Feeding half the panel with generator? Maybe I could get some help?  I bought a 8.5kW (10kW peak) generator and made a 6ga. cord with L14-30 plugs—one for the 240v on the generator and one for the inlet box.  Inlet box is wired to the panel onto a 240v/30a double pole breaker that is off when the main is live and on only when the main is off and generator is on (I have an old box with the main switch in a separate box than the breaker panel, so no interlock switch is possible).  I tested it out and did this:
1. Turned off the main.
2. Turned off all breakers
2. Turned on the generator
3. Plugged in the cord gen—>inlet box
4. Turned on the gen breaker
5. One by one, turned on the breakers

And then I sat and wondered why the generator was humming along nicely but roughly 40% of the lights/outlets weren’t on, while the other 60% were?
Then I reversed the process, went back on company power and all the light were on.

So I figure I’m only feeding one bus in the panel somehow, right?  And that’s bad. So I need to check the voltage through my “generator system” (thru the new breaker, the wires to the inlet box, the inlet box, and the cord to the generator. And I’ll check it using utility power, not generator power.
Presumably I’ll find a loss of voltage at some point as I test out to the end of the cord to the generator.  Am I close?
I appreciate any help you might have, thanks.

This is a super hard problem, because you are renting and seem to be "at war with" with your landlord and AHJ, rather than working with them. That's a shame, because what you want is reasonable and it should be possible to get all to agree to it.

What you have done so far puts the landlord in a no-win situation: he absolutely must positively end the practice by shutting off the power and evicting you.  If he does not, he becomes liable for it just the same as if he did it, for lawsuits if anyone is injured, and if the city finds out, fines and paying a pro to rip it out and search for any other gypsy work. Meanwhile, if the city gets wind, they will condemn the occupancy and again you will be evicted. The landlord might even "drop a dime" so the city is evicting you (not him) and to avoid the fine.  Any costs for him would come out of your deposit.

That said, I think a proper generator inter-tie is something most tenants would find valuable.  So from the landlord's perspective, he has a more marketable property if it is so equipped.  So there is certainly room to work out an agreement.  In your shoes that is what I would seek to do.

Of course all work would have to be to Code and inspected. Depending on the jurisdiction, it might have to be hired out unless the AHJ recognizes you as qualified to do the work.  I assume that would zorch the deal.  But you don't know 'til you ask.  I suspect outside the big cities, where everyone is just trying to get along, the AHJ may abide reason.

Do keep in mind that all tool-installed modifications become property of the landlord the moment you install them.  You must do good work because it is electrical, but you must also be prepared to leave it (intact) for the next tenant when you move.  That is the price of being a tenant, just like having to suddenly drop $2000 on a furnace is not.

Many ways to get a generator interlock when you don't have one:

Convert each load to be cord-and-plug connected

And just run an extension cord to it.

For instance your furnace wiring probably ends in a simple $1 Handy-Box.   Stick another one 3" away from it, and use the furnace wiring to fit a receptacle there.  Then add a short cord with proper strain relief coming from the furnace which, you guessed it, plugs into that receptacle.

Power failure comes, run an extension cord down there and do the obvious.

This is Code legal because Code allows utilization equipment to be cord and plug connected for special applications like this.

This will set you back about $10 per circuit.

On each circuit, add a DPDT switch

A DPDT (double pole, double throw) switch has 6 screws and has an A side, a B side and a common. It's a mini transfer switch and costs about $10.

find an appropriate location along the circuit where this will be possible.  Wire the common on the DPDT switch to the downline circuit,  the "A" is wired back to the service panel, and the "B" goes to an inlet.  Or alternately, wired to a subpanel exclusively powered by the generator.

Switch both hot and neutral.

The trick to wiring this is you lose about 18" of wire with the 9" of wire that needs to be inside the box so you can work on it... so you need to make that up somehow.  You can do this near the service panel or a load and simply replace the now-too-short section.  Or you can put two boxes 18" apart, and have a 3' jumper between the two boxes.  The second box can be a good place for the inlet.

I know I went real fast by the part where the generator has a cheapie subpanel all its own.  This can be a tiny thing, it is just to provide correct overcurrent protection for each branch, e.g. A 14 AWG-wired branch needs 15A breaker protection. Or you can use inlets and extension cords to the sockets on the generator.

Install a subpanel with onboard transfer switch

The general idea here is that you install a new sub-panel near the main panel (or wherever else convenient).  You then take each of the circuits you want to power off the generator, and permanently relocate their hot, neutral and ground (the whole cable really) to the subpanel.

This type of subpanel has a "sliding piece of metal" interlock which prevents both the utility supply breaker and a breaker in a very particular location from being on at the same time.  Obviously, you put the generator backfeed there.

Where it differs from the "retrofit this" example that I moved from the bottom, is that in this case, the manufacturer has engineered the whole kit-n-kaboodle to work together - subpanel, breakers and interlock - so it costs far less.  It fits the breakers and the breaker bolt-down feature (discussed below) is present.  Often the top 4 spaces are occupied by two 2-pole breakers; and a simple bit of sliding metal sits between them.  It's super simple and easy to understand.

Yeah, but with a lot more spaces.

This is big-box's offering. A real electrical supply house should have much better options.

As always with subpanels, spaces are cheap, so don't scrimp on the spaces. 30 is not excessive, running out of spaces is seriously frustrating.  With 4 used, that leaves you 26 spaces to put loads on.  I myself would go 42, but I'm crai.

The tie from main breaker to sub should be the biggest wire-breaker match-up you can stand to pay for.  The breaker in the main panel must match the wire you are using since it protects the wire. The breaker in the subpanel is really just there to be a cheap high-current switch.

The breaker on the generator side should be sized for the generator, unless the gen has its own onboard overcurrent protection, in which case again it's just a switch.

When moving a circuit, if it doesn't reach, I simply put a large box where it and other circuits can reach - typically a 4-11/16 deep box - and bring the cable into that box, then extend the last few feet to the new sub.  I do this all the time for other reasons.  Use good wire-nuts (Ideal) and nut quite firmly (it is one place "gorilla tight" is appropriate). I've never had a splice problem.

When using the subpanel, simply cut all the breakers off including the interlocked main breaker, hookup and start the generator, turn the generator-side main breaker on, and throw on circuits one at a time as desired.

A subpanel with an external transfer switch

This option may be more expensive since it isn't using $10 breakers as cheap switches.  Or maybe; the above pictured "micro subpanel" would totally work as an external transfer switch. It certainly doesn't work as a subpanel.

This has one big advantage: you can switch neutral. That matters if it's downstream from a GFCI or AFCI, and many generators have integral GFCIs these days.

This is a large DPDT, or 3PDT (double/triple pole, double throw), changeover switch.  You can use ones specifically made for generators, or ones made to switch 3-phase power. (neutral as the third "phase".)  The point is they are double throw, so the "common" position is connected either to source "A" or source "B", and A never connects to B (hence the interlock).

A and B go to mains and gen; common goes to the new subpanel.

Made for 3-phase.

Again, a real electrical supply house will have much better selection and price. The switch, and the mains to subpanel wiring, should be as heavy as you want to pay for.  The switch-to-gen wiring can be sized for the gen.

Here, you use a perfectly ordinary subpanel, with no special features needed.  It can have a main breaker, or not.  Then as above, you cut over to the new subpanel the circuits you want to have on generator.

An external automatic transfer switch

As the last case, ditto ditto ditto but with an automatic switch that senses mains power and cuts over to it when it's present and stabilized.  You can also get switches which will auto-start the generator.

You can guess the huge gotcha: since you wouldn't be there to throw over circuits one by one, it slams all load onto the generator.  That requires a higher "tier" of generator product, not a $1000 model with wheels but more like a $5000 job that bolts down to a slab and takes natural gas.

You can't do this, but for others...

Retrofit an interlock on an existing panel

There are several companies that make aftermarket interlocks for almost any panel.  These work about like what you're doing now: you retain your existing main breaker, fit your generator backfeed breaker in a very specific location, and then they supply a sliding metal bracket which interlocks so the main and this backfeed breaker cannot both be on at the same time.  Done and dusted.

There are two serious hitches with this: First, they don't make such things for every single panel, so it's luck whether your older panel is supported.  (cooking up your own [that works] is far better than having no interlock, but it isn't listed, which means it isn't legal.)

The other hitch is a special rule in Code for backfed breakers, which is that they must be "bolted down" so they can't easily snap out (most breakers on most panels snap out) and nail somebody with their exposed metal bits.  That requires a design concession in the panel.  Or simply a panel where all breakers normally bolt down, such as some Siemens panels.  (doing it anyway isn't legal, but again is far better than not having an interlock, can't tell you to break Code.)

What not to do: octopus "transfer switches"

You will see these multiple-circuit "transfer switches".  They look like something out of an RV, very impressive with an entire row of 6-10 switches, sometimes breakers too.  They are aggressively marketed, and all too easy to buy.  However they are a nightmare to wire.

Because for each circuit to be put on generator, they require you intercept the circuit on the way into the service panel. Divert the load side to the box, divert the line side to the box also, so it can be on "A" and common on the switch (we're up to 6 wires so far), then also the wires to the generator.  And that again for each of 6-10 circuits.  It's crazy bunches of redundant wiring, hard to understand and unnecessary.  But like I say, the generator salesman practically won't let you leave the store without one.  He gets a commission on those hokey things and not on subpanels.

Not pictured: 52 wires going in and out of it.

The only nice thing these transfer switches do is allow some circuits to be on "line" while others are on "gen".  I fail to see the usefulness of that. If utility is available, just use it.


Can I feed a panel 200' away from a double pole 30 ampere breaker using 10 AWG copper conductors? I need 14 amps at my boat house to run a boat lift on 120v. The boat house is approximately 200' from main panel. I can run conduit and #8 wire and make it work with no problem, but I will need to buy all materials.

I have some 3 conductor #10 w/ground. Can I run this wire off a 30 amp double pole breaker and set a 2 circuit 30amp outdoor panel and pull 1 - 20amp circuit with at least 14 amps for the lift and another for just lights?

Will I have the power I need by doing this?

Maybe. Depends how sensitive the boat lift is to supply voltage - #10 copper at 14 amps for 200 feet is about 5.8% drop (or 7 volts) - nearly double what is normally designed for. But given 120V at the head end, that's still 113 volts, and many items are perfectly happy with 110-125V.

http://www.electrician2.com/calculators/vd_calculator.html

Is the 3 conductor #10 OUTDOOR wire? If it's indoor Romex, it cannot be used outside, even in conduit - the insulation is not rated for water, and all conduits outdoors are assumed to be wet (and the assumption is usually right.)

If you are buying wire, look at #4 or #6 Aluminum - it may well be a LOT cheaper than #6 or #8 copper, even if you have to buy conduit one size larger.

http://www.electrician2.com/calculators/rf_calculator.html

(not affiliated in any way, just one of the more useful/less-spammy sources of VD & Fill calculators - there are many others.)

When you are trenching for the power, consider dropping another conduit (even 1/2" could work) in case you decide later that you'd like WiFi at the dock area. No need to run wire now, but you'll kick yourself later if you don't, and it won't cost much to add.


GFCI/AFCI Trips With No Load And New Wire I moved into a house last year that has some 2-wire receptacles, and some 3-wire receptacles. I have been adding GFCIs and AFCIs where required. I recently removed the conductors and old receptacles from a circuit and replaced them with a 12 gauge two wire with ground. The first receptacle from the breaker panel is a GFCI/AFCI. I have one receptacle wired from the load side of the GFCI/AFCI receptacle, and then one wired from the 2nd receptacle. I have been noticing that the GFCI/AFCI will be tripped when I check on it. The GFCI trip light is on when it trips. I'll reset it, go to bed, and it'll be tripped the next day. There are no loads connected to this circuit.

The other day I turned on the lights in the basement (florescent) and as soon as they turned on, the GFCI trips. It only happened once and I haven't been able to repeat it.

To troubleshoot, I have tried the following:

Replaced GFCI/AFCI
Replaced all of the wire
Disconnected the wire on the load side of the receptacle

So, here's the summary of problem:

Changing receptacles 2-wire to 3-wire
Wiring and receptacles on this circuit are new
Using existing circuit breaker
GFCI trips on GFCI/AFCI receptacle with no loads on it
I have replaced the GFCI/AFCI and still have the same problem
Wiring and work was checked

Any ideas what could be the problem?

Pictures:

AFCIs and GFCIs operate on totally different principles.

You may recall the wiring rule that all wires must be grouped together.  This is so magnetic fields cancel each other out, since currents are equal.  Likewise if 2 wires together are wound around a relay, and currents are equal in the two wires, then they would cancel each other out and the relay would not pick up.  This is essentially what a GFCI is.

Submarines detect enemy submarines using passive sonar - they listen to sea noises and use signal processing on powerful computers to pick out artificial noises.  If you've ever hooked up old fashioned speakers with speaker wire, you may have heard the crunchy sound of a loose speaker wire.  If you washed out the normal 60 cycle hum, that is what arcing sounds like.  An AFCI has a digital signal processor listening for that sound.

If a GFCI trips with no loads attached

Then the GFCI is defective.  That shouldn't be happening/possible.

If an AFCI trips with no loads attached

Then the AFCI is hearing the sound of arcing.  Because of the way wires are all interconnected at the panel, it's possible the AFCI hears arcing that is occurring on a completely different circuit.  Sometimes it hears arcing that is intentional or not really arcing - I could see it being caused by an old-style fluorescent light that uses a starter, since its action is intentional arcing.  For that matter a fluorescent light starts by striking its arc, but a modern electronic or even old magnetic ballast will buffer that "sound".

Silencing a warning device isn't really solving a problem, so I would focus on the root cause of the arc fault, if any.


Why does my home have three empty, inaccessible rooms? I spent the past hour to draw a map of my home, and this is the result:

As you can see from the plant, there are 3 hollow areas labelled as A, B and C.

The area A is just behind the kitchen
The area B is just behind the pipes of the gas counter.
The area C is between two bathrooms

I tried to give explanations to each of them:

A

The "room" is made out of drywall and if I knock on it is obviously empty.
There aren't any evident pipes in it, because the water for the kitchen comes from the wall on the left (the cm207.4 wall).
There's just the tube for the extractor hood on the top of it, but I hardly believe a ~1 square meter chamber is needed just for this purpose...

B

The gas counter is on the right of this room, part of it may be needed for the gas pipes, but again, it's a quite big area just for few pipes?

C

This is between two bathrooms so I thought it could be needed for the discharge of the waters, but I never seen a so large area dedicated to this, in my previous home there wasn't any relevant space reserved for this stuff.

To give some context, this is a Hungarian (Budapest) home, built on top of an existing historic building (they added 2 new floors). I live on the first of the 2 added floors.

This is a picture from Google Maps of my building:

I would like to, at least, get rid of the area A, because it takes a lot of space. But I'm not sure if this is something feasible or not.

Do you have better explanations for the presence of these areas (especially A)?

Given the locations and sizes of those areas they are almost certainly pipe chases.  When drawing, framing, and drywalling a residence, it is common for spec builders to simply block out the space around pipes, supports, and ducts – with little effort to optimize the use or availability of such small spaces.

Of course, this means that there is a good chance you could use those spaces.  For example, when I run out of projects I will often cut an inspection panel into the drywall and, based on what I find:

Turned them into closets
Built-in bookshelves
Added discrete hatches for hidden storage


How can I damp proof this wall? I have stripped plaster from our dining room walls to reveal the brickwork in preparation for plasterboard and skimming. The room features one main exterior wall and an adjoining wall. Prior to removing the plaster, both had noticeable damp (though it was localised to the bottom corner of the wall, not along the walls length).

We have an osmosis wire running about 3 brick-course off the ground. However, this is the only room that is in direct contact with the ground soil. The floor is simply tiles onto compact soil. The osmosis wire works in the front room (which is above a cellar and thus not in direct contact with the soil), but it appears to fail in this corner. It is also the only wall with damp, all other interior walls, although also touching ground soil, remain dry enough.

Outside this exterior wall is a concrete path running down the side of the house. The house is a 2-up 2-down end terrace, approximately 1890s build. It has cavity walls, but the bottom of the cavity is likely filled with mortar rubble from degraded internal mortar pointing.

Most of the plaster that came off the walls was simply some form of thistle direct to the wall (not plasterboard/skim), but the lower half was plasterboard as this was renewed when the osmosis wire was installed. The plasterboard adhesive "dots" showed damp, presumably because of the moisture bridge they were creating.

I am about to re-plasterboard with polystyrene-backed plasterboard (only very thin, depth is an issue). I don't want to do this without first addressing the damp issue.

I am not a tradesman, but have growing DIY experience and understand a decent amount of the terminology. I'm also in the UK.

What solutions do I have available for damp proofing internally to stop damp attacking the plasterboard? I am open to all suggestions and will be researching to see if there is any plasterboard that is damp resistant.

I will be addressing the floor construction itself in a separate question if my internet searching doesn't yield many results.

Sounds like you just need a vapor barrier.


How to approach insulating my rim joist I'm working on finishing my 1924 home's basement in Minnesota and am currently working on insulation. My rim-joists look like this:
2x8 Joists with a board between each joist. Behind that board is a bit of concrete and a bunch of sand, rocks, construction debris from when the house was built. A few of the sections have penetrations already for faucets, venting, electrical, A/C, etc.

The open space above the concrete is ~4 inches high.
The sub-floor seen is the primary living area.
At the back of the rim-joist is another 2x8 and stucco exterior.
No further insulation.

Should I remove the boards and sand to do this, or leave them as-is and insulate over the wood?
What is my best bet for insulating this?

Those Rim-Joist cavities look like this once cleaned out:

Actually you only want to use fiber insulation against cold surfaces (rim joist) when you can completely cut off the air supply from the interior.  Interior air carries a lot of water.  The air moves through the fiber insulation and condenses when it hits the rim joist and you have a potential issue.

Better way is to buy a sheet of foam board insulation, like the blue or pink stuff, a can of spray foam insulation, and a roll of fiber insulation.  Cut the foam board so it fits loosely over the rim joist.  Fill in around it with the foam in a can.  Cover that whole thing with the fiber.  Now the dew point is inside the foam board where the air can't reach.  No condensation, really good insulation.

If you want to get all geeky, you can calculate the dew point location in the assembly based on exterior and interior temps, interior relative humidity, and insulation type and thickness, to make sure the dew point is in the foam.  For example, don't use 1/4" foam board and R-30 fiber.  Use 2" foam board (about R10) and 6" fiber (about R19) and you should be OK.

BTW, same principle applies to cold basement walls.  A nice layer of fiber insulation against the wall commonly creates a mold problem.


House and Shop on 100 AMP Service I'm looking at buying a home that only has a 100 AMP service. I would like to have a small woodworking shop in the basement, but am worried that this will be too much for the service. While upgrading the service wouldn't be very difficult, it is an older home so pulling a permit would be a nightmare.

As for what is in the house. It has all gas appliances (oven, range, furnace, water heater, dryer) The major electric appliances are two fridges, the air conditioner, a whole house fan, a dishwasher, and a coffee maker. A lot of the appliances I can choose to run or not, but I'm concerned about the AC and fridges that may kick on periodically without my knowledge.

As for the wood shop, I can wire a lot of the equipment 220, so that should help. And I will only every be running two things at a time (dust collector and whichever other tool).

How much trouble should I expect with this setup. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

ESPECIALLY with mostly gas appliances, I wouldn't worry about it. I have a small woodworking shop that I feed with a 60A feeder breaker and I have NEVER tripped it. What you have to remember is that if it's just YOU working in the shop, you are not going to be running more than one tool at a time, plus maybe a dust collector (highly recommended by the way) and some lighting. Homeowner type 240V single phase bench power tools are generally limited to 2HP, so about 12A at 240V worst-case scenario. It's not going to be a problem.


What sort of hinge is this? Can someone tell me what sort of hinge this is?

All the cabinet hinges I can find are 180deg+ when open, whereas this is only 90deg.

They are on a set of built-in wardrobes that were here when we moved into our house. Unfortunately, one of the doors had a dirty great mirror stuck on it which is slowly killing the hinges. That door currently has only three out of five hinges actually connected - the others have broken and need replacing before the door drops off on my wife's foot.

Looking for somewhere I can source these in the UK.

From what I can tell these appear to be hinges made by GRASS. A look at an online retailer seems to point to these hinges:

http://www.hardwaresource.com/hinges/cabinet-hinges/blum-european-hinges-grass-european-hinges/grass-european-hinges/grass-830-and-831-hinges

However the above appear to be obsolete and they recommend replacing with these hinges:

http://www.hardwaresource.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3987

These appear to require two separate order parts.


How can I wire three different lights together making a sculpture and need to know the proper way to wire different lights into one string. is there an issue with stringing up an led, regular bulba and christmas light with different watts?

As long as you wire them in parallel (all hots connected together and all neutrals connected together) and each is rated for the voltage you're using, it should be fine. (I'm assuming that the wire is large enough diameter for the current being drawn, the wire insulation is rated for the voltage, you properly ground everything, and other safety issues.)
It's really no different than plugging a 25 watt bulb, a 50 watt bulb and a 100 watt bulb into the same power strip.
Edit: upon rereading your question, I am concerned and you writing about putting the lights in a "string". If you are talking about a serial string of low voltage lights connected to a higher voltage source (e. g. a string of 20 x 6 volt lights connected to 120 volt mains voltage), then no, you cannot mix wattages. You can probably mix different types of lights as long as the rated voltage and actual wattage (not equivalent wattage) are the same. If you have a "60-watt equivalent" LED which actually draws 10 watts, you must match that with other 10-watt lights. Also, you may have problems mixing LEDs and incandescent lights. Incandescent lights have a much smaller resistance when cold. If you have a bunch of incandescent lights and a few LEDs, when powered on cold, the LEDs may receive overvoltage and burn out.
Please edit your question to clarify what you are asking.


How to remove screws from old decking I have some decking in my back garden and some of the planks need replacing. However, the screws are difficult to remove.

Some have rusted/weakened sufficiently so that I've managed to remove the screw head entirely when trying to unscrew them while others are just very stubborn and hard to undo.

I've put some WD40 on them and this has helped in some cases, but there are still many that are proving very hard to get out.

The planks will be thrown away so I was considering drilling through the wood around the screw and effectively allowing me to remove the plank and leave the screw behind (possibly in a little plug of wood left behind) but then I'm stuck with still having to get the screw out.

I'll also have to remove the shafts of the screws that have lost their heads but I'm hoping that using pliers will do that.

What would be an effective course of action for dealing with stubborn screws in old decking?

When the boards having the heads are being discarded, a simple way to remove them is to cut through the screws at the joint between the board.

You can use a reciprocating saw (often called by a brandname, Sawzall)

or a multitool

In either case, you need to use a blade intended for cutting metal. Some blades are combination blades that work in wood or metal. Place the blades between the bottom of the decking and the supporting framing and cut just the screw. The small amount of wood taken out will not matter, but lean the blade toward the wood being discarded.

If you can't access the bottom of the deck, you can remove a section of the board to be discarded close to the screw and then cut the screw horizontally.

The stub of the old screw in the framing board will be covered by the new boards.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Faucet Stem stuck in the faucet body I had a dripping faucet, so thought to replace the O-ring in it. I removed the stem very easily. And changed the O-ring to one looking similar. I install the stem back and tried turning on the water.
The problem now is that faucet handles are so tight that I cannot turn them and I cannot even remove the stem now. Everything seems to stuck, no matter how much pressure I apply to remove the stem. I have attached a photo for reference.
Any idea what is the problem.

There are a couple common reasons why the valve(s) might be locked up:

You reinstalled the valve in a position other than wide open. If the valve stem is in the closed or partially closed position (see pic below of valve that is not in the fully open position) when installed, the stem could strike the seat before the valve-body is fully tightened. This could destroy the new washer you replaced, could bend or otherwise damage the stem, could damage the seat that the washer seals against, and could destroy the worm threads on the stem and/or inside of the valve body that drive the stem in and out when you turn the handles. SOLUTION: remove the entire valve again and inspect for damage and proper operation prior to reinstalling with the stem in the fully retracted/wide open position.

You inadvertantly tightened the packing nut during your repair efforts. The packing nut is the smaller brass nut just outward from the valve body where the stem protrudes from, you can see it plainly in your first picture. Over-tightening the packing nut can make the stem difficult to turn (but undertightening it will cause a packing leak).


How can I prepare this old exterior wall for painting? I have an old wall in need of a paint. It's in pretty bad shape having been subject to a lot of direct sun and rain. Here are some pics:

How should I prepare the wall for painting to ensure this coat lasts and doesn't peel?

The first step would be to strip off as much of the old paint as possible.  The best way I've found to do this on stucco or concrete is to use a wire brush bit in an electric drill.

Second (and most important), it looks like you have some areas with significant cracks in them, so you'll also want to repair or fill the cracks in order to prevent them from allowing moisture into the stucco. This appears to have been the main contributor to paint failing in the past - note how all of the areas of peeling paint run along the cracks. When the stucco is allowed to absorb moisture, it gradually destroys its bond with the primer.

Finally, use a high quality masonry and stucco primer to ensure a well bonded base coat.


What height of insulation should I use between joists in an MDF floor? Background

I am starting my first serious DIY project - converting our garage into a playroom for the kids.  The garage floor is concrete.

My plan is to run timber (Sawn Kiln Dried Timber (L)3000 x (W)75 x (T)47mm - B&Q) joists across the concrete floor.  Then put down an MDF floor, put down carpet mat and carpet.

Question

I want the room to be warm all year round (we live in Ireland), so I'm going to put insulation between the joists in the floor.  The insulation will be Jablite Flooring Polyboard.  It comes in both 50MM and 75MM.

As my joists are going to be 75MM tall, should I opt for the 50MM or 75MM insulation polyboard and why? (will it make the floor more stable using 75MM, or will it decrease the insulations effect not having an air gap?)

Static air is what gives you the insulation.  If the air is able to move, then it doesn't insulate.  So you want the entire space to be filled with insulating material (which contains small air bubbles within the material) to get the maximum insulation effectiveness.


Green rust on water heater discharge pipe, what cause it? Green rust on water heater discharge pipe, what causes it? The tank is pretty old, almost 20 years.

Copper oxides = Green "rust"
Water causes that, can be aggravated by failure to clean acid flux from soldered fittings, but since yours starts right up by the threads I'd guess you have some "weeping" out the valve and the threads are none too watertight (sloppy workmanship - "just a drain, no need for it to hold water, never going to be used anyway...")
Weeping can be caused by a failing valve, or by a lack of expansion tank combined with a check valve or thing that acts like a check valve (such as a pressure reducing valve or PRV) causing the pressure to rise when the tank is full of cold water, no water is used, and the cold water in the tank is heated and expands.
At 20 years old, have you changed the anode and flushed the bottom regularly, or just let it sit?  You might be reaching end of life, if you have not maintained it. The oxides on the drain line don't indicate one way or the other on that, really, but it's worth thinking about anyway.


Troubleshooting well pump low pressure shutoff The pressure switch controlling my shallow well jet pump has a low pressure shutoff.  For the past couple of months it has been tripping due to low pressure more frequently than I would expect - about every two weeks.

The odd thing is that this happens during periods when there is little or no usage.  I am confident that my system is fairly tight.  We recently had a 12 hour power outage and lost very little pressure over that time.

The pressure switch too is fairly new.  Less than 2 years old.

Any thought about where I can begin trouble shooting this problem?  Should I try opening the well so I can take a look at the foot valve?

I'd start with the easy basics - check the pre-charge pressure in the storage tank .vs. the set pressure on the well pump controller. I'm making the "generally good unless your well setup is very old-fashioned" assumption that you have a bladder or membrane type of tank.

Before checking it, observe the pressure gauge as you run water, and note at what pressure the pump starts running (cuts-in) and stops running (cuts-out.)

Turn off the pump and drain the system. Check the air pressure in the tank - it should be about 2-3 PSI less than the pressure where the pump starts. If it's not, adjust it, so that it is.

If the precharge is too close to the cut-in-pressure, you can run out of water before the pump starts building pressure, and that would cause a low-pressure cut-out, as the pressure will rapidly plummet once the tank is empty.


Proper framing for connecting two deck beams together I'm designing a deck by modifying an existing plan I found. The design features a large triangular projection on the right side, which is supported by a double 2x10 main beam (supported by 3-6x6 posts approx 6'5" apart). There is a secondary beam in the shape of a triangle that is attached to the main beam on the two open ends, with an additional post at the end furthest from the house. My plan is to use a double 2x10 skewed joist hanger to make the connection, however I'm not sure if that is structurally sound or would meet code (Virginia). I wanted to get everything worked out before I go to the plan review.

Thanks!

A skewed joist hanger is the right solution. The key is be sure that the one you choose is robust enough for the intended use. Simpson Strong-Tie, for example, often make similar hangers in several metal gauges and nailing configurations.

When in doubt, go with the heavier one (though your application is fairly light-duty).

Strong-Tie skewed hanger product page
Strong-Tie skewed hanger PDF
(Links for reference only.)


Whirlpool oven gas shuts off one second after turning on Problem:
I have a Whirlpool oven in the US, model WFG540H0ES0 (photo). It's worked fine for the last 3.5 years, but a few weeks ago the oven stopped igniting. When I start the oven in the control panel, the following sequence takes place:

I can hear the gas valve open and gas starts flowing out
The gas valve closes a second later, stopping the flow of gas
Igniter then sparks 4 times, but by that time there is no more gas coming out

Here's a video that demonstrates the issue. I lit a candle next to the vents so you can see gas come out for a split second, but then the gas shuts off before the igniter starts sparking.
Solutions I've tried:

Some Youtube videos online suggested I replace the igniter, so I purchased this replacement online and installed it, but the problem is exactly the same so I know it's not the igniter.
I tested the thermostat by holding a candle to it. It indicates 100°F when the oven is off, and starts climbing when the flame touches it, so I know it works.
I've unplugged it from the wall and plugged it back again, to no avail.

I took some photos:

Oven igniter (Since been replaced with a newer one)
Underside where the drawer usually is (You can see the gas valve leading to the burner tube)
Gas valves from behind the oven (One pipe leads to the broiler, the other to the stovetop range, which works fine)

Questions:

What is the determining part that tells the gas valve to shut off so I can clean or replace it? I know it must have a sensor that automatically shuts off the gas if a flame is not detected (to prevent flooding the house with gas), but where is this sensor? I've scoured the parts list here but I don't see anything that suggest it's a flame sensor.
Does anyone have any solutions to my issue? I already replaced the spark igniter, which didn't work. I'm trying to fix the oven myself because we're in quarantine and don't want to ask a repairman to come into our house.

Have you considered looking at the control board and the computer system behind it? Based on what I have read and seen from what you posted, that may be the issue. I don't know for certain but it sounds like a short circuit in that area. It may have occurred if you have kids. They perhaps may have repeatedly flipped a breaker in the breaker box or it may have occurred during a power outage. It is a $243 part though, and you might want to do more research on that specifically before purchasing this part. I will post a link here if you want to look at that information I read (mainly specs on the part). https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/1vx34izmuz-0022-664/id-w10349742
Have a good day!

New correction: I asked someone who had more experience, and he suggested that you unplug and re-plug the stove many times before considering what I suggested. Electronic systems often will exhibit symptoms such as you explained if their system is fried by a surge. For example: due to several unexpected power outages and resulting surges, our printer started to glitch, our laminator died, an expensive part in our dishwasher failed, and the motherboard in our washer was fried.  Also re-read the above section for edited parts.


Is this a bad Toilet tank refilling Fix I wonder if this is the wrong way to address a toilet that leaks and refills every so often.
I have an American Std 4117A toilet that refills for 5 or so seconds. I think it is leaking around the flapper. It has a fluid-master 400 anti siphon float valve but a 540 flapper with a plastic cup under the flat part that actually sits in the drain hole. I have a broken hip so going out hurts for a replacement. So, I detached the cup (carefully as there are plastic extrusions to keep it where the engineers wanted it, I guess) and dropped a 3 oz fishing sinker in it and reattached it. I tried this in a different way once to rule out the flapper, at least, but it worked in that past instance. I'm just wondering if I am tempting the toilet gods.
Hank

The 540 flapper has had a problem with the white silicone disk on the underside that actually seals the hole.  Some develop bubbles on the surface that prevent a good seal.  I've had some simply fatigue and not maintain the gap between the seal and the body of the flapper that allows it to conform to any irregularities.

They have a 10 year warranty.  Even if you can't prove date of purchase, this is a known manufacturing defect issue, and Fluidmaster has been sending a set of free replacement seals if that is the issue.  They have an online live chat for product support that is an easy way to contact them: https://www.fluidmaster.com/support/

The seal fits in a groove at the base of the dome where you added the weight.  It's stretchy, and you just pull off the old one, then work the new one to the groove and make sure it cleanly embeds in the groove all the way around.


How can I fill wall screw holes so I can reposition the screws? I live in an old 1920's apartment building with thick solid walls and installed an ikea dignitet curtain wire. One side I've realized I've put in wrong and need to redrill two holes in a different position as it's coming loose in one position but I want to ensure that the wall around is solid in case the holes might overlap?

For reference this is what the fitting looks like. This is not mine and what I have put mine into is a solid wall.

I'm not sure what "solid walls" meant in 1920's Germany but I'd guess it is either brick, concrete or building-blocks (aerated or aggregate blocks of varying density).

In general I've never found a way of filling such holes that would prevent a subsequent overlapping use of a masonry-drill from being deflected towards the old hole.

I'd consider

enlarge the hole to include the new position, the fill it so that the drill encounters only homogeneous material.
rotate the fitting 180 degrees.
move it all 1 cm vertically and/or horizontally.
use an intermediate mounting (e.g. a painted wooden plate)
buy a different fitting.


Testing my 2-wire home receptacles with a Southwire model 50020S-A I'm about to put my 1885 Victorian on the market. When I moved in, every receptacle except those in the newly-remodeled kitchen was a "2-prong." There are otherwise no ground wires or armored cable in the house. For convenience, I installed new "3-prong" plugs, ungrounded of course, throughout. I was fully aware of the consequences. (I'm an EE.) I have no doubt that any prospective new owner will have a home inspector come in to check things out. While more of an industrial/factory new build EE, I honestly wasn't aware that replacing the old receptacles with ungrounded 3-prong receptacles broke code. Now I do. I've familiarized myself with NEC 2014, and begun installing AFCI/GFCI breakers in the modern panel. I called Leviton and they sent me a pile of "GFCI Protected" and "No Ground Connected" stickers to place on all of my receptacles. So I think I'm good, right?

On my last trip to Lowe's to get some more breakers, I bought one of those cute little plug-testers -- the one with the GFCI test button -- for about 8 bucks. Yikes! When I plug the tester into any of the receptacles in the circuit for which I've installed the AFCI/GFCI breaker, my initial reading is "Open Ground." (Yay. It works!) But when I press the GFCI test button on the Southwire tester, the AFCI/GFCI breaker does not trip and I get a code for "Hot and Neu Rev." It would seem to me that the Southwire tester's circuitry is attempting to use the ground wire that isn't there to perform this test. Is that true? I remember reading something a while back that the home inspectors' circuit testers don't report GFCI tests properly on 2-wire, ungrounded systems. If that's true, is there a tester that "properly" tests a GFCI on a 2-wire system? (Note: Both the AF and GF test functions work perfectly on the breaker itself.)

I noticed that one of the modern, new-ish GFCIs installed in the updated kitchen also seems to lack a proper ground, and yet when I depress the "test" button on the GFCI it does trip it. But the Southwire's test button does not trip it. Five feet away is a properly-wired GFCI, which reads with my tester that a ground wire is present and this GFCI trips with both its internal "test" button as well as with the test button on the Southwire tester.

In an effort to reduce how many pages long my potential buyer's inspection report will be (peeling exterior paint, ancient furnace, etc.) I'd like to make sure that the wiring is at least up to code standards. If I have to install new 2-prong receptacles, I will, but I'd rather offer something better.

Here are my questions:

Is this Southwire model 50020S-A receptacle tester really that bad that it can't trip a GFCI of any kind without a proper ground wire present?
If the answer to #1 is yes, is the LED indication that the hot and neutral wires are reversed when I depress the "test" button meaningless?
If the answer to #1 is yes, is there a proper receptacle tester that I should be using?

Use the Test Button on the outlet!

"GFCI testers" do indeed rely on a ground to provide a "controlled leak" past the GFCI so that it trips. The test you really need to be doing to test the GFCI protection is pushing the test button on the GFCI itself, as that leaks a bit of current line-hot to load-neutral (or vice versa) and thus trips the GFCI.  Also, the indication you get from the testing device when the button is pushed is indeed no good due to that open ground.


underlayment for laminate flooring: anything to substitute with? Are the any substitutes for underlayment? The reason I'm asking is I have about 1 sq. meter of plywood to cover with underlayment, but I don't want to buy the whole roll. May be there's a way to cut the corners and substitute the underlayment with some vinyl or similar?

I wouldn’t recommend it. The moisture barrier is meant to protect against water and other moisture and the underlayment provides isolation. Not using either of them leaves that part of the floor exposed and will leak heat.

I would recommend just buying the roll of underlayment.


When are energy/water consumption specs important in regards to the price? I am comparing 2 washing machines that have 148 euros difference.
The cheapest one has in the specs:

Annual energy consumption:
174 kWh
Annual water consumption:
10.840 l
Energy efficiency class:
A +++

The more expensive one has in the specs:

Annual energy consumption:
156 kWh
Annual water consumption:
9999 l
Energy efficiency class:
A +++ -20%  (although they did not have the -20% in the label in the store)

My question is: is the most expensive of the two actually cheapest in the long run due to the water/energy consumption and hence the 148 euros difference is not what I should focus on? Or that would matter only in cases of a lot of laundries per week so for all practical purposes both are same?

You have to look at the assumptions they make when determining the annual energy and water consumption. It could be 2 loads of laundry a week, or it could be 2 a day. Without knowing that, you don't know if you do more or less than their assumption, and thus whether you'd use more or less energy / water each year.

For example, in the US, Energy Star washers have a label which indicates (or similar):

  • Estimated operating cost based on six wash loads a week and a national average
   electricity cost of 12 cents per kWh and natural gas cost of $1.09 per therm

So, it makes it very easy to compare the calculated annual energy cost to your expected energy cost, as you can calculate the energy usage per load. You can do the same with water usage.

If you can't find information about the assumptions made, you could use the one given by Energy Star above as a starting point. For example, I pay 10 cents per kWh of electricity and 80 cents per hundred gallons of water. Total difference in operating costs is less than $4 / year, which means it'd take about 40 years for me to break even on the more expensive but more efficient one (148 euros ~ $175).

Even using the washer 10 times as much as what Energy Star considers average (6 loads per week), it'd still take me about 4 years to break even. And, if I'm doing 60 loads of laundry a week, I better get a bigger washer. So, in this case, there is no practical difference in running costs. If you had one washer using 200 kWh per year and another using 500 kWh per year, or if you pay a lot more for electricity / water, then you'd have a more significant difference.


Would Replacing an Existing 3/4" Water Main Line with 1" Improve Overall Volume/Flow to House (GPM) After my own inspection and talking to the utility company I have the following:

The meter (near the road) is 5/8" x 3/4".  From what the water company told me - this is the most commonly installed size service in this area.
There is approximately 180ft of 3/4" PVC and 3/4" PEX coming off the meter to my house where it connects to a 3/4" copper trunk line. (The first 100ft or so is PVC and the rest is PEX that I installed recently to replace a section of galvanized, corroded pipe.)
My hose bibs which are fed from 1/2" branch lines (and before a PRV) measure approximately 5.2 GPM @ 70 PSI (tested with a flow gauge and pressure gauge at the bib w/ no other fixtures in the house being on)

My questions are:

Does 5.2 GPM seem pretty low?  It seems barely adequate to get spray things clean at times.  It barely seems able to feed my pressure washer at times.
Would changing that 180ft main line with 1" improve anything?

I've inquired with the utility about the cost of changing my meter to 1" as well.  That would be pretty costly but not crazy (around $2k).

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I would assume there's a pressure regulator somewhere after the meter mounted on your house ?

Loosening the locknut(s) and turning the adjustment clockwise will increase that flow.. You might not have to go thru all this, if your place has a pressure regulator.


Minimum slope for rolled asphalt roof Have a overhang / leantoo built off the garage that was never completed and covered with a tarp. I've stripped the rotten plywood off and have new OSB to install. The slope is 5" in a 12' run. A fraction more than 1/4" per 1'. My thought is to install a layer of felt paper then rolled asphalt nailed at the top edge and adhesive along the bottom??

I don't think what you are proposing will work. Asphalt rolled roofing is NOT waterproof. Sealing at the joints and eave will stop wind blown rain, but standing water will saturate the paper and it will leak. (The paper is not UV resistant either.)

I wouldn't use a "peel and stick" membrane either, like Grace "Ice and Water Shield", because they can only be used on slopes down to 2:12. (...plus they have no UV protection.)

I'd use an PVC membrane. I would not use an EPDM membrane. The main difference is that EPDM's seams are chemically sealed and PVC seams are heat welded together. The EPDM seams can breakdown over time.

...but back to your question, No, I would not use roll roofing sealed with mastic.


Should siding be replaced or can it be repaired? we are considering purchasing a 32 year old home that has regular wood siding on much of the second story. It has been patched in places but from the eye looks nice. It was painted most recently 8 - 10 years ago. During our engineers inspection he found some rot and they are willing to patch again but we feel like it should all be replaced. How long should siding last on a home? (generally) We would consider Hardy Plank but would also consider good quality wood as well. We can't get a price quote on either as we don't own the home but would consider a monetary compensation from the seller so we could do the work after we closed on the house. If the patch job is done, can we assume that we'd be good to go for a while or should we really insist that some sort of new siding be put up there...........

First off, never assume anything. You should take some pictures and know the basic dimensions of the house. You could talk with some local contractors, armed with pics and dimensions and get some ballpark prices.  New siding on an existing building can go $250 to $400 a square (10ft X 10ft), removal and replace.

Just because your inspector found some rot, don't expect the sellers to discount for an entire siding job. You can try for what ever you think you can get, but I bet your offer to buy contingencies won't cover that. Unless the inspector committed and said the siding was unserviceable, you will need to negotiate.

Wood siding can last 100 years if well maintained, but I have seen 20 year old siding that was junk.  The type of wood, whether the wood was back primed when installed, and how often it was stained or painted will make a huge difference.

Although this is not in a pure sense a home improvement question, I could not stand to not answer this one. I am a home inspector and these questions come up all the time with my customers.


Where can I find a reversible 1HP motor compatible with my home outlet? Project
I want to create a storage rack in my garage that can be raised and lowered to the floor. I'm not sure how to properly spec the motor for the project.
Criteria
I've come up with the following criteria:

Must be capable of raising 250kg 3 meters in 30 seconds.
Energy: (250*3*9.81=7358Joules). Power: (7358Joules/30seconds = 246Watts ~= 1/3Hp)
Must be reversible (I would like to engage the motor with a rocker switch in the forward and reverse directions)
Must be compatible with home power ~110V (60hz)

Question
Where can I find such a motor? I'm really inexperienced when it comes to AC motors and would appreciate guidance (number of phases, whether it's reversible, whether it will work with my home power).
Motors that I've found but I'm unsure about

AC motor mtr2-p50-1ab18 I think fits my criteria, but I'm worried that I can't reverse the motor because it's an AC motor.
Here is a catalog of motors that appear to be suitable, but I'd like to hear other opinions.

I think what your looking for is a hoist.  There are manual pulley versions for under $30 and electric 1/2hp and up running on 120v ac starting around $100.  They come with the switch you spoke of already.  You might check the Chinese freight stores that receive their goods at the harbor. . (Not an endorsement).   I start many of my projects there and modify as needed. Often many mods are needed just to meet intended use, but the hoists seem pretty straightforward.


Will cutting PVC pipe with a miter saw dull the blade? I want to cut some 3" PVC with my miter saw and I'm wondering if this would dull my blade. I think its a 60 or 80 tooth Diablo blade.

Absolutely not!!  Go for it, but hang on tight to the pipe, it has a tenancy to roll in a chop saw.


Stone compaction on placement Good morning,

I'm currently working on a crew installing 18" RCP storm sewer and our company is back filling the trench with uncompacted #8 stone. I've mentioned the fact that there will be future settling without compaction. What is the percentage of compaction for #8 stone on placement without compaction? Thanks for your time.

Tim

You are correct, compaction is very important in order to control future settlement.

Generally, we require a minimum of 95% compaction under a “Proctor” test that governs moisture content, maximum of 6” depth lifts, etc.

Remember, compaction is not just weight...vibration is important too.

So, to answer your question, if gravel is dumped at approximately 80% compaction, then there’s a difference of about 15% settlement. (This is highly dependent on the type of gravel, manner in which the gravel is deposited, etc. )

Here is an article that explains it:
https://www.multiquip.com/multiquip/pdfs/Soil_Compaction_Handbook_low_res_0212_DataId_59525_Version_1.pdf


Should outdoor deck gazebos or grills be grounded? We recently put up a put up a gazebo on the deck of our condo unit to provide some much needed shade. The gazebo is 10'x12' and the deck is 12'x16'. The frame is light gauge hollow steel thats powder-coated. The frame slants up from the sides to a small canopy for ventilation. The top is water resistant and flame retardant.

Shortly after putting it up we got some strong thunderstorms and I wondered if this steel frame (comes to a point about 9' high) sitting on a wooden deck would be attractive to lightning? Also I realized that we have a mostly stainless steel grill on casters and attached to a natural gas line  that runs out of the basement. The line in some type of heavy rubber or plastic tubing. Don't know if it's flexible metal on the inside. A Gas Co. guy came out and checked and approved the connection, but didn't mention anything about grounding it.

So the question is should either or both be grounded and how should it be done? We do have some tall trees about 15-20' from the deck. Maybe they would be more likely to be struck and i am over-reacting?

If lighting hits an ungrounded metal structure, it will usually branch out at the bottom of the structure, following multiple paths between the structure and the ground.  Some of those paths may be horizontal for a considerable distance.
 It will burn, explode, and/or electrocute anything in the way.  Grounding a metal structure makes it safer.

However, surviving a direct lightning strike takes a lot more than just a single copper rod in the ground.  To do it right, you'll need a soil analysis and a network of grounding rods that are bonded together.  I think a better idea is to stay away from the gazebo (and the deck for that matter) when there's lightning in the area.


Industrial 3-phase.wiring I have 480 volts 3-phase from main service to a step down transformer--120 V, 208 V 3-phase on a single circuit: black, white, ground. I have 120 V from black to white wire with breaker in on position, in off position 0 V.  Black to ground 120 V  breaker on breaker off, 0 voltage from white to ground 90 volts. Do I have a bad or no neutral coming out of the transformer?

Fix your Grounding Electrode System or Neutral-Ground Bond

You need to have ground rods or a tie to an UFER ground set in your concrete.  From there you should have copper wires (typically bare) to your panel. It's not unheard of for those to be stolen.

From your main panel chassis you should have a bond connecting ground to neutral.  Remember that the first panel fed by a transformer's output is a main panel! This is easy to overlook.

Also easy to overlook in commercial work is grounding generally, since the metal conduit does all of that for you.  You don't need to worry about it on branch circuits, but it makes the neutral-ground bond easy to overlook.


Is it possible to wire an electric radiant floor as a heat pump in my Nest thermostat? I have a standard gas furnace, but recently installed an electric radiant floor in one room. I have a transformer at the electric floor and a regular low voltage thermostat wire to my Nest thermostat.

I can wire the floor wire into the Nest as an 'auxilary' heat, and specify that it is electric radiant, and both heat sources work as expected. However, what I really want is for the floor to kick-in when not at a higher temperature than the gas furnace does, so the floor can be warm even if the gas furnace is not required to heat above its separate temperature.

I believe this is the entire purpose of a heat-pump (to turn on and heat at moderately low outside temperatures, but use additional heat sources when required). The Nest supports wiring for heat-pumps. What if I just wired the electric floor as a heat-pump and told the Nest that's what it was? Are the signaling voltages any different?

Just remembered that I never circled back here.

I was able to get this behavior by wiring the floor as "Stage 1" heating and the main furnace as "Stage 2". To do this, the white wire from the floor heat goes to "W1" and the white wire from the main furnace goes to "W2/Aux". My "common" floor (green in my case, but not well standardized) wire went to "C" (optional) and my green furnace fan wire went to "G".

And the red wires? This was tricky. Normally the Rh and Rc terminals are short-circuited but the Nest manual says that the Nest does this automatically. However, all combinations of the furnace and floor red wires to either/both of Rh and/or Rc didn't work until I manually connected the two to a single red wire and connected that to Rh.

Final wiring:

Now, when the Nest needs to increase the temperature a few degrees it will only activate Stage 1 (the radiant floor), but when it needs to raise the temperature a lot (like in the morning or when it's very cold out) both Stage 1 (floor) and Stage 2 (furnace) activate.


Plywood, MDF or Chipboard for painted bookshelves? I am starting to plan some built-in bookshelves that will be painted with mat or eggshell paint.

The fronts of the shelves and upright will be moulded maybe with a router or softwood mouldings glued on.    We have not yet decided if the shelves will be fixed, or adjustable using an inset bookcase strip.

The two areas of concern I have are:

I don’t wish the shelves to slag under the weight of the books.
I want a good paint finish.

MDF gives me the good finish and the option to router edges; however is it stiff enough for book shelves?

Chipboard is a cheap option, but can I router slots in it for the bookcase strip?

Is it possible to get a good paint finish on plywood without spending a long time sanding it?

How much the shelves will sag depends not only on the materials you use, but also whether or not the shelves are fixed, whether there's a hardwood strip along the length, and how they are attached.  The magic number to watch out for is 1/32" (about 0.8 mm) of sag per foot.

MDF is incredibly heavy - your bookshelves will weigh a ton if you construct them entirely from it.  Further, they will sag under their own weight if the span is wide enough, so be cautious if you intend to make the shelves wide without additional support.  You might consider attaching hardwood edge strips or building a small torsion box frame beneath each shelf if you intend to have wide spans.  This, of course, is bulky and unsightly.

That said, MDF does rout and paint incredibly well if that's more important to you and your design doesn't call for wide, unsupported expanses.  However, tight-grained, close-pored hardwoods also paint well.  If you can find Poplar or Maple veneered plywood (all of my local home centers carry both), that should work pretty well.  You can also fill the pores of open-pored woods to make them accept paint better.

As for the edges of plywood, a common technique is to attach a hardwood strip because it allows for routing without all the ply layers showing through, and it adds quite a bit of load bearing capacity.  Also, you shouldn't have problems with plywood warping if it's kept in a relatively dry area, especially in a climate-controlled area like inside your house.  And if you go all out and get high-quality plywood from a lumber yard rather than a home center, it's often even more stable due to a greater number of plies and less voids/gaps.

I wouldn't even go near chipboard.  I'll admit a little bias because all of the manufactured furniture I've ever owned made from chipboard either sagged, chipped, or buckled under stress (in a matter of 2-3 years, in most cases).

Check out http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm if you get a chance.  You can play with various materials, edging strips, whether or not the shelf is fixed or floating, and so on.  It also has great tips to watch out for.


subpanel location - proximity to in-wall heater and other junctions We have a subpanel in the upstairs hallway. Other side of wall is bedroom. We need to install an in-wall heater (cadet), outlet, and wall light in the bedroom on that same wall.
I know about the 30" and 36" clearance rule, but this is more about have electrical boxes close to the subpanel. Is it ok to have the inwall heater in the same bay as the subpanel? If not, how far away should everything (especially the heater) be?

You're fine, as long as you don't cook the subpanel that is

The clearance rules for electrical equipment (NEC 110.26(A)) start at the front of the electrical equipment and extend out from there, as they're intended to provide the electrician with enough space to work on it without having to perform a contortionist act.  This means that having the subpanel share a stud bay with other stuff is fine.

You do have to make sure that the in-wall heater doesn't raise the subpanel above about 40°C though, otherwise the ampacity of the breakers needs to be derated to prevent false tripping due to excessive heat.  If the heater is trying to overheat the subpanel, sticking a rockwool batt into the stud bay between the heater and the subpanel should solve the problem and obviate the need for breaker derating.


To maximize heat in winter, should I remove my window quilt during the day? Let's say it's -5 deg C outside and I'm inside a building with a moderately efficient window and a window quilt. Will I stay warmer if I take the window quilt down during the day and put it back up at night, or if I leave the window quilt up all day?
What factors affect this?
Does the answer change if I have a second window that is always "unquilted"?

If you ask this question it probably means that the structure is thermally insufficient, and thus the existing heat leaks dwarf any gains from playing with window coverings that only modify solar heating - unless you have lots of windows and lots of Southern exposure.
In my experience, when such questions get asked things are pretty bad, and the only actions to be done on the building that will really change things appreciably are: investigate how to improve the thermal efficiency of the building if you own it (including window, wall insulation, trees to shield from wind, etc.), or move if you rent. Everything else probably takes more resources to just talk about than any savings you'll get, although for sure there can be plenty of placebo effect.
The one thing that will actually make the biggest difference right this very moment is to wear warmer clothes indoors and let the temperature of the room be lower. It literally has the highest cost-to-benefit ratio that you can get in cold interiors, and thus must be investigated first. That's the only way to save significant amounts of energy and to improve your winter comfort by a lot in thermally insufficient buildings if moving or altering the building is not an option. You can always set the thermostat higher if you are OK with the added expense.


How should I replace this ABS p-trap and drain? I just replaced a faucet and drain on a sink which involved taking out and reinstalling the p-trap. When removing the p-trap I noticed the union nut was very tight. After my re-installation - hand tight - it leaked. Adding a bit of pipe dope and tightening a bit more with a wrench I heard some subtle creaking/(cracking?) and it's still leaking slowly. I'm assuming something may have cracked and I'm ok with replacing it if necessary, but some questions:

How do I know if something cracked and needs replacing?
Should I replace just the p-trap side of the drain with the union nut or cut away and replace the connector on the wall side as well?
If replacing the connector on the wall side, what parts should I use and how should I do the install? I dislike the way that things are cemented since it means cutting a little more pipe each time I need to do a replacement.

You probably won't be able to replace just half of that trap as different manufacturers use different threaded connections at the union. Assuming the "lock ring" you referred to is the union nut (the large nut connecting the two halves of the trap), hand tight is not enough so tightening it carefully with a tool was appropriate. Unfortunately it is common for the nut to crack, causing a leak at the union.

I would cut the black horizontal ABS pipe downstream of the trap and replace the trap with an adjustable P-Trap. This will require a glue joint, but will leave you in a much better position for future repair or replacement when necessary. Use only ABS cement.

Remember, hand tight is not enough. Use adjustable pliers to tighten (but not over tighten) all slip-joint fittings.


Slight draft felt from window jamb I put my fingers toward the window jamb and feel a slight draft of cold air coming from the silver-colored metal rail that the lower sash slides on (See picture).

By holding a piece of cardstock at the corner between the upper sash and that rail and putting my hand on either side of it, I've determined the cold air is coming from the silver rail area, as opposed to from between the upper sash and the jamb. The window sashes have some fuzzy weatherstripping between the sash and jamb.

So it feels like air is infiltrating through the side of the window. Why would this happen, and is there anything that could be done? I have several windows, and they are all similar.

Note, in learning about window anatomy, I've observed that "rail" refers to the top of a window sash. But here, by rail, I mean the silver metal pictured upon which the window sash slides. I don't know what it's called. Maybe channel is the correct term?

Apartment buildings are notorious for poor weatherproofing - especially around windows. If there is a gap that cold air is passing through you can seal it with a can of spray insulating foam. Better yet have the apartment super do it for you.
But the heat loss is probably the result of poor weatherizing. Those metal windows are heat bridges conducting heat out of your apartment. In an apartment you have no option to upgrade windows so the best answer is warm window covers (blinds or curtains) that can seal around the window and reduce your heat loss. They can be costly but at least you'll be comfy and reduce your energy costs. However, if this is just a short term rental, anything that has reasonable insulating properties that you can hang or tape over the window should help. Otherwise, wear a heavy sweater.


Do joints in adjustable duct elbows need to be taped? Do the joints in adjustable duct elbows need to be taped as well once they're adjusted or are they considered air-tight?

Do the joints in adjustable duct elbows need to be taped as well once they're adjusted

Yes, they do.

  or are they considered air-tight?

No, they are not.  Far from it, in fact.

You want to tape every seam in your ductwork, using (as Shirlock pointed out) foil tape.  Each exposed seam, whether it's at a connection or part of pre-formed metal like the elbow in question, is a leak point.

Do NOT use Duct or Duck tape as the backing for it degrades over time, faster with heat.

Edit: Even though this is for a bathroom fan, you still want to tape.  Why?  Because air leakage is moisture leakage, and you do not want to be pumping moisture into your attic.  In winter it will lead to frost which will lead to mold.


Construction defect in basement slab under stairs in crawl space-how do I fix this issue "The winter is coming" , so I started bringing in the items that are not supposed to stay outside during the cold season. Today I removed some materials that where sitting in the crawl space under the stairs to the basement and to my surprise I discovered the below

Here is a general view of the area with the issues detailed below

 It appears that the builder left an opening in the floor slab when they poured the concrete and then it was masked it with a 2x4 and some more cement added in place but not everywhere. The opening goes along the line marked in the schematic representation at the end of the post, it is like a quarter of an inch wide.
The white matter that you see there is dust from the drywall that deposited on the floor in that area as the time passed, not sure why.

This is a zoom in for ❶

❷ is where you can see that the opening was left there, it is not a crack. It rather seems to be a construction error or defect that was covered up

This is a zoom in for ❸, here you can see that the cover up is cracked

❹ is there just to indicate a spot where you can see that the wood was stained or oiled with something, that is not mold

Here is how it is built. As you can see they put two 2x4 on top of each other.
I guess I will have to use adjustable posts to support the floor while I am removing those vertical and horizontal 2x4.

My question is more about the floor, what would be the procedure to clean the place and pour concrete there an make sure it does not crack again
Update: I would alos consider suggestions regarding ways to just clean and seal the cavity with some foam or other materials, I do not insist to pour concrete there

You cannot "make sure it does not crack again", all you can do is your best effort and hope it does not. I believe a concrete expert would tell you to drill into the sides of the existing slab and epoxy reinforcing bar stock in to "tie-in/pin" your patch to the existing slab.


How to build disassemblable structure? I'd like to build a largish (6' x 7' x 4') structure that can be assembled and disassembled on-site with only hand tools. I'm thinking about things like insert nuts, cam lock nuts, mortise/tenon joints locked in by Ikea-style nut sleeves. But generally, I can't tell whether "disassemblable" just means "not sturdy" or "will only last for one or two assemblies."

Is this a realistic goal? Are there fittings that fit this bill, or do I have to choose between permanent and not sturdy?

I mean the question generally, but right now I'm thinking about the various joints needed for the structure below (loft platform for king sized bed, basically slats on joists on 4x4s):

Before you consider the attachment mechanisms, you need to consider the structural design. There is a problem with the current version if it is intended to be load bearing.

A structure that is basically a vertical parallelogram is inherently unstable. The joints serve as pivot points and the top of the structure can effectively slide sideways and collapse.

A standard approach is to create a triangulation that prevents a sideways shift. This can be done with narrow structural members set on an angle or with a side panel attached at multple points or rigid attachment to at least two walls (or a combination of these items). Any of these techniques can prevents side shift.

In your design, you really need at least two non-opposite sides with this bracing, and preferably all four sides.

Once you do that, there are numerous techniques for attachment. A relatively easy one is the use of t-nuts

Bolt holes are drilled through two members, a t-nut is placed on one side of the hole and a bolt and washer on the other. The t-nut is embedded in the wood and the bolt can be removed with a simple wrench.


Should sink overflow be full of water? I had one of those bowl sinks fitted about a year ago, by a proper bathroom fitter (through Wickes). It was This One
I was cleaning it the other day and I took the overflow cover off and found that the water level is right up just below the hole.
Is that normal?
Edit - attaching second image. I'm guessing the marked bit is where the overflow might attach?

Is that normal?

NO, It should not be full of water. It's purpose is to drain water that flows into it so water does not spill over the top of the sink and on the floor.
There is channel that the overflow water flows through to an opening in the drain. (If the proper drain with an opening was installed, some are not designed for an overflow).  If the installer used plumbers putty it is possible that the openings got clogged.
If you take the stopper out you should be able see the opening on the side of drain hole and possibly see if the hole is obstructed.


Gravel patches in concrete after sanding We recently sanded our concrete  in our garage to prepare for a reseal. These gravel patches came up randomly throughout the space. How do we fix this before resealing?

This doesn't need fixing, it's entirely cosmetic.

Your options are

ignore it, it's harmless.
re-sand the floor so the agregate shows through everywhere. some people like this textured look.
cover the floor with leveling compound. you'll get the old uniform grey colour.
use an opaque sealer. the sealer can be tinted to any colour you want.


Paint and Application Method for Stair Risers I'm getting ready to install pre-finished hardwood on  the treads of a staircase that was previously carpeted. Rather than installing the hardwood on the risers as well, I'm planning to install white, painted boards. I intend to paint the boards before I install them, and I'm just looking for some advice on the type of paint to use and how I should apply it, as I've struggled to get good results painting trim and doors in the past. I've always used water-based semi-gloss paint, and recently I've started adding floetrol, which has helped some with brush marks, but I still haven't been able to get the kind of results I would like.

I would really like to avoid brush marks on these treads if I can help it, and I'd also like to go with a really tough paint that won't scuff easily and that will clean up well. So should I go with an oil-based paint? I gather that spraying is probably the best way to paint these, but I don't have a paint sprayer. Any suggestions to work around that? Or should I just suck it up and buy a sprayer? Any tips, tricks, or suggestions are appreciated.

My recommendation is a gloss cabinet paint with a good paint brush.

We painted our stairs(after filling in the nail holes) with this type of paint. Put a carpet runner on. Now it looks like a staircase from a design magazine.


No electricity to half the house Half of my house does not have any electricity even thou nothing has been plugged it to the outlets on that side of the house. What can I do to fix it.
Thank You
Terro

Assuming you are in North America, this probably indicates as problem in the main circuit breaker. Basically, you have two legs of 120V each with opposite phase so that when used together, you get 240V. Half of your 120V circuits are on one leg, the rest are on the other and 240V circuits (stove, furnace, etc.) are on both.

Probably one half of the main breaker isn't conducting. Try turning the main breaker off and on a few times to see if you can make it work.

Even if you get it working, you need to call an electrician to replace it.


my house has old warped joists. Is joist blocking safe? I purchased a house built in 1960 and like other people have mentioned the terrible bounce, I got the same exact situation.
I'm thinking of installing blocking to strengthen the floor.
The 7 joists are spaced 14½
However, since they're all buckled at the lower part of the joist, ranging from 14⅛ - 14⅞
I wanted to know if it's safe to wedge between 14½ blocks forcing them to move back that extra space.
(see below picture)
I also so wanted to know if this load sharing would cause to much weight on other parts of  floor beams.

I would sister several of the joists, then add solid blocking in each span. The blocking might not be critical, but the ceiling is now open so why not? Solid blocking does not need strapping across the bottom.
Look closely where the joists meet the load-bearing wall at each end. A 2x6 ledger might give extra assurance. Look at the rest of the floor structure for any splits, sags, movement, etc.


How to test for mold in basement? The air quality in my basement is unpleasant. I don't know if I have mold. How to test for it? How is the smell of mold?

I know that we had a water problem in the basement, the walls were cracked so every rainy day, we had humidity and water in the basement. But I have never seen signs of mold. How to check for mold?

If you've had problems with water damage in your basement before, there is a really good chance that you have mold. The downside is, it can be hard to detect mold on your own since it can grown within the walls or under carpet. You can buy a mold test kit from somewhere like Home Depot to check on your own. I would probably start there if I were you and if you see you have a problem, then I would probably call a professional. Especially if you've noticed a decrease in air quality in your basement.


several outlets dont work on same circuit I tested my outlet and only had 85 volts on the black side and 24 volts on the white side why? There are several outlets on the same circuit that don't work with the same readings.I checked power in the panel bos it reads 120 volts at the black wire and the white wire reads none .

You have a bad connection somewhere in the circuit. You'll have to pull apart the various junctions (outlets, switches, and fixtures) on this circuit to isolate the issue.

With the power turned off, disconnect the circuit somewhere that you suspect the issue to be located (unhook the load wires that go to the next junction). Outlets on the load side of that junction won't have any voltage when you turn the power back on. If the junction your testing had a low voltage issue, then you know that the issue isn't with any outlets that have no power with the load side disconnected. And if the junction your testing had the proper voltage, then the problem won't be with any junctions that still have power with the load side disconnected. Use this process of elimination to quickly narrow down which junctions could have a faulty connection.

You're simply trying to narrow down the problem in this chain, so here's an example:

breaker ---1---2---3---4X---5---6---7---

In the above, the numbers are your junctions on the circuit, and the X is your fault. Then:

3 won't have any voltage issues and if you disconnect it, 1 and 2 will still be live so they're eliminated and you'll know the problem is with junctions 3 through 7.
5 will have issues and if you disconnect it, 6 and 7 will lose power, so now you know that 6 and 7 are eliminated and the issue is with junctions 3 through 5.
assume 4 doesn't have issues, and when you disconnect it, you see 5 lose power. Now you know that 3 is not an issue and your left with the wire between 4 and 5 or in one of those junction boxes.

The trick is that your junctions won't be numbered, so you just have to keep track of what works and what doesn't with each test. A sensitive non-contact voltage tester or stud finder with voltage sensitivity can help with tracing the circuit to find the most likely places for the bad connection.

As Tester101 would say, if you're at all uncertain, this is a good point for an electrician to help. One bad connection could indicate a lot of other issues from poor workmanship, and these issues are potential fire or electrocution hazards.


Critter dug gravel out from under my barn's cement slab I live in the country and have a pole barn with a cement floor.
A critter of some sort has dug a burrow in the dirt under the outside of the barn and pulled out a couple of wheel barrows full of the gravel that supports the concrete floor. The entrance he dug out under the slab is at ground level and only about 12 inches wide.
I am sure the critter is gone now but I have no idea of how to get all that gravel back under the concrete slab.
I don't have any equipment like a backhoe, dozer, bobcat etc. Only hand emplements.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Trent.

Unless you have concentrated loads there (commercial vehicle traffic, etc.), don't worry about it. Shovel what you can back in and be happy (assuming that you can plainly see the extent of the excavation).

If it's a concern, Try using some 2-3" pipe or flex tubing. Fill it with coarse sand or fine gravel. Slide the pipe into the end of the hole, then use a pole of slightly smaller diameter to push the material out as you slowly retract the pipe. Use the pole to compact the soil as you work your way out.


How to tell if carpet is destroyed after a flood? The other day ago a water line going to an exterior faucet exploded in the wall and flooded my finished basement.  The water level was around 1"-2" high and we imagine the water was running for at-least 16 hours.  We do live on a hill and the basement only has one wall exposed to the outside and the remaining three walls are underground.  That said, since this is a basement and the room stays at a cool temp should we replace the carpet?  We already pulled up the padding and vacuumed up the water.  Is there any pre-treating we can do?

The "usual" flood involves dirty water, either exterior or sewage. There, I'd agree that the carpet is toast.

Where you have basically rinsed the carpet for 16 hours with clean potable water, I think you have an excellent chance of drying it out and being fine. If the outside faucet pipe froze, you are presumably heating, which means the air inside will be dry, on the whole. Add in a lot of fans and dehumidifiers, and it might well dry out fine. You are describing a one-time event, not a leaky basement that's wet all the time.

On the third hand, carpet is relatively inexpensive. And on the fourth hand, will insurance be involved? They might have an opinion, if so.


Does lamp maximum wattage matter for CF bulbs? Say I have a table lamp that states (via a slightly scary sticker) that it takes a 60W max bulb.  Of course, that was based around incandescent wattages.

Is there any risk with putting in a CF bulb with a higher brightness but lower wattage?  e.g. if I put a 23W CF (which is a 100W incandescent substitute) into this lamp?

Does anything matter besides wattage here?

No, the wattage is based on heat dissipation, so as long as the actual wattage of the bulb you are putting in is less, you're good to go.


Wire reqs for a 40 amp circuit I have read that I should use 8 gauge wire for a 40 amp circuit.  If I had extra 12 gauge wire from a 20 amp circuit, could I simply use two lines of 12 gauge wire instead?

You should not even think of attempting to wire a 40A circuit with two 12 AWG (20A) parallel conductors. If you did this and then by chance one of the 12 AWG conductors failed to an open circuit for some reason you would have a serious overload condition possible on the other lone conductor. That conductor could very well overheat and cause a fire when the circuit is still backed up with a 40A breaker.


USA equivalent of European Lot 20 portable heater efficiency standard? Lot 20 is a directive from the EU which relates to heating -  all space heaters now have to comply with a minimum energy efficiency standard to reduce their consumption and emissions. Lot 20 is aimed at reducing energy being used by home heating products. I'm trying to find out if there is any equivalent directive in the USA as I have to write an article about it for an American client. Can anyone help?

I'm not aware of any laws in regards to energy consumption of space heaters and Google couldn't quickly find any. I'm not sure about the EU but energy laws in the US are determined by federal, state and local governments so you'll need to make sure you do research for wherever your client is. The US does have a Energy Star program which rates products energy use so consumers know how much energy it uses and they can compare products. This is a voluntary program but I couldn't tell you the last time I bought a appliance and it didn't have a Energy Star label on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Star


What flushmate unit will fit my kohler toilets? My Kohler toilets have tank number K-4634-AA. I think it is a discontinued model in the Cimarron family. I want to install a flushmate on one toilet to see if the bowl cleans better when flushing. I'm unable to determine what flushmate model to purchase. The flushmate site is not straightforward. One site I visited mentioned a flushmate model for all two-piece toilets, with a couple of exceptions. I need advice on this. If possible I would like to order something online today.

These are the Kohler models that a Flushmate will fit:

Kohler
Worldwide
BARRINGTON™ PRESSURE LITE®  K-3578  Two-Piece   Elongated Raised Rim    Floor Mount, Rear Outlet

Kohler
Worldwide
HIGHLINE® PRESSURE LITE®    K-3519  Two-Piece   Elongated Raised Rim    Floor Mount, Floor Outlet

Kohler
Worldwide
SAN RAPHAEL™ COMFORT HEIGHT™ PRESSURE LITE® K-3597  One-Piece   Elongated Raised Rim    Floor Mount, Floor Outlet

Kohler
Worldwide
WELLWORTH® PRESSURE LITE®


How should I paint a door different colors on each side? I want to paint a door different colors on each side.
How should I paint the edges?
Should I try a tapeline straight down the middle of the edge? Should I paint the edges the same color as the side opposite the stop?
Is there a common industry standard practice?

Paint the edges the color of the side it opens.


Can you create wood conditioner from DIY wood sealant? I'm working on staining an old bookshelf, and I've worked on creating my own DIY wood stain and sealant (save money + no VOCs + Feels good). I created my own wood stain already by using steel wool and vinegar and I'm now working on the sealant/conditioner. I'm planning to go with this recipe (Canola oil and vinegar).

My problem is the pre-stain conditioner. I'm working with a wood that blotches (I found out the hard way). I've seen that you can thin out regular wood sealants with a variety of substances.

I have a few ideas and I wonder if someone more experienced could tell me the best way to get a good wood conditioner. Should I:

Gently apply a low amount of the oil/vinegar sealant than I would for the finishing seal?
Adjust the ratio of oil-to-vinegar to make it a more suitable conditioner? It's current 3:1 oil-to-vinegar, with oil being more of a conditioner and vinegar being for stain removal (Source)
Add water to the mixture to dilute it? Something else maybe?

I've experimented with oiling wood (for a few years, about ten years ago) and I've never seen oil make the wood rancid (I know wikipedia says it does), but if it's a concern use mineral oil (which won't become rancid). The real drawback is that any-old-oil only yields a temporarily wet look (for a few months). Using an oil based varnish will allow the wood to appear like it has been freshly oiled in a permanent way. I've experimented with several drying oils and shellacs. Incidentally, (true) shellac is a natural substance obtained from the lac bug. For furniture, shellac is kind of a nice sealant.

You can thin oil with paint thinner, but that totally defeats the no VOCs. Also, the wood will absorb the oil after a while and the wood will look dry again even if you cover it with (a water based) varnish. Using blown or boiled linseed or tung oil will make the oil form something closer to an epoxy like resin (in a crude/primitive kind of way).

Siccatives are used for drying oils (chemistry becoming more modern). When I was a kid I used to see japan drier everywhere... I think it's a relic now (look in an art store or get it online). Anyway, something like that is what I would use with (raw) canola (to help it "dry" and make the finish last longer). The funny thing about driers is that they keep it looking wet longer.

The final word: experiment with wood blanks.


Best way to make wiring to outbuilding legal I'm fixing some wiring in an older house and I believe the wiring to the outbuilding is not legal.  I would like to correct it if possible, but will bring in a professional if necessary.

The current wiring is set up with 10-2 plus ground coming from a 30A breaker on the electrical box.  It runs up the weather head where it is spliced to 6 gauge stranded overhead style wire with 2 blacks and a braided, unshielded ground.  At the garage, it comes into the box and the unshielded ground is attached to the neutral bar, the hot is connected to the hot side of the box with a jumper to what should be the second leg of 240.  The second black wire which is actually the neutral at the house is capped and the ground for the garage is an earth ground at the garage.  Ground and neutral are not bonded at the box at least.

The handyman doing work on the house said to just throw a 240V 30A breaker into the house's box, disconnect the neutral (that is currently capped at the garage's box) and connect that wire to the new breaker then make the necessary fixes on the box in the garage.  Assuming I mark the white wire to indicate it is hot, the garage would now have 2 legs of hot with neutral from the house along with earth ground at the garage.  Would this be a legal fix?

Edit to add requested photos:

Wiring in outbuilding box showing the capped neutral

This shows how the 10-2 is attached to the outside wire

Oh my gosh! It sounds like you have a 120volt sub-panel if both the hot leads are jumpered.  That's an OK practice for ppl that don't need a lot of power or 240 in the sub-panel.

Did you really say the "other black" is really the neutral and "capped off"?   That means the ground is being used for the neutral, very dangerous and very illegal.

The good news is this isn't hard to fix.  You should:

1)  Turn off power to the sub-panel NOW.

2)  remove from the neutral and connect the bare, unshielded ground to the ground bar.

3)  Connect the neutral to the neutral buss bar (be sure to code-tape it with white tape), make sure the neutral is indeed connected to your neutral buss bar in your main panel.

4)  Make sure the neutral and ground are isolated.

Assumptions:  that your 30-amp breaker is a single pole breaker, or that only one pole is connected.

Alternative:  If you want 240 in your shop, you'll need to run another wire for the neutral, remove the jumper between the 2 hots in the sub-panel and connect the wires properly, You may also have to swap out the 30 amp breaker for a double pole one, depending upon what you have now.

Your "handyman" missed a typical issue with sub-panels, you are required to have a neutral back to the main panel.  You won't have that if you go 240v unless you add another wire from the house to the shed.   You would have a separate neutral and ground if you stayed at 120 and made the other changes.

You are right, this is monkeyed up and congrats for realizing it and fixing it.


Fluorescent light wont work after replacing starter and bulb I have 2 single bulb fluorescent lights that do not turn on after replacing the bulb and starter.  What else could be preventing the light from turning on?  ANy advice on what should I check? Thanks

There is also a ballast that can go bad. try turning off the power and removing the starter, then clean the contacts for the bulbs. sometimes there is corrosion or oxide buildup stopping the flow of electricity. However most newer lights no longer have starters it's built into the ballast, So I'm guessing this is an older fixture and that makes the probability of a bad ballast much higher. be aware that the starter can contain high voltages like a capacitor. do not attempt cleaning without removing the starter and turning off the power.


How can I block off a doorway with studwork on a brick wall? I'm blocking up a doorway in a brick wall. I've decided to block it up using a stud wall as that should be a bit easier than bricking it up.

I know that the bricks are 11cm depth plus approx 2cm plaster on either side so totaling around 15cm

The stud work would be 10cm depth plus approx 1cm plasterboard either side totaling around 12cm

How will I ensure that the stud work and plasterboard end up being the same thickness as the plastered brickwork?

Add shim strips on the face of the stud wall that add up to 3cm.  A bit less is usually better, and then you makeup any deficit with mud (joint compound). Since this is a lot of material, you might just place the shims at regular intervals, such that you can screw through them to attach your plasterboard.

I like to glue and pneumatically nail such strips with 18 ga or thinner brads..

On another tack..
What about splitting the stud wall in two, make each 5cm thick, attach the top-bottom and sides to the original frame and leave a 3cm air gap between.


Replacing drywall on ceiling after a small flood A laundry washer located upstairs, right above the basement room, had a leak and flooded the basement drywall ceiling. Luckily I was in the house and could stop the leak, however it did damage couple of the drywall sheets.
So my question is; Is it absolutely necessary to replace the whole basement ceiling, or it'd be fine with those damaged ones?
I read that in order to prevent mold growing they recommend fully replace ceiling sheets. But in my case it does not look that bad to worry about the rest of the drywall sheets.

I usually remove sheets that have buckled and any wet insulation then put fans up to dry things out. Once dry I cut out past the worst damage to fit full sheets or 1/2 sheets. So no you don’t have to or even need to replace it all in some cases a 1/2 sheet will be enough others 2-3 sheets but it is rare even with a big flood the entire ceiling needs to be replaced normally 1 joist bay and bad floods the bay on either side, once the first bay comes down usually the water dose drain go further in the ceiling.
You do need to make sure to run fans to dry it out but if it has not sagged and you get it dry just patch the bad areas. Tape and texture then repaint.
I have purchased a home for my family that had this exact issue unoccupied I put fans in the room and a dehumidifier once things were dry I put the Sheetrock back up and we had no problems with mold I owned the house for about a decade after that.


Can I use Type-S mortar and rock to set wood fence posts? I am trying to set a fence post by the house to fix up a gate door. The usual "bag mix" for this job is a mixture of quarter inch stone and cement and lime. However, I also have a bag of type S mortar that I haven't used and would like to use or be rid of. Would it be compromised or ineffective to use some stone and type S mortar to set the fence? or is there too much sand and lime in the mix?

If that is what you have, Type S will work just fine, the trick is that the fill around the post is preferred to be harder than the dirt that the post and cement is in. If there is any "scrap" bags of cement, or concrete that even has lumps in it, that is a perfect spot to make use of it.