How to run drywall backer parallel to I-joist? I'm trying to install a non-load bearing basement wall parallel to an I-joist.  The tricky part is, how do I run a drywall backer parallel to the I-joist? The top plate is wider than the flange of the i-joist, so I figured I put the edge of the top plate flush with the edge of the interior side of the flange.  I saw a diagram for how to do a wall with a regular flange, either putting a 2x4 on the flat and attaching to the top plate, or on its side and attaching to the joist.

If I made it flush like described above, would I be able to nail the 2x4 to the joist flange (would only be able to nail the bottom, not the top).  Could I get away with just using a 2x2 running parallel to the flange to act as the nailer?

Yes, 2x2s attached to a joist will work as a nailer, use screws to secure the drywall there, although the drywall mounted to the wall will support it if it is tight to it. Another way to get nailers in place is to use short scraps of 2X material and nail them perpendicular to the joists, flush to the bottom of the joists at 16 or 24" on center and set your wall to them. That way you do not need to limit yourself to position your wall under a joist.


Gray water pit ( bleach or no bleach ) I installed a ( 4’x 4’x 32’) gravel bed gray-water pit in order to relieve the load on my 20 yr old septic tank. I also placed a (4” x 3’) septic-tank effluent bristle brush in the feed pipe going down into the gravel. When I pulled out the bristle brush it had a lot of black mold ( looks like thick black gravy ). I also can see the same black mold in the septic tank clean-out line going out to the septic tank. QUESTION: What are you guys thoughts on using bleach to kill the mold. I’m afraid the mold will grow and eventually clog up the gravel. This kind of mold already clogged up the 2”HVAC condensate line. So would bleach be ok to kill the mold since it can’t be pumped out like the septic tank, thank you Oily Tex

Don’t chemically mess with a gray water drain!
It is kind of like a septic system and if you kill things eating the little bits of solids it will not last as long!
Soap scum is a solid in this case if you kill the bacteria it will plug up faster.
I could take the other side and say you should dump a caustic every now and then to turn the scum into less than scum. But I would not use bleach.


Fixing metal siding that is loose on garage The metal siding on my garage (built in 2012) is coming off, leaving exposed wood.

The only thing that was holding the metal down was the caulk which came off pretty easily within a few years.

I don't think re-caulking as-is would be enough as it won't hold so I was thinking of buying screws like these to hold the siding in place and then re-caulking. Thoughts?

Thanks for the help!

EDIT Oct 4th: I starting cleaning it up to re-caulk and found this in the top right corner:

Here is the likely cause (this view is from above the top right corner):

So I have two additional questions:

1) What should I do about the rotting wood/fungus?

2) What should I do to fix source of problem? It looks like I can caulk the cracks easily.

yes. screw it back into place. Use truss-head type screws rated for exterior use. Truss screws have a round very flat head. Drill pilot holes to fasten to frame beneath. Start your repair in the center of the loosened panel; working outwards in each direction. This will decrease the chance of the panel becoming distorted.  Apply 100% silicone along underside of panel to improve adhesion and waterproofing. I'd use as few screws as possible so as to not twist or wrinkle the metal siding. If you use urethane caulking it will not only stop water penetration it will adhere to the metal and framing much like a construction adhesive would. 2 for 1 as it were.


Shower grout or alternative I was told to regrout my shower. I was wondering if there is an alterative to it. I was thinking of using caulk
For grout, I was thinking of using pre-mixed grout such as "SimpleGrout" which is avaliable at HomeDepot.
Any thoughts?

Any type of filler other than grout shouldn't be used to fill the joints between tiles. You will need an approved cement-type grout either sanded or not. Sanded is called for when grout joints are wider than 1/8- 3/16 inches.
You can also use a two part epoxy-type grout which is more durable and mold resistant, but is much less forgiving to use.
Any caulk or silicone won't last very long in a wet environment and is difficult to apply to just the joints.
Re-grouting entails removing any cracked or damaged grout with a grout saw or similar tool. By hand it is a tedious and slow job. There are
power tools with attachments for grout removal that will shorten the work, but attention needs to be had in order to not damage the tile.
Once grout is removed from the affected area and the debris vacuumed out new grout can be troweled into the joints. It is easiest to color match the grout if there is grout left over from before. A similar color from the store may not match exactly.
Seal with an appropriate grout sealer when dried and before using the shower. (1-2 days).


How do I wire new bathroom exhaust fan with light? I am replacing a bathroom exhaust fan with light. There is 1 switch to control both fan and light. New unit has a white, black, and blue wire. Main wire in ceiling has a white, black, and copper ground. What do I do with the blue wire? I tried connecting with the black wires; light came on but fan did not. Instructions included with fan state to connect blue wire to red wire (shows going to switch box). There is no red wire present.

IF YOU ARE IN THE US... the Black and blue wires are the HOTS for the Light and Fan  This allows for them to be controlled separately if desired.  If you want them both to go on with the switch, they both connect to the Black Hot wire (which should already be the switched one from your light switch).  White goes to white and the copper ground wire should have a copper screw on the base of the new fan to tie it under to provide a ground.  Colors are different in different countries, so please provide that info and the model of light or some pictures.


What can cause a blockage in an otherwise decent main sewer pipe? I purchased my first house (on city water and sewage system) about 6 months ago and the main sewer drain clogged and backed up through the basement drain within the first week being there. We're talking a couple of showers and some typical toilet use. Plumber used a rooter to clean it and I haven't had a problem since. He showed me using the camera a small dip in the cast iron pipe where he believes the clog was, but other than the pipes being old (house 1963) he says they still have life left. No roots found, and I believe he checked all the way to the end of the pipe (to the street).

My question is: why did they clog for me and not for the previous owners of 30 years (assuming they are being truthful and also based on the rusted shut clean-out access point). Not knowing if/when the pipe is going to back up again still keeps me up at night.

Possible reasons I could come up with:

The house was sitting unused (how long I am not sure, 1 week if I had to guess) which gave time for gunk to solidify in the slight dip
Something crawled up the sewer and died in the slight dip
I introduced something large enough to block the sewer, but I am very aware of what I would put down the drain

The blockage was in a section of the pipe still under the house, maybe 20ft from the clean out access point.

Any thoughts whatsoever appreciated.

You have a camera view and a Plummer that says the pipes are good . In this case "shit happens" the drains can be fine for years then you do some cleaning and a hair ball runs into a feminine hygiene product and the drain clogs. Since the Plummer is not trying to get you to replace the cast I would not worry because of the case I have listed seamed to happen with rentals after cleaning and new tenants.


Boiler losing pressure overnight so, i have an ideal logic combi boiler which although working seemingly well , the pressure drops to almost 0 when not use, mainly overnight. I do not need to re-pressurise the system as when i turn on the heating it raises to around 1.3 on its own and around 1 or just below if calling for hot water.

All radiators are full and all but one are fine apart from a cooler spot to the bottom of a bedroom one, no visible leaks.

we have two small boxes in a upstairs cupboard,with little levers on that slide from one side to the other joined to a pipe that disappears behind the void.

The box/pipe that we believe to operate the upstairs heating makes a disturbing rattling sound for upto a minute when coming on,  it scared me a bit so had a BG call out under our plan and he was very dismissive saying dont worry about anything in there its just airlock, fiddled with the nearest (bathroom) radiator and left.

this has been the case for upto 6 months now, the rattling does eventually stop on its own accord or if i set the thermostat to 2/3 degrees lower upstairs the rattle doesnt occur.

Apologise if i seem to have gone way off track here, but is it worth me getting them back for a second opinion, could my boiler be an accident/expense waiting to happen or is it a case of all heating and water is working fine so dont worry about it?

thank you in advance

Low Pressure

It is normal for the boiler pressure to rise when the internal water is hot and fall when it cools. However a pressure close to 0 is a concern.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/boilers-and-heating/guides/boiler-pressure.html

Topping up the boiler is fairly easy. There are many online guides and videos showing you how. Check your boiler's manual to find the correct filling pressure. This should be measured when the boiler and radiators are cold.

If you keep having to top up the boiler to maintain the cold pressure, then it is likely you have a leak or water is being lost through the pressure relief. Repeated topping up will dilute your corrosion inhibitor and it will become less effective.

Bleeding air off either manually or through an auto vent can also reduce the pressure. This is common after a major refill, but will reduce over time.

If the cold pressure is correct and the hot pressure is too high then the expansion vessel might be faulty.

A faulty pressure gauge could also give incorrect readings.

Rattling Boxes

Without a photo, I don't know for sure what these boxes are, but they might be zone control valves that switch your downstairs/upstairs radiator circuits on/off.

Normally they are pretty quiet. Perhaps you have some air bubbles trapped in the circulating flow. These can cause noises when passing through tight spots like a pump or a valve. This might sound like a light fizzing or a kind of tapping noise.

If you are concerned then get a second opinion from another professional.


What technique is used to cut these door moulding? I have some door trims that need replacing and I want to match them with the rest of the house.  I tried doing a straight mitre but they don't look as good and because it's an old house the door isn't perfectly square anymore.

With these which I tried to cut unsuccessfully, a bit of movement out of square doesn't matter because the profile fits into it.  But as I say, I've not managed to cut them.  I'm sure there is an easy technique.  How do you do it?

Testor101 is correct in both points. Coping this joint with the coping saw is the way it was most likely done when it was built. It does allow for a corner to be a bit of out of square, but doing this will be taxing on the blade of a coping saw, it is a lot of wood to cut through. But it can be done with patience. Trying to rush through a cut this size will break blades.

If you have access to a band saw, it would make it much easier to do, but to get it a tight fit would still require some tweaking. Whether you run the stock at a slight angle after the cut is started to give the cut an extra relief in the back, what I have been taught is "back cut", so the face of the cut is absolutely tight but the mating faces are gapped slightly, but that does not matter since it is not visible. You could use a rasp to tune the cut too. This back cut can be done with the coping saw too.


No power to garage after cleaning fuse contacts and shorting a main circuit Ok here we go. I got a little too confident and now I have no power. Originally I had no power to half my garage. The fuse was blown and when I would try to put a new one in it didn’t wanna go in. Like it was warped. So I decided to clean the contact. I pulled the big fuses in fuse box. (The ones that look like shotgun shells) to kill power and opened it up. It was full of crap and mud dabbed next so I cleaned them out then took apart the fuse holder and lightly sanded the contact and got the fuse to fit again. I put it all back together and this is when I messed up.

I decided it would be a good idea to blow out the box with air compressor. While doing so I stick my nozzle where I couldn’t see and BAM!!!!! It touched a wire I assume coming from the breaker and running into the box. It tripped one of the two breakers for garage with the lower off at the breaker I used a wire brush to clean up the charred wire. I did not take it apart though. Now I have no power at all to my garage. Well I have power cause if I put my tester near outlets it beeps but only on some the fuse that I shorted does not beep and none of the outlets beep. What did I do?

You probably blew the cartridge fuse, the one that looks like a shot gun shell,  non contact testers may see a voltage on an opened fuse of this type as the material inside to reduce the arc flash can be slightly conductive, no real current is available but enough voltage to trip the non contact tester this is why nothing is working. Try replacing the fuse or get a volt meter and measure across the fuse a good fuse will show 0 volts across it but an open fuse 120 across.


How do I move a slab of concrete? I want to build a fence in my backyard by my garbage stand is sitting on a concrete slab and that slab is in the way of where I want to put the fence so I want to move it over a few feet.

The slab of concrete is 5' by 5'8'' by 6''.
I popped those dimensions in an online concrete calculator and it says it weighs over 800kg.

I don't think it is a good idea to try to chain it to my car and drag it.

Would it be possible to move something that size with a lever of some sort? Or should I bite the bullet and just destroy the slab?

I don't agree with any of the comments.  It is impractical to move it.  First unless you use big equipment the chances of it breaking are solid.  But lets look past moving it and say that is "easy".  Where are you moving it to?  The bottom is probably all over the place meaning that unless where you are moving it to has very similar ground characteristics then this thing will probably not sit the way you want it to.

Added Note:  When we are breaking up big slabs like this we often break up concrete.  Move the concrete out of the way.  Dig down another 10-12 inches (I know it is hard work but doesn't take long).  Then put concrete back or at least most of it with about 4-6 inches of dirt over it.  You will be left with some dirt left over and maybe a little concrete.  You will spend time digging but not time hauling concrete.  Also the extra dirt is usually easy to dispose somewhere in the yard.


How should I connect ground and neutral for my vehicle charge circuit to my panel's bus bars? These two rows that I see connecting white lines are they both for neutral or one is for neutral and other for ground ?  Or are both rows for neutral and I need to add the ground bar on the side?
Where do  connect the neutral and the ground on this panel for my 14-50 receptacle for my electric vehicle charger?

Those are BOTH neutral bars.
We can tell, because the panel has what looks like 16 spaces.  They must provide 1 neutral for each space in the panel, since you are not allowed (by NEC) to double-tap neutrals on a screw.
When you count the number of non-attachment neutral lugs, I count exactly 16.  So there you go.
They didn't give you any ground bars in this panel.
Given that they also didn't give you any room for grounds on the neutral bar, we can discern that this panel pre-dates the requirement for grounds.  However, that is fine; this Square D "QO" which is an absolutely first-rate panel there is no reason to judge it for being old.
For now, it will suffice to add the EVSE neutral and ground to the neutral bar - since this is the main panel, (or wired as a main panel), grounds are allowed on the neutral bar here.   However, grab the right ground bar - you'll need to go shopping anyway. I bet the model listed on the panel label is still made, and fits the mounting holes already drilled and tapped into your panel chassis (bottom edge of picture, little nubs, probably similar nubs off top of picture as well).
It looks like all your wiring is either AC cable (whose shell is ground), or THHN in conduit (noting writing on some neutral wires).  That's why you don't have any grounds now.  Check your local jurisdiction to see if you are prohibited from using NM (Romex) cable.
You should fix the MWBCs, though!
Note that you have 12 circuits, but only 9 neutrals.  That is because three of the circuits are Multi-wire branch circuits (MWBCs) aka shared-neutral - a red and black hot wire sharing a cable with 1 neutral that they share.   These MUST be phased a particular way to avoid overloading the neutral wire!  (opposite: 240V between the hots). They must also be "handle-tied" so they must throw together.  Both to protect maintainers and signal to the next electrician that it is a MWBC.   You can buy approved handle-ties for QO breakers. Or you can simply use a 2-pole (240V) breaker.
Note that two of your MWBCs are on "tandem" aka "Double-stuff" breakers.   MWBCs on tandems are bad news, because it's very easy to place them incorrectly so the neutral is overloaded.
You need to identify the red-black pairs in each cable, and place them on 2-pole or handle-tied breakers. Talk to your Square D dealer to see if they have handle-ties for those QOT tandem breakers. Otherwise move the three MWBCs to 2-pole breakers (and move any single circuits on full breakers to the tandems).
If I counted correctly, you should finish with 3 2-pole breakers taking 6 spaces, plus 3 tandems taking 3 spaces, so this won't actually take any space in your panel.
However, you should also check to make sure QOT tandem breakers are even allowed in this panel.  That too will be on the panel label.   If not, they will need to be converted to full-size breakers, taking up 3 more spaces (leaving 4 left).


How to repair rotten plywood board under vinyl bay/bow window? This vinyl bow window was installed about 15-20 years ago:

Overall it looks and works OK, but the underside is wood and has severely rotted around the outer edges:

Here's a detail of one corner. There is a cut hole in both outer corners, with what appears to be a rusty bolt head visible inside. The wood appears to be plywood, and around the outside edge it has rotted to the point that you can easily break it away with your fingers. My guess is that this is due to water wicking back along the underside of the window when it rains, and it should have been constructed or flashed differently to avoid that.

How should this be repaired? In particular:

Is it possible to disassemble and replace the rotted piece from the outside in a bottom-up approach, or would you remove the inner window sill and work downward?
Is this even repairable or does this effectively guarantee there are deeper problems with the window?
How would I prevent this rot from occurring again in the future?

Due to its age, I'd leave it & paint it a few times after a stain blocking primer. To correct it, just caulk & nail or finish screw a shoe molding onto the white outside edge to stop & eliminate the capillary action. A pre-drilled PVC molding would be perfect for this.


What is this black coloring in attic? Curious if anyone can tell what this is?  Not sure if it's mold or if it is something else.

The yellow in the closeup is sap I believe but the black stuff almost looks like super small poppy seeds.

To my untrained eye, it does appear to be mold. The would indicate a moisture problem. The first place I would look is bathroom exhaust fan vents, they need to exhaust outside of the house, through the roof or out the siding, not into the attic space. Next I would check for ventilation, often in the form of soffit and ridge vents, but could also be gable vents. They need to be unobstructed. If neither of these appear to be the cause, then there could be a leak in the roof.

With any moisture sources solved, the typical remedy for the mold itself is a bleach solution, being careful to not get it on your skin, clothes, or anything else that could be damaged.


Should I cap one vent in a two vent stack? I have relocated some fixtures in our house, and now have two 3" vent stacks in the same drainage route that leads to our septic system.  I'm thinking that this may be a bad idea, . . . that it may allow freezing air to enter the route. (I should say that about twenty feet of the drainage route occurs within an unheated portion of the building.)  Should I cap one of the vents?

No. If you cap one, it's no longer a vent. You need vents for the plumbing to work correctly. In some cases you might combine several vents in the attic to reduce roof penetrations, but if you already have two holes in the roof there's not much to be gained by that now (perhaps when you next re-roof, if it's practical to combine them in the attic and all the sizes are make to work.)


Cracks in basement cement that seem to leak more when water is running? I came home from a 2 day trip and found cracks in my basement cement with water seeping into them. I noticed that when I ran the water it leaked more, any guess what the problem is?

More leakage when you run the water points firmly to leaking from sewer line. A leaking water line would, if anything leak less when the water was run (or more likely just not change) since it has water under pressure in it all times.
A sewer line does not have water in it until you run the water, so if the leak leaks more when the water is running, it's from a sewer line. Crude home test method is to toss some food coloring (or unsweetened drink mix, which can be a handy source of strong color) into the toilet and flush, and see if the leak color changes to match (it will generally be more dilute, so use a strong color mix.)


Is it ok to sister a joist to burnt joist? I am about to purchase a house that was damaged in a fire and sitting for 4 years. The fire was mostly contained to a small area, but some joists were burned quite badly, while other just had some discoloration. I'm going to be putting in new joists, but I wanted to see if it was best just to sister up to the existing badly burned joists or if would be be better to remove them altogether? There is no smoke smell from anything since it's been sitting for so long, and I couldn't think of any way that the burned joists could damage the new joists, and I figured that as long as they didn't cause any damage to the new joists, they just provide some extra strength so it seemed better to leave them, but wanted to check my logic.

As a home inspector, I can tell you that sheer existence of those damaged joists are going to be a RED FLAG at any time you decide to sell and move on. If they are badly burned, they are not structurally sound and should be removed. Install a few temp supports on ends of adjacent joists, then remove and replace them one or two at a time. Use proper joist hangers, proper intervals and upgrade the size if current code requires. I little more work now will pay off big for you later. The cost will not be much different, just a bit more labor.


Why my hardwood floor is buckling I’ve replaced the carpet in one of our room with hardwood, about a year ago, which buckled up by the end of the summer this year.
There is a crowlspace under the house, where I found no leaks, but mold.
I’ve put felt paper under and nailed the boards down.
I didn’t replace the particle board with plywood. Could that be the cause of the moisture and bucking?
The particle board under the moisture barrier is molded bad.

What I should’ve bean doing otherwise, or the problem is not due to installation?

Thank you for your advice!

The cause of buckling in hardwood floors is nearly always from failure to leave adequate space (generally concealed under trim) at the sides of the room.

Wood shrinks and swells as the humidity changes with the seasons, and mostly across the width of the boards (very little end to end.) If installed without adequate space to allow for this to occur the floor will buckle when it's reached the walls and swells/expands more.

If in addition to normal seasonal changes you have excessive moisture, the "normal" expansion space may prove inadequate.


Rudimentary tools (and process) for reshaping a small piece of steel? Hello all and thanks in advance for reading.

I have an old craftsman woodchipper, with small breaker plates that the blades have to fit between when spinning. A blade bent, smashed into 2 of the little metal ridges on the breaker plates, warping and bending the metal.

Blade was repaired by a local mechanic, but I can’t find anyone to fix these pieces, which are preventing the blades from spinning.

I’ve got a clamp and a worktable in the garage, and a willingness to try and heat it up and bend myself. Tolerances are not very tight. What do I need?

First off I wouldn't heat it, it's not that thick and heating it may mess it up. Basically your going to have to get creative. You'll need a vise, clamp it in the vise. If you need to flatten an area put it on a flat spot of the vise and hit it with the hammer. If you need to open it up use a vise grip to bend it open. Search on youtube for "hammer and dolly" for techniques on bending. These tools may help.


What is an appropriate cut radius for a semi-circle bench for a 36" round table? I'm designing a dining room space, a 36" round pedestal table is ideal for this space, but I'd like to add a semi-circular bench on one side (like a booth at a bistro). I'm wondering what the ideal cut radius would be for the bench so that people can sit comfortably at the table (without leaning in too much, etc)?

Here is a simplistic, overhead view of the scenario. The table is in green, and the bench is in red.

Table over hang is anywhere from 0-5 inches judging from these pictures' measurements and eyeballing what I've seen online. Meaning the seat is the same radius or smaller. If you call it at a 4" over hang per side then you need a 28" radius semi-circle cut in the bench. I slouch, so 2-4" is good for me. People with good posture probably expect 4-6".

Experiment with a chair and table to find your preference. Go to a restaurant that has booths, take some measurements and scale them to your table. I wouldn't make it any smaller though, unless you only expect your kids to sit there. I've never seen a corner booth smaller then say 4'. I'd better really like the dude I'm sharing my 28" circle of knee space with.

Your question was asked here: gardenweb.com, specifically suggesting to pay  attention to the seat back distance from the table, to accommodate normal(?) sized humans. The differential of the radii is open to interpretation, the space between the table and the back of the seat isn't, generally to be not less than 18". (example 1 has it at 21")

http://www.centralrestaurant.com/bg-spaceplanning.html

https://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/6133285/hd/ad04c5d37a255529d55320cc9d96b257.jpg

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/161074124148336216/

It doesn't seam like you'll be having a fixed table, and if the booth is built wrong, guests will be continually deciding 'where it goes'.


How should I run outdoor wiring under my second-story deck? I have a light on one side of the space under my deck, and I'd like to add another.

My plan is to add an extension box between the existing fixture and the house (using appropriate gaskets as necessary), then run UF wire out the bottom of that box using a rubber gasket, up to the bottom of the deck (which has aluminum sheeting on the bottom of it) and across to the other side, then up into the bottom of the new fixture using another rubber gasket. Both sides will have drip loops, and the middle span will be supported using wire clips.

NFPA 70 says that UF wire is permissible in wet locations, and the only provision that might prohibit its use states it may not be used "where subject to physical damage". None of this will be less than ~7' off the ground.

Does this sound reasonable, or am I going to need to put in conduit?

Provided you follow the same precautions as a NM run parallel to and/or through frame members, such as keeping it a minimum of 2" from the edge of the member, and secure the cable properly to the deck and walls (again, treat it like NM), this is A-OK.  (You'll want to use grommets if you go through metal joists, but again, that's the same as running NM through a steel stud.)

You'll need to put in a surface-mount box for your new fixture, of course, unless it provides its own wiring space (i.e. is volume marked).


Why would my GFCI breaker trip when I flip a switch? I am working in my basement where the wiring is from the early 70s. I am replacing a couple of fluorescent lights with new ones so I can put in LED bulbs (the others are original). I am not new to wiring and have done quite a bit. I learned from my dad (and I also know his style). I got into mess from right at the beginning.

I should clarify this. The two wires heading down out of the picture is to the light fixture.

Not knowing what the heck was happening there, I started tracing wires. One set is the hot wires. The other 14-2 goes to a switch. The 14-3 I was confused about for quite a while, but finally figured out that it powers the outlets . The red goes to a switch the power the top outlet, the black keeps the bottom outlets hot full time. I matched the wiring back up and tested it. My GFI breaker (in a separate box flips and separate circuit). I do some more looking, and "properly wired" the switch for the light (I really didn't like how they wired it).  (The green tape is labeled switch). Tried again and it still blows the GFI breaker. All of the grounds are wired correctly, all of the commons are linked correctly. Could these new ballasts blow an older GFI breaker?

If you want I can upload a picture of how I currently have it wired, I can. I am at a loss of what is happening. I'd hate to call an electrician for something that could be a simple fix.

Here are the boxes. This first one is the box I'm working in.
 This second box is where the GFCI is tripping.

On the other hand, I discovered that the outlets are all twisted and soldered wires then covered in tape. I am going to fix that crap right away and fix the open grounds that I discovered as well in this series of outlets.

Update: Added more pictures and added my second light without any issues.

First, don't sweat bullets over the last guy's work. "The last guy did a bodge job and I had to fix it" are famous last words, said right before your project goes sideways into "hire an electrican" land.

Stay in focus.  Keep the project scope as small as possible, don't try to fix two different things at once.

"common" isn't

You mentioned "common", and that's a typical way an electronics or automotive guy talks about mains neutral.  In electronics, everything connects back to a "common" which is a big groundplane, or the chassis of the car, and in those cases, that is the normal current return.  Not in mains wiring.

In mains wiring, the closest thing to "common" is actually the Equipment Safety Ground (green/bare wire), and it is not a current return at all (except during a fault condition).  Other than that, mains electrical is wired like an isolated system where both supply and return are 100% separated from the groundplane.  What's more, circuits are isolated from each other - or at least, they're supposed to be. The reason is EMFs and eddy current heating, but this also bears very heavy on GFCIs.  They work like this:

The GFCI is a simple current transformer.  It wants to see currents are equal (sum to zero) in all conductors.

As said, circuits mustn't share neutrals, and you can see the havoc that would follow if circuits did.  Even if a circuit was not on GFCI, but it returned neutral on a circuit that was on GFCI, it would guarantee a GFCI trip on that unrelated circuit.

I think that is the root of your trouble.


Toilet venting, no stack installed I bought a home with an in law apt that has its own septic in the back of the house. The rest of the house has the plumbing and septic in the front. There is no stink pipe. I don't know how they did it without a stack. Is my only option now is to go through floors and ceilings from the basement and through the roof? Not sure where the smell is coming from. I know its not the kitchen sink. The bathroom is very small and the smell is not overpowering but certainly there. I've stuck my nose against the shower drain and hand sink drain but cant really detect the odor. I will be removing all the floors and walls as I remodel and will have a better idea of how all this is plumbed. Right now it looks like the kitchen sink and bathroom sink drain into  the line running from the shower and into the main drain from the toilet and then straight outside to the septic system. Im amazed it is working at all. I'm just trying to figure out how much to budget to fix it. Hoping that I don't have to go inside the house against the outside wall all the way to the roof. The upstairs has already been remodeled

I suspect you have an air admittance valve. Based on your description perhaps it is under the sink or even (improperly) in the wall.

An air admittance valve is commonly used for venting things like islands where alternatives are complex and there is no stack. They often leak sewer gas, though, and are often prohibited for use.

On the bright side if you're going to replumb anyway you should be able to add a more reliable vent fairly easily (though perhaps a little tedious)


Trying to replace a Trailer's kitchen faucet basically my issue here is I'm trying to replace the faucet in my trailer's kitchen but I've run into a problem here that I can't figure out how to solve.

This is what the end of my shut off valve looks like, and where the previous faucet connected.  It used to have tabs on it to help it twist, but they've broken off.

But this is what the new faucet's end looks like, and they don't fit.

It looks on the inside of the first one that they could connect, if I could take off the big grey part, but it doesn't seem to disconnect at all.  I know absolutely nothing about this stuff so any help would be appreciated.  Do I need to buy some sort of adapter?  Or are they completely incompatible and I wasted my time?

It looks like you need a 3/8 to 1/2” male to male adapter take the larger piece to a plumbing or big box store to make sure you get the right sizes but you will will need a 1/2” nipple a 3/8 nipple and a female reducer from 1/2” to 3/8 and some pipe dope or Teflon tape to make the transition. You may be able to get push on fittings also but the nipples may be cheaper and quick.


Possible to buy this switch for my lawn mower? My corded electric lawn mower stopped working today.  I'm pretty sure it is the switch pictured below since I can read voltage before the switch but not after.

My lawn mower is old enough that I can't find replacement parts online (it is a Homelite UT13118).

Is the switch from the lawn mower a more generally available switch such that I might be able to buy one?  Would be nice to be able to fix the lawn mower instead of trashing it.

Yes. Hit up electronic component suppliers like Mouser or Digi-Key.  They have a staggering catalog of switches and you are likely to find a match.

Prepare to spend a fair amount of time looking bleary-eyed at the mechanical drawings on data sheets to match the physical size.

It also helps to limit search to items they actually stock.  If it says 6 week lead time, nope.


How do you reduce floor sound transmission? How do you reduce the sound transmission through a floor? Using "green glue" between a couple layers of plywood subfloor seems to work well. Are there any other tricks or suggestions?

Here's what we've done so far. I'm curious whether there may be better techniques...

R-19 batts between joists to reduce noise transmission through air
liquid nails on top of joists to reduce squeeking subfloor
first layer of 1/2 inch plywood
"green glue", a gummy substance to reduce foot fall noise transmission
second layer of 1/2 inch plywood
rosin paper
hardwood planks

Actually we haven't installed the hardwood floor yet but we tried walking around on the subfloor and talking in fairly loud voices and neither could be heard in the floor below. Adding another layer of wood should only help.

One option that we skipped is to use joist isolators which are pads that go between the joists and the subfloor.

I've been told that there are three principles at play when trying to reduce sound transmission:

the denser the floor the better (ie concrete is better than wood)
the thicker the floor the better (ie 3 inches of wood is better than 1)
the fewer (and softer?) the points of contact between floor and ceiling the better (eg green glue and joist isolators)

The first two are pretty clear. One example of the third is if the ceiling below is dropped and does not use the joists above for support. Instead the ceiling uses only the walls on either side, and ideally the wall studs aren't connected to the joists either.


12v fan after power cut i am looking to run a 60mm by 60mm 12v 0.22A fan for 2 to 3 mins with no power after it is shut down. It is needed i case of a power failer. What is the best way?
Also want to run fan after shutdown to cool element

A capacitor or a battery will both work. The idea is to maintain a device that stores electrical power to be delivered after a loss of the main power.

My first attempt would be to use a rechargeable battery. An appropriately sized 12V battery, or combination of lower voltage batteries connected in series, will be able to power the fan. Your fan only requires 0.011Ah to run for the 3 minutes stated. Most batteries should be kept above 50% discharge. So plan for 0.022Ah or larger.


How to Replace Exterior Door & Casing in Old House My house is about 100 years old. The door jamb is about 10" wide. I've replaced a few doors before, but all of them had standard jams. I'm not sure how to go about replacing this. I'm assuming I need to pull all of the trim & casing out, then pull the brick-molding off the door frame, then slide the frame all of the way back flush with the inside wall. Mount the frame, then re-install casing & trim. Also, i'm not sure where I stop removing the trim & casing at the top, since there is a top-light above the door. Below are a few pics.

Please help point me in the right direction.

The basic procedure for removing a door is: remove casing, remove screws from jamb/brick mold, and push the door out of the hole, brick mold still attached. Unfortunately your situation calls for some more devious tactics. Because the outer molding appears to be part of the transom casing (assuming you're leaving that part alone) you're probably better off not disturbing it. So you have to remove the interior trim, remove any screws that connect the jamb to the substructure, then very carefully prize the jamb away from the outer molding with a bar such as this:

to keep from marring the backside of your brick mold.
Once the door is out, the problem then becomes finding a new door/jamb that fits the opening not just properly but perfectly in order to get the reveals right, which may be a challenge considering how old and...unique your existing door is. If you over come that hurdle, just caulk the backside of the brick mold with sealant (sealant not caulk) and follow the manufacturers instructions for sealing the threshold and all should be well. Cheers!


DIY Installation of 220v for spa I'm thinking of installing a spa at my house but the additional wiring for 220v is going to cost around $1k and I was wondering whether it's something I could attempt to do myself?

A 220/240 GFCI supply for a spa is not difficult. There are several ways to accomplish this. One of the more common is to get a "spa panel" that can be located close to the spa and serve as the disconnect and GFCI. These usually cost under $120, plus the feeder wiring. Many home DIY books cover the requirements, but it is a good idea to read up and ask questions first. Many states allow a homeowner to pull permits and do the work themselves. A few states require licensed electricians. So it is best to read up and find out what your local rules are. Call your local permitting office and ask what they require. Asking additional questions here can also help you out.

Yes this is something that is good to know, and it can save you hundreds in most cases and over a lifetime possibly many thousands.


old home. no ground wire I'm in the process of making my home a "smart" home. The new outlets are not a problem as they merely plug into existing outlets. The switches, however are something different. They require a ground wire. My home was built in the early 50s and has only 2 wires (white, and black). My question is this, the wires are run in romex, and I've read from other posts that conduit can act as a ground. Is it the same with Romex as it is metal too.

No. "Romex" is a trade name and is actually a brand of non-metallic cable or NM cable. Article 334 of the National Electrical Code.

If your house was wired with NM cable in the 50's or before, it most likely has no ground wire.

Smart switches require either an equipment ground or a neutral wire to power the smart switch while it is waiting to turn on the lights. You should not depend on visualizing wires in the boxes. You should test your system to determine if there is an equipment ground available at these locations. There was a method in the 50's of taking the equipment ground and wrapping it around the cable and then clamping it into the box. So, you boxes may be grounded after all.

If you don't have an equipment ground, all is not lost. You can run separate equipment ground wires to any of the boxes where you need one. It will be a hassle but the switches will not work without it.

Good luck!


How do I remove the front panel of my refrigerator to replace the water line? I have a Whirlpool Gold Conquest side by side refrigerator, Model #GS2SHEXNB00. Here's the tag:

It has a line that runs through the freezer door to the water dispenser in the front. Water has started to slowly drip down the line and pool at the bottom. I am guessing there is a crack in the line somewhere inside the door, but I can't figure out how to get at it.

I'm fairly certain that I need to remove the ice/water dispenser to get at the line:

I've managed to remove the faceplate and there are four screws at the corners of the dispenser, but after removing them, it still doesn't budge. I think there may be some sort of glue holding it in. I've worked a knife around the edges and loosened them up, but it's still pretty firmly in there.

How can I get that thing out of there? Or is that even the right place to replace the water line?

To replace the water line, you need to remove the entire door - the water line from the dispenser runs through it.

The water line from the dispenser is one continuous piece through the door. By disconnecting it at the dispenser, you can pull it out the bottom of the door.


How do I secure electrical wiring to a pocket door frame? I recently installed 2 pocket door kits together from one room to an adjacent in my house.  The building inspector said he saw no problem with me installing a light switch in a shallow electrical box on the pocket door frame as long as I could properly secure the wire per code, within 8" of the box. The frame is 3/4" thick and 14/2 wiring is a little over 3/8" wide.

In the image below, how do I secure the wiring which runs to the switch (just 1 wire) to the edge of the frame?  Has anyone come across this before?  What can I do to make sure it doesn't come loose and start rattling against the door?

Obviously the purpose is to keep the light switch to the room as close to the entrance as comfortable. In fact I may move the switch down one stud to make room for molding, In either case the question is the same.

The wiring will come in just above the frame and below the header in this picture below, and then run down the metal stud to the switch box.

My expectation when opening a door (either hinged or pocket) is that the switch is inside on the strike side of the door.  Strike side location would avoid the pocket door completely.
You are asking for trouble by routing the cable so near the surface. If you are trying to use NM cable, you would have to armor the cable the whole way up, because its not center stud (I believe within 1.25 inches of stud edge.

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 300 Wiring Methods
300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage.
(D) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members and Furring Strips. In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed parallel to framing members, such as joists, rafters, or studs, or is installed parallel to furring strips, the cable or raceway shall be installed and supported so that the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 32 mm (11⁄4 in.) from the nearest edge of the framing member or furring strips where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent at least 1.6 mm (1⁄16 in.) thick.


Why do high efficiency water heaters require outside air vents and drains? All high efficiency water heaters seem to require PVC air intake and vent; the existing water heater I have doesn't have a drain connection or intake vent; only a traditional chimney. What are these used for in high efficiency designs?

Low efficiency water heaters are low efficiency because their exhaust gases are very hot. Since the gases are hot, they will rise up a chimney flue with ease, but this also means you lose all that energy and warm air up your flue. Older heaters tend to be in older homes where there are enough drafts and air leakage to not worry too much about ventilation. One other thing: the hot air also carries also the moisture produced by combustion up and out the chimney.

High efficiency heaters try to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases as much as possible in order to recover as much energy as possible. But as the exhaust gas is almost room temperature, it won't rise and thus has to be forcibly expelled. The moisture that is produced by combustion will also condense in the cooler air and will have to be drained out of a separate drain line.

High efficiency furnaces are also designed to be used in high efficiency houses that are well sealed, so you need to bring in fresh air lest you run the heater too lean and produce carbon monoxide. Another reason to bring in fresh outside (cold) air is that it is a waste to use the inside (warm) air for combustion and blow it outside the house.

Heat exchangers are used on the intake and outtake gases which further increase efficiency. This necessitates both intake and exhaust vents.

Thanks to commentator keshlam for additional material that was brought into the answer


What are the drawbacks of putting down pavers for an alley without a sub-surface? I have a 5' x 20' alleyway whose only real purpose is to hold the trash bins and maybe a deckbox, so it sees little traffic. The problem is that in order to do it "right" I'll be spending around $600 on materials alone (4" of leveling sand, 2" of the compacting sand, and the pavers). I've thought about just making a 3' x 10' area, just for the trash bins, but if I could do the whole alley, I would.

Any tips on bringing down the cost on an area that's not going to be used as an everyday patio?

No tips other than doing it properly.

Otherwise the pavers will be all wonky and wavy within 1-2 years in most cases.

You could try digging down the height of paver, compacting a little, putting pavers in and fill cracks with dirt and planting grass in the cracks. No guarantees from me on the result over time though. Chance of this working out would completely depend on your soil conditions and weather. I've done this with flagstone and it has worked well.

Also a geotextile fabric would help in keeping uniformity.


How to test hot tub grounding I'd like to test if my hot tub was connected to ground.

The hot tub is underground and its electrical panel is not easily accessible. I'm trying to figure things out without access to the hot tub's panel.

The hot tub is 240V single-phase (TT earthing system) and is connected to a 10mA GFCI in my house's main panel. I have verified this connection and it's definitely taking current from the GFCI.

What I don't know is if the guy that installed it wired the ground properly. I tried taking a multimeter to test for continuity between the house's ground and the hot tub water, but it didn't show anything. If I test for voltage between a phase and the hot tub water, I get 240V.

Is the hot tub water itself not supposed to be grounded?

Any other test I could perform or that I could ask a licensed electrician to perform?

The GFCI never tripped so far, so maybe no valid reason for concern. Just trying to make sure as there are 2-year-olds using the hot tub.

I tried taking a multimeter to test for continuity between the house's
  ground and the hot tub water, but it didn't show anything.

You should not see anything if the ground were properly connected. Most of the time, the hot tub is fiberglass and the piping is plastic, so there should be no connection to ground, EXCEPT via the pump housing, assuming a metal volute (the chamber part of the pump) and a proper grounding conductor on that pump housing. So showing no voltage between ground and the water means they are are the same potential, which is what you want.

  If I test for voltage between a phase and the hot tub water, I get
  240V.

As you should in your system, because the neutral of your 240V TT system is connected to ground somewhere and so is your water (again, through the pump volute and the pump body being properly grounded), so measuring between those two points should show as the full 240V.


Can I repair a shower without pulling everything out? We had a new shower put in (by a contractor who was in over his head) during a remodel a few years ago.  About a year ago the built-in-bench starting to collapse.  When we pulled out the bench we noticed that there was no shower pan under it- eek!  We need to add one.

Here's my question?  Can we simply fill it in instead of starting over.  Every contractor that has looked at it says that they have to pull out the existing floor (which includes the tile that I'll have a hard time replacing).  I don't mind having to replace wall tile... i just want to avoid pulling out the floor.

I'm convinced that there has to be a way even if it's unconventional.

Since I can see holes in the pan that look like they were used for installation purposes - nail holes. - An absolute certainty of failure - Tear the whole shower out.
Save yourself money in the long run.  I have replaced showers that are only 4 or 5 years old with small penetrations in the pan which caused major water damage to structural members.
If those wholes had been covered by a sealant compatible with the pan - that would be different.

There is no way you will achieve a water tite system with the wall opened up. - Remember - thinset and grout are porous materials.  It is not the tile that makes a shower or tub water proof.  If a surface membrane had been used you might have been able to break off a couple rows of tiles and bonded another surface membrane like Kerdi  and worked your way down - doing the same to the floor.  But that still is a chancy bit of work.
Bite the bullet and start from scratch.


What tool do I need to remove this screw? I'm having trouble identifying this type of screw: it has a small hexagonal hole inset 2-3mm inside the barrel. Will a small hex key suffice or do I need something more specific?

(The view from above)

(The view from the side)

Apologies for the poor quality of my photos! For reference, this is on the camshaft of the motor of a Barnstead Vari-Mix Rocker.

Just looks like a hex set screw. An appropriately sized hex key should work.


How do I know which wire is which is this old switch? I'm replacing the following:

With this one:

But since there's not a white, I have no idea which is neutral. I tried hooking it up as pictured, but only the red wire had any power (and the switch wouldn't work).

This is a GFCI (I think) -  its circuit powers the garage doors too.

If I put the red in "line" and what was in "line" instead into "load", I at least get the led on the switch powered but the lights don't actually work.

I can confirm at least that (from the picture of the new outlet) the red and "line" wires are in the same sheathing from the wall.

Any guidance would be appreciated!

We have to go by what people say and show us, but it seems like you're really stretching the limits of your knowledge to do this safely.  That said, you have to start somewhere, so here goes.
First, the "old switch" is a 3-way switch.  You surely know this light is controlled from 2+ locations.  I suggest boning up on how these circuits work, so that you know what you're looking at and so you'll be able to reassign these wires to what the smart-switches need, since I have a feeling the other end will be involved too.

Traditional 3-ways have 2 travelers and 1 common.  The 2 travelers are always in the same cable, so it's that red and the black that is with it.  Clearly the other black is in a different cable since cables don't have 2 blacks.
They all have whites though, where are they?  No doubt pushed into the back of the box and nutted together, these are your neutrals - probably.  You'll need to pigtail off those to obtain your smart switch's neutral.
Traditional switches don't have neutral screws because they don't use neutral.
Note that wire color does not correspond to wire function.  3-way circuits especially. For instance your travelers are red-black; I prefer them yellow-yellow and will typically mark them that way with colored tape.
Hopefully armed with that knowledge you can fit what you have to the wiring diagrams in the instructions. You are required to obey the instructions when installing the product (that's in Code; NEC 110.3).
It may be worthwhile to go to the local library and get a book on wiring home electrical, and read a great bulk of it through.  This will give you a well-rounded primer on the subject.  Won't answer every question, but we're here.


Does getting live/neutral the right way round actually matter? I was replacing an electrical socket in my (UK) house, and I noticed that the previous occupant had wired live and neutral backwards.  However, I've used a variety of appliances and devices on that socket in the past without any issue.

So - does it actually matter which way around they are connected?  As long as you obviously don't connect live from one part of the ring with neutral from the other, what difference does it make?

Not for many appliances, but for some that are sensitive it could cause problems.


Adding a 4 way switch to 2 existing 3 Way switches Currently I have 2 existing 3 Way switches

Box 1 has 14/2 from power source and a 14/3 run to box 2
Box 2 is 14/3 and 14/2 that runs from the light fixture.

I have added an additional 14/3 to box 2 and run that to box 3. My question is how do I make the connections in box # 2. Do I need to change box 2 to a 4 way switch and then will box 3 be a 2 way switch?

This diagram describes what you want (source), it's just complicated by the box positioning. Normally you do it in a series

Three-way
Four-way
Three-way

I think you can tweak this to make it work.

In Box #1, the incoming hot (the 14-2 black) should connect to the black screw of your switch. Wire the black from the 14-3 to your 14-2 neutral white.

Put your 4 way into Box #2 and wire it as shown in the diagram, but instead of nutting the black wires together, nut the white wire from your fixture (14-2) to one and the black to the other (it doesn't matter which you connect to).


Can I support a granite countertop overhang with embedded steel bars? I have read that you can support a granite overhang (such as a bar) using 1/4" steel bars below or embedded in the rough top.

The purpose of this is to support the 16" overhang without using corbels or posts which get in the way of barstools.

However, given the 3/4" MDF rough top, I find that the 1/4" steel bars are more flexible than the MDF.

My intention was to use a power planer to cut channels into the rough top, then to epoxy the steel as bracing into the MDF, as shown in this example photo (not of my actual install):

But will this actually give me any more support? Am I just gaining tensile strength for the MDF?

Based on the flexibility of the flat bar stock, I decided to use square 1/2" tube stock.

Using a 3/4" MDF subtop, I routed channels 5/8" wide and 9/16" deep. I then filled these channels with polyurethane glue, set in the steel bars, and finally I used a drywall knife to spread and flatten glue over the top of the bars.

Here are pictures of my actual work:
The cabinets are backed by a 2x8 pony wall. The MDF is glued and screwed to the pony wall and all cabinet frames. The steel bars span everywhere except the sink cabinet.


Is there a simple way to convert from a pull switch to a toggle switched light fixture? I would like to replace a bathroom vanity light fixture in 100 year old house. It currently has a pull string on/off switch.  Is there a simple way to convert to a switched light fixture?  The switch can be located fixture.  How can I simply surface mount a switch for a new vanity light?

The easiest-to-install solution to your issues is a length of 14/3 run in surface raceway and used as a switch loop.  You'll want a circular raceway box at the light fixture, and a single gang raceway box at the switch, by the way.

(Also note that the non-metallic raceway recommended by dfife's answer won't work here -- Legrand, for some reason, doesn't make round extension boxes for their non-metallic raceways, just for their metal ones.)

Diagram (originally appropriated for this Stack by Tester101 and reused here):


Are pull chains available for wall switches? I have a regular wall switch for a ceiling lamp. After floor renovation it became so high that we can not reach it. The idea is to install a pull chain switch so chain will hang on the reachable level. The problem I was not able to find it. Is it available? I can see only fan or lamp switches.

There are ceiling pull-chain switches sometimes used in the UK for bathroom lights, for historical reasons. I don't know how available they would be in the US.

Since you're just switching a lamp, you could get a metal blank switchplate, drill a hole in it, and install a lamp- or fan-type pull-chain switch in the wall box.


How can I adhere tile to a painted wall? How do I get tiles to adhere to a wall which was painted with kitchen latex paint?  Paint has proved to be impossible to remove.  Was thinking of applying Zinsser Gardz to seal over as some of the paint is lifting slightly.  Would appreciate some advice.

If the wall surface is solid, free of contaminants, us a mastic and go right over the painted wall, after you scratch it up a bit with sandpaper to give the mastic a slightly rough surface to grip to.

This is presuming the wall is above a countertop not subject to getting saturated with water to affect the drywall backing.


Lawn sprinkler stays on My lawn sprinkler system has 4 zones and I noticed that one zone is staying on all the time. Even if I set the timer controller to off position, that valve stays on. If I unplug the controller, the valve shuts off. I tried doing a reset on the controller and it made no difference. Do I need to replace the controller?

Turns out the controller is working correctly again after leaving it unplugged for a day. It is possible it went haywire after getting wet from one of the adjacent sprinklers that was misadjusted. I adjusted the sprinkler and put a plastic bag over the controller until I can replace it with a proper outdoor controller model (as the previous owner used an indoor model with no cover.)


Grounding and neutral in a well pump shed I am working on a pre existing pump shed. The shed is 150 feet from the main panel.
For some reason the neutral has dropped. It is probably damaged.
The pump still works because it doesn't require a neutral. But the plugs and lights stopped working a few years ago.
It is too long to pull a new wire easily.
So I am thinking of driving a ground rod anyway to take care of poor bonding.
Is it possible to drive a second rod for the neutral, or do I need to figure out a new path back to the main?

Current flows in loops. Between hot and hot; or between hot and neutral.  But always a loop.
Wayward current wants to get back to SOURCE - not earth.  For human-generated artificial electricity, wayward hot current wants to get back to NEUTRAL (or an opposing hot) not ground.  It has no interest in ground, except that there’s a neutral-ground bond back at the main panel/service point.
Ground and neutral have three completely separate jobs:

Neutral returns normal everyday current.  This is the only wire current should move on (Beside the hots).
Ground returns human-generated fault current to source. That means the ground-neutral bond back at the main panel. This requires it to flow hundreds of amps, which is why it must be a competent wire.
Ground returns naturally made electricity (lightning, ESD) back to its source, which is earth.  A ground wire a long distance to another building’s main panel is a very bad choice, because lighting will incinerate this wire, and it will create a deadly voltage gradient between the buildings.  For this problem, you need a ground rod.

The dirt you’re driving ground rods into, is just dirt. It conducts electricity about as well as you’d expect dirt to.  Not nearly well enough to handle any human-made electricity - not as normal return current, nor as fault current.
The neutral wire may be fixable
I don’t blame you; most people struggling with a non-conducting wire go straight to the assumption that the wire is broken somewhere in the inaccessible parts of the cable.  Actually, that’s rare.  A single wire doesn’t randomly take damage like that (without affecting the others).
As such, I would very, very carefully inspect the neutral wire everywhere (it is not inside the cable sheath).  You may find a break or loose connection that you hadn’t seen before, and that is fixable.
Not least, where the neutral lands on the neutral bar in the panel - nobody checks that lol.
Lights and outlets are different problems
These days, lights are easy - just go shopping for modern LED fixtures, and many of them will run 120/240V multi-voltage.  If your lights are fluorescent tubes, things are even easier - change to a modern electronic ballast. Almost all are multi-voltage rated... so aside from efficiency, coldstart, zero buzz, zero flicker and better light than LED... you can also run them on 240V!
Receptacle outlets, however, are a PitA because we never know what someone is going to plug into them.  So you must wildly oversize the current provisioning.  This is not an easy problem to solve, except by saying “I don’t need receps out here that badly, how about we skip it?”
But there’s another problem with receptacles.  Code is clear that if more than 50% of your circuit ampacity is used by hardwired loads, you cannot have any receps at all.  So it was surprising to me to hear a well pump circuit with receptacles.   Also, common receps can only be on 15A or 20A circuits.  If you really wanted to do that thing, you could fit a subpanel in the shed, at which point the house run is a “feeder” and the well gets its own breaker and circuit... but obviously, subpanels really need neutral wires.  So fixing that would be a prerequisite.
There’s no such thing as fixing just a neutral wire, unless it is an individual wire run in a conduit.  If it is buried cable, you really need to bet all the marbles that it’s a problem at one of the ends.  But that is a fairly good bet.


Is it better to stain before or after assembly? I'm going to build a wrapping-paper cart: it holds rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue, bows, scissors and tape, etc. It's going to be mostly made of 3/8" plywood, and will have a couple of drawers in it.

I'm going to stain and finish the wood. Should I stain it before or after assembling it? (Or both, with touch-up after assembly?) Are there some parts that should be stained at a different time?

For reference, it will look somewhat like this product.

Before if you can.  It will be far easier to stain/paint while disassembled, plus you can lay the pieces flat to ensure an even application.  If parts happen to shift a bit during use, there will be no noticeable sections that are not stained/painted.

You should try staining a scrap piece of your plywood first to see how it stains, sometimes the results of stained plywood are not great.  Painting is sometimes a better option.


How would you repair this exterior foundation insulation/wrap? A home I purchased, which was built in 2005 located in the upper Minnesota/US (frigid winters, balmy summers) has the larger faces of the above-grade poured foundation covered in a strange insulation I cannot ascertain to the life of me what it is or where to get more of it; or how to fix it.

As you can see below, various parts are 'ripped'; I'm guessing partly due to a poor trimming job and also due to shrinkage from hot summer sun.

It looks like EIFS, Exterior Insulation Finish System, placed over a pink sheet of fiberglass foundation drain board. EIFS is not made to go at or below grade. I am not a pro of this material, but I have never seen it applied over a fiberglass sheet. There was a post I answered sometime back, about how to repair EIFS that I did not format properly and still don't know how to, (moderators got on me about it) but if you do a search on EIFS and it's repair, it will tell you all about it.

In my opinion, this stuff should not be on there. it goes to grade and the fiberglass is a freeway for termites and other pests to get to your framing.

If you remove it and find an unsuitable surface under it, you can fasten a galvanized expanded metal lathe over the exposed surfaces and have 2 coats of type "S" masonry cement troweled over it. First coat is a scratch coat, the second is a finsh coat. EIFS can even be troweled on over all this as a finish too, but don't run it to grade, leave it a few inches up. It may not need wire lathe over it if the surface is clean masonry or cement, but I figure it has some type of bonding agent or waterproofing to get the fiberglass to stick to it before the EIFS went on...


What cables can I run in concrete I have a 100 ft run to make. I was going to cut a hole in the existing concrete , lay the cable and pour concrete over top. I am just having troubles figuring out what my different options are for cables. So far I know,

Teck cable ( I feel it is going to be the most expensive)

Can you please answer me if

I am able to run electrical conduit or regular white walled conduit with some single strands inside?
If I am able to run conduit with BX or Loomex inside?
If I am able to run NMDU ( the loomed with the black outside, weather rated).

It seems to be the embedding in concrete and filling in with concrete that is tripping me up. As well as if you can feed cables like loomex through conduits. I always thought you were only aloud to for a very short run but can not find the code rule saying that.

Thanks everybody.

I have not seen cable of any sort in direct contact with concrete. It has always been placed in conduit, in the gravel bed. At the least it has been UF in the gravel bed, but never low voltage in direct bury.

In my opinion, you would be wise to place 2 conduits under the level of the concrete. This with keep the concrete from cracking over the pipe, it acts as a control joint, but on the underside if into the concrete. The 2 conduit need to be separated at least by 6" more if possible. This will keep the low voltage from picking up on the interference created by the line voltage.

Your length of run, should be good, in the States there is a maximum run of 200 ft between pull boxes (Maybe it is 100'), one of the electrical guys can firm this I hope. Never the less, you are ok on this.

If you are using direct bury cable, after you get out from the edge of the concrete, I would get it down 18" if possible, or keep it in the conduit to protect it from casual digging.


Is there a problem with a media enclosure box in a laundry room? Looked at a home where the media enclosure box is in the laundry room. Is that ok?
Particularly, I’m unsure if there’s an issue about moisture being near wiring.

A standard laundry room inside a home is normally classified as a dry location. Sheetrock on the walls? This is a clue it is dry as defined by code.  There can be a washer or a basin directly adjacent to a breaker box. An outlet would need to be GFCI protected.
Other than a clothes closet and a bathroom your panel can go just about anyplace that has a 30” wide space floor to ceiling. Although you are asking about your media box it has less restrictions. Receptacles in a garage now require GFCI protection if you have line powered devices. If the house is older it may not have GFCI protection.


Floor vent under stove, does it need to be moved? I am remodeling my kitchen and have a floor vent (hvac) that used to be in the space where the cabinets overhang the floor.  Not sure what it's called...the space where your feet can go under the cabinets.

The spot used to have a built in range (the oven was separate) so it wasn't a problem. In out remodeling we are replacing all that with a free standing range/oven combo.

Problem being that now the floor vent would be directly under the oven.

Can I just put a vent cover on it, and angle the vent to blow out and leave it underneath the oven or do I need to reroute the ductwork and find another place to move it?

This is the oven

Moving would be better as freestanding ranges set very close to the floor. You would only have about one inch of clearance to redirect the discharge of the vent opening to blow from beneath the range. I am sure you could fabricate a diverter of some sort but being only one inch in height, the discharge velocity would be loud and you could definitely feel it on your feet while standing at the range.
Again, it would probably be easier to relocate. BTW, the space at the bottom of your cabinets is called the "toekick."


Spot repair hardwood floor due to Goo Gone I just had my hardwood floors professionally sanded and finished with 3 coats of Bona Mega Water Base Satin Finish. Because we’re in the process of moving in and doing other renovations, it was just discovered a bottle of Goo Gone has leaked on the floor and absorbed into the wood (see photos). No telling how long it’s been there, at least a week or 2.

Is this something I can repair myself with perhaps a handheld orbital sander and using the same finish that the pros used? Any advice?

You need to start by getting rid of the Goo Gone.

The Goo Gone should be volatile enough to evaporate unless it's getting trapped under your polyurethane. Try hitting the spot with a heat gun or hair dryer and if you are able to notice any progress visually, then just keep hitting it with heat for 20 min at a time and giving it a break for an hour or three. It may take a few days to lift it fully.

If you don't notice any progress, you may need to strip back the urethane layer using a thinner to allow the goo-gone to dry, then trying the hair-dryer method again. Because this is a water based poly, you'll want to really limit this to the area you are trying to fix rather than gradually feathering the poly.

You want to avoid sanding if possible because sanding down deep enough to remove the soaked in Goo Gone is likely to create a physical and visual low spot. However, be aware that the Goo Gone, due to it's coloring, will leave a slight ring stain once fully evaporated.  Rather than totally refinishing your floors (or a good span around that spot) My advice, once you are sure all the Goo Gone is evaporated, would be to just go a head and apply some touch-up poly over it anyway, and wait it out until the next time the floor is due to be refinished to fix it.

To touch-up, apply the thinnest coats you can using an applicator meant for water-based poly, building up and feathering into the poly you stripped. Unfortunately you choose a water-based poly which makes any touch-up blending more difficult / less perfect as it is usually in advisable to thin down water based paints as it can cause the emulsion of oil inside to break up (athough you won't have to worry about toxic fumes while you do it, so that's a plus). In the future, choose an oil based poly and touch-ups / fixes will be a lot easier.


Should I drill out pinhole leaks in cast iron drain stack before repairing with epoxy? I've got a number of pinhole leaks in a section of cast iron drain piping I need to repair. (I know eventually I'll need to replace the sections--Im looking for a temporary fix that will last a year or so until we've saved enough to have it done right.) The pinholes are covered with scales, but on the advice of a friend I scraped and wire-brushed them off. He said then to kneed the epoxy into a ball then work it into the hole. However, now that I have the scales off i see no hole (I guess because on the outside its a pinhole). Should I press the putty into the area where tge he was or attempt to drill it out with a small-diameter bit first?

This is a question simar to How can i repair a nail head size leak on a vertical cast iron sewer pipe in my basement but I'm asking a more specific question.

You know that you're dealing with a structurally-unsound pipe that could fail at any time, discharging the most entertaining sludge in the process. I'd be oh-so-very-careful not to disrupt its integrity. Drilling into it would count; I'd say even scraping and wire brushing could hasten its demise.

Assuming this pipe is under no pressure, then just about anything that adhered to the pipe would block the leaks. I would suggest using patches of good quality duct tape on the holes (if you can find them), followed by a wrap of electrical tape (stretched well) to hold it all in place.


Compressor melted hole in 5+ year old defrost drain pan, is compressor overheating a possible concern It is quite possible that my defrost drain pan melting was just normal age/wear & tear but I wanted to double check that there is not possibly a larger issue with my compressor running too hot.
This is my defrost drain pan here and I have the part and am just going to replace it. The old defrost drain pan clearly had two large holes where the area melted/eroded away and I am sure compressor heat was at least partly to blame. I would show a pic but I already threw the old defrost drain pan out before thinking perhaps there is a larger issue with the compressor running too hot.
I just wanted to double check, if anyone on here, thought the compressor was running abnormally hot or if it is normal to see a 4/5 year old defrost drain pan, that sits/hugs the top of a compressor, develop a reasonably large hole from heat over time.

No it is not normal, if your condensing coils are exposed clean them a high temp on the condenser can cause this by itself, if there is a fan make sure it s turning I once found a dead mouse stopping the fan from turning but it is usually dust On the coils outside the box (under the fridge for the ones that have fans). There are other things that can cause this but I would check the things you can first.


Can I use the Simpson Strong Tie EB-TY product with ChoiceDek? I want to use the Simpson Strong Tie EB-TY hidden deck fasteners with my ChoiceDek decking. The decking is 1 inch thick and has slots in both edges. I am looking at the EBTYLC product in particular which is for 1 inch thick decking with 1/4 inch spacing which is what my ChoiceDek literature recommends.

Can I use these 2 products together? Anyone have any first hand experience or could recommend another hidden fastener to be used with ChoiceDek?

EB-TY product information (PDF)

Contact the ChoiceDek folks; all manufacturers have technical support to answer just that kind of questions.


Can I put a UK 3 pin plug or use an adapter on a dishwasher I brought in South Africa? Can I put a UK 3 pin plug on a dishwasher I brought over from South Africa, or use an adapter?

Standard electrical outlets in both Britain and South Africa supply 230V at 50Hz. There's a fair chance your dishwasher would adjust and work on 120V/60Hz power, too if you were bring it to someplace like the U.S. or Canada. That's not guaranteed, but manufacturers tend to like to sell their goods into more than one country.

Regardless, electricity in Britain is just like the electricity in South Africa, so if you can find the right plug adapter (type M to type G) you'll be fine.


How to keep home automation complexity under control? If you installed some form of home automation (lighting control for example), how did you keep the complexity manageable for your family members?

In many cases where friends have installed some form of home automation, I see that the person who wanted it and decided on the individual settings is the only one comfortable with it. The others? Not so much.

They think there are too many buttons ("We used to have a single button and light everywhere, now there are eight, and I always have to try them all to get the right one"), too many options (pressing once vs. holding, on-off vs dimming - "Why doesn't that light turn on?" "It is, it's just dimmed all the way down"), and they see it as just one of the new toys of their husband or father. The same thing with home theater setups ("Why do I need three remotes to watch TV?" [TV screen, set-top box, audio installation] "We had a simple TV, and I liked it!")

Do you recognize this situation? What can be done to prevent it? I understand the difference Don Norman makes between a "complex world" and a "complicated user interface", but are we maybe making the world/our house too complex ourselves?

(Of course, since this is a site for DIY'ers, and an offspring of Stack Overflow, most of us will be the enthusiastic husbands and fathers. Bonus points for answers written together with your wives and children!)

It sounds like you're using keypads to control sets of lights. Two important things:

Label the buttons well and Keep it simple and consistent.

For example, if you're using scenes, have the buttons say the name of a scene that makes sense, depending on the location. If there's a keypad in the hallway outside the kitchen in the living room, make sure it's clear which scenes control the kitchen, and which control the living room. Also, if you're using scenes, avoid mixing button types; eg, having "dim" and "bright" buttons in addition to scenes is confusing.

I'd also echo @Rob Napier's point that reliability is a huge factor. If you press a button and it "sometimes" works, it will just lead to frustration (in effect: don't use X10).

Also along the lines of being consistent, pick one or two different types of switches, and stick to those. If you have a mix of toggle switches, rocker dimmers, 6-button and 8-button keypads, it's just going to be confusing. Standardize on a manufacturer and style, and stick to it.

The other obvious thing is really talk to your users. Make sure you know what they typically do, and adjust the system appropriately. Maybe they always go into a room and want a certain light on at a certain level, but you never do .. make sure you talk to that person so you know to set it up so it works they way they expect.


Will a thin or thick cutoff angle grinder wheel last longer? If size of cut didn’t matter (not in a confined area), wouldn’t a thicker cutoff wheel last longer? I was comparing mainly between a 1/16 and 1/8 width wheel. I was trying to compare between cutoff wheels that you can get at Harbour Freight vs what you would buy at big box home improvement stores.
Also, do the diamond cutoff wheels work that much better than masonary wheels?

Cutting disks should be thin. Grinding disks are thicker. Thicker disks means removing more material, which takes more time. Typical disks in Europe is 1mm thick, and I'd categorize a 1/8" (3.7mm) as a hybrid, usable for both cutting and grinding, but not excellent at either.

A thinner disk also leads to less heating in the material cut, as less energy is deposited.

In addition the disk should be made for the material you're working with. Different materials behave differently.


How can I remove a plastic flange from a 4 inch PVC pipe? Having an issue trying to remove a plastic flange from a 4 inch PVC pipe.  I tried cutting and chiseling it away.  It must have been cemented with a primer and cement.  Are there any other (simple) ways to remove the flange?  The top part is off I'm only dealing with the part that is left inside the PVC.

I've seen some discussion here of fancy plumber tools (a bit too expensive for the amount of use anyone but a plumber would put them to, unless you can find them in a rental store) that apply heat and grip/pull things apart.

Other than that (which I've never seen or used, only seen mentioned), I'm prone to consider PVC joints as forever, so the stock approach when you need a new one is to cut at a point where you can install a coupling, some new pipe (in most cases), and the new fitting.


Why would a circuit breaker not trip if I accidentally shorted hot to neutral? I am installing a set of recessed lights in a closet, replacing the existing fixtures one at a time.  I removed power to the lights while installing each one by using the light switch, not the circuit breaker at the box (after verifying that the the switch was wired correctly with the hot side being switched, not the neutral).

I successfully installed the first light, and had just pulled the second one down. I turned the lights back on to see better (since the other fixtures still worked), but didn't notice that the now bare and exposed hot and neutral wires from the fixture I just pulled were touching.

When I turned on the switch, the lights did not come on and you could hear a deep growling noise somewhere in the house, very similar to water hammer noise.  I turned off the switch right away, not knowing the cause.  I turned on the switch again with the same result.  After turning off the switch, I inspected the wiring from the fixture and discovered the short.

As I understand it, the time it takes a breaker to trip is basically inversely proportional to the current draw.  A dead short should be VERY high current, and I would have expected the breaker to trip instantly.  It did not do so.  Questions:

Shouldn't the breaker have tripped?
If so, I can't trust the breaker and should replace it.  But, how do I go about testing the other breakers in the box?  They are all old...  probably original to the 1964 house.
What was that noise?

That noise was a wire or junction/splice somewhere vibrating and heating up. It could have also been the breaker (trying to) trip. There's a good possibility that if you turn the breaker off, it will refuse to turn back on.

At a minimum, you should replace that breaker. You should also inspect that entire length of the wiring on that circuit as you may have melted a wirenut or wire insulation somewhere.

If this were my house (and my family's life) I would call an electrician and have them inspect for damage.


Bonding new communications system to home grounding system This will be handled by an electrician, but I wanted to get info on what's permissible as my first stab at talking to an electrician led to a conclusion that seems disallowed and unsafe (entirely isolated ground system for an antenna).
We have a 1950's house with the service entrance at a back corner and the water main entrance near the center of the front of the house.  It looks like the primary grounding for this house is a 4 gauge conductor from the panel through conduit buried in the slab and bonded to the water main a foot or so after it enters the house.
A new antenna connection penetrates the house near the water main and has a lightning arrester in-line, currently connected to nothing.
Questions:

Does it make sense that that water main (about 50-80 feet away from the main panel) is the primary GEC for the house?

How to bond the lightning arrester bus bar:

New ground rod outside, > 16 feet from water main, bonded via approved clamp to water main outside

New ground rod outside, > 16 feet from water main, with 4 ga conductor running inside and then about 10 feet and also clamped separately to water main near entrance.

or #2/#3 without the new ground rod.
The first electrician who I talked to said "just drive a ground rod, at least 8 feet, and call it a day," but didn't have anything to say about tying it to the house electrical grounding system.

The water main is a grounding electrode, but not a grounding electrode conductor
You are correct that a metal water service line is considered a primary grounding electrode when present; however, not the least due to the potential for the utility to replace said metal water service line with a nonconductive, non-grounding plastic water service line, the NEC requires a supplemental "made electrode", usually a pair of ground rods 8' long and 6-8' minimum apart, when the primary electrode is a water service line.  For these rods, NEC 250.66(A) lets you use 6AWG copper to tie them back to the main grounding electrode conductor.
However, you must tie those rods back to the grounding electrode conductor in addition to tying the lightning arrestor grounding wire to said ground rods.  (This is required by NEC 250.50 and 800.100(B)(2) or 800.100(D).)  Furthermore, the reason you see the Grounding Electrode Conductor tied to the grounding electrode at the service entrance point is because NEC 250.68(C)(1) requires that connection to be made within 5' of where the water service enters the house.  (This requirement exists so that a plumber doesn't accidentally leave your house afloat in the electrical sense of the term.)
So, I would use plan #3, but modified with the addition of a second rod, and more importantly modified to use either a split-bolt or a T-tap connector (Ilsco GTT-2-2 or equivalent) to connect the bonding jumper to the GEC directly without having to sever the latter.  You can connect the lightning arrester's bonding wire the same way for now; generally speaking, though, you'll want to put in an Intersystem Bonding Termination device at the main panel if at all possible, as that provides a central place for future communications grounding wires to land.


Temperature in Condo hotter than thermostat setting- Gas Furnace I recently bought my first place (a condo) and I have a gas furnace. The thermostat is set for 72 and most of the time it seems to be following this alright but periodically even though the thermostat is still set at 72 the furnace comes on and the temperature in the condo goes up to around 77-87. There isn't a day/time setting on the thermostat (though the thermostat is digital). Any advice as to why this might be happening?

I ended up having to call the furnace repairman. It turned out that the gas valve was stuck in the open position, leading to the overheating issue.


How can I remove exhaust pipe cover that's sealed with silicone? I want to remove and replace the exhaust pipe cover shown in the picture below, but I can't get it off.

The wall is made up of (in the order from outer most material to the inner most material:

Ceramic tiles
Membrane (the kind you apply with a paint brush)
12 mm Wet room boards
10 mm Pine panel wall (for strength)
Glass wool insulation

There is a pipe coming from the fan engine that stops a ~4-5 centimeters from the outer wall layer. In order to protect the inside of the wall against moist, wet room silicone was used to cover all the places where moist could enter the wall. Unfortunately, it seems the cover was put in place while the silicone was still wet, and now I can't get it off.

Do you have any tips for how I can remove it, without risking to damage the wall. I can buy a new cover, so if I have to break it, that's fine.

For starters, you should be able to unclip the inner square (with the louvres in it) from the surround. That should get you better access to the inside.

After that, I've found a knife works best.


Burning Rubber Smell From Drill Press Belts After 20+ years my drill press finally ate a belt. Before the belt failed there was a burning rubber smell. Now after replacing both belts, the smell is still there.

I don't see anything obvious and the pulley alignment seems reasonable. Could this be a normal "break in" smell or is something wrong?

A burning rubber smell comes from friction between the belt and something else. A well adjusted belt should not smell on break in.

Possibilities:

Belt rubbing on a pulley that's out of alignment (probably not since it's been checked)
Belt rubbing on rubber left behind from the previous belt (clean the pulleys)
Belt slipping (check and adjust tension if needed. As JPhi1618 said - check to make sure spindles are turning freely.)
Belt rubbing on something in the path of the belt (check for a clear belt path)

Be careful, things can break and fires can start when there is unwanted friction.


Can I remove a furnace compartment vent that's obstructing roof repair? There are two vents going up to our roof, one is the normal vent from the furnace exhaust straight up to the roof.  But right next to it there's a second vent pipe, a little larger and single wall. This second pipe starts at the top of the furnace closet, about three feet above the furnace, has no obvious function and also vents out to the roof. It is not hooked to the furnace. The roofers are not able to properly cap these two vents because they are so close together, so we would like to just get rid of that second one, but we don't know if it has some official function.

Some previous owner of this 1960's California house made modifications and we just want to get it back to normal code. The furnace closet also used to have a drywall ceiling which was apparently partly ripped away, and we don't know what the code requirement is, aside from providing the proper clearance from the furnace vent to combustible materials. The furnace closet at this time is open to the attic. The odd second pipe which we want to remove seems to be part of the original house construction, judging by the way it's fitted into the ceiling drywall.

Combustion supply air comes from the crawl space below which is well vented.

I took a close look at a friend's house and that furnace closet has no ceiling and only the one vent that goes from the furnace to the roof.  Can anybody comment on this situation and help us decide what to do here?  Can we get rid of that second vent?  What about the drywall ceiling above the furnace?  Thanks

It could be an intake. Furnaces require combustion air, which can only be taken from certain sources.  If the furnace is in a utility closet (or surrounded by living space), the pipe could be supplying combustion air.  If this is the case, it cannot be removed.

Without more detail, it's impossible to definitively answer this question.


Drain trap is too low for new vanity My wall drain pipe clears the vanity, but there is not enough depth for trap. That's why I am thinking running a 90 degree bend out of the wall upward. My concern is losing the trap seal.

Since wall drain pipe clears the vanity, I am thinking running 90 degree going up and then attaching the rest to the p-trap.

Not sure if this matters. Within the wall, drain pipe doesn't go straight down. It turns left and goes towards toilet.

No you can't do that.

The P-trap depends on the weir which requires critical trap arm length and a slope that does not siphon the trap dry.  Your drawing siphons the trap.  You could add an aav but opening the wall might be easier.

https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/plumbing/maximum-length-for-fixture-drains_o

The other thing I've done is to make the p-trap assembly in a straight line to the back of the cabinet and then make a cut out in the shelf to accommodate the trap.  I've done this with both drawers and with shelves.


Why are there metal tabs protruding from my poured concrete foundation walls? What are these metal things sticking out from my basement walls? Can they be removed? If so, how?

They look like the form clips where large forms were held in place to pour the walls. They can be handy as anchors if you add furring strips to drywall the walls instead of drilling for supports. They were just there for the pour and can be removed.


Dishwasher fault when directly wired but not when on an extension cord My dishwasher which is on a spur from the kitchen ring after some minutes will trip the main switch on the CU. However running the dishwasher on the ring from an extension plug works fine. The wiring in the sockets seems fine. How can I check the spur cable if that is where the problem lies as it seems it must

Just guessing from the information you provided:

If there is a partial ground in your dishwasher wiring it can draw enough current to trip the breaker.

When you run it through the extension cord it adds enough resistance to limit the current so it doesn't trip the breaker.

I would suspect if it is an older machine the motor is leaking current through the insulation on the windings.

It may be time for a new one but double check the wiring just in case.

Good luck!


Why do light fixtures, dimmer switches, etc. use stranded wire? As the title puts it , why is stranded wire used for most light fixtures and dimmer switches. I have never dealt with stranded wire until recently doing a few upgrades in the house and i feel like stranded wire could increase the chance of a poor connection in wire nuts. Twisting the wire nut with the stranded wire without pretwisting worked best and I removed the nut just to check on each connection before putting it back on. But one time twisting it causes the stranded wire to break (twisted to hard I guess). I could see this happening to other people so that is what got me curious why manufacturers would even take this chance of electrical failure (arc from broken wire in nut, etc).
I assumed it might just be due to cost but Lutron dimmer switches are not cheap and more high end from what I read so maybe cost savings isn’t the reason?

That's only a problem if your wire-nut technique is bad.
Most people's technique is terrible when they start.  Where people depart is that some refuse to learn, and do not test their work, or think, or refine their technique. They simply tape the wires onto the nuts to keep them from falling apart.  This only hides the symptom; the root problem is a poor electrical connection, which results in overheating, arcing, and a meltdown or fire.
Just don't be that person and you'll be fine.


What should I do about a stubborn screw on the middle of a dryer cord connection? I am attaching a 3 prong dryer cord to a dryer. The middle connection is being stubborn. The screw gets to a certain point and is stuck. It will not tighten and the connection is very loose. Can I safely use a metal washer to tighten the connection?

The important thing about the electric cord is that all connections be tight, so if the screw will hold then using a washer to pack the gap so that the connector is pressed against the conductor would create a safe connection.


What is this 110/24V 60Hz transformer in the breaker room for? My friend sent me a photograph of this transformer, which is installed above the main breaker panel, with leads running from the panel into the transformer. The stamped labels read

PRI. Volts: 110
SEC. Volts: 24
CYCLES 60

However, the leads out from the transformer disappear into the ceiling (so either to some unknown device or terminated somewhere). The house was built in the 1960's and we believe the device to be from time of construction.

Does anyone know what this might be for?

My guess would be the doorbell or an intercomm system. Something like that. The original heating system might have needed 24 volts.

Disconnect it and see what does not work.