Light switch wiring - one switch controls another light and makes original switch redundant We have a downstairs room with a single light and switch.

This is Lamp A and Switch A.

Switch A only has a single brown and blue wire into the switch.

We recently had some work done upstairs and the builder added a light switch and lamp. Lamp B and Switch B. He spured this off of the lighting wire in the eves of the house, and the wire goes behind the plasterboard, and into switch B, then onto lamp B with just the brown wire switched.

Now, lamp B works, and switch B works, however if it is on, then Lamp A downstairs is always on, and switch A does nothing.

If switch B is off, then switch A works as per normal.

Obviously, I'll get them back to sort but I really cannot figure out what has happened and how this is wired, in such that as soon as there's a circuit on switch B, Lamp A comes on and stays on and switch A does nothing!

How does this setup work?

It looks like he got the switched load from lamp A tied into both lamps. The hot from switch A going to switch B and load  switch B  going to lamp B.  Now when switch B is closed, both lamps will be on, wired in series, and switch A does nothing. If switch B is off, then A is normal.


Running ethernet cable from living room (main floor) to second floor office I've seen some similar posts  but not necessarily addressing my particular situation.
Our house has an unfinished basement , main floor, and second floor.  We have our router set up next to our TV on the main floor.  There are outlets covered by face plates that all have CAT 3 wiring in all of the bedrooms on the second floor.
I would like to wire CAT 5e for my second floor office.  There is an existing plug in the perfect spot by my desk, but I would have to run the wire.  I'm not sure exactly how this would work.
The router on the first floor does have a PVC pipe in the wall right beside which leads to the basement.  I get that I could make use of that, but I'm not sure how the run would work from the basement to the second floor.
When I took the face plate off the office outlet, the CAT 3 wire looks like it is coming down from above, so I'm assuming it is in the attic.
How would one run the wire in this situation?

As others have said without seeing you house there is no way to answer this question exactly. Some techniques that might be useful.

You have an unfinished basement (this is a great start as it allows you to move horizontally below the ground floor.

You don't mention it but you probably have a loft space that allows you to move horizontally above the 2nd floor. When you find the right wall simply drill a hole in the top plate and drop a weighted string down and you can pull a cable.

In terms of vertical runs look for where existing utilities already run the length of the house. Think air conditioning ducts, toilets, plumbing etc. I'm not suggesting you run in the ducts/pipe but there is often a space beside the duct/pipe you can use.

Something you fill find useful,

fish tape (ridged metal tape you can use to push/pull something at a distance)
weight and string (for dropping into cavities).

Ultimately it comes down to exploring the options in your house.


Taking a neutral wire from another meter connection? I live in a two story duplex, yesterday the other unit's electricity went off, the electrician diagnosed that somehow their neutral path is not coming from the pole so he connected the neutral connection from my meter to their neutral (changing some wires through circuit breaker). He was doing it through circuit breakers as we don't have a main breaker.
 So my question is "with the live wire from his meter but a neutral path through my meter, is my meter is being used?"

TL;DR: CALL YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY ON THEIR EMERGENCY NUMBER

It sounds like you live in a duplex with dual services -- in that case, call your utility ASAP.  What the electrician did was a very dirty hack that will not pass Code muster, and likely screw with the electrical metering -- it will also break in interesting ways if later on the utility puts the two units on different transformer secondaries.

BTW -- an open neutral is an emergency situation, as it can easily be a fire and/or shock hazard.


Properly Attach Cabling To Joists I am running cabling through my crawlspace roughly 40 feet.  I have the holes drilled, and am leaving about 25 feet extra looped off for contingency.  I am planning to attach the cabling to the joists to properly secure them, but not sure what the best option would be.  I know that a lot of the time, screw down clamps are used, however I feel that would be quite difficult in the tight space that I am in.

What other "safe" alternatives are there to properly secure the cabling to the floor joist in the crawl space?

There are staplers meant for wiring that are great for situations where you don't have too much room for a screwdriver or to swing a hammer. The Arrow T25 is one model, but there are other options out there.

Just do a search for Cat5 stapler and you should find lot of options. Make sure you pay attention to the instructions and use the right staples or else you could accidentally cut one or more of the conductors in your cable.

Another method is to staple a zip tie to the joist and then fasten it around the Cat5.


Does my house just not have a plumbing cleanout? So I've just bought my first house and before we fully move in, we've been doing some work (floors, painting, etc.). I noticed at some point that if someone is using the shower or flushing a toilet, it seems you can hear gurgling in all the other pipes. I knew this wasn't good and then it happened - the toilet on the ground floor overflowed with sewage while someone was taking a shower upstairs. Super.

So in the house closing, they included a home warranty. Yesterday (I wasn't there for this; this is what I was told) the plumber finally came and was very confused because he couldn't find the plumbing cleanout. My husband didn't know where it was either since we've just moved in. We looked at the home inspection report and it's not mentioned in the plumbing section. The plumber had to leave and says he'll send someone else with a smaller tool or something (I thought usually they just take the toilet off but whatever).

Anyway. The house was built in 1994. Is it common that even fairly modern houses just don't have plumbing cleanouts? This seems very strange to me. I've seen things online saying sometimes they've been cut off and buried for aesthetic/mowing purposes or drywalled behind walls or something but we're only the third owners of this house so I don't know if that would be the case.

I guess I'm asking two things: 1. obviously I suppose it's possible that it doesn't exist but is it probable considering the plumber couldn't find it after searching or is he maybe a moron? I didn't spend any time looking last night because I got home fairly late (I have a lot more plumbing knowledge than my husband although still meager and up 'til now have never lived in a house younger than the 1920s); and, 2. I realize it will probably be expensive to have one installed in the event that it doesn't exist; should I put it on my saving-up-for list? The house is in a cul-de-sac kind of at the bottom of a hill so I'm worried about this.

Appreciate any help/insight. Thank you.

Edit: Sorry, not enough info. The house is on a slab; no basement or crawlspace. It is hooked up to a municipal line (city sewer/water).

The cleanout would typically be at the base of the main plumbing stack and/or just inside or outside the home. When located outside, it's common for them to get buried over with landscaping. You should also have one every 100' to the connection with the municipal sewer. When located inside, they may be in the wall with a removable cover on the drywall instead of a large plug in the floor.

That said, I believe most plumbers would just pull the toilet and snake it from there. You know the clog is downstream of that toilet, and you know that all drain connections from the toilet down should be at least 3" to run a large snake down the line.

Here a bit more of the requirements for a cleanout from the 2012 plumbing code which I doubt have changed much since your home was built (mine in the early 1980s has the cleanout at the base of the stack and another in the front yard). Note there are lots of exceptions, like not requiring cleanouts for anything above the bottom floor of the residence that can be found in the source link:

  2012 International Plumbing Code - Cleanout requirements:

  IPC - Section 708 Cleanouts

  IPC - 708.1 Scope. This section shall govern the size, location,
  installation and maintenance of drainage pipe cleanouts.

  IPC - 708.2 Cleanout plugs. Cleanout plugs shall be brass or plastic,
  or other approved materials. Brass cleanout plugs shall be utilized
  with metallic drain, waste and vent piping only and shall conform to
  ASTM A 74, ASME A112.3.1 or ASME A112.36.2M. Cleanouts with
  plate-style access covers shall be fitted with corrosion-resisting
  fasteners. Plastic cleanout plugs shall conform to the requirements of
  Section 702.4. Plugs shall have raised square or countersunk square
  heads. Countersunk heads shall be installed where raised heads are a
  trip hazard. Cleanout plugs with borosilicate glass systems shall be
  of borosilicate glass.

  IPC - 708.3 Where required. Cleanouts shall be located in accordance
  with Sections 708.3.1 through 708.3.6.

  IPC - 708.3.1 Horizontal drains within buildings. All horizontal
  drains shall be provided with cleanouts located not more than 100 feet
  (30 480 mm) apart.

  IPC - 708.3.2 Building sewers. Building sewers shall be provided with
  cleanouts located not more than 100 feet (30 480 mm) apart, measured
  from the upstream entrance of the cleanout. For building sewers 8
  inches (203 mm) and larger, manholes shall be provided and located not
  more than 200 feet (60 960 mm) from the junction of the building drain
  and building sewer, at each change in direction and at intervals of
  not more than 400 feet (122 m) apart. Manholes and manhole covers
  shall be of an approved type.

  IPC - 708.3.3 Changes of direction. Cleanouts shall be installed at
  each change of direction greater than 45 degrees (0.79 rad) in the
  building sewer, building drain and horizontal waste or soil lines.
  Where more than one change of direction occurs in a run of piping,
  only one cleanout shall be required for each 40 feet (12 192 mm) of
  developed length of the drainage piping.

  IPC - 708.3.4 Base of stack. A cleanout shall be provided at the base
  of each waste or soil stack.

  IPC - 708.3.5 Building drain and building sewer junction. There shall
  be a cleanout near the junction of the building drain and the building
  sewer. The cleanout shall be either inside or outside the building
  wall and shall be brought up to the finished ground level or to the
  basement floor level. An approved two-way cleanout is allowed to be
  used at this location to serve as a required cleanout for both the
  building drain and building sewer. The cleanout at the junction of the
  building drain and building sewer shall not be required if the
  cleanout on a 3-inch (76 mm) or larger diameter soil stack is located
  within a developed length of 10 feet (3048 mm) of the building drain
  and building sewer connection. The minimum size of the cleanout at the
  junction of the building drain and building sewer shall comply with
  Section 708.7.

  IPC - 708.3.6 Manholes. Manholes serving a building drain shall have
  secured gas-tight covers and shall be located in accordance with
  Section 708.3.2.

  IPC - 708.4 Concealed piping. Cleanouts on concealed piping or piping
  under a floor slab or in a crawl space of less than 24 inches (610 mm)
  in height or a plenum shall be extended through and terminate flush
  with the finished wall, floor or ground surface or shall be extended
  to the outside of the building. Cleanout plugs shall not be covered
  with cement, plaster or any other permanent finish material. Where it
  is necessary to conceal a cleanout or to terminate a cleanout in an
  area subject to vehicular traffic, the covering plate, access door or
  cleanout shall be of an approved type designed and installed for this
  purpose.

  IPC - 708.5 Opening direction. Every cleanout shall be installed to
  open to allow cleaning in the direction of the flow of the drainage
  pipe or at right angles thereto.

  IPC - 708.6 Prohibited installation. Cleanout openings shall not be
  utilized for the installation of new fixtures, except where approved
  and where another cleanout of equal access and capacity is provided.

  IPC - 708.7 Minimum size. Cleanouts shall be the same nominal size as
  the pipe they serve up to 4 inches (102 mm). For pipes larger than 4
  inches (102 mm) nominal size, the size of the cleanout shall be not
  less than 4 inches (102 mm).

 Source: http://plumbingengineer.com/content/code-requirements-drainage-system-cleanouts


What could be causing vibration in my furnace? I have a vibraton in furnace only when flame is lit. Blower motor seems fine. Is this vibration normal? Recently replaced inducer motor. Heat exchanger has been replaced once. Does not appear to be any cracks or orange flame. Does not do this when A/C runs only when furnace runs. Any ideas?

I'd suspect the new inducer (exhaust) motor if this sound begins to occur just before ignition; before the HSI ( hot surface ignitor) gets hot. A gas flame makes more of a roar than a hum. I've had less than stellar inducer motors in the past, with questionable bearings making it sound like rum-rum-rum-rum...

I've also had duct work vibrate at the unit; go around putting pressure on things until the sound changes. I still believe the sound is caused by the inducer; though it's not necessarily the source of the sound.

Take the furnace's top-section of the faceplate off, and try grabbing stuff; beware the 120v wiring. Tighten down the clamps that lead from inducer motor to the plastic pipe. Also try putting little pieces of insulation where piping might be resting on things.

It's not unheard of that replacement parts be less than spectacular. Encountering this exact problem, I've lived with a (now a little less) noisy replacement inducer for 10 years now.


Understanding fridge wiring diagram In an effort to convert a fridge freezer into something to age cheese (Electronic temp and humidity control) I'm trying to understand the following circuit diagram

I'm trying to work out what the "Compartment Heater" and "Compensating Thermo" are.  Following the colors, the compensating thermo is inside a terminal box which is subjected to external room temperature.
The back cover is not removable from the fridge without damaging the rear cover so I'm uable to find out where the Orange and Gray wires go.

It's definitely not part of the cyclic defrost system (which I plan on keeping).  My intention is to cut a vent between fridge and freezer compartments and fan force the air (so the entire unit is at one temperature) and use a digital temp controller, am I right in assuming I should isolate/disconnect this heater regardless of where it is and what it does?

Edit: The cooling coil is in the freezer (fan forced) and the thermostat is in the fridge.  The "Compensating Thermo" says "JP3 17" on it.

The defrost heater is clearly marked in the diagram, so it is extremely unlikely the "compartment heater" is used for defrosting. Most probably the compartment heater is for what used to be known as the "butter keeper" compartment, which maintains a slightly warmer temp than the rest of the fridge so that butter is not rock hard when you want to use it without waiting for it to soften after taking it out. The "compensating thermo" would be used to generate the right amount of heat to keep the compartment at the ideal softened butter temp regardless of what the main fridge temp is set to.


How to stop concrete slab floor from absorbing water This weekend my wife decided to clean up my office.  When she pulled the old filing cabinet away from the way, she noticed the baseboards and carpet carpet were showing signs of water damage.

It's a problem I have seen on the opposite side of the house, in our master closet, where I installed a wooden glue-down floor.  The floor seems to get wet spots in times when we get heavy rain lasting a few days.  I was told it was because I used the wrong glue, and that I should have used a glue that was a water barrier, but it's a closet, and I got the flooring really cheap, so it never really bothered me that I had some semi-dark patches.

Well, I had a neighbor come over that had a moisture meter.  We did some poking around, and from all of the signs the water is wicking up: No water in the attic (that we can see), slab is darker, especially near the wall, tack strips show signs of being wet, and the drywall shows signs of moister about 2' to 3' up from the floor, but dry above.

So, to the plan: I am thinking of a multi-phase approach here.  First phase, dig about a 6" trench against the side of the house, about 6" below the bottom of the slap.  Paint the slab itself with some sort of water barrier, like maybe tar or something meant for basements.  Install a french drain and tee it off to about 5' or more towards the neighbor's house, covering the drain pipe against the house with white gravel.  Optionally, create a drain field buy digging down a large hold and filling it with gravel as well, but I am not sure if this might be overkill.  I would do this on both sides of the house.  The front and back do not seem to suffer the same problems.

Second phase is to install gutters around the side and back of the house, making sure to direct the runoff at least a few feet from the house.

So, the first barrage of questions: Is phase one gross overkill?  If so, should I just put in some gravel, fore go the french drain part?  Would the paint/sealant on the slab cause problems in itself?  If now, what would be a good, cheap product to buy to paint it with?

If it helps, I live in Central Florida.  The house is about 7 yrs old, we are the only owner.  The soil around me is mostly sandy, and used to be an orange grove.

If you don't have gutters and the grading around your house isn't sloped away, I'd start there. It's relatively cheap to do and will eliminate most problems. It's also nice, if you have a door at the bottom of a roof edge, to not enter under a waterfall.

Once you've done that (or if it's not possible to fix the grading) and the foundation is still wicking water, then an exterior water proofing system and french drain makes sense. This involves a painted on sealer, a free draining membrane that's attached to the wall (this gives a direct path for any moisture that reaches the wall to run directly down to the drainage pipe), and a perforated drainage pipe running around the perimeter of the foundation that drains well away from the house. If a system like this isn't installed during initial construction, it's often left to a last resort because of the expense and labor of removing any landscaping and soil that is against the foundation.


How to select the right submersible pump for my fields? The water level is 300 feet and horizontal delivery is 800 feet flat.  I want to use a rotary sprinkler for irrigation.  What horsepower (HP) recommendations do you have for the submersible pump?  And how many sprinklers would this pump be able to run?

This is a more complicated question than you've considered. To size a submersible pump, you need to know the total discharge head and the required flow rate. Part of the discharge head is calculated based on friction loss, which is based on the pipe diameter and length.

In irrigation systems, the flow rate is dependent on the type and number of sprinkler heads.

If you have any concerns that your well can't produce the required flow, you should test it. This basically means putting a very large pump down the well (which has a flow rate much greater than you need), and trying to pump the well dry. If it can't go dry, you know the rate is at least what the test pump is rated for. If it goes dry, you let it recover for a measured amount of time, then measure how much water you get out before it goes dry again. Basic math will give you the yield (in eg, gallons per minute).

If your well can't keep up, you either need lower-flow heads, or to install a low-yield system which basically consists of two parts: a well pump that continuously fills a big tank, and a second pump that draws from the tank. Once again, sizing of everything is dependent on the yield, required flow, elevation differences, etc.

You size the actual pump based on the performance curve of the pump, once you know other values.

In short, you effectively need to design the entire system up front, so you know it will all work. For example, if you run too small a pipe, your friction loss will be too high and you won't get enough flow. If you install too large a pump, it will be operating with too little head and not be as efficient as it should be, and probably dramatically shorten the life of the pump.


I am switching out a 8 gauge aluminum wire on a 30 amp 2 pole breaker for my dryer less than 25. Can I use 10/2 copper? ' I have an old house where some aluminum Branch wiring was used. On the oven, water heater and dryer. There is an 8 gauge aluminum wire for the dryer on 30 amp double pole breaker. I already bought and installed 10/2 solid copper Romex wire. Home Depot was sold out of 10/3. When I got home my receptacle and plug are both on a three-prong so it worked out. But should I have an extra hot anyways and switch out the receptacle also? My number one concern is fire safety with my family. Will I be okay?

The #1 threat to your family is the 3-wire connections to range and dryer.
This wiring method was allowed due to intense lobbying by the appliance industry.  But what those connections do is BOOTLEG ground off the neutral wire. It was always illegal everywhere else, but this was delayed until 1996 for dryers and ranges due to their lobbying.
The problem with bootlegging ground off neutral is if the neutral wire gets loose anywhere, even just a socket pin, then it becomes a 100% certainty that the chassis of the appliance will be energized at 120V. Touch it and anything grounded (like the washer, or a sink, or another 3-prong appliance) and BLAMMO.
You must admit this is a "freshman" attempt at improving safety, which is under-supported by good research.  You're on the right road though.
Oh... and next time, deal with a real electrical supply house.  Home Depot is a terrible place to buy almost anything.  Their selection is limited, their stocking is terrible, and their prices are ridiculous. (they once bothered to undercut other businesses, but now that you're convinced they're the best deal in town, they stopped undercutting and are just rooking you. CostCo is doing the same thing BTW.) As things were, since they were out of 10/3 it would've been wiser to go to 8/3 (you're always allowed to upsize).
Anyway, replace both the dryer's cord and the receptacle with NEMA 14-30 type, and also remove the bonding strap on the dryer, which is responsible for bootlegging ground. Very important, that!
The heavy aluminum wire is fine, but...
Obviously you've found some articles on the Internet that rips up aluminum wire.  There's validity to those, as regards small 15-20A branch circuits such as to lights and receptacles, but it wasn't aluminum's fault.  Aluminum lugs happily take any wire (that's why your panel uses them) but copper lugs do not like aluminum wire.  In the 1960s in response to a copper shortage, they hastily approved for alumiunum use a bunch of outlets and switches previously designed for only copper.  Those copper lugs refused to play well with the aluminum wire, and there were serious problems at the terminations.  Also the installers were poorly educated on use of aluminum wire.
Mind  you, heavy aluminum feeders have never been a problem.
Since then, every single thing about aluminum has been changed.  A new wire alloy was made specifically for branch circuit wiring, called AA-8000. (the old AA-1350 alloy was straight up power-line aluminum, yes, the power lines are aluminum).  The approvals were canceled and a new standard - CO-ALR (R for Revised) - now applies to switches and receps.
Now, your #8 feeders to dryer and water heater were wobblers: at #8 they are in the gray zone between the worrisome "#10-12 small branch circuit wiring" and "#6 and larger reliable heavy feeder".  I would treat them as feeder; make sure they are terminated properly, then don't worry about it.
Each appliance
For the water heater, my recommendation is to double-check the connections to the Al wire at both ends - make sure they are on Al-Cu breakers (which were not affected by the CO-ALR standard change)... and on the other end, go into a modern approved terminal that is CO-ALR.  If it's not, no big deal -- just pigtail it with copper, then use an approved aluminum splice.  For mortals, that means an Alumiconn (#14-10), MAC Block (#14-#6), or Polaris splice (#4 and larger).  As long as the connections are clean and torqued to spec, I wouldn't worry about it.
Use a torque wrench to tighten the screws.  Very important. Most splice failures trace back to improper torque, and even electricians get torques right only 25% of the time (and that presumes +/-20% tolerance, which is pure luck, so basically nobody has a calibrated arm.)
Of course with the water heater, you now have that 10/2 cable you improperly used for the dryer.  That has to come out.  If you take it up carefully, you can reuse it for the water heater, as 10/2 is legal there (re-mark the white wire to be a hot wire; water heaters don't need neutral).
For the dryer and range, the deal-killer is the 3-wire connection.  So we definitely will replace the dryer's cord and receptacle with a 4-prong NEMA 14-30 type, and rewire the range as appropriate. This includes removing the neutral-ground bootleg jumper from both range and dryer.  What wire do we use?  It's legal to retrofit a ground wire, so you could continue the old aluminum 3-wire in service (as I advise on the water heater), IF:

The cable was a legal type at the time it was installed, meaning either a) an insulated white neutral, or b) SE cable (neutral webbed around the hots).  AND
The socket is CO-ALR rated, or, you pigtail with MAC Blocks.

However given that you already know the drill, and the cost of Cu 10/3 is not extreme, you might just replace it with that.  Remove the 10/2 carefully and use it for the water heater.
You cannot retrofit a neutral or second hot wire, nor can you retrofit on stuff you just installed... so the 10/2 has to go.


Is this 230V steampunk metal robot lamp safe? I bough a steampunk robot lamp from ebay. It is made out of (painted) metal fittings. After receiving it, I was a little concerned regarding safety and disassembled it. The plug suggests that this is a class II appliance, but the individual wires aren't double insulated and just connected via wire nuts. Is this safe? If not, what would be the best action?
I couldn't find any CE mark on the lamp. They also supply a super cheap looking 5W LED bulb, which has a CE marking on the package (but not on the bulb).
I kind of expected that this item would be safe, because it shipped from the Netherlands and therefore should conform to EU safety standards (it isn't like I'm directly importing it from China).
Update: I contacted the seller and according to him this is "not a problem", but they offered me to return the product (to a German warehouse).

Very regrettable. The European plug is like this, the product is no
problem, If you need to return the product, please install it and send
it to this address: Ma Kun (Jbingo) Tilburgstrasse NSR GMBH. 15, 41751
Wilson ☆Note: Please write down the product number, order number and
eBay buyer ID on the paper, and put it in the return package so that
our warehouse can identify it, thank you. ☆ Please provide us with a
photo of the tracking number or logistics ticket, and then we will
refund you in full. Thank you for your understanding and wait for your
reply. Greetings

What a strange arangement. The seller is a Chinese company that ships the item from the Netherlands (according to the product description) and has a warehouse for returns in Germany. This sounds to me like an intresting way to get around safety laws and to be unreachable for any lawsuits.

It's dangerous.  You've spotted one important flaw but it can combine with others to make a really dangerous product.
I originally suspected it was made in Europe by someone with more interest/knowledge in the sculptural aspect than the electrical one, but I've since spotted contact details in China for the seller. Either way it shouldn't be sold.
Here's why (as I only have a little training in designing stuff for mains, and haven't inspected it, this list isn't exhaustive):

It needs be earthed (assuming the metal really is metal and not plastic).
Wire nuts are rare in Europe and any decent solution shouldn't need tape.
Secondary securing on the wires near the joints is a good idea, even required in some cases but needs to be much more solid than tape.
I doubt the wire is properly strain-relieved where it goes into the assembly. This is now confirmed by the 4th picture. The wire nuts will take the strain of any pull on the cable, and the edges of the cable hole can abrade the insulation.

This adds up to a dangerous and easily foreseeable failure mode where you trip over the cable, rip the live out of the wire nut, it touches the pipes, making them live, you pick up the lamp, you wake up in hospital - if you're lucky.
I've been known to cut corners for something I'm using myself, but not to anything like this extent, and certainly not for something that's going to be used by others.
These days the preferred solution would be an external low voltage power supply (complying with the regulations and safe on the output), but it could be built safely for mains operation - it just hasn't been.


Is it normal for a 1" Lawn Sprinkler repair to leak only under pressure? Using 4 steel radiator like bands, I replaced a section of underground lawn sprinkler black plastic pipe that runs over a septic drain field.    Repair couplers do not leak until i press my foot down on one of four running sprinkler heads.  Is that normal?  Would the leak have been due to the hair dryer i used to make the plastic pipe more pliable?

Hoping someone has tried the same stress test and would share their experience.  I understand the physics of increasing the pressure by closing off an end.   Hoping to get the perspective of lawn sprinkler experts as to whether these radiator hose couplings almost always leak a little when pressurized?  I want to keep unnecessary water from getting into the septic drain field.

Water pressure where I live is 85psi, but noticed most water garden hose accessories sold locally are rated to only 60psi.

The pressure in the tubing will be lower if there is an open-end or slightly-open-end.
If the supplying valve is a normal tap (i.e. not a ball valve) that pressure is even lower, because usually the center hole of the tap is smaller than the outgoing tubing.

When you close the hole, the pressure increases measurably, because the outflow that mitigated the pressure has stopped and now the full main pressure can be applied to the tube's walls and couplings.

Now if the couplings or tube has a tiny hole, that can mean it leaks only when the end of the tube is closed.

Imagine having a 0.1" (2.54mm) hole and a chunk of clay. If you gently push the clay against the hole, nothing goes through. If you put your weight on it, you will get the clay through quite quickly.
In very small openings the water can act exactly as the clay, too low pressure and it will not want to go through the hole, but rather out the sprinkler. Too much pressure and it will squirt out, because it has nowhere else to go.


Is this wall load-bearing (Blue prints included)? We just bought a house and would like to remove a partial wall that was added as part of a remodel. I have the blueprints for the remodel (completed with permits in the 80s).  I've attached images of the relevant portions.  The house is in San Diego, CA, if that makes any difference.

The wall I'd like to remove is circled in red and the location of the original exterior wall is highlighted in blue.  I've also attached the plans for the changes to the foundation.

I'm new to reading blueprints, but it looks like there's a 4x14 beam running across a post at the end of the wall we'd like to remove, and that post is firmly attached to the foundation.  This makes me think that we can remove the wall but not the post.

Does that seem correct?

I'm also curious about what "CC' CAP" and "2x8 PERIN" annotations mean.

Wall Questions

  This makes me think that we can remove the wall but not the post. Does that seem correct?

Wall:

The wall is not load bearing as it is parallel to the roof rafters which bear on the exterior and interior perpendicular walls

HOWEVER it may be part of the lateral system which resists horizontal from wind and earthquakes

Post

It must remain as it is the support for the two 4x14 beams

Annotations Questions

  "CC' CAP"

Column or post cap. This is a prefabricated post and beam connection. The specific type will be shown in another place on your plan, likely either the plan notes, or the general notes

  "2x8 PERIN"

A type of roof brace. Refer the picture below


Can I use a same brush for primer and paint I have a question. Should I use different brushes for primer and paint? Or, is it ok to use a same brush? I tried to find the answer on the Internet but couldn't ....

You can use the same brush with several types of paint in a short day.
Pro tip from a professional:
Thoroughly wet the brush with water. ( doesn’t need to be hot or warm.) give it a few shakes, tape the medal part on your shoe or tree, wipe it off back and fourth aggressively on your pants or cloth.
This prevents the Paint from being pushed so deep into the fibers.
Paint as you wish
Wash it right away
And repeat.
This DOES NOT dilute the paint whats so ever.
Sometimes when I’m painting commercial jobs or any type of paint that ends up drying more quick than I would like it to after an hour or so I will wash it clean and keep going.
Using a brush without wetting it is referred to applying with a dry brush which is not a normal application.
Some people disagree with this as they believe it will increase the chance of leaving a halo mark at the first 4 inches at the top of the wall Due to the fact you will be using a dry roller this does not hold true.  If a painter is getting a hail at the cut in line then they are not stippling it with a 4 inch roller.  When an artist paints a picture they continue to use the same brush for several colors with no problems what so ever.
Hope this helps !


Are there differences to drywall joint compound and plaster? The drywall store near me told me the they don't have (or use) joint compound for drywall seams, they use something called "slow plaster" (free translation) for over the drywall tape with the same or better results.

Any truth to that? Why would I choose one over the other?

There are huge differences.  I am sure a professional tradesman can go over the exact specifics but here is my common man take (even though I have drywalled too many houses to remember):

plaster generally sets more quickly
plaster is thicker
plaster can be applied more thickly (joint compound you get about 1/8")
plaster to me is like working with thinset except you will see the plaster as thinset is almost always hidden
joint compound can be sanded more easily
joint compound is more prone to cracking (this is about application too)
I would personally only use plaster for a very small area that is having cracking problems.  I have done some plaster work and literally drove me nuts.  Also I do not consider myself artistic.  When applying plaster it is an art.  If you over apply sanding it down is way harder than joint compound.  I would never think about plastering all of a drywall in a house.

The only thing else I can add is I don't know what they consider slow plaster.  I am sure that refers to the setting time.  The plaster I have used starts setting in 30-60 minutes (hence my reference to thinset).  Maybe they have something that lasts longer or maybe it is some combo plaster/compound.


Starting point of herringbone pattern with double accent border I'm excited to attempt a complex entryway pattern, but I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to start.
The idea is to have a herringbone pattern with 36" x 6" large format wood look porcelain tile centered in a surrounding symmetric double border separated from the herringbone pattern by schiene edge strip. The outside border is also finished with edge strip where it transitions at doorways.
The floor has been prepped, stratamat has been applied measurements and planning have been completed but I'm having trouble figuring out the best starting point to avoid having tight spaces with the trowel or not being able to place the leveling clips and wedges [levtec] on the right spots where the border would meet the herringbone pattern. Perhaps over thinking it a bit.

The top of this design is actually facing eastward toward the front door and the bottom branches out to the left into a hallway and on the right a kitchen. Refer to floor plan.

From what I read you are supposed to start the herringbone pattern centered on the floor but I feel like working outwards would leave little room for troweling adhesive between the wall and the herringbone pattern without making a mess, however I feel like the levtec wedges can be placed better, and if I start with the border it leaves more room to trowel the inside where the herringbone pattern goes but then I might have trouble aligning the levtec clips on the right locations to meet up with the herringbone pattern later.
The dry run looked like this [ignore the non symmetry of the border, I didn't want to cut anything yet]:

Edit: I will add that the East, South and West walls are perfectly plumb as measured with a 345 triangle, the north wall is off about 1/2" over 20'. One idea was to get the inner border perfectly square and steal some space from the outer perimeter on the northern wall.
Where would you recommend starting this pattern?
Edit: Final thought: trowel direction. Most literature recommends having the trowel lines running in the same direction but also having the trowel lines be oriented in such a way that the lines run in a direction that the air has a shortest path to escape when collapsing the troughs (ridges). In the case of herringbone would we run the lines in a v direction giving each long tile section a 90 degree orientation with the ridges or do we go from left to right or up and down having to spread a large area of adhesive to work around and hopefully not make a mess, this way the ridges run under the tile at a 45 degree angle?
Thanks!

With the hearing bone pattern you start in the center.
Make all angled cuts the same or it will show to a trained eye at 20’ everyone else will notice something wrong. Any deviation in the room is taken up in the border you can hide a 1/2” out of square room with the border and it can be hard to detect but have the same deviation in your angled cuts and it shows.


Is a special circular saw blade needed to cut plastic? We purchased two portable air conditioners for our bedrooms.  It include a plastic window kit that can be fitted for the window.  I.e., this:

I need to trim off about 6 inches, which requires a simple straight cut.  Doing it by hand is challenging -- both physically and to get it straight.  (I took that approach years ago, with a different unit, in my apartment.)

This time I have a circular saw and realized that would be a lot better and cleaner.  However, I'm not sure if I need a special blade?  Currently I have 18- and 24-Tooth Saw Blades.

Back in the day when I used to put up vinyl siding, I found that the best way to cut it with a circular saw was with a cheap 140 tooth plywood blade installed backwards (to give the teeth a negative rake and prevent chipping):

For really hard plastics, I've used a diamond abrasive blade before and that did a great job (these are incredibly expensive if we're talking about a single cut though).  I would imagine an abrasive blade for cutting metal would do just as well though:

You should be able to pick up either of these for less than $5.

Wear good safety glasses and do a trial cut first with whatever option you go with - plastic will chip long before it will bind the blade in most cases, and these can be both sharp and high velocity.


Is 12 AWG ground wire adequate for a 60 Amp water heater circuit? A tankless water heater I bought arrived with a pig tail with 3 6 AWG wires.  Black, Red, and Yellow with Green stripe ground.  The black and red go to a 2 pole 60 amp breaker with the yellow/green going to ground/common on a very old Cutler-Hammer breaker box.
I went to the local box store and they didn't have the 3 6 AWG wire but did have a two 6 AWG with a 12 AWG ground.  I was told that it would work just fine with the Black 6 AWG, White 6 AWG and 12 AWG ground.
I connected everything and the heater works great.  However, I'm concerned that the 12 AWG wire is a huge mistake and it might actually be a fire hazard and I should remove that wire and replace with a 3 6AWG wire.
Should I be concerned or not?
Thanks in advance.

To the best of my knowledge, which has been failing lately, you can't get 6/2 NB w/ #6 ground or with a #12 ground. What you can get is 6/2 NB w/ #10 ground which would be OK. I would verify that your ground wire is really #12. My guess is that it's #10. Take a piece of it into an electrical supply store and they can verify what size you have.
There are no safety concerns with a #10 ground being used in this circuit. Enjoy your new water heater.


Why is my neutral bar getting red hot? Glowing neutral bar connection. Double breaker

This type of situation happens when the main neutral fails and all imbalanced current is redirected to a improper/loose connected grounding electrode, and/or improperly sized grounding electrode.

As mentioned by peter and Tester101, this requires immediate attention. Your 1st move is to cut off the main power. 2nd call a professional (unless you already have the main power off and are comfortable with Harper's advice).


Furnace and Water Heater Ventilation pipe I have a home that was built in 1924, the pipe that vents my furnace and water heater is green and it is located in my chimney.

The top of the chimney is open in my attic, you can see the green ventilation pipe that runs out of my roof.

Should the green pipe be insulated in my attic?

Should there be something put over the top of the chimney?

A chimney cap is a good idea, as it reduces the water heading down.  Water can affect the flames and rust the pipe.

For better answers we need to know what type of pipe (ceramic? metal? plastic?). In general chimneys are not to be insulated.  Tap on the pipe, what does it sound like?  Post pictures.  What era are the heating appliances: that matters also.  Old ones send a lot of heat up the chimney, drying it out.


How can I recondition aluminum door sills? I have three prehung doors with built-in aluminum door sills.  They are 15-20 years old and starting to look kinda crappy.  I've tried cleaning them with household cleaners but it didn't improve the appearance much.  One is between my LR and a newly renovated 3-season porch so the bad appearance really contrasts with and detracts from the new floor.  Any thoughts on making them look better?  I suspect paint would not wear well.

If you're referring to tarnish, try a metal cleaner marketed for aluminum. Most thresholds are raw (not anodized or clearcoated), and you can simply polish away the oxidation with the right product.

You could also brush the surface with a drill or rotary tool and a wire brush to give it a textured appearance and make it less slippery.


Broken Garage Door Hinges I noticed that the top section of my Chamberlain garage door was out of alignment and was set back approximately an inch from where I would expect it to be. I took a look on the inside and noticed that two of the hinges were broken and a third was starting to break. This seems really odd to me, does anyone have any thoughts on what would cause this?  I have discovered as lot of shady construction on this from the previous owner and am wondering if that could be the cause. Admittedly it has been approx a year since I lubricated the rollers

I'm more concerned with what earthly forces could have possibly broken that hinge.  There just isn't that much stress on them normally.   Doors are lifted from the bottom by the edge cables, so when the door is down, the door panels are merely stacked and the hinges just help keep them there, resiting only wind loading.  When up, they support half the weight of the door panel (maybe 10 pounds). I suspect your door has serious problems and is tearing itself apart because of those problems.
"But that can't be!  Twice a day I lift that door by hand.  The action is smooth as silk and I can do it with one hand.  If the door was binding, surely I would have noticed.”
Oh wait.  You have a power opener!  This has made you blind to problems that have been developing over the past few months, binding worse and worse, overstressing other parts and damaging them.   The problems are now severe enough to kill somebody.  Doors are dangerous.  And openers make them a lot more dangerous exactly this way.
If it were me... First thing I would do is get a set of winding bars that fit, and unload the spring, i.e. Slack the lifting cables but not enough for them to jump their pulleys.  Mind you, I know how to use winding bars and have a healthy fear of doors.  I don't think there's anything wrong with your spring -- I just want to unload spring tension to make it safer to change hinges.
Next I would change hinges, one at a time, worst first.  Because you still need the hinges to hold the door together.  This is best done on a calm day, the door panels are stacked by gravity, the only load on the hinge is wind load.
They make tougher hinges.  However the door would still have failed, just somewhere else that's harder to repair.  These cheap hinges kinda did you a favor by failing first, since they are easy to replace.  Each hinge has an offset, postioning the roller farther from the door the higher they go. Look for a number on it, e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.  The numbers are standard "hinge numbers" which reflect the offset, not the positions on your door.
With me so far?  Now the real work begins.
You have fixed the symptom.  Now fix the door.
Reload the spring (don't lift the door with the spring unloaded; even if you were able, you would just slack and birdcage the lifting cables, and then the door would drop.) And disconnect that darn opener.
Now lift the door by hand, cautiously. It is better to lift it from outside because the frame of the building will keep garage door panels from falling on your head.  Just for reference, it should go quite smoothly.  I have 12x14 industrial doors I can open with one hand.
My guess is it won't go quite smoothly, and you will find your door has a serious problem, or a variety of problems that are stacking.
Leave the setscrew wrench in the toolbox.  Every time I messed with pulley timing or spring tension, I regretted it.  If a pulley really has slipped, there will be subtle forensic clues of movement on the shaft, or  the two pulleys will be visibly out of phase with each other.
If the door is trammed, look for lifting cables (on the ends of doors) that are frayed or broken.  A stretched one will give near as many problems as a broken one; both will lift the door unequally, tramming it and causing a lot of binding.  Replace both cables with a new matched set.
Also look for any rollers that are seriously messed up, but don't worry so much about them - a merely wobbly or dirty roller won't bind a door.  If a pulley isn't entirely broken, I would replace it after the door is otherwise fixed.
Your spring is not broken, so don't waste your time thinking about that.  The line of spray paint affirms that it's working.  People always run to "it's a spring problem" and it rarely is.


Laying Vinyl Flooring Over Uneven Poured Concrete I am trying to give my basement floor an update, and I have purchased a click and lock vinyl floating floor.  The existing poured concrete has some raised areas (where the concrete was clumpy and not properly smoothed 50 years ago).  The floor is level, with the exception of these small bumps and divots every now and then.  I am not experienced enough to try a self-leveling compound, so I thought I would use a concrete patch to at least smooth out the surface in these few spots.

Is this a doable solution?  All I really care about is making sure the vinyl flooring doesn't have major pockets or gaps between it and the concrete sub-floor.  Any thoughts, recommendations, or warnings about this approach?

Spend $50 on a non contact moisture meter rated for concrete.  Make sure your system is ok with whatever level you have spring/fall..

Floor grinding with a diamond cup grinder, followed by SLC (self leveling compound) for the low spots would minimize the SLC needed.

Follow your vinyl flooring manufacturer for sealing/curing/dryness.


Does amalgamating tape adhere to wet surfaces I want to seal around an antenna cable and joint through an opening that is always damp, so, please, can I use amalgamating tape where the surface it has to adhere to is damp? I have left out all the details of why this is needed, but believe me it is, so please no answers suggesting, or explaining, why I should not be doing it.

Duct seal is commonly used to seal around cables through holes.

Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, this might be a good choice for you.


Mounting light on cedar siding Contractor installed exterior lights on cedar siding using blocks like this http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/siding-mounting-blocks/siding-mounting-kits-with-built-in-box/ rather than building something like https://www.thisoldhouse.com/sites/default/files/styles/content_box/public/migrated/images/14-norm-advice.jpg . Am I getting an inferior product?

The method shown in the This Old Hose picture fairly involved, you're basically letting a flat area into the siding, then letting an electrical box into that flat.  It has to be done just right, especially if it's added on after the siding is finished.  It allows you to use matching cedar or other aesthetically pleasing material for the flat.

The Arlington box is simple and easy to use, it installs without really disturbing the siding, less chance for a mistake or failure that will cause a leak, and fully code compliant when installed properly.  I don't think you could call it inferior in any way.


What can I do about roofing and framing nail 'shiners' under eaves? I had new roof decking installed the installers missed the rafters under the eaves, in many places.  So I have these like 3" nails sticking down visibly under the eaves.  In the attached photo looking up at the eave, fascia on the left, house on the right, I'm pretty sure these exposed nails were meant for the framing member/rafter:

What can I do to improve the appearance here?
Some of my ideas are:

Hit them flat? (would hinder pulling them out later but the plywood is likely to stay on for awhile)
Clip them? Would that encourage the nails to lift out? I'm in Southern California so not too much weather expansion to worry about.
Grind down and bondo? (I read this somewhere, would make them flush).

I'd like to just clean it up so I can paint it.

Use an end nipper to cut them flush:

Brand name on image included deliberately as this is an endorsement because quality products give better performance.


How to mount an antique cast iron sink I have a vintage Kohler cast iron sink that I want to mount outside to use as a beverage station. It has legs and bolting points on the back (see picture). I am hoping to bolt it directly to the brick exterior of my home. The contractor can't quite figure out the best way to do this. It appears that it has brackets along the top back that can slide/sit in a wall mount but I don't have those wall mounts. Any thoughts?

Buy some wall mounts. You should be able to find new or used (Salvage yard, Ebay, Hardware store) mounts that will work. Most are just an angled piece of cast iron or steel that the sink hangs on. Since your sink has legs most of the weight will be on the legs and the wall brackets will keep it from falling forward.


Toilet in spare bath runs automatically for 2 seconds about every 20 min! This started a few weeks ago in the spare bath room, I replaced all internal parts in tank and problem still present. The main bath which is closer to main water source operates fine, what could be my problem?

The only possible cause is a slow leak.  There could be leaks in several places:

Flapper valve:   Did you replace the flapper?  Did you clean the flapper valve seat?  Run your finger all the way around it to feel for deposits and nicks.  Repair with light use of sandpaper.
Tank bolts:  These fasten the tank to the bowl unit.  If these were to leak, most toilets would weep water over the backside of the bowl housing onto the floor.  Check for moisture back there and all around on the floor.  Some toilets can weep here but direct water into the bowl.  The only way to discover this is by taking the bolts out and checking whether the bolt head seals are in good condition.
Inlet seal:  Where the water enters the tank from underneath is another area where gaskets prevent water from exiting the tank and weeping down the water line.  Check for moisture here.


What does this button on my Electrolux refrigerator do? On my Electrolux refrigerator (model: ER8029B), what does this button do?

The button is a climate control switch. The button should be used if the ambient temperature is below 16°C.

Reference: electrolux-ui.com (model: ER8029B)

(The climate control switch can also be used if you are freezing a lot of stuff at once. You should then activate it 12 hours in advance.)


Black and white wires coming out of wall are both hot Our den has a switch that does not seem to operate anything in house.  There’s not a ceiling light in room and it does not affect the four outlets in the room.  It runs from a 15 A circuit in the breaker box.  I decided to remove the switch and use the wire to power six can lights I installed in the ceiling.  They are smart lights and I have a smart switch to operate them.  I hooked one of the can lights to the wires connecting black to black, white to white, ground to ground but nothing happens.  I used a non-contact volt meter on the wires and both wires turned it red.  Not sure what to do from here?

That's a switch loop. Bog standard. Perfectly legit until recently. The white should be unswitched hot, and the white should have marking of tape, paint or heat-shrink in a hot color (but often does not.)
You need to find the box that the switch loop comes from, where you will find its white connected to a black, and where there is normally also a white neutral.
Color does NOT imply function in cables. Color may guide you, but not all whites are neutrals.


line locator indicates voltage over the whole wall, I need to drill some holes I am living in a 1950s apartment house in Germany, with a TN-C installation (that is, a combined earth / neutral in every socket).

Now I need to drill some holes. Usually it's quite obvious where the lines are, and I try to follow them using a line locator. Now in this apartment there are whole walls and ceilings that are indicated. I can't even clearly locate known  lines.

Any ideas?

I did a CW transmitter with a BJT and XTAL that I had on hand. I do connect this transmitter on wires and then I put a resistor to the end and use a AM/SSB receiver. I can find a circuit if you are interested  and if you own a small long wave radio with SSB receiver.


Missing control knob for bathroom radiator I recently moved to a new house that has a bathroom radiator, but the temperature control knob is missing. The problem is that I don't know the type, brand, and model of it to search for a replacement for the knob, it only has some words and numbers on it (in the photos attached). Can someone help in identifying the model or where I could find replacements?

(I live in France)

This is a knob for a potentiometer, you should grab a caliper and measure the dimensions of the axis, and the internal dimensions of the hole. This will be a bit complex because you need something like this:

See the bit of plastic that sticks out around the back, that takes the axis. This is uncommon, most knobs would be like this:

...without the extra bit sticking out in the back. You can use one like this too, if the diameter fits inside the smaller hole around the axis, this could be easier to find.

Try "boutons pour potentiomètre" or "potentiometer knob" on aliexpress or reichelt...


How can I find my bathroom's GFCI? I have a half-bath on the main floor of our house that is small and has only 3 electrical items in it:

Light above the sink (and corresponding light switch)
Fart fan (and corresponding light switch)
Two non-GFCI receptacles (one box, two plug-ins) next to the sink

I understand that, by itself, this is against code and that those receptacles must be GFCI-protected. However, my house is new enough (~1995?) that I'm sure this has to be up to code but I don't know what GFCI switch actually controls this.

My questions:

I understand a device like this will prove that it is or is not protected. But how?
If it is protected, is there an easy way to find the device that protects it? (our circuit breaker box's labels are worse than useless b/c of how wrong the labels are)
If I find it's not protected, then I'm definitely going to replace it to protect it. Is it correct that I should replace it with a 15A box unless both my wiring and circuit breaker are proper for 20A? (Current receptacles are 15A judging by not having the horizontal "right-angle" hole.)

Step One, which I do for every home I occupy, is to do a thorough map of the circuit breakers by simple trial-and-error. Check every outlet, light, and wired appliance in the home. Print a nice list of what each breaker protects and tape it over the cryptic scribbles left by sparky.

Here's my Google sheet for those who'd like it. I left my data in it as an example. Simply make a copy and replace the data with yours. I fold it down the middle, book-style, and tape it to the panel door at the fold so it fits nicely inside.

The device you link doesn't locate GFCI outlets, just the specific breaker you're on. I honestly don't know why a homeowner with just one residence to inspect would need it.
There are likely only a few GFCI outlets in your home. They're commonly located in bathrooms, kitchens, and garages, among other potentially wet areas. Try them one at a time and you'll get there.
If your outlets are not protected, but are on the same circuit, you should be able to simply replace the upstream outlet with a GFCI outlet and connect the downstream run to the LOAD side, thereby protecting the other outlet (and anything else downstream).

A 20A outlet is at most a few dollars more than a 15A outlet, so it's probably worth going that route. It may be legal to use a 15A outlet, however. Our resident code geeks can tell us for sure.


old gfci outlet manufactured with wires coming out of the back of it I have what looks to be a bad gfci outlet in my kitchen. My house was built in 1989, and this is the original outlet. The reset button doesn't stay in the reset position.  All the other outlets (standard outlets) in the circuit are dead.  When I pulled the outlet out of the wall box, I noticed a black and white wire coming out of a hole in the back of the outlet, obviously the way it was manufactured (this was in addition to connection points on the sides of the outlet).  Those wires are then connected to the circuit via wire nuts. My question is, would the wires coming from back of the the outlet be the load or the line side?  There seems to be no distinguishing markings to say so.  The new outlet I have purchased has all of the markings and yellow tape across a pair of the connection screws.

Got it replaced.  Was an old General Electric model, I think the part number is E-42190.  All connections used wire nuts,  The wires in the center of the back were  line.  Two wires on the side were load and ground.  I just needed better lighting and my microscope glasses to see it.  Very small print.  New Levitron model was very clearly marked.
Thanks to all who answered.


Split ladder legs for child's playset Last year I assembled a playground kit for my son and noticed the one leg on the ladder is splitting where the step boards were pre notched to fit into.

The wood is basically pre stained red cedar. I am guessing the one step board expanded and split the wood. It is slowly getting worse month after month.

Is there something I can do to repair the wood and regain it's structural integrity for the most part? I thought about lagging the side of it and using liberal amounts of wood glue but it is only 1 and 3/4" and I don't want a sharp lag popping out and hurting my son. Also I am worried that a lag would weaken it even more. Any suggestions?

best thing to do is install 3/8 threaded rods immediately below each rung.  just drill a 3/8 hole through each stringer such that you can put a threaded rod directly under and touching the bottom of each rung (as close as possible).  run the rod through each stringer and then put a large fender washer and nylock nut on the outside of each stringer.  the compression will hold the structure together and compensate for the cracks in the wood.  should the cracks proceed to spread, the rods will retard the overall splitting of the wood by acting with the rungs as splints for the ladder assembly.  should the wood stringer split vertically from rung notch to rung notch such that the rung could shear through the notch, the rod will act as a secondary buttress.


How should I organize a workspace to take my handedness into account? I'm in the process of building myself a workbench and shed space and with only a very limited amount of space, some things have to be very carefully positioned.

Having grown up with a left-handed father, I'm used to things like a soldering station being on the left instead of the right (and why). But I'm right-handed, so I've made space for things like that on the right on my new bench.

However, I believe there are a number of things that don't matter. Is a vise one of them? What other items are there whose position is related to the handedness of the user?

Lamp on the left so that your work hand doesn't block your light, which is more probable to be the case than the other way around.

As far as the vice goes, I'd say it depends on how you orient it and if there is a wall on the left or right side.  If there is no wall on either side, I'd put it on the front-left so that it is near the lamp, and because if the lever arm is at the front of the desk, you could walk to the side and torque down on it with your right hand that way.

If there's a wall on the left, I'd put it on the right, but with the lever arm on the side rather than the front... again, so that you can stand to the side while torquing the lever arm.  Only problem with that is that your lamp will be at the opposite corner, but if it's easily moved, that wouldn't be a problem.


What would a bracket for holding 1 5/8" square post be called? For stabilizing a handrail post, using 1 5/8" square posts, I'm seeking a bracket shaped like so:

Where the U shaped bracket would tightly press the post against a surface.  First what might this be called, and is it a standard part?  I've tried lots of Google image searches, but so far nothing suitable has come up.

Rather than use with brackets why don't you consider the use of some 3/8" x 2.5" lag bolts installed through 7/16" holes drilled through the post. If you do this remember that for best grip of the lag bolts into the surface behind will be to drill the proper sized pilot hole. In this case the pilot drill can be 1/4" size.


How do I change the bulb Can some one tell me how to change a bulb in this light please?

THere are either 3 screws holding the glass over the bulb or the glass itself is "threaded" into the fixture.  Would need a picture of where the glass enters the light fixture to be sure.


Sink top: spray gun lacquer or metal enamel? I am thinking in mounting a washbasin into a 3mm steel plate. The plate will be painted in a Klein Blue.

Considering that it will get wet and that there won't be too much ventilation in the room... Which method do you think it would be best for painting it?

I am considering to do it myself.

I would use a two part epoxy paint, it's kind of sticky but if you apply it right you can use a roller.


Condensation on cold air intake Our home is relatively new (built in 2014), but something I noticed is that the PVC pipe going into our furnace (which connects to the outside of the home) is developing some condensation (which can be seen as the discolored gray ring in the picture below).  My concern with this is the potential for water to reach the electrical outlet below it, posing a potential fire risk (maybe)?

Is this a valid concern?  Is there a recommendation on how to resolve this or who I could contact to help resolve it?  Is this normal behavior for this type of air return to the furnace?

This isn't a large amount of water, just a small beading around the ring where it attaches to the furnace, but figure the experts here on the site would be able to answer this much better than I could.

No, this should not be happening & anything rusting out your system anywhere is a significant problem. Mine was installed, right, 6-years ago & I don't have any such thing. It could simply be colder outdoor air flooding that pipe or the space that the pipe runs in due to the exterior not being sealed shut to the outdoors. You may notice a cold section of floor above this pipe's area.

My other problem with your picture is that the pipe was dramatically enlarged & is not the smaller diameter which connects to the rusted gray collar. This should not be & is not helping matters nor is it allowing the system to run optimally & may very well be a violation of the Manufacturer's installation instructions.

Call or Email the Builder & put in a Warranty Claim. If the Builder doesn't respond immediately or timely. Then definitely, get an HVAC guy or firm out to inspect your system as well as this singular item's situation & correct whatever needs correcting. Then, ship a copy of the bill off to the Builder for immediate reimbursement.


Retrofit apartment for gigabit internet My high-rise apartment building has gigabit internet service available via copper ethernet at the communication closet on my floor, but it's my responsibility to establish the connection from that closet to my unit. There is a single cat5e cable into my unit from the communication closet. It was intended for telephone service and is daisy-chained between my three phone jacks.

As I understand it, I have a few options with various pros/cons:

1. Wired ethernet to computer, daisy-chained over existing cat5e: Use the existing cat5e connection to my unit and terminate it to a wired gigabit ethernet connection at an existing phone jack.

Pros:

Requires no additional wiring to the closet.
Low cost.
This is what everyone else in the building has done.

Cons:

Daisy-chained jacks and questionable quality of existing cat5e wiring may limit speed to 100 Mbps.
Intermediate jacks in chain will have to be rewired so all eight wires are connected at the jack I want to use.
Traditional landline telephone service won't be possible anymore but VOIP is an option.
Two of three existing jacks won't serve any purpose and will be unusable.
Poorly located jacks for wired computers. Phone jacks are in poor locations, like high on the wall in the kitchen, which could require me to run wires across the room or along walls (ugly).

2. All-wireless network: Use 802.11ac WiFi and place router at first jack in daisy-chain

Pros:

Requires no additional wiring to the closet.
Moderate cost. (Will require additional Wi-Fi equipment but will be DYI.)
No issues with jack locations.

Cons:

Potential wireless interference issues impacting speed. I don't have issues now, but most of the internet seems to agree that wired is better.
Would have to buy new 802.11ac router and potentially network cards.
Traditional landline telephone service won't be possible anymore but VOIP is an option.
Two of three existing jacks won't serve any purpose and will be unusable.

3. Dedicated wired connection: Run a new dedicated cat5e or cat6 connection to the communication closet and install a separate jack solely for internet.

Pros:

New wiring, reliable gigabit speed. Potential upgradability to greater speeds in the future if using cat6.
Will not impact existing phone lines.
I can have the jack exactly where I want it.

Cons:

High cost. Building management likely will require a certified electrician to do the work and hundreds of $$ of deposits.
High effort. May be difficult due to running cable through existing walls. Will require approvals from building management to run cabling through common areas including a 30-day permitting process.
Could require (ugly) exposed conduit

I have reviewed previous questions such as the following, but I'm not sure these are the best approach given my particular constraints as outlined above. I'm looking for the best way to accomplish reliable gigabit ethernet given the constraints of existing wiring and cost.

Previous questions:
How can I convert Cat5e wired sockets to Ethernet?
How can I modify telephone Cat5 cables and jacks into Ethernet ports?

First step is to get an 802.11ac router. You're probably going to want wireless anyway, so just do that now. Live with that until you decide either you are happy with it, or you need to upgrade. And remember: you won't get ac speeds unless both the router and your device are ac.

If you do need upgrade to wired, buy 2-4 small gigabit switches. Terminate all of the wall plates with cat5e rj45 jacks. At the wall plates with 2 jacks,  hook up both jacks to a switch. Since you have daisy-chained drops, the switch will bridge the two halves of the chain. Those cost of doing this should be under $100 for switches and wall plate parts. This is a less than ideal network configuration, but since your bottleneck is going to be your internet connection speed, you will likely hit the limits of performance on this network.


Water pressure tanks I want to buy a new pump, were as my current one is 42 yrs old. With the new pump I would like to use my current 19 gallon tank, plus I want to if possible install a new 50 gallon tank tied together. Would the different in tank capacity be a problem??  The current 19 gallon tank is fine not that old, would like to have more draw down in between pump cycles.

It's not a problem. Pressure tank volumes add in series and this should do exactly what you want.


Can we plaster our ceiling without removing the crown molding We have removed popcorn from the ceiling and it now needs to be plastered. The crown molding in place is in perfect condition and we would like to leave it. Will it be possible to plaster the ceiling without the mounding getting messed up? Big thanks in advance!

Yes, it is more likely the crown molding would be damaged by removing it to refinish the ceiling than by leaving it in place (see Should I remove moulding before adding a plaster ceiling? and Can I install drywall on the ceiling, without removing crown molding?)
It's fairly easy to leave it and tape off (or tape-and-plastic) to protect the molding while refinishing the ceiling.


Trane VX99 furnace fan to run I would like to have the fan turn on and blow non-a/c.  I only see 2 wires coming from the thermostat.  In

You have a simple setup with R (24V power) and W1 (HEAT).  The fan is turned on automatically, along with HEAT, when the thermostat applies the power from R to the W1 connection.
The FAN terminal is labelled G and you need to connect that to the G terminal on your thermostat.  Then, provided you have a FAN ONLY setting on your thermostat, it can control the fan independently.
You're going to have to run a "G" wire though since the currently line appears to only have 2 wires.


How to construct a door header without enough height? Is it possible to construct an exterior door header over a 6' opening without enough space for a 10" header?
One of the previous home owners installed this addition over an existing patio. Constructing a wall with a 6' sliding glass door parallel with roof joist above. With the pitch of the roof, the low end of the roof joist leaves only 4" of height above the door frame.
The framing of the door is incorrect, but I want to know if it is possible to even frame a door this size given such little roof for the header.
Is the only solution to install a narrower door, requiring a smaller header?
If you're looking at the image, we also would like to extend the wall to the left, eliminating the single door and the 3'x3' area for the door to swing. This would allow us to shift the door over to the left to free up a little more room for the header

I see several options, though it's difficult to be sure from one photo.

Set the header into the roof framing cavity. You mention that the rafters are parallel. If they're not directly over the header you may have more room than you realize.
Since the wall is parallel to the rafters you may not actually need a load-bearing header. Doubled 2x6 may be adequate. You can possibly fit that just by removing a wall plate.
Have a steel beam sized by an engineer. Your local lumber yard can probably help with that, and they may not charge extra.


Is it safe to substitute a 10-gauge wire for ground strap on dryer? I am backfitting a dryer with a 3-prong plug.
The manual says to connect the body to the neutral terminal using a copper ground strap.
I don't have a ground strap and none of the stores around carry them.
Is it safe to use a 10-gauge solid copper wire in place of the ground strap?

Model #: GE DCVH515EF0WW

The negative terminal is about 2 inches away from the grounding screw on the dryer body. I folded a 4-inch, bare, 10-gauge, solid copper wire into a long U. I fitted the U around the grounding screw and put the tips of the U under the screw at the negative terminal. This results in two 10-gauge segments that can carry current from the body to ground.

All due respect to Tester101, I'm not a fan of this method for a couple of reasons.

Not a listed method

And that matters because a failure here is lethal.  A lost neutral is precisely the failure that spooks us and is why NEMA 10 is considered bad news.

A break in a neutral wire will cause (internal to the appliance) the neutral to be "pulled up" to one of the hots.  That is normal in any appliance.  The problem is, by booting ground to neutral, the chassis of the machine is now hot. That problem is doubled because the washing machine right next to it is still properly grounded.  Touch both, you die.

This is literally bootlegging ground.  It is illegal in almost every context, (except this context, only due to lobbying by appliance manufacturers.)

You might as well do the best thing

Instead of running the grounding wire 2 inches to the neutral lug, you could run it 20 feet... to a proper grounding point.

OK, The right right way is to retrofit a ground: run it to the receptacle, change the receptacle for NEMA 14 and use that to support a NEMA 14 receptacle and plug.


Can I go from a 3-prong outlet and connect to a 2-prong outlet and switch? I have rewired the first 2 outlet in a circuit with 14-2 wire.  However, I do NOT want to rewire the rest of the circuit because it is inside non-accessible walls.  The rest of the circuit is a front door light with switch and an upstairs outlet.  Is it okay to re-connect the new 14-2 with to old non-grounded, cloth-covered with 2 wires?

If the 2 prong receptacles are existing receptacles, there shouldn't be a problem. As long as you realize the 2 prong receptacles will not have a ground, and you don't replace the 2 prong receptacles with 3 prong receptacles.


Should we cover weep holes with wire mesh? We just bought our first home and we had advice some friends that we should cover the weep holes with wire mesh, to prevent bugs and other things from going inside. Is that a good idea? Please advise.

Sorry thought this was for windows... Brick weep holes are different.  Wire mesh will keep out rodents and small animals.  Won't keep out bugs - your drywall does that.  I would try steel wool.


How do I stain/paint Ikea birch Wardrobe pieces ebony? I don't like the Birch color much but I got a couple of those to use but would rather have the darker color. How do I go about making this change without ruining the wardrobe or the pieces please?

If you're feeling adventurous you could try spraying on a tinted top coat, that way you could achieve the ebony(ish) color and preserve the grain pattern. Its a tricky technique and it must be sprayed but it can be done.

There are a few variations but in general you add 10-20% dye stain to a finish like urethane or lacquer and spray on enough coats to get the color saturation you're after. Prep the surface as described by Steven and then apply an un-tinted clear sealer coat (my personal preference is Zinser's shellac based sealer). Sand with 280 and then add two coats of your tinted top coat, spraying in different directions (left to right then up to down). If it requires more coats, sand with 320-400 and continue on, sanding every few coats. If you have to let it sit for an extended period between coats (more than a day) be sure to sand to promote adhesion.


Is Firewall required in North Florida 2005 single story home? Is Firewall required?
 Home inspector; Inspecting a single story 2005 home in Northern Florida.  Garage panel attic access. I noticed the lack of firewall separating the garage from living space.
Note: Garage not insulated and attic cooler than outside temperature.
Thermal imaging read several degrees cooler than outside. "Attic felt cool"

Is Firewall required? and how would AC be leaking into attic?

The only requirement for a firewall that I am aware of, between the garage and living space was a layer of 5/8" fire code sheetrock over the whole wall that separates the garage from the living space. If there is a living space above the garage, then the ceiling needed it too. Although I think the latter statement is state specific. I believe in WA state it is not needed on the ceiling, at least in a new home I was working on, but in Maryland it was required.

The door into the garage from the house needed to be rated to withstand a 20 minute fire exposure.


Wet vs dry timber for outside use I've been googling this for a while and cannot come to a conclusion. Take for example a pergola. Beams and rafters are outside, but under a roof. How would dry and wet timber behave in regard to twisting etc?
I read that dry wood is more stable, but if built with dry timber,would it not become wet from the humidity outside and expand, thus cracking?
Than we have winter and summer, would not both types, dry and wet, become dry and wet in a corresponding season?
Am I missing something? This is about pressure treated wood. I feel like weather will turn timber into dry/wet in summer/winter regardless of what timber is used. I want to build a carpot and trying to understand what type of timber to get and why.
P.S. what I understood from responses is that dry and wet labels talk about moisture all the way to the center of the timber. And when Dry timber gets wet, it is still Dry timber because moisture hasn't penetrated all the way to the center.

I think you're being confused by the terms wet and dry. These terms are usually used to describe the condition of wood after it's cut from a tree or pressure treated, not the climate changes of the season. In your case the wood you'll be using will be pressure treated. The P.T. wood you get in home stores has been recently pressure treated and needs to dry out before it will be stable to use. Otherwise, it will warp, twist and split and ruin your project. As Harper indicated, it takes months to dry out. Once they do dry out, you can stain/ seal them and build your project and the climate changes will have little effect on them.
When I built my deck I had 25 - 5/4" x 6" x 14' planks that had just been pressure treated and were very wet. I laid them out in position on my deck joists for 6 months before screwing them down. I flipped them over often. By the time I was ready to screw them down, I needed three additional planks to make up for the shrinkage due to the drying.
One final note. You can buy wood that has been kiln dried so you don't have to dry it yourself. You just have to find a dealer in your area and be prepared for sticker shock because it's expensive.


Replacing a flanged copper pipe? We were changing our bypass filter the other day, when the filter housing got stuck. Applied too much force without holding the surrounding plumbing, and bent the pipe that the filter is connected to. Woopsies.

The issue is, the pipe that's bent appears to be flanged at the bottom. See image below.

Is the removal process for this pipe going to be the same as any standard sweated joint?

If not, what do I do to remove this pipe?

That copper tubing has been brazed with silfos or a similar type of solder. separating that joint will take a lot of heat. The standard soldering torch will not get hot enough to melt this product. You will need a "turbo torch" or an oxyacetylene torch to unsolder this fitting. If you are not versed in this type of equipment you better call a plumber. However if the copper is only kinked on the side shown you may not need to replace the kinked piece unless it is leaking. It probably is not restricted enough to reduce the water flow by very much.


Adapt a 3prong dryer outlet for other use First post here, I have a practical understanding of basic electronics, but my problem is way out of my depths.

I come from the UK, just moved to Ecuador, and with me I brought a coffee machine (220-240v, 50/60Hz). Knowing it’s possible to have 240v installed in houses over here, we figured it was a good idea. That’s for the future...

Currently staying on my wife’s mother’s house whilst we house hunt. Discovered a 3-prong 250v dryer outlet in the kitchen, so decided to try and make coffee machine work here...

The UK plug is standard type G (earth/ground, neutral and live). Is there any way of fashioning some form of rewiring solution without getting into changing the mains wiring, to make this work?

I’m aware that the three prongs carry two hot wires, and the UK plug only one - any way around this? Similarly, the three prong doesn’t have a dedicated ground, but the coffee machine requires it. Any way around that?

Thanks in advance for help/advice!

The best way to do this is with a step-up transformer (like this one) that is rated to handle the amps your coffee pot needs (most convertors will not handle that much amperage so be sure to double-check).

You can't really adapt a dryer plug to Type G because they get to 240v by using two phases (120v x 2 prongs) and Type G uses a single 240v. Also, UK us 50Hz and Ecuador/US is 60Hz.


How can I acquire or create a replacement latch for my service panel? (I apologize if this seems like a shopping question - but I am out of ideas right now)

The black plastic, flat handle of the door to my domestic electrical box snapped off and I stupidly threw it away instead of keeping it and trying to glue it back together.

Based on the make and model of the panel I have been searching on the internet and the only matching latches I can find are large brass, keyed locks suitable for a more commercial setting.  I asked my electrician and he couldn't come up with one either (including from stuff he had lying around).

What can I do to to provide a latch for this electrical box, that would satisfy electrical code?

My solution was a small piece of stick on velcro that secured the door when it was closed, and then released the door with a small tug.  As it was placed on the inside of the door it was not noticeable when the door was closed, and it was also thin enough that the door looked properly closed.


Why would my clothes drying machine's switch keep on getting fried? Around a year ago, my parents got a new drying machine installed. The dryer didn't come with any cables, and the when my parents called the company, they told them that it was the customer's responsibility to supply wiring and connect the machine. I thought that was crazy, but my parents got an electrician to set up the machine.

Over the year, the machine's electric switch got fried over 5 times. Every couple of months, either the switch shorts, or the cables melt in the switch, and just yesterday, I woke up to find that the wall outlet's hot and neutral wire have turned into charcoal, even though the switch is perfectly fine.

We've tried a lot of switches, we changed the cables, we switched electricians, but nothing is working. What the hell is going on?

The dryer's hot and neutral wires are connected to the wall's through the switch. The dryer is rated at 25 amps. The tripper is rated at 30 amps. We have tried switches from 30 up to 45 amps. Nothing seems to work.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

In the first place, having two pieces of equipment (the dryer and the aircon) that both need quite a bit of power, both on the same circuit is probably not a good idea. You have already noticed there is interference between them. So the first step would be to get one or the other onto a second circuit. I don't know how electrical codes are in your country (which you haven't specified - it may be significant due to different voltage levels), but in most of Europe we tend to put:

lighting on one phase
the kitchen plaque (a high power consumer) on a second phase
power outlets on a third phase.

The name of the game is to spread consumption equally across all three AC phases.

In the second place, you say the dryer is rated at 25A. It would be nice to verify that it is really drawing that much current but no more, for example with a clamp ammeter (e.g.: http://en-us.fluke.com/products/clamp-meters/ ). Perhaps somebody in the trade could lend you one.

If it really draws that much current (or almost as much), this is indeed a piece of equipment with a high power requirement, that I feel should go on its own circuit all by itself.

Additional note: there are two kinds of electrical "tripper". One is the classical circuit breaker, that breaks the circuit when excessive current draw takes place. This is what happens when you have a short-circuit within the apparatus.

The second type is a differential breaker, that actuates when a large difference in current takes places between the phase and neutral wires. The idea is that the difference in current must be going somewhere - possibly directly to the machine chassis and then to earth. This is quite dangerous for the human operator, since if he/she has wet hands and a good connexion to earth, the excess current could very well short to earth through the operator.

It is standard practice (at least in Europe) for several circuit breakers to be protected by a single differential breaker. If any of the circuits develop a short to earth, the differential will trip leaving all circuits open.

The OP would need to have the dryer checked, that it has no internal short circuits. This can be done by connecting the apparatus to another circuit.

He should further check it has been correctly wired to AC. Swapping the neutral wire with the earth is a relatively easy mistake to make if non-standard color wires have been used. Hint: the earth wire and connexion should be green/yellow and have a slightly larger section than neutral and live.

HTH


Would two 70 pint dehumidifiers work as well as one 140 pint unit? If so why are dehumidifiers above 70 pt so much more expensive? pros cons? Having two 70 pt in same room vs 1 140 pt?

You crossed the line into industrial

I immediately noticed that a search for 70 pint dehumidifiers yielded the usual consumer tier listings... Target Walmart CostCo Home Depot etc. Different deal for 140pt. It gave my local heating /cooling contractor, damage response companies, and industrial suppliers.

So you have made a qualitative leap. From Yukon to Humvee.  This also affects what the customers are looking for.

The consumer product wins when you put it in your cart, what happens afterward hardly matters.   The industrial product wins then it has lowest total cost of ownership.
the consumer unit is built no tougher than it needs to be to be parked in a corner for five years. The industrial unit is designed to be dragged around to job sites every day.
the consumer unit is absolutely designed to work on lowest common denominator mains power,  probably 120V at 12A max.  The industrial unit,  all bets are off. It's assumed a lot of equipment will be in use at that job site,  and someone will be managing electrical loads.
it is also assumed that very dirty power will be on that job site, possibly from a generator,  and so the unit will be built for that, and also will have no compunction about creating dirt on the lines.
as part of the "total life cycle" mentality, the industrial unit will be repairable for considerably less than the cost of a new one. This maintenance may be required.   The consumer unit, into the trash it goes.
industrial units are often deployed with pusher fans to circulate humid air to the unit, so one unit can service a large area. It is sized for that. A consumer is unlikely to do such engineering or desire it.
the consumer unit factors for consumer sensibilities in style, efficiency and noise.   The industrial unit, nope.

These factors, rather than cost, should guide your decision.

Nothing wrong with arrays of cheap expendables;  Google won the search business using numerous cheap beige box PCs while competitors used top tier DEC and Sun systems. Google was forced to learn to adapt to constant hardware failure.


Is it worth it to replace the stock blade of a miter saw? I have heard that the stock blades that come with miter saws are "crap" and that you should replace the blade. I recently bought a normal consumer grade 10" miter saw (a Dewalt DW713) which I plan to use for cabinetry. Should I replace the blade or just go ahead and use the stock blade?

While I can't speak to the quality of all manufacturers blades, in general the blade that comes with the saw is of no lower quality than any other blade offered by the manufacturer.
Most miter saws come with a 24 tooth FTG (Flat Top Grind) blade, which is good for fast course cuts. If you're looking to chop 2x lumber, this blade will work fine for you. If you're planning to use the saw to make fine cuts, you'll want to upgrade to a blade with more teeth and a grind that reduces tear out.

More About Circular Saw Blades.
Number of teeth
In general, the more teeth a blade has, the finer the cut it will produce.  A blade with 24 teeth; for example, will remove more material with each blade than say a 40 tooth blade. because more material is removed more quickly, the quality of the cut is lower.
Grind
The grind of the blade, describes the shape of the tips of the teeth.
Flat Top (FT)
As the name describes, the tips of these teeth are flat, or straight across. These blades produce the courses cut, and often result in lots of chip out.

Alternate Top Bevel (ATB)
The teeth of these blades alternate between a right, and left handed bevels. If you look at the teeth, you'll see that one is beveled one way, while the next is beveled the opposite way. These blades produce a finer cut that FT blades, and result in less chip out.

Combination (COMB)
These blades consist of groups of teeth, where one will be FT with the rest being ATB. Typically there will be a group or 5 teeth (1 FT, 4 ATB), where each group is separated gap (gullet). These are more general use blades, and do fairly well at both ripping (cutting along the grain) and crosscutting (cutting across the grain).

Triple Chip Grind (TCG)
The teeth of these blades alternate between a FT tooth, and a double beveled tooth (bevel on left and right, with a flat top).  They are good for cutting hard materials, so are often used to cut MDF, plastics, and laminates.

High Alternate Top Bevel (HiATB)
These blades have alternating beveled teeth like an ATB blade, except that the bevel angle is much greater. An ATB tooth is typically beveled at 10-20°, a HiATB tooth will be beveled at 25-40°. These blades are good for extra fine crosscutting, and reduce chip out to a minimum.

freud blades used for example purposes only, because they show the tooth configuration on the blade. I have no affinity towards freud.


Dryer receptacle on sub-panel feeder A (built in 1987) house that we are under contract to buy has a 30-amp sub-panel in the attached garage. The sub-panel is currently populated by two 120V, 20amp circuits for receptacles in the garage. Upon inspection, I discovered that its electrical supply is as follows:

30 amp breaker at main panel, with 8/3 NM-B with ground run to a box with a NEMA 10-30R dryer receptacle in the basement (yes, I'm aware that 10-30R should be replaced with a 14-30R)
Another 8/3 NM-B with ground running from that box to the garage sub-panel

So it certainly seems that the dryer receptacle and sub-panel share the same 30-amp supply at the main panel. I know that this isn't best practice and will include it in my inspection objections, but can anyone point me to a code reference that would forbid this installation? For example, if they exist, what are the NEC sections requiring a dryer receptacle or subpanel to be on dedicated circuits?

If it goes to a subpanel, it's a feeder.

You cannot put a receptacle on a feeder.

What needs to happen is the dryer receptacle needs to be replaced with a blank junction box cover, and then a new 10/3 cable run from a dryer receptacle in a new box, to either main or sub panel, where it'll land on a 30A breaker.  This means the 10/3 cable will be alongside the 8/3 feeder, either to the main panel or to the sub.

You can use 8/3 for this dryer run if you really want to, but I don't see a reason to do that.  Dryers won't pull more than 30A (really: <24A) because every dryer manufacturer expects a 30A circuit, and sizes for it.

Once the entire 8/3 feeder is devoid of receptacles, it can be upgraded to a 40A breaker, because that's allowed on 8/3.  In practical terms, that will support the dryer and 1 receptacle circuit on each leg of power (so 2 if balanced).

One more thing.  If the subpanel came first and the dryer plug was an afterthought, it's possible this was spliced inline, and that probably means the wires in that box are way too short. You need 6" of length past the clamp, or 3" beyond the surface of the box.  In that case, move the box so one end has enough length, and re-run the other end.  Better, leave the "enough length" side as the dryer branch circuit, scrap the other end, and run a whole new feeder in 6AWG, bypassing the box entirely. 6AWG gives you 60A at the subpanel.


Proper Orientation for Plywood Subfloor under 3/4" Hardwood I recently purchased a house in New Jersey and the 2nd floor was filled with old carpet that we wanted to replace with hardwood flooring.  I ripped up the carpet only to find particle board under all of it.  I proceeded to remove all the particle board to find the 5/8" (19/32" really) CDX Subfloor over 16" OC Joists.  We are looking at a rather expensive hardwood so I want the installation to be ideal so I'm going to add a 2nd layer of plywood underlayment over the existing subfloor.  Here are my questions:

What thickness underlayment should I use.  The top step of the stairs is currently 1" lower than the rest so 1/4" plywood is not a problem but should I put 1/4" or go to 1/2" to make sure that the floor is stable with over 1" of subflooring under the hardwood.
What type of plywood should I use CDX? BC Sanded? etc.
The house is 'L' shaped due to a renovation done in the 90's.  The front of the house (short leg of the 'L') has the joists running E-W and the back of the house (long leg of the 'L') has the joists running N-S with the subfloor running perpendicular to the joists in each leg.  At the line of the renovation the subfloor is cut and turns 90 degrees.  Because of the look we are going for we would like to run the hardwood flooring perpendicular to joists on the long leg of the house which would then run parallel to the joists in the short leg.  Should I run the underlayment all in the same direction or match the subfloor and cut it at the renovation line? Is there going to be any issue at the transition point or something I can do to stiffen that line up (it's only an opening at the top of the stairs for the hallway approximately 4' long, everything else is under a wall)?
How should I attach the plywood underlayment to subfloor.  I was told by one of the hardwood installers to glue and screw (or ring shank nail would be allowable) to the joists.  Or I've read that I should not attach the underlayment to the joists and avoid them and attach underlayment to the subfloor using staples spaced tightly (Every 6") around the perimeter of each underlayment sheet and scattered around field?

Any help is appreciated as I want to get this right the first time.  Please let me know if you need any other information.

Your current plywood is suitable for hardwood installation.  I do not ever like to use 1/4 subfloor as it is brittle and when screwed sometimes doesn't lay flat.  If I added to your subfloor I would at least put in 1/2 inch but like I said you don't need it with 16" OC.  Note that a thicker sub might have benefits but at the same time you are adding weight to the joists.
Depends on area of country and moisture levels.  CDX is fine in most places.
I would not try to match the current subfloor.  I would do the opposite.
I do not ever attach additional subfloor layers to joists.  When the joists swells - and they will in 80% of the world - your sub will be pulled or pushed and then you will have a screw or nail that is working its way out and possibly squeaky floors.  The whole reason for the second layer is extra inflection levels.  By attaching to the same thing you get the same thing just thicker.