LED bulb won’t work in a standard outside porch light fixture I can’t get LEDs to work together in twin wired Port Charlotte lights. I can put in an incandescent light with an LED bulb and just the led works. I put both LEDs in and neither works. I put both incandescent lights in and they both work. Power shows present on voltage meter. Could it be the switch? I have a standard light switch from 50 years ago technology

Given the symptoms, I have to suspect that this fixture is wired with the bulbs in series, rather than with the bulbs in parallel.
So, two incandescents - operate happily if somewhat dim and yellow on half-voltage. Bulbs would last a long time and veer towards "bug light" yellow without the ugly yellow paintjob, so it's not unreasonable for a "porch light" fixture.
One LED one incandescent - adequate voltage for the LED, so little current you don't even notice the glow on the incandescent.
Two LEDs - half voltage, ain't nobody happy.
Diagnostic - one bulb, one empty socket - what happens?


Recessed light holes I cut recessed light holes in my ceilling. I was wondering if I can use anything to protect the rough inner edge of the cutout hole to protect drywall from chipping. Any ideas or suggestions?

That is a pretty jagged cut but for the most part, it doesn't matter because the light trim will cover it up and chipping won't occur that far out. Try using a hack saw blade with 32 teeth per inch. You'll get a smoother cut. I use one with a handle similar to the one shown below. You can also get a hole saw but they're not cheap if you're only doing a few holes. If you're a real fanatic for smoothness, you can coat the inside edge with some drywall mud.

(Picture from Walmart.om)


Can I swap parts from a new to old shutoff valve instead of soldering a new sweat valve? The shutoff valve on my water heater has an extremely slow leak. A couple years ago I disassembled it by removing the handle and changing out either the packing or the rubber washer, or maybe both (can't remember now), which did help, but sometime in the past few months it's started to leak slowly again.

Can I buy a new valve and just swap the circled area, or must I solder a complete sweat fitting. I've never soldered copper pipes before but I'm not afraid to give it a try.

Possibly, but only if the interior mating surfaces are in good condition.


Should I be concerned by a musty smell after cleaning the shower with bleach? I was advised to use diluted bleach to clean my shower from time to time.  A few minutes after doing so, a (musty?) smell comes from the bathroom.  I believe its coming from the shower drain.  The smell goes away after about a half hour.

This house is new to me, so I'm not certain what was poured down the drain in the past, but I worry about a possible chemistry experiment happening in the drain that I shouldn't be breathing in.

Should I stop the bleaching?  Should I be cleaning out the drain?

open the little crate covering the drain. it's usually a small twist left and lift up. using a bottle brush or similar implement give the drain and the crate a good scrub, removing all the mess of caught hair. it's a bit mucky but should provide a cleaner smelling drain. not that it's ever going to smell like roses. bleach turns to gas a bit and will bring up the smells from the S bend. the water that stays in the S bend stops smells coming up from the rest of the pipe.
i finally got my wife off bleach. it smells bad, isn't that good to breathe in and bleached lots of good clothes by accidents.
we now use cream cleaner for shower cleaning, which cleans scum off much better.


I tripped a 20amp breaker but didn't feel a shock - why? I was stripping a hot ungrounded conductor while a 20A breaker was on by accident. When my wire strippers pierced the sheathing, a large spark blew out and tripped a breaker, but yet I felt nothing. There's a possibility that somehow that the hot wire got stripped AND the ground wire was touching the other end of my strippers and created a ground fault. I don't believe the ground wire was touching my strippers, but the idea of me creating a path for 20 amps to flow from my hand to the ground tells me that I wouldn't be here blabbing about this question. I just can't see how I wasn't shocked at all.

I've drawn out a highly realistic depiction of me on the day this happened. Please try not to get caught up on why things are the way they are and focus on the question at hand. There is a main breaker panel (grounded/bonded), then it feeds a sub panel (ungrounded / not bonded), and from there is where the circuit ends.

Power doesn't usually go through you

Because you're a lousy conductor.  Also if you possess even the slightest amount of fieldcraft, you habitually and perhaps unconsciously position yourself so you are not a current path.

Electricity is not the black oil from X-files.  It doesn't seek out human skin, it will seek out all possible current paths to return at the same time. If you're contacting L1, then neutral, ground or L2 are returns.  L1 is not a return.

Current will take each path in proportion to its conductance (which is 1/resistance, Siemens = 1 / Ohm ).  So typically you have shoes on, and are not leaning on a grounded panel, and have not carefully attached a grounding strap to any fresh piercings, so your conductance is very low (megaohms/microsiemens). Meanwhile those other wires have extremely high conductance (milliohms/kilosiemens).

So one of two things happens, either so little current flows through you (microamps) that you don't feel it, or a dangerous current (milliamps) flows through you.  And then hundreds of amps also flows through the wire (as evidenced by the arc flash) and the breaker magnetic-trips, interrupting the current flow in milliseconds and so you never get to find out if it's lethal.


How to clean tv plasma screen What should I use for cleaning a TV plasma screen? My three-year-old daughter has put her hands many times on the screen and there is a big spot on it.
I don't live in America, so maybe I'm not able to buy a known American brand, but I'll appreciate any kind of guide.

The easiest way is water (distilled) and microfiber cloth.  There are tons of screen cleaners on the market that you can order though that are a little easiest to work with than water.


Tools or Techniques for Removing Grass and Moss from Brick Patio This is what I'm dealing with - rudimentary efforts have not paid off and I feel like I must be missing something.

Round-Up 365 will stop frequent reoccurrence. But, with Round-Up 365 only, you spray everything down & when dead & dry in 2-weeks, just scuff the remnants away with your shoe or a string trimmer.

Birds & wind are your enemies & the only way to avoid this entirely is to go with slab concrete. Not a good option unless it's colored concrete, your pavers look worlds better. You'll need to repeat the Round-Up 365 & shoe or string trimmer annually or bi-annually.

Filling the paver joints won't do anything good. It would ruin drainage, looks & the pavers much needed movements.


How detailed is the information the electric company gets from the new smart meters? Reason I am asking this question: Been crypto-mining for 5 months now and moved into a new place. My rig setup isn't drawing TOO much power, we're talking less than 1200w (but it's running 24/7)

I don't want to get my door kicked down because the local Law Enforcement got tipped off I was growing pot or something. Just want to know if they can differentiate between a 1000w HPS Grow Light, and my ~1000w mining rig.

What kind of details can the electric company determine about the devices in your home that are running?

They cannot tell the difference especially with some of the new lights using switching power supplies. I don't think 1200w would even register. Most of the lamps like the new LEC draw 600-700 watts for the 1000w equivelent to 1000w mh lights and combinations of MH and HPS lights are used. Grow operations use many of these lights some spaced as close as 4 feet (we just set some green houses for veggies) but got some really good info from a pro canibus grower. So in short your power ussage is small and not really a concern I would worry about.


Can I put acoustical putty *inside* the electrical box rather than around the outside? For soundproofing applications, they make acoustical putty that you put around the electrical box.  However, what if you can't get behind the electrical box?  In my case, I have a wall floating on hat channels about 3" from the studs.  The electrical box I will be using is an old work box with a clamp that allows the box to be fastened to the drywall rather than studs.  This means that I will not be able to get to the backside of the box to apply the putty.  I though about putting it around the outside of the box before sliding it through, but that doesn't seem like it would be very stable.

This leads me to me idea of putting the putty on the inside.  I uploaded pics of a mock application.  The outlet fits well and I think there would be plenty of room for the wires.  I know next to nothing about electrical, though, and I worry about not accounting for things that might not play well with the putty.

Does anyone advise against this?  I hope not because it's really the only way I can do this.

Update:

Here's what I ended up doing.  At first, I had a hard time understanding Evil Greebo's diagram, but I think this was the general idea he was conveying.

First, I cut out the smaller hole for my outlet.  Then I cut out the entire section 2" around the outlet hole.

I installed some support boards on either side of the opening.

I used an old work box with adjustable flanges and installed it into the cut-out.

I then covered it with my acoustic putty (QuietPutty) and left an opening for the wires.  Looks like some kind of alien organ, doesn't it?

I ran the wires into it and then packed the putty tightly around the wires for good measure.  A flathead screwdriver worked great for packing and manipulating the putty.

Finally, I placed the section into the wall and screwed it into the support boards.  My pic only shows two screws, but I actually screwed in all for corners.

If anyone else can think of a better way to do this, let me know because I am about to do it again, but this time with 5 outlets, one of which is a two ganger.

As per the comments, no, it's not a good idea.

The box / soundproofing should have been installed before drywalling.  If you want to do it right, cut a piece of the drywall out to give you room to work and install it properly, then close up the wall again.


Where to install a carbon monoxide detector when the boiler is in a closet? I have a boiler in my kitchen closet. The installation instructions for my carbon monoxide detector say the detector should be:

  at a horizontal distance of between 1m and 3m from the potential source

So it should be outside the closet.

  on the same side of the partition as the potential source

So it should be inside the closet, assuming the closet door counts as a partition.

What should I do?

I'll start by saying that I'm a big fan of following instructions. However, there are exceptions to rules sometimes.

Let's assume for the sake of argument that you don't spend an inordinate amount of time in the closet with the boiler and the door closed. So risk of CO poisoning in there is pretty slim.

Let's also assume that you spend time in the living space. If you place the CO detector in that living space, it should warn you of danger without being overloaded by proximity to the appliance.

So, I'd put it in the hall by the closet.


Is a glass shower screen a suitable backing for mosaics? I have an old boxed-in corner shower. The glass screen has three panels which are all very hazy. I can't afford to replace it right now. I was thinking of putting mosaics (big pictures - not little squares) on a couple of the panels to distract from how bad the shower looks. There is one panel in particular that measures 21 cm wide and 159 cm long. I will put the mosaic on the outside (away from the water).

Is the shower screen glass itself a suitable backing and if so, does it need to be prepared in some way? I plan to use glass for the tiles (cut to shape for the picture) and clear adhesive. Not sure though if it will stick and if just adhering direct to the shower screen will be ok. Also, what can I use as grout between the glass pieces? I have only ever done glass mosaics on pottery with coloured grout. Do I need to grout? I would need to use something clear - can I use clear silicon? Thanks.

Generally glass bonding is done with a special adhesive that is UV cured.  I'm uncertain as much as far as the cost for it.  I have always used silicone to bond glass, it's what my family business uses to assemble/repair fish tanks.

The silicone would also work perfect for you in place of grout.


What kind of mask will protect me from PTFE (teflon) fumes? I'm cutting and etching sheets of teflon in a laser cutter. The laser is well ventilated but there is still a very strong odor.

I did a number of small cuts yesterday and did not develop any symptoms such as polymer fume fever but I still worry for my health.

What kind of safety mask would be appropriate for these kind of fumes? Do I also need to take additional measures for my eyes (fumes only-- the laser cutter has a hood)?

I have managed a plastics shop in the past and pluro fluro pneumonia (flue like symptoms are a concern) when welding, forming Teflon materials. We used standard fume hoods kind of like a paint booth to draw the the vaperoized Teflon, when welding Teflon with quarts heaters a very low flow was required when using hot air and Teflon rods a higher flow rate was used to pull the the additional gas that was created from the hot air passing over the heated tips. We did not use any kind of masks, just fresh air flow, on the larger tanks that were welded fans were used to flow the air away from the assemblers and we did not have any problems. I would caution to make sure you have an assist gas or air flow to also protect the optics on the laser or they will become coated with the byproducts and reduce the system life.


Can I add a second light fixture to a 3 way switch? COMPLETE ELECTRICAL NOOB HERE
I have a light at the bottom of my stairs with a 3 way switch at the top and bottom. I want to know if I can just run some wiring off of the switch at the top of the stairs to a second light bulb?
I have attached some pictures showing the switch at the top of the stairs. Can I just run two wires off of this switch to a light bulb (may not even put the light bulb in a casing...would that be okay?)?
I've also attached a picture of the wire I have. I think it is 14 gauge.
Any additional information you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. I hope this isn't too much work.
Can I just run a wire from the existing bulb/light fixture to the top of the stairs, like the picture below?

If those three wires are the only ones in the junction box, then you're out of luck. The red wire and the black wire are travelers going to the other switch. The white wire appears to be connected to the black, common, screw so it's going to be a switched hot going to your light at the bottom of the stairs. There is no always hot or a neutral so adding a new light is a no go. Can you run wire from your existing light to the additional location?


Wall Outlet with three sets of wires! have another issue with another outlet in this very improperly done house I just bought. During my slow replacing of all the wall outlets, I came across this new one which has me baffled on how to translate this to a standard outlet. Here's what I'm currently looking at and the new outlet I'm trying to get this all wire to... for simplicity, I have the outlet ports numbered and the three wires with letters. I'm assuming we all know what ground is, so we can ignore that since it's pretty simple.

Wires (A) - From what I can tell, wire set A goes to another outlet or continue the feed for that line of power.

Wires (B) - This is the power coming to this box (tested with a volt meter to 120v)

Wires (C) - This set goes to a Light switch that powers lights in that same room which ends there (does not continue from that switch). This switch controlled only the lights and not the outlet.

Now, the outlet that was there was busted and never worked, so I can't be 100% certain the switch didn't also control the outlet, but I figure that would be really weird to have a switch that controls an outlet AND recessed lighting. This used to be an office before we moved in. In my haste to get this quickly changed over to a new outlet I completely forgot to document how the old busted switch had them plugged in... but here's what I do know about the old switch:

The middle connector piece on one side was broken, so each outlet was separate.
Wire set A and B were pig tailed to the bottom half of the old outlet
ALL other wires were push plugged into the old outlet.

So, that all being said... here's what I've tried so far to no success.

I tried to pigtail all the blacks together and put them into screw #3 and all the whites pigtailed into screw #1... that tripped the circuit breaker when I turned the power back on. Bad idea. Tab between the two outlets was NOT broken.
I tried pigtailing A and B together with blacks into screw #3 and whites into #1. Tab between outlets is NOT broken. Power to both outlets, but of course no power to the light switch.
I tried pigtailing A and B together with blacks into screw #4 and whites into #2. I put C black into 3 and C white into 1. Tab between outlets IS broken. Power back on... I get power to the bottom outlet but no power to the top outlet and the light switch does not power on.

What am I missing here? Thanks for the read!

First, your illustrations are Mad Awesome.  You could illustrate electrical books.  Literally.  You might even talk to Mike Holt or others doing electrical docs.

You still have some knowledge gaps, so I'd school up some more.  For a guy as smart as you, knowledge is cheap.

If you are good at visual, stay with that.  Buy a variety-pack of electrical tape colors, and a couple feet of 12/3 cable because it's a cheap way to get a variety of wire colors for pigtails.     12 gauge is the universal donor size, it is acceptable on any common 120v circuit up to 20 amp breaker.  14ga is only allowed on 15A breakers/with 14ga wire.

First, permanently wrap (tag) the white wire of cable C with red tape. From your comments elsewhere that there is only one cable going to the switch, that is a switch loop. Also open up the switch box and wrap the other end of that same white wire.

Next, permanently wrap (tag) the black wire of cable A with red tape. Since the switch is a switch loop, this cable is the only possible way the lights could possibly be receiving (switched) power.

Now grab your receptacle and some stripped Romex and sit at a convenient workbench.   Put 6" pigtails of wire as follows.  Use the screw terminals or screw-and-clamp if you have that type. Avoid backstabs (they're not reliable) and never use 12AWG on a backstab.

Ground terminal:  a bare (or green) wire.
screw 1: a white wire.
screw 2: nothing, but if the tab between 1 and 2 has been broken, a white wire.
screw 3: a black wire.
screw 4: nothing, but if the tab between 3 and 4 is broken, a black wire.

Ready?

Splice all same colors together.

See, what I did was color-code all the wires to their function rather than the default colors of /2 cable. The switch loop has only hot (black) and switched-hot (red).  The wire to the lights needs switched-hot (red) and real neutral (white).

In new work, they commonly use red for the switched hot, because the law now requires neutral in switch loops (for smart switches). So they run some /3 cable up there.


Large rocks and concrete vs. sono tube? We live in New England where we have very large rocks all over our property.  We are building a 16 X 22 shed and would like to use our rocks for our corner posts.  Would it be structurally sound to dig a hole similar to a sono tube size but layer our rocks with concrete?

If it take more than one to fill the hole, you don't have "very large rocks" for New England.
Plenty of old barns and other buildings are sitting on large rocks (4 feet or more in at least one direction) that were rolled into holes to provide a solid, dry, non-rotting foundation hundreds of years ago, for hundreds of years.
You appear to be talking about something more on the lines of a mortared pier built of comparatively small rocks - one issue with those is that they are more prone to frost movement (.vs. a sonotube or formed concrete pier of another shape, such as a tapered square pier) because the outer surface is rough and frozen soil is more prone to "grab and carry" it rather than slip past it in freeze/thaw cycles.
You might want to look at "slip forming" where you'd set a form and then build with your rocks and concrete resulting in a smooth outer surface, at least for the below-ground part. Almost any New England library is likely to have a copy of Helen and Scott Nearing's "Living the Good Life" which happens to include a chapter or two on slip-forming (and at least one "really very large" New England rock, as I recall.) That was more oriented towards full foundations, in their case. Another approach is to use sonotubes below-ground and mortared rocks above ground.
Depending on the purpose and nature of the shed, another option is to not worry about frost movement at all, and just set your piers on the surface of the ground and let the building float - again, many examples of old buildings built this way exist, though of course we only see the ones that survived this long, now.


Is insulation blockinng airflow of my vented soffit? I have insulation shoved in front of my vented soffit's should the insulation Be there It was already there when we moved I didn't think much of an till I started doing some research after I blew in more insulation and I blew it all the way to the decking should I pull this  installation out or leave it in?

Attic ventilation is very important so make sure you pull away the insulation from the soffits.
Purchase a small rake, a respirator and some quality gloves and do it before it’s the summer and the attic is now 40 degrees hotter than today.
Depending on the climate zone, soffits are an important piece on attic ventilation.  They reduce the chance of ice dams, keep moisture down which prevents mold growth and help to keep the attic cooler in the summer.
I removed mold covered insulation for the past several weekends, in researching this link was beneficial to me.

PDF describing attic ventilation

For safety get a quality respirator and wear long sleeves, goggles and gloves.
I also suggest old rain jacket with a hood.  Fiberglass, dust and mold are small and can get everywhere easily and quickly.


Ground wire with 1/2 EMT Conduit Do I need to run a  ground wire with conduit?    I have installed a line of lights using 1/2 EMT and tied into another circuit that is grounded coming off the panel.  There are about 7 lights in a back room at my business.   In addition, should the last light in the circuit feed back to the panel?  The lights are just for supplemental lighting in the work areas.

Not if you don't want to.  The EMT piping is itself a valid ground path, provided there is a ground path that is continuous back to the panel.  All my work is in EMT and I don't own any green wire.

If you need to bond from the EMT to a ground wire, most likely there is a hole tapped for a 10-32 screw on the metal junction box, it may be sitting up on a pucker to give the ground screw some clearance.

UK-style "ring circuits" are illegal in the United States and the wiring of the circuit should not be looped back to the panel.

Sometimes conduit winds up being laid in a ring simply out of coincidence but the wires inside do not go in a loop.


How to measure total stair rise with uneven floor? My house is antique and I would like the stairs rebuilt because they are too steep. I know the first thing to make the stringers is calculate the total rise. But my problem is the floor where the first stair on the first floor begins is about 1.25" lower than the floor directly under the landing of the second floor.
So, I can't just measure from the second floor to the floor beneath. Would I have to use a long level and run it from the floor at the first step to a point below the second floor landing, mark where it is level below the landing and then take that measurement from the level mark to the second floor landing?
I hope this makes sense, I am attaching a picture of the problem.

(For anyone looking at the history, I think I misunderstood the question to mean "what should I measure" and not "how should I measure".)

Geometry

You can measure the exact length of the diagonal (a string from bottom front of first step to 2nd floor landing). Measure the angle of the string to the (assuming it is level) landing. Imagine the total rise and total run as the other 2 sides of a right triangle. Since you now know the 3 angles and the length of the hypotenuse, you can calculate the lengths of the rise and run. The fact that the intersection of the (virtual) rise and run may be above or (in your case) below the actual first floor is irrelevant.

Measurement

If there is a constant slope (not necessarily even but all one direction) then measure 2nd floor landing to first floor. Then place a long straight piece of lumber on the floor from the spot beneath the landing to the location of the first step. Shim it until it is level. Then measure the height of the shimmed gap between the lumber and the first step location. If the high spot is between the two key locations, simply add an equal amount to both - e.g., put a scrap 2x4 under each end, get it level and still add just the amount of the shims on the lower end, since you would just subtract the same extra piece on both ends it doesn't count at all.


Is it safe to cut and put a compression end on a live cable TV wire? Just moving into a new US location. The location has both Verizon and Comcast available. I am trying to use Comcast. The Verizon installer appears to have cut the Comcast cable that went to an interior wall cable plate, and then ran the other end into the FIOS ONT box's coaxial connection.  The Comcast "Live" end is still hanging in the closet. Ideally I would like to put an male compression coaxial end onto that live cable and then use a cable extension adapter to join the cable back into one cable. This move allowing the flexibility to choose between FIOS or Xfinity as desired.

Is it safe to cut and crimp and put a compression end onto the cable that is going to Comcast's network or would re-cutting the presumably live cable, cause issues with Comcast's network equipment. This seems like an easy job, just not sure about the wiring, most of the cables I have crimped were not actually connected to anything while being made. Is this a case where I should just contact Comcast so they can disconnect and re-wire as needed?

Cable installers work with "live" wires all the time. There's no voltage on their lines that I'm aware of, only signal and maybe some interference. You do need to disconnect lines for satellite dishes or mast mounted amplifiers since they may have a power injector that adds voltage into the lines.

When crimping the new cable, make sure the center wire is long enough (you can trim it after you crimp a new end) and get some of metal mesh that forms the second wire in tight contact with the crimped fastener. I usually pull some of that mesh back over the insulation so there's a tight bond when it's crimped.


Is this electrical junction up to code? I was up in my attic a few days ago, and I noticed a pretty ugly electrical junction that wasn't in a junction box. Here's the pic:

Is this up to code? FWIW I live in north Alabama, outside city limits. However I'm assuming there are general building codes that would govern this sort of thing nationwide.
At first I was horrified when I saw this, but then I remembered the home inspector had to have passed this several times when he was going over the house prior to our purchase. In fact, I SAW him walk right past where it was - I just stuck my head up in the attic while he went tromping around across the trusses. Am I just super OCD and this is a perfectly fine junction, or was it a major oversight on the inspector's part? Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'm planning on installing a junction box tomorrow, but I'd rather not waste my money/time if it's fine how it is.

At first glance, I see several problems:

The junction should be in a junction box.
Is there even an electrical nut on the live wires?  Hard to tell under all that electrical tape, but it doesn't look as if there's room for one.
Is the neutral from the red wire at top going into that tangle of lives?  If it's carrying live, it should be tagged to indicate that.
The red wire to the right shouldn't be running along the top of the ceiling joist.  If you can, run it along the middle of one of the sides.
Ideally, the yellow wire at bottom would pass through a hole drilled through the joist.  Failing that, there should be furring strips either side to prevent you from stepping on it.
The electrical tape on the neutral and ground wires isn't strictly necessary for code, but if it's there, it's customary to have it go around the nut to help hold it in place.
Thanks to @tester101: different sheath colors indicates different gauge wires.  Check that your circuit breaker has the appropriate amperage rating.
Staples: if you run wires across the joists, they should be stapled to keep them in place between the furring strips (that you also need; see #5).  You'll also need them along the length of the wires that run along the joists, and it might be a good idea to have one near where the wire drops down through the 2x4 header (given the quality of the rest of the job, whoever did this may not have used staples when running the wire through the wall cavity).
It looks as if you might have a lot of slack in those wires.  Wiring shouldn't be piano-wire taut, but you don't want enough slack that you can trip over it.

Just because the inspector didn't mention it, doesn't mean it's OK.  They're human, so they can miss things, especially in an attic where the lighting isn't good.


How can I remove the stem on my leaking IKEA faucet? I have an IKEA LOVIKEN AA-291347-1 faucet. It leaks between the 2 handles at the connection.
I removed the screw behind, but I cannot remove the top center part.
Do you have any idea how I can open it to change the seal inside?

While you have removed the locating screw, there are usually 3 rubber (well nitrile or somesuch) sealing rings which are a tight fit.

So, you might have to twist and pull very hard to get them to release.

At least, that was the case when I took a similar tap apart.

Of course, lots of care needed to get it back together without damaging the new seals...


Can I use an outside feeder tap to run power to a garage? I have a newly built garage that I would like to add a sub panel.  I have a QO load center QOB8-16L 100S  which is rated for 100 amps. However, I think 60 amps would be more than adequate for my needs (1 20amp with 5 boxes, 1 20 amp dedicated to 10,000 BTU window Air conditioner, 1 15 amp circuit for 3 lights, 1 future 20 amp circuit to run to shed, 1 future 30 amp 240 volt circuit just in case) The total length of the run from the main service disconnect outside the house (200 amp) to the sub in the garage is about 60 ft. The sub in the garage is located adjacent to the pull up garage door.  I've been told:

can't tap at the service box outside the house;
can't use split bolt connectors;
can tap the load side of the 200 amp breaker using Polaris lugs and putting a disconnect on this feeder line immediately adjacent to the existing one.

The NEC on taps and feeders is somewhat confusing but looking at the section on outside feeder taps, it appears I should be able to do this without adding another disconnect at the house.  The new feeder line would be protected by the 200 amp breaker which would be immediately upline of the Polaris lug. I would also install a backfed 60 amp breaker in the sub panel (or an AC disconnect) so I could disconnect everything there (normal AC disconnect does not provide over current protection).

Can I tap this way, or, what is the correct way to do it and what size wire should I use for the 60 ft underground run (direct bury cable, THHW or similar in conduit, or something else)?  and what size Polaris lug  to use (what size wire is used for 200 amp from the breaker to the inside the house). Also, do I need a ground rod at the garage?  Thank you in advance for your responses and any enlightenment you may choose to shower on me.
Here is a picture of the meter and adjacent 200 amp disconnect.

Service enters at meter. adjacent disconnect 200 amp to the right.  Cable box is below meter. telephone box to left of cable box. It would be difficult to run from the house load center, as it is in the middle of the house. So, do the outside tap rules allow me to tap the load side of the 200 amp breaker and run it to a 60 amp main at the garage? The disconnect would be at the garage. Or would I Need to put a 60 amp disconnect next to the 200 amp box and run to the garage?

I would install a 60a fusible disconnect to the right of that enclosure using a PVC nipple. Then polaris tap or insulation piercing tap both ungrounded and grounded conductors. Probably 1/0 between the tap and the line side of the disconnect would be sufficient. Also reemember to install a ground lug in the disconnect, keep the ground and neutral isolated in the disconnect and run the ground al the way back to the can on your picture.


Is this likely to be asbestos in the ceiling above my bathroom? The ceiling fan in my bathroom is playing up, so I removed it.

Looking inside the roof above the hole I saw the following:

It looked like a big clump of dust so I grabbed it and it felt quite soft.  I am probably being paranoid but is there any chance this could be asbestos?  I know soft asbestos is used as insulation but would I find it so close to the plasterboard like that?

The house was built in 1964 (in Australia).

It is hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like long, man-made fibers which is not a common form of asbestos in residential homes.  The common form is vermiculite.  I have a home built in 1965 (in the US) and it had "rock wool" batting which I was concerned about, so I did a fair amount of research.  This article helped me feel better.  The only way to know for sure is to send a sample to get visually inspected at a lab.  I had some plaster checked and it was not expensive.


How to check PEX pipe for embrittlement As a part of a larger job, I have a plumber replacing water lines. He is going to use PEX. I read that sunlight exposure causes PEX to become brittle very quickly (on the order of a couple of weeks). Based on the I-know-it-all attitude that the plumber has showed on other parts of the project, I am worried that he might have stored the pipe improperly. Is there a way for me to check the state of the pipe before the walls are closed?

Most water PEX pipe has a UV stable outer coating.

Check the brand and spec sheets. If it is UV stable, its fine unless the sheath is cut or damaged.

NOTE: gas PEX does not have this coating.


T connection of two Beams To Support 2nd Floor - Post or No Post? Context: We are building plans for an extension to our home, on three levels. We're working with a technologist and will be getting an engineer since they have to stamp any plans. We want to have a large opening - about 20' by 20'.
Problem: For our own knowledge (we're still waiting to hear from the technologist) we want to know whether it is possible to have a T shaped steel beam supporting the 2nd floor without a post where the two beams meet. On the picture below, in yellow you'll see where I "imagine" the beams would go, and I imagine that where the yellow circles are, I need to put strong pillars that are secured in the foundation (I do have a 2nd floor that I want to build there).
Question: Is there a way to build this in order to NOT have a post where the "?" is on the drawing below?

Can it be done? Sure. Is it practical? - you'll need to discuss with the engineer and consider the impact on your budget.
Basically you will need to increase the strength (and usually the size, to get that strength) of the beam that crosses the space so that it can support the beam going down the middle of the extension. Likewise, it will require a sufficiently strong connection to support that load, which may be more complex/expensive than simply supporting it on a post.


Is it safe to screw #14 screws into the bottom of Center Support Beam? Making an 8' clothing rack in the basement.  I don't want to weaken the center support beam which is made up of 3 2x10".  Would it be safe to secure the pipe flange with 2 1/2" #14 screws into the bottom of the beam?   Thanks in advance..

This will be absolutely fine. People put screws into beams all the time. The fibers that run along the beam will barely be broken by this. (Notches out of the beam interrupt the fibers, which makes them another story altogether.)

You might want to predrill with a small (like 1/8") drill bit to make your life a little easier.


Do I NEED to use correct colors when wiring always? What I am wondering is if there is any code that is violated if the wrong colors are used in wiring outlets? For example, it is standard to use white as neutral and black as power but if I only had two blacks or some other color combination, does this violate any codes in the state of Michigan?

A follow up question which is what made me wonder this... I currently have a light in a closet that has a pull chain for the switch. I want to install a switch outside the closet that will control the light fixture instead (with a new light fixture that won't use a pull chain). The existing power is of course ran to the light. Is it perfectly legit to simply use a single 14/2 or 14/3 wire (in one conduit), running the white and black to the switch, one for return and one for going? I know many outlets use black and black going to the switch so is it a big deal to use black and white instead? Does it violate any codes in Michigan?

Electricity doesn't care about color.  But electricians (both pros and amateurs) do.

The color is meant to inform both you and any future worker which wires are hot (usually black or red, but occasionally other colors, such as blue), neutral (white or sometimes grey), ground (bare, green or green/yellow striped). If it is not bare, white or green, it is potentially hot.

Code lets you use wire with a different color insulation than the standard if you mark it permanently with the correct color, such as a piece of colored electrical tape, heat shrink tubing or with paint. That way, when you return to the fixture/switch/outlet three years from now, even if you cannot remember what you did, the color of the wires will guide you. And for someone else working on your circuit, it is essential.

Code in all states that I know of in the US require correctly marked wire (either the original jacket or a subsequent marking). Wrong color is a violation. I do not specifically know Michigan code (and it probably varies by local jurisdiction), but it almost certainly follows the standard code when it comes to wiring colors.

On your followup question, it was very common to use 14/2 or 12/2 wire to run a switch loop (a hot line to the switch and a switched hot returning from the switch). The code required that the white wire be marked black (or red) to show it was hot.

Code now requires that all new switches have a neutral, so the old two wire switch loop is not allowed, even if you are using a dumb switch that doesn't need a neutral (some future switch might). So if you are running a new wire, you might as well use 14/3, use the black and red for the switch and leave the white capped in the switch box. You should attach the white at the fixture so that in any subsequent wiring project it will already be properly connected.


How to remove stuck Rawl bolts I'm trying to affix a ground-anchor to my garage floor (for chaining things to.

It was supplied with Rawl bolts and the instructions stated to drill a 16mm hole into the concrete and then tap the bolt into the hole.

I followed the instructions to the letter (1 minor deviation described later)

The Rawl bolt is like this:

Here's where the trouble comes in - I didn't "tap" the bolt into the hole - I gave it a good, solid hammering - I've used these things before and widened the hole to allow that bolt to go in easier - but then found that it didn't hold firmly enough when tightened and whatever it was fell down... So this time I decided that I'd make it a snug fit and ended up giving it a good bashing to get it in - what I didn't realise was that it wasn't the diameter of the hole that was the problem, but rather the build up of concrete dust that I'd left in the hole after drilling.

Here's the situation:

The real problem is that there was concrete dust sitting in the bottom of the hole - by hammering the bolt holder into the hole to try and get it flush with the garage floor - 2 things have happened:

1) The cone shaped bit at the bottom has been forced up in the bolt holder - forcing the leaves outwards (as is it's purpos) and jamming the holder into the hole in the concrete. The standard advice on this is to tap the conical piece down again  - but I don't think this is possible as it's got compacted concrete dust under it.

2) The threaded hole in the conical piece is full of concrete dust, so I can't screw the bolt into it - it goes in about 1.5 turns, then jams up on concrete dust - I can see this from the threads on the bolt when I remove it.

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to:

a) Suck the concrete dust out of the hole?

b) Get the bolt holder out of the hole altogether so that I can start afresh?

To remove the part will be tedious, but it may be possible. The bolt that does the securing may be 1/4" or larger? Take a drill bit that is dull for drilling metal that is slightly smaller than the tapped hole in the cone to auger what dust you can. The idea here is to create a small cavity under the cone for water applied through a syringe, the type for applying glue in tight spots, for example, to swirl and loosen the dust under the rest of the cone. That done, after the water runs clear, insert the bolt just enough to engage a few threads and tap the cone down into the flushed out void. Then using a drill bit large enough to drill through the bulk of the sleeve and if needed the cone too, run it into the hole, and drill out what metal you can. You will need a sharp bit for this, but it won't be after you are done possibly.
With luck, the drill will grab the insert at some time during the drilling and start it to spin in the hole, then with it hung up on the drill from spinning and while it is spinning, withdraw the insert. At worst, drill it all the way out so much it will collapse and fall apart in the hole.


Can a standard NEMA 5-15 outlet be installed in a round ceiling box? In my garage, I installed a series of 4" round ceiling boxes and put plastic (later ceramic) lamp bases on them for some basic lighting. This is the type of box I'm referring to:

Image courteously supplied by Lowes. No particular endorsement implied

I've recently purchased some plug-in LED light fixtures and would like to replace some of the lamp bases with a standard NEMA 5-15 outlet so I can plug in the lights.

Will a standard 5-15 outlet fit properly in this box?
Is there an appropriate cover plate that can be used?
As an alternative, is it safe/legal to clip the plug and hard-wire these otherwise plug-in lights directly to the Romex in the boxes?

If the answer to either is "no", then I guess I'll have to pull the boxen and replace them with standard rectangular boxes, but I'd prefer not to.

They do make receptacles designed to fit round boxes, for example a Leviton 1228 (I'm sure other brands have it as well, this was just the first I found when I googled Round Box Receptacle):

Depending in the screw holes on your box, you may also be able to fit a standard duplex receptacle and fit a wall plate designed for that purpose. These act as a wall plate and mounting bracket/adapter for mounting a standard receptacle in the round box.

Finally, if all you need is an ungrounded two prong plug, the easiest option might be to get some light bulb to socket adapter, like these GE 54276:


Replacing 5 gang light switches that have 3 of them daisy chained together I am trying to figure out how to wire these with a new style light switches (the basic 1 and 2-way switches from Home Depot).

I've installed light switches before but this is confusing to me because these old switches really don't show what is what.

These are all independent of each other so they don't work off the same light.

The far left one is by itself which I can install myself with no issues.

Not sure what other information I can provide to help solve my issue.

The leftmost switch is completely separate, and its wires (including neutrals) need to be kept completely separate.  In this case, power comes into the box on one cable, and onward to the lamp on the other cable. Hook that up as you found it, and maintain a "hard wall" (virtual or physical; they make physical partitions for boxes) between those two cables and all the other wires in the box.  It is probably on a different circuit.

On the right side, the red wire from the wall is being split to serve the hot side of all 4 switches.  The mechanical method being used is to "daisy-chain" jumpers from one switch to the next, since the switch appears to support 2 wires per input. This is functionally the same as pigtailing; do either one as you please.

If in doubt, I recommend pigtailing, because it's easier for novices to understand.

Oh, that switch on the right in the photo.  That is a 3-way switch.  Black screw is common, and when replacing them, which wires go to which color screws is a huge deal. Position is useless since every switch model randomizes the positions.  If you are using it as a plain 1-way switch, use black and only 1 brass. If it's up when it should be down, use the other brass, or just flip the switch over.


Easy way to get crayon out of grout? My daughter decided to get a little artistic in the bathroom and colored the grout with yellow crayon. Does anyone have a simple way to clean this out?

ALL of the grout? If so, I'd say scraping and re-grouting would likely be easiest solution.

If it's just in a few spots, you could try the brown paper bag + iron technique: cover the area with a layer or two of brown paper bag and then apply a hot iron to it. The heat of the iron will melt the wax and the paper bag will then wick it up. Try on a small section, first.


How do I tile this riser? There is an area under the threshold to my house that I would like to tile with a decorative tile. There are two things I am uncertain about.

1) The bottom part of the wall is inset from the rest of it. I imagine I need to fill it to provide a level subsurface for the tile, but I am not sure what would be the best way to do this.

2) I assume that the area between the tile and the floor should not be grouted but rather caulked, to allow for freedom of movement. Is this correct? Should the area between the left and right walls and the tile also be caulked rather than grouted?

(1) I suggest filling the void with concrete. You could probably go heavy on the sand in the mix as it's not structural (for my shower floor I used one part sand topping mix to three parts sand).

(2) I agree on using caulk at changes of plane instead of grout.


How to mitigate voltage drop? I currently have a sump pump in my basement that is normally powered by plugging it into an outlet. When we lose power, I have a 100 amp hour marine deep cycle lead acid battery along with a 1200 watt power inverter to power the 1/3 horsepower sump pump.
The power inverter has an automatic shutoff when the voltage of the battery drops below 10.5 volts and because of that shutoff, the power inverter will start to power the pump however I can see on the display that the battery is dropping to 9 volts and then shortly after the inverter cuts the power. I was wondering how would I be able to mitigate this voltage drop in order to prolong the batteries from dropping below 10.5 volts?

Edit:
I hadn't quite realized the pump draws 8 A at 110 V, which would mean 125 A at 12 V. The wire gauge is thick enough for that (4 gauge is 20 mm2) but not by a wide margin. At these power levels, minimizing the resistance is critical, all connections have to be perfect.

To doublecheck the wiring: measure the voltage

between the battery terminals
on the input of the inverter
on the output of the inverter

all while the pump is running. A difference between 1 and 2 indicates a wiring problem. If 3 is much lower than the rated voltage, that will cause the inverter to shut down.

Have you checked if the battery is properly charged? A voltage drop like that can indicate the battery is almost empty. When it's not providing a current, battery voltage will look okay, but voltage will drop rapidly when current is drawn.

If the pump really draws 880 W, that's a pretty big load (comparable to a starter motor), and on the edge of what a battery can supply. So that may be part of the problem.


Proper way to test AC voltage for dishwasher hookup I am trying to connect my new dishwasher to the electrical cable coming up into my kitchen from down in the basement. This (white) cable actually houses 3 smaller wires inside of it:

A white wire (hot?)
A black wire (neutral?)
A bare copper wire (ground?)

It looks nearly identical to the top cable in this diagram labeled "NM flat".

It appears that I need to connect the white wire from this power cable to the white wire on my dishwasher, the black wire from this power cable to the black wires on my dishwasher, and the bare/GND wire from this power cable to a grounding plate+screw on my dishwasher.

My circuit breaker is in my basement. I have turned off what I believe is the circuit for my dishwasher, and I have confirmed that I can't turn it on by pushing its various buttons. Also it usually has green lights lit up indicating power, and those lights are now off. I'm 99.99% sure the power is off, but...

Just to be 100% sure I'd like to test the power cable with a multimeter. The one I have has a setting for AC voltage. I don't think this should matter but my exact model is an Innova 3320.

I'm looking for the exact procedure for testing. I assume I want to:

Turn the multimeter on and set it to ACV (AC volts). I expect to have it show me a very small amount of voltage since (IIRC) there's always a little bit of "electricity in the air"
Touch the black lead to the black wire (inside the power cable)
Touch the red lead to the white wire (inside the power cable)
Confirm that I get 0.0V

Am I missing anything here? Any critical steps or other tests I should be performing?

Your test procedure is a good start. However, you should confirm 0 volts between all possible combination of wires, including ground. And if your water lines are copper, test between that and the wires, too.

Also, you are wrong about the function of the wires. Black is hot, white is neutral, and bare is ground. You got white and black backwards.


Lights turn on at different times? Very confused.

I already had 2 rows of lights, as seen in the photo below.

Today, I added a 3rd of lights ... by pigtailing into the second rows junction box.

Now, when I flip the switch, the 3rd row turns on about a second before the first two rows turn on.

Any idea why?

Possible reasons are:
1) All the rows are the same brand/Type but the first two rows purchased were purchased and installed sometime in the past, maybe a year.  The third row is the same brand, but was recently purchased.  The vendor made an improvement to the driver circuit and removed the delay.  The original two had the delay, but since they came on at the same time you did not notice until the newer lights were installed.  You could test this by disconnecting the third row and see if the first two rows still has the delay.

2) the third row is a different brand, with a better circuit design that eliminated the delay start.  In reality, this is the same as #1, with the third row of lights having the latest circuit design that eliminated the delay.

I purchased three sets of ceiling lights, same brand /model on sale, and the internal circuit, driver, and placement of the driver for the LEDs were different in all three sets.  Improvement in LED lighting is constantly evolving.


Is the gauge of a circuit a function of the draw, or a function of the distance? Goal I'm attempting to accomplish:  Create a blanket of globe lights that all hang at different heights such that the wires that the bulbs hang from are thin enough not to be too visible.

120V, 15A circuit.  Plug a patio light stringer into that circuit and you've reduced the size of the copper from 14/2 to 18/2.

Now, let's say you were able to convert each socket on the patio stringer into a bunch of tiny outlets.  Then from those little sockets, you plugged in another pair of wires leading to the bulb itself.  You've basically created another small circuit, where the 18/2 stringer becomes the "main" feeding the little sockets.

To each socket, you wire up a 7 Watt C9 E17 G50 globe light.

Question:  How small can the gauge be on the wire that leads from the "socket" to the bulb base to bring power to the bulb?

Building wiring must be breaker protected

The first rule is that wire gauge must be sufficient to prevent wire overheating, in all conditions including fault conditions.   So as far as any permanently installed, in-wall wiring goes, 20+A = 10 AWG wire.  15+ amps = 12 AWG wire.  0-15 amps = 14 AWG wire.  You're not allowed to go smaller in in-wall-wiring.  Also, lighting must be derated 125%, so a 13A lighting circuit gets derated to 16.25A necessitating #12 wire.

And the circuit must be protected by breakers of appropriate sizes.  The only exception is the tap rules, which do in fact allow for luminaires, but don't allow smaller than #14 wire.

Mains wiring inside fixtures is also limited

Now, with 120V mains wiring, there's a bottom limit on inside-fixture wiring of 18 AWG.  That is the smallest wire size you'll see allowed.  So your 24 AWG tendrils down to individual lamps are a no-go.

Further, your plan is to fit C9/E17 sockets there.  It is inevitable that some "epsilon minus" type will stick 40 watt incandescents in there. You must design your fixture for that, or, use socket types which prevent this, or don't use sockets at all.  Which segues into...

Low voltage lighting is far less limited

If you want to dodge these design regulations, that's the way to go.  Obviously you will not be using incandescent lighting on low voltage DC, because the voltage drop will require thick wires.  But that means LED, and LEDs in low voltage configuration are so reliable they don't need sockets, which also solves the abovementioned "you must plan for idiots" problem.

So for instance you might build your horizontal festoon with something like C7/E9 sockets, or whatever... Then have tiny tendrils with a socket on one end, and a self-contained, hardwired LEDs+resistors on the other end.  Given that you want 7W light, that's about 1W of LED light, so 80ma on that tendril @12V or 40ma @24V.

Your festoon, on the other hand, would need to be appropriately thick to avoid voltage drop, since 12V is very, very sensitive to voltage drop.  It really depends on how many lights you have.  For the festoon, you could simply use a pre-made string of Christmas lights with the normal bulbs removed, and attached to 12V or 24V.


Can I use one of the phases in a 2-phase circuit to power a 120V appliance I am wondering if I can take one of the phases from a 220V circuit that is used to power my cooktop, to power a 120V appliance (small wine cooler) and a 60W LED light transformer.

The specifications for the cooktop are:
220V  6,8kW

The specifications for the wine cooler are:
120V    130W

Unfortunately, I cannot run a new circuit just for the wine cooler which would have been my first option. Right now , the cooktop is running off a 2 pole 40A breaker.

As one of the commenters pointed out, this is not 2-phase power (at least assuming something similar to standard U.S. residential 240V single-phase/split-phase service--what country are you in?). It's single-phase power. You get 240V between the poles on the smaller coil of the transformer outside your place. So you get 120V (half) from each pole to the exact center of the coil, where the "neutral" taps in (it's a single-phase center tap transformer). The neutral carries the imbalance between the loads on the two poles (power from one pole is opposite polarity and thus cancels out power from the other). So if there's exactly the same load on each pole, the neutral carries zero current, but it almost always carries some current.

So... yes, technically this would work. But where are you going to tap in? With what kind of device?  Are you planning to connect a #8 and #12 wire with a wire nut?  ;-)

As another commenter pointed out, you will end up with a 120V appliance running on a circuit protected by a 40A breaker. Since you can't legally put a 15A or 20A outlet on a 40A circuit, that definitely violates code. The device itself isn't going to draw any more current than it needs unless it has a short, but you can't legally wire in an outlet that the appliance cord will fit.

Your 37A calculation is 93% of the rating of the 40A circuit. U.S. NEC says you can't design a circuit with a continuous load over 80% of the circuit breaker's capacity. But "continuous" means full draw for longer periods of time than you are going to operate your stove.

And your cooler only draws about one Amp. So you might be okay there.

So... if you absolutely, positively can't or won't pull a new 120V 15A or 20A circuit from the panel, it sounds like the sanest option (from yet another commenter) is to redirect that 40A 240V circuit into a small subpanel.

I just now saw a little 2 space, 4 circuit 70A capacity subpanel/load center at a major box store's website for $15. Cheap.

Hopefully the cable you already have running to the stove has 4 wires (2 hot, 1 neutral, 1 ground).

The neutral (grounded) and grounding buses in the subpanel have to be disconnected from each other, the neutral bus has to be isolated from the metal box, and the grounding bus has to be bonded to the box. Otherwise, if there's a fault in the neutral, all your return current ends up on the ground and potentially energizes the box.

Your existing 40A two-pole breaker in the main panel is your master breaker for the subpanel, protecting the existing wire. Put a 40A two-pole breaker in the subpanel to feed the stove, and a 15A or 20A single-pole breaker to feed an outlet for the cooler.

You can use a masonry bit and concrete screws to drill and screw the little subpanel to the concrete, and to secure the conduit or MC that you'll run from that panel to the outlets for the stove and cooler. Which you will secure to the concrete in similar fashion.

You could use a small panel similar to this:


Can I bond gas plumbing via gas water heater's electrical connection ground? Locale: WA State, U.S.
Inspector approved gas plumbing and followed up later, saying:
"Please note that we will be verifying the bonding of the new gas piping at the next inspection, please contact L&I for any questions regarding electrical. "
Gas plumbing will be connected to tankless water heater via flex hose. I'm assuming the flex hose doesn't count as proper bonding for the gas plumbing. So can I run a ground wire from the electrical outlet where the gas water heater will be plugged in or even bond to the water heater directly (since it is grounded via outlet plug)?

The water heater's equipment grounding conductor takes care of its side.
Check the installation manual (example) for your CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing; the bright yellow, flexible gas pipe.)  You should be bonding the gas piping at your service entrance to the home's grounding system.  That's what the inspector is referencing.
Some additional information: http://csstsafety.com/CSST-solution.html


How to install new outdoor motion sensing light I have a new home which does not have any sort of outdoor lights for now. I want to install motion sensing lights on 2 of the exterior walls. I got a quote from an electrical contractor but he is asking astronomical amount of money for running a PVC tube from an outdoor power port. I decided to do it on my own, but need some guidance as to how I can avoid the PVC pipe thing and wire it from internal walls and etc. Is there any guide I can use or anyone of you folks can guide me?

Let me know,
Thanks,
RV.

You need to locate a junction box somewhere in the attic that has a hot wire (not a switch leg) and a neutral in it. Look close to an existing light fixture in a room close to where you want the exterior light(s). From there you can feed the motion-activated lights with NM cable (Romex) from the attic.

You can either cut boxes into the siding or mount surface boxes on the outside of the house. Whatever you feel comfortable with.

If the terminology is a bit confusing you should buy a book on basic wiring such as this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Step-Guide-Book-Home-Wiring/dp/0961920106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450304277&sr=8-1&keywords=Home+wiring+step+by+step

Not an endorsement just a suggestion.


How do I repair this old door lock? An old knob on my bedroom door fails to retract to its normal position. I opened the lock in an attempt a repair it and discovered two loose springs.

I suspect that the loose springs aided a third spring to lift the door knob back to its natural position. Because the two springs have become loose the third spring is not able to retract the knob on its own.

I don't know how to reattach the loose springs. Does any know have experience with this type of mechanism?

That spring is definitely broken. It sits in the square bracket and pushes against the lever above it.

Do you have another working handle that you can disassemble to compare to?


Can chain link fence rail be used as electrical conduit? I just removed a chain link fence and had the idea to reuse the rail pipe as underground electrical conduit. I already have part of a trench dug and was planning to buy some conduit, but if I could reuse this metal pipe, then I could save some money. The pipe outside diameter is 1.25 inches and inside diameter is 1 inch. I assume that you can get fittings for this size pipe. Is there anything in the electrical codes that would prevent me from reusing this chain link fence rail pipe as underground electrical conduit?

Electrical conduit is similar to pipe, but there are important differences, such as requirements for the inside to be smooth so it won't damage wires.
In short, no. Use actual electrical conduit.


Should I caulk a front door step riser when I replace it? This section of the house is slab on grade. There is a  concrete step just in front of the door. The rotted wood riser fits between the house and the concrete step.
I'm going to attempt replacing it. I think that the band joist and floor joists are ok. The door threshold itself is firm.
When I replace the riser, should I caulk any or all of the highlighted seams? Is there anything else I should do besides attaching the new riser?

Definitely caulk under the threshold and at the ends. Whether you caulk the bottom partly depends on what's behind. If there's a drain plane back there, maybe leave the bottom open so water can weep out underneath. If not, seal it up. There's rarely any harm in caulking unless you trap water.

I recommend urethane or pure silicone caulk. Acrylic latex just doesn't bond as well and shrinks horribly. Keep in mind that silicone isn't paintable, so choose white or clear, as appropriate (clear against the concrete and threshold). Urethane is amazing stuff, but it's difficult to work with, being so sticky. It doesn't let go of clothing or skin for a long time.

I also recommend looking for a solid vinyl board for that location. You won't have to paint it and it'll resist decay much better than wood. As aaron says, if you do use wood, remember to at least prime (if not paint) the back, sides, and endgrain.


Bathroom addition - pluming drainage problem New here, and i am a rookie home DIYer. Looking for some help

Me and a friend of mine(tradie who knows much more than me) have started trying to add a bathroom to an old double garage at the rear of my property. It is a circa 1950 home built with double brick. In order to connect the bathroom drainage ( shower, sink & toilet) to the waste line we had to cut two channels, one through the concrete floor and one trench outside running to the sewer access point. The problem lies when trying to connect the two under the existing wall through the concrete slab/foundation. We don't want to damage the structural integrity of the foundation and its so thick i am not sure drilling a hole big enough for the 100mm waste pipe to fit will even be possible. Any ideas would be great.... thanks

I did exactly what u describe. Take a circular saw with a diamond blade and cut into the concrete on the outside of the pipesize. Small increments at a time. Cut the complete depth of the blade. Than take a concrete hammer and get rid of the inside between ur two cuts. If u have to go deeper just continue with the hammer. Add the pipe and new metal reinforcement and concrete. The project was not much fun.  The stability is not a concern. My project was 5 years ago. Prep you concrete that the old binds with the new. There are plenty of YouTube videos for that. There is also a binding compount. I used the mesh type of reinforcement but I did not connect it to the old concrete.


Why is it OK to put multiple ground wires in the same bus hole in an electrical panel? It's not clear to me why ground wires aren't subject to the same rules as neutral wires (one per bus bar hole). What's the reasoning here?

Grounding conductors are designed to only carry fault current, which is typically a very short burst of very high current.

Neutral conductors carry circuit current, which means they go through heat/cool expansion/contraction cycles. Multiple neutrals under one screw can lead to loose terminals due to different rates and levels of expansion and contraction.


Can I use the unused blue wire as a C wire? I'm installing a wifi-capable thermostat in my house which for obvious reasons requires a C wire. The old school mercury thermostat I'm replacing didnt have a C wire connected but I've checked the furnace schematic and connections and the C is there.

Can someone please take a look at the attachments and verify that the C wire exists / that I'm not losing my mind?

Here are some additional pics:
http://m.imgur.com/gallery/u1QJQ

It looks like I should be able to add the unused blue wire to the C terminal on the furnace. Thoughts?

I've been referencing this post: How can I add a "C" wire to my thermostat?

Yes. Connect the unused blue wire to the C terminal in the furnace, then connect the other end to the C terminal on the thermostat.  As long as there's no funny business between the furnace and the thermostat, it should work just fine.


Joists extended by tecos I recently purchased a house and have noticed the floors seem to sag in certain spots. I notice in the basement that there are several sections where the joists were cut and then extended via tecos to the sill plate. Presumably because the sill plate needed to be replaced. I attached a photo of a small section showing what I'm describing. The majority of my basement is finished and can I can peek into a little space to allow the plumbing to run and there looks like there is a long stretch of this seemingly hack. Note, there was a significant house fire hence why the joists were painted/sealed.

1) is this a legit way to repair joists/sill plates?

2) is this safe?

There's no way we can say. The doubled joists may be sufficiently stout to carry the cross-beam. Or they may not. It's a question for an on-site engineer. Strategically there are no concerns, and there's nothing "hack" about it. It's no different than a break in the joists at any other beam. Almost every home in the U.S. has such a scenario.

By the way, those are called "joist hangers". Teco is a brand that manufacturers many products. I've never actually heard them called that, but I've heard the heavy-gauge 1-1/2" nails referred to as "teco nails".


OK to use short length of plumbing pipe as electrical conduit? I need to connect a steel junction box on the inside of a building with an outdoor rated disconnect/switch on the outside of the building.  The disconnect will be used to power a piece of outdoor equipment and be connected with appropriate cordage to the disconnect.
The wall is 8.5" thick solid concrete.  I was planning on drilling a 1" hole through the concrete and connecting the inside box into the back of the outside disconnect using a piece of 3/4" galvanized rigid conduit.  I don't, however, have the tools to cut and thread the conduit to length so that the threads can be tightened with conduit locknuts.  I asked an electrician if he could do this for me, and he told me to just get a piece of black iron or galvanized plumbing pipe (which I can get pre-threaded in 10-in lengths) and use that instead.  Since we are only running THWN wire through this short length of pipe he thought the risk of snagging on the inside of the rough piece of pipe would be minimal.  Is this sound advice or should I find another electrician that can cut me a piece of rigid conduit?  I thought about using other types of conduit, but I don't see how I could run directly into the back of the disconnect and have room for a conduit connector or clamp unless I make a significantly bigger hole in the concrete.  Any advice would be appreciated.
I am also curious as to what standard practice is for caulking sealing outdoor boxes like this when connecting directly through the wall into the back of the box.

You can use rigid as the ground it is done absolutely all the time. However both black iron and water pipe are code violations (how would anyone know?) The water pipe has a seam that is not smooth and the black iron is not galvanized. Rigid conduit uses the same dies as regular pipe if they have a machine there is no difference.
The big deal is the center needs to be chamfered, some don’t do this on water and gas.
you can connect the boxes and use the pipe as your ground. from the pipe size why not pull the ground in the pipe the nuts are cheaper than a short run of copper.


What type of contractor do I need for ventilation and ducts? I'm trying to be my own GC. What type of contractors do I need to install range hood and the necessary venting?  They would also need to help do the venting for a clothes dryer.

A Heating, Ventilation, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technician, should be able to handle the vents.  If there's electrical involved, you'll need an Electrician for that portion of the work. Though some HVAC companies may be able to handle the whole job.

If you don't want to dish out for an HVAC tech, you could likely handle it yourself with the purchase of a few hand tools. Specifically, you'll want a set of aviation snips (left, right, and straight), and a 5 blade crimping tool.  Duct seal mastics are all the rage, though a quality foil tape should work just fine.

If that doesn't appeal to you either, any local "handyman" should be able to do the vent work. Just make sure the person is licensed, insured, and registered with the Better Business Bureau® or some other similar organization.


Does anyone have experience with small heat-recovery air exchangers? I know there are units made which are supposed to be sized for use in a residential kitchen, as a more efficient replacement for the usual vent hood (bring air in to replace air blown out, but transfer heat between the two so you don't lose as much heating/cooling as you would with a normal just-blow-outward setup). I like the idea, but they ARE more expensive (of course; two fans and the heat exchanger and the internal ductwork to feed it) and I'm not sure how much maintenance they need... especially since in a kitchen setting you're going to get airborne grease and so on which may make keeping it working efficiently difficult.

So: If you've installed one of these, how did it work out and would you do it again?

Due to the grease and other unwanted fumes being exhausted this is not a good idea for a range hood in the kitchen. You would be surprised at how easily grease builds.


New light fixture to old wiring So, I recently attempted to install a new light fixture to old wiring with no success. I have no electrical experience, so forgive me if this situation and the following questions are either stupid or redundant.

The old -- three light -- fixture included three black wires, three white wires, a red wire and a blue wire. It was replaced with a new fixture using just one black, one white, and one neutral wire.

I connected the new fixrure's single hot and neutral wires to one black and one white wire respectively. As the old wiring included no recognisable ground wire, I simple attached the new fixture's copper wire to the green grounding screw on the new mounting fixture.

The light does not come on when I turn the switch.

Do I need to connect all existing black and white wires to the corresponding single black and single white wire on the new fixture? Should the red and blue wires be attached to anything else or left unconnected and capped? Is it normal that there appears to be no ground wire included in the old existing wiring?

To answer ThreePhaseEel,

You hook the new lamp exactly the way you found the old lamp

All the white wires from the old lamp went to one place.  That place is where the white wire goes for the new lamp.

All the black, red and/or blue wires from the old lamp went to one place.  That is where the new lamp's black wire goes.

You don't mess with anything else.

Particularly, you do not group wires by color code if they weren't before.  Color codes do not have the purpose you wish they did, they don't tell which wires go together or what the wires do.  Cable colors are part of manufacturing the multi-wire cables, because making all the wires the same color wouldn't work.

When you see wires bundled together, those wires are not "spares".  They are already engaged in other tasks and need to stay the way you found them.

If both blue and red wires went only to different wires on the old lamp, then pick one and cap the other.
It's not unusual for there to be no grounding wire in old fixtures.  Don't "island" a ground by attaching it to something, what you did was fine.

Oh. You messed with anything else.

Well, the good news is, given the blue wire and combinations you stated in your comment, this work is plainly in conduit, so there's a fair chance the wire colors are in fact meaningful.  What a refreshing change,  Usually they don't mean much.

The ground will automatically get picked up via the mounting screws when you mount up the harp. (This "via the screw" method only works on lamps and switches, not receptacles).  So grounds are no worry, I love metal conduit.

The whites look OK, with one remotely possible, critical exception.

Based on what you say it's the blue wire.   They were kind enough to color code the wires and it looks like blue, being a solo, is for this light.

You could also try the red, but Ihave a feeling that's for the fan.

Beyond that you are going to need to bring in a pro. Do not just repeatedly experiment.  You are likely to discover combinations which do what you want, but that create a dangerous situation.


Extending copper water pipe to fridge/icemaker and leaving options open I've got a 1/2 inch copper water pipe into the back of my attached garage [Img1], conveniently next to where I have a fridge/freezer unit. I'd like to attach water from that pipe to the built-in water/icemaker in the fridge, but I may also want to add an outside spigot or some other function down the line, so I don't necessarily want to limit my options by taking over the whole pipe for that one purpose. The water pipe comes from inside my house and has separate shutoff valves available there so I could shut off water for the winter to avoid freezing risk, etc. Icemaker/fridge has 1/4" pex.
I've cut and deburred the pipe. I was originally going to use a brass 1/4 turn angle supply stop valve (5/8" OD Comp Inlet to 1/4" OD Comp outlet) with compression fittings [IMG2] that I have but could return, then run that to a steel 1/4inch ice maker supply hose [IMG3] to the plastic pipe that came with the fridge. Simple, think that should work...but if i wanted to attach anything else down the line, i'd probably have to cut it and reconfigure.
However, the option I'm now looking to do is to take that pipe and create a "t" to essentially split off (with a valve either as part of this or just down the line) the icemaker line, while also having an 'output' to continue the 1/2 inch copper pipe, which I'd then cap for the time being...might at some point go to an outdoor hose bib or something else.
What's the safest/easiest/simplest or perhaps "best" way to do this? Want to reduce risk of leaks or too many unnecessary components, also avoiding soldering if at all possible.
I could use a brass "t" with compression fittings, buy two more small lengths of copper pipe, one of which I then attach a compression "cap" end on for now, the other goes to the supply stop valve I currently have (but could return) then to the icemaker...but is there a better way of doing it? Thanks
[Image 4 is a general diagram of this situation, with the X box being what i'm trying to figure out essentially.]

If you don't want to solder any fittings then use compression or push-on (Shark-Bite or similar).
Don't fret over issues like "if I go with plan A there are 6 pipe-to-fitting connections that could fail, but if I go with plan B then there are 7 of them but it accommodates future changes.." Plumbing has joints. Don't use two dozen fittings where 8 could do the job, but don't get all tangled up in optimizing a small job like this one for fittings cost or joints count or whatever.
You can add a tee now and leave a capped stub of pipe for future use, or you can just put that stop valve on the end of this thing and be done with it. Since this plumbing is all exposed, when (if) in the future you want to add a hose bibb or something you can splice in a tee at that time just as easily as you could do it today. Easier, in fact, because at that time you'll know exactly where you want the hose bibb to go whereas today you're agonizing over the possibilities of where it might eventually go.


What should I do about a hardwood floor that's sagging between the joists? I recent bought an older (1890) house. On the original floors, the wood flooring is sagging between the joists--you can feel the height difference as you walk, up and down, up and down. It's firm, it's just not flat. The joists below are in great condition, huge old timbers, they're just far apart and I'm betting the subfloor is not up to the task of staying flat.

Is this something to be concerned about? What complications might this cause (e.g., could furniture legs break through the floor if between joists)? Or should I ignore it until it comes time to refloor the house? Is it possible to shore this up from underneath?

Since you can get to the floor from underneath, you can shore up the flooring by adding new joists between the existing ones.  This will not be a FUN process, but the process is simple enough, just labor intensive.

First, add cross braces between each joist at each end, of the same dimensions as your existing joists.  You'll want them to be snug fitting between each joist, and well supported with joist hangers.

Now, between each brace, halfway between each existing joist, hang new joists to fit between the cross braces you added.  Before you permanently hang the joists, prop them up from beneath with 2x4 temporary posts to force the tops up to be level with the tops of the existing joists (pushing the flooring above back into shape), then secure them permanently in place with joist hangers.

Add blocking between the old and new joists as well, to ensure the new joists don't warp/twist.

See the pic attached to help clarify what I mean

Black = OLD work already there
Red = new cross bridging or bracing
Blue = new joists
Green = blocking to prevent warping
Purple circles = places where you use joist hangers


How to drywall a concrete footing I am working on a house built in 1960 that has a supporting wall in the basement which is on a concrete footing. I am ready to put up drywall, and am unsure how I should drywall over the footing?

Possibly seal the concrete and then glue the drywall directly on the concrete?

Or add some furring strips to build out the wall over the concrete?

Below is an image of the footing from the side and then from above. The footing sticks out a bit in some spots, I could try and make this flush with the wall or its another reason to build out the wall.

Looking for some advice on which direction to take and/or a concrete sealer that would work well in this situation. I'm in a cold weather climate if that makes a difference...

That footing isn't that big.  You glue it on.   It isn't that big of a deal.   The big deal is grinding out the protrusions.   You don't deal with those and the bottom of your wall is going to look pretty wonky.

I would run the drywall until may 2" above grade - give yourself some room for moisture and know that your flooring will take you up at least 1/2".   Tack on 4"+ trim (pine is my choice for basements)and it looks like you will have only 2-3" on the concrete with the trim going up over most of the concrete (meaning you will be gluing your trim on but that is a different question).


How do I fix a leaking connector between my garden hose and faucet? I am trying to connect a garden hose with the faucet. After connecting and turning on the faucet, the water still squirted out. Please see the attached picture.

I am not sure whether I need a wrench to tighten it, or it is just because the faucet or hose connector are too old. Or in other words, is using a wrench to tighten a hose connector a required procedure?

It's possible to get the hose screwed on by hand tightly enough that it won't leak if your grip is strong enough; I think the strength required is within the normal range for an adult (mine is relatively strong though, so your mileage may vary). But before you get a wrench, there's a couple of things you should check:

make sure the threads on the faucet and on the hose are clean; if they've been disconnected over the winter, they could have picked up some dirt or grit which is preventing you from getting a good seal.
the hose is supposed to have a rubber washer to make the seal against the end of the faucet. If it's missing, perished, or not seated correctly, then you won't get a good seal. You can get packs of washers (more than you'll ever use, probably) cheaply at the big box stores.

Once you've got those taken care of, try it with the hose screwed on hand-tight. If you're still getting leaks, you can try using a wrench, but remember that tightening is good, over-tightening is bad because you start to deform the rubber washer, which reduces its effectiveness. Get the hose hand-tight, then use the wrench to go another quarter-turn or so. If it's still leaking, it may be time to get a new hose.


Electrical Circuits in my Greenhouse There's a 40A circuit in the greenhouse that's separated into 5 individual circuits consisting of two 15 amp breakers and four 20 amp breakers, one of which is unused.
If I run 2 small electrical heaters on one side, the 20 Amp circuit trips.  Obviously, the two heaters are drawing more than 20 amps.
My question is: If I connect the two 20 amp breakers together and try to run both heaters am I looking for trouble - will it work?

You are, looking for trouble & you'll get it. You must run each heater on a separate circuit, they will not run on the same circuit. A proper 20amp circuit will only handle 2000-watts or 17amps safely & continuously.

Look at the bottom or back of the heaters for how many Amps they use or require. You'll need an Electrician to re-wire the heater area if they are where you would like or need them to be.


Power plug will not go inside the power socket! I have couple of sockets I added through my electrician sometimes back. Now when I plug microwave or coffee maker, it plug would just not go in!
I don’t want to put extraordinary force for fear of breaking it or I should just force it in?
Is it because this is new, not used? How can I make the plug go in without breaking it?

Those don't look like tamper-resistant outlets to me.
New sockets are often just stiff.  That's how it is.
Mind you, the "loosy goosey" sockets you are accustomed to, are actually a fire hazard.  When contact is poor, a tiny gap will form, and electricity will simply jump across the gap.  This action is called "arcing" and makes a LOT of heat and soot, and that tends to make the arcing worse and worse, and it's a death spiral of destruction until you have a fire in the outlet.
So stiff outlets == good.  Plug it in totally square (in case it's a tamper-resistant) and push like you mean it.  Power plug blades are quite durable.  Honestly my biggest problem is breaking off ground pins from having pulled sideways on the cord.


Why does my ceiling fan run slowly? I am replacing a ceiling fan where the old fan had 2 wall switches (one for fan and one for the light)  I read a previous post related to this question, but does not apply to my situation. The wires in the ceiling box are the same (black, white, green, and red) but no blue.  The new fan (with remote and light)) has only black, white, and green wires.  When connecting the new fan wires to the same color wires in the box, the new fan runs at a very slow speed , but does not respond to the remote, other than on and off.  Anyone know what the problem is?
Oh, and the white wire from the box comes off of two white wires, one of which was hot, even when both wall switches were off. I believe it came from a common white connected to another ceiling light in the next room. When I disconnected the joint

The new fan is a Harbor breeze model saratoga #00798.

It's also worthy to check and see that the fan itself has its own speed control pull switch at the fan itself... Or possibly some dip switch settings in the fan, like speed options and even possibly other settings like hz. settings... I'm guessing of course, and I may have missed something in your original post, but especially if this fan has a pull chain speed switch in it, the fan itself must be in the high speed position at the fan, especially if you have a wall switch associated with it.


Where is my common wire on the unit? I have 2 systems in my house, my heat is gas hot water radiator heating and  A/C is a separate newer system.  I'm trying to figure out if I can run a C wire off air handler from the A/C system to run a wifi thermostat.  When I hook up the new thermostat with my current wiring it pulses my boiler for power and causes it to just turn on and off making a horrible noise.  I have 3 unused wires behind my thermostat, red, white and brown.  Based on the wiring diagram can somebody shed some light on where I would connect the common wire to?

Here's my current thermostat wiring

Here's the wiring diagram

Wiring mess in the air handler

You'll want to focus your attention to the wiring at the bottom of your last photo, that's where all the control wiring is.

Don't touch the wiring on the primary side of the transformer, as it's at line voltage and could cause a nasty shock.

If you clip the zip tie holding the bundle of wires together, you should be able to get a better look at what's going on.  I can't tell exactly what's going on from the photo, so I'll explain what would typically be seen.

You should see a cable with a red, blue, green, yellow, white, and possibly brown wires. This is the cable that runs between the air handler and the thermostat. You should see another cable with a red and white wire (it may include other colored wires as well), which runs between the air handler and the condensing unit. According to the schematic, there should be a red and brown wire coming from the secondary side of the transformer.

The red wire from the transformer should be connected to the red wire from the thermostat, this is your Rc wire.  The yellow wire (Y) from the thermostat cable, should be connected to a the red wire from the condensing unit cable. The blue wire (C) from the thermostat cable, should be connected to the white wire from the condensing unit, and the brown wire from the transformer. The green wire (G) from the thermostat cable, should be connected to the black and green wire from the air handler.

At the new thermostat you should have two cables, one from the air handler and one from the boiler.

Remove the jumper between Rh and Rc, if one exists.
Connect the red wire from the boiler cable to Rh.
Connect the white wire from the boiler cable to W.
Connect the red wire from the air handler cable to Rc.
Connect the yellow wire form the air handler cable to Y.
Connect the green wire from the air handler cable to G.
Connect the blue wire form the air handler cable to C.

NOTE: This is all based on typical wiring, your wiring may vary.

NOTE: Some thermostats may only use the Rh and C wires for power, so supplying an Rc/C combination may not work.


how install a new ourdoor digital aerial I have a problem with the tv aerial. I used a aerial splitter to split the aerial into 2 with one spare way. I'm not getting a signal in a room thats 50 foot away from the splitter. However the room where the splitter is works perfectly. I was told that the digital signal isn't as easy to split as analogue. The best way would be to install a new digital outdoor aerial. Is this true or is he just trying to get business off me?

If this is true / partly true, what tools would I need to fit it properly?
how do I know which direction I should point at? I noticed our is straight whilest the block of flats behind us is at an angle.
Seems that our is pointing more towards theirs.

A tutorial / video would be most helpful too because never ever done this before. Am a trainee electrician not aerial man.

There's no such thing as a Digital Antenna, the radio wave being intercepted by the antenna doesn't care what it looks like, only that its electrical specs capture the signal. Those fancy cut weird antennas that are made to look digital are just a sales ploy to increase the selling price.
You probably need a new antenna with clean connections to the active elements and more gain that the old one you're replacing.
Digital TV is very sensitive to signal strength. Passive splitters decrease signal strength, long cable runs reduce signal strength. If you're going to have long cable runs, use a distribution amplifier instead of a passive splitter and use low-loss quad-shielded RG-6 for all your runs to reduce signal loss both before and after the amplifier.


Is sealing a leak from the inside of my roof a bad idea? I currently own a two-story row home that is probably close to 100 years old and was last renovated 15-20 years ago.

My big problem right now is a leak that is coming in through the roof in the back corner of my house, dripping through the wall, and into a closet that is below the leak on the first floor.  In the 8 months since I have moved in, this very small leak has caused the ceiling in the closet to cave in, the dry-wall beneath the leak to get wet and disintegrate, and various water stains all around the leak.

Now, it has taken some time and crafty problem-solving but I have located the exact spot of the leak from inside the house.  I have done my best to extrapolate where it would be coming in from the outside and done my best to patch up that part of the roof.  Well after countless rubber coats and roof sealant in the general area of the leak (I've covered about a 3 foot by 3 foot area in the back corner of the roof above the leak with roof patches), the water is still coming in.  After more inspection here is what I think is happening. Whenever the roof was last redone, instead of removing the old roof and completely redoing it, they just put the new roofing on top of the old roof (I can see from the inside of the house when I lift up the drop ceiling panels that the old roofing material is still there).  What has started to happen is that the two layers of roof have separated  from each other in some spots, specifically directly above where the leak is.

So here is my theory:  The roof is old and water is seeping through the top layer in different places throughout the roof (not necessarily directly above the leak and probably very small micro-cracks or holes). The water then seeps through the gap between the roof layers and gravity takes it down to the back corner where it eventually goes through the leak into the house.

My questions:

1) does this sound like a reasonable theory? I don't know the most about roofing but after racking my brain for months this is my best idea of what is happening and the only explanation for why my gratuitous roof patches have done nothing.

2) I know where the water is coming from the inside.  If I seal up the leak from the inside, this will stop water from coming into the house but it doesn't stop the actual cause of the problem (water seeping through roof).  Is this a bad idea? Will sealing the leak from the inside cause me more problems down the line?

To clarify, I don't need a permanent, professional fix.  I need something that will get me by for the next 1-2 years as I intend to move within that time frame and this is what I think is the most reasonable fix given the situation.  Please, if there is a better way to do this, I would love the input.

You will save money by fixing the roof properly from the top-side.

A bottom up repair has almost no chance of working. On the contrary, it has a high probability of moving the leak to somewhere less visible, which has a high likelihood of causing expensive future damage. (Damage that's usually found in a home inspection prior to sale, which will either need remediation or reduced price. Don't even get me started on the damage to the future sale that occurs when the word 'mold' appears on an inspection report.)


Can I use a heat gun to melt the Ice from the external part of split ductless system? I've got a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim split ductless system in the "mother-in-law" suite of my house.   There are 3 wall units connected to it, one in the front room, one in the bedroom, and one in the living room/office area.  The bedroom one is set really low because that room is small, so the unit almost never has to come on.

Currently, the other two units are blowing air that's only semi-warm, and are not keeping their rooms up to temperature.  Just a day ago they were able to do so easily.  The outside temp has fallen somewhat, but the difference in internal temp seems excessive.  I've noticed that there is ice on the bottom third of the cooling grid on the back of the external unit, and I'm wondering if this could be part of the problem.  If I get that ice off of there am I likely to get any warm air back?

If so, since the grid is delicate, I'm thinking my best option to remove the ice is a heat gun on low, but I'm not sure what that will do to the cooling grid since it's that really light-weight, easily-damaged aluminum.  Would I be okay using the heat gun?

DAO1 is right, if this happens often, then your defrost capability are suspect, and you should call a technician.

For the time being, if no one is currently occupying the units, the best thing to do would be to run the system in AC mode.  This is optimal for 2 reasons:
1) It will cause a more gradual change to any of your system parts, meaning there's less of a chance of parts cracking or splitting due rapid expansion.
2) It will heat the ice from the inside, meaning you shouldn't have to melt the ice all the way though to remove it.

That said, the radiator fins are built for heat transfer and heat alone shouldn't damage them, so a heat gun on setting you could point at your skin for a minute with out pain would likely do the trick without damage.

You may also want to consider using a space heater in the future, especially when the temperature is below 5 degrees F because your ductless heat pump may can have a negative coefficient of performance at that temperature as indicated by Figure 8 in this NEEA study.


For a single 12-2 NM cable, what hole size should be drilled? I know that code specifies the maximum hole size based on the framing member, but is there a recommended hole size for a single 12-2 NM cable?

Big enough to run the cable through without damaging it.

Personally I would not go smaller than 5/8", and would really say 3/4" minimum, but this is based on experience and practice, nothing more. Typically I use 7/8"-1", but it is rare that I am running only one cable.


Dryer Outlet - 4 prong to 3 prong Our new dryer has 3 prongs vs. 4. We are changing to the new 3 prong dryer outlet, but want to make sure we are grounding. The wires coming from the wall our white, red & black - the the copper wire.
Do I need to ground it??
Thank you!
Molly

Switch the cord, not the socket

You have a proper NEMA 14-30 dryer receptacle with a ground wire, which is good.  However, your "new" (old) dryer has a 3 prong (NEMA 10-30) cord.  This can be rectified -- get a 4 prong (NEMA 14-30) dryer cord and install it on the dryer in place of the existing cord, making sure to remove the neutral-ground bonding jumper in the dryer.