Soffit vents and rafter baffles in finished attic My house has soffit vent along the eaves of the roof. I am finishing up the attic to create a home office, and I am wondering how should I treat the vents... clearly they are not going to have access to the attic, which is going to have AC.
The soffit vents are all around, like this model here:

We are in New England, where the winters are brutal. Ice dam formation on the roof is a real issue, and so the vents are connected to these rafter vent baffles to make the temperature of the edge of the roof uniform (if the edges heat up, the snow melts and forms ice, leading to a dam).

The area where the baffles are is going to be enclosed behind drywall, I do not have to remove them for aesthetic reasons. I am thinking of closing the top edge with staples, backing them with insulation, and let them do their thing in this closed space.
Any suggestions? Am I doing the right thing, or should I remove the baffles?

Those baffles can't "do their thing" if you close one end. You need a complete ventilation circuit between the soffit and the ridge to prevent extreme temperatures on your roof deck and heat migrating into your living space, followed by ice dams in winter.
You need to maintain ventilation against the roof sheathing the entire way up, otherwise you'll build what's known as a "hot roof". That has significant drawbacks and implications for energy efficiency and moisture management. Here's what it'll look like:

source
Be sure you have a good understanding of why this is important and how to accomplish it before you proceed.


How can I remove texture from walls? How do I remove wall texture in my kitchen? I don't know where to begin. Should I sand or skim coat?

The usual way is to wet the surface using a sprayer, wait a few minutes for the material to soften, the scrape off using a scraper.
You may need to do some touch-up of the drywall after removing the "popcorn" which you can do with spackle for small imperfections or drywall compound for larger ones.
Be sure to test on a small area to be sure it's going to work properly before you wet a large area.
Also, be aware that some of these used asbestos.  If you are in doubt, have it tested!


Lift for storing stuff above my fridge I want to lift stuff (chairs or a baby stroller) and store them above my fridge.
I was thinking about installing some floor to ceiling rod and somehow connect a winch to pull some platform up and down.
The thing is that I need this system to have 2 axis, since once the platform with goods reaches its max height I need to push it back.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Buy a folding step-stool. they fold flat (about 2 inches thick)  so can be stored in many convenient places, and then can be opened and closed with one hand (which is convenient if your other hand is full)


What is this grill-like thing on my chain link fence? New house, just found this in far backyard, behind a tree and under a jungle of vine weeds I ripped out. Seems like an odd place. What might it be, or used for?

Shelf for trays with feed and water for birds?
EDIT
Shelf for potted plants? (Dog has been savaging potted plants.)


What should I do with these old cleanouts? Three years ago I had my house's septic tank replaced, and the guys put in new cleanouts because they couldn't find the original ones. Well, by chance I just found them: buried under about 6" of dirt and rocks about two feet away from the house.

What should I do with them? Abandon them because there are now new cleanouts? Or add some PVC risers to make them accessible at grade level? And if so, how should I make the connection between the old cast iron pipe to a new 3" PVC pipe? A no-hub coupler wouldn't work since the exposed cast iron pipe is flanged.

My personal style is to leave them 6" deep with carefully positioned annual flower beds on top of them - give those beds rock walls, if you like, and document the heck out of it.  But if you'd rather extend them to surface:

Those plugs have pipe threads, so a PVC to MPT adapter in the correct size seems the obvious solution to connecting PVC to them.

I guess annual flower beds may not work so well in the desert - idea being to have a surface feature that maps to the subsurface feature of interest. You need a gazing ball right there, say. This method is subject to loss of documentation and/or memory.

A "hand-hole" would be another approach. Leave the plugs in place and extend access to the surface. You might know them as sprinkler-valve-boxes - a bottomless box with sides and a lid, in plastic or concrete.


Puzzled installing combination GFCI outlet/switch to replace switch in old house In brief: in replacing an old light switch in an old house with a GFCI combo switch/outlet, facing existing wiring that doesn't quite match instructions, I get the GFCI outlet working but not the new light switch. What else do I need to test or install?
Gory details
I'd like to replace an existing light switch with a Leviton combination GFCI outlet and switch.
On one side of the old switch, I find

black wire #1, confirmed hot with my voltage tester, pigtailed with

black wire #2, confirmed not hot, going I know not where

On the other side of the old switch, I find

black wire #3 (that I see runs into a white sheath in the box), also confirmed not hot.

The old switch works, and when I patch black wire #1 and black wire #3 together (circumventing the switch) the light goes on, so I know that black wire #3 is the load wire for the light.
I also see that the box contains three white wires that have been capped together.
After some back-and-forth, I've correctly wired the GFCI outlet:

black wire #1 into the GFCI Line hot terminal

pigtail capped into the three white wires into the GFCI Line white terminal

My GFCI tester says that works, and it tests/resets fine.
However, no matter how I wire the switch leads or set the switch, the light stays off.
I'm following the "two cable" instructions, since I have no downstream outlets to connect.
The receptacle has two black leads for the switch. Per instructions,

Connect the switch leads to the switch controlled LOAD (not GFCI
protected, shown in diagram):

One black switch lead connects to the LINE side black wire.

The other black lead connects to the HOT side of the LOAD.

The LOAD must be properly connected to NEUTRAL and grounded.

This puzzles me in two ways: first, that it doesn't seem to matter which lead goes to the load wire of the light and which to the line wire, and second, that, in my situation, I can't be certain that any of the white wires in the box are the Line (return) from the light.
I've tried wiring the receptacle switch leads in various ways, none of which got the light on, ending with this configuration which seemed most correct:

first black lead capped with a pigtail connected with the original 3 white wires (instruction #1)

second black lead from the receptacle capped with black wire #3 and a wire grounded on the box (instructions #2 and #3)

I'm also not certain what to do with black wire #2 above. I've capped it with black wire #1 and connected both with the GFCI Line hot terminal. The GFCI outlet continues to work fine, but no joy on the switch.
What else do I need to test re the existing wiring?
How do I get the switch to work?

Two devices in one package can make for twice the confusion

GFCI/switch combinations are a common cause of DIY confusion, as they have more, and more varied, connections than most other electrical devices one can get at the hardware store.

In your case, you have the GFCI portion wired correctly, but the switch is what has you down.  It's actually nothing special, just a plain single pole switch with no internal connections whatsoever to the GFCI.  However, you seem to have your hots, neutrals, and grounds confused with regards to the switched load.  What they mean by "The LOAD must be properly connected to NEUTRAL and grounded." has nothing to do with the wiring in the GFCI box -- in fact, the wiring of the switch to neutral and ground is why the switched load isn't working right now!  It simply means that the load itself must be wired correctly and not in a bizarro way (such as across two hots, from hot to ground(eek!), or with a switched neutral).  In fact, right now, the load can't work because there's no voltage across it with one end wired to the neutral (and ground) and the other wired back to that same neutral.

To get this all working I would:

Disconnect the switch-wire going to the white wire bundle from the white wire bundle, and remove the pigtail from the switch/black wire #3 junction to ground.
Cap off black wire #2 by itself since you don't yet know where it leads.  (Sooner or later, you'll find the thing that doesn't work, and then you'll know what that black wire was feeding.)
Connect one black wire from the switch in with black wire #1 and a black pigtail to the GFCI's LINE HOT terminal.
And connect the other black wire from the switch to black wire #3.


determining if neutral or ground I have 4 black wires coming up to feed a spa. I have been able to determine the two hot wires but not able to tell which of the two wires is ground and which one is neutral. How can I distinguish which is which? Is it true that on a multimeter the power wire and the ground will show less power than the neutral and power?

Depends. Remarking wires is not allowed in wires smaller than #4.  And we certainly don't mess around when wiring a hot tub, which can kill people.

If it's #6 or smaller wire

You splice a rope to it, and pull it all out.  Then you take two of the wires to the electrical supply house and trade them for a white wire of the same size and length, and a green ground wire of appropriate size and length (if the wire is #8 or #6 then the ground wire can be #10), a competent  electrical supply house will know. A big-box store like Home Depot will not.

A bare wire is allowed for ground if the wire is copper.

Then use the rope to pull the 2 blacks, white and green back into the pipe.

If it is #4 or larger

You obtain white and green tape. Big box stores sell this in a 5-pack with 3 other colors for $4.

Go back to the service panel and  unhook the wire on the ground bar (which might be the same as the neutral bar if it's a main, sloppy but legal). Insulate it with plain black tape.    Now go to the hot tub subpanel and attach one mystery black wire to the neutral bar, and insulate the other.    If the panel powers up and all the voltages are correct, you have found neutral.  Mark both ends of it liberally with white tape.

The remaining wire must be ground, mark it liberally with green tape and hook it back up.

That may seem a trite exercise if both wires land on connected or same busbars. It's not.  It's vital to know which is which, if the old main panel is ever made a subpanel, or if testing ever needs to be done particularly re: the GFCI.  What's more, given the critical life-safety role of hot tub wiring, any sign of unprofessional or imperfect work is something you really can't have the inspector seeing.  Especialy if you have done, or plan to do, more than one of them.


Insulating a Wall Against Unconditioned Attic Space I'm looking for help in insulating my 1950s San Diego house.  A second story was added in the 70s and a gas furnace + A/C was added about 10 years ago in the unconditioned space above the downstairs bedrooms. This space is also right next to my master bedroom.

I'm in IECC Zone 3B/C. Highs here are between 60-85F year round and it never gets below 50F at night (rough I know).  The problem is that when it does get to 85F, the vented attic can get to 120-130F since the roof gets a lot of sun. That means at midnight, the outside air temp is 70F and my master bedroom is 90F+.  The air conditioning can run all night and not get it below 80F.  Then again the next day, the master bedroom is a comfy 75 all day until around 4:00PM.

The wall between my bedroom and the unconditioned attic space is R13 fiberglass (crappy piecemeal) with the insulation faces pointing both directions.  The other side is exposed to the attic.  I have air sealed all electrical boxes with spray foam.  The attic only has pull-down stairs to get in, so a full 4'x8' board will not get in without major destruction.  The attic has multiple soffit and gable vents and no fan besides a plug-in stand fan I've been using.

I've done my research and asked around and come up with these options:

Put up a perforated radiant barrier on the attic rafters and gable walls.
Fix the insulation so all faced batts point towards the living space and put up additional, rolled fiberglass insulation.  I was thinking unfaced R30 horizontally across the studs.
Put up an air barrier (Tyvek / house wrap) behind the fiberglass insulation on the attic side of the wall.
Spreading loose cellulose around the attic to bury the ducts, while staying away from the furnace.
Install a temperature-controlled attic fan.

My gut usually tells me to overdo things and to do #s 1-5 on this list, but what would you do here?

I am not clear at all from your description how your rooms are laid out.  One thing I'd try is not on your list I'd install an attic fan on one of the gable vents with a thermostatic control.  This will keep the attic from getting much over the outside ambient temperature.  This will probably be money well spent even if you have to add insulation etc. as well.
Outside the box - solar on the roof might give actually take that radiant energy and turn it into electricity and money, rather than nuisance heat in your attic.  I don't know what the current situation is in California but I think at one point the subsidies / incentives made solar a good buy for the homeowner.


How do I add a switch/light and two outlet from a single power source? I have access to a hot line in the attic that I can cut and add a junction box to power a light through a switch as well as two outlets that are needed.  How do I proceed?

Several issues to avoid:

Don't hide any junction box. It can't be under the insulation or inside a wall.
Wires should enter the junction box still in the outer insulation, and then you'll need several inches inside the junction box to make the connections. If the existing line doesn't have a lot of slack, then you won't have the space to do it.
Circuits and the associated wiring have a capacity that you cannot exceed. Doing so will trip the breaker in the best case, or cause a fire if the breaker is upgraded without changing the wiring.
Wires going into the wall need to be stapled to the center of the stud, so you're going to open up a wall eventually. Do not attempt to fish them down the wall and leave them hanging free.

Like ChrisF says, if you don't know what you're doing, you would be wise to call a professional.


Can I wire a microwave blower fan to a plug by itself? I have a "OH SUNG" Microwave blower fan (6549W1V006c) that I would like to use by itself for something else. Im not sure if the plug I have will work on it but Im posting pictures of the fan wires, along with the plug wires. The blower fan has a black, white, red, yellow and blue wires. The plug has black, white, and green wires. Is this possible or what kind of plug would I need to wire it to? Thanks for any help!

See the wiring diagram on the fan. It needs a starter capacitor between the red and yellow wires; then power (black and white from the plug) can be applied to black and blue for high speed or white and blue for low speed.

There is no ground wire for the fan -- hopefully it is either in a plastic case or otherwise double-insulated so it doesn't need one -- so the green wire from the plug can be left unconnected.


Can I have a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit with a 20 amp GFCI I'm installing a few new outlets in my unfinished basement and what I have currently is a 20 amp circuit and I have a 20 amp GFCI outlet hooked on to that. I'm looking to add another standard 15 amp outlet off the 20 amp GFCI.

I know you can do 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit but what I'm wondering is it ok to have a 15 amp outlet along with a 20 amp outlet on the same 20 amp circuit as I would want the 20 amp GFCI outlet to provide protection to the 15 amp outlet.

Thanks

This is legal and will work fine.  But you do need to use #12 wire because the circuit is protected by the 20 amp breaker. (you can add more if needed.)
I say this because the GFCI outlet is 1 device and the 15 A outlet is the 2nd.  If there were only a single 15 amp outlet, it would not be code.  But with 2 or more, it is ok.  NEC 210-21.b1


Woodflooring protection needed near fireplace? Any ideas or concerns about solid 3/4" hardwood flooring near a fireplace?  Currently I plan to have a nice piece of wood trim covering the gap between the fireplace and the floor.  Underneath the trim there is a .25 inch gap... so the floor is not directly touching the slate.  The roofing felt is also .25 inches away and not directly touching the surrounding slate.

Should I use some sort of fire proof barrier?  If so... what are some options?

Previously (before hardwood)... it was floor joist, .5 inch plywood, red rosin paper, .75 inch particle board, then a .5 inch piece of rock slate.

I replaced the .75 particle board with plywood, roofing paper, and hardwood on top (with a hearth extension).

Yes, wood is a concern and you should have a noncombustible hearth extension around the fireplace opening. It looks like your proposed layout is not appropriate.

Assuming you are in the US and subject to the IRC building code, Chapter 10 covers the requirements for fireplaces. The requirements vary depending on whether the fireplace is masonry (i.e. made of brick or stone) or factory-built (i.e. a pre-made metal box).

For masonry fireplaces, in general the hearth extension must be 2" thick, made of noncombustible materials, and must not have any combustable material under it. The hearth extension must extend 16" in front and 8" on each side of the opening (unless then opening is large, over 6 square feet, in which case the distances are increased to 20" in front and 12" on each side).

For factory-made fireplaces, the manufacturer specifies the requirements. IRC simply defers to the manufacturer instructions.


How can I remove an anti vandal tap head? I have almost identical problem this one except that it's a shower tap...

How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head?

The drama is that the shower won't turn off all the way as the washer needs to be replaced, however I can't replace it without first getting the tap head off.

Are there any other suggestions other than those in the other thread?

I've got a tap head spanner but it just slips when I try to use it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If the spanner you have is the type with a screwdriver type handle a slight rap on the top may help. Most faucet handles are made of an aluminum like potmetal. The most effective crust-buster I have found for this type of material is ammonia straight out of the bottle. Pour it over the handle and let it sit. It may help to soak a rag and leave it on top. Do this for several days (patience is a virtue) if you can, avoid using the faucet. Insert the spanner and tap it lightly with a hammer. The idea is to break up the scale between the individual threads. If you can safely do so kneel on the counter so you can add your weight to the driver to prevent it from slipping. If all else fails drill the heads off the screws. If you remove just the heads a bit of threads should remain exposed out of the stem that you can grab with pliers.


Does polybutylene plumbing require lower pressure? I've just purchased a new home (new to me; the house was built in 1994), and I've noticed that the water pressure is pretty low. Not low enough to be a serious impediment (it passed inspection), but it's significantly lower than the house I lived in previously, which is less than a mile away from the new one.

One thing that concerns me is that the inspector noted that I have polybutylene plumbing (but with copper fittings, which evidently makes it less of an issue), and so I'm wondering if a pressure reducing valve (PRV) has been installed in order to protect the plumbing. Is this something that would have been done specifically because of polybutylene plumbing, and am I playing with fire if I do find a PRV and adjust it higher?

Check your pressure before the regulator and after the regulator goes to the home and you will have your answer.


How to cut out wall to install brace for pedestal sink? I want to install a pedestal sink in my bathroom. Previously there was a standard, cheap Home Depot sink with a vanity cabinet. After pulling that away from the wall, the images below show what the wall looks like.

I intend to mount the sink to the wall using Hanger Bolts, but first I believe I need to cut out a portion of the wall and screw in a piece of wood in which I can drill the hanger bolts. I then I need to patch up the wall again.

This is the first time I've ventured on a home improvement job like this, so I'm a bit hesitant to dive right in. Given the state of the wall as it is, what is the best way to approach this?

Should I cut out only the portion of the wall I think I need? Should I cut out an area that includes where the pipes come out of the wall? What type of saw should be used for the various types of cutting? Is there anything I should be looking out for?

If it matters, this is the sink and I have the matching pedestal to go with it.

Main Image

Zoom in on Left

Zoom in on Right

Zoom in on Pipes

There should be no reason to need to remove the drywall around the water pipes. That is unless you need to dig into the wall to relocate the drain pipe and water supply pipes in a vertical format to be hidden by the pedestal. If you are planning to install a piece of 2x6 between studs for the hanger bolts then I suggest that you need to cut out the drywall in a strip say 7 or 8 inches high and past the studs that the 2x6 will mount to. Cutting past so there is an opportunity to screw through the stud and into the 2x6 blocking.

Cutting the drywall can be done most easily with a saw that looks like this.

Picture Source

The stab saw is nice as you can poke it through the drywall to start cutting. Any power tool for cutting is not recommended because it makes tons of dust and risks cutting wires or pipes in the wall cavity.

If you are careful with cutting out the piece you may be able to use it to patch up afterwards. Best patching method is to overlap some 1x3 material in the wall along the edges of the cutout and screw in to it from the existing wall board and then this makes a good place to screw in the patch piece. Reuse of the piece does mean that you have to carefully check for screws or nails holding the piece in place after it is cut out. If you just try pulling it out an existing fastener can rip a big hole in the piece of cause it to break apart.

If I was doing this project I would plan to put the 2x6's 5.5" face looking out toward the room. If you plan things carefully you could tuck the lower edge of the 2x6 past the lower cut opening edge about an inch and use that as part of the edging for screwing in the patch. Placing the 2x6 flat like that also allows room behind it for pipes or wires in the wall to pass behind it.

Three 3" or 3.5" construction screws through the stud onto the 2x6 on each end will anchor and hold the piece in solidly. I would predrill the clearance holes through the studs to reduce chance of splitting. Torx drive screws are great because they drive nice and there is much less possibility of the driver bit camming out of the slot as there is with a philips drive type screw.

One last thing to consider is that if there is a stud located where the 2x6 blocking wants to go then you will have to install the blocking in two pieces. This increases the width of the cutout hole considerably.


What is this yellow fluid in my sump pump? I was cleaning out a clogged sump pump for my first time (is been cleaned before but not by me).  During this I opened the top of the pump and saw what looked like a yellow solid but it turned out to be a liquid.  At first I thought it was some sort of dirty water that hadn't drained from the pump but when I dumped some of it out I saw some coiled wires.  I stopped but by that time I spilled some of it on my hands and a lot of it on the ground.

What is the liquid and how toxic is it?  The sump pump was from the late 80's, so I don't know what types of liquids they used then or if the liquid has been replaced since then.  Its been 30 minutes since the spill and I feel fine but want to be sure.

Also, can I pick up the liquid at a local store to replace what spilled out?

Well, if it's from the late 80s, then it shouldn't contain any PCBs.

That liquid is probably a dielectric oil with a high viscosity. That would explain why you were thinking it's a solid. They're non-conductive mineral oils and as oil does, it displaces water.

Treat it like a motor oil spill. Here's an MSDS sheet for Shell Morlina oil which is probably similar.


Where do I find an exterior plumbing box? We had to break the stucco on the second story exterior to replace the shower/tub valve.  I need a box with a cover to replace the stucco so it can be accessed at a later date.

Where would I find something like this?

Are you sure? You should have full access through the escutcheon plate for valve & shut-offs. Access panels aren't actually there for re-plumbing, since the plumbing's good for 100-years.

Access panels were there in the old days because valves didn't have cartridges & needed access for servicing & for operating shut-off valves, not that much of anything had local shut-offs back then. You rarely see access panels anywhere anymore because of the took way-way too long technology.

Otherwise, if you want one get just a panel cover at the store so you can insulate the valve. Instead of possibly having no ability to insulate with a tight shallow box of some kind.


Repairing holes in an interior door Well, um, uh, long story short, I have holes in one of my interior doors.

Full picture of door here: https://i.imgur.com/SUBbWY3.jpg

What is the best way to go about repairing it? Should I go about this similar to fixing holes in drywall? Should I find replacement wood to go into the holes? I am concerned about the amount of missing material. I am not sure if tons of spackle paste would work well as the other question's answer states.

Another trick, actually a variation of that of @agentp, is to use wire mesh (also called hardware cloth) instead of a wood strip.  Choose one with small holes, 1/8" if you can find it, 1/4" is real common in the building stores. It is particularly useful when the thickness of the material is thin (as in the case of interior hollow-core doors 1/8" luan or mahogany plywood is typical)resulting in a patch that would be thin and prone to cracking out.  The holes in the mesh allow for more of the filler to pass into it and lock the patch in place, much like wire lath in traditional plaster work.  The down side is it is harder to glue in place and needs a more viscous product like liquid nails. The basic procedure is the same.

Cut a strip of wire mesh that will just fit into the hole width-wise but is several inches longer.
Apply ample Liquid Nails or similar viscous/thick general purpose construction adhesive to the ends of the mesh strip.
Tie string on the mesh such that they will be near the edges of the hole.
Thread the mesh into the hole, holding the strings so not to lose
the strip in the door cavity.
Tie the strings to a wood slat that spans the hole, paint stirring
sticks work great and can be picked up for free.
Give the construction adhesive plenty of time to dry.
Patch the hole with a quality wood filler. Plan on doing it in a
couple coats since the fist coat will want to press though the mesh
and be nearly impossible to get smooth.

Sand, prime and paint.

Much more involved way but potentially more sturdy repair.
Another way to go about fixing holes in paint-grade thin panels is to fill them with with a plug.  But it assumes that you have a number of tools at your disposal and it if you don't it would probably be cheaper to pick up a new door blank and just replace the entire door.  This suggesting may not work on yours if the wood between the holes is too damaged.  In the pictures, it looks like it could be split.

You need to have sharp holes saws, and not the one or two tooth varieties for fast wood boring, they will tear thin plywood.  You need to have a size that is just a little larger than the hole and then another that will cut a piece that is just barely under the size of the hole cut by the other hole saw. Or you could use the same and just use more filler to make up the 1/8" or so difference.  You will need plywood the same thickness as the door panel, typically 1/8".  You will need at least one piece of plywood 1/2" to 3/4" thick and nearly as wide as the door that will become a hole-saw guide.  You will need two scraps of plywood several inches square and two clamps that will open wide enough to accept the hole-saw guide thickness, the door thickness and the scraps thickness. Polyurethane wood glue, like gorilla glue for example. Wood filler.  Minwax make a "High performance" wood filler that is a two-part system that works well and is very similar to Bondo, just not red. Putty knife, sanding block (can wrap sandpaper around block of wood is fine), sandpaper, window scraper, and wood slats like paint stir sticks.

Hole saws are guided by a pilot bit, but that means there has to be material for the pilot bit to bore into.  You take the piece of plywood that will be the hole saw guide and set it across the door width next to a hole and mark on it were the hole is and then position it carefully so the mark is the center of the hole, clamps it to the door using the scraps to protect the other side of the door.  You then use the hole saw to drill a hole through the guide plywood and into the door panel, do not drill into the opposite door panel with the pilot bit or hole saw. This takes careful control and the door should be taken down and put on saw horses by the way. Also, the pilot bit can be adjusted so that only a 1/2" or so is past the hole saw.  You do this for all the holes in the door.

Then you use glue the slats into the holes as you would in @agentp advice above.  While that glue is drying, cut enough plugs from the 1/8" plywood with the larger hole saw.  Use a scrap of plywood as back and clamp them together and onto a study work surface.  Use some sandpaper to clean up the splinted edges and make sure the back is flat.  Glue the plugs to the wooden slats in the door.  Spread the glue thin so you don't have the plug higher than the surface of the door.  Place a weight in the center of each plug and let it all dry.

The polyurethane glue will expand out around the plug.  When it is dry you can slice it off with a sharp window scraper, the kind with a single edge razor blade in it.  The mix the filler in small batches very well but not too long (follow the instructions on it) and fill the hole in the center of the plug and the around its edges.  Work quickly and don't try to go back over the same place too much.  Better to have to do more coats than deal with a mess from dragging the patch that is curing out.  Leave as little patch on the surface of the door as you can.  More careful coats are better than few sloppy coats.  Clean your putty knife with the window scraper and some acetone or MEK in between mixing batches. Also clean the mixing container well too. Partially cured patch will cause new batches to cure too fast.

Let the patch dry until all the tackiness is gone and then sand.  100 grit, 150 grit then 220 grit should give a nice smooth surface.  You will have to smooth into the existing paint films when sanding to make the patch invisible.

This will be a lot of work but will make a better patch. When done very carefully it can even work with non-paint grade doors and wood paneling patches but can be hard to match grain and pattern and is never really invisible, in which case you would cut the plugs on a drill press with a circle cutter and use a forstner bit on the door panel if possible (depends on size of hole). But with that many holes that close together, it may really be a new door blank is the better way to go.  If you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in your area you may be able to get a door blank or even a pre-hung and just give them back the frame, for less or equal that it would be to buy supplies and maybe tools if you don't have them to try and patch the door.


What is the timeline for broken plumbing to cause damage to a house's foundation? Assume a plumbing main breaks for whatever reason, and sewage begins to leak into the foundation of a house.

What is the typical timeline for events to play out? For example, plumbing breaks on day x, noticeable smells can be detected by day y, plumbing goes unfixed for z days, sewage continues to leak into the foundation until x days, foundation begins to shift at y days, cracks become visible in home's structure around z days, etc, so on and so forth.

Obviously, there are many factors involved that would cause these to differ from house to house, but I would like to get an overall general idea of the series of events.

The answer to your question is that there is no answer - there are just so many variables that it's really impossible to answer with anything quantitative.

The biggest variable is how much water is going down the drain.  If you had a clog but very little water usage, it could be days before you saw anything on your basement floor. If you have a family of 8 taking showers every day it will show a lot quicker.

The smells start being noticable when sewage starts backing up on your floor, until then its unlikely you'd notice anything.  Again, this can vary.  If you are just putting fresh water down your drain, it might never smell.  My neighbour didn't notice until they had several feet of water in their basement!

The rate of deteroiration will depend on age and condition of foundation beforehand, temperature, soil conditions, what the house was built on, quality of construction, thickness of foundation, etc.


Where would I connect the C wire in my HVAC system? I'm upgrading the thermostat with a Eco Bee WIFI one. Where do I connect the C cable? (Rheem 15 to 20 years old.)

From the CT (control transformer) Red and Black are 240v Line Voltage, stay away from those. The two yellows are 24v, one yellow connects to Red wire R connection, that's 24vac to the thermostat. The other yellow is the C/0v connection.
Without an actual picture of the termination it is hard to advise how to make the tap/splice.
Edit: Be sure to turn off electrical power to the furnace before accessing the controls. Many older furnaces had no reason to and no intention of making a C (otherwise called the Common or 0v reference) available for controls. That wire often runs straight to a control device and is terminated to a stake-on or soldered directly to a device, then daisy chains to all the components that need the C for controls. If you look at the control diagram you see one yellow goes straight out of the middle on the right side of the Control Transformer, turns up and then veers off to a device (fan relay) marked BR. That is the C wire. The termination on the relay has several dashed wires connected, those are for furnace/AC/ventilation options you may not have been installed in your furnace. Often there is a forked termination with spare blades sticking up for those unused options that you can use if you have the appropriate sized stake-on for the thermostat cable. If there isn't a forked termination, you don't have the right stake-on, or it is a soldered connection then you will need to cut that yellow wire somewhere in the middle and make a 3-wire splice with an appropriate sized wire connector.


Faking a hardwood floor or flat surface in a carpeted office My office chair is on a thin plastic office mat with cleats on top of thin shag carpeting but i find the chair rolls around and that mat constantly moves. it drives me crazy. What can I put on top of the carpet for the same feel as a hardwood floor so I can enjoy sitting at my desk again?

Buy another chair mat. It sounds like you have smooth bottomed one that is designed for use on a tile, concrete or wooden floor.

There are other chair mats that have short bumpy things on the bottom that grab into the carpet to keep it from moving around. They look like this:


How is the toilet tank itself refilled? We learned here:

Purpose of Fill Valve Tube Going into Overflow Drain

...that the fill valve sends water directly into the overflow drain...and that fills the bowl.

However, how does the tank (directly or indirectly) get filled?

By the valve operated by the float.

As the water rises in the tank the float floats and at a certain height that closes the valve which stops filling the tank as it is ready for the next flush.


Is there a wireless thermostat that will make relocating easier? I've got a single zone which covers all three upstairs bedrooms in my home and the thermostat is located in the master bedroom.  We prefer it to be somewhat cooler at night, but the baby in the nursery would be better off with a warmer room. (We have a hydronic system with baseboard radiators, just heat no cooling.)

Moving it is doable since I have attic access, but it seems like an easier solution would be to use some kind of wireless system - the temperature sensor would go in the nursery while the "brains" would connect in the master bedroom in place of the existing thermostat.

I searched for such an animal on Amazon and didn't really come up with anything at a reasonable price.  Can anyone suggest a product that they've used?  If it's more than $100 I'll probably just physically relocate it... but it really seems like something like this should exist!

I'm really happy with my Honeywell wireless thermostat. Battery lasts a very long time and it works through 4 floors. A quick Google search shows several options below $100... Something like this for $65 perhaps? Not the one I have though and not sure if it includes the receiver.


Toilet won't fill if water supply is on high The fill valve on my new toilet guts shuts off instantly if the water  supply knob  is turned on all the way. FYI my knob only turns a quarter turn to have the  water on all the way.

It literally shuts off within one second of flushing and obviously no water fills the tank.

I have to shut the water supply valve under the toilet off and back on part way to get the toilet to fill. When the water shuts off I also get the hammer sound. I have tried two different fill valves  in two days and the same thing occurs with both.

The modern style float is not even touching the water as the toilet might get 100 ml

The type of valve is the kind with no ball float, its the new style

I've had a similar problem and it was due to an "Auto Burst Detecting" supply line.

Something similar to this: http://media.wattswater.com/F-FloodSafe.pdf

The high flow of water is "Detected" by the FloodSafe line.  This causes it to trip and shut off the line as it thinks the high flow of water is caused by a broken line.   My solution was to just leave the valve partially off and live with the long toilet fill times.

Note: Leaving the valve partially off will most likely defeat the purpose of the FloodSafe line (As it cannot have high enough flow to detect a burst line).


Can I use a regular E26 LED bulb as a replacement for a refrigerator light bulb? The light bulb in my refrigerator burned out. It was a 40w incandescent appliance bulb like such:

I'm wondering if there is any reason I can not put a 9watt A19 LED bulb such as this one (home depot link) in the fridge?

I've read this question, but it is concerned with the heat from an oven. Heat obviously would not be an issue here. On the contrary I'm thinking that the LED would be helpful to the fridge (heat output of the incandescent bulb vs the LED).

Can I use a regular LED bulb as a replacement for an appliance bulb in a refrigerator?

In theory, any LED bulb should work. There are bulbs designed specifically for refrigerator/freezer use like this one. The bulb you listed is a 60-watt equivalent, which might actually be too bright - due to glare you really don't want your refrigerator to have too much light as it can actually make it harder to see things, as counter-intuitive as that may seem. The bulb I linked to mentions vibration resistance, among other things. In theory, "appliance bulbs" in general should be a bit more "heavy duty" than regular bulbs.


Are dedicated neutrals required in conduit? I am wiring a new screened in porch to include a receptacle, ceiling fan and 2 light fixtures.  I am tapping into an existing 20A circuit.  The starting point is 12/2 coming into a 3 gang box.  The physical layout is

3 gang box -> light 1
           -> [[(receptacle) -> fan -> 2 gang box -> light 2]]

In other words, the 3 gang box contains switches for the ceiling fan (regular on/off switch) and two 3-way switches for the two lights.  From this box, one of the lights (light 1) is connected with 12/2.  The rest go through 3/4 PVC conduit outside into the screened in porch.  The receptacle is un-switched.

First on this conduit run is the un-switched receptacle.  Next comes the fan.  At the other end of the porch is a 2 gang box with 3 way switches for the two lights (so I can turn them on from inside or outside).  After this 2 gang box we end the run with the last light.

Since I am in conduit is it legal to do this (all 12g wire):

1 Hot (un-switched) to receptacle
1 Hot (switched) to fan
4 travelers between the 2 2-way switches in each box
1 switched hot from 2 gang box back to light1
1 switched hot from 2 gang box to light2
1 neutral that connects to receptacle/fan/light
1 ground that connects to receptacle/fan/light.

This needs to pass inspection since it all falls under a building permit.  My main question is the neutral - Do I need to run dedicated neutral wires for the receptacle, fan and light through the conduit?  Or can I have them "share" one?  I heard a rule that "each hot must have a neutral" but that that it didn't apply with conduit?

Thanks

Yeah, that's fine.

However you are going to lose your mind if you don't color-code.  Get your lengths, then phone around to electrical supply houses for one that'll give you better price-per-foot wire than the atrocious big box prices.  Or just buy several colors of tape to mark wire ends. I would go

Neutral: white
Always-hot:  black
switched hot to fan: red
messenger group 1: yellow (both messengers can be the same color, no need to distinguish them)
messenger group 2: orange
switched hot back to light 1: blue
switched hot to light 2: red

Or any other colors, only rule is hots can't be white, gray or green.


Lost small screw in sink, can I open tubing to retrieve? I accidentally lost a small screw into my sink. This screw is a special screw for a toilet paper holder and cannot be replaced easily.

The sink has this L-shaped tubing with a large bottom part in it. I think it’s called a bottle trap (see picture 1). I was thinking that I could unscrew the connector nuts and get the small screw from he bottle trap. Is that feasible and if so what precautions should I take to protect the tubing and bottle trap?

The connector nuts are like this:

That style of sink drain that you show has a trap at the bottom. A trap on a sink, regardless of the style you show or the traditional U style, serves two purposes:

Catch things that people drop down the drain
Prevent sewer gasses from coming up

This means that any water device that has a drain in a house must have some trap. IF your sink did not have the one shown in the picture, chances would have been that it is down stream somewhere.  In both styles, you simply can unscrew where it attaches with a wrench of appropriate size and the trap comes off.

Note: Keep in mind that after retrieving your item to let water flow through it for a little bit again as this puts a layer of water back in the trap which is what really protects from sewer gasses.


Should I secure a free-standing vanity sink to prevent drain pipe damage? I recently installed a free-standing vanity sink in my laundry room, similar to the one pictured below.

Due to the configuration of the drain and supply pipes in the room, the sink could not be installed in the room's corner.

Because the unit is free-standing and not attached or adjacent to an existing structure, I am concerned that pushing or bumping into the sides of the unit, or even opening the drawer too quickly may put unneeded stress on the plastic/pvc drain pipes.

Is this a common concern for these types of installations?  If so, what is a common way to address the issue?  I plan to build a counter between the room's corner and one side of the unit in the future, so that will mitigate some of my concerns.

Shoot a couple 3" screws through the back of the cabinet into a stud.  (Be sure to not hit your supply or drain lines, etc.)

If you need to get to the cleanout, just pull those two screws.

Or do the same basic thing, but screwed into the floor.


Will replacing filament light bulbs with non-dimmable LED bulbs damage the bulbs and/or a dimmer? I have replaced filament light bulbs with non-dimmable led bulbs using existing dimmer switch. This combination seams to work well. Will this damage the bulbs or the circuit.

Yes, using non-dimmable lamps on a dimmer will eventually damage one or the other. Usually the lamps will suffer, specifically the driver in the LED.

Using the dimmer on full high should be OK, but you have to be careful to keep it that way.


finishing attic above garage I have a 2 car garage about 20 by 20 in size. Planning to build an attic storage/bonus room above it.The space above garage measures about 18 by 20 with minimum hight of 6 feet, and an access can be build from 2nd floor hallway/bedroom.
Should I worry if the foundation of the garage is strong enough for the attic, before reinforce the attic floor?

Thanks so much in advance for your answer.

That would depend on how good the foundation is. Normally, the foundation is adequately overbuilt that it's not a concern. The weak link in this sort of conversion is USUALLY the "attic" floor above the garage wich is typically marginal even for light storage, and far from occupancy loads, over a very long span. Bringing that up to an adequate structure is a significant project if it was not built as such from the start.


Breaker panel to transfer switch I have a 10 breaker transfer switch (reliance), and I want to pair up two more breakers from my breaker panel to the one breaker on the transfer switch. The two breakers just are for lights from the panel to lights on the transfer switch and all are 20 amps.  This won't all be used at the same time. Is this against code? The amp draw will be minimal.

Never.  You cannot splice the output of 2 breakers together, EVER.

North American wiring is done in a "tree" topology, with unlimited branches permitted.  I mention this because most of the time, you see a "vine" topology, and people think that is somehow required.

What this means for you is that your FORMER 2 circuits can be rearranged to be branches of 1 circuit.  The 1 circuit lands on 1 circuit breaker.  The other breaker then goes unused, leave it in place so you don't have a gaping hole in your panel.

With this conversion done, the way to work it with your transfer switch becomes obvious.

Since you got a huge transfer gang-switch, and even 10 circuits is not enough for you, I must honestly say you would've been better off going another way: a subpanel.   You get a $130 subpanel, two "main" breakers for $9 each,  a $30-60 interlock kit, and each generatable circuit lands on the subpanel instead of the main using regular breakers in the normal way.  No restrictions on number of 120 vs 240 circuits, and as many circuits as your panel has spaces, minus 4 for the interlock.


How can I use cordless drill batteries in projects? I found this project on Make for an automatic ball thrower for your dog, and am in the process of wrapping it up.

For power, I'm using a cordless drill battery. (Specifically, a Ryobi lithium one+ 18v battery)

I've seen a lot of projects out on the web where people just use electrical tape to wrap the leads of their wire to the battery, but this seems a bit ghetto to me.

In all of the tools, the batteries "snap" into place. Is there some kind of battery mount that snaps a cordless drill battery into place and provides some leads to solder wires to? My google-fu just results in how to rebuild a cordless drill battery, which is NOT what I am looking to do.

If you are willing to sacrifice a battery charger, you could gut the charging circuitry out of the charger housing and wire it as a battery dock.


Master Shower Won't Get Hot Unless Another Faucet is Turned On We have a brand new gas & electric water heater.  Purchased in 2013.  For some reason, when we turn on the hot water in the master shower, it only gets lukewarm unless one of the sink faucets is also turned on.

I know another person posted a similar question, however, ours is not a tankless water heater.  Ours is a 70-gallon water heater.

As a note, we do have a timed circulator attached to the heater.  And we have set it to run at the right times.  Even still, the shower wont' get hot unless we also turn on a sink.

Another note, we've also removed the mesh inside the shower head so there is no restriction on the water pressure.

Any advice would be of great help!
Thanks in advance,
Lilly

I had a similar problem and it was the the anti-scald function of the shower faucet(which works off water pressure).  I had to pull the handle and trim off of the shower valve and adjust the valve with a little allen wrench.


plaster shower walls, how to do them today? I have an American 1950's home. It appears the previous owner covered original plaster walls with an inexpensive glue together shower panel system. Most of the homes in the area were built with tile bathtub/shower walls, but mine seems to have never been tile.  I am considering removing all the original plaster down to the studs, then recovering with cement board and plaster.

I looked around here, the best post I find is How to better waterproof the shower area? which points out it does not matter much what you cover the wall with it is what is behind that matters.  I searched google a bit and found several walls that seemed to be plaster.

Random example

What is the recommended approach for plastering walls in a shower?  Are there any specific products or practices that I should or should NOT use?

What you cover the walls with certainly does matter if it can be damaged by water, as many forms of plaster can--such as modern gypsum plaster, which softens and disintegrates in the presence of water. The only way I can imagine a plaster shower working is if you perfectly waterproof the cementboard with a paintable waterproofing membrane like RedGard (preferred) or poly sheeting behind the cementoard, and then use old-fashioned lime plaster, and then paint the lime plaster with multiple coats of a waterproof but vapor-permeable silicate mineral paint or some other type of vapor-permeable waterproofing agent.

But this is a totally non-expert perspective; I have never built a plaster shower and the whole idea sounds risky and ill-advised to me. If you want to go with this approach, you should probably bring in a pro.


Hot water pipe sticking up in back yard? Found that a copper pipe coming out of ground in back yard is the Hot Water pipe for the house.  Turn on the Hot Water, the pipe gets hot.

It is sticking up out of the ground and think this is NOT GOOD!  Would this be normal for a house on a slab built around 1956 in Texas?

Seems like it should be either running through the house or through the slab, not the back yard!  It has a "nick" in the top of the pipe, so now getting worried it might start leaking, let alone the fact that it is sticking out of the ground.  Would think it should have been buried about 4-8 ft down, not on the surface....

Any ideas?

I understand Ecnerwal's explanation and what to do, just not sure I want to be the one doing it or that its a good long term solution.

Having worked on building houses over the years, I've done anything from framing to electrical wiring.  Even hung drywall, thrown mud and done simple texturing, but that's an art I've never been good at.

One thing I've never done is run copper pipe.  We always had a plumber come in and do this on the houses we built.  Seemed like a lot of soldering and pipe bending - with a lot of patience.  What I have never seen is sending a water line, either hot or cold, out through the yard to come back in on the other side of the house.  This is where I think the 'jury rigging' has taken place.  When?  Who knows.  My concern is, why?

The home was built in 1956(7), so maybe the pipes went bad somewhere?  Regardless, I would have thought they would run the pipe into the ground next to the house, not out of the house a good 10 feet, then back in (and built a deck over it!).  I can certainly bury the pipe again, but I plan on putting in sprinklers and gutters to pipe water to cisterns.

If I hadn't noticed this, the PVC pipes from the gutters would have cut right into this pipe when we did lay those.  Should I be looking to rework this piping against the house slab foundation and bury there?

Most of my building experience was in CA. Is this normal for Texas?

My thought at this point is to call a plumber and see what they think.

Just trying to get some ideas / opinions so I'm at least half way informed before I start paying out big bucks for a little issue (hopefully!).

Carefully dig it out (a garden hose may be useful for "hydro-excavating" right next to the pipe, otherwise some careful trowel and shovel work) and figure out where it does run, then you can decide what to do about it. Beware of possible other poorly buried items while you are digging (wires, etc.)

Assuming you have to work with where it comes out of the garage (Point G) and where it goes into the house(Point H), dig deeper and bury it deeper, reconfiguring the line to fit the deeper trench, and insulating it very well (buried hot water line sounds like cash leaving your wallet in a hurry.) Remove the damaged section of line while you are at it, or change everything between Point G and Point H to PEX.

One relatively good technique for insulating underground lines is to build a box of XPS styrofoam around the pipe and fill that box with polyurethane foam; I'm not sure if you'd have to do anything special to make it termite-resistant, those are not an issue where most people I know are using them to protect heating lines running outside between buildings.

If you would prefer NOT to run it where it runs now, that is certainly an option under "and decide what to do about it" especially if you are up for tearing into the house as much as needed for re-routing the line inside the house.


Is it ok to store a table saw outdoors in a crate? I recently purchased my first table saw - a Ridgid R4518 or similar model number. My only 'indoor' storage space is a small side shed that houses my water heater - it's very difficult to get the saw to fit through the door and I also have other items I want to store in there as well, and the table saw takes up too much room.
I recently purchased a few sheets of cheap (er, really expensive right now) plywood and built a crate with a swinging door that I keep under my car port. It shouldn't be hit by rain directly but might get some spray during heavy thunder storms. I plan to line the edges/corners with waterproof tape just in case, as well as wrap a tarp around it if there is severe weather incoming.
My question is - should I be concerned that this will cause long term issues with the table saw? Either due to condensation causing rust or something else? I live in the US southeast about 4 hours away from the ocean so I'm not concerned about salt, however it does still get very humid at times.

Table saw tables are often made of cast iron, which is very susceptible to rust. I keep a plywood cover on mine at all times because a humid day can cause an orange film to form. There are products that help with that, but they need to be applied after each use.
I suggest that you try and cover or seal moisture out of the table, if not the motor and other metal components. Desiccant material can help absorb moisture in the air, but you won't reduce humidity if not in a contained space. Any exchange of outdoor air will render it ineffective.


Drywall thickness for placing over ceiling drywall The ceiling in a family room I'm getting ready to work on is rather beat up with cutouts and nail holes but not to the point of needing to replace it. The joists are on 16" centers.
I want to go over it with new drywall and thought I would just put quarter-inch up. However, I read two places where someone said they were using 3/8-inch drywall to go over it.
So should I use 3/8-inch or is 1/4-inch OK?

Ceilings require 5/8" or 1/2" no-sag for 24" joist span. If you're able to screw it at 16" intervals or use adhesive between joists you could use standard 1/2". I wouldn't use 3/8" unless you have backing at 12" intervals or run adhesive between joists. 1/4" just isn't appropriate for a ceiling.
Update: For 16" joist span I'd use 1/2" or run a bead of construction adhesive between joists and use 3/8". I wouldn't trust 3/8" to not sag over 16", and 1/4" almost certainly will. Note that it can be difficult to prevent screw punch-through with 3/8" sheets. Set your screw gun's depth accurately.
Personally I'd be spending a few bucks more for lightweight 1/2" and not worry about glue or sagging. This will reduce the chance of over-stressing your ceiling framing, also.


Cut Floor joists for HVAC I own an old home, circa 1919. In the 70's, when the new furnace was installed, they cut through the floor joists to run the air ducts. Awesome. So in direct correlation to those cut joists, are outside cracks in the stucco.

So....Where do I even start? Can I reroute the ducts just a little bit? It's not a living-type basement. I don't care about the ceiling/headroom. Then I can fix the floor joists?

Sigh. Please advise. Anything would be appreciated.

Yeah, that wasn't very smart of them. Fixing the stucco is likely a bandage for the issue they created here.

You'll have to move the vents and then sister a beam on both sides of the cut. First, get two construction jacks to raise the beams back to level. Next, sistering involves buying some new boards that are the same size as the cut ones. Then you construction adhesive the new boards and pass bolts through all 4 boards to hold them together. You'll probably want to fill the void the duct work left as well.

It's worth consulting with a structural engineer to ensure nothing else is wrong.


Get phone signal where there's no signal I have a tiny house between two hills, in a mountain area. For few weeks I've been searching how to get phone signal there.

There are two problems:

there is no electricity
the hills are blocking the signal from the antenna tower

I think the electricity problem is not a concern for now—I can use a generator or build something that will produce enough power for the things I need.

I'm wondering how to get phone signal, including a good 3G connection which will allow me browse the internet, eventually.

What would be the most reliable way to get phone signal at my house?

I imagine the scenario is like this:

             /\                   ___
  /\        /  \   ______________/      \
 /  \      /    \_/
/    \__/

My idea: build a high enough tower near me house and put on top of it an gsm antenna which will bring the signal down in my house. However I don't know:

What would be the best way to build such a tower (I want to build it on my land, not affecting my neighbours' lands—e.g. by adding long wires to sustain my tower)?
How can I find what's the minimal height where I can get strong enough signal? I've been thinking to use a drone which will take my phone in the sky and using an app to screenshot the phone screen from time to time, but I'm not sure how that will work. Maybe there are better ways?
Probably an antenna would need electricity. What is the best way to get electricity from in this case?
Ultimately, what's the name of this job? How can I find experts in my area who are good in such measurements and eventually guide me on the implementation?

Satellite phone is not a solution in my case since there are no companies around providing that.

Google Earth is actually quite helpful without fussing with drones at getting a pretty good idea of the profile along a path. You have to look for it, but it's there in the detailed information about the path. Bring up GE, find you, find the tower, draw a path. There are probably other programs, but that's the one I happen to know and use. Radio signals do not propagate through dirt (or very poorly) so you need the antenna high enough that it can see the antenna at the other end.

Antenna towers of any significant height are expensive and can be hazardous if not built correctly (thus, expensive - cheaper to construct a properly engineered expensive at the outset tower than to have a large cheap home-made antenna tower fall on people, houses, vehicles...)

Solar panels, a charge controller and batteries are often the best source of power for an off-grid antenna system. Fueled generators are expensive to run, long-term. Solar systems are expensive at first, but inexpensive to run if properly constructed.

Generically, you are looking at (normally antenna) tower construction. Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) might be another path to investigate.

Coming to an arrangement with landowners of the top of one of the hills, and along the path from your house to the top of the hill may be considerably cheaper than building a large antenna tower.

For smallish antenna towers, sometimes a large flagpole will work. Many of those are arranged so that the pole can be easily lowered to the ground, making it comparatively easy/safe to install and maintain the device on the top of them. Other towers need to be climbed, and that is a hazardous occupation in and of itself.


How can I tell when my steam boiler needs water? I just moved into a house with a gas-boiler steam system that provides heat (in-floor) and also runs the hot water tank. It works well enough but the floor heat seems a little weak.

In a previous boiler-heated apartment the system worked poorly until we noticed that the water gauge on the boiler was near zero. We hooked up the supply, ran it til the needle went from red to green, and just like that it ran great again.

I'm wondering if something similar could be at play here. The new system has a pressure gauge and supply inlet but the dial is just 0-10 bar, no "target" shown. How do I know if it's low? If it is, how do I know what to fill it to?

Questions  Is the floor a radiant system with the piping in the floor like concrete or under the floor (tubing running under the floor between the joists). It makes a difference. You said the system was steam but if is that would be odd.  I am going to say that you mean hot water. One note; a radiant floor heating system has a large lag time, the house does not respond quickly to a thermostat change of a quick weather change. Also if it is a radiant slab system in concrete the slab water temp is rarely above 140 degrees F. I think you need to call a heating expert.( D. George)


How can I improve my crawlspace's heating efficiency in the winter? Home is located in NE Pennsylvania. Some details:

Crawlspace

Runs entirety of the home's footprint (~1000sqft)
Approximately 5' high
1/2 (2.5') Below grade
Vapor barrier on the floor, sump pump
Cinder block walls, piers
Incoming water pipe, water heater (40gal tank, electric), and water piping for home is in crawlspace
Has vents to outside - closed in fall/winter (condensation not an issue in NE PA)

Currently I have an electric heater hanging from the rafters set to about 48º that is thermostatically controlled (this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AXEZV/ ). This heats the crawlspace during the cooler months to maintain an above-freezing temperature.

The home is occupied only on the weekends in the winter, and empty during the week. While unoccupied I turn off the incoming water with a valve, and drain the upstairs completely. The downstairs (just above the crawl space) is not drained. Rooms without plumbing are shut, rooms with plumbing have baseboard heaters set to 42ºF with the doors/cabinet doors opened.

(some details about inside: there is a single mini-split unit in the main area of the home set to 48ºF that maintains the temperature in the entirety of the home while unoccupied. Also inside is a newly-installed propane ventless fireplace with millivolt remote and thermostat feature - minimum setting of 45ºF. (I haven't tried using this to maintain non-freezing temps yet - not sure how I feel about having a fire burning in an unoccupied home).)

During January/February, 2019, while unoccupied the temperature would approach 0-15ºF, and the total daily energy usage would approach 60-100 kWh. Taken over a month at about $0.13/kWh, and an average usage of 80 kWh, this is about $10/day to heat the the crawlspace to 48ºF.

Fuel options in the home:

Liquid Propane - 120 gal tank exposed to elements
Electric (120v or 220v)

Here are some ideas I've considered to reduce crawlspace energy usage:

Heat tape on the pipes (plugs into 120v, heats only the pipes)
Install foam insulation board between piers below house and reduce the footprint needing heat (the pipes and water heater are on the front half of the 1000 sqft crawlspace - could reduce "envelope" to 500sqft)
Install liquid propane heater (I've read about condensation issues with propane heaters in crawlspaces - and combustion danger)
Drain the pipes (this is inconvenient because we use the house on the weekends)

Does anyone else have a similar plumbing situation / weather / occupancy rate in their home and have opinions on the suggested solutions for reducing energy usage while making sure the pipes don't burst when the temperature drops outside?

When I lived in Ohio I had my water heater and a pressure tank in a room under my front porch, their was a full basement. Trying to save some $ used foam board insulation around the two and used a small milk house heater on low set to ~ 40 degrees. then I had pipes in the floor freeze, I used heat tape it was a self regulating kind for use under a floor of a house I think it was made by 3m but that was many years back, after putting in the “foam room” and 2 strips of the heat tape our power bill dropped by 50$ a month and we never had another frozen pipe. My neighbor had a similar setup but used a heat lamp 300w but he did not know when it burned out and still had frozen pipes. I think the small heater was better because it had a thermostat, he said the heat lamp was better because it only drew 300w my heater was 1k or so on low and I use a similar heater today in my pump house they last a really long time if not turned All the way up and moved around. so that would be my suggestion a small insulated space and heater , then self regulating heat tape , make sure it is made for use under the floor, the last batch I purchased was by easy heat called freeze free, you have to buy ends separately but you cut it to length and it is listed for use under mobile homes and they are the fastest burning structures I know of, I only started using it 2 months ago but the end kits are way easier than the 3m type I have used in the past. (No connection to either product just make sure to find one for inside use)


Shut off valves to tankless hot water heater won't turn I'm trying to descale my tankless hot water heater but have run into an issue. When I go to turn the water off, both valves will not turn at all. They have two yellow handles (looks like Apollo brand) and I can't get them to budge. Is there some trick to these valves? Or is this just a sign that the previous owners haven't done this in a while and it's possible both valves are stuck (sigh...)...

Post a picture of the valves to clarify, but in my opinion those valves are blocked by limestone, so you have to replace them.


What do you think this roof construction is? What roof construction is used to get the curved hips?

There are several ways to do this but given that the building is small, not in the Far East, and obviously not an expensive architecture demonstration, the builder probably simulated carved rafters by adding carved wedges or stacked wedges to standard rafter beams.

Given the apparent age of the building, the roof cladding is probably 1" boards fastened horizontally, which would naturally follow the curvature of the modified beams. The builder could have chosen from 1" x 8" to 1" x 4" with the narrower boards being more work but giving a smoother curve.

If you were building this today you would probably want to use plywood cladding, so you would put it all together with strong fasteners like deck screws and just force the plywood into the desired shape.


Is the insulation/jacket of UF cable rodent-resistant/rodent-unpalatable? Is there something in the insulation/jacket of type UF cable that makes it unpalatable to rodents or resistant to rodent attack?  Or does it need to be protected from rodent damage when run outdoors, esp. aboveground? (Say, by pulling it through IMC or RMC, just like you'd do if it could be hit by an errant weedwhacker or car bumper.)

You may be able to find a UF cable that has a rodent repellent in it, but it's certainly not standard.  I have never seen it advertised on UF product packaging.  I have heard that some datacom / telecom cables that claim to have a rodent repellent jacket, and I have seen those same cables chewed to bits by some varmint that didn't mind the flavor.

If you are going to run power in conduit for rodent protection, you don't want to run UF, run single conductor wires rated for wet locations, such as THWN.  The only thing I can think of more troublesome than running NM in conduit would be UF.  Seal the conduit well at the ends to deter the little buggers from creeping down the pipe, they can infiltrate smaller conduit than you'd think.

I'd usually rather run conduit anyway with a buried cable.  If a rodent does eat your wire and it's in conduit, it's not too bad to pull a new wire.  If it eats direct buried UF, get your shovel.


Can I mix type N mortar mix and type M mortar mix? Can I mix type N mortar mix and type M mortar mix or does this have any adverse effects?

There is no specific purpose, I want to use up remainders.

The fundamental difference is in the proportion of portland cement. Type M has a higher amount, and is therefore better suited for below-grade and high-strength applications. Type N is appropriate for lighter duty.

If you don't need to meet the requirements of foundation walls, for example, go ahead and mix it up.

More information


Which types of decking are easiest to maintain? I live in Portland, OR. Rainy city.

I will be expanding the deck at my house and in the process, I'm thinking I might upgrade to something nicer than pressure treated doug fir.

I have a cousin that put in a Mahogany deck last year and it's really nice. The color and color variation really appeal to me. At the same time, my dentist told me about how he used IPE at his house and while it sounds like a pain to install, maintenance sounds to be a breeze, ie non-existent.

If I want a long lasting, deck, that requires minimal sealing and such while still looking nice, what do you recommend?

If budget is not a concern, you could go mahogany or teak.

If budget is a concern, I happen to like the look of the faux-wood polymer decking "boards" such as the PVC ones from Lowes. I'm sure there are several other brands/types, too.


Ceiling Fan Wiring Confusion P2 The 2 black + 1 white is my always-hot bundle. I won't use it (unless I want to power the fan 24x7 and use a remote on it). The 2 white is the neutral bundle. My fan will need that. The loose black is the switched-hot from the switch. (it is the partner wire to the oddball white from above). This is the switched-hot for the fan.

So if my fan came with a generic 1 black, 1 blue, 1 white, and 2 green ground wires, how would I go about connecting them to the neutral bundle and switched-hot? I’d assume the black and blue goto the switch and the white to the neutral bundle, but where would the ground goto? Thanks for helping this novice!

White

obvious

Green(s)

Look to see if any ground wires are present in the junction box.  If any, attach to them and also attach the metal box to them.

If no wires but an obvious metallic pipe entering box, then attach to the metal box via a #10-32 screw; they sell suitable green-painted screws 10 for a buck, or 10 for $3 with cute little ground pigtails attached.

If no evidence of any ground, then hmmm. Leave it detached; this is better than "islanding a ground", which wouldn't actually ground anything and would only cause the islanded locations to share ground faults.

Blue and Black

One of them powers the fan.  The other does nothing; or it powers a light which you haven't mentioned.

If you want the thing switched by the switch, attach it to the switched-hot wire.  Your other option is to connect it to always-hot and let it run 24x7 or control it via another means.

Given that you only have one light switch, it appears you must switch fan and light together, unless you want to obtain some sort of remote or smart switch with a companion fan module up there, and use that to separately control fan and light. In that case, ask how to wire it - it'll be quite different.

Building Codes absolutely require that a light switch, in the obvious, usual location, operate a practical light in the room. That is not to save you from yourself, that is for the safety and benefit of your guests and to help first responders do their job.

The only exception to the "light switch" rule is if you are willing to hardwire the lighting on and burn it 24x7, but a nightlight won't do, it needs to be practical room lighting.


Help identify this breaker panel config I'm confused about the power available to me by looking in this breaker box. I'm thinking of leasing this space, which is an office/retail shop.
Wall outlets have both 120 and 240 volt outlets. Owner does not know if 240 wrks but assumes it does. Breaker box has 2 breakers that say "30" on them, and below that two areas that say 10 kA 120/240V.
I've been reading about "double pole", and I don't think this is since it would have one bar going across both breakers.  Does this look like 2 separate 30 amp circuits at 120v (totaling 60 amps @ 120v), but if you use a 240v outlet, it would be the equivalent of 30 amps because the two combine? (Or 15 amps each circuit?)  What is the yellow bar at the bottom?
When it reads 30 amps per circuit, I've read that really means maybe 24 amps are available. Does this mean I can't plug in something that says it requires 30 amps?
I have a piece of equipment (forced air tunnel dryer) I may want to purchase in the future, and the requirements are single phase 1750 Watt 30 amp  240 volt. Would this work on this system? And if so, would that mean I can't plug anything else in?
Currently I have two heat presses, each need 1750 watts 15-20 amps 120 volt. Can I plug both of these in the system?  I would assume yes, and I might have a small amount left over for other things.
The owner unfortunately is no help, and I'm trying to figure out this all myself. Thanks for your help in advance!
SEE PHOTO HERE:

Not quite:  You have 2 30 amp breakers at 240v, which means 60 amps at 240v and 120 amps at 120. It's an usual configuration, probably for some specific purpose in the past.  Are you sure there isn't another panel that feeds lighting and other 120v outlets?
Regarding 24 amps, vs 30, you are talking about derating for continuous loads (like lighting and heating).  I DK if your equipment is considered a continuous load or not...something for you to investigate. If in doubt, do the derating to be safe.
EDIT: adding to my answer based on @manassehkatx comment...you'll need to get some 15 or 20 amp breakers to run "convenience circuits" from this panel.   You can't turn a 30 amp 240 v circuit into a MWBC.
Lastly your comment about getting a piece of equipment that requires "1750 Watt 30 amp 240 volts" doesn't make a lot of sense to me, perhaps a typo?  Even a derated 30 amp 240v circuit could handle up to 5,760 watts (30 x 240 x 80% = 5,760) so, I'm not sure what the manufacturer is up about.


Using the outlet on an electrical stove for small appliances The outlet that is on the front panel of my electric stove is three prong and I have been using it for my coffee maker. Now because I've been looking into the wiring codes regarding another issue, I see that coffee makers/toasters/kettles should be on a 20amp circuit with 12 gauge wiring. So, I'm wondering if this is safe practice to plug the coffee maker into that stove outlet. Basically I'm thinking why would they put an outlet on a stove if you can't use it for a small appliance... (It's also quite an old stove.)

Also, is it safe to plug a kettle or toaster into an outlet that is wired with 14 gauge wire and a 15 amp circuit breaker?

Thanks.

The reason it is safe to plug small appliances into these kinds of outlets is because the wiring is enclosed in the frame of the stove and possibly high tempature rated insulation there is only 1 15amp outlet. The house wires are sized to protect the insulation as the wire can actually handle more than 5x the max code value but the insulation starts melting. Your house is wired with many plugs in parallel. As far as these devices needing to be on a 20 amp circuit this is not true almost no appliances require a 20 amp circuit and if they do 1 blade will be 90 degrees. From normal 15 amp plug so it can not be plugged into a 15 amp outlet. Current code requires 2 20 amp small appliance circuits, the reason for this was to reduce over loading with multiple appliances being used at the same time.


One of my glass shower doors shattered! How can I get it replaced? We purchased a small house that was built in the 80's, and the master bathroom has a shower equipped with sliding glass doors. All of the hardware seemed to be in fair condition at time of purchase, though I'll admit I didn't thoroughly inspect it.

A couple of weeks ago, while showering, one of the doors exploded. When I inspected the damage, it appeared one of the aluminum pins holding the track in the door had failed. I believe that this might have caused the tempered glass door to fall an inch or so onto the track, shattering it. Research into this problem seems to lend credibility to this being a rather common occurrence.

The other door, and the framing is still in great condition. Therefore, I'd like to not have to purchase a complete assembly. Unfortunately, I cannot find any markings on the door or framing that indicate who manufactured the door or any model numbers.

I took the dimensions for the door down to Home Depot, hoping to find if they sold just a single replacement door, but the department specialist said they did not. His advice was to buy a complete new assembly with framing, as he believed it would be near impossible to match the door.

I was wondering if anyone else who has gone through this issue, or something similar, has any advice on how I might be able to just get a single door replaced, rather than buying an entire shower door assembly kit. I still have the hardware from the door that broke, and have the measurements from the remaining glass door.

Are there shops that do this kind of custom work? If so, what am I looking for? Would the cost be less than buying an entire new assembly (roughly $300).

Check the yellow pages for custom glass shops.  They can make or custom order the tempered glass and may have common sizes in stock.  I replaced a large door a few years ago for on the order of $100 IIRC.  Many will do free estimates, and know the market well enough to tell you if you're wasting your time.

It may also be worth looking at some older, pre-Home Depot hardware/home improvement stores in your area as well.  You'd be surprised how static some of these product lines are, and many manufactures do in fact support their products with parts.

It's probably a long shot, time vs. money and all.  But the help at the box stores typically have no clue, so I wouldn't base much on their opinion.


How do I clean a stainless steel gas cooktop without harming the surface? How does one remove the burnt-on grease spots on a stainless steel gas cooktop without harming the stainless?  I have used all types of gentle detergents.

Try white vinegar with 5% or 10% acidity first. Weiman makes some great cleaners for stainless steel you can try too.

When I've burned food into my stainless steel pots the only thing that would get it out was to manually rub them with varying roughness's of stainless steel wool. This of course is going to alter the surface..


What kind of glue for shower drain? I have a shower drain cover which is loose.  I don't have any leaks, but the plastic grate that covers the drain hole is loose and slides around.  What kind of glue should I use to keep this plastic in place without making it too permanent?

Here is the bottom of the cover and the hole I wish it would stay in for a long while:

For drain covers with no screw holes and no option of screwing in itself we usually slap some plumber's putty on the bottom and smash it in.  With a screwdriver and a few tugs you can remove and reuse again but should keep it from moving.


How do I connect a lamp wire to an actual circuit? I've got an old lamp that we want to use as an overhead light fixture, which has lamp wire coming out of it. Currently, that wire terminates in the outlet prongs, but I intend to cut those off.

The question is, how do I safely connect that lamp wire to the overhead light circuit? Just hot to one wire and neutral to another? Somehow this seems not right to me.

I know it can be done, as there are plenty of examples of light fixtures with lamp wire going to the actual lights. I just don't know if those fixtures are hiding some sort of regulator or converter behind the scenes.

That's all there really is to it - white to white and black to black. If they are not color coded then the black wire should be connected to the pin at the bottom of the light socket.

This assumes your light is line voltage (120V in North America).  If it is not line voltage then there should be a transformer somewhere in the fixture already.


How to remove inaccessible screws from window handle? My window handles are defunct. The locking cylinder is missing from one, and the cylinder is loose and falls out of the one pictured. They are both locked shut permanently. Two screws hold it in place, one is accessible but the other is not. There is very little clearance to insert a tool to remove the bottom screw and the handle cannot be moved since it is locked shut. The clearance is about 5mm (shown in the second picture). Is there any specialist tool that could remove this screw?

It is by design that they are not easily removed while the window is locked. After all, why pick the lock when you can just unscrew the hardware....

You could have a locksmith open it.
Or, if these are to be replaced, you could drill the lock barrel out or cut the handle off with a grinder, oscillating tool, reciprocating saw or similar.


Fly in my house (Santa Clara County, California) Not exactly a DIY question. But I have recently noticed a lot of flies in my house. They look like mostly horse flies (completely black in color).

I have used electric impulse swing racquet to kill few of them, but after i kill 4-5 and area looks clear I see another 4-5 in some time (around an hour or so). so far within last 30 hours I might have killed around 60 flies in multiple batches of 5-7 flies at a time.

It has been raining here in Santa Clara County, California from past couple of weeks and was wondering if it can be the reason. To add to it I had been away and my house was closed for close to 1.5 months but there was no trash/food which was in open.

I also noticed similar fly insects in a unit close by my place.

So am wondering if its a seasonal thing (seeing it for the first time here in last 4 years).

Also if someone can recommend how to get rid of them.

Thanks

You may want to consider getting some fly paper. It is a sticky sheet that has an odor that attracts flies and they get stuck on when they land on it. Very efficient.

There are also fly sticker products that are a strip of the extremely sticky material that pulls out of a small round paper canister. These come with either a loop on the end for hanging or an integrated thumb tack so you can hang them from the ceiling in the room where the flies are most apt to congregate.

Growing up on a mid-west dairy farm in the '60s it was a common problem to have flies in the farm house so there was almost always a fly sticker hanging from the light fixture in the center of the kitchen dining area. Once the flies land on the sticky paper they may buzz for a short time before they give up and succumb to their fate.


How can I accommodate newer washing machines with older drains? There is a similar thread on this topic.  I've got a new LG WT1101CW top load washer and our drain pipe can't keep up with the flowrate coming from the washer.  It's a great idea to add a larger diameter tube to the drain pipe to allow the excess water time to drain away.
Is there any significance to the second 2" pipe at the outlet side of the trap? Or is this just another drain pipe coming from "upstairs"?

Is there any significance to the second 2" pipe at the outlet side of the trap?

No. The vertical pipe downstream of the trap is either another drain coming in from above or a vent stack. It isn't involved with the capability of the 3" section to provide some surge capacity for the draining washer.
(Well, I suppose it does add a little bit of capacity, insofar as water can fill that drain/vent pipe up to the level of the opening at the top of the 3" section. So that's a little bit of surge capacity. But it isn't its primary purpose.)


Range vent hood pipe What type of pipe is best for venting my stove hood? Does flexy hose work or should it be hard pipe only?

According to IRC, the duct must be made from galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper. It must have a smooth interior, and be air tight. Which means you're not going to want to use a flexible product for this application, especially that flexible plastic crap. Instead, you'll want to use rigid duct like this.

And you'll want to make sure you seal all seams with mastic or tape, that's designed for the purpose.
If you're not sure what building code is used in your area, the safest bet is to simply follow the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer of the range hood.

International Residential Code 2012
Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems
Section M1503 Range Hoods
M1503.1 General. Range hoods shall discharge to the outdoors through a single-wall duct. The duct serving the hood shall have a smooth interior surface, shall be air tight, shall be equipped with a back-draft damper, and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems. Ducts serving range hoods shall not terminate in an attic or crawl space or areas inside the building.
M1503.2 Duct material. Single-wall ducts serving range hoods shall be constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper.


How do I repair a curtain rod anchor that was ripped out of the wall? My children managed to pull on the curtains hard enough to yank the bracket which attached the curtain rod to the wall out.  What is the best way to repair this?

Here's what it looks like:

There's several ways to fix this, depending on a few things.

The best thing to do is avoid drywall anchors, and screw directly into a stud. If there's one close enough that it looks okay, you should do that. You'll have to patch up these holes, which may be a bit of a pain to do with the textured walls, but it's doable.

The next best option is probably to use a toggle bolt anchor. These are bolts that expand when you put them in the wall:

This site has some good info on them, including a sizing chart:

Toggle Size  Drill Bit Needed

1/8" toggle   3/8" drill
3/16" toggle  1/2" drill
1/4" toggle   5/8" drill
5/16" toggle  7/8" drill
3/8" toggle   7/8 drill
1/2" toggle   1 1/4" drill

This option has the advantage that you can probably use the existing holes (just use a large enough toggle bolt), and bolts are reasonably strong so hopefully this won't happen again.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but if the curtain hardware doesn't totally cover the holes you'll need to do some cosmetic work. Keep in mind though that if you patch these holes with compound, they still won't be as strong as regular drywall, so you won't be able to put the same size anchor back in and expect it to hold.


Can I run my washing machine drain line into a condensate pump so it drains better? I have this ventless combination washer/dryer from LG:

https://www.lg.com/us/washer-dryer-combos/lg-WM3997HWA-washer-dryer-combo

The unit is installed on an upper level of my house. It's on the other side of the wall from a bathroom sink. They use the same supply/drain lines.

The drain pump in the washer recently burned out (one month after the warranty expired, of course).

Apparently this is a common problem when draining the unit into a wall drain, as opposed to a floor drain. Even though the instructions clearly say that a wall drain is fine, the drain pump is underpowered and can't capably move the water 2' up to the drain. This causes dry cycles to be extremely long, and the pump to eventually fail.

I know that the main options are:

Install a floor drain. I suspect this will be much more trouble than it's worth, since it'll mean taking up laminate floors, running new lines, etc.
Install a lower wall drain. I don't think this will work since it would be downstream of the sink, and I'd need to re-do all the venting.
Put the washer on a pedestal so the drain pump doesn't have to pump up.

I'm wondering if there's another option: get a condensate pump (like the one our central air conditioner uses), put it on the ground next to the washer, drain the washer into the pump, and have the pump force the water into the wall drain.

What I like about this idea:

Condensate pumps are much less expensive than pedestals
It's very quick to install
I don't need to lift a 200-pound washer onto a pedestal

But I'm not sure whether a condensate pump can handle grey water from a washer.

Thoughts?

I think you have a couple of factors to consider in using a condensate pump.

One is the volume of water per unit time relative to what the pump can handle. A condensate pump is going to expect a trickle flow from the air conditioning system.

When used as a washing machine pump, the float will rise as the reservoir fills and activate the pump. Will the condensate pump remove water at a rate to match or exceed the washing machine?

Washing machines work in cycles. If the reservoir is too small to handle a maximum load cycle and the pump rate is too low, flooding may result.

On the other hand, if you can supplement the reservoir in some manner, the pump rate becomes less critical.

I don't think the water "quality" is going to be a problem. The output of a washing machine is grit/sand/dirt/fibers. The heavy stuff is going to collect in the reservoir and the suspended stuff is going to be pumped. I have a filter on our washing machine that catches all the washed-out material that used to enter my septic tank. I'm amazed at the grit/sand quantities, but also at the shed fibers that are captured. The low cost pumps typically use an impeller which is resistant to problems related to suspended material found in a washing machine output.


Need help identifying sillcock valve manufacturer / model I want to replace the stem of a frost-free (sillcock) valve; it appears to be 6in. I don't want to replace the whole thing, as it is in a difficult-to-access place. The valve wast installed about 15 yrs ago; I could not identify it by searching google images. The far end of the stem is not round; it appears vaguely triangular.

I am attaching my photos.

I could not find any markings anywhere on the stem; the body of the valve has the UPC mark and characters L.T. above. The backflow protector is B.K. / Mueller, but I am not sure the rest is by Mueller as their sillcock stems (that I could find pictures of) look different.

Any advice on who might be the manufacturer of the valve would be much appreciated.

Dmitri

I was told that this is an old B.K., made in China and no longer manufactured, available until about a couple years ago (this would be around 2012-2013)


Flat roof on garden office We have recently had a garden building built in our garden by a bespoke company.  However the roof has no gradient at all so we have standing water when it rains.  Is this ok?

No, this is not OK. Standing water will deteriorate any membrane and eventually cause the roofing and roof structure to deteriorate.

The wetting and drying process puts stresses on the roofing. The edge of a “puddle” has different coefficients of expansion and contraction. This different movement will reduce the life of the roofing.

Good roof design is intended to shed water. (There was a short time in the 1980’s that designed a “pond” on the roof to create an insulated barrier to the elements, but we soon learned that any imperfection will allow the entire “pond” drain through any pinhole.)

Steep roofs seem to perform better and lasts longer than flatter roofs. (Have you ever noticed that old barn roofs don’t seem to leak, even though you can look up and see daylight coming through the roof?)


Why won't my gas logs light? I have some Marco 792775 gas logs, from the mid to late 90s. They haven't been used in 20 years. I don't have the manual, and I haven't been able to find it online. Seems the company went out of business a while ago.

They have a control knob that's different than what I'm used to for most gas logs... it looks like this:

I've had no trouble getting the pilot going. Turn the knob to pilot, press it in, gas starts flowing, hit the piezo-electric button, and boom, flame. If I keep it in for a while, the thermocouple heats up and the pilot stays lit. Great.

Turning the knob to off cuts the gas to the pilot, and it goes out 20-30 seconds later, as expected.

What I'm struggling with is actually getting the logs to fully light. Just once, I was able to turn the knob counter-clockwise past the pilot position (I think I depressed it, but I'm not 100% sure) and over towards LO and HI. The logs lit. However, every time since then, when I try to do this, the knob won't turn past pilot. I've tried turning with the knob depressed, turning with it not depressed, starting at the off position, starting at the pilot position, turning clockwise just in case, etc. Nothing seems to allow the knob to turn over to the actual running positions.

My theories are 1) the knob is broken, 2) there's some sort of safety mechanism that has engaged and won't let me turn the knob, or 3) I'm making some silly, embarrassing mistake.

Can anybody speak to these theories? Does anybody have experience with Marco logs and know how the knob is supposed to work?

Turns out, it was some sort of safety mechanism (though I'm not sure what it was for). I turned the logs back to off, waited for the pilot to go out, then kept waiting. After a minute or so, there was an audible metallic click/clang, like some sort of spring-loaded mechanism disengaged. I then was able to re-light the pilot, and turn the gas logs on with no trouble.

So, for anybody coming in the future, the procedure for lighting/using this type of gas log unit appears to be:

Turn the knob to "pilot"
Depress the knob, and hit the starter button until the pilot lights
Keep the knob depressed for 30-60 seconds so the pilot can heat the thermocouple
Release the knob
Turn the knob counter-clockwise (without depressing) towards LO, then HI. If the knob won't turn, turn the knob to off, wait 10 minutes, and try again.
To turn the logs off, turn the knob clockwise (without depressing) towards LO, then pilot. You don't actually need to get close to the pilot setting - about halfway between LO and pilot will be sufficient to turn the main part of the logs off, while keeping the pilot lit.

Hope this helps somebody in the future.


How to add a lamp on the other side of the switch series? I have a fairly standard setup here. A lamp controlled by 3 switches, the middle of which is a 4-way switch (but I think that's fairly irrelevant). I would like to add an extra lamp, controlled by the same 3 switches. It would be no problem if it were near the first lamp, but it is actually right next to the switch named S2 below. I can't run another wire back from S3 to S2. How can I wire things?

I was thinking of adding an SPST relay near S2 as shown below. Would that work? Is there a better solution?

Be aware that any voltage drop across the relay coil will make LS1 correspondingly dimmer, so choose the correct type of relay. For this series-wired application you want a current-actuated relay rather than a voltage-actuated type.

A simple current-actuated relay has only a few turns in its coil, which is wound with wire sized to handle a lot of current. For your application the winding might have one to three turns, and the wire must be at least as large as your household wiring.

When you shop for the relay, you may find it easier to buy an electronic device than a simple relay. This would probably operate on the same principles as a GFCI. Its voltage drop and power consumption will be too small to measure. Such a device may require its own constant-hot and neutral connections, which fortunately you have available at S2.

One disadvantage with this circuit is that if lamp LS1 burns out or is unscrewed, lamp LS2 cannot be switched on. - Nevertheless I believe you have devised the best solution for the constraints as described.


Closing off heating ducts We have a natural gas furnace that currently heats our entire 2400 square foot home. We plan on putting in a rental suite in the basement which will require closing up all the duct work into the suite space. That means that the furnace will be heating up 36% less space. Is there anything we can do to keep our furnace from self-destructing?

I'm not sure where you got the idea that your furnace will self-destruct if you don't run it as much, but it's not going to.

Unless the second unit is insulated, you'll probably just end up heating it anyways.