Do I have this diagramed out right? Wire diagram:

Looking for either confirmation or help of its wrong.

The above diagram shows what I’m planning on doing. There’s an existing light switch in my basement that operates the top outlet in 2 receptacles. I’m going to run canned lights in the ceiling where there were no lights previously and add a new switch so that each switch operates a series of lights.

Also I know the neutral wire is missing in the diagram. Did it just to save space since they’ll all be wired and capped together in the switch box.

As drawn, your left switch will operate your switched outlets, the right switch will operate the lights attached to the top-right cable, and any lights attached to the top-middle cable will be always-on.

Assuming what you want is for the left switch to operate the lights attached to the top-middle cable, the right switch to operate the lights attached to the top-right cable, and for the outlets to be always-on, you need to connect things more like this:

I've not drawn neutrals or grounds.  All the white wires should be connected together; they will all be acting as neutrals.  The grounds should be connected as in your original diagram.


Can I put a right inswing front door with a left outswing screen Can I put a right hand swing door (Exterior) with a left out swing screen door??

Yes you can as long as there is a floor or landing on either side. There cannot be any steps at either door, where the door can swing over them.


Is burnt looking wiring still serviceable? I was trying to replace a GFCI in a bathroom and the cable and wires are pretty black. The GFCI is also pretty burnt.
Do I need to replace the wiring and the GFCI or can I reuse the wire?

Black is carbon; carbon is relatively conductive compared to clean vinyl or other insulator. So anything black or brown indicates a leak path.  As a boy ,I miswired a 440 V box. The real electrician could not clean off the carbon well enough to use it and had to get some new equipment.


What's the difference between "Wood Filler" and "Floor patch & Smoothing Compound"? I'm getting ready to repair a small dry rot spot in my bathroom floor and am conflicted on which product to use.

When I visited my local big box store, they had a couple options:

1) High Performance Wood Filler:

2) Premixed Patch n'Level:

What's the difference between these two types of products? When is it appropriate/recommended to use one over the other?

The leveling compound pictured is used underneath a finish floor. The minwax/ bondo solution would provide a durable fix that you could walk on. So I guess it depends on whether you'll throw something over the top of the fix...


Please help stock literally screw stuck in wall Hello I purchased the wall unit and it was free-floating I had to mounted on the wall I don't like the unit so I took it down there was seven screws that went very deep into the wall I took out six of them one is stuck in there I cannot get it out I've used electric drill I've used hammer and pliers I do use needle nose pliers and twist I have been the bar up and back to try to loosen the screw I believe I've done maybe 2 1/2 rotations to the left for it to come off the wall I have to get this screw out of the wall so I could take care of the damage that he already has made I have been the bar which I don't want to do because I'm trying to resell this piece can someone please help me tell me what I should do nothings working. Desperate on the lake DVA

Get a pair of ViceGrips. Fasten very tightly on the head of the screw and use them to turn the screw out.


Is plywood or dimensional lumber better for repairing notched joist? During a recent remodel, I came across a 3 inch deep by 5 inch wide bottom notch in a 3x10 (the beams are that old!). I must say, i'm just a diy'er and even I was beside myself that someone would do this to that type of timber, let alone just to route a bathroom VENT HOSE!
Anyway, I am going to repair and it and wanted some opinions on the use of dimensional lumber (a 2 x 10 that is 4' 5" wide centered on the notch or perhaps 2 of them) versus using solid 3/4 inch plywood that is 9.5 tall and 4' 5" wide. Everything tells me the dimensional lumber is right, but it tends to be imperfect and in thinking about it I am wondering if a clean sheet of plywood actually may result in a more complete contact surface for the liquid nails and thus a stronger repair by joining more surface area of the three pieces (I would put plywood on both sides of the joist). It feels to me like the adhesive and subsequently the overall contact surface is the real strength in this repair and not the nails that hold the fix in place. As well, my thinking is the plywood would be lighter and thus put little strain on the nails or adhesive just to hold itself in place and so while not as "beefy" as a 2x10, it may actually result in a stronger result with respect to the notch. Again, just a diy'er and may be overthinking this but wanted some opinions?

If you could sneak the ends of the sistered members (plywood or other dimensional lumber so that its ends ride up on the end to end support of the notched beam you will end up with a better repair.


How large are in-wall heating vents that connect to registers? I'm curious how large heating vents can typically be when connecting to in-wall registers.  Do they fill up the entire space between studs?

I'm framing for some drywall patches and would ideally not like to make life too much harder when we get central heating (a couple years from now).

-M

Here's a link to a manufacturer of various types of wall ducts; the wallstack and register stackheads page shows the size of openings that you can have.  Looks like your choices are 2 1/4" or 3 1/4" deep, by 10", 12" or 14" wide.


Can I add 240v 40A circuit to my breaker box to power an electric range? This is my breaker box; I'm concerned about not having enough space to accommodate an electric range which requires 240v 40A. My box has tandem circuits, although I'm not sure if consolidating additional breakers will free up 2 slots, which is what I need.

Is it possible to extend the poles to create more slots? Panel door has cut-outs for additional breakers, but the concern is overloading the system.

First, you say your service is 100A, but those "main supply" wires look awfully small for 100A.  They look a lot like #6 copper, which is only good for 60A tops.  I would make sure the wires are appropriate for the main breaker.  If they are inadequate, either upsize the wires or downsize the main breaker.

This ... I hesitate to use the word "service panel" ... is still supported.  Bryant was bought by Cutler Hammer, in turn bought by Eaton, and became Eaton's "BR" service panel line.  "BR", Bryant, get it?

Yes, you can get a "quadplex" double-stuff which fits in two spaces and supplies two 240V circuits. This quadplex will have proper and internal handle-ties, NOT A FLIPPIN' NAIL.  For instance this quadplex includes a 2-pole 40A and a 2-pole 20A.  It would replace the breakers with the nail.

 source

That breaker isn't just two twin breakers bolted together.  It is purpose-built to be a quad.  Internally there is a mechanism to assure both sides of the circuit trip together if either overloads (common trip).  That works with or without the goofy looking handle-ties.  The handle-ties are just UL listed versions of a nail; they are there to provide common maintenance shut-off.  With a nail (or listed handle-tie), common trip is not guaranteed.

You cannot add any more breaker spaces to this panel. The cover has additional knockouts, but there'd be nothing under the knockouts. This is an 8-space/16 circuit panel, you are using 14 and have only 2 more possible.

After this you can add 2 more 1-pole circuits or 1 more 2-pole circuit and your panel is wedged solid.  You might want to think about a bigger panel at some point.  Get a panel so large that you never, ever need to use double-stuff breakers. (because increasingly, they are requiring GFCI and AFCI breakers, and those don't come in double-stuff.)  You need 14 now, 24 is borderline too small, I would go at least 30, even 42.

You don't need to deprecate that panel, you could add a larger panel as a subpanel fed by a large breaker.

You could stay in "BR" panels if you really wanted to, it is still common and supported, though a bit on the cheap side. Siemens is commercial grade (so are CH and QO, but their breakers are rather expensive).


Hardwood Filler is Popping up We had new hardwood floors installed in our house and the installer used wood filler. Now 6 months later the wood filler is popping up in areas he filled that were existing flooring that remained. The installer said flooring will shrink back to normal in the winter months is this correct?

Since it's almost winter now, you may have the answer just by observation. It's likely that if the installer said the wood filler would shrink back into the holes in winter, it would. But it will be ugly again in summer. There's also a good chance that foot traffic will break off the bumps where the filler pops up, which will leave you with pits when it shrinks back.

Another possibility is that the installer just gave you that answer because it would mean he doesn't hear from you again until winter, or maybe not at all if you've gotten used to the defect by then.

My solution for filling holes (mostly places near edges where I had to face-nail but didn't have space to hide the nails under baseboard trim) is to countersink the nails, then fill the holes with a mix of sawdust from cutting the floorboard material (so the color matches) and urethane clear-coat (which is roughly the same stuff my floorboards were pre-finished with). If your floorboards are finished with something else, you'd want to use that for the sawdust blend trick instead. Note that some kinds of finish will darken a sawdust blend; it's a good idea to test the blend on a piece of scrap before putting it somewhere people can see it.


Can my home's power supply handle this tankless water heater? So my home was built in 1960 and 15-20 years later another room was added on. There are panel boxes everywhere ha. I have mapped it all out and isolated almost everything. Anything that is unidentified must not be important or no longer existing because nothing seems to lose power when I flip these breakers off.

The big question…

I have in my possession this electric tankless water heater:

https://www.ecosmartus.com/product/ecosmart-ECO-27-27-kW-Electric-Tankless-Water-Heater

It states that it has an amperage draw of 113amps and at the panel box It will need to have (3) independent 40 amp 2-pole breakers.

You will see in my layout that on Panel A left side I have a 70amp, 30amp, and 40amp breaker that are now obsolete. Can I use those 3 spots to accommodate the new heater?

From my understanding the amperage specifications for an appliance are normally 20% higher than what it actually draws and that most appliances may draw that amount at the initial start up but after that draw much less to maintain operation. I am having difficulty getting a straight answer out of technical support though.

Will I be pushing my limits?

Thanks for your help!
Corbin

Well, to simplify the maze somewhat, you have all the usual loads of an all-electric house.

50A furnace
50A range
30A air conditioning pack
30A dryer
Eleven 120V branch circuits, some MWBC, many on 30A breakers (WTH?)

Obviously we can oversubscribe this somewhat, e.g. You're not likely to run heater and A/C at the same time.

The fine art of panel subscription is not a core skill for me, but hopefully this summary will make it easier for someone else.

That panel, though

While we're here, we gotta talk about that panel.  First,  panel B top-tapping panel A before the main breaker is very dangerous unless there is another main breaker before this.   The meter is not a fuse, and there are no fuses between the transformer and main breaker. This is considered acceptable for a very short hop from the meter to the main, however, in your case this totally unfused feeder crosses your whole house.  Nothing prevents a short in the cable, or in this panel, or summed loads on this panel, from setting that cable on fire.

Second, all 4 panels are Federal Pacific "StabLok".  It has serious issues with panel fires due to bus defects, and unreliable trip. When feasible, all four should go.

The three subs will be straightforward to DIY, the main will be more troublesome unless there's an outside main breaker.  I would DIY install a 200A main service panel right next to it as a subpanel, reuse that 70A breaker to feed it, and move all the 120V circuits out of the main into the new sub.  Then bring in an electrician to cut it over to be the new main.

I see many branch circuits on 30A breakers. Those should be 15 or 20 depending on wire gauge.

Gaps in the panel covers should be patched so curious fingers can't touch buses, except finding either breakers or blanks to cover those spots will be a pain.


What is causing a cat urine smell in my bathroom? My bathroom has started smelling like cat urine. We have NO cats. I think the smell is coming from the shower drain.

What could this smell be coming from and how do I get rid of it?

Look for leaks, the most likely culprit is a failed seal on the toilet.  If the toilet rocks or moves that will damage the seal and cause leaks.  Even if it was installed tight to the floor it is possible the seal (usually a wax ring) was not large enough, or was not replaced by a previous homeowner after removing the toilet.  Also check if the toilet is caulked to the floor, this should never be done.  It just traps leaks under the toilet where they will ruin the floor without you noticing.

Remove the toilet and inspect underneath.  If the floor isn't rotten and the flange is not broken replace the wax seal and remount.  Or hire a plumber to do the same.

Also even if you don't have cats the previous homeowner may have and moisture from showering is bringing out the smell.  Think about where you would put a catbox and inspect and sniff carefully.  It is common for cats to pee against the baseboards and the urine to seep under the flooring.  If water gets on the floor it will bring up the smell.

In one case I had to tear a room back to the studs to get rid of the odor.


Can I use an aluminium heatsink in a inox chimney? I have recently installed a pellet stove  with an inox chimney.
I realized that the chimney actually warms a lot and part of this heat ends up being dissipated outside the house (where chimney goes out).

I was thinking about ways of optimizing the system. It would be desirable to dissipate as much heat as possible inside since that's the goal of having such a stove.

Part of the chimney is hidden behind the stove and I was thinking of putting on this area some heatsinks to dissipate as most heat as possible inside the room.

Would an aluminium heatsink work? The chimney gets very hot (I haven't checked yet) and aluminium is used in systems up to 200 degrees as far as I know.

Would this be a good idea? would it work?

Most metal stacks are only rated for 5-600 degrees. Yes you can get them glowing red but we used to provide a magnet that had a temp gauge on it when we installed wood stoves.

I have seen fins added to the pipes but would urge caution if you make a cool spot on the pipe creosote will build up in that location, in the 70's we tried all kinds of things that did provide extra heat to the house, I know of 1 house that had copper tubing around the stack on the single wall section, where the copper was in contact the creosote built up in less than a year. Because of the spiral it created a "turbo torch" like fire that melted the stack and really smoke damaged a large section of the home including destroying the family room.

Back then we used a lot of "steam" bladders in the fire box, these were great for heating if the proper safeties were in place but required the plumbing to enter and exit the fire box usually through the refractory cement bottom. We put quite a few in to heat hot tubs back then but wood heat is not as popular so you don't see much of this today.

Use caution and know that the stack, if over heated, can melt aluminum, tin, etc, You may get more heat but watch out for creosote buildup.


European DIN Specification bathroom lock standard door preperation, has a 60mm offset I'm not able to find the standard door preparation for a European specification DIN bathroom latch.  The kind with a 60mm offset.

This one specifically, https://www.gjohns.co.uk/din-style-bathroom-mortice-lock-60mm-backset-78mm-centres-satin-stainless-steel.html

I have questions like, what size hole should be drilled.  Are the knobs set apart a specified distance?  Or is only the case size specified?

the hole must be big enough for the axles, the largest is 8mm square so an 11mm round hole will do if it's correctly located.  the knobs are 78mm apart vertically

As per the drawing on that web site:


Big hole in front of mailbox from mail truck how can I fill it? So we bought our home last July, we never noticed that right in front of the mailbox which is an area with a big patch of dirt and grass is where the mail truck swoops in and delivers the mail, we have tried to refill the hole from the tires with dirt, then with rocks, but each time the tires dig in so much that it's worse now, especially when it rains, two huge puddles.  It's now two holes from the tire going in and then out. We are happy and appreciative that we get our mail in a timely fashion but how can we best get that hole to be a flat surface? maybe more dirt? like a hill? help!

Not dirt, ideally. But you can use dirt if you can't get better material.

Better material would be crushed rock, ideally the sort that has all the fine dust from crushing still in it. Rock without fines can also work, but is less ideal.

Biggest problem with "filling a hole" most people have is the fact that you will lose (as you have seen) if you just put stuff in the hole you have. It will be saturated by any standing water, and it will be looser than the hole, and will get shoved back out of the hole easily with traffic.

So, let's look at what you could do differently for the poorest but most available fill - the dirt you have right there. You want to dig out the area of the hole you have to (at least) the full depth of the deepest part of the hole over the whole area of the hole, and somewhat beyond. Then you fill the hole with dirt - but not all at once. Put in an inch or two of dirt, and compact it throughly - don't use a large tamper (ie the common 10x10 square you probably don't own and would be wasting money to buy) - use something like a sledgehammer held head-down, handle vertical, and lifted and dropped over the whole area until it's all compacted. A 2x4 stud (inexpensive) is also effective used the same way (lift and drop on the end.) Then add another inch or two and repeat. In theory a high-heel dance party in high heels you don't mind getting dirty could also work, but it's not one I've tried. Physics says it should work, though.

If you "upgrade" to crushed rock or gravel, you'll want to add a layer of (ideally, but difficult to get in small quantities) geotextile to keep the dirt below from "eating" your rock fill. Probably the closest thing to geotextile commonly available in small amounts is weed-block fabric or filter fabric. The idea is that water should drain through but your rock is not pushed down into the dirt below. Otherwise the tamping is similar.

In both cases you do want to build up slightly, because tamping is good, but not perfect, and also because removing standing water greatly reduces the progression of holes from wheels, while allowing even a small puddle to develop quickly grows as water and dirt splash out. Running your own car smoothly back and forth over the patch (without stopping as the mail-truck does) will also help to compact it. If you do see it starting to puddle, fill it back in sooner rather than waiting for it to get worse (it won't get better by itself.)


When water on kitchen sink is turned up, the water flow gets excessively choppy When we turn up the kitchen sink water (hot or cold), around 75-80% full, the water starts getting choppy and the faucet head starts bouncing up and down. At lower flow levels, there's no issue. The hot water seems to take a little longer to hit that state than the cold water.

We have one of those PUR water filters attached, and I noticed that there was no issue with the filter switched on (although that might be just due to low overall throughput) so I tried taking the filter off. No choppiness or bouncing, but it sounds funny, almost like too much air is getting in, and a few seconds after I shut it off, I get a second gush of water. This might be due to a lack of aerator (said aerator being built into the filter), I guess, but I'm adding what data I can.

This happened after our backyard neighbor (a bit downhill)  started getting water coming out of their yard yesterday, although our problem only started around 4 PM today. There are no other reported issues were can find online for our area.

I'm still not certain why exactly this happened, but removing the filter fixed the thumping/choppy problem, and replacing the aerator fixed the second gust of water problem.

My suspicion at this point is that the filter either just spontaneously failed, or something in the water conditions around the time my neighbor had his problem caused a buildup of debris or something like that. We hadn't replaced the filter cartridge in it for some time anyhow (my wife found that it didn't seem to affect the water's taste much), so it was not a huge loss to us, just a baffling mystery at the time.


How can I rebuild creaking plywood-based stairs? I have a carpeted  creaky 13 tread 40 year old staircase that I've tried to repair several times with the breakaway screw systems found in the squeak elimination kits using breakaway screws that screw into joists through carpeting.  The method  has not worked for me, and I am considering ripping the carpet off the staircase and rebuilding the stairs.

I have not been able to locate any middle of tread stringers under the plywood treads to secure the the loose treads. I have also had no luck screwing the   screws into the risers.
Has anyone had this problem and resorted to removing the carpeting and fixing the creaks by rebuilding the staircase.  Would appreciate any experiences fixing creaky stairs

You should not have to rebuild the whole staircase.  Rip up the carpet so that you can see the problem. In most cases it is caused by treads becoming loose. If this is the case I would take the treads off, put some construction adhesive down, and screw the treads back.  If you see that you have a broken riser then you may have to replace the stairs or fix the riser. Let me point out that the treads will most likely be unfinished under the carpet so you might consider either replacing the carpet or installing a bull-nosed wood tread.


Running two cables meant for different loads directly from 200Amp electric meter I am building a house in a 3rd world country and have run into a dilemma. We are installing a 200Amp meter and were initially planning to run one 4/0 aluminum cable to the main panel in the house.
Since then we have decided to build a shed, which has its own (smaller) panel that will feed the reserve water tank pump, pool pump, washer/dryer, some exterior lights, the gate and probably more things later.
The electrician was planning to run a 1/0 cable from the house panel to the sub-panel in the bodega. I would prefer to A) not take up any more spaces in the main panel, B) be able to run a decent size load on the shed panel. So I asked him to run another 4/0 aluminum cable (because it appears that's what's required for a 200Amp load) straight from the meter to the panel in the shed. He's saying that connecting 2 4/0 cables inside the meter is impossible because of the terminal size limitation. He's suggesting we run a 2/0 cable for the shed, as anything larger will not fit in the terminal alongside the 4/0 cable.
My question is: assuming the load on the shed panel never exceeds 50Amps as he says (let's say 100 to be on the safe side), is it safe to run an additional 2/0 aluminum cable on the same lug on the 200Amp meter? If it is safe to do that, would it be safe to run a 1/0 or thinner cable, as long as it is rated for the load the shed panel will need? Are there double lugs that would accommodate a 4/0 and a 2/0 (or smaller) cables? Would combining the 4/0 cable with the 2/0 cable under one lug be OK? If not with a 2/0 cable, with what size?
Some other information:
In this country a double terminal for the meter is not possible to purchase, and I wouldn't even know what to order on Amazon from the US. But if I could get one, and it allows us to connect 2 4/0 cables at the meter, would this be fine?
Copper is prohibitively expensive here, so running a 2/0 copper cable instead of a 4/0 aluminum cable is pretty much out of the question. Plus we already have the 4/0 cable to run to the house.
All of this is discussed in Spanish, and I'm translating this into English. And I'm not super savvy when it comes to this stuff. So I'm sorry if there are terminology mistakes in this question.

The solution is (essentially) a small but heavy-duty panel at the meter. These are often designed as a combination (look for "meter main") so that you can feed a handful of large loads and/or subpanels from the meter - which is exactly what you are trying to do. Avoids double-tapping the lugs and provides a safe shutoff for each subpanel separately so that you only need to get the power company involved one time, unless you need to replace the meter main.
Something like this Eaton CH 200A 8-space:

They have some slightly smaller ones, but I wouldn't go smaller than 8 spaces, because each 240V circuit will take 2 spaces. So from a practical standpoint, I would consider it as a panel to feed up to 4 subpanels. But, for example, you might have 2 subpanels (as planned) and use one of the spaces for a convenience circuit or for outdoor lighting.


How do I Safely Cut Though Main Attic into Addition Attic? I bought a house where the main attic is accessible, but a later addition to the house has an attic that isn't access from the main attic. I believe the two connect over the garage, but I'm not sure if it's safe to cut through the covered roof into the addition, or if that will affect the integrity of the roof.
How would I safely connect the two attics so that I don't have to use the addition's attic access? We think it's located outside, in the eaves of the house, with light fixtures which would need disconnected. Obviously, we can't really use it going into winter.
I'm tempted to just cut through with my reciprocating saw, but I'm worried that I might mess something up if I do that without getting advice.

Interior of Addition

Main Attic, where I want to cut through

Outside picture of roof pitch

Addition's Attic Access (we think)

I think it's a code violation, but there may actually be no access in the addition. Access at the eaves would be rather difficult and very tight. A gable vent you have to remove to get in is more common, as miserable no inside access access goes. But I've seen more than one "just sealed up and you have to cut your way in" job over time.
The main risk (so long as you stick to cutting the roof sheathing, not the rafters) will be encountering a wire on the side you can't see. Always better to be able to look at both sides, and start with drilling a few holes so that you are sure how both sides line up before you cut - but wires can be repaired, once the excitement dies down. I guess with modern toys you could drill a hole (relatively low-risk) and put a borescope or small camera through to look for hazards before cutting more.


What is the name of the tool used to create an initial dent for drilling? I remember that during my DIY lessons at school, there was a tool used to help with positioning a drill bit. The tool was shaped like a large nail, and it was lightly hammered into the material at the point where the hole should be drilled. This would create a small dent in the material, which you would insert the drill bit into before drilling the hole. In this way, it prevented any slippage of the drill bit that might occur if the drill was just placed up against the flat surface of the material.

My question is: What is the name of this tool?

It's called a center punch.

There are also automatic center punches, which don't require a hammer.


How can I stop the icemaker on a GE fridge from overflowing water? I have a French door stainless steel GE fridge made by Samsung. The water overflows or splashes out of the icemaker andd then freezes in the ice compartment under the bucket, making it impossible to get out without thawing it. This is an icemaker in the upper left corner of the refrigerator compartment. I  have leveled the unit and I have replaced the water solenoid valve because I thought it might be sticking on and letting in too much water.

Is there a time adjustment for how long to let the water run? Is it dependent on my water pressure? This fridge worked fine for a couple of years but then started doing this. Link to this model

I asked this question about it a little over a year ago:
Previous question

I threw in the towel and called an applicance guy. He looked at evertyhing I did, and could see no broken parts. Putting our heads together, we came to the conclusion that its a design flaw. We wound up doing two things - 1) We opened up the area at the bottom of the water funnel to water into the mold faster and 2) I made a small "fence" at the back of the funnel out of aluminum duct tape to stop water from overflowing. These two things together seem to have done the trick.


On the number and shape of my swamp cooler motor cord terminals As I understand it, most three prong electrical chords are have a hot wire, ground, and neutral terminals (for extra precautions).  My swamp cooler motor cord has four prongs as shown here:

What is the need for the fourth terminal?  It seems to me that most, if not all, cords for swamp cooler motors have three circular terminals and one flat terminal as shown above.  Why are these terminals shaped as such?  Is there any advantage to having their shapes this way?

That looks like an Adobe P2-911 plug and it is proprietary. There's another version Adobe made (I believe it's for the 230v motors) that has a 5th round pin. The flat bladed terminal is for keying the connector so it can't be plugged in upside down. You should have a 115v cord with 2 hots - one for high speed and one for low speed, 1 neutral, and 1 ground.


water leak from ceiling I'm Ahammed Sheriff from Oman. Here we have a building with 6 floors. On the basement floor of the building there is leakage on the ceiling. Is there any way to stop the leakage from the ceiling? Thanks in advance.

You must search for the source of this leak by inspecting the walls immediately above where you see water. In many cases like this you will see damp spot on the walls above and these must be cut open to inspect pipes for the  leak. If the walls are covered with gyproc or similar this is not a difficult job. Finding the leak is essential or it will destroy walls and flooring.


Cannot get to the screw behind disconnect switch I'm trying to unscrew what "seems" to be (I'm not an expert) a heat pump disconnect switch. I don't know the function of this box. It's also connected to the furnace (see pictures). Box is screwed on the 2x4. Problem I have is I cannot get to the screw in the box to remove it. Do you know what can be done to get access to the screw? It seems that I have to remove in some way the black plastic cover in the box but I don't know how.

Think the screw has nothing to do with removing the dead front. Think this is how:
Turn the switch to OFF.
Lift up the top plastic section using the holes on the side. This will allow lifting or prying the bottom section over the stop on the bottom.
But it may be that you just pry on the bottom in the central slot.


How do I go about framing a half wall into a full wall? My house has an second floor open loft area with a half wall that overlooks the foyer down below. I would like to enclose the half wall, add a closet and door to create a fourth bedroom. How do I go about framing the half wall into a full wall? I included the floor plan, which shows the option for the fourth bedroom. The half wall is where the optional handrail is listed in the Loft.

If you were to just frame up the current opening above the half wall, you're going to run in to problems with the wall flexing, possibly cracking the drywall.

Therefore, at a minimum, I would put at least a doubled-up stud at the end of the half-wall that runs from the floor to the ceiling. (But first remove drywall and trim from the end and top of the half-wall.)  The floor-to-ceiling double stud will resist the flexing. Then you just fill in the opening with a header, footer and studs; hang some drywall; and patch and paint.

However, to do it "right" you would remove the half-wall and just frame in a new wall using traditional building methods.

Personally, I would choose the right way. It's probably not much difference in effort and price and you end up with a more standard finished product.


How can I attach a security gate where there are no studs? I installed a Munchkin MK004 security gate in drywall (no studs were available at the location) using the supplied screws and plastic anchors.  The gate hinges on one side of the opening and opens at the other.  Within a day, the hardware at the bottom where the gate hinges was pulling out of the wall (probably not helped by kids opening it every 2 minutes).  I replaced those anchors with molly bolts.  The same thing happened.  Should I call it a day, remove the gate and patch up the holes or is there another solution - such as using a snaptoggle or screwing a wood board across two studs and screwing the hinge into the board?  (Where there are studs on that side of the opening, it is also where there are bull nose corners and I think they are covered with metal and there is no wall on the other side of the opening).

You need to mount it in studs, concrete or something else that can handle the load; drywall by itself will not.

If there are no studs available where you want to mount it, you can open up the wall and either install a stud at that location, or depending on how the gate mounts, you might be able to add bracing between two existing studs and then mount to that.

I wouldn't be too concerned with the metal corner bead, you can screw through it pretty easily.

You might also be able to put up a seperate structure (ie: mounting a metal pole in concrete, etc.) to support the gate.


How do I use a multimeter to check for power? I need to check that power going from my light switch, to a light fixture on the same wall, as well as a light fixture on the opposite wall. How do I use a multimeter to do that?

WARNING

  If you're not comfortable working on live wiring, please contact a local licensed electrician. Working on live wiring can be dangerous, and could lead to property damage/loss, personal injury, and/or death.

To test voltage, you'll want to set the meter to the "Volts AC" setting. On the meter it will likely look like a capital "V" followed by a "~".

Typically there will be more than one setting within the range, so you'll want to choose the setting that is higher than what you expect to get. For example. In the US a lighting circuit is typically 120 volts, so you would choose the "200" setting typically found on most meters.

Check the documentation for the meter you're using, to determine where each probe should be plugged in. Typically the black probe goes in "COM", while the red goes in "VΩmA", "VΩ", or "V".

Carefully touch one probe to a known good ground, and the other to the "hot" conductor. (When I say "ground", I don't mean dirt. I'm talking about electrical ground). Next with the one probe still touching ground, touch the other probe to the "neutral" conductor.  (When I say touch the conductor, I mean touch an exposed part of the conductor with the tip of the probe. Touching the probe to the insulation on the wire, isn't going to do anything). Finally, touch one probe to the "hot" conductor, and the other to the "neutral".

When you measure between ground or "neutral" and "hot", you should measure line voltage (about 120 volts). When you measure between ground and "neutral", you should measure 0 volts.


What could cause a 240v dryer outlet to have proper voltage but not power the dryer? I bought a used washer and dryer about a month ago from a warehouse dealer that specializes in used appliances. The dryer worked for about a month then refused to operate. I called the appliance guy who checked the dryer, said it was fine. He was able to hook up another dryer which he was transporting which also failed to turn on. He left the new dryer and took the old one to his shop where it turned on fine. He blamed the outlet or some part of the electrical and insisted the dryers are working fine. he has offered to let me take any same price dryer from his shop and try it.
I told the landlord something may be wrong with the electric. He came and checked the breaker, tested the voltage, couldn't find anything wrong. Multi-meter showed 120 from each side to neutral and 240v across both. Breaker is fine, but he replaced it to make sure. Dryer still doesn't work.
I called the appliance guy back who took the dryer apart to look for a fault. Nothing. Tried a third dryer, no luck. So I call the landlord back who replaces the three prong dryer outlet which results in no change and insists his wiring is correct.
So we have tried three dryers that work at the warehouse that don't work at home. The outlet provides 240v but the dryers refuse to operate. Supposing the appliance guy isn't outright lying and these dryers work fine when plugged in at the warehouse, what might the landlord be missing in the electric lines? He is a very handy person but admittedly not an electrician.
If I need to get in person help would it be better at this point to contact an electrician to look at the lines or an appliance guy to check the dryer?

I recently had a problem that stumped me. My dryer had worked for a couple of years and then stopped heating. Turns out, the 240 receptacle had a bad contact on one of the 120 legs so it made poor contact with the plug. I replaced the receptacle. Later, I autopsied the old receptacle, cutting it open by drilling out the central rivet, and found that one of the spring clips had actually broken, so it didn't maintain tension. Of course when I had probed the receptacle I had been able to get the 120 because I was hunting for it. Perhaps your receptacle is bad?


Can I connect ground to my ungrounded porch? I live in a 40 year old house that has a porch added by the previous owner roughly 10 years ago. The porch contains two three prong outlets that have an open ground. Both outlets are protected by a GFCI on the first receptacle. When I bought the house the inspector found the open ground with a tester but noted that because of the GFCI it still met code.

I found the situation odd though because the GFCI outlet is connected to the incoming ground wire. And that circuit contains receptacles inside the house that are grounded. I followed the wires back to the house. Here's my best shot at a diagram:

inside - attic - closet - j1 - j2 - r1 - r2
closet - fan

The circuit inside the house runs up to the attic where there's a combination 3 prong receptacle / light fixture. Ground is good to this point. I did find that the fixture was wired with hot and neutral reversed and I fixed that. The ground wire exiting the box here is not connected.

The wire exiting the attic goes to an outside closet that looks original to the house. It contains a combination 2 prong receptacle / light fixture. The ground wire coming from the attic is loose here and cut short. There are two outgoing wires from this box. Their grounds are connected to each other but not to the incoming ground.

One of the wires exiting the closet goes to a ceiling fan on the porch.

The other wire exiting the closet goes through two junction boxes to the porch receptacles. All the grounds are connected in these boxes.

So ground is connected everywhere execpt between the attic and closet where both ends of the ground wire are loose.

My guess from all this is that the circuit originally ended at the closet. There was no need for a ground in the closet so the electrician cut it short in the closet and didn't bother connecting it in the attic. The porch addition was wired as though ground were available and then just never connected to true ground.

Is there any reason why they didn't connect it? Is there any reason I shouldn't connect it? The ground wire is cut slightly short in the attic but there's enough that I can connect it without any trouble. It's too short to connect in the closet though. I'd have to either get someone to run a new wire or extend it. Can I just attach a couple more inches with a wire nut?

Lighting branches didn't require grounds back then, so that probably explains why your closet was left ungrounded (I'm assuming there's no receptacles in there). My house was built in 1987 and I've fought a few ground battles on lighting circuits as well.

There should be no issue connecting your grounds. It's possible that your ground's continuity is broken somewhere else along the circuit that you're unaware of, but this would make you no worse off than you already are.

Once you connect your grounds, go back through and use a multimeter or a receptacle tester to verify the grounds are no longer open.

You can certainly use a wire nut, or some other acceptable means, to extend your short ground wire. This is called a pigtail and is quite common. If you do this, don't stop at a couple of inches-- go ahead and add enough so there is about 6" of ground wire as measured from where it enters the box, or where there is at least 3" extending past the edge of the box.


Electrified Water Shower or Bath possible? I can only add 6 pcs of GFCI 2-pole breakers so I am prioritizing what areas or appliances to plug them in.

In multipoint water heater in bathroom.. is there a possibility that the water can become electrified? For example, one of the hot line in the heater is shorted to its small heater tank (but without forming short circuit to 2nd hot line), can the water become electrified as it flows in the pipes and to your body electrocuting you?  Has anything like this ever happened? References welcomed.
My GFCI outlet trips when connected to refrigerator. Are all refrigerators like that? I heard it has something to do with leakage current that is normal in refs.. does it mean you don't use GFCI in your refrigerators?

If you will remember about 16 years ago during the gulf wars, an article came out about several military men were electrocuted while taking a shower. So yes you can be electrocuted in your shower. In you example you point out a violation of the 2017 NEC. Articles 210.2(A)(4) Bonding of Electrical Conductive Materials and Other Equipment & (5) Effective Ground-fault Current Path. Basically these two articles state: All metal parts of a water system must be bonded back to the Grounding System. I know you could say something like "there is no way my metal shower head could come into contact with electricity so why bond it?" I can't say since that is something you should take up with your local AHJ. I can say follow the NEC.

2017 NEC Article 210.52(B)(1) Exception 2 does allow a non GFCI receptacle for a refrigerator, but it cannot violate other parts of the NEC. The most commonplace being, it must be a separate circuit dedicated to the appliance, it must be at least 8' from water and it cannot be in the garage. It does not eliminate AFCI devices.
Hope this helps


Replacing two-switch, combo paddle light switch? I thought this would be simple but of course I'm in over my head. We have a two button (paddle style) light switch in the bathroom. The top turns on a ceiling light and the bottom turns on a heat lamp and exhaust fan (both run together).

The back of the existing switch has 2 black wires plugged into bottom holes on back and 1 red wire plugged in top hole on back.

(Click for larger views)

I went to Lowe's and bought a 2 in 1 paddle switch but I'm confused on where the wires should go.
Left side has 3 screws (gold,black,gold) and right has 1 black screw. There is also a fuse that can be pulled out on the back?

How this should be wired? Do I even have the correct type of switch?

ETA: The switch is a Legrand RCD11WCC6.

You need to identify the wires in the switch box.  They are possibly like so:
      (Click for larger view)

(The Hot wire is usually either in the center or isolated on one side, in such combo switches.)
But you need a voltage tester or ohmmeter to be sure.
If you get it wrong, swap the wires around as indicated in the testing section, below.

Once you have identified the wires, hook them up like so:

Make sure the breaker(s) is/are switched off.
Use a voltage tester to ensure there are no live wires in the switch box.
Screw the COM B screw in all the way, it will not be used.
Leave the jumper alone (it is not a fuse).
Connect the Bare (ground) wire to the ground/green terminal at the bottom.
Connect the Light wire to the SP A terminal.
Connect the Hot wire to the COM A terminal.
Connect the Heat wire to the SP B terminal.
Screw the switch into to the switch box, keeping it plumb.
Install the cover plate.

Test the switch:

Turn the power back on.
The top switch should control the light (for safety and by convention) and the bottom should control the heat.
If both come on but the bottom switch controls the light, turn the power off and swap the wires on SP Aand SP B.
If only one of the 2 circuits comes on, you have the hot and that circuit's wire misidentified. Turn the power off and swap the corresponding SP wire and the COM A wire.


Remove brown bicycle tire marks from vinyl floor I'm trying to remove these brown bicycle tire marks from my kitchen floor (see pictures).  I've searched the internet and I have tried the following recommendations:

White spirit
Bike degreaser (Muc-off)
WD-40
Soda crystals
Scrubbed using abrasive scourer
Flash Magic Eraser
Rubbing alcohol
Bleach

However, nothing has worked at - not even slightly.  It looks like the stains may be permanent, but as I have nothing to lose (rented flat) I'm willing to try anything in order to reduce the stains and salvage some of my deposit.

I have two questions:

Is there anything/product that may help that I have not yet tried?
Is this actually vinyl flooring?  The floor seems to be a continuous material, where I have seen vinyl flooring on the internet as square blocks that are fitted together.

The only things I see you haven't tried are vinegar and nail polish remover. With the vinegar - just put some on the stain let it sit a bit, then wipe off. I'm not sure it'll help you as you already tried bleach.
About the acetone in the nail polish remover, I'm more optimistic - it cleans everything (just first test it on a part of the vinyl that is hidden under a cupboard or something so you know you won't damage further). Good luck! :)


How to sharpen a lawn mower blade? Is it possible for a DIYer to sharpen the blade on their lawn mower?

If so, how would I sharpen the blade on my lawn mower?  It is a reasonably basic push mower but it does have a 'mulching' blade.

Remove the blade by removing the nut that attaches it to the mower.
If there is any rust on the blade, remove it with steel wool or a steel brush.
Clamp the blade in a vice, or to the edge of a solid work surface.
Run a file down the cutting edge, following the same angle already on the blade.
If the blade is badly damaged, you will have to use a bench grinder or have it professionally sharpened.

Run the blade perpendicular to the grinding wheel to remove any nicks or gouges (this will give you a straight blunt edge).
Hold the blade at the proper angle (the angle already on the blade) and grind the length of the blade until it is sharp.

Balance the blade (from the center point) on a nail or on a Blade Balancer (~$5) to check that the blade is balanced.

If the blade is not balanced, you will have to remove a bit of the material from the heavier side (Do not remove this material from the cutting edge).

Now that your blade is sharpened and balanced, reattach it to the mower.

Sharpening the blade more frequently will make the task quicker and easier, since you won't have to grind as much to get a good edge.

If you do sharpen the blade using a power grinder heat from the process can weaken the blade, so you'll want to quench the blade to prevent overheating. dip the blade in water frequently during the sharpening process to cool it, and wipe it dry before you continue grinding.


3-1/4" Pancake Box? - Want to Update Old Ceiling Fixture Previously, I asked another question regarding this ceiling fixture. I wanted some advice on how to go about attaching a fixture with more than one bulb and whether or not the insulation in the old one was possibly asbestos.

Those questions were answered satisfactorily, but Harper commented: "This looks like a common 4” (trade size) pancake box but might be the dreaded 3-1/2". In reality, mine seems to be closer to 3-1/4". Not even 3-1/2"...

Why is the 3-1/2" size pancake box "dreaded"? And if mine is even smaller should I dread it more? Will it affect my ability to find a new fixture?

For reference, the screw holes that the old fixture screwed into are 2-3/4" apart which seems a little more standard.

In my photos, the box looks like it's 3", but it's just the angle. It's really about 3-1/4".

Many things don't fit 3-1/4" boxes

There are quite a few fixtures and other pieces of hardware that simply do not fit a 3-1/4" round or octagon box, as their mounting holes are too far apart.  This can be sometimes fixed for fixtures with the aid of a "universal crossbar" that adapts the mounting holes to the right places, but in some more exotic situations (like where excess box fill or the nature of what's being hung off the box forces you to put a mudring or extension box on for volume or mounting space), the requisite parts simply aren't made.


Dedicated Hot Water Recirculating System Woes Two plumbers and no remedies to why my hot water turns cold (but not as cold as the cold water rather slightly warmer).  This problem began to happen gradually and it occurs at every hot water faucet/shower through out the house

Plumber No. 1:  Hot water heater is fine
Replaced the shower (moen) faucet valves.  No change
Turned off the recirculating pump (and ball valve before and after pump).  Endless hot water but hot water pressure throughout the house is dramatically reduced -- 25 percent of the water pressure available on the cold side)
Plumber No. 2:  Hot water heater is fine
Replaced the recirculating pump.  No change

Plumbers are throwing their hands up so:
- I also shutoff the water going to the washer and dishwasher.  No change
- I also turned off the water to many of the single handles sink faucets.  No change

I am wondering if the significant drop in hot water pressure when the pump is turned off is an indicator as to what and try next

•   I have turned the pump off (electrically) and left all valves open (recirculating and public water valves open).  I get full pressure and hot water goes cold after 30 seconds.

•   Turning pump on and recirculating line valves on, but close the public water valve at the tank, the water pressure slowly reduces as does the temperature (turning the shower faucet valve to cold does not increase the pressure ...just above a trickle).

•   Turning fresh valve on, turning pump and valves in front and rear of pump off.  Water starts at full volume and pressure reduces in less than a minute but water stays hot.  Turning the shower valve to cold, the pressure gradually increases, as temperature drops, to full pressure (and then I can turn to hot and watch full pressure to reduced pressure cycle all over again.

Here is the configuration .. note three shut off valves

This is quite the puzzle.

Things I noticed...

*** "Turned off the recirculating pump (and ball valve before and after pump). Endless hot water but hot water pressure throughout the house is dramatically reduced"

If you don't have a hot water circulating pump (not the recirc pump in your pictures), the hot water pressure comes from the cold water input to the water heater.  This says you have a restriction in either your cold water line to the heater, after it splits off the cold water supply, or the hot water line coming out of the heater; I suspect in the hot water line or water heater itself.

*** "I have turned the pump off (electrically) and left all valves open (recirculating and public water valves open). I get full pressure and hot water goes cold after 30 seconds."

I suspect, like @jwh20, the cold water is going backwards through the recirc pump.  I think the brass fitting with the white ring on the outlet side of the pump is a check valve.  It should prevent the higher pressure cold water from going back through the pump, but it's either leaking or failed altogether.

It seems that the hot water line puts out enough for the recirc pump to get hot water up to the fixture, but when you turn on the fixture it draws more water than the hot side can provide.  Because the cold water supply is closer to the recirc pump connection than the hot water tank is, it overpowers the hot water coming out the bottom of the tank and sends cold back through the (bad check valve and) recirc line straight to the fixture's hot side.  The combination of cold water from the recirc'd "hot" line and the cold water line gives you full pressure at the fixture.

*** "Turning pump on and recirculating line valves on, but close the public water valve at the tank, the water pressure slowly reduces as does the temperature (turning the shower faucet valve to cold does not increase the pressure ...just above a trickle)."

It sounds like you have a single lever shower valve that's trying to compensate for the cold water by reducing the cold and increasing the hot but, because the supply into the water heater is shut off there's no pressure in the hot water lines.

The reason the water pressure slowly reduces is the hot water tank and the expansion tank (the large bottle-looking thing in your pictures) have air in them under pressure.  As the water drains out of the water heater, the pressure drops until it's too low to push the water to the faucet.

To help isolate what's going on...

As @Fresh Codemonger suggested, put a pressure guage on the hose bib (faucet) under the water heater gas valve.  With the recirc pump off, recirc pump valves closed, and fixtures all off it will show you what the supply pressure is to the water heater.  I would expect around 60-90 psi.
Turn a fixture on full cold.  From what you've described, you should get sustained full pressure at the fixture.  How much does the cold supply pressure drop?  I'd expect not more than about 10 psi for a shower or faucet with an aererator, more for a hose bib like an outside faucet or clothes washer.  I'd still expect 40-60 psi at the water heater inlet.
Have a helper switch the fixture to full hot.  From what you've described, you'll get low flow but constant hot water.  What is the pressure into the water heater at this point?
Turn on the recirc pump valves, but not the pump, still running full hot, and I think you'll see the pressure at the fixture go up and the temperature go down as cold water flows back through the recirc line.  The pressure into the water heater should be very close to what it was on #3 above, maybe a couple psi lower.
Turn off the fixture.  With the supply line to the heater, and both recirc pump valves, open check the pressure into the heater.  Now turn on the recirc pump.  The pressure should rise only slightly.  That pump puts out a max of about 7.5 psi (15 ft head).  If the pressure rises anywhere near this, you have a noticable restriction between the pump outlet and the fixture, probably between the water heater outlet and where it splits to the house.  If the pressure drops more than a fraction of a psi you may have a blockage between the recirc pump outlet and the water heater, which I don't expect.
If you have a way to check the flow coming out of the water heater, before it gets to a fixture, that would help narrow down where the restriction is.  If you can't check it before the first fixture, start testing fixtures closer and closer to the heater to see if you find a point that one has full flow but the next one doesn't.

My suspicions...

How old is that water heater?  Per https://www.familyhandyman.com%2Fplumbing%2Fwater-heater%2Fhow-to-repair-or-replace-defective-water-heater-dip-tubes%2F&usg=AOvVaw3z5n36r511mBdXmdLJeIMa , some water heaters, particularly those made between 1993 and 1997 may have a dip tube failure.  The plastic tubes crumble and little bits of plastic get washed through the hot water lines, clogging up valves and faucets.  "Often, the first four numbers on the serial number are the month and year of manufacture. If the third and fourth numbers are 93, 94, 95, 96 or 97, it could be affected."

I suspect something like this has clogged your line between the water heater and the house, and that little bits have been washed into the check valve between your recirc pump and the water heater, allowing cold water to flow backwards through it.

One way to check for this is to stop all hot water use for about 24 hours, at least overnight, then drain 5 gallons or more out of the bottom of the tank (your hose bib will do nicely) into a bucket.  Let the water settle for 10-30 minutes or more and check for any plastic bits.  They may be floating or on the bottom, and most any size from a grain of sand to 1/2".  You may also empty the bucket through a strainer with some nylon hose to help look for them.  If your heater is old and you see any of these bits, seriously look into replacing the heater.  You may also have to work at flushing your hot water system and cleaning or replacing that check valve after the recirc pump.

I've run across this once with one made around 1995.  It was maddening trying to backflush all the hot water lines in the house without letting the debris also flow back into the cold supply.


Is running over your extension cable with an electric lawn mower dangerous? I'm currently about to buy a lawn mower, but don't know if I should take a fuel, electric with cable or battery one.

I'm leaning more towards electric with cable, because it's cheaper than battery and the price and the raising price of fuel won't screw me over in a few years.

But the only thing I'm wondering is what would be to happen if I run over my extension cord?

Will I just ruin an extention cord, or are there some serious health dangers to do so?

Minimal protection when using a corded electric lawnmower is to power it from a GFCI protected outlet/circuit. If your outdoor outlets do not have GFCI built in, or if you are running your extension from a regular indoor outlet, you can purchase standalone GFCI devices to go between the extension cord and the power source.

To answer your question directly - the lawnmower itself should be double-insulated, meaning the handle bar should be electrically insulated from the mower blade and the motor components. But if you run over the cord you still have the problem of severed cable ends supplying full mains voltage to whatever they touch, which is why using a GFCI is so important.


Enclosing cable run through living space I will be installing a 230v 20a outlet. To run the cable, it will run down the wall of my living room (brick house). The cable will be 10/3 cable (the orange plastic wrapping). What is the proper way to protect the cable? Will the stick-on cable management system be enough, or do I need conduit?

You can't use cable management systems. They are not listed for protecting mains wiring.  At best they're listed for extension cords, but probably not.

You can use UL-listed surface conduit such as Legrand Wiremold.   You can also use regular conduit if you don't mind the industrial look and chicken-choking the cable down the conduit. I recommend EMT because it's not bad to work with, and is easy to correct or modify.

Either way, you can use the conduit in one of two modes:

Using the NM cable wiring method, where you run it in the normal way you run Romex, and enter conduit ad-hoc (no junction box) merely to provide a damage shield where the cable may be subject to damage.  In this case any conduit that fits over the cable will suffice.
Using the conduit wiring method with continuous conduit between junction boxes. Here, if you insist on using cable, you must use 3/4" conduit*, due to conduit fill rules.  The pull will also be quite difficult.  However you are better off splicing to individual stranded THWN-2 wires, in which case you can easily get away with 1/2" conduit, and have an easy pull too.

For a 20A receptacle and breaker, you are perfectly allowed to use 10 AWG wire.  However, you don't need to... you can do it with #12 wire.  At 230V, #10 is best if you are going over 150 feet.

Also, for an air conditioner (NEMA 6-20 outlet), you don't need a neutral wire.  However, including a neutral wire will allow you to convert it to two 120V circuits later.  If you wind up doing the entire run in actual conduit (EMT or Wiremold), you can run individual wires, omit the neutral wire for now, and add it in the future when you need it.

If you use metal non-flexible conduit, that is a valid grounding path (indoors), which means you don't need to run a ground wire.  My air conditioning circuit is simply 1/2" EMT conduit with a black and red THWN-2 wire inside. That is it.

* I'm assuming you are using round 10/3 cable.  If you're using flat cable, measure its widest dimension. multiply by 1.37, and you need to use conduit whose inside dimension is larger than that.


Retaining wall on a 2-way slope under an existing block wall I live on a corner home and the street/sidewalk on the right side of my home travels up a slope. The way my yard is currently designed, the right half of the yard follows the same slope, but not the left, almost at no angle at the front of the yard, but at an increasing angle as one goes towards the back of the yard. The pictures probably explain it better than my words.. in any case, what I want to do is add a retaining wall and remove excess soil in order to flatten out the lawn area. Due to the slope, the wall would also need to be sloped. There is a small section of block wall at the highest point of the front yard area, that I could remove if needed (I'd consider some white picket style fencing to ensure nobody "falls" into my front yard from the adjacent sidewalk), but if I didn't have to remove the wall that would be even better. I don't want to cut in from the existing wall as my yard just isn't wide enough for that to make sense in my opinion. Is there a way to build a sloping (not stepped) retaining wall (maybe concrete with some form of decorative facing) so I can have a flat yard (I want to install new sod and sprinklers as the next project eventually.. and yes the palm tree will be going away and I'll be tweaking the fence between the front and side yards too). Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

What's behind the wooden fence, your back yard?  Does the slope get even taller back there?  Would you dig out that slope and continue the retaining wall there?  You can reasonably build a retaining wall 3-4 feet high without major engineering but when you get to 6-8 feet high it has to retain much more weight (8x as much according to This Old House) and takes more engineering.  This may be more than you want to get into.

As Alaska man asked, is the tree next to the sidewalk yours, or is it the city's?  What do you plan to do with the brick wall?  It would need to be supported or removed also.  Would removing the tree or brick wall require city permits or an engineering study?  This may also be more trouble than it's worth.

With palm trees and bare dry dirt, I'm guessing you're in a dry area in the south western United States.  I'm in the central U.S., where we have thunderstorms 8-10 months out of the year.  A good thunderstorm or two would wash that loose dirt slope down against the house and risk toppling the brick wall so I would leave the slope as-is and sod it or put in low ground cover to hold the soil in place.  If I used grass I would then have to mow it.  I prefer a smooth slope I can just push a lawn mower up, rather than have to pull out a string trimmer for a few square feet of grass on top of a retaining wall.  For long-term durability and ease of maintenance, I'd recommend just adding sod or ground cover and leave the slope alone.


Why is there always crud in my tap water? My faucet constantly clogs up with crap, and I have to clean the end of the faucet manually every week or two weeks.
What is this and what can I do to stop it clogging up my faucets? And is this coming in the house or is it built up in the house's pipes?
Here is a picture what is in the shower faucet after about 2 weeks of not removing it:

Hard to know without doing some investigation or starting to take steps to address it and see where it pops out.
One thing to try, if you have not, is to flush the fixtures while the end of the faucet or showerhead is off - run 10-20 liters of water though, full-blast, both hot and cold. That should remove anything just sitting in the pipes. You might also want to turn off your water heater (depending what type it is - this is primarily for a tank-type heater) and flush it from the drain connection.
Most likely is that this is coming from the water heater, as various dissolved minerals are prone to come out of solution when water is heated. But it could possibly be coming from the street supply. A filter might address that adequately - one for the output of the hot water needs to be specifically made for handling hot water. I like the so-called "spin down" filters that do most of the filtering by swirling the water to throw particulates out, and then have a central screen - the nice thing is that they also have a valve on the bottom to remove accumulated debris without actually needing to change the filter, so they are economical and convenient to maintain .vs. filters with replaceable filters. The screens can be cleaned or replaced if needed, but they usually don't need to be replaced.


4 prong wire outlet, 3 wire dryer - can’t find ground screw So I’m not entirely sure where to put the ground wire. Do I need to buy a ground screw for that hole? Or is there something else I can attach it to?

The dryer's instruction book will have instructions on how to change the cord.  The most important thing is that right now (with 3-prong), there is a "ground strap" connecting neutral and ground on the dryer.  This must be removed.

I think I see it right there; a metal foil that lands on the neutral terminal and connects to chassis.  You must remove that.  Feel free to use that screw for the ground.

If you have a volt-ohm meter, you can sanity-check this by measuring resistance between neutral and ground pins on the recep.  It should be high resistance (0L or infinity ohms means high resistance).

It sounds like you're already onboard with this, but you must change the cord on the dryer to a 4-prong cord.   It is illegal to continue with a 3-prong connection or to defeat ground in some way.

Old 3-prong connections are dangerous.  If there is any trouble with the neutral wire, the dryer chassis will be energized with voltage. (meanwhile the washer right next to it will still be grounded, so touch both and whammo!)


Can I tell whether a LED driver/bulbs are dimmable without damaging them? As mentioned in the answer to this question:

LED bulbs and LED dimmer

we can't trust a LED driver / LEDs to be dimmable if it doesn't say so explicitly. However, only some companies offer explicitly dimmable LED products, while for others it's not clear whether they only make non-dimmable LED-related products, or whether they just don't bother with it and hence don't certify anything as dimmable.

My question: Suppose I have a LED driver, driving an array of LED bulbs/units/whachamacallit which take DC. Is there a way to safely (or with-low-risk) experiment with dimming it?

If so - I'm willing to get relevant custom equipment provided it's not super-expensive.

For AC powered screw-in LEDs, making them dimmable is hard.  So nobody makes an AC dimmable LED by accident and forgets to list it as dimmable.  Forget that.

DC is a whole different kettle of fish

All the rules are different with DC.  Not least the cabling/wiring rules for circuits under 55 watts.

However, the way dimming works is also totally different.  There is no need to deal with the balky AC waveform, nor any legacy need to play well with a 1960s-tech dimming scheme intended for incandescents.

DC dimming is typically done with PWM, meaning the power supply is switched on and off, faster than the eye can see.

Control is done via this same exact PWM.  A dimmer/controller's output can either control a small amount of lighting, or be the pilot signal to an amplifier that controls a great deal more lighting, or a combination of both.

The market is awash with cheap Cheese junk, but functionally compatible products are also made and UL-listed by reputable makers.

Also, LED is available in full color RGB and RGBW, the same basic scheme except with 3-4 channels for red, green, blue and optionally white.


What considerations should I make for a fire ring? I'm trying to build a fire ring in my yard. My thought is that for the base I will get a run-of-the-mill fire pit insert (maybe something simple, like this). My plan is to dig a hole about half its height deep, place the insert, fill with sand and gravel (lava rock?) to ground level, and possibly place brick around the outside.

I would like to have the brick cemented in place, is there a particular form of mortar or concrete which would be well suited to higher temperatures?
If I do not put brick around the outside, what else should I do to make sure the insert does not move?
Will bricks make it easier to remove ash?

The long and the short:

Lava rock vs. gravel isn't important except aesthetically.
Use mortar not concrete for binding (in general). All mortar is heat resistant, but you can look for mortar which includes fire clay or get information about mixing your own here (experience suggests that this step is strictly optional, but I will be doing that anyway).
It seems that there are two types of ground level fire pits – ones which rely on temporary insert which is somehow staked down, and ones which are actually built into the ground.


Furnace/HVAC issues in new build Just had a couple of questions. I have been in new build townhouse for a month and noticed a couple of things but have been away several weeks so just dealing with it now. Some of this I am sure I am just ignorant but thought I would ask. 4 things each with pic attached

1) Pipe splitting from furnace outlet pipe is just open to the air. I was originally supposed to have gas hot water tank but they installed an electric tank in the last week before occupancy instead. Is this vent pipe for gas?

2) Lots of air coming out of this hole around smaller pipe when furnace fan is blowing

3) Open hole in return air near HVAC

4) Loose ducting that isn't attached to anything. Ducting travels through ceiling to rear of house, not sure where it goes (drywalled)

This is how it has been since I moved in, unfortunately I wasn't here for walk around so my wife had to do it with manager of home building company.Thanks for the help.

http://g.dam-img.rfdcontent.com/cms/006/104/840/6104840_original.jpg

http://a.dam-img.rfdcontent.com/cms/006/104/841/6104841_original.jpg

http://w.dam-img.rfdcontent.com/cms/006/104/842/6104842_original.jpg

http://p.dam-img.rfdcontent.com/cms/006/104/843/6104843_original.jpg

Did they hire Duct Disasters R Us Heating And Cooling?

Most of what you see here is a testament to the sorry state of 80+% of the North American residential HVAC trade.  The single most important part of a forced-air HVAC system to get right is the ductwork, but as you can tell, it's also the part the installers who put in your HVAC system paid the least attention to.

The only part you show that's even remotely sane is the "stub" intake pipe depicted in your first photo; this is a standard way to configure a high-efficiency furnace to draw its combustion air from the surrounding space, instead of having its combustion air supply piped in from outside.  This is not the recommended way to install a high-efficiency furnace, as it means that combustion exhaust issues can then spill CO directly into indoor space via the air intake.  Furthermore, they did something that is all-too-common, and cheaped out, using PVC for the furnace exhaust.  Despite what furnace manufacturers say, DWV PVC is not rated for extended exposure to condensing appliance exhaust temperatures, and thus shouldn't be used in such applications due to the risk of heat damage and subsequent CO leakage.

(P.S. no, it has nothing to do with the hot water heater -- if a gas hot water heater was used, its vent would have to be completely separate from the furnace vent as a Category IV appliance, such as a condensing gas furnace, would backpressure a shared venting system whenever it ran.)

The rest of what you're seeing is telltale of sloppy, harried work; holes in the plenum need to be sealed off so that they don't draw in unwanted contaminants or waste conditioned air on spaces vented to the outdoors, and the consistent abuse of flex duct (up to and including the disconnected duct) simply makes your furnace blower work harder than it has to to get the job done.  (In technical terms, it drives the static pressure of the system up, which is basically the amount of "push" that the furnace fan needs to provide in order to get air to flow through the ducts.)


stair intersection design ideas I currently have some angled stairs going from my garage into the home. To the left of these stairs is a closet that I'm going to take out to allow more open space in the garage. Directly to the right of the angled stairs are the stairs leading to the basement. I'm really not a fan of these angled steps as visitors are not use to them and frequently stumble or miss a step(I'm surprised nobody has fallen down the basement stairs yet...knock on wood).

So after the closet is gone, I would like to put in more normal steps but there is not a lot of space between the door and where the basement steps begin. I would like to know if anyone has an alternative ideas for these steps. I was thinking steps that wrap around, but I'm not sure it would work with the amount of space I have.

For those that might mention local codes, this project is in Albany, NY.

Here is an image of the steps.

Here is a rough sketch with measurements.

If there's enough headroom above the basement stairs, I would consider building a staircase over the existing basement stairs. Then you get to pick a height that works for all directions.

You could also make the stairs without risers and increase the overlap on the treads, almost turning them in to a ladder. This is the way stairs on Navy ships are designed. And bunk beds.


What is this pipe thread compound on my LP regulator fitting? I'm replacing a faulty regulator on my gas grill. When removing the old regulator, I noticed there appears to be some sort of compound on the threads.

Here is a picture of the threads with the old regulator still partially attached:

And here is a picture of the threads without the old regulator attached:

Questions:

What is that substance, and where can I get it?
Is it required in order to protect against LP leaks?
Are there any tricks or gotchas to know about when applying it?

The tape you purchased is the correct tape for gas fittings.  However, the fitting in your picture is a flared fitting.  PTFE (Teflon) tape/pipe dope is only necessary on pipe thread fittings.

This is because pipe threads are tapered - as you tighten the fitting, the threads bind together and deform slightly to create a seal.  The pipe tape/dope helps lubricate the threads and make a better seal.

With a flared fitting like your photo shows, the flare at the bottom seats in a mating flare inside the female fitting.  The threads are only there to draw the two together.

Using tape on the flare fitting may not cause any problems, but I would not take the chance, especially with gas.  If any tape gets under the flare or prevents the nut from tightening down fully, you're going to have a leak.


How can I sand 1/2 inch hardwood floors? I need to refinish the hardwood floors in my new house.  I was going to rent one of those giant drum sanders to do the job, but everywhere I read says that unless the floor is 3/4 inch thick, you should consult a professional.  Mine is 1/2 inch, and if I had the funds to consult a professional, I wouldn't have been researching the topic in the first place.

My question is:  what equipment should I use to sand the floors?  Is there a special technique I should employ?  Any additional tips would be appreciated.

(Bona fides: I sanded my house and a friends' about 10 years ago, and two rooms in my new house last year. I then went with a pro for the rest of the house — it's crappy work and not something I wanted to do again.)

Drum sanders are the fastest but also take a deft hand and careful attention — they can dig a groove in the floor pretty quickly, especially where you drop and pick them up on each run.

An orbital or vibrating sander is a lot easier for novices to handle, I would recommend these if your floors have already been sanded several times.

If you take on this job yourself, you should be aware of a few things:

Sanding floors takes a lot of time to do properly. 1500 sq. ft. will probably take a week. There's the initial prep (removing molding, furniture, nails, and cleaning), three passes with different grades of sand paper, staining/sealing, screening that finish, then polyurethane three times, screening between each one. And lots of waiting time between applications of stain and poly. You'll also need hand sanders (a small drum sander works best) to get around the edges of the room, the floor sanders don't go all the way to the wall. Then you have to replace the molding.
This is dirty work. Even the sanders with nice vacuum bags are going to leave dust all over the place and you should wear a mask. And hearing protection, depending on the type.
Rental sanders vary in quality. Some rental shops take care of their equipment, but many do not. Best case, this can result in trips back when the sander is DOA. Worst case, the sander may sand unevenly and create grooves or circular patterns in the floor. Keep a close eye on them.
If the floors haven't been sanded in a number of years, the older varnishes (and the wax buildup on top of them) is very hard to get off the floor and you'll burn through a lot of sandpaper (it gums up the paper and you have to replace frequently).
Most rental places will let you return unused sandpaper for a full refund. Take advantage of this and buy 2–3× what you think you'll need, because those same rental shops probably aren't open on Saturday night or Sunday morning when you run out.


Filling 2" gap between a tub and existing floor tiles for 30" bathtub in 32" tub opening As the title suggests, I have a 30" tub in a 32" tub opening.  When the tub is centered, there is an inevitable 2" gap between the tub skirt and the existing floor tiles.  The 2" gap excludes the 3/8" end grout line, which used to butt against the old tub.  The existing tiles are laid on top of another layer of (old) tiles, thereby raising the tiled part of the floor by about an 1".

What are the possible lasting, preferably the least time consuming, ways to close this gap?

2" of tile - after that it's decorating (i.e. try to match and trim 2" chunks to fit of the tile you find that most closely matches the tiles you have; 2" of "border" tiles, 2 rows of 1" tile (perhaps checkerboard-patterned) the options are endless.) Thinset, tile (with or without lots of trimming), grout, possibly sealer.

A space that small won't really be too time consuming even with all the needed steps. I can't think of a faster way that will stand a chance of lasting and looking decent, but if you want to be the guy that fills it with caulk, I'm not stopping you, simply advising that it might not prove suitable or attractive.


Should I install a drain trap on the main pipe before it exits my home? So my father-in-law and I are going back and forth..
I plan on redoing my entire main plumbing. When I purchased the house we remodeled the bathroom and had a plumber run a new schedule 40 stack and used a firmco to tie into the existing terracotta.
Due to snaking my lines every 90 days my plan is dig up the basement and remove all the terracotta, replacing it with schedule 40. There is currently a terracotta p-trap right before the line exists the house.
My understanding is that if all the appliances (floor drain, sinks, toilet and the washer and dryer) are trapped, then there would be no need to trap the entire line right before it exits the house. When I tell him I plan on removing that P-Trap and straight piping it directly out of the house, he looks at me like I’m crazy.
He is no plumber nor am I. But I plan on doing this in house rather than paying a company to do a trench less repair (which might not solve the issue) when I can save $2,000 by using a little man power.
So... who is correct ?
-Father-In-law says trap it
-I say no trap

Soil traps are now banned. I think they were common prior to the 1950s and since your pipe is terracotta that would indicate it predates this time.


Are these breakers suitable for a GE panel? I have three types of non-GE breakers on my GE panel. They are from the previous owner and possibly many many years old. I think they are Murray and Square D. Are these breakers that need to be replaced or are they UL-Classified to work on other panels?

The panel is a GE TLM1612C, I think.

Thanks!

TLDR: They're all wrong.  Swap with a GE or classified breaker (e.g. Eaton CL not BR).

Allowable breakers

You can use several breakers inside a panel.

Breaker types which are listed on the panel's labeling, these will be made by the same manufacturer and the same type, and UL-listed.
Breaker types which are contemporary to your panel's labeling, but again are still the same manufacturer, and they state they will work in your panel, or substitute for breakers which are labeled for use in your panel.  Also UL-listed.
Breakers which are made by a third party, who sends them to Underwriter's Laboratories to have them UL-listed for the competitor panel.  UL calls this a "UL-Classified" breaker, and they run the same set of tests they run on factory breakers.  If you research the manufacturer of the breaker and their classified breaker lines, they should show a cross-reference chart stating which factory breakers their Classified breakers can substitute for.

UL-Classified breakers

Classified is UL's way of saying these are not OEM breakers and do not have the benefit of the OE's expertise and trade-secret knowledge, but they do pass safety testing.

Keep in mind that a manufacturer's Classified breakers are different breakers than the OEM breakers they make for their own panels.  For instance, Siemens QD breakers are classified for Square D QO panels, and must not be used in any Siemens panel of any kind.

Similarly, you will see that Eaton's CL line of breakers is not UL-classified for use in Eaton BR panels -- even though the breakers may look outwardly the same.

This should not be confused with cross-listing.  For instance,  Challenger panels have breakers known to be defective (but panels are fine).  People seeking to replace those breakers find their panel labeling requires type C breakers. They are pleased to discover that Eaton's BR line is cross-listed as type BR and type C.

Your breakers

On your panel, we can strike out the Square D breakers immediately.  Square D is absolutely opposed to "Classified" breakers.  They refuse to make classified breakers for competitor panels, and they object to the use of Classified breakers in their panels (not that they have anything to say about it).   So the Square D "HOMeline" breakers are out-of-place because Square D says so: You are using this breaker in contradiction to its labeling and instructions, which violates NEC 110.3(B).

It also violates NEC 110.2, which requires all equipment must be approved.

Siemens does make classified breakers.  They make the QD type for Square D "QO" panels, and the MSQ type also for Square D "QO" panels.  Now, Siemens' website just burned down so Google is useless (every page is 404).  But from Google's view of their pages, it's clear they don't make UL-classified breakers for GE panels.  Even if they did, their MP-T type is not that; being made exclusively for Murray lineage panels.  As such, 110.3(B) and 110.2 apply, same as above.

The proper GE breakers are perfectly reasonably priced.  If they weren't (QO isn't), then you could consider classified breakers made for that panel, such as Eaton CL.  Do not use Eaton BR; as mentioned earlier, a manufacturer's classified lines are incompatible with their own panels, unless they are also classified for their own panels (The fact Eaton didn't classify the CL line for BR probably means they can't.)


How can I replace the seat on my wall-mounted toilet My toilet seat is broken, so I've had to find a replacement. As it turns out, I need to get inside the bowl to fasten the screws that keep the seat steady.
I also need to get inside there to get the old seat-holders loose.
Because there is no visible access port, I'm getting worried that I need to remove the whole toilet just so I can attach the stupid seat. There is a small hole on the side of the toilet a little close to where the screw goes but it's pretty small. I can't find a brand name aside from "plus", but the flushing mechanism is marked "tece".

You need to identify the toilet.   There is often a brand logo under the toilet seat, between the bolt holes.
That said, it appears to be a Duravit “darling new” wall toilet.  There are two or three models within the range, each gets its own seat/cover.  Measure the length of the top of the bowl from wall to front edge and it will correspond with the spec online at www.duravit.us.   It looks like the elongated version which probably uses toilet seat 0063390000, but you should check.
Good luck!


LED lights at home not turning on sometimes I have LED lights in most of my home, but lately those in the hallway and bathroom behave weird: mostly in the morning when I wake up and try to turn the lights on in the hallway they don't work. When i try it in the bathroom the light also doesn't turn on but the bulb shines very faintly. After several minutes they suddenly turn on without me doing anything. This behaviour is not perfectly deterministic as sometimes they turn on without issues, but mostly they do not. Also after they "start working" they usually work fine for a while until I leave them off for extended periods of time.

I would like to fix this but my knowledge about electricity/wiring is almost nonexistent. It seems to me that the problem could be something small but so far any attempts at locating it/fixing it have failed. I tried removing one LED light from the hallway at a time to see if any are broken, but it happens even if I remove several/most of them or remove the bulb in the bathroom.

Relevant background about the flat:

We moved in several years ago and then did a reconstruction of basically the whole flat in three phases: first the bathroom, then bedroom and finally the kitchen, living room and the hallway. The issues began about a year after the hallway was finished. All was done by a reputable company and this is (so far) the only issue we have. As far as i know, all electricity wiring was replaced with new one, as the flat had old copper (?) wires and very few power outlets.

Some other relevant info:

The hallway and bathroom are on separate breakers. The hallway has 1 light switch at every end (so there are 2 switches for the hallway lights).

Lights in the hallway: Kanlux CT-2114 (https://www.svet-svitidel.cz/kanlux-324-podhledove-svitidlo-argus-1xgx5-3-50w-12v/?gclid=CPKZk5bZzNQCFQwo0wod6vsG7g)

Lights in the bathroom: regular Philips 9.5W LED bulb

Does anyone have an idea what could be wrong or how could I locate the issue? Thanks!

This might be a bit late, but about a month after I posted this question we found the problem. The issue was that the main circuit breaker in the hallway outside of my flat was faulty. We have a tree phase breaker there and the problem was only on one of the phases which meant everything was working mostly fine except the lights. Later I learned that the electricians used exactly the faulty phase for most lights in the house (seems to be a common thing to use one of the phases for lights apparently). After replacing the breaker all problems disappeared.


Is it safe to use an angle grinder with wood cutting blades? Being a newbie to DIY and trying to get more and more jobs done myself, safety is a concern to me. I recently bought a Makita 5" angle grinder to cut some metal balustrades, job done. I considered buying some wood cutting discs for it, which I have seen on-line - to do a few odd jobs around the house, but I found some dated Internet posts that strongly recommended against it, for the safety concern, I am guessing that it's for the grinder losing control. These posts where about 5 or 6 years old and from reading through, wood cutting discs were something not available then either. Now I wanted to ask the question again, am I safe to do so or is it a bad idea? Additional information - the kind of jobs I am thinking of using it for, would be mostly softwood and not thicker than 20 mm.

Bad idea...explained later. But yes, as long as you keep the blade guard on & of course it will "work". Though, it's quite wild compared to a Circular Saw or a smaller Trim Saw. However, "safely" is a bad gamble.

You're talking about multiples of higher RPM's & both accuracy & control will then be largely out the window compared to proper devices. One big problem area is ever so slightly twisting your cut (which is normal & not just common with grinders) & that twist binds to instantly & literally toss the grinder at you or any part of you or anyone else close by.

Grinders usually don't have a braking mechanism & very slowly free-spin down to a stop, you don't want to be the braking mechanism.


Wiring a dusty chicken coop without risking a fire I'm raising chickens for the first-time and building a coop for 12 birds. I have been told that the birds and their bedding can be very dusty, and I would like to make sure I don't create an electrical fire hazard.
My original plan was to use 4S boxes, either EMT or MC, set-screw fittings, regular receptacles and switches, industrial-style raised outlet covers, and a keyless lamp holder. Is that good enough?
My guess is "yes," because there will not be enough dust to create an explosion hazard, and while dust in boxes and outlets may ignite, the metal boxes prevent it from leading to a fire. But that's just an uninformed guess.

DO NOT use lights for heating.  Use actual heaters
Lights (even "heat lamps") are a terrible choice because they are unreliable. They burn out with great regularity, and chickens don't know how to change bulbs, so they freeze until you notice the light is out.
I advise using actual, built-for-purpose, infrared (radiant) heaters.  Or if you don't specifically need the radiant effect and need general  heating, use actual quality heaters made for fixed installation in buildings.  Any resistive heater that is 240V and doesn't have a fan (such as the ubiquitous, low-cost and reliable Cadet heaters) will cheerfully run at 1/4 power on 120V. So if you want 250W of heat, select a 1000W/240V Cadet heater (about $40).
With these heaters, you can use any common, off-the-shelf line voltage thermostat. (240V dumb thermostats work on 120V just fine).
For lighting, use modern bulbless LEDs
Since LED emitters are semiconductors, they will outlive us all.  As such, having sockets on LED emitters is utterly pointless.  (the drivers, on the other hand... but I digress).  Anyway, hardwired, bulbless LED fixtures are perfectly sensible, and do the most to reduce fire risk.

Other than that, don't worry too much about dust.  Use of metal boxes and conduit is plenty of security.  Generally boxes are supposed to be relatively sealed from dust; old style "snap" dust covers for receptacles may be a good choice.
I would go with compression fittings on EMT; personal choice, and it does a better job being a grounding path IMO.  Not a fan of the setscrew types.  Since you have EMT you might as well use THHN individual wires, rather than pig-wrestling NM cable and violating code doing so (both conduit fill and the prohibition on assembling conduit over wires).


Can I reroute these drain lines to make this stack more compact? I currently have a drain stack that is piped like this:

The blue pipe services a sink, and I do believe continues on to become a vent above the sink. The red pipe services a toilet, and the green services a washer and another bathroom group on the 2nd floor.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of maneuvering going on up at the top of this stack to get everything connected, and then routed down to the stack.  I would like to reconfigure this drain arrangement to take up less space, to minimize the amount of boxing in I will have to do when framing this out.  I'd like to run the red pipe vertically down, to connect with the top of that 45 degree offset, and run the blue pipe around to the top of the wye where the green is connecting. This is crudely illustrated below.

I would use a long sweep 90 to transition the red pipe downways, and a wye to tie it in.  I can't find anything in my plumbing codes to prevent my doing this (IRC 2015 and IPC 2015), and the inspector I asked would only say "Yep, that's allowable."  Will running the red pipe down in to the middle of that 45 degree section cause me any issues with future performance of these drains?

Depending on the size of the sink drain, (if it is 1 1/4") I think you can run it through the joist. Then the toilet will have a proper vent.


Concrete or mud pad below two layers of tile in bathroom. Not sure what it is and whether to demo it? I recently started renovating one of our bathrooms. After removing a few tiles there was a second layer of tile beneath. Below the second set was a concrete/mortar base that is ~1.5 inches thick and has broken in a few places to reveal sand inside.

According to my research this is an older style of base for laying tiles. The house is from the early 60s so that lines up. However I have not found much info beyond that. I am wondering whether I can put tile back down on top of it and how.

Additionally there are a few cracks where the top came off while removing tile and revealing the sand beneath. Most are small but one is larger. Would this require a complete demo of the mud base? Can I patch it with concrete or something similar? The big hole is by my kids step stool in bottom right, it is about 5-6 inches at it's longest.

it is probably old mud that was used back in the days, now we remove the old mud and build it back up with the concrete board to where you need it to be, screw it down and glue your tile down.