brand new oven heat element gone bad. my fault or faulty oven? Bought a new gas range oven with electric oven heat element.

Manual recommends 50 Amps NEMA Type 14-50R dedicated circuit for all models.

But for this specific model requires a minimum of 30 Amps with 220 Volts, which is what I have. 3-pole, 4-conductor.

The power supply cord kit was not included so I had to purchase it.

Wired it up as per instructions.

Now, here is what happened.

When I turned on the oven the second or third time, the temperature sky rocketed to far beyond its limit (I presume in the range of 600-1000 degrees). It melted some of the metal.

And it hasn't worked since then.

Oven light and fan work. The gas stove work fine as always.

Only the heat element has gone bad.

Anything here that would indicate an error on my part?

any idea what the issue could be?

thanks for the help

You mention 3 pole 4 conductor so you have peaked my interest.

Further these ovens do not just work from a temperature sensor to say the oven is this hot turn it off now - there is also a safety thermostat - no logic just hard wired - it would turn off the oven. So you would need two separate systems to fail.

This leads me to conclude that something was not quite right in your connection, or you had a real catastrophic issue with the oven (1 in 100 million type event) - the thermal cutoff sensor had to fail, the controller itself for temperature control had to fail - two entirely separate systems.

You do not show the oven model number or how you connected those wires (picture of oven connection) - this would help that we could know for sure how you connected it. If you were to post a picture of your connection and provide the model of your oven it would be helpful.

People make mistakes when hooking these ranges up because L1,L2, N and Ground are hooked up and also the link bar between N and Ground on a range needs to be removed or installed depending on the outlet configuration (not the socket - just because it has 4 poles does not mean it is connected that way - check it to know for sure) - it is possible for people to not remove the link bar when hooking up a 4 wire cable.

You should not assume that the outlet itself is wired correctly, check the outlet first make sure it is a 4 wire and also that L1,L2,N , G exist to the proper prong connections correctly.

Of course with out checking all of this - the possibility is you might burn up the new one that is coming..


How do I clean gutters? I am trying to clean the gutters of my house. Is there any special ladder that I need to use to do that? Do I also need some other tools? Any reference link or pictures will be highly appreciated. I don't want to hire gutter cleaners as it looks pretty simple job (but still that could be my misunderstanding.)

I also found this question here but it is about how to clean gutters while staying on the ground. I don't have such requirement.

I have cleaned gutters at multiple one-story houses by kneeling down from the roof, but I wouldn't risk it on a two-story house.

If you have a two-story house or are wary of cleaning the gutters from a one-story roof, then you have two options:

As BMitch has said, get a stabilizer bar (~$25-75; I recommend this
one as it is easy to adjust and has no nuts and bolts that you
can accidentally misplace) and an extension ladder (if you are a bit
on the heavy side, get fiberglass; fiberglass ladders are heavier
but stronger.)  This will make your ladder more stable, as ladders
can very easily slide along the gutters, leading to a fall.  Despite
this additional stability, you should avoid becoming too confident
and leaning over instead of getting down and moving the ladder.
Remember to slope the ladder correctly.  The easiest way to get this
right is to put your toes against each foot of the ladder and put
your hands out, straight forward.  You should be able to touch the
ladder, but just barely.  When moving a ladder that's already set
upon the roof, it's easiest to stand underneath it, between the base
of the ladder and the house.  This keeps the ladder's center of
gravity above you.  Watch how this fireman lifts the ladder,
starting at 2:56.  Pause the video at 3:01 and imagine that the
building is behind him, and all he would do to move the ladder at
that point is to take a few steps to the side and place it back
down.
Another option is to remove the material from the roof, wearing a
harness for fall protection.  You will need a harness, lanyard,
rope, and something to attach the rope to.  You can get all of this
for $100-200.  (Example)  Make sure you wear the leg straps
pretty tight, as they can slide up into and damage your thingamajoo
if you fall when they're loose.

As far as what tools to use, whatever gets the job done.  Hands (gloves recommended), small hand shovel, or maybe something like this.  A broom will also work.  If you're working from a ladder, you should reach for a tool with a short handle.  If you're working from the roof, you should get something with a long handle.  If there's any sand/dirt buildup in the gutters, hit it with the garden hose.


What is this component in my microwave? My apartment comes with a wall-mounted microwave (KitchenAid KHMC1857WSS) that I clean periodically. While doing so, I see this component mounted on the right-side inside the microwave. It clearly has a dark discoloration, looking like it was burnt or blown out. The component reminds me of sandpaper because it appears to have a gritty surface.

I'm not sure what this piece is, but since it looks burnt and cracked am wondering if it needs to be replaced. Looking at the online user manual it's still unclear what this piece is. For instance, on page 6 of the above PDF, the section titled Replacement Parts, Accessories and Cleaning Supplies does not list any part name that pops out to me as being this piece.

What is this piece inside my microwave?

That's the waveguide cover. It's non-conductive, typically made of a mica/resin-based material.

Yours should be replaced. When you get that degree of carbonization (which should never happen, but eventually does, usually because food particles weren't cleaned off it promptly and left to attract electrical arcs on subsequent uses of the microwave), arcing becomes a lot more likely.

The arcing will eventually destroy the magnetron and possibly other components.

Fortunately, replacement waveguide covers are readily available. It can be a little tricky to get the old one out and put the new one in, depending on the microwave, but not at all beyond the usual household DIY-er. Yours appears to have a simple shape and be secured with screws, which should make replacement very simple.

You can either get a waveguide cover made explicitly for your make/model of microwave, or purchase a pack of sheets that can be used to cut one that fits your microwave. The former is more convenient, but of course costs somewhat more.


TV Fixings - 40" LED fitted to drywall using one metal stud and snaptoggles is it safe? My son has just fitted my new 40" LED TV to drywall.

He did attach a board to the drywall but when he purchased the board he had assumed the metal studs were 18" apart not 24" so only bought a 20" board which wasn't wide enough to span two metal studs.

He fixed one side of the board to a metal stud (not sure which fixings he used in the metal stud but he didn't use the snap toggles I supplied) he then used two snap toggles to fix the other side of the board to drywall.

My TV bracket is a cantilever and only has about a 6" square wall plate which he fixed to the centre of the board (not sure if he used Snap Toggles).

I know Snap Toggles are supposed to be good but my concern is that if only two were used as described will this be enough to support the TV?

The TV seems to be held up really firm and the cantilever action works well but I'm just feeling nervous so I decided to research the fixing of TV's to drywall (I almost wish I hadn't!).

Can you please advise if I could be in trouble? If necessary I could not use the cantilever action as I only want to angle the TV very occasionally.
I'm just dreading being told I need to get in a professional TV installer and have everything replaced. I can't bear to think of the mess it would  make of the walls let alone upsetting my son after all his hard work. No mum likes to upset her son and it would be especially hard considering he is a carpenter.

I must say that the "carpenter" son seems to be a bit of a non-professional if the description you gave of the installation is correct. Mounting a cantilever arm as described seems to me like it asking for trouble. Even with a smaller sized TV the cantilever arm, when extended, will put a rather large pull out force on the fasteners in the drywall.

To avoid any unfortunate mishap I really suggest getting that short piece of board removed. It should be replaced with a sturdy piece of 0.75 inch thick plywood that spans at least two studs and has a height of at least two feet so that fasteners into the studs can be spaced a good distance apart near the top and bottom of the plywood. Then remount the cantilever arm plate to the plywood. That should give a very reasonable and secure mount for the TV.

The plywood piece can be sanded and painted up nice before attaching it to the wall. If the color matches to the wall it would blend in well and not appear to be out of place behind the TV.


How to remove bathtub drain This bathtub drain gets stuck whenever I try to pull it out. Is there a different removal method to get it out besides turning the drain anti-clockwise?

For anyone curious about this; this isn't a traditional tub drain. Usually they unscrew and can be lifted out of the hole so that they can be replaced. https://www.instructables.com/Replacing-Bath-Tub-Drain/ I am not sure how common this style of drain is, but to fix you need to cut out the drain from below.


Running electrical cable within dry wall First of all, I'm a beginner.

Secondly, I've a renovation started in the basement (see picture here), so I need some help.

So in the bedroom, there's actually a socket already present just as you enter on your right. However, the rest of the two sockets that I want to add are, unfortunately, covered by newly placed drywall all around (I know... stupid). So the dry wall starts to the left of the first electrical socket as you enter on your right and goes all around.

So my question is, whether or not it is possible to run cable on the floor and then within (but not behind) the dry wall so that I wouldn't need to remove it? How can this be done? What about an Ethernet cable?

The short answer: no. Electrical cable needs to be stapled to the side of the studs, halfway between the two walls, to minimize the risk that anyone will nail or screw into the electrical wire and electrocute themselves. Any time an electrical wire or plumbing pipe comes too close to the face of the stud (e.g. if the hole going through the stud weren't centered), you have to install steel safety plates.

For ethernet, you can run it behind the trim or lots of other places without concern.


Error F3C on Whirlpool convection microwave My Whirlpool Microwave WMH76718AW-1 is giving me an F3C error when I try to use the convection oven feature. (All other functions OK.) I haven't located a tech sheet for this oven, and wonder if anyone could supply a PDF of the tech sheet for me, or otherwise tell me what the error likely points to.

Thanks!

OK. I fixed my oven today. Here is how it happened:

First, I found my tech sheet, using my fingers instead of my old eyes, I located the black poly bag containing the data sheets for the microwave. (It is located behind the front grill, in the center next to the charcoal filter, in a slot also made of black plastic.)

From the technical data sheet, I found that my error code was for the Forced Convection Temperature Sensor, and that this is a thermistor, with a room temp resistance of about 230 K-ohms. It is wired with a red wire on one side, and white on the other.

After uninstalling the oven, and removing the outside cover, I located the thermistor on the left-hand side next to the heating element. I disconnected it from the control panel, and checked the resistance and found it to be correct. I checked it further and found that the white wire was shorted to the chassis.

After further examination, I found where the white wire from the sensor was incorrectly routed, and had been pinched during manufacture between two pieces of sharp sheet metal. The location of the short was just as the wire exited a hole near the right hand side top next to the HV capacitor. The wire seemed good, so I just routed it correctly, and placed some electrical tape around the worn insulation.

The convection part of my oven is working again!


Bathroom Fan with Humidity Sensor Wiring Question I just purchased a new fan for a bathroom with an in-fan humidity sensor.  Here's the installation manual.

The fan has 6 wires coming out of it: 2 black, 2 white, 1 brown, and ground; the brown is labeled 'for humidity sensor or speed control'.  Am I going crazy or does the wiring diagram on p.3 of the manual suggest that you need two switches for this: one for the fan and one for the humidity sensor?  This seems a weird set up because I can see my kids repeatedly flipping the useless switch that apparently does nothing (i.e., the humidity sensor switch!) to get the thing to work.  Two questions:

Any ideas on whether this must be wired with two switched?
If not, do you think everything could be wired to one switch and everything still work?

I've tried contacting the manufacturer and it seems that customer support is non-existent smh...

Thanks in advance.

Presumably the fan and humidity sensor can be switched independently to give you a choice of operational modes. Switching on the humidity sensor gives it control of fan cycle. Switching on the fan directly overrides that mode.

  The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Use a 1- or 2- function wall control. Do not use a dimmer switch
  to operate the humidity control.

You can connect the brown to a switch or you can connect it directly to the hot conductor to have the humidity sensor operate full-time. It doesn't really matter as long as both blacks and the brown from the fan unit have power when you want it to run.


Enclosing utility room (furnace / water heater) basement I have a very old furnace (HVAC) in a utility room (basement) with slatted door that’s very loud and was wondering if I could enclose the utility room (with mineral wool and solid doors) by adding vents (for air combustion intake) to the adjacent room (tool room) to the utility room? The HVAC has a air return from the rooms but no air intake from outside. Is it feasible and is it safe?
Thank you,
Pictures below to get an idea of the layout. If it helps we live in New Jersey, 1954 split level house.
The furnace is a 120,000btu and model number PBKM-LD20N120 (manual link furnace manual , the furnace and water heater have exhaust pipes leading to the chimney.

You really do need the fresh air make up when venting to another room. When in training the reason for the 1 vent up high and 1 low was to circulate the the air in the room. So if you have the total square inches needed for the open combustion systems it would be safe but just into another room that may not have access to the same area that this room has may be un-safe


Will a 2 PSI natural gas line be sufficient for a tankless water heater? I'm planning on installing a tankless water heater that maxes at 160K Btu.  I only have a 1/2" line from the meter to the furnace(75K) in the same room.  The city told me that there is 2lb gas from the meter to the house.  The sizing charts that I found say that 1/2" 2psi black pipe will handle the btu draw for both the furnace and the water heater.  I know I will need to use a regulator at the water heater to step down to 7" w.c. or so.  I will also need to adapt the 1/2" line to 3/4" for the water heater.  My questions are:

1) Will the 1/2" 2lb line be enough?
2) Should I convert to 3/4" before the regulator to the water heater?

Thanks for any input.

2 psi!

Where do you live?
Yes 2psi on 1/2" iron can deliver your stateted load a whopping 250 feet!

You can use a 1/2 in regulator down to 7" up to about 15 feet before the tankless. And reduce at the unit.

Also check the tankless for acceptable input pressure, you may not need a reg but most likely you will.

Something like this is totally acceptable not in reference to code


Reinforce ceiling joist for ceiling storage I am planning to build ceiling storage in garage. One side of it will be hanging from ceiling joist the other one will be attached to the wall. The joist that I am planning to use 20 ft long and consist of two 2x4 linked by metal plate, so it is not strong enough to hold 1,500 lbs of my planned weight. I am planning to reinforce it with i-joist from below and pull and old joist and new i-joist together with giant u-bolts (so ceiling's sheetrock will be sandwiched between current joist and new i-joist). For 20ft width I am planning to use i-joist 14" or 16" tall and have 7 u-bolts. I am curious if this design makes sense and strong enough? I am also concerned about my roof, which might be deformed since current joist is linked to it by 2x4s again by metal plates.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully, my explanation makes sense, I am currently learning SketchUp so that I will be able to draw proper illustration.

Generally speaking, this sort of thing is left to
professional engineers. Nobody here will give you the stamp that your AHJ will require for a
building permit.

Google "structural engineer" or "residential structural engineer" to find one in your area. (This assumes you're in North America... terms might vary elsewhere.


Running EMT conduit through soffit into attic I am running a couple of new circuits to the bathroom which will involve running THHN wires through the emt conduit.  The problem is that my panel is on the exterior wall and the conduit will need to enter the attic space.

It was suggested that I bend the conduit in the center (90 degrees) and push it up through a hole in the soffit to enter the attic.  But that plan looks naive because I ran into some wood about 3 inches up from the hole in the soffit.

Should I drill a hole in the wood to access attic space? If so, the hole would have to be pretty big to allow bent conduit to wiggle through it.

Update 1: On a whim I drilled through the wood and then I was inside the attic.  Pushed a stick through and was able to see 8 inches of it from within the attic. Now off to conduit bending, installing and cable pulling.

Picture of soffit:

View from inside the attic:

OK, I am assuming you are running 15A or 20A circuits for the bathroom and it can be run in 1/2" conduit.

First you are right to abandon the idea to bend EMT through the soffit and into the attic. Unless you get really lucky the geometry just doesn't work out. Instead you need to either transition from EMT to LFMC, Liquid Flexible Metallic Conduit (Sealtight) and run the it through the opening between the soffit and attic. You could also run the entire circuit in LFMC, but it requires a lot of strapping to make it look neat. I also suggested LFMC because if you use LFNC (Carflex) or Liquid Flexible Nonmetallic Conduit with no metal you may find it exteremly hard to bull wire through it due to the friction of the insulation and interior of the conduit.

You need to have at least a 7/8" (let's just say a 1" or larger) opening to get the conduit through to the attic. How you do it is a good question you can try and push it through. You might be able to fish a wire or fish tape up through the opening. I have found my best success with "fish sticks", found in almost any hardware store.

Now here is what most people don't want to here. When all else fails you may have to take down some of the soffit panels to install your conduit or cut an opening in it using a small plumping access panel. Either way if done properly neatly it's really not as horrible as it sounds initially.

Be sure and seal up any exterior holes into the attic since all kinds of inserts and varmints can use them for access.

Good luck.


Is it okay to use silicone sealant on plexiglass? I've installed an air conditioner in a large horizontal sliding window, and I've used plexiglass to block off the space above the unit. I'd now like to seal the edges of the plexiglass pane to prevent air leakage.

I've bought a tube of silicone sealant to do this, but I've just noticed that the instructions say not to use it with plastic.  ("Adheres to: wood, glass, metal, vinyl, aluminum. [...]  Do not apply on plastics.")

The A/C unit is made of plastic, as is the plexiglass (I assume). Is this a problem? Should I not use this sealant around the edges of the plexiglass pane and the A/C unit?  If not, why not?  Why is the warning there?

Plexiglas (poly (methyl methacrylate)) is strongly attacked by xylene, one of the solvents in the sealant you selected. I'd expect the sealant to soften the plexiglas and probably also whatever plastic the air conditioner is made of.


How to install invisible pet fence in frozen ground? I recently adopted a dog on short notice, and can't afford traditional fencing. I looked into wireless invisible fences, but the layout of my property does not work well for a circular radius. So, my solution has been to go with traditional underground invisible fencing. However, it is winter here and the ground is frozen, though probably not more than 3-4 inches deep. I don't want to wait until spring, so I came here for help.

I am a complete newbie when it comes to DIY projects, so I have no idea where to start.

I tried just using a shovel to dig a small trench in the ground, but it was too difficult to get any depth and I don't favor the idea of doing that manually around the perimeter of my 75 x 50' yard.
I have a reciprocating saw; Can I use that to cut into the frozen ground?

How can I best install the underground wire for the invisible fence in frozen ground?

First thing first, do NOT use a reciprocating saw for this as this is dangerous and you could end up seriously injured.

If looking for something to make this easy, what you need is a trencher - you can probably rent one from your local home improvement store.  It will look something like this (there are smaller models but I couldn't find a good picture).  If you can't rent one, maybe try contacting a sprinkler installer to see if they could come do it for you.

EDIT: Found a smaller one, looks like this:

(source: terrasaw.co.nz)

Alternatively, as others have mentioned, you could just lay it on top of the ground for the short-term.  And of course, some back-breaking labor would also accomplish the job.


How do I repair a leaking toilet tank? I replaced the flapper in my ceramic toilet tank and the leak from the tank into the bowl slowed, but it still leaks.  What is the next step I should take to get rid of this leak?

Make sure the gasket that the flapper rests on is perfectly clean.  Any grit or sediment on it can prevent the flapper from making a good seal.
Check the chain that runs from the handle assembly to the flapper.  If it's taut when the flapper is down, it may be holding the flapper slightly away from the gasket, again preventing a good seal.

If that doesn't work, it may be time to replace the whole flush assembly


prevent splitting w/ nailgun in small pieces of wood I'm using a framing nail gun to re-build some stairs. This is my first time using a nail gun so I'm inexperienced. There are some small pieces of wood that are used in a corner to support the last stairs that are nailed together. There are two vertical pieces (2 and a quarter inches tall) and a horizontal piece on top (about a foot long). The pieces are standard 2x4s. I have to rebuild this piece because the original got beat up and I'm reusing an old stud. My problem is that I use a nail gun, it destroys the wood (splitting).

The air pressure is around 100 psi.

Is there something I can do to help remedy this? Any tips are appreciated,

Predrill, and also probably use a hammer, not a nailgun, for this piece.


Identifying an unknown and intermittent source of electric power usage I have noticed a problem with my power usage today.  I'm watching the meter often and making a record of each reading for the last three days.

So far, nothing to note as far as unusual usage until this morning after being out.

I was gone for 2.5 hours and upon my arrival, I record the meter's display.  To my surprise there was 13 kWh usage during the time I was out.

Over the last three days, myself and one other person have been using all appliances as normal (range, washer and dryer, air), bathing normal etc, and have only been using approximately 1.5 kWh (per average).

This morning the temperature was 19 degrees Celsius.  The thermostat was set to cool at 21 deg/C.  Beside the thermostat being set above the range of the ambient air temperature, I have no reason to believe the usage should be higher than the previous ten hour span, sleeping with air on.

In what way can I begin to troubleshoot this erratic power consumption?

Edit://

By the process of elimination, I have found that the hot water heater is cycling excessively.  However, it is not an issue with the tank maintaining the set temperature.  It is an issue with water being circulated in the plumbing somehow.

If I disconnect the power to the tank, any excessive power consumption goes away, but I quickly (2 hrs?) loose the heated water in the tank.  If I disconnect the water at the street, my power usage returns to normal and I can let the tank sit all day long and then still have hot water when I reconnect everything.

It seems likely to me that on the particular day that I asked this question - there was simply an inordinate amount of cycling while I was away.  FWIW, this is a 120V water heater, so it seems possible for that usage to have occurred in that small time period.

Find the water heaters relief valve drain pipe and put a bucket under it. if this repeatedly fills with water the cause of the cycling and the lost hot water you are having is from two possible causes.
1. A defective relief valve that is popping open when the water is being heated causing it to be refilled with cold water. Hint to this is when the water to the home is off you have no problem keeping the water hot.
2. The water pressure as it is being heated is rising due to thermal expansion.
I had this issue when I replaced an old failing water heater with a new hi efficiency one. The water pressure coming into the house from the city was 80 psi. With the new water heater I put in problems started due to the fact that water expands when heated and our water meter has a built in check valve to prevent reverse flow.
The pressure would climb until it hit 150 psi and this would pop the safety valve causing it to return to about 90 psi. This would happen every time the water heater ran. The fix was to place a pressure reducer in the line to the house and install an expansion tank.


Can I vent a stove hood and bathroom fan through the same duct? I'm adding a stove hood and a bathroom exhaust fan.  They will be about 3 feet apart in the attic.  Is it ok to connect them to the same duct via a Y?

Thanks!

Code says no, because you don't want to wind up with a greasy disaster on your hands later
Section M1503.3 of the 2018 IRC puts the kibosh on your duct-sharing plan:

M1503.3 Exhaust discharge.
Domestic cooking exhaust equipment shall discharge to the outdoors via a duct.  The duct shall have a smooth interior surface, shall be airtight, shall be equipped with a backdraft damper and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems.  Ducts serving domestic cooking exhaust equipment shall not terminate in an attic or crawl space or areas inside the building.
Exception: Where installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and where mechanical or natural ventilation is otherwise provided, listed and labeled ductless range hoods shall not be required to discharge to the outdoors.

The reasoning for this has to do with the one thing that every range hood on the planet inhales: grease vapors.  While hoods in commercial service get far greasier than their residential counterparts, even a residential hood inhales enough grease that some will condense out onto the inside of the duct and make a mess there.  Even before you get to the obvious problem of a grease fire in your range hood spreading to the bathroom via the shared duct, you'd find yourself with an IAQ nightmare on your hands with cooking odors and stale, greasy smells getting into the bathroom via leakage in the non-return flappers.
And this is before you get to the IAQ nightmare that is bad bath odors invading the kitchen!


How do I disable a locking door latch? I have the following door handle / lock combination that leads out to my garage. The key for the door has long been lost and sometimes someone will turn the internal lock and the door cannot be opened from the garage side. I wish to disable this lock, how do I do that?

Glue could fail and/or look ugly. Other options cost money. When you remove the inside knob, you will see a connecting rod protruding from the latch mechanism that engages the lock button. Cut this off so it no longer engages the lock button. Do not cut the semi circular shaft that engages the main lever! Ensure the remaining stub is turned to the unlock position and reassemble the knob. The lock button will now turn freely, but it's impossible to lock the knob without a key or disassembling the knob.


Is this sort of "wrapped" eave a reasonable eave detail? So, I've been pondering some thoughts on where walls meet roofs in the vein of Joe Lstiburek's "Perfect Wall" work and how to replicate that in a context that favors "house-shaped" forms i.e. those with gabled or hipped roofs and eaves instead of a flat roof surrounded by a parapet.
Based on the "connect the layers" principles, the use of continuous rigid insulation on the outside of the wall to supplement the native R-value of whatever wall system is used, and the use of rainscreen techniques for the fascia and wall claddings, I have come up with the following so far for an eave detail (disregard the lack of decking directly under the roof, I have some questions about how precisely standing seam roofing over rigid insulation works but they're separate from this):

However, what I have come up with raises a few questions in my own mind.  First and foremost: what should I do with the airspace under the soffit board, given that this is very much a "hot roof" construction?  Should I leave it vacant, fill it with more rigid insulation (mineral wool is my preference as far as rigid insulations go), or slope the soffit board to match the pitch of the roof?
Furthermore, is having a fascia that's as tall as the roof slab + twice the continuous insulation thickness going to be a problem in some way or another I'm not foreseeing?  Finally, is there anything else majorly wrong with this detail that you see?

Your question is a good one. The company I worked for on the east cast followed Joes building science and worked with him too. The CEO of my company was also friends with him, so much for that.
My thoughts on you situation is to let the wall insulation cut around the rafters after the liquid applied water proofing membrane (LAWPM), is ran entirely over the roof, and of course the wall too, but add plywood between the rafters to allow the LAWPM to engage the bottom of the sheathing. The roof insulation would continue over the roof completely, the wall would continue to meet the under side of the roof sheathing, completing the thermal envelope and the soffit can be vented with a continuous screen vent to relieve heat build up.
This may help keeping down the "bulk" of the fascia, if the added layer of insulation makes it thicker than you want.
Then again, with the foam, it may not get that hot to begin with.
What the company I worked for did was apply the roofing in the usual way, sprayed foam on the attic side of the roof to make the attic a conditioned or at least a tempered space since many places had humidifiers as part of the HVAC system in the attic. The rest of the system was the same, seal up the outside completely, cover everything with LAWPM, and shoot 1/2 or 2lb foam over everything on the inside. It may have been 1/2 lb only, since I think 2 lb foam is considered non permeable.
Another note on how it was done, since the LAWPM did not have insulation over it, the soffits were skinned over with 1/4 or 1/2" plywood so the LAWPM followed a "rough" soffit. After that all finish material would fasten directly to that.
I know it is different how you are doing it, but it was the was it was done 7, maybe 10 years ago. I only mention it because you may be able to merge the 2 details together to get the system to work for you, since the illustration on the website shows a simplified commercial application, not residential with a soffit.


Cutting a 2" hole through a load-bearing 2x4 stud for a washing machine drain? Some previous owner of our house moved the washer/dryer to the second floor, but made some pretty dubious decisions when doing so:

I'm preparing to patch the paster, skim-coat, and paint, so I need to deal with this mess first. It looks like they ran the pipes up without realizing that there wasn't a full stud bay (the exposed portion is only 6"), and rather than changing anything they decided to run everything outside the wall. The supply lines are coming up through the finished floor(!).

The one thing that has me stymied is moving the drain pipe for the washer. (There is a vent for the p-trap along the left side of the wall). Ideally, I could turn the drain, go straight through the stud, and recess everything in the full-size stud bay to the right. To do that, I would be cutting a hole for a 2" drain pipe into a 2x4, which is >40% (code):

  Studs located in exterior walls or bearing partitions drilled over 40 percent and up to 60 percent shall also be doubled with no more than two successive doubled studs bored.
  Exception: Use of approved stud shoes is permitted when they are installed in accordance with the manufacturer’ s recommendations

Should I take this to mean that I can use something like this stud shoe, and then it's fine to drill a hole that large?

My plan is:

|   6"    |   |    16"           |
|         |   |                  |
|         | o | <- electric      |
|         |   |                  |
|         |o o| <- water supply  |
|         |   |                  |
|  p trap |-O-| <- drain w/ shoe |
|         |   |                  |

This is an exterior wall on the second floor supporting a roof and a finished attic. Is it really necessary to sister a stud, or will a shoe suffice?

Here are load tables. Probably wouldn't hurt to add a sister to be safe unless you also want to pay a bunch of money to a structural engineer


What is the actual function of the lock on a up can window handle? I have upvc windows with the typical handle with push button and lock which rotates ninety degrees to engage/disengage the locking mechanism (3 bolts in the bottom of the window frame which engage with plates along the sill).
What I can’t work out is the actual purpose of the embedded lock in the handle (with key). When locked, it prevents the handle being used,  and this might be useful for security from the inside (eg if a toddler is roaming about) but it doesn’t seem to increase the security vs an attack from the outside.
Am I right or am I missing something?  Insurance companies seem to require these locks, I think, which suggests they have some purpose but I can’t see it.
One of my windows was recently levered open from the outside, which snapped the 3 plates on the sill. The embedded lock in the handle seems of no value to protect against this activity. Or am I being dumb?

The intent of the handle lock is that "break window, open handle so you don't have to climb through the jagged glass left in the frame, climb in opened window" is made difficult.
If the lock plates are too weak and snap when pried, that case gets no help from the handle lock.
Sad reality is that if a thief wants in, they will get in - "security" is just slowing them down or making things more difficult for them.


Help me identify this window part I have typical replacement windows that are about ten years old in my house. My boys managed to break one of the piece pictured below. (Actually, I've pictured the one that isn't broken).

This piece screws in at the bottom of the window, and allows the window to pivot so that you can easily clean the outside. It also is essential for the window to stay up.

I'm sorry that I don't have much vocabulary to talk about these things.

My question is: what is this piece, and how do I find a replacement?

There are a lot of products that fall under the terms "window sash balance pivot bar" and many different sizes as well.

Perhaps you will be able to measure yours to match more precisely the ones available. On the outside chance that the image shows your item, it was located on aawindow.com


How to cover this wall ventilation? I recently moved into a house where each of the three bedrooms contained one of these:

I'm guessing it's used for ventilation. Problem is, winter is coming and I don't particularly enjoy having a cold breeze during this time of year (also, the sound from outside can be quite clear and annoying).
What's the best way to cover this up either temporarily or permanently?
Some details of my house:

Built around 1953
Outside is brick covered with rendering
Living in the UK

Are you sure these aren't part of your HVAC? If I had to guess, these are natural draft returns to the boiler room. If your heat comes through a grate in the floor, you need these.

Ok, you have radiators, so these probably are just fresh air intakes. Covering them or not is your prerogative.

Temporary solution: tape some card stock over the opening.

Semi-permanently: use a can of spray foam to totally fill the duct. You may need to get the grate open to stuff something in there, so the foam doesn't just drop down into the duct.

Permanently: remove the grates, and if necessary, remove or bash the remaining duct work into the wall with a hammer so that you can plaster over it, after having stuffed a piece of batt insulation into the duct.

Magnetic duct covers are another option.


Can I add a second junction box to house a doorbell transformer? In the attic I have electricity running out to a junction box.  The wire in the junction box connects 2 things.  The first one is that it brings power down to a light switch.  There's a NM cable coming back up to the attic over the the light.

However recently I added a transformer to the junction box to power up my Ring Doorbell (white to white, green to green, and black to black).  I didn't notice this until today that my Ring Doorbell doesn't actually get direct power unless I flip the switch to the light.

I want to ask if I could just add another junction box next to the one I already have so that I would have a dedicated box supplying power to my transformer and doorbell.

So here's what I imagine. First the line power would come to junction box 1.  In junction box 1, I would attach the transformer for the doorbell.  I would also have another NM cable to bring electricity to junction 2.  In junction 2, that's where I would reconnect to the NM cable that goes down to the light switch.

I don't know if this will work.  Or is there another way where I can keep the first arrangement and be able to tap power directly from the junction box without the light switch controlling my transformer.

It sounds like you have the transformer wired on the switch loop so the switch position makes a difference. If you move the door bell to the light feeder it will work as it should. Can you add another box and provide a dedicated circuit? Yes, but this would be quite expensive and really not needed for such a small load.


How to reinsulate a water heater ignition wire? My water heater ignition wire's insulation melted off below the insulating base of the electrode, so now the spark gaps across to a nearby metal bracket instead of gapping across the electrode. I need to reinsulate the wire, but electrical tape does not have high enough heat resistance. I thought of using clear silicone caulk to fill in the space between the wire and the bracket but after googling I'm finding strong opinions both for and against this approach. I could also use a dremel to hollow out the metal bracket in the vicinity of the fray,  but would rather not. I suppose I could also fashion some kind of base plate to the bracket so that I can fill the space with glass beads. What would you do?

If you're handy with a soldering iron, I would suggest at a minimum that you replace the wire with a new piece with the appropriate thermal rating.
Ideally, replace the whole igniter module.
As noted in the comments, you may want to determine the cause of the melting so you can fix it so it doesn't happen again.


Paint blisters and bubbles right after professional paint job, then rain Our Victorian house was recently professionally painted - the job finished a few days ago. Last night it started raining, and this morning there are many places where the paint is now bubbling and blistering.

What could have caused this?

Note that:

Power washing did occur - but plenty of time went by (multiple days), in a warm and dry climate, for that to dry before painting started.
Some surfaces that are now bubbling were primed, others weren't.
There hasn't been rain in a long time, so the wood of the house was thoroughly dry.
The painters seemed to have been fairly careful about cleaning surfaces after preparing (scraping, filling, sanding) and before priming and painting.
Conditions were pretty ideal during painting - dry, mild temps (60s to 70s), little to no wind.

I'm not an expert in the chemistry of paint so I did a little research and found this.

As the paint dries at different rates, it begins to pull and contract on one side, and stretch on the other, causing a bubble to form. The other way this can happen is if it rains on paint before it has dried completely.

Bubbles that occur on paint after it rains almost always happen very soon after the paint has been applied, and before it has had a chance to dry properly – often within the first 24 hours, although it could happen up to a week or more after the application.

Ref: https://www.homelogic.co.uk/exterior-paint-bubbling-after-rain-heres-what-to-do

Not sure if this helps but it seems to fit your description.


How can I know if I damaged any electrical wire while drilling a hole in my wall? I have a relatively new house (built 2014) with circuit breakers etc.  I just drilled a couple of holes at around the same level as the electrical outlets and I put 1 5/8 inch screws in them. I probably should have drilled the holes below or above the level where the electrical outlets are. If I use a stud finder (with electrical charge detector) I do see the detection.

I just want to make sure that I did not damage any electrical wires behind the wall.  How can I do that?

The strict answer to your question is that you can't, practically speaking, at least without a visual inspection. You'd need a boroscope or access to the area. Partial severing of a conductor would not disable the circuit, but it could cause a hot spot in cases of high, sustained current flow.

Wiring is not run level with the outlet boxes. It's typically 8-12" above them, with drops into the boxes from above. The cables might also run along the studs from above or below.

However, wiring is supposed to be bored through and mounted to studs at their depth center. Screws 1-5/8" long should not contact them.


Is there a stronger glue for plastic than superglue? I got myself a pair of edifier headphones that sound fantastic but break all the time. Its a piece of plastic in a high stress area, just around where the swivel hinge connects to the cupholders - why that component is made from plastic while everything else is metal... who knows but there it is.

It keeps snapping in half and I keep gluing it together with locally available superglue which is just 100% ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate. Each time it stays glued for like 2-3 months but eventually it breaks again.

I don't know what type of plastic it is, its black and very rigid, if I had to guess I'd say its probably polyethylene but I red that cyanoacrylate glues don't work on PE and its clearly having at least some effect so it must be something else, right?

Anyway, the plastic piece  just broke again today so this time I'm wondering if there is a better type of glue available for this?

I have used solvent glues with success in the past, weld on , locktight ,scigrip are brands I use depending on the plastic. You would need to get the super glue residue off first. Since you have had problems and it has been repaired I might try locktight plastic bonding set it uses an activator and a bonder or glue. The solvent type actually melt the plastics and the fuse the pieces together.


correct fastener for drywall over plywood I'm trying to install mirror brackets into my wall for a lightweight frameless wall mirror (58" x 16").

My attempt at using a hollow wall anchor (Hillman 1/8" DXS drive wall anchor) didn't work very well.
The drywall appears to be 3/8" thick, and directly behind it is some plywood that appears to be fairly thin too.
The anchor just chewed up the drywall leaving a 3/4" diameter hole.

What's the correct fastener to use here?

Use a molly bolt, sometimes called a toggle bolt.  They can be found and any hardware store.  The butterfly end opens up on the other side of the wall material.  When it is drawn tight it is a very good and strong fastener. While you are at the hardware store pick up a small can of spackel to be used to fill the seen portion of he fastened hole.


shaving a bit off a laminate countertop So I have a rectangular hole in a laminate countertop that is very slightly too small for what I want to set into it. This is an extra kitchen that I'm not too concerned about but I'd like to be able to shave something off one edge of the hole without making a mess if possible. My question is, can I just sand this? It's particle board with the laminate surface. I just need to cut off about 1/8 inch maximum and I'd prefer to just sand it because it's such a small amount I don't think I can use a saw. Any suggestions?

I did exactly this to fit a slightly bigger sink into an existing countertop made from laminated chipboard. The difference in size was very little (perhaps 5mm)

I used a cheap jigsaw - it was a struggle and the line was not straight but I managed to keep the top edge of the cut within my marked rectangle. Part of the problem was finding a long enough blade that would cut on the downstroke (since I only cared about breakout on the top, from where I was cutting).

I finished up and straightened the edges of the hole with a surform, a rasp and a coarse sanding plate (like coarse sand paper only made of very long-lasting metal, I happen to have one I bought decades ago).

Sanding is too slow.


Should ethernet cable be run in attic or basement floor joists? I am running cat5 or cat6 cable for hooking up internet, poe cams, and maybe even some video runs (hdmi adapter) in new construction.  Is it more common to run these cables in the attic, bunched together neatly, and spidering out to each wall location or better to run in the basement inside drilled holes of the floor joists?  The basement offers more accessibility and less ladder work after the holes are drilled.

It's common to run the cables in the easiest manner for your specific application. A lot of times, ethernet cable is run as a retrofit, and so the attic may be preferred slightly as it's more accessible. Given that you're running it in new construction, though, just run it in the easiest way you see fit. Your drops for cameras may go through the attic, as the camera itself may be positioned up high. Drops for jacks on the wall may best be run through the basement ceiling joists, or they may be best run through the attic. It all depends on the layout of your house and the layout of your runs. As long as you keep it away from the electrical, you're fine.

@AloysiusDefenestrate does make a good point to include a chase between all floors and the attic for future cabling. I'd go farther and say run conduit everywhere you can in addition to that chase. At the very least, include pull strings. Run 2 drops when you think you only need 1, and 4 when you think you only need 2. Run cables to potential TV spots. Cabling is super easy when the walls are open, and cable itself is very cheap. Go overboard now, even if a lot of it sits unterminated for a while, because you likely won't have this opportunity again.


Horizontal Ball Rod Connection Broken I hope my terminology makes sense.
My sink was draining slowly so I tried to remove the horizontal ball rod, and it was stuck tightly. Using a wrench I got it free but the connection to the sink's drain was so rusted it broke off inside of the horizonal ball rod's metal nut(unsure if this correct name). SO I think I have to either buy a new metal drain under the sink and horizontal ball rod kit, or is there some way I could jury rig it? I was considering using epoxy to make it serviceable for now. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

Take apart the sink drain and take the parts to the hardware store for a new one.  This happens all the time and what is super annoying is the companies that make the stoppers are constantly changing the dimensions so it's not like you can just go buy the part that broke and replace it, you have to buy a complete new assembly.  They make more money that way.


Whole house fan timer issue Our whole house fan timer counts down as it should but when it nears the 'off' position, it stops there and never shuts off. Is this likely an issue with just the switch itself (eg I just have to replace it) or could it be a larger issue?

It's an attic fan from the 60s with a timer switch on the wall to control it. The dial looks like this:

Thanks in advance for your help!

Your timer is a spring wound timer that is simply getting stuck. Replace it.

It’s also possible that it’s not screwed together quite right, too tight or too loose either one can cause the knob to bind on the plate.

Also if you’re setting a short time period under 2 hours, turn well past 2 first (to wind the timer) then backup to the desired time such as 1 hour.  (That instructions once existed on the installation/operation instructions but it seems Intermatic no longer specifically details that on the printed sheet.)


Peeling on bottom of gutter My gutter is leaking at the corner. After some youtubing, it seems like I'd want to just re-seal the miter (essentially just caulk). However, mine seems to have a rubber-like substance along the whole bottom of the inside of the gutter (the red arrow in the picture points to the edge of the peeling material). I didn't see this in any of the gutter installation videos I watched - what is it called? Can I just pull this up (it's really stuck on there) so I can re-caulk the seam?

It looks like somebody already tried to seal it in the past. You can pull, scrape the stuff off and re-caulk the seam. Just be careful not to dig a hole in the cutter, they are pretty soft.


Is it safe to enable a service panel that has been recently flooded? My breaker panel started gushing water during a storm. Is it safe for us to turn it on now that it's over? Does it need to be replaced? Will we get electrocuted if we turn it on while it's still wet though no longer gushing?

Oof! Shut this thing off, have the meter pulled, and keep this thing shut off until you can get it rectified!

Flooded light-duty electrical equipment is universally beyond simple remediation due to the potential for water, salt deposits, and debris to have gotten into inaccessible areas and absorbed into insulating materials, causing arc tracking vulnerabilities, reduced insulating capability of insulators, corrosion damage to metal parts, and the potential for mechanical jamming or contact impairment due to debris.  De-energize this equipment immediately (turn the main breaker off if it isn't already off and also call your electrical utility to have them shut power off to your address as you can no longer trust the main breaker(s) to shut power off properly at this point), and do not turn it back on until the situation is fully remediated.

See this Square-D document and this Littlefuse document for more information.  If you provide more details about the affected electrical equipment, I can give more details about the remediation your situation requires.


drain hose for chest freezer I'm trying to build a DIY ice bath (Wim Hof style ice baths) using a chest freezer.
I have a Magic Chef small size chest freezer (pic below). I need to drain the water in it every couple of months or so. There's a drain hole inside the freezer with a plug. And there's a small drain outlet to the side. The outside drain hole is smooth on the inside, and has no threading. I thought it was 1/2" wide and got a 1/2" pipe joint from the hardware store. However, the joint is too large for the hole. My question is:

How to I go about sizing it (I tried using a measuring tape last time but apparently that didn't work. Anyone got an easy hack to do this?)

Is there a name for the kind of joint I should be looking for?

The drainage outlet is to the bottom-left of the freezer in the pic below.

I've put my index finger tip near the hole to help understand its size better.

A siphon might be better if it is a lot of water.
1:  No hose will fit in.  That drain hole has a flat side.  I wondered what sort of plug thing would go it.  The answer looks like "none".  The instruction manual https://c.searspartsdirect.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0702364.pdf
says that water should just drip out into a pan.  Another source recommended a bunch of towels.
2:  You will need to reach through all the water to unplug the drain.  Doable but not fun.  I hope you have long, orangutan like arms for this endeavor, and in general.

Siphon.  I think you might be better off siphoning the bulk of the water out.  You can siphon it out with a garden hose to the drain.  You wont have to get wet or use all your towels.  I change the water in my aquarium this way.  If you want every last bit you can get that with the drain hole and the pan.

Are walls strong enough for this use?  I worry that if this freezer is really full of water and ice it will produce a lot of lateral pressure on the walls.  I do not think the walls of a freezer are made to withstand that kind of pressure.  Make sure the environment of this freezer will be safe if a wall comes loose while you are out of town.


What could be causing AFCI breaker and GFCI receptacle nuisance tripping? I have a very unusual set of electrical issues that have proven difficult to troubleshoot.

I live in a newly constructed house. Each bedroom has AFCI breakers.

In the past 3 years living there, the AFCI breaker to my bedroom has tripped about a dozen times. All occur sometime in the middle of the night. Each time, resetting the breaker has resolved the problem. Sometimes the breaker will trip when the 1000W Lutron Dummer is turned on. Sometimes it trips while we are asleep.

I have noticed that when the breaker trips the "Arc" light is not activated which I believe means the AFCI breaker tripped due to a ground fault?

Interestingly, almost every time this has occured, two GFCI outlets, one in our kitchen and one in our garage has also tripped, but with much less frequency. In our case this has happened 4 times in 3 years (1-2 times a year). Each GFCI outlet is on a different circuit in this case. The GFCI outlets do not trip if the AFCI breaker doesn't trip.

Also, one GFCI circuit is in a different panel than the other one.

I could replace the AFCI breaker and the 2 offending outlets. Is there something else I should be looking for?

The only thing that I can think of that would cause this problem is something temperature related or perhaps some kind of surge? is that possible?

Things I have heard that can cause an AFCI breaker to trip:

Stack of AFCI breakers in the electrical panel over heating (I
have 4 in a row, with Master Bedroom in the middle
Dimmer (something about Lutron)
Pinched or stapled electrical wire(would this just cause it to trip
consistently though)
Charging electrical gizmos

Things I have heard that can cause a GFCI breaker to trip

Variations in supply voltage
Unbalanced, intermitant loads (I don't have any)
Cheap surge protectors

Things I have heard that can cause an AFCI and a GFCI breaker to trip

Cheap surge protectors (I have a few surge protectors on each AFCI
and GFCI outlets that are tripping). I'm not sure I'd consider them
"cheap".

Could any of this be upstream from me?

Some surge protectors work by "redirecting" surges to the equipment ground, which is pretty much the definition of a ground fault.  In this case, it's definitely possible that surge suppressors could be tripping GFCI receptacles/breakers (given a large enough surge).
As for the AFCIs...  When electrical contacts separate, they often create an arc between the contacts. This arc spans the gap until the contacts are too far apart, and the arc can no longer be sustained. It's possible (in theory) that the GFCI tripping could create a large enough arc, for long enough to cause the AFCI to trip. It's not likely that a properly functioning GFCI would do this, but if the GFCI was old and worn it could be opening the contacts slow enough that a detectable arc is being produced.
Determining if the GFCI tripping is causing the AFCI to trip, is a simple test.  Simply press the test button on the GFCI.  If the AFCI trips, you'll have figured out half the problem. If the ACFI does not trip, you could repeat the test using a receptacle tester with a GFCI test function.

If it's determined that the GFCI is causing the AFCI breaker to trip, replacing the GFCI receptacle may resolve that part of the issue.
Figuring out if the surge suppressor is tripping the GFCI, is a more difficult proposition. It will likely require you to monitor the supply voltage over some time, to identify and document possible surges.


What's the best way to pour post footings under a patio slab? I am looking to build footings for three 6"x6" patio cover posts which will support a 6"x8"x19ft beam for a 19ft wide x 16ft deep patio cover that will fix to my house using a ledger board.  We have an existing 4" concrete slab. Looking at the cleanest option/smallest opening for concrete footers that will support these beams.  Anchoring the bases of the posts using red head anchors.  My area calls for a 14" wide x 14" long x 12" deep footing for the post.
Should I cut out a 14 x 14" square in the concrete to dig a hole below it to fill with concrete?  Can I cut a smaller hole but dig deeper to use a concrete tube?
Appreciate any guidance.

Your question seems to be simply whether you can bell out the hole for the footing. Yes, you can. Footing specifications are for the footing structure itself, not where or how you access the space occupied by the footing. The opening in the patio would only need to be large enough for concrete to pass through, but obviously you'll need to get a post-hole digger or other tool in there as well.
You might get better answers and suggestions if updated your question post with some information about your project. Narrowly-scoped questions like this aren't terribly helpful to you or the community.


Neutral / Hot wire installation confirmation I removed our ceiling light today and the house wiring had no distinction between the two wires connecting to our light.  The light fixture's wire had the same color insulation, but inside, one of the wires had red metal/copper and the other had silver metal.  I assumed that the silver metal wire was therefore connected to the neutral house wire and so assumed the house wire on the right was neutral.  Again, the house wires were identical, AFAIK.

Then, our new light had two similar wires as well, although the insulation on one of them had white writing, which I assumed should be connected to the neutral house wire.

Questions: 1) Am I correct in what I assumed and did?
2) I have a cheap multimeter with red and black leads.  Can I use this on the live circuit to confirm which is which?  I tried using my multimeter in an outlet, and both ways I tested the two-pronged outlet (red on left, black on right and vice-versa) gave me the same 120v reading - neither flipped the direction of the meter, so hopefully there is another way to do this.  My meter looks like this: https://goo.gl/images/9eF4KP

The fixture is supposed to be wired so that the hot from the house goes to a particular point on the fixture. In the case of screw base the central contact is supposed to be hot and the thread contacts neutral.

The lamp cord has one side marked (ribbed in your case) to distinguish the two conductors. See Which side of a two-wire cable should be used for "hot"?


Do 240V receptacle use the same connectors as 120V receptacles for the same amperage? I feel like I'm missing something obvious. I know different plug styles are used based on a circuit's amperage (in the US) but is the same style of plug used for both 110V and 220V outlets of the same amperage?

No, the plugs are different for different voltages. There are many different NEMA receptacles for various combinations of voltage and current, and also a "twist-lock" receptacles. Some common ones are:

(From Wikipedia).


Explain different type of fire detector? I bought a house and just replaced 8 hardwired smoke alarms that were 10+ years old units like this. They had the typical high voltage red/white and red interconnect wires, with thick wires.

However there's a 9th unit in my house that looks very different and has a different wiring configuration. It is only a few inches away from one of the other units.

The wiring / size of wires / voltage is different on this one.

What is the purpose of having this separate setup? Should I replace it with a similar unit (e.g. same model number)? What specifically would I be searching for if I wanted to find an alternative unit to replace it with?

There is a wired alarm system in the house, does this unit tie into it somehow and maybe that's why the wiring is different? If so does that mean that only this detector is tied into the alarm?

Two alarm systems don't make for twice the protection

What you have here is a smoke/heat combination detector for a central station fire alarm system.  Note that it cannot alarm by itself -- it requires the "brain" of a compatible central station fire alarm control panel as well as a notification appliance such as a horn or a strobe connected to the panel in order for the system to work and sound the alarm when smoke or excessive heat is detected.

So, in your case, this smoke detector is the detector for your alarm system.  The rest of the hardwired alarms will set each other off when they detect smoke, but only this detector will alert the alarm system when it detects smoke, provoking the alarm system into dialing the monitoring service as well as setting off whatever horns, strobes, or whatnot that have been connected to the alarm system.

In general, buildings only use one type of fire alarm system (multiple-station or central station), not the mix of both you see in your house.  Multiple-station systems are easier and cheaper to maintain and also more familiar to home owners; however, a properly configured central station system can automatically notify the FD if there's a fire, and can also supervise the fire alarm wiring so that the alarm panel will tell you there's trouble if a wire breaks or alert the monitoring company that someone is tampering with your house's fire protection systems.  A properly installed central station fire alarm system with monitoring also may give you a discount on homeowner's insurance; however, monitoring itself is a monthly expense, and central station systems can be more costly and difficult for an individual homeowner to maintain.


Cleaning larger sediment out of electric water heater It's been a few years since I flushed my water heater and I recently went to do it and it's only dripping slowly, not running and flushing. Possibly related, in the last few months we've been running out of hot water much sooner - no change in usage, but now we regularly run out if even two people shower at once.

I had somebody out and they told me everything is fine and that he'd tested it and everything was good (though he was here less than 10 minutes). When I mentioned the failed flushing, he said sediment gets big if you want to long and you just need to get a new heater, and then just told me to take shorter showers and had no other help to offer.

My questions -

would a lot of sediment cause us to run out of water sooner - like it's harder to heat new water to keep up?
how can I flush sediment if it won't drain and trying to use a wire hanger to break it up doesn't do anything?
it's 12 years old - is it just worth replacing at this point anyway?

Thank you for your help!

One thing to try to get the sediment stirred up and moving out would be:

Turn off the heat supply (caution, mostly)

Shut off the cold water supply to the heater. Open a hot water faucet, or more than one. Remove the aerator screens...crud may come out here.

Attach a hose to the drain and to a cold hose bibb. Open the drain, and open the hose bibb. Allow water to flow from the hot faucet for a while, then shut off the cold hose bibb and remove the hose from the bibb and route it to a drain/sump.

The idea, which may or may not work depending how firmly clogged your heater is, is to backflush and loosen the sediment with the water coming in from the drain before trying to drain it out the drain.


Water taps open and running water when I come home I've had two occurances where I've come home from work to find my bath taps open and gushing water, even though they were off when I left for work. First time it was both hot and cold taps, yesterday it was just the cold water tap. My plumber is puzzled and said the washers in the taps are fine. Anyone have any ideas or had this happen to you? Two plumbers I've spoken to have no idea. And the taps were definitely off when I left the flat.

I have the same issue with the hot water ONLY.  Done some ‘testing’.  Mark the tap of the hot water and run some water into the bath. Close the tap and realise that it still has to go about one full turn but it feels as if it is closed.
After about 5 minutes I open another hot water tap (the basin) and suddenly the hot water in the bath starts to run.
When turning the hot water tap of the bath it easily turn the missing turn as mentioned above.
I will inspect the inside of the hot water tap in the next day or two.
In the meantime I will check my marks on the tap (and wall) everytime I have used the tap.


ELCB Trips when connected I am facing very strange issue in my power meter & wiring. i am residing in Group society. following is my setup.

electricity digital Meter is installed at bottom with a circuit breaker out of my house.
i have ELCB installed which acts as circuit breaker for electricity of my house
and other small MCBs are installed for regular electricity.
some MCBs are installed for high-Power switches which are actually for ACs and Geysers.

5) i have relay switch installed in main circuit box which switch between Main power and Gen-set power(in time of power cut), so high-Power switches ( point 4 above) are not relayed , they directly get power from phase as high-Power switches are not connected to Gen-set.

issue i am facing.

ELCB is always tripping when connected to home wiring. so my electrician has  separated that from ELCB and now ElCB only controlling high-Power switches & it does not trip.
if i switch off the all MCbs and ELCB my power meter show that i have consumed some electricity. 3 units in 12 hours, which is huge.
if i switch off the circuit breaker which is installed with meter (point 1 on top) at outside of my house. then meter stops and does not show any units.

I called electrician he is unable to find the fault :(

why it consume power when all the MCBs are down? also how can i troubleshoot why it trips?
i will share the picture of meter later.

why it consume power when all the MCBs are down?

The short answer is: It can't. The only way power can be consumed is if you have a complete circuit.

Someone has miswired something if you are getting current flow with all the circuit breakers turned off.

You need an experienced electrician to troubleshoot this problem. Apparently the one you called is not that good at it.

Good luck!


Should my light fixture be grounded through the box? I’m trying to install a new light fixture in Chicagoland. From what I’ve read, junction boxes here do not have a grounding wire and are instead grounded through the junction box. Is there an easy way to confirm this? From what I’ve read it sounds like the threads and locknut in the junction box are telltale signs the box is grounded.
If so, is simply mounting the fixture enough (ie not connecting the light fixture’s grounding wire to anything). This seems to be what the previous fixture was doing. Is there any benefit to adding a grounding screw and tail?

Your wiring method is conduit.  Your box is grounded through the conduit.
The conduit is used as the grounding method.
You can see the locknut on the conduit in the box.
The other clue is colors, like the purple, in use meaning individual wire pulls through a raceway.  Actually all the wires are labeled, which is another indication that individual wires were used.
If non-metallic conduit was used, there would still need to be a grounding wire to the box, but you can see it’s metallic.


How to get rid of rats in wall coming from old washer drain pipe? We moved our washer dryer from kitchen to garage couple of years ago. Now we have been hearing lots of scampering & squeaking from wall behind our new fridge location & inside adjoining bedroom wall.

We believe they are coming in thru the old washer drainage.

Any ideas on how to rid the rat & fix future entry

Seal the entry hole - where was the washer drainage going, to daylight?  Rats can get into any crack that is larger than their skull size which is smaller than a quarter.  If you are talking about a mouse the hole size is unimaginably small.
Rat snap traps with peanut butter and lots of them.  Expect 50% to spring and not catch the rat.  Be prepared to deal with injured dying rats.
Rat poison in concrete shells to prevent other animals from accessing.  Be prepared for rats to die in your ceiling / walls and smell until they dry out.
Eliminate harborage around your property.  Rats like to move parallel to exterior walls, put the traps along their path.
Eliminate food sources in your yard.

Getting rid of rats is an arms race, so do everything at once.  Don't try #1 and then when that doesn't work add in #2.  Do 1-5 all at once.


installing led bulb in a 2 bulb setup I have a two bulb set up with a dimmer switch. Both of these were non led bulbs. So i went on and replaced the bulbs with led. Now when i turn the switch off, one of the bulbs stays on with the dimmest light.

Are special light bulbs required for this setup. Is anyone familiar with this kind of setup? Btw the bulbs will work fine if i replace just one of them with led and the other one remains as is (non-led).

The issue is more than likely the dimmer switch itself. If you've changed from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs then I'm 100% sure the dimmer is the issue. You'll need a dimmer that's LED compatible. Most LED compatible dimmers are also sufficient for use with CFL bulbs.

Note: Ensure your LED bulbs are dimmable as well.


A/C unit cycles on and off during cooling phase My outside compressor / condenser is cycling on and off, even though the thermostat is calling for A/C.

The blower in the house still runs, and the thermostat is working properly.
(I opened up the unit to see if the thermostat solenoid is working and it checks out okay)

The filters have recently been replaced and I cleaned the condenser coils in early spring.

It appears to be overheating causing it to cycle off, then when it cools down it goes back on.

Could it be the run capacitor?

Could well be it is overheating and shutting down.  Have you had the Freon checked lately?  You can put a food thermometer in an vent opening; if the temperature at the vent is over 65 degrees Fahrenheit it is probably low on Freon, and the A/C unit is trying to run 100% of the time to try to cool down.
This happened to me, and the repairman said that was the cause for my situation.  Worked like a charm after the recharge.


Sand and refinish uneven concrete My patio concrete shows multiple pieces put together in the past

I am thinking of renting a concrete grinder 10” and make it even. Then either paint or put something on top to cover. I may fill the crack with some adhesive or concrete caulking (not sure which).

Do you think above is good idea? The cost for those will be $100 vs $5000 to redo entire slab.

A bunch of pieces of concrete will always be a bunch of pieces of concrete, any jointing compound that's weaker than the reinforcing bars in the concrete is at best temporary.

Pavers can hide a multitude of sins.


What would cause a brand new water softener to not soften water? About 15mo ago, I bought a house with a non-functional water softener.  The old unit was installed in 1993 so i figured it was simply at the end of its life and time to be replaced.  I finally got around to doing that today.  However, after running the new unit through the initial cleaning regen cycle indicated in the manual, the water from the tap still tests at roughly 50 grains which is the same as before installation and the same as untreated water from a tap before the softener in the plumbing loop.

It is a Morton MH34 (34k grain).  During initial configuration, only settings I changed from default were the regen time (from 2AM to 3AM), and the hardness (up to 50 grains from whatever the default was).  I also set the local time of course.

The initial regen used about 20 lbs of salt judging by the level drop in the tank.

I have walked through the manual regen verification in the manual which steps through each step and verifying using visual clues that it is functioning and all appears to function correctly.

I have taken apart the venturi component and verified no blockage there.

Everything about the unit seems to be working but it simply isn't producing results which, ironically, is exactly the symptoms the original unit exhibited.

Turns out @Ecnerwal was correct about my testing being flawed.  The softener appears to be working fine.  As he mentioned, it makes 100% sense that a TDS meter will measure exactly the same before and after a water softener install since the water isn't being filtered.

I'm not sure if my initial user experience tests were simply done too soon or if it takes a couple days to clear out the pipes but the slippery feeling of the water is now present as expected.  I have also been able to verify that everything is fine with the softener by the fact that I can run the dishwasher without rinse aids for the first time in over a year.

In this picture, the cup on the left just came from the dishwasher.  The cup on the right came from my cupboard and was ran through using a rinse aid before the softener was replaced.  Previously without the rinse aid, you wouldn't have been able to see my fingers through the cup.


How can I clean decomposing grass goo off my concrete driveway? I set a bag of grass clippings on my driveway, and then forgot about them on garbage day.  When I remembered to put them out this week, the bag left behind a black goo on the driveway.  I tried scrubbing it with water and a scrub brush, and even tried some Clorox clean up.  But the stain is persistent.

What is the best way to clean this type of stain off of concrete?

As the grass decompose, it releases tannin, a colorful byproduct of the natural decaying process. While the color will eventually fade from concrete, you can help hurry the process along with a little bit of driveway cleaning.

Spray the stained area with a garden hose to rinse away dirt. In a large plastic bucket, mix ½ cup of liquid dish detergent into 3 gallons of hot water. (Or, for the best results on tannin stains, use a powdered laundry detergent that’s advertised as being good at removing food stains.) Slowly pour the solution onto the tannin stains and work the liquid into the concrete using a stiff-bristle nylon brush. Rinse with the garden hose and, while the concrete is still wet, sprinkle powdered laundry detergent over the stains and scrub again. Leave the detergent on for a few minutes then rinse away. Repeat if necessary


Difference between various Radiant Barrier types Can someone explain me the difference between radiant barrier types and which one is the best option?

I am seeing products like foil, Double Insulated Metalized Mylar Double Foil Bubble Wrap.

I do not understand the difference between them if there is any.

Radiant barriers are great in theory, but in practice they usually fall short.  The primary reasons are:
1.  Once they get dusty, they don't work.
2.  People press them right up to the surface they are trying to insulate (and air cavity between the radiant barrier and the next closest surface is necessary - at least 3/4").

Adding a radiant barrier to an existing form of insulation can't hurt, but as a stand alone product I usually find their effectiveness lessens substantially over time.  So to answer your question:  Unless you have a specific need where radiant barriers can perform, I wouldn't spend a lot of effort or cost seeking one out.


Can honda EB2800 run A/C and fridge? Can a honda eb2800 generator run both a fridge and a 12,000 btu inverter A/C?

If not, what's the lowest amount of watts?

Thanks.

You are probably just going to have to try them.  Technically, as long as the frig is a somewhat standard size, it should handle them both.  Get the generator running good for a couple of minutes.  Using heavy duty cords that are no longer than necessary, plug in the A/C unit first.  How well does the generator handle it. Has the voltage dropped any?  Has the RPM dropped any significant amount?  If things seem ok then plug in the second unit.  See if it will frig run.  Do the checks on the generator again.  Try to get a wattage and amp draw on both units and work the math.  The one place where you will more likely have trouble, which is unlikely to happen, they both try to start at the very same time.  Good Luck. P.


Attachment sites for sun sail on house I am looking to install an 18’ by 18’ shade sail.  2 corners I am planning on putting in 6 x 6 posts cemented into the ground.  I’m having trouble with the other 2 corners that need to be safely attached to my house. I am unable to get to the rafters or fascia to tie them in.

It will be about 8’ off the ground and the post ends will be near our fence so there won’t be a ton of wind from the west side.

Would it be ok to attach to the studs of the outer wall, Or the header above the window?

Lag eye bolts into solid framing members is fine for this. But any time you drill through an exterior wall into the interior structure, you are providing an access point for pests and water. So make sure whatever you do has easy access for you to do periodic inspection and maintenance, and use plenty of sealant, even putting some on the lag screw threads before putting them in.


How to re-attach toilet paper holder post back onto wall wondering if any of you have suggestions on how to screw back into the wall one of the posts holding a roller for toilet paper which has recently come off.

The piece of metal you see on the wall should hook onto one end of the post (see below) in some way

In your photo of the "post" you can see a screw (called a "grub screw" in the UK or a "set screw" in the US, if you want the terminology). You need a small screwdriver to loosen off this screw. The post will then fit back over the wall bracket, and you tighten up the grub screw to reconnect the post to the wall.


Is it safe to install this hot water tank from ebay? Is it safe for me to replace my electric hot water tank with this continuous electric unit that I bought on ebay?

(I'm in Australia)

Technical Specifications

rated power                  6.0KW
rated voltage            220V-50Hz
working pressure             0.02-0.8(MPa)
International electric wire  4m㎡
Electric meter requirements  ≥10(40)A
Waterproof grade             △IPX4
Ammeter                  30A
Leakage switch           30A
Item Size                    330mm*220mm*65mm

As RedGrittyBrick mentioned it may not be safe. It is not legal in Australia as it is only certified by Chinese standards and the installation of said unit is against the law ( not really a problem for you unless someone else uses it and gets electrocuted, you sell it, or sell the dwelling you are connecting it to. For reference perhaps look up "solar and bamboo faulty tanks")

One of the reasons I would be concerned about the safety is my experience with imported products "waterproofing" certification.

You will note the plastic union on the outlet of the unit which is there for a voltage break (Scary).

Also the unit specifies 4mm2 cable, I do not put on that I'm a sparky but this webpage explains How to calculate the draw on cable and considering the example is for 5Kw at ambient temperature and this unit is drawing 6Kw at high temperature in an enclosed compartment I would question the sizing ( unfortunately I do not have the cable sizing code on hand at the moment for AU).

The quality of the controller would also concern me having installed direct import controllers before and see them fail and allow constant heating of the element but you should be able to hop out of the way pretty quick if that were to happen.

In summery I would say not particularly safe but if its only you using it you probably will get away with it.

Un- Watermarked hot water unit installation


What do you call this plastic paneling on the outside of garage? My garage has the white plastic paneling that looks like wood.

Some of it broke off during a storm and I need to replace it. I'm having some trouble finding it online because I don't know what you call it. It snaps on.

I have been calling it plastic paneling and plastic siding in my searches, but that brings up unrelated products only so far.

update: is it "cladding"? I still haven't found an exact match but now I am thinking that's the general term for it.

It is vinyl siding, available at big box stores. It will come in different sizes, double 4 or double 5, counting the inches between each horizontal bump. Some comes in double 4 1/2". Double means, there are 2 horizontal lines for each piece of siding.  There are other sizes available too, along with styles of the face that is created in the bending process.


The garage door Drive Chain Sprocket Won't Move Because the chain was broken so I want to repair it. There is related issue.

However after I unplugged the power and took off the chain sprocket. I tried to move the sprocket by hand. But it won't move. Is this the real reason to cause the chain broken? What I have to do?

Inside the garage door opener there is going to be a gear reduction system to adapt the motor speed to the chain sprocket speed. This speed reduction system also increases the motor torque at the sprocket so that a relatively small motor can easily pull the chain and move the garage door up and down.

Trying to turn the sprocket directly can be difficult if the gearing system uses all normal straight gears. On the other hand if the gearing system uses a worm gear drive it would be next to impossible to directly turn the sprocket. This picture will explain a worm gear drive.

So you should not jump to conclusions at to if the opener is broken or not. It will require testing. Sometimes the best way to do that is to unhang the opener and chain bar and test the assembly on the garage floor.


What is going on with my wiring! I am replacing 2 old pendant lights over a kitchen island. The new fixtures only have 2 black wires- not labeled.
The first box coming out of the ceiling has two sets of wires (= 2 white wires and 2 black wires). The second box in the ceiling only has one set of wires (= 1 white wire and 1 black wire).
The first way I tried to install was one black/black, one black/white on the double wire box and capped the extra white and black separately, and black/black and black/white on the single wire box. This worked and the double fixture box turned on but the single wire box did not.
I then tried to pair up the extra black and white wire together and cap them. That tripped the breaker.
I also tried switching the two black fixture wires on each of them. Neither worked.
Please help!

The first way I tried to install was one black/black, one black/white
on the double wire box and capped the extra white and black
separately, and black/black and black/white on the single wire box.
This worked and the double fixture box turned on but the single wire
box did not.

The single wire box gets it's power from the double wire box, The second set of wires in the first box are going to the second box. (Power comes in on one set of wires and goes out on the other set of wires)
In the first box the blacks go together with the black from the light, joined  with a wire nut.
The whites  go together with the other black from the light, joined  with a wire nut. The bare ground wires go together with a wire nut.
Is there no green  ground wire on the fixtures? If there is they attach to the bare grounds in each box.
Since you are not dead yet, i will assume you know to turn off the breaker and TEST for power BEFORE you proceed


Can a triple stud be replaced with a thinner, stronger material? We have a galley kitchen and our fridge takes up a lot of room when the door is open.  I'd like to recess it back into the wall using some empty space in the dining room directly behind it.
However when I opened the wall I discovered a triple stud that is load-bearing, supporting a floor joist that terminates directly above it.  Because of this termination point and that the triple stud is situated on the corner of the wall, I don't have room to slide it back.
Top view:
             X
      ^      |
    fridge   |
             |
             |
--X----X---XXX = = = = = = = > joist
  |
  |
  |           dining room
  X

Elevation from behind the fridge:
--+----+---+++
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
  |    |   |||
--+----+---+++

I could probably sister a new stud to the opposite side of the existing triple but that would also mean the wall would no longer be flush on the dining room side which I'd rather avoid.
It might be possible to rotate the triple studs with a new top/bottom plate, but the edges would overlap the load bearing wall underneath it and I'm not sure how that would work out.  Beefing up the wall next to the fridge (and its extension) also I don't think will work as there's no columns under the adjacent floor joists.
So I'm looking then to replace the triple stud altogether with a stronger material if possible.  Ideally I want this wall to get to with a cripple and header in place of the middle stud:
--+----+---- +
  |    |     I
  +----+-----+
  |          I
  |          I
  |          I
  |          I
  |          I
--+----+-----+

Is there a readily available material I can use in place of the triple stud that has similar load-bearing characteristics but only takes up the space of a double stud??
Note: this question is similar to Can I modify a load bearing triple stud? but as I don't think I can rotate the triple stud or transfer the load via a span over to adjacent columns, looking for alternative materials rather than seeking to modify a portion of the triple stud.

There’s four things to consider: 1) structurally support the vertical load from the 3 joists (beam) above, 2) insure there is adequate support under the new post all the way to a footing, 3) adequately support the beam from crushing, 4) provide a support for material wrapping around the post.

we don’t know what the load is on that existing post, but we can assume the triple stud is adequate. Therefore, we can match the strength of the existing post with a new skinny post. I’d use a steel 3”x3” x3/16” wall thickness column, which is MORE than twice as strong as the triple stud post. (I checked for 8’ and 9’ high.) Make sure the steel plates (top and bottom) are bolted into the beam above and floor below with at least 2 - 1/2” bolts.

if the triple stud sat on the subfloor, then there needs to be additional blocking under the post down to the ground.

You’ll need to provide a steel bearing plate at the top and bottom of the steel column that matches the area of the triple stud. Wood compresses easier in side grain than end grain. Therefore, to insure that the beam does not compress, the steel plate must be the same size as the triple stud.

If gypsum board is wrapped around the triple studs, then some wood blocking will need to be added to support the gypsum board.


Metal sliding door tuneup I have this old but functional metal sliding door. Sometimes the sliding isn't very smooth and you need to push although it never gets stuck going either way.

There is one 90° guiding rail at the bottom. Lubricating it with machine oil does SOME performance enhancement but not by much or very long. I do scrape it clean frequently from settled dust and grime. Is there some kind of other treatment that I could apply to enhance sliding?

You should be able to adjust the roller height by accessing an adjustment screw through a hole at the sides/ends of the bottom frame piece.

Spray the adjustment screw assemblies with penetrating oil then lower the door completely by backing out (loosening) the adjustment screws; then lift the door up into the upper track and swing inward to remove it. Be careful, they are heavy; for wider sliders this is a 2-man job.

Lay it flat on sawhorses and inspect the roller mechanism for damage/wear. Spray the entire roller assembly on each side with penetrating oil then remove the rollers, they are usually removed by removing an additional screw found on the bottom of the door frame near the corners. Replace if worn or damaged, if not, grease the wheel bearings with a small amount of lightweight multi-purpose grease and reinstall.

Check all weatherstripping felt and replace as necessary. Spray the entire upper track area with spray silicone lubricant, no other type of lubricant will work as well. Check the rail that the rollers ride on, if it is damaged or corroded as to make sliding difficult, it can be repaired with a "crimp on" stainless steel track cap.

Clean entire door frame and entire track frame, using shop vac if necessary to remove all dirt and debris. Make sure wheels are set to their lowest height adjustment then reinstall the door by reversing removal steps. Adjust the door height until door rolls smoothly and is plumb at the frame on the latch side and aligned with the latch catch. Most latch catches can be adjusted slightly if necessary.

below pic is an example, there are many, many types:


Is a leveled wood frame for a basement floor a good idea? Just bought an old house. One half of the basement has a nice headroom. The floor is painted concrete, and is pretty uneven and ultimately slopes towards a floor drain.

I'd like a nice floor. Can I make a "frame" where I can lay perfectly level plywood on, so I can lay perfectly leveled laminate floors (or large tiles) on top?

What will happen to the concrete below? Will it condense, and if it does, should it matter because my floor is now "raised?"

Is it a practical idea, considering money and effort involved? Or are there better/easier options?

By the way, I live in Canada. We have Winter over here :)

I have a basement floor that is concrete.

When we finished it off, we used a product called DriCore as the sub floor.

This is a plywood with a plastic bottom.  It's specifically designed for basements, and it raises the floor a little bit.  The disadvantage is that you essentially do the floor twice. :)  Also the cost is higher.

With that said I have had this set up in place for about 4 years now and it works well and looks great!


Mixing 18awg wire and 16awg wire on a ceiling fan installation I am moving a minkaire ceiling fan from a flat kithen ceiling to a sloped family room ceiling.  The slope of the fm rm ceiling requires that a 1 foot extension be added to the fan to avoid having the blades touch the ceiling.  The fan has a receiving unit on it that receives signals from the wall switch unit, which controls various aspects of the fan and it's lights.  The extension will require me to add extensions to the wires from the ceiling down to the fan unit.  All of the wires on the receiving unit and wall switch are 18 awg stranded wires.  I can not find 18 awg at either HD or Lowes.  The closest they have is 16 awg.  Is it safe to make my 1 foot extensions out of 16 awg wire?

Yes the 16-gauge will work just fine.  Make sure your connections are well insulated.  P.


Older style door trim I am doing renovations on the inside of my really old house, and am looking to update my interior doors. I have the old style door trim and doors (skeleton key door locks), and the really old door trim, as shown in this picture: (Stock image, not mine)

I am putting newer 6 slab prehung hollow cores in their place, and not really a fan of the older style trim. Since I can't just put 3/4" trim up now (since the baseboards would also need pulled up and replaced), do they sell trim kits that I can replace the old ones with that will match the width and height? Once I remove the top piece at least, I know there's a substantial amount of space that needs to be filled in. I'm sure I could probably find (or make my own) vertical pieces, it's more the height of the horizontal header piece that I am worried about.

If they don't make anything, since I don't want to deal with replacing the plaster to allow for smaller trim, I guess I will have to resort to using the older style trim :(

I'm looking for a kit like this or something, but that will allow me to match the height of the vertical piece of trim I currently have:

You could buy 1x5 MDF, its about $2 per foot at the big box store.  It's a similar material as a hollow 6 panel modern door, and is about the same width as the trim in your stock photo.  Then you can replace your classic turn of the century solid old growth timber doors and trim with modern manufactured products.  Another option is repair and paint, give the hinges some oil, and be proud of your home's original style that can no longer be bought!


Mounting TV to wall with multiple light switches/outlets I am looking for advice on safety precautions to take while mounting a TV to an interior wall with multiple light switches and outlets.

The wall is standard wood/drywall and I have located two studs 16" apart that the mounting plate will be secured to.

My concern is that on the other side of the wall there are two light switch boxes (secured to each of the studs I need to mount to). There are also two floor outlet boxes in the middle of the studs (one on the TV side of the wall, one opposite on the other side).

The TV is 49" and weighs 29 pounds. The mounting kit I purchased contains 2 1/4" long lag bolts meant for securing the wall plate to studs.

If I have identified the centre stud locations correctly, am I right to assume there is little chance of hitting wire running vertically (which would be stapled to side of the stud)?

Similarly, am I right to assume that, if using these bolts, there is a chance of hitting live wire running horizontally through the studs (which would be at minimum 1 1/4" into the stud + 1/2" drywall = 1 3/4" deep)?

In this case, would it be OK to use a shorter bolt (1 1/2" long or 1 3/4" long) for this size/weight TV? That way I don't have to worry as much about the longer bolts hitting horizontal wire.

Any other safety precautions to take? I plan on shutting all power off at the breaker prior to any drilling.

Thanks

EDIT: I found a photo of the house during renos which shows the wall framed & wired. After this photo was taken we did have our contractor extend the wall by another couple feet, but I doubt that would have changed the existing wiring configuration. From the photo, I see horizontal wiring running roughly a foot above the floor outlet. There doesn't appear to be any metal plates on studs with horizontal wires (unless they were added at a later date...)

I'd get a stud finder with electrical finder. They come in handy and give a general idea if there is wire running horizontally/vertically.

I'd stay with the longer screws. The horizontal wire from what I've seen is generally ran a foot or 2 off the floor for receptacles so I don't think you'll have to worry about it unless behind the wall is a kitchen and then it runs between upper/lower cabinets. Hopefully the electrician put on nail plates so if you did go where a wire was you'd know it when you can't screw beyond the dry wall.


Should I install a floating floor or a staple down for engineered hardwood? I would like to to put down a DRIcore subfloor over my on grade concrete slab floor and then install engineered hardwood flooring on top of it. Should I staple the flooring to the DRIcore and if so should the DRIcore itself be fastened to the concrete slab? I have heard conflicting opinions on whether or not the DRIcore should be fastened to the concrete. Or would a floating floor be recommended over stapling with the DRIcore? I have often heard that floating floors are inferior to stapled down flooring in terms of sound and feel when walking on them, that they sound 'hollow' or creaky. I do not want to glue my floor down. Any recommendations?

I have placed Dricore or its equivalent on 2 different jobs. Both are holding up fine, neither felt hollow or creaky. One was in a basement slab, the other was placed on a slab on grade such as yours. The only difference is one had 4" to 10" wide plank flooring from recovered barn wood, the other 2 1/4" strip.

While the subfloor was being laid, I glued the edges of all the pieces before placing. even though it is not required. Also the perimeter had a gap to the wall of at least 1/2". It is laid as a floating floor. I really don't see any problem stapling down your engineered floor to that. When the strip floor went down, the staples where checked for length so they did not go all the way through and pierce the plastic matting.