Painting glass opaque black What is the best way to paint a large piece of glass (4ft x 6ft) opaque black? I was thinking about using PlastiDip, any opinions?

I considered film, but it's hard to find decent priced film that is 4ft wide, and I don't want to deal with seams.

I am turning it into a black dry erase board that will hang on my wall, so this will be the back of the glass. I am willing to put the time needed into it, to make it look decent. The size of the glass makes it a little awkward to work with.

Unless you have some particular reason related to plasti-dip's peel-ability to choose that, just hit it with some black paint, and be careful not to scrape it when moving it (indeed, hit it with some black paint, and then you might want to cover the paint with paper for damage protection before moving it, after you check that the paint job is perfect.)

I'd probably reach for a can of BBQ black by default, but pretty much any black paint will do. The windows in some of the old barns where I grew up had been painted black (with a brush) and from the outside looked like black mirrors, even though the inside paint job was not very smooth - the glass makes the surface from that side.

I would let the paint dry a good long time before handling it at all.


Heated flooring under subfloor I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation here.

New (old) house + slow drain + airhead teenage daughter = flooded 2nd floor bathroom.

It flooded so bad that the ceiling in my entryway underneath partially collapsed.  I was in the process of removing the damaged sheetrock when my wife saw the underside of the floor and asked if we could heat the floors since they were exposed.

We don't have heat in that bathroom (Apparently code doesn't require heat in bathrooms in New Jersey), so it would be nice.  But I can't imagine effective radiant heating through tile + subfloor.  Is it possible? If so, should I be using a hot water system or electric.  I've installed electric systems embedded in mortar but I'b be a bit intimidated about having them exposed to oxygen, and against the subfloor.

I had an embedded electric floor heater in my basement on concrete.  The builder put it in to "take the edge off" and then put laminate flooring over the subfloor with the heating.  What I think might be relevant to your situation was that the heat felt quite different than it did in the washroom where they used tile.  It still made the room warmer overall but it took much longer to warm up and the floor itself never felt as warm as the tile did.

I think what you'll find is that the heat will transfer up into your washroom, but it won't be as warm/efficient as it would be if it were embedded in your tile.  If the heat doesn't transfer well, what might happen is the thermostat you have to install might never reach temperature to shut off.  In which case you'd just have to turn it on and off when you needed it and maybe plan a bit ahead, which is what we ultimately did with ours in our kids room at night(bedrooms were in the lower level).


Washing Machine Agitates, But Won't Spin My old top-loading Maytag washing machine (model no. LAT9304AA) won't spin clothes dry. It fills, agitates, and drains fine, but it won't spin -- at least not with wet clothes in it.

When I totally empty the machine, I can get it to spin. But it makes a banging noise and the basket appears to be off balance.

Some other clues:

There's a burnt smell coming from the washer when in the spin cycle
I checked the drain line and I don't see any signs of blockage
I checked the lid switch and it works OK
We have a cleaning lady that routinely overfills the machine

Any help would be appreciated -- thanks!

Turns out a sock had become wedged between the inner and outer tub. Once I removed it, the spin cycle worked fine. I guess the sock was enough to throw the balance off. Anyway, problem solved.


Could home phone wiring cause a one-sided phone call (where I can hear them but they can't hear me)? I have wired my phone from our cable modem to the phone junction box for our home in the basement. I stripped and hooked each of 4 teeny tiny delicate wires to the junction box. For the most part this works, but I'm wondering electrically what I could have done that would cause me to be able to hear the people on the other end--but prevent them from hearing me?

One-way voice with VoIP is a networking issue, which is a bit off-topic for this site. This article may help: What causes one-way conversation in a VoIP network?. Unless you set up the voip accounts and hardware yourself (in which case you would have done things dealing with the acronyms SIP, RTP and/or NAT) then call your provider, because it's their problem. It sounds like you're getting service directly from your cable company, and frankly, if they can't get this right I'd be scared - that is not a good sign of the quality of service you'll get.

What your cable modem has in it is called an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) - it basically interfaces an analog phone line with a VoIP account. Once you're on analog, both send and receive are on the same pair, and only a single pair of wires are used -- typically red and green (or blue and blue/white in Cat3+ cable). If these are connected, you have two-way voice between your analog phone and the ATA. If not, you get nothing at all. It's pretty easy to conclude that this is not a problem with your wiring.


How can I seal electric outlets to prevent garage fumes from seeping through? Two of my bedrooms share a wall with my garage attic. One of the bedrooms started smelling like gasoline after my snow blower started leaking in the garage. After long investigation, I found out the smell is coming from an electric outlet which backs to the garage attic.

So the question is how to seal this electric outlet so my bedroom stops smelling like a gas station.

Access from behind
If you have access to the back side of the electrical boxes, you can seal them using a moldable putty in sheet form. 3M™ manufacturers 3M™ Fire Barrier Moldable Putty Pads, which are intended to be used as a firestop but will also block air flow.

This is probably a good thing to do anyway, since garage walls/ceilings should be a firestop anyway.
No access from behind
If you don't have access to the back of the boxes, you'll have to seal them from the inside.  To do this, you'll have to use a couple different products.  Seal the openings where the cables enter the box using Duct Seal, making sure to get a good seal all the way around the cables. Duct Seal is a permanently soft, non-toxic compound, that can be molded to seal around cable penetrations.

Then install foam gaskets under the cover plates.


Can I use toggle bolts to install faux wood beams to the drywall in the ceiling? Unfortunately the ceiling ceiling joists run in the wrong direction.
I was wondering if I can use toggle bolts to support ~50 pounds of faux wood beams on ceiling dry wall.

It would be about 4 toggle bolts across a 16.5 ft ceiling holding up ~50 pounds of weight.

Is there an attic above that leaves the joists accessible? Add 2x6 blocking between the joists to get the support you need. Toenail the blocking to the joists on both sides of the blocking. Then you can fasten the faux beam to the blocking rather than the drywall.


Conduit Fill and Derating for THHN Cables (outdoor run) Project: Run a 15Amp and a 20Amp circuit to bathroom from breaker panel outside the house.

After much reading, I have determined that NEC requires adherence to the following.  Any suggestions for improvement are most welcome.

Exterior run from panel to the spot where it enters the attic will be done in a conduit (Cantex PVC SCH 40).
Because outdoors is considered damp/wet area, only THHN/THWN-2 wire should be used at least until the wire enters the attic.
For a 3/4" ID conduit, the max fill area for 2 or more wires (or circular-equivalent cables) is 40% of the available or 0.213 sq inch.
I will have a total of 6 wires, 3 per circuit, half of which will be 14 Gauge and the remaining 12 gauge. Alternatively I could also run all wires at 12 gauge.
If I went with 12AWG (3) and 14AWG (3), the total occupied area will be 0.0097*3=0.0291 sq inch for 14 AWG, and 0.0133*3=0.0399 sq inch for 12 AWG for a grand total of 0.07 sq in or 11.40% fill, which is well within the limits allowed under NEC 2017. I did this calculation assuming 3 conductors per circuit, but presumably the grounding wire is not considered a conductor, so the actual numbers are lower by 1/3.
As for derating the conductors, it is my understanding based on this post that for 15/20 Amp circuits running less than 9 wires, the derating really is not a concern.  Someone correct me if I am wrong.

So in nutshell, I should be good to run either six 12 gauge wires or three each of 12 and 14 gauge wires through a single conduit from panel to attic entry point.  Here are my specific questions:

Since I will be converting the THHN/THWN-2 wire to Romex 12/2 or 14/2 cable, is it okay to join the green sheathed grounding wire of the former type with the bare copper one from the romex?
If I use 12 gauge THHN wire on both circuits, am I limited to using only 12 gauge romex cable inside the house? This is what I am assuming, but just want to make sure.
Is there a benefit to using stranded vs solid THHN?

I highly recommend using 20A for both circuits

Typically 2 bathroom circuits means lights + receptacles:

Lights - This can also be exhaust fan, or heater fan. Lights and exhaust fan don't need much power, but a heater fan does. So even if you don't plan on a heater fan now, I suggest planning for the future by running 20A instead of 15A.
Receptacles - This should be 20A to allow for usage of multiple devices. One 20A circuit won't allow for "anything" (e.g., 2 x full 15A devices (which would actually be 12A continuous = 24A for 2) at the same time), but it will give a much lower chance of nuisance trips than 15A.

  Since I will be converting the THHN/THWN-2 cable to Romex 12/2 or 14/2, is it okay to join the green sheathed grounding cable of the former type with the bare copper one from the romex?

Yes, that is fine. All grounds together - doesn't matter green or bare.

Also remember that the connections must be in an accessible junction box.

  If I use 12 gauge THHN on both circuits, am I limited to using only 12 gauge romex inside the house? This is what I am assuming, but just want to make sure.

The limit is based on the breaker. If you use a 20A breaker, then all wire must be 12 (or larger). If you use a 15A breaker, then you can use 12 and/or 14 (or larger, but why?), but a mix could confuse someone working on it in the future - i.e., if they see 12 connected to a 15A breaker then they might think it can be upgraded to 20A, when it can't because part of the circuit is only 14.

  Is there a benefit to using stranded vs solid THHN?

Yes, easier to pull. Probably not much of an issue for what appears to be a pretty short run.


What to do with smoke getting into ventilation? I have a ventilation shaft going from around 1.5m up from the ground level outside, directly into my bedroom ceiling. The ventilator is on 24/7 and its my main source of fresh air since I'm underground.

Lately a neighbor has been getting freaky with his fire place a lot and every other day or so, I guess when the winds align just right, I get a good 5 mins of hardcore wood burning smell imported straight into my bedroom.

Is there anything I can do about that?

I wrote a comment a while ago that suggested using a combination filter and charcoal filter in duct work to eliminate odors. I use them in my home since my wife hates most odors that others don't mind. I buy them from Home Depot and Lowes and the go by the name "The Web Absorber", cost around $10.00, and are a cut to size filter. You could also look in the furnace filter dept. and see if they carry a charcoal furnace filter that you could fit into the fresh air duct. Charcoal should filter out most if not all the odor.


Quick and cheap insulation for skylight I just moved into a condo and on the top floor there is a skylight window. The room gets pretty hot during the day, I have friends coming in town this weekend and I would like a cheap and quick fix to reduce the heat coming from the skylight. If I had more time I would order shades. I will do that in the future but I do not have enough time now. The inside mount of the window is about 30 x 53 inches (W x H).

By looking around, so far the main option I have found is to buy some landscaping fabric and pin it (or nail it) there. This is cheap, I can easily get the material and, importantly, it is temporary as the fabric is easy to remove at the end of the week-end. The nail holes, if needed, can be patched up and so that is not a big issue either. Obviously there will be no light coming into the room but we have lamps and my friends will mainly use the room to sleep at night.

Does this make sense? Any alternative suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Why not use a sheet of rigid foam insulation? It will block light and heat.

You can cut it to size and, depending on the frame of the skylight, you may be able to wedge it in the frame without attachment devices.

If you need to use something to hold it up, double faced tape on the glass will be fairly easy to remove without permanent damage to the skylight.

To make it attractive, cover in cloth, paint or attach adhesive backed plastic covering.


How do I seal a gap between a concrete step and the entrance of the house? It currently looks like this. The previous owner did a lame job and now I have to rebuild this. What do I use to seal that gap? He did not put any rubber backer rod there or anything like this.

the dime coin shown in this picture is 18mm in diameter

Here is what it looks after two weeks

Are those two concrete slabs just laying on dirt or are they attached to anything?

If they are just laying there, which is what it looks like, putting goo between them is not going to work because they will move around due to changes in temperature and work loose.

Assuming the blocks are free standing, the natural thing to do is just leave them as is.

If you are determined to get a perfectly sealed fit, the blocks need to be attached both to each other and to the stoop. One way to do this:

Remove the two blocks and set them aside and check out the foundation of the stoop.

2a. If the stoop is just laying on dirt, like the blocks (doh), then dig under the stoop all along its length until you have at least 6 inches of overhang, then put down an inch of gravel, then two inches of concrete, and finally a thin mortar bed. Before the mortar bed sets, put the two blocks back on top and the mortar bed will hold them firmly to the stoop and both will be joined to the concrete mini-foundation.

2b. If the stoop has a good foundation (going below the frost line 4 feet down into the earth), then you are going to need some kind of bolt system at the very minimum. The idea here is the same as 2a except that the mini-foundation will be poured over bolts or rods that are driven into the stoop, thus joining the two together.

Either way make sure that the new mini-foundation is drained. You need to have gravel underneath and a pipe of some sort leading from the gravel to wherever. By the way, water flows DOWNHILL, so that pipe needs to be sloped down and it needs to keep going down.

Obviously, as you can see, all of this is a lot of work. The bottom line is: no foundation, no seal. This is because without a foundation stuff will move around. If you just throw pavers on dirt, they are not going to be sealable in a climate which has below freezing temperatures.


Is it sane to use a normal router to cut drywall, approximating a spiral saw? I have a drywall job that I'm struggling to do with my hand tools and circular saw and can see a real need for a Spiral Saw RotoZip type of tool. But it'm not so keen to buy something so specialized that I may not need to use again for years.

How sane would it be to press a normal router into service cutting drywall? Could I outfit it with a drywall router's plunge cutting bit and basically use it for the same thing? Or am I better off just biting the bullet and buying a spiral saw?

It's not sane.  All you need is a utility knife.  Even a curve cut is really easy with a sharp knife.

But if it makes you feel good then go for whatever saw you want.  I do a lot of things that are a little more fun but not always the best choice.


Plz help me, connect a common wire for smart thermostat in furnace I bought a 3rd generation Nest. It doesn’t turn on after I hooked it up. I did research saying I need a common wire as power supply.

I have closely look all the wires in my system and drew a diagram. Can someone take a look see if my solution going to work? There is a spare wire in place already, it’s just not connected on either end(in thermostat and in the furnace)

There are two common wires inside the furnace, one return itself, the other connects to the condenser (this is the one I am thinking connect to the thermostat).

I think you are right. From what I remember once I did something similar as their was no c to the thermostat. Luckily for me the unit was right next to the thermostat so it wasn’t hard to run.

You could use this instead if you don’t want to run the cable?

Venstar ACC0410 Add-A-Wire Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008PLWT8C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OFbeDbAE61VDQ


Add additional circuits after 3-way switch I would like to add a circuit at the far end of a 3-way switched circuit.
I choose to wire the first circuit this way:

I have the source coming in from the breaker to a light switch with 14/2, then continue with 14/3 to the light and then continue with 14/3 to the far switch. What I am now trying to do is power up 2 additional circuits from the far light switch, but because the common wire is switched at the first switch I don't see a way to have the far circuits work independently of the first 3 way switch. Please advise. Thank you.

You are correct -- there is no way to add independent circuits off the second switch.  Here is another way to look at the switch configuration using three-way switches (the black wire being the 'white wire taped black' in your diagram, the red wire to the light being black, and the neutral being white).

As you can see, the right-hand switch -- where you want to branch from -- does not receive the hot connection independently of the left-hand switch.  You'll have to run an additional, independent 14/2 through the conduit, or replace your 14/3 with 14/4 as Tyson suggests.


Paper tape surfacing after sanding If paper tape surfaces after sanding, particularly in corners, is it better to score around the blister and tear it off, then fill the hole with mud OR apply another layer in the expanded area around the surfacing although that may add unwanted thickness?

If it's a blister, cut it out as proposed. If it is tape that's showing due to over-sanding or lack of proper plaster thickness, apply more mud with successively wider knives until the tape is covered properly.


vacuum keeps tripping breaker This started happening last week.  My Shark vacuum kept tripping my breaker.  My wife smelled smoke coming from the vacuum so we assumed it had reached its end.  I bought a new vacuum (same brand), thinking the problem would be fixed, but to no avail.  I've plugged it in everywhere in the house and it trips the different breakers.  I plugged in other appliances, but they do not trip the breakers.  I even plugged in an old Oreck vacuum, and it did not trip the breakers.  Any thoughts?

Just moved in to a new house both myself and neighbor. Have same problem not your vacuum it’s lousy breakers from Eaton good for commercial not so for residential had problem with brand new washing machine electricians tried to tell me it was the unit funny i ran an extension cord and it worked breaker flashed 6 times told him change it out bad breaker right out of box not like seimen or square d check anode make sure all the breaker’s are seated and all connections are tight hope this helps

Forgot to mention go to Eaton website and they will tell you what the flashing light is goes from 1 blinck to 6 and you can go back and check any fault


Help identify outdoor frost free faucet make & model My other outdoor frost-free faucet is a Mansfield 4000 series, but I have a difficult time trying to identify this other one.

Thanks to a YouTube video, this is likely some model of B&K Mueller QuarterMaster hydrants.


Is this mold in our windows? There’s this dark stuff that is caked in some of the windows on our house.
I am not sure if it’s dirt/debris that got in there or if it is mold. Also don’t know what that part of the window is called.
Is there any way to take that apart and clean them or do I just have to replace?

The answer is - it doesn't matter.
Whether the debris is grime and dirt or mold...

It won't "hurt" you as there is a glass barrier in between.
There isn't a different way to handle it.
As a typical home owner without industrial tools, you really have no way of resealing your windows.

So basically a seal has failed on your window.   You can either replace that part of the window (frame and all).  For that part you will need to know manufacturing details to assure a proper guide fit.   More than likely only that manufacture (not all cases) can reproduce.
The other option is take that part of the window out, and either take it to a window or glass shop.   They can take window apart and reseal it.   Just FWIW I usually tend to order a replacement as I have found that when getting a window resealed for some reason I don't see the quality compared to the window going through the normal "manufacturing" process.   Usually the costs are close and obviously this is locality and opinion based.   If there was a glass shop down the street that would offer a 5 year warranty I would go with that - mine won't.


Very old furnace- I need a technician to inspect it-What would be a good check up list? First of all you should know that this is about a 25 years furnace that is very simple and that if nothing is wrong with the heat exchanger it should last forever since, IMHO, the parts are very simple, inexpensive electronic devices (relays, controller modules and so on)

The main question is this: After an inspection do I get a paper of warranty that the inspection was done properly by a licensed installer and that the furnace is going to work for a decent number of hours after that or it will say it has this and that defficiencies?

Is such a technician insured in case his work was not properly done and the house is damaged due to that?

I want him to check what is going there and to make sure I did not create any problems and give me a paper for that

What would be a check-up list for a furnace like mine? Besides finding the cause of the overheating, these are things that I know I would like to be checked:

-heat exchanger -for cracks
-dirt in coils
-right speed of the blower motor
-gas pressure
-make sure everything is grounded properly
-make sure all the safety switches are OK (flame roll-out,pressure switch,load and fan limit etc)

No warranty is generally provided. A record of inspection is provided, with notes about what was checked and the readings that were recorded at the end of the adjustment procedure.

If you have been (as it would appear) in the habit of adjusting your furnace yourself, the fact that a licensed and insured service technician has looked at it in no way protects you from anything you have done to it, or may do to it again after the service person leaves.


Is tying a knot in an electrical wire safe? In order to keep a hanging pendant light from falling through the cover plate in the ceiling I tied a knot in the electric wire, as a stopper. Is this safe, or did I just create a fire hazard? If it's unsafe, what can I use as a stopper on the electrical wire of a pendant light?

In the case that the lamp is light weight enough to not stress the cord, there's a specific knot for that called an Underwriter's Knot that is supposed to put minimum stress on the conductors and provide enough bulge to keep it from pulling out. Since most PVC insulation will cold flow under pressure, the edges it butts up against must be well rounded.


Will a water heater use more or less power overall if equipped with larger or smaller heating elements? For electric water heaters that can be obtained with various different options for the size and power draw of their heating elements, will larger elements use more power overall? For example, let's say an electric water heater can be configured with elements that draw 3 kW or 4.5 kW, with the 4.5 kW model delivering a greater first-hour yield. But will the 4.5 kW model use more power in the aggregate? Or will it use around the same overall amount of power as the 3 kW model, but simply deliver its heat faster so as to lower its runtime?

You'll use more power with the larger element, unless you/your family are very strange. You'll use more power because you'll get more hot water before the water heater can't keep up - if you used exactly the same amount/temperature of water, you'd use exactly the same amount of power. Standby losses are pretty minimal for a well-insulated modern hot water heater, and standby losses would be almost the same - except for when they are (very) slightly higher as the tank recovers faster so it's not as cool.

You may need to upgrade wiring if the element size is an increase.

If you want to save money or energy on heating hot water, a heat pump [either separate from the water heater and connected to it (might outlast the water heater), or a "heat pump water heater" (presumably needing expensively thrown out when it dies)] or a desuperheater on your A/C (if you have and use A/C) or a solar thermal hot water system  (I seem to recall you are in a hot desert area where this should work well) are all far more effective than fiddling with element size. Naturally they all have capital costs and added complexity.


How can I access pipes in my cement shower in an old home? My home was built in 1929 and I do not know when my "unwarranted" studio unit (1st floor/street level) SHOWER was added on.  The entire 3 sides of the shower are cement.  I know one of the hot/cold fixture has a small drip and want to have the piping accessed to change out to a single handle shower fixture.  The guy I've hired on Craigslist has 25 years experience but has never worked on a "cement" shower.  Is it possible to get to the pipes and why would it be built as such?  Want to retile once these leak issues are fixed (I tiled it 17 years ago as there was only paint on the cement).  My friend who lives in the studio unit did not clean the walls/grout very often which I believe why the tiles started coming off the past year, to include a leak somewhere.  Any suggestions as to what I should do is appreciated!

There is no secret to getting to a cement shower.  I just took one out of my master bath and if I didn't have a lot of reasons for doing it then I would have left it.  They are great if done right and you can basically retile them infinitely...

So first you should try to get to your valve from the side or back.  If that won't work you will have have to cut out a piece of the cement.  I would in no way take out the whole shower.  Just a cutout where you need to reach the plumbing.

Next you have to get rid of all the tile to figure out what condition concrete is in.  Most of the time (95%) it is in great shape.  It may need to be slightly patched or smoothed out then waterproofed.  This is very easy.  Really the only thing that go "bad" with these showers is the floor.  Sometimes you will have to make a new base because of extensive water damage - this can be a big project.

But there is nothing wrong with a concrete shower.  And the mold, grime, and mildew is probably a case of poor tile install or old tile not being grouted as you have said.  If things are in good condition under just retile.  If the pan is in good condition then this is a no brainer.  Post pictures if you are thinking about demoing the whole thing (might be talking about couple thousand pounds of cement for a big shower).


Why does my pressure tank cycle so frequently? I have a 40 gallon (bladdered) pressure tank in the basement which keeps pressure to my office building, and a 2-inch 2 horsepower submersible pump in a dug well 450 feet away.

The pump is cycling waaay too fast, and the tank will hold pressure at 41 pounds to 43 pounds but not at 60 pounds at shut-off pressure. (The pump comes on at 40 and shuts off at 60). It only takes 6 seconds for the pump to come on and shut off and I fear I will cook the pump if this keeps up.

I have recently tested the pressure in the tank and it is 50 pounds. Does this mean the bladder leaked and caused pressure to increase in the tank? I know the tank pressure should be set at around 39, or a little below the 'turn-on' pressure. Could this be the cause of the short cycle?

The bladder is there to flatten the pressure/volume curve so pressure doesn't change rapidly as water is pumped.

This allows for a longer duty cycle.

The expected symptom of a burst bladder is just as you describe.


Interior hand railing paint not drying I just painted my metal interior handrail with krypton water based paint. The banister has not been painted in 10 years but could have been painted with oil base paint. The new paint is tacky after two days will it ever dry?

Sure it will dry.  I will not bind right because you missed the step of using a primer.   You are going to have to strip it no matter what.   If it is still "wettish" and a lot of the paint comes off with a putty knife, try to get as much as possible now.
You are looking at using some sort of paint solvent (thinner) or sanding.   There is no fixing this, just a learning experience.


What size posts do I need to use to build a wooden driveway gate? I have just built a 6 foot fence all the way around my property. To finish it offI need to build a driveway gate. The gate will be 15 feet wide and have two swing gate sections. I have used 4x4x8 foot posts buried approximately 26" and cemented.

I was considering bolting two posts together and burying them at the same depth, but I am concerned that it still may not be enough support. The gates will have wheels on the bottom also.

The rule of thumb I know that applies here tells me to use at least 6"x6" posts for wide gates concreted into a 3ft deep hole. By preference I'd go for a single larger post and go deeper than you suggest. You might get away with firmly bolting the two posts together, but I would be wary about compromising on the depth...


Outlets that work only part of the time In one of the bedrooms there are two outlets that work part of the time if you plug something in you might have to wiggle the plug to make it work. The bedroom next to it the closet light does the same thing it will flicker on and off if you're wiggling the plug in the other room.

This sounds like a loose connection in the junction box holding the outlet that works when wiggled. It may be a poor screw connection on the outlet, a bad wirenut connection or even a bad connection internal to the outlet itself.

The power in the bedroom is likely being fed from that bad connection.

Turn off the breaker that controls that outlet. Remove the outlet cover. Test the wires with a non-contact tester to make sure they are not live. Check all connections (screws, wirenuts). If nothing looks loose, replace the outlet itself, wiring up the same way as before. Mark each wire before removing it from the outlet so you can attach them to the new outlet in the same way. Replace cover. Turn on power.

If any of this seems daunting, you probably need help from someone with more experience.


How do I repair this damage to my driveway? After the brutal winter, my wife and I found several locations on our driveway where the concrete is crumbling. This is the worst of them:

In the past, I have used self-leveling concrete caulk similar to this to fix damage like this:

However, I am concerned that due to it being near the edge that the caulk will fill in the crack between blocks and possibly make the damage worse due to expanding and contracting of the concrete.

How should I repair this damage, short of replacing the driveway itself?

The technical term for what happened to the concrete on your driveway is that it "spalled", and sealing it with caulking isn't going to do much toward repairing it at this point.  What you'll want to do is clean out all of the loose debris (a shop-vac and wire brush work pretty well) and then pressure wash it.  After it is completely dry, inject or force epoxy down into any crack that extends down from the damaged area. Then apply a concrete bonding agent, fill it with a patching concrete and trowel it smooth.

Note - depending on the condition of the rest of the driveway, you might want to look into applying a concrete sealer to extend its life.


Is it okay for one curtain hanging bracket to be screwed into drywall with no anchors? I'm trying to hang curtains from near the ceiling. I have 5 brackets. 4 of them have successfully been screwed into wood, at least with the top screw (the bottom screw was as a wall anchor into drywall, because the wood runs near the top of the wall). However, in one location (2nd from the left-most), there is metal instead of wood covering the part I want to screw into. It is very likely the metal is from our air shaft for air conditioning so I probably shouldn't mess with it. In the end I opted just to use two very short screws which only reach into the drywall. Of course an anchor is also impossible because the metal is just beyond the drywall. So on the 2nd-left bracket the only thing supporting it are screws into drywall. I was hoping maybe the 1st and 3rd brackets will cover for it. But I'm not so sure about this, because the curtains will be really heavy (14 feet across, with heavy end finials and 4 curtains total). The distance between 1st and 3rd brackets is about 7 feet and spans two curtains total.

Will it help to drip superglue onto the 2nd bracket?

How about a hackneyed improvised apparatus where I find a super long metal strip that extends to either side wood studs, and screw that in, in such a way that it presses the top of the bracket into the wall?

Is there such thing as a "shallow wall anchor" that is only 3/8-inch long and doesn't have to poke beyond the dry-wall? Because immediately beyond the dry-wall is metal.

Do I even need this 2nd bracket? (There's 7 feet and two curtains between brackets 1 and 3)

Sounds like trouble to me. Superglue won't do you any good, as it's only as strong as what it's gluing to (and I suspect here it would be far less strong).

Some alternatives:

Cut away a square of drywall and replace it with the same thickness plywood, glued to whatever is behind (e.g. that metal). Then apply a thin coat of plaster, paint, and then screw into it
Find out just what that metal is, and consider screwing into it
If the curtains will generally hide that bracket, consider gluing a thin piece of plywood to the surface of the drywall and screwing into that


Why do the evaporator and suction lines freeze when there is low refrigerant? In an AC, why does a low refrigerant condition cause the evaporator, and/or suction line, to freeze up?

It's all about the temperature/pressure relationship, and how pressure affects the boiling point of the refrigerant. As the pressure of a refrigerant goes up, so too does the temperature and boiling point. When the pressure drops, the temperature and boiling point drop as well. Air conditioning (and some heating) systems take advantage of this, to cool (heat) the air inside a building.
Normal system
In a normal system, The compressor compresses the refrigerant vapor. This causes the vapor to be both high temperature, and high pressure. The hot vapor moves through the condenser coils, where some of the heat is transferred into the outside air. When the vapor finally comes out of the condenser, it's a hot liquid. The hot liquid moves through the liquid line, into the building towards the evaporator coils. Just before the hot liquid refrigerant reaches the evaporator, it's forced through a metering device. The actual device used depends on the system, but capillary tubes are common.
When the hot liquid is forced through the metering device, the pressure drops substantially. The pressure drop causes the temperature and boiling point of the liquid to also drop. As indoor air is forced over the evaporator coils, the cold liquid refrigerant in the coils absorbs heat from the air. The heat causes the refrigerant to boil, which changes it to a low pressure vapor. When the refrigerant reaches the end of the evaporator, it's a cool vapor. The cool vapor travels down the suction line, and back to the compressor where the refrigeration cycle can start again.
Low refrigerant
When the refrigerant in the system is low, the pressure; and therefore temperature, of the refrigerant will also be lower. In a normal system, the temperature of the refrigerant at the beginning of the evaporator will be right around the freezing temperature of water (32°F). As the indoor air moves over the cool coils, the moisture in the air will condense on the coils. This condensation will drip harmlessly off the coils, and into the condensate drain.
When the refrigerant is low, the temperature of the refrigerant at the beginning of the evaporator coils will be colder than the freezing point of water (less than 32°F). Because the coils are so cold, the condensation that forms on the coils will freeze.  As ice builds up on the coils, it restricts the air flow through the coils. Because of the restriction, the refrigerant can't absorb as much heat from the the indoor air moving over the coils. This causes the refrigerant to boil later in the evaporator, which causes ice to form further along the coils. This situation continues to progress, until the whole evaporator is a block of ice. Once that happens, the refrigerant will start to boil in the suction line. This cause the temperature of the suction line to drop, and just like in the evaporator, cause the condensation to freeze.
Eventually the freezing works its way all the way back to the compressor, which is where the trouble can really start. If allowed to operate in this condition for too long, liquid refrigerant can make its way back to the compressor. If this happens, the compressor can be damaged.
It should also be noted. Once the refrigerant level drops too low, the system stops working. So this problem only occurs in a "sweet spot", where the refrigerant is low, but not too low.


Trimming wood floor boards for running wires under base molding Renovating my apartment; started with walls, removed all base molding to run RG6/Cat5e throughout rooms under new base molding.

Here's a photo looking straight down from the wall (with molding removed). There's about 1" open space (on average) between the wall and edges of wood floor boards; this is perfect for running cable/ethernet wire. Problem is around 30-40 random boards extend to the wall, blocking my wire track, and I need to trim at least 1/2 inch of those boards to hide all wires.

I tried using my jigsaw at 90 degrees, but the base plate is too wide, cutting just over 1" of wood, not to mention cutting the subfloor too. Technically, I don't need to cut off entire pieces from each board; a wedge is sufficient provided it's deep enough to accommodate both wires, so I tried numerous jig saw angles but failed to get something working. I switched to hammer and chisel, but after 5 minutes (and minimal progress), I felt like I was escaping from prison :-)

I've got one more idea to try: if I can find a thinner base plate for my jig saw (B&D BDEJS600C), I should be able to manage the cut since I'd be closer to the wall. I'm open to any other ideas too. Just 1/2 inch track is all I need.

The tool that is made perfect for this is the type of unit pictured below:

(this picture courtesy of MyToolShed web site)

These oscillating multi-tools can accommodate a variety of blades that permit close cutting exactly like you need to do. Here is an example blade that is what I would use for this cutting job.

(this picture courtesy of Lowe's web site)

These are available from many manufacturers, both AC powered and battery powered. I went for years before getting one just a year or so ago and now use it for many jobs I used to struggle with. A particularly nice feature of the unit pictured is the LED light on the front of the unit to illuminate the cut area.


Is insulation necessary under slab with hydronic radiant heat? We are getting ready to pour a new concrete slab over top of an old slab where a house was demolished. The old slab is 4-6 inches thick, and the new slab will be 3-4 inches thick. We would like to run PEX lines for a hydronic radiant heat system in the new slab.

From the research I have done, everyone says to use insulation under the slab to prevent the heat from going into the ground instead of into the house. I am wondering how critical that is and how much it will affect the efficiency of our system since we don't have the option of putting insulation under the slab. Should we abandon the radiant heat idea?

Any advice is appreciated!

If you want to do radiant infloor heating you will need to insulate under the slab. If you don't you will constantly be rejecting heat to the ground underneath the slab, and it will suck excess heat out of the system.  If your not going to insulate beneath the slab, abandon the idea of radiant infloor.

Your also going to have to use HE Pex for radiant infloor. Standard waterline Pex is not allowed for hydronic heating systems.


Do I need to cover the pipes that will be under the shower base with concrete? I am finishing the relocation of a drain after replacing the tub with a shower base and I will probably need to pour concrete back. The opening I created will be entirely under the shower base that I am installing so my question is this: How thick does the concrete have to be. The shower base is pretty sturdy (Kohler Ballast model 60x32) and heavy and it will be set in mortar as well.
I would avoid pouring a very thick concrete layer if I don't have to as this is my first job of this sort and I would like to be able to easily break the concrete and fix whatever needs to be fixed if anything will ever need fixing. I guess ideally it would be nice to just fill the opening in the floor with sand. :-)
The shower base will be along the right side of the picture with the shower drain in the deeper area that see in the picture

The plan is to set the shower base level and then add self leveling concrete around it so I can install tiles.

The only requirements are that the pipes and shower base be properly supported. To accomplish that I wouldn't go less than 3" thick with the slab. 4" is more standard. It's only going to take a few bags anyway, so there's no good reason to cheap out. I would want a good air/moisture barrier under my shower.
If you add fill soil be sure to use inorganic material (not black dirt). Sand or gravel are good, as is washed rock. I would run some water in there after the plumbing is finished to compact the soil--just enough to saturate it. That will help prevent settling after the concrete is installed.


What is the name of this cast metal part inside my lockset? I have a Baldwin front door lockset that doesn't completely retract the latch when using the thumb lever.  The handleset is similar to this: model

After dismantling the thumb latch assembly, I discovered that the source of the problem is a broken tread/collar in the mechanism that the thumb lever pin rests in. I'd like to replace this piece, but I can't seem to find it in any of the online catalogues (build.com, handlesets.com, etc.). Any idea what it's called? The only reference to a part number on it is "05/02." I'd like to avoid replacing the entire lockset if possible.

From surfing a bit, it seems Baldwin has a variety of handlesets that work with a limited number of their locksets.  If you can't buy just the plate, you might only need to buy the lockset.

It seems to be called a 'Landing Plate'

  http://www.electronicsweekly.com/made-by-monkeys/materialsmaterials-processing/view-image-youll-2009-01/

  We’ve had two Baldwin handle sets fail on our new front door in the
  past six months, and I finally figured out why the manfacturer
  included a second landing plate with the set.

  Basically they must have known it would fail prematurely.

  The thumb latch is a lever that sits on a set of little pins set on a
  brass die casting, shown above, which allows it to toggle up and down.
  Unfortunately, brass die castings are about making things fast, and
  such parts typically have crappy structural performance and are prone
  to stress cracking.

  What probably happened is that a tiny crack formed on one side of the
  casting and propagated every time we squeezed up and down on the
  handle.  One side failed (red arrow) and our door handle starting
  twisting at an odd angle. Thankfully we replaced it with the second
  landing plate before we were locked out of the house.

  After going through two sets, we bought a new set and discovered that
  designers finally figured out they needed to reinforce the casting for
  the load by reinforcing the area where the pin sets (right image).


First steps to isolate leak? I noticed that there's moisture creeping along a drywall seam in the ceiling in my living room.  The spot is cold and feels damp.   Our laundry room is in a bathroom right above, but the washer is in a drain pan that seems to be dry.

Should I cut away a piece of the drywall to inspect the source of the leak, or is there something else I can do to find out more information?

Similar questions mostly relate to roof leaking or water in the attic, which is not the same in this case, so I've posted a separate question.

Cutting away the drywall is one possible first step, with other possibilities being to see what is above the ceiling, depending on ability to access.  That section of drywall will definitely need to be removed anyway.  (both to repair, and to check for mold).  Finding the source can be difficult because the source of the water might not be directly above.  Water can run along various boards to find a low place to settle.  It could start at some point on an outside wall and go a fair distance horizontal.


How to I fit a drawer into this cabinet? (Kitchen - no side panel) My plan is to fit a drawer into the pictured space. (Apologies for the bad photo.  It is for all intents and purposes identical to the one below but without the runners)

Based on a fixture elsewhere I have determined that I need to mount the right-hand runner to the back of the unit somehow.  There even seems to be 2 conveniently placed screw holes for just this purpose.

My questions are:

Is this the correct, modern way to do this.
Where (UK) do I buy such a fixture and what is it called.

I ask because I have spent >1 hour so far searching the web and cannot find a UK supplier.  I have found them in the USA but at $15-30 postage this doesn't seem viable.

Thanks

I'm sure someone with better google-fu will be able to chime in with a quick link, but I too have exhausted all my usual suspects looking for what I would call a "rear mount bracket" (For example, Blum part # 295.3750.01, but only on the Blum US site.)

Anyway, a bit of bodging would have you place an L bracket against the back panel (with the caution that the back might be very thin/flimsy) and catch the drawer runner.

A long enough L bracket could go from the underside of the worktop to the runner, but you'd have to be careful that the bolt attaching the runner and the bracket doesn't interfere with the operation of the drawer.

Alternately, put a section of wood vertically beside the drawer and flush to the edge of the opening to mimic a cabinet side. You could use a couple of L brackets to hang this from the underside of the worktop and it should be more than solid enough to carry a drawer.


Threads in brass floor lamp post have been stripped. No longer twists and stays in place. How can I fix the threads? I have a floor lamp that comes in sections that you twist to screw together. the threads on one section have become stripped and the sections no longer stay together. Is there a way I can fix these threads at home instead of throwing the whole lamp out?

If there are any remnants of the stripped threads that you can feel, you might try wrapping some plumber's teflon tape, or other vinyl tape around them several times, and see if they will screw tight with the tape on.  You might need only one wrap, if the tape is thick.


Building a DIY window-opener In my bathroom is one small window, which handle is 3 m above ground. Underneath the window stands my washing machine, so after showering, to get the humidity out, I need to climb on the washing machine in order to open the window. That is somewhat annoying and I am afraid the top of the machine will break through someday.

So I did some research for products to open windows which are hard to reach because of the place they are build or for disabled people living in places which weren't constructed for somebody with a wheelchair, for example. I found these to website offering what I was looking for (sorry that both are in German, but I guess the pictures (1, 2) give enough information).

The window looks like this. 6 o'clock position of the handle is closed, 9 o'clock is open, I don't need the 12 o'clock position.

However with costs more than 60 €, I wondered if somebody had an idea on how to DIY build something that fits the purpose and is not expensive.

The window handle should have an eye (ring) on the end of it.   You use a stick with a hook on the end to open and close the window.


Could switching from a dimmable to a non dimmable LED bulb have caused a light fixture with dimmer switch to fail? Recently replaced dimmable LED bulbs with non-dimmable bulbs in a light fixture/ceiling fan that uses a dimmer switch.

In the last week, it started randomly turning off and on. Now it won't turn on at all, even when I put the old bulbs back in the fixture.

Is it possible that I could have damaged the fixture or the dimmer by doing this? I have never used dimmer switches in the past and did not personally install the light fixture so I wasn't aware that there was a difference.

If so, how would I go about troubleshooting the damage?

To be clear... you still have a dimmer, rather than a switch? If so, that's your problem in all likelihood.  In terms of trouble shooting, if you know how to safely check the output of the dimmer, I'd bet you find out it's fried. Otherwise for 2 dollars, replace the dimmer with a switch.  Should take ten minutes and I bet that's your problem.


What is this double-drain piece called? My basement sink is a two-tub sink with each basin's drains as close to each other as they can be. Below is a picture of the actual drain piece beneath the sink - it is an integrated two-in-one drain, as you can see. Obviously it needs replacing, but I can't figure out what to Google to get this same piece. Any insight?
I have a more modern kit that just connects two separate drains, but the drain pipe exit to the wall is fairly high relative to the sink drains and I'm pretty sure adding any extra stuff is going to put me too low.

I am going to say that this was a purpose-built/proprietary drain assembly that was designed for and supplied with your special sink.
I have never seen one like that, and I have seen many many sink drains, p.o. plugs, pop-up assemblies, strainers, etc.
There are a lot of specialty plumbing parts available though. Like this one that I found when I Googled "double basket strainer":


tracking down sewer gas smell in bedroom Ever since moving into our new house roughly a month ago, there's been a distinctive (but not overpowering) sewer gas smell in one of our bedrooms. Some information that may be pertinent:

House was built in the 1920s.
We had an exterminator come to the house, to rule out that we were mistaking a dead animal smell for a sewer gas smell. Exterminator doesn't think it's a dead animal.
The smell is truly only in this one bedroom. It's a second floor bedroom, sharing one wall with the master bathroom, one wall with another bedroom, its floor with the dining room, and its ceiling with the attic. The smell is not in the master bathroom, nor in the attic. Occasionally we think we catch a faint whiff elsewhere in the house, but we could easily be imagining that.
We are able to get into the wall between the smelly bedroom and the master bath (there's an access panel for the whirlpool tub), and as far as we can tell the smell isn't there.
The strength of the smell is such that you can mostly get rid of it by airing the room out, but if you close the door and windows it comes right back in not too much time.

We initially suspected a problem with the vent pipe (even though that's not supported by the smell being neither in the adjacent bathroom nor the wall). We've talked to a few plumbers and didn't really get anywhere. Plumber #1 refused to do a peppermint test because they didn't want to get anywhere near our sloping slate roof, but had no other ideas. Plumber #2 did pour a couple of bottles of peppermint extract down the master bathroom sink and tub drains; not clear to me whether this would be as effective as putting the peppermint down the vent (presumably it's much diluted this way?), but in any event we didn't detect any peppermint in the bedroom. Plumbers #3 and #4 we only spoke with on the phone, but (given what we described about the location of the smell) they were skeptical that it was plumbing.

So: how to proceed?

First of all, if it's not plumbing or an animal problem, is there anything else it could be, that we've been overlooking?

Otherwise, operating on the assumption that it's a plumbing issue, what to do next? Plumber #2 says they're able to do a smoke test, but I'm not sure I trust them, given that their idea of the peppermint test was to have the same person who handled the peppermint extract also smell around for the peppermint. Are there any other simpler possibilities that we ought to be chasing down before we start laying down bigger $$ for more serious diagnostic work?

Is the toilet next to the bedroom or by the exterior wall under the window? If it is by the bedroom you may be able to remove the base board in the bedroom with minimal damage and cost to get access in the wall directly behind the  toilet.  I am going to guess that the vent pipe is cracked in-side the wall and allowing vapors to creep in.

After making a small hole in the wall smell for stronger odor if so you are in the right area. You do not smell the sewer vapor in the whirlpool cavity because it is probably sealed off from the toilet vent. Repairing the leak will be another issue. One step at a time. Good luck--hope this helps. If toilet is by outside wall then I would smoke the pipes.


Can I use a floor patch over this small area of slightly damaged subfloor? I have this small corner of floor next to the tub in my bathroom where water got in at one point (very long ago it seems), so I’ve peeled back the VCT and vinyl floor layers to reveal that the top layer of the wooden subfloor had crumbled due to the water. There is a very solid base under that top layer.
How should I repair this?  Could I just patch it with something like this product?  I have done large areas of subfloor patching for a flooring installation so I know that for certain products there are very strict requirements for the condition of the subfloor for it to take the patch so I’m wondering if there’s something that works for this type of situation.
(This is a follow up of my previous post here)
Thanks!

I think you will be ok patching if it is still solid underfoot, as you say it is.
I would use a hard-setting plaster patch (sometimes called by trade names like Fixall, Fix-It All or Water Putty) after removing all crumbly unsound material. It can be difficult to get setting plaster smooth and level, so what I would do is use it as a base for regular floor-leveler, which can be troweled perfectly level and smooth for blend with surrounding floor. Then install your LVT on top.


How can I fix paint with orange peel texture? I'm working on a new site that is a large penthouse flat. Some amateur painter just put bad quality white emulsion on the walls instead of applying a mist coat. I sanded it down, but the next layer looks really bad. It looks like orange skin in quite a few places! I'm having nightmares that the client will complain, and I will lose my job because of it.

Is there any way I can improve the finish?

A friend of mine told me that alkaline resisting paint could help, but I'm afraid it's too late, since I need to leave the flat in 3 days. I used a really good roller, I did everything like I always do. I suggest the paint (b&q) is not top quality.

Since you put a layer of emulsion down you basically have to start over with priming and then painting the top coat.  Depending on the thickness of the coat of emulsion I have had to put two coats of primer on.  I would go with the old Killz here (oil based) just to get it done faster.


What are the pros and cons between these LED under cabinet lighting options? Tape lights VS Aluminum Frame lights.

Obviously, the frame is a bigger profile, an inch tall, but as long as it's hidden underneath the cabinet it's not really a problem. Our cabinets also have an extra bottom trim to cover it up.

The frame also has individual switches that may be useful.

Other than these, are there any other pros and cons? Is the frame type outdated? Are the LED tape lights what everyone's getting? Is there a price factor? I've seen other tape lights not as pricey, I'm not sure why there are so pricey.

The aluminum fixture is a classic fixture, comes in a box, has a power cord, you pick a spot and bolt it up and hook power to it.  It also looks like some installer just slapped a couple lights under your cabinets.

LED strips are, by nature, a bespoke installation custom fit to your kitchen.  It's going to look much better, though is more sensitive to the risk of an incompetent installer doing a bad job.

These strips are weird though.

First those strips are insanely overpriced; most of us pay $10 per 16 feet (5 metres).  This is a lighting specialist company who is trying to be a one-stop shop for lighting contractors, and is dealing with these lights reluctantly as a sideline because they are in demand.  They charge through the nose for the difficulty (for them) of supporting these "odd ducks" (to them).  If anything they want to overcharge to steer their customers into their more conventional lights.

And these are 24V (the almost universal standard is 12 V).   With either voltage, you are operating under the electrical code's low voltage rules, which are much easier to deal with.

The pictured tape lights are not the ones described.  The pictured ones have a clear "dome" over them, which splash-proofs them and makes them easier to clean.  This is one of two waterproofing options typically available, the other is a hollow silicone tube around the LED strip.

They are advising clips to fasten it, which is a good idea.  Most are backed with adhesive, and this can let go after a few years.

Their strip interconnection options don't see to be very good.

They are claiming 15 watts in 60 inches which may be more light than you want.  The common LED strips come in a lot of different power densities (watts per foot).  This gives you great versatility, and you can alter the lighting easily after the fact as you learn what works.  You are no longer married to a fixed "luminaire" that comes in a box.  However, this flexibility also rewards those with real skill... an installer may need to "skill up" or get left behind.

Their recommended transformer is bulky and ungainly, there are other options.  There are also dimming and multi-color options for those interested in that.  Not from this company.

You can also get any color temperature you want, from 2700k incandescent-like to 4000k fluorescent-like to 5000k claw-your-eyes-out LED color.


How do you remove a Carrier / Bryant Infinity thermostat control from the wall? I have a Carrier Infinity system with model # SYSTXCCUID01-V thermostat/control. I need to temporarily remove it from the wall.

I found a diagram of how to install it:

(diagram source)

I do not know how to release the interlocking tabs. It feels very tight and I don't want to break it.

It really will just pull straight off. (Just did it!)  No tools required. It feels tight but it seems designed to mount on/off this way.

(Encouraged to try that by this post).


How to drill a grommet hole through a desk? I have a wall desk that hides away 2 power outlet on the wall.

How do I drill a grommet hole that is wide enough to run cables through and cover it with plastic wire cover.

What sort of tool do I need? Can this be done with a hand held electric drill and the right drill bit?

You need a hole saw for that. In fact, if you search for desk grommet on Amazon, you'll probably see hole saws in their "frequently bought together" suggestion. (at least I did when I searched just now.)

And yes, you would use a hole saw with an electric drill.


Metals in pool turn water green after adding shock, what's the solution? Our pool hasn't been opened in 4 years. We are finally in the process of resurrecting it from the dead, and have spent a lot of elbow grease (and tears) to get it to the point its currently at. Last night the water was a blueish turquoise, but was still opaque and very hazy (still couldn't see to the bottom of the shallow end). I added 5 gallons of liquid chlorine ("shock") and instantly the water turned green.  I read up on it and it looks like if there is a lot of metal in the water, such as iron, chlorine has this affect.

However, all the articles/forums/info I find on this problem don't really have any good posted solutions, so I figured I'd ask:

What's the solution here? Is there a pool chemical I can buy that will help "get rid of" these metals and turn my water back to blue-ish haze?

There are several independent variables to manage in a swimming pool or hot tub:

pH balance
halogen balance
calcium hardness
total dissolved solids

Nearly everyone is aware of pH balance, but what most people don't seem to understand is that pH can swing wildly unless total alkalinity is increased sufficiently to provide an "inertial buffer" with total acid.  Then moderate changes in chlorine or bromine content do not affect the pH so much.

The other thing most people are familiar with is chlorine.  Bromine can be used instead and is just as effective at killing bacteria but with possibly less skin and eye irritation.  At my pool store, they are priced the same.  The standard home pool test kit measures both pH and "free chlorine equivalent".

Calcium should be added to soft water to prevent the water from attacking and rusting metal components of the pool and filter system.  This is a particular problem for areas such as the Pacific Northwest which has naturally soft water.  Most well-based systems will have some calcium, but if it is not adequate, some supplementation is cheap insurance for minimal maintenance.

See this for a detailed and reasonably approachable roundup of pool chemistry.  Note that everything affects everything else, so reading it twice is probably necessary to gain full insight.

In my experience, green water could be caused by either iron or copper in the water, like someone's lost jeans rivet inside the drain.  A chemical to precipitate and flocculate the metals need be done only when it is a problem.

If the history of the water is uncertain or a lot of junk has entered the pool water since it was last filled, there is no substitute for draining and refilling it.  This reduces the total chemical load to the minimum and will make it simple to balance.  To maintain that simplicity, insist that all pool users shower before entering to remove sunscreen, oils, perfumes, deodorants, etc.


Low output well and high electric bill We have been trying to figure out why electric bill so high. We have two well pumps, one is 400' deep.  Neither one has good output, between 3/4 and 1.3 gallons per minute respectively.  Does having a low output well create a situation where it runs constantly?  I have several holding tanks (5500 gallons total).  If that is the problem, can I do something with the holding tanks to reduce the amount of time or how often the well pumps turn on?  The deep one is 1 hp at 400' depth and puts out 1.3 gpm approx and the water has to travel several hundred feet uphill.  The other one is 3/4 hp and 100' deep and puts out 3/4 gpm and has short distance to travel.  Any ideas or suggestions?   We have solar but bills still very high.  Was thinking of a solar well pump but may be too expensive?

Wow you need more help than we can provide IMO.
First you need your well log to see what the wells should be capable of.
With the lift you have I have normally had much larger pumps but your well log should show what the flow rate is after 3 hours of draw down and
what the water level is at static.
Then you may need a cycle timer to work in series with your pressure switch and the big pump.
With it pumping “dry” for long periods with that lift it will wear the pump heads out.  Cycling will allow the well to recover cool things and cycle and draw down again. you may find that is much more efficient.
How old is the deep pump? Consider it may be worn out. 400’ lift followed by several hundred more ? The pumping chart I looked at topped out at 500’
I did set up a deep well with a large tank at the well head then another pump in that tank to another all interlocked so no tanks over flowed, this allowed the use of much smaller pumps and provided improved performance.
If your 1-1/2 hp is pumping it will be drawing up to 10 amps all the time at a 3/4 gpm flow if you could let the pump rest for 30 minutes then pump for 10 you can see your flow rate should increase for those 10 minutes up to 6 gpm at the pump I looked at and your energy usage will be cut drastically.
10 amps x 240 volts = 2400w  that’s 2.4 kWh every hour x 24 hours per day 57kwh per day , x 30 or 1700 kWh per month rounded down what do you pay for power? Even 10 cents is 170$ per month just for that 1 pump so a cycle timer could pay off in a week or 2.


What's the proper way to bond metallic signal wiring raceway? I have a stud cavity through which I need to run some signal wiring that's sensitive to ingress noise. An industry-standard recommendation is to run the wiring in properly bonded metal conduit (raceway, per the NEC, right?).

There are plenty of 110V metal junction boxes in the same stud cavity. However, I can't mix signal and control wiring in the same junction box (or compartment of the junction box) with 110V wiring. Nor can I put it in the same raceway, right?

Supposing that I run new RMC and metal junction boxes for the signal wiring, how should I bond the boxes (or at least one box if the RMC provides electrical continuity to the other)? Do I use a bonding jumper from the signal wire box to one of the 110V boxes?

The signal wires are going to be electrically isolated from the boxes (i.e. they pass through brush plates and aren't terminated at the boxes).

You probably don't need to go full RMC; cheaper EMT and plain stamped handy-boxes will do.  Both types of conduit are acceptable as grounding paths for 200A++ of fault current, your milliamps of signal noise will be handled with ease.  I never run ground wires inside EMT.

If you have a section of Conduit isolated from mains grounding, grounding it is simplicity itself.  There should be a hole in the back of the box tapped #10-32.  You simply put a 10-32 screw in there, shepherd's hook a 12AWG solid pigtail to it, and wirenut that to your grounding wire, any color you like as long as it's green, yellow/green or bare.

Then you exit the wire through a cable clamp or grommet, which fits in a standard knockout.

Then you run the wire in-wall to whichever ground point you deem appropriate.  If you'd like guidance on that, look at the NEC rules for retrofitting ground.


When extending a wrench using a breaker bar, should I connect the two with a spline bit? Can I use my wrench/spanner which has a box end / 12-point spline, and connect a breaker bar using a 12-point spline bit to it to get extra leverage.

Or is it more common to use extending bar/pipe over the wrench?

Is the first way possible, or would the line of torque be off-centre? Or would the spline bit / socket connection make this not practical?

The open end on a wrench is created to take only so much force before the jaws start to spread. If you need a Swede bar on the wrench, dispense with using the wrench.

Using a Swede bar on open end wrenches guarantees enough spread that they start rounding bolts after they've been permanently deformed. Wrenches are sized (jaw thickness and length) so the maximum torque using normal force will be about the range the bolt should be tightened to if you were to consult a bolt torque chart.

For similar reasons, you probably shouldn't be using Swede bars on box end wrenches.

For difficult to loosen nuts and bolts, you need a socket on the breaker bar and the socket directly on the bolt, preferably a 6 point socket so you don't round the hex.

Breaker bars are used because they're longer (more torque) and have no ratchet mechanism to break. You use them with a socket because the socket fully surrounds the nut and won't splay under the force (though I've split both 6 and 12 point sockets).

The 6 point socket usually is physically stronger than a 12 point and has larger engagement area (less likely to round the hex), though the newest technology is spline sockets which are designed to engage both nuts and bolts 1/3 the length of the flat back from the point and potentially are less likely to round off hex fasteners.

If you must use an extender (Swede bar), use it on the breaker bar as it is the most likely device you have that will take the excess torque. If the breaker bar breaks (I've done that as well) you need to graduate up a size on the drive (3/8" to 1/2") and try again. 3/8" drive stuff is for 5/8" and below, use 1/2" drive for 3/4" and above.

Consider using penetrating oil and mild heat if these fasteners are large and refusing to move. Also, how much rust buildup is there?


Alternatives to adjusting strikeplate height? Before I go forward with a fix like this one, are there any alternatives to moving the strike plate when the amount of adjustment needed is minor (the door will latch if you lift up on it).   I believe the misalignment is caused by sagging as the sill plate that was replaced 3 years ago has dried out (the door was reset and worked perfectly at that time).

Can I place a small shim (perhaps 1/16") behind the lower hinge?   The door swings easily and doesn't move on its own right now, I'd like it to stay that way if possible.

Your instincts are right. Bumping out the lower hinge just a bit should raise the lock mechanism a bit and may allow it to properly engage the strikeplate. You also get the risk of messing with well functioning hinges. It may cause the door to self-swing (or even bind at the top or sides).

But the test is easy. Slightly loosen the lower hinge screws on the door. Slip a piece of cardboard or two between the hinge plate and the door. Tighten the screws. If all is well, you can leave the shims or replace them with a thin piece of wooden shim. If it doesn't work or causes other problems, reverse the fix.

If that doesn't solve the problem, you may be able to file down just enough of the lower edge of the strikeplate hole to allow the lock to engage. Newer strikeplates are fairly thin material and can be filed fairly easily.


How to seal around shower handle? I just finished installing my shower escutcheon but am unsure of how to seal around the inner hole. Here's a picture

There's a flimsy foam seal in there but I don't feel good about relying on that. How should I seal around this? Caulk?

Clear silicone caulk, the tub/bath type with mildew inhibitor, will hold up the best.

You need to be aware that doing this will complicate future access for maintenance, as the caulk will have to be mechanically removed to change out the valve cartridge. That type of cartridge will require replacement eventually (5 to 10 years, more or less, depending on water quality and frequency of use).

The way the knob covers the assembly will generally prevent direct water spray on the area and the foam seal on the escutcheon does a pretty good job of preventing water intrusion. I never caulk this area on Moen valves.


A/C escaping down the staircase I live on the second floor of a century-old house that doesn't have central air. We have a large window A/C unit in the main hall but our front door is at the bottom of the stairs rather than the top. So this means the base of the stairs gets chilly but our floor doesn't really get the full benefit of the A/C.

Are there any good ways to deal with this? We're thinking about putting curtains around the top of the stairs. We're tenants so more ambitious changes like installing a door at the top of the stairs aren't really possible.

When renting a victorian back in the day we did the same thing, we draped a sheet over the stair case to trap the cold air above. So...I think your curtain idea is perfect. Shouldn't be that hard to install, isn't permanent, but should be plenty to block the cold air from escaping.

A more permanent enhancement to that system would be to place a ceiling fan upstairs to help move the air around even more. For now, a floor fan may be enough to help.


Can I run low voltage undercabinet lighting wire under overhead microwave oven above the stove I would like to run low voltage undercabinet lighting wire (in PVC covering) under an overhead microwave oven above a gas stove. Otherwise, I would have to drill many holes in the cabinetry to go up and around the microwave oven to the bottom of the cabinet.

As far as code is concerned yes you can.
Have seen some very nice jobs where the strips in plastic were attached behind the front framework, just enough of a space so the one that was used could not be seen unless actually looking under the cabinets. I like the coated ones so they can be wiped off, I have seen the “tapes” of lights attached exposed and wonder how long those will work especially close to a stove. So your plan is starting out well if you can mount them well and have the control switch in a good location it can be a nice application.


Time to Replace Masonite Royalcote Wall Paneling? My house was built in 1959.  The basement has a pseudo-finished area with walls made of wood paneling.  I've started removing some of it to address issues behind the wall and to provide easier electrical access for electricians who will be adding some circuits.  I was planning on hanging up the same paneling after all the work is done, but I'm starting to wonder if the paneling is quite old and possibly contains materials now known to be hazardous.

The backsides of the panels have a logo stenciled on them in paint which calls the product "Masonite Royalcote."  Does anyone know how long this product was manufactured?  The only references I find online suggest it was a popular wall paneling in the 1960s.  If it's that old, and especially if it had any kind of hazardous material in it, I should probably go ahead and pay for some new paneling.

Masonite was made out of wood fibers. The contractor I work with had some tested because Masonite cement board has asbestos.
What we found out was it is only wood. Many composite wood products use formalgahid in the glue. Masonite is steam bonded with high pressure. With that said the insulation behind the Masonite was asbestos.


Should I insulate my unfinished basement ceiling? Question

Are there any negative effects from insulating a basement ceiling?

Story

I have an unfinished basement, with a family member living in a make-shift room.

In my efforts to retain heat in his area I put up some insulation above him (with a few other things). He swears that it has helped drastically.

The unexpected benefit was the floor above him, is warmer (so my wife says). I'm just happy that some of the noise he makes stays in the basement.

Expectations

So my expectations for insulation the basement ceiling, maybe a warmer main floor... and some sound proofing.

Why I'm asking

I started googling around and some articles said insulating the basement ceiling could potentially cause moisture/plumbing problems. Others said that it wouldn't hurt, but don't expect much of a return on the investment. One even said don't insulate both the ceiling and the walls....

My home

Its divided into two different sides, one side is the living room and kitchen, the other part of the house has the bedrooms and bathrooms. The overall shape is an "L" The basement is 100% unfinished, there are two heating vents down there that I leave open... but other than that its just bare concrete walls.  I don't know if this makes a difference but figured more information can't hurt.

The insulation in the ceiling will have almost no effect on Uncle Bob's living experience, other than he may not hear as much noise from people upstairs.

What you need to do is insulate the perimeter of the basement.  This would be all framing that meets with the outside of the house that is above ground level.  By just stuffing fiberglass or roxul into the joist gaps a good foot thick you will achieve 70-80% of your basement insulation needs for maybe $200 for a large basement.

Also this needs to be done all the way around, not in just the area Bob lives.  I would certainly do his area first but even a small area not done can sabotage the effectiveness of the rest of the basement.  Also note that dirt is a pretty good insulator unless you are in an extremely cold climate so no use in doing the whole wall.

And back to ceiling insulation.  In actuality if the basement does not have zoned heating and air, the insulation will probably make the area cooler in the winter.  The warm air from the first floor will not be able to infiltrate the lower level as well.  So if sound isn't an issue then I would not even think about going there.   (Most people would insulate the ceiling in a cold climate because they do not want the cold air from basement moving to first floor - not because they want to make basement warmer)


Voltage on the protective earth conductor? Got a weird situation in my house. Sorry for the horrible "hand drawing" below and also for probably not using the correct terms (i'm not an electrician).

Here's one of the multiple circuits in my house: there's a circuit breaker (just a regular one that breaks on overcurrent, not the differential kind), then wires leaving through a long (5-10 meters), flexible PVC tube to another part of the house, through a wall socket and to an appliance (washing machine, let's say).

The question is: if the PE (protective earth) conductor - yellow in my drawing - is disconnected from the ground (?) at the distribution board, how normal is it to see a voltage between the points marked "Voltage here?" in the drawing (when there's also voltage on the live wire)? I've got multiple such circuits in my house and, for some, if you touch the disconnected PE conductor, you can feel a pinch in your fingers. Contact voltage detector also lights up slightly, and using a multimeter can show even ~60V in high impedance mode, or a much lower value in low impedance.

So, could this be ghost voltage (and therefore not a more serious problem)?

Otherwise, this could indicate a defective appliance (what if this phenomenon occurs with the appliance plugged in and disappears without?) ? Or an insulation fault between the line, neutral and PE conductors (this happened a few times before, because of probably broken conductor insulation and moisture in the PVC tube - from when the house was built)?

As I've said elsewhere, phantom voltage shouldn't bite.

Yes, the Protective Earth wire will will pick up (via induction or capacitance, like a radio transmission) a very tiny amount of energy from the adjacent hot wire.  However, that should only register on a very sensitive meter, such as a DVM.

A low impedance meter should instantly exhaust the voltage, leaving no readable figure.

Alternately, you can put an ammeter across the connection and see how many amps want to flow.  If it's more than microamps, it isn't phantom voltage - and if it's more than 5 milliamps, it is a life safety threat, and at least in America, a GFCI (RCBO) would trip.

Given that your low-impedance meter still sees the voltage, and it throws a visible spark, this is genuine residual current leakage, and it needs to be dealt with.  You're lucky to catch this one; often, ground faults go through fourth routes that you wouldn't see on the earth wire.

Now you should begin removing appliances until the leak goes away. That will be the faulty appliance, and it's time to fix or replace it.

It might happen due to faulty wiring, but that generally happens when someone uses interior wiring in an outdoor location.  This does not sound like an outdoor location.


How should I increase pressure in a Glow Worm Micron 50FF? My Glow Worm Micron 50FF boiler's pressure was yesterday reading at a pressure of 1 (mbar or PSI -- not sure which) but the red fixed line shows as 2. I had a look in the manual and it suggested that it should be at 2 too.

So, I did what I thought was right an twisted the red know next to the pressure gauge to increase the pressure but it seemed to drop (now a 0.9).

How do you increase the pressure in one of these systems (we haven't lived here long)?

We have:

Glow Worm Micron 50FF
Gledhill SysteMate 2000

Pictures of the components of our system:

The red knob, gauge and what appears to be a drainage tap.

The whole SysteMate 2000.

Small tank on top of the SysteMate 2000.

SysteMate 2000 instructions label.

Valve / tap on tank.

Any help would be much appreciated.

The red knob might be for setting a pressure relief valve rather than for a filling loop valve.

I have the same boiler on a pressurised loop, it is pressurised as needed by opening an adjacent quarter-turn ball-valve (an "appliance valve", with a short blue lever) permanently plumbed to cold mains supply.

Your setup may differ, I'd try to find how mains supply is connected, it may need you to connect a temporary hose somewhere.


Why is this light fixture with 3 bulbs giving me so much trouble? I have a light bulb fixture on the ceiling in one room of my house that holds 3 bulbs.

The previous owner installed it to make the room extra bright, for certain work and tasks to be done here, that simply require a bright environment.

I used to put in 75 - 100 watt incandescent bulbs in the fixture.

Most of the time though one of the three bulbs would burn out super fast (like within months if not weeks... I got tired of changing them all the time, especially because its such an ordeal with the big, heavy, decorative screw-on glass cover mounted to the fixture). Burned out bulbs would leave the room unevenly lit, and generally not bright enough.

At the same time though 3 100W bulbs were kind of making you squint a bit, because it was SO bright...

I wanna say 2 years ago, maybe 1.5 years ago I saw some 60W-equivalent CFL bulbs on sale and bought a package. I used 3 of those in this fixture, and TADA! No more burned out bulbs since then, and generally perfect lighting conditions (except for the first minute when you turn them on, but oh well...)

It's been going good for probably a year or longer.

About 3 months ago I noticed that one of the CFL bulbs was making a buzzing noise.

I changed it with a newer bulb and that fixed the problem, I figured the bulb might have had a factory defect, as they are supposed to last 10 years.

This morning I noticed that the light is making a buzzing noise again!

Haven't been able to check which bulb it is, but come on!

What am I doing wrong, what can I do to prevent this from happening to the bulbs?

I find the noise not only annoying but I am also concerned about safety: I had installed one of the bulbs in a fixture in the basement once, and while I was down there I noticed that the light started buzzing, then flickering. When I looked I saw it was practically burning on the base/ballast. I turned the switch off immediately and the flames stopped... Hasn't happened with any of the other bulbs since then (I bought 2 packages of 8, one of which I didn't need to open yet). Again I assumed at the time it was a defect with one of the bulbs.

Is there anything I need to be aware of regarding lighting? I figured each fixture has 120V on it, so it shouldn't matter what bulb you put in, should it?

Oh, and these are no dimmable lights.

EDIT:
It took me forever, but here is finally a picture of my setup

I don't see why there would be any heat issues arising, especially since the fluorescent bulbs don't get hot...

Do you have a picture of the cover? It seems very likely that all your problem simply relate to an overheating.
Is there a chance for a better air flow (thermal ventilation)?


Why is my new garage door going through lights so fast? A little while ago our 14 year old garage door opener broke and we had the choice of retrofitting it with modern safety gear (required by code before they could even try to fix it) and then a "moderately simple fix" or replacing it with a new opener that came with all the safety gear, and would work, and would be significantly quieter, and would cost less all said and done than just the retrofit parts for the old unit. Needless to say, we picked the new one.

When they put the new opener in, we just moved the light bulb from the old one. it had been in there for a year or two and was still fine. 2 weeks later it flashed and died when opening the door one day. It was an old bulb, so I thought nothing of it and replaced it later that day with another 40w incandescent bulb. That bulb lasted 2 months at the most before it did the same thing... flash and die when turning on (switch on, opener wasn't activated, so no vibrations at all). Another new bulb, this time a 60w "fan light" supposedly vibration resistant long life bulbs intended for ceiling fans and similar environments, one of the ones pictured is a garage door opener. That one lasted a bit over 2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks. Assuming it had to be a bad bulb, I swapped in another from the package... same thing in about a month. So I took one out of our ceiling fan that has been in there for months running just fine. That one flashed and died yesterday, after about a month.

It's a Raynor Corporal 1/2 hp residential opener which says it's rated for 100w max bulb, I've been putting 40 or 60w bulbs in, that seems fine. The unit doesn't have a lot of vibraion, in fact it's far less than our old opener (a 1/3 hp Raynor as well). Anyone have any other ideas what's killing light bulbs in here?

Vibration is still a good guess. Try a "rough service" bulb, usually sold for the work lights that you hang under the hood of your car.

You can also try a 130V bulb; cheaper bulbs are rated at 120V, and so don't tolerate line voltage fluctuations as much.

Another option is an LED bulb. A 40W-equivalent is in the $10 range, and they are supposed to be very vibration resistant.


What are the ramifications of using interior oil-based paint outdoors? I accidentally spray painted some gates for my deck with interior oil-based paint.  They had been previously painted and I was touching them up after about 7 years use.  I put 2 coats of the oil-based interior paint on them.  They are white.  I'm wondering what I should do.  Would it make any difference to put a coat of exterior paint on top?  Should I just put them outside and wait for them to wear out again?

One big difference between interior and exterior paint is the flexibility.  Interior paint does not have to deal with as drastic of temperature changes.  Odds are after a summer the oil based paint (even if you put a coat over the top) will get very brittle and begin to crack, particularly if the paint did no go onto bare wood.


Is it possible to recover waste heat from a boiler? I did a google search and came back with industrial products, but no residential prosucts.

I have a System 2000 boiler and hot water tank. When the furnace is firing, the temp of the exhaust through the flue is around 400 degrees.

That seems like a horrible waste of heat.

Same thing with the dryer. It throws heat right outdoors, which also seems like a waste. (not really concerned with humid air, as it is winter and I have to run a humidifier anyway).

Is there any "safe" method to do recover waste heat from a boiler?

You should look into condensing boilers that do just that and capture a lot of heat that would normally fly out of the chimney. In fact they vent through a PVC pipe producing a lukewarm steam and have efficiency as high as 96%

So if your current boiler is close to the end of its usefull life, then upgrade might be a sensible investment.

However it's not a bad idea to evaluate your house as a whole. If its poorly insulated and drafty, then that should be addressed as well.

A lot of states and some energy companies offer free or very cheap home efficiency auditing and insulation programs.


Do Dimmable LED on Standard Dimmers Save Energy? A lot of new LED bulbs claim they work on standard dimmers. Bought a bunch of the Philips Slim Style Dimmable LEDs when they were on sale at Home Depot. They work fairly well on dimmers that were already in the wall. Not sure what type of dimmers they are. Just the standard slide dimmers you'd get cheap at the hardware store.

Not very familiar with the technology used in these types of bulbs. My main point in dimming them is to reduce the amount of light but I'm wondering if dimming these will reduce the amount of energy used and if so how much? I understand dimming incandescent bulbs doesn't save as much as you might think compared to the light output.

Also would dimming these bulbs lessen their life span?

Yes, dimmers reduce energy consumption of dimmable LEDs. Unlike incandescent bulbs, the electricity used is fairly linear with the light output; at 50% brightness it should use roughly 50% of the power.

Generally speaking, dimming will allow the bulbs to run cooler and extend their life spans. There may be some exceptions for some particular bulbs with particular kinds of dimmers, however, LEDs advertised as "dimmable" should not have any problems.


Can 2 - 6" flex ducts be combined into a single 8" rigid duct I'm trying to clean up some sloppy HVAC work in my home prior to finishing my basement.   I have 2 VERY long 6" flex duct runs coming off the supply master that feeds the great room in my house.  Both runs make a hard 90 degree turn at one point as well, which i understand is a no-no with flex-duct.  Both ducts also run parallel to each other for most of the run.

What I'd like to do is combine the flex duct runs into a single, rigid duct up until the point where they would split.  Then use a T or Y to attach the flex for the last few feet of each.

I've been reading about calculating the CFM and it's making my head spin.  From what I've read, it seems that flex does have more friction than rigid.  THe area of 2x6" circles is 56.5486.  The area of a single 8" circle is 50.2655.  So, it's relatively close in terms of area.

Would I be OK using an 8" rigid duct prior to the split, or would I need to go up to a 10" duct.  Space is a consideration, as I may not have room for the 10".  THANKS!

Considering how much worse flexible duct is for airflow .vs. smoothwall, I think you'll be fine with 8"; better than it was, for certain.

Assuming real-world installation, this paper is quite enlightening (figure 2 also appears to show that 8" is slightly more than twice as good as 6" even under ideal conditions, where there's less difference between flex and smoothwall) but figure 3 is very enlightening, and that's for what's considered a "good, nominal" flex install.

Texas A&M airflow & pressure in flex ducts

Figures 4, 5 & 6 are downright scary.


will installing a ceiling fan below recessed lights cause strobe effect We want to install a kitchen ceiling fan. There are recessed "can" lights in ceiling. One electrician says this will case a "strobe" effect  when on. Need to have this opinion verified or not.

Yes, it can. If the lights are directly above the fan blades (not likely for recessed lights, but a surety on a fan with uplighting), you will have a stroboscopic effect all of the time and it will be the most pronounced. It will be more pronounced when the fan is spinning on lower speeds than higher speeds. The  farther the lights are situated away from the fan, the more the effect will be diminished, possibly to the point of not being noticeable at all.


Fixing hinge on a screen door The screen door hit the jam this morning and taking a look I see the lower hinge has pulled out. It's held into the aluminium frame using what appear to be sheet metal screws, and I don't think there's anything behind them on the door side. Here's an image, I'm not sure it's very clear:

If you can make that out, you can see the hinge has pulled away. You'll also note that the current location of the screws is not the originals, so this happened in the past and the previous owner simply made new holes in the middle of the hinge.

I don't think putting another set of screws in another set of holes is the solution, does anyone have other suggestions? Is there some sort of tiny toggle bolt that would work?

If it's because they've loosened/pulled out, the next step might be to go with larger diameter screws.  Drill the holes out bigger, replace with bigger screws for more bite.


Recessed light spacing I am putting 4 inch Philips hue LED lights in my den that is 260 inches by 248 inches with 8 foot tall ceilings. I am putting 9 lights in (from scratch). The way I have it mapped out to avoid the beams and stay symmetrical it is roughly 41 inches from the walls vertical, and 47 inches from the walls horizontal. From light to light it is roughly 82 inches between (all measurements taken from the center of the light). I drew a crappy MSPaint drawing to try and help visualize:

Is this an adequate layout? From the websites I see it says they should be about 4 foot from each other and 3 foot from the walls. The layout I have is almost 4 foot from the walls and over 6 foot from each other. Should I bring them closer together and farther from the walls? This is our main living space and I want to make sure the lighting is adequate and there is correct coverage.

This question may be too subjective for this site, but to give you my input, I don't quite understand why people say to keep recessed lighting so far from the wall. It's supposed to be more of an accent-type light, so you really want to wash the walls, not the floor, with light, hence, move them closer to the wells. Then consider putting different types if fixtures elsewhere in the room, for example a pendant over a table or sitting area.


How to tighten a door handle with no visible screws or holes I'm trying to figure out how to tighten the handle on the front door of a new condo unit. I've done a bunch of googling and watched some YouTube videos, but they all either have 1) visible screws, 2) a hole that you can press a pin or hex key into, or 3) are Kwikset handles that you twist and pull. It appears that my handle doesn't fit into any of these groups, as it has no visible screws, no holes that I can see, and is not a Kwikset handle. Some photos are below. In the 3rd photo, I took off a plate, which is why the screws are missing.

Inside (Left):

Inside (Right):

Between inside and outside:

Outside closeup:

Inside closeup:

Outside handle closeup:

The "inside" handle (on the right in the last/lower picture) will have a small spring-loaded button on the handle post (the part you don't put your hand on when opening/closing). Use an awl or equivalent tool to depress the button and remove the inside handle. Then unscrew the inside trim ring (lefty/loosey) to expose the screws that hold the whole assembly together. Tighten em up and put er back together.


Wood siding rests on concrete pad. What are the alternatives? In several areas around this house (a ranch on slab), the clapboard siding comes right to concrete walkways, resulting in peeling and rot.
Short of ripping out the concrete, is there a less destructive solution?
Further, how could this ever pass for responsible construction?

If the height of the door to the bottom of the siding is any clue as to how high the floor slab is above the outside concrete, The siding could have been kept above the concrete perhaps 1" and still would cover the floor slab for weathering.
This will be an over-simplification, but to fix it, I would carefully cut the siding 4 1/2" above the concrete, add flashing, and insert a piece of 1 1/2" X 3 1/2" PVC material as a "frieze board" to replace the rotted siding. If you re in a temperate climate, like the new england area the PVC will move a lot so it may be best to use a wood product that is primed on all sides, including all cuts. Installed so when it is raised to meet the flashing, it provides a 1" gap to the concrete.


Noise in natural gas line Just converted a wood burning fireplace to a natural gas one and there is a jet engine sound when opening the valve and lighting the burner.  We tied into my existing 2" line coming into the house with 1/2" pipe.  There is about 5' of 1/2 inch pipe from where we tied in to the burner.  It is not the whistling sound some describe as being associated with flex pipe.  There is a 12" piece of flex from the control valve to the burner.  After adding a regulator which is set at 3.5"WC we had the local gas company check and confirm pressure from the meter is 7"WC and the meter is operating as it should.  The regulator seemed to reduce the noise slightly but did not eliminate.  The only time you do not hear the noise is when the valve is open fully...anything less and you can hear it.  Removed the burner and lit just the end of the flex pipe and you still hear the noise.  Two plumbers later and a visit from the gas company and no one knows.  Any ideas of what might be causing the noise?

The flex pipe is making the noise, I had a big gas furnace in my shop that I used a flex pipe, oh my it would whistle, upsize6 to 3/4" and the noise was way less. Added is on simple fibreglass insulation around the flex and my bat ear kid said it was ok.