Removing old Entry Door dead bolt lock Attached is the picture of circa 1987 dead bolt lock from the back after removing the back plate. Could not find manufacturer name but seems like Kwikset based on key types. The front of the lock would not come out even with pry bar. How to remove the lock for re-keying?c

Use a flat head screwdriver to unscrew the hollow bolts to the left and right of the center shaft.  It's a little strange if you've never seen it before, but those are actually barrel screws with internal and external  threads.


Electric Garage heater contactor failure I own a Fahrenheat FUH724 (7500 watts) electric heater for my 2 car, uninsulated garage. I installed this unit 12/2017 along with a Nest thermostat. An Aube rc840t-240 relay was used to step down the 220v to 24v for the Thermostat to properly work and all appeared to work properly until about 3 months later when I began to experience malfunctions and this is where I need the collective help from an informed community found here.

Specs:

40A dedicated circuit breaker
8awg wire.

The electrical connections to the contactor became the point of failure. The OEM wires within the unit were overheating, failed and ultimately broke off and the internals of the contactor revealed signs of malfunction. I contacted the manufacturer, replaced the defect wires, and contactor also checked for loose connections throughout. All seemed acceptable. 4 weeks later, same failure points.

I contacted the manufacturer again and they sent me a replacement and I have yet to install.
Could the Aube relay be causing this much heat buildup within the wiring to cause the malfunction?
While trying to diagnose the problem, I took temp readings at various connection points with and without the relay in place and the temp at those points didn't change so I'm not sure that is the root of the problem.

I'm also questioning whether or not I may need supply wire exceeding 90c?

Sorry for the long-winded question but I felt it was important to describe the problem with all detail i've experienced. If i've left out any important info please ask away.

See attached picture for installation.

You're overloading the contactor. 7500 watts at 240 volts is 30+ amps, and the contactor you're using is rated for 22 amps.

You have three choices:

Get a different contactor.
Follow the manufacturer instructions to change the wattage of the heater to 5000 watts or less.
Use the internal thermostat of the heater.


Ceiling light won't turn off A living room ceiling light was working this morning. I wiped around the switch on wall with damp duster and now it won't turn off.  As I am elderly and disabled I can't do anything other than try to remove the light bulbs until my son inlaw gets back from holiday. Is it dangerous?

It is likely the switch needs replacing - probably the switch contacts have welded together due to arcing.

If you can easily and safely remove the lightbulb, that will stop current flowing through the switch. As I'm sure you know, bulbs - especially the older incandescent tungsten-filament type - can get hot enough to burn you.

If you cannot access the light bulb, so long as the switch is not buzzing, smoking or emitting a burnt smell, it is probably not in any immediate danger of catching fire.

If you have easy access to the circuit breakers in the consumer-unit (fuse-box or main-panel), you might be able to turn off the breaker that controls the circuit for that switch and light. For peace of mind I would do this before going to sleep. In a Welsh house there is probably one circuit-breaker for all the lights on the ground floor. Your upstairs lights will still work normally. I would take a torch with me and check the torch works before switching any circuit-breakers off.

If you are really worried, you may be able to get assistance from your local fire-department on a non-emergency basis.


Breaker connection on common neutral situation There are 4 single pole breakers in the 220v  main panel and 2 white wires on the neutral bar (I am assuming it is a common neutral situation). Two breakers have a black wire and two have a red wire.  The black wires are on the same leg while the red wires are on the other leg. Is this correct?  Sporadically there is a circuit outage on only one circuit lasting from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

No.  The two black/red wires that share a neutral are part of the same circuit, and the formal name is a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC).  either

the two breakers need to be fitted with a listed handle-tie for that breaker type, which as a side-effect will force them to be on opposite poles; or
the two breakers need to be replaced with a 2-pole (240V) breaker of a correct type for that panel.  By nature a 2-pole breaker puts its 2 lugs on opposite poles.

The 2-pole breaker may be of GFCI, AFCI or GFCI+AFCI type.  If so, it will confer protection to the entire MWBC.

Listed, correct handle-ties can be annoyingly hard to find, so in most cases just use 2-pole breakers which are available everywhere.

A double-stuff/duplex/tandem/twin breaker is not a 2-pole breaker and the essential clue is that the handles are not tied and cannot be tied.

The purpose of handle-tying is to assure common maintenance shutoff.  It is not essential for MWBC breakers to be common trip, but using a 2-pole breaker will have that effect too.

If you are stuck with a crowded panel using double-stuff breakers, then handle ties are usually not an option.  Go with quadplex breakers instead.


Add expansion joints on garage floor - too late? I just bought a house which was built in 2007 (Seattle area). The garage floor has no drain or expansion joints. As a result, there are some cracks in the concrete. They are small.

I was wondering if it is too late to add expansion joints. Ultimately, I'd like to finish the garage with epoxy coating. I wouldn't want to see new cracks showing up on the floor after I add the epoxy coating.

Thank you!

You can cut expansion joints with something like this:

This is a walk-behind concrete saw that can be rented at most rental centers (I know that home depot has them).

After the joints are cut, fill them with a good polyurethane caulking.

I would wait until after you cut the joints before filling the existing cracks, as it's likely the work you're doing with the saw will result in vibration or "abuse" of the floor and might widen existing cracks.


Why is the water dripping from my patio furniture removing the sand from the joints between bricks? I recently removed the bricks from my patio and I put them back after I added more limestone in order to slope it correctly. The sand was put back using a a plate compactor.
Everything is fine excepting this: in the area where I have the patio furniture (table and 6 chairs) when it rains the water drips from these pieces of furniture and where the drops hit the patio they remove the sand from the joints between the bricks (see below)

Is this normal? Is there anything that I can do to stop this?

It's going to take a few more re-applications of sand and more rain, until it will do it less. That's exactly what I'd expect it to look like after the first rain. 'Sand' it again.

Using a push broom and a garden hose, work the sand into the cracks. I'm guessing you skipped hitting it with water the first time, or the sand is too course to set properly. As those are some really tight tolerances on the gaps (nice work), I can see having a hard time getting it in there.

Work the problem areas with a stiff bristle brush while still letting water run over it, eventually they will fill.

If my assumptions about it not being filled all the way in the first place are wrong and it is getting washed away, once it becomes (grout) a mixture of dirt and what-have-you, it should do that much less.


Kids locked the door Then tried to open it without the knob...any advice that won’t cost me a door? I really can’t afford another door right now and I need this bathroom... can ya help a fella out?

Take a screwdriver and put in in the hole on the left. That should give you enough leverage to retract the latch and open the door.

Replacing the doorknob is a pretty simple DIY job. Though you want to avoid the knob that can be pushed closed while locked to avoid a repeat.


Kitchen lit with exclusively PAR20 spot lights, how can I reduce shadows? At some point somebody installed 6 can lights that accept PAR20 bulbs in my kitchen.

It appears that PAR20 bulbs are for spot lighting, which means focused lighting, which means shadows everywhere. Shadows are not what you want when you're chopping up food, it's really hard to see in there.

The widest beam angle I can find on these bulbs is 50 degrees. I don't know if I can even go wider because of the housings.

I tried to fit a PAR30 bulb in there but it wouldn't fit. I could get it to fit if I removed the trim, but then it was impossible to re-attach the trim.

What are my options?

When searching for "bulbs with housing attached", I found that this actually exists! For a PAR20 bulb, the housing is a 4" housing. They sell a product called "LED Recessed Retrofit Downlight." You would remove the trim that's already installed, plug in a pigtail then shove the new housing retainers either through the gap between the drywall and the existing housing, or directly into the existing housing if there's enough spring tension. Hopefully it lands flat?

I also started looking into adapters so I could put other format bulbs in. It seems like the name of the thread on the PAR20 bulb is called E26. There are adapters that will go from E26 to GU10, which is the plug with the 2 little prongs. The bulbs that would fit that would be called MR16. The adapter ends up pushing down the bulb by about 1", and the beam on MR16's go as wide as 60 degrees. I think this would be the cheaper option, but slightly less effective in reducing shadows.


GFIC requirements for a Kitchen multi-outlet strip I was thinking of replacing my current kitchen counter receptacles with a Hard Wired Multi-Outlet strip that would run below my cabinets. My question is How would I provide GFCI protection? Can a Multi-Strip outlet be used without GFCI protection for a kitchen counter that's near the sink?

Ground-fault circuit interruption protection is required for all receptacles installed in a kitchen, that serve the countertop surfaces.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 2 - Wiring and Protection
Article 210 - Branch Circuits
I. General Provisions
210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(A) through (C). The ground-fault circuit-interrupter shall be installed in a readily accessible location.
(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in 210.8(A)(1) through (10) shall have ground-fault circuitinterrupter protection for personnel.
(1) Bathrooms
(2) Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use
(3) Outdoors
Exception to (3): Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a branch circuit dedicated to electric snow-melting, deicing, or pipeline and vessel heating equipment shall be permitted to be installed in accordance with 426.28 or 427.22, as applicable.
(4) Crawl spaces — at or below grade level.
(5) Unfinished basements — for purposes of this section, unfinished basements are defined as portions or areas of the basement not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and the like.
Exception to (5): A receptacle supplying only a permanently installed burglar alarm system shall not be required to have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection.
(6) Kitchens— where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces
(7) Sinks — located in areas other than kitchens where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the sink
(8) Boathouses
(9) Bathtubs or shower stalls — Where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the bathtub or shower stall.
(10) Laundry areas

You can either provide ground-fault protection by feeding the device from the load side of a  GFCI receptacle, or installing a GFCI circuit breaker on the circuit.
Keep in mind that you may not be able to replace all the receptacles in the kitchen with a single multi-receptacle unit, but may install the multi-receptacle unit in addition to, or as a substitute for the required receptacles.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 2 - Wiring and Protection
Article 210 - Branch Circuits
III. Required Outlets
210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets. 210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets. This section provides requirements for 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets. The receptacles required by this section shall be in addition to any receptacle that is:
(1) Part of a luminaire or appliance, or
(2) Controlled by a wall switch in accordance with 210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, or
(3) Located within cabinets or cupboards, or
(4) Located more than 1.7 m (51/2 ft) above the floor
(C) Countertops. In kitchens, pantries, breakfast rooms, dining rooms, and similar areas of dwelling units, receptacle outlets for countertop spaces shall be installed in accordance with 210.52(C)(1) through (C)(5).
(1) Wall Countertop Spaces. A receptacle outlet shall be installed at each wall countertop space that is 300 mm (12 in.) or wider. Receptacle outlets shall be installed so that no point along the wall line is more than 600 mm (24 in.) measured horizontally from a receptacle outlet in that space.
Exception: Receptacle outlets shall not be required on a wall directly behind a range, counter-mounted cooking unit, or sink in the installation described in Figure 210.52(C)(1).
(2) Island Countertop Spaces. At least one receptacle shall be installed at each island countertop space with a long dimension of 600 mm (24 in.) or greater and a short dimension of 300 mm (12 in.) or greater.
(3) Peninsular Countertop Spaces. At least one receptacle outlet shall be installed at each peninsular countertop space with a long dimension of 600 mm (24 in.) or greater and a short dimension of 300 mm (12 in.) or greater. A peninsular countertop is measured from the connecting edge.
(4) Separate Spaces. Countertop spaces separated by rangetops, refrigerators, or sinks shall be considered as separate countertop spaces in applying the requirements of 210.52(C)(1), (C)(2), and (C)(3). If a range, counter-mounted cooking unit, or sink is installed in an island or peninsular countertop and the depth of the countertop behind the range, countermounted cooking unit, or sink is less than 300 mm (12 in.), the range, counter-mounted cooking unit, or sink shall be considered to divide the countertop space into two separate countertop spaces. Each separate countertop space shall comply with the applicable requirements in 210.52(C).
(5) Receptacle Outlet Location. Receptacle outlets shall be located above, but not more than 500 mm (20 in.) above, the countertop. Receptacle outlets rendered not readily accessible by appliances fastened in place, appliance garages, sinks, or rangetops as covered in 210.52(C)(1), Exception, or appliances occupying dedicated space shall not be considered as these required outlets.


Can a washing machine closet be located adjacent to an electric panel? We want to relocate a washer/dryer into a closet that shares a wall with the house's electrical panel (which is in the kitchen). Any code violations here or considerations?

Yes you can place the washer next to the electrical panel. As long as the door on the panel can open 90 degrees and there is a total width of 30" the panel it is legal. The working space 30" for the panel can be from 1 edge extending 30 inches beyond the other side (or actual width if the panel is wider).


Is sealant recommended/required over receptacle or other ceiling fixtures located in attic? I noticed my attic has a few recess lights just sitting in attic insulation and I was planning on adding a new receptacle via my attic ceiling. Do you recommend adding some sealant around the electric fixture or is it required by code in any US states? If it is recommended/required, could I use a Duct Seal Compound (putty) such as this one: RectorSeal Duct Seal Compound

I'm thinking such sealant would go where the wires enter the electric fixture. A putty like this could at least be removed where some foam products I've seen look more permanent.

No sealant is required but the cutout for the box needs to be tight (not a large oversized hole) the cover plate makes the seal. The lights usually have a trim ring that seals any small gaps between the fixture.


Open Hot on GFCI outlet I have an outdoor GFCI outlet that was running our Christmas lights. We was just struck with a storm that we received 3.6 in of rain in a 6 hour period. Now the reset will not work, green light is not on and the outlet is reading Open hot. Due to the season, we will not be able to get anyone to look at it in the near future. The question i have is, did the CFCI "internal" breaker go bad? and Are in any kind of fire danger for the next week or so?

Sounds like the GFCI receptacle got wet (or perhaps a downstream receptacle if there is one), and something is shorted out, tripping the GFCI.

If you have any Christmas lights still plugged into the outlet, then something may have shorted out in the lights, making the GFCI trip. Try unplugging everything and see if the GFCI will reset. If it does, then dry out and inspect the lights carefully to look for problems -- don't plug them into a non-GFCI outlet since there is clearly an electrical problem and use care around them until the problem is found.

If it's not a problem with anything plugged in, then new GFCI's are cheap enough that I'd just try replacing the GFCI (fixing any water intrusion problems first, if there's water in the box, then figure out why and stop it from getting in there). If the bad GFCI eventually dries out and starts working again, I personally wouldn't trust it again.

This is likely not a serious fire hazard, but could be an electrical hazard (since something is apparently shorted out), so to be safe you could turn off the breaker that powers that outlet.

If the outlet got wet because the lights were plugged into the outlet while the outlet cover was open, you can purchase an outdoor outlet box that allows a cord to be plugged in even when the outlet cover is closed:

(this is just a representative sample, there are other styles and manufacturers of similar products)


How can I remove the stopper from my sink? As you can see in the picture, in my infinite wisdom, I managed to block the kitchen sink with the stopper by placing it upside down in the sink, now I can't take the stopper out... Oops. Any suggestions on how I could take the stopper out, so I could use the sink again?

The stopper has a vertical wall running through its center roughly 1 cm tall, I was thinking I could pull the darn thing out by latching onto this surface with a grip of some kind. I couldnt do this with my fingers alone.

You need to use a pair of long nose pliers like this:

There is also a good bet that an ordinary pair of pliers would do the trick as well:


Code requirements for moving 3 prong dryer outlet I've read various posts here about the advantages of 4-prong over 3-prong, such as the dryer cabinet can become hot if there is an interrupt in the 3-prong neutral/ground. Examples:

Dryer Outlet - 4 prong to 3 prong

Converting a Samsung Dryer from a 4-prong cord to a 3-prong cord?

In the our utility closet/room of our house, I will be moving our 3-prong dryer receptacle that is on a non-GFCI 30amp breaker.  It supplies our 2007-ish 3 prong problem-free dryer.  Printed installation instructions: "Materials you will need ... dryer power cord kit (not provided with dryer) UL rated 120/240V, 30A with 3 or 4 prongs. Identify the plug type as per the house receptacle before purchasing line cord". It also contains: "NOTE: Since January 1, 1996, The National Electric Code requires that new construction utilize a 4 wire connection to an electric dryer."  And it gives details for 3 wire and 4 wire connections with specifics on the OEM ground strap.  It also says that a 4 wire connection "must be used for mobile home installation", which is not our situation.

Relocation plans are to use a junction box at the current location, then run 4-12 feet (depending on route) to a reinstall of the old receptacle.  What are the minimum code requirements in terms of 3-prong versus 4-prong?

Specifically, can I just extend as described, or ... does code require the entire circuit be redone to 4-prong?  or does it require the just the new work to be 4-prong?

There are others (Harper, ThreePhaseEel) who will likely provide a ton of details. But in a nutshell:

3-prong does not provide the same level of safety as 4-prong.
3-prong is grandfathered in, but when you make a change you should switch to 4-prong. New work should definitely be 4-prong NEMA 14-30. I don't know if code strictly requires a change to 14-30 in your situation (the real pros can weigh in on that). But from a practical standpoint, once you are already doing the work you might as well spend a few $ on a new receptacle and new power cord and do it right (unlike my electrician years ago).
When you switch, in addition to the new 4-prong receptacle and new 4-prong dryer cord to match it, there is a ground-neutral bonding jumper that MUST be removed on the dryer.

Your pictures pretty clearly show that there is no existing ground, and you have also made it clear that a new cable back to the main panel would be quite expensive. If a retrofit ground using existing wiring (e.g., connecting to the ground of the washer receptacle, provided it is legal (large enough wire or other grounding mechanism)) is not practical then I would consider a combination of (a) replacing the regular breaker with a GFCI breaker to provide protection and (b) replace the existing 3-prong dryer cord with a longer 3-prong dryer cord to take care of the extra several feet. I do NOT recommend using an extension cord - they are available but that is not a good idea, and may even be against code for a nominally permanent installation.


What to seal new butcher block type counter top Bought a counter top, wood butcher block as they called it, to install on my work bench. Top is raw wood. Instructions state seal immediately with Tung or Mineral spirits. Minerals Spirits? That doesn't make sense to me.  What would you suggest.  I live in Colorado, arid climate. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Mineral oil if you intend to actually use it as a food prep surface; tung (or linseed, or danish, or other) oil if you are truly wasting a butcher block for use as a work bench...


Should I remove baseboards prior to installing laminate or wood floors? I recently bought around 650sft of laminate floors, to replace around 570sft of carpeted floors in our MN home. These will go in on the main floor, right above an unfinished basement.

I'm planning on installing these myself in the next 3 or 4 weeks, and am in the process of getting my act together (I strongly believe that planning is more critical than the actual execution of a project).

Being paranoid about doing an excellent job, I'm debating whether to remove and re-install the existing baseboard molding, or leave the baseboard in place and install quarter-round (or shoe, depending on what looks better) molding after the laminate is laid.

The laminate floor (with its attached pad) is about as tall as the carpet is now, and adjusting for an 1/8" gap in the vertical dimension, the baseboard will stay at the same height.

So, which is better?

Don't touch the baseboard, install laminate 1/4" from the baseboard and use quarter-round to cover the gap?
Remove baseboard, install laminate, and put the baseboard back.

I'm not averse to doing extra work to make sure this looks as professional as possible.

It depends on a couple of things.  How much time you want to invest, how your current baseboards are installed, size of current baseboards, and what you want everything to look like.

As long as it isn't a HUGE deal to take baseboards out I would almost always go with removing them.

Your finish will look better.  No quarter round looks way more professional.  Also I hate the process of do you make your quarter round the color of trim or floor - I always vote trim.
It is cheaper.  Quarter round costs money.  So does staining/painting it.
It saves time.  If you have the right tools taking your baseboards out is easy.  And when you put them back - well they fit.  Try to position your tools so that if you gouge the wall it is hidden under the baseboard.  This is easy with practice.  Who cares if the drywall has some nicks under the baseboard.  Cutting your quarter round to fit will take a lot of time.  Also what do you do between a set of doors where you need to put in 10 inches of quarter round?  Well you will be back on this board asking!

Take the baseboards out, freshen them up while you are at it, install floor, pop baseboards back.  Touch up paint and caulk where needed.   Not taking them out starts the job faster but then after your install there will be quarter round regret (because of point #1).


Gas oven seems to be working, except for smell of gas and occasional in-oven flare I have a new gas oven (bought it new ~4 months ago), a Frigidaire FGGS3065PBA. While baking for long periods, a smell of gas will begin to permeate the kitchen. During this time there were sudden bangs from inside of the oven, which I had originally assumed was the sound of metal expanding, but the other night I watched it more closely and noticed that there would be an in-oven flare up where the interior of the oven briefly fills with gas flame.

This happens in both bake and convection modes. We haven't used the broil mode yet.

I've removed the lower plate that covers the lower gas burner to observe its behavior. It seemed to be normal. The igniter comes on and the burner lights up with what appears to be an even flame on either side.

Confusingly, when observing it during this time I did not note a smell of gas. I did only run it for one heat and reheat cycle, for maybe about 5-10 minutes.

At this point I'm stumped. The flare ups are quite concerning and even caused some parchment paper in a recent bake to ignite, and they are scaring my wife. We've called the gas company but they only checked the connection in the back and confirmed that it was connected well and not leaking there.

I could really use some help on this.

You either have a leak, or an air mixing tube is not aligned with the gas orifice feeding the venturi, or the orifice is wrong for your gas (or gas pressure).  check the alignment of all of the air-gas mixing venturi's.  Also make sure you have the right orifice for the type of fuel.  Also check the gas pressure.  If you have a malfunctioning pressure regulator, the orifice may be intermittantly getting the wrong pressure, and thus be intermittently delivering the wrong mix to the burner.  Check the pressure both while the oven is running, and when it is off.  If pressure rises when off, the regulator is leaking in the needle valve, if pressure fluxuates or is too high when it is running, there is some other mechanical problem with the regulator.


What could cause low hot water pressure in the shower only? The hot water pressure in every other faucet in the house is fine, but in the shower it's a little more than a trickle. I removed the shower head and pulled out the cartridge (it looks kind of like this).

The water was only coming out of the left hole and it was hot water. There was no cold water coming out. It's a single handle shower and if I turn it toward cold there is plenty of pressure, but then if I move it back toward hot then at a certain point it kind of jumps a little and then loses all pressure.

I would first check the valve's anti-scalding setting.  You have to take off trim and this is usually a setting on the valve outer stem.  Make sure this is set to as hot as possible.  This could have slipped.  Next I would check the filters inside your valve cartridge.  There is usually a filter for cold and another for hot.  The hot filter could be clogged and need cleaning (very seldom do these need replacing except the rings).

Lastly you might need a new cartridge or to have yours rebuilt.  If you know the model this might actually be easier than all of the other troubleshooting but often isn't needed.   The cartridges can cost as little as $10 and up to a couple hundred.


How can I bend 180 degrees over a duct trunk with height restriction? I have to run a flex duct from opposite side of main trunk, as other side of the trunk in the direction flex duct is running is not accessible.
This is in basement, I am using start collar with damper and then attaching 90 degree elbow.
do I add another adjustable elbow on the top of it ?
I wanted to run flex duct from the top of the trunk, but total height of start collar + 90" elbow is 12.5  inch and we need max height of 11 inch ( height of cavity), so thats why I opted for side.

Thanks!

There's no rule that all your bends need to be plumb and/or level - these things flex for a reason.
Move the start collar to the left (in the picture). Rotate it so that instead of making a  90° straight up, it goes up and to the right. Make your next 90° continue that "up and right" direction until it clears the top of the main trunk, but doesn't hit the ceiling. Wiggle & adjust until you have satisfactory clearance from all surfaces.

Thinking more about it (and to be abundantly explicit):
I'd connect the two elbows to make a "straight" 180° turn, then push it up against the trunk line toward the left of the joist bay and "lay it down" toward the right until it cleared the floor above*. If you want/need the take off to run down the center of the joist bay, the take off from the trunk can be under a joist above or even in the next bay over - there's no rule about that, either. Once you've got it in a "safe" position, mark the screw holes, cut the appropriate openings and fix it into place.
I'd do this more than adjusting the rotation of the individual elbows, as that may mean that you're not getting them to make the 180° turn you need.
*I believe this is the same thing isherwood said in his comment.


Light fixture wiring help I have a flush mount ceiling light fixture with 2 bulbs, also has included 2 sets of black and white wires for each light bulb.
This is where I am having trouble the little box in the ceiling has 4 separate cables all coming into it; so 4 sets of black and white.
One is to the breaker, second is to the light switch, the third is to another light, and the fourth I have no clue where it goes somewhere into the main floor.

When I took the original light fixture off, it was a pull string light for starters with the brass screws, but with all those wires in the box they had a white wire twisted together with a bunch of blacks? I didn't think that was normal but I didn't make note of which wire it was unfortunately.
I also managed at one point when I was attempting to install the new light fixture (with the 4 wires), I had 1 light on the switch hadn't been turned on yet? The other light in the fixture however wouldn't turn on even if the switch was one.
The other light in series I could turn on.
Any ideas?

What you have is a switch leg and possibly a outlet or switched outlet depending on how connected,

the white with the blacks was the switch leg and was correct but it should have Been reidentified as a hot by tape or a colored marker other than white, green or gray.

Find the cable that comes from the breaker connect that black to the white of the switch if you want the outlet hot all the time connect the don’t know where it goes black to the breaker black.

Now the switch black connects to the 2 blacks for the new light and the black for the existing light.

Next connect the white from the breaker the 3 lights and the receptacle together.

Last if there are grounds tie them together and if a metal box the box should be pigtailed also.

This will get you back together. If you want the outlet switched that hot black wire would go with the 3 lamps black but it may feed multiple outlets so hot all the time is normal.

Next time only remove the wires from the old fixture because if it works it is probably correct and you will have to reconnect it that way to make it work in the future.


What is the ADA standard toilet height? Is there an official height that toilet seats are supposed to be at according to the ADA?

From the source:

  4.16.3* Height. The height of water closets shall be 17 in to 19 in (430 mm to 485 mm), measured to the top of the toilet seat (see Fig. 29(b)). Seats shall not be sprung to return to a lifted position. Appendix Note

and from the Appendix Note in question:

  Toilet seats 18 in (455 mm) high seem to be a reasonable compromise. Thick seats and filler rings are available to adapt standard fixtures to these requirements.


Drain alignment problems I have a drain coming out of a cement slab which does not align with the shower drain. It is about 3/4 inch out of alignment and won't flex enough to align them.  How can I attached the shower to the drain?

If you don't want to chip out the floor & there's a trap beneath so everything's good that way. Then, you can try an Offset Shower Drain. If that doesn't do it then I think your only option would be to use a black rubber flexible (hub-less) coupling.


How to poke coaxial cables out of a wall nicely? I have coaxial cables that are poking out of walls in numerous places all over the house. I don't use them and I don't know why there's so many coming out of each hole. These were left by the previous owner. They look ugly just sitting on the ground. This is illustrated on the right side of the following photo. How do I make it look nicer like the faceplated contraption on the left?

How would I handle the 3 wires if I don't see anyone selling coxial faceplates with 3 holes?
The niceley faceplated contraption on the left has holes, whereas the wires on the right have pointy metal pointing out. Is it okay to convert the pointy into the holely ones? I don't understand when you would use one over the other.
What is the point of having 5 coaxial connections in one corner of the house? Is anyone going to put 3 TVs and 2 internet modems in one corner??? If there's no purpose, should I just cut off the wires and seal the wall?

Shopping
They sell modular wall plates in 1 to 6 port flavors.

Pick up as many as you need from the local home improvement store. Grab some F type modules, and some low voltage brackets while you're there.

Installation

Cut a hole in the wall large enough for the low voltage bracket to fit.
Install the low voltage bracket.
Shorten the lengths of cable, and add new connectors to the ends (you'll also have to buy these from the home improvement store, so go back and get them).
Connect the cables to the modular jacks.
Install the modular jacks in the modular wall plate.
Install the modular wall plate in the low voltage bracket.

Holey VS. Pointy
The pointy connectors are "male" connectors, whereas the holey connectors are "female".  When a male connector loves a female connector very much... You get the picture (I hope).
Why so many?
There is no way to say for sure why there are so many cables here.  It's possible that some come from somewhere, while others go somewhere else. You'll have to trace the cables to determine where they come from, or where they go to.
For this a cable tracer such as the Gardner Bender Wire-Tracker, can come in handy.


Best adhesive for reinstalling this wall tile The grout lines still match up; I just need a good adhesive to put back on. I don’t want to scrapes old mortar or grout out if possible.

Get some of the Loctite Power Grab construction adhesive.

This stuff grabs pretty good but you'll need to clamp it, prop it up, or duct tape it in place until the adhesive hardens, Good luck


Are there outdoor formaldehyde detection systems available? We have a nearby factory polluting air with formaldehyde and when the wind occasionaly brings it to us we sense the smell and are forced to close the windows to not let it in. When the wave subsides we can open the windows again. It would be convenient to have an outdoor sensor giving an alarm when the level starts rising to give us time to close the windows before it starts to get in and notifying us when the level is back to normal so that we can open the windows again.

Are there such solutions available on the consumer market? I know there are industrial solutions but those are expensive and not available to individuals.

What you are looking for is a VOC (volatile organic compounds) monitor or a IAQ (indoor air quality) monitor. They do exist for residential applications and are way much cheaper than the industrial counterparts; however, their detection/sensitivity level may not be as great.

You can try your luck by searching for "iaq monitor" on Amazon and eBay. Prices may vary and be sure to research the product a little, some may only detect CO and other "gases" (LPG, propane, and etc.) and may not make any mention of formaldehyde.

Once you find the right monitor, you will probably have to install on the inside of your home near the window you usually leave open. I don't think these monitors were made to be placed outside.


Prevent sagging shelves in alcove We're building some shelves to fit in an alcove next to our fireplace, and so we built 4 frames using 1x2s for the front and back of the frame and 2x2s as the ladder support in the middle (each spaced about 12" apart from each other). Each shelf is 49.5" long and 21" deep. I drew a SketchUp model to better visualize it.

We've installed it on the wall by screwing the back and two sides into the wall studs (image of installation below). Our next step is to install 1/4" plywood to the top/bottom.

Our main worry at this point is with the sag in the middle. Because our shelf is so deep (21"), we're afraid that over time it will warp and sag. We've thought of a few ways to fix this, but we don't know which way is the best. We've thought of installing some sort of brackets on the inside and/or outside of the frame, or just installing a long 2x2 to the bottom of the shelf towards the front to help prevent sagging. We considered adding braces to the bottom, but we are trying to have the floating shelf aesthetic, and adding braces (metal or wood) would eliminate the "floating" aspect to it. Are there any suggestions as to what we can do to prevent sagging in the middle while keeping it as close to this look as possible?

Assuming that the sag would only be in the middle of the front edge of the shelf you will have to add something stronger than the along the front edge length. A 1x2 on edge (actual size 1.5" vertical and 0.75" thick just is not strong enough to prevent significant sag.
Since you will already have the raw edges of the 0.25" plywood showing along the front edge an added additional piece of wood would hide those edges and trim things up nicely.
For the stronger wood piece I would suggest adding a piece of hardwood like oak such that its upper edge is even with the top plywood. The bigger the vertical dimension that this piece of wood has the stronger it will be. Over a 49.5" length I would, based upon practical experience, suggest that the oak piece be 0.75" thick with a vertical height of  about 3" actual. You would still not want to climb or sit on the shelves but they will sag way way less than your current 1x2.
If you have the plywood cladding installed so that it does not overhang the edge of the 1x2 you can use the yellow colored wood workers glue to secure the oak piece on place. A series of five or six clamps will permit clamping the piece in place. (Recommendation is to not install the lower plywood cladding till after the gluing is complete so that clamping the oak piece to the 1x2 is easy from the lower edge).


Should I replace my trunk-and-branch setup with a PEX manifold? My house is plumbed using PEX trunk-and-branch, with the main 3/4 line coming in, splitting off to 3/4" to the hot water tank, and then a 1/2" trunk that all the other branch supplies tee off from. Hot water is the same, with a 3/4" line coming from the tank and splitting to two 1/2" lines.

The pressure changes when you are using a faucet or in the shower are very noticeable as other fixtures are used, particularly with the washing machine.

I need to do a couple of changes anyway (including adding an outside tap), am both experienced with and have all the tools for PEX, and don't mind spending a couple hundred dollars on this. How much of a difference will I notice if I:

Replace the 1/2 "trunk" lines with 3/4"
Replace the 1/2" trunk lines with a PEX manifold

I'm just looking for someone's experience/anecdotal evidence that it would not be a complete waste of time/money to do this.

If you increase the diameter of the branch you also increase the time it takes for you to get hot water.  In my climate I also like to get ground temperature water so having large branch lines increases the amount of water I have to dump before I get rid of the water in the pipe from the supply entrance to my faucet.  This also wastes heat as the branch lines will have hot/cold water and heat or cool the wall spaces - eventually heating or cooling your house.

I like the manifold arrangement but one quick thing to try would be to just plumb the washing machine into the end of the branch line.  I this this would allow the other fixtures to have pressure preference over it.

The other thing I'd do is eliminate the crazy 90s if you are redoing a section.  The plumbing might look neat but you loose significant flow when you make sharp turns.  Really the best way is spaghetti with gradual bends.


is there an oil-based sealant to discourage carpenter bees from eating cedar siding and trim I have read that only a paint or varnish layer will do the trick, but I'm wondering if there's any oil-based penetrating sealant for cedar that has some ingredient carpenter bees find noxious, so I can discourage them from chewing up my siding and trim.  Last summer was really bad, and today they're back.

They're are insecticides that will keep these flying drill bits from nesting in your eaves. The ones I know of need to be applied by a pro but seem to be good for multiple years.


Seamless construction joints on concrete floor By construction joints I mean the joints between a batch of concrete floor poured one day and the new work on a following day. What is the proper way to get the most seamless joints when making finished concrete floor in a large area?
Since I will be making small batches, it will be at least 10 days, so at least 10 joints to deal with, and if the joints are too visible it will look terrible.
I read many different opinions on this:

Each joint should end in a 90°, preferably with a form.
Chamfer the joint (more perpendicular or more shallow angle?), no need for forms.
Before the start on the new batch, break the end of the previous one to ensure it is level, well adhered to the base and rough to receive the new batch (no need for forms as well)
Use plastic strips for control joints as construction joints (how does this work exactly?)

I liked the idea of using the plastic control joints, but I'm not sure how I use it for construction joints. Any thoughts?
I tried the chamfer option and I didn't like it: too hard to make set the new batch. The break and 90° options seems to work, but I would rather not have to rely on forms or having the break part of the previous day's work.

I'd go for a square joint with a form. If you are using reinforcement (either as a part of the structural design for the slab or simply as an anti-crack measure), carry it through to stop any possible differential movement. That said, the concrete within two adjacent slabs poured within a relatively close period (approximately 3 days) will fuse as the cement hydrates and form a single "unit".


Could the black and white wires in a three-wire cable both be used as hots? In my detached garage, there is a ??/3 cable (haven't measured to know the gauge, though I'm thinking it's 10..) coming into a fuse box with two circuits. The strange thing is, the third conductor is cut and not being used. The black wire is powering one circuit, and the white is powering another. Both circuits have 30 amp fuses. Is this setup safe? I believe in the main box, there is a double 60 amp breaker powering the garage, but I'm not sure the configuration (it's been a couple months since I've looked at it).

I'm preparing to do some electrical work (add a few outlets and lights) and wanted to make sure I didn't burn down my garage. I was planning on using 12 gauge wire, and put the lights on one circuit and the outlets on the other. I plan on replacing the fuses with 20 amp.

As a side note, if this is a 10/3 cable, is it possible to have 240 in the garage? What kind of amperage could this support if the same cable was powering two 120v circuits?

Sub Panel

Main Panel

UPDATE

Following the advice from the answers listed here, I did a bit of rewiring. The cable run to the garage had no markings on it, but based on a rough measurement using my wire strippers, I'm fairly confident the wires are 10 gauge. I disconnected power and tied the red wire to the ground and verified there was continuity, then got to work. I purchased a 2 pole 30 amp breaker for the main box, along with some wire nuts, a spool of 10 gauge wire, and some fuses.

From what I found online, wire nuts are code compliant inside panels, so I decided to forgo the junction box, since there was a little slack in the cable. I extended the red wire in the main box, and relocated the white wire to the neutral bar. Inside the fuse box, I verified that the "neutral bar" and box were not in contact with each other, then removed all ground wires and connected them with a wire nut. I extended the red wire and hooked it to one of the circuits. Unfortunately, the white wire was not quite long enough to reach the neutral bar, so I had to extend that as well (with red wire, since that's all I had at the time. I plan on replacing this once I get some white wire). Finally, I replaced the 30 amps fuses with 20s, since the wiring in the garage is 12 gauge.

I'm definitely open to comments about my work, seeing as this is the first time I've done something this extensive. I believe it's much more code compliant than before (aside from the red wire extending the neutral, the box not being grounded, and the open hole at the top of the box). If anyone notices anything in the attached photo, please feel free to let me know.

Thanks to everyone who provided input!

This is no good

What's happening right now is that the bare grounding wire in the 10/3 feeder cable is being abused as a neutral by someone who clearly didn't know any better (as no-grounding-conductor feeders have not been Code for new installs for a while now).  You're going to need to re-terminate the cable (and probably use a box to splice some extra length in at one or both ends) and use it properly (black for one hot, red for the other hot, white for neutral, and bare for ground) in order to make this safe and Code compliant.

Also, if this is run using 10/3 cable and being fed by a 2-pole 60A breaker, then it's vastly over-breakered, and that breaker will need to be replaced with a 2-pole 30A unit while you're at it with this.

Now that you've mostly fixed it...

There's one last thing I'd like to point out, and that's the thing that looks to be a hole in the bottom left corner of the cutout box.  That hole should be able to take a 10-32 machine screw and pigtail, which you can then bundle in with the rest of the ground wires to ground the box.


Downsides to staple up radiant heat, besides cost? I'm considering doing a radiant heat retrofit into my home and removing an older forced air system. The plumber is proposing a staple up from the basement into aluminum plates with PEX tubing with a condensing boiler.

It's a big job, so I'm trying to do all my homework. Everything I have read seems to indicate there are no major downsides besides the cost, but a lot of the material out there seems to be from the radiant industry.

Can anyone enlighten me to some of the downsides of radiant floor heating?

Here are some potential downsides, besides cost (which is a big one):

Can't have central air conditioning.
How to heat the basement? I assume you plan on insulating under the PEX tubing to make most of the heat go through the floor. This makes it tough to heat the basement, if that's something you want.
Will the warm floors be noticable? For well-insulated and relatively airtight homes, the floors generally won't get warm enough to notice any improved comfort, on most days.
Slow response to weather changes - Plate-and-tube less so than in-slab tubes, but this system type can be slow to respond to fast weather changes (see p33-39 in http://www.duluthenergydesign.com/Content/Documents/GeneralInfo/PresentationMaterials/2013/Day1/hydronics-siegenthaler.pdf)
"Furnaces dry out the air" is a myth.  You didn't specifically mention this, but it is a commonly held belief that forced air heat dries out the air more than radiant heat. This is a myth. See: bookstore.ashrae.biz/journal/download.php?file=ASHRAE-D-AJ11MarHVAC-20110305.pdf


is there a solar passive water condenser (from humid air) design anywhere? i've looked around and i found only two related designs:

active electric water condenser.
solar passive water still (that distill dirty water)

not quite what i was looking for...

Finely, i've found this product. the closest i came to... although i would like to find a diy design that generates water for adults trees.


Battery start for generator We recently acquired a 20 year old Honda EM3500SX generator for use with a manual transfer switch when the utility power goes out. My wife would like to be able to operate the generator when I'm away, but pulling the starter might be beyond her abilities. The owner's manual (see below) mentions an optional battery kit, the installation of which involves connecting a battery ("rated 12V-18-35AH or more") to an existing starter motor. I have a portable car starting box, basically a big battery with jumper cables, which matches the voltage. Can I simply connect the red (positive) jumper cable to the bare screw (with red wire attached) on the starter solenoid (see photo, below), the black (negative) jumper cable to the frame, and have that function as a temporary starter battery?

Not all of those "portable car starting box" products are suitable for being permanently connected to a system with a trickle charger, which is what you would have to do. The batteries will cease to accept a charge if not sufficiently discharged periodically. So you need a system that can be on a trickle charger all of the time to be ready for action when called upon.

Normally on a piece of equipment that is used on a regular basis, like a lawn mower or tractor, the starting battery is re-charged by the alternator once the engine is running. But on a backup generator you don't run the engine often enough (you SHOULD test it monthly, but hardly anyone does...). Hence the need for the trickle charger to keep the battery ready to go. That then also adds the necessity for periodic battery maintenance as well, so keep that in mind. These are the reasons why a lot of backup generators are pull-start; all you need to start them is some Wheaties.


How to repair corner joints in window drywall returns I am doing some minor drywall repairs throughout my home and am uncertain how to properly finish the inside corners of the drywall returns. After 45 years in quake country, these joints are cracked in every window. In the attached image, I have scraped away loose joint compound to reveal the corner bead. To prevent re-cracking for as long as possible, would it be best to tape this joint, caulk it, or simply recoat with mud and pray?
Thanks for your time!

This is one of those rare cases where I'd use fiberglass mesh tape, and I'd also use setting-type compound like Easy Sand 45. Together they'll make about as strong a joint as you can get with conventional drywall materials.
First clean away any loose material down to bare metal/paper (if possible). Give the new compound a fighting chance of a good grab.


Control a light turning on from multiple switches, but not off I want to do something that seems a bit more complex to myself. I want to have 4 switches in my garage that I can use to turn on the garage lights I'll be installing. (Switch on workbench, by the door, etc). Here's where I'm stumped. I want the lights to come on when ANY switch is on but only turn off if all of the switches are off. How would I accomplish this?

Here is a quick sketch of some light switches connected in parallel:

If any switch is on, the lights are on. If all the switches are off, the lights are off.
Querent has not responded to requests for clarification of his purpose, but it's not impossible to imagine a use case for this circuit. Suppose the garage is used by several parties, who don't always know when others are present and using the lamps. With a "multi-way" circuit, someone leaving the garage might turn off the lights, leaving other users in the dark.
With the parallel switches, each user must turn on a switch when entering the garage, even if the lights are already on. This insure that he will not be left in the dark when he is the last one there. On leaving, each user must turn off the switch that he turned on when entering. (If the lights go off when he does this, then he knows he was the last one out, not that it matters.)
For completeness, here is what the "multi-way" circuit looks like:

with two "3-way" switches and two "4-way" switches.
Now, following the comment by Harper, a future owner of the property might want to convert to the multi-way behavior instead. Querent could facilitate the conversion by using the switches required for the multi-way, but using only the SPST functionality of each switch, and wiring them in parallel. Like this:

This saves the future owner buying new switches, but must be carefully and thoroughly documented or else it will be worse than useless.


How can I wire a recessed light from an existing remote controlled fan? I have a remote controlled fan/light and I am trying to fish the red (hot) unused wire that became redundant with the remote to wire a neighboring can light- my questions are?

Can that unused wire be used? that will save me from wiring a new circuit and switch.
How do I connect the white wire from the can light back in the existing circuit of the fan?

I appreciate the expert advice.

You didn't say what jurisdiction you are in - electrical codes do differ by location.

You will also need a neutral and a ground for your fixture.  You should fish a standard 14/2 wire for that.  In my area, all neutrals and all grounds should be combined in the box with wire nuts, so wire the neutral (white) and ground (bare) from the 14/2 wire that you fished to the nearby light, and connect the black wire from the 14/2 to the red wire you are referring to.

I am assuming that you would not be overloading your circuit by adding a new device (fixture).

Also, I would suggest you have an electrical inspection.  If your house burns down due to electrical fault in uninspected work you did, then your insurance could possibly deny any claim. :(

(In 2011, I rewired my 1959 house and brought it up to then-current code. And yes, I had it inspected.)


Can I pull this low voltage mounting bracket out? So my builder put in a low voltage mounting bracket, and I want to pull the thing out to put in a Powerbridge unit.

Does anyone know if I can just pull out the mounting bracket, or is it screwed into the stud somewhere?

Mine are screwed into a stud. It looks like there are coax cables in there and this plate is the access point. There some other cables in there too, might be alarm cables. I'd put a cover over this and mount your powerbridge somewhere else.


Can I put one brand of paint over a different brand of paint? I painted wood with Valspar satin finish paint, but I don't like the texture because it is rough. I was wondering if I can paint over it with a second coat of a different brand, colour matched and the same finish?

Technically yes as long as it is the same base (assuming your existing valspar paint was latex, you would need another latex paint).

The sheen or finish of your paint (flat/satin/semi/gloss) is of no concern and shouldn't provide a problem.

However, doing so likely won't do what you want.  Assuming your dissatisfaction in texture is more than simply the difference between flat/gloss paint, it means the surface you painted was likely the source of your roughness.  You need to smooth (sand) the surface before painting.


oak chair remains sticky after using formbys refininisher I am refinishing an oak chair, after using formby's refinisher, 90% of the chair is smooth and clean, however, the back slats (in this case, round) are still sticky to the touch.  I have cleaned and cleaned and used steel wool and a tacky cloth after, however they remain sticky.  any ideas.  thanks

Different wood will dry at different rates.   So if you're touching a dry part and concluding "something must be wrong since it's not all dry", just wait.

I would not muss with any painted surface which is still tacky, unless you want the mussing material permanently embedded in the coating.

There are some additives you can add to oil-based coatings to make them dry faster.

It also helps to remove humidity, so if you're in a very muggy area (e.g. Florida or Ohio), consider putting it in a room with a dehumidifier.  Don't blast the dehumidifier straight at it, or you'll stick a bunch of dust to it.

If you want to hasten drying, try putting the item in your car (put down some plastic first) and leave the car out in the sun.  As you know from tragic stories about babies and dogs, car interiors get rather warm in the direct sun. If you don't want it to get to 160F, crack a window or two.  This will make your car smell funny for a day.

Keep in mind also: Curing is not the same thing as drying.  Dry means tack-free.  Cured means the coating has polymerized and reached full strength.  Most paints have a vulnerable time when they are tack-free, but hardly begun their cure.   I once sat in a "tack free" chair only to get up and find my denim pattern imprinted on the "tack free" surface.


Using hanging pendant with heavy glass bottle? I'm thinking of purchasing several of these hanging pendants for our house, but I'll be using a glass bottle to cover the lightbulb, so the end-result is something like this: wine bottle hanging pendant.

My concern is that these glass bottles are heavy, and the weight will damage the electric cord, and eventually snap.

What do you suggest? Is it an unnecessary concern?

Is there an add-on I can purchase (or some other trick) that will support the additional weight of the bottle?

I was initially thinking of a hanging light cord, but this one has a visible light switch. The reason I selected this particular hanging pendant is because it doesn't have a visible dimmer.

I agree with your concern.  This is a lightly built pendant, and you're talking about adding a significant amount of weight to it. The pendant's electrical cord (presuming it passed UL testing)* is only made to carry what's part of it now.

The normal way to support a heavy luminaire is to use a chain (as part of the design aesthetic) or thin steel cable (if aiming to conceal) to carry the physical weight.  The electrical cord is not load-bearing at all, and simply runs through the chain/alongside the cable.  It may be possible to buy lamp cordage with the steel cable integrated.  A steel cable can serve as a grounding wire; a chain cannot.  Neutral must be an actual wire.

A third way is to use steel tubing and run the cable down the tubing.  The tubing size is limited by the minimum size for luminaire wire: 18AWG.

It may also be possible to devise a harness which supports the wine bottle only, e.g. by supporting a ring on the inside of the wine bottle -- and then, thread the luminaire through all that, so the luminaire does not bear any weight.

You can hang up to 4 pounds of weight from any junction box without having to do anything special, and I don't see this exceeding that weight.

As far as undesired lumpy switches on cords, that's irrelevant since you'll have to snip off the plug anyway. A wine bottle neck is too narrow to pass even a NEMA 1 connector through. Installing a replacement plug is Code legal, or you can hardwire straight up into a junction box.

Now there's yet another option to make this work: low voltage lighting. Low voltage devices less than 55 watts are subject to a more relaxed set of rules. This practically requires LED, but LED is very good now.

* Amazon is an "open access platform".  Amazon allows third party sellers to sell via their website and use their warehouses, which has become a superhighway for cheap Cheese junk that can't pass our safety laws (e.g. UL listing).  Brick-and-mortar retail stores like Target or Lowes generally stock legal products.  So does Amazon proper, which you can identify by This item is Sold by and ships from amazon.com in the listing.  This product is fine.

UL is one of several Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories. Also acceptable: CSA, TUV, ETL and a few others. CE is not one.


Protection from water pressure surge Is there a way to prevent damage to your pipes from a water pressure spike from the city supply? In my case, sweated and threaded copper, no PTC.

It seems like a large water hammer arrester anywhere in the system would do that, but I also have never heard of something like that.

although hammering will does not damage pipes, it can and will damage toilet and sink angle stop valves. I live in Arizona with 80-90 psi water pressure, and had to replace all. Water pressure surge absorbers cost about $35 plus installation, and is worth every penny spent. If you live in an area with high water pressure, my advice is to install one.


Repair/replace foundation vents in wooden siding? The vents into my crawlspace are cut into the wooden siding and I'm not what the correct way to repair/replace them is.  All of the examples and products I've seen show the vents in the concrete wall of the foundation, but mine are not.  My vents are also smaller than what seems to be normal.

Here's an example of what the vents look like.  You can see the wooden frame is rotted.

After removing the vent, you can see a sheet of cardboard that has insulation above it and the crawlspace below.  The wooden beam along the bottom is a 2x4 sitting on top of the concrete foundation wall.

You can see from this photo that the siding is wood.

All of the replacement vents I found were for sizes like 16" x 8" or 18" x 10".  The portion that's cut from the siding is 16 1/14" x 7 1/8" and the inside is 14" x 5 3/4".  I didn't feel like cutting a bigger hole, so I tried making my own frame from a 1.5" x 1.5".  I'm not a big fan of the result; I can see into the crawlspace pretty easy which makes me wonder if water can get in easily too.  The old vents had the horizontal boards slanting downward; I'm wondering if I need those too.

I guess I'm wondering what the best way to tackle this would be.  Should I just make new frames similar to originals?  Should I cut bigger holes and find fancy automatic vents that will fit; if so, how would that work with the siding?  Are the horizontal boards slanting downward functional or are they purely cosmetic?  I'm in the Seattle area, if that makes a difference.

The vents you removed were constructed entirely of 1x2 lumber and could be easily recreated. You'd want to use cedar or pressure-treated lumber for rot-resistance, if not a synthetic.
All cuts are square. Some corrosion-resistant screws, properly piloted and countersunk, would make them solid. Trim-head screws or splitless siding nails would secure them well.
Use a good quality exterior caulk to seal around the outside, then prime and paint.


Should I buy a drill or an electric screwdriver? I wanted to buy a drill, but some friends suggest I buy an electric screwdriver instead. They say you can use an electric screwdriver more than a drill, but I'm still unsure which to buy.

I think a drill would be more useful than an electric screwdriver.

Which would be more useful, if I could only purchase one or the other?

The screwdrivers are designed to work at a much lower RPM which makes them much more controllable.  They also have a lot more torque than the drill.  I've used both and the difference is night and day.  With the high torque of the screwdriver I have often driven screws into wood without predrilling at all.

Also the good screwdrivers have torque limiters that let you set the maximum torque--set the cutoff where you want it and when the screw is fully driven the limiter kicks in rather than snapping the head off the screw.


How should I fix this drywall hole for my bathroom paper towel holder? The bathroom paper towel holder is loose and can't be hold anymore. It was anchored on the drywall I believe. This is caused by the hole was broken.

Please see the images.

Do I need to buy a drywall to fix it? But it is too small. Thanks for your ideas.

Yes, you need to add drywall if you want to fix it so it's strong enough to hold the TP holder.

Since you have to make the repair anyway, might as well do a better job. You'll have to remove the other side of the TP holder too.

Find the location of the studs on either side of where the TP holder and make a mark 3/4" past the edge of the stud so it's in the center of the stud. Measure the distance between those marks. That's the width of your patch.

Next measure the vertical distance of the damaged drywall area. Not just the hole put poker your finger to test if there's any damaged gypsum that's still held together by the paper. This should be less than the vertical distance between the screws that mount the TP holder to the wall. If not then use that distance as a reference.

Cut out a rectangular piece of drywall to those dimensions. They sell partial sheets of drywall at the home centers so you don't have to buy and transport a full sheet. Place the patch over the area between the 4 marks you made and trace out the shape then cut out along those lines with a jab saw.

When you're buying the drywall also get a piece of lumber at least 1.5" wider than the height of the patch. So if the patch is 4" high get a 2x6 (5.5" height) cut to fit between the two studs. If you have any plumbing or wiring it might be easier to get a 1x instead of 2x. The can cut it to length for you at the home center if you don't have a saw and provide them with the measurement.

You're going to attach that piece of lumber behind the patch. You can toenail it to the studs but I think it's easier to use pocket screws. A Kreg Mini Pocket Hole Jig is fairly cheap and comes in handy for a number of projects. (I have written a comparison of Kreg Pocket Hole Jigs on my DIY blog if you're interested in buying a different model for other projects.)

Drive a long drywall screw part way in the center of the face of the lumber so you have something to hold on to. It may be helpful to draw some guidelines along the top and bottom 3/4" in from the edge to help align the piece if you don't think you can eyeball it.

Slide the lumber into the hole you cut out, align it so you have enough space to drive drywall screws into it from the existing drywall top and bottom and secure it to the side studs by either toenailing or driving screws through the pocket holes.

Place your patch and secure it with screws. Drive some screws around the existing drywall into the lumber you added to keep that from moving around and cracking the joint. Then tape and mud the patch. You may need to carefully remove the side of the door trim to do this.

When you reinstall the TP holder use wood screws that are long enough to securely fasten into the lumber you installed. It will now be strong enough to hold up to someone's death grip on it because they didn't have enough fiber or water or if they use it for some support getting off the throne.

Here's an illustration that might make it easier to understand. The drywall on the front is semi-transparent so you can see the framing behind it. Actually I just remembered you don't need to cut past the edge of the stud (the width) if you're putting framing behind it.


can I use AC top cover for Trane XR16 My contractor installed this system yesterday, at my property:

"Trane T4TTR6060C1000A RX16 5 TON XR16 A/C 16 SEER rating R410A".

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7uO-n40pIiESGJBdmhlUnFkbDQ&usp=sharing

I noticed that unit is installed under my gutters. My contractor said that it is not a problem, but the unit has an open top, and I afraid that debris, leaves and other obstacles can get inside the unit.

Question: Can I buy any top cover? So, the leaves and other debris do not get inside the unit? Something like the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Outdoor-Conditioner-Cover/dp/B003CUWQCA

These units are designed to be outside, so there's no reason to cover it. If you're really concerned about it, go ahead and cover it. Just make sure you don't restrict the airflow, as that can impact how well the unit works.

The manufacture likely recommends annual cleaning, and maintenance. Which will probably do more good for the unit than the cover.


How to build temporary walls for a temporary room I have 2 children that are here for only the summer and Thanksgiving or Christmas. We are wanting to build temporary walls for a temporary room for them in a finished basement with 9' ceilings. I have thought of cutting 12' sheets of sheetrock down and connecting 3 of them with hinges and putting them on a closet rail. The only thing that I can't figure out is what I could use for a frame around sheet rock to connect the hinges to and to make it look somewhat nice. Does anyone here have any good idea for what I could use for a frame? Or has anyone done something like this any other way? FYI, the wall will be about 12'long (3 panels) on one side and 8' long (2 panels) on the other. Thanks.

I wouldn't try to use drywall for this, plywood would be better, but it isn't readily available in 9' lengths.  You could build panels out of 1x4s like fence panels.  You could beef up and use barn door slides instead of closet slides.

Another idea, a different way to go - if you made five 9'x4' panels, 2x4 framing with 1/4" plywood on one side, you could use lag shields and screws to attach to the floor and the walls where they abut, and use carriage bolts and nuts and washers to attach them to each other.  Then maybe angle brackets at the top to keep them plumb and keep them from getting pushed over.  This would easily disassemble and reassemble with just a ratchet. When it's put away between visits, you'd just have the small holes where the panels attach to the walls and floor to look at - no major blemish.

I think I'd build the walls, assemble them, THEN add the plywood the first time.  That will be easier to adjust if things are not perfectly square and plumb, which they almost certainly are not.


GFCI Grounding Issue I'm trying to replace a two prong outlet in my garage with a GFCI.

The receptacle line is fed from a light switch on the wall, and the load runs to an outdoor(one bulb) lamp post.  The general procedure is described here except I'm replacing a two prong outlet and there is only one outgoing wire(to the lamp post).  Replacing receptacle with GFCI outlet which will be tapped for outdoor pole lantern

The incoming and outgoing wires are both three wires(black, white, uninsulated(bare copper) ground).

I'm feeding the load through the gfci rather than pigtailing.  However, when I connect the incoming and outgoing ground to the gfci and flip the breaker the gfci trips.  When I disconnect the ground the gfci lights up properly.  If I connect the incoming ground only it also lights up.

Any ideas on this?  Keep in mind the old outlet was not a three prong(I can't recall the exact way the ground were wired previously) so it had no grounding for anything that was connected.  I read through all related topics and no one describes the exact scenario.

Sounds like you have a ground fault. Remove the bulb and disconnect the wiring from the GFCI. Measure the resistance between all of the wires. It should be infinite (open circuit). Any other value indicates a fault between the wires.


How to pour a concrete walkway directly up to a T style foundation This is a side cutaway drawing of an existing 1930's stucco wall, showing the stucco in red and the original foundation.  There is no weep screed, and originally the stucco was troweled right up to the then-current ground level.

This is a Mediterranean climate non-freezing area with expansive clay soil. For drainage reasons the new walkway must direct water away from the house.

What's the best way to pour a new walkway right up to such a foundation edge?  How high would you set the top of the walkway, compared to the foundation?  What sort of expansion joint, if any, would you place?  The choices seem to be to bond the walkway to the existing foundation, potentially increasing consequences of movement.  Or, try for a really thin expansion gap (tar paper?).

If you're relying on the walkway for water or damp proofing, you're on the wrong path... so to speak. You've got lots of options but if you don't stop the bulk of the water before it gets to the house it'll be a problem later. Water is the enemy. Divert it as far from the problem as possible.

You haven't given us enough information to help you. I'd need a rough site plan showing the slopes out to the best lot low spot and some detailed photos. Otherwise we're just guessing.

The concrete will never be any larger than the day you pour it. Same with the masonry. No "expansion" joints required, however there IS a product that may help you... It's a pvc drain the same size and shape and placement AS an expansion joint, do a search. If you can't stop the water before it gets to the wall, all you can really do is make sure it goes away really fast, and though I've only used it once, it handles a LOT of water if you keep it clean. Install per instructions over FULLY MECHANICALLY COMPACTED CLEAN GRAVEL, OVER FULLY COMPACTED FREE DRAINING SOIL ONLY, GET THE EXPANSIVE CLAY OUT OF THERE... then caulk the l.s. out of it with commercial grade, urethane self-leveling, thixotropic caulk. Don't cheat... No bond breaker necessary.

Put a foot or two of clean stone under the "slab" to the site drain. Line the excavation with filter fabric.. it's cheap. Then install filter fabric OVER that stone and then decorative gravel over that. 4" ought be good. Run a plate compactor over it til it rings. Then, instead of the concrete/PVC, the whole walkway becomes your drain. The more I think about it, do that.


What could cause a Trane furnace to not start heating? I have a newer (2007?) Trane XL90 (model: tdx2b080a9422aa)forced air gas furnace. The problem I am having is the burner and fan will not start. The thermostat is set at 67 degrees and shows it is calling for heat but no heat. Noticed it started coming on and off intermittently over the last few days. I took a multimeter to the ignitor and its not reading ohms. Have not checked the flame sensor yet. Should I? Also the fan is on on the thermostat, however it will not start on the furnace. Is this a startup sequence issue? the fan should start first I believe. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have the same issue... I did the filter change, checked all the thermoswitches then it worked for a few hours then no heat LED flashing 4 times. Then I measured the voltage from the 24V transformer and the voltage would vary from 11V to 19V max. Replace transformer and furnace is working perfectly.


Can I reuse the aluminum feeder wire when I replace a sub-panel? I'm rewiring my 1957 house because there was no ground. I have a main panel and a subpanel in the crawlspace that currently only give power to the gas furnace. I want to add the air conditioner on the subpanel (30amp breaker), a 20 amp breaker for microwave and some outlets in kitchen, a 15amp for furnace, and a 20 amp for my bathrooms outlets.

Can I keep aluminium wire feeder? What size breaker at the main panel? I understand I need a ground kit for my subpanel, can I install it anywhere in the panel? Thank you.

That sub has a laundry list of issues.  It probably has to go.

First, it can't be in a space unless it can be walked to by an erect human being, who can stand up, and there's a never-blocked space 30" wide x 36" deep x 78" tall in front of the panel.   Crawlspaces are Right Out unless "crawlspace" is slang for an underfinished part of your basement.

Generally the best place for panels is in mandatory pathways that cannot be blocked with stuff, such as hallways or entrance thresholds.  Because that required working space overlaps with the pathway space which is already reserved, and it is unlikely to be blocked in since it's a practical pathway.

Second, it's wired "3-wire" with 2 hots, a neutral, and no ground.  First, there needs to be a ground wire (this could be retrofit if the location wasn't prohibited), and second, neutral needs to be entirely separate from ground.  Not sharing a bar.

You can retrofit an accessory ground bar in those panels which don't include them from the factory.  You can force-fit them anywhere by drilling and tapping #10-32 or 8-32 screws, but the manufacturer usually leaves you some holes perfectly spaced, formed and pre-tapped for their ground bars. Ground bars are one of the few things that are OK to mix-n-match across panels, but then the holes won't line up, and they're so cheap that who cares?

A ground could be retrofit normally, but since this panel location is no good, the panel must be moved anyway.  So you can't upcycle this cable for a new panel installation - you'll have to run modern 4-wire including ground.

Third, this panel is much too small to be useful. It's likely that a lot of projects were not pursued because of the lack of sufficient spaces to support them.  Aim for a 24 or 30 space.  It's OK if the panel ampacity exceeds the feed breaker, just as it's legal to drive 70 mph on 130-mph-rated tires.


Best way to get power to stair lights I'm looking to install a stair light above my stairs. I plan on using a proper box, stress clamp, and all that. The wiring will have to come from my basement, through the wall. The question I have is the best way to wire this up to power.

Ideally I would run the cable through the wall, between the studs, to the nearest wall outlet and hook it up there. The issue is this is not very close and I'd have to go through several studs; plus I am not very comfortable fishing wires through walls. It would be 100x easier to use something like an open-ended extension cord: the open end gets wired to the light, and then I run the extension cord to the outlet and simply plug it in.

What are possible pitfalls with this? I plan on securing the cord to the wall, and using the correct stress relief in the box. I'd like to get the smallest extension cord possible, as I'm going to be pulling 3 watts at most.

Related question: can I make this open-ended cord myself, or this that a bad idea? I'm confident it would work just fine, but warranty, building codes, and all that.

Thanks!

By definition an extension cord is a flexible cord and is covered under NEC Chapter 400. NEC 400 will tell you a flexible cord is not approved as a permanent wiring system. In the strictest interpretation of the NEC the minute you secure a flexible cord to a dwelling with just one staple or other permanent method, it becomes part of the permanent wiring system.

So NO you can't use an extension cord to connect to your light fixture as you have described.

You can only use a permanent wiring system that is approved for running in an exposed area and all of those methods and materials can be found in NEC Chapter 300.

No need to answer the related question.

Good luck.


Can you identify this kind of pipe? I have a drain pipe for a shower. I need to attach a new pvc drain to it for a kerdi shower base. How can I tell if this is cast iron or galvanized, or something else? I'm assuming I will need to cut off that flange on top prior to doing anything.

For the record, house was built in 1956 in Hampton, Virginia. Main stack is cast iron, also lots of galvanized for other drains.

Pipe is cast iron . The collar/flange is likely brass.


Righting a stone column that is tilting I have concrete driveway piers with a stone facade and one of them is tilting like the leaning tower of Pisa. How can I right it and keep it stable?

How handy are you? Plan to hand dig or use machines? You could do several things. My dad has successfully chained one to the truck, pulled it over past upright, dug out underneath it on one side, dumped crushed gravel and or concrete, let it back down, pull to the other side and repeat. You could also use a tractor that could lift it out of place, excavate the area and re-do the foundation. If you plan to make it permanent, lay the column down, drill holes and add rebar to them, then upon re-placing it, sink the rebar into a bed of concrete properly prepared.


Are refrigerators really set to die after five years? A friend says that his friend (who works at an appliance store) told him that refrigerators after 2002 have an HFC container that is set to expire after five years, and then your fridge stops working until you get the canister replaced. Sort of like a water filter if your filter refused to let water pass through when it expired. On one hand, this seems like a great story to tell someone if you want to sell extended warranties. On the other hand, maybe it is regulation taken to an extreme, if you force consumers to replace the refrigerant every five years it probably won't get to the point where it leaks and it can be disposed of safely. Does anyone know of any evidence for this?

Not true in the USA. The refrigerant is all contained within the sealed system: compressor, evaporator, and condenser. While the life expectancy of refrigerators does seem to have greatly diminished in the last decade they rarely fail because of refrigerant leaks.  I am a refrigerator repair person and the majority of problems I encounter are defrost, air flow, ice maker, and control related problems.

My feeling is the target life expectancy for new refrigerators is 10-15 years but there will probably be a repair or two needed in that time.

Hope that helps some!


Buzzing on laptop, stove and other electrical devices in Canary Islands I have a friend who has moved to the Canary Islands (Spain) for a while.  She has told me that there is a buzzing that she feels when she touches many of the electrical devices.  I noted something similar when I was in Italy when I plugged in my laptop but the ground lead wasn't touching (strange plug on a power bar).  In the Canary Islands, there is no 3 prong plugs, only 2 prong.

So what I'm thinking is that this is more than likely a grounding issue.  I told her this and she told her landlord.  He stated that grounding on volcanic rock is very difficult.  Also, their water pipes are plastic, not metal like in the older houses in Canada, so grounding to that is not possible either.

So I have two questions:

Is the buzzing just an annoyance or is it in any way indication of a possible situation that could happen that is more dangerous?
She lives on a cliff overlooking the ocean, so I was wondering, if she were to get a big spool of wire, connect the offending appliances and the 3rd prong of her laptop to the wire, and throw the other end of the spool into the water (obviously stripping that end so that it is exposed), weighted down by rocks.  Would that be an acceptable ground?

I am in the Canaries at the moment and their attitude to electricity supply and grounding is cavalier to say the least. There is no clear standard as to what is live and what is neutral. The plugs and sockets (Spanish) do normally have a connection for ground but what it is connected to is usually a mystery.

If she is there for a while I would suggest getting a long piece of rebar (2m+) and hammering it into the ground close to the building (diagonally will do if there is rock below). Make the earth connection to this.


What should I look for in a diamond blade? I'm considering a 7" diamond blade for a circular saw, to be used to cut cement type pavers and short runs of concrete (driveway/sidewalk).

Some blade designs are segmented/slotted, some not. Prices vary widely. What criteria differentiate the available models?

IMHO the main one that matters is "dry .vs. wet or wet/dry" - since you are using it in a normal saw which is not set up for coolant, you'll need a dry or wet/dry type blade. While I have known people dumb enough to try to rig up a water drip on a saw not designed for it, I definitely consider it a dumb move, as water gets into all sorts of things that are not designed to keep it out.

After that it's just shopping (i.e. pick a brand you trust, or the cheapest one you can find, depending on your personal preferences.) Shopping falls outside the scope of this site.

You might want to consider renting a wet saw, since using a dry blade in a saw is arguably somewhat abusive to the saw from dust being pulled in by the motor cooling fan. You will need to wear a dust mask, a well. A wet-type saw is going to greatly reduce the airborne dust, but they are generally too expensive to purchase for a non-pro - however, they can usually be rented.


How can I raise the level of an existing paved patio? We recently had our back garden paved but the level is lower than I would like it to have been, leaving a big step from the kitchen door to the patio.

Is it feasible to pave over the slabs, or even to reuse them over a raised floor?

You could probably add another layer of pavers right over that old patio, it can support the weight. The other option would be to removed all the slabs, then add and compact down an inch or two layer of stone dust to raise the area.


Switch designed to take #14 only I am using a 15 amp rated switch that only has 14 gauge stab in connections.  The house is wired with #12 with 20 amp breakers for the lighting circuits.  If I made #14 THHN whips that would stab into my switches and then connect to the #12 in the house would that meet code?

Back to the store it goes.
Switches which only take backstab connections are the cheapest of the builder/slumlord grade cheap.
Backstab connection, in general, are bad news - while legal, they are widely known to be unreliable.  They tend to knock out half your circuit and send you on a frustrating "bug hunt" - hang out here for a week and you'll see 2-3 such questions pop up.
Further, backstab connections can only be used once because pulling the wire out fatigues the spring.  I have a hunch this is a used one, and into the trash that goes!
New builder-grade switches are about 75 cents and have side screws.  New spec-grade switches are $3 and allow screw-to-clamp (2 wires under each screw; no backstab) which is safe to reuse.
No part of a 20A circuit can be #14 wire.
None.  You simply need to use appropriate hardware. That ain't it.
You do not need to use the expensive 20A-rated switches, unless the load you are switching is actually that big :)


How can I bore a hole through a framing member, without causing a lot of damage to the wall covering? I am putting in a new thermostat. I cut a 1" hole in the wall at about eye level. I have an endoscopic camera and i see that at about 3 feet off the floor there is a wooden board that runs parallel to the floor.

What do professionals do in such a situation?
I was thinking of cutting another 1 inch hole right above the board, and then trying to drill through it at an angle, and hope that it is not too thick.

I should mention that i also have access from the basement, but there is a beam directly under the wall that i am working on, so i cant just drill a hole from under there - more over i would need a very long bore, which i do not own.

Its an old 1930s house - if that makes a difference

Best way to work through this is with a flexible drill bit.  Most common length is 6'. You can either drill down from your hole or up from your basement. There is a tool to help you guide the bits:

(source: homedepot.com)

(source: homedepot.com)

If 6' is not long enough you can buy bit extensions.  Most of the bits have a small hole at the end of the bit you can use to attach a pull string once the bit is drilled through to its destination; this making pulling a wire back through relatively easy.  They are also usually self-tapping so you just aim it where you want and let the drill do the rest of the work.

Make sure to mark any important infrastructure like power and gas lines - you don't want to hit any of those while drilling.


How can I reattach this pivot bracket for bifold doors to the wall? I decided to repaint my bedroom a few weeks ago.  I removed the closet door in preparation for it, then painted the room.  I went to reattach the closet door and noticed that the pivot bracket on the ground wasn't screwed in to anything.  Looking closer, it seems that the drywall it was attached to has disintegrated.

Bracket near the wall:

Close up of the wall

What should I do in order to re-attach this bracket to the wall?

I would expect that behind the drywall at the bottom is a 2x4 plate running horizontally that the vertical studs rest on.  The bracket should be low enough that you can use a 2 inch screw and anchor to that.

You may want to repair the drywall before you put the bracket back.  Its hard to tell from the photos if the damage is light enough that you can fill it with joint compound or if you will need to patch the drywall. See this question for drywall repair tips.


heat pump/air conditioning wiring to thermostat We decided to change the thermostat of our heat pump/air conditionnning unit.
First 3 images are the old unit. The first 3 wires(1 and 2 picture) yellow red orange were not connected to anything, just hanging in the wall. the 4 image is the new thermostat. Now the problem I have is that my system doesn't cool only hot air comes out.If I put back the old thermostat everything works fine. reason why I believe the problem is my wiring?

1 and 2 are robertshaw 10-529 temperature sensor/
3 is old york thermostat/
and 4 is the new thermostat honeywell rth 8500

I found the solution by playing with it. On the new thermostat, remove the blue and grey wires, as they are just relays to the temperature sensor. Black goes to C, and link E and AUX. In the thermostat settings, go to option 170 and change it to option 2 for heat-pump settings. This process did the trick for me.


Determine which wire goes to which switch? We had an electrician do some wiring, including wiring two set of switches. The wiring could not be completed because the ceiling needed to be taken down. So he left enough wire to do the wiring later so that we could finish the walls. Now that the ceiling is down the electrician is not available. I could easily do this myself but I don't know which of the two wires goes to which switch as he didn't label them.

Besides hooking up a light and switch temporarily, is there some way to tell which wire goes to which switch?

Connect an insulated wire in one of the cables to a hot wire, or, if the cables are already wired to switches, just make sure one switch is on and the other off, then test for voltage at the far end using a non-contact AC voltage detector (Walmart $6).


Stamped concrete is dangerously slippery We had a contractor put in a new walkway of stamped concrete. He applied a wax coating to protect it. Now, whenever it snows the combination of snow and wax makes it extremely slippery -- like walking on an ice rink.

Is there a way we can change the concrete surface? The contractor doesn't return my calls.

That's a tricky one. Wax? It's supposed to be sealed but not with wax. If you can't identify exactly what it's composition is you'll have to resort to trial and error. Test removal methods in small inconspicuous areas. It may be extremely hard to remove the finish in winter. I would start with gentle solvents and progress up to etchants (acid that will actually eat a fine layer of concrete. Aggressive treatment will change the look of the concrete and will need to be resealed in the appropriate weather conditions. I would use salt and sand for the remainder of the winter and address it in the spring.


Should I install a moisture barrier behind drywall in house with T1-11 siding? My home interior walls are thick redwood paneling in the bay area mountains.
i'm about to start removing the wood in my second bedroom and want to install a moisture barrier on the 1 outside wall of the room.

I found this page: http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infenergysavers/infthickenwalls.html
describing the process of making a wall thicker by converting to a 2x6 stud allowing for more insulation. The last step before the drywall went on was covering the wall with a cellophane moisture barrier.

My question is, will adding this moisture barrier to the inside of my walls raise potential for damage inside the wall? There is currently insulation and T1-11 siding and no moisture barrier on either side of the wall.

Increasing your wall thickness to facilitate 6in insulation is a fine idea, can't hurt. A vapor barrier of 4 mil plastic with taped seams should always be installed between the insulation and drywall. this will stop moisture from the outside from penetrating the back of the drywall and conversely, humidity from inside collecting in the insulation. T111 siding is notorious for not being a tight exterior sheathing, especially when installed without a backer such as OSB or plywood covered with a layer of Tyvec. The interior of the wall will vent itself and ambient moisture in the wall will not be a problem in most cases, as long as there is not any water infiltration into the cavity, you will be fine.


Patching a cracked concrete/brick walkway A smallish part of the concrete/brick walkway leading up to my front door has broken off. The cracked piece is about six inches long by two inches wide.

How do I go about repairing this? Is this something I can reasonably do on my own? I have zero experience or knowledge in working with masonry.

Thanks

Looking at your pic, I think you have a couple of problems to solve. the reason the bricks broke in the first place is that the base under the edge of the bricks is too low or uneven. This cause the edge of the bricks to break under pressure. I also see that the crack has traveled further to the inside brick and that one as well as the mortar joint is cracked.

I think you really need to remove the broken bricks, clean off the mortar best you can, then fix the base and replace the bricks and mortar. Simply use a cold chisel, and hammer to remove the broken bricks and mortar.  Lay in some fine base, (stone dust, or similar), compact it well with a block and mallet. Moistening the base material helps a bit here. Dry fit the bricks to check the base height, then butter the replacement bricks, place them and point the joints.

I would also be checking the other edge bricks to assure there are no voids under the edge, or the same thing will happen to other bricks. If there are voids, try packing fill under them and along the outside border. The edges of these bricks need to be on a solid base or you will continue to have broken edges and cracked mortar.


Motion Sensor control on a carport light, with "over-ride" or "reversing" action from a 2 or 3 way light switch This project is to create a "security" system to light up the carport anytime someone enters or drives into the carport, but also with the ability to be remotely turned on for security suspicions or on/off for convenience use.

You really need to go with smart switches/sensors and a smart light -- the kind that gives you a simple programming language so you can define how each sensor and switch action behaves. That way you can program exactly the effect you want for each of the large variety of conditions.

You're creating a lot more combinations of potential conditions than you think you are.  Just to name a few:

Light off, sensor detected motion, light on.  User threw switch.  Now what?
The above happened and now after 1 minute there is motion again.
Motion sensor detects motion.  User operates switch within 1 second.  Is this commanding the motion sensor off, or did user see/hear same thing?
Motion sensor times out, and turns light off. User operates switch within 1 second.  Is this a command to turn the light back on?
Light is turned on 6 hours ago because of manual command and it is now daylight.

The usual blunder here is doing the minimum wiring necessary to make the various items connect, and then expecting the assembly to do exactly what a butler would do.  They won't.

If you want to keep it simple, just have 2 lights - one under control of the switches, one with the motion sensor.


Ceiling light with push connector but 3 white wires in box I just purchased a new ceiling light that uses push connectors rather than bare wires. My electrical box has a single black wire, and 3 white wires that are tied together. The old fixture's white was twisted into the 3 white wire connection. How should I work my light's connection - should I cut off the push connector and follow the previous method, or would there be a better approach?

You'll need to pigtail the whites to the fixture's neutral connection with a short length of white wire that connects the bundle of whites to the connector.