Which type of welder is the best for pretty delicate welds I have some experience with Arc welders and a little with MIG.  However the rods and metal I have welded with are big compared to the 1/8in metal I will be working with.  Getting a cheap MIG welder is not cost effective if I have to buy a tank with it.  Never done TIG.  Looking to upgrade my DIY skills and not break the bank to do a project.
I am looking for a welder to accomplish the following:
Not break the bank!  Under $200 $100 preferable
Finished weld needs to be pretty as the final piece will be on display.
Recommendations for ARC MIG or TIG?

If you're good with a stick welder, stick with it(no pun intended). Just use a 3/32 rod and set your welder amperage  at around 90 Amps. Do a little practicing. As far as "pretty" goes, that will totally depend on your experience but you can definitely get those results with a stick welder.


How is the phase of 120V AC established in a North American home? I am in the early stages of reading about converting 120V AC to 240V AC to power an electric dryer.

One way to create 240V AC is to "find" two out of phase 120V outlets.

My question is HOW does an electrician establish which outlets will have what phase relationship?  Can I measure these phase relationships at the level of the circuit breaker box, rather than searching the house for pairs that create 0v versus 240v?

How it's done by electricians is that they are familiar with the busing inside the service panel in question, and they know what they're punching down into.  Also, anytime phase matters, they are using a multipole breaker (or at least handle-ties) which enforce phase choice for them, via keying.
Generally, there are only four different regimes: the standard alternating stabs (CH, BR, QO, HOM, Siemens), standard with space-straddling (GE and FPE), side-by-side busing (Pushmatic), or both-at-once busing (Zinsco). Pushmatic is obsolete, and FPE and Zinsco are dangerous.
By the way, in a modern North American/Philippine panel, prudent choice of circuit breaker and respecting keying will guarantee correct attachment to the prefab buses.  On the other 5 continents, breakers are often "DIN Rail" mounted and hand-hardwired on both sides, meaning miswiring is possible.
Don't even think about it
What you're trying to do there is extremely bad at a variety of levels.
And it isn't going to work anyway, because the outlets you're trying to tap can't possibly deliver enough power.  Not by a long stretch.
The best you can hope for is to rearrange the dryer's wiring so its heating unit runs on 120V instead of 240V (whilst the tumble motor and controls continue to get 120V).  This will give 1/4 the heat, so drying will take much longer, but will draw within the delivery range of a 120V outlet.
You could also do something outlandish with AC-DC-AC double conversion using fully isolated DC supplies, but we're over the moon at this point, and it would be cheaper just to pay the landlord to fit a 240V circuit.  (And no, you can't run the heating element on DC because the switchgear can't handle that because DC is a very nasty customer above about 40V.)
Buying an electric dryer was just a bad idea.  Sell it on Craigslist and get a gas dryer and hook it up the normal way.  If you weren't paying attention when you bought the dryer, welcome to the world of people who bought 3-phase machine tools without thinking that mattered.
Why suicide cords don't work
The first problem is one they share with any cord that has 2 male connections (like a generator cord built by someone who has apparently not heard of inlets): When one is plugged in, the other is lethal. Even if they are on opposite poles, you can't rely on unplugging the load first, because someone might knock out a cord by mistake.
Then you have the various sides of the circuit not running together in the same cable - making a big loop. (This blindsides DC electronics people everytime because it doesn't matter in DC). AC circuits throw considerable EMF. That's why we run conductors together, so the EMF cancels out.  And this is a lot of current - a reed switch can operate on 10 ampere-turns, and you'll have 23 ampere-turns anywhere along the wire!  Everything in the middle becomes the core of a transformer.  This causes vibration, wire chafing and eddy current heating on anything nearby that's metallic. Like the receptacle itself!   This vibration and heating takes energy, which reduces the effective capacity of the circuit.
Length is also an issue. Unequal lengths means phase and echo differences, that can themselves cause wire heating. It's complicated, but another energy loss.
There's just not nearly enough power on the circuits.  A typical 120V outlet is good for 1800W intermittent, and your dryer is pulling 5600W or so continuous, which calls for a 125% derate, so 5600W becomes 7000W.
Even paralleling two 1800W circuits to make 240V, you're still only at 3600W - not even close.
I gather this isn't for a one-time use, so now you have the problem of routing all these cables.  I gather the core issue is that a landlord won't give permission for a 240V connection, so I gather they won't give permission to fish or run Legrand Wiremold all over the walls, so no competent wiring method will be possible.  So this becomes an ad-hoc connection with extension cords draping across doorways, which is a wretched fire hazard.  This problem will also haunt the AC-DC-AC conversion method.  The only way that can work is if a huge storage battery is involved, but 5600W for an hour is a whole lot of storage.


How to repair garage interior back wall damage hit lightly by my car I accidentally ran my car into the interior back wall of my garage three years ago. Now that we are moving out, we would like to get it fixed. Please see the damage area attached. I am not even sure what material the wall is made of, but it looks like some kind of cardboard (about 0.5-1 inch thick) covering drywall. What's the best DIY option for me? Thanks a lot!

It is almost certainly drywall (also called wallboard or plasterboard), which usually consists of a gypsum based core with paper faces on each side.

The damage looks only cosmetic. You could cut out the damaged section and replace it with a patch and then tape and mud it. However, it looks shallow and intact enough to just fill in over it.

You need drywall tape, preferably the self stick mesh type, and drywall compound (also called mud), a filling material.

Cut pieces of tape longer than the hole and cover it horizontally, overlapping pieces of tape so the hole is covered and the tape extends at least 1/2 to 1" on each side.
With a taping knife, apply the taping compound, gently pushing it through the tape. Perfect filling it not essential. Overlap the compound on to the sound area of the wall for at least an inch or two. Do not apply too much mud on the first coat.
Allow to dry. Wipe down the compound with a damp sponge (a form of wet sanding) to remove high spots and any lines.
Reapply another coat of compound, covering a slightly wider area. Again allow to dry.
Wet sand again. If even and smooth enough, allow to dry and repaint. If not, you may want a third coat or additional smoothing.

Note that any painting, even with the exact same paint originally used, will not fully blend with the existing coat due to fading/aging. If an invisible patch is desired (probably not necessary in a garage), you may need to repaint the whole wall or area.


Fence post hole near utility lines, digging advice I am looking for advice on how to go about digging fence post holes 42 inches down (to exceed 40 inch frost line) safely.and properly.

I was told that I must manually dig the hole within 18 inches of any marked utility lines. I have these utility boxes in the back corner of my lot (3 of them) as well as drainage sewer my sump pump drains into.

First, the town came out and marked some lines that run in and out of my property line that go to two street lights in front of my house. They weave in and out of the property line over and out a foot or so making it pretty tedious to put my fence as close as I can to the property line. So I am going to do my best and manually dig a few of the holes.

I am confused on how to dig the hole. Some people say use a post hole digger, and others say use a spade sliding along the top horizontally rather than vertically. If I use a spade and dig a trench 42 inches down this seems like a lot of work, and also how would I back fill the hole properly. I plan on using tamped crushed rock for the back fill. Would I have to make some sort of square form to back fill the earth in and fill the post hole properly? Does square vs circle surrounding make a difference?  If I used a the post hole digger, how do I safely cut into the ground without worrying about cutting into the line? I feel like I can go slowly, but I don't want each hole to turn into a 4hr project a piece!

Any advice would be great as this is my first time putting up a fence. I don't mind the leg work/labor.. I just want to do the job right and maximize the real estate of my backyard without giving it away to my neighbors.

Also, how deep is the sump pump line usually? The only marking I have of it is from the plat of survey showing it running just past the utility boxes near the property line.

Thanks!

To follow up, I ended up just paying a fencing company to do it. So the headache and stress became their problem. Plus if I hit the line and hurt myself or had to pay to have it repaired it would have negated any savings of doing it myself; it didn't seem worth the risk.

The crew got nice and close to the property line, and hand dug near the proposed marked lines. They only went 36 inches down though in those areas, and never came across any lines. Although CAUTION should always be taken for anyone digging as all scenarios are different.

So I guess the answer is, as a DIYer you have to weigh the pro's and con's of the risks. In my case the con's began to outweigh the pro's and paying a company was better for me as I ended up going with a nice white cedar fencing with 5/8 thick and roughly 6 inches wide pickets. I used an oil based stain called, "Ready Seal" which I brushed on for a nice, thick, coat, and it turned out beautiful.

Had I done it myself, I was going to use the pressure treated cheaper material, which wouldn't have looked as nice. Also, I started to brainstorm workarounds trying to avoid the buried wire, and there were too many exceptions.

Anyway that is my follow up.


Rust on copper pipe at strap I have a few places on 1/2 copper water pipes in my basement that look rusted, right where a strap is. Should I be concerned enough about a leak to replace the line?

I'd replace the strap with a copper strap placed adjacent and clean up the copper pipe before deciding.

I expect it is superficial, copper tarnishes rather than rusting and pinhole leaks start from the inside.


How Can I Install A "Main" in my Distribution Box, such that I could turn the main switch to allow all power to be off while I'm away? My box doesn't have a main, but it has a slot for it (it says, punch out here for main). I'd like to know how I can put a main switch in, so that I can turn everything off at once while I'm away.

Such as shown at the top in this picture:

You almost certainly already have a main disconnect. Code requires it be very close to where the wires come to your house. Look by the meter. If you don't have one, adding one is a job for an expert -- stop reading now. :-)

That said, you can add an additional main disconnect to the main panel, if you think that will be more convenient.

Know your limits. Getting electrical work wrong can lead to electric shocks or structure fires.

When you find your existing disconnect, turn it off, ensure that no one will flip it back on, open the panel, and have a look around. (Don't touch anything without verifying that the wires are not energized.)

Each panel is a little different, so until we know what yours is, we can't give you exact instructions.


What should I look for in a battery backup sump pump? I've got a pretty basic 1/3 hp sump pump that does the job quite well. However, i'm concerned about losing power and just the wrong time. Or worse the pump goes bad!

What sort of features do you look for when pricing battery backup sump pumps? Would a water powered backup be better? I'm not familiar with the water power solution at all.

A battery backup sump pump is a device with a very limited scope of benefits - for a short power outage, the capacity of the sump itself will be adequate until power comes on again. For some particular scope of power outage and water flow a battery backup that's actually working well will keep you dry, and then for longer power outages or higher water flows the battery will expire before the power returns, and you get flooded anyway. Backup batteries eventually fail, and battery test routines are not always reliable, so you can never be quite sure exactly how long the battery will last in practice until you need it. Things to look for and/or ask about are the battery testing routine, the continuous run time or pumping volume from a battery charge at your required discharge lift (stats for 0 feet look great, but have no application to real life use) and whether an additional battery (preferably generic, such as golf-cart batteries) can be easily added, or if the pump is somehow dependent on a specialized and often expensive manufacturer-specific battery pack. At least check the cost of the replacement battery, and how often replacement is recommended, to get some idea of what you are getting into for ownership costs.

Are you on (city/town/some sort of public utility supplied) water? Does it provide water pressure when power is out? If so, a water-powered backup sump pump is going to be far more reliable than a battery-powered one. No batteries to fail, and few moving parts to fail, either.

If your water pressure vanishes with a power loss (ie, you have an electric well pump), that's not an option.

For possible failure of a normal electric-powered pump, having two pumps with different float settings can be sufficient, though it works better if you are the sort of person who will actually remember to change the float settings every year, so each one gets used as the "primary" pump. A smart pump controller that actually alternated pumps every time water needed to be pumped, and which ran both when one was not keeping up (or not working) would be nice, but I don't know if such a thing is actually made, other than having one custom-made. (Evidently they are made, though I have the impression that the market could stand a bit more competition to get the prices down to a more reasonable point.)

If there is any way to fix your drainage to not depend on a sump pump, that will cost you less in the long run even if it's fairly expensive to begin with. When that's not possible, it's arguable that a design error was made in the placement or depth of your house, and your mitigation options are on the one hand to make and maintain a considerable investment in battery backup sump pumps (and replacement batteries over time) or some type of auto-start generator and regular sump pumps, or to decorate and furnish  (or simply use) the affected area in a manner that minimizes the impact of infrequent flooding when power outages and water ingress align (ceramic tile rather than carpet, etc.) You may also be able to increase your sump capacity (more, deeper, or larger sumps) to increase the amount of time between power loss and actual flooding at floor level.


Is 31v too much for a Ring doorbell calling for 24v? I recently bought a Ring Doorbell. Electrical requirements show it needs a maximum of 24vac. When I tested the voltage on my current doorbell, it read 31vac. Is this too much for the Ring's circuitry?
Do I need an inline resistor?
I cannot access the transformer.
HELP!!

With No Load, a transformer will have a higher nominal output voltage.
I am assuming these are the wires from your old doorbell system.  Try pressing and holding an existing doorbell button and measuring the voltage with the doorbell active.  That should give you peace of mind.
I believe you'll be fine.
(Or your voltmeter could be off!)


Will different sized bullet crimps fit together? Will a male crimp bullet fit into a female crimp bullet if the male bullet is 14/16 AWG and the female bullet is 10/12 AWG.  In other words, is the bullet portion of the bullet crimps the same diameter between gauge sizes.

According to the spec sheets of the Morris Nylon Insulated Double Crimp Bullet Disconnects. There is a blue that will fit the reds, and a blue that will fit the yellows.

#Red (22-16 AWG)
T 0.016
L 0.886
B 0.433
C 0.067
D 0.157
F 0.335
W 0.157

#Blue 1 (16-14 AWG)
T 0.016
L 0.886
B 0.433
C 0.091
D 0.197
F 0.335
W 0.157

#Blue 2 (16-14 AWG)
T 0.016
L 0.886
B 0.433
C 0.091
D 0.197
F 0.335
W 0.197

#Yellow (12-10 AWG)
T 0.016
L 0.925
B 0.512
C 0.134
D 0.256
F 0.335
W 0.197


looking to use a motion detector to turn lights OFF I am looking to use a motion detector to turn off lights with motion.  Installing UV lights in a room for disinfection purposes and want those light to shut off when someone enters the room and the regular light turn on.  I tried using a photo cell, but they take too long to turn the UV lights off.
This is a laundry room where the lights come on when someone enters the room. UV lights were added with a photocell to the room on a separate circuit. When the regular lights go off (no one in the room) the UV lights come on. When someone enters the room the regular lights come on and the UV lights do turn off, but after a few minutes, I need the UV lights to turn off as quickly as the other lights come on.

Quite often motion detectors have a No and an NC connection so turning lights off can be achieved.
But I would consider using a relay and use that to switch between the two types of lights. The supply can then be controlled by a separate switch.


Two power sources on gas furnace? I have recently purchased a home that has a high efficiency furnace in it. The previous owner had done some demo on an interior wall leaving a 2x4 with a switch on it. As well there is the usual turn off switch above the furnace on the ceiling. You can see the second switch connecting to the furnace just below the condensate pump. What would this be for?
top wire leads to roof switch bottom to wall switch

roof switch

wall switch

Furnaces are required by code to have three shutoffs:

An emergency shutoff located outside the area of the furnace
A service shutoff located on or near the furnace
A switch, breaker, or fuse located at the electric panel

The emergency cutoff only interrupts the burner supply circuit, while the service shutoff will turn off all electric power to the furnace, which is why they enter at different locations. My best guess is that during the previous owner's demo, they moved the emergency shutoff closer to the furnace for "convenience" and removed the "unsightly" red "OIL BURNER EMERGENCY SWITCH" plate.
As Steve Wellins mentioned in comments, this was mostly likely not done by any trained and professional electrician, and is most likely not up to code.
Source: https://inspectapedia.com/heat/HVAC_Power_Switches.php


Water Hammer Arrester Shutting off Water Problem

Everything was working fine for about 3 years. However, recently my LG top-load washer has been occasionally stopping in the middle of a cycle and showing an IE error stating the washer was unable to fill with water.

Findings

Through some trial and error I have consistently been able to get the water flowing again by turning off the the water from the valve on the water hammer arrester and then slowly turning the valve back to the on position and it instantly starts filling with water again.

So is it possible the water hammer arrester is somehow faulty and "freezing up" causing it to block water flow to the washer? But once I relieve pressure by shutting off the valve it resets? Not too familiar with how these devices work.

Stats

I have checked and cleaned the input filters, they are good.
Water hammer brand is Ayrlett®
LG washing machine model: LG WT1201C/WT1101C
Washer is less than 4 years old
Apartment is also less than 4 years old
The hot water input is fine just the cold water one "freezes up"
I live in a warm environment in an apartment

You might have supply hoses that have an internal shutoff valve in one end which closes if the flow rate is too large. These are designed as protection against a ruptured hose. One brand is Watts FloodSafe(tm) supply hoses.

If you have these, one might be malfunctioning or connected backwards. This type is unidirectional; the end with the control valve must be connected to the water supply. Standard hoses will work no matter which end is connected to the water supply.

I have a set of Watts FloodSafe hoses in a cabinet, but I have not tried to install them on our new "smart" top loader. I had installed them on the washer of an elderly neighbor, but he was dissatisfied with them because his washer was taking too long to fill. I removed them and put in the standard hoses. It is possible that some of the new washers have sensors to detect low flow. Your washer might be detecting low flow and is programmed to shut off and report an error.


Which is the hot wire, neutral wire and ground wire? I am trying to replace my ceiling lamp. I have wiring which looks like this:

I am trying to figure which one is the hot, neutral and ground wire. The voltage detector beeps when brought close to the wires with red caps(one red cap has three wires going in and another a single wire) and doesn't when brought close to the wires with yellow cap (two wires going into the cap). Though I see sparks when opening the yellow cap (and lights nearby blink). Is it possible to tell with this information? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

The cap colors have nothing to do with it

The color codes say the **size and quantity* of wires they're designed for.  For instance yellow can bind up to 3 14AWG wires, but red can bind up to 6.  Their ranges overlap broadly.

It's all about the wire colors, except...

A bare, green, or green/yellow wire is always a ground.  Not every installation has grounds.  They are often pushed up into the back of the box.

A gray or white wire (light blue in Europe/rest of world) is a neutral, except it can be tagged with tape to use as a "hot".  People often forget to tag the wires with tape, especially when the use is obvious.

Any other wire color can only be a hot.  You should not mark a hot to be a neutral or ground.  But you can't count on the last guy doing right.

So here's what we know

The black-black bundle can only be hots.
The white-white bundle is certainly the actual neutrals.
The black-white bundle, the black must be a hot, so the white must be a hot that should have been marked with tape, and wasn't (typically because the use is "obvious").  Here, the obvious use would be for a switch loop.

In a switch loop, you have a black and (should be marked) white going down to the switch.  The switch shorts them together to light the light.   There's no standard which wire is always-hot and which is switched-hot.  So realistically the switched-hot will be either wire.

Your lamp needs neutral and switched-hot.  The neutral is easy; the switched-hot will be one of the others.  You can guess, but if you guess wrong, the lamp will be on continuously and won't respond to the switch.  That's exactly what you do to find out.

Ground wires are not readily visible in your photo.  You'll have to look closer in the back of the box.  Some light circuits are ungrounded; in which case there is nothing to attach to.  Normally you have to replace a whole cable, not run a single wire; but as of 2014 it is legal to retrofit just a ground wire, if you really want to.


Connecting circuit with two hots to breaker(s) I was swapping a breaker inside my panel and noticed something that struck me as odd--the garbage disposal and dishwasher are both being served by a single cable that contains a pair of red/black hots (marked "14-3 w/ ground"). Whoever hooked it up in the first place had connected the two hots to two separate 20 amp breakers that were positioned opposite each other. Now, the wires are only 14 gauge, so 20 amps is too much to begin with. But even if the breakers were 15, would there be a risk of allowing more current than that since two breakers are involved, or would both trip together the moment 15 amps was exceeded? The breaker type (square D QO) can accept two wires; would it be better to connect both hots to a single (15 amp) breaker?

Edit: The cable terminates in an outlet where the dishwasher is connected with a NEMA L5-20 plug (I'm finding 14-gauge wire mixed with 20 amp stuff all over the place here. Sigh). A short length of 14-2 w/ ground runs from the outlet box to the switch that controls the disposal, and another 14-2 w/ ground runs from the switch to the disposal itself. The cord between the plug and the dishwasher is also 14-2 w/ ground.

It's known as a multi-wire branch circuit, and it's perfectly legit.  The two ungrounded (hot) conductors terminate at breakers on opposite legs of the service, and share a grounded (neutral) conductor.

Since it's 14 AWG wire, you're correct that they should be 15 ampere breakers.

Do not connect both wires to the same single pole breaker.


Can I convert 2 two-pole 60A breakers into 3 two-pole 40A breakers Considering a new electric tankless water heater.  But my 18yr old existing subpanel doesn't match what most new heaters use.
Any help on the best way to go about this would be great.
TIA

UPDATE:
Finding the quad breaker was tough, there's a shortage of supply these days, but finally got one.
Spent 9hrs yesterday, including 3 trips to HD, and it works! Changing the breakers was easy.  Striping the wires was the hardest part of the electrical work.
Thanks for everyone's help here.  Added an after picture below.
Total cost for electrical was about $100.  $60 for breakers ($44+$15), $25 of 8/2 wire, $15 for clamps and tape.  The heater cost me $650 plus $50 for isolation valves. Entire project was under $1000.

Well designed, mostly.
So what we're looking at here is a commercial 120A tankless heater with its cover removed, and next to it, a Siemens 4-space subpanel.  All in a custom equipment bay that's been drywalled.  I'd guess a cabinet door swings over this? Well done.
The good news is, "the last guy" really did this right in the large sense, bringing a single 125A feeder from your main panel to this subpanel.   It only takes 2 breaker spaces in your main panel, and it means you can fit any of  the 120A-class water heaters here, whether they take 2, 3 or 4 circuits to power them.
The bad news is, "the last guy" in the small sense did did exactly the thing we constantly warn people about: using a subpanel that is barely enough for immediate needs and provides no room for future expansion.  Now, since the water heater accounts for 96% of the panel's capacity, there isn't really any room to hold anything else, but gosh, the price difference to a 6-space panel wasn't even a latté and would have protected the case of a 3-circuit water heater, as many are made.
But it's still good.
While this usually doesn't work anymore, in this particular case we can fall back on the trick of using "double-stuff" breakers.  This panel is a dead-ringer for a Siemens/Murray E0408xx1125 panel, so assuming it's a Siemens...
Siemens does indeed make a breaker that crams two 40A/240V breakers into 2 spaces, the Q24040CT2.  And indeed, the outer poles have common trip.

This bad-boy goes in one of the double breakers spaces.  A run-of-the-mill Siemens 40A breaker ($10) goes in the other. You now have three 40A circuits.
Remember, just as the handle-ties suggests, one of the circuits goes on the inner screws, and the other circuit goes in the outer.  Very important!
You need to mark the wires! (the last guy didn't)
Wire needs to be #8 copper or larger.  #6 aluminum will also work.  White wires need to be re-marked with tape because they'll be used as hot wires. Black will do, but for style points --
-- actually, hold on.  There isn't really a need or purpose to distinguish the two hot wires from each other.  However it is absolutely vital to distinguish them by circuit.  So I recommend re-coloring both black and whites in each cable, making the same color in each cable.   E.G.

Cable 1 becomes yellow, yellow, ground*
Cable 2 becomes blue, blue, ground
Cable 3 becomes red, red, ground.

They sell a 5-pack of colored electrical tape for like $4. This will assure a "pro looking" installation, and make it very easy for you to keep the circuits straight.

* Black-black-ground is also fine here, but I figure if you don't own any black electrical tape, you can get by with just the 5-color pack :)


Fix the big crack on wood post We moved in a house at Dallas area and the wood post at my deck has a big crack in it, I read some post that it is normal, but if I don't treat it, will it keep cracking. Thanks a lot of any suggestions.

It is normal for that type of post in the south.  To treat the wood and not affect the color use a linseed based sealer.

The applicator I've linked to is only intended as a reference as there are several manufacturers and styles of rough surface applicators.

Linseed Oil

Linseed Oil

Rough Surface Applicator


How can I temporarily attach anti-bird spikes to a window air conditioner? I'm trying to stick on anti-pigeon spikes on top of my window air conditioner and want a non-permanent solution that I can take off when I put it into storage.

Is there something I can use that's weather-proof but also removable at the end of the season?

I think I'd bond the spikes permanently to something heavy as a base, like nylon blocks, using screws or whatever. I'd then apply rubber feet to the blocks and simply set them on the air conditioner.

No need to rely on tenuous adhesive connections and no need to replace the fastener each season.


How to heat a bathtub when the water heater isn't doing enough? I have a big tub and a small water heater.  I live in an apartment so there's not much I can do about that right now.  I've looked into immersion heaters and from what I can tell they aren't meant for bathtubs (don't produce enough energy), and/or take a long time to heat the water.
What are alternatives that I can combine with the under-powered water heater to get my tub water hot?

What about good-ol-fashioned heating or even boiling water on the stove? You'll need a thermometer to ensure your water doesn't go over 120 degrees.
When I was working on my water heater recently, I used spare aquarium heaters to heat up 5 gallon buckets. You can buy up to 300w on those....some aquarists guide will say what wattage heater for say, a 60 gallon or a 100 gallon tank. You can calculate the number of gallons you intend to heat in the tub before you buy any heater.


Why has my garbage disposal started tripping the breaker every time? I have never had a problem with my garbage disposal or that circuit before, however I am now having issues with it. Every time I turn it on, it immediately trips the breaker.

I'm not even sure how to begin troubleshooting this to try to fix it, first time homeowner here. Any help would be great.

EDIT:

The disposal comes on for a fraction of a second before the breaker is tripped.

I have tried the advice below, I cannot see anything in the disposal and it spins freely when driven by the hex socket in the bottom of the disposal.

The disposal was installed by myself 2 years ago, so I would hope it hasn't worn out yet...

Further troubleshooting this has led me to the following resolution: The garbage disposal is working, however that particular outlet is malfunctioning. I didn't think that could be the case, I thought if an outlet went bad, both outlets in that box would go bad. I guess this is not the case.

You probably have one of two possible problems.

1) The disposer may be jammed. Check this by making sure the switch is OFF and the breaker is OFF. Insert the proper hex wrench into the bottom hex socket (center bottom of unit) and rotate it left and right to be sure it turns free and easy.  If jammed, it may take a bit of forceful back and forth action to clear the jam.  Look down inside the disposer with a flashlight to assure there is no obstructions.  If all is clear, turn the breaker back on and try the unit.

2) If after doing step one and all is clear but unit still kicks the breaker, the disposer is probably faulty and may need to be replaced.


How do I connect two pieces of flexible dryer hose I need about 10 to 12 feet of flexible dryer hose but it seems to come in 8 foot lengths .
Is it possible to connect a 4 foot section to an 8 foot length.
And how would I proceed.

Do consider replacing any accessible hose with smooth-wall (rigid or semi-rigid) ducting, but in a pinch you can just use a short section of rigid duct and a pair of hose clamps.


In-place sewer cleanout tee replacement? I had a contractor roll over a sewer cleanout with some heavy machinery. It looks like the contractor may have amnesia about the damage and reporting to his insurance, so I may be out of luck and need to repair this by myself. The broken piece is at the Y coupling (shown in red):

So the cleanout piece has completely shattered and can be removed easily. Digging the dirt away down to the y connector, the Y has cracked open and I can see into the sewage pipe (gross). From what I can tell, the pipes going in both directions away from the connector are very "snug" and immovable in the ground (at least, not with the equipment I have), so bending them enough to put on a new piece is probably not an option. I think I need an in-place way to replace this that doesn't require moving the existing pipes (a slide repair coupler?). Obviously I need to avoid step-ups or step-downs in flow so waste doesn't get trapped and collect.
Looking for suggestions.

You could dig down around the area and cut out the broken fitting. If you cut out wide enough you can install a new replacement fitting that has a stub of pipe sticking out each side that just fits down between the cut ends of the existing not movable pipe.
You can then use Fernco type couplers on each side to join the two stub pieces to the existing pipe. Note you will have to dig back far enough on the two ends of the existing pipe to be able to slip the couplers in place before putting the new fitting with stubs in place.

Picture Source
You want to make sure to use the type with stainless steel clamps to resist rusting and that have the metal shielding as shown above to resist the heavy earth load from above.


Can anyone explain what this pipe is in the basement? We just bought a house and are getting a new washer/dryer setup, but the old one is slightly confusing.  There is a switched pump to pump out the laundry water. I don't know if this open pipe above the washer is a vent or if it was just the old homeowners way of initially tying into the sewer line prior to the installation of the pump.  It looks like it has a P-trap, so I'm not sure if it is a vent or the initial drain attempt.  This is in a basement below grade and main line, so I know the water must be ejected upwards.  Does anyone have any ideas on this pipe and if I can get rid of it when rerunning the new drainage setup?  I am thinking of a laundry sink with an auto pump, a check valve to prevent backflow, and a ball valve to limit flow and prevent the pump from burning out.  Thanks so much for any help you can offer!

Without the sink and pump, usually the washing machine discharge hose would be inserted in the top of that open pipe.  It is above the level of the exit pipe, and has a trap to prevent outgassing.

I would think the pump would have a similar connection (e.g. connection above drain with trap), if there were other users of that drain line.  But I guess not in this situation.  Perhaps that was added later.


Two switches on the same single hot wire I opened up a box with two switches to witness this:

The hot (which is white, I've confirmed) is looped around the far light switch, then pushed into the connector in the back of the near light switch. Each of the red and black wires (neutrals I think) then complete the circuit, so I guess it works.
Is this an undesirable configuration? I'm trying to replace them with simple dimmer switches, and what I would like to do is pigtail the single hot with the hots of each dimmer switch. Each switch would still have it own neutral. Is this a better way to go than the current setup?

This is called a switch leg the white should be taped black or another hot conductor color.
Your red and black are the switched hots going to the lights.
You don’t have a neutral in your case so your dimmer can not require a neutral it is possible a dimmer that requires a ground will work if the ground is connected at the other end and back at the panel but most LED’s won’t work with an old school dimmer because they draw a little current through the light this causes LED’s to glow or flash but will be fine with incandescent lamps on a dimmer. That’s why I mentioned the possibility of a dimmer that uses the ground may be an option for LED’s.


Are these red lights on my Honeywell HZ432 why my bedroom isn't blowing in heat? I just moved into a new multi-family house with central heat/AC and the 3rd floor bedroom doesn't seem to warm up very well.  When the thermostat is on, I don't feel hot air blowing in from the vents in that bedroom. The bathroom vent upstairs seems to blow lots of warm air and all the vents on the 1st floor apartment as well as the 2nd floor seem to work.

There are 2 thermostats per floor, with 2nd and 3rd floor being a single apartment duplex.

I looked at the setup in the basement and saw these red lights - does that mean the system is not working correctly? How can I diagnose?

I had one of these units in a two story house, and the red LED means that zone is closed, a green light means that it is open.  So, for the panel on the left, the system is calling for heat, and only the Zone 3 damper is open (so the Zone 3 thermostat is the one calling for stage 1 heat.

If any of the zone lights are blinking (may blink amber color), then there is a problem with one of the damper motors.

Here is a link to a PDF manual if you want to know more about it, but once they are set up, they don't require any maintenance.  You can test all the functions to troubleshoot things, but right now it seems to be working correctly.


How can I achieve a Quartz look using concrete for a bar top? I want to make my own concrete bar top but I would like it to have a bit of a sparkle like quartz has. Any suggestions?

It's called terazzo:

The basic process is:

add your 'sparkle' substance as aggregate (glass is a typical option)
pour concrete
after concrete sets, you use a diamond grinder to expose the top layer of aggregate


How do I install stucco over an exterior painted stone wall? I have a painted stone wall that is not very attractive. I thought stuccoing over it could solve the appearance problem. Would I need a wire mesh? Could I stucco right on the stone? Would I need to remove paint or treat the wall with some type of wash to help the stucco adhere?

Painted stone will not provide any adhesion for the stucco, and you'll get an uneven surface.  You will need to use some masonry nails and a firing hammer and peg up some expanded steel over the stone.  Aim for where the mortar is, assuming there is some.
 Important - Stone walls are not necessarily stable items.  If this is shared with a neighbor, make sure to talk with them about it first. It would not be difficult to crack the stones, and ruin what they think is a beautiful thing.    I'd consider doing a concrete pour - Put some rebar stubs into the wall, add some fencing for extra support, and fill it up.  Great way to add in benches or other features (potting areas, fountains) at the same time.


Should I frame out my foundation walls before or after I install the subfloor? I'm about to start on finishing our basement and I'm going to put down a subfloor of DMX AG along with 5/8" T&G OSB. Should I frame out my perimeter foundation walls before the subfloor or after? If I install them before, the 1/4" DMX gap will allow for any potential moisture to evaporate into the room. If I install the foundation walls after (and on top of) the subfloor, any potential moisture would evaporate between the wall and the foundation. Which is better?

Our house was built in 2016 and is a walkout with no water issues in the 2 years we've been there so far.

With the comment on 6000 lb/ sq foot I would run the DMX under the walls, I have not used DMX in the past but don't see a problem especially since its a non load bearing wall. Always a good to check with the inspector / mfg to make sure it will do the job as intended.


can I connect 120/240 split phase washer If I just have 3 phase 220v? I want to install washer the washer connection box has 4 wires L1,L2,N,and GND (split phase) but unfortunately I do not have split phase power source I have 3 phase 220v instead, the question is can I use 2 phases to connect L1 and L2 ?  is this solution applicable and will not cause any damage to the machine?

As threephaseEel is pointing out it depends on the configuration. I would hope it is a Wye all 3 phases have the same voltage to ground but with a delta the the B phase is "wild" or 2x the other 2 that's when things go boom. If your voltage is 220 the line to neutral value should be 127V depending on the washer's wiring this may work if code legal in your area and the washer requires 120V.
Almost all lighting in industrial plants are from Wye connected transformers using 1 leg, for example : 480V 3 phase 1 leg to neutral is 277 or 480/1.732. The neutral connection back at the transformer is connected to the ground.  A more common example in light industrial facilities Wye connected also would be 208/120 3 phase the line to neutral here is only 120V  (208/1.732).
In my early days the low voltage 3 phase was 230V this is a bit high for a single leg to ground on a 120V but it was used back then there was not as much digital electronic gear I believe this is the reason 208 3 phase has become the standard now. Verifying the actual voltage and connection type is very important. With all 3 legs to ground measuring the same value it is a Wye connection. Measuring the legs to ground and 1 leg (usually the B phase) is 2X the voltage is a Delta you cannot use the B leg or "wild" leg, but the A & C leg can be used for 120.


Hot water radiator valve leaks The attached picture shows the valve on a hot water radiator that leaks and the arrow points to where it leaks. It drips about one drop a minute.

It feels like a quarter turn on that nut might fix the leak, but is that dangerous? Would I be risking making the leak worse?

Any other suggestions for stopping the leak?

You should be able to tighten the nut slightly to stop the drip. If it is frozen do not force it since the nut could crack and cause a worse problem as @dandavis  commented. If you can back off the nut you could repack the valvr but I would call a plumber or HVAC person to do it unless you have experience repacking valves.


How to install corner bead on an uneven corner How do I install this corner bead without it buckling when I screw it down. Do I just fill the recessed spot with mud first? If it matters it's the ceiling in my shower.

I'm not sure I understand the problem. That corner is beautiful compared to most. Corner bead isn't normally screwed, though, for the reason you've encountered--screws pull way to hard and cause deformation. Use drywall nails (gently) or narrow-crown staples (like for underlayment).
Be sure to keep the bead above the plane of the wall. In the photo, the top side has a slight recess where the edge of the other sheet terminates. Don't pull the bead down tight to that. I like to stand a carpenter's square on the wall surface and lap onto the bead. If the square doesn't have a slim gap under it, shift the bead flange on the adjacent wall face to make it so. Imagine pulling your taping knife down that wall later... you don't want it to scrape the flange.


Expanding closet opening to its fullest I have a closet in my kitchen that currently acts as our pantry.
It looks like any standard closet with two sliding doors and shelves on the interior.
It has a header above it for two sliding doors and the sides come in about 10 inches.

    _________________
    |               |
    |               |
    |__           __|  Top view
     ^             ^

I am wondering if it is feasible to cut out the header and side walls (where the ^ is) in order to maximize the space it takes up.  Then insert a set of cabinets up top, a counter in the middle and then a set of drawers and cabinets beneath the counter.

The house is a colonial built in 1981 and I would verify this closet has no load bearing purpose before I did anything.  We are identifying ways to improve storage and use in our kitchen and I am hoping this would be a feasible option.

Is this crazy town to consider this? Or a common overhaul?  What sort of issues might I face in doing something like this?

How easy this project is, will depend on the underlying framing.  There's two ways these corners could have been framed.
Side walls to the end
This will make what you want to do fairly easy.

Top down view of the framing
End walls to the side
This is the more likely of the two. Which means you'll either have to build out the corner, or lose 3 1/2" (+drywall thickness) in closet depth. Though I guess you're not really losing anything, from the interior dimensions of the original closet.

Top down view of the framing
Aside from that. As long as the closet is not bearing, it shouldn't be too much work.


Remove power spike when restoring power I've been experiencing interesting problem recently. When the power goes down, there is roughly 50:50 chance that a circuitbreaker for my plugs trips after the power comes back on.  Flipping it back manually solves the issue and it has never been tripped by normal load - only after a power cut when the power comes back on

It's a 16A breaker (230V here in Spain) and connected to it are a few computers + TV screens - most of them are behind a UPS. Is there any way to remove the spike when the power comes back on? Is there anything I can plug the machines into to make sure they come back on properly?

It would be a major hassle to change the breaker for larger value as I would need to involve the apartment owner etc.

Update:

Here is the breaker in question:

Many devices will draw a slightly larger load at startup, especially if there are motors involved (ie. fridge/freezer compressors). But even computers will draw more at startup due to all of the devices initializing.

Likely you are very close to the max capacity of that breaker, and on startup you are exceeding it hence why it trips.

The way to resolve this is to move loads to other circuits, or have an additional circuit installed.


Hole in concrete floor from floor anchor I have a small hole in my basement floor from a leftover floor anchor similar to http://www.lowes.com/pd_79553-2191-50098___?productId=3044000. The anchor is now gone, and apparently over the years the hole has had some small amount of dirt and moisture pushing up through it.

I believe it is the source of a water leak during heavy rain. At the very least, it will be a point of concern for anyone buying the house. (I'm planning on selling in the next year).

I need to get this hole sealed properly. Preferably in a way that won't make it obvious that a hole was there (though this concern is very much secondary). What would be the right way to do this?

You'd want to use a products like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-1-qt-Concrete-Crack-Seal-864000/100318507

It'll be hard to get concrete mix into such a small hole without leaving a void. This crack sealer is designed for smaller holes & cracks. Documentation here: http://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/Projects/RepairingConcrete.pdf


Ball valve left half opened A plumber replaced my water heater last week and he left the main valve half opened.  Is there any good reason for this or he just forgot about it?  Is it safe to put it back fully opened as it was?  The valve model is "Watts regulator FBVS-1".

Yep, no problem to crank it open. You probably won't notice any or much of a difference, ball valves aren't nearly as frugal as knobby compression valves.

Due to your comment's additional information. A harmonic imbalance was created by the valve's position. Therefore, you need to open it more or all of the way to get rid of the sound. Alternatively, you might have to close it down further to remove the sound as well, but we both hope that's not the sound fix, as you've already noticed a slight flow difference.


When is the best time of year to apply mortar in New England? I have two small areas at the base of my foundation I would like to repack with mortar. I don't fully understand the properties of mortar. Living in New England where the summers get really hot and the winters get really cold, would the fall or spring be the best time to pack it?

My mind is stuck on the drying process and whether or not the mortar will expand or contract. Or will the mortar always dry in the same shape it was applied?

Thanks

Mortar (along with all other Portland cement-based masonry products) doesn't "dry". Well, it does, but the critical point is that it cures. It absorbs and chemically combines with the water used in the mix. For this reason, it's crucial that it not 1) dry out too quickly due to solar or other heat, and 2) freeze before it's had a chance to cure over several days, at least. It also doesn't shrink or expand appreciably.

Essentially, any temperature between 32F and around 90F is fine. Outside that range and you need to protect the mortar with tarps or other means, and you may need to mist it with water to keep enough moisture present. Inside that range and you're generally good to go.


Calculating daily energy production of PV panels From https://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/ it says:

"Using the example above of a 250-watt STC rated panel, if you multiply the 250 watts the panel produces by the number of hours of full sun you get in a day, you’ll get the amount of kwh that panel produces per day. Multiply by 30 days and you’ll get mothly kWh output for the panel.

The average roof in the United States gets about 4 hours of usable sun per day. We know the sun shines more than 4 hours, but “full sun” is a measurement that combines all the parts of the day when the sun is lower in the sky into one number.

Using 4 hours of full sun, gives you this equation: 250 watts x 4 hours. That’s 1 kWh (1,000 watts) in a day per 250-watt panel.

If you multiply 1kWh per panel by 30 days in a month, you’ll find that each 250 watt rated panel will produce about 30 kWh in an average month."

This makes sense to me, but when I take our soon to be installed 57 305 Watt panels (17.385kW according to my calculations), it doesn't.

With the array size being 17.385kW (69.54kWh generated in an average day, according to the above, if I am not mistaken) to only meet our daily usage of 41.73kwH (1,252kWh is our average monthly usage) out of the array per our solar company, it is only on ever up to 60% efficient.

Does this sound right to others also?

"Average hours" on "Average roof" have no particular bearing on a specific roof located in a specific place.

Specific places have specific weather patterns, which do have local averages that can be used for estimation that's a lot more relevant. In the USA, roughly 30 years of month-by month data are typically available for some weather station/airport near you, though exactly how "near you" it is will vary and may impact how applicable the data is. But in general, the Southwest USA is a lot more productive than much of the rest of the country.

The Northeast in November is certainly dire, as I know from several years spent facing the possibility that I'd have to install an off-grid system. That was the "design month" for getting storage and array size to be adequate - eventually circumstances changed and the power company became more amenable to providing a grid connection I could afford.

With a typical grid-tie, you get to take advantage of "excess" production on long sunny summer days, rather than having to make enough power even in November, and then having excess power (and no place to send it) in sunny months.

Specific roofs also have specific relationships to trees, other houses, and terrain; and specific orientations and angles, all of which affect the specific amount of power an array on that specific roof in that specific location will produce. There are tools a solar installer may use to assess those details.


Should I be worried about this gap in electrical conduit? Background
My project this weekend is to get my garage repowered so my tenant will be able to plug his car in during the winter months. When I bought my house it was recently renovated by house flippers who made the basement into a suite and I suspect they used the circuit that was going to the garage to power the new bathroom's lights/fan.
The problem
As you can see in this photo I have a gap between my power pipe and my house.

The questions
Is this a safety issue? Is there something I can use to fix it that is water proof, electricity proof and cold weather resistant?
Area view
Noticeable features include dirt from grading and hail damage to the laundry vent...

I see 3 problems:

The gap, as you noticed.
One of the conductors' insulation is damaged (I think - it's not obvious from the picture)
That's EMT, which is not a good choice for burial. The couplings are not strong enough (as you can see) and they're not waterproof. The tubing can rust away below ground. It is technically allowed, though, per NEC 358.10.

I'd recommend replacing it with PVC, which is very durable and easy to work with. If you do this, I suggest oversizing the conduit a couple sizes, to make pulling the wires easier and to leave room for future upgrades. And while you're at it, put a subpanel in the garage.


Are there any risks in removing these steel basement window frames? I am planning to replacement my basement windows (see this related question) and was planning to remove both the glass and frame.  A window vendor advised me not do this claiming that the steel frame is supporting the concrete and removing it could cause the foundation to crack.  They recommended that I re-use the frame (which is in bad condition on the outside).  I would prefer to remove the steel frame since in its current condition, I don't think it is able to keep the water out. I suppose I could try and repair the frame (bang it back into place, use an abrasive brush to remove rust, re-paint and caulk all seams) instead.

Is foundation cracking a realistic risk and are there any other risks in removing it to warrant keeping it instead?

Looking at the pictures I would say leave the steel and clean it up. The steel may be a lot tougher to remove then it looks. Might have pins into the wall or be hooked into rebar. It also looks like the steel was there when they poured the wall, making it real tough to remove. IMHO it might prove easier to cover the stuff with then remove it.


Can I buy replacement clips for my soft-close drawer? One of the clips on my soft-close drawers broke--shattered into a dozen pieces beyond repair. Is it possible to buy a replacement without having to buy new slides?

Maybe I'm having trouble with the proper name for these things, but nothing I search seems to yield any results. I've seen them called "locking brackets," but searching for this doesn't give much.

It looks like this:

DTC  soft close drawer slides locking device

 Available here


How to replace a bath tub Our 30-year-old home as a 30-year-old yellow cast-iron tub that's gross.

What's the best way to go about swapping it out for a modern plastic or acryllic one? It's currently set into the wall by about 1cm on two sites (the front where the taps and drains are and on the long side) and it has brickwork has been built up on the 3rd side to match the height and make a small shelf, which has then been tiled.

The new baths we're looking at are almost the exact same length and depth, but they're slightly shallower (height).

Honestly, It can be a giant pain in the butt.

You start with covering it with a thick blanket or two and smashing it with a sledgehammer to bust it up into pieces (yeah, that's really how it's done).  The blanket is to prevent getting yourself cut up by flying pieces of cast iron and porcelain.  You might also have to bust out the tile/brickwork as well, depending on how things fit together.

To get the new tub in, you might just be able to get it in the door, but many bathroom doors in older houses are of the 24" variety and you can't fit a tub through them - especially if it's a one piece shower/tub system.  If that's the case you will probably need to take the door out, cut out a stud on one side and bust up the wall a bit to get the new unit in.  Then of course rebuild it all once you got the new tub in.

I would strongly consider re-glazing your existing tub.  It can really make a crappy old tub look like brand new.


What is this sliding door latch called, and where can I find it? I have a sliding door. The part that the the lock interacts with, on the wall, has broken. It looks like a double hook (pictures attached).

I went to home depot and no one knew what it was or where to find it. Does anyone have a clue?

I was able to find it.

It is called a 'Patio Door Keeper for Yale Ogron Sliding Glass Door', by manufacturer Barton Kramer.

Home Depot Link


Building on top of 3/4'' plywood subfloor I want to build this: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/21/how-to-make-a-relatively-sweet-shower-cheap/

and I'm building in my basement bathroom: on top of the foundation I have 2x4 (horizontal) making joists (space about 4-6" apart) and the 3/4 plywood to make the sub floor.

So my question: is 3/4'' sufficient?

The 3/4 sub sub floor is sufficient.

I have some comments about Redguard on the shower floor.

While the product (and others like it) is rated for a directly-under-the-tile waterproofing, I have some cautions (directed at the installation in the DIY blog article) :

Be sure you do a minimum of 2 coats, at right angles (as recommended).  Be sure you lightly hone the cement base with a rubbing block, for a bump-free surface, before coating.  If you have any voids, fill them in with the thinset you will use, before coating (using a portland cement thinset, not a premixed mastic thinset)

Be aware that the unprotected Redguard IS NOT abrasion, scuff or scratch resistant.  A dropped tool or tile will cut it.  Be very careful walking and kneeling on it..

Consider using a sheet membrane product (Kerdi, NobleSeal TS) for the floor and using Redguard on the walls only.  I would put the Redguard at least 4ft high on the walls or a foot higher than wherever the direct spray would hit the wall opposite the spray head (whichever is higher).


Why is the finish coming off while sanding between coats of polyurethane on glazed cabinets? I am refinishing my kitchen cabinets. I have sanded them, painted two coats of paint and then glazed them. I have put one coat of polyurethane on them, and am trying to put a second coat on. When I try to sand them, it is taking the finish off. I first tried sanding lightly with 220 grit and have now tried with 400 grit sandpaper and am having the same problem. I have tried in an unobvious place and am barely touching it with the sandpaper. What should I do?

What type of paint/glaze? Oil or water based poly?  Check with manufacturer of the poly to make sure it's compatible with previous top coats. The ones I've called in the past have always been very helpful.

How long did you let paint/glaze cure before poly? Even though paint dries within hours it takes a while to fully cure. If you apply the poly before it cures you'll have problems with the poly curing. Should wait at least 7 days before applying poly. More depending on climate.


Natural Gas Furnace Installation Shut off valve Direction The furnace installation directions specifies a shutoff valve with a 1/8" NTP plugged hole for test gauge. I bought this valve and am ready to assemble the pipes but I am uncertain about which side of the valve the plugged hole goes on. Is it the supply side or the furnace side? It seems like it should be on the supply side so that the gas pressure at the furnace could be measured with the shutoff valve closed. Someone said that the hole goes between the furnace and the shutoff valve for testing but did not explain how that test would work.

Put the side tap on the furnace side. This will make it much more convenient to connect and remove the measuring gauge because you can shut the valve so that gas won't be pouring out. The reading will be just as useful as having the gauge on the supply side because there will not be any pressure drop across this valve.

If you are worried about air getting into the supply pipe and making a combustible mixture, you could leave the valve open a little so that there is a small flow of gas out the sidetap which will keep air from getting in


Easiest & Best way to make a box shelf I'm not experienced in DIY beyond being able to paint stuff.  However, recently I've been let down by a number of carpenters and I've decided to build myself some box shelves and want to get an idea to a way I can do this.

I've got a room with two built in wardrobes with a recessed area between them where I intend to make these shelves - so I have three edges I can attach the shelves to (two wood and one is a wall which I think has a blocked up chimney but seems quite solid when I tap it), but no idea really of how to do it.  I'm looking at storing books on these shelves, so need them to be able to take some weight.

I've search online and found this site describing how to do it but I fear I don't have the correct tools to be able to make an accurate rabbets.  I have a jigsaw and a saw station for it, an impact drill, and screw drivers etc.  I'm pretty sure I can do it, but need some guidance.

Go to the hardware store and pick up a miter box and; if it doesn't come with one, a back saw.  While your there pick up a set of chisels, that's really all you need to make the shelves.

Here is a good description of how to cut the rabbet by hand using a back saw.

Warning: You may want to practice on some scrap wood until you feel comfortable.

If you don't mind spending the money you could buy a router and a rabbet bit, this would be the fast more efficient way to make the shelves.


How do I separate wood stain from mineral spirits if it doesn't settle? I'm completely new to the world of DIY, and recently completed my first minor woodworking project.  After staining my piece, I cleaned my brush with mineral spirits.  Now, every source that I can Google tells me that I can reuse the dirty spirits by letting them sit until the stain settles, then pour off the clean spirits from the top.  However, the exact opposite is happening; the stain is separating and floating to the top!  What do I need to do in this situation?

Perhaps I'm missing an obvious problem, but I'd simply pour off the dirty stain in the mixture into a waste container and then save the clean spirits that remain below.


How can I repair scratches in engineered hardwood floors? I have two large dogs, of which one has nails that any woman would kill for, and the energy of a nuclear power plant.  My home's primary living areas are all hardwood floors:  kitchen, bath, living room, dining room, and staircases.  I have an open floor plan.

My hardwood floors are engineered Bruce Oak with a high gloss finish have areas that are severely scratched and grooved from the dogs' nails.  Around columns and corners the finish is gone from my female dog who runs laps up and down the stairs and around the breakfast table and snack bar area.  I have had so many unqualified friends give me advice on repairing these areas that I am very confused on what to do.

Can anyone tell me what is the best way to fill these groves below the finish and put the finish back down without having a professional come in to do it?  I am fairly self sufficient and do a lot of my own home improvements.  I can fix almost anything except the furnace and have done everything from auto, appliance, and home repairs for friends as well as myself.

I just need to know what the best filler/putty or compound is for filling, and what type of polyurethane I should use.  I would also like some type of technical assistance, step by step, on how to do the repairs.

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there is really no magic putty or filler for shallow scratches and gouges in hardwood flooring. Even though there are a lot of colored wood fillers on the market, they are not designed for high traffic flooring or nuclear dogs. If it was just a couple of scratches you might be able to sneak by with a filler, but not for a refinishing job in a larger area as you describe.  Most engineered flooring has 3/16" to 1/4" of hardwood veneer over a plywood base. If the scratches have not gone through the veneer, then you can sand the scratches smooth, stain to match, and refinish with 3 to 4 coats of urethane. I would recommend an oil based urethane. Apply 3 to 4 thin coats rather than 1 or 2 thick coats. Remember, the veneer is fairly thin and usually can only be sanded and refinished 2 or 3 times at best. Once the scratching penetrates the plywood base, your floor is unrepairable.

My advise would be to protect the floors with area rugs, runners, etc or keep the dog's nails cut short, or better yet, train them to behave in the house.


How do I tile over a leveled floor with a feathered edge? I have a laundry room in a home I just bought which had some unseen water damage. They originally had the sticky vinyl tiles on there which I pulled up. The concrete underneath was pitted and uneven.
So I put down leveler...but I came back to find a corner of it had drained through what I thought originally were just some cracks that would get filled in the process.
It was flat, but not level. So I filled the gaps and leveled it out after re-prepping the new surface etc. Except I had never feathered an edge before. I've only just leveled. Since I didn't want to add any more to the existing floor height I chose to give it a shot.
The outcome isn't horrible. I could just throw sheet vinyl over it and call it done but was looking for something a little nicer than that. I've only ever tiled on completely flat surfaces. Except over the feathering there's some slight unevenness. How would I properly tile over it and get consistent plum? Do I have to float? To give you an idea hopefully the pic will help.
It's a laundry room that goes into a garage, so I'd like to keep the height difference between the floors minimal. Advice?

and yes...I know you can tell I've never feathered before. ;)

You can easily knock down any irregularity with an angle grinder and a masonry blade. It will generate a lot of dust, so you'll need some good eye protection and good mask.

The answer to your question depends on how planar the surface is and what size of tile you are planning on using. Bigger tile requires a surface that is more planar, while smaller tile can deal with a less planar surface.

Hope that helps.


Proper way to install double-layer of subfloor? I am installing natural stone tile, so I've had to reinforce the joists a bit and I'm currently working on installing a new subfloor.

The subfloor is 3/4" plywood with 1/2" plywood on top of it. The underlayment will be Ditra.

My main question here is about how to secure to the joists. Normal application with just 3/4" I would squirt down some construction adhesive to the joists, lay the 3/4" layer and screw 8" on edges and 12" in the middle. This becomes slightly more complicated because I have two layers now and I need to know whether I should still do the 8" and 12" method on the first layer as well as on the second layer, or if there's a different way I should be approaching the screwing and gluing.

As a side question, should I glue the first and second layer of plywood together with construction adhesive?

Fasten your first layer plywood subfloor as you normally should.

The second (top) layer of plywood joints should not coincide with the joists and the second layer should not be fastened to the joists.

Article quote from - Position of Underlayment to Prevent Cracked Tile and Grout
By Frank Woeste and Peter A. Nielsen
For publication by the TILE LETTER Magazine (read whole article):

  The 2003-2004 Tile Council of America’s (TCA) Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation contains numerous details for a double layer wood floor system supporting ceramic tile.  The thicknesses of the subfloor and underlayment are given in each case.  Specific guidance on where to butt the underlayment end joints is not given for any detail.  For example, for F142-03, the TCA Handbook states, “offset end and edge joints of the underlayment panels by at least two inches from the joints of subfloor panels; they should not coincide with framing below."  It further states, “underlayment fasteners should not penetrate joists below."  In the case of F150-03, the offsetting is not mentioned, but it does state, “underlayment fasteners should not penetrate joists below."  The same holds true for F155; however, it also states, “face grain of plywood should run perpendicular to trusses, I-joists, or sawn lumber for maximum stiffness."  The purpose of this article is to propose specific guidelines for the orientation and placement of underlayment, including end and edge joints, beyond the rules given in the TCA Handbook, to improve the performance of double layer wood systems.  These guidelines are based on engineering science and field observations.

Also, since you will be using Ditra, make sure to stick with their guidelines for warranty purposes. Specifically see page 8 and 23 from The Ditra Handbook for your application.


Can I replace this dimmer? I have a knob dimmer that says on the metal plate "For permanently installed incandescent fixtures only" on it. I would like to replace that with a rocker style dimmer that accepts LEDs. The wording and the fact that the wires are inserted into the back just makes me want to confirm.

Edit: I opened the new one and it looks like my new switch has wires coming out of the back and you're supposed to attach a wire nut around the corresponding wire inside the box. Just gonna leave this up to be absolutely sure I can replace it at this point

Many incandescent-only dimmers do not require a neutral wire. If that's the case then you will have hot, switched-hot and ground connected to the existing dimmer but not neutral. The new dimmer will likely require neutral. Neutral may be in the box in which case you have it easy. If not then it should be nearby and the challenge is to make sure that you have the correct neutral and bring it into the box, split it and pigtail to the neutral on the new dimmer. Code now requires neutral in all switch boxes but that has not always been the case.

The above is a general dimmer/smart switch/etc. issue.

Now for the specifics: Based on the UPC code of the package, this is a Lutron LECL-153PH-WH dimmer. I found the spec sheet for it and it explains the wiring. For a single switch (i.e., you have one dimmer switch controlling the lights and no secondary switch at the other side of the room):

Hot (typically black) to black wire of dimmer.
Red of dimmer to switched-hot (typically black or Harper's preference red)
Green to ground (green, bare or screwed to grounded metal box)
Red/white of dimmer capped - i.e., put a wire nut on it so that it isn't connected to anything.

The Red/white and Red are used together as travelers for a 3-way switch (2 switches controlling the same light).


York Affinity 9.C gas furnace won't stay lit My York Affinity 9.C gas furnace won't sustain ignition. It will turn the blower on, ignite, then after a few seconds it will turn off. This repeats a few times and then it gives up entirely.
This doesn't happen all the time, just most of the time when it seems to be cold and/or wet outside.
Does this seem like a simple sensor that a homeowner can replace or symptom of a bigger issue?
Here's a video that shows the light sequences on the circuit board, you can also hear a couple cycles of the blower and ignition cycling on and off.
https://youtu.be/lU4T2t4o1QE

The video indicates your furnace does the following:

Thermostat calls for heat (2 yellow lights blinking indicates this as per York fault codes)
Draft inducer starts (:00 in video)
After xx seconds of draft inducer running, the pressure switch is satisfied, the igniter starts to heat and gas valve opens (clicks at :35 in video)
The burner jets light ('whoosh' at :37 in video)
After a few seconds the igniter stops heating (click at :42)
Gas is cut off, killing flame (click at :46, no more 'whoosh')

In a normal scenario, the burner jets light sequentially, starting at the igniter side, progressing to the flame sensor on the opposite side. When the igniter stops heating, if the flame sensor senses flames, that means all jets lit and are still lit. If the flame sensor does not sense flames, it cuts the gas and starts over.
So we hear flames, why does the flame sensor does not sense them? Could be one of the following:
Flame sensor problems:

Flame sensor dirty, not heating enough to sense flames
Flame sensor dead, not signaling to control board
Flame sensor disconnected temporarily, like corroded contacts shorting and prevent any signal reaching control board

Gas jet only partially lighting:

One or more gas jets clogged in sequence preventing final jet with flame sensor from lighting (I have seen spiders build nests that clog jets)

You potentially can rule out partial lighting by running the furnace as in the video without the cover on and see if all of the heating tubes have flame and that the flame sensor is engulfed. If this is the case, then try cleaning your flame sensor, checking its electrical cable continuity or replacing it (likely <$20).


Corrosion on copper pipe: Is this a concern? I came across some corrosion on a copper hot water line in our house:

Is this a potential early warning sign of impending pipe failure?

I did some research online and came across multiple contradicting hear-say-comments ranging from "this is caused by left-over solder flux, it doesn't matter" all the way to "there likely is already a leak and it'll probably get worse quick!".

If this is an issue that warrants pipe replacement, do I need to cut off all of the corrosion (might be a bit difficult in the front pipe as it disappears through a beam) or is it enough to clean it off with some steel wool?

Clean it off with some wire wool. As far as I can tell, it looks like marking where flux has run and is unlikely to be any serious corrosion that warrants pipe replacement, but the best way to tell will be to clean it off and see the state of the pipe for yourself close up.


How do I troubleshoot power receptacles? I just bought a recently renovated house and the house inspector said that all the plugs in the basement worked.

Well... I plugged in several devices into the plugs and they don't power on. If I use my voltage tester I can see that the plugs are indeed 'hot', however they do not actually provide any juice.

All of the affected plugs are on the same breaker as well as the lights for the basement. The lights have no issues turning on.

What are some steps I can take to figure out what the problem is?

Update:
I opened up one of the plugs to see if there was anything visibly wrong. All of the contacts appeared to be wired correctly. I swapped out the receptacle for a new one I had purchased and I wired it into place. I attempted to plug a small test lamp into the new receptacle without fully screwing it into place and a bolt on the hot side that wasn't fully tightened brushed the side of the metal box thingy and caused a spark! eep! I'm guessing that means the power and the ground are working. I turned off the breaker and screwed the receptacle in properly and tried the lamp again and still nothing.

Update 2:
I purchased a receptacle tester and the receptacles all show blank, yellow, yellow which seems to indicate that they are wired correctly. Next step I will hook up a volt meter.

Update 3:
Ok I plugged in the multimeter and it only goes to 30... to make sure my multimeter wasn't out of whack I plugged it into my working outlets and the needle went to 120V. Soo, for some reason I only have a quarter of the voltage I should have, weird.

Update 4:
Resolution, so I caved and hired an electrician.
It turns out the wiring for the plugs ran through a light fixure. Inside the light fixture all of the neutrals for the plugs were wired to each other, however, they were not wired to the main neutral!
The electrician screwed a wire nut on the 2 bundles and low and behold, working plugs everywhere. Thanks for the help everyone!

As I said in the comments to the OP and to Aaron's answer, there are several wiring failures that could cause an NCVT (non-contact voltage tester; usually a pen-looking thing that beeps when you point it at a live electrical wire) to light up, and some that even a plug tester can miss, but that would prevent a "real" load from being plugged in. The first thing to do is get a 3-lamp outlet tester (preferably with GFCI testing) to supplement your NCVT. The tester will correctly diagnose most of these things:

Open Hot: the black wire is present in the box but disconnected from the plug (or otherwise not making good contact). An NCVT can still light up if the wire is close to the faceplate. However, a plug tester will diagnose the issue. The fix is to flip this outlet's breaker, open up the plate and make sure all wires are firmly connected to the proper terminals on the outlet.
Open Neutral: the white wire is present but not properly connected to the outlet. Again, a NCVT will light up if the hot is properly connected (maybe even if it isn't), but a plug tester will properly diagnose the issue. The fix is the same as for an open hot.
Broken/Worn/Bent Outlet Contacts: The wires are hooked up correctly, but the outlet's contacts have poor or no continuity with the plug's blades. You may hear arcing (a rough crackle) as you plug in the tester or an electrical device. A tester MAY show correct wiring at a glance, but if you jiggle the tester the lights will blink off. Replacing the outlet is the solution here.
Neutral-Ground Swap and High-Resistance Ground: This would tend to affect an entire house's wiring, but it can be localized as well. What is happening is that the white and bare wires have been switched, and in addition, the ground (which normally ties back to the bus strip in the service panel and has full continuity with the neutral) has lost some continuity back to the service panel. There are several situations in which this can happen, most of them involving attaching grounds to house plumbing and then changing that plumbing along the way. An outlet tester may not diagnose this; the expected read is an "open ground" or "open neutral" (remember this would mainly be a problem if the neutral and ground are switched), but if there is some continuity then the tester may not show a problem.
Poor Continuity Of Hot Or Neutral With Outlet: One or more wires is making very poor contact with the outlet terminal. A plug tester may miss this; there is enough continuity for the tester (which only draws a few milliamps for its LEDs) but even a clock radio would have issues with the load induced by the poor continuity. The solution is to rewire the outlet securely, and if the wiring is sound on the plug then to check other wires in the box (with the breaker off of course). The next most likely culprit is the "bundle" of neutral leads that's normally in an "upstream" J-box; make sure all wires are wound tight and properly secured with a wire nut and electrical tape.


Brass fitting seized on a nickel-coated pipe I have an interesting winter problem. The Orbit sprinkler controller, which has a brass screw-on fitting, has seized on its faucet (a zinc or nickel coated recessed stopcock — a winterized outdoor faucet if you will).
The two appear to have bonded chemically - I tried to remove with a wrench and I almost sheared the faucet off the wall. I tried seeping in some WD-40 for starters, but it does not seem to have done any good.
Any suggestions? Am I the only doofus with a sprinkler controller seized atop its faucet? It needs to come off for the winter, there can be no water beyond the stopcock's valve in the system, or the winter will freeze it.

Both times I have encountered hose faucets with devices seemingly fused onto the hose threads were when somebody (not me) assembled them without a hose washer.
Whether or not this is the case in your situation, you will definitely need to back up your attempts to disconnect the fitting with a substantial wrench on the faucet itself, to prevent twisting the supply pipe or breaking something. Depending on how important this is to you, you may even need to purchase a special wrench due to the recessed configuration of your faucet; maybe something like this:

In the end, you may need to use destructive methods to remove it, which hopefully would preserve the hose faucet but sacrifice the controller. You could use a small extending hacksaw to cut the attachment nut...


Protect tile grout from wood stain when staining fireplace surround We just had a new gas fireplace installed and the contractors built a wooden surround / mantel for it, but I asked them to leave the staining / finishing to me (I'm a hobbyist furniture maker, so I think I can do a nicer job).

Unfortunately what I didn't count on is that the facing around the fireplace unit is tile with white grout, which extends out and butts up against the wood surround.  I'm afraid that even if I tape the edges and am super careful, it's probably impossible to avoid getting any stain on the grout line where the wood/tile meet.

Any clever ideas on how to protect this temporarily?  Or would I be better off just actually removing that grout line and re-grouting after all the finish is on?

I'm thinking removable caulk might work.  I've used it to seal windows during the winter, and it comes off pretty easy from glass and plastic, so it might work.

This would give you something a little larger to work with, as far as making sure it hits all the right spots, as well as when trying to remove it later.  Leaving a large bead would also make it easier to adhere tape to.

IDK if tape sticks to it, but it's an idea.  I also don't know how well it would come off  grout, or if it would damage it when trying to peel it off.


Making my outdoor light safe overnight I’ve removed the casing that protects the globe, to replace the globe for the outdoor light. I can’t put the case back on.

My question is, do I take precautions to protect the globe overnight?

Replace the Fixture
I know that isn't what you want to hear. I had a fixture sort of like this (actually a 2-bulb fixture). Bulbs burnt out frequently due to vibration (door right below). I replaced it with a fluorescent fixture (different type of bulb - i.e., not Edison base). A few years later when that burnt out, I replaced with an LED fixture (integrated LEDs, not a "bulb").
The cost is a more than a bulb, but you:

Avoid vibration issues affecting the bulb/socket.
Can get (typically) more light than with an enclosed "ordinary" LED bulb because instead of having to get a bulb that fits the maximum rating for an enclosed fixture, you get a fixture designed to produce the desired amount of light.
Save energy compared to fluorescent (though admittedly LED bulbs would provide similar savings).

Replacement should be straightforward, as long as the existing fixture was mounted correctly on a junction box and not just screwed to the wall around a big hole.


How can I tell if I have rock or wood lath plaster, and is there a difference when repairing cracks and peeling/flaking? My wife and I are repainting our attic and aren't sure how best to proceed with fixing the wall cracks.  We have several different kinds of problems: long parallel cracks set a couple feet apart, and especially in the corners of the hip roof; spalling and crumbling powdered plaster (?) around the fireplace flue wall, with some exposed drywall mesh tape; and peeling and flaking paint chips / textured plaster coat (?) that seems to have a brown paper back with a very smooth stony surface behind.

It's the last bit, and the wide set parallel cracks, that make me think we have rock lath plaster.  My wife thinks we may be dealing with paint over wallpaper, and that the stony surface is in fact the original plaster.  We've tried searching for help in home improvement books and online but all we can find are how-to's for wood lath plaster repair.

Compounding my hesitation is something I recall my home inspector told me: that we have exterior masonry construction walls.  That makes me wonder if I'm looking at something else entirely.

Is there a good way to determine what we do have?  Does it make a meaningful difference in how you'd best repair it?  The recommendation in this question is to tape and spackle.  But since it looks like that was attempted already on the fireplace wall I'm skeptical that it's the appropriate fix for our walls.

Update: Here are some photos of the areas.  You can see in the first two the gray, smooth, stony surface behind, and the brown paper.  The seam visible in the 2nd photo makes me wonder if this is paint over wallpaper?  In photos 3-5 you can see what looks like evidence of drywall, or at least a past patch job with tape and mud.

1) sample crack

2) Wall crack not through gray surface, but showing seam / brown paper on the top layer

3) Fireplace flue wall. Cracks are worst in this section. The large exposed area is where my wife and I started removing the surface material to try to determine what the gray subsurface is.

4) Side view of fireplace flue wall. The corner has a metallic strip covering the corner, suggesting drywall, but the gray surface underneath seems much more solid than typical drywall.

5) Close-up of the left-side corner of the fireplace flue wall, visible from photo #3. Here you can see what looks like drywall mesh tape. There is a crumbly, soft white powder in this area, which makes me think there was prior patching using drywall mud and tape.

6) Vent pipe for septic system, with chipping/peeling/flaking top surface. There are no long cracks present in this area, just what's visible here around the pipe aperture.

7) Dormer leading up to the attic. Here you can see (faintly, sorry) the long horizontal crack, which then forms a Y and cuts at a diagonal down and to the right, while continuing horizontally as well. There are several places where cracks like these appear, spaced about 2-3 feet apart, which is what made me suspect rock lath plaster in the first place.

If wallpaper was painted over you could tell pretty easily by pulling on some of the peeling paint and breaking the paint chips.  Wear a respirator mask while doing this, however, as often times flaking paint is a potential indicator of lead based paint.  If the chips contain paper, then you're right, it's wallpaper with paint over it.  If it's just paint, then be more careful - get the chips tested for lead.

Given the wide spread flaking, it is likely that the wall simply wasn't properly primed.  An improperly treated wall when painted over will eventually lose adhesion with the paint and it'll flake away like you're seeing.  If they applied paint directly to wall paper w/o priming, I think the same is true.

That 2nd picture DOES remind me of wallpaper... I've scrubbed far too much backing off the walls and that looks similar.

The grey subsurface is, I think, a kind of stucco mix that was often used to even up walls where lathe and plaster was replaced with the older style 2x4 drywall panels.  It's nasty, gritty, dusty, unpleasant stuff, tougher than joint compound/plaster to work with because of it's tendency to crack and break rather catastrophically.  When I run into that stuff in my rentals my approach is, "IF I have to touch it at all, it's ALL coming down."  Plus with wallpaper I swear gutting is easier than stripping.

Now around the vent pipe, that looks like moisture damage.  The bubbling around the pipe suggest water leakage.  Is that a "finished" ceiling - ie - thats the roof on the other side of that wall w/ the pipe?  If so, make sure it's properly sealed and replace at least that area of ceiling.
Picture #5 seems to confirm this - someone touched it, and patched it badly.


Urine smell in bathroom sink I flush the toilet and when I use the sink it smells of urine.  The tanks does not to be pumped.  I thought it was the water but this smell is not in the kitchen sink.  I have used b soda and vinegar.  Help!

The drain pipe on your sink goes straight down, but then it should go through a U-shape and go back up again for a few inches, and then go on its merry way.

This U-shaped bit of pipe has a name, and Admiral Ackbar really wants to say it...

Anyway, the idea of this "trap" is that the U is supposed to stay full of water all the time, all the way up to the nape if the "U".  That way, this water blocks the pipe, so sewer gases cannot come up the pipe.  A couple things can go wrong with that.

First, the water ultimately drains to somewhere else.  If that final exit is below the "nape" of the U, the U won't be full of water, and it won't seal the pipe.

If a sink is rarely used, that "U" will actually dry up from normal evaporation, and the sewer gases will get through.  This is especially a problem with dual sinks where no one ever uses one of them, tubs nobody ever uses, basement slop sinks, or unused washing machine connections.

Lastly, sewage makes gas by decomposition.  That gas has to go somewhere.  The sewer-pipe system in your house is supposed to be ventilated, via a "stack" / exhaust pipe that goes to the top of your house.  If that is plugged or malfunctioning, the sewer pipe will pressurize a bit and push the water up out of the trap enough for gases to get through.


Is there minimum clearance from gas stove to door? I know there is a minimum clearance to hood and cabinets above, but I can't find a side-clearance to a doorway.

My concern is someone coming through the door and not seeing the hot stove around the corner.

Edit: it's an interior door. I'm not concerned with drafts, I'm concerned with safety.

There is no code requirement in the IRC specifying minimum distance between stove and doorway.

Doesn’t make it a good idea, but it’s not banned.

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/built-in-appliances-and-systems-home-inspection-and-commercial-inspection/21577-range-distance-door.html


What's the best place to get a single steel I-beam? I am knocking down a structural wall in my house and replacing it with a steel I-beam. Where would I get that kind of thing? I am not even sure what to google. The beam is going to be about 20' long and probably 8" thick. I don't have the tools to cut something that heavy or a a vehicle to transport it so cutting it and delivering it will have to be hired out.
Would a "metal yard" do that? "Steel supplier"?

I see a few places that do metal-working but that seems to be more for finish or non-structural stuff.

I am in Boulder, CO if that helps at all.

Yellow pages (or google, or...) and "Structural steel" (or structural steel suppliers, fabricators, erectors, etc.) Many may not really want to work with you (there's not really any classification of "suppliers of one beam for a house project" so some of the companies listed may ONLY play in the "build a skyscraper" market) but that's who you need for structural steel, and someone will supply residential one-offs, - ask for a recommendation if the company you call first can't help you directly.

Hiring the erection as well as fabrication and delivery is highly recommended. They know that they are doing and they have the right tools and equipment to do so safely. It's all too easy to kill yourself or your helpers when trying to creatively hoist heavy metal into place without experience and tooling for the job.


problems hooking up propane tank to grill I bought a used grill recently but when i went to hook up the propane i had an issue.

There are threads on the inside of the propane tank nozzle but its too big for the hose.

I asked the guy i bought it from an he said

  I connected the brass fitting to a lead pipe union.  That was screwed
  onto a propane valve sticking out of the side of the house. Suggest
  you take your picture to Home Depot or Lowes and have them give you
  what you need.

I have a feeling he was wrong and that he had it hooked up to natural gas, but i could be wrong.

Is there a converter i need to hook up my propane tank?

UPDATE 1

one other followup question.

This is the end of the hose that hooks to the grill.  Is there a name for this fitting?  so i know what to order in terms of a new hose (for propane)

UPDATE 2

Found the manual and it says LP, which I think means propane?

It does appear that this grill is made for, or has been converted to use natural gas rather than propane.  To convert a grill, you need two things - a new hose/regulator assembly and new gas orifices for each valve/burner.

The hose and regulator needed for a propane grill are pretty universal and easy to find.  The problem is the orifices.  This is a part that has a tiny hole in it inside the valve that allows the exact amount of gas to come out.  The orifice for natural gas is larger than propane so using the wrong orifice could result in a dangerous situation (overheating/fire).

You will need to contact the manufacturer with your grill model number to see if a conversion kit is available.  This is hit or miss - some grills have them and others don't.  I've seen super cheap grills that have kits available and very expensive ones that do not.  There is no "universal" orifice kit.

Do not attempt to run the grill on propane without the proper conversion kit.


Can an incandescent light dimmer be used to dim LED lights? I have two dimmers which control 500 incandescent lights.  Now I need to replace the lights with LEDs.

Can I use the same dimmers?

I got my son a good brand of LED A lamps that says dimmable.  When we use a regular dimmer they dim, but not like a regular lamp.  When you dim them with a regular dimmer you might not get the same dim from time to time, and on ours the dimming is through but you have have the slide to go. We put these LED's in his fan lights at home and he keeps the full bright.

I know dealers of some of the retrofit LED trims and most of them say use the regular dimmer, but the main reason for that is so you don't have to buy new dimmers when replacing the lamps with LEd's.

Lutron makes a dimmer in the C.L family line that dims LED's and CFL's.  These dimmers have a little trim screw dial that you can adjust to lengthen the dimming portion of the dimmer and you set it to be a full range dim on the dimmer.

Older electricians will probably remember the trim setting from older ceiling fans and adjusting them to the full range to tell you if it is on or off.  the fan motor would still turn the blades until it is clicked off.

The picture tells you what they look like and what you can dim with them. The 3 way version of this is the same price as a plain incandescent dimmer, so that is what we use for both 3 way incandescent and 1p or 3way LED or CFL dimming.


Why does my furnace have a yellow termainal? I don't have the manual for my furnace, and the terminals are labeled C W R G and Y. The internet generally refers to Y as Cooling or Compressor. So what does Y do on my furnace?

Y turns the fan on

Gas furnaces are fairly autonomous with regards to how they handle controlling their blower (vs. electrically heated air handlers, which require the thermostat to manage the blower for them).  This is to provide for proper thermal management of the heat exchanger, and also for historical backward compatibility with two-wire heating-only thermostats such as those found in old buildings.

As a result of this, the furnace needs to know when the air conditioner is engaged in order to run the blower so that the cool air can circulate (and the indoor coil doesn't freeze, for that matter).  This is done by having a connection from the Y signal to the furnace fan relay (either physically on older furnaces, or logically on newer ones with a control board), so that the fan comes on (on cooling speed if a multispeed or ECM blower is present) whenever cooling is called for.


Can I run a dehumidifier pump to a washer stand pipe? I have a very humid basement, in which I run a dehumidifier often.  To allow for a more constant run, I purchased a dehumidifier pump.  It says to run the pump out through a window or to a sink.  I don't have a sink and I am worried about using the window in the winter (freezing, etc.).  My question is, Is there a way I could use the standpipe that my washer drain goes into?   It is in relatively good proximity to where I would be setting up the dehumidifier.

Yes, there should be no problem with doing that, provided you're within distance constraints of the pump. The washer stand pipe should just be a vertical pipe, with your washer drain going inside it, and not actually connected/sealed. This is done so that there is a vacuum break. You should simply put the pipe from this pump along side the washer pipe in the same way - do not attach it with fittings, otherwise you risk water from the pump going into your washer, or more likely, drain water from the washer going into the pump.

In this picture, the white pipe is the standpipe, the black is the drain connected to the washer.

Basically, just put the pipe from your dehumidifier pump alongside the black pipe.

To echo @Jeff Widmer, you may want to tie the pipes down afterwards (a zip tie or some electrical tape around the whole thing may work), just to be sure neither pipe ever slips out and sprays everywhere. Again, don't seal this up or use fittings - you specifically need an air gap.