Basement egress through office I have a question that is similar, but different, than:

Can I have an office in my basement without egress?

I want to finish off my basement as such:

My question is, by putting the red walls up, am I closing off an egress for the rest of the basement?  Does it matter since there are no bedrooms down there?  What if the Office were to turn into a bedroom.  Would there be any problems since the bedroom has external access?

Yes, this allowed according to recent versions of the IRC building code. (If your state or region has a different building code you will need to look it up yourself or specify.)

To quote the code:

  R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required. Basements and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency and rescue opening. Such opening shall open directly into a public street, public alley, yard or court.

So in short it only counts as an emergency exit if it leads directly outside. It can't just be a route outside.

Since there are no bedrooms in this basement, a single exit from the basement is allowed. If you convert the "office" to a bedroom, that is also allowed, but you could not convert the "family area" into a basement without adding an additional exit. (You may wish to read the rest of that section since there are additional requirements and definitions, but that is the gist of it.)

However the short answer to any code question is always "whatever your local inspector says", since they are the ones that have the final say or not.


CAFI vs AFCI? Pigtail? I need a new AFCI circuit breaker for a new refrigerator-only circuit we're running. Square D Homeline. Don't want any GFCI outlet or breaker. I bought two breakers at home depot, but I don't know which one I need.

No labeled AFCI breakers at home depot, only CAFI. However, the back of both described them as AFCI. Are CAFI and AFCI basically the same thing or is there any meaningful difference?

One is titled "Plug-on Neutral CAFI" without a pigtail. The other is titled "Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter" with a pigtail. Package features on back label use different wordage, but actually say the same thing. The breakers themselves have different label designs. Front of packages are similar design and both have labels that say "Arc Fault Protection". They cost the same $42.94 and are same size. Which one do I want and why?

EDIT: Forgot to mention both claim to cover parallel and series faults.

So much has happened in this area recently. AFCI stands for Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter, CAFI stands for Combination Arc Fault Interrupter. There are 2 types of arc faults:  1) Series (loose connection) and 2) Parallel (like a short, but not drawing enough current to trip a normal breaker.  You can't use a PON (plug on neutral) breaker unless you have a PON panel, which are fairly new. Most arc fault breakers these days handle both.  THere are also dual function breakers (DUFIES!) that handle both types of arc faults, ground faults and over-current protection. Since you said you didn't want ground fault protection, you don't want a dufie breaker.  Depending upon the location of the fridge, and which NEC code is in effect where you live, that may not be code legal, if that matters to you. 2020 NEC code requires practically everything to be GFCI protected.
So having said all that, unless you have a PON panel, you need the breaker with the pigtail.   I'm going to get snipped and yelled at  by all the legalistic people here for this, but if this isn't going to be inspected, for a dedicated Fridge circuit I'd just use a regular breaker. I think it's still code legal to swap a AFCI/GFCI breaker for a regular breaker if you get nuisance trips.   Let the hate me begin.


Prototype: 12 DC car battery to power standard 120 VAC hand tools Objective:  Today I power my tools (drill, circular-saw, reciprocal saw etc.) in my shed by running a power line from my house.  I wish to install solar power panels on my shed; however, before I do so, I wish to make sure everything is theoretically and practically correct.
Prototype: My thoughts and calculation:

A circular saw needs the most power compared to other tools (~13 amps); hence I used it for my baseline worst-case scenario. i.e. the circular saw needs 13 amps * 120 volts = 1,560 watts
With a 12v DC battery, 1560 watts would imply that I would need 130 amps
A normal car battery at full charge stores about 48 amp-hours
This implies that a fully charged car battery would run my circular-saw for about 48 amp-hours / 130 amps = 0.36 hours = 0.36 * 60 ~ 22 minutes
I plan on converting the 12v DC to 120-volt AC using a standard OTS inverter (~$20)

Questions:

Is my (sizing) calculation correct?
Is my prototype’s design reasonable?
Any suggestions?

I think your math all checks out and you have good command of the concepts here.
You need a few more concepts though.
Lead-acid batteries are bizarre. While they are cheap, they do not work the way they obviously ought to work.  The #1 thing they don't do is deep-discharge well.  If you run a lead-acid battery from 90% to 10%, you will get three to 100 of these full cycles before the battery loses capacity dramatically and is kaput.
People who depend on lead-acid batteries for deep-cycling find they can only use the top 30% of capacity on a regular basis or they will get very short life out of their battery.
Further, the type of battery matters a great deal. Car starting batteries are made for delivering a big one-shot impulse, but do particularly badly in deep-cycling.  Deep-cycle batteries do well with deep cycling, but have too much internal resistance to start an engine in adverse conditions.
They are a big pain in the butt, but you like the price.
If you want a battery that actually behaves like it says on the tin, then look at lithium (which has different kinds of feisty) - or the perfect large battery is nickel-cadmium or nickel-iron.  I have a set of NiCds that came to us as scrap in 1986, and they're still going.  Nickel-iron is impervious to almost any operational abuse, and last 40 years, but have quite high internal resistance so are not good at starting engines.


Inserting probe into pressurized water pipe I need to insert a temperature probe into my pool piping. I am on the pressure side of the filter, so around 10-20 psi typically. My initial idea was to use a screw in plug in the existing 1/2" NPT side inlet tee, drill a hole and epoxy the probe in place. Assuming that worked, it would make it difficult to replace or inspect the probe. Also, the probe is 5mm diameter teflon, so gluing is challenging, requiring specialty adhesives that have no data about full-time submersion or resistance to swimming pool chemistry.
I know sticking probes into pipes is a pretty common requirement, so there must be existing solutions, but I don't know the name of the correct fitting. The closest thing I can find is a cable gland with NPT threads, and while I can find them rated IP68 (dustproof and waterproof to 3+ m) and 10 bar (145psi), I don't know if this is their intended use, i.e. permanent submersion and preventing water intrusion from what would normally be the "dry" side (the inside of an electrical enclosure). I'm fairly certain this would probably work, but I'd rather have a bit more confidence, and, if possible, use the correct fitting for the job.
My electrics are all in a NEMA rated outdoor enclosure with proper waterproof glands located several feet above the temperature probe, so I'm not concerned from that aspect. I just don't want a slow leak that gradually drains the pool.

The usual way is to use a T with the middle outlet being vertical:

With a proper fitting, you screw this hollow adapter in. Ecnerwal says in a comment it is called a "thermowell".

Fill this with mineral oil and dip your temperature probe in.
The oil transmits temperature, but the probe is not submerged in water, nor under pressure, so it can be inspected and changed.


deck mud vs concrete for shower base I mix and pour a lot of concrete, your standard 3-2-1 (agg-sand-portland), and was wondering why a 5-1 deck mud mix (sand-portland) is preferable over a straight up stiff concrete mix, which to me should prove stronger?

I ask because I will have (2) shower bases to pour in the next year or so and my inclination is to simply whip up a batch of stiff concrete and pour that for the sloped shower base, unless there is a compelling reason to use a deck mud mix instead?

I'm no mason and have only done basic tile jobs (no shower bases), but here are my suggestions:

Weight: Dry pack is very porous and wouldn't add the 200 lbs. or more to a floor that concrete would. It's also easier to move and carry for the same reason.
Workability: Few have your finishing skills, and dry-pack is more forgiving and easier to shape. A person can plop a level on it to check slope and plane without getting all gooey, too.
Permanence: Dry pack, being porous, is fairly brittle. It could be trimmed or shaved or completely redone with much less sweat than concrete.


Best Concrete for Pet Headstone I spend a lot of times on other areas of stackexchange, but this looked to be the best place to ask the following question. Feel free to let me know if it isn't.

I'm going to layout exactly what I'm trying to do, though I'll be asking my questions in multiple parts. I just wanted you guys to have all the pertinent information when considering your answer.

I'm trying to make a pet gravesite marker out of concrete. Here is what it will roughly look like.

It'll be about 2' long. It's going to be located in the mountains. Elevation is 4070', record low temps were -24deg, avg lowest yearly temp is 18deg. Lots of rain and tons of snow. Average highs are in the low 90's.

I'm going to need to make it to last. I work at a metal shop, so I plan to cut metal inserts, such as: a silhouette, name, birth/death date, and maybe a decorative border. I plan to stain it black so that it matches the horse's show colors of black and silver. I also wouldn't mind some light flakes of some kind to make the black pop a little. I haven't worked that out yet.

I'll build a form with the face open and level. I'll pour in the concrete and then set the inserts into the face while it cures. I'll use a hand sander and stick to vibrate the form and remove air bubbles and inclusions. I'll sand the face and metal inserts flush to accommodate any shrinking that occurred and make sure the face is perfectly flush. I'll buff the metal till it's bright and scratch free. After curing, I'll see if the inserts are easily removable. If they are, I'll remove them before staining. Lastly, I'll seal it against tarnish and the elements.

I should end up with a headstone shaped approximately like the one pictured and it'll be black (possibly with small metallic flakes) with silver looking inserts.

My first question on the project is what combination of concrete, stain, and sealant will handle the weather conditions I mentioned above. I had planned to use Portland cement from home depot. I heard it was extremely hard and durable. I found another page where they were making headstones for the graves of American pioneers and they said to use morter mix. I'm not well versed in concrete and don't know if the two are mutually exclusive.

I do know that Portland cement doesn't set up to a light color and I don't think the black stain will look good if I'm not applying it to a lighter color. Again, I'll also have to seal it against all that nasty weather.

So what do you guys recommend I use for this project. I figured I'd use Portland cement and add some colorant to get it to a lighter color to stain and polish it black. Then seal it with something durable. I know there are additives to concrete to make it more elastic or something, but I really don't know what they are or what they do. Thanks for helping me out here. Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

You're a metal worker? How about stainless?

This DiY Headstone suggests high strength mortar mix.

You should use colorant to achieve your final color instead of attempting to stain it afterwards, which would only be skin deep.

However, this is why you use granite:

I'd suggest Uba Tuba for its flakes:

Truly though, what I'd recommend, is having a real stone cut for you. They're not as expensive as I would've thought. Even a somewhat fancy one should be under a grand. But it doesn't really matter what we think... what does The Boss want?

This:

Or this:

Food for thought, regarding the fact that you're a metalsmith, if your only tool is a hammer...

If it needs to last, then it needs to be made out of granite.


Which of my water heater's thermostats is broken? I've got a dual-element, dual-thermostat electric water heater.  One of the thermostats is stuck in the "on" position: it heats the water until the high limit switch trips and cuts off all power.  How do I figure out which thermostat is the problem, or should I just replace both?

If it matters, the heater is a Kenmore 153.329460 with the lower element converted for 5500W operation.  The power supply is 240-volt split-phase (so, no neutral wire; both incoming wires are hot).

The typical dual-element, dual-thermostat water heater in the United States is a "non-simultaneous" design: first the upper element heats the top of the tank to the set temperature, then the upper thermostat switches power to the lower thermostat, which uses the lower element to heat the rest of the tank.  There's never more than one element active at a time.

The picture on the left is the upper thermostat for a typical water heater; the schematic on the right shows both the upper and lower thermostats.  The switches are in the positions you'd find them on a hot tank with both thermostats working.  Note that point "T6" in the schematic is on the right and T7 is on the left, while on most actual thermostats, it's the other way around.  T6 is the terminal with a single wire connected to the upper element, while T4 connects to both elements and T7 connects to the lower thermostat.

Testing with a multimeter

If you've got a multimeter, it's easy; you don't need to disconnect any wires or anything.  Let the tank heat up for a while until the water is well above the thermostat set point, then shut off power to it.  If the upper thermostat is the one that's stuck, you'll have a pretty steep temperature gradient in the tank, so let the tank sit for an hour or so.

You may wish to switch both thermostats to their minimum setting.  This will make it more likely that the tank is hot enough that both should be switched off, but it also carries the risk of opening the stuck contact, leaving you with a questionable thermostat and no way to identify it.

Set your multimeter for the highest AC voltage range, and measure the voltage between points T1 and T2, between T1 and the tank body, and T2 and the tank body.  All three measurements should be less than one volt; if any is higher than that, power to the water heater is still live, and you should call an electrician to investigate that before you proceed with figuring out which thermostat is broken.

Now that you've verified that power is off, set your multimeter to the lowest "ohms" or "resistance" setting that will cover the 0 to 50 ohm range.  Measure the resistance between points T5 and T6 (if your upper thermostat doesn't have a terminal in the T3 or T5 position, make sure the limit switch has been reset, and measure between T1 and T6).  If you've set everything up right and the tank is above the thermostat set points, if the multimeter reads:

open circuit: Both thermostats working
less than 1 ohm: Upper or both thermostats stuck closed
20-30 ohms or so: Lower thermostat stuck closed

If the upper thermostat is stuck, you'll need to make a second measurement to see if the lower thermostat is broken as well.  Measure the resistance across the lower thermostat's terminals.  If it's less than 1 ohm, the lower thermostat is stuck closed or you didn't heat the tank up enough; if it's an open circuit, the thermostat is working.

Testing with a voltmeter

If you've got a voltmeter, you can determine which thermostat is broken, but it involves working with live wires.

Heat the tank as described in the "multimeter" section, but after letting the tank sit, turn the power back on.  Set your voltmeter to the highest AC voltage range.  Measure the voltage across the terminals of the lower thermostat, across T5 and T6, and across T5 and T7.  These measurements should be near either 0V or line voltage:

Lower thermostat: line voltage, T5-T6: line voltage, T5-T7: 0V: Both thermostats working
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: 0V, T5-T7: 0V: Upper thermostat stuck closed.
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: line voltage, T5-T7: 0V: Lower thermostat stuck closed.
Lower thermostat: 0V, T5-T6: 0V, T5-T7: line voltage: Both thermostats stuck closed.

Testing with a non-contact voltage tester

If all you've got is a non-contact voltage tester, things are harder: the results are less clear-cut, and it requires working around live wires.

Heat the tank as described in the "multimeter" section, but after letting the tank sit, turn the power back on.  Check the wire connecting the upper and lower thermostats (the "runner") with the NCV.  If it doesn't show a voltage, the upper thermostat is stuck.  If it does, proceed with the next step.

Shut off power to the water heater, disconnect the runner from the upper thermostat, cover the exposed end with something insulating (a wire nut or electrical tape), and turn power back on.  Check the runner again with the NCV.  If it doesn't show a voltage, both thermostats are working.  If it does, then the lower thermostat is stuck (or the NCV is picking up induced voltage -- I said this was less clear-cut than using a multimeter).


Getting at water heater anode AO Smith ECT40-200 I found this spec sheet for my water heater which shows where the anode is.  However I'm not so sure which of two ports is the anode.  Here's a picture.

In the spec sheet diagram it seems the anode is at the green circle but that's the PRV so what gives?

I know I shouldn't ask what this is but I'll include it in case it relates to the main question.

The anode rod was under the hot water pipe.  Getting the water heater nipple off was tough (to say the least) I bought some black pipe and a 90.  I drilled a hole through the nipple and the 90 and put a thick (forgot what size) bolt through and used the pipe as a really long breaker bar.  (You're going to need new bits for this. I wasted an absurd amount of time drilling with old ass bits making literally no progress before I bought some new bits which cut through like butter) With that setup I got it about an eighth of a turn which was enough to switch to a pipe wrench and channel locks.  I put the new anode rod where the t&p valve was and put the t&p valve on the front.


Why do my dimmer switches keep burning out? I have a Lutron Maestro MACL-153MH (600W incandescent/halogen) controlling 5 x H1499ICAT (low-voltage, MR-16, 50W each) in my vacation house. So, that's a total of 250W. It burned out one day, so I replaced it. After I replaced it, I noticed that 2 of the light were out and replacing the bulbs didn't help, so I figured that the housing burned out. The remaining 3 were working though. Next time I got to the house (and I actually had some time to order and replace the housings) the dimmer was burned out again, so I replaced it to see how many lights were still working, but as soon as I reset the breaker after the new dimmer was installed I heard a click coming from the dimmer and a burning smell... So, the another dimmer is gone...

Any ideas what might be wrong and what to check? Is it possible that those 2 burned out housings cause that?

The problem is 'low voltage' lights on an incandescent/halogen dimmer.

Here is information on dimmer types, and will help you find the right one

http://www.lutron.com/en-US/Education-Training/Pages/LCE/DimmingBasics.aspx


How to remove or seal fan hole The hole I am talking about is 25cm x 25cm
Unfortunately I found out that this is a glass window(painted) so I cant just cut it.
My idea for quick fix is to try and cut the fan  metals with grinder. Then I could stick some wood there. The problem is that from outside in second photo It doesnt seem easy to reach. because the roof is 5mm glass and shattered. I honestly don't know how they put AC unit there.
Any ideas how to fill this hole ?

If you have easy-ish access to the outside, I'd clean as much of the detritus away, patch the hole with plexiglass (perspex) and copious amounts of silicone caulk. Then install a triangular chunk of exterior plywood (painted both sides and all edges). Flash and caulk as much as possible. Attach as possible through the window frame.

On the interior, more plexiglass and caulk to seal the interior side. Then a skin of painted (both sides, all edges) exterior plywood (preferably with a smooth face) all the way across the window. Attach as possible to the window frame. Attach a bit of molding at the bottom if there's a gap you dislike. Caulk the heck out of it in an attempt to keep moisture from passing through.

For what it's worth, vent fans like this have a reason for existing. Everything above could be tweaked to allow for the install of a new unit. (Just remember where the hole was.)


Sound proofing wall in living room I live in the top floor of a wood frame condo with high ceiling. Lately, my downstairs neighbor has been playing loud music with bass in their living room and I can hear the music and feel the bass on the floor. How can I sound proof the room? It is the wall right behind the TV area. Can I hang a rug or curtain on the wall and it will decrease the noise?

Update: will hanging sound panels on the wall work? How about adding brick veneer? With the strata bylaws, I can't alter the wall as it is a part of the building structure but I can decorate it.

For base you need lots of solid materials like extra layers of drywall and sound breaks. Carpets and insulation won’t cut it. Softer materials have a little effect on higher frequencies. I built a sound studio with a lot of thought and planning going into sound bleeding into other rooms. We were able to reduce the base but not eliminate it. For a home, there is not much you can do.


How to fix this dent/crack/chip at the edge of the door of laminated wardrobe? I  accidentally caused a chip/crack in my student accommodations wardrobe which I would like to repair rather than paying my accommodation for the whole wardrobe.
I would like to fix it.
Can anyone   suggest how this can be repaired? (painted/sprayed/self adhesive paper of similar color?)
I have attached the picture of the damage.

Added Photos

This will be difficult to hide because it's directly in front. Also getting an exact match on the paint may be hard too.
The repair should start by sanding the rough edges around the damage. Start with a 120 grit sandpaper and than change to 180 grit. Sand only the lip of the original finish. Start with light pressure until your sure the finish will not continue peeling off.
Once the edge is smooth it can be filled. There's many products for the patching. The most likely to endure for a long while is auto body filler (Bondo). Apply the filler and over fill slightly.
It should be ready in a few minutes. Wear a breathing mask for the next step. Using the 180 grit paper sand the filler in a circular motion, checking often that the repair is flush with the original finish. Use your fingers to check.
Wipe any dust off the surface. Apply a similar type paint and color. You will have to bring a chip from the dresser to the paint store so they can match the color.


How do I cover up small holes in plaster ceiling? I accidentally punched these on the ceiling while moving stuff around. They're around half a centimeter in diameter, and the ceiling seems to be plaster.

How can I mask/cover these up the most subtly?

Half a centimeter? In that case, spackle, sand, and paint. They make color changing spackle (pink to white) so you know when it's dry. Apply with a flat edge (e.g. a putty knife). Don't oversand, just enough to knock any rough edges off. And since the paint has an orange peel look, use a small roller for the touch-up.


Painting a basement fuel oil tank I have an old 275 gallon fuel oil tank in my basement.  It is showing some signs of rust.

Am thinking that a new coat of paint would be a protective measure.

What kind of paint/primer should I use?  I read something about Galvanized Metal etching paint.  Is this required?  I'm not sure if the tank is galvanized, and even if it is would it be needed with the coat that is already on...

There is one coat of paint on it already which I believe is just wall paint.

I have used a bit of steel wool on it already.  I concerned now that the wall paint did more harm than good.  Do I need to completely remove it?

It's possible to measure the thickness of metal with ultrasound.  Since water is heavier than oil, but has water vapor, you only need to check the bottom and top of the tank.

Yes, the wall paint is useless and in the way of proper paint prep.   Despite what certain TV ads say, you can't really paint over rust.

The ideal coating is media blast to near white metal, then MIL-PRF-26915 primer, epoxy primer which can accommodate a variety of topcoats, then a 2-part LPU coating.  We can whittle that down to something achievable.

I have had very good luck with the following:

Create very dry conditions, long enough to thoroughly remove moisture from rusty areas, i.e. Park a dehumidifier there for a couple of days.
Wire brush, sand etc. down as clean as possible.  Any paint stripper should easily take the latex paint off.
2-cloth wipedown with common paint thinner to remove contaminants
Rustoleum rusty metal primer - though cheap, it performs surprisingly well over that last little bit of rust you can't get off without blasting. Stir the can very thoroughly, the sediments at the bottom are your friend.
couple days to dry; quick swiff-sand with a scotchbrite pad to remove gloss
rustoleum is not a final topcoat. Overcoat with ideally a decent 2-part epoxy primer or paint.

If you don't use a 2-part epoxy, then finish it up with an alkyd (oil) topcoat.

If you do use a 2-part epoxy primer, you're done if the tank is shielded from the sun.  UV light from sunlight will wreck epoxy.  So you'll need to swiff-sand again and topcoat with, well, you can topcoat epoxy with pretty much anything, even that wall paint.   Maintain the topcoat, don't let the epoxy primer be exposed to UV.


Gas hob without burner cover Rather than having the gas spread out by the burner cover like this:

I would like to have one central flame. Can I do this by removing both the burner cover and the burner itself leaving this:

Firstly, would this even burn as there isn't an air inlet like the burner has. Secondly is it safe?

The reason for doing this is because I have a small radius coffee maker:

The burner and gas orifice are configured to give a proper air-fuel mixture so the appliance can safely be used to burn the gas completely into carbon dioxide and water.

With the burner removed, you won't even have the equivalent of a good propane torch or lab Etna and with an improper air-fuel mixture, soot and carbon monoxide can be part of the resultant combustion output.

Your main problem is that you're trying to use a camp stove/hiking coffee maker on a kitchen range.

This device is sized for use with alcohol stoves, butane burners, their propane canister kin or propane camp stoves which all have a small burner diameter.

The best bet would be a sort of conical chimney that sits over the kitchen range burner on top of the grate and funnels the heat up to a smaller grate that your coffee maker sits on. If you look through the various online camping forums, you might find someone already makes these.


How to correct burying cement board into shower pan concrete? I made the big mistake of burying my cement board (Hardiebacker) into the concrete of my shower pan.  I now understand the risks with water wicking up into my concrete boards, and causing a moisture/mold issue in the walls.  I don't have an issue yet, but my shower pan is done/tiled and grouted and I need to fix it.  The big issue is behind the hardiebacker, I have no moisture barrier, I thought waterproofing the walls with "redguard" would be enough.

Is there a way to correct for this, shy of tearing the entire pan out?  I was thinking I could chip away the concrete around the edges of the shower and do something with the exposed board line cutting it or sealing it, or just re-adding concrete with a barrier I'd eventually remove to keep it from touching.  Cutting seems risky, as I don't want to damage the liner, and sealing seems like something that isn't going to stand the test of time.  What else are my options here?

You can read my past answers that go into pretty big detail on how I do showers - and I have done a lot but there are no hard rules in creating a working/functional non-molding shower.  Yes there are guidelines but they are written in an in-general way and do not factor in materials being used.

Number one you used hardieboard. It is my preferred choice for bathrooms (durarock preferred in most other areas) because in all of my tests, I have not seen hardie fiber "leak".   Meaning you can pour a cup of water on top of a board and it will not go through the board.   Will it wick over time... I don't know but it would be minimal.

I really wanted to test this last time I did a shower in my house but I was just too lazy but I wanted to see if JUST a hardieboard shower would work.  I was going to tape, fill, redgard the seams..     I 100% believe that the shower would function and not leak.   (yes I know over time it is likely for a hole to develop)

Here is the deal, you regarded the outside.   That is your moisture barrier plus using an almost-waterproof product.   The barrier behind is serving no purpose at all.   If anything it is channeling an issue to one area to make it a bigger issue in that area.   The fallacy here is that this would funnel back to the pan, but the pan having a gap in my opinion is way way way more of a probable future problem then water wicking past a regarded hardieboard.

Your concern is the shower pan.   The moisture issue of burying the hardie is the water wicking up behind it from the concrete pan.   Basically I would do a shower almost exactly like you did with a gap between pan and hardie - pan extending a little behind.  In my opinion I would do nothing.   Although not a perfect install it seems like a good one.   I would much rather take my chances with your current install vs. start mucking around and cause more issues.   The fact is showers function pretty well on drywall/tile and a good pan/tub.

It is the upkeep on the outside that diverts most of the issues.    You have already gave your first line a really good backup redgarded, backed it up again with hardie and now you are worried about your back-ups, back-ups, back-up with some plastic.   Leave your shower alone.   If it has an issue in the future it is going include removing the pan and that is just silly to do at this point.


Superglues for higher heat applications? I am currently building a specialized computer. One of the parts I ordered includes a clip to hold it to another part (there's no real tension, it's just a clip).  Since there is almost no tension on the clip, a little super glue I think should be fine to repair it.

I am trying to find out if there are any super-glues (non-epoxy) which can be used for higher heat applications? According to the loctite website, it's good to about 82 degrees celsius. The same for gorilla glue.

In a perfect world, my operating temperature will never exceed 65 degrees celsius, but that's a sunny day scenario. If some fans die, it could easily skyrocket from 80-90 degrees celsius before the system locks up from overheating. I need to make sure that the clip doesn't come apart as a result of that heat since it could damage other components if it came loose.

You are either going to use glue which has melting points - I can't believe that there are no glues that can't handle computer heat - or caulk/silicone which may handle heat better but has some elasticity to it so it may move or have issues too.

Really best options are epoxy or weld it.  If you don't want either of those than you have to choose the one of the two above that you can live with.


Bevel a 2x6 long ways apologies if this question is answered.
I need to make a bevel plate (of 10 degrees) to support wooden I-joists on a single slope (shed) roof assembly. I'm working with 2x6s, and I'd really like to cut the ten degree bevel across the 5.5'' dimension of the board, but I am really struggling to figure out how to do it.
Just to be clear, I need to rip these 2x6 long ways, with a 10 degree bevel going the width of the board to support a wooden I-joist at 10 degree angle.
I thought I could cut the boards on both sides with a circular saw, but unless I have a monster (8'' + inches) circular saw they blade is too short for the cut to meet in the middle.
Any ideas?

I voted to close this since it's really a construction question and belongs in the DIY site, but the best way to do this is going to be shimming up one side and running the board through a planer.
Basically you'll draw your angle on the endgrain, get a piece of MDF wider and longer than your work piece, then use framing shims to get your line parallel to the sheet of MDF.  Tack/screw the shims in place and then tack stops on all the sides of the board to keep it from moving on the MDF.  Make sure none of your brad nails/screws will contact the planer blades (or poke through the MDF to hit the planer bed).  Then run it through till you hit your line.


How can I override a motion detector light? I am going to be installing one or two motion detector lights to cover my backyard. I would like the ability to "override" the motion detector. What I mean by this is that I would like to be able to flip a switch that turns and keeps the lights turned on regardless of if there is motion or not. When the light switch gets turned off I would like the operation of the motion detector to return to normal.

I first thought about just "jumping" the motion detector with the switch, but I am concerned if the motion detector would be able to handle live power on both sides of its relay when the relay is turned off.

So my questions are, is it safe to do this "jumping" method? If not are there any methods to do this or any common practices for this type of feature?

Most motion detectors have a built-in override:

Normally the switch is kept on all the time. The motion detector monitors ambient light (daylight) and then activates when it's dark enough, and motion is detected.
If you turn the switch off and on within a second or so, the light will stay on, and this overrides motion detection.
To go back to normal operation, turn the switch off and wait ~10 seconds, then turn back on.
I believe most will also go back to normal operations after some hours, or after the sun comes up again

It is possible that you'll damage the electronics by overriding the detector.

The safe way to do this would be to use a relay.


Mounting Framless Shower Door To Fibergalss Shower Insert I purchased online a 3/8" glass frameless swing door with panel for my fiberglass shower insert.  I am struggling with hanging the door. I put the molly anchors (plastic looks like they were designed for tile) in the holes I drilled and they just dropped into the insert since they had no lip. There are two door hinges with four 2" screws each.  There is a stud, but it is is approx 2 1/4" in.  Any recommendations for mounting the hinges?  Read some folks say not to install into the studs since it could pull the fiberglass in, others say it could not be done, and others mention SNAPTOGGLE Toggle Bolts. Would prefer to find anchors that I can use with the nickel plated screws. The company I orderd from ensured me before I bought that I could install their framless door in fiberglass, and when asked today said I could just use the molly anchors they sent.

You need to install it with screws into the studs. You will need to find longer screws than those supplied, preferably stainless steel. You may have to go to a marine supply store. When fastening you will need to take care not to over drive the screws, which could distort or even crack the fiberglass surround. The surround itself is not substantial enough to use with anchors for supporting the door.


How do I install an old work junction box around fire blocking? I have an interior wall with a one-gang light switch; it contains a dual dimmer.  I'm trying to change this to a single dimmer, and to add a new switch (to drive the other load) on the opposite side of the wall.
Here's a sketch(-up) of what it looks like now:

Some feeling around (as much as I can) seems to show the following geometry:

In other words, the existing new-work box seems to be cut into the horizontal stud.
The other side (where I want to install a new switch) looks something like this:

So, finally, to get to my question: I want to install an old-work box about here:

Is it feasible to remove some of the horizontal stud, ideally without having to do drywall repair?  For example, I have a Sawzall; can I just use that to carve through the front part of the horizontal?  Any other tips?

A horizontal board between two studs is typically fire blocking. The idea of fire blocking is to prevent a cavity in a wall more than 8' high where fire can quickly spread. You'll see this in any room with over 8' ceilings. For it to work properly, you can't have any gaps allowing air to go from the lower cavity to the upper one. This means any gaps need to be caulked with fire rated caulk (that's typically the red or orange caulk). Why the heck someone installed this blocking and electrical box in the same place is bizarre, either one could have been moved up or down a few inches.

To work around this, you have a few options. You can cut a gap into it, and fit your old work box, but from the small opening you'll have a very difficult time cutting out the back. The result will require a load of caulk on the 2x4 that you squeeze the old work box into. And you'll need to install it a few inches to the side so there is some material continuous from side to side.

You could also fix this the right way and open the wall up, and reinstall new blocking a few inches up or down. Then you can remove the old blocking and install a new work box.

And the easiest solution is as DA01 says, install the new switch a few inches higher so it's above the blocking. I'd probably go with this solution myself, unless you feel like doing some drywall repair.


Pilot Switch as an indicator I have a Leviton 5628-2W with a pilot light that indicates when the switch is in the on position.  I use the switch to control a light that is some distance away and out of site from the switch location.  Can I wire the switch in a way that will indicate that the light is actually on and not just that the switch is in the on position?

Yes you could add a smart CT and adjust it to turn the pilot light on when current is being used, I use these to monitor equipment , if a belt or chain breaks the motor is not drawing enough so it turns on an alarm. The same process could be used with a pilot lamp type switch if it has separate contacts (not integrated) for the lamp.


When tiling a shower surround, how do you transition from backer board to greenrock? I am remodeling a bathroom and have done demo down to bare studs. I am going to tile the bath tub (with shower) up to about 6 ft, and one wall will have tile up the wall 4 ft high. I am planning on using backer board behind the tile in the bath area, and as underlayment on the floor, but I am unsure of two things:

Should I run backer board behind tile that is on a normal wall? The wall with the toilet and vanity will have tile 4 ft high, but this won't be a wet area generally. Is greenrock acceptable here?
How do I transition from backer board to greenrock? Should the tile overlap onto the greenrock in the not-wet areas? And around the shower? Or should the backer stick out past the tile and get taped and bedded like sheetrock?

Backer needs to go up at least 5 feet and extend a couple inches out a tub surround and used in all parts of a shower.  It only needs to be in the wet areas.

For tub surrounds I normally put two horizontal pieces of backer board (goes 6 feet over tub top).  Tubs are usually 5 feet in the US and backer is sold in 3x5 pieces.  I then put one piece vertically on each side (going out a few inches) plus a partial piece to meet the 6 foot back wall.  So I need to buy 5 pieces for a typical tub surround.

You meet your drywall from above and side from there.  Just a normal join.  I use mortar to fill backer to backer joins and drywall mud for back to drywall pieces.  I really really suggest tiling over your backer to drywall joins too since 1/2" backer isn't as thick as 1/2" drywall.  The tile coverage makes it easier and looks better.  You don't need to backer behind your toilet or anything like that.

Edit - I would also note that I almost always have to add 2x4s to allow me to attach the side backer boards and allow for a firm place for drywall to meet. If everything in the room is "down" then I would actually put up 2x4 after backer - so I can make sure it meets in the middle with no cut.  Cutting a 1/2 inch of backer board isn't worth the time!

Also I like a 2x4 right outside my tub external too - these are there a lot of time but not always.  Obviously I would have to put this in pre-backer install.  This is more for attaching your drywall.


What is this plastic insert inside of copper pipe? I found this plastic piece inside of a 3/4" copper pipe.  Is it a random discovery, or a leftover  from the manufacturer, or some type of water reducer?

It's a flow restrictor. They are usually installed in shower heads or other types of plumbing fixtures. It was probably left in a tool box and found it's way into the pipe or was intentionally not installed... I hated those things.


What type of tile should I install in a bath/shower surround? I am about to remodel our bathroom. Currently the tub/shower is all tiled but the backing is not secure/stable so there is cracking in the grout and I know water is getting behind. I prefer the look of tile over the plastic surrounds and we have a window in the shower that is current tiled over but I would like to expose it again.

I have not done tiling before so I am just starting my research and I am looking for some advice regarding the type of tile to use. Budget is flexible but I am not real interested in the "glamour bath look" of marble and granite as I don't think it will match the rest of the house.

What are the pros/cons of ceramic and porcelain tile? How about other alternatives (slate, etc.)? Do I need to use anything special on the flat horizontal surfaces at the window sill (that is in the shower) or any shelves I build into the shower wall?

If your tile is not secure, then the backer is not secure either. You will need to gut it to the studs and install water proof membrane, concrete board or heavy hardy-backer to tile over. The window frame must also be carefully water-proofed as well and trimmed out with a moisture resistant material. Get some professional advise on this one, a new tile job is not cheap or easy and be a shame to have a leaky, grout dropping job when you're done.

As far as the type of tile, ceramic or porcelain are similar products, difference being the hardness grade and the type of glazing. Porcelain is always a better choice in my view as the surface glaze is smoother, easier to keep clean and usually a harder grade.(3 to 7) prices can vary wildly, usually again because of the glazing and hardness factors. Designer patterns also effect the cost as well.


Rotten wood: to fill or not to fill? I removed the paint from this wood, the top ring of a raised garden.
While scraping I got to a soft part and easily removed this rotten wood, creating the hole in the pictures: it is 2x2x5"

Should I fill it completely with one of those things they sell to fill wood holes? is it too big for that? should I just fill it or first use the liquids to "harden" the wood?
should I just spray it with something and keep it as is (it is kinda artistic, so I may go with that option, as long as it will not cause it to become worse faster).

if filling it, is it better to fill it with actual wood first and the rest with the filler (instead of wasting tons of filler?)

Lastly, will I be able to stain the wood, or since it will be a mix of wood and whatever filler I use, stain will not look good and I need to paint?

should I just remove the 4 woods (all 4 sides) and install new ones (all 4 so they look the same, not 3 old and one new).

Below quoted advice is pinched from here, How to paint a wood house?

  If you encounter any damp, rotten, etc wood during the preparation stage, I highly recommend removing it. When doing so, cut 150mm (6inch) past the last sign of damage ie Get back to good, solid wood. Preferably re-patch with the same wood species.

In your particular situation (outdoors, horizontal surface) I would not recommend filling such a large hole with any kind of filler.

If you feel confident enough in your woodworking skills (or don't mind a challenge and want to learn something new), I say go with the above quoted method. If you were going to paint the wood, not stain it, I would be more likely to go with this method (paint can cover those little mistakes, where as stain is unforgiving).

That said it might just be easier (and cheaper) to remove the 4 pieces of wood completely and replace them with new timber, especially if you are going to stain the wood.


20 year old home with ceiling cracks getting worse I have a Town-home that has these ceiling cracks that seem to get worse in the past 5 years. Please see attached. Do you think we need to worry? We got it inspected by a foundation expert 2 years ago(when the opening of the crack was half the current size) and he didn't raise any alarm and said it's common to have foundation settling.
Additionally, garage door seems to be getting stuck recently(right under this crack).
Please let me know your concerns.
-thanks

While I do agree with all of the comments above. Yes, it must be addressed immediately. And yes, the foundation may very well be perfectly fine.

However, obvious increasing size and door operation changes are absolutely not normal settling.

It could be from bad framing --- Structure that was meant to sit on a stud or beam wasn't and was only held by nails.

Water Leak --- Roof or plumbing leak could have rotted wood or metal of a joist hanger.

Excessive load --- May be from remodeling that removed structure or didn't consider structure concerning the load above.

Poor support --- Maybe a shim wasn't installed under mis-measured and/or cut framing or a support post wasn't simply tightened up to what it was to support.

Other trades --- Plumber, Electrician or HVAC may have comprimised the structure in completion of their task. Very common and very overlooked.


What Hotpoint oven model is this? I need a new oven door for my  Hotpoint electric oven.

I found a supplier, but apart from the Serial Number, the company also want to know the oven model. I've searched the web but cannot find the model of my oven with the exact same control panel as in the attached picture.

I know it's a long shot, but does anyone have any ideas what model this is?

Thanks for your time.

Open the doors of the oven - the model information should be on an information plate that's usually covered by one of the doors.


It is dangerous to have a power outlet run from a light circuit? Re this answer regarding wiring a garage door power point from a light is this legal I thought it wasn't but just checking.

Edit: Legality will depend on location as mentioned in answers, I worded my question wrong the answers have shown that. What I should have asked is what are the dangers of doing this.

As ChrisF says, check your local codes on this one. The purpose of separate circuits is to ensure that you have lights when you plug in the vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, or some other high load device. If the lights don't have any outlets, and the circuit has been properly sized, the odds of them tripping and leaving you in the dark are slim.

When adding to an existing circuit, the important question is to be sure you're not overloading that circuit. You typically want high load devices on a dedicated circuit (e.g. sump pump, AC, refrigerator). For general purpose outlets, the rule of thumb is 8 outlets on a 15 amp circuit, or 10 on a 20 amp. With lighting, I think it's limited around 10-12 per circuit, but there's a big difference if you're putting low wattage fixtures (CFL/LED) vs high wattage incandescent.

The calculation for capacity of a breaker is a target max of 80% of the breaker capacity. So 15A breaker x 80% utilization = 12A target. 12A x 120V = 1440VA. The assumption is 180VA per receptacle, so 1440VA / 180VA = 8 receptacles.

Now, if you're adding a garage door opener to the circuit, and the label says 8A, then 8A x 120V = 960VA. 1440VA target on a 15A circuit - 960VA = 480VA remaining for other receptacles. 480VA remaining / 180VA per receptacle = 2.6 receptacles allowed if all you have is a 15 amp circuit, so you shouldn't branch off a circuit that already has more than two outlets. But if one of those receptacles is you running some power tools when someone opens the garage door, there's a good chance the breaker will trip anyway.


2 switches, 2 circuits, same box I realize it may have been answered but there are so many nuances I want to be sure: I have one (metal) double-gang box with one outdoor light circuit. I want to add a switch for a completely different outdoor light. The two independent circuits would co-exist in the same box. Is this legal? Should I put a warning note in the box there are two power sources (on different breakers) in the box? The obvious danger is someone switching one breaker and thinking the box is safe.

I mix multiple circuits in the same box a lot.

I would color the wires for the second circuit differently.

Use gray shrinkwrap or tape on the second circuit's neutrals.   Then use brown or blue shrinkwrap or tape on the second circuit's hots.

If the next guy is dumb enough to mix gray neutrals with white neutrals, well, you can do what you can do, but you  can't fix stupid.

I for one prefer to also use a differnt color for switched-hot (typically red), so mark the switched-hot for circuit 2 with both brown and red.


How to seal seams between wooden deck rails? A contractor apparently did not a good job on rebuilding my deck and after a couple of months caulking in between wooden moving deck railings doesn't provide any sealing from water dripping into the half-wall underneath.

What's a good way to seal those corners? Assuming those wooden railings continue shrinking and expanding.

Miter joints are almost always susceptible to expansion issues like this. It's worse when exposed to direct moisture and heat. Caulking isn't going to entirely stop that from happening--may make it worse if it clogs the joint and leads to worse separation.

Some ideas:

Fabricate a metal wrap and drip ledge for the corner, if not the whole rail.
Rebuild with a different wood that's more stable.
Rebuild out of a composite material that'll never move.
Rebuild with a different joint maybe a simple butt or lap. In either case, consider sealing the end grain with epoxy or spar varnish to inhibit moisture wicking up the grain.


How do I start/charge a Toro Electric-Start Lawnmower? We just got a Toro electric-start "Recycler"-brand lawnmower.  The instructions for charging/starting it reference a strange plastic piece that I don't understand.

Here's the piece of plastic:

Here are the instructions from the "quick start" guide:

And here are the instructions on the mower itself:

Based on the quick-start instructions, it seems I need to have the plastic piece in one orientation when charging, then to run it I need to take it out, rotate it, and replace it?  But it's not clear which orientation is which.

And based on the instructions on the mower, I'm supposed to push it in to start the mower... except it doesn't push in any further than its base-position, so that can't be right.

I'm so confused right now.  How do I use this thing?

The instructions direct the button to be put in only one way. The curved arrow does not mean to flip the button over; it means the button causes the engine to turn.

When you stop the mower it directs removal of the button and taking it away (so some unauthorized user can't start the mower just by pulling the bail and pressing the button).


No power to bathroom lights and two outlets Having an issue where my bathroom lights/fans and 2 outlets will not come on. Here is what i know so far:

No breakers are tripped
No GCFI are tripped, i reset all of them
All the breakers at the panel read 120v with respect to the neutral bar
No voltage at the outlets/lights but the neutrals have continuity with any other neutral in the home.

Unfortunately i don't know which breaker these lights are on (previous owner had no labels) and don't know of any way to find it without power on the circuit.

Any ideas?

It was an open hot after all, I purchased a wire toner and used it to follow the wires in the wall until I found a box with a faulty wire nut in it. Replaced the hot bundle firmly together and applied a new wire nut all is well.

Thanks all.


How can I remove a parking block from my garage? So, builders have this thing, for some reason, of installing cement parking blocks a few feet in front of the hot water heater in the garage. I've lived at plenty of places without those and managed to not drive through the water heater into the wall. Maybe I'm just abnormal like that.. (I did check the code [USA - Florida] and didn't see any requirements for this block)

Anyway, this thing is in the garage. The garage is an enclosed, attached garage with a door that goes into the house. This parking block is in the way of a project I'd like to do.

I shined a light down the holes in the parking block and did not see any rebar stakes. I poured water down the holes where the rebar should be but it didn't drain out from under the block, so I imagine the thing is cemented or sealed to the floor.

The floor is concrete as well. How would I go about trying to remove this thing without damaging the garage floor under it? I thought maybe a sledge hammer and a hammer drill, but I don't know if this is a good idea. Maybe a saw? Maybe the attaching material can be dealt with another way? I don't know, but I figured I'd ask..

In the installation instructions for water heaters that I could find, they all say that this "parking block" is required.

Installation, Operation, AND service Manual for Residential Storage Type Gas Water Heaters

  THIS WATER
  HEATER MUST BE LOCATED OR PROTECTED TO AVOID PHYSICAL
  DAMAGE BY VEHICLES OR FLOODING.

Installation Instructions and Use & Care Guide

  NOTE: The water heater shall be located so it is not subject
  to physical damage by moving vehicles or area flooding.

In fact, this is also mentioned in the IRC.

  International Residential Code 2012

  Chapter 13 General Mechanical System Requirements

  Section M1307 Appliance Installation

  M1307.3.1 Protection from impact. Appliances shall not be installed in a location subject to vehicle damage except where protected by approved barriers.

As well as the IPC

  International Plumbing Code 2012

  Chapter 3 General Regulations

  Section 305 Protection of Pipes and Plumbing System Components

  305.7 Protection of components of plumbing system. Components of a plumbing system installed along alleyways, driveways, parking garages or other locations exposed to damage shall be recessed into the wall or otherwise protected in an approved manner.

If it's not specifically mentioned in your local codes, most codes stipulate that the manufacturers installation instructions should be followed. So if the instructions for your heater have this; or similar text, you might be stuck with the curb.


Is it safe to harvest rainwater that fell on solar panels? I am working on creating blueprints for my new home. My plan is to have both solar panels on the roof and a rainwater catchment system that directs water from the roof into some tanks in the basement. I expect to have a filter (not sure if it will be ceramic, fiber, etc.) somewhere between the tanks and the pump that will push the water into a bladder tank before it reaches the household pipes.

I know you can have solar panels on the roof, and I know you can harvest rainwater from the roof, but is there some health risk in harvesting rainwater that has fallen on solar panels (and the racks, cables, etc.)? Do I need to worry about any chemicals being leached into the water? If so, what would be the best way to filter them out? I plan to use this rainwater for drinking and cooking.

Note: I already plan to have a filter for things like bird droppings and other biomatter. My question is specifically about substances that could leach off the solar panels or any related hardware.

If you plan to use that collected water for drinking and cooking then you will need a proper filtration / treatment system... Ingesting diluted bird-droppings is not a good idea...

So, a simple filter may not be enough, you may well need UV treatment, but you should consult the authorities for the standards in your location you are legislated to meet and consult some just for your own health and others who may drink your water...


How to bypass the ballast on this fluorescent fixture? I have some fluorescent fixtures in my basement that I would like to convert to LED, using bulbs that require a ballast bypass. However, these fixtures don't have a centrally mounted "black box" ballast like I've seen on how-to guides.
The fixture is a Cooper Lighting Model 9000.
Can I bypass the ballast on this fixture? How?

(The other end of the fixture looks basically the same, except there's no green ground wire.)

That style has electronic ballasts (as opposed to magnetic) integrated into the fixture ends and will not be easily converted (if it can be converted at all).

They are very inexpensive low-end type fixtures and are meant to be thrown away rather than repaired when something goes wrong. IMO that fixture is not worth converting, just get a whole new modern LED fixture.


Playhouse flooring options I've started a playhouse for my kids on a figure-it-out-as-I-go basis, and I finally hit the point where I'm recognizing how little I know about what I'm doing.
My specific question is what's my best option for a floor.
My first thought was to use SYP 2x6x10s, then I started worrying about how much weight that adds and thought SYP 1x6x10s, but I'm finding that those are hard to come by plus I don't really see anyone else doing that. It looks like most folks use plywood, but I need this to stand up to weather without a roof on it for a few months to a year, as we sort of build this through different iterations for different seasons of our kids lives. This first phase is going to be sort of an open air play deck with a climbing wall where they can make their own little tents and up there, on just an elevated deck surrounded with safety rails.
What I've got so far:
Pressure treated 4x4s, set in concrete 2 feet deep, three on one side and two on the other in an 8x10' perimeter, surrounded with 2x6's connected on the 10' side with half inch bolts at the corners, and on the 8' side with 3.5" 5/16 lag screws. My joists are 8' 2x4s at 17 inches on center, hung with joist hangers tapped in with 6 2.5" nails per hanger, and two 3.5" deck screws on each end. On the end with three 4x4 posts, a climbing wall to the top made of SYP 2x8x8s attached with 3.5" 5/16 lag screws.
Have I made any terrible errors so far?
What should I use for flooring?

If it is open air then i think you construct just like a deck with 2x6 deck boards so water can get through.
Either pressure treated, trex or cedar/redwood.
Your 2x4 joist appear to NOT be treated. I would use treated 2x6, unless it will not be in the elements for long.
Why 17" on center, that is an odd number?


What are the risks of improvising to use a nearby embedded metal as a local electrical ground? I'm in India where domestic supply is 250V 50cps 1ph.
My question is similar to Why does my new floodlight trip the circuit breaker??
In my case the supply does not have a ground to this particular outlet. There is however an old rusted iron angle in the ground approx 10 feet away. The angle goes perhaps a metre deep into midly sticky soil.
What are the risks of improvising to use this iron angle as an electrical ground?

Broadly speaking there are two main types of earthing system (there are also some others that are only used in specialised situations).
In a TN system the customer's earth is connected to the Neutral and the whole system is connected to the general mass of the earth in one or more places , this provides a low-impedance path for ground faults. TN systems can be divided into three subtypes, in a TN-S system the earth and neutral are kept seperate and only interconnected at a single point. In a TN-C system (now banned in most places) they are combined throughout the system. In a TN-C-S system they are combined in some but not all of the system (commonly they are combined in the suppliers wiring but not in the customer's wiring).
In a TT system the customer's earth and the supply neutral are seperately connected to the general mass of the earth. The issue with TT systems is that the earth fault loop impedance is usually pretty high. So TT systems nearly always have to rely on a RCD for earth fault detection.
Which systems are legal varies between countries, I have no idea what the rules in India are.
In addition to earthing there is also a concept of bonding, the aim of bonding is to ensure that different metal objects that someone can touch are at the same potential, even if the earthing system or the general mass of the earth has fault currents flowing through it. At least in the UK incoming metal water and gas pipes (and occasionally other things but these are by far the most common) are bonded to the electrical earthing system for this purpose.
Using a local earth then has two potential dangers.

It won't be a very good earth, it will almost certainly not be good enough for use without a RCD, it may or may not be good enough to use with a RCD, you can't be sure without testing it.
It won't be bonded to all the other earthed metalwork, so during a fault there could be a significant potential between your new earth and existing earths. Depending on how close together metalwork connected to different earthing systems is this could pose a hazard.


Mounting to hollow wall through slate tile I have slate tile on a wall in my bathroom and I want to mount a couple of robe hooks on this wall.  My plan was to use a couple of spring toggles, as the wall is approaching 1" thick with the tile and backer board behind it.  There are no studs where I want the robe hooks mounted.

The problem I've got is that the two holes in the robe hook bracket are only 5/8" apart on center.  The smallest spring toggle available is 1/8", which requires a 3/8" hole to be drilled.  I'm worried that drilling a couple of 3/8" holes through the tile that close together - leaving only about 1/4" of tile between the holes, edge to edge - will cause the tile to crack.

I know I can offset the holes a little bit to leave more material between the holes, but I don't have much wiggle room there either without the hole being exposed outside of the hook itself.  At best, I might be able to leave 1/2" between the holes.

Any other suggestions from anyone?  I'd really like to get away with drilling some smaller holes, but as far as I can find, I don't have that option with any other types of anchors that I can find.  Or maybe I give up drilling all together and use some sort of adhesive?

This is the hook I plan to use

You could use a toggle for one of the holes and a very small masonry screw for the other.  The toggle will be doing all the heavy lifting, the small masonry screw will just be there for looks and to keep the robe hook from rotating.

Spax and other brands make small screws that can be used for light loads in masonry without an anchor.  The smaller sizes require only a 1/8" or 5/32" pilot hole.  That would give you about a quarter inch between holes.


Can I use electrical tape for making a splice? If so, how? What is the approved method for creating an electrical splice to 14 gauge wire intented to carry 110V, 10 amps (standard residential power) in USA? What does code say about tape-splices? The splice will be in an electrical junction box, located in a hallway, and a split bolt will not be used.

Edit- Based on comments above tape cannot be used (alone) for creating a splice. As Tester101 pointed out if the splice was soldered or crimped or joined with some (UL approved) device, then tape may be used for insulating the splice.

With regard to splices made with connectors, the method below could be used for insulating the connector (of specifically, a pigtail type of splice).

There are at least three kinds of electrical tape that I am aware of: vinyl, rubber, and mastic. For this purpose I would use rubber and vinyl, (reserving mastic for split bolt or similar connectors). I'm not sure if you must use rubber, but it will provide more thickness and (I believe) better moisture protection than vinyl. The tape used should be UL listed and approved for insulating splices. Generally speaking, the insulating tape should be 1.5 times thicker than the conductor's original insulation (source- http://ecmweb.com/content/electrical-taping-skills-lost-art).

If the connector has an exposed metal surface then I would start by wrapping it with (at least) one layer of mastic tape. Rubber tape will be used next (supposing the connector was not insulated), then vinyl tape on top of the rubber tape. Rubber and vinyl tape will be wrapped around the splice using a process called half lapping. Half lapping tape means to cover 1/2 of the tape every time you go around it. Start by stretching the rubber tape until it almost snaps and tear or cut off the end. Begin wrapping about 1.5 inches below the connector or stripped part of the wires. Keep tension on the tape (stretching it until it is ready to snap) while wrapping. When you get to the end of the splice, continue to wrap the tape upon itself two more times (wrapping the tape around itself), then fold the tape down, and wrap over it, continuing the half lap process back to where you started; cover the area where taping began and then (changing direction) continue wrapping back toward the end of the splice. Repeat the wrapping process, but this time fold the tape over the opposite direction (and wrap back down to where the tape was started). Cut the rubber tape and get the vinyl tape ready.

Rubber tape should be wrapped over the splice at least 4 times: up = 1 wrap, fold, down = 2 wraps, up = 3, and back down = 4. Then vinyl tape should be wrapped over that (again, using half laps four times).

Start by exposing a few inches of the vinyl tape. Pull it so that it stretched a little (about 30% length). Cut the end off and begin wrapping just below the rubber tape. Use the same half-lapping method, keeping tension on the tape so that it is stretching (slightly) while wrapping. When you are done the diameter of the splice should be thick enough (about 10 mm thick around the two wires); but if not, you should wrap it once more with vinyl tape (up and down) to be sure.


Identifying neutral and hot on wire connector On my ceiling there's this connector where you attach your lamp's wires but it has no indication which side is hot and which is neutral. Is there a simple way to figure it out or does it not really matter?

Looks like they just covered the connector and textured everything.
Using a volt meter put one side to the cover plate then one side of the receptacle should show line voltage the other much less or nothing,
there is a possibility of a voltage being measured on the neutral with no connection to a load (called phantom voltage) in that case the lower voltage is neutral.
It matters for safety if wired wrong a metallic fixture may be energized on conductive surfaces but since there is a ground this should trip the breaker.


What's the easiest way to remove tile flooring off a cement foundation? We're wondering if removing the tile   that's on our concrete foundation is too hard for us to do ourselves.
Question: Is there a way to do it that makes it a little easier and faster?
We want to remove all tile and do engineered wood or vinyl tile planks throughout.
Quotes to take the tile and grout beneath it up are extremely expensive. Just wondering if there's a method or tool, some way to keep it from being so labor intensive and taking so long.

I use a air chisel wide blade for a large area. I can pop thinset mounted tiles off with little time and almost no effort.
a pole chipper is almost as fast but a lot of work, (mastic glued tiles are harder and usually the tiles break more often.
once the tiles are all picked up and discarded I clean up the thinset.
I actually find my belt sander is best for this.
Thinset is quite soft and an 80 grit aluminum oxide belt takes the bulk of the material off quickly. I use a pillow case on the discharge of my belt sander and this helps to control the dust (this is the messy part, I recently helped a friend do a 34x16 room I had all the tiles popped in about an hour, I started grinding with the belt sander while the tiles were being removed by my friend.
First pass was just over 2 hours and 5 belts., I had planned to acid etch the entire floor with muriatic acid and water but my friend was happy with the results just sanding (muriatic acid helps to break up the remaining thinset and would have made is smoother close to the original finish of the slab).
The total time including mopping up was just over 4 hours and to be honest the hard part was scooping all the tile and grout up but my friend did that. Our total time under 8 man hours and that included a few beer breaks. For me the hard part is being on the ground after 18 knee surgeries including both of them being replaced, so if a great grampa can do it it’s not that bad with the right tools.
I could have done it with a pole scraper/chipper but then it would have been hard work and probably taken longer and a few more beers.
He now has a nice click lock wood floor that is much warmer feeling than the porcelain tile that was down there.


Security door with lock guard I live in a city, and the back door of our condo has a regular wood and glass door that swings inward and a iron security door that swings outward. The security door currently has a deadbolt which un/locks with a key on both the inside and outside.

We would like to replace the outer door, including switching to a deadbolt with a thumb-turn latch that doesn't require a key to unlock from the inside. This is required by law if we ever decide we want to rent out our place. The security concern would then be that someone could just cut the mesh and reach in to easily unlock the security door. To combat this, I've often seen security doors with a metal cylinder around the latch so that you cannot reach it and unlock it while the inner door is closed.

My question is, what is this guard around the latch called? I've tried searching and can't find any pictures of this type of latch guard. Not knowing what this is called then makes it impossible to find a door that has one. Is this something that I can even purchase COTS, or will I need a welder to make one custom for the door?

It's called a "Thumb Turn Cover", "Door Latch Guard", or "Cylinder Guard" and installs under your thumb turn mount plate, so it should be a DIY job.

It took me a very long time to pick out my security door for this reason, it's very hard to find one that blocks potential reach-around disarms for less than $600.  The most secure ones I saw all ensured that the openings within an arm length of the latch were all too small for someone to just stick an arm in. Similarly, the only built in cylinder guards I saw weren't really deep enough to prevent a reach around.

For me, the point of the security guard was so that my girlfriend could open the front door to talk to someone if needed, but not worry about them trying getting into the house.  As adding a cylinder guards would won't protect against this for a quick moving intruder you may want to consider a "Screen Door Grill"  or "Screen Door Pet Gill" installed on the interior side at lock height instead. They mount with screws, so you could DIY it.


Whirlpool Duet front loader door won't unlock I have a Whirlpool Duet front loading washer.  It finished its cycle, all the lights are off, no error codes, but the door won't unlock.  I unplugged it and let it sit.  Then I found a manual online that said to remove the toe panel and pull a manual release.  I think I found it but the lock still won't open.  I tried running through the diagnostic cycle and didn't get any error codes and it makes the usual sound it makes when it locks and unlocks.  Any other ideas?  I belive it's one of these 2 models: GHW9100L or GHW9200L

After letting it sit overnight unplugged, the manual release worked.  Problem solved...now on to figuring out what's wrong with it.


Hvac damper types - which one is quietest I'm trying to minimize noise in a lampwork shop exhaust system.  The system consists of a 1/2 hp squirrel cage type blower connected to the shop space with 8" round ducting.
I am installing a manually-adjustable damper on the suction side of the blower to regulate exhaust flow depending on how many stations are in use, and to reduce power consumption when the blower's full capacity is not needed, while minimizing acoustic noise created by the addition of the damper.
Is there a difference in the level of noise created by a butterfly damper versus a gate (guillotine) style damper?  Are there other important concerns regarding the use of the two types?
I do not need to create a full air seal with this damper, so this advantage of gate style dampers is not relevant.

Adding a damper to a squirrel cage blower either to the inlet or outlet may sometimes increase the noise due to the flow of air past that damper. Other ideas which may work better but will cost more would be to purchase a 2 speed motor. You would get 2 fan speeds which could be selected by switch mounted where you choose. Another idea would be to install a variable speed ECM motor. This motor would yield an infinite number of speeds. You could even have a motorized damper installed that would yield complete control of the amount of air flow. These last 3 ideas, although more costly, would give you an easy adjustment of the air flow as opposed to a manual type damper.


How can I level a part of a concrete floor in preparation for installing a washing machine? Whoever installed the existing washing machine in the basement was unable to extend one of the legs long enough to adjust for the slope in the concrete floor.

So they took a piece of wood and stuck it under that corner. The washing machine is level all right, but 1- it's very ugly, and, more importantly 2- the piece of wood could slide out during some spin cycle and then the machine would fall and then wobble like crazy.

The old washing machine is about to go, and a new one is coming in. I'd like to avoid the hack and make the adjustment needed to level the washing machine minimal.

To do that I'm thinking of applying a bit of concrete floor leveling compound. The idea is this: First position some (old/disposable) planks of wood around the area of the washing machine. Keep the planks in place with some tape. Apply the compound to the sealed area (that's the footprint of the washing machine). After the compound sets, remove the planks of wood. Now the new washing machine has a nice little square to sit on that's reasonably level.

Is this a reasonable solution?
Can you think of a better way?

Instead of temporary forms, make permanent ones. Cut a 2x4 in to a wedge shape, apply a thick bead of silicone down the middle of the underside, and screw them down with masonry screws. Once the silicone sets,  fill your forms with cement. Now you have a nice level permanent pad for your machines.


Can I add insulation over the original layer in my new home's basement? I am looking to finish the basement in my new house that has insulation wrap installed in the basement.  The insulation wrap is an R12.

After studding the basement can I add additional installation to increase the R factor in front of the existing wrap?

Is there anything I should do or consider doing to the existing installation?

I understand I should not add a 2nd vapor barrier, is that correct?

Really depends on your location. Aside from removing the wrap insulation and doing a spray foam insulation (which is flammable), the best job includes tar paper on the concrete(so any moisture coming through the wall doesn't wet the insulation) then the insulation in the walls with the bottom 6 inches left out and a 6 mm vapour barrier stopping short of the floor. The reason why the gap is so air can get into the wall and the moisture can get out.
Also be sure to put in adequate vents (including cold air returns) to ensure good air flow.


Replacing either the light socket or the whole recessed light fixture Fixing my old house up to put on the market.  Had it rewired a couple yrs ago. This light fixture is above my kitchen sink.Keeps tripping out when turned on.  I can't find square recessed lighting to save my life! Can I just have the socket replaced or do I need a new light fixture all together?  Obviously not a square recessed one. I would like to update the look of the light if possible without putting too much money or work into it.

This looks like a box for incandescent/CFL lighting that is not rated for insulation contact (IC).

It might not be easy/cheap to replace it. Even if it's a socket you might find it hard to find a replacement part. You will need to pay with either time (DIY) or money to fix it. I doubt contractors will be interested in repair of such a thing, too time-consuming for them and you are unwilling to pay "too much money". Where I live an electrician visits starts from $200

For the same money consider hiring a handyman to do remove the box, add some framing to support a new drywall patch, patch the seam, match-paint, paint the ceiling, cut a round hole and install an IC rated can like this.
[
That would probably also cost you about $200


Oven pilot making high pitched noise (when off) There is a high pitched noise that is coming from my oven. I have pinpointed that the noise is coming from the oven pilot light, and it is most audible when the oven is off.
When the oven is off, the sound is a high pitched tone, around 4200 Hz. I recorded a sample of what it sounds like, you can listen here:
https://clyp.it/gohbjvhx
If I gently blow on the pilot light, I can hear the pitch changing slightly or go in and out.
If I turn the oven on, the sound seems to go away, or at least gets quieter and lower pitched.
What could this be?

I had the same situation a number of years ago with the pilot on a gas furnace. Since the furnace was next to a bedroom it was very irritating at night.
The solution: The gas pressure to the pilot needs to be reduced slightly. Locate the gas shutoff valve for the stove. Lower the pressure of the gas to the pilot by slightly closing the valve. You shouldn't have to turn it very much. I'm betting that will solve your problem.


Load Balance Electric Main Panel Circuit breakers have to be attached to both sides of the electric panel in such a way that it balances the load. I would like to know if:

I should ensure left circuit breakers Amp is almost same as right panel breakers.
Should I balance based on usage? e.g., refrigerators are always working but ACs do not work in winters.
Do 2 pole breakers have to be evenly distributed as well?

Any ideas on the right way to arrange the breakers?

What matters is your actual draw, not the numbers on the breakers.

So for instance, if you have 5 circuits of bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, and kitchen... And then 5 circuits of Bitcoin miner that run at 15.9A 24x7... You don't want to put the miners on one leg and the household load on the other.  The 2 kitchen circuits are rarely used, for instance, so they don't balance the miners.

On the other hand, if you have a gaming rig circuit and an air conditioner circuit  to keep the room bearable, thatd be a pretty good balance since they'd  run together.

It isn't left and right, unless it's PushMatic

Most modern panels arrange like this.


Running romex around switch box that is not being terminated to said switch box Can I run a romex cable not going to a switch box around the switch box as long as it is stapled at both sides of switch box. From a vertical perspective

Yes, you can loop around a box provided you staple like you describe. I'd suggest having the cable not touch the box since someday the box may have to be removed and keeping the cable away from the box will prevent it getting damaged.


Is there an adhesive I can use with anchors to keep them from pulling out? I am mounting shelves using plastic anchors in masonry. I once saw a contractor use an adhesive on the anchors to prevent them from pulling out. I realize that by design this should not be necessary. But, if one wanted a little better strength to ensure the anchor would not pull out, what adhesive would be used?

You could try some "No Nails" or equivalent, though as you say it shouldn't be necessary.

The size of screw you are using will determine the size of the anchor you use. This in turn will determine the size of hole you drill.

The anchor should fit snugly into the hole and even require a light tap with a small hammer to ensure it fits flush with the surface. This will mean that the grippers on the sides will have a good purchase on the brickwork as you drive the screw home. It's this outwards force that will stop the anchor coming out of the hole.


Identify screw and dowel on this cabinet door What are these? Screw has two positions: fixed and loose. I can only switch between them but I cannot unscrew.

It's not supposed to unscrew.
Loose means you can push the whole plastic plug into the hole.
Fixed makes the plastic plug expand to grip.
This functionality depends on having exactly the right size hole.


Main breaker on load center won't open I was in the process of connecting a Reliance generator trow over switch , although the job was completed , I was trying to shut off power to the entire house by opening the main breaker but would not open . THe load center is an old Cutler Hammer ( 1988-92_ model ) and although Iwas able to operate and shut down individual breaker , I was concern that I could not close the main .Are these main breaker like that or should I get an electrician to replace the main breaker ?

Raul

100% you need an electrician out there ASAP.  If you can't manually trip it, there's a good chance it won't trip in an overcurrent situation and that could be very dangerous.

Your electrician will probably need to arrange this with the power company.  To do this, the power must be cut upstream, and usually this involves removing the seal on your exterior meter.


Can I place an archway here? I want to place archways instead of walls on the three places as shown in picture. The Wall are made of solid bricks. RCC slabs. No timber, no steel.
 Do you think it is safe because I want to make another floor above this floor. The total plot area of the house is about 12m X12m. There are Beams and columns on every corner of wall are about 1ft X1ft.

There are two kinds of archways: 1) superficial archways, and 2) true archways.

1) Superficial archways are merely regular openings (with a header and support) that have archways framed down to mimic true archways.

2) True archways create a thrust outward that needs to be resisted with supports starting from where the arch starts. This support can be another arch (like the Roman aqueducts) or just an extended wall.

Your house could have archways if you designed an adequate size beam (header), support posts at each end, and adequate size footings under each post.

However, you cannot have a true arch in the up and down direction because there is nothing to support the outward thrust. (You might be able to have a braced wall in the side to side direction.)

Regardless , you’ll need to carefully calculate all the loads transferred down from above on each arch, then determine the load transferred down to the footings.


Mounting home networking gear on pegboard I've got a panel of pegboard in a closet that I'd like to use to mount my router, cable modem and other similar gear. Are there accessories that either screw into the holes themselves, or are small enough where a typical device will fit over them? Standard accessories are too thick, and don't fit through the mounting holes of the network gear.

I have all my networking gear (router, switch, PoE injector) secured with industrial strength adhesive velcro and zip ties. I imagine if you can take the time to fish the zip ties through the holes of the peg board this would work pretty well (the green lines are zip ties):


Connecting stove pipe to boxwood stove I have a Vogelzang model 8x26e boxwood stove, I’m trying to figure out how to attach the 6” stove pipe to the collar, what I’ve read is the pipe goes inside the collar, but it has what looks like a smaller space for the pipe to fit over the collar, there are no holes in the cast iron flu collar for screws.

If the stove is from Germany or another country the flue pipe may be sized in centimeters and not inches as here in the U.S.A. By the way, the flue pipe fits over the cast iron collar and not inside the collar to insure that the flue gasses do not flow to the outside of the pipe. Flue gasses always flow from a male fitting to a female fitting so that no flue gasses escape and to reduce turbulence.


Why am I getting 20V from a light socket after changing the bulb? I had a bulb burn out, and when I went to replace it, the new bulb didn't work. I put a multimeter on the socket to test it and I'm getting 20V instead of 120V.

There are no other electrical problems that I know of in the house.

Any suggestions about why this could be?

BMitch's answer is most likely correct, but there is another possibility as well, although  it's unlikely. If the breaker tripped and the line feeding the socket follows parallel to another live line, then you can get a small amount of voltage on the line. They basically act like a very badly designed transformer. Although it won't have any real power behind it. I've seen this happen a few times before and with voltages as high as 70 volts. But again it's more of an odd occurrence than anything though, but something to think about if you rule out the usual suspects.


Two zone hvac on single compressor I have a two zone HVAC system with two compressors (A and B). When I run the heat on Zone 1, it uses compressor A and when I run the heat on Zone 2, it also uses compressor A.  When I run the A/C, it uses compressor B.
Is this an installation mistake?
How much of a problem/concern is it to have both zones running on the single compressor simultaneously?
Or, is this something I should have corrected immediately?

Prior to variable frequency drives (most people call inverters) having 2 compressors was the most efficient system out there but the cost was quite high so many just oversized the compressor these systems 2 pump have longer life if well sealed because the compressor job is split up.
All heat pumps that I have seen have a reversing valve this reverses the flow of the “Freon” or refrigerant so instead of removing heat from the house it is removing heat from outside and using that heat on the inside. This is why heat pump efficiency drops off depending on the type and age efficiency roll off starts at ~24f but some newer high efficiency models can run all the way down to -5F.
The only problems I have found on 2 compressor multi zone systems is the control boards die and can be quite expensive. Some of these units are 20+ years old and only needed a recharge when they were having problems (other than the controller)
So your system appears to be a high efficiency model of its day and was quite expensive so I would not mess with it unless something is broken.
Running a big compressor all the time will cost more. The small compressor costs less to run but is not large enough to push 2 heads especially in heat mode.


How do I slow down a pocket door when opening and closing? I had a pocket door installed in 2009 and the pocket door slides way too fast when opening and closing. I can't work out how to slow it down.

I'm currently installing a pocket door. It's a full 1.75" exterior door thickness, flush door that weighs 120 lbs (plywood facing and oak rails and stiles and oak edging.) I built the door myself (cost me 10% against the cheapest bid I got for the door.) I am using Johnson 200 series rollers and I-beam for the door. It rolls VERY easy. Easy enough to break finger bones. So this quickly became a serious safety issue for me. Luckily, before I set to finishing the pocket door wall.

I am using carpet samples (free) on the floor inside the pocket. The carpet is attached inside a separate piece of "furniture," in the sense that by removing the door trim, I can remove the pocket door and then reach inside, unclip the wood box (3/4" high, 32" long, 3.5" wide) that holds the carpet samples, replace worn samples, reclip the box back against the floor inside the pocket, place the door back, and retrim the door. I can easily set the resistance this way (packing several strips of carpet on top, if needed) and appropriate carpet samples will be available in perpetuity.

Also considered using pile weatherstripping as an alternative idea. But the carpet really seems to work better and only wears against the bottom of the pocket door which no one sees or cares about.


Insects on Hem-Fir/SPF lumber? What are these insects and should I be concerned? They're about 1/8" in length and don't look like termites or pine beetles. I don't see any insect-related damage to the wood but they seem to have a strong affinity for the wood (they're no where else to be seen).

The boards are kiln dried SPF and hem-fir which have been sitting outside for about 6 weeks now under a tarp and the bugs only appeared within the last week.

They are springtails.

There's a picture of one looking happy at It Takes Two to Tango… or Does It? The Curious Courtship of Collembola (Springtails).

Insect Identification Key Order Collembola: the springtails and snowfleas has another picture, labelling the little creature as a globular springtail.

The Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species has this to say about the diet of springtails:

  Although many species are herbivorous, others are carnivorous feeding on other springtails, nematodes and other small arthropods. Those springtails living in leaf litter and soil usually feed on fungi, plant material, feces and algae.

So there is no need to be concerned.


Quarter turn bathroom tap: Valve removal I am dealing with a bathroom tap and wanting to replace the quarter turn tap valve as the tap is leaking.

Here is the tap (I cannot find any brand details)

Here is a close up of the cold tap:

I can pop the cap off the cold tap, where I would expect to find a screw, but there is nothing:

Note: The hot tap and bath taps all look the same when I remove the cap (There is nothing to unscrew).

I thought perhaps an alan key might be the trick in the little hole:

But the alan key does not work as the hole is clearly not designed for it.

What I have tried so far:

Chatted to plumbing shop - the suggestion was to drill out the screw.
I have removed the levers on the tap to see if that would give access. The problem is that I can only remove three of the levers on the handle. I used pliers with rubber around the tap lever and I could still not remove the lever. Even after using Q20. There seems to be no obvious access point from the 3 levers that I removed.

Questions:
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what brand of tap this may be? (I have searched all over). The guy who did the bathroom is long gone.

Does anyone have any idea as to how I met get access to the valve to replace it?

Many thanks!

Solution!

I bought a box spanner and removed the entire unit (including the silver connecting hoses) and then went to a few local plumbing shops with the whole tap.

It seems to be a rare type of unit for London.

Step 1: Turn the water off at the stopcock.

Step 2: Pull (Yes pull) the handle out. The handle had two rubber rings holding it into the concealment cylinder (The cylinder between the handle and the main shaft).

Step 3: Unscrew the concealment cylinder (similar to video 2 in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQc5WWbKmnI).

Step 4: Unscrew the screw holding a plastic connector for the tap out of the cartridge.

Step 5: Remove the cartridge and replace.

Step 6: Put things back together :)

Good luck!


Covering a Window with insulation I am a college student living in a cheap rental. I have a window in my bedroom that leaks a lot of cold air. I live in a northern climate, and during this recent cold snap my heater can't keep up. The window is in a recess and I currently have a thin curtain covering the window. The window looks only on the side of a neighbor's wall.

Would it be a stupid idea to buy insulation to stuff into the recess and prevent cold air from leaking, and would it be effective? I've been researching and others have suggested thin plastic window covering but this doesn't seem like it would greatly improve the situation. A few drawbacks I can see to my idea is that it would obstruct the view which I don't care about and would not let any sun in which might effect my sleep.

You could, but getting the foam to fit right and seal won't be easy. The easiest is a plastic window covering. They make some that you shrink with a hair dryer after installing. This will ensure a seal.


What does DIN 985 refer to? DIN 985 is standard issued by the DIN in Germany.

In this case it is for a simple nut found here.

This is a follow up to this question from bicycles.

I Googled DIN 985 but found nothing comprehensible.

These nuts and bolts are to secure aluminum so I tagged this aluminum but if there is a better tag please edit.

DIN 985 appears to be the old name for what is now called ISO 7040
Which describes hex nuts with a nonmetallic insert, stating their dimensions etc.

If there a likelyhood of exposure to dampness I would reccomend using aluminium or stainless steel fasteners.


Tankless Water Heaters in Series I am building an addition with a basement underneath.  The existing home is on a slab foundation, and the 20 year old tank water heater is in a closet.  I was planning to replace this water heater with a tankless heater in my new basement.  However, I now realize that this will significantly increase the distance from the water heater to the kitchen (and a couple bathrooms).
The new plan that I am forming in my head is to put my large tankless water heater in the basement to service the new bathroom/laundry room in the addition directly, and in series (where the original tank heater was) put a much smaller tankless heater that is near the other two bathrooms and kitchen.  The thought being that the smaller one will shut-off when the water from the larger heater reaches it, but it will provide hot water quicker to the faucets/shower much farther from the large heater. Is this a bad idea?  Are there any other ideas that I should consider? (I've considered a recirc pump, but it seems that sort of defeats the purpose of tankless since it is always keeping hot water in the lines - your tank just becomes the lines).
Note: my tankless water heaters would be propane fueled

Won't work.  Either the point-of-use heater is big enough to heat the water, or it isn't.

If it is big enough, you don't need the main heater at all.
If it isn't big enough, the water will come out tepid for the first minute.

Both of these scenarios are losers.  You're spending a lot of gas to heat water that'll just go down the drain, because nobody's going to step into that shower if the water is coming out 80F.
You are better off rearranging the furniture so that the 70,000 BTU water heater is adequate for that end of the house, and having it be the primary water heater.
Last time I did a calc like this, it was with a 13KW heater that would barely make a shower work with a 1.2-1.4 GPM flow on the shower head.  Let's convert your 70,000 BTU/hr into KW.
1000 watts provides 3400 BTU/hr.  So it looks like your 70,000 BTU/hr heater is equivalent to a 20.5 kilowatt (85 amps) electric heater.  That's doable; put a low-flow showerhead on there and you should have some operating margin.  Simply have that heater supply that end of the house (the closer to the shower, the better - for response time) and have the new heater serve the new wing.
Keep in mind that if you draw water at a faster rate than the heater can keep up with, the heater heats the water less.  That's when the water goes tepid and users go "WHAT THE HECK on-demand heaters!" and they wrongly conclude that on-demand's suck and get rid of em. That's the wrong move.  When the water goes tepid, reduce flow and it will heat up again.  Of course good luck teaching that to users; so I advise putting a gate valve on the inlet of the water heater, and adjust it to impede flow, to make out-drawing the heater impossible :)


Assess damage to wooden floor My new place has scratches on large areas of the floor, mainly around the entrance and the patio door.
The floor is also chipped in some places, not necessarily where the scratches are.

Can I just put carpets on the floor if I don't want to sand it? Thank you.

Throw rugs will work but you'll probably end up wanting to sand and fix it right. If you do wall to wall make sure to use padding.