Can I extend SER service cable to accommodate a new breaker box? I'm planning on replacing a 100A stab-lok (house burner) sub panel with a QO Mains box  but I may need about 6 more inches of SER to get connected comfortably. The original box is already about 12 in from ceiling (I know, too high, but it's neigh impossible to run a new service feed). Can the SER conductors be extended, inside the box, with a butt connector and shrink tubing? Or other thoughts?
This is a sub panel in the basement fed off 100A breaker at main box in garage. It's not my first box conversion, but the first time I've worried about service cable length.
Thanks in advance..

It is acceptable to splice additional wire to a feeder, as long as that feeder is not an unfused conductor (service entry). Keep in mind that improperly installed splice can become a real nightmare. It might be better to try and raise the new panel up if there are no obstructions rather than try extend the feeder.

Also if an AHJ gets involved they may want to see if the panel has the proper clearances to legally install the splice. That would be wire bending area and proper fill.

Good luck.


Type of glue for plastic/metal, not too fast, cannot press surfaces together I need to glue a plastic thingy inside a metal tube. There is a notch for it to fit in, and it is slightly tricky. Therefore I do not want the glue to soldify too quickly. Also, I cannot press on the surfaces where the glue will be, but it is pretty tight.
I do not know what type of plastic it is, but it is hard. It does not bend. The metal is stainless steel I guess.
Edit: it is not outdoors or under water. Normal house temperature.
What sort of glue should I be looking for?

JB weld is one of the best epoxies I've used. It's specially good for multiple surfaces. When gluing plastics, you want to roughen up the surface so the glue adheres to it better. If the metal is smooth, roughen it up too with some emery paper before gluing.


How do I install baseboards behind bifold closet doors? I'm remodeling a house and I pulled out the old baseboard and carpet and replaced with hardwood and now I'm putting on the baseboards.  I have several closet openings with bifold doors (I haven't installed them yet) and I'm wondering how I should approach baseboard between the bifold door and the closet opening to hide the flooring's expansion gap.

How do I install baseboard between the edge of the bifold door and the closet opening?

You don't. Either stop the baseboard at the corner and live with the gap, or frame the opening with baseboard or molding and overhang the edge.

Notice how in this picture you can't see the metal track at the top, and you also can't see the gap between the outer left/right edges of the doors and the wall. That's because the molding overhangs the wall by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.


Are there octagonal box extenders that are slimmer than 1 1/2" deep? Is there an octagonal box extender that's slimmer than 1 1/2" deep? So far I haven't been able to find one.

Here's why: to cover up 30 years of patching on one of my plaster and lath ceilings, I'm considering covering the entire ceiling with 3/8" drywall, but that solution will leave two electrical boxes sunken into the new ceiling. I could re-mount the boxes deeper into the ceiling and use a 1 1/2" box extender, or I could replace my boxes with deeper ones, but it'd be easier if I could just affix a slim box extender and be done with the job.

Does anyone make a skinny box extender?

This appears to be a 1/2 inch extender that fits octagonal boxes:


Does a 0.1 PSI drop in 24 hours indicate a leak in gas piping? After installing some new CSST with black iron end points and pressure testing at 5 PSI, is it bad to lose 1/10 of a PSI (0.1 PSI) in 24 hours?
I cannot identify any leaky joints with solution and I've seen claims that 1 PSI in an hour is an incredibly tiny leak so could a tenth PSI drop be just an error in temperature change?
FWIW, the old gas line is still in use and I'm prepping for a weekend cutover from the old to the new lines.

Home Flex's CSST manual http://homeflex.com/downloads/HOME-FLEX_Installation_Manual.pdf tells you to test at 150% of the product's operating pressure.  A good rule of thumb is always check the product manual first.
When people say 20% of a gauge's capacity, they don't mean over-pressure the gas pipe system; they actually mean get a different gauge if you need to.  Don't, for example, use a 90 PSI gauge to test a 3 PSI gas system; it's not designed to be sufficiently accurate for the test.  The reason people say test at minimum 20% on the gauge is the NFPA 54 fuel gas code §8.1.4.1 says shall have a range such that the highest end of the scale is not greater than 5 times the test pressure.  In any event, I believe you have the correct gauge for your project.
Regarding the test duration, your local building official is the authority on this; but NFPA says for a residence the test duration shall be a minimum of 10 minutes.  The duration of the test shall not be required to exceed 24 hours.  It further says Any reduction of test pressures as indicated by pressure gauges shall be deemed to indicate the presence of a leak.  Sucks, right?  The better your equipment and the more diligent you are, the more likely you chase a ghost, because the code is non-specific.
That's why I'm suggesting ask your building inspector.  He or she will probably tell a story about some local system they can't believe never exploded, and tell you the 0.1 PSI is okay.  Nobody here wants to be the one to say that!  :D


Should I fill this gap between floor boards and wall? Currently fitting some new skirting board, I have the opportunity to fill some gaps that exist between the original floorboards and the brick wall. (1930s build). I'm considering squirting some expanding foam in this gap (mainly for insulation, but also mice) before fitting the new skirting.
My question is whether I should. Is there's a good reason to leave this gap and not fill it in? Possibly the gap is there for a purpose. Ventilation, damp etc?

Not easy to see in the image, but may help to describe. That's a modern laminate floor on top of the old boards. The large gap is one of several all around the room where a brick has been left out probably deliberately. It's not this I am considering filling, but the thin (1 inch or so) gap indicated by the yellow arrows.
Below the floor boards is a void of about half a metre until you hit soil, which seems to be dry. There's no cellar and I have no access down there without pulling up the floor. None of the walls are external, except one used to be before an extension was added.
Fill it or leave it?

It will do no harm to fill the gap. You may find that there are vermin proof/resistant foams on the market. If you use an aerosol dispensed foam, you can place the tip of the dispensing straw to stick a little onto a vertical surface below the floor and let that cure. Then using the cured foam as a shelf to hold the next application of foam to fill the remaining gap.
It will help reduce drafts too.


what to do if tile of shower is 58.5 at top and 57.5" at bottom for door? I need to install a door but the tile is off by 1" from the top to the bottom?     Is there an easy workaround for this?

thanks,
Dean

That is way out of plumb... but don't worry, there are solutions. You need a shower enclosure that has 2-piece side frames. They are designed so that the outer piece that the door(s) butt up against when closed can be adjusted by sliding them into a "U" shaped channel that attaches to the tile:


Are voltage adapters suited for long-term use? I live in the US, where household current is 110/120V. After a recent trip to Europe I'm wondering whether I could buy a 220V appliance there and use it at home. This page says that the best solution is to use a voltage adapter, but I was under the impression that those were for short-term use only (e.g., when you're traveling in a place with different wiring than in your home country). Is it really that simple? Can I buy, say, a lamp in Europe and just stick an adapter on it to use it in my living room in the US? Or would I have to actually rewire a lamp (or whatever) that I bought abroad?

EDIT: this question/answer makes it sound like rewiring isn't too hard, if I had to do it, but if I can avoid messing around with it, so much the better.

EDIT 2: To clarify, in response to comments, the question initially arose in regard to a table lamp. It applies equally to a coffee maker I saw. We're not talking about, say, a dishwasher.

If your appliance requires a voltage greater or lesser than you have in your household electrical system, then you must supply the required voltage. Electronic devices should have a label or embossing with their input voltage, and many like phone or laptop chargers might accept a range of 100 to 250 volts, meaning they can be safely used in both the US and the UK, for example.

I personally moved from the UK to Mexico and have rewired an extension lead so it has a North American plug and British socket outlets, so I didn't have to wire new plugs onto my Blu-Ray player and Apple TV. I don't have to worry about voltage since the supply in Mexico is within the range accepted by those devices.

If you buy a bedside lamp, you'll need to change the bulb, but the rest of the object is just some cable, a switch, and a structure. As long as you're not putting an extremely high power bulb in it that would exceed the rating of its internal cables, you've nothing to worry about, and I would simply go to Home Depot and buy a plug to wire onto it. If you're not up to that, buy a simple but robust travel adapter. This will serve for long term use.

Now you mentioned a coffee maker, my Bialetti was brought over from Italy and I rewired it with a UK plug, but according to the appliance  label it requires 220V+ so for use in Mexico I need a transformer to step the voltage up from 110V to 220V (approx., this is Mexico). You have to take into account the wattage (power rating) of the device so you get a suitable transformer.

Frequency (50Hz in the UK, 60Hz in North America) can be a consideration for some devices, as manassehkatz pointed out in a comment, and this would require additional equipment the cost of which would be prohibitive for household appliances.

My recommendation is that a 110V to 220V transformer of sufficient power rating, costing perhaps $100 or less, would be suitable for long-term use with a European appliance that requires 220V, while any device accepting 110V should be preferably be rewired to use a US plug, or, failing that, be connected to an individual non-transformer travel adapter that makes a good fit with both the device plug and the US outlet, or like I do via a foreign power strip wired to a US plug. It is even possible to purchase pre-made strips in this configuration.


Do backer board seams on tiled floor need to be taped? First time tiling a floor, I have hardibacker down throughout. Do I need to tape and mortar the seams?

Yes. And use the alkali-resistant CBU tape.

One tip, which might help or hurt - when you tape ahead of time and let the thinset dry before tiling you can get some bumps among the tape and thinset. These are less of a problem with big tiles which sit on a deeper thinset bed, but can be a pain if using small tiles on a shallow bed. You’ll want to keep a rub stone handy when you start lays by tile. Like here: I was not able to get a smooth finish on a shower pan, how can I smooth it out?

The other thing you can do is tape as you are laying the tile. This avoids the dry thinset bad tape bumps, but adds one more thing to the various things you’ll be juggling.

I can’t tell you which method is better, but you def want the tape so you’ll have a rigid substructure to prevent cracks. If it were me, and I wasn’t in a hurry, I’d tape ahead of time, being very careful to keep everything nice and flat.

Good luck!


Should exterior receptacles be on a separate circuit from interior receptacles? For some reason, I thought I remembered reading in the 2011 or 2014 NEC that exterior receptacles/lights need to be on a separate branch circuit than one powering interior receptacles/lights, but now I cannot find any reference. Am I misremembering?

I plan to run a separate circuit for the exterior receptacles so I can turn them  off when I am not using them, but I would prefer to tap off of interior lighting circuits to power the outdoor lighting fixtures for convenience if possible.

There is no NEC restriction to keep indoor and outdoor lighting and receptacles separate. I've never even heard this mentioned before.

It's not a bad idea to keep receptacles separate, even for the reason you mentioned, but lighting is no problem to combine. Just keep an eye on the intended use loads so that you will not have a circuit loaded to heavily.


Lights lowering in the kitchen when turning on microwave oven: symptom of an unstable electric environment? Is it normal for my kitchen lights to lower their intensity for a second when I'm starting my microwave oven? Is it a symptom of a bad/particularly unstable power environment?

The reason I am asking is because I have had episodic problems with my computer turning off at random times, and I have already checked the power/reset button connections to my motherboard, ensured that my power supply unit is running probably, and made sure that my computer is not overheating.

Should I invest in a UPS or run further tests on my apartment's electric stability?

Would an outlet tester help in any way?

In the best case, this may be normal if the dimming is minor. That said, you should still consider changing your wiring so that lights are not on the same circuit as outlets. This is a common wiring practice to prevent lights from going out when an overloaded breaker trips.

The second best case is that your wiring is under capacity for your microwave and you should consider getting one or more dedicated circuits for your kitchen appliances. To determine this, you'd want to check the wattage on the microwave and other devices on the same breaker and see if they are using less than 80% of that breaker's capacity.

The worst case is that you have a failed (or failing) neutral. If that happens, you'll see voltage lower on the same circuit as the microwave, and increase on circuits that are on the other hot leg. To detect this, you'd want a voltage tester that's designed to measure household AC voltage and check the voltage at multiple outlets when the microwave is running vs off. If you see the voltage increase anywhere when the microwave is running, this is a sign of a bad neutral connection between the breaker panel and the electrical service and will likely require a visit from the power company to repair.


How to cut a rectangle out of a STEEL ruler? Does anyone know how to cut a hollow rectangle out of a steel ruler? By that I mean cutting a small part out of the standard steel ruler while having the outside part still in tact. So a band saw is out the ballpark. Its for a home project and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Drill a round hole, and then square the sides with a file.

You might also get lucky by calling metal working shops in the area. If they have a punch of the right size, it would take only seconds for them to punch the hole for you.

A maker space might have the tools to help you here. Possibly a laser cutter.


Troubleshooting why 3 Garage outlets have stopped working: GFCI A small fan was plugged into an outlet in the garage.  The fan was dropped and the outlet has stopped working (the fan does work when plugged into other good outlets).  A day later I noticed second Garage electrical outlet has also failed (I think it may be tied to the first failure).   I then noticed that a third outlet did not work.  Fortunately the outlets powering the washer and dryer are unaffected.

I was hoping it a simple breaker that needed to be reset.  The breaker box does not show any blown fuses.  I believe that when the breaker is tripped, it will show bright orange (not the case in this photo):

UPDATE: Pushing the blue 'test' buttons in the photo trips to the breaker halfway.  User must rock the breaker right before reset breaker by rocking left.  Breaker numbers are labeled:

I hope that others will ask questions that would help troubleshooting and possibly pose reasons for the failure, which I could try to test.  Thank you for any good questions.

The National Electric Code, these days, says garage receptacles are supposed to be protected by GFCI [NEC 210.8 (A)(2)]. That could be a GFCI outlet that is in the garage, or it could be a GFCI breaker in the panel. Anyway, if code was followed, that is. The branch circuit supplying the outlet in the garage is not supposed to supply outlets outside of the garage [NEC 210.52(G)(1)], but who knows, your garage could be tied to a GFCI outlet in another part of the house. Not very likely, but possibly. First, I would try checking to see if there is a GFCI receptacle in the garage. If there is, then make sure that it is reset. If it is a new GFCI outlet, then it may have something called Smart Lock, which means that you have to go back to the panel and turn the branch circuit off for about a minute, then turn it back on, then go out and reset the GFCI. My best guess, is that your problem has to do with a GFCI device that has tripped. It may be an outdoor receptacle that is causing this, even though there is not supposed to be outlets on that same branch circuit that are outside the garage.


What are code restrictions on turning sink tailpiece? I have drain that is a bit too low so I may have to cut lower drawer on my vanity (see my other question).I want to avoid that. There is 4" clearance behind the drawer.  After some  research it appears that the only legal way to install trap is to keep its arm on the same level as drain entry. So I can't raise the entire trap. So I am thinking of making 90 or 45 degree elbow to route tailpiece to the trap behind the drawer. I can see some ADA tailpieces done that way but I may need to customize some more. Apparently the height of the entire construction can't be over 24", which is ok.

Is there anything else in code that can prevent doing it legally? Will this construction pass inspection? Note that it's California plumbing code which is UPC based.

It's a grey area. Nothing explicitly says you can't, nor explicitly that you can. An inspector could reject it based solely on it preventing the fixture from "draining rapidly". I see your proposal as OK, it's no different than adjacent basins sharing a single trap. As long as the horizontal offset is less than 30" and there is not more than 90 deg horizontal change of direction.

Under such circumstances, no one can predict the result of an individual inspection. You can either enquire in advance, or just do it, having a more conventional plan B should there be any objection.


Cracks in Toilet Bowl Serious? I just noticed these cracks in the bowl of my toilet. It is not leaking water. Can I assume that these are just cosmetic cracks in the glazing? Or, should I worry about a catastrophic failure?
I installed this toilet myself about 20 years ago. It is on tile over a concrete slab; it is solidly mounted, there is zero rocking. It is an expensive pressure-assist toilet so I would rather not replace it.

Edit: Found a crack on the outside.

Edit 2: Finally got my replacement toilet (special order and they got the order wrong the first time). Pulled the old toilet, now I can see the underside.
There is a crack, but the location doesn't match the top bowl cracks. What is most interesting is that it looks like glazing was added during manufacturing. I am guessing that during inspection they noticed some tiny cracks, and rather than scrap the toilet, they tried to repair the cracks with glazing and re-fired the toilet.

Worry.
There's no reason for "cosmetic surface cracking" 20 years on that doesn't come with sub-surface structural issues. Something is not right in there, and it will come apart one of these days - tomorrow or 5 years on, we don't know, but it's likely to be inconvenient, messy, and quite possibly involving an embarrassing trip to the emergency room for cuts sustained in the failure.


Ceiling Fan Capacitor Replacement I need to change out a ceiling fan capacitor, but cannot find exact replacement. 4.5uf(280v)+ 5uf (250v)+5uf(250v)....4 wire, per picture. What would be suggested replacement, based on if & the 280v to 250v?

I found a cbb61 in about 10 seconds 5,5,4.5uf the same as you have for 6.29$ the wire colors may be different but that's not a problem it has 2 gray wires on the one side but you don't have to use both, just wire nut the extra off or put both under the same nut. On a 120v circuit 250v will be fine.


Dark spots on painted wall The other day I covered up a mark on a painted wall using the same paint used before with a roller. The paint is Dulux emulsion paint and was stirred before use. It has been almost 24 hours since I applied the paint, but area I have painted over is now darker than the rest of the wall.

What can I do to fix this? What I don't want to do is repaint the entire wall or room.

In the original paint job; was the paint thinned before use ?

Did you use a roller or a brush to touch up ?

Sometimes paint settles to the bottom of the can:
How old is the can of the existing paint ?

If the can of paint has been sitting - your paint pigments are stuck and coagulated on the bottom and you will need to mix them in. If you have had it for more than 2 years you are better off doing a paint match.

What you can do is take a piece of paint (a chip) from under an electrical outlet cover to get a match.

Your lid might have a label with the mix parameters printed on it along with a color sample as well. The mix parameters are the best and the match is the next best thing.

You might be able to repaint over the surface depending on how much darker the paint is. Also remember if the room gets plenty of sun light - the paint can fade and that might be what has really occurred.


Wiring for island D/W and GFI and Garbage Disposer Currently under sink I have a 12/3 and a 12/2 wire that come into a junction box. The 12/2 comes from another wall GFI and the 12/3 comes from the breaker panel. How can I connect wires in box to add the necessary GFI outlet on the island along with an undersink outlet and switch for the plug in disposer and run the direct wire to the hard wire D/W.

The wiring should look something like this...

Grounding conductors not shown

Depending on where you live, the disposer receptacle may or may not have to be GFCI protected. The drawing shows GFCI protection, but it may not be required.

Also, if the line coming to the other receptacle is already GFCI protected, you don't need a GFCI receptacle there either.


Can I run a cable straight into a junction box? I have a junction box like the one shown in the picture below. Do I just run the cable straight in or do I have to use some conduit/coating? I am thinking that maybe if I run the cable straight in the cable insulation might be damaged from the pressure of the hole.

Clamps are required to protect the cable from damage, I like raco brand insiders because they are quick and inexpensive, there are also 2 screw cable clamps that are commonly used to protect cables like T&B nc301 , these are easily found at plumbing and electric shops or big box stores.


Mount ceiling fan without electrical box I went to replace a ceiling fan on a cathedral ceiling in my house yesterday, and upon removing the old fan I noticed that there is no electrical box where the fan was mounted. The fan was hung from a ceiling joist with romex running to the location, and the wiring was done underneath the fan's mounting bracket and canopy cover. It looks like the replacement fan would be wired in the same area, so does it matter if there's no electrical box under the drywall? If so, why?

Electrical boxes serve several functions. They protect wiring where insulation has been removed. They prevent inadvertent contact with exposed components. They contain sparks when the worst occurs. And they provide standard mounting points for fixtures.

I'd be inclined to "code things up" with a wraparound box like so:

  Nonmetallic ceiling joist box for ceiling fans. 4'' diameter x 2 1/8'' deep, 12.0 cu. in. 4 clamps, 2 1/2'' knockouts. Maximum fixture weight is 150 lb., maximum fan weight is 70 lb. Exceeds National Electrical code requirements. Recommended for earthquake areas.


Should I turn off the cold water while replacing a hot water faucet stem? When I'm fixing or replacing the hot-water valve stem in a 2-handle bathroom faucet, do I need to turn off the cold water as well as the hot water, or is turning off the hot water sufficient?

I'm assuming I have to turn off both, but wanted to make sure it was needed, because the bathroom has 2 sinks but only one cold-water shut-off valve.

In all likelihood you probably don't need to turn it off, but I would still recommend that you do so, if only because you might inadvertently hit the cold side of the faucet when working in the area.

You know the saying - if it can go wrong, it will.  What's easier - cleaning up lots of water, or turning the valve off and back on?


How to install wheels on shelves? I am looking at this product, and wondering if I can install wheels on them.

You don't want to install wheels on those shelves. They will fall apart on you.

Instead of trying to find a way to install wheels on shelves, find shelving that is already on wheels and buy that.


Will draining a water heater damage it? Will shutting down my main water line inlet and draining my lines in preparation for a freeze damage my gas water heaters?

Will shutting down my main water line inlet and draining my lines in
preparation for a freeze damage my gas hot water heaters?

Is it necessary?, we do  not know about your situation but to drain your whole system and shut it down the following is a general overview.
Assuming it is a tank style WH, It will not damage your water heater (WH) if you shut it down properly.  In order to drain your hot water pipes you need to shut down your WH. (Some homes have drain valve on the hot line out of the WH and this will allow you to drain the hot water lines without draining the WH if the supply line in is off.)
The first thing you do turn the WH off. If it is a gas unit there will be a dial or control pad that will have some settings such off, pilot, and the option to set the temperature from low to high.
Next turn off the gas supply at the valve to the WH.  (for those that have an electric unit it will have switch that supplies power).
Next you must close the water supply valve that is on the inlet side of the WH. ( OR, in your case, the main supply line from the street will shut  off all water.)
Once the water, power/gas and controls are off   then it is safe to drain it, You may want to wait for the water to cool down, and the rest of the system.


Is it safe to replace the thermostat when furnace is shut off? I need to replace the thermostat in my basement. It is an old style round shape Honeywell mechanical non-programmable thermostat. The gas furnace is turned off (The switch is at OFF now). Is it electrically safe to open it up and replace it without shutting off the power to the whole basement?

It is safe from an injury standpoint to replace that sort of thermostat regardless of the furnace being on or off, since the voltage in the thermostat wiring is 24 V or less.
However, you haven't stated why you want to replace it, or what sort of thermostat you intend to install.  If you're looking at a programmable unit, or even a model with Internet connection, be aware that you may need a separate power feed to operate the thermostat itself.  Read the requirements on whatever thermostat model you're considering installing before buying.


How can I lift glued carpet without destroying it? I'm in the UK (in case that helps).

I've just bought a late 1800s terrace house that has had a great renovation.

The problem I've come across is that the carpet seems to be glued to the floorboards. I want to get below the floorboards to lay ethernet cables around the house. I was hoping to pull the carpet up in the corners and lift a few boards in each room to run the cables.

What I don't want to do is damage the carpet. It's brand new carpet throughout the house.

Is there a reasonable way to lift the carpet without damage?

Maybe steam? A solvent of some sort (that doesn't destroy the carpet)?

The answer to this was Acetone.

Turns out the carpet was glued to the gripper rods in the corners and every 30 cm or so along the rod there was another spot of glue. No glue to the floorboards.

Pouring acetone along the edge enabled me to lift the carpet fairly easily. It did cause some slight damage to the glue keeping the backing to the carpet and where the problem glue didn't quite dissolve well enough I got a few pulls but thankfully not too many.


How do I fix a slow draining garbage disposal? I put an avocado skin down my garbage disposal, and since then, the sink doesn't drain well.  If I run water for 10+ seconds, it fills up the disposal a decent amount, and will drain if I turn on the disposal or turn off the water.

I've reached in to the disposal, and found nothing that I could feel obstructing things. Any ideas on where my obstruction is, and how to remove?

Sounds like the chewed up gunk from the disposal has largely blocked the drain pipe.  Try a plunger first (block all other connected drains) but that may or may not be effective depending on how far along the clog is.

If the simple solution doesn't work, you'll have to open a clean-out (or the U-trap) and use an auger to break it out.  You can rent a "snake" from Home Depot that attaches to a power drill.

As @Chris Cudmore said, avoid fibrous material.  Corn husks are the worst.

Important:  If this happens again, you may have a plumbing problem!  Disposals are often connected to existing plumbing that is not sufficient to handle them.  The drain should be 2" pipe with limited slope (or vertical) and must be the direct path to the main sewer with any other connections merging into the pipe from above.  Otherwise, you get places where the gunk can stick for a moment and have water move back along the other path giving time for the gunk to stick even more until you basically have concrete blocking your pipe.  I'll give you 3 guesses as to how I know this... and the first two don't count.


How to tighten big wires into circuit breaker holes? I am installing this. After tightening the screw hardly, the big wire still falls out if I pull it a little bit with very small force. I am not sure that I am doing like others would do. Do you have any idea to tighten the wire into that hole? The wire is 105C - 600V, the circuit breaker is 63A

No guessing is allowed.

The breaker's labeling or specification sheet will call out a specific torque you must use.  Torque it to that spec.  And no other.  If you lack the equipment to do so, get it.

I would say look closely inside there while you turn the screw on an empty one, so you have a clear understanding of how the mechanism works.  The wire flaring out like that suggests it may be missing the mechanism.

Also, as Programmer66 suggests, make sure that particular hole isn't broken; try another hole.


cracked 4x4 that support some of the kitchen floor picture worth 1000 words

this 4x4 was there for years, I'm a new owner since about 2 years, i didn't really notice or took picture of this 4x4 before.

should I be worried about this?

it support the entry door platform/stair going down and up and about 40-50 square foot of the kitchen floor, there is a dishwasher right above it

the steel beam that support the floor is on the other side of the platform (which is about 3 feet wide) (face of this 4x4)

EDIT

video of the 4 sides, see description

Nothing too worrisome there - the check (seasoning crack) is not in a direction that affects the ability to carry a load. Looks like green material was used and it dried. It's a common occurrence for posts which include the pith (center) of the tree.


Can I recess electrical panel deeper than usual? In California, I know that code limits how recessed behind the finished wall the electrical panel can be. I'm interested in improving the acoustic STC of the wall assembly and the easiest way is to add more layers of drywall.

This would cause the panel to be 5/8" recessed into the wall, which I believe to be a code violation. I can't easily remove and remount the panel differently.

Do I have any remedy here if I want to make the drywall thicker?
This is a square D QO panel, if that matters.
With other boxes, for example, I am familiar with things like box extenders to address this, but I don't think these are made for entire panels

Yeah, no.  Panels do not work like switches and outlets.  You can't jack the panel cover outward and use longer screws and have a drywall trim ring between panel cover and panel.  No way.  Not least, the breakers will fall out.  Because the relationship between cover and panel must be precise; it's the only thing holding them in!

You also can't bury the panel cover behind drywall, because as any regular visitor here has memorized, panel covers must be accessible without any tools and without modifying the house in any way.

Your only option is to stop the additional drywall layer a couple inches before it reaches the panel cover, and hide the jagged drywall edge with a simple piece of wood trim around the perimeter, like a picture frame.  Finally, a use for that miter box!

ThreePhaseEel makes the point that a "picture frame" (and the drywall itself) intrudes on the "box" of open space that must be kept clear for a person to access and maintain the panel. That open-space "box" starts at the face of the panel and is 36" deep. It is 30" wide but need not be centered, and is 78" (6'6") tall.

However, I see no problem with what is described, for obvious reasons.  I don't stand with my toes planar with the front of the panel (that would be very cramped, eh?) so I don't care about the wall being 3/4" thicker. Disclaimer here: I have an installation just like OP, that violates this in a statutory way, but is of no genuine inconvenience to the installer, and I really like the installation (it's a tasteful cabinet door concealing electrical and phone boxes). So of course I'd say this, wouldn't I?

However you would either need to get a variance from your AHJ, which I would think would be no trouble; or simply have the "picture frame" stop short of the open-space "box".  In my case, the cover was done by a predecessor whose other work is impeccable, so I presume he got a variance :)


What is the purpose of floor concrete in this upstairs wooden condo? I am doing a remodel of a 1970s built upstairs condo (WA state)

Once we took off the old carpeting and vinyl flooring, it turned out that the subfloor is made from concrete. Under the subfloor is wood (it's a wooden construction).

This is in all rooms including previously carpeted areas and including the bathroom. It's also cracked in many places given the age.

Can someone tell me what is the purpose of this concrete? It seems to me like it would add unnecessary weight to a wooden structure.

That type of subflooring, often built with "gyp-crete", a self-leveling gypsum slurry that's poured into place, is used as a sound-deadening measure. Its primary function is to dampen foot traffic and other sounds of living for the benefit of residents below. It's a common practice in budget-built hotels, apartments, etc. where pre-cast or other concrete floors aren't used.


Recessed LED lights need to be turned on twice to work I recently installed recessed LED lights in by basement.  On two of the three runs I have an issue that when I first turn on the lights some of the lights only produce a low dim, and don't react the the dimmer switch's level. However, if I turn the lights back off and then on again everything works perfectly.  This happens every time I use the lights.

Also when I first turn the lights off the lights give a quick burst of light before they turn off. However, this only happens when there is a light didn't isn't working properly, it doesn't do it after I turn them back on and all the lights work correctly.

I have switched out the dimmer switch to one that is compatible when the LED lights, but that didn't fix the problem.

The lights are Commercial Electric Easy-up canless LED recessed lights Model #CER407943k50wh.  The dimmer switch is Lutron Diva C.L. Model # dvcl-153p.  I have switched out the dimmer switch and that hasn't worked.  I've put in an non-dimmer switch and this fixed the problem, but I would like to have these lights be able to be dimmed.

I recently added some canless LEDs on a multi-way switch with a dimmer and I noticed something interesting. If I have the dimmer set very low (near or at the lowest setting), the lights will not engage at all. Adjusting the dimmer to a higher brightness and switching them back on seems to work. I would try leaving the dimmer at least at 50% or higher and see if that fixes the problem (you can always dim them once they are on).

The catch with LED fixtures and LED dimmers is they aren't always compatible. Some even go so far as to list dimmers they work with, and will exclude supporting any others (even if they are LED compatible).


What caused a burn mark near my hot water pipes? I was doing some household cleanup in the storage room where my heat tank is located when I  noticed a burn mark on the wall frame near the pipe that goes from the heat tank to the shower next room.

I'm of course not thinking that this is due to the hot water itself, so I can only believe that this happened during an electric short to the ground.

I have some questions about this:

How can I know if this is a recent burn mark or not?
Is this a sign that something is not grounded properly somewhere and that during a thunderstorm, similar burn mark may appear again?
How can I prevent that from happening again?
Should I call a plumber or an electrician?

I'd say it's a mark left by the plumber's torch while soldering the copper pipes rather than an electrical problem.


Should I be able to run some 1.5" PVC chase conduits from attic to basement next to a cold air return? I have a new home I just moved in to and rather than having them put this stuff in ahead of time (silly me) I'm now trying to do it now.

Here is my situation...
I live in a 2 story home with a finished basement.  One portion of the basement is unfinished.

I'm wanting to run some future-proof low-voltage conduit from attic to basement (unfinished area) where I have a Structured Media Enclosure mounted.

The only straight shot from attic to basement (that I can see) is the cold air return which has an grate on each floor in roughly the same place.

My question is... given "common" building practices...
Could I theorhetically fish a straight pvc pipe along one side (exterior) of the cold air return all the way to the utility room in the basement?

Here are some bad photos taken from a bad video that I took while the home was in pre-drywall phases...

UPDATE 1/30/2013
I feel as if this space is no longer feasible for the "future-proofing" conduit runs I've been envisioning.
I've decided to go a different route using an interior wall on the main floor that's ceiling bumps into a WIC in the 2nd floor.  Depending on the place it pops up in, I'm going to run 4-5 smaller PVC conduits within that wall, and up to the WIC, then up to the attic.  This should give me precisely what I'm looking for in regards to future-proofing.

Also, attached are some pictures of a very closely built home to mine in pre-drywall stages that I am now using as a guide to determine where walls meet and which ones I MAY be able to use to run this type of conduit.

I take it you're hoping to poke sticks of conduit up from the basement and hope to come out in the attic without hitting anything? It could happen, but I'd be rather surprised. 1.5" conduit is fairly chunky, I think you're likely to hit something. If you wanted to fish a few runs of Cat 6 I'd say your chances were good. But conduit? (BTW, bonus points for knowing better than trying to run inside the duct.)

Even if there's obstructions, it may be possible to make the run by cutting discrete access holes to cut out the obstructions, assuming they are non-structural. If you haven't yet done so, examine each floor carefully to determine if there's enough space to even make the run. Measure carefully to arrive at accurate void dimensions, and ensure the proposed run aligns on each floor, which may not be that simple. Once you've determined it's feasible, start pushing pipe, keeping track how much length is pushed up. You'll likely hit something. Figure out where it is vertically. Gain access and clear the obstruction. Repeat as necessary until the attic is reached. Good Luck!


Installing smart switches, instructions don't match my wiring? I'm trying to replace a couple switches with smart switches and the instructions provided with the switch I have (TP-Link HS200) don't match my wiring set up 100%. I'm thinking (hoping) I have the right switches, and that I just need to modify the steps a little bit.

Here's my current set up:

2 switches sharing the same wiring box. One controls the ceiling fan while the other one controls the ceiling fan LIGHT as well as an outlet on the wall
3 bundles of wires coming into the box from somewhere in the wall: upper left, upper right, bottom middle
Attached to the fan switch (left): 1 copper ground wire, 1 red wire on the side (bottom), 1 black wire on the side (top)
Attached to the light/outlet switch (right): 1 copper ground wire, 1 red wire (bottom), and TWO black wires (one on top, and the other wrapped around the bottom screw)
Wires NOT connected to the existing switches: 3 white (neutral?) wires that are twist-capped together and tucked in at the very back of the box

What I've tried to do:

Fan switch (left): connect black and red wires to the black "live" wires of the smart switch, connect the ground wires, and connect 1 of the white wires to the white wire leading to the upper left corner
Light/outlet switch (right): connect 1 black wire to 1 black wire on smart switch, connect the other black AND the red to the other black smart switch wire, connect the ground wires, and connect both remaining white wires (upper right and bottom middle) to the neutral    smart switch wire

Results:

Fan switch doesn't power on at all
Light/outlet switch is powered on and I was able to set it up on my wifi, BUT it doesn't then the light/outlet on or off at all

Other notes:
The respective switches are the only switches that control the devices, so I don't believe it's a 3-way connection

Does anyone know what I did wrong? Or am I just screwed with my wiring set up and I can't put a smart switch here? Or can I put a smart switch, just not this brand?

This is my first DIY project and my first post on here. Sorry for the long winded post! Thanks in advance for any help!

I have the same smart switches and it was a breeze to install.  Have you downloaded the Kasa app on your phone?  Once you open the app and select new install, select the diagram that represents the currently installed switch.  After that it gives step by step instructions for proper installation.


Whats the best way to patch a 1.5" hole in a poured foundation wall? I need some expert advice here. I inherited a house that has a pool and a shed. The electric to both the pool and shed pass through the foundation of the house underground through what looks like PVC conduit. I recently noticed that the conduit, where the wires protrude, is leaking water. I haven't noticed this all summer but now that the winter is here and the ground is frozen, water is finding a way into this conduit.

I have a temporary solution to capture the water into a plastic tote using a make-shift gutter down spout extension that is catching the water and storing it in the tote so it doesn't make a mess in the basement. The conduit extends about 3" to 4" on the inside of the basement wall, so wrapping a sock around it and catching with the spout extension into a tote seems to work and not make a mess. However, I'm looking to permanently fix this issue, most likely in the spring.

So, if I dig up where I think the wires and conduit enter through the foundation, I would like some idea on how I can patch this hole. I've read about a myriad of solutions and one being hydraulic cement. My research says that the hole needs to be very clean and lightly damp for the cement to make the best bond.

For a more permanent solution I want to remove the pvc and conduit from the hole in the foundation, clean it up and patch it in the late spring. My concern is that this size hole is too big for hydraulic cement, but my inexperienced mind just tells me that. Can anyone just provide me with some knowledge and experience and let me know what the right solution is, if it is hydraulic cement and what else I should know and or do for preparing the application of it?

Thanks for your help!

If the water is running through the conduit foam or duct seal would serve you better than cement. Duct seal has the advantage of not hardening, which should minimize the bill and foul language if you need an electrician to pull a new wire down the road. Then again, I'm not an electrician so there may be a better mousetrap.

To answer your original question "hydraulic cement" generally refers to products with a very short dry time that can be used in wet conditions. (Or under water) In addition they generally expand while they cure, as opposed to Portland cement which shrinks slightly. That's the big selling point for foundation work because it means there's no way for ground moisture to seep around the patch.

The rationale for slight dampness is twofold. Masonry absorbs water, which complicates repairs. If you don't dampen the existing work it can draw water out of the new work and weakens it along the bond. In addition, products based on Portland cement requires ample water to cure but cure very weak if there's too much water. Generally that involves lightly spritzing the surface periodically during the cure so that it remains damp without standing water. Both are less of an issue with hydraulic cement simply because you wouldn't be paying the premium for it unless you were already working in a damp area.


Honda Lawnmower Flywheel Key Sheared? My Honda HRR2168VKA (self-propelled walk behind) lawnmower shakes violently when I start it up. I immediately turn it off. Is this a sign that I sheared the flywheel key or bent the crankshaft? Could it be something else? Is a bent crankshaft repairable? How do I tell if the crankshaft is bent?

Have a look underneath.  There are several failure modes which could cause strong shaking:

A cutting blade is broken, missing, or bent
A rock, scrap metal, lead weight, or other miscellany is attached to the blade
The crankshaft is bent
The crankshaft bearing or housing is cracked

A close look should be able to rule out and identify the problem, the last being the most difficult.

  How do I tell if the crankshaft is bent?

Using your hand, turn the blade at least one half rotation and watch to see if its path is level.  Be sure the engine cannot start by disconnecting the spark plug and having the throttle at its full stop position.


Both shower heads have less flow after water heater replacement Just had professional replacement of 50gal water heater. Both Shower heads in master bath have noticeable lower pressure than before. Plumber used CPvC on new installation connected to existing copper. Could there be diameter difference causing a restriction and how do I tell?

First, I'd suggest removing both showerheads (and all your faucet aerators, as well, perhaps) to check for debris - major work like changing a water heater often dislodges  crud in the lines that ends up clogging the point of exit, so cleaning and backflushing is needed to restore flow. While you have them off, run the shower full bore from the bare pipes for a while to remove any additional crud you can. Don't know if I think a good pro plumber should have done this, or if the average customer would complain about the extra half and hour at plumbers rates for doing it...

As for the size of the lines, you should be able to read the size right off the side of the CPVC - possibly the copper as well, though that's a bit closer to intuitive to measure, and it's probably too old to be easily readable even if it is printed on.


Can I run conduit containing 120V wires inside larger conduit for 240V wires? I was wondering if I could run 120v wires inside in a larger conduit that has higher voltage wires 240v, in a smaller piece of conduit?
The reason I ask is that I have a manufactured home and when they installed the 240v wiring coming from the meter it is run under the house in the crawlspace. It's not in conduit untill it enters the bottom of the electrical panel. When the water pump (120v) was installed they just ran it into the conduit with the 240v wiring.
I know for certain you can't run low and high voltage in the same conduit, but I thought that if I ran a 1/2" conduit inside the 2" for the 120v that would rectify the violation.

I assume you are in the USA for this answer.
120 volt circuits are not considered “low voltage”. Low voltage means 60 volts (I believe) or lower. 120 volts and 240 volts are the same voltage class and it is perfectly fine to run both of them in the same conduit.
Besides, in the USA, 240 volt circuits are simply two legs of 120 volts in opposite phase. While you have 240 hot-to-hot, it’s still 120 volts hot-to-ground, just like a 120 circuit.
Edit: typo


Can I use existing 10/3 cable for a 40A cooktop circuit? My kitchen is wired with 10/3 wire for a cooktop stove, however my new cooktop recommends 8/3 wire and 40amp breaker.  Is it safe and legal to use the existing 10/3 wiring?

10/3 cable absolutely requires a 30A breaker or less.  Period. NEC 240.4(B), which overrides any number anywhere else in Code (though all those other places also limit NM/UF/Romex to 30A).

You will need to review your range's UL-approved instructions to see whether it "recommends" or "requires" 8/3 and a 40A breaker.  If it "requires", then pull 8/3 (leave the 10/3 in place; you'll thank me later) or return the cooktop and get a 30A cooktop.

There shouldn't be any trouble finding a 30A cooktop.  The 40A cooktops are luxury items, and if you're buying luxury items, you can definitely handle adding the correct wiring.

The standard wiring for houses which have separate cooktops and ovens (that itself being "luxury") is a 30A/#10 for the range, and a 20A/#12 per oven. (sometimes 30A/#10 for two ovens).  Lowbrow range-oven combos call for #8/40A or #6/50A.  Sometimes, under specific conditions, range/oven separates are allowed to share a #8 or #6 cable. But that is not your house.

Instructions and labeling are approved by UL as part of the appliance's UL listing.  That's why they're so weird and hard to understand sometimes because manufacturers don't want to change that which has been approved.  You must follow the instructions (NEC 110.3), because UL won't certify its reliability in other conditions.


how do i connect a plastic shower drain to my old metal sewer I am remodeling a shower how do i swap this drain, with my old drain, for my old school mortar shower pan?
this is how it looks like on top

ABS male adapter + teflon tape or joint compound.


Is it safe to unplug my electric water heater daily to save energy? Could you please help me answer the following questions?

1) Will unplugging my water heater from the socket when not in use damage it?

2) Which energy-saving timer will work with my water heater?

Below are details of my water heater.

Company: Rheemglas Standard (Energy Miser)

Water Heater Model #: 0199B54937

Wattage: 240/208 Volts AC ONLY

Upper: 4500/3380

Lower: 4500/3380

Total: 4500/3380

Already Tried: I have already tried contacting Rheem customer support; however, no one has responded to my inquiry yet.

Listed UL Water Heater 786H

EDITED

Temporary picture gallery showing (1) electric water heater plug, (2) air conditioner's stand-alone switch, and (3) air conditioner unit above electric water heater.

Pics added inline

I would suggest a timer like this. Additional start/stop pins can be added if you decide on adding a second on off time (or more) and you can always flip the over ride to the On position. This way your water will be hot in the morning instead of having to wait after you turn it back on.

The only problem is if there is a power outage you would need to adjust the clock face (very easy). I would suggest an absolute minimum rating of 30 amps. This model is rated at 40 and I have had excellent long term service with this brand and style.


Is a 2.5 Ampere relay sufficient for 24V thermostat AC only application? The goal is to 24V control signal YEL (cooling) and GRN (fan) for a Florida storage building, with three AC units.  A single board computer (Raspberry Pi) is outfitted with 2.5 Ampere relays.

Is there any reason to believe that higher Amperage relays are needed?

Perhaps the better question is: What is the maximum current for thermostat wiring?

I think the answer that you want is that the 24v is only used to close relays, so the amperage needed is only for the combined amperage of the coils on the relays (or not combined if you're using one relay on the board for each control wire).

I would assume that a 2.5A relay is more than enough for each control wire, but if you are trying to drive all three units from one relay, you might start to run into issues.  For instance, if the coil you are driving takes 1/2 an amp, you're ok, but if it takes 1A, and you need to drive three of them, the Pi might start to have issues.  If you are going to combine green and yellow you are powering 6 coils, then you're probably going to be over amperage - it just depends how you plan on wiring and controlling.

The relays on the control boards of the HVAC might be marked with the coil voltage and amperage, but you might just have to measure it yourself.  Even if the amperage is too high (or just to be safe), you could use the Pi to drive a higher amp relay that in turn will switch the control wires.


selectable thermostats? I would like to add a second, remote thermostat to my exiting HVAC system so that I can choose which area of the house will control the heating/cooling. I think I can do this by placing a simple on/off switch into the wiring to the remote thermostat. When 'off' the main thermostat will remain unaware of its remote partner and will function as a stand alone device. When 'on' the main thermostat will defer to the signal from the remote thermostat.

The main thermostat is a Honeywell Visionary TH88320U1008 which has connections for a remote thermostat.

Will this work as I intend?

Though it's not quite the answer you're looking for, the Ecobee3 might be worth considering. It has remote sensors, and you can control which sensors are active as part of the schedule.

I mainly bought this to keep the upstairs (and baby's room, in particular) at a better temperature at night, which works extremely well. It's also helped keep a better balance between the front and back side of the house, which has large south-facing windows -- though I think that's actually more due to the ability to run the fan for a minimum number of minutes per hour.

I have no affiliation with this product or company, I'm just a satisfied customer.


Radiator behind sofa - Box Design Unfortunately, the only place we can have a sofa is in front of the radiator and the radiator cannot be moved. I am thinking about building a box around the radiator to achieve the following:
The Goals

Keep heat away from the back of the sofa. (It's a leather sofa to looking to avoid drying damage)
Try and direct as much heat upwards and into the room

The box specification:

Bottom of the box fully open
Gap around the front and sides of about 50mm
TRV to be outside of the box and not behind the sofa as much as possible
Top of the box to have plenty of holes or slots
Box made from 12mm MDF

For lining the inside I am thinking of one of the following:

Thin sheet of Celotex (or other branded). I think the thinnest is 12.5mm
Insulated underfloor lining

Questions

Will this design help with The Goals?
What is the best material to line the box with to keep heat from escaping from the front & sides?
What other things would you suggest to help achieve The Goals?

Thanks!

As an alternative, requiring rather less work, how about this:

get some sheets of rigid insulation such as is used in places like ceiling over a furnace (also fireproof but you don't care). Attach these in an unobtrusive way to the back of the sofa.
place some wooden blocks between the radiator (or wall) and the feet of the sofa to act as standoffs.

This way the radiator has plenty of room for convection and the sofa is fully protected.


Possible to Recess Over the Range Microwave Into Wall I bought a low profile over the range microwave that is 30" wide and 18" inch deep. My cut out area is 30" wide and 14" deep. My wall has brick veneer over drywall. Is it possible to cut out the veneer and drywall and attached the wall mounting plate directly to the raw studs, to save an inch or so? Alternatively, is it even possible to reframe the stud area someway to push the microwave even farther back (with the goal of making the face flush with the cabinetry)?

If you pay attention to @ratchetfreak's comment about leaving enough space, and are willing to go to the bother/mess, you can frame up a hole in the same manner as a window opening.


Replacing 2 wire switch with 4 wire switch, box has 3 wires. Help? I’m trying to replace a light switch that has 2(Red & Black) wires directly connected to the switch itself with a 3rd(White) wire that’s capped off in the box with a new smart switch that has 4(Red- Load out, Black- Line, White- Neutral, &  Green- Ground)wires. Is the white in the box neutral? The old light switch has a ground screw and the white wires aren’t connected to it so I think they’re neutral. And if that’s the case what do I do with the ground wire from the new switch?  Do I connect it to the screen in the back on the box? Help. Thanks!!!

Is this screw for grounding the green wire from new switch?

The black wire from the box, old switch, gets connected to the black wire from your new switch with a wire nut. The red wire from your old switch gets connected to the red wire from your new switch with a wire nut. The white from your new switch gets connected to the group of white wires under the yellow wire nut, those are the neutrals. I can't tell if there's a ground wire in the box from the cables or if it's FMC. Verify the box is grounded with a meter going from box to black (hot).


What would cause a hardwired smoke alarm to give one short beep when appliances are turned on? I have hard wired smoke detectors.  I've noticed that when I plug my tablet into a power strip connected to an outlet in my living room it caused the upstairs detector to emit a quick beep.

I now have an air conditioner in the same outlet.  Whenever it kicks on, the detector on the same floor and upstairs would beep.

Tonight while it was running we started hearing a continuous quick beeping; it was the detector in the basement.  As soon as we switched the ac off, it stopped.

It seems that whenever there's a quick rise in power usage, these things react.

Any idea what is going on?

The detector beeps because the momentary drop in voltage (or aberration in waveform) at the detector is sufficient for the detector to pick up, perhaps interpreting drop/aberration as a sign that it is about to lose power.

Might be a:

hardware/software bug in the device
feature for letting the owner know that the detector is functioning properly
feature that warns of a low battery (the battery that powers the detector during black outs, etc ...)
feature to indicate that the detector's service life or warranty has ended
sign that the circuit is excessively overloaded
sign that the detectors are wired improperly


Which is the better first step: rebuilding a basement closet, or insulating the basement walls? Recently closed on a split-level. The basement was partially finished, with a closed off utility room and a hodge-podge closet (enclosed area in one corner of the basement with a door, separated from the rest of the basement).

In planning out the major milestones of the project, should I rebuild the closet or insulate the exterior walls first?

I have the rest of the project well lined up. Insulate the walls, put up a lattice structure, call an electrician to wire more outlets, put up drywall, tape and paint.

Insulate 5th.

First is framing, second is HVAC (most difficult to adjust around other features/elements), third is plumbing, fourth is electrical and data, fifth is insulation, then wallboard and paint.

If cabinets are involved, I’d install them next.

I always install the floor coverings last...well, “touch up painting” is very last.


Preventing condensation on the inside of an exposed structural exterior brick wall I have a 1920's town home with exterior brick walls. In the upstairs bedroom on the northwest corner, I occasionally see condensation forming and running down the brick wall in the winter. This is probably caused by the warm moist interior air condensing on the relatively cold exposed brick wall.
I applied a few layers of dry-lok to keep the soft mortar from shedding, but this also seems to have stopped some of the condensation.
Is there a product that is similar to the matte clear dry-lok that might be better able to reduce condensation on the brick wall? If not, what other steps might I take in order to reduce the formation of condensation on the brick wall short of furring it out and insulating it?

The only thing that will prevent condensation on the wall is insulating the wall (and you will need a vapour barrier inside the insulation).  Sorry.

(Technically, you can prevent condensation by reducing the moisture content of the room.  Note, by this I don't mean "relative humidity", I mean "amount of water vapour measured in e.g. g/m³".  This will either mean making the room unpleasantly arid, or unpleasantly cold, or both.)


What would be a good option for a non-slip entryway surface in an anteroom where the door is very nearly flush with the floor? Our home has a tile entryway/anteroom. The door to the outside is nearly flush with the floor, If you place and secure 3 post-its (i might be exaggerating a bit here, but it is far less than a centimeter of room) on the ground and open the door, the door starts giving some real resistance when the edge encounters the paper. I have a 1 year old child, and I myself have a minor issue with balance (birth disorder) so when we enter after rain or sleet or snow (Im in Northern Massachusetts) I invariably slip across the floor. Like walking out of a shower with a marble tile floor that doesn't have a mat.

Given all of this, we have not found say a floor mat that wont stop the door from functioning properly. However, I am wondering if anyone has an idea for a solution for an issue like this.

I cam to my own impression after looking at an old stick-on mouse pad that maybe theres a 3M device or something that is more like a low profile stickon nonslip surface. Ive seen something similar on say basement stairs. Obviously my wife was less than thrilled at having Black sandpaper on the floor being the first thing one sees when entering our home.

Thanks!

One option may be to use a non-slip paint additive mixed with an epoxy or compatible tile sealant. I've used these on exterior pre-cast concrete stairs before with great results. There are also several brands that are specifically marketed for pool decks that are part of a "coating system" that is designed to be used over tile.  If you have a local pool supplier, they may be a good place to start.

Note - since the tile is already laid, I'd either use a spare (if you have access to one) to test the adhesion or trial it in an inconspicuous place before you go forward with the whole thing.


Deciding whether to replace missing shingles or the entire roof There are missing shingles on the roof our garage.  How can I determine whether it is better to replace the missing shingles or replace the entire roof?

It is possible to replace individual shingles when some become missing but there are factors to consider before deciding to replace the whole roof covering.

Percentage of the total number of shingles that are missing.
What is the age of the current roof covering.
Type of shingles be they asphalt, wood, clay tile, metal or other type.
Are shingles a type that are spot glued in place.
Do other shingles overall look to be in good condition.
Are spare replacement shingles of the same style/color available.
Is roofing currently installed over one or more older shingle layers.
Is replacement cost a factor.
Would replacement with another shingle type be desired.


Pulling wire rope so it's tight? I have 3/8" wire that needs to be tight (not sagging) between two wooden posts with screw eyes. I don't want to purchase turnbuckles if I don't have to.

How can I pull them and then secure it with a crimp sleeve?

This is different to the other question because in the other one I was asking about regular polyester rope.

Put the crimps sleeves in place with the screw eyes apart the distance of the poles minus 1 inch (1/2" for each side) and fasten it all together. Set one eyebolt into the post all the way in except the 1/2". Important, count the full turns it took top get the eyebolt in that far. With the other eyebolt in place on the cable, twist the eyebolt counterclockwise the amount of turns it took to get the other eyebolt in, then add a few more turns if possible. This will insure the cable has the best chance to be tight when you are done. (This is what the 1/2" extra on each end and the extra reverse turns are about) It may take a bit of effort or extra help to control the reversed cable, but start it in the pre-drilled hole and turn the screw in. That should get you tight, at least as much as 2 wood posts will allow.

I did this with concrete threaded inserts on both sides of a concrete wall and 1/8" stainless steel cable between them, and they got bowstring tight. I installed about 14 of them in a room for hanging things from.


Is it ok to split a transformer directly off the wiring from an outlet junction I am installing a doorbell transformer for a new Ring doorbell and I have an outlet right next to the main box. It would be simple for me to take the existing wiring, branch it and use it for the new transformer (which I could attach to the side of this junction). That would save me from having to run any more wire - simply take the wiring provided as part of the transformer and splice it to the existing run. Is there any reason that this is not a valid setup before I go about doing it?

That should be fine, it looks like that's just a general purpose receptacle and it's OK to add a small load like a doorbell transformer to that circuit.  It looks like there's room in the box, and clearance so the transformer will fit.


Can I use a 3-way switch as a single-pole switch? Can I connect a 3 way switch to be used as a single pole?  I accidentally purchased a couple of them and only need to control one light each.

Yes it can work.  3-way switches are spdt (single pole double throw) with 3 screw terminals, and regular switches are spst (single pole single throw) with 2 screw terminals.

Just pick the correct two contacts and you are good to go.  .

If there are two on one side and just one on the other, then connect to the one that is alone on one side, and either of the other two on the other side.

A multimeter is the quick way to figure out which terminals to use.  Just set it for ohms and you will be able to tell what happens as you toggle the switch.


Can an IR thermometer be used to check wall insulation? IR point thermometers have come down a lot in price. IR imaging cameras haven't.

Is there a reasonable approach to using the point thermometer to determine how well or poorly insulated my walls currently are, or should I spring for a "proper" evaluation? (Or try to get an imager at tolerable price through eBay?)

Yes, I know some folks have kluged frameworks with stepper motors to scan and area and build up an image out of individual points. If it came to that, I'd rather throw money at the problem.

(The last few times I had energy audits done, they said they'd check on this... and then didn't do so. Admittedly, having had the place air-sealed and the roof insulation deepened I'm already ahead of most of my neighbors, but I'm still willing to invest in improving it further if there's clear evidence that doing so would help.)

the thermometer is only going to show the spot "point"ed at, this is better for spot checking.  The camera will show a section, better suited for larger areas. The thermometer method will only work so far as to how thorough you are when checking. The rest of the answer would be speculative opinion. There also comes a point when the savings don't out weigh the expenditure.


Drywall skim coat over painted CMU? I have a small section of wall (50sf) where the stairwell goes into the basement that is CMU (concrete masonry unit or concrete block) painted with at least an egg shell, possibly even semi-gloss.

Where the CMU from the basement level meets the textured drywall at the main level, the drywall overhangs the CMU by 1/8" to 1/4".

I was thinking of skim coating the CMU then matching texture and paint so it appears like drywall all the way to the basement floor.

Is there a product that can go over the painted surface to make it ready for a drywall skim so it sticks?  I figure sanding alone will not be enough due to the "rough" or "bumpy" surface of the CMU, the sandpaper won't make contact with the low areas.

It should be fine all on its own, but if you want to be really really totally sure, just sand a bit to expose some of the CMU surface in the high areas.


What type of bulb is this? This bulb is found inside a fancy light fixture, I haven’t seen one before and it doesn’t have any markings on it. I need to order replacements.

More images showing the context of where I found this bulb.


Confusion over 220 and 230 volt outlets We have a 220 outlet for our A/C. We are shopping for a new unit and all I am see is 230 volts on the units. Will we have to rewire with a new outlet for a new A/C?

Two issues:

In the world of electrical power devices, there is a "Distribution Voltage" that your utility is providing to you, and there is a "Utilization Voltage" that your devices are designed to work on. They are not the same values, because it is EXPECTED that there will be a "voltage drop" that takes place between the utility transformer and the point at which the device connects due to the resistance of the wire between them.  Distribution voltages are required to be +-5% maximum deviation, Utilization Voltages are supposed to be +-10% minimum acceptable.
Distribution voltage levels have changed over the years. Here in the US (we don't know where you are), 220V was an old original standard going back to the 1920s. Some time around the 1930s, as part of one of Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs called the "REA" (Rural Electrification Act), power lines were run out to farms and small communities all across the country. So to avoid having the REA workers have to carry different products for different utility voltages, a standard was established that has become codified as the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Distribution Voltages that power utilities are SUPPOSED to adhere to. So for residential single phase distribution, the official voltage is actually 240VAC. But because old habits die hard, and because SOME utilities never actually changed, "220V" is a common term still used all over the place. It's actually somewhat rare for it to actually BE 220V. Generically, it's all referred to as being the "nominal" voltage; 220, 230, 240 all being relatively close enough.

So partially because of this, the unofficial "Utilization Voltage" level has been 230V for decades, but the tolerance is +-10%, meaning the devices are supposed to be designed to accept anything from 207V to 253V. In reality because some commercial and apartment complexes will use 208V 3 phase distribution, and you want to be able to accept 90% of 208V, the equipment manufacturers often actually make their products suitable for -15% from 230V (195V).

RARELY, something is either old, or made somewhere where they don't follow industry norms (or don't understand, or don't care) and they made it so that it STRICTLY requires a very narrow input voltage. So bottom line you should check. But if it is something like a dryer or an oven outlet, it should be perfectly fine.


Kenmore 51789 Fridge - Trying to Troubleshoot Defrost Problem Fridge: 1.5 year old Side-by-Side Kenmore 51789 (seems to be a Whirlpool model?)

Service Sheet: W10670778 A

Over the last few days, I’ve noticed my fridge and freezer were slowly getting less and less cold, with the fridge seemingly doing worst at keeping cold. Looking at the freezer, I discovered some frost towards the bottom, right around the vents. I decided to (manually) defrost the fridge by turning it off (from the front-panel, leaving it plugged in).

As the fridge was defrosting, I looked for some information online, which all indicate that it’s probably due to the control broad, defrost thermostat, or heater. I opened up the back panel on the freezer to find that the bottom portion (directly behind the vents) was very frozen/frosted, but the top (where the defrost thermostat is) was essentially free of frost. I ran the diagnostic tests from the service sheet (see results below), with the bi-metal test returning “bimetal open”. Since the fridge was already at room temperature, I believe that test to be normal (is that correct? the bimetal is open when the freezer is at room temperature, right?). Since there was still a lot of frost, I tried to initiate “Forced Defrost” and couldn’t get it to work (does the open bimetal prevent the “Forced Defrost” mode?).

After a day/night of defrosting manually, I turned the fridge back on and it seems to be working fine/better, although I’m already seeing a little bit of frost/white on the coils (they looked dry when I turned it back on, but maybe they were not). After being back on for about 3 days (and everything being seemingly fine), I ran the diagnostic tests again and got the exact same results (see below), with the bimetal test still showing open. Although I believe this indicates a bad Defrost Thermostat (is that correct?), I’m not sure that’s the case. I wanted to try to bypass the Defrost Thermostat but it’s plugged directly into the outlet, so that would require cutting the wires to do so. I also tried to make the Defrost Thermostat cold by putting frost/ice directly on/around it to make it colder but still got the open result in the test diagnostic.

Am I correct that this indicates a bad Defrost Thermostat? Is there a difference between a "Defrost Thermostat" and "bimetal"? Is there a good/foolproof way of testing it? What are my next steps? I’m trying to narrow down the problem as much as possible before committing to cutting wires and/or buying new parts….

As an additional question, I was unsure how to get the “Forced Defrost” to work (step #38 in service sheet) because it says the “command shall be sent at the exit of Service Mode”. Does that mean that I have to select the Defrost Mode (Short or Long) and exit straightaway? or do I need to go back to the step menu before exiting?

Diagnostic Tests Results (same results when freezer was at room temperature and when cold):

FC Thermistor: O1=Pass
RC Thermistor: O1=Pass
Evaporator fan motor and Air baffle motor: displays O2 (baffle is closed) and then switches to O1 (baffle is open)
Compressor/Condenser Fan Motor: O1=ON
N/A
Defrost heater/Bi-metal: O2 = Bimetal Open
Defrost Mode: I set it to O1=ADC ON as indicated in the service sheet. How would you go about setting it to O2 = Basic Mode (8 hour timer) since it says “The Defrost Mode must be set to ADC ON before exiting the Service Diagnostic Mode”?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I would agree that it looks like the Tstat. Is the fan circulating air, this is one issue that can also cause problems and if ice dams form at the bottom even if everything else is working the freezer will start to warm up because the cold air can not circulate. I gave up on world pool / Kenmore after my last elite fridge freezer was a basket case under warranty and I have epa licenses so it turned into a pop cooler in the barn.


What size breaker and wire for a barn feeder circuit? February winds blew down my overhead service to my barn.
I would like to replace the 1950's two wire service and update to a safe, sub feed using a complete new underground from a 150 amp house box.
  The current feed appears to be a branch from the upstairs outlet.(Not good.)   The total run will be 150 feet, 50 feet being the underground sub feed.

I have 4 spaces left in the house circuit breaker box that has a 150 amp main breaker. The house has electric water heat, electric oven and range and electric dryer.

Looking for max amperage and wire size to sub feed the barn that would power lights, small power tools, possibly an air compressor and a 110 mig welder.
My wife and I would not be using all the electric appliances at the same time. I am semi-retired now, but need to seek advise for this to see if I can do before spring gets here if it will be affordable to our budget.
Any help is appreciated.

Based on the activities you are talking about, I would say #4 aluminum.

The reason is 40A will probably suffice for immediate concerns, and you can do that with #8 copper except for the distance.  That necessitates a bump to #6 copper, and a side effect of this bump is you get some more headroom, as you can technically drive that circuit as high as 60A.

However, #4 aluminum has the same ampacity as copper at half the price, so why not use it?  At these large sizes, the fearmongering about aluminum does not apply, and these wires will be the newer alloy anyway.


Apartment security system service light is on I live in an apartment that came with a security system.  I've never used the system, but the system has been acting up lately.  The system seems to be activating for no apparent reason (producing a high pitch tone), and the service light is on.  The tone goes away when I press Cancel.

I called management, but they said that they don't actually maintain the security systems in my unit.  My unit came with this security system, but I never got any information about it, and the management changed hands while I've lived here.

All the advice I've found so far involves knowing the model of the system, but all I can tell is the GE logo.  There is a screw in the bottom, but I don't really want to open the magic box.  I also haven't figured out what the plastic slide-out on the left is for.

I want to fix the problem or call someone to get it fixed.  How can I figure out what system this is?  Alternatively, who should I call to get service for this system?  A local home security provider?

I'm guessing there's a worn out battery in the panel or one of the sensors and that's causing it to act up.

You have a couple of options:

Call a local home security company and have them either fix the unit, replace it, or deactivate it.  They might do it for free if you sign a service contract.
Deactivate the panel yourself.  Remove the panel from the wall, disconnect the power cord (and a phone cord if there is one), then open the panel and disconnect the internal battery.  (To disconnect the power cord, you might have to open up the panel or unplug a mysterious looking plug from a nearby outlet.)


What's the right approach for insulating the slab & footings underneath a masonry fireplace/heater? The fireplace will be located in the middle of the concrete slab (away from the foundation stem walls) so it will have its own footing.

My impression is that footings should rest on soil & gravel and the slab should "float" on rigid foam. I've done a fair bit of homework on foundation and basement insulation in general, however when it comes to fireplaces and insulation the focus seems to be primarily on chimneys and doors (where I suppose it's too late to think about footings in most cases).

The options I've considered + diagrams of the footing cross-section:

Uninsulated fireplace footing - thermal bridge right into the ground, but in the middle of the slab. How significant is that?
Insulate the fireplace footing - do building codes generally allow that?
Uninsulated footing with insulation between slab and footing.

RE: 40 PSI foam, 8000 lbs on a 3' x 6' footing works out to just over 3 PSI additonal load.

By the way this is in Zone 4 marine climate - gets cold but frost doesn't penetrate below the topsoil.

If this will be used as a serious heating appliance, (I'm inferring from "masonry heater") not merely decoration (as many fireplaces are), I'd go with uninsulated footing, especially if the stemwall is insulated - whatever thermal bridging takes place will be to the "bubble" of dirt inside the stemwall, which can play into your thermal mass.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/foam-under-footings suggests both that it should be entirely feasible to place foam under, and that it may require negotiations with the LAHJ for code/inspection purposes.


Hotpoint Washing machine slowly fills with water while not in use, what is wrong? Recently I noticed my washer will slowly fill with water when not in use. The machine was in storage for 6 years until we purchased our first home.  Any suggestions would help.

Something has one of the solenoid valves stuck open.  You could replace the valves, or perhaps clean them out.


Is it OK if the house's roof makes noise I moved from Europe to the USA(OH). I noticed a couple of things that worry me. Every house in the US that I entered makes cracking or squeaking noise. I never experienced this in Europe buildings.
I just need reassurance this is normal and safe. I'm not trying to judge or say something is better or worse.

Last night we had high winds and the whole house was making this noise. The roof is made of wooden rafters.
Something like this:

or

The wooden beams look much thinner compared to the ones used in Europe, see img below:

The house will end up looking something like this:

I actuallly lived in a house that looked similar to this one below:

I never experienced this house making any noise, wasn't even able to hear the wind outside.

My question is: Is it normal that the houses constantly make cracking noises when temperature changes or winds are present. Is there anything I can do to fix this issue? Is it safe and can these wooden framed houses withstand high winds, tornados? Especially the roof? The funny thing is that the house I live in now is pretty old(1945) the only thing that is between the roof studs and second floor is drywall. If a tornado rips the roof the drywall would fly away like paper. The house doesn't have a basement so I can't hide anywhere. Why there is no more demand from the public to build houses that don't make cracking and squeaking noise?

Roof construction varies depending on where you live. In the north  you need to build to contend with a heavy snow load so roof trusses are more numerous and stronger. Sothern climes, not so much. Further, the roof cladding makes a difference. Many roofs in Europe are covered with tile or slate, which is heavy and needs the extra support.

All buildings will creak and groan to some extent in the wind even steel high-rises. Though you may not notice in stronger buildings.

As for tornadoes.... If the roof blows off.. the drywall wont matter.

In some cases, wood frame is actually better than say brick. A wood frame house will creak and groan and bend, but except in the strongest wind, will not, if constructed correctly, catastrophically fail like a brick or cinder build building. In hurricane areas you will often find the timber frame buildings still standing surrounded by piles of rubble. Same goes for earthquake regions.

One more thing though. Creaking and growning is ok... Banging is not and is an indication that a roof panel has come away from its fastening and should be corrected immediately.


Moveable Frame on Carpet I am planning on creating a small "door frame" structure that is able to be wheeled out and placed away using a pulley-system. This project is for a performance that will be on carpet and as such I am unsure if wheels would be a good idea as they may end up just getting jammed with any debris or fibres and whatnot. While the carpet is hoovered on a daily basis I'm still worried about clogging up the wheels.

Is there another way this could be accomplished? Alas it couldn't be levitating as I have no way of fixing it to hold the load.

Thanks in advance!

There are furniture moving pads that are put under the legs of heavy items to glide them into place.

This version has a slick bottom and is meant to be used on carpets. There are similar ones with a carpeted bottom (or cover) to glide on hard surfaces.

These or similar skids could be placed on the bottom of your structure with recessed screws or other attachment mechanisms.

  Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources


Thermostat C Wire (Possibly Unconnected) I purchased a Honeywell RTH6500 Wifi Thermostat, which requires a C wire. My old thermostat showed a connected blue C wire. However, it was battery-powered. If I removed the battery, the thermostat screen would go dark. After I connected the RTH6500, I measured with a multimeter, which showed 0V on the C wire. All the other wires showed positive voltage. I went up to the air handler and saw there was a unconnected blue wire. Would I be ok stripping the blue wire and connecting it to the other two in the wire nut?

In the picture that shows the wires near the air handler, I'm guessing the three sets of wires are going to the (1) air handler, (2) heat pump, and (3) thermostat. You can see the green wire is also unconnected on a different set. The green wire on the thermostat is connected to G, which I think is the fan. I think that set of wires is probably going to the heat pump, since it doesn't have a fan?

I appreciate any help. Thank you.

I just want to double I'm doing the right thing before I open up the air handler. It looks like the wires are coming out of the panel on the right, so I'm going to open that one up. Also, I've turned the breakers for the both air handlers and both heat pumps off. That should cover it, right?

I opened up my air handler, and I'm seeing the blue wire connected to B terminal on the air handler. I found a wiring guide for Trane, but it doesn't exactly say B is common. The Honeywell wiring guide shows that B can go into the C terminal. I'm not sure what to make of this.

You need to open the air handler and confirm the wiring. Never trust the color of the wires. If I had to guess in a hurry in a panic situation I would try the blue connection. But you are right in front of it. You are two screws away from confirmation.

Shut the power off at the switch first.

  How to tell if your B wire is really a common wire in disguise:

  Read through the manual for your old thermostat.
  If you have the manual for your thermostat (or can find it online), it may describe the function associated with the B connector and help you determine if it’s meant for a heat pump wire or a common wire.

  Does your thermostat have a connector labeled C?
  Whether or not there is a wire attached to it, if your thermostat has a separate connector labeled C in addition to a connector labeled B, then the wire labeled B should be connected to the O/B connector when installing the Nest Learning Thermostat or to the /OB connector when installing the Nest Thermostat E.

  Do you have a heat pump?
  It helps to know what kind of system you have. If you have a heat pump and you don’t have a separate wire labeled O, then the wire labeled B should be connected to the Nest Learning Thermostat's O/B connector or to the Nest Thermostat E’s /OB connector.

  What color is the wire labeled B?
  While the color of the wires connected to a thermostat often don’t adhere to industry standards, they can provide a clue in situations where you’re still uncertain about the function of a wire labeled B. If your thermostat doesn’t have a separate connector labeled C, and you’re not sure what type of system you have, make a note of the wire color connected to B. A brown wire is mostly likely a heat pump wire and should be connected to the O/B connector on the Nest Learning Thermostat or the /OB connector on the Nest Thermostat E. But if the B wire is blue, it should most likely be connected to the C connector.

That's from Nests website

I don't work with heat pumps enough to say "yes connect to B"

I would look at how the system is wired up and determine if it's suitable as a common.

There is one terminal in the image that is not visible, is it a C terminal?

EDIT

To conclude,

This is as far as I know, unique to Trane heat pumps. Trane only employs the O terminal for the reverseing valve and do not mark or identify a C terminal and substitute it with the B terminal. Seems odd to me but Trane does do some weird things.

Anyway you should be good to go on the air handler B terminal.


Corrosion around hot water heater connection? I installed an electric hot water heater about 3-4 weeks ago. Everything has been operating without problem and there have been no detectable leaks around the water connections into and out of the water heater. However, I discovered what could be some corrosion starting on the hot water side. The connection is a stainless steel flex pipe without tape or compound (the pipe's tag said not to use any). I believe the hot water side connections are galvanized steel.

Is it possible for corrosion to form so quickly and if so what should I do about it? My first thought was to disconnect, cleanup, and try again with a new line. How quickly should I act?

This appears to be corrosion which is caused by the dissimilar metals. Installing a dielectric union between the two pipes should solve the issue. There already appears to be a union installed on the cold water supply line.

Installing one of these unions should put an end to the corrosion you are seeing. They come in a variety of configurations. You will want to purchase one that is threaded on both sides. The brass end would attach onto your pipe and the zinc end would attach to the tank itself. One thing to make sure is that you will want to find one that is lead free.

http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6855

  Series LF3003 Lead Free* Dielectric Unions are used in commercial and residential applications to prevent accelerated corrosion and deterioration in the piping system due to galvanic and stray current. It is installed between pipes made from dissimilar metals, and features a female iron pipe thread to female brass pipe thread connection. It consists of a union nut, two tailpieces, and a gasket that separates the tailpieces to prevent an electric current from occurring. Series LF3003 is ideal in applications such as hot water storage tanks, water and air conditioners, processing tanks, steam, gas, and water piping. Maximum Pressure: 250psi.


How to sister joists to level a floor when they've already been sistered to level the ceiling below? We are remodeling a second-floor bathroom. The floor dips, and my plan was to sister the joists to level the floor.
This is an old house, built in 1920. The previous owner redid the kitchen. The bathroom we are remodeling is above the kitchen.
I started pulling out the tub last weekend, allowing me to see into the floor and I noticed that the joists are already sistered , presumably to level the ceiling of the kitchen below. So I'm not sure whether I can even level the floor via sistering.
Should I get/cut narrower boards and rest them on top of the existing sisters or sister again on the other side of the joists? Or is there something entirely different I should do to level the floor?
Supplement
Given questions in the comments about why there's such a severe dip, I am attaching a photo of a sistered joist under the kitchen floor showing a split joist, which I assume is the same reason the bathroom floor has a 1-2" dip.

Also, I tipped the old tub on its side, which allowed me to share pics of these joists:

There should be no reason you cannot sister the other side with new material. You could use 2X6s to get enough surface for good attachment, notching a little here and there to get around wires and such. If the original joists are clean enough, construction adhesive can be used to minimize the need for so many fasteners.
Yes you can rip material to add to the top of the joists too, it is a little more tricky to a degree. glue and screw it in place too. the cut may need to be curved a bit yo accomodate th bow of the original joists. A circular saw will have no problem doing a slight curve.


How to maintain an old brick wall we have a small section of exposed brick from an old chimney in the kitchen. The chimney is now used as an exhaust for the furnaces in the basement (and maybe for the kitchen exhaust in a different apartment). How can we clean and maintain the brick? Here are the two things I am concerned about:

Sooting? I am not sure what the correct term is in English. It's called "Versottung" in German and I am wondering about the black areas in the pictures.
Crumbling particularly of the mortar. One of the pictures shows a little hole and mortar certain comes off when I scrub it (see residue in one pic). In some limited areas, that happens a lot.

So how do we address these issues and maintain the brick wall. We might want to cover it at some point but it might also remain exposed.

Soot sounds good to me . To have localized areas outside the flue (where the smoke goes up) is bad news. The loose mortar needs to be removed and the mortar repointed (new mortar pressed into the cracks and the joints filled).

Once you have the crumbling mortar removed and repaired with fresh mortar you should not have any more soot getting out.
 Trisodium phosphate is a good cleaner that will take the soot off with only a little elbow grease. Let us know how it turns out.


Do clear ceiling fan blades cause strobing? A regular ceiling fan with wooden blades will cause a light strobe effect when mounted where the blades rotate under recessed/canned lights.  I am wondering if I would have the same strobing problem if I got a ceiling fan with clear, acrylic blades like this one.

Anyone have any experience with this?  I am thinking since the blades are clear they won't block the light when the circle under the canned light so maybe there is no strobing?

"Clear" things do not pass 100% of light hitting them. A quick search indicates "up to 92%" for acrylic, generically (may be less depending on details of fan blades and how clean they are) - as such, you will still have at least some "strobing" effect if the light source is above the fan.


Arc Fault Breaker trips when 2 specific lights are turned on We had a 20 Amp Double-Pole Type CH Breaker replaced with an arc fault breaker. This was done on several breakers, no issue at the time and only issues with one now.

I've since discovered that when lights are turned on in either of 2 attic spaces the breaker trips. I'm trying to decide what to check first.

Here's the setup:
From an outlet a 12/2 comes up to the attic into a junction box. From there 12/2 power goes to:
-1 switch that controls 2 lights (trips breaker)
-a 2 gang switches in a different attic. The 2 switches control:
   a light in that attic (trips breaker)
   an outlet in the outside soffit (does NOT trip breaker with tester plugged in)

So, I'm thinking the wiring in junction box is fine (because the outlet is fine) and there's an issue with the switch or "lampholder" simple fixture in each of the 2 attic spaces. If so I'll start by taking apart each switch and fixture to make sure they are wired correctly, no bare wire is touching the box, etc.

Am I on the right track? Thanks!

Arc Fault breakers detect -- wait for it -- arc faults.  A connection is arcing.  The #1 reason for that is use of backstab connections, but hold on - you're using #12 wire, and backstabs are not made to work with #12 wire.  Well, if someone insisted, that might do it.

Regardless, 99% of wiring problems are at terminations, so that is the place to look.