Old house, no ground wire, hoping for protection of new computer? So, I live in an older house.  My current computer has happily plugged into a surge protector, which in turn plugged into a 3 prong adapter into the two pronged outlet for 8+ years.  The surge protector never complained, but finally died recently.

I got a new surge protector, and any time I plug it in, it screams and its LED for "wiring fault" is lit up.  I assume that is because there's no ground?

Anyway, I wish to purchase a new computer soon (desktop), and it's likely it will be a very high-end machine since I'm a software engineer and computer scientist.  I'd like to have some measure of protection for my computer, but also I'd like to avoid spending $8,000 - $15,000 getting my house ripped apart and new wiring everywhere.

I've heard GFCI outlets are a possible workaround?  But I've also read people saying surge protectors don't like these outlets either...  I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I would appreciate any suggestions, constructive comments, etc. from those familiar with such situations.

You are correct about GFCIs or ground fault devices.  In an ungrounded situation, GFCIs are a cure-all for life safety, but they do absolutely nothing to reduce ESD damage to equipment.  For that you need proper grounds.

Normally, when a technical person says they are reluctant to mess about with mains power, I encourage them to listen to that voice.  However, in 2014, they broadly legalized retrofitting grounds.  And retrofitting grounds is a job that matches well with knowledge that is "technical, but not electrical", or that is "electrical, the wrong kind".

Retrofitting grounds is, in a nutshell, you run a ground-wire backbone between all your heavy appliances (A/C, range, water heater, dryer) and the braided copper grounding elecrodes leaving your panel.  This is done in 10 AWG wire.

Then, off that, you branch outward to all the other outlets.  Any outlet needs to either reach the backbone, or another outlet that reaches the backbone and has large enough ground wire all the way back.  Best to use #12 wire for this.

If the boxes are metal it is sufficient to clip it onto the edge of the box.  Otherwise adding the grounds is no more difficult than changing a receptacle or switch.

You put the ground wires wherever practical, it's not important to follow the same route as the conductors.  (You won't get EMF loops and eddy current heating because grounds don't carry current except during fault conditions.

Now, lastly, the old conductors.  Another device is a cure-all for ratty old conductors also: the AFCI or arc-fault breaker.  It looks (literally, it listens) for loose connections, inter-wire shorts, or other arcing - it's that scratchy "hooking up speakers with the amp turned on" or "jiggle your headphones in the jack" sound.  They are about $40 a pop, or you can get a combo AFCI/GFCI breaker for about $50.  Unlike GFCI, AFCI needs to be at the breaker because it protects the wiring, not the outlet.


How to waterproof our existing "lower ground" floor Prelim

We have underpinned the lower ground floor (LG floor = common construction practice in Victorian London, whereby the floor is not technically a full basement.) of a mid-terrace house. Luckily, our neighbour on one side did the same thing at the same time.

The new concrete that forms the pin on the other side (i.e. the wall with the neighbour whose LG floor was not underpinned, and remains at its original slightly higher level) is therefore subject to ingress of water from the soil on the other side.

We have stripped our internal walls back to brick.

It just so happens we have also dug a basement at the rear, which requires a waterproofing system (cavity drain membrane and sump pump).

My question

Should we apply the same cavity drain membrane system to the existing LG now that we have underpinned? We can get water that drains from the LG floor out to the new basement and use its sump pump.

What are the pros and cons of doing this?

I guess the alternative might be to "tank" the wall with a waterproof render.

The only effective way to waterproof a masonry wall is from the outside - so if your alternatives are to coat the inside of it or run the water elsewhere, run the water elsewhere, as coating the inside is doomed to failure.

If the coating is on the exterior and the water is trying to get in, the water pressure holds the coating in place. If the coating is on the inside, the water pressure will pop it off, sooner or later. If the waterproofing was not put in place as the wall was built, on the dirt-facing side, it's probably never going to work - or it won't work for long.


How can I make my garbage disposal outlet work for other electric devices? I want to install the charging station for a battery-powered "Dirt Devil" vacuum cleaner under the kitchen sink. There's an outlet there which the garbage disposal plugs into, so I thought I would just add an outlet multiplier and plug them both in. But when I plugged my drill directly into the outlet to test this idea, the drill didn't work. Is the garbage disposal outlet (USA) not compatible with standard electric devices? Is there something simple I can do to make this work?

If you really want to do this you can remove the switch and splice the wires thru so the receptacle is hot all the time. You can then install one of these: Sink top air switch.


What type of hurricane protection offers the best ease of deployment? Seeking lesson-learned from seasoned hurricane survivors: I would like to install hurricane protection for windows / sliding glass doors for multiple properties.  The primary consideration is the ease (minimal manpower and effort) to deploy and remove protection.  There are 8+ homes, so if it took 1 hour to deploy it would cost 8 hours.  Ideally it would take less than 10 minutes to deploy / remove one unit.

Half of the windows and a sliding glass door or on the second floor and another sliding glass door on the ground floor.

What are the best candidates for hurricane protection, given the emphasis on speed?  If you have experience and any specific recommendations
 lessons learned, this would be highly appreciated.  Thank you

Speed of deployment in the event of a storm - permanently installed sliding/folding metal hurricane shutters, hands down. Always ready, 30 seconds or less per opening to pull them and lock them in place. Not too much of an eyesore if in an area where they are ever needed. They also don't need to be stored, found, and installed when needed, as they are there, always.


I have California double sided wall furnace, only one side is producing heat. How would I go about trouble shooting It? I've been using my furnace for 19 years without issue. Living room side cranks out the heat, dining room side has no flame of any kind. How would move forward to fix?

Call the Gas Company and tell them you are worried because your furnace does not seem to be working correctly. They will send a technician to look at it- FOR FREE. They want your appliances to work safely and correctly because they want to sell you as much gas as they can.

If you want to troubleshoot it yourself, you need to understand how they work. There are entire books devoted to this but here goes:

So I am sure there are differences between vintages and brands, but if you are familiar with millivolt pilot and burner systems you should be able to figure this out.

These furnaces generally have 2 separate burners. A single pilot assembly mounted at one of the burners is the ignition source for both burners, gas from the second burner (the one not next to the pilot assembly) is carried over to the pilot via a "crossover" channel, to allow it to also ignite.

A single gas control valve provides gas to both burners. The gas valve will remain totally closed until the control knob is set to "pilot" and pressed in, releasing a small amount of gas to just the pilot assembly, to allow you to light the pilot with a match (or piezoelectric igniter). The pilot flame warms up a millivolt generator (a cluster of bimetallic elements that generate an electric current when heated) called a pilot generator. Once the generator is sending current to the gas valve, the valve will remain slightly open to allow the pilot to stay lit when you cease depressing the control knob. If the pilot goes out or the pilot generator goes kaput, the gas valve will close and stay closed (unless you set it to "pilot" and hold the knob in, as described above) as a safety feature.

Normally, if one burner lights then both will light. Check the pilot flame, it should be a nice strong flame. The flame size can be adjusted with a special screw on the gas control valve.

Check the flame pattern and color on the burner that does light, it should NOT be a lazy, soft all-yellow flame. Nor should it be a hard all-blue flame; it should be somewhere between.

An easy initial action could be to replace the pilot generator, maybe its weak and not opening the gas valve all the way. Maybe you need a new gas valve? maybe there is debris obstructing the gas supply? maybe the "crossover channel" is obstucted, preventing burner ignition?


Help connecting cat5e cables for home networking I'm renting an older house that was renovated a few years ago, and I'm hoping to utilize the cat5 wiring in the house for networking.

Here's the setup:

internet --> coax --> modem --> wireless router --> wireless devices
                                                --> ethernet output --> RJ45 wall jack
.... in another room....
RJ45 wall jack --> PC

For now, I'm just trying to connect the RJ45 jack connected to the router to the RJ45 jack connected to my PC.  In theory I think this just means I need to splice the correct two cables together at our network "closet".  Here's what the "closet" looks like:

(Yes, they are just stapled to a piece of plywood in the basement.)  The yellow wires are cat5e, but appeared to be wired into some sort of phone jack block, with an RJ11 socket on the side.

Can any networking experts tell me:

What is the beige box?
What happens if I disconnect the yellow wires from the beige box?  We're not using the landlines at all, though a phone in the kitchen is wired to the doorbell and an intercom system.
What's the best way to splice the ends of the yellow wires together?  Will it just work as one continuous wire if I do so?  (Total cable length is definitely less than 50m, this is a small house.)

Thanks so much for your help!

The yellow cables are probably Cat5e, which has 4 pairs of wires. (The beige cables are probably Cat 3, which might only have 2 pairs of wire). A single phone line only requires 1 pair, so as you can see the other pairs are just twisted off.

You definitely can reuse the cable for ethernet access, but you will lose the phone jack obviously.

Here are some things you should know about working with ethernet cabling:

Unlike phones with are relatively low-bandwidth, ethernet cables need to be in good condition with the pairs twisted around each other properly and with properly terminated connections. The mess you show is fine for phones but will cause lots of interference with ethernet data. If you want to reuse the cabling for data you need to cut back the cable all the way to the yellow sheathing and start over with new CAT 5e terminations. The proper way to do it is to terminate all the cables at a patch panel, but you could also just crimp a regular RJ-45 on the end and connect them that way. You cannot just twist the wires together and expect to get a good signal. Also, at the other end of the cable (in the room with the jacks), you will need to do the same thing: cut back the cable to where it's clean, and start over with new RJ-45 jacks.
Also unlike phones (and household electricity), you cannot split a cable into 2 cables just by joining the same color wires. If you have more than two devices you want to connect, you need to use an ethernet switch, which is a small appliance that will properly route the data packets between 2 or more devices.


Can I build a deck this low to the ground? I want to build a deck off the back of my house. The door is near grade level, about 1' above. The grade doesn't have very large slope, so that means that the beam at the far end would be below grade:

Note: Forgive the crude pen-drawing i sketched out at work. Didn't really want to bother with plenty of workspace, pencils or rulers.

Am i allowed to use beams when they are this close to grade? i was thinking that metal bracket holding up the beam, and the lower part of the beam, can be filled with crushed stone:

My question is: is this allowed? Even if the beam is pressure treated, and even if it is surrounded in whatever is desired (from nothing, to earth, to crushed stone), is this allowed?

Tags: desk, beam, footing, crushed stone, below grade

Sure, you can do that.  Rather than using a beam though, just use some of those pre-cast concrete pier blocks (like in this article).

If you really want to use a beam instead (it might be cheaper) you'll want to make sure the treated wood you use is rated for ground contact.  You might have a hard time finding ground-contact rated 2x6's at a local home store, but they probably do carry ground-contact rated 4x6's that you could use instead.

Another option would be to use railroad ties for your "beam".  just dig a trench, fill it with gravel, level it out, compact it, and set the railroad ties on top (note - railroad ties are much heavier than they look).


House wiring and grounding. How do you retrofit an old house and ground it? A contractor looked at our house and told me that you can't fix a house (with old wiring) that has some outlets that are not grounded.  He said that you can go on YouTube and search the internet and it will tell you that you can.  He says that the only way to properly fix and ground everything is to do a whole house rewire.

Is he correct?

If, theoretically, you have an old house that has no ground whatsoever, can you run a grounding wire from the panel to all of the outlets to fix this?

updated

We have BX/AC wiring. And also apparently we have "...old-style AC (BX) with cloth insulated wires in a paper overall wrap under the spiral armor (no bonding tape)" Courtesy of @ThreePhaseEel.

It's perfectly legal to run JUST a ground wire to retrofit old work.   You do not need to also pull all the conductors.  This is legal as of NEC 2014, so if your region hasn't adopted it yet, just wait.

People who say "might as well pull all new conductors" do not fully understand what the new rule permits.  Retrofit grounds do not need to follow the same path as the conductors.  What's more, you can borrow/share grounds from one circuit to another as long as they all terminate back at the same panel, and are of large enough size.  That is much easier than pulling all new homeruns!  For instance you can run a 10 AWG ground to a clothes dryer, and any nearby 20A outlet can simply ground to that, etc. etc.

It is also both legal and safe to put GFCI protection on ungrounded receptacles or circuits.  GFCI protection is safer than a ground, although not as awesome for surge suppressors and radios.


Should I patch or do the whole wall? We removed a load bearing wall and installed a header. For this we opened up two walls, Pictures are below. My drywall guys says, patching these two area will standout. He is suggesting that he will plaster the whole wall and put the sand texture on top of it to make the whole wall look even.

Should I do the whole wall or should just patch it?

Patch in beige wall is about 45" in height and 7" wide and red wall is 15" wide and 5' in height.

Thank you.

A patch will be virtually undetectable if done properly. Professional plasterers do often skim the entire wall but there is no reason to texture the entire wall if you do not want to.

Using texture is an easy way to hide imperfections, so is a great idea if you (or your contractor) do not want to spend the time and effort (and $$; time = $$) to patch it properly. Call a different "drywall guy", preferably a reputable professional plaster company and one that doesn't leave unscrewed floating corners like in top pic.


"Press the push bar to activate control" message on Chamberlain or LiftMaster wall control panel My Liftmaster or Chamberlain garage door wall unit reads "Press the push bar to activate control" but doing so does nothing.  The door won't open by the wall unit, but will open from all remote controls, and the motor unit is reporting no flashing error codes.  Disconnecting and reconnecting the wall unit doesn't seem to help either.

I disconnected the wall control panel and waited for five minutes before reconnecting it, and then it seemed to work.
Also, it is said that one might have to press the button "up to 4 times to see if it syncs back up".
A Chamberlain rep wrote me that also "Sometimes, depending on the unit you have, disconnecting the motor doesn't allow the wall control panel to fully shut down to try and sync it back the garage door motor unit. If the issue happens again and you have no had a power outage I would recommend to try replacing the wires the panel is connected to in case there is a short."
Finally, see also this post.

It was a known issue last year. They fixed it with the current ones.
All the controls out of the box should be good and if you have
individual wall controls the green sticker is bad and the blue sticker
is good.

For what it's worth, mine has no colored sticker.


I have flies after painters came I had painters here about 6 weeks ago.  After closing all windows, etc. I had to kill numerous flies - 50?

I am still seeing flies, though not nearly as many in my house.  I don't know how they are coming in.  I asked the painter to come back and he cannot find that they left an opening in the wood they replaced on the house.

Any ideas?

I'm a cabinetmaker. One year I sprayed outside some awesome cabinets I'd made for a customer. I had fruit trees on my property. Within seconds I had thousands of fruit flies descending on the wet paint. The reason? The paint, particularly when sprayed and "atomized" is sweet smelling and the fruit flies go for it.  I've had it happen again at another location. Different paint, but also sweet smelling.

The solution: You'll have to screen off the area. Any open doors or windows and they'll find a way in.....


Noise coming from slop sink A new, strange noise is coming from a slop sink that is located next to my washing machine in the basement.  The washing machine exhausts into the slop sink and the slop sink drains rather well since I plunged it a few weeks ago.

In the past few days I have been occasionally hearing glunk-glunk noises from the empty slop sink.  I am not in the basement much, but I do not hear the noise all the time,

What might be causing this and what might I do about it?

Update: Toilet in basement just overflowed with contents of upstairs toilets.  I guess my soil pipe to the street is clogged.  I should have paid more attention to the glunk-glunk noise when I heard it a few days ago.

Second Update:  Just had the sewer pipe cleaned out.  The crew found roots growing in it.  (The sewer service company came quickly!)

The "glunk-glunk" is air being pushed or pulled around the water in the trap. Often this indicates a blocked vent pipe. In your situation the upstream plumbing or even the main stack may have been considered a wet vent and be perfectly fine. With the clog at the main near the street, the air pressure inside the pipes is building up from water draining above, and the easiest escape is the sink trap. If possible, I'd still check the pipes to see if there's a vent that should have relieved this pressure, it may need to be cleared from the roof.


wooden floor chipped from PC Case Do I just leave it? PC case had rubber legs but it was stuck to the floor and when I tried to flip it, part of the wooden floor came off with it.

What came off is the finish (urethane, polyurethane, or varnish), not the wood.

If left alone, it will absorb dirt, moisture and darken.

I would try a wipe on polyurethane and apply it with a q-tip. Your finish looks like gloss, so I would try that level of sheen. You can always dull it a bit with fine steel wool.

You should try to remove the rubber stain first. That can be done with a cleaner, such as Simple Green or Fantastik type cleaners.


Installing a fridge inside a wall? I'm designing the kitchen (renovating a 100+ year old house) and I would really really like to make it a "G layout" kitchen (like a U shape but with breakfast bar peninsula) but in order to achieve this the fridge would need to be INSIDE the wall with the door flush with the wall! The back wall is already filled with cabinets and the sink so that is why I wouldn't want to put the fridge there. See my 3d model I made with ikea.com:

My question is:

What could go wrong? I'm basically just doing a sanity check and making sure this isn't a terrible idea. (I'm having a hard time googling this as this is not a common thing to do I guess)

Alright in order for you guys to answer the question you'll need much more info. Here's what I can tell you:

The room that the fridge will go into is the laundry room. There is nothing in the way! It's an ugly, utilitarian room and we don't care if the back of the fridge is facing the washing machine) though boxing in the fidge would be nice).
The laundry room in which the fridge will go into is a bump-out extension of the house.

When they added the extension, it's like they left the exterior of the house exactly as it was and made that the interior of the new laundry room. The old asbestos shingles are still there on the wall, the soffit from the old roof is right where it always has been, and there is a big window right where the fridge will go! In fact it is almost tall and wide enough to fit the fridge in it, but it's a few inches too far to the right.
the floors between laundry room and kitchen are not on the same level. And the corner of the floor (concrete) on the kitchen where the fridge will be nearest, there is an obvious rise in height making a concave shape in the floor. (I mean, its maybe an inch total, like you wouldn't notice it but it could screw with stuff).
the wall is a load bearing wall. However I don't think there'll be any problems installing a header or just moving the window header up a little bit.

the ceiling in the kitchen is low! 7 feet to be exact.
the electrical circuit breaker is in the laundry room. Thankfully its a couple inches to the right of the fridge so that won't be a problem however there may be wires running bellow the window frame but I suspect that there is not.
the door to the laundry room will be to the right of the fridge, as shown in the 3d model.
the whole kitchen is 11 feet wide and 21 feet long but we intent to use much of that space for a dining area. The other kitchen layout option we are considering is making it an L shaped kitchen by loosing the breakfast bar and puting the fridge there (to the right of the window) but we don't like that layout as much. Too open.

So, is this doable? How would YOU tackle this project? Are there any restrictions or code requirements? Would it be just like a cased opening? Thanks!

On the refrigerator, don't box it in so badly that you block airflow to the coils.  Remember how a refrigerator works.  It pumps the heat inside the refrigerator and dumps it outside through a set of cooling fins in the bottom back area.  If you box it in too much, it won't get enough fresh air to cool well, and it will run inefficiently, fail to cool well, or breakdown prematurely.  It's not a big deal if you provide space for that.

Bonus points if you can access the back of the fridge to clean the fins, as you should every few years.  Try to set it up so dryer lint isn't drawn into the cooling fins.

The fridge needs to be leveled.  The manufacturer has a spec for this.  Generally the fridge is slightly "tilted back" on purpose, so the doors will self-close by gravity freely and firmly.  When set up right, it's a thing of beauty.

On the electric service panel, remember you must have clear space around the panel as described in the link here.

Also don't forget that since this is a remodel, you must bring the remodeled area fully up to new electrical code.  Figure on dedicated circuits for each of dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave if built in, at least 2 (I recommend more) circuits for kitchen counter receptacles (honestly in the age of USB you just can't possibly have enough kitchen receptacles). Might be worth thinking about fitting a 50A circuit for an electric range/oven, also consider providing outlets for in-cabinet or under-cabinet lighting since the LED options these days are marvelous and cheap.

I recommend a dedicated circuit with a SINGLE receptacle for the refrigerator.  Have that be non-GFCI if you can convince your inspector to allow that.


Where to put my doorbell transformer for new wired doorbell in old house? I used to have an old whole house intercom system with an integrated transformer inside the kitchen wall, far from the front doorbell. For the new basic doorbell, I was planning to power the doorbell transformer from the dining room receptacle just inside the front door, and put the chime just above there.
But, I just can't think of a good place (or right place) to put the doorbell transformer. I understand it is usually not inside a wall or in a junction box, but somewhere visible. Since this is old work, I can't easily run doorbell wire very far to put it in an attic or garage or closet.
Ideas:

In the dining room wall and attached to the outside of an existing junction box?
In the dining room wall and in its own junction box?
In the dining room wall and attached to a stud?
On the outside of the wall in the dining room and hidden behind something like a doorbell chime cover (my wife wants me to make one for the chime anyway)

Any ideas from DIYers or electricians? Thanks!

Generally, you are controlled by where the existing wiring is located.
Mounting a new transformer has to follow Code and its labeling and instructions, particularly where the AC mains side of the transformer is concerned.  The 24V low-voltage wiring can follow the relaxed rules for low-voltage power, and be installed like thermostat wire.  Here are 2 popular form-factors for 24V transformers:

Mounts to a knockout on the side of a metal box.  AC mains wiring is inside the box, 24V is outside.  Obviously this requires a metal box somewhere whose sides are exposed.
Mounts on the face of a 4x4 metal box, replacing the normal lid.  Again AC mains is on one side, low voltage on the other.

Obviously both of these mounting types require unfinished "utility space" in your home where such things are not an aesthetic misfit.  It's all the rage these days to destroy all utility space in homes in a mad quest for more listable square footage to puff up resale value. Unfortunately those people have painted themselves into a corner, tough luck for them.
You can also simply grab 24 VAC from the furnace transformer, from its R and C terminals (also available at the thermostat sometimes).  It is usually oversized enough it doesn't mind a watt or two for a Ring camera.  Transformers are very tolerant of short term overloads, their limiting factor being internal heat, so the short load of a doorbell chiming won't bother it at all.


Bury empty conduit next to electrical conduit for future tech? Is it a good idea to use the same trench dug for electrical conduit to also use for future lines (internet, cable, xyz tech, etc) inside a NEW conduit or should that conduit be in a separate trench altogether?

I would say it is a good idea to use the same trench. The other cables such as internet and cable are insulated well enough inside the conduit to not get interference from the power cables which would be my first concern.  When placing the conduit in though, if you can have them spaced a couple inches apart, that should help as well.


Will replacing my jet pump with one that has a higher shut-off pressure increase the discharge pressure? I'm currently using a pump with a rated shut-off pressure of 69 PSI to supply a house with water. It is sucking through a 1.25" PVC pipe that extends 1100' into a lake. The lift from the water surface to the pump is about 15' and we are 1000' above sea level. Likely due to the lift and friction, the max discharge pressure I am able to get from the pump is 35 PSI.

If I change the pump to a larger jet pump with a rated shut-off pressure of 95 PSI, will I see a higher pressure at the discharge? Or will it simply flow more and the pressure will still be limited to ~35 PSI?

My goal is to supply the house with 40-60 PSI rather than the current 25-35 PSI. I prefer to do this with a single pump, but a booster pump in series is also an option.

Edit:
We have a 26 gallon diaphragm pressure tank after the pump. I'm seeing the peak pressure of 35 PSI once the tank is full. The pressure switch on the pump seems to be working but the pressure never builds higher (and the pump runs continuously unless the pressure switch is set lower).

It is possible our current pump has some worn components which is preventing the higher pressure being reached, even when the tank fills up and the flow is reduced.

With 15’ of lift you would loose about 7psi of pressure “static” I would be looking at your pressure switch, your system should be able to pressurize to ~62 psi with the long lines to the lake I would expect there to be large drops while water is being used but the tank pressure when full should be much higher, it is possible your “jet” is worn or your pressure switch needs adjusting I would look at these before just replacing the pump.

Added to address the edit. Since you can not get a higher pressure “static” now it is down to just a couple of possibilities, the jet is failing these are a fancy Venturi that creates the ability to push water it could be worn out (it happens) the pump may not be developing the needed pressure because of wear. I would want to verify the output pressure of the pump, if it is good then replace the jet (not that hard and less expensive than a pump. These are just about all that it can be (since you did not say anything about leaks).


Punching bag mounted on ceiling in flat I would like to mount a punching bag on the ceiling as there are not really any good boxing gyms here in Madrid.

Key Facts

I am on the Ground Floor known as "Bajo" in Spanish
The weight on the boxing bag is 70LB
Here is the link "Link to all the images" of the first and second ceiling. I can take more on request.

You can see in the images all the ceilings and the metal mount.

If photos 6/7 are indicating you have some kind of dropped ceiling, then you definitely cannot attach this to the dropped ceiling. It won't support any load.

Best option in that case is to build a free standing structure and hang your bag on that. A couple of A frames and a beam going across the top where you'd attach the bag would be easy to build. Use a few bolts for the assembly and it would also be easy to disassemble and relocate. Keep the span of the feet wider than the maximum swing of the bag to avoid having it tip over.


Splicing mesh plumbing pipe I installed a new faucet. I replaced the old PVC pipe that connected the faucet to the water line with the supplied pipe.

The supplied pipes are not PVC. They're instead covered in some kind of mesh.

Previously, the old PVC pipe was cut and joined to a splitter that channeled water to the under-sink filtration system.

Is it possible to cut this mesh-type pipe and join it to a splitter as well? What's underneath the mesh? Will the mesh interfere with anything?

Pictures ##3

The first picture shows the old hose. Note how it's all PVC - no fancy mesh or whatever. The black hose goes to the filtration system.

The second picture is a close up of the T fitting. What kind of T fitting is this? It seems as if all the hoses were pressed into the T fitting - there doesn't appear to be anything that can be unscrewed. What would I look for at the hardware store? How would I remove the black hose? I tried pulling it out but that's not getting anywhere.

Do not cut the mesh on flexible water line connections. The mesh is there to protect the internal "rubber" hose and also should help to keep the hose from bursting under unexpected high pressure situations. If you need to make a junction for the water filtration system then you should be using two shorter mesh covered connection hoses and affix a T fitting in between them. The branch of the T goes off to the filter unit. Note that it sometimes takes a number of various adapter fittings to make up the compatible T assembly depending upon the parts available at your supplier.


What can you tell me about old red primer on wood? Recently stripped some paint off of old wood furniture and noticed the first layer directly on the wood was red. Looked like a red primer. Was likely painted some time in the 50's or 60's. Color looks like a red oxide primer used for metal but I saw some references to red lead primer online which may be what this is. Even that doesn't make much sense since those primers are also primarily used for iron in wet locations such as boats which this isn't.

Top coats were light colored so I don't think it was tinted to match the top coat. A little confused to see it on the wood so wondering if anyone might know anything about why it was used on this cabinet, what it might be and why it was used.

Rather than speculating, go grab a cheap lead test kit from the hardware store.

Red and white lead, asbestos, carbon tetrachloride were all very popular and widely used things right up until they were not. Red primer on anything of that vintage has a strong potential to be lead-based.


How to reduce the width of a rolling curtain? Roll-up window shades come in certain widths x heights, 180x210 cm, 120x160 cm, etc.
They are made of some kind of fabric rolled up in an aluminum tube.

To adjust their width to fit your window frame you probable have to saw the aluminum tube and cut the fabric.

The biggest challenge is to make a straight cut, without releasing the fabric from the tube. It's even more difficult when it's a double layered plastic drape

Are there any tips in how to make the perfect cut for this kind of shade?

I would use my miter saw with a fine-tooth blade. Your question says "the perfect cut", so buy "the perfect tool"; which is a specialized window shade cutter:


replace Floor tile mortar I removed a loose floor tile from kitchen floor and want to reuse it. Do I need to remove all the old mortar? If so, any tips?

It all depends on what's in your toolbox.  I'd cut along the grout line with an angle grinder with a diamond blade and then score a few checker board lines in the mortar and then chisel it up with a small cold chisel and a hammer.

Looks like a nice wood floor you used to have in your kitchen.


Replacing wall plate with load bearing studs I need to replace the wall plate under a window that itself supports half a dozen or so load bearing studs.

I have a pair of post jacks that I plan on placing atop the horizontal stud immediately in front of it.  I plan on jacking two joists that connect to the wall in question.  I then plan on cutting the target stud out with an angle grinder (set with a wood blade) and replacing it.

Good idea?  Bad?

I would pull the window, support the top plate with temp supports floor to plate (cut ½" long and tap the bottoms in until you see a slight  lift in the top plate) cut between the  siding and bad studs with a 12 " metal sawsall blade, remove all wood with any rot or deep fungus and reframe the whole thing. send the  studs through a table saw to make them match the adjoining studs to avoid broken drywall when reinstalling


Do chips in a stained floor reveal differently-colored, unstained wood? I'm replacing floor in my house and I have made up mind about going with solid wood flooring.

I also want it stained in dark shades, but since this is not a natural colour of the wood, I was wondering, what happens to any chips that will inevitably happen in the future? Does lighter wood appear through them?

One of the advantages of solid wood that convinced me is that they would last longer and could be sanded/repaired. But if stained wood would make the repair harder I might consider a lighter shade.

Yep. If they bug you you can touch up the chips with stain as needed until you refinish the floor completely someday. For minor chips it's not really necessary to also apply sealer, but you could.


I have 5 natural gas appliances in my basement, can I replace just one with a power vented exhaust? I live in a 3-family house. I have 3 chimneys and want to eventually remove one of them. One of the furnaces in the basement is gravity venting through the chimney to be removed. Now I need to replace that furnace, and I think it would make sense to put a power vent in instead, so I don't need to go through a chimney and can vent through the wall.

I'm thinking of what happens if more than one appliance is running at one time, though. It could prevent the other chimneys from drafting properly by changing the air pressures.

Would I have to replace all the vents with power vents at the same time? Or is it safe to do just one?

Sealed combustion is your friend

Just about all power vented gas appliances can be configured as sealed combustion appliances, where they draw their combustion air directly from outside via a 2nd pipe instead of pulling it in from the room.  This means that no matter what happens, as long as the vent integrity is good, they can't backdraft any atmospheric vented appliances that happen to be sharing the same room, nor will they have issues with starving for combustion air if the house is sealed up tight.

But...you need to use the right stuff when venting

The one caveat with most power-vented appliances is that the corrosive conditions inside the vent piping (due to the possible presence of liquid condensate from combustion moisture), along with the need to provide proper sealing to prevent combustion exhaust leakage, prevent the use of standard B-vent for venting them.  While the appliance manufacturers generally specify the use of PVC pipe as a vent material as it's cheap and easy to get, PVC is actually the wrong stuff to use for venting appliance exhaust, as it's just not rated for a high enough temperature to survive if stack temperatures rise much due to impaired appliance operation, such as if a water heater has a scaled-up heat exchanger or if a furnace filter is in need of changing.  In fact, there have been documented close calls, and a reported multi-fatality CO mishap, that were due to the use of PVC venting for condensing gas appliances.

The correct (albeit expensive) thing to use in this case is a UL 1738 rated Special Gas Vent, suitable for Category IV gas appliances.  These are made from stainless steel, and thus provide both the necessary heat resistance and the necessary corrosion resistance for this application.  While they are proprietary systems, and cannot be mixed, most manufacturers of Special Gas Vent provide comprehensive selections of fittings and sizes, and extensively warrant their systems against premature failure when professionally installed, up to and including some manufacturers offering limited lifetime warranties on their stainless steel special gas vent systems.


Is a 240v solar panel setup better than 120v? I am considering a small 1kW solar system (4x 250-watt panels). The seller offers them in both 120v and 240v configurations with "micro-inverters". Given a 25-year panel warranty, could the amperage reduction and following lesser (but is it measurable?) heat output of having the inverters output 240v on the AC side have any measurable impact in longevity over running at 120v?

I can as easily do 120v as 240v. Running a line from the breaker box is not a problem. I'm just curious if there's any actual measurable benefit over time with running 240v instead of 120v. I use a 240v outlet for my computer just for the 1%-2% efficiency gain, so I don't need much of an excuse, but I have no idea if DC-AC conversion gains the same benefit.

Because of Ohm's Law, double the voltage and your transmission losses drop to 1/4 with the same diameter of wire.  Go here and punch in your voltage, actual service amperage, distance and tolerable voltage drop in percent (try different numbers here to see the effects of different size of cable).

If the distance is rather far, the calc may start talking about fat wire like 6AWG or larger.  Don't buy that, come back and ask us.

14AWG wire at 120V will be 8.333A (repeating of course), and load a 14AWG wire enough for voltage drop to be an important factor.  Going 240V cuts that by 75%.

Going 240V also gives expansion "room".

I can't possibly guess whether the build quality of the solar panels in question has cut corners on current pathways (endangering 120V panels) or insulation and component voltage rating (endangering 240V panels).  Insulation is generally cheaper than current pathways, so all things being equal I'd favor the higher voltage.

I'm no fan of marrying the PV and the inverter hardware.  If either fails, both are scrap, so you are beholden to the build quality on both of them.  They are also only good for grid tie.  If it's on a roof, love your firefighters.


Color adjusting LED ceiling light intermittent issues I recently installed CE color changing (5 temperature settings) LED all-in-one fixtures in my bedrooms and have been having an odd issue. I wired four fixtures with 12/2 Romex in parallel out of a Lutron Caseta wireless dimmer, compatible with LEDs. The fixtures have a physical temperature control 5 position selector switch and we use the 3500K setting. The second light in the circuit will power on very dimly, and show a noticeable flicker. I am talking like you can barely see any light coming from it. After 30 seconds or so, it will  begin to operate normally. I have changed 3 fixtures, ensured all wiring is tight, and even replaced the switch. It still persists every few cycles.

Finally, the other issue is occasionally, the second light on another will get stuck at either its lowest or highest color temperature setting, regardless of color selector position on the light upon power on. cycling power doesn't clear it but it will go back to the desired setting eventually. No clear pattern i have noticed.

The only other information I can think may be relevant is that they are fed through an AFCI outlet, and that is fed by a 20A tandem breaker. Additionally, I am getting 120.2- 120.6 VAC at the breaker and switch.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

You appear to have some defective fixtures.

Return those ones and get hopefully non-defective replacements. Quality control is not what it used to be, so shipping defective products to stores is all too common these days, and you become the "quality control" by returning the defective ones under warranty. Or profits go up if you got past the warranty time before finding the defect.

Welcome to the 21st century.


How to adjust strike plate in a metal door jamb My bathroom door isn't latching properly and it seems that the strike plate is not seated properly in the jamb. It's a 1950s apartment and all the door frames are metal, so I can't just chip away some wood. What else can I try?

The strike plate sticks out from the jamb?  Remove the strike plate and file/grind some material off where it is binding.


Why do unfinished basements need GFCI outlets? I was replacing outlets in the basement and noticed that unfinished basements require them to be GFCI protected.  While I did do this, I can't help but wonder:   WHY??  I searched for the NEC definition of "unfinished basement" and I just don't see why the fact it's not "habitable" it needs GFCI.  I can understand moisture areas like outlets near sinks, etc., but not this:  my basement is very dry and whether the basement is finished or not does not affect the moisture content.  Does the NEC explain this?

Even "dry" concrete contains considerable water, and is a relatively good conductor. So, it's a relatively good path to ground for a person touching it, increasing the odds of a lethal shock.

Generally, for something to make it into the electrical code, some number of people have probably died due to the lack of it before that happened.


Projector ceiling mounting using 2 screws instead of 4: risky? I want to ceiling mount my projector using this projector ceiling mount. However I realize my ceiling beams are too thin to receive the 4 screws necessary to attach it.

The only way would be, not to install it so that the square of the mount basis be parallel to the projection screen, but rather diagonally with an angle of 45 degrees (so that one of the 4 square corners directly faces the projection screen). In that scenario the mount would be attached to the ceiling with only 2 screws.

Note that the mount + the projector together weight about 4 kilos. The screws are 1cm in diameter, 5cm deep.

What do you think? Risky? Acceptable?

I would think the way you mentioned would be fine.
Just use good size screws.

But would be safer an better if you climb up there and add more support. By screwing in beams where you need them.


Using plumbing roof vent as drain? I'm current planning a rooftop terrace which should include a small outdoor kitchen.

I would like to know if it's possible to use the existing plumbing roof vent to connect the kitchen drain? Should I rather use the roof drain pipe ?

Thanks for your help.
Crak

Ideally you will not want to have your entertainment and eating space right next to the roof vent anyway. Noxious sewer gas will be coming up from there that may smell to high heaven at times.

I cannot say if using the vent for a drain is acceptable to building codes. You will run some risk of water backing up into nearby sinks below if you start draining a slug of water down the vent standpipe.


Electrical wiring 14-2 wire connect 12-2 wire My outlets are 14-2 NM wire, wired into the attic, is it ok to connect a  12-2 NM wire to the 14-2 wires and connect them to the panel box w a 15amp breaker???

You could use the 12 awg wire on a 15 amp circuit connecting the section that is wired in 14.
 The only problem and I have found with this in the past where part was wired in 14 but the breaker had #12 , I am guessing that at a later date someone put in a 20a breaker and cooked the 14 gauge wireing because it looked like it was wired with 12 at the panel.


Can I use my receptacle multi-tap on both ends of an extension cord? I have a Voltec three way adapter, it converts a 5-15 plug into a (3) 5-15 receptacles. Is it safe to use this adapter at either end of the extension cord? So three way adapter to extension cords then tools or extension cord to three way adapter then tools.

It really depends what you're powering

Three cell phone chargers, you're gonna be fine.  But a table saw and a dust collector, ain't gonna happen.

The power-factor-corrected loads (i.e. Their VA not their watts) need to be added up.   They need to be within the capacity of the circuit (15A=1800VA intermittent, or 12A=1440VA continuous).   You should be fine if so.

Otherwise expect burnt and damaged splitters, and/or a breaker trip, depending on luck.


Any thoughts as to what these wires might be? Red/black/orange-ish/yellow. New house. In the front closet, right next to the front door, there's a low voltage junction box with (seemingly) two sets of wires—red, black, orangey, and yellow.

I've tested them and there doesn't seem to be any voltage passing through. On a hunch, I tried connecting them, thinking maybe it was a doorbell or something. Nothing happened

I taped the ends up and was just about to shrug it off and cover them, but not knowing what it is nags at me.

Any thoughts?

Use a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter) to test each wire to ground for ANY AC/DC voltage. Test the mix of each wire to each wire. While this does NOT rule out any kind of voltage it gets you pretty close to comfortable. Then use OHM setting and check for essentially an open circuit on each combination of wire.

Once you have ruled out live active power, and open connections on each wire, use a ringer like a Fluke ringer/toner and trace the direction of the wire through the wall, potentially to its destination.

Now, if you DO find voltage (greater than about 60mV), or any ohm reading less than ..... 40Mohms, I would turn off breakers to see the voltage vanish, or if there is Ohms, look for physical items, like a security keypad, boxes/transformers/other physical items, or even open doors/windows with a switch sensor on it.


Breaker Feeding a Transfer Switch I have 200A service, but I want to add a whole house generator (GENERAC 17k) that has a 100A transfer switch. I plan to use a seperate 100A load center after the transfer switch for the backed up circuits.

My question is what breaker do I use out of the 200A load center to feed the 100A transfer switch? Do I use a 100A dipole (100A/100A) or a 50A dipole (50A/50A)?

If i use the 50A dipole (50A/50A) what size copper conducter do I use and still fit it into the breaker?

That is the right way to do it! A transfer switch to an ordinary subpanel. Remember to separate neutral and ground at all points.

You would use a 100A breaker.  The 100A is at 240V, so you could put 80A of 240V heaters onto that breaker/sub.   (because you must derate heater loads by 20%).

At 120V it is good for both legs. That is, with 120V loads, you can put 100A  onto pole L1, and another 100A onto pole L2.  (assuming they are loads that do not need derate).

Make sure to get a Rather Large panel. You will find your generator can support a lot more circuits than you might think.  Also, plan for a whole space per circuit: use of "twin/duplex" double-stuff breakers cannot be relied on, because most circuits will in the future need AFCI, GFCI or both, and those specialty breakers are not made in double-stuff.

The subpanel can have any amp rating 100A or larger - 225A is fine.   That panel does not need a main breaker, and if it has one, the size doesn't matter.  The breaker in the main panel protects it, the wire to it, and the transfer switch.

If you don't need an automatic transfer switch, some panel makes (Siemens) allow very cheap transfer switches - using a factory kit that straps two backfeed breakers together, and interlocks them so they can't both be on at once.  For Code compliance reasons, (well for safety reasons),

the breakers must be physically bolted/strapped down so they can't come out like a normal breaker.
The interlock (that keeps both breakers turning on at once) should not be disabled if you remove the panel cover.  That precludes many aftermarket kits that bolt to the panel cover.


What type of wood for moist exterior location that is also paintable My rear screened porch has some has 2x2s that hold the screens in place and many of them are rotted from moisture.

It looks like they are plain old 2x4s that were ripped down (though I'm not sure) and then painted (poorly) with exterior paint.

What type of wood and should I use to replace them? I do wish to paint them to match the rest of the house.  Or can I use any good quality wood and prime and paint with a good paint?

As long as you make sure that the wood is isolated from the source of moisture as much as possible (or better still remove the source) then any decent quality wood properly primed and painted should be OK.

I would also consider getting the wood treated first.


Whole house fan - unexpected voltage at high/low switch I have this fan installed. Here's the wiring diagram...

The fan has been running fine for about a month and all of a sudden it started acting like it has no power. I checked the voltage at the power source (a receptacle box for the other attic fan), at the switches on the wall and on the fan itself. I see 120v everywhere except at the fan. I only see 71 (low) to 92 (high) there.
I noticed one other really odd thing. When on low, the voltage is correct. When on high, the voltage at the 3-way high/low switch shows as 210V. I'm not sure how that's even possible on a 120V circuit? To get this reading, I'm checking from the neutral to the switch's "high" terminal.
I've checked and re-checked to ensure the wiring matches the diagram. Everything is 14AWG which is what the install instructions called for. And again, this has been working fine until a few days ago.
At this point I'm thinking the romex cable between the high/low switch and the fan might be fried. Never heard of that happening though.
Any ideas what's going on?
UPDATE 1: Adding pics

Note the extra red is not used on either end.
UDPATE 2:
I checked the voltage at the fan again, only this time I disconnected the fan first. Now I'm showing 120V as expected on both high/low wires when the switch is set to them.
Barring any other ideas, I'm thinking the motor is partially burnt out. This would also explain why it worked for a while and then stopped working.
UPDATE 3: Adding fan pics

Also, it's wicked hot up there, but I read somewhere that this motor is supposed to have some kind of heat protection? Not sure if that's sales mumbo jumbo or not.
I also learned that there is suppose to be a 10 year warrantee on the fan. We'll see how Home Depot handles that because I'm not about to rip the entire thing out of my attic.
UPDATE 4 (PROBLEM RESOLVED):
The 3-way (high/low) switch was definitely bad. Replacing it resolve all power issues but the fan still acted like it had low power. The blades were barely spinning.
Ventamatic was willing to honor their 10-year warranty - but after pulling the motor down, I discovered that the hex screw on the belt wheel was loose (see added pic below). This screw was impossible to see or adjust without pulling the motor out into the open. The wheel was tight enough that it didn't fall off when the motor was removed, but it was loose enough that it was slipping on and off when under pressure. Thus the blades were barely moving.

SUMMARY:
The fan worked great for a while. At some point, the belt wheel became loose and around the same time the 3-way (High/Low) switch started failing. Because both things went wrong at the same time it was difficult  to nail down the source of the problem. Hopefully, this update will be helpful to someone else who gets the joy of trouble-shooting one of these fans!

To me it sounds like your switch is failing or arcing and not providing power under load.
Can you spin the fan? It should not be hard to spin  Just verify prior to the next step.
General purpose snap switches need to be 2x the motor rating.
Turn the breaker off
I would pull your high & low connections from the switch and insulate 1 take the other directly to the power on the first switch . Turn the breaker on if the fan spins up get motor rated single pole single throw and single pole double throw switches.
The high voltage measured on low when the fan is on high is a “transformer type action “ from the different number of windings in high and low


Fix hairline crack on toilet tank I am proud I managed to put a new flushing kit into older toilet tank, removed tank and hand hacksawed off a rusted bolt and put everything back together . . . Husband was a great assistant. NOW . . . I have a hairline crack in the tank, drips one drop every 5 minutes or so. Annoying to say the least.
Is there a epoxy, sealant spray to apply to the outside of the American Standard tank, as I really do not want to drain remove and take everything apart again.
I have heard of Flex Seal and the crack is barely visible and about 4 inches under waterlevel to?

I just drained the tank without removing it . . . so hopefully I can paint something on the inside?

Can I use this first on the inside of the tank when it dries? https://www.jbweld.com/product/waterweld-epoxy-putty

I personally would use pc-11 epoxy.
Drain and dry the tank, sand the area around the crack. Than mix up the epoxy using craft sticks and spread it over the sanded area. You can build up a few layers if necessary but pc-11 is pretty solid with just 1 relatively thin coat... Should be able to hold water in minutes but I would let it cure overnight for maximum adhesion


How do I find air vents that are covered over with popcorn ceiling? My house has several areas where we are have no heat vents and these areas are quite cold. Others areas have vents  even in the closet spaces. I found one covered vent after walking through my neighbors house, and know that there are others, but need a way to locate them. Any advise? Thanks

If the vent pipes are made of iron based metal or any covered over grate is made of similar material you could go hunting with a magnet.


NEC: Using Non-Rated (CMX) CAT6 cable inside an attic of a single family home I'm looking to install POE security cameras. Due to the long runs outdoors the cable needs to be UV resistant. This usually means that cable has to have a sheath that is unrated (CMX) and can't be run for long distances inside a structure. NEC allows for 50 feet indoors provided its terminated inside an "enclosure" or "primary protector".

https://www.mikeholt.com/instructor2/img/product/pdf/11LE-968-sample.pdf

I believe the logic behind this all comes down to fire. If lighting or a large voltage is applied to the exterior of cable it could ignite the sheath and start a fire inside the home. However, I don't know how i'm able to reasonably terminate multiple runs coming into a structure from various sides/distances all in enclosures grounded enclosures.

In my state that involves a low voltage 06 licence which means your basically an electrician. 4000 hours apprenticeship + certs, licence, bond all of it.

This could get pretty expensive and is well beyond the scope of what most home owners are expecting for security camera installs.

That said, I want to do these jobs right and was wondering what common practice is here.

Thanks.

Type CMX is not "unrated", so that Code section does not apply

Your confusion here stems from a misunderstanding of what the Code means by an "unrated" communications cable.  You seem to be under the impression that it's referring to all communications cables that do not have a special rating (such as plenum or riser), but that's not the case.  Instead, an "unrated" cable has no NRTL listing or associated labeling/markings whatsoever, which means that it is not assigned a type for NEC purposes, and is restricted in its use within structures by the Code section you cited.  These cables are used by telephone utilities for service drops because the utility has its own specifications (Telcordia/Bellcore and so on) for cabling plant and doesn't want to spend the extra time and money making utility cable makers get NRTL listings to prove that the cable has properties the utility is already satisfied about.

Instead, the permitted usage of your type CMX cable is governed by NEC 800.113(L), which permits permits the use of any length of type CMX cable less than ¼" in diameter within a one or two-family dwelling.  If your cable is too fat to fall under that rule, you can sleeve it in any Chapter 3 raceway in order to comply with the NEC.  (ENT aka "smurf tube" is the cheapest and easiest choice for this.)


Replace plasterboard (drywall?) around window firstly my question is about plasterboard, which I think may be called drywall in the US?

Anyway, during the last few winters it had become damp and is just falling apart. Last summer someone had a quick look for me and it turns out it was caused by a blocked air vent - this has been fixed and there was no dampness last winter and is fine now, so I think it just needs the plasterboard replaced.

As can be seen from the picture, the entire vertical section of the window (question 1 - what is the name for this part of the window?) needs to be replaces plus a small section of the wall.

If I go pulling the old board off, what will I find behind it? How will I fix  the new board on? I can put my fingers through some holes that have formed, near the actual window there is bricks behind (with a small gap) and at the wall side there appears to be nothing.

How would I join up the corners?

Also, if I can't tackle this myself, is this a big job  for a pro? There is a  site where I can get quotes - would  this go in the Plaster or General Builder category?

Thanks!

If there is a space behind the plaster board and the brick wall it is most likely that there have been wooden strips mounted to the brick and then the plaster board has been in turn mounted to those wood strips.

I would expect you to find a strip vertical right next to the window, one on each side of the corner in from the window and then some under the inside wall area. You will learn more simply by proceeding to remove the existing damaged materials. It is possible that some of the stripping was damaged as well and may also require replacement.

As for the installation of the replacement plaster board you would cut pieces of material to fit and then use plaster board screws to mount the pieces to the strips on the wall. The outside corner by the window is normally handled by installing a plasterboard cornice piece (made of metal or plastic) to the corner (with some more screws) and then the plaster board mud is applied at the corner up to this material to produce the finished corner.


How do I compact backfill behind a retaining wall under a driveway? I have a retaining wall that is on the property line. Along the top of the wall is my driveway. Part of the wall has given way and needs to be rebuilt. I think I have everything figured out except how to compact the backfill as I rebuild the wall.

What type of tool or method can I use to make sure the fill is compacted?

You do not give details on how large an area you got to back fill. You mentioned part of the wall under the driveway. Relatively speaking that is a small area. Too small to use a "vibrating plate compactor" !

Using that will unnaturally force your back fill downwards and then sideways - damaging your wall all over again! And it wont compact it properly because it does not magically remove air pockets and other crevices.

We had to do this allot when building on uneven places and do this under driveways too.

The best way to do it is layer by layer.

Backfill layer of rubble (mixed with some ground is ok) (something like 30~60 cm)?
Dump normal ground on top of it
Hose it down with water. You should see the ground disappearing into the backfill, dump more ground until it is filled and overflowing. DO not flood it just get a reasonable stream of water. At this point the ground is naturally compacting(and getting rid of air space)
When you reckong its pretty much not going to fill any more dump a thin layer of ground and damped it.
Let it stand for while (15 minutes i n hot sun) and repeat from 1 till done.

This takes some time but will last for very very long time. When it rains, the ground is already water compacted so it wont subside. It also does not create shock damage to your retaining walls.


What sort of device plugs in to this outlet? I am looking to buy a window air conditioner. I would like the get the most powerful air conditioner my electrical system can support. I have this plug on my wall:

I have never seen this plug before, but based on the size and shape I think it may be a NEMA 6-30. The round outlet face is 2 and 1/8 inches and each prong opening is about 9/16ths of an inch:

I have not found any air conditioners with this specific plug shape and size. Would I be able to plug in an air conditioner with a different plug using some sort of adapter?

That appears to be a NEMA-6 30 receptacle. According to the National Electric Code, it must be used only for a 30 amp circuit. Look for a 30 amp, 240 volt circuit breaker in you box. Unless you find another receptacle like that in the house that is connected to the same breaker, the entire 30 amps is available for use by whatever is plugged in there.


Are speaker wire output negative posts on receiver common-grounded? I am buying a subwoofer (powered Sunfire HRS 12) that has high level inputs (bare speaker wire) and it says that it has it's negative posts joined (common-grounded) and that my receiver or amp also has to be common-grounded.

My question is, is this common to find in receivers? I have a Sony 2ch Receiver model STR-DH130 that I will be using with the subwoofer and I can't find this info on the manual.

I will check for continuity on the negative terminals on Left and Right speaker outputs on receiver, if there's continuity then is it safe to assume they are common-grounded?

thanks and have a nice day

That Sony does not have a dedicated sub woofer output so you will need a sub-woofer that will pass through the sound to your  left and right speakers. Some subs only except a sub channel input and do not pass through left and right channels, many will except and pass along the right and left channels to the speakers,  meaning it will have inputs for left and right and OUTPUTS for left and right. .

As long as you wire the negative to negative  and positive to positive ( black to black and red to red ) you will be OK.

You did not say what sub-woofer model you are getting, I am not familiar with a subs that  sub that have "negative posts joined" Can you post the model? I found the following quote on crutchfield.com for the polk PSW10 , i assume that is what you are referring to.

  "Speaker Level Input/Output: The sub-woofer has spring clips for the
  speaker level inputs and outputs. The sub woofer's low-pass filter
  sends bass frequencies (based on the setting of the filter) to the
  sub-woofer. The speaker level inputs and outputs are shorted together,
  so the output is not crossed over. You should set you receiver's front
  speaker setting to Large."

Meaning you wire it as i stated and it passes the correct frequencies to the sub and the speakers.

Or you can use RCA cables from the video or md/tape audio out terminals on the receiver and go into the RCA Line in, left and right on the sub-woofer and wire your speaker into the out terminals on the sub.


Options for adding an additional valve to irrigation system I currently have this setup:

In the diagrams below the green circles are individual valve boxes (why would they have used 3 boxes instead of 1 here?), the black lines are 1" plastic irrigation pipe, and the numbers are zone outputs (Hunter PGV valves).

I would like to add two zones. The space (center to center) between 1 and 2 is 5", and the space between 2 and 3 is 8.5". It seems like it would allllmost fit to add the new zones (7 & 8) like this, changing to one large rectangular box. Unfortunately there are structures to the left and right of this whole setup, so I can't just add an additional box to either side. Is there a minimum recommended distance between valves? Are there such things as "thin valves" for an application like this?

In fact, I actually want to run one of the new zones the other direction:

Is there a standard way to do this?

It looks like you have some "wiggle room" - the existing valves could be pushed closer together, though it might require rebuilding the manifold (branches off the supply line).
My 7-zone system is indeed in a single rectangular box. For ease of identification, I would recommend (at least) labeling each zone valve and if at all possible, re-number from 1 to 8 consecutively to avoid future confusion.
For your zone 8 to point the other direction, you should either route it around after it exits the box or dig deeper and route it underneath the valves. The valve should be in-line with the rest of them. Use care not to exceed the maximum bend radius for your tubing and do not kink it.


Installing combo switch My bathroom light switch is a switch loop. It only works light over medicine cabinet. Can I replace present single pole switch with combo switch. My box only has 1 black wire, 1 white wire, and ground. If so how.

Yes, but you're not going to like it, as it involves a hunt for high-tech products which may not yet exist.   We are not a product-reco site, so we can't be a whole lot of help there.

Currently the white and black in the switch loop are always-hot, and switched-hot.   Re-designate them always-hot, and neutral.
The hard part.  Find a "smart switch" product which allows you to have a master control at the switch location, and a remote module up in the lamp housing.

Since there are no spare wires, the control and remote will need to communicate via either a) data-over-power-line, or b) a radio-based scheme like WiFi, bluetooth, or some proprietary method.

If you have a 1-gang box at the switch, you'll have a real trick - trying to obtain a module which is both a smart-switch-controller and also a convenience outlet.  If that wasn't complicated enough, since it's a bathroom, the convenience outlet must be behind a GFCI protector - either in an upstream receptacle, or the breaker in the service panel.

The switch does not need to be wired.  It could be battery powered and glued to the wall next to the old switch location.  Then you can use a common duplex receptacle in the old switch box and done.

Or, give up on a manual switch, and go with a motion sensor up in the lamp housing.  That can be done with common off-the-shelf components.  You may need to check if this is Code legal.  Commercial bathrooms do it, though.


How do I replace missing drywall strips after an asbestos abatement? I'm getting ready for my first major DIY project (about a week away).  Here's a summary:

We confirmed the presence of Asbestos in our house heating vent insulation and acoustic ceilings.  We're hiring licensed abatement professionals to remove it.  2 heating vents are in the wall so the abatement crew are planning to remove the drywall directly in front of the vents to get access.  The result is that two vertical sections of drywall (approximately 7 ft x 1 ft each) will be removed.

I need advice on how to repair the drywall after they're done.  I'm specifically interested in knowing:

What tools will I need to complete the drywall repair?
What equipment will I need?
What procedure would I use to repair the wall? I expect it to be different than the repair method I've seen elsewhere (referencing strapping).
Time estimate for a beginner to get this done? I'm guessing at least a few days.

In addition to advice, any pictures/how-to links/videos/etc would be greatly appreciated.

-M

I'm assuming here that they're not going to replace the ducts in the wall; if I'm wrong I'll adjust my answer accordingly.

Cut three or four pieces of 2x4's long enough to fit between the studs at the sides of the hole.
Toe nail or screw one in horizontally near the top of the hole, one at the bottom and the other one or two in the middle.  Provided your drill will fit in the space, screwing may be easier since you don't have to swing a hammer in a confined space.  If you use nails, it would be a good idea to drill some pilot holes first.  Use at least two at each side, one towards the front and one towards the back; ideally you would have them on the top and bottom of each cross piece too.
Cut a piece of drywall to size -- it doesn't have to be exact since drywall tape is 2" wide -- but should be fairly close.  If you have a drywall rasp, cut it a little larger than you need since it'll be easy to trim it down.
Place it in the hole and screw it into the cross pieces.
Apply some mud around the edges with the taping knife.  Press the tape into it, then more mud on top, and smooth it out.
Let the mud dry; sand it smoothish, then apply some more mud on top, spreading it out further.  Repeat until it looks OK.

Tools:

electric drill
hammer (if you use nails)
saw to cut the 2x4's (mitre saw is quickest, handsaw would do),
drywall tools: craft knife, mud pan, taping knife, option drywall rasp (quicker to trim the piece of drywall down to size than using a knife), sander.  (A few years ago, I bought a combination toolkit at Lowe's with all the tools you'd need this kind of job; it was a lot cheaper than buying them all individually).

Supplies:

drywall
drywall screws
3" (approx.) nails or wood screws,
one or two 2x4's,
mud (there are mixes that you can get that will dry in 30 minutes or so, but I'd recommend getting a bucket of all-purpose joint compound since this is your first time).
drywall tape (I prefer paper).
sandpaper (for the drywall sander)
plastic sheeting to cover the nearby area (sanding drywall makes a lot of dust that you don't want in your vacuum).

None of the jobs takes particularly long, but you need to let the mud dry between coating and sanding, so figure a few days to get the wall ready for its finish treatment: texturing, painting, etc.


Is this wall load-bearing? Want to remove wall (picture with x on wall) coming through kitchen horizontally (backside facing living room with photos on it). Would leave wall in place beside it. Removing would make a 15 ft walk through opening between that wall and back wall. (Red arrows are where truss “beams” in the attic meet above the center hall walls all the way down. Yellow arrows show where basement posts below are directly under (so these are definitely bearing most of the weight.)

(Large panoramic picture very distorted, marked walls run directly parallel to each other. Center wall with photos I want to take out. If wall was taken out there would be 25 ft between living room back wall and back wall of kitchen.

(Basement photos w tile flooring. Wall directly above basement bedroom wall.)

Photo of attic. Roof is steeper than “average”. Middle supports of attic seem to run along center hall walls all the way down (these run directly under with the highest peak of the roofline perpendicular to joists all the way from one end of the house to the other definitely load bearing.)

This particular wall runs parallel with ceiling joists...however I believe (I’ll have to measure) the basement bedroom walls may run directly beneath this one (those go wall to wall across the basement so wondering if this distributes some weight to the wall below.  This wall is above maybe a third of the basement bedroom interior walls below.)

Does it seem to be load bearing?
There would “only” be a 15 ft gap between the (possible) hallway  load bearing wall and the back living room load bearing wall.
Basement supporting beams run below my center hallway walls so again suspecting those are carrying the bulk of the weight. Again they run opposite the joists and they run all the wall from end to end right below the roof peak and the truss “beams” seem to meet at the point running along the center hall.
We are in Virginia, tornados are concerns here. Occasionally “light” hurricanes. Main concerns are tornados. I want to make sure removing the wall doesn’t weaken the overall strength of the house.
The opening between the living room and kitchen if you note, there’s no header beam across. (Does this suggest its just a partition wall?) Notice my hallway walls (definitely bearing weight can tell from the attic) these walls have headers above the walkthroughs.
On the other side of the wall there are cabinets hanging which I’m hoping it was simply put in for more cabinet space in the design. (Hoping hoping, praying.....)
This wall is the bane of my existence. I cannot see the living room from any angle as I cook. My kitchen feels like a little box of cabinets.
Any suggestions on what it is, and cheapest alternatives to take this section out to open a space between living room and kitchen.

If my pictures look like a football playbook I apologize. I obviously can’t work a smart phone to type on a photo, not sure if I should be messing with removing walls. Engineering level work. I probably shouldn’t touch most of the diy projects that I do . Just trying to not collapse the house is all. Any help is appreciated!

[3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/uehqv.jpg

Walls running parallel with joists are almost never load bearing. Your pictures make it seem it is running parallel. I personally, from the information you have provided, say it's safe to knock that wall out from a roof truss/joist support perspective.


Adding a sub panel in my basement I want to add a sub panel in my basement. The main panel is in my garage, the next level up. The distance from the main panel is roughly 10 feet. The main power comes in through the basement and up to the garage panel. If I add a sub panel in the basement, there is no where on the underside of the main panel where I can feed the #2 cable. All the spots left on the lower part of the box are too small.

Obviously the main panel sits between 2 2x4’s. If I ran the cable between the next set of 2x4’s, is it okay by code to run the cable though the 2x4 above the main panel the have it come through the top of the main panel, is that okay.

In addition, does that #2 cable have to be secured to the 2x4’s along it’s route?

One last thing. I purchase a 125 amp panel and I was told the the #2 wire is sufficient by code. Is that correct? I definitely do not need 125 amps in the basement. I will only be using 3 or 4 breakers in that box for lighting and outlets.

I just want to make sure I run this correctly the first time because I will be tearing out drywall in the garage and I will be replacing it too and only want to do the job once.

Take the subpanel back and get another one, with an eye toward two features:

Auxiliary ground bus included, not an extra-cost add-on
lots and lots of spaces.  Right now in your construction, spaces are dirt cheap; regrets are expensive.  Especially if drywall is involved.

Also look for

being bundled with useful "bonus" breakers
being a quality type (Siemens, QO, GE Qline, CH)
having sensibly priced AFCIs ($40ish) and GFCI/AFCI combos ($55ish). Can't use brand X breakers on brand Y panels; that's not brand loyalty but a matter of proper fit.
same type as your main panel (if you care)

It does not matter what the panel ampere rating is, as long as it is >80A because that is the breaker to use with your 75A 2/2/2/4 cable.*  There is nothing wrong with getting a 200A subpanel for instance, as long as it has a plentiful supply of breaker spaces.  Headroom increases safety and also allows for easy upgrades (just replace the cable/breaker).

The subpanel does not need a main breaker, but if it's cheaper (with bonus breakers) to accept a panel with one, that's fine.

* 75A -- yeah, the advice you got was that wrong.  Never take advice from big-box again. In fact let's get you shopping at a proper electrical supply house.  Most are locally owned businesses, and most will be happy to deal with you at sensible prices.  Be honest with them that you're sick of dealing with big-box and their limited selection**, terrible advice and you're heard electrical supply prices are actually better on most things.

** I suspect that's why they put you into 2/2/2/4 Al.


Bath exhaust fan issue We closed on this new construction townhome in January 2014. 6 1/2 years later, cleaning the Panasonic exhaust fans in all 4 bathrooms, to my astonishment, basement bathroom fan has no ductwork. Fan works fine, just no ductwork leading anywhere. Steam from shower and everything else went into airspace between basement and main floor. Any recourse here to the builder and town inspector who  evidently 'didn't’ inspect?
Thanks

Assuming you are in the US, the cost to correct it likely falls under the limits for Small Claims Court. So you could request a remedy from the builder and if they refuse, sue them in Small Claims under "implied warranty", meaning it is implied that something you buy will do what it is intended to do. Exhaust fans must exhaust, this one never did, so the length of time, although possibly subject to a statute of limitations, should not be a factor. In many places the statute of limitations is 3 or 4 years, others might be 7, so get on it!
This of course assumes that the builder is still a viable business entity.


Leaving a hot wire in the wall or ceiling I am redoing a ceiling fan with new wiring. I have the walls open at the switch box. There is an old knob & tube hot wire coming in and then it goes out to the ceiling fan. I have run new wiring to the ceiling fan and have put an outlet right below where the new plastic box is going for the switch. I can't find where the feed is for the hot wire, it is somewhere in the ceiling. I have gone to the other fixtures that are on the same breaker and don't see the hot wire being fed from there. What do I do with this?

You must terminate the wire in a box and it must remain accessible with a cover plate.  You need to terminate it with the appropriately sized wire nut.

This may help locate the hidden splice:  get a voltage sensor ($5), turn off all breakers except for this one.  Put the sensor on high sensitivity and start sweeping around on the ceiling.  You might get lucky and find a hidden box or at least you'll get to know how the wires are run and get a better feel for which switch or light box contains the feed.


Should I have any readily apparent concerns about the foundation and framing of this new build? Should I have any readily apparent concerns about the foundation and framing of this new build in the Seattle, WA area? Is there any reason to get an inspection prior to building completion?  I don't suspect anything is wrong, but I don't have a trained eye.

The builder will likely have an inspector, along with the local building authority. If you want a truly independent inspection, you should hire your own inspector.


How to pull splintered sheathing into an electrical box? I am installing a new plastic box in a slightly different position in a bath in TX. I might be a bit short of wire and or space.  The wire appears to be guage 12, and a bit hard to work with. It also does not seem to backstab into my new switches, I have to wind them around the screws, and so use even a bit more wire than was used before.
Is it ok to cut back the white exterior sheathing/sleeve back, so that individual wires will be easier to slide into the box and bend.
If not, then what is a practical way of pulling the sheathed wire back into the box? Can the holes on the box made larger than the cut out? or Can the wire be re-sheathed? or?
Here is what it will looks like.

Despite your difficulties, the cable's sheath must come all the way into the box past the point of split, and be secured by the box's cable clamps.
You cannot modify the box to make things easier.
If  you look closely at the photo, you can see where all 3 cables  have crimp marks from where the previous clamps gripped them in the correct position.  You need to do the same.
If you can't make it work any other way, I suggest you obtain a metal box of similar depth, which has a number of 3/4" circular "knockouts" on it, three on the side you need.  Then, obtain these cable clamps.

src

Start by removing the large diameter thin "nut" on the backside of them (barely visible) - save that, you'll need it later.
Bunch the wires together for one cable, and push them through the hole.  The side you are seeing in the photo goes first, i.e. on the wall side.  Get it so at least 1/4" of intact sheath is past the edge of it (fully on good sheath and then some), and tighten down those screws.
On your steel box, bust out three knockouts on the correct side.
Thread all the cable's wires together and through the hole.  Also put the nut, from earlier, over the cable's wires.   Pull the cable into the steel box until the fitting's threads come through the hole.  Spin the nut down onto the threads.
*Wasn't that easier? You got to put the clamp on the cable separate from putting the cable into the box.   And putting the cable in the box, you got to work entirely on the accessible side.
Now, those nuts need to be torqued down, so get a flat screwdriver and put the blade on the "bump" on the left side and bap the back of the screw driver with some force, e.g. with your fist or something .  That way you tighten the nut clockwise.  That's how you do these.
The other boxes aren't working for you because they assume you  have access to both the inside and outside of the box after it's mounted.  You don't, actually.


Can I run two 6/3 NM cables up the same 2x4? I have two 6/3NM cables coming from the attached garage ceiling into a subpanel mounted low inside an exterior wall.  One of the studs is occupied by A/C pipes so I'm hoping there's a way to get both cables stapled to the other stud which is along a door frame (so I can't drill thru either stud to get to another cavity.)  If I can just get those first 2 staples on these cables I can branch one into the next cavity above the door, but how can I staple 2 of them to a single 2x4 without violating the 1-1/4" setback distance?  Is there some way to stack 6/3NM?  Can I "stack" them myself by stapling one to the stud and then nail a scrap of notched lumber over it to staple the other one to?  It's a tight space with the A/C pipes and a 3-gang outlet box so trying to mount a full span fireblock stud in there would be difficult and still wouldn't offer enough room to staple both cables to within the 12" requirement.  Cables are currently in loose flex conduit and I'm wanting to get them to California code, permit, and cover with drywall.

edit: It seems that every possible path I can take with these cables involves them crossing each other and/or some the various 12/2 cables in the wall.  Can a 6/3 NM cross anything inside a 2x4 wall without violating the 1-1/4" setback rule? In particular I'd want a 6/3 to penetrate horizontally thru the same stud that another 6/3 is stapled vertically to.  I could add some slack to the vertical run so they cross further from the stud, but they would still amount to a 1.5" thick mass of wire at the crossing point.

Thanks for any advice!

I've broken tabs on Cable Stackers, but a modification like that may not meet approval of the AHJ, or you can use Screw Gun Brackets between studs and (UL) Listed zip ties.


Is it any relevant the energy consuption of IOT and RF receiving home devices? I am designing and building my own house. I am very interested in automatizing several devices as blinders and lights.

In general, I am thinking in using Zigbee (Xiaomi and Aqara), RF and IR devices. The latter two will be controlled by a RF + IR controller.

Each device itself won't probably consume too much.  However, imagine all my switches are connected and my blinders are always waiting for an RF signal to activate them. All those devices needs then to work with DC, which makes them, at least, need the use of an AC/DC converter.

How much could this devices consume? Is it relevant? Should I worry about it and try to reduce or optimice the number of connected devices?

Thank you so much,

Ricardo

If having your devices connected means you'll pay more attention slash automate your device usage -- dimming the lights, having them automatically turn off when no one is in the room -- then the sips of energy the connected devices use is certainly worth it.

For example, the Philips 458141 dimmer switch uses Zigbee and is battery powered (CR2450), with a minimum battery life of 3 years.

On the other side of the coin, if you install tons of connected gadgets yet don't reduce your energy consumption (or worse -- you use more energy) then the vampire power draw can hurt.

Bottom line:  install these devices and take advantage of them.  If you install them and don't use them, then you're wasting money up-front and continuously.


Is there any way to reduce UV fading on a hardwood floor? I've seen a lot of old hardwood floors where the owner moved a rug that had been there for years, and the wood under the rug was noticeably brighter, having been shielded from UV degradation. Is there any way to prevent this phenomenon? Will modern Low-E windows that block UV radiation do the job? Are there any stains or sealants that are UV-blocking?

Low-E windows will go a great job, and help with many energy losses.

A rug will always be better than just about anything, covered places on just about anything will take less abuse than uncovered surfaces.

Minwax has always been my favorite for anything I can put it on.

Their naming conventions are not always the most clever.

'Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane for Floors' is a product that will work for you.

They make a number of other products for coating hardwood floors.

Sherwin-Williams has never led me astray either.

Working on wood floors sucks, best of luck to you


How high up should I put the ice maker connection box? I'm going to finally connect the refrigerator's ice maker to water. Because the water line will come from the basement (and not from a kitchen cabinet), I have bought this connection box to install in the wall behind the fridge (Data sheet):

But how high up on the wall should I put the box? Is there a standard height?

I would not put it low.  I recommend it being above the adjacent counter height so you don't have to pull the fridge all the way out to turn the shut off valve and bend down.  4'-0" aff is my answer.  Nobody cares what it looks like once the fridge is in place.  It will be all about convenience and repairs.


How can I seal air leaks and otherwise winterize, as a renter? As winter arrives I am finding cold air leaks all over my apartment. Various parts of my sliding windows, light switches, power outlets, etc. Unfortunately, I rent, so caulk and expanding foam aren't options for me. I need solutions that aren't quite permanent, and won't do too much damage when they are removed.

I know about weather stripping for the non-sliding parts of my doors and windows. I don't have a good idea for the parts that slide against each other (like the tracks for the window).

I can put plastic child-proof plugs in the electrical outlets to stop air from coming straight out of those holes, but that doesn't help with leaks between the outlet and the faceplate, or between the faceplate and the wall. Is there some sort of tape I can put there, preferably clear or available in colors that might match my faceplates?

PS: Of course I am also going to use curtains.

For outlets, there are pre-cut foam gaskets that fit under the faceplates. You could leave those or remove when you go, as you prefer.

For windows that you will leave closed all winter, shrink film window sealing kits cover the whole window (best to put them all the way to the outside edge of the frame) and are fairly clear and non-obtrusive once shrunk, plus they seal the whole window (frame and all) if done that way. Peel them off in the spring.

I have used removable caulk on one building. Horribly stinky stuff, but it did peel off with no damage in the spring.


Why doesn't my light stay on unless I wiggle the switch? The light switch in my bathroom has been acting oddly the last month.  When I flip the switch on, the light turns on, but doesn't stay on.  If I wiggle the switch, it will stay on.  Sometimes I barely need to touch the switch, sometimes I need to wiggle it for a few moments.  I've swapped the light bulbs, it makes no difference.  The house is only 11 years old, so the wiring is fairly new.  Any ideas?  New fuse?  New light switch?

Recommendation - Replace the Switch
A light switch is a very simple, but also inexpensive, item. So (a) they shouldn't go bad very often, but (b) replacement is pretty simple.
It is actually quite possible that the problem is not the inside of the switch but rather one of the wires. The wires may be connected via screws (preferred) or through "back-stab" connections. Back-stabs are faster (by a few seconds) than screw terminals, but more prone to bad connections.
If it were me, I would buy a new matching switch - either regular or Decora - matching the existing style & color of your current switch. Make sure it is a regular switch, not a 3-way switch, unless you actually have a 3-way switch (2 switches in different locations that control one set of lights).
SAFETY FIRST:
Turn off the breaker (you mention "fuse", but on an 11 year old house you should have breakers). WARNING: If the box with the switch also has other switches (e.g., fan) or receptacles, there may be more than one live circuit in the box. So after turning off the circuit for the light, make sure than any other devices (e.g., fan, receptacles) that relate to that box also do not have power. In particular, you may have receptacles on a different circuit from the lights so that a GFCI breaker trip from a bad appliance won't turn out the lights. So make sure there is NO POWER going to the box when you have it open. The pros (and serious amateurs...) may not be as particular about that, but if you are new to this, better safe than sorry.
Remove the cover plate. Unscrew and remove the switch. If you have other switches or receptacles in the same junction box, don't mess with them! One thing at a time so you don't get your wires confused.
For an ordinary single switch, you should have 2 regular wires (hot & switched hot) plus a ground wire. There is no functional difference on an ordinary (not dimmer, not timer, not "smart") single switch between the hot & switched hot connectors.
For a 3-way switch, you should have 3 regular wires (hot or switched hot, 2 travelers), plus a ground wire. In this case, it is absolutely critical that you wire things up correctly based on first figuring out which wires are the travelers and connecting to the appropriate screws based on the switch installation instructions. Screw positions may vary between brands/models of switches - e.g., travelers could be on the same side on one switch and on opposite sides (e.g., both top or both bottom) on another switch.
End result - if this is a single switch the whole process should only take a few minutes. If it is a 3-way switch, you may want to read up on that a bit first as it can be confusing.


Pouring Curbing On Existing Concrete I recently removed the crumbling concrete curbing from around my front porch flower bed. This weekend I plan to create the form and pour a new curb for the bed. My question is: When I build the mold, should the mold overlap the existing concrete edge some, allowing the existing concrete edge to act as a kind of lip that part of the curb will sit on, or should I try to bend the mold to perfectly create a seam along the existing concrete's edge? I feel as though overlapping would ensure a cleaner finish, but it puts me at risk of cracks. I feel as though trying to match the seam exactly will leave a messier finish but be more crack resistant. I do have a diamond bladed angle grinder at hand to clean up existing concrete edges. As for climate- This is in Philadelphia.

Thanks!

It sounds to me like you are essentially asking how to make a 'raised curb'

Building a form, mixing, pouring and floating all this concrete is pretty labor intensive. Before you start, you may want to consider an edging made out of paving stones would be far easier to contour and a much faster install.

I'm not an expert, but live in a city where people are in charge of their own side walks and thus there's always a lot of refinishing activity going on. I have never seen anyone overlap the uppermost surface of concrete unless they are doing pouring over an entire slab with 4" of fresh concrete.  Thus, much like the raised curbs you see around you, it's best if there is either:

a slight gap between the existing concrete

or

An an edged in joint exactly where the new and old concrete mate

TLDR;

Contorting a form above your existing concrete will likely to be harder than seating it into your trench and using the edge of your existing concrete as a brace.  If you use something like (15/32") treated plywood to make your form, you can cut it flush with your existing concrete once your new form has dried and it will act as your expansion joint.


Replacing square flush mount light falling out of ceiling Okay, so my husband and I are avid DIYers, and we have just a few things left to do on our 1977 ranch renovation. One of those is replacing the hideous ceiling light fixtures in our hallway. After I scraped the popcorn ceiling one of these square dogs of fixtures started to come loose. It looks like the original hole was cut too big. Regardless, they are awful and I would like to replace them with something simple that would not require repairing the giant 11.25 inch square hole in two places in the ceiling of my hallway. I'm hoping something like this Lithonia 12 inch light would work. Advice please?

Replacing that light seems like a solid plan, but I think you still need to repair the sheetrock and put in a standard ceiling electrical box.  The hard part of drywall repair is taping the seams and floating, texturing, etc.  The good news is that you don't need to do any of that.  Do the absolute minimum job of replacing the square of drywall and cut a new hole in the repair for the round ceiling box.  The repair needs to be strong, but it doesn't have to be pretty.

The new fixture will cover the rough repair, but you will still have a standard light installation.


How can I get recessed lighting on a middle floor? Possible Duplicate:
  How do I install uninsulated halogen can lights?

I would like to install some recessed lights in my living room. I've done this sort of job in houses with an attic directly above the room to be lit, but this particular room is a challenge I've not dealt with before--above the living room is a bedroom roughly the same size.

One thing working to my advantage is that there is already one light in the room, and I could have a row of lights in that same bay, which shouldn't be a huge challenge. The main concern for me is how I can move wires across joists. Ideally, I'd be able to accomplish this without having to do any patching afterwards.

Is this doable? Can you recommend a general approach or any specific tips?

There's two main parts to it:

Long flexible drill bits. Home Depot and Lowes sell them.
Cut access holes as needed and patch them afterwards. Since you're installing recessed lights, I would think the holes for the lights should give you enough access most of the time.

Some (most?) flex drill bits allow you to remove the bit from the drill (after the end of the bit gets where its supposed to go) and attach a wire to it and use it to pull the wire through. Such as this:

http://tessco.com/products/displayProducts.do?bgCategoryId=558922

Another option is if you want to drill into the skipped joist bay from both sides (the existing light and the new light). I could imagine shaping two coat hangers (or similar bendable but stiff wire) into shapes where one could hook the other in the skipped bay and then pull it and an attached pull string through. A combination of a hook and loop perhaps.

You should think about the size and location of the holes you will drill in the joists. A larger hole will make wire pulling easier but reduces the strength of the joists more. There are rough guidelines/rules of thumbs.

http://www.electrical-contractor.net/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/196140/Drilling_a_floor_joist.html