same thing and the fan would run, but not all the time. When I replaced it, it was working properly.


How do I find the master unit for an intercom? I have a 4-wire (I think) intercom/doorbell system in the my house with 3 indoor stations (Pacific Electronic 3404)  and one outdoor station.

My transformer is in the (finished) basement on the west wall of the house; the intercom stations are roughly in the center of the house, and the door is on the southeast side of the house.  All wires immediately go behind sheetrock.

I haven't been able to find the AF-1000 master unit anywhere in the house, though i know that it is somewhere in there.. Is there a procedure that I can use to find it short of ripping out all the sheetrock to trace the wires?

I can't imagine that it is up to code to put this behind sheetrock, but I've looked all over the house for it.

You should be able to use an inexpensive wire tracer to follow where the wires from any of the stations are going. Even the cheap wire tracers will work through sheetrock.


electrical service to a shipping container workshop I am purchasing an 8x20ft shipping container ("conex") which I will be using as a toolshed and small workshop. I want to have some electrical service out there, for a compressor, fluorescent lighting, and some outlets for power tools etc; no HVAC or anything like that.

I'm a EE and have done plenty of wiring within the house, but want to make sure I've got the nuances of a sub-panel in a detached building correct, ask if the fact the building is all-metal suggests special considerations, and solicit comments on my whole plan.    The work will not be subject to inspection.   Here's my plan:

I'll run 10/3 (plus ground) UF direct-burial cable from the main panel (in my house) to the sub-panel in the container, protected by a double-pole 30 amp breaker in the main panel.  We're talking maybe 75ft total wire run, so voltage drop will be a few volts max (10ga is about 1 ohm per 1000ft).  Trench depth 2ft, with plastic conduit where the UF comes up out of the ground.

I will configure the sub-panel to keep ground and neutral separate (with "insulated ground bar" or "neutral bar" kit, assuming there's no subpanel boxes available with separate neutral and ground bars). No main breaker in the sub-panel.  I'll have four single-pole/120vac branch circuits (probably two 20amp and two 15amp, since it's ok for the breakers in a panel to add up to more than the main breaker), wired with 12 and 14 gauge NM respectively.

I'll install an 8ft ground rod at the sub-panel, and bond the shipping container to it too.   How exactly should I interconnect the ground rod to the container shell and to the ground wiring (the ground bar in the subpanel, which in turn is connected to the ground wire in the UF cable and to the ground wires in all the branch circuit Romex) ?   Is this sufficient grounding ?

I'll probably drop 3/4" PEX in the trench too.   No immediate needs for plumbing out there, but a faucet might be nice some day, and it's maybe $50 of materials.

It sounds like you have things well thought out here as far as electrical matters go.  A couple of notes:

You may wish to bury a fat conduit (or two -- I'd use 2" or 3" Schedule 80 PVC for this) in the trench as well as the PEX line and the UF cable, or better yet, bury some conduits and use one for the feeder to the container-building.  This way, you don't have to dig up or abandon the UF later if you need MOAR POWAH at your workshop.
You'll want to have your ground rod checked by an electrician to make sure it is less than 25 ohms to ground (for adequate lightning protection of the electrical system).  If it isn't, you'll need to install a second one at least 6' away and bond them together with the Grounding Electrode Conductor.
You are correct in that the container should be earthed.  If you don't plan to move it later, an exothermic welding kit, used properly, will make a permanent copper-to-steel bond between the bonding conductor to the container and the container chassis -- I would bond to a container frame rail to minimize the risk of the exothermic weld accidentally perforating the container wall sheets.
A strike terminator (lightning rod) is a good idea, especially if the container is the tallest thing in the area.  Note that the lightning rod needs its own earthing electrode -- it cannot share an earthing path with the power system to avoid excessive common-mode voltages getting induced onto the power system and frying things.
The minimum size for Grounding Electrode Conductors in the NEC is 6AWG -- bare 6AWG copper wire is easy to find, and can be directly buried without issue.  This wire needs to run between all the ground rods, the container chassis bond point, and the panel ground bar.


When can spackle be used instead of mud? My wife was reading this article, wherein drywall damage due to the removal of construction adhesive was fixed with spackle.

HOW TO REMOVE A DATED VANITY BACKSPLASH

I thought this kind of repair required joint compound ("mud") and not spackle.

When can spackle, which is easier to work with and dries much faster, be used instead of mud, which dries slower, but much harder?

You can use either spackle or joint compound. I personally detest the modern "light weight" versions of spackle and will not use them. I use joint compound for most repair applications around drywall. The dry time has never been a big problem for me as most projects are big enough that there are plenty of other tasks to attend to whilst the joint compound dries.

Note: Most of the preferred "old style" heavy spackle is also a pain to use in comparison to joint compound because it drys really hard and is a total pain to sand down. Joint compound is really easy to sand thus giving it one more feather in its cap.


How to remove these nails (no access to head)? Installing closet doors. Had to knock these guys out of the way (first image). Realized after doing that the magical hidden nails are sticking out. Didn't expect that. Thoughts on how to get rid of that without having to remove the whole framing situation going on?

Grab them with a locking plier and bend them back and forth a few times. They'll fatigue and snap off. Or use a rotary tool with a cutoff wheel. Then use a nail set to drive them below flush.


Best strategy for video security, package or separate DVR? I am considering setting up a video monitoring system for home security. This would include cameras mounted both on the house itself and in 2-3 locations on the grounds. I had originally planned to just get a "canned" system which has the 3 main components: cameras, cables and a DVR together. I have read it can get tricky getting extension cables for canned systems.

However, I have recently heard that you can buy the components separately, getting your own DVR and that this supposedly can be better because the canned DVRs may be mediocre quality. Supposedly by buying your own DVR you can get a much higher quality DVR for the same money.

Does anyone have experience with this to state whether it is better to get a canned security system, versus an a la carte approach?

Note: I am very technically capable (have electronics workshop etc), so simplicity is not a factor.

I purchased all of my cameras and DVR a la carte and found it to be a bit cheaper and you get what you wany. Ebay is your friend for finding the parts and components necessary.

There are many options available for DVR systems now. In this day and age you will definitely want something that is HD capable. There are a lot of systems out there called hybrid DVRs that can record both analog and IP video. This would allow you to have some cameras that are lower resolution in areas you don't require quality and also the capability to use HD (720p, 1080p) cams in others. These could even be wireless cameras.

AliExpress, SecurityCamera2000 are also good sources for equipment.

I purchased some cheap (400TVL) dome cameras off ebay, and replaced the sensors with 2MP (720p) Sony IP cameras and saved a bundle. Since you are tech savvy, I think you would enjoy tinkering with different cameras and camera technologies. Searching for "Board Cameras" on ebay, ali, or securitycamera2000 will yield many results that will enable you to customize your system to you specific needs.

Just keep in mind, most of this stuff comes directly from china so it may be hit and miss on quality and take 3-30 days to arrived, but I have yet to be burned...

Good Luck!


Unistall and Install over the range microwave I purchased a replacement microwave. When the installer came out to do the install, he said that he couldn't do it until the cabinet trim was removed because there wasn't enough clearance to remove and replace the microwave. I measured it and there is about 3 inches from the top of the trim to the bottom of the microwave. I watched videos and I see how they are removed but do you really need to angle the microwave that far? Does the trim really have to be removed???

While I cant speak to your particular microwave or cabinets, there is an issue with many setups that do require an angled entry that may be the problem the installer is concerned about.

Many over the stove microwaves hang on a metal frame attached to the back wall. This frame usually has a lip at the bottom that engages with slots in the bottom back of the microwave and provides the support at the back edge. The other support points are bolts that come through the cabinets near the front of the microwave.

The microwave needs to be tilted on about a 45 degree angle to engage that back lip. Once engaged, the microwave is then tilted up and back until it is flush with the wall ant the bolts can be dropped in from the cabinet above.

It may be that the existing molding will prevent that tilt. The above cabinet prevents the microwave from being lifted straight up to clear the lip.

I would remove both inside (both sides)and front trim, and then reinstall after the oven is in place.


Temporarily moving 2 walls off of a slab The very quick backstory is that in order to remain grandfathered to retain my current setbacks (i.e., too close to property line and alley), I must retain those 2 original walls of my garage. I intend to pour a new slab over the current one since it is too low anyway and expand it in the 2 directions I am able at the same time. Our inspector said I could lift the walls in order to do that as well as replace the sill plates, which are surprisingly solid, at the same time. To make pouring much easier, I intend to just move the walls a couple feet off the slab and move them back when new slab is ready.

My question is how to do this in the simplest manner (i.e., both time and expense wise)? My current idea is sketched below. The walls are approximately 19' and 18'. Total weight would be around 1100-1200 pounds since exterior sheathing would remain to prevent sagging. My thought is to use my 3-ton wheeled car jack and lift as close to the CG as possible (the up arrow in the sketch). Thus, I'd bolt some ledger boards to the walls (studs are 30-32" o.c. - I will be adding more!) and then bolt a braced 2x10 across the diagonal (should be 13-14') where it would connect just inside the midpoint of each wall since if anything I want the corner to lift before the ends. I'd have a person at each wall end to do the fine balancing as needed. Then basically walk the jack back a couple feet and set the wall down on some concrete blocks. That would be on the neighbor's property but I'll get approval from him. Once set firmly on blocks a while, remove the braced 2x10 so you could walk around the slab to install forms and do the pour easier. The brace shown on the top would remain from start to finish to help retain the right angle.

Am I forgetting anything?

EDIT: added picture of current sill plate.

EDIT 2: Good news. Inspector has approved me just moving them to wherever I wanted temporarily so this will be pretty easy now. I'll remove the sheathing and separate the walls so my son and I can just carry them. :)

There are a number of good ways to do this. Here's the first to come to mind if you're hoping to keep the wall upright. No jacks involved. In my experience, they're more trouble than they're worth when things are being moved laterally.

I would separate the walls, if that's not difficult. A "cats paw" nail removal tool and a few minutes would probably do the job. You could cut the nails, but you'll have scarring on the lumber, and sometimes that's more difficult than it sounds. This procedure should work well either way, though.

Place a series of 8-10' levers with fulcrums along the wall, perpendicular to it. 2x6 laid over would probably work well. The near end of the lever should be just below slab level. The lever height at the fulcrum should be roughly level with the new slab height. The fulcrum should be near the temporary resting position, 2-3' from the slab. There should be clearance under the far end of the levers to at or below grade near the slab.
With plenty of helpers, pry the wall off the slab onto the levers. Two people should have the sole duty of balancing the wall, which, if kept vertical, should be manageable. The others should monitor the levers and help pry. Flatbars driven under the wall and then lifted should make this step easy.
Once the wall is completely off the slab, helpers should stand on the levers to lift the wall to the new height. This should be easy for average adults if there are enough levers (three or four per wall). The far ends of the levers should be a few inches below the height at the fulcrums, so that there's a slight rise to the new slab location.
Now place blocking under the near ends of the levers, next to the slab. Leave room for concrete forms, etc.
Shift the wall into its temporary position and brace well to heavy stakes in the ground. I'd use three if the wind is expected to remain calm, more if not.

When time comes to replace the walls, the levers should be at a suitable height. Just slide the walls into position.

Of course, you could always just lay the walls over and drag them out of the way. If you have enough help this is feasible. Four to six healthy adults could handle the walls individually.

Also, consider leaving the original sill plates attached and just add new, treated 2x6 underneath, flush with the sheathing on the outside. If they're solid, don't waste the considerable effort to change them, or just change the bad portions.


Why does my air conditioner say not to shut it off and restart within 3 minutes? My air conditioner says not to turn it off and then back on within 3 minutes.

Why is that, and what will happen if I do?

Seems like this will answer your question. Found on another Stack Exchange site:
https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/4695/do-air-conditioners-need-a-3-minute-break-after-being-started-or-stopped


Electrical outlets gone bad? New here, please go easy on me:)
I have a few outlets that we’ve never used because furniture was in the way.  Just started moving stuff around and I’ve come to realize that 2 outlets just don’t work, with known working items.
Tested with volt meter and I get:
0 across A&B
120 across A&C
120 across B&C
I get completely opposite readings at a known working outlet.  Is this a case of just replacing the outlets or tracing a bad wire in the wall?  There are 3 outlets on this breaker and only 1 of them is working.

Welcome to the Magic 8-ball:

Harper calls these the Magic 8-Ball because they sometimes produce meaningless, seemingly random, results. But for straightforward wire swaps they are exactly the tool to use.
These testers make what you found out the hard way a bit easier - i.e., you can plug them into each 120V receptacle to very quickly find out what is going on. What you have would be described by one of these testers as Hot/Ground reverse.
The normal setup is:

A (wide slot) = Neutral
B (narrow slot) = Hot
C (hole) = Ground

You normally have:

A-B = Neutral to Hot = 120V
A-C = Neutral to Ground = 0V
B-C = Hot to Ground = 120V

There are a lot of different things that can go wrong. The most common things are simply wires connected in the wrong places. If Hot and Ground are reversed then you will get:

A-B = 0V (Neutral to Ground)
A-C = 120V (Neutral to Hot)
B-C = 120V (Ground to Hot).

With this specific combination, 2-prong devices will not work but at least will be safe (no voltage, so no current) and 3-prong devices will not work and will not be safe.
To fix:

Turn off breaker
Check color of wires going to breaker, neutral, ground (they will all be "together" either in one cable (Black = hot/White = neutral/bare = ground) or in conduit (color = hot, white/grey = neutral, bare or green = ground or no ground if metal conduit). If the colors don't seem right here (white to the breaker or any color other than white to the neutral or anything other than green or bare to the ground bar) then stop and upload pictures before continuing.
If the breaker seems OK, next step is to open up each receptacle on this circuit and check the wiring. In each case, black or other color (not white or green) should be to the brass screws, white to the silver screws and green or bare to the ground screw.

You will likely find at least one receptacle wired incorrectly. Fix it and then test with a multimeter, though in this case using a Magic 8-Ball tester will speed up the process as this is right on target for that type of tester.


Should light temperatures be equal in all rooms? We have different compact fluorescent lamps and LEDs with different color temperatures in our flat and I found it to be unpleasant to have a blueish light in the bedroom and a yellower one in the hallway. Should I equalize it and use, for instance, 2700K lights in all rooms or is it better to have a lower color temperature in the bedroom and a higher one in the working room?

Personally, I say it's personal preference. We found we like daylight 5000K better so as bulbs burn out I get new LEDs (previously CFLs) that are daylight. Eventually they'll all be changed but for now they are mixed and we don't mind.

What's your preference? That's what I'd go with.


Why do single electrical receptacles exist? Given that the following are true.

They are the same size.
They take the same amount of work to install.
Doubles are twice as useful.
Double adapters are a thing.

Why do single electrical receptacles even exist? I was looking at the plans for a house and some of the power points were specified to be singles. Is it a code/standards compliance issue? It can't be to make a house $2 cheaper, they wouldn't be worth manufacturing if that were the case.

Someone edited this to say "Receptacles". I assume that's an Americanism?
Sounds very odd to me.

Standard Australian power points. They're the same size, fit in the same hole, and have the socket in almost the same point. I've seen singles mostly in older houses. I thought maybe doubles used to be more expensive, or maybe they just ran out and put a single in. But then I saw the building's wiring overlay and somebody decided - in the planning stage - that for some reason that point needed to be a single. I know it's of no real importance, but this has been bugging me for years. This is just an average room in an average suburban house. No basement pump. (Cultural note: Australian houses don't have basements. Until recently, we tended to spread out horizontally, not vertically.) There's nothing that would be damaged if the power failed. Except the fridge, and I've never seen a fridge with it's own circuit.

We live in a world where these exist. So if single power points are supposed to be the solution to stop people plugging in two devices, someone should rethink that.

There are quite a few reasons to use a single receptacle instead of a duplex receptacle. A few that I know of:

Recessed for clock or behind a TV. In this case, it is sometimes easier to use with one centered receptacle instead of top or bottom of a duplex receptacle.
Air conditioning, range, dryer or other larger-than-usual circuit (in the US, this means anything > 120V or > 20A). I believe in at least some cases this is a code requirement.
Refrigerator or freezer in a GFCI-required area in order to avoid GFCI requirements (subject to local code and AHJ). In this case a second receptacle would be indication of intent to plug in additional devices rather than using a single receptacle for a specific exemption.
Cooktop ignition. I have this in my own house. My electrician installed a single receptacle as (a) there is no reason to ever plug in anything else inside the cabinet under the cooktop and (b) he installed it "upside down" - ground pin on top - instead of the more typical (for the US) orientation, for an extra little bit of safety (which would be awkward/confusing elsewhere but for the seldom unplugged cooktop is perfectly fine). The same logic would apply for a single receptacle for a garbage disposal.
Specialized sensitive equipment - e.g., medical or computer - to minimize interference from other equipment on the same circuit (e.g., there are devices that will reboot due to voltage drop if a laser printer starts printing on the same circuit, but which will be fine as long as they are on separate circuits - and any time you have an open receptacle it becomes "available" for a printer or vacuum cleaner or whatever).
Backup power - if you have a generator or battery backup with limited power then using single receptacles is a way to make sure that only the specified loads are on the automatically transferred circuits.

I am sure there are more reasons - if anyone has any good ones, feel free to add to this list (or make your own answer if you prefer).


Softwood butcher-block name? I used to be able to buy a lumber product at the big-box home-improvement emporium which was like butcher-block side-laminated panel, but made of soft wood (pine? fir?, etc.)

I would like to make some benches with this material. It doesn't need to be hard-wood like real butcher-block (and I don't have the budget for that, either.)  But I don't know what it is called, and Google can't find it if I don't know its name.

The key-words "laminated" and "composite" are apparently applied to different kinds of things. Laminated seems to mean "vertically stacked" (like plywood, etc.) And "composite" refers to things like MDF, chip-board, etc.  What key word am I missing here?

For any future searches, here's an example product.

"Edge glued panel" or "edge laminated board" are probably the best search terms.


gas furnace will not come back on our goodman gas furnace fires up but when the temperature drops and it should come back on it doesn't unless we hit the reset switch.  Repairman has been out and changed the breaker and thermostat.  what else can it be?

The most common reason is the flame sensor rod is dirty. If this is the problem, then remove the flame sensor rod and gently clean it with steel wool or a dollar bill. Flame sensor rods need to conduct electricity, but if the rod gets coated with dirt then it insulates the flame sensor rod and electricity cannot conduct anymore. Flame sensor rods tend to get dirty more quickly when the furnace is located in the laundry room because the air in the laundry room tends to have more dust.


Does a central A/C with copper lines that are too small cause compressor and diaphragm failure? I have a 3 ton R410A A/C unit that is 8 years old and is using copper lines that are too small. Does this cause leaks, diaphragm failure, and compressor failure?

The air was not blowing cold, so I had the refrigerant refilled. It works better but only blows about 12 degrees fahrenheit cololer than the intake.

I had a reputable company come out to diagnose. When the new A/C was put in 8 years ago, they used the existing lines in the wall and just attached the new lines (in the attic at the condenser unit and outside at the compressor unit) to the exiting lines. The existing lines were smaller than the lines that go into the machine.

New line on left, existing line on right.

The tech told me that this causes the pressure to rise above what the machine can handle, which is causing several problems: creating leaks in the evaporator, blowing out the diaphragm, and over working the compressor. He said my compressor is working too hard and can die any moment.

He suggests getting a new unit as soon as possible (and is estimating 7,500 - 10,000 for install in my 1600 sq ft 1 story house). He said they would not repair this because of he condition. He tested my compressor, said it is over worked. He leaked some refrigerant and said it smells contaminated. He listened to the compressor and said he can tell it is working too hard. And they supposedly did an electronic test to confirm it was leaking inside the evaporator coil box.

Does this diagnosis sound correct? How long can I milk this A/C unit machine? Am I destroying the compressor by running it with the smaller copper lines?

If the lines are two small it will change the efficiency and work the compressor harder. It is tough to fully clean the old mineral oil out that was used in older units. If the R410 smells acidic this could be an indication that the old oil was still in the system and mineral oil and ester oil don't mix. If there is old oil in the system this can cause early compressor failure. I am guessing what he called a diaphragm is the throttle valve or TXV that regulates the flow into the evaporator this could be damaged and part of the reason your system is not cooling. There are many electronic testers that can detect R410 at very small levels if a leak could be located a bubble solution can pinpoint it and there epoxies that may be able to slow or stop the leak but silver solder is the best way (not on a charged unit though) . The possible acid in the oil has caused damage already and compressors are not reparable. I would run the unit until it fails with a full charge it may last the season and shop around for a new system (get several quotes for the complete replacement). I am sure they did not want to put there name on a system that is damaged and have you upset with them as well as the first company for trying to save a few bucks that cost more in the long run.


120V LED Light Power Supply I have an LED driver:

But I cannot understand the 12-40V @ 350mA and what I should be looking for to replace it with. The light gives no indication of voltage or draw so I'm trying to match this power supply and have no clue where to find one or do the math to figure out what a compatible driver would be.

Any help would be appreciated I'm in the US at 120V household.

As @digitalninja mentions, this is a constant current led driver. Unlike a variable current/constant voltage power supply, that attempts to keep the same voltage output regardless of the current pulled, a constant current supply will attempt to keep the same current, by varying the voltage.

It will, given a load like an led bulb, change the voltage until the current becomes 350mA. That could be a 24V 350mA led bulb/strip, or a 12V 350mA led bulb/strip, or whatever.

As such, you are looking for bulb that states it is that current draw within that voltage range.


Should blueboard overlap at outside corners or stop flush with framing? When hanging blue board for veneer plaster, should the board overlap on outside corners like normal drywall or should they end on the edge of the studs and the corner will be filled in with veneer (and a corner edge piece)?

Corner bead is used on plaster work too, so run it the same way as you would drywall. My preference is to run one piece over the edge of the other side, but slightly behind. This can be achieved as well when the board is ran past the corner, then scored at the corner an broke back and finished cutting. Use a drywall rasp (cheese grater) to insure the break is back a little behind the corner if needed.


What should be the better layout of hardwood floor on my hallway? See the above picture, it looks to me to decide layout of bedroom A,B,C and play room is pretty straight forward.
But I do not have any idea what is the better layout on the hallway should be?
I am also thinking if I should change direction in Bedroom A to avoid too much expansion at vertical direction.
Any advice is appreciated!

I would divide the hallways into 3 areas and keep the areas approximately the same size.  Put the direction of the wood with the longest wall to keep cuts to a minimum.  In my mind this has the middle hallway start (reading left to right) with the angle change and end at the far side of bedroom C.
The change in direction from the hallway to the room would be transitioned at the door ways to make it as inconspicuous as possible.
Bedroom A should be fine.  The hardwood manufacturers typically specify the maximum dimensions and that room doesn't look like it would exceed the standard recommendation but check the install specifications.


Repairing finish on basement block foundation wall I have a room in a partially finished basement which was done by the previous homeowner which is needing repair to the walls. The house is old (1925), and the foundation is concrete block. The room in question is mostly below grade, and they have finished over the concrete block with some type of plaster, and painted it. I am now running into issues with the material falling off, and paint bubbling, so there is some obvious moisture coming through the wall. My issue is that I am not sure what material was used to finish the wall, it looks almost like drywall compound, but that seems insane to use on an exterior block wall. Here are some pictures of the issue:

More: https://imgur.com/a/rRV5aK9

Any advice on what the material I'm working with here would likely be, and my best approach to fixing the issues I'm having would be greatly appreciated. I'm assuming patching with joint compound isn't the correct solution here.

I think you answered your question when you stated "some type of plaster".  That's exactly what it looks like to me. Plaster is usually applied over lath strips but can be applied straight to concrete but it doesn't last as long and is prone to crack, chip and damage to moisture. It is relatively easy to patch by just mixing more plaster, according to manufacture guidelines, and applying it to the damaged area after thoroughly removing the crumbly old plaster. Check the area for cracks before applying any plaster and repair any seams. There doesn't appear to be a lot of damage so this might be all that's needed.


Squeaky sounds from our GE dryer. Is this the dryer belt failing? Our 6 year old GE dryer has a slight (so far) problem. Just as the drum start spinning it makes a squeaky sound. Then it goes away, but I can still hear a reduced version of the squeak every now and then as the drum turns. Seem like it gets worse with a full load. The squeak last less than a second and is not very load.. It has done this for while and it works just as great as it always has but I have a feeling the squeak is telling me something needs to be done and I do not want that to be all of a sudden leaving us stuck without a dryer. Our expensive Samsung dryer totally died on Dec 23 without any forewarning and will be very expensive to fix so we are back to the good 'ol GE which in many ways dries clothes better. I need to keep it alive though!

Belt and/or rollers (that support the drum as it rotates). Commonly available as a kit of both, often for barely more money than either alone, and the major pain is getting in there to replace them, so just do both is my usual approach.


Is this plumbing repair sound? I opened up a wall as part of a project and discovered some obviously newer pieces of copper pipe on one of the water supply lines. The drywall shows evidence of water stains as does the drywall and doors on the floor below. There must have been a leak in the pipe that was subsequently repaired (before I bought the house).

Looking at the repaired water line, I don't see any solder - it looks as if the new pieces are just crimped on. Is this an acceptable way of repairing a leak in copper, or should I be worried about it leaking in the future?

These are copper press fit connectors. They have "o"rings installed at each end of the connector.

Once the connectors are in place, they are crimped with a special, and expensive, tool. They are supposed to be as good as sweating and Sharkbite connectors but they are not reusable.


Shade in front of second floor condo window I live in the second floor (one over ground level) in a condo building in Germany. It is rented, so I cannot do major modifications. Minor modifications must be arranged with the owner. The living room has a huge window to the south-east. Now in the summer there is a lot of sunshine through that window, the living room gets quite warm and sticky this way.

This summer some plant that has grown wildly in front of the building has made its way in front of my window:

I quite liked it, it looks like I am living in a tree house. Also this plant absorbed the sunlight and made the living room way more enjoyable over the day.

Sadly the facility management had to take it down as this tree-like plant scraped against the facade. Soon they want to paint the facade as well, the tree would be in their way.

Now we have a clear view on the other buildings and a lot of sun in the living room again:

Only the first floor (ground level) flats have outside roller shutters, the higher ones do not have them. We only have curtains but that absorb the sunlight within the room and do not cause much improvement. Also the tree was nice to look at, closed curtains look somewhat sad.

I have thought about sticking some sort of tint foil onto the lower part of the window or covering it completely. Also there is mirror foil available on the internet which will reflect some of the sunlight directly. However, I fear that on rainy days, the living room will be quite dark, then.

What could I do to reduce the amount of heat in the living room on sunny days without obstructing the view to the outside permanently?

What could I do to reduce the amount of heat in the living room on sunny days without obstructing the view to the outside permanently?

What I find works well are traditional Venetian-blinds with silver-coloured metal horizontal slats.

Even though these are inside the window, they are still remarkably effective at reflecting sunlight out the window and preventing sunlight from heating interior surfaces such as carpets.

They also let air through when you open your window, which can be an advantage if the air outside is not hot.

By adjusting the angle, you can allow indirect light in to illuminate the room, and allow you to see out, while simultaneously blocking direct sunlight completely.

The traditional French system of external slatted wooden shutters and windows that open inwards is probably better - but that is not an option available to you.

A typical German solution is external slatted roller blinds that have small gaps between the slats which only close up when the blind is fully down. But these are usually installed when the building is constructed and are not easy to add afterwards.


What's the acceptable bend in a typical faucet flex pipe? I installed new faucets and used the standard flexible lines for the water connections. I purchased 12 inch lines since the distance between the faucet and the valve is slightly less than 12, but when I installed them, the shorter distance caused a fairly tight bend in the middle and where the mesh meets the connector:

There doesn't seem to be any problems.. yet, but I am concerned about long term wear from having it in this configuration. For this reason, I was going to replace the 12 inch lines for the longest available so I can make a loop, like this:

I wasn't sure, however, if this configuration is actually better since I don't know what kind of bend these things can handle in a practical scenario and whether it is better to have the bend in the pipe, or at the connector. When searching online, most of the information I found simply recommended doing a custom bent steel line if the distance or angle is awkward, but I would rather just take the simpler approach if possible.

Does my first configuration have too much bend in the pipe, and if so, is the looped configuration a better alternative?

Thanks in advance!

That looks fine. If it concerns you then you can loosen the compression nut on the valve and rotate the orientation of the valve until you have a more gradual bend in the hose.


Will a curtain tension rod support blackout curtains? My husband is renting  condo, and thanking you all, wants "install a proper rod on the soffit above". But his grouchy landlord prohibited "few screw holes" or "drywall spackle".
Will blackout curtain will be too heavy for curtain tension rod like this from The Bay? We're afraid curtain tension rod will keep falling. My math is bad. I don't know physics. Can someone pls calculate?
Blackout curtain weighs (I will edit this post after I weigh it).

Most likely, yes. I've used a few shower curtain rods of similar design on painted drywall, and they do fine. Blackout curtains are not lead-lined or anything. In fact, they don't weigh much more than standard fabric curtains in most cases. I have some in my bedroom now and they're quite light.
If you install the expandable rod carefully and don't expect it to hold the heaviest curtains out there, it should work fine. If you find that the rubber pads are slipping against the painted wall, consider something like removable double-sided foam tape between for extra friction.
Keep in mind that you'll punch a hole in unsupported drywall with these if you get careless. Investigate first using a studfinder or a few knuckle taps and install accordingly.


Rheem OEM condenser fan motor part number I called Rheem to get the OEM part number for a condenser fan motor that was originally installed in a model number 14AJA36A01 condenser. Here is the tag on the condenser outside the home:

I would like to purchase the OEM condenser fan motor to install in this condenser. The previous homeowner installed an aftermarket condenser fan motor, so I cannot determine the OEM part number. When I contacted Rheem via telephone, the person who answered said they do not deal with parts and that I had to go through an A/C contractor (utterly useless). Googling the model number yields very few search results. I'm at a loss. Any ideas on how I can determine the part number? I'm thinking I can look for a similar home down the street and pray that they have a similar A/C system, but I doubt any homeowner would appreciate some stranger looking at their A/C unit (so no, not doing that).

I think you're out of luck on OEM parts for that unit. I've tried to look at this question as to how it would be applicable to anyone's unit. On the nameplate, you're given the horsepower and you know it's 220v; the only question is what RPM it needs to be. I think it's reasonable to assume that if it's a 1/6hp motor, it's not any faster than 1,200 RPM. It is possible that it's even slower though... (that's why I just ask the guy at the store).

I'm reasonably sure what you'd need if it does fail is a 1/6hp ~1,200 rpm motor. (I don't think you can go wrong using a 1/3hp motor.) If whatever's in there ran fine for years, I'd be using a direct replacement of the existing one's specs.

Personally, I never ask for OEM parts (it's not like Rheem winds their own motors anyway). I get the $100 version and go on with life. I go to the parts store, plop the old one on the table and say gimme. Considering that the OEM motor failed less than nine years into service, why would you bother? :) Just run it into the ground: Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

  Six-pole motors run at 1,200 rpm unloaded (7,200 Ã· 6) and between 1,050 and 1,175 rpm loaded. They are often used for air-handling equipment, direct-drive applications, window fans, furnace blowers, room air conditioners, heat pumps, and other equipment where the relatively slower motor speed makes for quieter operation. –How to Determine Speed for an Ac Induction Motor, achrnews.com

  Example: A 20-inch, 24-degree pitch fan blade operating at 1,140 rpm will require a 1/6 hp motor for proper motor and system performance. That same blade operating at 1,725 rpm will require a 1/2 hp rated motor. The blade is designed to work in both applications; however, the increase in operating speed has a direct impact on the hp requirements. Operating this fan blade at the higher rpm requires a minimum 1/2 hp motor. Less than 1/2 hp will most likely cause the motor to operate in an overload condition. –Stop Blowing Hot Air, achrnews.com


Can I run a C wire from Fan Relay We've just moved into a new home with an heat only, oil, forced hot air furnace. The current thermostats are very old and we'd like to update them to something like a nest. The furnace is currently wired to the thermostat via two wires (T T) and there is no common coming from the terminal to which the thermostat is connected.

The nest says you can run it with a two wire system, but I don't want the nest pulsing the furnace to recharge its battery all summer when the system isn't in use and so would prefer to power it via a common wire.

My current plan is to buy a transformer and wire that to the C and Rc terminals on the nest. BUT, I wanted to look into another option.

There is a box on my furnace that does have a terminal labeled C. I believe it is a fan relay. Currently there is something running to that C wire, but it disappears into the furnace (pictures of the furnace system is attached). Could I buy some 18/3 wire, run two of those wires from the T/T terminals and then connect up a second wire to the C on the fan relay? Something tells me that's a mistake and I should go with my first plan, but if this second plan works it seems like a cleaner solution.

Every furnace that has an R wire also has a C wire.  Those are the two low-voltage terminals on the transformer.

Generally wiring is in a functional triangle.  R goes from transformer to thermostat, W/G/Y and other circuits go from thermostat to relay, and C goes from relay back to transformer to complete the circuit.

You can grab C anywhere you find convenient.   Usually the thermostat wire goes close to the transformer or control board so most people grab it there.  But wherever!


Can Self Leveling Compound be Poured Over 2 Inches Thick? I need to pour a level pad 2 1/4 inches thick to support a cast iron tub on top of our slab (the floors are raised 2 1/4 inches). I would like to use a self-leveling compound (like this one), but it says it can only be poured up to 1 inch thick.

I am wondering if it can be poured thicker than that if I form it properly or if there is a better solution.

If I understand your question you are creating a raised floor section, 2 1/4 inches higher than the floor below it and you want to place you tub at this height.

I think that you have some sort of frame in place into which you want to pour the LevelQuik, filling it up, so that it will cure into a level surface.

I suggest against that. The maximum thickness of the LevelQuik is stated because, among other reasons, it may not cure properly when poured too thick and it may lose structural integrity when poured too thick.

I'd suggest you use a Deck Mud mix and scree it to your level. If you're nervous about the trueness of the level you could pour the Deck Mud slightly below your line than pour LevelQuik on top of it.


Is this a displacement or just a blockage? We just had an inspection done on a house we are buying, and during the sewer scope, the inspector found what he believes to be a displacement. In the video, at about 0:44, there is something suspicious on the top, and behind that, there is a substantial amount of water that wouldn't be explained by rain or any other discharge. However, the sellers have since said this:

  The plumber came on Saturday and said there is nothing wrong with the pipes based on the video. He just recommended hydro jetting the pipes which will make them basically like new.

The sellers are going to have hydrojetting done, and we're asking for video proof. In the meantime, I was wondering if any of you have an opinion on whether it's reasonable that hydrojetting can fix it?

Thanks everyone!

If the pipes are displaced all jetting will do is clean out the debris that have made there way into the pipe, so yes you want confirmation. If the pipes are separated soil will continue to find its way into the drain, possibly causing a large enough void that can create a failure in a slab above and possible backups. I believe the problem was at ~ 1 minute , till about 1:18, I also saw something but it could just be a clump of something that got stuck, jetting and verification to make sure should not be a big deal.
I would ask for a second video just to be sure , the rest of the pipe is old but looks in good shape.


Why does my bathroom shower have too much water pressure? I have the same shower head, nothing has changed except the pressure.  It sprays so hard that it hurts, and in 10 minutes the hot water is almost gone.

What can I do to fix this?

The simplest way to reduce pressure would be to use the water turn off valves usually located in the wall or under the floor near the shower controls. Turn both  the hot and cold shut offs back to apx half or simply turn on your shower as you would normally use it, then adjust the valves until you have a flow and pressure you like. Playing around with the hot and cold will effect the temp of the water related to your shower control settings. You may have to experiment a bit, but you can control both the max pressure and temp this way.

The other way to adjust pressure and temp on a one handle shower control is sometimes done inside the valve body. For this adjustment, you should have the installers manual. It will show you how to adjust the position of limit disks inside the valve body. These are common on newer scald resistant shower units.


What do I need to do to ensure the longevity of my Welsh dresser? Around 2008 my Mum gifted us her Welsh dresser which I believe is pine, or possibly a slightly harder wood with a similar colour/tone. We occasionally (who am I kidding; maybe twice a year) polish it with Mr Sheen/Pledge, but nothing more. And even that is only on the top of the sideboard and maybe the doors. Do I need to be performing any sort of ir/regular maintenance to ensure the longevity of the piece? Should I apply some form of wax annually?

No. Keep it in a house (i.e. a dry, somewhat climate controlled environment) and it will become an antique, or more antique, in the old fashioned way, by existing.

Waxing/polishing are purely cosmetic, and should be done before your Mum visits to keep her happy.

The basic construction of wooden furniture dictates its odds of becoming antique / more antique. Once it's gotten to antique status, short of wood eating pests it's generally good to become more antique until some external event ends it. So make sure your smoke detectors are working, etc...


How to calculate size of electrical service? I know that more goes into it than just the size of my mains (wire gauge, etc). but from the below image, would this generally mean that I have 200 amp service or 100 amp?

It's 100 amp service.

Confusing the issue does not help matters. (Virtually) all US household service is supplied at 240V, so whether the service is 30, 60, 100, 125, 150, 200 or 320, it's that amperage at 240 Volts. It is NOT, in fact 120V at 200 amps, because you cannot run a 200 amp 120V load off a 240V 100 amp feed - you can run a pair of 120V 100 Amp loads, but not a 200 amp 120V load - the "pair" are opposite phase and cannot be combined like that.


How can I close gaps between curtains temporarily? In day, I want sunlight and pull curtains apart. In night, I pull them together, and want curtains overlap in middle. But I open window for fresh air ventilation, and wind blows my curtains apart, and light pollution enters gap in middle.
I don't know how sew. I don't want sew any thing on curtains. I take down curtains and wash them every 2 months.
I thought adding Bias Tape with Fabric Glue, then tying curtains together with a belt or string. Will this work? Any simpler idea?

Clothespins
A package of clothespins:

will do the trick. Depending on the length of the curtains and how tightly you want them pulled together, you would probably use between 3 and 6. You can remove them totally when open or leave them clipped to one side.
No sewing! No gluing!


How can an electric induction cooktop be safely installed into a diy natural wood countertop? While looking at installation documents for electric induction cooktops, I've come across the instruction:

  Make sure the wall coverings, countertop and cabinets around the cooktop can withstand heat (up to 200°F) generated by the cooktop.

This seems to exclude natural wood as a countertop material.  The spontaneous ignition temperature of natural wood is well above 200°F but it's less clear to me that prolonged exposure to this temperature would be safe.

Is this kind of language in the installation documentation trying to discourage installation into natural wood?  Or is there some standard trick (flashing, offets, I don't know what) that makes it possible and safe?

Or is exposure to these temperatures for long periods actually safe for natural wood?

My GE induction cooktop has almost the same warning but it only specifies wall coverings and cabinets (not the countertop). The walls and cabinets can get direct radiant heat from the cookware but the countertop is unlikely to get quite so hot simply because of the angle of incidence (which reduces the intensity of the radiance). The cooktop itself shouldn't generate such high temperatures (e.g., from it's internal cooling fans).

Metal flashing can protect against flash fire or embers (and is specified if there are wood cabinets 24-30" directly above the cooktop. But this won't change the impact of continuous radiant heat. So lining the cutout hole with flashing would not make a difference. (Surrounding with a wide metal "U" channel would make a difference but you'll see I don't think its necessary.)

The jury is still out on whether continuous exposure to temperatures above 170F can lead to combustion of wood due to self-heating (pdf). This would be relevant for wood surfaces near a pellet stove or steam pipes running through a floor opening but I have difficulty believing you will generate these high temperatures for prolonged periods with a residential induction cooktop. It's simply not designed to operate continuously for long periods. (If this is a DIY restaurant than you'd need to rethink things.)

You should observe charring (over time) near the cooktop prior to any ignition due to self-heating. In the very unlikely event this happens then I would consider widening the cooktop opening and installing metal u channel or other material.

Overall, it seems the risk is low and you should not need to take any special precautions. Someone else might be able to comment on whether the residential building codes specify appropriate surfaces for a countertop (e.g., for flame retardance). Your countertop would need to meet any applicable building codes regardless of the cooktop.


Should I install bracing behind drywall for upper cabinets? I'm renovating our kitchen and we will be installing upper and lower cabinets. My question is, should I take the time to install a horizontal brace between the wall studs to make mounting the upper cabinets easier?

What I'm thinking is installing a 2x4 between each of the wall studs at the height where the upper cabinet will hang, in effect making one big "ledger board". My thought is that this will make installing the upper cabinets faster since I won't have to find the studs again once the wall is patched.

What I'm thinking is something like this

Absolutely, install backers.  I prefer 2X6 backers. This will make your life so much easier when you install your cabinets.


Voltage Drop on long runs of LED Christmas Lights? I'm looking to invest in some quality LED Christmas lights for my house and try to hang them in a way that would wrap the entire house and all the roof lines.  I think that the total length covered is just under 500' with the peaks and valleys.

I'm looking at buying a spool of Christmas Light stringers and LED bulbs similar to the products below.  Although it's not mentioned in the specification, the wire is 18awg.

Based on my rough math and Ohms law, I've calculated that this entire spool, when lit will draw less than 3 amps (I understand this to be well under the limits for 18awg wire and a single circuit), but I have concerns about the voltage drop.  Using online calculators, I've calculated the Vdrop for 18awg copper with a 3A load to be ~20V at 500', and ~10V at 250'. I'm not sure about the tolerances of LED bulbs, but I can't imagine running them at ~100V AC is healthy when they're designed for 120V.

What is the maximum length I can run without causing a fire hazard, impacting the life of the bulb, or causing any other problems?  A product rep for the store said I could run all 500' in one run with no problems.  Does that sound legit?

For reference, the products I'm considering are pasted below:

Thanks for your help.

Causing a fire hazard

That is decided by the presence of a non-faked UL Listing (with file number).  Listings from other NRTLs such as CSA or ETL are also acceptable.

Note that most mail order, everything from Alibaba and AliExpress, and almost anything from eBay or Amazon Marketplace (even if shipped with Prime) is abusing a loophole in Customs/safety regs to sneak in entirely dangerous and defective Cheese junk products. The dead giveaway is the "CE" label they stamp on almost everything, almost always faked; as CE is a voluntary mark only meaningful inside the EU. CCC is another popular fake mark.

  impacting the life of the bulb

It's LED. What will kill the bulb is the driver electronics being cheap; or weather.  Voltage drop won't affect it one way or the other.

  Causing any other problems

Personally, I think running a 500' cord as a single run is a mistake. It will be extremely unwieldy to install.  It has a huge surface area for potential damage, i.e. one hit knocks out 500' of cord instead of a 50' section.  The spools I'm seeing actually don't come with plugs; you are meant to cut the cord to shorter lengths to suit your installation, and put on as many plugs as you need.

So you should be splitting your power feed a fair bit, not least for handling purposes.


What is code for stair treads and risers in Georgia What are the codes in Georgia (the US state, not the country) regarding stair treads and risers in a townhome or condo? My daughter is looking to purchase and the stairs seem too steep. The condo was built in 2005.

I'm asking because my daughters house that she is signing a contract on today, the stairs are now tiled. It seems really steep and my shoe size is an eight. Putting my foot down on the "step" is 9".

I'm having a problem coming up with the correct building code that it must be. The condo was built in 2004. One realtor said to me the stairs are not up to code, but another has said differently. The stairs will be carpeted, but obviously will need to be fixed and I need to know what they should be before signing papers today. The seller does not want to fix anything, but I know you can't sell a house if doesn't comply with Georgia codes aren't in order.

It looks like Georgia revises its building code frequently.  I didn't find a revision for 2005, but the 2006 edition was OCR scanned and published here.

In section 1009.3, there is this:

  1009.3 Stair treads and risers Stair riser heights shall be 7
  inches (178 mm) maximum and 4 inches (102 mm) minimum.
  Stair tread depths shall be 11 inches (279 mm) minimum. The
  riser height shall be measured vertically between the leading
  edges of adjacent treads. The tread depth shall be measured
  horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads and at a right angle to the tread's leading
  edge. Winder treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 11
  inches (279 mm) measured at a right angle to the tread's leading edge at a point 12 inches (305 mm) from the side where the
  treads are narrower and a minimum tread depth of 10 inches
  (254 mm).

(I have cleaned up OCR defects.)


Modify 3-way switch to add circuit I am a DIYer with electrical wiring experience.  I would like to add an existing secondary light to the 3-way circuit.  The current box has two switches.  The one on the left controls the main light and is part of the 3-way circuit.  The one on the right controls a secondary light.  I would like to remove the switch for the secondary light and have it controlled with the 3-way switch.  The existing wiring is a little confusing.  I have diagrammed it below as best as I can figure it out.  (Ground wires are ignored.)

I would appreciate any advice you could provide.  Thanks!

Color coding time

Cables have certain default colors of wires.  We're married to that, so usually trying to "color code wires by function" is a big mess.  But in this case, it works out to be very close. Let's get there.

I want you to mark both traveler wires with yellow tape (or another color, just not black, red or white).  No need to distinguish  one from the other. We wont be doing anything with them; I just don't want to confuse them with the wires we will be working with.

Now, remove the switch that is going away.  When you do, you will free up a "pigtail wire".  Remove it from the black bundle (always-hot).   Tape or paint it red.

With the travelers marked, there is one red wire on the 3-way switch.  Remove it and replace it with the red pigtail.

I believe at this point you have three red wires, all loose.  These are switched-hot.   Join them.

And we're done.


How to build a door shared by two jamb openings To save space in a small apartment, I want to build a door into the bathroom that when closed, will (obviously) shut off the full bathroom, but when the door is open (opens inwards) will close off the toilet area. I have seen this in a hotel in the UK before.

How can I build a door like this?

It can be done fairly easily, with normal hinges too. It would take a bit of alternative framing and jamb work.
Open any normal "in swinging" door 90° and look at the gap between the door and jamb on the hinge side. This is what you have to hide. If you look at the pictures you will see that the door on the right is hung in a normal fashion with traditional jamb configuration. The other door has framing and jamb work that is "built out" away from the wall; the hinges end up buried on that side and the gap is eliminated.
One challenge is that a normal lockset will not work (note in picture there is no lockset installed). You would need an alternative style of catch that works in both directions, such as a large bullet catch (see below), and some method of ensuring privacy (like a flush bolt, surface bolt, or old-school hook & eye).

You may be restricted on the types of privacy device you use (especially for rentals or public bulding) as normally a method of emergency "unlatching" is required, in case someone inside has a medical emergency or what have you.


Bonding Neutral and ground in a service panel My home has a 200amp meter box with 6 double breakers beneath the meter under a flap - 4 breakers are 60amp (stove heater, AC, unknown) - there are also 2 100amp breakers going to load centers inside - I believe the previous owner must have added a 2nd panel since they are different makes. the original box 200amp has neutral and ground connected to same bus and a green screw that appears to bond the bus to ground.
the 2nd panel is 125amp. It also has neutral and grounds on the same bus but there is no green bonding screw - should there be a green screw since this is not a sub panel but appears to be a second (parallel panel) added to increase circuits.
Everything seems to be working - I'm asking because we want to do solar grid tie and company says they will need an available space in the meter box and wiring looks odd. It got me looking at the set up and alos questioning??

If the second panel is fed by the first (power is fed to the second panel through a breaker in the first), and the service neutral is bonded at the first panel. Then the ground and neutral should be separate in the second panel, and separate grounding and neutral conductors should be run between the two panels.


Must a generator be connected permanently to the transfer switch? I will soon be purchasing a 15K watt, 50A generator and an exterior 200A on/off/on transfer switch. Nothing is an issues except for connecting generator to transfer switch cabinet. Must a male/female connection be used or may the generator connecting wire be permanently connected to the transfer switch? The male plug end of the connector wire would remain and be used on the generator end.

The generator is expected to be a Pulsar 15,000W Dual Fuel Propane/Gasoline Portable Generator. The transfer switch will be Emergency Power Transfer Switch 200 Amp Non Fused Double Throw Surface. The connector wire will be RV Extension Cord Generator Cord 15ft 50 Amp Power Cable 6/3+8/1 Copper Wire.

The house has hot water base board heat operated via an outside wood burning stove. Also have a propane fired furnace in the basement. Usually the basement furnace is not used. Well pump, too.

The propane use will cut the available watts to about 10K. That's alright, as my wife and I added up all the possible items that would be used and we come out to bout 75% of available watts. That's if everything runs at once. Not likely. Presently we use a 5KW generator and, while it provides us with what we need, it's all very basic and we do a severe limit on what's used.

Not to mention there's a bit of effort involved in making sure the main is off and so on. Fine if I'm home. But I want this to be easy and safe for anybody else to use. So, yes, the whole house will be able to be operated, as it now selectively is.

So, may that female end of the power cord be directly connected to the transfer switch as will be the input line from the meter? If it's necessary to install a male shielded plug, I will, but...it does introduce another connection that I see is not necessary.

Bad news: given a typical portable generator, you'd have the wrong switch for the job

While your intentions with the transfer switch you are looking at are noble, your plans, like many well-intended but underinformed generator transfer setups, would not normally quite reach the point of Code compliance.  In particular, while your plan treats the hots correctly (the most important part for not zapping linesmen), your proposed setup would run aground where neutral and ground meet if you used it with a garden-variety portable generator.  In particular, your main panel has the neutral-to-ground bond in it, which is a critical component of your house's electrical system.  However, most generators also have a neutral-to-ground bond in them, as well, so that they can be safely and legally used as stand-alone power sources, say on a jobsite or somewhere else utility power is unavailable.

As a result, if you hooked up everything as you are currently planning it with a typical generator, you'd have a case of dueling neutral-to-ground bonds, sending stray currents in undesired directions and possibly even tripping the GFCIs protecting the high-power outlets on some generators.  There are two ways to fix this: one is to pull the bond out of the generator, but this renders it unusable for portable work, and very few generator manufacturers these days provide instructions for removing and reinstalling the bonding straps on their products.  The other, normally less problematic way is to get a transfer switch that switches both the hots and the neutral.  This way, your house wiring is only connected to one neutral-ground bond at any given time, whether it be the house's or the generator's.

In particular, your current proposal uses a GE TC10324R double-throw, non-fusible enclosed switch with two switching poles and a solid neutral.  However, if you had a bonded neutral generator, you would need a three pole switch in order to have enough poles to switch everything.  GE makes one of these, the TC35324R, but it's unobtanium for us DIYers.  However, Midwest makes a not-quite-equivalent switch known as the GS3262G, which is somewhat available.  Furthermore, Siemens makes a full equivalent to the TC35324R in the DTNF324R (HD has it on their site, even, but it's a bit spendy).

Worse news: you're a switch would have been even more wrong for the job at hand

If we were not switching an entire house, or switching a feeder from a combination meter breaker device, we would be done here.  However, since you are transferring your entire house, and likely have your main breaker fitted at your main panel instead of at your meter, we're not done here, as there are more hurdles to overcome.  In particular, NEC 230.91 requires the service overcurrent protection to be in the same spot as the service disconnect:

  230.91 Location. The service overcurrent device shall be an
  integral part of the service disconnecting means or shall be
  located immediately adjacent thereto. Where fuses are used as
  the service overcurrent device, the disconnecting means shall
  be located ahead of the supply side of the fuses.

This leaves you with two options if you wanted to continue down this path with a typical portable generator: either a made-for-purpose, service entrance rated, 200A manual transfer switch with a switched neutral fitted, or a fused double-throw, three-pole safety switch.  This poses a problem, as the former switches generally don't have switched neutrals, and the latter are extremely expensive.  (Generac discontinued the switched neutral kit for their version, and the EZ-Connect switches don't even seem to offer the option to begin with.)

Even if you could get such a switch for a reasonable price, you'd still find yourself in an installation pickle, as the aforementioned neutral-to-ground bond for your house would have to be moved from your existing main panel to the new switch.  This requires replacing the service-entrance cable between the two locations with a four-wire cable, at a minimum; you may also need to extend the grounding electrode conductor to the location of the new panel, which is a challenging task as you need to use compression splices and their associated tooling for this job.

There's a better solution to the problem of standby power out there

Of course, none of this solves the problem of load-management.  While it's possible to do that by manually flipping breakers on and off in your panel, there's a reason that you don't see whole-building transfer in larger buildings: it doesn't scale as load-management concerns start to predominate. Manual load selection is error-prone in the heat of a power outage, and even automatic load shed devices can pose problems if they misoperate or are misconfigured.

Instead, what people whose generators actually matter do is take the time up-front to determine which loads and circuits are important enough to belong on the generator, then move those loads to a subpanel that is switched between the normal and standby power sources.  This approach means that non-critical loads (like the dryer) can't disrupt critical loads (like the well pump), at the cost of not being able to have the dryer, in this example, on generator power at all.  It also means that you can use a smaller, less-expensive transfer switch, and don't have to worry about relocating the service disconnect and its associated neutral-to-ground bond to the transfer switch, for that matter.

The simplest way to do this for most generators, albeit not yours, would be to use an integrated switching neutral manual transfer switch and standby subpanel; Reliance Controls makes such a thing in the form of their Panel/Link X series, and certain Eaton CHGEN panels have this feature as well.  (It's also possible to kit out certain main-lug QO panels as such a thing, but it takes a bit more work.)  If none of the aforementioned are an option, one could use a three-pole, double throw, non-fused switch and an ordinary main lug subpanel instead.

Fortunately, with your generator, since it has a floating neutral, you can dispense with some of that complexity, and use a more normal manual transfer switch with a solid neutral, or even a pair of interlocked breakers in a bog-standard subpanel with the standby loads fed from that new subpanel.

Of course, you'll need to provide a four-wire feed from the main panel to the transfer switch, with neutral and ground separated and the neutral/ground bond removed/not fitted at the subpanel.  This approach also generally lends itself better to using a separate inlet box and transfer switch, instead of having the inlet mounted into a knockout on the transfer switch (or a generator cord and plug trailing from the transfer switch) as in your proposal.

Good news: If you really want to do whole-house manual transfer...things are actually rather simple

If, for some reason or another, the use of a standby subpanel is absolutely not an option for you, it is possible to do whole-house transfer in your situation.  The good news is that you can get made-for-purpose hardware for this; the bad news is that what you have won't quite do the trick, due to the NEC 230.91 compliance issue mentioned above.

For your case, the simplest route, instead of using a separate transfer switch, would be to get the correct breaker interlock kit for your electrical panel (in your case, a HOMCGK2C), and use that to interlock the main breaker with the generator breaker.  You can then run normal house wiring from the generator breaker to a generator inlet box (Reliance PB50 or equivalent) mounted on the outside of the house; from there, the generator just plugs in using a generator cordset (NEMA 14-50R to CS6364).

If you were trying to do this with a bonded neutral generator, you'd need a 200A enclosed circuit breaker device in a weatherprooof (NEMA 3R) enclosure to serve as the new exterior service disconnecting means.  This goes next to your meter enclosure, with a normal 3-wire set of service-entrance wires run into it and the grounding electrode conductor extended/rerun to it as well.  From there, though, you then need to run a four-wire feeder to one of the aforementioned 200A three-pole, double-throw switches (either a GS3262G, most likely, or the DTNF324R if you must), with a generator inlet fitted directly to the switch using a Reliance Controls PK50 kit.  (A cord-and-plug setup for connecting the generator could be set up using the correct cord grip where it joins the permanent wiring, but some inspectors may consider such a "generator tail" outside the scope of what cordage can legally be used for.) Finally, you would need to continue that four-wire feeder run from the transfer switch to the existing interior panel, removing the bonding means at that panel while you're at it since it's now going to be a subpanel.


What effect does the type of decking used have on the stiffness of the structure? This is an extension to a previous question.  I would like to know what effect the type of decking used will have on the answers provided.  This question comes from the fact that although the best option from the previous question seemed to be moving up to 2x12, I don't think I have the clearance for it.  Therefore, I have to stay with 2x10 framing and need to consider the other ways to provide extra stiffness.
I am leaning toward using a composite decking.  For the sake of the question, let's work with the assumption that we're using the typical sort of composite, like a Trex or a TimberTech just to name two.  Those seem to come in 1" (0.94") thicknesses, at least as a standard.
Ultimately the question just boils down to whether I gain or lose stiffness just by choosing composite deck boards.  Then I can consider what else I have to do in the framing beyond that in regard to the overall stiffness problem.

It's difficult question to answer because there are many variables. Among them:

Composite decking material
Wood type
Wood treatment
Wood age
Climate and sun exposure

The particular brand of composite decking can dramatically affect stiffness. The early recycled plastic decking was as floppy as a noodle, especially when warmed in the sun. Later products became so hard that you had no choice but to countersink for every screw or they'd strip out in the joist.
As I mentioned, sun exposure is a factor. The difference in stiffness at 50 degrees (morning shade) and say 100 degrees (afternoon sun) is profound. Which are we considering here?
Then, what's the control decking? New pressure-treated SPF decking is quite flexible, but heavy. Those traits counter each other somewhat in terms of walking feel, but if we focus on flex, new PT decking may actually be less stiff than composites. That all changes as it dries and ages, though, and again when it begins to degrade after a decade or so. Cedar tends to start soft and flexible and stiffen only slightly with age. Redwood is so rare and expensive that I'll disregard it. What about teak and other "exotic" wood? They may be harder and stiffer.
Here's a rough ranking, in order of increasing stiffness. It's about the best I can offer.

Aged, dried 5/4 exotic (harder) wood
Aged, dried 5/4 PT SPF
Harder composites in the cool shade
Aged, dried cedar
Softer composites in the cool shade
Harder composites in the warm sun
New cedar
New PT SPF
Softer composites in the warm sun
Decaying wood


How much energy will continuously running a furnace fan use? We have a bi-level (tri-level? There's a small entry way and utility room, then an upstairs living area and master bedroom and a downstairs living area with bedrooms) in mid-Michigan.

The downstairs is naturally quite cooler than the upstairs, but during the summer we were having keeping the downstairs warm enough for our young son.  We didn't want to raise the temp upstairs anymore but our local HVAC person suggested running the system fan continuously to help evenly distribute the air.  And it worked.  He did say that it shouldn't increase our costs that much and searching online seemed to come to the same conclusion.  Our electric bill did end up higher than previous years but I chalked that up to higher-than-average weather temps, we were keeping things a little cooler than we had in the past due to our child, and summer electricity rates were in effect.

Now that we're getting into Winter, we just received our latest bill and it's again abnormally high.  We did cut the fan usage some the billing period prior, so I'm sure it's because we're always running it still.

How much electricity usage should I really expect to see if I'm continuously running the furnace fan?  Enough to see a sizeable jump in cost?

And is there a way to track how much power usage my unit is using?  Do I need a killawatt or something plugged in?  I'm trying to find the model number on it to see if I can find the electric specs and maybe do some calculations there.  Our thermostat does tell me how often the heat or AC runs, but the heat is gas so that shouldn't affect it much anyway.

Any other suggestions or things I should try or look for?  Thanks,

Where to find the specifications
Listed on the furnace
Somewhere inside the service panel of the furnace, there should be a schematic for the furnace.  This may list the electrical specifications of the blower motor.  If not, the blower motor itself will have a label on it.  It should list the voltage, amperage, horsepower, etc.
Using an Ammeter
An ammeter is used to measure the amount of current flowing through an electrical circuit. You can use a clamp on ammeter to measure the amount of current being used by the blower motor while it's running.

Simply set the meter to measure current (A in the pictured meter), and clamp it on the hot wire feeding the motor.
This method may require working on or near live wires, please use caution and/or consult an expert to take the readings
Calculate Usage
With the above information and Ohm's law, it's easy to determine how much power the motor will use over a given time period.
Ohm's law says that Power (P) = Voltage (V) x Current (I), so we can determine how much power the motor uses at a single instant in time.
ex.
P = 115V * 5.2A
P = 598 Watts

Next we have to determine how many kilowatt hours the motor will use, which we do by dividing by 1000.
P = 598 W / 1000
P = 0.598 kWh

So for every hour the motor runs, it will use 0.943 kilowatts of power.
Total power/day = 0.598kWh * 24h
Total power/day = 14.352kWh
Total power/month = 14.352Kwh * 30
Total power/month = 430.56kWh

Finally, if you multiply this number by the amount you pay per kilowatt hour. You'll see just about how much it costs to run the motor constantly.
Cost = 430.56kWh * $0.07
Cost = $30.14 per month

Notes:
Results using this process will be an estimate only.
Values used are not actual values, they are example values only.
Calculations may be incorrect, nobody checked my math.


Why would my Maytag FG6RC high efficiency furnace restart in the middle of a heating cycle? My furnace is probably 7-8 years old, and this heating season the furnace has developed a strange problem.  The furnace starts normally, but before the temperature reaches the thermostat setting the gas valve shut off. The main blower continues to run for a short period, than shuts off as normal, but the exhaust fan continues to run.  After about 20-40 seconds the heating process start over again. The gas valve reopens, and the furnace restarts.

During these cycles the yellow light on the thermostat is still on, which is normal when the heating cycle is active.  I've tried raising the thermostat temperature setting by 10+ degrees to rule out an issue with the sensitivity of the thermostat.  I live in Michigan, and over the past several weeks our high temperature have been around 10-14 degrees. The lows at night have reach -17 degrees, so the furnace is getting a workout.

Any information you could provide as to the issue I am having would be appreciated.

Sounds like it's tripping out on high temp due to plugged filter or restricted air flow due to wrong filter or closed vents.
Nest thermostats also cause this.


Confused about two way wiring on stair case I have two light bulbs controlled by three light switches. I replaced two of them a while ago (can't remember what the wiring looks like) with no problems. However, I encountered the following issue when attempting to replace the third light switch. The diagram belows shows the old one on left - the new one, to be installed, on the right :

Any advice on how to wire up the new switch ? The red lines show a connection outside of light switch and earth I have not included, it is also outside of switch.

The two lights themselves are both either turned on or off, ie I can can turn both on at one end of hallway and then walk along to other end (or the middle) and turn both off - they work as intended. But I have no idea how to wire up the new switch, is it even the right type of switch ?

That's a 4 way switch, not a 3 way switch (your replacement device is a 3 way). That switch is in the middle of the chain, and you need to replace it with another 4 way switch.

I found a tutorial on 4 way wiring here: http://www.wfu.edu/~matthews/courses/p230/switches/SwitchesTut.html


Worthwhile to insulate basement ceiling while remodeling? I have an existing finished basement where I'm in the process of replacing an severely damaged plaster ceiling with drywall.  I've got the entire thing open, and as it's an old house (1925) there is no insulation at all.  Heat in this room is provided via one large radiator that is suspended from the ceiling (not my favorite feature, but it seems tough to move).

Is there much to be gained by insulating the ceiling while I've got it opened?  I'm not too familiar with what is or isn't worthwhile - obviously insulation on exterior facing surfaces is good, but does it matter between floors?

Thermal insulation (and a vapor barrier) is applied between the interior and exterior surfaces of the home. Unless you plan on leaving your basement unheated, you wouldn't place thermal insulation between the floors. And leaving it completely unheated is a bad idea since pipes can freeze.

The only reasons to place insulation between floors is for sound or to slow the spread of fire. For fire protection, the places you'd install insulation are where fire could spread up an opening like a chase for running duct work and other utility lines.

What's left is sound protection, and that is best provided by using flooring materials like carpeting above, and then separating the drywall from the joists with something like resilient channel. Insulation in the ceiling cavity will only reduce the high frequency sounds from above. The low frequency sounds, such as loud footsteps, will travel directly through the flooring, the joists, and be rebroadcast by the drywall. Think of sound like electricity, the joists as a short, and carpeting and resilient channel as tools to prevent that short.


Add a new doorbell to basement, upgraded transformer, still doesn't work I recently finished my basement and ran a wire in the wall (where I wanted my new door bell to my current doorbell transformer.  I've been unsuccessful in getting both my upstairs and downstairs doorbells to work.

Currently, I can get both doorbells to DING, but not dong.

I followed this YouTube video and have mine wired up the same as the diagram in the video.

Additionally, I upgraded my transformer from a 16va to a 24v 20va I bought from Lowes

I am wondering if I am still under powered and that is why I am not getting a ding a a dong from both doorbells?  If so, what V and/or VA transformer is recommended for two Chime style (with the plungers and actual bells, not just a speaker or buzzer).  I would have thought that the upgraded transformer would have been enough for the two to run.

Additionally, I get really inconsistent rings when I push the doorbell from the doorbell.  When it's pushed sometimes one rings, other times both (ding, but won't dong), etc.

I ended up buying two new doorbells with speakers instead of chimes.  I was told by the manufacture that these will work on 16va.  Plugged everything together and now it works.


What size is this hole? I  Have a tool for measuring the sizes of holes and screws but I don’t know what size is listed as 10 in the image below.  Across from it the row in question is listed as INCH.

If you are speaking of the holes marked 4,5,6,8,10, these are small bolt sizes. There is 1 size missing and that is #12. Most sizes with diameters less than 3/16" are listed as number sizes.  I hope this helps and is what you are asking about.


Why doe the AFCI immediately trip? I move an outlet 12" and rewired it the exact same; now the AFCI trips immediately, when turning the power back on.  It's a 14/ wire in sequence with a pig tail to the outlet.  Any help would be appreciated

An immediate trip typically points to a short-circuit. Make sure that when you pushed the receptacle into place none of the wires came loose, and that the grounding conductor did not contact the ungrounded (hot) terminal on the receptacle.


Why is high voltage coming out of HDMI port on my TV? I am plugging my TV into a grounded outlet. When I plug an HDMI cable into the back of the TV and measure the voltage coming out of the other end of the cable (should be 0 shouldn't it?) it reads 380 volts...

I'm talking to my landlord about this but this is absolutely not normal is it? If so, what could be causing this? It happens with other outlets as well.

UPDATE

PAST INFO:
When the first Comcast guy came and tried to install the X1 box, he got a little shock while trying to connect the two. He told me that the outlet I was plugging them into was reversed wired. The landlord fixed this and I confirmed that he did with a plug in tester. After this, Comcast came back and tried to install it again, same sparking issue.

I had two TVs with this problem

TV #1 (3 pronged) was in my bedroom and was plugged in, and hooked up to a Comcast Digital Receiver with an HDMI cord. Worked perfectly. When I moved it into my living room and tried it with the Comcast X1 HD box, it created sparks when I tried to connect the two with an HDMI. The Comcast technician verified that no foreign voltage was coming out of the box or the HDMI from the box. He also replaced the box and the box's power supply. So this happened with two comcast boxes  Could it be the Comcast box?
TV #2 (3 pronged) was always located in the living room and created sparks after I plugged in the Comcast X1 box (both of the boxes).

NEW INFO: The two TVs that had high voltage coming from the HDMI cord that was plugged into the back of them had one thing in common. The power cords for those TVs had a ground on them (3 prong). My landlord brought his TV over and tested it and it worked. His TV has 2 prongs. I just bought a new TV and had an electrician come and we tested it, it worked. My new TV has 2 prongs. Could the three prongs be a problem with something?

My landlord used a Digital Volt Meter and had it set to the vAC option when it read 300+.

You mention that there were sparks and a concern about your ground, I'd check for an incorrectly wired outlet as a precaution. The initial check is a simple outlet tester. These have 3 lights and quickly identify a hot ground or swapped neutral/hot, along with other common issues.

What they can't identify is if there's voltage on both the neutral and ground, for that, you'll need a known good ground and a simple voltage tester. For a known good ground, you can find some plumbing lines that are grounded, or perhaps the ground rods that the panel connects to, but a really easy way is to plug a long extension cord into a friendly neighbor's house and use the ground pin (in your case, the bedroom is probably a good ground). Check if there's voltage between the known good ground and your ground, or your neutral.

Since you're seeing actual sparks, I'm going to rule out phantom voltage from running an hdmi near electrical wires. And since the problem happened after you moved the TV, either the TV was damaged in the move, or it's another device that you added to the mix. Start with the outlet to be safe, but if that's not the problem, you likely had a faulty device. Given the reading of over 300V, I'm guessing that it was a faulty device. A hot/ground short would usually trip a breaker (unless it's not really grounded) and only read 120V.


What is a cheap patio solution for a muddy area in my backyard? I have an area just at the end of my current patio that I have tried to grow grass in for a few years with no luck.  The area is heavily shaded, it is between two large maples. Plus I have two large dogs that don't help matters. No matter what it always reverts back to a few bits of grass and very sandy/dry soil...yes I have put topsoil down when seeding.  If I could grow crab grass there I would.  I just want something to make it less muddy when it rains.

The area is fairly large so using normal pavers would cost a fortune. Money I don't have. Does any one have any other idea's?  Spaced pavers with something inbetween? poured concrete sections? Crab grass seeds?

What about putting down sod to give the area a jump start?


Connect a channel drain to existing drainpipe I want to add a channel drain at the front of my lean-to in order to direct rainwater from the lean-to's drainpipe into the existing house drainpipe. I understand that this is not a typical usage situation for a channel drain, but I can't see why this wouldn't work?

This is the channel drain I am thinking of buying:

And this is how I am thinking of connecting the two drains:

Check with Home Depot or Lowes or any Large Plumbing supply or hardware and they have what you need; the grating and the channel to pipe connectors


Installing a Ring Flood Light Camera I want to install a Ring Floodlight Camera, in place of a motion detector outside the garage. The Motion detector triggers the 4 lights above of the garage to turn on, and there is a switch inside the house that can turn the lights on and off. Additionally, I replaced the lights above the garage with LEDs of the same spec.

I took off the motion detector without taking not of the wiring, but inside the junction box outside of the garage, there is no "hot wire" thats easily identifiable.

Out of the junction box, there is a (1) White wire (2) gray wire (3) bare wire.
Out of the ring floodlight camera, there is a (1) white wire (2) black wire (3) bare wire.

Does anyone know what to do in place of no easily identifiable "hot wire", coming out of the junction box?

My initial impressions are:(JB)Bare Wire to(RFL)Bare wire(then ground to junction box);(JB)Gray Wire             to(RFL)White Wire;(JB)White Wire to (RFL)Black wire.

My reasoning for the (JB)white wire to (RFL)black wire is that the two neutral colored wires coming from the junction box, seem to be indicative of a switch loop?

Also, I'm wondering if there be a problem with (1) replacing a motion sensor that triggers the lights above the garage, with a ring floodlight and (2) could the LEDs that are currently being triggered by the motion detector, cause problems with the ring floodlight camera?

Thanks in advance.

The type of "garage motion light" that most people are familiar with has a motion detector and two floodlights built into one package.  This is what the Ring is trying to duplicate.  However, there is a more... architectural option.  You put only the motion detection pod where its needed, and it controls other lights that are mounted separately.

I believe this second case is what we are talking about, and in this method, the motion switch just acts like a light switch and doesn't have power going to it.  If there are only two wires in the motion detector box, then this is acting like a switch loop and you can't install a Ring light there as it sits.

If conduit is running to the box, you may be able to pull an additional wire, but there is another option.  If you don't want to switch the existing lights any more (they would be dead) and instead want only the ring light to work, you can turn the switch loop into a normal hot and neutral wire.

To do that, you would want to open up the boxes for the switched lights on the garage and see where the white and grey wire to the motion detector end up.  Once you find the other end of the white and grey, you can then rewire them to provide power to the Ring.  If you need more help with that, it would be a new question with pictures, but that's the basic idea.