New house - No neutral in switch box? I was going to add an outlet to a switched 1 outlet circuit thinking it would be pretty straight forward to run a wire from the switch box to a new outlet. The switch in question is a simple 2-way.

After cutting drywall for the new box, I examined the switch box I was going to connect to and was surprised I could not find any neutral wires (vintage 2013 house- PA).  Apparently power is supplied at the outlets and fixtures and only the black loop wires come back to the switches.  Not code as I understand it!!

Not a white wire to be found.. no wire nut bundles in the back - no whites to the other switches (3-ways by the way).  So am I screwed and have to find a way to run wire to some other place to get my neutral?

I am going to get ahold of the electrician who gave me the idea as I am beyond my understanding zone and either have him tell me what I am missing or have him do it

In the meantime - for my own sanity because I've wasted a good Sunday afternoon, can explain the logic of this method or some concept I am missing or a how-to?  The other switches are all 3-ways have 4 wires coming in:  1 red, 2 black and ground.   I see no way to use any of those to help me.

Otherwise my only other idea, probably not kosher at all, is to remove the switch and reconfigure the (now) switched outlet to feed power back to the switch-box where I would tie into it for the new outlet.

Whole Switchbox

3-way switching, switch loops, 404.2(C), and you

NEC 404.2(C) is where the requirement for neutrals at switch boxes lives (quoted from the 2014 NEC):

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded
  circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be
  provided at the location where switches control lighting
  loads that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose
  branch circuit for other than the following:

  (1) Where conductors enter the box enclosing the switch
  through a raceway, provided that the raceway is large
  enough for all contained conductors, including a
  grounded conductor

  (2) Where the box enclosing the switch is accessible for
  the installation of an additional or replacement cable
  without removing finish materials

  (3) Where snap switches with integral enclosures comply
  with 300.15(E)

  (4) Where a switch does not serve a habitable room or
  bathroom

  (5) Where multiple switch locations control the same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room or
  space is visible from the single or combined switch
  locations

  (6) Where lighting in the area is controlled by automatic
  means

  (7) Where a switch controls a receptacle load

  Informational Note: The provision for a (future) grounded
  conductor is to complete a circuit path for electronic lighting control devices.

In particular, point 5 above is what applies to your situation.  Unfortunately, the normative text of that section wasn't a model of clarity, and this section was reworked in 2017 to try to fix that.

So, you'll need to talk to your electrical inspector.  My interpretation of the 2014 text is that you need a neutral at at least one location in a multi-way switching system, but not at every location in said multi-way switching system -- there is room for reasonable people to disagree here though.


Is heating feature in an air conditioner bad? I was looking to buy an air conditioner (split system), recently and a local dealer told to go for ACs with cooling feature only and not ACs with heating feature, as they require more servicing and consumer faces many problems with them. I couldn't find anything validating this online. Is this true?

It's not clear if you're talking about mini-split AC systems with a heat pump or window AC units with resistive heating. If you mean the former, those systems are becoming more popular and are a very efficient way to heat your house, especially if your climate stays within the external temperature range supported by the unit (down to 20 or 30 ºF in older units, down to 0 ºF or less in newer ones).

On the other hand the window units with resistive heating is probably not worth your time, they are inefficient and you are probably better of removing the unit from the window when it gets cold and getting a space heater.


How can I rig a battery backed-up sump pump for an exterior pit? I have an exterior sump pit which gets all the water from my downspouts and french drains and pumps it out to a rain tank and overflow into a leeching field.

Because of where the pit is, if the pump were to fail or the power went out during a big storm, the water would overflow into my downstairs.

I've seen plenty of battery back-up sump solutions online, but it's not clear to me if any of them can work in an exterior application. If I get a marine battery and put it inside the provided plastic enclosure, am I good? Is there special equipment for an exterior application?

Thanks!

why dont you just use an UPS (uninterruptible power supply)?  just locate it inside and run a cord out to your pump.  that way your UPS is inside and warm and dry (keeps the electronics happy) and your pump will work one way or the other - you will also get an audible alarm if there is a problem.


Can I frame a new window without adding jack studs? I'd like to add a small window to a blank wall above a tub/shower, without removing all of the tile (interior) or stucco (exterior) below the new opening to add jack studs. Is that possible, using framing angles on the existing studs?

One of the 2 studs that would be "promoted" to a king stud is already doubled 2x4s. The window would use 3 stud bays (cutting 2 existing studs). The work would not be inspected. The header would sit against the top plate (so no studs above the opening).

Yes, but you'd need to repurpose existing common studs as jack studs. This may mean using a wider (longer) header than would ordinarily be needed. Obviously this means opening up the wall more than you'd maybe like, but it's all kept up above the tub where it's more easily repairable.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________  <-- double plate
_________________________________________________  <-- top plate

                   header

________________________________________________
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | | <-- existing common
| |    | | |        rough           | | |    | |     stud, cut to
| |    | | |       opening          | | |    | |     header height
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |    | | |                        | | |    | |
| |____|_|_|________________________|_|_|____| |
| |__________________________________________| |
| |             | |            | |           | |
| |             | |            | | <-------- | | --- existing common studs
| |             | |            | |           | |     cut off at sill height

If this is a load-bearing wall, you probably want to install a temporary wall just inside the tub to support the joists. Chances are the wall as a system will carry the weight, but you want to prevent drywall cracks, etc.

Pre-cut a few studs to the ceiling height minus 3", and cut two plates suitable for the space.
Pad a 2x4 plate with a blanket or other padding to protect your ceiling. Have an assistant hold the plate against the ceiling, perpendicular to the joists.
Set a plate on the floor below it.
Tip your pre-cut studs in place, setting one end and driving the other with a hammer until plumb (or snug, whichever comes first). Spare your ceiling and drive the bottom end where possible.
Try to position one stud roughly under each joist.
Friction will more or less hold everything in place, but run some 3" gold screws in on a toenail angle to be sure.

Keep an eye on things as you start to work on the window opening. Watch upper floors for movement at doorways, etc. There shouldn't be any.


Is checking the oil in a fridge as straight forward as a car? I see in another question that the compressor in a fridge has oil in it, and that it has the ability to get dirty over time.  Based on the knocking sounds of my fridge, I wonder if it's due for an oil change.

Is it possible for the average person to change the oil in a fridge?

The oil is part of the coolant. Changing the coolant isn't a common task for home owners because of the specialized equipment required.


How can I modify floors, walls, ceilings and furniture in a reversible way? I am renting an apartment starting next month and I am not satisfied by some of its floors, walls and even ceilings. Also, both kitchen and bathroom are already set-up with basic furniture, i.e. cabinets, a stove, a dishwasher, a toilet, a bath, etc. I have been living with my parents in a rental apartment so far and I have no idea what options I have. Since I am only renting the apartment, I must not make any modifications which are non-reversible. How could I modify these things in a reversible way?

These would be two pictures of my kitchen and my bathroom: http://imgur.com/a/9v0lJ#0

For example, I dislike the tiles in the kitchen since it reminds me of a grandmother's kitchen whereas I am a young student. Or the "door" in the bathroom: I'd much rather replace it by a curtain or at least by a clear glass-wall. However, I don't know if this is possible without permanently changing it.

There really isn't a lot you can do to a floor which is affordable and reversable other than throw down a rug. A washable rug isn't unthinkable in a kitchen but personally I don't like that solution, not least due to concerns over trip hazard when carrying hot items. Serious burns are not fun (he says, having poured boiling water over his foot many years ago).

That kitchen floor is MUCH less offensive than many. I believe that, after living there a month or two, it'll just become "the way it is" and you'll stop noticing it except when specifically looking for things to object to. Meanwhile, putting a light-colored work table in the middle of the kitchen might change the look of the room enough to make you happier.

Regarding the shower door... You may be able to dismount the doors and remount them upon departure, but the tracks will almost certainly need to stay in place. Personally I would STRONGLY recommend you talk to the landlord about this so he or she doesn't discover the change when you bring them to repair something; if they do approve this change they may also have opinions on where and how the doors should be stored. Again, though, I'd suggest you try living with it for a while and see how much it's really a problem rather than just being different.

Modifying walls: Hang art (up to and including quilts...); make sure it's properly supported per the complex's rules and be prepared to do some touch-up of the walls when you leave. And/or paint, with the owner's permission (again, they may insist it be repainted back to white when you leave). Or put up freestanding bookcases, or other furnishings to break up the wall.  (I once built a full-wall shelving-and-clothes-rails system for one apartment which was badly short of closet space. About $100 worth of white Melamine-covered fiberboard plus hardware. Backless, mostly freestanding, braced against the wall at each end of the room and with a few brackets anchoring it to studs to make it somewhat childproof. Much cheaper and more roomy than buying an armoire, not stylish but functional.)

Ceilings: If you're looking at the ceilings of a rental at any time except when in bed, you're probably looking too hard.

It's a rental. It will never be perfect. Settle for making it functional and comfortable. Your next apartment will have a whole new set of issues.


Primer on drywall for one year without paint I just bought a condo that is one year old. There's primer on the wall without paint for one year. Should I do some light sanding and then paint it? Or should I just clean and wipe down dust on the wall and then paint? Or are there other suggestions? Thanks guys.

I'd go ahead and paint it as-is, just as I'd paint my living room after a year, or ten, without any special prep. Kitchens with evidence of grease should probably be cleaned locally.

I've never had paint fall off yet after dozens of personal and professional projects over several decades. Modern paints are very good.


What causes "toothpick streaks" when spray painting already-painted metal? I already found several articles explaining how to properly spray paint a metal surface, so that's not my question.

My botched attempt to spray paint a metal surface that had already been painted resulted in these strange streaks that looks like someone came in with a toothpick and ran it along the surface when the paint was wet (but of course they didn't).

It was so unexpected, it got me curious. What's the cause of this? I don't mean "because I didn't sand it first". I mean, what's the physics or chemistry at work to cause this particular phenomena?

I was unable to find anything about it on the internet.

Something is causing the layers of paint to repel away from the areas, leaving a significantly thinner coat.  There are three phenomena at work.

surface contaminants, such as oil, wax, silicones, etc.
A glossy surface, which after all is designed to prevent dirt and contaminants from sticking.
fundamental differences in the adhesion or absorption of paint due to different surfaces.

You cure that with a three step process:

First, you sand it sufficiently to remove gloss, rust and contaminants like silicones.
Second,  you wipe down with a strong enough solvent to remove oils, waxes, and the like.  This solvent must not leave residue.   A two-cloth cleaning is best to assure you're not just swirling the contaminants around.
Third, you use primer to form a surface that is consistent in regards to absorbing paint and adhesion, if those issues exist.


Toilet not always flushing fully, what could be wrong? I have a toilet that about half of the time doesn't flush fully, but will always flush fine on the second attempt. It does this regardless of the "contents" in the bowl.

I first took a plunger to it, but it didn't help at all. I then came here and read How can I fix a toilet that flushes incompletely? and looked inside the tank while flushing and the flapper seems to be functioning normally. I then read Why do my toilets flush slowly and often incompletely? and cleaned up everything like Inkspeak mentioned in his answer, but still hit or miss. I am starting to wonder if my toilet is as bad as Inkspeak says one of his three toilets were.

I bought this house just a few months ago and it has been happening the whole time. The house was built in 2007 and this is the only toilet that is having the issue. Is there anything else that I could try before I just replace the whole toilet? It seems like the toilet is young enough that it shouldn't have too much build up in it, but I also know that we have rather hard water based off of how fast we see mineral build up in our shower that we didn't see in our previous house.

I will describe the test you need to do to check the toilet.

Remove the tank cover, be sure the tank is full of water to the full mark.
Push the flush handle.
When the rubber flapper flips up, reach down and hold it in the up position until all the water has drained from the tank.

If the toilet flushes completely under this test, but not on it's own, then your flapper is closing too soon, or the tank is not filling as much as it needs to do.  The flapper is a real easy replacement, if the tank is not filling, then the fill valve needs to be replaced.

If it did not flush completely, time to spring and spend 200 bucks for a new Class 5 toilet.  Which toilet to buy is a whole new topic.

Good luck.


Paint does not show true color even after 2 coats on top of existing light color I have an existing beige color in the walls of my house. I am getting them repainted and following suggestion from my painter I went to the store - got sample of sherwin williams accessible beige. I also bought a plain white board to try the color as well.(The eventual paint would be promar 200 from sherwin williams)

So i have put two coats on the plain white board and two coats on the wall as well. The problem here is with the same light - the 2 coats on the wall look more whitish and different from the color on the white board. The coats on the white board look more close to the real color that is advertised. The painter thinks its due to the existing wall color (beneath the two coats of the sample) changing the eventual color. he says he can put a primer beneath but that would mean 3 coats and more money expense to me.

So I had few questions:

Is it correct that the color beneath the 2 coats is making a difference in how the walls look?
Is it possible to use some other product which would give a result true to the advertised color in 2 coats. The existing color on the walls is not dark enough to warrant 3 coats, I feel. Should i go for benjamin moore? I do not know why my painter advocates sherwin williams while i have always heard benjamin moore being the best.

In the pic in this link, the background color is my existing color. I have painted a small part of the wall and i am also holding the white cardboard with the 2 coats of paint.

There's a few things that could be going on here.  First, the wall paint could be absorbing the new paint more than the fresh white board or paper you are using.  The texture of the wall could make the color appear to be lighter, but not sure if that's the case if you have a flat paint (not glossy).  Also, have you ever seen those optical illusions where there are two squares that are the exact same color grey but one looks almost black and the other looks almost white because of the colors that surround it (square A and B are the exact same color)?

The grey on a stark white background is going to seem darker even if there is just a little white border.

So, you have a few choices.  You can just accept that it looks lighter in the room and use a darker shade, but you also have to realize that once all the wall is painted, the color will look different than it does now.  You can prime and then paint.  What I like to do is use a tinted primer then one coat of paint.  You get the best of both worlds and typically the one coat (of quality paint) is enough.

Now, as to why your painter wants to use Sherwin Williams paint...  It's most likely that is what he is used to.  Painters have big brand loyalty, and the paint stores feed this with quantity discounts and "pro accounts" that get lower prices.  Also, note that "ProMar 200" sounds like some nice "professional' product, but it's one of the least expensive paints SW sells.  It is their value line paint for large volume painters.  Home Depot also has a "pro" line of paint, and in my experience "Pro" in the paint world means "good paint for a low price for large jobs".  It doesn't mean its somehow better than "consumer" paints.

Direct answer to your two points:

If the paint has a hard time covering with the light color you have chosen, it's not a very good paint.  Light colors should hide the best because the white pigment in the paint is very strong.  Darker colors like reds and blues are notorious for poor coverage, but not grey.
Many other paints would probably cover better.  ProMar is a base-level paint that works good in most cases, but there are certainly better covering options.  Does $5-10/gallon more for a better paint really matter in the long run and in comparison to what you're paying for labor?

Also: specifically not trying to recommend a brand or throw SW under the bus...  SW has 4-5 lines of interior paint and I'm sure they have great stuff.  I have friends that won't use anything other that Benjamin Moore and others that only buy from Home Depot.  I happen to believe that most suppliers have good products and you have to choose the right one based on the job.  You can't just blindly use Product X for every single job.


How to swap a series outlet with smart outlet I have a series outlet that has two black wires and two white wires that I want to swap out with a new smart outlet so I can control it with wifi. But the new outlet only has screws for one black and one white wires. How do I hook up the new outlet? Is it possible?

If the little copper tabs between the screw terminals are intact, on both sides of the receptacle.  It's as easy as using twist-on wire connectors (or other approved device), to "pigtail" the existing wires.  That will leave you with a single wire, to connect to each side of the new device.

To create a pigtail.  Start by turning off the power, and verifying that it's off.  Remove the two white wires, and combine them with an additional length of same sized white wire, using a twist-on wire connector.  Do the same with the black wires.

Now you'll have one white and one black wire, that you can connect to the new receptacle.


Can I repair a chain saw chain? I have a chain saw (one of the ones for pruning trees) and the chain popped off.  I went to put it back on but one of the teeth is damaged on the part that slides along the arm of the chain saw.  It looks like it is only this single tooth that is causing the chain not to slide into the arm.  Is there anything I can do to repair the chain or am I going to have to buy a new one?

One of my dad's words of wisdom to me was "Don't mess around with chainsaws."  While he meant be careful when using them, I'd say it applies here.  While you could try to repair the chain, if it caused something to bind and caused kickback while sawing, the results could be disastrous.

And new chains are cheap compared to prosthetic limbs- $20-$30.  So do yourself a favor, throw the old chain away, and buy a new one.


How to I safely anchor a safety line to a chimney? I am going to be installing an antenna at the top of my brick chimney and I'd like to be able to use a safety line with a fall arrestor.  The chimney visually looks OK. I'm trying to figure out the safest way to anchor to the top of the chimney.

So far I've considered two options:

A steel anchor with an expansion bolt into a brick on the chimney.  A downside I see to this is that all of the load would be placed on a single brick, and if that one brick came loose, I'd fall.  I could improve this by installing two anchor points, but if one brick pulled out I'm not sure I'd have much faith in the second one.

Steel Bolt http://www.petzl.com/files/imagecache/product_outdoor_slideshow_image/node_media/coeur-goujon_4.jpg
Wrapping webbing around the chimney and anchoring to the webbing.  This would be more difficult to install as I'd have to get around the entire chimney, and in the event that the entire chimney was not structurally sound, I risk the entire chimney coming down on top of me in the event I fell.

(source: canyoneeringusa.com)

Are there any other methods which I might have missed? If not, of these two which would be the safest?

There is no reliable data I know of for the ultimate strength of expansion anchors in brick masonry. It's not a viable anchor system no matter how many you use (within reason). You are almost better off with no protection because then you will make damn sure you do not fall. (Just kidding, but there is some logic to this amongst rock climbers).

An anchor system around the entire chimney is a much better option if properly placed. As you note, there is a risk of the entire chimney failing. This risk is difficult to assess, depending on the chimney's age, method of construction (reinforced?), type of brick, the mortar mix used, it's anchorage to adjacent structure, etc. The anchor should be placed as close to the highest chimney anchorage as possible, though it increases your fall distance, it decreases the bending moment in the structure.

If the resulting fall distance is unacceptable, or there is no anchorage, you need to consider alternatives. An anchor system installed into the structure of the building is most secure. This allows possibly a higher anchor (less fall distance) and a more desirable fall factor (proportionally more rope involved for a given fall distance reduces shock loading). This will involve locating structural members and using appropriate fasteners, as well as dealing with sealing around the anchor to prevent roof leaks.

There are manufactured fall arrest anchors suitable to such applications. By following recommended installation instructions, these anchors in the US are OSHA approved and will resist 5000 lbs of force. This is the only sure way of achieving an adequate anchor system.

In the US, OSHA fall protection requirements are applicable to work done on single family residences.

That's the official line as I know it. That said, I have a similar situation where I sank a single 5/16"x3" solid, shouldered eye screw (hot dipped galvanized) into the center of one roof rafter, straight through the roofing, sealant applied before applying the final few turns. It's been there for decades with no evidence of leakage or corrosion. It does not meet OSHA standards but I consider it marginally adequate in the event of a fall for my particular situation. It will not be adequate for other situations.


Why don't people use rigid or spray foam insulation in attics? I'm looking to upgrade the insulation in my attic bumping it from an R-6 to R-30 or better, and while looking into things I realized I've never seen anyone use rigid or spray foam insulation in an attic.

Is there a particular caveat to these, or is it just that most people prefer fiberglass batts?

Short answer : money.

Longer answer:

Inquiring at Google Contracting Services and doing some back of the envelope math, I came up with the following price ranges for the mentioned insulation types.

Spray foam is about $0.15-0.21/square foot/R

Fibreglass batts are about $0.03-0.07/square foot/R

Rigid foam panels are about $0.10-0.15/square foot/R

As we can see, in terms of insulation value for your money, the batts take a bat to all challengers.

Now someone will look at an insulation value chart and says "But foam has a higher R-value per inch, so it's better insulation since you have non-infinite space to put it in".

Comparing insulation value per thickness, they are correct as shown below:

Spray foam - ~R-6.3-7/inch

Fibreglass batts - ~R-3.1-3.3/inch

Rigid foam - ~R-5-6/inch

Both of the more expensive options achieve more with less thickness, so those options would allow more insulation value to be packed into the same volume.

But, you're going to bang your head into a point of diminishing returns where you'd achieve more energy savings putting the money towards improving things somewhere else, and you'll hit that point sooner than you think, given the way R-values work*, so that increased insulation density doesn't really get you much gain.

Additionally, installing batts (and rigid foam, for that matter) is a pretty simple DIY job and requires minimal PPE (gloves, goggles, dust mask).  Spraying in foam indoors means you're going to need a full-body suit, gloves, goggles, respirator, etc. which makes DIYing it outside the skill/comfort level of many, meaning needing to hire a professional to do it for you (and the hassle/expense/loss-of-pride that entails), leading people to just go with the simpler batts.

*expanding, R-value basically means that 1/Rth of the heat (or cold, as the case may be) will escape compared to no insulation.  R-6 means 16.6% of the heat is getting out.  adding R-24 of insulation and going to R-30 results in only 3.3% getting out, a saving of 13.3%.  But add another 24 to get to R-54 only gets us down to 1.85%, a saving of 1.45% for the same investment, and as I said above, you can likely find somewhere else to improve things that will get you more than that small savings for the same money, or at an endpoint, that money will buy you more gas/electricity than the extra insulation will save you over any realistic timeframe.


What could cause the hot water not to work after replacing a water heater? I replaced my hot water heater and now the hot water doesn't run in any of my faucets. What could be the problem? I did not have to replace any piping from old hot water heater and the water ran fine before replacng with a new water heater.

First step is to assure all valves are open, including the main supply valve. Do you have cold water at faucets?

Second check would be to open the bottom drain on the water heater to see if any water has entered the tank.  This will tell us if water is reaching the tank or stopping at the tank.

Do you hear any air passing at the faucets when you turn them on?

Are the connections threaded or solder? Not that makes a lot of difference, but will make it easier to trouble shoot if they are threaded and need to be removed.

When you installed the heater, did you remove all the plastic pipe plugs that are installed for shipping?


Tile over Luan which is glued to a cement floor Can tile be laid over luan that is glued to a cement floor?  WE are updating a second kitchen and bath.  pulled up the origianl vinyl sheet lino.  Luan is in excellent condition and glued tightly to the cement floor.

Can we time right over this.  We think it may be a nightmare to scrape all of the luan and glue off of the cement floor.  Will the luan react to the tile mud over time even if we use a good product like superflex?  I keep getting mixed answers on which way to go w/this.

Can you do it: yes.  Will it come back to bite you:  probably yes.
Trapping wood between two cement building layers, in my opinion is asking for problems.
If there is any moisture wicking through that cement slab it will be trapped beneath your tile in the wood -
Do the work and scrape that floor.  I have spent days scraping a floor to prep for tile properly.  It is worth it knowing that I will not get a call back in 5 years.


How do I install GFCI on multi wire branch cicuit? Possible Duplicate:
  How do I install a GFCI receptacle with two hot wires and common neutral?

I am planning on changing the old large gauge/3 wire that fed my electric dryer into a multi wire branch circuit with shared neutral for the washer and new gas dryer to operate from a new receptacle, with the hot tab broken off, but a shared neutral.  Since this is going to be in the laundry area, I want it to be GFI, but I think the shared neutral will cause it to have issues.  What's the best way to do this?

I believe I've seen that GFCI isn't recommended for high load appliances, particularly those with a motor (e.g. sump pump) and that it's not even required if the circuit is dedicated with a single outlet.

If you insist, then consider separate GFCI outlets for each device, wired in a double gang box. The GFCI will function perfectly normally since each is only protecting the outlet and not any downstream devices. That said, I would label this box as containing two separate circuits, so that anyone working on it in the future knows to turn both breakers off.

If you find and were to use a double pole GFCI breaker, I'd worry that this would confuse any electrician that works on this in the future, since that would usually indicate that a 220v device is installed on that circuit.


How can I figure out the surround sound system left behind by the previous owners? I have a basement with what appears to be surround-sound infrastructure. At 4 points in the ceiling (let's call them locations C0...C3), there are a pair of speaker wires. At one location near the floor (call it point F), there are two pairs of speaker wires (probably where the audio controller was located). Nearby there is also a coax cable exiting the wall.

I used a multimeter to test the resistance between the wires at point F and points C0...C3 and each time it reads infinite, suggesting that the wires are not actually connected. However, before I moved in, I definitely noticed that the previous owners had speakers in their ceiling.

I don't know anything about home theatre systems, so what are the possible explanations? Is there some kind of variable-resistance component hiding somewhere in the walls (perhaps some kind of junction that only conducts in the presence of a signal? There are 4 pairs of output wires for only 2 pairs of input wires, after all)? Could they have somehow disconnected the wires upon moving out and, if so, how and why?

If you simply used the ohm meter to check between the wire pair at each of the three terminus points then it is very likely that you would read infinite. The reason being is that the other ends of the pair are laying open someplace else.

To check for the wire routing you would need to check for continuity from one wire at say point C0 to one of the wires at point F.

The two pairs of wires at point F may have been connected to speakers located at or near that point. If that is the case then it is likely that all six of your speaker wires terminate at some location that you have not yet located. Some systems that people install put all the equipment out of site in a closet or adjacent room. This is particularly true for cases where the equipment is almost totally controlled through a user interface on the video screen.

You may have wire pairs looking something like this coming from a closet someplace:

You could investigate trying to trace the wire routing. There are tools that you can purchase that inject a signal into a wire from a battery operated transmitter. Then there is a separate receiver unit with a probe that you slide along the wall. The receiver module will produce a sound that chirps and varies in intensity depending upon how close to the driven wire it is located the probe. I own several of these units and have good to mixed results with them. Here is a link to the unit that I have had reasonable success using.

You can find this unit at better hardware stores, big box locations or online. The price showing at the link above is decidedly better than what I paid for the same unit about 10 years ago.


Bad Asphalt Driveway Install? I had a new asphalt driveway installed in March of 2020.
We didn't drive on it for 14 days.  Right away I started noticing "indentations" when we parked on it over night.
Now it's July 1st (and hot) and my vehicles are leaving tread marks in the asphalt - in multiple places.
I have been VERY diligent to NOT turn the tires on the driveway.
Any input on why this is happening would be appreciated.

Did the installers steam roller it when they installed it? There should be some sort of warrant on it. Call them back and have them compact it again now that it's hot out. That much settlement is not normal.


will teak oil protect outdoor furniture from cracking? I have some old adirondack chairs that I got at yard sales. I oiled them all with teak oil last summer. Now I'm reading that I didn't need to save that teak oil just preserves color, not integrity.
I would love to keep the chairs from spitting and cracking and generally ensure longevity, but I'm not particularly attached to the color. Anyway, these are all old chairs at this point.
can I stop using teak oil on my lawn chairs?
What should I use?

My brother the shipbuilder (you'd think I would have just asked him first) recommended raw linseed, with a strong caveat about spontaneous combustibility.
Boiled linseed as an acceptable alternative.


Why does my toilet make a loud rumbling noise when flushed? When I flush my toilet it makes a very loud rumbling noise that can be heard from other rooms, what could cause this?

The sound cannot be heard from the
bathroom.
There is no sound when the tank is filling, only just as the toilet flushes.
The toilet sits just off the main stack, by way of a Y connection.
The sound is mostly audible from the side of the house where the kitchen is, and not from the other side of the house.

Turns out the loud noise was caused by water rushing from other fixtures.  The house had galvanized steel pipe as the main feed line (off the meter) which had become restricted, so when the toilet could not pull enough water from the main line it sucked it from other lines.

Replacing the galvanized pipe fixed the issue (as well as increased the pressure to the entire house).


Is it OK to re-paint a gas-range grill with paint? I have a gas range (gas stove - indoor) for cooking, and the metal grate that goes over the top has some areas of rust.

If I was to sand down the rusty areas, would it be advisable to paint it with a high-temperature rated paint, such as Rutland 1200 Degree Brush-on Stove Paint or Black Porcelain Repair Enamel?

The main concern I have is not about the effectiveness of the paint product at adhering, but the safety considerations of having a paint in contact with a flame when preparing food in a pot on-top.

Given the direct flame exposure, and that the flames are actually quite a bit hotter than BBQ paint is rated for (1950C for natural gas, 2392C for propane) I'd suggest sticking to clean, coat with vegetable oil (wipe on a thin layer) and bake. This makes a pretty good finish, and does not involve anything that's not going to happen in normal food preparation as far as "what might burn off."

Wikipedia on flame temperatures. These are probably a touch high for "in practice", but given that they are also in Celsius, and the grill paint is rated in Farenheit, I'll stick with "grill paint will burn off."


LED bulb with slow on motion detector Can an LED bulb be used with a retarded on motion detector? Incandescent bulbs come on slowly with this type of detector to extend the lamp life.

These are externally mounted on an electrical box to control the fixture. I replace a couple every year on this house. It's an ocean front house and there are a lot surges because of weather.
The ones I've bought the last couple of years don't snap on instantly but act though turned on with a rheostat. Before I blow a 1000 bucks on LEDs I would like to know if an LED would work with this type of motion detector.
They also have a dusk on feature where the incandescent lamps are partly on. How are they affected with that feature.
My experience is as a Navy Construction Electrician mostly with power generation and distribution and telephone exchanges. Telecom and data cabling systemsand business telephone equipment is my civilian business

That's a cool idea but Google won't show me any commercial products like that, outside of commercial lighting intended for displays.  Are you quite sure this actually exists?  Make/model maybe?  I'm wondering if it's actually the lamp doing that for some reason.

It would not help extend LED life but would make them more pleasant. Look at the documentation and see what it says about working with LEDs, that is to say, there are several methods of dimming, which one does it use?  Get compatible "dimmable LEDs" and you should be fine. Even if they are not compatible, they'll come on when it ramps to full brightness.


Does anyone make a gfci switch/outlet combo that includes a nightlight? Basically what the question asked above. I've been through three stores and the closest I came was a Pass and Seymour switch/outlet combo with a snap in LED light, but it wasn't a GFCI. I'm hoping to avoid putting in a new box in this bathroom if I can avoid it (plaster wall, PITA to work with). I know that asking for brand suggestions isn't cool, but some ideas of places to look or a definitive yes or no would be awesome.

I have not seen a device with all three items at once. (Gfi/switch/night light)  Pass & Seymore does make great sw/lite or lighted gfi recpts.  Is there any possibility you can expand the single gang box to a two gang box?  If you expand it you could use one lighted device and a normal devise, problem solved.


How should I mend the plastic sheeting behind my drywall? My house was built around 2000, and seems to have plastic sheeting behind the drywall (I'm unsure what thickness plastic was used and what type of plastic; is there some sort of standard?)

My house just recently flooded, and they removed the bottom 2 feet of drywall + insulation + plastic sheeting (which seems strange, given that their concern was that humidity would get to the insulation, which is what the plastic sheeting is meant to prevent).

What is the correct approach to get the bottom 2 feet of drywall re-installed? Should plastic sheeting be used for the bottom 2 feet? Is it OK that there will be a gap between the old plastic sheeting and the new one?

Additionally, the walls in our basement were completely ripped out, so I'm not sure what was there; should plastic sheeting be used behind the dryall in the basement?

(I am in Colorado; we have frigid cold, dry winters)

The standard now is to never do that again especially if you use air conditioning. Building science has determined this was a very bad idea because it traps moisture within the wall cavity. Here's a little Building Science 101 on this issue... http://buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-073-macbeth-does-vapor-barriers


What sealant should I buy to secure cable in brick? I have an ethernet cable that goes into house from the outside wall.

What sealant should I look for that will not crack the cable?

I need to keep wind and rain out of the house from the hole.

It has to be compatible with plastic.

I normally use a paintable silicone but with brick would use clear , silicone is what the cable and satellite company's used on my homes and I use it at work also for sealing small holes.


Taking apart wood bed frame with no screws This bedframe seems to have a slot joint system but I can't seem to understand how to take it apart. There are two pegs I think will allow me to slide the side out but I'm not sure how to get the pegs out.

That looks like the board just slides upward.  See the slot underneath the board?  Lift up on the board with the pegs, and gently tap the board with the slot downward using a hammer or something.  The board with the pegs probably has some J hooks that slide into the slot and hook over a peg, dowel, or whatever that crosses through the slot.

Edit:  Here's a picture likely resembling what you have that goes into that slot.


What is this small faucet in the kitchen? This kitchen has an extra faucet. It is smaller than the main faucet.

It appears to bypass both the water heater and water softener. It also appears to not have any aeration (no bubbles even when turned up to full stream)

There is a symbol that looks like a water drop crossed out. Also it appears to have a reservoir because after the faucet is in use for a while (e.g. a cooking pot full) the stream gets weaker and weaker, until it sits for a few hours to fill up again

What is it for and does it have a name? Since it seems to not be softened, how do the pipes leading to it not get corroded?

Location: Chicago, IL on a private well

Here's some pictures under the sink. Actually I don't see anything that resembles a reverse osmosis filter (the red thing is a garbage disposal). But the faucet is an exact match to some GE reverse osmosis faucets, so I guess the filter itself is somewhere else. Next to the sink are a dishwasher and cabinets and there is definitely no filter in them either.

Based on the fact that it gets weaker after running for a while, I'm going to guess that it's a reverse osmosis water filter.


What is the difference between a ball/pin detent and friction ring impact wrench? I have been looking into getting an impact wrench for my car and I have noticed that any given model (at least the one I am looking at) has two versions.  One version has a ball to keep the socket supported (like a torque wrench) and the other type has a friction ring.

I am leaning towards the ball-locking mechanism because I am familiar with that, but before I make a purchase for something so expensive could someone please explain the difference between the two versions, and why one would be more preferable than another?

The pin/ball detent system is the more secure socket retention method. However they can be a real bear to release. They are especially tight when new sockets are used on a new gun. This is compounded if your hands are wet or greasy. The friction ring is still secure but lends itself to easier socket changes. So if you are going to install one socket and use it all day, over your head where it is likely to fall off the detent system is your choice. If you are using different sockets frequently where easy removal is important go with the ring retention.


window sash lock broken This window lock is broken and I don't know what tool to use to replace the lock. It's just round hole, not a screw.  I can't even identify the window manufacturer.  Any help?

I am going to guess this picture is taken looking down onto the top of the lower sash of a double hung window? The wood I see at the bottom of the picture is the wood flooring a number of feet lower? If so you can drill out the pop rivets on both halves of the sash lock and replace both halves with a new unit that resembles yours as close a possible. They are available at a hardware store. You will need a pop rivet gun to reset the locks in the same way, but you may need to drill new mounting holes too if the new lock has a different spacing for the mounting holes.


Correct way to support a pipe run parallel to floor joists I would like to install pipe parallel to the floor joists in my basement, and then conceal it behind drywall.

I need to do this with both gas (black iron) and domestic water (copper) pipe.

I'm tempted to use simple copper straps to affix the pipes to the joists themselves.  Is this code-compliant?  (The fact that this answer is so hard to find online suggests that it may be this simple.)

I've also seen pipes suspended between joists with a wood support--is it better to hang the pipe from a wooden support which is attached to the joist, to prevent rust from contact with the wood?  (I've seen this elsewhere in my 100-year-old house.)

What is the standard, code-compliant way to support a pipe run parallel to floor joists?

whichever way you support the pipes, both types of piping will expand and contract. (The copper will expand the most). When they do, they will make creaking noises that will be permanent if the space is covered with dry wall or any other finish product. Any pipe in contact with wood or any hard object will make noise so I would use only connectors, hangers, clamps, etc.  that have a rubber type insulator to keep the pipe from contact with any hard material. A pipe passing through a wooden item will also make noise so use caution and install a rubber sleeve, even if you have to make one yourself with flat rubber gasket material. And use products that are compatible with the type of metal you are supporting; (copper for copper and metal with metal).Only protection and prevention will stop the noise from happening. Hope this helps.


Fridge Leveling Issue (Kenmore Pro 79993) I recently had a Kenmore Pro 79993 refrigerator installed. While my floor i level, the fridge itself appears not to be (the front is a little over 1/4 inch higher than the back). There are leveling legs in the front, but they can only raise it further.

According to the manual page 10 (emphasis mine):

  To avoid noise and vibration, the unit must be leveled and installed on a solidly constructed floor. [...] The front should be slightly higher than the rear to aid in door closing.

However, there is no indication of how much higher than front should be. I've done a bit more research with mixed results - some people (including friends) have mentioned that all fridges should be completely level otherwise the hinges might get messed up. Others have said that anywhere between 1/4" - 1/2" difference between front and back is acceptable.

It also seems like the only way to raise the back is with shims, making it seem like the manufacturer did intend for the front to be higher.

I'm just trying to make sure that the fridge has been installed correctly and that it won't be damaged due to being off level.

My interpretation of the instructions you just posted is that it is obvious the manufacturer intends for the unit to be installed with a slight backward tilt (front feet higher).  In fact, they did you the courtesy of building it in.

Believe me, you don't want a refrigerator with lazy doors that you can't quite ever trust to shut properly.  You want a door that closes smartly and with authority, without you having to worry about it, hand-guide it all the way shut, or double check it.

For what it's worth, NEC 110.3B make manufacturer instructions like this actually mandatory.  You could argue it'd be illegal to defeat the intentional front lift.


Stool sounds like foghorn! Our toilet suddenly started sounding like a foghorn, periodically.  Does this mean air in the waterline?  If not, what is going on?  What can we do about it (it is really loud!)?

Rebuilding the fill valve internals will likely fix your problem.


Clean sticker paper residue off of a wall This problem is on a wall in my bedroom. I used to have a A3 paper sized photo stickers on my wall. After a year or so I tried to remove the sticker from the wall and it left lots of sticker paper remains and adhesive residue on the wall. I tried to scrape it off with a scraper but it didn't work.
I went to a hardware store and told the guy working there of the problem I have and he told me to buy a sheet of sandpaper and a bottle of thinner. As per his advice he told me that I had to apply the thinner on the wall and scrape it off with the sandpaper. Though it didn't seem logical to me, since he was much older than me, I thought maybe he's got experience with this and there's no harm in trying this out so I bought the thinner   and sandpaper from his store. On coming home I tried doing as he said but it ended up looking much worse.  (See image)
I got busy with work and it i did not get back to addressing the problem.
Today I found this community on stack exchange and I was thinking, surely the people here would have much more experience than me so I thought I'd ask here.
Is there any product or method to remove the paper mess and adhesive residue from the wall without damaging the paint?
Edit from orginal-poster: I read in the comments that someone was mentioning a product called GooGone. But we dont have that in India. If you could give me a kind of name/product to ask at the hardware store it would be helpful. Thanks.

Try apply heat to the glue with a heat gun, or hair dryer. If it is on drywall, don't over heat, just scratch the softened sticky material, and clean with gentle wipe with damped clothe.


How to refinish a rubberwood and veneer coffee table top? A part of the rubberwood and veneer coffee table got damaged and I would like to learn what are the tools and materials used to refinish/fix this type of issue.

The manufacturer says that it's a 'mahogany finish', but I wonder whether if I just buy a mahogany stain at HD/Lowe's would it match it or not.

Another approach -- one a pro furniture repair tech might use for a flaw this size or smaller -- would be to use "burn in" lacquer, blended to match the color, to both tint the damaged area and fill it level with the undamaged area surrounding it. (I haven't done this; I've watched it being done and he swore it wasn't that hard a skill to learn if you practiced on scrap first.)


Sanding and revarnishing areas of different shades (wood floors) I have been sanding my wooden floor with the intent of revarnishing.

However, before I did this I moved a few 1kitchen counters and such around. So now the areas which had counters on top for the last few years are a lighter colour than the areas that were exposed. (The same varnish was used, just the lighter areas have been covered for about 6 years, the entire life of the floor) In one case the floor area hadn't even been varnished beforehand.  Even after sanding, the difference is very noticeable

Is there any (hopefully easy) way of equalising or even blending together the contrasting areas so the difference isn't as noticeable?

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If this is just a clear coat on the wood, then you won't be able to "fix" it. If the coating was a stain you could sand the light area and re-stain with a slight blending overlap into the dark area. Then sand the blending until the color looks blended. Another way you might be able to correct this, if it a clear coat, is to get a slightly gray stain, or light color to match the dark area, then sand and blend and sand then coat. But as was stated above, this is a sunlight issue, and there is no way to stop this from happening unless you do the entire floor, then cover it with a UV stable coating.


What type of air conditioner can bring in outside air? Car air conditioners usually have the option to choose circulate on/off. What about house air conditioners? For instance, does a window air conditioner exchange air inside and outside the house?

What you're after is an HVAC system.  Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.

Excerpt from HVAC Wikipedia article:

  The three central functions of heating, ventilating, and
  air-conditioning are interrelated, especially with the need to provide
  thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality within reasonable
  installation, operation, and maintenance costs. HVAC systems can
  provide ventilation, reduce air infiltration, and maintain pressure
  relationships between spaces. The means of air delivery and removal
  from spaces is known as room air distribution.


Should we use A\C in the unused second story of our home? We don't use the second story of our home. Is it better to shut off the air conditioning completely upstairs to save money, or keep it set but at a higher temperature, such as 78-80 °F?

Almost certainly you should shut off the upstairs AC completely. Ideally you would also seal off the second floor as much as by shutting a door at the top or bottom of the stairs (or installing a curtain across it or something).

The only reasons I can think of to leave it on would be:

If you have any valuable artwork or antique / fragile wood furniture upstairs. Excess heat and humidity could be a problem, especially if the temperatures get really high.
If you don't have a good thermal separation between the upstairs and downstairs it's possible that by leaving the upstairs unconditioned you'll create uncomfortable hot areas downstairs. E.g. if you have a flight of stairs between the floors, the bottom of the stairs might get warm.
If you have separate AC units for upstairs and downstairs and the downstairs one is very inefficient, you'll be making it do more work.


Splitting a 240V line into two 120V lines In my garage I have wiring for a 240V outlet. It is a four-wire setup (two hots, one neutral and one ground). It is set up on a 20 ampere double breaker in the circuit breaker box. I want to remove that outlet and install two 120V receptacles in its place. I plan to run each of the hot wires to the hot side of outlet 1 and 2 inside one electrical box.  My plan was to split the neutral inside the box, and run it to the neutral side of outlets 1 and 2, and do the same thing with the ground.
I have researched this issue, but I've come up with conflicting answers. This answer seems to suggest that this would be acceptable since it is already on a 20 ampere, double breaker:
Can two circuits share a neutral?

Yes, you can certainly do this. It is referred to as a Multi-Wire Branch Circuit. The two hot legs share the neutral. It is quite common.

Note: Make sure you pigtail the neutral and ground wires, do NOT daisy chain them through the receptacles.

Here is a pertinent National Electrical Code reference:

  210.4 Multiwire Branch Circuits.

  (A) General.  Branch circuits recognized by this article shall be permitted as multiwire circuits. A multiwire circuit shall be permitted to be considered as multiple circuits. All conductors of a multiwire branch circuit shall originate from the same panelboard or similar distribution equipment.

  Informational Note No. 2: See 300.13(B) for continuity of grounded conductors on multiwire circuits.

  (B) Disconnecting Means.  Each multiwire branch circuit shall be provided with a means that will simultaneously disconnect all ungrounded conductors at the point where the branch circuit originates.

  Informational Note: See 240.15(B) for information on the use of single-pole circuit breakers as the disconnecting means.

  (C) Line-to-Neutral Loads.  Multiwire branch circuits shall supply only line-to-neutral loads.

  Exception No. 1: A multiwire branch circuit that supplies only one utilization equipment.

  Exception No. 2: Where all ungrounded conductors of the multiwire branch circuit are opened simultaneously by the branch-circuit overcurrent device.

Good luck!


How to level out or grind down concrete basement floor? I had a french drain installed in my basement and the top of its cement sits around 1/8" to 1/4" of an inch higher then the rest of my basement floor. I need to somehow level this out so I can put flooring down. How would you recommend I do this?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this but based on the statement:

  I had a french drain installed

it seems to me like if you paid someone (assumption here) to install a drain and they left it in a state where it is going to cause a puddle to form before water is able to drain into it, that it should be the company's responsibility at this point.  At the very least, you should be contacting them to get their explanation as to why it was done that way before attempting to undo what they did.


Half switched outlet, has both whites connected I am replacing an outlet that is half switched, but both the whites are connected on the opposite side of the black and red. The white wires have the tab still intact. So I'm confused as to what the purpose of leaving the tab in place is. TIA

Here's  the thing about the tab.

Each side of the receptacle has two possible modes.

If you remove the tab, you isolate that side (hot or neutral) of the upper and lower socket. Now you have separate control of the two sockets, but, you must connect a separate wire to each half.
If you keep the tab, both upper and lower sockets are connected.  There are still two screws, but they are connected. You can supply both sockets from 1 wire on that side.   Or, you can use the two screws as a splice block: Attach two wires, those two wires are connected to each other and also to both sockets on that side.  It is a very handy way to continue power onward to the next socket.

You can only use one mode, and when you snap the tab off, you're committed!  And with tab broken off, each screw can take only one wire (except for some Leviton and other brands whose $3 commercial tier sockets allow 2 wires under every screw.). Never put one wire on a screw and another on the backstab.

The splicing method isn't required, you can accomplish the same thing by adding a short pigtail to one receptacle screw and joining it to the other two wires with a wire nut.  In fact, in some conditions, the splicing method is forbidden and you have to use a pigtail.  For instance, the "must pigtail" rule applies to all grounds.

I myself use the pigtail method almost 100%, because I am usually working on ladder/knees/cramped location in a stress position, and wire nutting 3 groups of wires together is much faster than putting 5 wires onto screws.


Exterior door mounting plate - replacing door hardware I am trying to replace the hardware on my front door to install a smart lock. The issue that has arisen is that the old hardware left a large discoloration on the door. The new hardware does not cover the discoloration (it is separate pieces rather than 1 solid piece like the old one). Is there some sort of thin mounting plate with holes in the proper spots that I could use to cover the discoloration before installing the new hardware? I searched online but couldn't find anything for this purpose. The size is 2.5"x18".

There are two reasons for these products - security and appearance. For security, you typically want something that also covers the gap between the edge of the door and the door frame, to prevent jimmying the lock, or something that covers front, back and side of the door to make it harder to get to the lock mechanism. But for appearance, all you need is a flat plate with holes in the right places.

Most of the products I found in a quick search with predrilled holes appear to be much shorter. If you can't find an exact match (holes in the right places and long enough to cover the desired area), get a plain plate:

and use a hole saw to drill holes where needed.


Electrical - Please review my well pump installation I just finished wiring up my irrigation well pump.  The circuts were 240V from the main panel outside to the a pump start relay.  The relay is controlled by my rain bird.  Everything is working and no sparks but I have a few concerns.

When I first energized the circuit I noticed a 61V difference between red and black.  Black and GND 120, red and GND like 20.  I turned off everything and did a resistance test between the bus bar and the red.  High (infinite) resistance.  I pulled the breaker out and took some sand paper to the contact on the bar.  Everything is good now.  I never cleaned the bus bars.  Was I supposed to?  What should I use?
I'm not sure if crimp connectors are to code so I ended up twisting my stranded wire around the screws.  Everything works but it looks "ugly".  Are my connections bad?  Should I get crimp terminals?
Are my connections up to code?  Stranded wire is a PITA to work with but thats all home depot sells.  I want to ensure everything is safe.
In case you ask I used 3/4" PVC conduit, THHN #10 wire, 30A breaker.  I ran GND,Neutural,L1,L2 to my pump start relay.  I simply capped off neutural.  I may want to add a subpanel and GFCI down the road.

Images at (I don't have enough rep so copy the links into the browser)

Always make sure when tightening wires under screws that you stay to the left side - this pulls the wire tighter as you fasten the screw down. I noticed in your first picture, you inserted the black wire to the breaker properly, but inserted the red wire backwards. All 3 connections on your start relay need to be reversed as well.
Most standard 1.5 HP well pump motors will pull around 20A +/- at 120VAC. At 240VAC this should drop in half to around 10A +/-. You could have gotten by with #12 wire depending upon how long the wire run is. The #10 stranded is a bit too big for the screws from the looks of your pictures. In your case you really could have left out your white neutral wire as it is not needed.
I personally like to use a scotch-bright pad rather than sandpaper or steel wool as it is less damaging and far less messy. There appears to be a good amount of oxidation in your panel box, I don't think there is anything on the market to clean effectively other than good old-fashioned elbow grease.
As for the voltage difference, ??? Test between your red and black for 240VAC. Check at the panel first, then at the pump relay. I have concerns about the amount of visible oxidation in your pictures. I personally would kill the power to the panel and then clean all of the connections of oxidation. Then I would lightly coat the contact points with dielectric grease to inhibit any further oxidation.
As far as the white neutral wire, you will need it if you plan on installing that sub panel and GFI later on. The neutral is needed for 120VAC in the future sub panel upgrade.


What is the principle behind lockshield valves? I've read that radiator lockshield valves are used to "balance" radiators so that they warm up at the same speed, but I don't quite understand the principle of how this works.  If the main thermostatic valve controls the water flow to control how fast the water enters the radiator to heat it, surely that controls the exit flow as a consequence?  How does having a second valve change the flow?  And if the second valve does change the flow, wouldn't that interfere with the main valve's flow control?

Scenario: your heating has been turned off all night. The whole house is cold. It's now 5.30am and your heating switches on.

Every thermostatic valve in your house is fully open, because it's very cold next to every thermostatic valve. If all your lockshields are fully open, where will the hot water from the boiler go? Answer: the flow through each pipe will be proportional to the resistance. Shorter pipe = less resistance, therefore more of the hot water will flow through the radiator closest to the boiler, some will go through a radiator further from the boiler, and (relatively) little will go through the radiator furthest from the boiler.

Eventually the room closest to the boiler will get up to temperature, the thermostatic valve will shut, and so the next closest room will get the most flow. And this will continue until all rooms are at their desired temperature.

What lockshields allow you to do is to very nearly close the valve on the radiator closest to the boiler. This increases the resistance of flow through that pipe, offsetting the fact that the pipe is very short. By closing each lockshield the right amount you "balance" the system by making every radiator have the same total resistance (total resistance = length of pipe resistance + lockshield resistance). And so every radiator heats up at the same rate.

Of course, you could even try and play with the lockshields to make rooms heat up in a specific order. e.g. bedroom first, then bathroom, then kitchen last.

Of course, balancing the radiators is difficult. I've never achieved it properly. At the end of the day, the rooms heating up one by one isn't the end of the world, unless you happen to have the bedroom which heats up last!

You seem to think that thermostatic valves control the flow rate. They shouldn't. You should think of them as an on/off switch: either they're on and letting water flow in, or they're off and not letting water flow in. In practice they might reduce the flow as the room gets towards the desired temperature in order not to overshoot it, but this is a secondary effect.


What is best practice for tying in grounds on a metal box? Had electric inspected today and only thing inspector said was that my grounds were messy on a metal box (still code but messy).  3-gang box with three light switches running in different directions.  How would you tie them in together to both look neat and have room for everything?

This is where copper crimp connectors come in handy.

Lets say you have a 3 gang box, with three cables entering, and three devices to connect.  You also have to bond the grounding conductor to the box, if you're using a metal box. So you might have three grounding conductors entering, but need 4 grounding conductors, and they all have to be bonded.

Leave the grounding conductors from the three entering cables long, and get a scrap piece of bare wire to use as a pig tail.  Feed the three grounding conductors through the crimp connector, so that there is enough wire left to connect to the devices.  Insert one end of the scrap piece of wire into the connector, then crimp the connector.

Now tuck the crimped grounds back in the box, and attach the bonding wire to the box (using either a screw or ground clip).  Attach one grounding conductor to each device, and you're done.

Alternatively, you can leave one conductor really long (while still including the extra bonding conductor), then use that single conductor to connect all the devices.


Circuit breaker for glass cook top Should I replace my 30 AMP with a 40 amp circuit breaker for a new glass radiant heat cooktop?  Now I have 30 amp just for the glass cooktop. Best Buy recommended I use a 40 amp after a pre-installation check-up.

You don't ever change the breakers to match the appliance !!
You can only change the breakers after you upgraded the wires to carry the needed load.
I have an induction cooktop, and I needed to upgrade the wires to a bigger gauge. Luckily, it was just 6 feet. Costly, but that's the only way.
If you change the breakers but not the wires, your wires will overheat and your house burn down. The insurance company will find this post :-).
More seriously, upgrade the wires first(1), then up the breakers, then enjoy your cooking.
Edit:
(1) More precisely, make sure they are the proper gauge. There's some subtlety there. The run-of-the-mill 8-gauge solid copper as sold in my area is good for 40amps. But I have no clue what type of wires you have in your area.


build 6x6 single post from 2x4s for swingset? This is really a 1.5 part question.  The first half has to do with whether it's okay t use single post for one side of a swingset (the other side will be attached to a play structure).  I've seen some designs with 6x6s and maybe that's beefy enough when sunk 3' and concreted in.  Any thoughts about that would be appreciated.  It seems like the top might swing a little and the forces (especially if an adult is swinging) could loosen the concreted block in the ground even if the post doesn't sway.

The 2nd and primary question is whether I can save money on a 6x6 post and make build one up with 4 2x4s.  It will also be easier to handle (bring home from home depot) and cut and I can get pressure treated 2x4s in lots of lengths including 10ft so I can sink it into the ground far. I realize it won't be 6x6 (5.5" x 5.5") but it'll be 5x5.

And because it's hollow it won't be as strong as a 6x6 but should be much stiffer than a 4x4.  I guess I'd need to cover the top so water doesn't get in.  I guess I could stiffen it up by putting a few blocks internally as well.

Any guesses on the strength of this approach and downsides?

update: here's a picture of the layout of the swingset

Another set of options is (1) attaching the post to the garage so that it is more stable to the back and forth motion when swinging or (2) attaching the horizontal beam directly to the corner of the garage.

I would emphasize that it is not possible to engineer a solution to your problem without more concrete information about loads and the existing structures. But I can share some thoughts that I hope are useful.

Start with an A-frame and modify to suit your situation.
This is a common solution to the problem of handling the dynamic vertical and lateral loads of a swing set. It is also a much easier DIY project than a vertical post anchored into the ground. You could build this framing on both sides of your swing and simply attach it to the play structure. If you want a more elegant solution start with this concept in mind and adapt it to use elements of the existing structures.

Can the play structure handle it's half of the load from a swing set? Specifically, is it anchored to the ground and/or braced to handle the lateral loads? If there is no cross-bracing add an internal cross brace between the post you attach to in your diagram and the one below it. This is one half of the "A". Consider adding a second diagonal cross brace from the same post into the ground (up in your diagram). This is the other half of the "A".

On the garage side take the same approach. If you can anchor into the garage framing that's great. To keep things lined up you can anchor one or more 2x6 members against the garage so that the cross-bar attaches at a right angle. Install a diagonal brace from this point to the ground (down in your diagram). This is half of the "A". Inside the garage, especially if you already have access to the framing, install a diagonal brace to form the other half of the "A".

About making a 6x6 post from 2x6 boards and then burying it. Besides the good points raised in comments to your question I would point out that boards (2x4, 2x6, etc) are typically used for framing above ground while timbers (4x4, 6x6, etc) are routinely buried as fence posts or covered with dirt to build retaining walls. You will find pressure treated varieties of both but the boards are almost always rated for above ground exposed use only while the timbers are rated for ground contact. In the example below the top label is ground contact and the bottom is above ground only.


Can’t shut off power to heat-only (hydronic baseboard) thermostat I have no AC in my condo, only hydronic baseboard heat, currently controlled by an old mercury thermostat. I have a new smart thermostat with a c-wire adapter I want to replace it. Trouble is, I’ve switched every darn switch on the panel (as far as having every breaker switch off at the same time), and the thermostat is still getting power/able to control the heaters. I live in a condo with a common boiler, and there are no zones within my unit, so all baseboards are either on or off, in case that’s relevant. Can I move forward and replace this thing without shutting it off first? This is a little outside my DIY realm of experience so any advice is appreciated!

The reason you need to cut off power when replacing a thermostat is to prevent the wires from touching each other in the process of disconnecting and reconnecting all of them.  Assuming it is using 24VAC control (you need to measure it to make sure it's not high voltage), you are not in danger of getting shocked, but if the wrong wires touch each other, it could blow a fuse or damage the equipment.

If you can't turn off the power (lets just assume you can't) then just be very careful and don't let the bare wires touch anything.  The best way to do this is tape up each wire as it is disconnected and never have more than one wire un-taped at a time.  Treat the wires like live voltage that could shock you to make sure you are being careful enough. A small touch of wires or touching the wrong screw could cause damage to the system.

If the thermostat has a separate mounting plate that the wires connect to, it makes it easier (most common these days).  If the wires connect directly to the thermostat, you need to make sure the thermostat is completely off until all wires are disconnected and reconnected.


How to install floor baseboard on drywall frame with metal studs? So, I can't use a nailer, and I would rather avoid screwing it and having to patch holes later (the baseboard comes prefinished).

Can I just apply a few strips of silicone on the back of the trim, and hold it against the wall for a few seconds until it sticks? I could use some double sided tape every 40cm (16 inches) or so to hold it firmly while the silicone sets.

If the silicone does work, does it have a risk of warpage? If so, what would happen? Would the board (18mm thick) be strong enough to damage the drywall?

Also, do I have to caulk between the baseboard and the wall and the baseboard and the floor? What should I use for that? Clear silicone works?

If the walls and baseboard is all perfectly straight, it would likely work -- but everything won't be perfectly straight.

I've used liquid nails to attach baseboard before (in a similar situation), and it does work except where there are bows in the wall or baseboard.

I used finishing (or brad -- I don't remember) nails to both hold it while the glue sets and provide some re-enforcement where needed. Install two nails nearby at opposite angles -- essentially forming an "X" if you were looking straight-down on them. This is a lot stronger than nails going straight in and will resist pulling out.

You can caulk the edge between the baseboard and wall. It makes it look significantly nicer, IMHO. I use bright white for that. Normally the edge touching the floor isn't caulked but if it makes sense in your situation you can do that.


Is a condensing tankless heater that expels excess water outside also a dehumidifier? I understand that a condensing tankless water heater will recycle that extra heat and only vent the heat that it cannot use; this is why they have a greater efficiency.
But the water that condenses out of the unit, and pumped outside, is that out of the ambient air, like a dehumidifier?
In other words, will the room around the unit become less humid? Or the unit adds this extra water in the first place?
Thank you.

The condensate from natural gas burning comes mainly from the burning. Methane is the primary component of gas, and it is chemically CH4. When burned, you have:
... a problem, because MathJax does not appear to be enabled on this exchange ...
CH4 + 2 O2 --> CO2 + 2 H2O
The relevant parts here are that 2 "oxygen" molecules from the air are consumed, and (after some chemical shenanigans) 2 water molecules are produced.
This is not simple, since natural gas consists of other things than methane, and the reaction is not a single-step reaction, so carbon monoxide and other things are also by-products. But the majority of the gas is methane, and the majority of the results are dioxide and water.
The water, naturally, is a vapor since it's created in the middle of a burning flame. But the high-efficiency gas appliances really try to capture the waste heat and feed it back into the system, so as a result the water vapor is cooled to "condensate". The condensate is not pure water (a lot of those impurities and by-products mentioned above also condense) and so you should not drink it (seriously, you could die), or even allow it to run through your sewer drain (seriously, it will eat a hole in your poo pipes, and nobody wants an that) without neutralizing it.


Fixing vintage glass doorknobs with loose glass to brass connection I have a number of 1930's glass doorknobs which are loose, not at the set screw, but between the glass knob and the brass holder.   Nearly every knob in the entire house has the same problem. They all have a steel thread, a solid brass compression member, and a glass (or perhaps lead crystal) knob.

I know I can purchase reproductions, but can I save these?  Here's a photo:

The one on the left rattles but is usable. The one on the right is to illustrate the construction and show a prior owner's repair (the dent is a hammer mark).  That one had cracked glass, got looser and looser with time, until the glass broke off completely.

Try #2: Cyanoacrylate

This worked much better.  The local hardwood distributor recommended and carries super thin "super glue". Turn the knob in the usual direction to set it tight, then apply glue to the glass/metal junction (it will wick right inside).  Keep acetone handy in case you dribble.  Scrape excess off with a small screwdriver. Done.

What will we do when local stores no longer exist?  Sigh.


Borewell circuit box button coming out When i turn on my borewell, after some minutes it stop pulling water and there is a button on circuit board which come out. When i press it in and restart the borewell it just start working and after some time same happen.

What is the purpose of this button and why it come out?

 This is the button

Internal circuit

That button is a circuit breaker, which is protecting your wiring from overload.

The fact that it pops out means that your pump is drawing too much current for some reason. It's time to pull it up and check it out. There's either some corrosion or something is blocking the impeller.


GE convection/microwave just quit. No heat. micro does not heat either. All else works. Lights, fan, timer, etc GE Conv/Micro  just stopped heating either way. All else works.

One hot dead
A typical big oven (as opposed to a countertop/portable oven) in the US uses 240V for heating (possibly including microwave) and 120V for controls/lights/fans. The power is connected (ideally, not always due to "old stuff", among other things) with 2 hot wires, 1 neutral wire and 1 ground wire. The 120V items use one hot + neutral. The 240V items use two hots. If the hot used for 120V is good but the other hot is out, then controls/lights/fans will work but you won't get any heat.
Check your circuit breaker. A 240V/120V oven should be on a pair of breakers. They definitely should have common shutoff (i.e., if you manually flip the breaker off, both hots are disconnected at the same time) but they might not have common trip. So turn the pair of breakers off/on and see if that helps. IF YOU DON'T have a PAIR of breakers side-by-side, STOP and don't do anything else without posting some pictures to diagnose some more.
If resetting the breakers doesn't solve the problem then you likely have a loose connection somewhere:

Wires coming out of oven
Wires going into plug (if it is plug/receptacle rather than hard-wired)
Wires going into receptacle (if it is plug/receptacle rather than hard-wired)
Connection between wires coming from oven and wires from breakers in a junction box in the wall (if hard-wired)
Wires going into breakers

Before working on ANY of those wires, turn the breakers off.


In vertical blinds, what is the part called that attaches a slat to the rail? A few days ago, our dog clipped our vertical blinds, taking one slat down.  I was going to re-attach the single fallen slat to the mounting clip that's connected to the rail, but a small gear inside that clip-like-unit must have come out.  I know this because when I re-attach the slat to the clip, it no longer rotates when I turn the blinds.

I apologize for the vague description, I am unsure what all of these parts are called.

As I cannot find that small piece, I need to purchase a replacement part.  I have started searching for this, but I have no idea what this part is called.   What is this part called?

I can confirm that was indeed the part I needed.     It was listed as:

  Vertical Blind Repair Carrier Stem and Gear for Attaching Slats


Tub overflow drain upstairs with water damage on downstairs living room ceiling A couple of weeks ago, I had a large amount of water drain via the overflow drain in my master bath upstairs (the water was too cold so I was draining water not only through the tub's main drain but water was also draining via the overflow drain while I was running additional water to warm the overall temperature).
Over the weekend, I noticed an obvious water damage patch on my living room ceiling directly under the tub. Now, I'm scared to use that bathtub and I'm looking for reassurance that it was likely the "cold water warm up" fiasco that caused the damage.
Hiring a plumber is not really a financially feasible option for me right now.  Thanks for any input.

here's a typical tube/over flow drain set up:

The black ring at the top of the picture is a rubber gasket. It forms a seal between the over flow drain pipe and the wall of your tub. If the tubs' drain or stopper needed maintenance the lever would be removed. This may have caused the rubber gasket to become awry. It's tricky to keep it in place while securing the screws that hold the cover.
That is the most likely location of your leak. To repair you must remove the two plate screws and verify the gasket is not split or damaged and centered in the opening. Further the pipe behind it must also be precisely centered to the opening and gasket. Start one screw first turning it until it stays in place. Tighten the next one snugly and finish tightening the first too.


Am I pulling too many amps? I recently purchased a mobile home with a large workshop and 2 car garage. The panel inside the home is 100 amps. The outside panel has 100 amps at the meter. In the outside panel there is 100 amp breaker for the home along with 2 other breakers a 60 amp to the workshop and 40 amp to the garage.
All three buildings are drawing continuously with water pump and outside lights at night. My outside breaker has tripped several time when the furnace and the clothes dryer are running. My power bill was over $500 this month. Am I drawing too many amps?

Yes. Given your service and power demands, the fact you are tripping your main breaker meaning it's doing it's job properly, and your high power bills, so YES, you are overloading your service/system.   I presume your furnace is electric resistance  as well as your clothes dryer.  If so, and you want to stay "all electric" you are going to have to upgrade your main panel to 200 amps. If you have gas available, changing to a gas furnace and/or clothes dryer could possibly avoid the necessity of replacing the main panel.   Its rare for a main breaker to trip, so again, YES you're drawing too much power.  If you don't upgrade, the only thing you can do is time your energy consumption, like turning off the furnace when running the dryer. If you have an electric water heater, you might have to turn it off at times as well.
EDIT:  If you have natural gas available, it's almost always a LOT less expensive than all electric.   If not, propane is another option, but, depending upon where you are and current prices vs. electric, may not save a lot of money on ongoing utility costs.
Checking on your amount of insulation, air leaks and if possible upgrading the insulation and sealing air leaks could minimize your power usage.  But for what you've got going on now, Yeah, you are overloading your service.


What kind of bracket am I looking for? I am trying to Support a little 8x12 pre-existing roof with 4x4's. there are 2x4 plates where I am trying to support, the 4" side down. I would rather not just toenail the 4x4 to the plate, and I know there are brackets, braces, plates, what have you, out there to buy. I have never bought these before so I'm looking for the name of the bracket I am looking for so i can find it in the store. Again, I need to attach a 4x4 post to a 2x4 plate with the 4" side going to sit on top of the 4x4 post.

Something like this?

A framing angle.

Home Depot and Lowes both will have them or similar in the lumber departments.


how to fix swamp cooler whose fan won't turn on How do I debug/diagnose/fix my swamp cooler fan, that won't turn on seemingly?  The pump runs OK but the motor, nothing.

OK first thing I did was remove the motor and try it in a different unit.  It worked OK.  So the motor's not the culprit.  Another option would be to use a volt meter on the plug where it plugs in (turn the fan switch on first, check for A/C between basically all pins) see if it's passing current up there or not.  If yes, motor or connection to motor would be suspect.

Next thing was to test if the electric circuit breaker was working (either using a volt meter, or by swapping it with another one).  It was.

Next would have been to test the connections at the thermostat to see if they were "live" and if the thermostat, turned on, was sending "live" out up to the swamp cooler on the low or high wire.

But didn't have to, found my actual problem was that I was turning the fan to "low" but not adjusting the thermostat, which was still set to "very hot" so once I switched that, it all worked.  Go figure.


Is it common for fencing companies to drill into your home rather than use a post? Just had the gate and fence, fence on one side, gate on the other side of my home.
 The fencing company choose to drill into my home rather that use post.  I asked why they did that and they said because of drain pipes that come off the roof of my home.  Is this a common practice or were they just trying to cut corners?

Unless there is something unusual about your home, normal practice is to install a post at the wall of the house. NORMAL.

Now why they did not do that on yours  the roof drain just flows into where they would normally put the post .. I could see they are expecting a wood post to rot.

Other than that I think they gave you an answer; not a good answer but an answer.

No digging next to the house, no putting in a post and no labor to do all of that. Time & Money.
Me personally depending on the scenario like an unusual house - my preference is Never to Drill into my house. Think about when it breaks how to fix that fence.


Correct drainage setup for a wall-mounted AC? I have a wall-mounted AC unit.  Specifically, a Fujitsu ASTG24LFCB.  Recently water started leaking from the interior portion of the unit.  I followed the instructions in this video to troubleshoot the problem.  The process mainly involved tilting the unit up and checking for any issues/blockages in the drainage tube.

I didn't see any issues, but noticed that the drainage tube seemed to travel upwards after leaving the unit and entering the wall cavity.  Thinking that could be a cause of the leak (because I assume the water can't drain uphill?), I started maneuvering the tube back through the hole in the wall to position it more in the downward direction.  I was then surprised to discover that the drainage tube comes to an abrupt end.  As in, it does this:

I don't see how this could possibly work?  But not knowing what else to do, I fed the tube back into the wall cavity in the downwards direction, and the unit no longer leaks.

However, there's no longer any water being discharged on the exterior side of the wall.  I think the reasons for that are obvious.  Less obvious is an explanation for how the water ever reached the external drainage tube in the first place (which I'm positive it did, in the past)?

Is it common (or even valid) for an aircon to be installed like this?  If not, how can proper drainage be restored?  And what sort of damage will having the unit draining into the wall cavity cause, over what sort of timeframe?

First, the damage that can be caused is severe. Don't run the unit until this is fixed.  Here's the deal, these units are indeed installed on the wall, typically high up on the wall relatively near the ceiling.  The tubing package is designed to exit out of the back of the unit and down the outside of the wall the unit is installed on. Here is the key though:  As soon at this tubing package, (the refrigerant lines, the electrical line and the drain line)as soon as they exit  the back, at the very same time this package must drop significantly in elevation.  The first hole in the wall, through the surface the unit is hung on must be centered a good inch to two inches below where this package is coming off the back of the unit.  Right from the start this drain line must fall down and away for the condensate collection tray.  The second hole, the hole in the exterior siding of this same wall should be a good 4" to 6" below the first hole.  Then the tubing package must extend straight downwards for a good 3+ feet before turning in any other direction.  That drain line must continually slope downward from the time it leaves the collection tray until the time it drains on the ground. At no time can this drain line run horizontal or slope up even for a short distance.


14-2 Tap Branched From 12-2 Feed on 20amp Circuit...What To Do? I have a switch by my front door that supplied power to a receptacle.  I want to wire that switch to an existing ceiling fan/light combo in the same room.  I've already made the outlet constantly hot.  The switch currently controls nothing.  I inspected the wiring situation in the attic to see how the fan was getting power and what my options were for running 14-3 from the fan to the switch.  Here is what I found.

The person who installed the fan tapped into a 12-2 wire that feeds a dining room outlet with 14-2 cable to the fan.  This outlet is on a 20amp circuit, which also supplies another dining room outlet and 3 kitchen backsplash outlets.  The splice was just out in the open in my attic.  I fixed that by containing the entire splice in a properly grounded metal box mounted to a ceiling joist, but now I'm wondering if I should replace the tap wire that runs to the fan with 12-2, since it is on a 20amp circuit and then run 12-3 from the fan to the switch.  Would there be any issues with the fan unit wiring not being 12g wire on this circuit?  I haven't had any issues with the fan wired this way in the 10 years I've lived in this house, but now that I've seen how this is wired, I want to make sure it's all up to code.  The person who wired the fan didn't even contain those connections in a fixture box.  They are also just out in the open in the attic.  I'll have to install a proper ceiling fan mounting box.

Thanks for any help.

Josh

You should re-feed this fan from a lighting circuit or other 15A circuit.

A ceiling fan CANNOT be supplied from a kitchen or DR receptacle circuit. Whoever did this was clueless with regard to codes and proper wiring.


How to determine the correct hardness setting for Water-Right Sanitizer Plus Softener We have a Water-Right Impression Series Sanitizer Plus Softener, and our water has been "just right" for a number of years, up until about three weeks ago. Around that time the water went really soft, leaving my wife in particular feeling like she can't get soap completely off her skin or hair. If this is something that I can address through the use of a hardness test and updating the settings myself, I'd prefer to do that than calling out a plumber for obvious reasons.
The problem is that while Water-Right has a great video showing how to make adjustments to the unit's settings (including hardness) on YouTube:

There is no guidance in the owner's manual for choosing a setting

I have not been able to find any guidance online regarding the setting

Water-Right has not responded to my request for information

So does anyone know this unit, and know what I would need to do in order to adjust the setting properly? Or know enough about the unit to tell me why I should call in a plumber with experience on these units instead of trying to address it myself?
Thank you very much in advance.

Ed Beal is right about personal preference. Although water that is too hard or too soft can also have implications for your water system and equipment such as pumps, dishwashers, etc.
Dealing strictly with the issue that your wife is having with soap not rinsing off easily you'll need to increase the hardness of your water. In order to determine how much, go to a local pool supply store and purchase a simple pool/spa water testing kit. You don't need anything fancy, you only want to measure PH levels. Follow the instructions and measure the current PH level of your water. That will give you a base point. Slowly adjust your water softener to increase the PH in small increments. Once you have it at a comfortable point measure it again and use that as your target PH level. You should be able to find info on adjusting PH in the instruction manual or on-line.
The link you posted in your question explains how to adjust hardness when following the installer setup instructions.


How can I get my fluorescent light fixtures to work with an occupancy sensor? I have a Leviton PR150-1LI occupancy sensor in my garage. I have two 4 foot T8 fluorescent fixtures (each has 2 bulbs). Neither fixture originally had rapid magnetic start ballasts.

At this time, the motion sensor would cause the lights to attempt to turn on, they would flicker for a second or two, and then shut off for 2-3 seconds. This cycle would repeat endlessly.

The switch requires rapid magnetic start ballasts to properly function. I purchased 2 of these rapid magnetic start ballasts. I installed one of them on the light furthest from the switch.

At this time, the motion sensor would cause the lights to turn on and stay on, but they flicker/buzz.

While testing the circuit I found that if I splice an incandescent test bulb between the switch and the first fixture causes both fixtures work well with the motion sensor: full, constant brightness with zero buzzing.

I came across this thread that describes what I experience. The only solutions suggested there are to get a different switch or to add an incandescent fixture into the mix permanently.

I know I could install the second rapid start ballast. I know I could purchase different occupancy sensor that doesn't rely on a specific load coming from the circuit to function.

I'm wondering if there is a cheaper solution someone might suggest.

The basic problem is that the occupancy switch that you chose to purchase is one designed to be able to work in series with the load attached to it. If the attached load is too small (too low of wattage) the switch assembly does not get enough power to operate correctly. For the particular model you have this is on the order of 40 to 50 watts of minimum load. From a technical standpoint it kind of sucks that they work this way BUT they are designed to work in place of a simple light switch that is in in series with its load.

Your Radio Shack relay does not come close to representing a 40-50W load on the switch so the only other way is to add some additional load in series with the switch (i.e. equivalently in parallel with the relay coil). As you have come to see this is not a very satisfactory solution and some other scheme needs to be found.

The best situation in this case is to acquire the alternate type of occupancy switch as mentioned in that thread that you linked. That type of switch has a live AC lead and neutral AC lead connected to it to power the switch unit irrespective of the size of the load. A separate output connection goes off to the load you are trying to switch. This type of switch may take a little re-wiring in your garage but that should be easier than trying to wire in the kludged extra load that the current switch requires. If you choose to deploy this improved version of the switch you will be able to remove the Radio Shack relay from the installation.

To make yourself feel better about the fact that you now have an extra occupancy switch you could pick a room in your house that has a tendency to get its light left on accidentally and install the extra unit in place of its light switch. Maybe this is a bathroom the kids use or a far closet that does not get used often.

BTW

It looks like Leviton now has a whole slew of different model occupancy switches that are also designed for single pole switch replacement but have removed the minimum load requirements. These do not require a neutral wire connection but do require a GND wire connection.