What is good advice for introducing kids to home improvement? I have kids.  My oldest two have done a lot of framing with me, punched holes for electric, connected electric on dead circuits...

But also I am very apprehensive in letting them use some tools - angle grinder, nail guns, torch, circular saw (they can use the miter) along with a few others are strictly off limits right now.  I want my kids to learn but not go to the emergency room.

What are some good guidelines for kids learning DIY stuff?  At what age would you allow them to operate more dangerous pieces of equipment?

I'm young(ish) and still remember learning how to use power tools, so let me offer you a few thoughts from when I was learning:

I always find it helpful to hear about (or think about) what could go wrong. I.e. what's the danger that the user is trying to avoid. For example, a table saw is loud and scary, but what's really the dangerous situation you're trying to avoid? Answer: pinching the wood against the blade causing a kickback. OK, now that I know what the danger is, I'm better prepared to avoid that situation. (Just a single example; obviously a table saw has other dangers.)
I think the most dangerous tools are the ones that don't look scary. E.g. everybody knows that a chainsaw is a powerful and could kill you if you're not careful, but a hand-held router could actually cause some serious damage but they basically just look like a drill. Think about it: they've got powerful motors, long and sharp bits, are prone to grabbing the wood and kicking back if not careful, and can swing / fall / twist in pretty much any direction. Plus depending on how you're using it the bit may not even be visible.


How to patch small holes in concrete slab basement floor? I am preparing to install luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in my basement (specifically CoreTec Pro). The subfloor is just concrete slab.

Previously this room had carpet with tack strips nailed to the cement. When I pulled up the old tack strips the nails pulled out small chunks of concrete (maybe 1/4 deep, 1-1.5 inches across).

What is the best approach to match these before I put down the vinyl floor (floating install)?

You can use a variety of patch products.

Premixed concrete patch would work.

Platinum patch

Vinyl spackling

For holes that small i would use the vinyl spackling. You can sand it down if you are sloppy in the application.

I would not worry about holes smaller then a nickle or dime.

Clean and vacuum the holes out to insure good adhesion.


4 pair of cables lead to Ceiling fan box I've got two power switches that go to this ceiling fan. Both switches would cut power to the fan and to the light.

It's been so long since I took it down I don't remember how it goes. I've got 4 pairs of cables leading into the box. 1 hot, 3 hot/1 neutral together, and 3 neutral together.

I read this: Why are there four electrical lines (12 wires) in this ceiling fan box?

But I don't understand if I use the standalone black cable for power and just tie in my fan's neutral to the 3 neutral cable or just tie into the black and neutral bundle.

You have a switch loop here

The white wire bundled in with the blacks along with the solo black wire are telltale signs of an old-style switch loop run using /2 cable from the fixture to the switch(es), with the white wire as the always hot and the black as the switched hot in your case. So, with the power off at the breaker:

Use a wrap of black electrical tape to mark the white wire nutted in with the blacks as a hot wire
Nut the ceiling fan black and blue (or just the black, if you don't have a light kit on your fan) wires to the lone black wire
Nut the ceiling fan white wire to the existing bundle of entirely white wires
And nut the ceiling fan green wire to the existing bundle of bare wires.


What are important things to do when moving into a new home? I noticed a question re: important things to do when buying a home. For the curious, see here. However, my wife and I are moving into a brand-new home in a couple months so much of the advice doesn't seem applicable (changing locks, labeling circuit breakers, cleaning filters and gutters, changing smoke detector batteries, etc...).

What are the things you'd check/investigate/do immediately after moving into a brand-new house?

check your home warranty clauses so you are intimately familiar with them
ask your neighbors (assuming you have some, and after you give them a bottle of wine as a welcome) if they have had any flood / foundation / insect-pest / neighborhood problems
check city regulations for parking and other municipal restrictions
contact Homeowners' Association for rules and meeting times/locations
purchase and install a fireproof safe to store your deed and other documents
join the neighborhood watch / militia
if you have kids, walk to the nearest park and school
scope out the local pub
enjoy your new home

Oh, and also change the locks, ensure proper labeling of circuit breakers, clean the gutters, change furnace filters, change smoke detector batteries, etc.


What diameter pipe do I need to adjust this basin waste pipe? I fitted a new tap and waste outlet to a small basin, because the new outlet is shorter than the old, the plastic pipework no longer reaches (see photo) I can force the parts to mate but I don't like having the pipe under a lot of strain and it doesn't seal properly (I havent tried applying copious amounts of plumbers putty).

I am considering cutting off the white-painted down-pipe (at right of photo) and using a solvent-weld straight coupling to insert a new section of pipe to raise the pipework about 1 cm.

The existing pipe has an outside diameter of 36 mm.
The pipes available in catalogues are listed as 32 mm or 40 mm.

I understand that a nominal 32 mm plastic waste pipe has an outside diameter of 34.5 mm. Is this the right pipe?

Cut where marked, but adjust the location so you've got clearance to work later.

Seeing as you only need a couple of millimeters, you might be able to get away with buying only the coupling connector similar to this:

So a good straight cut where marked, insert the connect and solvent weld it back into place.

Take the cut piece in with you, and just make sure you've got a snug dry fit in the store.
No need to actually figure out the exact diameter.  Just buy the piece that fits.


How do I unlock this electrical meter cabinet? I have my electricity meter reading inside this box, which I am unable to open. Any idea how to open this?

You buy a utility-key (AKA services cabinet key) or poke around with needle-nosed pliers

The X shaped metal tool (four-way utility-key) has four different key shapes commonly used. It also has a useful plastic adapter for hex drive and a two-ended flat/phillips bit.

The keys shown in my photo work on both gas and electric meter boxes in the UK, you can buy them in most hardware/DIY shops.


Pouring concrete over rocks Need a bit of guidance here,
I have tough yard and my contractors are going to pour concrete over some large boulders and filled in the remaining area with parts of other boulders (6in to 1 foot). They are planning on using rebar but not much else. I have read this is not optimal but they are pretty deep into the project now - thoughts? Should I ask them to use extra rebar? Adjust the concrete mix so it is more liquid? Wet the rocks jut in advance of the pour so the concrete binds better. Any help you can provide is genuinely appreciated, a bit outside my comfort zone here.

A vibrator will get excellent penetration of regular concrete into the broken rock. Adding more water to concrete mix reduces the strength. I poured a car park addition to a drive way using broken concrete from a sidewalk . The concrete minimum thickness was 2 " or less . It was in fine shape 10 years later when I moved . Of course I doubt it would be strong enough for moving traffic.


Are freezers afected by subfreezing temperatures, (weather) A side-by-side refrigerator-freezer that was in a garage during the recent cold spell in Texas acted odd, the freezer became warm and everything melted. The refrigerator  side did not show any problems.  The freezer seems to be functioning now as a cup of water in it did freeze. The refrigerator is about 20 years old and had a thermostat replaced.
Is this a common event?
Is it related to subfreezing (about 20 degrees for extended periods) temperature where refrigerator was located?
What are there practical ways of preventing it?

The key is that this is not "freezer" but "side-by-side refrigerator-freezer". In theory, at least, a simple freezer left in below freezing conditions will just freeze. Actually, not quite that simple, because a residential freezer ideal temperature is 0 degrees F, not 20 degrees, but if it simply quit working, 20 degrees would keep things safe enough, generally speaking, for a few days.
However, a refrigerator-freezer is a complex device. It typically does not have "a refrigerator temperature" and "a freezer temperature" with mechanisms to keep each compartment at the right temperature (e.g., 38 F refrigerator, 0 F freezer). Instead, it relies on:

Outside temperature in a very moderate range - typically 50 F (too cold and the refrigerator won't need much cooling...which leads to the freezer getting too warm because nothing is cooling) to 85 F (too hot and the appliance simply can't cool fast enough).
Both refrigerator and freezer needing cooling at the same time. So if the refrigerator gets warm, the compressor starts running to cool the refrigerator, and the freezer gets cooled down at the same time, and vice versa.

plus, modern refrigerators/freezers are designed to use very little energy. Part of that is handled by insulation - gain less heat and you have to run the compressor less. Part is by minimizing the equipment - if the compressor (and fans and so forth) is smaller/uses less energy when running then the total energy used will be lower.
The end result is that an unconditioned space is bad for a typical "inside" refrigerator/freezer, with bad results to be expected if there are extended times below the nominal refrigerator temperature (the system just doesn't handle it well) or very hot (just can't keep up - and unlike air conditioning where the people can manage and at least appreciate that 80 F inside is a lot better than 100 F outside, a refrigerator that ends up at 50 F will result in spoiled food without you even realizing it!).
The only practical way around the problem is to keep all ordinary refrigerators/freezers in conditioned space. Even in an extended power outage, that is still likely to be better than unconditioned space, at least for the first day or two. (Well, actually in a summer power outage inside is better, in a winter power outage, outside would be better - but that is only the combination of cold + power out. If you have hot + power out or power on (hot or cold) then inside is better.)


Why can't I drive this Tapcon into concrete? I'm trying to drive a 2 1/2" long 3/16" diameter Tapcon into a 50 year-old concrete slab/subfloor to attach a new toilet flange.
The instructions on the case of Tapcons said to drill a hole in the concrete with a 5/32" bit. Did that with a Bosch Bulldog SDS; that part was easy.
Next the instructions say to drive the screw in with a #2 Phillips head bit. So I put a new #2 bit in my Bosch 1191VSR drill and switch it into hammer drill mode. But I can only get the screw about 1/2" in and then it just stops turning, and the bit comes out of the screw head and begins to strip the screw.
I feel like there's some technique I'm missing, or else my bits are defective. But I tried two different ones, and the same thing happened each time. Or maybe it's my drill? From stationary, I can not get the screw turning. I need to back it out a bit and start again. It feels like the torque is too low at slow speeds.
What am I doing wrong?

Aside from not using hammer mode, as suggested in the comments, I will report that I have had HIGHLY variable results with Tapcon's in old poured concrete - I don't recall what they claim to work in, but I begin to suspect that concrete block or green (not yet fully cured) poured concrete is more their cup of tea, or perhaps "concrete made only with "soft" rocks for aggregate."  Some work as they should, some stick partway in, some go all the way in and don't hold; I think it's luck of the draw on what the concrete right at that particular hole consists of. Sometimes the threads shear right off (bit of hard aggregate they can't cut into?)

You can switch to driving them with a ratchet, but you may find that the threads shear off, or the entire shaft shears.

Since this is a vertical-down hole, you might try vacuuming it out before driving the Tapcon.

I've gone back to traditional anchors. Our local aggregate tends towards hard rocks, not crushed limestone.

They work OK as big blue overpriced wood screws ;^) which will let me use up the boxes.


Ceiling Fan Universal Remote Wall Switch Install... Which wires? Let me first state that I am very green to anything electrical. I know enough to hopefully not kill myself, such as to turn off power at circuit breaker AND to still test wires and switches with a multimeter or similar.

I purchased a Hampton Bay Universal Remote Wall Switch to control my fan from the Wall.

Switch URL:
Link to Switch I bought

The fan I am replacing in the living room is currently wired to be controlled by TWO switches.

The Hampton Wall Switch I am trying to install has three wires (black and black and green)

There appears to be 4 wires coming out of the wall for the fan/light (black, red, white, and it looks to be another white wire, but that could be paint? Ground?)

The way it is CURRENTLY wired is:
Black Wire #1 comes from Wall and goes into BOTTOM of FAN Switch.
Black Wire #2 piggy tails from main group of Black Wires into TOP of FAN Switch.
Black Wire #3 piggy tails from main group of Black Wires into BOTTOM of LIGHT Switch.
Red Wire #1 comes from Wall and goes into TOP of LIGHT Switch.

Here is a picture of the wall switch diagram:

Current wiring:

If you want to use the control with the new fixture, you'll have to only use a the single "switch" to control it. This means you'll have to replace one of the switches with a blank insert, or not use the control module.

Decora blank insert

In the switch box, wire the new switch as follows:

Black wire #2 (the one that comes from the black group, and goes to the top of the fan switch), connects to one of the black wires of the new switch.
Black wire #1 (the one that comes from the wall, and goes to the bottom of the fan switch), connects to the other black wire from the new switch.
Black wire #3 is either removed, or capped off using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Red wire #1 is capped off using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Connect the green ground wire from the new switch in with all the other bare grounding wires.

The wiring at the new fan will be as follows:

Connect the white wire from the ceiling, to the white wire of the fan control module.
Connect the black wire from the ceiling, to the black wire of the fan control module.
Connect the green/bare grounding wire from the fan, to the grounding conductor from the ceiling.
Cap off the red wire using a twist-on wire connector of appropriate size.
Connect the black wire from the output of the control module, to the black wire from the fan.
Connect the blue wire from the output of the control module, to the blue wire from the fan.
Connect the white wire from the output of the control module, to the white wire from the fan.


HELP! Upgrading my kitchen to ceramic tile floor So, I've decided to take on this big project.  I have a 1/2" plywood subfloor with 3/4" MDF on top.  Should I rip out my entire subfloor add a 3/4" t&g plywood then lay 1/2" plywood on top or am I able to just lay the 3/4" t&g on top of the 1/2" plywood?  If I can add the 3/4" plywood on top should I screw to the joists or glue and screw off the joists?

Two issues:

First, you need to make sure that your floor is rigid enough and planar enough for the tile to be successful. There are deflection tests to determine rigidity, and different ways of checking for planar. The bigger the tiles are, the more important these are.

1/2" plywood is unlikely to be sufficient. 3/4" plywood glued and screwed with backer board on top of it may be sufficient. An isolation membrane (I like Ditra) can help as well, as it lets the floor flex a little without popping tiles or breaking grout lines.

The second issue is floor thickness. If you go 1/4": backer board + ditra + a porcelain tile, that's about 3/4" thick. You need to set things up so the transitions to other rooms are safe; ideally they will be flush, but if not, you'll need a safe transition piece to handled the difference in level.

The installation manual for Ditra is a pretty good reference.


Proper name and origin of tiny drill bit Many years ago, I acquired a pile of tiny, drill-bit-like items that I use to make practically invisible holes in drywall to hang lightweight stuff from. They are indispensible, but I don't know what they're called. I got them from my dad, who in turn had received them from our dentist. They might be used in dentistry, or they might be from said-dentist's hobbies. I'd love to know the origin of this item!

Looks like endodontic files, or root canal tools if you prefer laymans terms.

You can probably find such tools on eBay if you want.


How to connect garage outlet circuit to power source I have 2 outlets in my garage that I want to get working. When I traced the wires to my basement I noticed that the wire from garage to basement is not hooked up into panel box because there is no open slots. How can I wire up these outlets.

You'll need to either 1) connect the home run cable to an existing circuit (in an outlet box, for example) or breaker in compliance with applicable codes, or 2) create space in your panel by using tandem outlets or other approved devices.

Without more information, that's as far as I can go. Update your question if you want more detail.


Can ground attached to neutral fool a receptacle tester? I'm using a basic outlet tester like the one from picture below. Let's say someone wired the ground to the neutral in some outlet, to provide a fake ground. What would the tester report? Would it be "CORRECT" or would it be something else?

In case it reports "CORRECT" (wrongly, of course), is there some easy way to test that the ground is fake? By easy I mean not having to open the outlet...

The tester can't tell the difference. One way to look at is that electrically, since neutral and ground are already bonded at one location (normally the main panel), the electrons don't know the difference. But the other way to think about it is to look at what the tester is actually doing.
What do the Lights Indicate?
These testers are actually 3 simple lights connected as follows (left to right on your particular tester, others may vary):

Hot to Ground
This will light up provided that Hot is indeed Hot (and not Neutral) and Ground is functional.
Note that Ground being functional in this context does not mean "connected to a water pipe or rebar or a ground rod", though that alone might be enough. It means "ground connected to neutral in the main panel".
That also means that if Ground is connected directly to neutral in this receptacle box, the tester does not see that as a problem.

Hot to Neutral
This will light up provided that Hot is indeed Hot (and not Neutral) and Neutral is functional.

Neutral to Ground
Since Neutral and Ground are bonded in the main panel, this light is normally off. Connecting them inside the receptacle box won't make any difference. Where this does light up is if something else is really messed up so that current flows between neutral and ground. The most likely scenarios are Hot swapped with either Neutral or Ground, so the tester "identifies" those conditions but those are really not guarantees as there are other possible situations.

What do the Light Combinations Mean?
There are 8 possible combinations. But "all on" would be really strange (but possible if someone wires a 120V receptacle to a 240V breaker) so that is not included. The other combination not included is Off, Off, On. That would mean current flowing only between Ground and Neutral (the exact opposite of this question), and no current flowing between Hot & Neutral or between Hot & Ground, which would be pretty hard to do (Open Hot + Hot/Neutral swapped?)
Just remember, the titles assigned are based on the most common scenarios but are not the only possible problems.

Off, On, Off = Open Ground - Hot to Neutral but no Hot to Ground

On, Off, Off = Open Neutral - Hot to Ground but no Hot to Neutral

Off, Off, Off = Open Hot - But really means "nothing at all" - e.g., could be "Open Ground + Open Neutral but Hot OK" - so don't assume this means there is no hot wire present - that could be a deadly mistake!

On, Off, On = Hot/Ground Reverse - Hot to Ground OK, but not Hot to Neutral, so the likely situation is that the Hot & Ground wires are reversed but it could be something else.

Off, On, On = Hot/Neutral Reverse - Hot to Neutral OK, but not Hot to Ground, so the likely situation is that the Hot & Neutral wires are reversed but it could be something else.

On, On, Off = Correct - Except, it really only tells you that Hot is in the right place and that all Ground & Neutral are, collectively, correct. It does not tell you, for example, if Ground & Neutral are reversed or, as originally asked, if Ground & Neutral are combined.

Could Such a Tester Be Made?
The one possibility I can think of is based on any wire (ignoring superconductors - we are talking about normal residential copper wires) having some resistance. So a "normal" neutral to ground path (i.e., round-trip to main panel) would have some resistance - a quick search showing 2.525 Ohms/1,000 feet) on 14 AWG - you could measure that resistance. If you have 50' of neutral in one direction and 50' of ground in the other direction, that would be a total of 0.2525 Ohms - small but measurable, compared to essentially 0 Ohms if ground & neutral are connected in the receptacle. But this would require some pretty careful measurements that you simply aren't going to get from a $10 receptacle tester. Plus it would need even higher accuracy to work on 20' length of 12 AWG wire. Just open the receptacle and check it out...


Lamp buzzing when off, only on two specific sockets Last week my bedside lamp started to buzz when off, especially at night.
It makes noise even when the switch on the socket is turned off. If I touch the lamp the noise stops.

More strange, it does make noise only on two sockets.

I've searched the issue online but all posts seem to be related to old houses while mine is new.

If it's buzzing, it's not off.

Often this is a dimmer that is not QUITE off. For instance dimmers often have free-motion inside the dimming range, then a stiff detent before bottoming out at hard "OFF". People often think the bottom of free-motion is off, and they never realize to push past the detent to actual "off".  It would be a lot weirder if you had a dimmer on a dimmer, and adding an LED/CFL to the mix gets weirder still.

When you say "only does this on two sockets", that comes back to the theory that these are sockets which are switched from a light switch somewhere.  If it's not dimmed, and it shouldn't be, there could be trouble in that circuit.

If a light switch works a receptacle, it can't be a dimmer unless it uses a weird receptacle keyed to only accept lamps.

Does everything plugged into those sockets buzz?  Or only that one lamp?

If a dimmer is not involved, then I'd say you have an electrical problem of some serious concern.   A lot of newer electrical work is done very cheaply, with the 60 cent builder grade receptacles instead of the $3.00 goodies, and with "back stab" connections instead of screw terminals or screw-and-clamp.  In that case, take apart the receptacle and change it to a quality receptacle with screw or clamp wiring.


Kitchen cabinet door doesn't stay open The door to our kitchen cabinet doesn't stay open at a right angle. Instead, it swings closed right away. How can I have it stay open until I want to close it?

How can I have it stay open until I want to close it?

Generally, the solution to this is to adjust the hinges.

For example, European style cabinet hinges have adjustment screws which allow you to make small adjustments to the position of the hinges.

(adjustment screw indicated with blue arrow. The clamping screw AKA locking screw is the one to the right of it)

If a cabinet door has hinges on the left hand side and tends to swing shut, you can position the bottom hinge further towards the back of the cabinet. Loosen the clamping screw and push the bottom of the door inward a tiny amount. It may turn out to be easier to do the opposite at the top.

As well as adjusting in and out, you can also make small adjustments left and right. This is usually for setting the gap between doors for the right appearance but it can also affect the way the doors close. If necessary I would try to adjust the bottom hinge to position it further to the right (rotate adjustment screw clockwise) and maybe adjust the top hinge to the left. You need to loosen the adjacent clamping screw (silver in pic) before turning the adjustment screw.

I would make small adjustments until the cabinet door behaves as desired.

Hinge details vary, check online (including Youtube videos) for guides for adjusting your specific hinges.

In the worst case you could add a friction-stay (sliding stay) to the top of the door but that really shouldn't be necessary.


Shower water temperature problem? My house contains 3 showers. Two of them warm up to where it's comfortably warm and one just warms up to a point where I don't freeze. Even if the shower is on the highest setting it still is not warm enough. What could be the problem?

It is likely a defective shower valve, allowing too much cold water to mix with the hot.
If the showers are all the same brand and model you could make a swap and verify this suspicion.

It could also be a pipe issue. If there's a nearby sink which might share plumbing, run the hot for 1 minute into a bucket, run the cold for one minute into a bucket, and compare the ratio.  Now do the same at a "good" shower.  This might show the same pattern of differential flow.


Best kind of insulation board possible? I have a wall I need to insulate and have only 2 inches to work with, so I am planning to use some kind of insulated panel board and want to maximize the insulation. Cost is no object, so if it is very expensive, that is ok. What is the best possible option? Note that I do need something that is commonly commercially available quickly, so I can't use some custom solution like aerogel or anything like that.

Having eliminated aerogel due to lack of common commercial availability, polyisocyanurate is the best common commercial product on R/inch basis.


Can I use 2x4s to extend studs so I can mount my TV? I need to mount my 55" TV to the left of the studs. Can I do this simply by running a couple 2x4s off the studs, and then connecting the mount to the 2x4s? While I imagine this can be done for lighter items, I want to make sure it will work with the heavy mount + TV.

Here's an image of what I'm talking about. The black rectangles are the studs, the tan ones are the 2x4s, and the red dots are where the bolts for the mount will go into the 2x4s.

This should be OK, but I would recommend attaching the 2x4s to studs on both sides of the TV, not just the right side as you've shown. You don't want the weight of the TV to pull the 2x4s away from the wall on the left side. A 55" TV is going to be heavy and the eccentricity caused by the spacing of the wood and the bracket will cause it to pull away.

Personally I would probably use a single piece of plywood — it will have a lower profile and will provide plenty of opportunities for getting strong fasteners into the studs. But 2x4s will be cheap (or free, if you've got some lying around), are easy to cut, and should work fine.


Water Seeping Under Fiberglass Shower Drain I had a water leak dripping under my shower onto the ceiling below. I replaced the drain (especially the rubber gasket), and now the leak seems to be much less.
It looks like the fiberglass making up the bottom of the shower pan is pourous and water is seeping into it. After shooting the water at the drain or clogging the drain and letting water build up a bit, the fiberglass around the drain appears wet from the bottom.
During my last test, no water actually leaked (dripped) at all, but the fiberglass appeared wet. Is this acceptable?
EDIT:
Pictures of the bottom of the shower pan:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GuqSbNCTKLY97HtL9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dkrNqyBb2Hsz44Rp7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8thVLNCS5PNkvEVy8

Even a small amount of moisture is not acceptable beneath your shower pan. If the drain is properly connected you shouldn't have any seepage. If you're still getting moisture you need to determine the source. You imply that the fiberglass pan may be porous. Fiberglass isn't porous so it shouldn't be seeping but it can crack. If it's a tile shower you could also be getting leakage around the seam between the shower base and the tile. Check and caulk all of the corners and seams.
You indicated the pan looked wet underneath. Looking wet doesn't mean it is wet but you need to find out. Just take a dry paper towel and wipe the bottom of the pan. If it's wet at all the paper towel will absorb any moisture. If you're still not sure, you can purchase a moisture sensor meter online or at a hardware store that will sense moisture levels in drywall, wood and other homebuilding materials.


How can I replace the star-shaped base of an office chair? I've got two office chairs, one whose base (the one that is star-shaped, holds all the wheels together and joins them with the bar/gas compressor) is broken, and another that is just fine.

How can I take the other's base out without breaking it (it's plastic)?

Ok, I did it.

Just dumped some WD-40 and let it soak for 1 minute, then I grabbed my good ol' hammer (I don't have a rubber mallet) and started gently but commitedly striking the edge of the post, with the chair turned upside down, while I grabbed any of the star's legs. It slipped off and then I just hammered its way in into the new post, good as new.


Cast Iron to ABS - exterior of cast iron not smooth - how to stop leak at coupling? I have 2" cast iron pipe that is for kitchen waste.  I had to cut out a 32" section of the pipe under the concrete slab of the basement because a wye had failed.

I have replaced the cast iron pipe with ABS and used American Valve couplings to connect the ABS to cast iron.

The only problem is the cast iron pipe is not smooth on the surface.   After almost 50 years of being under the basement slab it has "junk" and rock pieces adhered to its surface.  I have tried to smooth the surface of the pipe but I can't get it 100% smooth.

So the coupling cannot seal perfectly.   I still get a little leak around one of the couplings.

Would anyone have any suggestions as how to stop the leak?

Thanks!

One of these ironic things? ("American" Valve - Made in Taiwan...)

You should probably try to smooth the pipe out more - a lot can be done with a narrow strip of coarse sandpaper, wrapped around the pipe so you can "saw" it back and forth. You can also try really cranking on the hose clamps - if you're only using a screwdriver, you haven't really hit what they can do (but you have to maintain some sense of proportion once you switch to using a socket and ratchet on them, or you'll find the breaking point.)

For sheer desperation, I'm not sure if silicone or beeswax (from a toilet seal ring, of course) would be the better desperation move. With kitchen waste it could get too hot for beeswax.


What happens if range hood is smaller than cooktop? If the range hood is 70% size of cooktop, shouldn't the smoke from sides of cooktop still get sucked towards middle hence getting sucked inside?
So why people recommend range hood bigger than cooktop?

The Code requires an overhead exhaust hood to be “at least as wide as the unit and shall extend over the entire unit”. (See ICC M1504) There are exceptions (i.e.: downdraft, etc.) but must be labeled for such use.
In addition, it goes on to say the exhaust duct shall extend to the exterior with a backdraft damper and cannot be plastic.
Interesting side note: Section ICC M1504 says there shall be a minimum clear distance from the cooktop to combustible material or cabinets of 24”, but Section ICC M1901 says the distance shall be a minimum of 30”. Go figure.


Can I use copper wire to prevent moss growth on a roof? I want to prevent moss from growing on my sheds roof, and I've read that copper (zinc, or lead) flashing can be used to prevent the moss.

I'm cheap, and don't want to buy copper flashing.  However, I have a ton of old copper wire laying around. If I strip the insulation (obviously), can I tack the wire to the roof instead of copper flashing?

The roof is covered in asphalt shingles.

The wire might turn green eventually (first it will turn black, in most conditions), the roof won't get nearly enough copper on it to turn green from a strip of wire or flashing at the peak.

I've done this on my parents' house - we just tucked it under shingles to hold it in place, which worked well enough as far as I recall. "Tacking" to me, implies potential new holes/leaks - but if you used copper nails and nailed under shingle flaps, might be OK. If there's a peak, put it there. If it's a single-slope roof, tuck it into the highest row of shingles. The tucked under part does no good against moss, it's the part sticking out in the weather that does that - the tucked under part is just to hold it in place.


I need 30 amps in a single room to run vegetable grow lighting. How to accomplish? I have an 1800sf home with a 200amp service. I want to convert family room into an indoor vegetable growing room. The lighting (which will be on as much as 18hours/ day) will need 3.8amps each and for 6 lights total 22.8amps. There will be other items using an additional 2-5amps from time to time.
I would like to run a 30amp line to that room off of the breaker panel (the family room is only 12 feet from the box).
Can I install a 30amp breaker and run 10AWG wire to the room through conduit and get 120V for this lighting?
Thank you for your time!

Since you've got conduit, and since most lights are not designed to be directly on 30A circuits (normally in the US designed for 15A or 20A circuits), run two 15A or 20A circuits through that conduit instead. It will take more spaces in your panel - if that is a problem, upload a picture of the panel for help.
Note that 2 x 15A is perfect for the lighting. Each 15A circuit should have no more than 12A of continuous use. In order to have additional stuff on the same circuits, you would need to bump up to 20A circuits - that would give you 5A total, 4A continuous additional on each circuit. But if the lights are hard-wired and the other items are plug-in then you really should have a 3rd circuit for the receptacles, as you should not put receptacles on a circuit that has hard-wired loads > 50% capacity.


How to dismantle this mixer tap? I have this kitchen sink mixer tap, which is leaking from where the neck meets the main body, whenever it's turned on, (either hot or cold).

So what I'm trying to do is remove the neck so that I can get at the inside, to possibly replace an O-ring or something. However, I can't seem to find any way of removing it.

I found a small screw at the back, which I removed, however this didn't make any difference. The neck can swivel around 360 degrees no problem, but when I tried to wiggle it or pull it loose (as described by many online tutorials), it wouldn't budge.

Are there any other things that might need to be done to take this off?

Disconnect your water lines (after turning the water off of course).
Remove your Water Handles.
Remove the cartridge from inside the unit, there might be a Circlip retainer in the inner side of the cartridge area.


Fix sagging beam situation We've got a beam that we replaced two years ago due to some damage.  The beam is out front and is above all the other beams it supports, which makes the whole thing a bit strange.  We made our own laminated beam, put it in place and then fastened with metal straps as was done in the original construction.  The lower beams come out of the house and are attached to a short porch overhang.  They travel under the big beam and connected by some more boards parallel to the front door.

The beam has sagged in the middle and is pulling the center under-beams down, causing some separation from the porch.

Here you can see the beam sag, a good inch or two, with the visible angle at the joint of two boards that join in line with the left entrance door.

We could probably build a better beam, or buy one that is professionally done.  But it seems we'll still have the issue of the bottom beams sagging after they are attached.  I'm looking for some other way to attached the lower beams, so they can be pulled upwards to the proper position.  Or perhaps we need to detach the lower beams, jack them up and refasten.  I am able to push them back up in place with my own body power, but maybe that flexed beam is helping me a bit.  My partner on the previous repair is concerned the beam will simply sag more if we re-attach higher.

One other note, the old beam had some interesting hardware installed on the main beam with adjustable bolts that attached to the lower beams.  I'm assuming this was to fix this same issue.  I foolishly threw these parts away a few months ago!

Thanks for any advice and fresh perspectives.

If I'm reading this right(and looking at the final picture), the beam itself is sagging. It may have reached an equilibrium point, and simply jacking up an reattaching it will fix it. But you'll still have a bowed beam.

My inclination is, a properly built beam should be able to span that distance and hold the weight without sagging. I have smaller, longer glulams spanning my basement, supporting two stories. But maybe someone who knows a bit more about structural engineering will chime in.

If you want to create one yourself, I would use like 3 2x12's laminated vertically. Boards are much stronger vertically oriented than horizontally. Think floor joists or door/window headers.


Why do screws have lower shear strength than nails? I read up on when to use nails and when to use screws. Part of what I learned is that screws have lower shear strength as can be seen in this video.

It can be seen by just applying common sense, how most the differences between nails and screws come to be. However, I don't find it evident why screws have lower shear strength than nails. Why is this? Isn't it possible to make screws from the same material nails are made from?

Answering the question asked, without reference to video posted:

Posit a nail and a screw made from exactly the same material.

Observe the shape. One is a smooth cylinder, one has many sharp deformations arranged in a helical manner.

Even if the screw is sized such that the unthreaded core is the same size as the nail (which would make a much larger screw than nail) the sharp discontinuities of the threads concentrate stresses applied perpendicular (in shear) to the axis of the screw, while the smooth surface of the nail does not concentrate those stresses. Google "Stress riser" for more insight...

In short, the shape makes the screw weaker in that direction.


Switching to three-prong outlets where ground wire is present (I absolutely welcome suggestions for improved title – there's two facets to this question)

I have a 1960s home with a few three prong receptacles and many two prong receptacles. I read some online guides and they suggested that as long as I can verify ground on the box, I can screw one of those handy green pigtails into the box and attach that to the receptacle.

After taking a good look inside some of the boxes I see that there is in fact:
a) a ground wire inside the bundle, and
b) it's twisted with its counterpart ground wire leaving the box, and
c) it's screwed into the box.

So, the box is grounded, though I don't have a third wire to ground the receptacle.

It seems to me that the most craftsmanlike way to do this would be to remove those ground wires from the box, untwist them and retwist with a third wire, screw them into the box again and run that third grounded wire to the receptacle.

However, I'll need to get the parts (whatever bit that is that screws wires to the box), wire and tools to do it that way. I have a perfectly good alternative, which is to screw a green grounding pigtail into a waiting hole on the box, knowing the box is grounded.

Am I missing something unsafe here? The box is in the loop as grounding conductor, but that's a pretty common setup anyway.
Will my inspector/the NEC get annoyed at me for this? I can't find anything specifically relating to multiple ground wires from the same circuit in an outlet.

Hard-contact grounding via yoke or screws

We're discussing here a case where the metal box is grounded, and thinking about the mounting screws, the metal yoke on the receptacle metal yoke (that the screws go through) on the receptacle and the wings where the threaded holes are in the box.

Suppose a receptacle floats a bit above the metal box, held up by the drywall ears on the yoke. Does the reach of the screw count as a grounding path?  NO on receptacles, YES on switches.

What if the box wings are even with the wall, and the yoke lands hard-flush with direct yoke-wing contact?  That is acceptable if the wings are clear of paint, rust or other gunk, and there aren't any little paper squares holding the screws captive (they insulate).

Also acceptable is a "self-grounding receptacle" which has features to assure this contact.

Also acceptable are spacers, which occupy the gap so the screw is torqued down hard flush.

Grounding to the "ground screw" hole in the metal box

It is acceptable to attach to a "ground screw" hole in the metal box, if the hole is tapped 32 thread-pitch or finer, and the screw is #6 or larger.  6-32, 6-40, 8-32 or 10-32 are all fine.  Note that 10-32 is the quasi-standard for junction boxes, so almost any box and those green ground screws will all have that thread.

You are allowed to have more than 1 ground screw in a box. Feel free to drill and tap them yourselves, just tap them -32 or finer.  That means you can use self-tapping -32 screws, but cannot use random sheetmetal screws, which are much coarser.

Grounding several things to 1 ground screw

Only one wire per ground screw. A "Thru" wire which mostly encircles the screw head and continues onward, is just fine, as long as it is a "U" shape and doesn't loop itself. Crossing itself means at some point two wires are stacked under the screw head, and that creates a single point of contact, which will get hot and suffer mechanical strain.

The way you connect several wires to a ground screw (besides using several ground screws) is pigtail off the ground screw, and join the other grounds to it in a wire nut.  For instance you would have 4 wires joining:  Supply, onward, to the box, and to the receptacle (unless you use the hard-contact grounding method).

Green wire nuts do nothing for you, except that green nuts have a hole in the top for one wire to continue onward past the splice. That is a wiring style some people use, but remember the last principle.  For instance you could have a 12" pigtail coming off the junction box, and join the supply/onward wires to it at half-staff, then the remaining spur goes to the receptacle.

Never splice at any device (except a box)

You must be able to remove any device without breaking the flow of grounds.  So for instance, putting 2 wires on a receptacle ground screw is nope.


Previous Expansion Encroaches on Property Line I bought a property with two structures in 2014. I later found that the second structure cannot be occupied as a residence because a later expansion encroaches on the property line, making it non-conforming.
I want to remove the expansion. The builder created the addition by extending existing load-bearing walls and constructing a new clear-span exterior wall. If I remove the add-on, I will have a 5' setback the city code requires.
I have been unable to hire an architect to provide necessary plans to show how I will support the original structure because all local architects are too busy, and the job is small. How can I get a set of plans to submit my project to the city?

How can I get a set of plans to submit my project to the city?

You either draw them yourself or hire someone else to do it.  I'm not aware of any "magic" solution that will get you what you need any other way.


Are there drawbacks to installing a stronger bath fan? I have a bathroom fan that doesn't seem to be doing the job. I'd like to replace it with something that has much higher CFM (jet speed); is there any reason not to do this?

Is it possible that it can cause more problems?

While this would just be short term use. If you have natural gas, propane or oil appliances, this could & even would suck noxious fumes into the house which could eventually or quickly kill you. That's the bad news.

Other than that, an exhaust fan does, of course, remove heated & cooled air. If you're single I don't see this being a big deal. But, in a family situation this could evacuate the house & therefore waste a good deal of money on a daily basis.

If you're talking about something over 300cfm by a good deal, then partially open doors could slam shut. Like, you don't have your keys & your front door's knob is locked when you take out the trash, retrieve the mail or chat to a neighbor.


strange issue in kitchen InSinkErator power outlet I am trying to connect another very low power electrical equipment to the outlet that is used by the working InSinkErator... I tried connecting table lamp, fan etc to make sure .. it appears nothing other than InSinErator works off of that outlet. I am stumped. I know some electrical basics but cant think of how this can happen. Appreciate help

The receptacle is switched, as garbage disposals usually do not have an on/off switch themselves. Make sure the switch is on, providing power to the receptacle.


How suitable is a reciprocating saw for cutting lengths of firewood (at home)? I have a heap of untreated reject timber from a portable mill which I intend to use for firewood. It's in long pieces, often with bark on one side, and some are up to about 20cm (8") thick.

It is probably too thick for a circular skill saw, so my other options seem to be a chainsaw or maybe a reciprocating saw (I'd go with a corded electric model for either case). I've never seen anyone use a reciprocating saw at all, so I have no idea what they are capable of; would one cut through 20cm of timber without too much trouble?

Are there any other problems I might run into using one for firewood (other than having to replace a blade occasionally if I hit a nail or stone)?

This question was a good introduction to my investigation, but only provided a small amount of detail about the reciprocating saw option (and it's hard to know how seriously to take it when it's the "most fun" option).

A reciprocating saw WILL do the job. If that is what you have and you do not wish to buy/borrow/rent a chainsaw, then you can use it. Get a long blade, designed for cutting wood. These blades have large, sharp teeth with wide gullets between them.

The reciprocating saw will take longer to do the job, and it does have some vibration issues, but I can assert that you can use it for hours at a time. A good saw is a beast, designed for heavy duty work. (I did so to cut up the wood after we had an ice storm once. It left piles of wood behind that can only be measured as many cubic yards. My chainsaw was dead, and was painfully unwilling to be revived. Amazingly, I used only 3 blades for the entire job. The final pile of wood and brush was roughly 10 feet wide, 6 feet high, and 60 feet long.)

If you do use a reciprocating saw for this purpose, you might buy some gloves with padding in the palms. Good gloves will be a necessity anyway, so use them. Ear protection is a good idea too.

If you already have a reciprocating saw and a circular saw, and want to just buy the right blades ... I'd consider a carbide blade in the circular saw, using it for wood that is up to 3 inches thick. Choose a blade with few teeth and large gullets. Then use the reciprocating saw with a wood blade only for those pieces that are too thick.

Having said all that, perhaps another solution if you do not wish to buy a gas powered chainsaw, is an electric chainsaw. These saws have no issues with gasoline, so are slightly simpler to deal with. It is still a chainsaw though. You will still need to use oil, and kickbacks are still a problem to watch out for, but a circular saw can also be dangerous if used unwisely.

Replace or sharpen dull blades as appropriate. A dull blade is a dangerous blade. It takes more effort to use, so you push harder. A good saw with a sharp blade should almost glide through the wood.

Finally, if you are cutting up a large amount of wood, then be careful. Do not work when you are tired. This is true using ANY saw. Stop and finish the job another day, a far better idea than spending time in the emergency room.


Can I use a pressure gauge to detect refrigerant leaks in a heat pump? Update: I should have stated that the plan was to repair the leak and continuously monitor the pressure to detect any future leaks.  A recent decision was made to replace the heatpump.  Installer indicates a pressure range of 20-120 PSI.
I would like to measure the pressure to determine a refrigerant leak in the heat pump.  In the summer, a leak manifests itself as low pressure and causes the evaporator to freeze up.
I am considering adding a bluetooth pressure transducer, however at $200 it seems expensive and I am wondering if it would be simpler (more reliable and less expensive) to use a wired transducer.
The plan is to request that the AC tech install the fitting on the high side of the garage to measure pressure to detect drops in pressure (leaks).
Question: Have pressure measurements been used to detect leaks and shutdown the system to prevent icing?  If yes, is there any reason why this will not work by measuring pressure on the high side (in my garage and out of the elements)?
Any lesson-learned are appreciated.

Holy cow if you are willing to spend this much get a quality leak detector not a cheeeeep one they are crap. Adding a gauge to connect to your system creates a loss in freon every time It is connected! I have quality detectors that cost around this much that can find a leak were bubble solution will not. I think my oldest one is an Inficon TEK-Mate. I have better models that cost way more, and have tried some internet crap at 1/2 the price that could not find a leak that a bubble test solution was blowing huge bubbles.


Hiding Ugly HVAC Outdoor Venting and Intake I have 3 HVAC pipes coming out of my house, by my entrance that are eye sores.  One set (intake/exhaust) is for my furnace and the largest one is an exhaust for my hot water tank.  They are directly beside my side entrance and I need a solution to hide them.

I would like to build a vented wooden box to place plants on top to cover the pipes, but I understand that the pipes need a certain clearance to vent and take in fresh air.  Is it possible to build a box with 1 inch slats or is that not enough?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  I have attached a picture of the pipes, along with a rough idea of the flower box.

You will want to construct some form of baffle to keep separate the air flow from the exhaust/intake/exhaust. An indication of that consideration is clear in the orientation of the elbows currently attached.

Consider also to measure the diameters of the pipes involved, specifically at the elbows. Area equals pi times the radius squared. For the portion of the box baffled to each elbow, note the area calculated and compare it to the open area available to the box.

Just a dinner napkin guess here, but it would seem likely that your left-most elbow will have a smaller area than the gap below the planter's left side, between the feet. It is smarter to measure and compare, however.

Take into consideration how easily the gaps you will create in the planter box could be restricted by plant growth or other debris and also if the box is exposed to prevailing winds that may push the exhaust back into the area of the intake.

Depending on your final design, you may be able to direct the exhaust gaps above the intake gaps, allowing for lower cooler air to avoid the rising exhaust gas, especially if there is sufficient separation. Different sides of the box for each inlet/outlet gap may be useful, as well.

The drawing is mediocre, but may provide some assistance in understanding my suggestion. Even a thin plastic sheet material wedged between the pipes will direct and separate air flow to ensure that the intake does not pull in exhausted air.

If the exhausts are the pair at the right, you may get away with only the left most divider, as I doubt there would be any exhaust from one pipe forced into the other.


Making a fake wall to mount a tv, easy as it seems? will the fake studs be able to carry the same weight? The fake wall is strictly aesthetics but there are 5 studs on the actual wall, then we will be attaching 5 more "studs" kinda like this. But it will be from the floor to around 3/4th of the actual wall. Then put drywall/plasterboard on top of that. Will that fake wall be able to handle the weight of possibly 100-150 lbs? and the mount for the tv is stationary.

Most of the tutorials I've seen only had small screened tvs and for the most part did not include shelving.

thanks

If the fake studs are mounted to the real studs, there should be no problem. We have been hanging mirrors weighing several hundreds of pounds by screwing into studs for hundreds of years.

It is important that your aesthetic wall is well anchored. Numerous screws into numerous studs. Then make sure your TV mount has several screws into the new studs. 3/8 or 1/4 inch lag screws are a good choice.


Brass push-fitting pipe insertion depth (standard or varies by brand?) I have a 90-degree "elbow" 1/2 (both sides) brass push-fitting installed by previous owner. I'm replacing the PEX pipe. I don't know the brand of the fitting but it is NOT SharkBite. Do all push-fittings have the exact same insertion depth for the same fitting or does it vary slightly? I have a SharkBite depth pipe gauge and marked the insertion depth on it but when I pushed into the non-SharkBite branded fitting I could not get it all the way to the insertion line that I marked. Asking those with far more experience if this is a real possibility before I test it and turn the water back on. (I've tried pushing, twisting, pulling it out and remarking a second time followed by more pushing and twisting only to be about 1/8" short of the marked line that I drew based on a SharkBite insertion tool).
I could test it but want to avoid any leak so thought I'd ask the professionals who've used multiple brands of pipe fittings before I potentially create more work and a mess in my installation.

I would measure the depth to the stop point in the fitting - different fittings different depths.
A small ruler will be sufficient or a vernier caliper will do nicely.
Without the make of the other fitting we cannot say, and even then it might or might not be shown on any drawing we can find.


What thickness cable should I use to wire these outside lights? Looking at purchasing a few of these:

3X 30W Warm White PIR Motion Outdoor Sensor Security LED Floodlight Security Spot Lights IP65 LED PIR Motion Sensor Induction Lamp

We have two existing that have stopped working; there is already a hole through the external wall for the cable to come through, but apparently these are known for shipping with a really short cable.

In looking for outdoor-suitable flex to use to replace the short cable with before fitting, I realised I don't really know how to calculate the amps that will pass through from the spec of the lights, to ensure the cable can handle the load. These are being wired straight to mains. The wall is a brick and breeze block, and likely has cavity wall insulation.

So, as an example, would a flex able to carry 20amp be enough?

Current
3 x 30W = 90W
90W / 240V = 0.375 A
So 20A cable is overkill.
A typical lighting circuit uses 5A cable - typically 1 mm² (older installations) or 1.5 mm² (current standards). You could use thinner cable rated for 1A but you might then need a fused connection unit with a 1A fuse to protect the 1A cable from setting fire to your house in the event of a fault in the light fitting.
Outdoor use
What is important for outside use is insulation durability. It has to stand up to UV from sunshine and extremes of hot and cold plus mechanical strength. You need cable rated for outdoor use.
Totally random example
Another random example

300/500V for environments like pond pumps and external lighting exposed to sun rays with standard risk of mechanical damage.

HAR
Rubber insulated
-20 to +60°C
BSEN 50525-2-21

Shedding water
Cable needs to be routed so that it exits the wall and any enclosure in a downward direction so that rainwater does not run into the wall nor into any enclosure. Enclosures need to be waterproof (e.g. IP66) and fitted with cable-glands to prevent water ingress.
Walls
Running cable through masonry walls should be protected in conduit. At the inside there should be something to indicate the presence of any electrical cables channelled into the plaster - e.g. a back-box with blanking plate.
Ideally you'd use T&E cable through conduit through the wall and flexible cable to a lamp. Which obviously requires an external waterproof junction box.


How should I hook up my WiFi thermostat given my current wiring situation? I've upgraded a few thermostats before, and they have been quite straightforward; i.e. take pictures and connect the wires as the the original. However, this is my first attempt at a "smart" WiFi-enabled thermostat and as I've read, I'd need a common connection to power the device (I was expecting battery-powered). So that's my very first obstacle as I don't have a 'C' wire coming from the wall. Then when I head down to the furnace and opened it up hoping to see a 'C' wire that might've just be hidden behind the wall, I encountered a non-typical connection (see pictures).

As you can see, there are no connections to the 'Y' terminal, there's no yellow wire at the wall or the furnace. The blue wire is capped with a red wire that I haven't been able to trace to see where it goes (some A/C connection I suppose).

Hence, I'm baffled and don't know where to go from here. Should I just run a C wire down to the furnace or replace the whole bundle with a 5-wire? Even if I do I'm not really sure what that capped blue wire is suppose to do. I'd truly appreciate any help anyone out here can offer.

After doing some research and physically tracing the wires, I was able to confirm that the white cable labeled "??" in the diagram was indeed going to the outside compressor unit. Hence it looks like the Blue wire was being used in place of the missing Yellow wire. As a result, my solution is to rewire the Blue to the "C" terminals on both end and then run a yellow 18 gauge wire to where the Blue one used to be connected. That way, the wires are connected as they're colored.

I'm guessing the Y terminal on the furnace is probably to control the fan speed for cooling mode, but since the A/C works now I'll leave it as a separate question.


How wide should a workbench top's overhang be to accomodate clamp-on vises and work lamps? Is 2" (5 cm) of workbench top overhang enough to accomodate most clamp-on vises and work lamps?

That should generally be enough. If you happen to run into a vise or lamp that wants a little more, you could edge-laminate an additional buffer strip onto the bend in that spot.


Crossing cold air return ducts with romex The house was built in the 50's, and am in Ontario. The house has all copper wiring, but it is older, and has no ground. I am quite competent when it comes to following code, but I have not found a ton of information on the internet about crossing cold air return ducts with wire. I was just hoping to get an electrician's opinion on the best way to do it.

From what I have found in the CEC and internet, you are allowed to cross cold air return ducts as long as you don't run wire along the inside length wise. I am looking to cross the cold air return duct because it spans almost the entire width of the house. These are the kind of ducts where there is just floor joists covered with sheet metal.

Im not looking to use them as a raceway, i just want to run a wire across them so i don't have to go around

I have read one method would be to drill holes on each side of the joist, use EMT conduit to pass the wires through and caulk the outsides to close the duct off to outside air. Back when the house was built, they just drilled holes and ran NM cable across. How would an electrician approach this problem?

Also, this is the way they ran NM cable across the actual air ducts. What do you guys think of this? Seems hackish to me.

Thanks

You are correct.  You cannot run NM cable through an air duct.  EMT is approved to run through a plenum, but I can't speak to the specific method you described. Someone with more experience may edit this answer.

The way they ran the NM looks fine.  Some of the holes they drilled might be a little too close to the bottom of the joist, but no big deal.  The wood does look a little messy.  Looks like something I would have done to keep my wife from hanging clothes from the cables. So long as the radius of the bends in the cable is not too severe and there is no friction wear, no problem.


Preventing freezing pipes in well head I've bought one of those heat wrap things to try to keep the pipes in the well head from freezing.  The previous tenant of the house we bought said that it had happened in the past.

Currently there's just a piece of plywood on top of the well head with some hard foam insulation underneath.  The original concrete top turned out to be sitting a few feet away, buried under some leaves.

The previous tenant had rigged up a light bulb with an extension cord over to the house to keep the well head from freezing.

The heat wrap thing I bought is 110 Volts, it uses a normal U.S. 3 prong adapter.  The submersible pump in the well head is 220 with two hot (black and red) and a ground wire.  I don't want to use a drop cord like the previous tenant used.

I'm missing a neutral in the well head so I can't see a good way to hook up the heater.  This is in central NC, so it doesn't get terribly cold.  About the coldest it ever gets here is around zero Fahrenheit.  With some insulation and a concrete well head, how likely would it be that the pipes would ever freeze?

A "heat wrap thing" sounds like the cheese they sell at the big-box shops.  Cheap and ugly and not very good.  Take it back.

The right way: good heat tape

First, use the good stuff.  It's called self-regulating heat tape , that is, it reduces its own power as temperature rises.  Effectively shuts off at 150F, which means you won't boil out your pipe if the thing goes crazy.  You probably want the highest wattage you can get, e.g. 10 watts per foot, and spiral it nice.  Obviously, get the 240V heat tape.

McMaster shows the variety available.

You'll need to make those electrical connections correctly for this wet location.

If you want, you could put a thermostat on it.  240V thermostats are cheap and readily available, used for baseboard heaters.  Getting one fit for outdoor use might be trickier.

After the pipe is wrapped with the heat tape, wrap both with foam pipe insulation.  You'd only want to do that with the "good" self-regulating heat tape.  Otherwise the insulation would only help the cheapie heat tape go into thermal runaway and set the insulation on fire.

The wood housing lined with insulation is a good idea, probably better than the concrete top.  The light bulb was a silly way to do it, not least, the bulb will burn out and you'd never be wise.

Try to keep water out of the area. Maybe make a weatherproof cover that goes over lid and walls.

Or maybe light bulbs after all

Here's an alternate way to approach the light bulb method. Install three incandescent lamp sockets.  Here's the tricky part: Wire all 3 sockets in series across the 240V.  Hot----lamp 1----lamp 2-----lamp 3----Hot.  Three matched bulbs in series will run 1/3 the voltage, or 80 volts.  So you can use common 120V bulbs.  And at the lower voltage, they'll burn exponentially longer.  But since they're in series, if one goes out, they all go out.   The bulbs will burn at slightly less than half their rated wattage.


How do I handle an unterminated wire behind my wall? Was doing a reno on my bathroom and noticed there's an unterminated wire behind my wall, near the overhead vanity light fixture:

I'm unable to trace it any further since it goes behind a stud, but there is enough slack for me to pull it down and test it with a multimeter.

If it's live, how do I safely handle it?

To answer your question about handling the wire, I'd suggest you turn off power to the whole house, pull the wire to where you can work with it, spread the black/white/ground wires so they aren't touching, and strip a tiny bit of sheath off the black and white wires. Secure the wire so it's not likely to move around and inadvertently short out. Now you can turn the power back on and poke at it with your multimeter.

As far as handling it in the longer term, the following is based on the assumption that the wire is live, or can be switched live, so should be dealt with properly. If you do a bunch of exploration and convince yourself that it's always going to be dead, then ignore the following.

The textbook thing to do is follow it back to the source and nip it there. However, that might result in a lot of drywall repair.

Failing that, the best code compliant approach I can think of is to put an old work box in the next stud bay and pull the wire back and into it. Strip a bit off the wires and nut them individually. Apply a blank cover plate and you're good. (Turn off the breaker while cutting nearby and working with the wire.)

It does look like you could probably pull the errant wire into the existing junction box, which would be good, but you'd probably not get enough wire in (6") to be code compliant.


Wooden storm window repair and painting I have wooden storm windows circa 1943 that are still in good condition. I've had the panes re-puttied, and now need to do painting.  A few of the storms have some minor wood damage as shown in the pictures below:

The wood is not rotted, just missing.  Some have corners missing, (first picture) and there are some visible open joints (second picture).

Questions:

What is the best way to repair this sort of damage?
I will prime with an oil based primer. When I paint, do I slightly overlap the paint onto the glass (a painter once said this is what I should do) or tape the glass up to the putty when painting?

Since you've reglazed, there aren't many options for re-clamping the corners, so... do repairs with a two part wood filler ("bondo" in North America).

Regarding the primer, try to find out if it was latex or oil based putty (tip: if it dried fast, it was latex; if it can still be imprinted with your thumb after 3 weeks, it's oil), and match your primer to that. Your painter is correct -- you should overlap a 16th onto the glass.


Shower Handle Replacement: Pull-out to Lever-out My (approx 25 year old) shower currently has a common handle style on it (the clear/crystal type); I pull the handle out to start water flow and twist to adjust water temp.  It is essentially this style, with (I believe) a Moen 1225 cartridge:
https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-Simpatico-31661P-Chateau-Escutcheon-Polished/dp/B0083GDBP4
I'd like to replace it with a type of handle that levers out and the lever handle then rotates to adjust the temp.  Is this possible?  I ask because I see lever-style replacements available, but those pull out and then twist in essentially the same way/function as the current handle, and I'd like something that lifts/levers to start the water flow instead.

You won't be able to operate your existing cartridge in a lifting up or down, back and forth motion to start or stop the flow of water. Your cartridge's motion is strictly in and out on a straight plane. It will rotate clockwise and counter clockwise to adjust the temperature. If you did find a handle that fit, you'd have to pull the handle straight out to start the flow and push it straight in to stop the flow. You'd need a cartridge that has a stem that moves back and forth and also turns clockwise and counterclockwise. They don't make one that will fit in your faucet. You'll have to replace your faucet if this will keep you up at night thinking about it.


Wrap vertical wooden column with drywall I want to wrap this vertical wooden beam with drywall so that it blends in with drywall near chilling area as you can see in picture.

I have done some drywall repairs in wall but haven't done something like this. I know that I just have to screw drywall pieces on all 4 sides and use joint compound followed by some sanding. But not sure how can I achieve straight 4 corner edges. any tips or links to online articles will be appreciated.

Look for a corner bead at your local home improvement place:


How to fix condensation between layers of insulation in unfinished wall? An above grade portion (wood framing) of my basement walls (in unfinished furnace room) is currently insulated with faced R19 fiberglass batts.  I live in nothern climate zone 5.

Unfortunately there is currently nothing but wood behind these batts and there is no air sealing, so when i looked behind the batts the wood walls have frost on them and some are soaking wet.

Before:

Before (behind faced fiberglass batts):

I begun a project to air seal behind the batts gluing 1" R5 XPS foam boards to the wood and spray foaming around the gaps, then removing the face from the batt and replacing the unfaced batt on top of of the XPS.

After:

After a few cold days i looked behind some of the batts that I had replaced and noticed that there was some condensation on the XPS foam boards (towards the vertical center of the boards).  The boards themselves didnt feel cold at all.

Is there something else i should have done to prevent this / how can i correct it?

Thanks

The water is coming from the air inside the room, not from outside.  It is condensing on the colder surfaces on the exterior walls (even if they don't feel cold).  What you are doing is fine, it will block any air seepage and add some insulation value, but won't stop the problem you are having.  What you need is a vapor barrier on the interior surface of the insulation to prevent the moisture in the room air from coming into contact with the colder layers of insulation inside the wall and condensing.


Can 12"x12" ceilings on ground floors typically be made solid/permanent? This sort of ceiling:

would normally be found in a basement. The justification is to maintain easy access to electric, gas, and water fittings.

What if you see such a ceiling on the ground floor of a bungalow? Do you say:

I can replace this with solid boards. It will take a small bit of time and money, but it can be done, or
Whoever left this ceiling easily accessible meant for it to remain this way. If I replace it with solid boards, I'll forever (even if not often) need to break a section to fix something, and then meld the hole.

That's called a drop-ceiling, or a suspended ceiling.  It doesn't have to be "justified".  It's one of several choices with many advantages and disadvantages.  If you damage other types of ceilings, you'll spend hours speckling and sanding and painting them to repair, whereas with a drop ceiling you throw the tile away and put a new one in.  They can leak air/breathe a bit, so you might not want them between a living space and attic.

A solid ceiling will usually be 'higher' than a drop ceiling because you don't need the clearance to install tiles and suspend the frame.

If you haven't looked at everything above it you should before considering replacing it with another type of ceiling.  There's probably a good reason that it's there.  Perhaps it conceals beams or ductwork.


Why did the bottom water heater element fail before the top when run empty? I rather stupidly drained my electric water heater without shutting the power off.
When I refilled it, it did not heat, which is expected. I assumed I blew the top heating element as it drained, which would have then shut off the bottom heating element or perhaps both would blow.
However, when I took out a multimeter to test, the top heating element seems OK (set to 2kΩ registers .01), whereas the bottom seems shot (registered 1.5).
I am worried I am misunderstanding something though, as I don't see how draining a water tank can cause the bottom heating element to fail, while leaving the top one intact. It seems like either both need to blow, or just the top.
Do I have my interpretation of the multimeter reading backward? Any insight would be very much appreciated.

You should be looking at around 13 ohms for a standard 4500 watt heating element. If an element is burned up, your meter would have 0 deflection.
Our water heaters here in Florida always have the top element going on first because that's the first water leaving the tank and getting into your shower. Once the top thermostat reaches its setting it turns off and turns on the lower element. which stays on until it gets up to its setting. The bottom element will cycle on and off during normal hot water usage but when a lot of water is being used, the top one will start to operate to keep hot water leaving the tank. I have LEDs  hooked up to each element so I'm sure how they work.
My guess  is that you blew the top element because it would go on first but any combination could occur depending on which one was on at the time the draining took place.


GFCI protection for multiwire branch circuit in shipping container workshop Wiring my shipping container workshop, I'm running a 30- or 40-amp feeder from main breaker panel in house, to a main lug subpanel in the workshop.   Wiring within the workshop using THHN in PVC conduit and metal boxes.

For the main row of outlets along my workbench, I'm adopting a cute plan (I may have heard here).   Run a multiwire branch circuit (MWBC), so four 12awg wires (green, white, black, red).   Each outlet box will have one outlet driven from the black ungrounded conductor and one outlet driven from the red ungrounded conductor (either two separate duplex outlets or a split duplex outlet).   Neutral will be pigtailed, and circuit will be protected by two-pole 20amp breaker.  One box will have a 240v outlet using both ungrounded conductors.   So far so good.

But I realize GFCI protection is probably a good idea, at least for the workbench outlets, given it's a big steel box sitting on the ground (though the floor is wood).  I don't have room in the main panel to have a GFCI breaker driving the feeder (need space-saver type), and I'm not using a main breaker subpanel.  One scheme might be to simply put use a GFCI breaker for the two-pole breaker protecting the outlet MWBC.  Or I could simply put two GFCI outlets at the box nearest the door, which will be where I plug in extension cords for outdoor use, and such.

I'd appreciate folks' thoughts on my best solution.

Since you have a metal structure and metal boxes, use metal conduit specifically EMT. Buy a bender and it's not that hard to work with.  The EMT itself is a valid ground path, and you will not need to run a ground wire at all.   Attaching the metal boxes and EMT clips to a metal building is icing on the cake. I have exactly this situation and I never run grounds, and there's never been the slightest doubt as to the reliability and ampacity of grounds.

Price 2-pole GFCI breakers for the panel you are using.  You may be in for a shock.  Your scheme of using MWBC will absolutely require a 2-pole GFCI.  ThreePhaseEel's advice of "just run one more neutral wire and get out from under the exotic breakers" is very good advice.

Using the same circuit for both 120V receptacles and also a 240V receptacles, I'm not a fan. Generally if an American appliance wants 240V, it's because it needs that much power, and so it needs all of it.  THHN is cheap and containers are not large, so just run an extra pair and be done with it.

Remember the 310.15 derate rules: you can have 9 active conductors in any conduit of any size (before having to upsize wire per the derate).  Grounds never count, nor do neutrals in split-phase circuits (including MWBC)**.  So if you run a 240V circuit, a 120+240V MWBC, and two plain 120V circuits, you are at 8.  I often will lay two conduits next to each other if I expect to exceed 4 circuits.

** Neutrals don't count in split-phase because they only carry differential current: Suppose a neutral is carrying 15 amps, and one hot is carrying 20, that means the other hot is carrying 5.  The heat from 2 wires carrying 15+5 amps is less than the heat of one carrying 20A, so those 2 wires get counted as one.  Heat is a function of current squared.

You ask, why 9? In a 3-phase "wye" configuration, neutral doesn't count for the same reason.  So three "wye" circuits  add up to 9 conductors that count (12 wires in 3/4" EMT conduit since conduit=ground). At 277V you can put 277*20*9=49860W - frickin 50KW, enough to light up a CostCo.


HELP! Need advice for Bike Wall mount So the first installation of my bike mount, I failed miserably because the wall isn't completely straight above the door and has a slight angle to it. I thought it'd still be able to hold up my bike but nope, the weight of the bike started pulling out the mount from the drywall (I used drywall anchors too).

So now I'm thinking of using a long-ass 2x4 to support, but I don't want to fail again or create a mess too difficult to fix. Does anyone have tips? (I will, of course, fix the wall)

See images so you can see my fail and get an idea of what I'm trying to do (sorry if my question/explanation is crude).

Drywall is not meant to support weight.

If you want to "do it right", fix the damage to the drywall by replacing a large section extending from one stud to the next.  While the wall is open, you can install a horizontal 2×4 between the studs (known as "blocking").  When you're finished, screw the upper screw of your bicycle mount into this wood, and it will support the weight.
The lower screw can go into a drywall anchor to prevent twisting, but not supporting weight.

A much quicker, but uglier, fix is to simply attach a horizontal 2×4 to the surface of the wall, properly attaching it to two studs.  Then screw your mount into that wood.  In your case, it would work best with two horizontals to properly space the lower screw.

I used this latter approach to attach a large wall-mounted TV whose mount didn't line up with the wall studs.

And the idea can be extended to surface-mounting a long horizontal 2×4 along most of the length of the garage wall.  It makes a convenient and secure place to install hooks, etc. for hanging equipment, hoses, tools, etc.


Crack on basement wall/foundation wall I noticed a crack on our basement wall or foundation wall (not sure what to call it). Our house is fairly new, built on mid 2017. We have a finished basement so there's no way to check the crack from inside unless I remove the basement interior wall. Is this something we should be worried about? Should we get a professional to check this or at least patch it if it's not a serious damage? Thanks in advance for any inputs!

That is not a problem and quite common. I would put a tape measure in the photo and take a photo then check it in a year, no change no big deal. Large change then con aging the builder may be a good idea. Also keep an eye on the earth below if the ground is going away (sink hole or settling) their may be a larger issue but small cracks are quite common.


How do I keep nails from pulling up on my hardwood floors? I'm in a 100 year old house and I believe the floors are original. They don't seem to be tongue and groove, but just flat boards nailed into the subfloor with finishing nails.

Periodically, the nails start to inch themselves up. We hammer then down but they just come up again. This happens all over the house.

Is there a way to secure them more permanently? Replacing them with different nails? Coating them in some kind of adhesive?

If I understand correctly, you have small-head nails driven through the flooring planks vertically and flush with the surface. They're working upward from the up-down flex of the boards as you walk.

I would acquire a nail set the correct size for your nails and drive them slightly below the surface of the flooring. This will serve to lock the nails into the finished floor, and any movement will occur in the subfloor instead. You could then use a colored nail hole putty to hide them.

Another solution would be to pull the nails with a needle-nose plier or other similar tool and replace them with slightly longer, larger, or ring-shank nails to give them a stronger grab.


Where to connect C wire if no C terminal Hi wanting to connect Nest and want to install a C wire. HVAC only appears to have G,W,R so not sure where to connect C.

Step 1: Find the low voltage side of the transformer. Using a volt meter in AC mode, measure the voltage between the two terminals circled in red, then measure between the two circled in blue. One of these pairs should show ~240 V mains voltage; the other pair should show ~24 V low voltage.
Step 2: Measure voltage from the R terminal (circled in orange) to each of the 24 V transformer terminals identified in step 1. You'll measure ~0 V to one of them and ~24 V to the other one. This latter one is your C terminal. Splice as needed to get a wire out from there to the thermostat.
By definition the R terminal is one end of the transformer winding and the C terminal is the other end. Simple thermostats (bimetal strip, or battery-powered programmable) simply short R to W or G to call for heat or cooling. Controls makers didn't spend money and circuit board space on the unnecessary C terminal.
Now fancier thermostats, which require so much power as to make batteries infeasible do require the C terminal. Newer HVAC controls include the C terminal, but when working with older controls, the only option is to find and tap into the C circuit somewhere.
The thermostat's processor and display are powered by current flowing between R and C. Connecting the C wire and the R wire both to the R terminal leaves you with 0 volts between the wires; the thermostat can't be powered from 0 volts.


Sheath is too short! Can I finish in EMT? Gah!!  My fat, expensive #4 SE cable going to a subpanel... Somebody stripped the sheath a little too far back. I have tried my darnedest and cannot find enough slack to bring the sheath inside the panel.

So here's my plan.  I want to use a 1" knockout to a very short nipple to a 4-11/16 square box, which will be barely an inch from the panel.  I want to enter the SE cable into a knockout in the square box, and fit it down properly with a cable clamp.  Then run its bared wires through the nipple into the panel proper and to the lugs.

Here's my worry.  It is not legal to unsheath a cable and use its individual conductors in place of THHN wire, mainly because those individual conductors are not marked/listed as such.  Would this count as that naughty thing, or would it be OK because it is shch a short hop?

Technically it would be a nipple and the code does allow for certain liberties in nipples such as larger fill requirements and no derating of conductors. I wouldn't call a short piece of SE "unsheathing to use as individual conductor". Also consider the alternative, which would be to splice say THWN to the SE. What would be worse? The small piece of SE extended or a splice where you have to leave accessible to maintain the splice, since splices are 80% of all electrical conductor problems.

In short it's all a matter of following code to the letter or the actual intent of the code. Personally I would just as soon reduce the number of splices over any other alternative.


Please help cold water frozen not the hot in the kitchen My kitchen sink cold water has frozen 2 times in the past 2 weeks. The hot water did not this time but did the first time. I also have a dishwasher; could that have something to do with it? I can do the work, I just need to know what I can do to stop this.

Try running the hot water to the sink until it's Hot, and then let it run slowly so it stays hot, while leaving the cold open. This will get some heat into the area where both pipes run. As soon as any cold starts to trickle through, switch the faucet to all cold, the cold water passing the ice will gradually melt the blockage.

If you can apply heat to the pipes directly (without burning the house down) that may help - in many cases merely opening the kitchen cabinet under the sink helps, and if you direct  stream of hot air at the pipes there it will help more.

Once you get it unfrozen, if you cannot manage insulating the pipes, keep them dripping (a deliberate slow "leak" down the drain) when it's particularly cold, which will help to keep them from freezing again.


Need Help Adding Another Switch to Lighting Circuit I have seen this answer: How do I convert a light circuit with a single pole switch to use two 3-way switches?

However, I'm having trouble understanding what my current circuit layout is (I didn't install it) and haven't been able to get three-way switches working.

Here's a diagram I made of what I can understand of the circuit:

Sorry for my poor, incomplete diagram. Both cables run over ten meters through the ceiling. I can't see where they go to even know where I'd need to crack the ceiling to find them. Also, I lack enough knowledge to complete the circuit logically.

If anyone could help me I'd appreciate it a lot.

EDIT: Adding a picture of the current wiring diagram. This connects the circuit only if both switches are on. Either switch breaks the circuit.

EDIT 2: Switch Wiring Pictures

Switch closer to the lights on the circuit:

Switch closer to the source:

You need 3 conductors (+ ground) between the old switch and your new switch. That's your biggest issue. Once you have that, there's inevitably a way to wire up two new 3-way switches to work.

If you are thinking about using 2 existing switches, there's a very low probability that you have the necessary third wire ("the traveller") available. (In the question you linked, the traveller is drawn in red.)

((edit to say that this answer is useless... I'll delete after the dust settles because the OPs comment is relevant.))


What are the pros and cons of a cultured marble tub? I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel (tear-out done), and the next step is to choose a tub. From a materials perspective, what are the pros and cons of using a cultured marble tub? For instance, resistance to scratching and chipping, noise, color-fastness over time, etc.

I have a cultured marble kitchen sink so I guess my experience is relevant. It is noiseless (unlike a stainless steel one would), looks as cools as a stealth bomber (much cooler that a stainless steel one would), can be washed no-problem.

Surely there're drawbacks - I always fear dropping a heavy fryinng pan onto it and crash it this way and obviously I remember to never use any acid-based compounds on it. IMO acid-based compounds can be easily avoided and fear of crashing is mostly subjective - likely something heavy needs to be dropped from a reasonable height to cause real damage. Other than that  I don't see any drawbacks so far.


Correct Glue for Foam Outsulation? My house is masonry block about halfway up and then wood siding with top.  Two months ago I had outsulation installed.  It’s made up of 2x4 feet foam panels that are 2 inches thick.  These are covered by a plastic mesh in a scratch coat overlaid with a stucco like finish.  The outsulation works well and looks even better.
My problem is I’m not sure how to re-attach the address numbers.  I have 5 x 2 x 1/8 an inch address numbers that were screwed into the wood siding with three-quarter inch wood screws.
What I was thinking to do is to drill about an 1/8 inch hole through the stucco into the foam board and glue in the screws.  What I don’t know is what kind of glue would hold metal screws into a foam board.
Any ideas of what kind glue to use?  Or an even better idea on how to attach the numbers?

With a light touch on the screws you will be able to attach the numbers. Drill the surface with a slightly smaller bit than the threads, not the shank of the screws. An 1/8" bit may be the right size... Run the screws in and if you like put a small dab of clear caulk behind the number to seal the screw to the number and the screw to the hole so water may not get in. As light as the numbers are, the screws will keep the numbers at the right elevation and spacing and the way the caulk will hold, the numbers will stay until somebody removes them.


Does the water resistant cement board installed overlapping/hiding the edge of a shower pan absorb water in time? Here is what the manufacturer recommends for installing your shower base

I would like to go further with this and create a notch in the studs so I can push the shower base 1/2" closer to the wall (I need this and I also think that using furring strips as the manufacturer recommends is not the best solution -puts some pressure on the cement board AND ruins the vertical of the wall as the bottom side of the sheet is pushed toward the shower instead of sitting parallel with the wall at the base)
Here is what  would like to do. IN this case I might add some BlueSkin between the wood and the shower base
My question is this:, overt time, doesnt the cement board get wet and absorbs water in contact with the shower pan?  I know there will be sealant and there will be a slope in the shower pan

Update: I am not familiar with the best type of drywall or sheet that I can put there and I want to know if there is one that is absolutely guaranteed that won't absorb water.
From the comments and the answers I have received so far I take it that there is no such a thing and going with the lesser evil is the only option
Update2: this is related to this Question

Anything called “water resistant” I’m sure will absorb moisture over time, including cement board.
A quick Google search confirmed this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cement_board#Advantages


How to fix a bump in the carpet? How can I fix the bump in my carpet? Please see two images below

Click on photo for full size

Carpets usually expand over time.

This is caused by the fabric, under felt and entire carpet construction to stretch, caused by people walking over it over extended periods of time.

It does not usually stretch as much as you show in your pictures. Possibly this happened because the material is sensitive to moisture and caused it to become more elastic. Moisture could be from spillage, leakage or frequent carpet washing.

Tools and techniques

If your carpet has been like that for a long time there could be irreversible damage. You could still see a crease or uneven surface after re stretching it.

Here is a nice tool (maybe you can rent one?) made specially for stretch repair.

But the more common tool is the kick stretcher and requires some elbow great!

How to do it?

You will need to completely undo one side of the carpet. Pick the easiest side to undo.
Make sure it is a side that is parallel with the crease!
In you case it looks like either the side near the tiled floor or the opposite side.
Then depends on the tool you will need to stretch the entire carper, from left to right on the length it needs to be stretched. Otherwise if you do it unevenly other creases will appear.
If possible you should put a new or check if the existing carpet gripper little hooks are still OK! These really help keep the carpet in place.
Keep on stretching and smoothing the carpet until you are satisfied, do this slowly and evenly.

Too much pressure from either tool could tear the carpet. So be careful. If in doubt, call a professional.

In case your carpet is loose

I just had another look at it looks like your carpet is more like a large rug? :)

In that case, where you do not have grippers on one side you could opt into buying  some hard underlay.

Remove the entire carpet aka rug and glue the underlay to the carpet. I would not do it inside the home because it requires a special type of glue that really stinks and needs about 24 hours to bond properly, in a fairly warm and dry environment.

Thanks to the underlay, depending on what you choose your carpet will be warmer to the foot but also help keep it flat.


Adapting onto a Price-Pfister bathroom sink faucet with hidden Aerator After weeks of research I've been unable to figure out what the thread size of a Pfister hidden aerator is.  I want to remove the aerator and screw on an "instant-off" aerator device.

The Pfister aerator thread size is wildly non-standard. The outside diameter of a removed aerator measures as .73", or 18.62mm.

So naturally, I figured the threads were 3/4" 27F, and I needed a 3/4" 27M adaptor to screw into it:

But that didn't work.  It's close, but it doesn't thread.

It seems as if the internal "hidden" threads inside the Pfister faucet MIGHT be MALE threads, with the threads on the removable aerator actually FEMALE 3/4" 27F.  If that's the case, it's virtually impossible to screw an adaptor in, because it doesn't seem that any adaptor would be made with female threads on the outside.

Anyone ever run into this?  Or have an idea what the actual thread size is supposed to be?

UPDATE:  According to Price-Pfister, the threading of the inside of the faucet is 3/4"-18F, so an aerator or aerator adaptor would need to have MALE threads of 3/4"-18M.  The problem is, 18M seems coarser than 27M, and if anything, the threads seem finer.  In any case, I don't think there's such a thing as an 18M-to-anything-adaptor?

The model number of the faucet is: Pfister Weller LG49-WRO

3/4"-18 is UNS thread (Unified Special) which is a non-typical thread size.  I am in the same situation trying to adapt a Pfister bathroom faucet to accept a swivel aerator.  Still searching.