How to fill the joint between tiles and cabinets in a kitchen backsplash? We have a tiled kitchen backsplash, see photo below.

In between the tiles, there's grout.

I wonder what choice of materials I can use (if it's different from the
grout I use between the tiles) in the joints between the tiles and cabinets
(marked red in the photo).  Please suggest materials and discuss their pros and cons.

I want a white material to match the grout color of white.  Also, whatever material I use should be moisture and heat-resistant due to the backsplash area.

Thank you.

I would use white caulk for this, hand-squeezed from the small tubes available at the hardware store. It's flexible enough that it won't crack as the wood cabinets move against the tile, and dries rubbery and impervious to water. Smooth it into the crack with your finger and it'll be nearly invisible. Takes about thirty seconds.

Over time, you'll need to wipe it clean of cooking grease, and it will eventually crack and peel, at which time you can dig it out and reapply it quite easily.


Why does my gas oven not ignite properly? I have a very old Magic Chef gas range. Every time I use the oven, I have to open the bottom drawer and fan air towards the pilot light at the back to get the flames going to heat up the oven. The pilot light does come on when I turn the oven temp. knob, it's that the long rows of flames do not light up unless I fan air into the bottom of the oven. What is the problem? Why do I have to fan it every time? And can this be fixed, or is the range just too old? Please help!

Just thinking the jets closest to the pilot are clogged and when you fan the gas gets close enough to the pilot to ignite.

Sounds like you need to have all the burner jets cleaned.

Good luck!


Samsung RS275 fridge: no water filter indicator reset The water filter replacement indicator on our RS275 refrigerator will not reset. Things I tried so far:

pressing the filter reset button for three seconds (it beeps, but the indicator light stays on)
replacing the filter (no effect)
pressing the ice type+child lock buttons (other Samsung fridges reset the filter replacement indicator this way).

Any ideas?

You are pressing the wrong button, press and hold the "Ice Type" button to reset. From the Owners Manual:

  • Change filter every 6 months. If indicator is purple, the filter has 1 month left.
  If indicator is red, quick replacement is strongly recommended.
  • When the water filter is replaced, reset the indicator by pressing the Ice Type
  button for 3 seconds.
  • To turn this indicator off, press the Ice Type and Child Lock buttons simultaneously
  and hold for 5 seconds.

Note: the light will "stay on", but it will change color to green. I personally have difficulty with this because of mild red-green color vision deficiency, and must have another family member confirm when the LED color change has occured.


Spigot/spicket replacement in tight quarters I noticed that my spigot was leaking. It was only leaking out of the hole where the water normally comes out. I made the mistake of slightly tightening the packing nut without having another wrench to hold the spigot in place. Now the original leak still exists and I now have a very slight leak coming from behind the spigot. Wonderful. Thankfully, I have a separate shutoff valve for the two spigots on my house. I shut it off to prevent any more leaking while I try to figure this out.

I'm guessing that the new leak is due to the soldering joint cracking whenever I tightened the packing nut. I honestly didn't put much torque on the packing nut. I'm surprised that the soldering cracked due to this. I've taken the spigot off to take a look at the pipes coming in. I've got pictures below.

The problem is this: I'm on a slab (it's a townhouse). The spigot has an immediate elbow since it is right behind the dining room wall. What should I do here? Should I make a hole in the dining room wall to have access to this? I'd love to avoid that if possible. Should I remove some of the hardie board on the exterior so that I can possibly get enough room to solder a new one on? Is there some other solution that doesn't require soldering?

I wanted to post what I did to fix the problem in case it helps anyone. I did not have to do anything with the drywall or damage the outside of the house either. The most difficult thing to do was getting the solder into the wall to apply to the joint.

I purchased the following items from Home Depot.

Plumbing soldering kit that came with propane torch, solder, flux.
Copper 1/2" male adapter so that I could simply screw the new spigot on: http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-Copper-C-x-MPT-Adapter-C604HD12/204620255
Threaded 1/2" spigot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-Sillcock-Multi-Turn-Female-Thread-to-Pipe-Valve-UV65204/206827980
Thread tape

I fixed it as follows:

I tore up an old sock and stuffed it in the copper pipe to soak up the water.
I used some sand paper to clean off the old solder on the pipe.
Remove the sock.
Apply flux paste to the outside of the copper pipe coming out of the house.
Push the male adapter onto the copper pipe. Make sure the flux paste was applied to the correct length.
I had a very tight spot to work with, and the solder wire needed to reach back into the wall to where the joint was at, so I went ahead and straightened out a piece of solder about 7 inches long with a tiny bend at the very end. This is the only way I could apply the solder without removing material from the wall.
I used a water bottle to spray a good bit of water into the wall to dampen everything up.
Fire up the torch and apply heat to the male adapter. I couldn't apply heat directly to the joint since it was inside the wall and I didn't want to catch anything on fire. It took a while to heat the entire adapter up.
After the male adapter is sufficiently heated up, I poked the solder into the wall and applied it to the joint. I then pulled it back out, made another tiny bend at the end of it, and stuck it back in on the other side to make sure that it was soldered all the way around.
After letting it cool off, I applied the thread tape to the male adapter and screwed on the spigot. I turned on the water and made sure it works.

It seems to be fixed. It's been a few days and I haven't noticed any leaks.


Repair / Replace Gas Lighter and Logs I had a fireplace inspection performed on a house that I'm buying. It's a "Cal-Mex" prefabricated gas only fireplace.

The fireplace inspector said that the fireplace is missing parts and is beyond its useful life and will need to be completely replaced. He quoted me $10k to have the fireplace replaced.  The previous owner has used the fireplace in the past but hadn't used it in about a year. When I asked the inspector what was specifically wrong with the fireplace, he said the company is out of business and I can no longer get Cal Mex replacement parts. He would not elaborate on what specifically was missing. The only thing missing that I could see were the ceramic logs.

Can I use non "Cal-Mex" fireplace parts on this fireplace to replace defective ones?

Certainly parts like thermocouples, gas valves, fans, fan speed regulators, spark ignitors, etc. can be found generically and installed.  In many cases you might need to make a small change to the part, like drilling a new hole for mounting.  In more extreme cases, you might need a specific trades person to manufacture a replacement part for you.

You mentioned that your logs are missing - these are ultimately just ceramic logs and I doubt any specific manufacture is doing something that would make them completely incompatible with another manufacture fireplace.  Whether they will fit or not is really the only question here.

But I would be seriously suspicious of someone who tells you that you need to spend 10k to replace something just because the manufacture is out of business.  This is very common, and unless something is seriously wrong, I very much doubt you need to replace the entire unit.  Even if this were the case, I would strongly recommend you shop around and ensure you are getting a fair price.


Heating home by blowing hot air in to desired areas I am looking in to upgrading the heating system in my house, and I am surprised that I can hardly find any systems that heat up the house by blowing hot air in to the desired areas, as is standard for office building etc. I prefer this system because I also have a wood burning stove and would like to install a ventilation system anyway so I can distribute the heat through the house and make better use if it. A ventilator and some piping seem like a low cost way of improving the heating in the house.
I would like to use a heat pump for warming the air and I can only find two types of systems:

Air to water systems. These warm up water and the water then needs to be pumped through a piping system in the floor or through a piping system with radiators. I don't want to replace all the floors in the house and I don't want ugly pipes and expensive radiators in the whole house.
Air to air systems. These warm up air, which is what I want, but they all work through big "indoor units" that need to be placed in every room where heating is required.

What I would like is one big "indoor unit" on the attic, and a piping system with valves that distributes the warm air to where it is needed. That way I can keep my floors and don't need to install any pipes or radiators in my living area. Do systems like this exist for a reasonable price, and if not, why?
Edit to provide additional information:
I live in Denmark and centrally heated forced air is nearly nonexistant here. The electricity price here is about 2.5 Danish Krone (0.37 USD about 3 times US price). About 70% of this amount are taxes. I am close to buying a house which has the following heating system. 1 times 4KW heat pump with 2 indoor units, one in the living room and one in the entrance on the other side of the house. Electric heaters in every room and a wood-burning stove in the living room. It has an electric heater for hot water. I see the following problems with this system:

Heating hot water will be very expensive.
The bedrooms are only heated with electric heaters if the door is closed, which is expensive.
If it gets very cold the efficiency of the heat pump will go down and electric heaters need to be used to keep the house warm
The warmth of the wood-burning stove does not reach far enough to heat the rest of the house

I am considering to buy an additional heat pump and a ventilation system to fix most of these issues. The additional heat pump should provide hot water, but I believe it can also provide extra heating with little additional cost. The ventilation system can spread the heat of the stove to the rest of the house. It would be very nice if I could also use the ventilation system to distribute heat from the additional heat pump through the house, because I would like to avoid placing pipes and radiators or additional indoor units in the whole house.

They already have that.  It's the dominant system in use in North America... but I don't think you want it.  The problem is, the pipes are enormous.   - like 4" x 12" (100 x 300mm) per duct, with a dozen ducts.
We joke, and call that thing a "duct-o-pus".
That is why businesses have drop ceilings — to hide the monstrosity of ducts above.
Fat pipes
Now, the traditional North American approach was to have a fuel furnace with an air-air heat exchanger, then a powered "air handler" blower to force air through the heat exchanger and ductopus.   When air conditioning was added, its evaporator (cold side) coil was added just above the furnace heat exchanger.  With "traditional" heat pump systems, the fuel pump coil replaces the air conditioner, and emergency electric heat strips replace the fuel furnace (or not).  But we still have the duct-o-pus.
That system is exactly what you say you want: a heat pump in a central location that uses air as the distribution medium.
Thin pipes
In North America, the new trend is to "slay the duct-o-pus", stop using air as a distribution medium, and use freon itself.   Those units are called "mini-splits", and simply require a 1” hole for the Freon lines.  They use a central compressor and have a heat/cool unit in each room.
Water interchange
Another method seen commercially (think: hotels) is to plumb service water around the complex.  Then have standalone heat pump units which interchange heat with the service water.   The heat pump units can be either per-room, or per apartment and have their own ductopus.  Then, a central facility at the complex has some mechanical plant to return the water to a "normal" temperature of around 30C, either by running through cooling towers, or heating it with fuel. As an alternative, it can have a "ground-source” for temperate water all year; a running stream, seawater (this works for boats, obviously), or favorable aquifer conditions.  That is the only way water interchange makes sense for small operations.


What is this red powder under my carpets? I bought an apartment and under the old carpets in one room there is this red powder. It is tiny granules, like sand.
Here is a gallery of images of the red powder.

I'm very worried now that I heard that some illegal drugs (like meth) can leave red residue.

Can anyone tell me if this does look like illegal drug or other dangerous residue?

I'm getting it tested but I would like to know if it's even safe to be in the apartment in the meantime.

There is not a strong odor to the apartment, it just smells like the previous tenant smoked cigarettes. There is a faint yellow sticky residue on the walls which looks like nicotine stains.

I am just viewing a picture but I have pulled up carpet pads on concrete in many a house and it looks like caulked adhesive used to secure the pads to concrete.  Sometimes the colors in the pads bleed into the adhesive (the spots in my house were green) and things definitely break down or turn to powder after a while.  You should be able to scrape it up - wear some gloves and a mask if you are worried.  I will say I had way more green powder on my floor than that.


How do I reinforce the attic floor? We have an attic I'd like to use as an extra room. The frame of the house is solid 2x8" beams and i'm told that the weight is not a problem there.  The attic framing is just a typical framing though.
Can I reinforce it with joists and have it hold up a typical load of furniture and people?  I'm not going to put the family safe up there, but i would like to make the attic useful without tearing the roof off.

In Massachusetts, attic floors must support at least 30 lbs/ft² live load (the same as bedroom floors) if the attic is accessed by means of a fixed stairway (780 CMR 5502.3.1).  Use a span table to determine the necessary joist dimensions, given their span length, spacing, wood species, and grade.  For example, if your floor joists are 2x6 spaced 16 inches o.c., they can then be between 8'5" and 10'11" depending on the wood species and grade (780 CMR Table 5502.3.1(1)).

Uninhabitable attics with limited storage need only support a live load of 20 lbs/ft² (780 CMR Table 5802.4(2)).


Remounting an undermount sink in a manufactured stone benchtop The undermount sink in our recently purchased house has started to pull down from the benchtop, so there is a ~5mm gap and the seal has broken. It's only pulled away from one side but I don't think it will last much longer. It is a manufactured stone benchtop so I'm not sure of the best way to repair it. It seems to have been originally fixed with some kind of thick creamy brown glue that feels soft with some give. Judging by the way the glue has dried with drips running down it was mounted with the bench already in place.

What is the best way to remount the sink? Preferably without removing the entire benchtop first :-)!

EDIT: Added some photos

Under back of sink:

Under front. It hasn't pulled away from here:

Back of sink again. This blob didn't even seem to get put on the sink:

An undermount sink needs to be mechanically supported from below, with brackets or some kind of structure that can physically support the weight of sink. Between the water, dishes, maybe even someone leaning on the sink, and the sink itself, we are talking about a load on the order of 100 pounds or more. So definitely far in excess of what an adhesive can support in this layout. In the absence of proper support, the weight of the sink may be resting on your drain pipes, which they are not designed to support. You need to get and install a mechanical support, either brackets (the sink's manufacturer probably makes or recommends some) or a custom-built wood structure to carry its weight. While you're at it, make sure to reseal the edges using a consistent layer of putty or silicone caulk.


How deep is the frost line for footers in Michigan? How deep is the frost line for footers in Michigan? I want to put in a small shed in the back yard. 200 square feet large.

Historically, the frost line has been 42" in Leelanau county, in northern Michigan (http://www.leelanau.cc/howdoia.asp?rid=12).  But with the severe cold spells in the past couple of years, where even southerly Kalamazoo, frost has reached down 5 feet in some places, MI municipal code officials may adjust that number downward one day soon.


What's the proper adjustment to prevent this toilet from running? I have a toilet that is constantly running. Here's a photo of the inside of the tank:

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the water level is even with the height of the drain in the center of the tank, causing water to continually drain out (and then subsequently refill). If I pull up on the float a bit, then the filling stops as desired. However, it often gets back to the running state after a flush.

Is there an adjustment I should make to this setup, or is there a part I should replace to fix this issue?

A test first before you do anything I have suggested. when the toilet is flushed and in the process of filling, gently lift up on the gray bar that holds the blue ball to see if the water stops. If it does, it needs adjusting. If it does not, it needs replacing.

There is a screw on top of the inlet valve that adjusts the point where the water stops flowing. Screwing it in while the tank is filling 1 turn should change the water level to what you need.

Or try bending the gray metal rod that supports the blue ball so the  ball sets a  little lower than before, say about 1" lower, if you can manage it. Use both hands on the metal rod to bend it, the plastic valve that the rod connects to cannot take a lot of stress. That should stop the water flowing about 1", maybe less, to the top of the overflow tube.

If the water level still rises up and over the overflow tube, try the bend one more time, setting the blue ball even lower. If it still runs on, then the filler needs replaced, it is not stopping the water as it should.

Looking at the picture again, check to see if the blue ball is hitting the side of the tank, not allowing it to rise high enough to stop the waterflow. If that is the case, if there are visible threads, screw the ball in more to clear the side of the tank.


Why isn't my refrigerator water line delivering water? Bought a new fridge two days ago. Need to hook up water line for ice and water. No water is coming through the copper piping when the valve is turned on. Old fridge water quit working in the door - thought the line was frozen or filter was bad but ice maker made ice.

Chances are you have a cheap saddle valve. Plumbers and appliance installers often use them because they're quick. They use a piercing needle built into them to punch a hole in copper pipes. The problem is that they're prone to corroding shut over time. Also, they have poor flow rates.

You can simply close the old one and install a new one if you like, but evenutally it'll crud shut also, as the second one in my current home did.

The right solution is to install a proper valve. This requires cutting pipe, but isn't terribly difficult. The benefits are longevity and flow, which is important when you have a drinking water dispenser and not just an ice maker.


Can I build a vanity, or am I in over my head? I need to replace a vanity.

It's a generic 3 drawer, 2 door, 36" vanity, with one detail. On the right hand side is an angled cabinet, say, 15-20 degrees back, to narrow the counter top to fit it by the toilet. At that point, there is a separate cabinet, with a pair of "roll top desk" doors, that go side to side.

The angled back, and the companion cabinet make this a piece I can't really find off the shelf.

I do not need to replace the second cabinet, pretty sure I can reuse that.

But I would like to replace the main vanity. The sink area of the current one is "funky", as sink areas can get after 20+ years.

The main vanity was assembled out of a particle board main cabinet, with some kind of white surface (melamine?), and an oak face frame, oak doors, oak drawer fronts.

I was thinking of building mine out of plywood (birch?) and oak as well.

I am not an experienced cabinet maker. I am not an experienced wood worker.

But I look at the original, the simplicity of it's construction. And I look around the internet, and the wonders of YouTube. I was considering pocket screw joinery, and, all in all, it looks pretty straight forward.

It seems to come down to whether I can cut square pieces.

I have a small table saw (you get them at a home center for $150-$200). I have access to a power chop/miter saw. I'm willing to buy the assorted jigs and clamps and what not for the pocket screw stuff.

I'm willing to "build it twice", once out of pine for the face frame, and just get twice the plywood. "Cut twice, measure once."

I have the original for a plan, I can make measurements from it, and it can act as an assembly guide. They just nailed and stapled this thing together with butt joints.

Naively, this looks doable to me. The pocket hole joinery looks simple and mechanical and sturdy. I have a fence on the saw, and I found some techniques on cutting the panels and dealing with larger pieces of plywood (always an issue for me, particularly with the small table saw). But with a circular saw, and some saw horse techniques I saw on YouTube, it seems doable.

The hardest part seems to be cutting the angles. Angles of the cabinet wall, angles of the face frame stiles, angle of the shelves inside. Table saw should do that, I worry about about getting the lines right (cut on the line? Outside the line? Inside the line? What's a good tolerance here).

The face frame will be sanded and stained.

I do not have to make the counter top, I do not have to install it. I have a contractor for that.

What I don't know is...what I don't know. What I don't know is how far over my head am I. What I don't know is do I need special blades for the saw (I have the generic one it came with)? Are there tricks for installing drawer slides? Door hinges?

I don't see a need for dados or anything like that. I was thinking of making the drawers, they would have simple panel fronts, but I may order the doors (they're shaker style -- again, these seem pretty simple to me, but they would need a dado to trim the grooves and make the tenons). I guess I would need a small dado for the bottom of the drawers. Not sure about that yet.

I also don't know how to finish the inside of the cabinet, but I can come back to that.

So, as I said, I don't know what I don't know.

Is this project folly? Part of the problem is we've spent a lot of time trying to find an off the shelf solution and can't. We've even enlisted custom cabinet makers, but they're -- not really responsive. So, I'm feeling empowered by 5 minute internet videos, power tools, and gizmos. I don't want to rush it, but...it just doesn't seem that hard.

I have visions of that bridge at the end of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and Sir Robin running off "That's easy!".

So, just looking for the gotcha's. What am I missing. Skill and experience, obviously. Is that enough to condemn the project?

It sounds like you have a very sensible and thorough approach to the project. Just a few suggestions:

Saw Blade

Most blades that come with table and miter saws are fairly low end. If you are cutting plywood for finish carpentry, you want a high tooth count blade for smooth cuts. Check out one of the blade manufacturers for the range and you will find some recommended for this type of work. The cost is worth it and it will last through many more projects.

Angle cuts

This is where your cut-twice idea is a good idea. You are just trying to replicate a given angle. Measure the angles either with a protractor, or, if the piece being matched is an angle cut across a short dimension (rather than a long bevel) lay it up against the angled saw blade to check.

Use scrap wood to make a try cut angle based on your best estimate. If it is off, adjust the blade or angle guide slightly and try again. When you have the exact angle, cut the good wood.

If you need to make an angle cut on a wide board on the table saw, consider an adjustable taper guide that runs along the fence.

Materials

It wasn't clear to me whether you were going to make the face frames out of pine or just make mock ups and then use oak. For the actual frames, use oak. It is both more rigid and much less prone to seasonal change. All woods shrink and swell somewhat, even when well sealed, but softwoods much more so. You could find shifting of doors and binding drawers if you use a wood that changes much.

Cutting on/next to marking lines

It doesn't matter. What does matter is consistency. You need to know where your mark is in relation to the exact measurement, and cut accordingly. And do the same thing every time.

For example, if you measure a board using a rigid rule, and you mark with a pencil, you can have the far edge of the pencil line at the exact distance. The thickness of the line is within the length you want. Then make a line across the board using a square at the exact spot.  Many woodworkers use a scribing tool instead of a pencil to get a finer marking. In this case, you would cut leaving the line behind, since it was within the length you wanted.

Also realize that when your finished cabinet meets other surfaces, such as the wall, it will almost never be an exact fit, due to slight irregularities in angle and levelness of the wall.  This is where trim strips come in. While there is a technique for scribing an exact contour to fit a cabinet to a wall, that is a bit more challenging. Unless you are going to do that type of trimming, leaving a cabinet a hair shallow or short is much better than too deep or too high. Shims and trim work wonders.


Light stays on without switch connected I have a light in the wash room that stays on when the switch is off and when I turn it on the light gets brighter. I took out the switch and it still stays on . Any suggestions?

I'm going to answer based on the assumption that this is an plain incandescent and a plain old switch.
Sounds like a couple of things are combining to cause trouble. First, The switch is wired on the neutral rather than the hot side, so there's voltage at the light fixture.  Next, the return line from the light is shorted weakly to ground somewhere, thus completing a circuit and allowing the bulb to light up.  Finally, when you flip the switch, there's a better conduction circuit than the ground short, so the full voltage is seen at the bulb, and it gets brighter.

I would start by carefully removing the bulb and using a multimeter to test both the center contact and the threaded shell of the fixture against a ground point to see if there's voltage there (there should not be).


correcting the Indents on my Fascia boards --- after I chipped and sanded the old paint and then primed and painted I  spent a lot of time chipping , scraping , sanding the fascia boards    some of the paint would not come off  and my circular sander just does not do the job my old belt sander did .  Anyway, I put on two prime coats and two topcoats , but the indents are still visible. The man at the paint store said I should have put some mud on in the beginning and use a wide trowel to smooth it out.

Any help from the audience out there ?

You will need to scuff up the paint in the area(s) that need attention, then use exterior spackle with a broad knife (as the astute salesman pointed out).

Then sand smooth and re-prime and re-paint.


Enlarging a deadbolt door knob hole on a steel door I have a steel door in which I'd like to replace the deadbolt lock with a newer keypad type lock. The door is a bit older and the hole is 1 1/2 inches. The keypad deadbolt requires a 2 1/8 inch hole.

I've created a guide out of plywood as described in this thread and I have it lined up as best as I can. My question is, do I go all the way through to the other side of the door in one shot? Or do I do one side, then move my guide and try to line it up on the other side door?

For this scenario, since it's a hollow core door, I'd get your plywood templates aligned on the outside, and drill in from each side of the door.

If you had a solid core door, I'd worry about not being aligned from each side and suggest holding the drill perfectly level and going all the way through from one side only.


Is 1/2" plywood sufficient in strength as a 40"x28" table top? I'm looking to make a 40" by 28" table for a six year old. I would like to use 1/2" plywood for the top and for two shelving units attached below. Those shelving units will also serve as the front two legs, one on each side. Would 1/2" be sufficient for strength and stability of the table? I would rather not use 3/4" only because I would like to be able to move it more easily.

Is 1/2" plywood sufficient in strength as a table top 40"x28", given an appropriate support structure beneath? Absolutely.

That being said, you want to make sure that your design incorporates support in multiple axes of stress as well as twist & shear.

Avoid large overhangs with such thin plywood, and consider building up the edge with multiple layers to decrease flex.

Rabbets (rebates for the UK folks), dado's (dadoes?), a pin nailer, screws, glue, some trim.. epoxy coating for durability..

Heck, include a pocket or a chute along the back to sweep loose lego into and you'll have one happy 6-year-old! :)


How to move a garage opener switch and minimize damage to sheetrock The garage opener was installed a couple feet away from the door which makes it awkward to trigger in enough situations that I finally just (temporarily) nailed it over next to the doorway.  But I need to do something more permanent and less ugly.

The problem is what to do with the wire?  There are two studs between where it's mounted and the door.

I'm thinking that since I have to repair the original hole anyway, maybe enlarge it to expose the stud, chisel or drill a path for the wire through it, and pop it up there above the light switch box.

Anyone have better ideas?  And suggestions on how to patch the hole?

[Update]

I opened up the wall around the hole to expose the 2x4.  As a complication, there's a wood backboard behind the dryway, so had to drill/chisel through that.  I didn't have a coat hanger, but had a similar stiffness wire that I used to poke through the insulation.  I twisted the end of the stiff wire into a loop using needlenose pliers and attached a flexible wire, pulled that through, and tied it around the door opener wire.  With all that done, the garage opener wire was easily pulled through the hole and reconnected to the opener.

Because it is drywall, you can do pretty much as you suggest:

Enlarge the existing hole enough so that you can drill a hole through the stud
Cut a hole for the switch above the light switch box
Take the door switch off the cable and feed the cable through the stud
Use a coathanger/hook/other tool to catch the cable and pull it through the new hole
Reattach the switch and install into the wall
Plaster and smooth old hole
Paint as necessary

Job done.


Do I need any kind of separator / release agent when casting concrete in shuttering plywood forms? We'll be casting my first concrete countertops soon. We already talked thickness, reinforcement and sealing with manufacturer of concrete mix we will be using (great guys!) so on that part, we feel safe.

As you can see below, plywood has really smooth finish. I'll seal and round edges with silicone. My question is - do I need to spray form with anything? Or can I just clean it and pour concrete? It looks like it is designed to not need any separating agent, but I prefer to ask before I pour.

We'll be using extra smooth mix designed for countertops and small architectural details, if that matters, and designed thickness is 3cm /(1 3/16 inch).

I've seen this done with melamine-coated boards. I would make sure that the plastic veneer of the boards you're using is one solid piece. Family Handyman indicates you don't need any special chemicals to get it out of the form

  To remove the form, pry off the long sides and then the short sides. Pry against the form base rather than the concrete. If you have to pry off the form base, use a plastic putty knife; metal will mar the surface


Step up-down transformer tripping circuit breaker I got a 3000watt step down transformer(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LCSTP24/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to power my 1500 watt Ninja blender I got from US to run in India.

For some reason, whenever I plug the transformer in, the circuit trips. To be noted, that I got a similar step down transformer but a 1500 watt one to power my TV which doesnt trip any circuit.

Any clue why this is happening? Does the power rating of transformer cause this issue?

All transformers are essentially a "short circuit" for the brief instant that they are energized, because it is the interaction of the magnetic fields that impedes (resists) the flow of current, and for a brief instant, there is no magnetic field yet. This is called "inrush current" and can exceed 10x the rating of the circuit breaker. Often that inrush is of such short duration that it is too fast for the breaker to react to, but if it is TOO high, then it can trip the breaker. Because of this, MCBs, like the ones you show, can be purchased with different "trip curves". The ones in your photo are "C" curve, which are for general purpose use. For feeding a transformer, you want a "D" curve (so it would say D10 instead of C10). A D curve breaker will allow up to 14x the rating for the instantaneous trip function, which is designated for handling transformer inrush.

When the smaller transformer worked, it was because >10x the transformer inrush current is still  less than the breaker instantaneous tripping point. You could get a similar effect by using a larger breaker, but then you would have to change the wire.


Single Pole Light Switch 3 Black Wires not sure if I can get help with this but wanted to present my issue.

I've been installing smart light switches throughout the house and have had no issues.
Ran into a unique light switch this evening where one of the three black wires is wrapped around the side screw.

Now after some research I know it's connected to the bathroom fan as well as the bathroom light.

Does anyone know the proper way to wire this into my new light switch which has

LIVE
LOAD IN
GROUND
NEUTRAL

I know where ground and neutral go, copper and white wires.
I know two of the black wires go into live and load, but I'm not sure what I do with the wire wrapped around the side screw shown in the attached image.

The wire wrapped around the screw and the wire "stabbed" into the port next to it are connected together internally within the switch.  With the switch off, test for voltage to determine if the lone wire, on the bottom of the switch, is the hot (line) or if the two connected wires, on the top, are together the hot (line).  The two wires currently connected together on your existing switch should be again connected together on your new switch.

Good Luck,
Volt-Ron


Sofa recliner difficult to lock in place I have Lane Sofa recliner that lets up and down ok, but it is difficult to get it lock in place. I have greased it down underneath and a quick glance of under there doesn’t seem to show where any adjustments can be made? This is an older sofa.Any suggestions?

Recliner mechanisms definitely wear out.  I have never heard of adjustments.  If everything is still bolted down properly and nothing is loose it may be time for a replacement.  I talked to a furniture man once.  He said that there is little you could do with them when they start to go.


Do I need to replace this toilet ring? You can see the ring is broken on the right side.

Yes - the rectangular hole on the right leads to a curved slot that holds the bolts used to secure your toilet.  Your slot is broken which means the right side of the toilet will not be secure.  This could (read will) lead to a rocking toilet (not in a good way) which will be followed by leaks (um, eww) and rotted subfloors or worse.

A repair flange like this will work, but a full ring like this is better.

And I'd lean toward a stainless repair kit so there is less worry in the future.


Why Does Over Kitchen Sink Fluorescent Use More Watts Than Bulb Says I have an Efergy Elite unit that measures the watts used for any circuit its connected to. Right now I'm using it to monitor the circuit with our fluorescent light over the kitchen sink and something puzzling is happening. With just this light on, and the clock on the microwave on, it reads 73 watts. If the light is turned off, it measures 3 watts. So, logically the light is using 70 watts. But here's the thing: the bulb is a 24 inch, 20 watt fluorescent. So how could it be using 70 watts? Could it be the ballast? Or, could it be the bulb. I know this is kind of esoteric, but I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this before, and can explain it. I'm considering opening the wall switch up for the light and putting my ammeter on the hot wire to verify the Efergy reading.

While trying to post this question I got directed to a similar question re a Kill-a-watt meter that answers my question too. The bottom line seems to be that these inexpensive meters, like the Kill-a-watt, Reliance Controls THP103, and Efergy Elite will not accurately measure the watts for a CFL because they compute the watts by multiplying amps times volts whereas the power company meter measures watts directly. The former does not take into account the power factor, whereas the latter does.


Can’t figure out how to remove cartridge of single handle tub faucet We have a leaking bathtub faucet and need to replace the cartridge but we cant’t figure out how to remove the casing (estachian?) around it. I don’t know the brand or model number. Everything is stuck from the hard water. We’ve already replaced the faucet but that didn’t fix it. Any help is much appreciated!!

The stem is held in place by a u-shaped piece of metal.  If you scrape through enough crud, you'll find the bottom of it on the outside of the metal cylinder.  Pull it out with a pair of pliers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkZad_sHQkQ about 0:50 in is what I'm talking about.


Carlon single-outlet box with bar hanger? Location: US.

I need to move a baseboard outlet up to become a wall outlet (new flooring atop old flooring) and I'd like to keep the outlet centered on the wall, midway between wall studs.

Do they make a single outlet box with bar hangers, like this, only with an outlet box:

Just use an old work box.

Cut the hole in the wall to fit the box.
Slide the box in with the tabs folded down.
Turn the screws until the tabs flip out and grab the back of the wallboard.


What precautions should be taken before draining a pool for cleaning? When draining a pool: what if any counter measures are used to keep the pool from "popping up" or is this a myth?

The hurricane has left our pool black from mixing with storm water.  Is it really necessary to drain the pool or is it possible to filter and chlorinate?

After seeing several pools come 1-3 feet out of the ground and close to 10 have there bottoms heaved up and broken I would never drain a pool in the winter (Northern California) You may be able to drain 1/3 of the pool and add fresh water I use the vacuum and pump it out of the pool this way you are making use of the water not just dumping. Then hit it hard with a shock treatment 2x or 3x the normal amount. Make sure to backwash your filter 1-2 times a day. I used to use 1-2 gallons of liquid chlorine with the shock treatment it just seams to work better. Also a clarifying agent like clear blue or aqua blue will help. I have cleaned pools in the past that were black with several inches is silt on the bottom. If you do use your vacuum to dump the water make sure to check the pump strainer basket and remove leaves and twigs that are picked up off the bottom.


What should I do with the extra wires in my switch box? Upon opening the ligthswitch box, I discovered that there are 3 pairs of black and white wires.  I have confirmed that one set goes to the light itself.  What should I do with the extra wires?
There are no plugs near by nor any other fixtures.
The pair on the right side go to the fixture, I have confirmed this.

You should connect the new switch exactly as the old switch was connected. The "extra wires" likely feed the rest of the branch.


How do I fix a leaking skylight? I have a skylight on a shingles roof. I don't know much about the skylight as it was installed by a previous owner, but every year, at the beginning of the rainy season, the skylight leaks. And every year, when that happens, I go on the roof to add some sealant, which usually gets me through the rainy season.

In the first picture below (click to enlarge), you can see the skylight, the shingles, and the sealant. The second picture zooms on the sealant, which starts cracking. Finally, the 3rd picture shows the sealant I used. I am thinking that the sealant cracks during the summer, explaining the leak when we get our first good rain of the year.

What would you recommend to fix this problem in a more permanent way?

A skylight (and any hole in the roof) needs flashing, not caulk. The flashing should be overlapped so that shingles above are on top of the flashing, and as it goes down the side, each piece is on top of the piece below, so that any water runs down the roof rather than in your home. The flashing should go up the side and under any lip from the top of the skylight so that rain from above cannot get in behind the flashing. And then all nails should be covered in a roofing caulk and under a shingle/above flashing/other protective layer.


Shower faucet ring won't budge I'm in the middle of repairing a leaky shower faucet but I can't remove a certain ring from the faucet mechanism. I have sprayed the area with WD-40 and will try again in the morning. Below are some pics illustrating the part that will not budge. I'm not sure what this part is called. Any thoughts on how to remove this part?

Here's the tool I'm using to try and loosen the ring. However, when using this tool the entire cylindrical portion rotates which I don't think is good.

I have a couple of questions for you.  Why are you trying to remove this section of the mixing valve body?  Are you planning on replacing the entire valve or trying to repair a faulty cartridge?  The piece you are pointing to is normally part of the valve assembly and there should be no reason to remove it to change out a cartridge. If you are replacing the the valve, you may need to remove the whole body from the hot and cold feed lines and install a new body specific to the new fixture.  This may not be a bad idea since it sounds like the old one may be stripped now.  Another advantage will be updating to a scald guard style, and install a hammer arrester at the same time.

Most often when trying to remove old fittings like this, heat is necessary, lots of heat.  Any internal parts, such as the cartridge, "O" rings etc must be removed so they will not melt. Mixing valves typically are difficult to solder/unsolder because they are large and require lots of heat. I usually use MAPP gas instead of propane.

The other thought I have is if the piece you are pointing to is two pieces, you will need two wrenches. One to hold the internal part and one to turn the larger external ring. If the internal part is already spinning, it may be damaged now.


What size of screw do I need to fix a 26" TV to a brick wall? What size of screw do I need to fix a 26" TV to a brick wall? The mounting kit included four 65mm screws which does seem excessive since the TV weighs 9kg.

Can I use a smaller size?

Use the longest screw you can without excessively damaging the wall. It's far better to have a more stable installation than chancing the television from falling.

Looking at it another way, if you use screws that are too small and are forced to redo the job, you're going to have more damage from the original installation than you would have if you had just used larger screws to begin with.


Short Circuit that only makes certain electronics go out? Yesterday at around 11 PM we had a short circuit that lasted just a split second. I was in my office with my back turned when I saw the lights flicker. Then, I went to the kitchen and the same thing happened. Not a big deal. But somehow, the TV and fan in our bedroom also went out, despite the TV not being connected to the other one and in a different place in the house. Also, the clocks in the bedroom weren't affected by this shortcircuit. Does anyone know how this is possible?
P.S. I know it helps to have pictures, I can't get them right now, I'm a work until 7, but I'll try to get some then.

There was probably a fault on the power grid and one of their circuit breakers operated and you experienced a momentary interruption of power, not a short circuit. These can happen a few times at a time while their breaker clears or isolates their problem. This is a very common occurrence in the utility business and many appliances had builtin devices that will tolerate a brief interruption but many still don't which is why you have to reset some clocks, TV's and microwaves and others don't need to be reset.
If you have critical equipment that is affected, you can get an uninterruptible power source from any computer store.


Why does a USA/Canada surge-protected extension lead (110V) trip my circuit breakers in the UK (220V)? I moved from Canada to the UK and for convenience I would like to use some of my Canadian aquired extension leads (for light power items such as ethernet switches).

Problem is that the surge-protected extension leads seem to always trip my circuit breaker, so this pretty much means I cannot use them.

However I am not satisfied to just accept this fact without knowing why.

So I'd appreciate if some knowledgeable electrician would be able to explain to me why a surge-protected extension lead designed for the USA/Canada (110V) trips my UK circuit breakers on 220V.

The surge suppression in most consumer grade power strips includes a metal oxide varistor (MOV) placed across the line at the supply side of the power strip:

These devices suppress voltage spikes by conducting energy across the line when the incoming voltage exceeds a preset threshold determined by the manufacturer.  Wikipedia has a good description of varistors here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varistor

MOVs in a surge suppressor designed for 120v are selected to conduct at roughly 200v.  This ensures the MOVs do not interfere with normal operating conditions, which include peak voltages up to 55% greater than the nominal line voltage.  If you connect one of these across 220VRMS where the nominal peak voltage is 310v, far into the conduction region of the device, then the MOV conducts during normal operating conditions shorting out your extension lead.


Is it kosher to splice wiring in the "can" portion of recessed LED lighting? I've recently installed some 4" recessed fixtures (IC rated if it makes any difference) that had an incompatible plug for the lights I bought.  The cans came with a two-pin orange colored plastic connector/harness, and the lights (Cree branded) came with an Edison style screw in connector.  In order to make this work, I bought a female edison-style screw-in adapter (with a rubber shroud), cut off the orange connector on the cans, and used wire nuts to splice the female screw-in adapter into the can's wiring  (see photo).  The photo makes this apparatus look huge but it fits very easily into the cavity above the light.  Can I get thoughts on whether this passes muster with the electrical code?  Or is it a bad idea for any other reason?

You are in code as long as there is enough room for every thing and you do not have to modify the can. The can would be considered the junction box. Also you need to make sure you have installed the correct cans for the type of insulation that is around the can, you should be okay. ie If the can is installed in an area that is surrounded by insulation the can must be rated for it, or a shroud must be built as an air gap for those that are not.

Without the correct can, if the can has a thermal overload, the thermal overload will over heat and shut down power to the light and become a nuisance.


How can I stop wardrobe door from automatically closing? Every time the right-hand door on my wardrobe gets opened, it slowly but surely accelerates shut again. As you can imagine, this is quite annoying as it blocks light and restricts view.

Is there a way to stop this? Note: the other door (left-hand) doesn't do this.

As Chris Cudmore states in his comment, it is most likely a leveling issue (the other, but less likely cause could be misaligned hinges).

Place a level across the top of the front of the unit.  Note whether it is level or not. Then do the same across the top of one of the sides.

If the unit is tipped, but only front to back (the front test was level), you should try to raise both of the legs on the low side. Any solid lift that fits under the leg base will do, but the simplist approach is usually small plastic wedges.

Similarly, if the unit is only tipped to one side (front test shows slant, but side test does not), wedge both legs on the short side.

If there is a tilt both side to side and front to back, try wedging just the lowest corner. Then add additional wedges as needed. You might need three, but not four.

Keep testing in both directions until the unit is level all around. Check the door again.  It is likely that both doors may swing only when pushed.

P.S. The reason only one door swings shut now is probably because the swinging door is actually falling toward the low side.  The opposite door is already on the low side when it is opened. Minor differences in hinge tension may make one more likely to swing than the other, but the first line of defense is to eliminate the reason for the swing rather than suppressing the ability to swing.

If this does not cure it, you may have a hinge problem, which is another answer altogether.

SUPPLEMENT: On many more recently manufactured furniture, there are often built in levelers that avoid the need for wedges.

These are threaded pads set into the bottoms of the legs of furniture. You raise the height of the corner by twisting clockwise (when looking from the top). If you have them, use them.

Also, once you determine the height to raise a corner, you may be able substitute rubber furniture cups, if the plastic wedges seem too slippery. These will work if the height is about the amount that you have determined you need using the wedge (or if they can be trimmed to make it right).


Does a plumbing vent need to penetrate the roof? (Can it penetrate a wall?) We're going to move our washer/dryer to the garage (the front loader needs to sit on  concrete to keep it from shaking our house to the ground).

I'll need to add a washer drain to the garage for the washer. Because this will need a p-trap, my understanding is that it also needs to be vented.

I could go straight up into the attic then through the roof, but my question is: do I need to actually go through the roof? Could I instead have it go into the attic then 90 degree it out to the back, second floor wall? I can't find any particular code rules on if it has to penetrate the roof or not. This is a septic system, if that matters.

The reason for trying to avoid the roof is that I'd prefer to not climb up onto the roof...it's about 45 degrees and in the PNW so perpetually wet and mossy.

No problem, as long as the vent meets the criteria listed below.

Not directly below a door, openable window, or other air intake opening (of this or any other building).
Not within 10 feet horizontally of the above mentioned openings, unless it's 3 feet above them.
Not less than 10 feet from the property line.
Not less than 10 feet above the ground.
Not under the soffit, if soffit vents are used (Covered by point 1 in my opinion).
Must be protected from birds and/or rodents blocking it.

  International Plumbing Code 2012

  Chapter 9 Vents

  Section 903 Vent Terminals

  903.5 Location of vent terminal.
  An open vent terminal from a drainage system shall not be located directly beneath any door, openable window, or other air intake opening of the building or of an adjacent building, and any such vent terminal shall not be within 10 feet (3048 mm) horizontally of such an opening unless it is 3 feet (914 mm) or more above the top of such opening.

  903.6 Extension through the wall.
  Vent terminals extending through the wall shall terminate at a point not less than 10 feet (3048 mm) from a lot line and not less than 10 feet (3048 mm) above average ground level. Vent terminals shall not terminate under the overhang of a structure with soffit vents. Side wall vent terminals shall be protected to prevent birds or rodents from entering or blocking the vent opening.

And don't forget, if required you have to protect any extensions from freezing.

  903.7 Extension outside a structure.
  In climates where the 97.5-percent value for outside design temperature is less than 0°F (-18°C), vent pipes installed on the exterior of the structure shall be protected against freezing by insulation, heat or both.


How to lift the corner of a heavy stove with a bottle jack So I have a very heavy stove that I need to lift one corner of (to slip back in a floor protector disc that slipped out) and it's too heavy for one person to budge.  I think it's 350 lbs.
I have a bottle jack that I'm trying to figure out if I can use, but I don't see any reachable hardpoints to get under and only spots where I'd have to cantilever a clip or something to.  The stove bottom is only an inch off the ground so I can't get underneath it.  The hardpoints are either too low for the jack, or something I can't reach with the jack since I'd have to open the oven door.  There are some small slits that I can get a small flat piece of something into perhaps, like in the horizontal grille between the door top and the controls.
Any suggestions for a simple jury rig I can do to lift up the corner of the stove with a simple part or something I can fashion from around the house? (I don't have to move the stove if that makes things easier).

In order of decreasing likelihood of success:

Wrangle a couple of friends, order pizza, have friends help lift the stove, have small child wriggle between the legs and put the floor protector disk in place. Feed everyone some pizza and possibly some adult beverages (if that's your thing) for the adults, and youth beverages for the youth.

Use a long "spud bar" (I have one that's 6' long) or a long pry bar (3' or so). Find something solid under the stove that will take weight (avoid trim, thin vertical side panels, etc). Use a block of wood as a fulcrum to lift the stove corner. Have a helper place the floor protector under the stove. Feed the helper some pizza & a beverage.

Weld together a steel frame to fit inside the oven. Put a steel plate on top of the frame. Weld a vertical framework that the platform will attach to at the door of the oven (with diagonal bracing reaching to the inside back of the oven). Place the bottle jack underneath the steel framework. Lift the stove (the framework will spread the weight across the flat plate against the roof of the oven, minimizing damage, unless there's an electric heating element there - remove if necessary). Insert floor protection disk. Lower the stove. Do something with all that extra steel. No pizza necessary for helpers because no helpers needed (except, perhaps, for moving the lifting framework into place - feed as desired).

Yes, that last one is somewhat facetious. However, I think that's the only reasonable way you'll be able to use the bottle jack to lift the stove without damaging the stove.


Feasibility (and cost) of swapping wires on circuit breaker panel I'm going to be finishing the basement in my 28 year old house.  Currently the entire basement (~1700 sqft) is going through a single 15a breaker, which isn't ideal.  There's no room on the existing panel for additional breakers, but for some reason the (gas only) range is on a 50a circuit by itself.

My question - would it be fairly easy for an electrician to swap out the wires so that more current is available to the basement?  If it's feasible, any ideas on the ballpark cost I should expect?

Sorry if this isn't enough info - I stay away from plumbing & electricity work so I don't have much knowledge here.

Edits----------

The range only requires 15A per the specs.

Regarding the current main panel, I've added links to some pictures - it looks to me like it's a 150A panel, but if I'm counting right the total of the breakers on the branches is 315A (which is 15A over what is allowed right?)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UCt6uBvDAgc4umGd7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uh2zTgKQHJqi58rS8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VJChF2CGiUME3jtJ6

I think the utility box is 200A, so could I just replace the main 150A breaker w/ a 200A breaker & then run 60A to a subpanel?

If the basement is unfinished, this is easy work for an electrician.  However, you really, really ought to address the "electrical panel full" situation Right Now because it will be much cheaper dealing with this now than later.

But yes, not terrible expense relative to professional work.

Further, if you want to save a lot of money, you can school up and do the bulk of the work yourself, then have an electrician finish. This has the advantage of you working on entirely cold wiring.  My entre into this work was needing to rewire a 20,000 sf factory building. Cleaned out every 480VAC drop, 100% rewired both 120/240 services, etc.  Paid the 480 guy $3000 to walk the floor, megger-test everything (all passed) then hook up the 1000A 480V service.  He was "now you can start working on the 120V" and I turned the lights on. Already done.


How to wire two light bulb sockets inside a ceiling fixture? I purchased a flush-mount ceiling light with 2 light bulbs.  The wiring is a simple 1 black, 1 white, and 1 ground to the ceiling box, but there were also wires connecting one bulb to the other.  During installation, I mistakenly pulled on the wires connecting the two light sockets.  I looked at the bases to the two light bulbs and there is no place for the bent wires to connect to the other socket (Should there be a screw?).

What do I do to fix the light fixture before installing it to the ceiling box?  Do I need to purchase a new light socket with attachments for holding the wires from the other light socket?

If you pulled the wire from the socket then the best way to repair this is to replace the socket unless it happens to have screw terminals on it (I doubt it).  If you mistakenly removed a wire nut then you can easily correct this.  Wire all black wires together, all whites together, and the grounds together with wire nuts (often they are supplied with the fixture).

The lights should be wired in parallel (white-to-white, etc.), not series.  Do not wire black-to-white and black-to-white.

If you are unsure of how to make this repair then the safest thing to do is replace the fixture and/or consult an electrician.


What substances should you avoid contact with your bare hands? I started thinking about this yesterday because I currently have a weird feeling second skin from the polyurethane adhesive I used to attach my kitchen backsplash on Sunday.  I foolishly assumed since the instructions say "cleans up with mineral spirits" that cleaning some incidental mess off my fingers wouldn't be a big deal.  Boy was I wrong!

Are there any substances you have worked with (adhesives, solvents, caulk, etc etc) that you really wish you had worn gloves (or otherwise not touched with bare skin) when you started working with them?

I'll start with my example:

Avoid getting PL Premium Polyurethane construction adhesive on your bare hands - it is harder to get off bare skin than silicone caulk!

Expanding foam.

It seems like every time I grab a can of it, I somehow convince myself that I will be very careful and not touch any of it until after it has dried.  I always end up with it on my hands/clothes.  I spend the next 15 minutes with a bottle of acetone promising myself that I will wear disposable gloves next time.


How can I connect a CPVC pipe to a chrome fitting for a toilet? So I ran some CPVC pipe to a new toilet.  I'm curious about the last hook up to the toilet.  I got a threaded female chrome to thread on a male cpvc fitting, but it seems like the threads won't fit snug.  Both are 1/2".  Any ideas on how I should hook up the part going out of the wall to the toilet?  I have a hose that should fit the chrome shutoff.

Sharkbite is a brand of product that will do what you ask. Very simple to use, just push it on after you cut the pipe clean and square with no distortion (always follow the instructions with the product)

It will give a tidy look when installed.


How can I tell if my new AC is overloading my home electric service? I just installed a mini-split A/C system. It is 2 outdoor compressor units and 7 indoor head units. (I did 95% of the install myself, toot toot)

It was working great, but the weather had been unseasonably mild until now. (Install was done May 1, and then thru June 30, 2018, in Baltimore, MD, we had nothing but cool temps and rain)

Recently, i.e. last two days, we've been hit with a heat wave.

Also, recently, I've had three "brownout" events where the lights flickered, and power cut out in the house long enough to disrupt computers, tvs, etc. The first of these events was pretty coincidental with the start of the heat wave.

The circuit breakers did not trip. None of them, not the individual breakers or the mains.

How can I tell if my AC units are causing this or if it isn't just a general service problem from our provider?

I've tried the following:

Shut off all the A/C units and wait to see if the flicker happens. (this is tough though since you can't prove a negative)
Called my provider and asked them to check our lines. They reported no outages or brownouts in our area
Checked all the circuit breakers

Edit: Additional specs

My electrical service specs are

200 Amp main

The breakers are

1 X 50A line for the dryer
1 X 40A line for the stove
3 X 30A lines for the 2 A/C compressors and something else, I'm not sure what. Clothes washer maybe?
29 X 15A lines for lights/outlets

That seems like a lot -- but there are still two empty slots in the panel. Although I know I shouldn't have the panel maxed out.

I'm trying to figure out how to do a load calculation to get a better idea but haven't found very good instructions on that.

Edit
Spoke with neighbors in my area. There are multiple reports of lights flickering like I experienced. I'm chalking this up to the utility provider having trouble handling the spike in load this week. Also, I'm gonna buy a couple of UPSes for sensitive devices in my home.

I realize these anecdotes from my neighborhood don't prove for certain that my new A/C units are not the problem. When I am able to, and get the equipment to, perform amperage measurements, I'll take that advice and get detailed electrical information. I'd like to have that information for myself, at any rate. It seems like a good thing for any homeowner to know about their home.

WHY WE CAN'T ANSWER THIS QUESTION
Welcome to stackexchange JDS. The problem everyone is having with your question is that you have given an excellent physical description of your problem, but almost no electrical information. To truly answer:

How can I tell if my new AC is overloading my home electric service?

We need to get the operating amperage of your AC. Then for us to try and assist in the rest of your dialog, we need to get information using and Ammeter and probably a Multimeter that gives us voltage in 1/1000 increments. Otherwise the best we can do is try to figure out if it is a utility brownout or your panel brownout.

I have attached a Panel Report and Checklist. Look at it and try fill out as much as you can so we can see what you are looking at electrical wise. Remember all of this will do no good if we cannot get at least the circuit number, what it serves, breaker size and amperes which are the first four columns from outside to inside. Also look down at the Buss Inspection area and check off what you can, and add anything that looks funny in comments.

I know it looks like a lot but fill out what you can and we will see what we can do.

Stay safe you will be working around live equipment.


How do I make a 3wire splice with 2/0 wire? How do I make a 3 wire splice with 2/0 wire? I want to tap into a service panel feed to add a subpanel.

Are you sure this is the right thing to do?  It's rather unusual.  If you are feeding a subpanel from a main panel, there would be no call for doing a 3-wire splice, you put a circuit breaker in the main panel and feed the subpanel off that.

You would only use a 3-wire splice off the top of the panel in the rather unusual situation of having 2 panels of equal rank; i.e. two main panels.  The new panel would never be called a "subpanel" unless the panel you're tapping off of is already a subpanel. And the panels would be right next to each other.  In those cases, you'd use either screw-down splice blocks, or dual lugs.

It's difficult to infer skill from a question the size of a tweet. What concerns me is that you have the common case of adding a subpanel to a main panel, and you are freestylin' because you know that little about how this stuff works. I certainly hope not.

You use a breaker that snaps into the regular breaker spaces below the main switch, and you feed the subpanel off that.  It may be quite a large breaker, which may necessitate moving even more circuits.  Don't same-pole any MWBCs (and if you don't know what that means and why, you are out of your depth, and no, googling MWBC won't complete your knowledge.)


Protect mini-split condenser from ocean corrosion? I recently bought an A/C inverter and put the condenser on the roof. I live next to the ocean so if I don't do something to protect it, something in the blower will start rusting very soon.

What can I do to protect it from the salt-packed air that literally rusts everything?

The blower looks like this:

I don't know that there's much you can do to protect it. The condenser's job is to exhaust the heat from inside your home so you can't really enclose it.

Having looked around some, the only thing I've seen that's of a DIY nature is to rinse your condenser on a regular basis. Maybe rig up a sprinkler with a hose and let it spray the condenser. That should keep some of the salt out and hopefully prolong the life of your unit. Beyond that, regular professional maintenance was the other common suggestion.


Drywall Mesh Patch vs. Bulge? To remove or not to remove? I patched a doorknob hole in a bedroom, using a cut out patch, which I nailed to the existing drywall with a piece of backing plywood.  When spackling I also decided to use a fiberglass mesh patch.  The mud has set, but I've realized that I've done somewhat of a bad patch/raised patch.  As I sand it flat the mesh is showing through.  The general suggestion of increasingly wide (but thin) applications over the mesh in this case is undesirable as it's somewhat of a high visibility spot (across from a bed) and even the slightest elevation will be rather noticeable.

My gut is to sand it flush, removing the mesh overlay.  Is this okay, seeing as the gaps are filled and the patch is nailed in via the backboard?

Also what should I expect when sanding the mesh?

Lastly for future reference, when using mesh has anyone tried presanding to lower the region around the patch to try to make the mesh flush with the existing drywall?

If you omit the mesh or paper tape a crack will form. I have had luck with a very high end home that had to have some but splices. The owners wanted absolutely flat walls and ceilings (did not care how much it would cost). What I did was cut through the paper on each side of the splice and remove it ~1" on both sides of the joint. Then I was able to add mud and I used spark gaped paper tape, sand then several topping coats with sanding in between until it was as flat as the sheets. Use caution to not go very deep when removing the paper but slightly in to the gypsum. Wiping with a damp cloth not wet to help remove the dust did assist in making it easier to work the mud into the Sheetrock with no blisters.


switch loop wiring - basement lights - wiring diagram included I had to replace the middle light switch. I found the following cabled and found this very odd. Never ran into it. Seems like its called switch loop wiring? Would this be switch loop? Also all the black wires are wire nutted together in the light box and none connect to the light switches. Only white cables are connected to the light switches. The grounds also are wire nutted together and none connect to the light switches (not show in the drawing). If I disconnect the neutral that runs from the junction box none of the lights work. It appears they are using that neutral to get back to the panel? Is this a valid assumption? Has anyone seen this setup before? The lights themselves are workshop lights with the long tubes.

I'm guessing you could call this a modified switch loop. The loop switch I'm used to seeing is hot and neutral at the light, neutral connected to the fixture and always hot to a switch and a switched hot back to fixture... no neutral at switch.
What you've got here is a switched neutral modified loop which is bad because the fixtures are always hot even when the switch is off. This is probably not to code depending on where you're at. A way to fix it would be to tape all your white wires black and your black wires white at all the locations and switching the black and white wires in the junction box so all the black wires become neutrals and the white wires become hot. again, might not be to code depending on location. If the basement is unfinished, you might want to rip all this out and do it right.


Existing 20amp tandem breaker with 14/2 wires for basement light We purchased this house in Marlboro, NJ in 2019. It had finished basement with permit. Basement has drop ceiling and 2x2 fluorescent light containing U-shaped lights. I noticed that basement has a 20amp breaker but these lights were wired with 14/2 wires. ().

I am planning to remove those 2x2 lights and use the 14/2 cable that was feeding power to them in a junction box and take out 2 'branches' from that junction box to install wafer recessed lights.
Overall amperage will be lower than what the light fixtures were using.
My question was if I can use 14/2 for the new wiring coming out of the junction box or should I use 12/2.

Breaker is the wrong size
The core problem is #14 wire on 20A breakers - you have to address that!
Extending the circuit with #12 does not fix the problem!  You must deal with the #14/20A problem.
The only feasible answer is to replace the relevant 20A breaker(s) with 15A breaker(s).  And this opens up another can of worms:
All the breakers need to be replaced anyway.
The "Challenger" breakers are known fire-starters and must be eliminated with the ferocity one would use on an FPE panel. The good news is, with Challenger, there's nothing wrong with the basic bones of the panel, so you only need to change the breakers.
And in even better news, the proper breaker is super easy to come by, since all BRyant/Eaton "BR" breakers are also Type C, the correct type for your panel. This is approved by UL, and fully documented.
Better news still, Eaton BR breakers are cheap - $5 a trip typically.
So you're talking under $100 to replace all the faulty breakers with the correct BR duplex breakers, either 15/15, 15/20 or 20/20 as the wires require.  And you'll be able to take care of all the overbreakering wire problems at the same time.
You also need to replace the Siemens/Murray MHT breaker in lower left - that was never legal or safe in this panel. Someone went "Challenger is obsolete, I'll just use whatever" because they didn't know the above.

The main breaker is also of the Challenger type deemed a firestarter. Swapping that is more complicated. The power company will have to turn off power at the meter.  Consult with the local Eaton dealer for the correct breaker for this; note the bolt-down feature which is required.  I would expect a BR2100, and $40ish.


How to address drywall damage and wet grout from my Travertine tiled shower? I noticed the paint was bubbling and peeling outside my shower. A plumber told me it was because of the glass shower door and that he sees this kind of water damage a lot and there was nothing to do about it. Well after the problem got worse I noticed there were cracks in the grout right were the leak was occurring. I then noticed there were lots of cracks all around the floor and that the previous owner had repaired some of them with caulk. I thought I would chip away where there were cracks and re-grout then seal it and repair the wall. Now I am wondering if I need to do more or if I messed up...

Using a Dremel with a grout removal tool I started on the cracked areas. Water started seeping through the grout and big areas of the grout are now wet and the grout is soft. After reading D.Moore's excellent response about Travertine tile being porous, I am not too concerned about the water but I don't know how much of the grout I actually have to remove. Some of it is very hard and the Dremel tool isn't touching it.

Also, what do I need to do behind the tiles I removed?

Do I have to cut away the punky stuff that is behind it?

How to I repair that part and make sure this doesn't leak again?

Was it really the shower door or the crack in the grout?

Do I have to wait for all the water to dry before I attempt to re-grout?

How long might that take?

![tile
]2

![behind other wall
]6

![behind wall
]7

Without knowing how sever the water damage is inside the walls there is no way of telling exactly what will be required.

If, as it appears,  the whole tile job was  improperly installed on   drywall, ( Sheetrock ) not a proper waterproof substrate, then there could be significant mold, mildew ( as evidenced in the second photo ) and wood rot.  This would require completely gutting it and starting over.

You could spend many hours removing a re-grouting but that does not address the root of the problem. Water saturated drywall can not be left to "dry out" and mold inside the wall NEEDS to be removed.

If it has been happening for years than wood rot could be an issue. Any rotten wood will need to be accessed to see if it needs be replaced as well.

You could cut out the rotten drywall next to the tile and see if you can get some visuals from inside the wall,  A endoscope type camera may help, ( there are cheap-ish ones available for your phone. ) You will only be able to see inside that one stud cavity but it will give some more clues and allow air in the space.

Porous tile and grout will let water through so it is imperative that the substrate behind it is water proof.

The bottom line is there needs to be more exploratory assessment before a compressive plan can be formulated.


How do I wire two lights with a switch? How do you wire two ceiling lights on one switch?  I have installed the switch, and the two lights, but only one light is working.  It is the light that the power source enters.  My setup is like this:

Power  enters first light    + another light   + switch.   The first light is working with the switch (where power enters), but the second is not.  Can you draw a picture for me of the wiring that should be done to make this circuit work?

Here's a quick ascii art diagram of what you need to have:

Power source       First Light   Second Light   Switch
   |  |               |   |         |   |        |  |
   |  |               |   |         |   |        |  |
   |  + white/neutral ----+---------+   |        |  |
   |                  |                 |        |  |
   |                  +-- red/switched -+--------+  |
   |                                                |
   +------- black/hot-------------------------------+

Between the second light and the switch, you can run a 2 wire line (just replace the red line with the white and tape the ends of the white with black tape to indicate it's a switched hot). However, between the first and second light, you'll need a 3 wire line to handle the hot/neutral/switched combination.


High Wind-Resistant Retrofit Construction I have an unfinished detached two-story garage that is about 20' x 24'.  Before I start putting on the make-up and lipstick I want to (if possible) make improvements to the structure beyond the basic building code safety requirements.  I believe the current local building code requires 3-second gust at 90 mph.

My goal is to make the structure resistant to an EF-2 tornado (3-second gust 135 mph).

It would seem that by now, "Wind-Resistant Construction" should be more common knowledge and less of a specialty field. New code requirements in Florida and costal communities require and promote more Wind-resilient structures which saves cost to the everyone in the long run.

There is a Simpson Strong-Tie Technical Bulletin titled, "Strengthening Dwellings in Tornado-Prone Areas".

High Wind-Resistant Construction Application Guide

F-C-HWRCAG16 is a 80-page, color application guide discussing the critical elements of high wind-resistant construction and includes information on the effects of wind, corrosion and uplift, and provides detailed product information for construction in high-wind areas.

I did see a Simpson Strong-Tie Strong-Rod uplift Restraint System on page 47 of the catalog.  This looks like a doable retrofit if it will meet the EF-2 requirement. Is there a way to determine if these will work for my application?

  The Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong-RodTM Uplift Restraint System for roofs
  (Strong-Rod URS) is a continuous rod tie down solution designed to
  provide a complete load path to resist suction (uplift) pressure on
  the roof. After hurricane ties transfer roof uplift forces into the
  uppermost top plates in a wood-frame structure, a Strong-Rod URS
  continues to transmit that resistance down to the foundation or  final
  termination point. Visit www.strongtie.com/srs for more information.

Thanks.

Actually, it's not just "tying the roof down to the foundation."  Its more than just uplift. It's tying the roof to the walls (for lateral resistance), then tying the walls to the foundation.

Where I live, we get 120-140 mph winds every year, but they're "gusts".  Where you live, the winds (tornados...hurricanes) are "sustained" winds. Much tougher to design resistance for hold-downs and lateral resistance.

However, here we have seismic problems...both vertical and horizontal loads. Structural design is a process. I'd contact a structural engineer (not a civil engineer) or an architect.


Inside drywall corners-mesh vs paper Can you use mesh tape on inside drywall corners or should I use paper? Is it a matter of preference or are there some rules that are generally followed?

Mesh has two three issues:

It requires more coats and coverage.
It is not manufactured to middle split evenly.  No folding line like paper.
When applying joint compound to mesh there is an art to not getting the corner of your knife on the mesh.   I have had to use mesh late at night for inside corner repairs.   Using mesh in a corner forces you to use your knife's corner meaning your knife will snag on it as you are putting more stress on the inside when tapering the compound.   Meaning you will have snags or the worst when doing a corner - moving the mesh.

In a lot of years drywalling and hiring some really good crews I have never seen anyone use mesh for an inside corner.   You could but why do something that is harder, takes more time, and could be flawed over time.

The best drywall guys I have seen only use tape for 95%+ of the job.   The mesh is for binding drywall to something else.   Even the pro-mesh guys (these weren't the best) have rolls of paper for inside corners.


Can I add a non-GFCI receptacle in the garage for a freezer? It seems that GFCI-protected receptacles are required in all areas of the garage (even on the ceiling, where the garage door opener plugs in). Can I install a non-protected (15A) receptacle specifically for a freezer? I've had the GFCI trip a few times, cutting power to the freezer (sometimes losing the contents, other times I noticed in time), and would like to avoid this problem in the future.

The freezer sits in front of the main GFCI receptacle for the garage / outside, so my plan would be to add a second receptacle next to the existing GFCI receptacle pigtailed into the line side of the GFCI. Is this allowed by the NEC? Not sure which version is in use here in Alexandria, VA, but let's assume the latest version of the NEC.

Lets start with a little history. Before 2014 the NEC did not require GFCI protections to outlets that were not readily accessible.  After 2014 all receptacles in the garage shall be GFCI protected. for reference that would be NEC Article 210.8(A)(2). The NEC Handbook also notes, there are no exceptions because, Appliance leakage currents permitted by today's product standard are far less than the operational threshold of a GFCI, so nuisance tripping is unlikely. That's verbatim.

This has always been a sticky wicket since some people have appliances that were manufactured before 2014. I have found most AHJ are sympathetic since they are there to serve the community. What I have found in discussing this with them is that many times they will allow you to use a non GFCI receptacle so long as the circuit is dedicated to that one inaccessible location.

That's about the best I have good luck.


AC air feels unnatural I have a general question concerning air condition systems. Basically to me the air coming out of the AC unit doesn't feel natural.

I've experienced different types of AC units, from small to quite large, with compressor/gas or simply water cooling. And on all of them, it feels to me that the air has changed in some way and is no longer fresh and natural.

As far as I've researched online, any AC unit is supposed to only change temperature without changing anything else with the air that is fed into the desired location... so why do I have this feeling then?

I've asked a number of friends and pals, and one person shares my observation. The others haven't experienced the same.

So... is there something wrong with me and my perception? Or do AC units really make the processed air more... "artificial"? And if yes, can anything be done about it?

A typical (I am sure there are exceptions for various extreme situations - perhaps clean rooms, hospital operating rooms, extreme environmental situations, space station (ISS), etc. - though it may turn out that nearly all (except ISS) are really just "regular air conditioning with higher power and/or more filtering") does the following:

Use some method of cooling to indirectly cool the air in a building. In a traditional home air conditioner that is via freon which goes through a compression/expansion cycle so that it gets very cold to go inside and cool your air and then releases the heat outside. The mechanism is a little different with a chiller, but the basic result is the same: some method gets something really cold and the building air transfers heat to that thing (e.g., freon or water) and the air ends up colder. But the air does not "touch" the actual freon or other cooling fluid.
Filter the air to remove dirt/dust/pollen/etc. That can range from a simple replaceable filter to a HEPA "super" filter that can get the really small stuff out. Some systems use an electrostatic filter to get the dust out electrically - but the goal (and result, hopefully) is always the same - make the air cleaner. Air circulated through a house repeatedly (and especially with modern buildings that are well sealed) collects a lot of dirt from people, pets, etc. so filtering is important.
Blow the air through the building. This is required for air conditioning because, unlike heating where the heat can radiate through the house naturally, cold air will not do much unless it gets pushed to where you need it.

There is a lot more variety on heating systems, but for HVAC that's all there is to it. So why does it feel unnatural?

Dry air. A natural consequence of air conditioning is that it will lower the humidity of the air. In many areas, hot summer air is also humid air ("It's not the heat, it's the humidity!") and that is because hot air can hold more water vapor than cold air. When the air is cooled, it goes below the dew point and water vapor condenses and needs to be removed (preferably by gravity, but if that is not sufficient then there will be a condensate pump). As the air warms up again, it will end up much less humid and feel different. This is good for a number of reasons, provided it doesn't get too dry. But it will definitely feel different. As an example, if you have a hot, humid day but at night if the temperature outside drops to 72 F, the inside air at 72 F will feel different because it has been dried over the course of the day when it was cooled.
Blowing air. A breeze feels different than stagnant air. While the average air speed inside a house is very low, next to each air vent it will be fairly high.
Cold air. You can't easily cool a house to 72 F by blowing 70 F air. So you blow air at 60 F (or colder). That is much colder than you are normally comfortable with, but it mixes with the rest of the air quickly and averages out to the set temperature. Similarly, in the winter (if you have forced air heating), the air coming out of the vents will be a lot warmer than 72 F but it will all average out. Some people like that feeling "I'm hot - ahh, nice cold air" and "I'm cold, ahh, nice hot air" but some people are uncomfortable with that differential.


How could I conceal exposed outlet wiring after electric baseboard heater removal? Had a forced air system installed to replace the expensive baseboard heating that couldn't keep up with demand.

I am going through and removing all the baseboards now and pulling all the wiring via the basement but this spot is extra ugly due to the two outlet boxes. How would professionals fix this up? I would like it to follow code.

Some ideas, in order of preference:

Drop the wiring down from each box, under the floor (which would allow you to remove the shelf board)
Bring the wiring up under the shelf board where it's mostly hidden.
Overlay a one-by board with a minimal gap behind (maybe right behind the blocks on which the faceplates are mounted)
Run Wiremold™ or similar in beige or tan


What is my circuit breaker capacity load I have sassin breaker
3SB1-63
C63
400v
6000A
What is the amp of it really confused

This is a 63A, C-curve breaker
On IEC-style miniature circuit breakers (MCBs), the primary characteristic designation consists of a letter followed by one or two digits.  The letter indicates the trip curve of the breaker, or more precisely its magnetic trip setting. A B curve would be used for sensitive loads with little inrush, while a C curve breaker like yours provides a good general purpose compromise, and a D curve is used for very high inrush loads like some motors, transformers, or very large banks of lighting.
The numbers, then, give In, the nominal rated current of the breaker.  Pulling more than In for a significant period of time will eventually trip the breaker; loads less than In are permitted, although the wiring regulations in your country may require a derate (say, 80%) of the load if it's to be left on continuously (say, more than 3 hours at a time).  The wiring protected by the breaker, therefore, needs to be able to handle In without heating excessively as a result of that current, so that the breaker can act as a "weak link" and trip to protect the wiring from an overcurrent before the heat from that overcurrent event can start a fire somewhere in a wall.
In your case, your breaker is 63A; this is a common size for a distribution board main breaker/switch in a housing unit (house or flat) in European countries; if more power is required, the unit generally will be connected to two or three phases of electricity instead of a single phase.
As to those other markings...
The other markings on your breaker are meaningful, but not as relevant to most folks.  The 400V is the maximum nominal AC voltage the breaker can safely switch or interrupt; applying the breaker to a higher-voltage circuit will cause the breaker to get blown up by the higher-energy arcs produced by the higher voltages involved.  The "6000A" number you see on the breaker is a similar rating, only for the amount of current that could potentially flow in the event of a bolted short on the protected side of the breaker. If the wiring resistance of your house's and electric utility's wiring wasn't sufficient to limit the short circuit current to less than 6000A , then the breaker would be be considered underspecified as it'd be liable to blow up if a sufficiently large short was presented.  Again, this is due to arc energy issues; however, only your utility can tell you if that interrupting rating on your breaker (especially your main breaker) is sufficient for the service they are providing, as the maximum short circuit current the utility can provide depends on the size and length of their wires.


Window casing upgrade to plastic/pvc/vinyl/aluminum I Just had  two rooms added to the house, and I totally forgot to mention in the contract that I wanted the window casing  to be plastic.
(window frame? The internal part that encases the window basically)
The contractor installed a wood frame, and only agreed to paint it with a separate latex based paint for a bit of extra protection.
I am now looking for a way to do a bit more without too much effort - find a set of plastic or aluminum panels and glue them on top of the wood maybe.
Since I've never really done anything like this, I have questions:
Does this make sense at all?
What paneling (search terms are most welcome) would be thin enough to fit in there?
What type of glue?
If you know of alternative approaches, I'll be happy to hear about those too.
Thanks!

Adding plastic or aluminum on top of a wooden windowframe is likely to just be an ugly mess and may rot the wooden frame by trapping moisture.
Accept that you may need to paint them once in a while, they'll probably last longer just painted.


How do you get spray paint drips off wooden desk I decided to spray paint my desk matte black and glossy red.
I spray painted the top and it was fine but I sprayed the sides and I got drips.
I woke up the next morning to find the drips dry and I don't know how to get them off.

Please help its my main pc desk.

You'll likely have to shoot the spots with new paint. But first, scrape them off. Preferably a square edge of stiff plastic, the square edge is your scraper or hopefully popper...the plastic will do no or little damage to the area. If that doesn't do it then carefully scrape them flush & invisible with a razor blade. Then, just shoot these areas again to re-matte or re-gloss them. Sanding will affect a larger area & will result in absolutely having to re-paint most of the panel.


Why is my freezer making a very loud buzzing noise after being unplugged for a few days? My freezer was unplugged for a few days and now when I plug it in it makes a very loud alert kind of buzzing noise.  It isn't just the noise it makes regularly.

It is a loud, almost alarm-like noise that is very worrisome. What could it be? How can I get it to stop?

Some freezers have an alarm so that you know that the internal temperature rose to an unsafe level for any food stored in it - for example if there was a long power outage whilst you were out of the house.


why is 4500 watts so common in water heaters? It seems that the default for electric storage-type water heaters is two 4500watt heating elements, wired for non-simultaneous operation.
I'm curious why that is.  Water heaters are typically on 30amp breakers, and 30amps * 240volts * 80% = 5760 watts (80% being the de-rating factor for a circuit's ampacity for "continuous" loads).
Put another way: is there some reason I shouldn't be able to replace the 4500 watt elements in my water heater with 5500 watt ones ?   Bradford-White, for one, allows one to order water heaters with elements in 500 watt steps from 1500 through 6000 watts (so presumably they can supply heater elements in these wattages).

My belief is the controls are cheaper. I have installed a 5500w element in my home’s water heater after the element had failed.  The control was rated for 4100 or 4500 I don’t remember, and within 6 months that control or thermostat went out.  It was a high end model, so I replaced the controller and it only lasted 4 months. I called for a warranty (providing my license info) and they sent a new one. The new one also failed in 4 months, so I went through all the fun stuff again and the company said for $20 more I could upgrade to the commercial one. I told them they could send me that one on their dime; I said it was their warranty and was listed for the element they tried to convince me to pay the extra saying 4500watts is normal and I had to upgrade.  Short version: they did send the commercial version after verification of my license (where they get home owners).
I had disassembled the first one that failed the contact sets were fairly small about the diameter of a pencil maybe slightly larger. The commercial version the contacts were replaceable and close to 1/2” square. That water heater was still running years later when I sold that house so I believe the reason most come with smaller heaters is they are on the edge of needing larger contacts and this costs more. My example is from the late 80’s but contact amperage would be a constant increase the load and a larger area in needed for long life.
The company tried to get out of the 3rd replacement by saying the instructions required a licensed electrician I faxed my card to them, that’s when I got the commercial replacement.  It had a higher rating but I no longer remember what it was.
So I believe that they provide lower wattage elements for longer life.  When the controller failed they wanted proof it was installed by a licensed electrician. I bet they do it on the first failure today.


What is the difference between these air ducts? I'm fitting a portable AC into my workshop to take the edge off summer temperatures.  For convenience, to make sure it works before bashing a hole in a brick wall, and to confirm it will help, I am temporarily piping the outlet to a pre-existing soffit vent.

The AC unit has some 150mm (6 inch) hose built in, but its odd.  The twist is "left hand thread" and that's how it twists onto the unit.   This hose is also quite stiff, and clicks between "expanded" and "compressed"  Seems to be made of a stiff white plastic.

I can buy "right hand thread" hose but the wire support doesn't connect to the unit because the thread is backward.  This hose comes in two materials, an aluminium (aluminum) foil with quite wide thread spacing, and a soft PVC plastic that is very floppy.

Diameter is not an issue, its the material and the twist that are different.

The air temperature of the exhaust is around 35 degrees C according to my IR gauge.  So I wonder if the PVC plastic is up to this.

I see there are insulated ducts available too.

What ducting do I need for my portable AC?  Looking for some names or keywords.

The existing pipe is absolutely a spiral hose.  It has a positive click feel, like a bendy straw (but those aren't spiral)

We have a portable AC as well. Since the original pipe was too short, the only way to run the exhaust was to swap it out for the piping you have pictured at the top. It stretched over the original terminations at the AC unit and the window just fine. I held in place with duct tape. The pipe I used was 15' long compared to the original 6' pipe like you have. I was concerned about an increase in static pressure and how the unit would perform, but it did work very well on cooling the part of the house we needed with no issue.

"Threading" it on was not an issue, it was just pulled straight on and brought a wire or 2 over the nibs that acted as threads for the original pipe.


Should I set fence posts in dirt, gravel, crushed rock, or concrete? I have received conflicting advice about how to set wooden fence posts.

Many web sites suggest setting them in a concrete cylinder.
Someone at the local hardware store had seen posts set in concrete rot and break because water seeps in along the edges of the post (especially in the winter) and does not drain properly.  He suggested crushed rock (what I would call gravel, see Definitions of various sand, gravel, and rock products) instead.
A local fence company said they just set the posts in compacted dirt, but use 5x5-inch posts.

What is the best way to set fence posts in different climates, given that the wind force on a 6-foot-tall privacy fence can be substantial?

Couple inches of gravel.
Place post.
Level, plumb.
Fill with concrete.

Make sure that the concrete is graded away from the post so water runs off, this is an important step that lots of people overlook.  Taking the time now to make sure water moves away from the post, will save time and money later when the posts don't have to be replaced.

*Also make sure the concrete is above the ground around it.