How could I address this dead space between my stair case and this wall? Because the renovators squeezed a half bathroom in the space beside/under the stairwell, there is an awkward 3-4" dead space between the banister and the stairwell wall (pics below).

I've never quite seen anything like this, so I'm a bit puzzled as to how I could eradicate this space.

It might be helpful to know that both the stairs and the adjacent hallway are already quite narrow (25 in. or 63.5 cm each).

I think I'd go with part of my original answer, but leave the railing as-is. Take the balusters out for all treads above the new wall. Replace the treads and risers with longer ones that extend all the way to the wall, closing the gap. Replace the balusters. Done deal. I wouldn't even mess with the framing.

You'll have a little bit of wasted tread space along the wall, but it'll be much less odd than a deep gap. The lowest riser would notch over the wall over the new doorway. It looks like a very clean situation from here.

[original answer]

Were it my home I'd return the handrail into the wall and widen the five upper stairs to the wall, filling in as appropriate above the bathroom door casing to the first wide tread.

I can't see what's going on with the soffit/ceiling above the lower hall, but you might also be able to extend the wall above the bathroom door to meet the stairs, and either terminate the railing there or run it past/above the wall, which will either have a ledge at the top or run all the way to the high ceiling.


How to fix a leaking pipe? Kitchen pipe is leaking, I think I have identified the leaking is the red circle.

I should not apply glue or any kind of sealant, should I?
What if I tighten it with a spanner and it still leaks? Wrap it up with a piece of clothes?

Thanks

Well those stupid infomercials would say to "wrap it in flex tape," don't do that, or wrap it in rags. (Fiber fix would be better then both, but please fix it properly.)

That looks like a copper compression fitting. As such just tightening it probably will not stop the leak. There is a small chance that will work, it may have just worked its way loose over the years so start by simply tightening it, a little. Do not over tighten it. After a compression fitting is tight over tightening it will only make it worse.

Unfortunately if it still leaks it is a bit of work. Turn off the water, open up the fitting and replace the brass compression ring in side there. The trouble comes in getting the old ring off. You will either need a compression ring puller or a compression ring cutter (a rotary cutoff tool can be used, but be very careful not to damage the pipe).

With the new ring on, tighten the fitting down it is about one turn after it makes contact.


Preventing Water Heater Leak? I’m about to close on a house next week and the water heater is located in the attic. It’s 17 years old and I’m nervous about the damage it will cause if it ever leaked. I want to replace it with a tankless as soon as possible before I move in.
Is there anything I can do to prevent it from leaking? If the gas is turned off while utilities  get switched to my name will that cause it to leak? Is it a good idea to turn the water heater off as soon as I close on the house?

First of all even a tankless WH can leak, so in a vulnerable spot like an attic, you should have a drain pan under it to catch any leaks and route the water to a drain.  Same with a standard tank WH.  In fact, many AHJs require such for tank WHs at least.
If that's not present, you should shut off the water to the tank and drain it.  That will ensure that it won't leak until you get it replaced.
The house is not your responsibility until you close, so for now it's the current owners problem.  You could request a walk-through a few hours before the closing, and such things are not uncommon.  You should also be sure you get possession immediately upon closing so that you can go right to the properly afterwards and make sure it's all secure.


How to wire subpanel back to back for portable generator I bought a 12Kw Pulsar G12KBN portable generator with a 50Amp outlet to power my house and my 4ton AC during Louisiana storm seasons (last year we had 6 storms) and I'm looking for best recommendation on how to go about hooking it up to my house. All YouTube videos out there are pretty easy to follow but they have regular panels with Main breaker shutoff in them. (Not my case) which is why I'm struggling to find an answer.
My house has a 200A Main Panel outside with the meter combo on it and including the 100Amp breaker to the garage sub-panel which feeds my whole house, 40Amp oven breaker and 40AMp AC breaker however I have no Main disconnect, but I have 3 service disconnects.
Please advise how should I go about installing a transfer switch or do I need an interlock switch? or what do I need in my case? If you can draw a diagram that would be nice. Attached are pictures of my panels.

My idea is to add a subpanel with a main disconnect right next to it and move just the garage subpanel and the AC into this one and disconnect it from the grid with an interlock kit. So I'd be moving the 100Amp and 40Amp breakers only and adding a 50Amp breaker from the generator receptacle. Now what rating Panel would I need? Can I get away with 100Amp panel or 150A or do I need a 200A panel connected to same rating breaker in the meter combo panel? See the drawing.
How do I wire neutrals and ground in all the panels, and what gauge wires between them?

Morning guys, wow i'm suprised how many people are willing to help, thank you so much.
@ThreePhaseEel - i did the measurements for you and my multimeter showed that there is continuity between the neutral and ground on generator's receptacle, it was beeping showing 0.2 on the screen.
@Harper - from a little googling for outdoor panels this one came up to fit my needs and the price is good, its a a big panel even bigger than the meter combo, but i couldnt find something smaller IN STOCK :) and the reason i bought the stuff is the shortage, and i'll better buy it then take it back if not needed than wait for it for months. This was the last panel in stock at Lowes :). I dont really care about the feed through lugs. It came with it so it is what it is.
From a little research i want to mention that i will be hooking up a soft start switch to my AC and that should be sufficient to run the AC on my generator.
i'll be attaching some pics with my intended location for panel and softstart switch that i bought.

The meter panel is a "rule of 6" panel. You're on the right track: interlocking that is probably impossible so re-arranging things is a good plan. The hard part is that there are so many valid ways of doing the job it may be difficult to choose.
Your proposed idea is a good one. Not having done any demand calculations, but knowing that there isn't a huge difference in cost between 100A, 150A, and 200A main-breaker panels, I'd suggest you choose a 200A main-breaker panel. Keep in mind that's only its limit -- it's perfectly fine that you might feed it from a breaker less than 200A at the meter panel. You'll need to check the label on the meter panel to find out what types and ampacities of breakers are approved for use there. Finding a branch circuit breaker larger than 100A may prove challenging (or costly).
An alternative is to move the A/C and oven breakers into the existing subpanel. It appears to be convertible to main-breaker type by removing the two hot lugs and installing a QOM2 main breaker in the space at the top. Labeling on the panel will confirm. The panel is nearly full so you'll need to remove some of the existing breakers and use tandem or quad breakers to pack it tighter. You could then add the interlock right into this panel. There are two interlock kits for Homeline panels. From one glance it looks like HOMCGK2C is the one you would need, but of course you'll need to verify. A drawback of this approach is that the entire house would effectively sit behind a 100A main. If this existing subpanel is rated for more current you could choose the 150 or 200A main breaker for it, upgrade the feeder wiring to the meter panel, and put a larger breaker in the meter panel just as in the solution you originally proposed.
Another possibility is to replace the meter panel. Get a new meter-main which does have a main disconnect breaker, supports an interlock, and has plenty of spaces available. It is perhaps daunting, but the process goes something like this:

get building permit if required in your area
ask electric utility for a temporary disconnect (my utility does this at no charge)
remove the old panel, install the new
get work inspected
ask electric utility to re-connect


How to improve sound isolation of an interior door? Interior doors of the type frequently used in rented housing (I'm speaking in particular of apartments) seem to be hollow and do not do a very good job of sound insulation. If for example a laundry room was behind the doors a great deal of the sound from the laundry room would be transmitted to the rest of the apartment.

In which ways could one (price-efficiently) insulate these doors, such that sound transmissions would lessened?

A sound blanket on the laundy side would be simple.  See my answer here

Drilling and foaming the door with low expansion, door and window polyurethane foam.  The trick will be figuring out where the cardboard internal baffles go.  I would fill a horizontal row of 3 holes equally spaced, every foot.  Allow some time between fillings to let foam setup. (but not so long for the nozzle to clog (10 min?)


How do I handle a thin strip of vinyl plank flooring against a wall? I am removing carpet and putting in vinyl plank flooring.
I have finished the living room and am moving onto the family room. These two rooms are connected through a passage and separated by a wall in between. I got to the point where I need to install flooring along the edge of the wall of the second room and I need a strip about 3/4" wide to keep the flow. I am not removing the baseboard, but I do plan on installing shoe molding once done.

Are there are risks with installing a 3/4" strip of flooring?
If so, how do I mitigate the risks without undoing everything that's done so far?

There is a gap between baseboard and floor and it's large enough in some areas to slide the flooring underneath, should I consider that?

Most modern vinyl flooring locks together securely, and since you're putting down shoe I'd have no concerns--if the plank can't lift it can't come loose. I recently did my laundry room and had this same issue for part of a wall. It's not always possible to plan away such scenarios. My flooring has no problems.
Don't do anything hacky like larger moldings. That'll look lazy and amateurish. Just stick to the recipe and take care to get as good a bond as possible.


Do I need to upgrade other circuits if I only plan to change one? (San Francisco, California)

I plan to run a new dedicated circuit for a kitchen appliance, and to get up to code also move the bathroom to its dedicated circuit as well. This is an old house.

The other 10 circuits in the house are not afci protected. I do not plan to touch them. I have a permit for the scope of work I wrote on the application.

When the inspector comes, will they expect me to upgrade the breakers for the other circuits so the whole house is compliant, or just the two that is in my scope of work?

The ultimate arbiter is your AHJ. Don't be afraid to ask.

My experience in the area (less City proper, more peninsula) is that you won't have to change untouched circuits.


Will wall anchors work when screwed into a stud? I'm installing some Lack floating shelves from IKEA. I have two holes into the drywall with anchors (the metal kind with large threads), and one hole into the stud.

The problem is, I got confused and screwed a wall anchor into the wooden stud. I was pre-drilling holes for the anchors, so there's also a hole (larger than the screw) in the stud. The anchors say they are fine to use with wood, but what do you guys think? Do I need to back these out and start over, or will these hold my shelves like this? I am expecting the shelves to hold 20–30 lbs.

Typically you would remove them, however the anchor you are using is marketed as a "stud solver" meaning that it can be driven into a stud.  I think it is fine to leave them.

If you were using small plastic drywall anchors then I'd definitely remove them and drive a screw directly into the stud.


Re-painting drywall after patching leaves tones I patched a few scrapes and small holes in the drywall, then got a can of color-matched paint in the hardware store (I took a sample with me, they color-matched it and prepared the paint). It is a white color anyways.

However after I applied a first coat, I clearly see that there is a difference in color tones on the wall - the new coat is "darker" then the original one. So I applied the 2nd coat at one part of the wall to see any changes - but I see no difference.

Was I supposed to apply a primer first? Isn't it late now to apply it and then re-paint?

Thanks.

Three things:

Yes, you were supposed to apply a primer.
Fresh joint compound and drywall soak up paint like crazy.  The primer serves to seal the joint compound and drywall and create a consistent surface.  However, you've already painted - and the paint will do the same thing - just not as effectively and you'll probably need to do a third coat.

Paint takes time to cure and changes color as it does
It takes about 30 days for paint to cure fully - and usually the color will deepen as it does - so after your 3rd coat let it set a week and see if it's starting to blend in.

Your paint may never match perfectly
Paint age matters - and no matter how good the technology, 2 cans of paint are 2 cans of paint.  Pro's who get multiple cans of paint at a time for a room will blend the 2 together before painting to ensure uniformity.  Obviously it's too late for you to do that - your old paint was dry - but worst case if you really can't stand it after it's cured - just paint the one wall with a new coat.  Having a whole wall be slightly off color won't stand out anywhere near as much as having a spot of paint off color.


Why is the drywall in my garage sagging? The drywall on my garage ceiling is sagging badly. Is this because it's too thin (I think it's 1/2" and I guess it's supposed to be 5/8") or is it because of humidity or something else? If I re-drywall the ceiling with 5/8" fire resistant (I think that's the code requirement) should I use some kind of sealer on it?

The problem is because sheetrock does weaken a little over time, and with moisture, but the reason you are seeing it sounds like you just haven't used enough fixing points.

Usually you would fix to joists no more than 24" apart, and separate your screws on each joist by 16", which gives you a structure which can even cope with small amounts of water leakage without damage .

If you have joists already present, then you may be able to push the sheetrock back up and nail it correctly, however it may already be permanently warped - this will depend on just how far the bowing is.

I would guess though, that you don't have joists at that spacing - otherwise the sheetrock would probably be fixed to it already - so you will want to remove it all, fix joists and use new sheetrock. (This will be a fun job - especially if the existing stuff is a bit damp - bring friends to help bring it down otherwise you will have an exceedingly messy afternoon)


Why would I run out of water for a few seconds and then get full pressure back When I turn the water on for a few minutes I get great pressure and then the water totally stops.  After 2-30 seconds the water comes back on and seems fine for the duration.  At first I thought it was only in the shower but recently it has also happened on my outdoor faucet.

I have not changed anything except that we seemed to be getting a lot more sediment in the water so we totally replaced the whole house filter.  But the water was shutting off before that.

If you have well water, you almost certainly have a pressure tank. The well pump runs until the pressure in the tank (and the overall system) is up to a predesignated level, then shuts off. The tank pressure then pushes water through the system until the pressure drops to a lower predetermined level. Then the pump motor kicks in again. This is supposed to maintain a relatively even pressure at the faucets.

If your pressure tank is not functioning (there is an air valve and an internal separator between water and the air in the tank and the water, either of which can cease to work correctly) this can interfere with maintaining satisfactory pressure and can cause the pump motor to run too frequently. There is also a pressure guage/valve/relay setup, usually a short pipe stem off the main water line near the pressure tank.  If that pipe or valve get clogegd or optherwise stop working properly, the relay doesn't trip at the right time and the pressure can drop very low (even to zero) before pump kicks in again, raising the pressure.

You need someone to determine whether it is the tank or the pressure guage setup that is not functioning and act accordingly.  Tanks are several hundreds of dollars, but a pressure valve fix is much less.


Does unthreaded portion of bolts fit through hole? I'm getting replacement for some M5 x 30mm hex bolts. The original ones are fully threaded, i.e. the whole shank length. The ones I can find have an unthreaded portion (i.e. grip) but their overall length matches the original.

I wonder if the unthreaded portion can also fit through the hole because I need the whole length inside the wedge that the bolt goes into. Or does the bolt stop where the threaded portion ends?

Unthreaded portions of bolts are generally just a tick under their nominal diameter.  So an 8mm bolt might be 7.8mm across the shaft.

Typically, the OD of threaded areas is smaller than that, so it might be an issue. You also have the possibility of bottoming out the threads if the screw goes deep into the threaded portion.


Electrical outlet wiring question How serious a problem is it for an outlet's ground wire to be extended from an outlet that is part of a different circuit than the circuit providing the power and neutral wires?
I have an old fashioned fuse box - if a fuse blows for the circuit associated with the ground wire then does that mean that an outlet connected to that  ground wire is no longer grounded even though it will still be getting power since it is associated with a different circuit? That is the one potential problem I can see with this set up but just wondering if this is how it works, and/or if there are other problems associated w this set up.
Thanks!!

Before National Electrical Code 2014, this was not allowed.  However, if your area has adopted the 2014 version of the code, this is now legal as long as both circuits originate from the same panel (250.130(C)(4)).

See this answer for more detail.


What could be causing my furnace burners to fire up, then shut off due to partially open door? I have a 10 year old Carrier gas furnace that keeps shutting off every 24-48 hrs. First I thought it might be the flare sensor but then I checked the bottom door and it wasn't completely closed. I opened it and then closed it again properly and the furnace started running just fine. Then after a day or two, I noticed the same thing happening again - furnace trying to come on but burners would shut off after a few seconds. I opened and closed the door again and voila - everything was back to normal. A day or two later ... same thing happens again. I was thinking to tape that door but I know it's only a temporary fix. What's causing all this? Why is that door opening ever slightly after a day or two? What can I do to fix this permanently?

There's likely a switch that senses when the door is ajar attached somewhere near the edge of the door opening. Sometimes the switch presses against a little feltlike pad that can become depressed over time. That'll release the switch and tell the furnace that the door is open when it's not. Replacing or thickening that pad may well solve your problem. Oh yes, while you're in there: cleaning the pilot, sensor, and blowing out the burner box is always a good idea.


How to cut curved legs for a table I'm planning to build a bed-side table and wish to build it with gently curved legs. I'm planning to recycle wood some old hardwood doors by cutting the blocks out with a circular saw, then cutting the curve in with a jigsaw.

Now the questions:
Do I need a planer with a curved base to get a nice finish on the curve? Will a manual planer work best in this case? Power planers with a curved base seem pretty rare.

In order to keep the legs strong, do I need to ensure that the centre part of the leg runs from the top to the bottom of the leg without being cut?

BTW: my chippie skills are so-so. I've build simple furniture-like things before, but pretty simple ones.

User is right saying you should cut the rough shape with a band saw.  If you don't have one, you can use a jig saw but use the most rigid blade that will follow the form.  The next step will be to use a table mounted rotary sander/ drum sander to work the piece to the scribed line. It will be next to impossible to make a well shaped piece without this step.  Check out a few episodes of "New Yankee Workshop" online (PBS) to see the techniques.  Keeping a full length of grain top to bottom is extremely important,(as mentioned) otherwise the piece will split in time. Good luck with your project.


Garage door weather seal replacement -- Wrap around bracket I would like to replace the weather seal at the bottom of my garage door. The issue is that the bottom bracket of the door is a "wrap" around bracket (see picture). In order to slide the old seal off, I have to remove the bracket. I have watched several tutorial videos online and none of the doors seems to have this type of bracket. I figured that if open the door all the way, there's less tension on the cable connected to the bracket and that it is probably okay to do so, however, on the packaging of the replacement seal it says "at no time should you remove bottom roller carrier". The roller carrier is part of the bracket. Is it safe to remove the bracket when the door is all the way open so I can slide off the old weather seal and slide in the new one?

You're right about the tension being at a minimum when the door is up. There is tension to hold the door in that horizontal position and that tension can be considerable. What the manufacturer is also worried about is if you remove the bottom roller carriers the door will come crashing down, and they can weigh anywhere from 200 to 800 pounds. You need to support the door in the "up" position, a few "c" clamps and a few small pieces of 1x2's clamped in the roller channels so the door can't move. Do not rely on the garage door opener to hold the door in the "up" position. Then proceed to remove the bolts from the bottom brackets. You should then be able to pry the bracket away from the bottom of the door without actually removing it but freeing up the bottom track so you can install the new seal. Good luck.


How should I connect conduit in the wall to conduit on the ceiling? In running conduit for a subpanel, I'm not sure how to make the transition from conduit running vertically in the wall cavity to running out from the wall along the ceiling. I could notch the top plate, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. If I just put in a 90° elbow out of the wall the conduit won't be up against the joists. How should I go about this?

If I'm understanding your diagram correctly, I'm assuming you want to run the conduit on the bottom surface of the joist or finished ceiling, rather than inside the finished ceiling (or on the side of the joist).

Either way, one option is to make your 90 degree turn with an elbow or L below the top plate of the wall, and then use an offset fitting to bring the conduit up to the surface of the ceiling (or joist)


What's the right way of removing an indoor telephone line? I'm in the process of removing an old telephone jack that has wiring running along the wall. The jack is easily removed, but I'm unclear on what to do with the wiring.  It seems short sighted and foolish to just snip it off.
On the other hand, the wire seems to lead into the crawlspace below the house, and I'd rather not go under if I can avoid it.

If you are removing it, remove it.
It's only "short-sighted" if you have any conception that you might want a landline phone there.
You MIGHT be able (depending on how snug it is, and how many layers of paint are on the cable making it fatter) to just stuff the (uncut) cable down the hole in the floor once you have it unstapled.
But simply snipping it off is perfectly reasonable under the "you never envision a landline in that location, or perhaps anywhere in your house, again" premise.


Can I use a T5 HO lamp in a non-HO luminaire? Does anyone know what would happen?
Does the ballast limit the power?
If the T5 HO lamps were less expensive than T5 non-HO lamps, would it be ok to just use them in a non-HO luminaire?

HO bulbs prefer more power than regular bulbs.  They will work on a normal ballast, but won't give peak performance.   A normal bulb in an HO ballast will be overdriven to its destruction.

What, you say? How can this be?  You are accustomed to constant-voltage devices - plug a nightlight into a 20A circuit, no problem.  Fluorescent tubes are current devices - like LED chips but even moreso.  They are non-linear and do not act like a resistor.  They act more like a dead short and will draw unlimited current.  They need external ballasts to limit their current to spec.  The ballast will push through spec current whether the tube can handle it or not!


How can I find the source of a mysterious bad smell? We have recently moved home, and all is fine appart from a mystery smell which I'm unable to track down. It's driving me crazy (actually, my wife thinks I am crazy as she can't smell it).  I'm hoping someone on here could offer some tips on how to track it down, or what it might be.  Here's some info:

Background: The house is a two floor (plus basement) block/concrete construction.  There is a wide hallway on the groundfloor connecting the rooms (including kitchen, toilet/shower room, stairwell).  The stairs are wood-board on concrete.  The floor in the hall and kitchen  is tiles over concrete, the rest woodblock/parquet over concrete.

Location of the smell: I usually smell it when coming down the stairs, seems to be strongest about half way down.  However sometimes it doesn't smell on the stairs at all, but rather in the ground floor hallway.  Seems to move around quite a lot. Occasionally I have felt it upstairs, but assume this is it drifting. The basement smells fine.

The Smell: The best description of the smell I can give is something like old rubbish.

What I've investigated so far:

1) Something died somewhere?  This was my initial thought, and since I usually notice the smell on the stairs I thought I'd try there first.  I've taken up some of the wood on the stairs (not all yet) but not looking promising, as there really isn't much space between the wood boards and the concrete.  Not really sure where else something could have gotten, as everything seems to be tight against the concrete.

2) Smell from kitchen moving into rest of house? I never really detected a bad smell in the kitchen, but thought I'd rule it out anyway. I thought maybe it was the bin under the kitchen sink that might be causing it.  So I moved the bin to a small storage room at the back of the kitchen (and kept the door closed) and thoroughly cleaned inside the cupboard under the sink. No change.  I also looked behind all of the cabinets for a problem, but could not see anything.

3) Gas from drains? The sink doesn't smell in the kitchen, and it's got a P-bend trap on the pipe - so I can't see a problem there.  Cant detect a smell from the plugholes in the bathroom either.  The bathroom sink waste pipe has a bottle-trap on it.   Don't know if there is a trap on the shower as it's a sealed unit, but I'm guessing yes (and can't smell anything).

Can any one think of something I might have missed, or give any advice?

Guesses so far...

Stinky mop.

Solution: Wash the mop.

Stinky Jack Russell Terrier.

Solution: Wash the dog.

Dead thing in wall.

Solution: Find the dead thing and remove it.

Dead thing in vent.

Solution: See above item.

Stinky toilet.

Solution 1: Flush the toilet.
Solution 2: Wash the toilet.
Solution 3: Replace wax ring.
Solution 4: Light a match / candle.

Gas leak.

Solution: Call gas company to find and fix leak.

Stinky ghost.

Solution 1: Wash the ghost.
Solution 2: Exorcism.


Wiring guidance for a smart dimmer switch (Kasa HS220) I'm working on replacing the dimmer switches in my house with smart dimmer switches and have run into a wiring issue.  I've installed 2 Kasa HS 220 smart dimmer light switches so far, but when I went to pull the third regular dimmer switch out to begin installing the third, the switch had 1 black wire and 1 white wire connected to the switch, and a ground wire on the back of the panel.

The Kasa devices have four connections for: Load, Line, Ground, and Neutral so I'm not sure if this third switch will work.  So far, I've found that with the circuit on, the white wire is always hot, but the black wire is only hot when the light switch it turned on.  Has anyone come across this type of wiring setup before, and would this work for the smart dimmer switch I'm using.  Here are the details for the smart dimmer switch:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/hs220/

The image below is the wiring for the current light switch.

Yes, this is a classic switch loop.  Nothing unusual about it (except it's new to you of course, and a darned impediment).    Power (hot and neutral) from source into the lamp.  The switch loop wires do exactly what you found, and there (was) no reason for neutral to make the trek down to the switch.

As of 2011, switch loops are required to bring neutral, typically using a /3 cable (black red white).  Precisely to support smart switches.  It is exempt if it's easy to retrofit a /3 cable.

You cannot use this switch here, unless you go into the wall and pull down a /3 cable from the lamp.


Help with wiring an electric oven after moving it to be underneath an existing electric hob (UK) Photos can be seen at: https://imgur.com/a/sUqCnZd
I currently have an electric oven (Photo 1) on one side of the kitchen, and an electric induction hob (Photo 3) on the other side of the kitchen. There is no gas at the property.
I'm hoping to move the oven from its current location to a new location directly under the hob.
I need some advice on how I can most easily and safely electrically connect the oven once it has been moved.
Some further info which may be of use:
The cable leading from the oven (Photo 5) is mostly concealed in a cavity wall (Photo 6). I can't see where the cable goes to / from and it is tight and cannot be pulled through. Getting to it would be a huge job since it would involve removing most of the kitchen, which I don't want to do.
The hob is wired as shown in Photos 7 and 8 (having removed the plastic plate shown in Photo 9) and can be turned off at a wall mounted cooker switch (Photo 10). This cooker switch turns off only the hob, it does not turn off the oven (the oven does not have a similar switch).
The oven and the hob are on the same circuit - there is a dedicated 32A circuit breaker on the consumer unit in the hallway which turns off both the oven and the hob.
I'm currently wondering whether I can cut the cable leading from the back of oven and terminate that live cable somehow (in case anyone ever wants to put an oven there again in the future). If so, what would be the best way to terminate this live cable?
And then, when in it's new location, can I connect the oven to the existing wiring used by the hob, shown in Photos 7 and 8? Can I make a spur here, for the oven? And if so, how is this best done and should I use a specific size cable? Ideally, the wall mounted cooker switch (Photo 10) would now turn on/off both the hob and the oven.
Any help, including better approaches, would be gratefully received. Thanks!

At the hob location, disconnect the existing single cooker outlet connector. Loosen the terminal screws, withdraw the wires, undo the screws at left and right and pull the connector plate forward.
At the hob location fit a dual outlet connector
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/AA45DCOP.html
Available from any good electrical supplier.
over the existing flush back box. Reconnect the hob wires, connect the oven wires, put the cables through the cable clamps.
At the previous oven location, re-use the single connector from the hob to terminate the feed cable, putting the cable through the cable clamp. Fit the connector to a single surface back box screwed to the wall. Label it as being the cooker circuit.


Beam dimension determination What would be the minimum solid-wood beam dimension to support a 10' span supporting 10' floor joists only for a non-bearing wall area. (ie: we are removing interior wall between a kitchen and dining room...a bedroom floor only is located above kitchen and dining room). There is no weight bearing wall located above the span, only a bedroom floor built upon (approx.) 12' floor joists.

The Code requires a Live Load (people, furniture, etc.) of 30 lbs. per square foot plus all Dead Loads (joists, subfloor, underlayment, carpet, etc.) Dead load is usually about 10 lbs. per square foot.

So, the Total Load is a minimum of 40 lbs. per square foot.

If your new wood beam has joists that are 10’ long resting on it, you’d have a load of: 10’/2 x 40 psf = 200 lbs. per linear foot. (Half the load will rest on the beam and half will transfer to a wall or other support.)

However, if the new beam has 10’ long joists resting on it from both directions, then you’d have a load of: 10’ x 40 psf = 400 plf.

Therefore, if joists are just spanning one way onto the beam, I’d use a 4x6 spanning 10’ (allowable load is 211 plf), depending on the species and grade. However, if joists are resting on the beam from both directions, I’d use a 4x8 spanning 10’ (allowable load is 400 plf) depending on the species and grade. (I’ve used “select structural” grade for both.)

For both beams, I’d use a 4x4 post and connect it to the beam with a steel connector, like this from Simpson:

https://www.fastenersplus.com/Simpson-EPC4Z-4X-End-Post-Cap-ZMAX-Finish?gclid=CjwKCAjwqqrmBRAAEiwAdpDXtPEhWgfFN3t5VkNWQXQCCTj66l7QkMfB9j2WiAIj2a1ltQrorGAXJxoCTDMQAvD_BwE

Also, I’d make sure the post sits on a footing and is connected to it with a Simpson connector like this one:

https://www.fastenersplus.com/Simpson-ABU44Z-4x4-Adjustable-Post-Base-Zmax-Finish?gclid=CjwKCAjwqqrmBRAAEiwAdpDXtMKhk_lo2NOToXapoUP4b7MPRZad5-csx-D_fpCLj7xPKBsQpgU5zhoCrwgQAvD_BwE

I don’t understand the 12’ span info added at the end.


What tool should I use to unscrew a hard-to-access hexagonal screw? I recently bought a place which came with the appliances, one of them being a dishwasher. I'd like to extract the dishwasher from its compartment.

From what it seems, the only thing preventing me to do that is a pair of screws legs that lift-up the dishwasher. Those screw legs have a hexagonal head but the area to access them is very narrow.

Here is a picture (of the side which has the more room. I couldn't even take a picture of the other side as there is no way to have direct visibility over the screw head):

The screw is really small. I'd say the head's diameter is about 4 mm. I suppose, I'd a need a tool with a head like that:

(source: alicdn.com)

But the only one I have is shaped like a screwdriver and is too tall to fit in the available space.

I tried to look online on various sites (Home Depot and alike) but I don't even know which tool I'm looking for, let alone the name for it.

What tool can I use for that job ?

Those are levelling legs.

Dishwashers are either held in via screws on top of the dishwasher that attach to countertop above, or that screw the side (look roughly 1/3rd down just inside the DW door) of the dishwasher to the surrounding cabinet.


Does a fluorescent lamp that does not light up still draw power? First of all, I am not a native English speaker, please forgive me.

I recently rented the room I am currently living in. On the ceiling there are fluorescent fixtures like the picture below (I found this image on the Internet, but looks very similar to mine).

When I first came, two lamps would light up when I turned the light switch on. (I just found that it had 3 lamps moments ago. So, there had been one lamp that did not light up all along.) But, two were too bright for me. I had been thinking about opening the cover and taking one out (leaving only one) but I was just too lazy.

Yesterday, suddenly one of them would no longer light. So currently only one lamp (out of three) is on. The brightness of one lamp is fine for me, but I wonder if the two non-functioning lamps are still drawing power? Is it OK to leave the non-functioning lamps there?

As I said earlier, I rented this room and I will leave here in 9 months. So if there are no downsides other than they do not light up, I do not want to take the hard work of removing/attaching the cover and taking them off.

You can remove the lamps that are not working. This will only let the one good light to work. Perhaps one light was faulty already before you moved in and the other was ready to go bad. It will use less power and will be of no concern, I believe you operate it with only one lamp.

So you will have an idea what the condition of the lamps are, and using the picture you offered, these type of lamps when they are going bad or have gone bad, get dark spots on the ends close to where they connect to the fixture. The darkening occurs in the glass, not the porcelain. Take for example the last lamp on the right, where it connects has some darkening at the base, where the other 2 lamps do not. The lamp on the right will not work anymore in time, or perhaps is already not lighting up (glowing). These words are interchangeable here. If your lamps in the fixture of your room have dark spots at the base, close to the end or ends that plug into the fixture, then it is most likely that the lamps are bad. It does not hurt to leave them in that I know of, they may still draw some power.
If you prefer not to have the room heavily lit, you will do fine by removing them temporarily and replace them in 9 months before you leave the rental, or replace them with new lamps if you wish, as a good gesture towards your landlord.


Drill From 1st Floor To Second Floor I am wiring my home with Cat6 and I have my 1st floor wired thanks to tips used from users on this forum!  Well now, I need to go between floors!  I have found a location that is a straight shot up, but since I will not be able to see between the floors, is there EVER electrical wiring run between floors (or plumbing) that I could hit?  And if so, how do I make sure to avoid this?

Also, I was going to add some Blue Carlon Conduit for ease of replacement in the future, however I am not sure how to handle this...The issue I see is that the inside of the tubing is 3/4 inch, and the whole tubing in itself is roughly 1 inch.  Which would mean I would need to cut a 1 inch whole from the crawlspace to the 1st floor, then from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor, then the 2nd floor to the attic.  Again, I have found a straight shot, but how do I ensure there is nothing electrical/plumbing or any other obstacle that would be disastrous to hit in the path?

EDIT
Sorry that my ? is not clear.  I am fine with cutting the drywall from floor to cieling to ensure there is nothing behind it.  My question is, how do I ensure that between 1st floor and 2nd floor where I drill up, there is no electrical wiring or water pipe(s) or anything else that could be hazardous to drill through? .g

If you are unsure of what may or may not be inside the wall it is necessary to open up small inspection holes in the wall. Holes 4" x 4" are typically used for this purpose. If your wall surfaces are drywall or sheet rock that is a good thing because it is relatively easy to patch up these holes, particularly if you keep the cut out piece to be used for the patch.

Sometimes when running conduit or wires from floor to floor it is necessary to open up slightly larger holes (maybe 4" x 6") near the floor and the ceiling to gain access for drilling the necessary holes and shoving the conduit/wires through.

There are numerous questions here that address the process for patching these access and inspection holes.


What to do with unused furnace filters? I bought furnace filters in bulk. But my furnace is dead and had to be replaced. The old filters will no longer fit. The filter size is not all that common. I wonder if there are other use of the filter besides trying to sell them or give them away?

While there might be other uses for them , typically in your home there is not a real alternative use.

Drop them off at a Habitat for Humanity Restore store.


Help me make this rabbet cut in the top edge of a cabinet wall I need to route out an edge in a cabinetry side to allow a top mounted handle to recess when door of the adjacent cabinet opens.
I have a portable router that accepts 1/4” shank bits and I am trying to find a suitable bit to do this cut. Removing the panel is not an option. What you see on the photo is two 3/4” plywood boards stacked together, and I pretty much want to notch out all the way in of the outer board.
I can find 1/4” shank bits with changeable bearing sizes that can cut variety of width up/to 1/2, but their cutting length is just 1/4”.
I am pretty handy with woodworking tools but haven’t done wide variety of routing to know this. Is it possible to do multiple passes with a bit like this, each time going deeper into the frame to achieve the final 3/4” length? Thanks.

I'd start by making the job easier - Give your router a wider flat surface to slide on, not just the top of the cabinet sides.  Screw two sacrificial pieces of scrap on either side such the screw holes won't be seen.
Perhaps lay a thin flat piece of smooth scrap on top, with a slot in that top piece so your cutter can reach the work.
Lastly, screw or clamp two or more guides on the sides of your top-scrap piece, to act as a fence for the router.
You can cut some amount per pass, and extend the bit then repeat. Slow and steady does this better.

If space doesn't allow that, you could essentially do the same from the side, but then you're fighting gravity too.  Best to use it instead.
As for a cutter, perhaps something more like an endmill would work here.  There is risk of chipping the laminate surface though so you may choose to pre-cut it on the line with a series of strokes of a sharp knife.
Don't be afraid to use a sharp chisel to finish the ends - no round cutter will get in there perfectly.


Ceiling light fixture has no ground wire, and wires are of same color I got a ceiling fixture which has no ground wire and has the same color wires for live and neutral.
It didn't have a proper mounting bracket, so I got one from a store it has a ground screw in it.
Is there any way I can install it?
The light fixture looks so good that I don't want to return it.
Suggestions really appreciated.
Thanks in advance

It is normal not to have a ground wire if it is a legacy armored cable, which is hard to tell from inside the electrical box. If so is the case, the armoring (metal cladding around the usually cloth insulated wires) acts as grounding.
My house is old and has some of this legacy wiring. I believe one of the wires was originally insulated in black (hot), the other white (neutral), but since it's been 100 years, the dirt has made them both very dark.
To install a fixture on such a box, just put a grounding bolt (or clip) somewhere in the box and pigtail the fixture's ground wire to it and it shouldn't matter which of the hot/neutral wires from the fixture you connect to which of the feeding ones.


Why is my electric wall heater slow to turn on and then quick to shut off? I have a few electric wall heaters in my bathroom and laundry room made by Intertherm.  They may be 30 years old.  When you turn the dial to high, it takes 10 minutes or more before it actually turns on.  Is the thermostat working correctly?  If not, is there a fix?

Update: fixed from Nutone to Intertherm.  Also, they seem to shut off pretty quickly after they start up, and then they stay off.

I think it is one of two things.

The element is getting old and between the age and the moisture in the bathroom has taken the element close to end life.
The heater is 240V and maybe the breaker needs reset or it has gone bad or there is a bad connection in the heater.  I've seen wire connections fry pretty bad in some cases.

If it is the element and with today's technology, like camera phones and e-mail, you can probably work with Nutone to identify the heater, and Nutone pretty good about having parts like this on their shelve.

Just be careful with the element, because it could be very brittle.  No hard bounces or dropping it or parts on it if you take it out.


Should I choose cordless hammer drill for home improvement? I'm a green bird for it I'm planning to do home remodeling all by myself and now I'm preparing for all the necessary tools.
When considering cordless hammer drill, I'm at a lost. I found that the cordless hammer drill was never a best seller in Europe. Its sales were very low. Is there any special reason for this? Is it because the European buildings' material speacial and hammer drill not fit for it? Please help

European buildings are mostly masonry - brick, stone and concrete. To put even small holes in masonry you must have a hammer action on the drill. The hammering action takes a great deal of power to operate together with the action of rotation, so a cordless hammer-drill will be much weaker than a corded one, and for masonry it makes a big difference. Comparing a corded hammer-drill to a corded rotary hammer I own, the hammer-drill struggles putting even 4mm holes in concrete, while the rotary hammer makes short work of 10mm holes. I only shudder thinking the effort it would take to use a cordless hammer-drill.

That being said, I believe that for masonry work your best bet is a rotary hammer, preferably one with a chiseling function (where the rotation is disabled, leaving only the hammering action). Rotary hammers come with an SDS-Plus shank which also makes it much easier to replace bits and chisels. I myself use a Makita 2470:

Regarding cordless vs. corded, I'd say the corded wins out - it will be more powerful and weigh less than a comparative cordless one, not to mention it will be much cheaper. And I don't think you have much of a size saving as you have with cordless bit drivers. The thing to look for in the prospect is the drilling diameter in concrete - the more the merrier, even if you're not planning on drilling that big, as it will give you an indication of the power of the drill, making smaller holes easier. For example (selected models from Bosch), a cordless rotary hammer is rated to 18mm, while a corded rotary hammer is rated to 26mm. A cordless hammer-drill is rated to 13mm, while a corded hammer-drill is rated 20mm.


How do I seperate the part in the middle in a clock mechanism? This is a torn down clock mechanism. How do I seperate the brass looking part in the middle from the black casing? It isn't push fit, so I'm assuming that it's threaded or something like that. Any ideas?

The brass part may be ultrasonically welded into the plastic piece. The part is pressed into place under pressure with it being vibrated at the ultrasonic frequency. This causes the plastic to soften and flows around the brass part locking it into place. The brass piece often is made with groves or knurling on the sides which give the plastic something to flow around and keep the part in place.

In this case the hex shape on one side is part of the grip system that ensures that the brass part does not turn.

If you have ever used plastic project boxes they often have brass inserts that accept the screws that hold the lid on. These inserts are installed just like I describe above.

This all drives to the conclusion that if you try to remove the brass insert you will almost certainly destroy the black plastic piece. If not destroyed you would have to find some messy way to try to glue the brass piece back in place - - - if the glue/epoxy used even will bond with the plastic.


when there isn't a ground wire , is it ok to ground to the neutral on a outlet? When there isn't a ground wire, is it okay to ground to the neutral on a outlet
?  There is no ground wires to my outlets.

No.

The usual solution is to replace that outlet with a GFCI outlet, attaching the included label to indicate that it is ungrounded. This provides equivalent protection, perhaps better.

In older buildings where the wires run in metal conduit, the metal outlet box is grounded through the conduit. The prong outlets are designed so they can ground to this through their mounting tabs, though some of us prefer an actual wire between the ground terminal and the box. This is traditional and it should work as long as all the conduit and box connections are secure.

Or install a GFCI and make sure it is properly grounded. Belt and suspenders.

But do not connect ground and neutral at any point except the main breaker box, and do not try to use neutral as a ground.


Crushed cinder block a substitute for crushed stone? I have two projects and I'm hoping there's a synergy between them. The first project is the demolition of a small cinder block wall that has just been completed. The second project is building a retaining wall out of stone. Question: can I smash the cinder blocks with a sledge hammer and use the result as a foundation for the retaining wall instead of modified crushed stone? If the answer is yes, that would save me the cost of dumping the cinderblocks and the cost of getting the crushed stone.

Depends on the height of the retaining wall and what it’s holding back.
We like footings on undisturbed soil. In fact, depending on the soil we might compact it too.
If the soil is soft, we may require a few feet be removed and replaced with compacted gravel. This will help distribute the load over a greater area (the gravel area is usually 2 times wider than the footing) and rests on soil several feet lower so it will be stronger.
However, the gravel is not a random mix. The gravel is uniformly mixed with specific set of type, grade, amount, etc. that is designed to be compacted. So, if you just break up the cinder blocks, the breakage will be random and cannot be compacted properly.
If the retaining wall is only 2-3’ tall, then this will not be a problem. However, if the retaining wall is 8’ or more, then the compacted gravel must be done properly, including doing the lifts in 6-8” each and compacted as it’s installed up to 95% by volume.


Brand new AC unit makes whooshing sound and air "chokes" My brand new AC recently started making a whooshing noise. It sounds kind of like a sudden gust of wind, but it repeats every few seconds. Another way I can think of to describe it: imagine a PC cooler running relatively silent, but still being able to hear it. Now imagine it increasing its RPM noticeably for just around a second. Now imagine it doing this continuously.

It's a ComfortStar split type 12k BTU.

It also doesn't result in air being blown faster but, when you can hear it, if you stand in front of the indoor unit, the air stops coming out for like half a second. Like the unit "chokes".

Things I've noticed and done:

If I lift the front panel by 2-3 cm or more the phenomenon stops! I thought something might be pushing on the filters, or that it's not closing properly, but I can't see any issues...
Efficiency doesn't seem to be affected, it still cools very well, but the sound is annoying.
It only seems to happen on the low or auto fan setting. For example at medium, high or turbo setting seems to result in a steady stream of air uninterrupted by whooshings.
It doesn't always happen. Sometimes I run it for hours with no annoying sound, other times it starts a few minutes after turning on the AC. Sometimes it stops for a while.
I tried recording the sound but my phone doesn't really allow you to notice it when it occurs.
I'm using the AC Unit with the front panel/lid just a bit open, is it wrong or bad for the unit to use it like that? (see picture with a red circle)

I would verify the screw that connects the blower to the blower motor is tight, I have seen where a loose fan (squirrel cage) slipping has caused this exact issue. I don’t have time to look it up right now but there is usually a maintenance over ride some times the plastic cutout that looks like a horizontal I on the right lower side. This may allow you to view the problem and I am not sure but may allow for the filter to be removed and will still turn the blower on.


Is there a way to turn on the air conditioning only on certain days? We're looking for a way to turn on the air conditioning at our camp, say on a Thursday night, so that it will be cool when we arrive on Friday evening, but to shut it off if we don't go to the camp that weekend.  Can you set a programmable thermostat to turn the unit on for a certain period of time and then automatically turn it off?

If the camp has internet access, you may want to look into a WIFI-controlled thermostat. Most allow you to remotely monitor and control the temperature through a mobile phone app or with a laptop web interface. This will allow you to have the most versatile control over your temperature settings. The only other piece of equipment you'll need to make this work is a compatible wireless router - you won't need to install an entire home automation system.

Otherwise, you need a true 7-day programmable thermostat. Check the specifications on the package, because each one will have different capabilities. The one I have allows for four different temperature settings per day, for all 7 days of the week individually. You may not need something with that high of a resolution, and can get by with a single set temperature for each day of the week. The general rule will be the less features a thermostat has, the lower the price.

There are also thermostat models labeled as 5-1-1 and 5-2, which allow separate temperature settings for Saturdays and Sundays. Note that a 5-2 will only allow a single setting for the weekends. As Chris mentions, you could fudge the week day settings and get by with one of these.


Weslock deadlatch is stuck We have a weslock lock on the door to our garage (bought about 2 years ago), and it has gotton stuck. It would not open from the inside or outside. The key turns ok, and even makes the click sound, but the latch will not open. We ended up unscrewing the screws. The front and back came off but the deadlatch is stuck there and we can't get it out. Any tips will help.

Thank you so much for your help.

Since you have the lock cylinder and the knob removed try to insert a screwdriver into the deadbolt mechanism and rotate it. This should retract the dead bolt. Failing that, remove the hinge pins, slide the door out of the frame and remove the deadbolt retaining screws on the edge of the door.


Minimum vertical pipe height under kitchen sink drain Is there a minimum height that the pipe directly under the kitchen sink drain needs to be, before it bends (in my case to the left)?
Here is a picture of what I have (first image), and then a picture of what I want to do (second image).
I would like to make room to put a trash basket under the sink and I don't know if there are any negatives of shortening the vertical pipe height under the sink drain?

There is not a minimum you can do what you want. I agree with freeman that it may be prone to clogging or drain a little slower but you can make those changes and see how it works it may be just fine.


How can I implement an unused wire as a C wire for my thermostat? I have a boiler system that uses 2 wires to the thermostat. I am going to buy a new thermostat that needs a C wire. There is a spare wire not being used and it is not hooked up to anything.

How can I use this spare wire and hook it up to a transformer I will install near the boiler, where the wire is?

Installation of a WiFi thermostat to control a forced hot air furnace, and you have a spare wire available to use for (C). Rather than get into the wiring of the furnace, I install a Taco SR501 single zone relay outside the furnace, near the service switch. The 120 volt AC for the SR501 can be connected to the furnace (usually at the service switch). The SR501 then can be wired using the T T terminals (red and white from the T-stat) and the green (or spare wire) connect to the C terminal in the SR501. Connect two wires from the burner head (T T) to terminals 5 and 6 on the SR501 (normally open). This works well, and the SR501 relay is about 50 bucks...


Replacement key for an old sewing machine? I'm having an old sewing machine with a simple lock, for which I can't find the key.

What's the best way to:

Find a good replacement key for it
If it's not possible, pick the lock so that it'll be always open, with no damage to the actual lock.
break the lock open, with minimal damage to the wooden case of the sewing maching.

The key looked like one of these,

unfortunately I don't remember like which.

To pick a lock like this, you may be able to simply push a paperclip into the keyhole.  If you normally put the key in pointed down, try to find a lever to press up or to the side within the top or side part of the lock.

If you're not able to pick it, then it depends on the design of lock as to whether you'll be able to slide something into a crack to push a spring loaded latch to the side.  You may also be able to drill a hole from beneath the machine to access the lock or strike plate where it won't be visible.

Once you have it open, either remove the lock, remove the strike plate, or fix the strike plate so that the lock is not able to catch.


Can a portable generator power multiple circuits in a house? I'm considering getting a large portable generator to help power our house during rolling brown outs and local electric public shutoffs from our power company.
I'm curious though. Can a solution like this, connected to a transfer switch or interlock device be used to distribute power across multiple circuits? Or should I only plan for the portable generator to power one circuit?
The specific generator I'm looking at has the following outlets:

120V 20A GFCI Outlet (4X)
120V 30A Twist Lock (1X)
120/240V 30A Twist Lock (1X)
120/240V 50A Heavy Duty Outlet (1X)

The key is that you want to get everything out from one circuit on the generator and into your house (interlock, subpanel, etc.) Fortunately, you have a 240V/50A outlet - that will do the trick. That's enough to use the full output of the generator and to power most of a house - practically speaking, if you are careful with the big loads (electric water heater, air conditioner, electric dryer, electric oven) you can run your whole house with one of these.
Post specifics about your home's breaker panel and the pros will tell you exactly what to do.


Why won't my heater turn off when it reaches my desired temperature? My wife and I purchased our first home this past year and we did a bunch of repairs up-front via a rehab loan, and one of the things we replaced was a very old thermostat with a new digital one.

I had a licensed HVAC friend walk me through the installation and after install it seemed to be working just fine (ie. fan turns on, furnace fires up, house gets hot) but now that its been colder we've realized that the heater and AC don't automatically turn off when the temperature reaches the what we set it to.

I didn't think anything of it because we never set anything on the thermostat other than the time & day, but i'be been reading online that the thermostat brand we bought is apparently known to fail.

My question is, how can I tell if my thermostat is faulty when it does everything except turn off at the temperature we set?

For reference, my heater is a Rheem Criterion II and the thermostat is a Hunter 44260.

If the room temp registering on the thermometer function is much higher (80 for example) than the thermostat set temp,(72 for example) chances are good that you have a defective unit.


How to connect primer tubing to non-laundry faucet? The previous owner of my house didn't know what the trap primer tubing was when he installed an expensive kitchen faucet and stainless sink in the laundry room, so left the tubing dangling. Is there a trick to connect it without replacing the faucet?

Another option would be to install a flow-through trap primer.  This is a device that feeds a small amount of water to the trap primer everytime the supply it is connected to runs.  One constraint is that it needs to be oriented correctly due to the air gap.

The one pictured is from Watts

  Series A200 Flow-Through Trap Primers are used in commercial and residential applications to assure delivery of water to floor drain traps to prevent the evaporation of the water seal that protects a building or room from sewer gas fumes. It consists of a bronze body construction with a Celcon seat and disc. Available in threaded (Model A200) or union solder (Model A200S) connections. Minimum Supply Pressure: must exceed 25psi (172kPa), Maximum Supply Pressure: 125psi (8.6 bar).


How to build a toilet under the sewer level? I have an old garage that I am recovering. Among other fixes I want to build a toilet. The issue here is that it's under the sewer level.

Is it still possible to build it? What do I need?

This type of toilet pump combo allows you to lift all bathroom waste and water  up to appropriate level so it can be tied into your sewer system.

Here's a picture of how it sets up.

http://www.saniflo.com/products/index/show-product/lang/en/type/part/id/54

http://www.saniflo.com/?gclid=COLar4KYzckCFUcvgQod11kL4Q


Can I solder galvanized steel to stainless steel? I have several stainless steel plates and I want to solder galvanized steel tubes to these plates.

Is this possible?

I ask because I have a guy that does all my soldering work, but he generally solders regular or galvanized steel to regular or galvanized steel.

Would he be able to solder or braze stainless steel to galvanized steel the same way he does this regular work?

YES You can weld or braze galvanized but first the zinc needs to be removed or it won't stick well with either method and welding on galvanized metals releases nasty vapors that if breathed affect the liver. I usually grind the zinc back about an inch weld and then use a cold process galvanizing spray to re coat, it works fine, I am in the process of building my grand kids a swing using galvanized pipe/ conduit and have made lots of things using this method.


Best way to cover main water supply valve into house What is the best way to cover exterior pvc pipe where shutoff valve is that leads into a house? I was thinking about down the line when it will be time to winterize.

I would use a plastic valve box (with lid) of the appropriate size. Cut a slot in one end to slip over the horizontal run of PVC that goes into the brick wall. This will protect the pipe from string trimmer, mower, and other damage of that type. These boxes are usually an unobtrusive color and will cover the white pipe.

Inside the box would put foam tubing insulation around the pipe and cram that into the hole in the brick wall surrounding the pipe. I would put flexible sheet insulation around the inside of the box above ground and also under the top, but maybe not along the wall next to the brick wall to allow heat to flow from the ground and from the brick wall.

EDIT
Plastic valve box


Will isolating a clothes dryer make it safer if fire occurs? i have installed my electric dryer in the basement about 2 feet from cinderblock wall. It is on tile and nothing else is close by except the washer a foot away and sewer pipe about 8 inches behind.
If there was a lint fire could it spread anywhere?

I guess what I am asking is what happens after lint and clothes inside burn. Will other things burn?

Can the fire spread? Yes I have seen dust, lint and cobwebs catch fire and quickly run up a concrete / cinder block wall to areas that could support combustion. keeping the pipe cleaned out and the area free of combustibles (dust, lint and others) will increase your safety.


How do I smooth out spray paint drips on a metal monitor stand? I purchased this monitor stand. However, I did not like the color. So I sprayed painted it semi-gloss black with this spray paint. Suffice to say, I'm not very handy. It ended up un-smooth on the curved edges because of paint drips.

How should I go about smoothing it out?

Unfortunately, there is only one way to fix your boo-boo.  Sand it back down to metal or enough to remove the drips.  Next time, when using spray paint, remember several very thin coats are much better than one heavy coat.  Always start the spray away from the object you want to paint. Move smoothly and fairly quickly across the area, then go past the end of the work before stopping the spray. Let the paint dry a bit before the next coat. Be patient, smooth and quick. Trying to put on too much at one time caused your drips.  Good luck.


Keeping Large Channel Trench Drain Clear My new garage has a large Channel trench drain in front of it. The architect oversized the trench drain and used a non-typical 12-inch drain. I'm confident that I won't get water in my garage. But on the downside the grate has a very large slots that easily allow leaves to enter. I'm worried about eventual clogging. Aside from replacing the grate (expensive), what are my options. I was thinking about possibly trying to retrofit some wire mesh underneath the existing grates. Or even at the opening of the drain hole at the end. Any other ideas?

If leaves are the only thing getting it it will take years to decades.  Leaves decompose down to aobut 1/50th their volume.  The usually problem with a drain is sand and dirt.

That said:  The grate bolts in.  5 years from now, those bolts may be very hard to remove.  If the grates don't shift unacceptably without the bolts, take them out now, or just leave one in each grade to keep it from sliding sideways.  As an annual measure, remove the bolt, apply a layer of grease, and refasten it.  Garage drains here get a nasty mix of road de-icer and sand.


Can I fit a 90" dining table plus 8 chairs in an 11' ford cargo van? I'm trying to figure out what size van I need to move a 90" dining table plus 8 chairs, the 2 table legs can be detached from table top for transport:

The van has 11 feet of cargo space

Height of Cargo Area: 4’ 5”
Width: 4’ 10”
Length: 11'

Will everything fit in one trip?

The dimensions of that table are  3' 9" wide and 7' 8" long. Turn the table top sideways and it will slide right into the van. Stack the chairs on top of each other seat-to-seat beside the table top from front to back. Slide the legs in between the legs of the chairs and it should all fit. You can probably place the chairs any way you like with the table sideways. That van has plenty of room.


"Attic stairs" equivelent in an attic "hatch" size hole? The new place I'm moving into has a hatch size hole for the attic. It is roughly square and has no stairs or anything, its just a hatch that can be accessed by ladder.

I'd really like to make more use of the attic, and I'd love attic stairs, but I don't want to modify the ceiling to accommodate it. Is there any sort of product that will fit into the hatch (or possibly screw into it, etc.) that provides the convenience of attic stairs without the added footprint?

http://www.wernerladder.com/newprods/televator.php

You might see if this Werner "Televator" ladder would fit. I was looking for something similar, but my attic opening is framed at 20"x24" rather than 22"x22". The Werner has received good reviews at amazon.


Tailpipe of sink not aligning with P trap The tailpipe of the sink is about 1" behind the P-trap.  It's also too long.  If I try to jury-rig it and force the connection, it throws everything off including the vanity top.

I can probably cut the tail pipe, but hope it's not necessary to cut the P-trap/drain because it's all pretty permanent.  I probably could cut above the P-trap if I really had to.

I've watched numerous YouTube videos and tried to make this work, but I cannot.  The male thread piece on top of the P-trap seems off, too, because every nut/connector is loose.  I bought a Snappy Trap assembly, thinking the smooth-sided flex pipe was what I needed but I can't make that work either.

It looks like you have 1.5" pipe there, and, for some odd reason, someone decided to convert it to 1.25" right off the sink drainpipe (and with glued PVC to boot). This makes for some frustrating work, especially, if that drain ever gets clogged (good luck getting into that P-trap).

I would make the same cut Michael Karas made on the pipe coming out of the wall, but I would downsize to 1.25 at that point and install a standard 1.25" hand-screw trap. You can glue this convertor on and then buy a PVC P-trap kit (you will likely need an extension pipe cut to size to make the trap reach the existing drain).

The new tail piece screws into the adapter and can be moved back and forth as needed to ensure you line up with the new drain. And all your connections are hand fittings now, so drain maintenance is far easier.


Electrical Outlet not working - Open Neutral There are two outlets in our downstairs bathroom, one on each side of the sink. The one on the right side hasn't worked since we moved in. So, I decided to buy a tester and check it out. It said "Open Neutral", which should be an easy fix.

So I opened it up and the white wire was connected just fine. So I opened up the outlet on the left of the sink and it only has one set of wires going into it... Ugh.. So another dead end. Both outlets have only one set (2 wires and the ground) going into them and they are all connected tight.

So I cannot find the open neutral. Please help me out here. What else do I check next? I even replaced the receptacle and that didn't fix it either. :'(

Your testing is indicating that somewhere in that circuit the neutral for the one receptacle not working has become disconnected at a junction which is not in either location or the receptacles in your bathroom come from two different circuits.

To find it, you are going to need another method of testing. I would suggest a voltmeter.

First test your receptacle not working to verify that you have 120V between the hot and the ground. Then turn off the circuit to the receptacle that is working. Test to see if both receptacles are reading "0" to the ground. This will verify the receptacles are on the same circuit.

Now you have to find where both of these neutrals are connected together and that is where you will find the problem. Since you have turned the circuit off, verify all of the devices and lights connected to that circuit. Begin by opening the devices and lights closest to the receptacle not working and work your way back to the panel.

The bad news is that the loose neutral may not be in one of these boxes. It may be in a junction box in either the attic or underfloor in a crawl space. The worst situation is that it may be in a junction box that was covered up and is now in a wall or ceiling and not exposed. This is why there is a code rule that all junction boxes must be exposed since they need to be accessible to perform maintenance on the conductor splices.

Let's just hope the electrician working on you dwelling was following the rules.

Good luck and stay safe. Remember you are testing areas where certain conductors are hot and make sure they are all deenergized before performing any repairs. If you have multiple circuits sharing boxes (e.g., receptacles wired through the same junction box as lights that are on a different circuit) then you may have live wires where you don't expect them. A non-contact tester can be useful as an extra safety measure.

P.S., since you are working on bathroom receptacles you might want to install GFCI protection on them before buttoning everything up. Unless they are already protected at an upstream receptacle or at the panel.


How can I determine the rating of an unmarked dual-pole circuit breaker? I would like to install a new electric cooktop. The panel has a dual-pole breaker serving the current electric cooktop but there is NO marking on the breaker to indicate the rating. The new cooktop requires 60A. Is there a way to determine the rating on that circuit currently without hiring an electrician?

I am assuming you mean there is no marking on the handle or front of the breaker (since that is all you see with the electric panel cover still on).

If that is the case, there should be at least a part number on the side of the breaker, which can be looked up online if the rating isn't part of the part number.

But you will have to turn off the power, unscrew the panel cover, and pull out the breaker to see it. Only do this if you are comfortable installing and removing breakers.  If you aren't sure you know how to do it safely, call an electrician.


Tell if hardwood floor is oiled or laquered From what I understand on the internet, there are two main types of finishing for hardwood floor, oiling and lacquering / painting, and the two kinds require different maintenance.

I have a bedroom with hardwood floor, but I do not have the option of asking the previous owner what of the two options they went for. Is there a good way to tell the two kinds of finishing apart? From what I understand painted floors  can have very varied looks (matte or glossy), so that is not an option.

I have access to a few extra tiles, if that may help, but not to a box of tiles.

EDIT: I added a few pictures, as requested in the comments, trying to focus on damaged areas in the hope that it is more helpful.

Oil has no body so the wood grain is just a tiny layer of oil away if you pick an area out of view when you scratch oil it actually will damage the wood,

Lacquering or varnishes like varithane have body and a layer above the wood that can look like a magnifying glass to the grain and when scratched it usually turns color yellow / white this is the layer of “paint” to use your words. You may get a better idea by looking at photos online of oil finished verse varathane most times once you know it is easy to see.


Do these swamp cooler pads need replacement or cleaned? I know these pads are at least 4 summers old, but not sure how old exactly. As I was shutting the swamp cooler down for the winter, I saw that they seemed really dirty. The white material flakes of really easy.

I don't know if I need to clean them or actually replace them?

From the looks of those wet water filter pads I do not think I would want air sucked through them to be circulated around my house.

Get some clean new ones. They are not really that expensive.


What gauge wire is needed to feed a 70 ampere panel 300 ft. away? What gauge of wire do I need for direct burial for a 300 ft run for a 70 amp subpanel?  I am going to install a 50 amp plug for a 5th wheel and eventually add some lights to a green house about 70 feet away.

If you were simply concerned with ampacity of the conductors, you would be able to use 4 AWG copper or 3 AWG aluminum. Unfortunately, in your situation you'll have to concerned with the power quality, so you'll also have to take into account the voltage drop along the conductors.
Calculating voltage drop uses the simple formula Voltage Drop =  Resistance (R) * Current (I). However, figuring out resistance and current can be a bit tricky.
Resistance
To determine the resistance of a conductor, you can use Table 8 from Chapter 9 of the National Electrical Code (which you should be able to find online somewhere). This table lists the ohms per thousand feet, of various types and sizes of conductors.
Once you have this value, you can divide it by 1000 to get the ohms per foot. You'll then multiply this value by 2 times the length of the conductor. So the formula for resistance will look something like this.
R = 2 * Length (L) * ohms/foot
Current
The current is a bit trickier, since it will change depending on what is drawing power on the circuit.  A lot of folks will say  things like "It' highly unlikely you'll ever use the circuit at full load.". They'll then use a fraction of the circuit capacity to calculate the voltage drop. However, this can easily lead to the situation where a high load item turns on, and the lights dim.  When calculating the voltage drop for feeders, I like to use the full capacity of the circuit to do the calculations. So in your case, I'd use 70 amperes.
Power Quality
It's recommended to only allow a 5% total voltage drop, from service to consumer. Because of this, you'll want the voltage drop along the feeder to be around 2 - 3%. For a 240 volt circuit, that means 4.8 - 7.2 volts (120 volt circuit = 2.4 - 3.6 Volts).
Examples
With all that said, let's look at some actual numbers. I'll be using values from the uncoated copper column of Table 8 for these examples.
4 AWG Uncoated Copper
VD = 2 * 300 * 0.000308 * 70 = 12.936 Volts
12.936 Volts / 240 Volts = 5.4%
3 AWG Uncoated Copper
VD = 2 * 300 * 0.000245 * 70 = 10.29 Volts
10.29 Volts / 240 Volts = 4.3%
2 AWG Uncoated Copper
VD = 2 * 300 * 0.000194 * 70 = 8.148 Volts
8.148 Volts / 240 Volts = 3.4%
1 AWG Uncoated Copper
VD = 2 * 300 * 0.000154 * 70 = 6.468 Volts
6.468 Volts / 240 Volts = 2.7%
1/0 Uncoated Copper
VD = 2 * 300 * 0.000122 * 70 = 5.124 Volts
5.124 Volts / 240 Volts = 2.1%
Depending on how much you actually care about power quality, you'll want to use either 2 AWG copper or larger. I'd personally probably use at least 1 AWG, because I know how power demand tends to grow over time. Once you have power in a location, you'll find all sorts of things to plug in.


What could cause low pressure in both hot and cold water lines after flushing hot water tank? I just drained my water heater to flush out any sediment that may have accumulated at the bottom of the tank. When I filled it back up, I suddenly am lacking water pressure, both cold and hot, at all of the faucets of my house. What would cause this?

I assume when you drained the tank, you turned off the main cold water supply.  I suspect that the cold water valve is not opened all the way now. Check to see if in fact it is open full. If it is, and the pressure is still low, you may have a jammed or damaged valve. This is very common on old valves that are not used very often. The seats and washers inside the valve can degrade over time and now are not allowing water to pass freely.


Upgrading 2-wire to Ecebee3 I have a honeywell 2 wire thermostat (old) that has 2 wires R W that seem to be wired directly to the furnace (blower/burner??) but I  also have a control board with no wires attached to it. I tried wiring my ecobee to it but no power was received. DO I need to jumper something for power to the control board... remove the wires from furnace and connect to control board????

The Beckett GeniSys™ Advanced Burner Control is used to control the operation of the furnace, and does not appear to supply an external C terminal.  However, you may be able to power the Ecobee using an additional 24Vac transformer.

If you have an A/C system that the Ecobee is controlling, you can power the Ecobee using the transformer in the A/C system.  Just connect the R wire from the A/C to Rc, and run a C wire from the A/C to the C terminal on the Ecobee.

If you're not controlling an A/C system, you'll have to use an external transformer (or if there's one in the furnace).  If there's a transformer in the furnace (in the control box with the CYGR terminals), then you should be able to use that (assuming it's connected to power on the primary side).  Simply run a (new or additional) thermostat cable from the furnace up to the thermostat. Then wire it as follows:

Remove any jumpers between R and Rc on the Ecobee.
Connect a wire from the R terminal on the control box in the furnace, to the Rc terminal on the Ecobee.
Connect a wire from the C terminal on the control box in the furnace, to the C terminal on the Ecobee.

Assuming the transformer in the furnace is powered, that should get you up and running.

  WARNING: Ecobee is an expensive piece of equipment, make sure you verify proper input voltages. You may also want to contact Ecobee support, to verify this is an accepted installation method.


Density of Cardboard DISCLAIMER: I'm new to this (specific) site, and I couldn't find any other Stack site that matches with my question.

I'm working on a mobile project and am hanging cardboard "medallions" on it. I am calculating the torque created by each side to balance them out.

However, the medallions are really light, so I can't just weigh them: instead, I plan to find the volume (area calculated using free online tool Sketch and Calc, height measured with ruler) then multiply it by cardboard's density.

But that's where I run into problems: I don't know the density of cardboard. I was wondering if someone could help me out.

I'm referring to the corrugated cardboard with two flat linerboards, with a flute in between them. Specifically, the type of cardboard Amazon uses with its boxes (the type of cardboard I'm using).

I would like the density in kg/(cm^3) (the medallions, along with being light, are also small).

After searching on the internet, I found (corroborated by two sources) that the density of cardboard is from 0.6-0.7 kg/m^3. Does this make sense?

Calculating the density of the cardboard seems like extreme overkill here.

Just take a representative piece of your cardboard to the local postal service retailer (like a FedEx or UPS store) or even to a government post office and ask them to weigh it with their sensitive scale. If they ask why just tell them you may need to know for future shipping purposes.


Any way to mount a ceiling fan using a rectangular "wall" box? I was replacing a ceiling fan in a newly purchased home, and I discovered that the previous fan was mounted to a rectangular "wall" box. The box is attached laterally to a ceiling joist in a converted garage. There is some trim wood to give the ceiling joist an exposed beam look, and I do not believe that there is enough space for a standard ceiling box. The joist is not centered with respect to the trim, so mounting directly beneath the joist is not ideal.
I attempted to use the existing box, but the threading stripped as I put in the second screw. Now I'm questioning whether this box was even appropriate in the first place.
Is there any way to mount the fan to a box that will fit in this space? My first thought is to replace the box and add support via a brace to the joist or by securing a piece of wood above both the joist and the box.
If mounting to the box itself won't work, can I secure the fan to the joist via a bracket or supporting wood, and simply house the wiring in an adjacent rectangular box?
The location is Texas, USA.

View of the electrical box from above the joist.

View of the fan mounting hardware below the cosmetic wood.

The electrical box should be rated for a ceiling fan and that is not. I would personally add one of these to The surface of the false beam but drill through and screw it into the joist to make sure it will support the weight of the fan. It’s hard to tell if that’s possible from the photos but I think it should be.
1/2 in. Deep 5.9 cu. in. Ceiling Fan Box with Metal Cover
https://www.homedepot.com/p/205383205


How can I fix a sink drain stop which won't hold water? I have a bathroom sink & fixture which are about a year old.  The drain has worked fine, until about a month ago.  Recently, any water I try to hold in the sink slowly leaks out.  This is mildly frustrating to our cat who likes to drink from the sink, but terribly irritating to me.

(I'm sure there are names for parts, but I have no idea what they are.  Sorry about the following...)

Thinking the problem might be limited travel in the stopper lever (when you pull up the lever thing, at the top of it's travel something hits under the sink) I got under the sink and adjusted the set screw and associated pieces so it was all shorter.  Now when I pull the drain up, it is no longer klunking against something (apparently that was the set screw hitting the porcelain) so as near as I can figure the only thing stopping the drain from moving is definately the stopper fitting into the drain.  Yet water still slowly drains from the sink.

What else can I adjust?  There seemed to be a lot of horizontal/rotational play in all the drain control parts under the sink; could that be the problem?

Sounds like a bad O-Ring on the stopper.

Here is a good picture for reference.

To remove the stopper, you'll have to remove the retaining nut at the back of the drain body.  Once that's removed you'll pull the pivot rod out, this will allow you to remove the stopper.

Now that you have the stopper out, visually inspect the rubber gasket around the bottom of the plug (just under the chrome part).  If the gasket is worn or cracked, you'll have to either replace it, or the entire stopper.

If you take the stopper with you to the hardware store, somebody there should be able to help you find what you need.

To put it all back together, put the stopper in the drain, insert the pivot rod (so it interacts with the stopper), then tighten the retaining nut back down.  You can make minor adjustments by loosening the set screw that holds the lift rod to the clevis, and adjusting how deep the lift rod goes into the clevis.

WARNING:

Don't over tighten the retaining nut, or you could find that you won't be able to move the lift rod.


14 Ga stranded wire bathroom fan/light on 20 Amp circuit? I'm know this topic has been covered thousands of times but I can't find a good explanation to what I'm looking at.
I am putting in a basement bathroom, I'm wiring it now on a 20 Amp circuit per code, and today my bathroom fan and vanity lights came. They have #14 stranded wire in them. I have #12 wire from the breaker. Can I wire these lights into my circuit? I guess what has me stumped is why they would build these units with smaller wire when a bathroom is required to be protected by a 20 amp circuit.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

That's perfectly fine. The device wiring is based on the device requirements and 14 (sometimes smaller!) is fine if designed tested and certified (UL) appropriately.

Code requirements are based on the total circuit load which may vary as attached devices change and therefore must be the right match of wire and breaker.


Hardwiring a plugged light I have a light that has a switch on the fixture and then plugs into the wall. I want to wire this directly into a circuit in my camper.

Overall, I'm just looking for a quick explanation of how to do this.

Also, looking at the wiring from the lamp, I only see 2 wire which I assume are the hot and neutral. This leads me to believe it is grounded inside of the fixture. When connecting this light to the circuit, do I also connect the ground wire from my circuit?

Thanks

Many cord connected light fixtures do not have a ground. The power going to the light socket is the black or hot wire to the center tab in the fixture, the white or neutral goes to the outer threaded part of the socket. If you want to hard wire this you should use a cord grip where it enters the box to protect the wires from being cut and or being pulled out if someone trips over the cord


Replacing a switch with something that is always on I recently installed a dusk to dawn light for the front porch and would like to keep the switch Always On at all times. This is more for the overzealous kind at home who want to switch everything off at night :)

I am thinking of replacing the normal switch on the wall with a stationary plate and making the wires hardwired at all times. Is there a specific term for this type of plate?

I've searched all over but could not find this in the store.

If you're trying to cover the whole box

Blank plate
Blank cover plate
Blank wall plate
Blank electrical box cover
Blank switch cover

If you're trying to cover one slot of a multi-gang box

Blank insert
Blank switch insert
Blank toggle insert
Blank Decora insert

If you just want to lock the switch in the ON/OFF position

Switch guard
Switch lockout
Switch shield


Wood stove flue leaking water at wall penetration I fitted a wood burner to my new build taking the flue out the gable wall on a 45 and up the outside. I put on stainless plates around the pipe coming out the wall and sealed it all with silicone.
I have had water running down the outside of the flue which has came in somehow and caused damp on the plasterboard behind the fire. I am not sure how I can seal it.
I was thinking of changing the 45 for a 90 out the back of the stove and making a new hole in the gable.

If the pipe you ran on the outside of your house is single wall stainless steel and you are using the wood stove with a minimum combustion air or the outside temp is fairly cold the water could be from the flue gasses condensing and running down the inside of the pipe. You could also be condensing the flue gasses and the water gets into the inside through a pipe seam. Post a picture of flue pipe so we can get a good look at it. I hope that you used a good wall thimble or left a lot of distance from the flue pipe to any combustible material when you exited the outside wall of the house. There could also be other reasons for your problem.


Melt the ice in rain drain What sort of heating cable can be installed in the downspout and subsequent drain drain ?
I was thinking of about 100 feet of drain that will be underground.

If it's a drain that actually drains you shouldn't ever need to heat it or melt anything. Well, unless you live in the Arctic or Antarctica. But, even in those places it's just a matter of getting the pipe under the frost line to be totally sure there's never a problem. Any kind of hot-wire would need to be replaced often & therefore would never be worth shorting the frost line.


How do I tell if my kitchen range space is set up for gas? I have a gas line to my house for the furnace but need to know how to tell whether I can hook up a gas range in the kitchen without having a gas line installed to the spot where the range goes.

Look behind the stove. If it's set up for gas, there will be a gas pipe+valve behind it. If not, then you'd need to get it added.


What would cause a Varathane EZV sander to rip the sandpaper? I have recently been appointed FSA at a Lowes store in Allen Park Michigan. I was ask if i could find out why the Varathane EZV sander was ripping the sand paper.

My knowledge on the subject is minimal so was wondering if you could help.

If the ripping is always happening in one spot on the floor take a really close look for any nails, tacks or even screw heads that might still be protruding. It only takes the slightest thing like this to rip the disc given that it's spinning so fast.

Carefully go over the floor either pulling the tacks out or using a punch to drive the heads of the nails a few mm below the surface.

If the floor is screwed down anywhere it will be a good idea to remove the screw, use a countersink bit on the hole and then replace the screw. Again this should be a few mm below the surface.


Will 220v 50 Hz BLDC Washing Machine work with 240v 60 Hz? Looking to take advantage of price difference to import a washing machine from China - rated 220 volts 50 hertz to Kenya where we use 240 volts 60 hertz. Our supply also tends to be unstable with brownouts and surges. What would be the implication of using the device here?

BLDC ? Normally when talking BLDC my thoughts go to Motors you are talking Brushless Direct Current [Brushless DC] motor. Which means that motor is controlled differently - Voltage is converted to DC and you either have a direct connection where voltage controls RPM or a VFD style motor controller that determines RPM.

Now back to that BLDC motor - it would be using a Controller to operate that motor - and as such depending on what type  of controller and how its supply circuits are it could over drive the motor - burn up both motor and controller.

In a washing machine the Motor is generally AC , but not always anymore..
Now on to the deal between 50Hz AC and 60Hz AC at 60 Hz your motor will run faster about 20% faster, you will use more power as well [see next paragraph for important information] - approximately 20% more.

You will also draw more current and might exceed the FLA [Full Load Amps] of the motor - what does that mean .. it means you will let the smoke out of the motor and the aroma will not be pleasant - nor the expense. They have yet to create any device to put the smoke back into a motor once it is blown and fried so you would need to buy a new motor. Now frying a motor if it goes up in flames while you went outside somewhere - perhaps your home burns with it.. is it worth saving a few pieces of silver IMO no.

Given that the unit you want is made in China I would imagine the FLA barely meets the requirements for the 50Hz threshold - so at 60Hz you would exceed the FLA.

In short - Don't do this..

EDIT 12/13/2017
If you insist on doing this :
You can solve all the problems surges, brownouts and the voltage / frequency issue in another way.

Purchase a battery backup unit or Inverter of sufficient amperage to support operating your washer. 240VAC/60hz input 220VAC /50hz output.

Of course that might defeat your intent to save on costs..


How to make a cut-out on an acrylic sheet? What is the right tool and method to make a small rectangular cut-out (about 9"x5") on an clear acrylic sheet (0.093" thick)?

I want to use the sheet as a kind of kitchen back splash protector behind the stove. The sealing on the new tumbled marble back splash is no match for the greasy/smokey cooking that my family does.

The cut-out is for light switches and outlets.

I used a plastic cutter from Home Depot to cut the large sheet (36" x 72") into the overall shape that I want, and it took a very long time (I was probably not doing it right). So I hope there's a better tool/way to make the cut-out.

As you have already found out, cutting P-glass is tricky. The plastic cutters you mentioned are very gimmicky and don't work that well. I would suggest the following procedure:

After marking out your cut on the plexi,  take a scrap piece of any firm material, plywood, an old board, anything, and cut a slightly oversuninstallized hole in it to act as a backer for your plexi.

With your plexi on top of the backer, Drill holes in two oposite corners of the marked hole you want to make.

Use a varible speed jig saw at a very low speed with a fine tooth wood  or course tooth metal blade to cut out the shape. Stay just barely inside of the waste side of the mark.

Finish the hole and smooth the edges with a fine bastard file and some 220 grit paper.

If you are really cleaver, you could make the hole smaller than the device cover so no plexi edges would be exposed. You may need longer screws to attach the cover plates, but you can get them at any electrical dept.


Should I temporarily cover my exposed soffit during a rain storm? We're currently getting our Soffits replaced by a contractor. Unfortunately he has not yet finished the job and they are quite exposed. I'm especially worried about mold growing underneath since I will rain tonight. First, should I be worried and second what can I do to prevent it?

Mold will not be a problem unless the area gets and stays wet.

Of more concern would be birds, bugs and squirrels.  Landscape fabric could be stapled quickly and cheaply, if it will be several days.


Gable and Roof Vents Together? I need to add some additional exhaust venting to my attics, along with some along the soffit as well.  I need some knowledge on a few things as I can't seem to find answers for them on the interwebs:

Can continuous soffit vents be retrofitted without pulling off the fascia?
The roof will need to be replaced in the next 10 years so I do not want to install a ridge vent.  If I add roof vents right below the peaks, do I need to seal off the gable vents?
Would installing a ridge vent now be just as easy as installing a few box vents?  If so, what is the cost difference?
If I install a ridge vent, will it be reused or destroyed when a new roof gets installed?

1 - Yes, it can be retrofitted depending on the style you choose & if that style fit your soffits. For example, an Aluminum Fin type would need a 6" soffit or eave & would require a 2" slot to be cut-out, because the fin section is recessed & must sit into the slot. Vinyl Holes type would need 11" to 12" to look professional but you can cut out or drill whatever openings you want as it just sits flat.

2 - Gable Vents work regardless of anything else or nothing else, but I would ditch any older in-the-field roof work vents as the roofing my not be pliable & break off in pieces. Gable vents are regularly enlarged & re-shaped to meet the desired ventilation. I've seen the entire gable turned into a vent. I think enlargement is your 2nd best now answer.

3 - I'm sorry I don't know the cost difference, your local roofers will vary & there's more labor in Boxes so they may be equal out if Ridge Materials are more expensive. But, Ridge Vents would be best for an old roof due to brittleness of the field shingles. Plus, Box Vents are quite small & due to their very small amount of penetrations they don't work well to start with.

4 - Ridge Vent re-use is a little tricky. The issues are nail removal & then re-nailing. You don't want to pay your roofer to waste time ripping out nails at 4x's the price of new ridge vent (dramatization) nor do you want him nailing in old holes where a tight attachment may not be achieved.

5 - Keep the existing Gable & Soffit vents as they are & install a Thermostatic or Switched or Timed fan in one of the Gable Vents to beat all of the above. This way you can cool when all of the above may not work to your liking without the direct solar gain (rainy, overcast, nighttime, snow covered). I think this is your overall best option with #2 being the closest behind.