What kind of ceiling is this? What kind of ceiling is this, and what's the process like for making it smooth?

It's called a drywall stomp. You use normal drywall mud along with something called a stomp brush and it makes that pattern on the ceiling.

To remove it, take a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray your ceiling to make it damp, then take a drywall trowel and scrape the ceiling down.


Why is my outdoor GFCI outlet failing so often? What is the life expectancy of a GFCI receptacle with an in-service cover? The receptacle has been replaced yearly for the past several years. The factory cord to the pump for my continuous operation waterfall is covered by sand and flag stone, on the patio.

Based on your description, it sounds like the GFCI is with an outdoor receptacle. That makes it susceptible to weather, and in this case also to spray from the waterfall.

As noted by Ed Beal, a high-quality Weather Resistant GFCI receptacle should do just fine. If you are replacing each year with an ordinary GFCI receptacle then an upgrade to WR should provide much longer life. The extra $10 for a top-quality WR instead of a regular non-WR really isn't very much. Add a few $ for an in-use cover and it gets even better.

But if you already have WR and it hasn't solved the problem, or if you want a little more peace of mind, switch the receptacle for an ordinary weather resistant receptacle. Install GFCI either at an upstream receptacle or in the breaker panel. That will provide the same protection but move the electronics to a safe dry location. Everything else (except the pump of course) is passive and not as affected by water unless there is an actual fault - which the GFCI protects.


substitute for pneumatic oil Can I use Appliance oil as a substitute for pneumatic oil in my nail guns? I've heard different opinions and would like to know what the difference in the two oils are. Of all the different oils I have on hand,  I think it might be the best substitution to finish a job when getting pneumatic oil isn't an option for me right now. Am I wrong?

Any oil is better than no oil.  We use 3 in 1 oil in our shop daily.  Our grinders hold up very well and are used all day long.


Tool/key for removing switch plate I’m trying to remove light switch plate below but it seems to be securely attached around the pole switches. There are 2 dots on each of the rings around the pole switch, leading me to think they might be acting as screws. Anyone seen one like this before? And would you know what tool to use to remove these?

What you want is called a "pin spanner wrench".  I've never seen that on a switchplate but they are commonly used in autos and motorcycles.

This type of wrench comes in many styles. For reference here is one that is adjustable and comes with inserts to accommodate various pin hole sizes.

Picture Source


How can I tell if a slab foundation can be built on? I am purchasing a small one-story home built in 1955. I want to turn the garage into living space. The home sits on a crawlspace, but the garage is on a slab that was added to the side and abuts the original home. The garage is attached and looks like it was originally built for the house -- but it wasn't. It was added on later.

I want to convert the garage space into living space but am concerned that because the garage slab foundation was poured only for the purpose of a garage that it's not suitable for being remodeled to living space.

How can I tell whether the foundation of the garage is suitable to build on?

The first step is to look at the foundation that supports that the walls of the garage. If the walls have foundations separate from the garage floor slab and those foundations are similar in construction and depth to those of the main house then this is a good indicator that you are in a good position to proceed with the remodel plans.

On the other hand if the slab was poured with integral footings around its periphery that are similar in size and depth to those of the house then you are also probably good to go forward.

If the garage is simply a thin floating slab then a whole lot will depend upon the climate in your area, the type of soil, the lay of the land and local code requirements. You may be in a good position if the "attached" structure of the garage to the house is sound, the slab shows no signs of cracking and shifting and the construction technique is up to code.

In any case it may be well to check with the local permitting authorities and/or bring in a consulting local contractor to give you ideas and make suggestions.

One last thing that comes to my mind regarding this potential project is the evaluation of whether the garage slab is below the floor level of the original house or not. If it is below you may very well want to consider the possibility to build up the floor to the level of the house. This will help to make the added living space feel like proper part of the house and make movement into and out of the space a whole lot more natural.


bathtub leak into walls We discovered a bath tub leak from our second floor bathroom which dripped through the sidings. The bathroom has the original fixtures from 1989. It leaks when there's excess amount of water used.
Would this be a simple problem of refinishing everything using plumber's putty?

Plumbers putty is for specific purpose and may or may not solve the problem. You must find the root cause of the issue. You need to investigate and troubleshoot. it could be leaky faucet components, leaky tub shoe, leaky overflow pipe, leaky trim, etc. Remove all the faucet trim and run water, look in the wall with a flashlight. You made need to open the wall from behind or the ceiling from below. This very well be much more complicated than jamming putty everywhere.

If you do not understand the above and/or don't want to do some serious work... call a plumber.


What kind of lubrication should I use for a lock? I recently made the Yale lock on my front door much easier to open by spraying some WD-40 in there.

However, I just saw this question on WD-40 not being a “true” lubricant, and wondered whether it was appropriate to use on Yale locks?

OLD ANSWER (Improved below)

  Graphite powder is the preferred lubricant for locks.  You should be
  able to get it at any hardware store in a squeeze bottle that is half
  air, allowing you to blow it right into the keyway.  You are going to
  have to wait a while before putting it on, as the residual WD-40 will
  gum it up.

EDIT: As per MrSquonk's comment below -- Try coating the key and work it in slowly.  It's less messy.

LATE EDIT:  Comment below edited into the answer.  Please read full comment thread.

Yale USA says:

  Yale® KeyMark® cylinders are lubricated from the factory with a
  Teflon® lubrication. Cylinders should be lubricated periodically
  depending upon environmental conditions and usage. LAB Lube is the
  approved lubricant. Caution: It is not recommended to lubricate
  cylinders with oil or to mix lubricants. "

LAB Lube

Micronized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Powder
A dry white powder lubricant that will not "cake-up" as graphite does.
A superior friction-fighting agent


Can I move the expansion chamber to the side of the hot water heater? I am needing to move the hot water heater into a space that is shorter than where it currently resides. It will have about six inches of clearance above the tank. So, due to this, I need to move the expansion tank. Can the tank be moved to be on the side of the hot water heater?

Followup Questions:

Does the expansion tank have to be above the top of the hot water heater?

Also, the copper pipe connecting the expansion tank to the heater, is welded together. I'm not comfortable with my copper welding skills. Are there other options for making this connection?

Unfortunately, after looking it over, I am not going to have any room for the expansion tape to go on top of the hot water heater. Checkout the diagram I've posted below. The black lines is the wall. This is how, in my mind, I will set it up. Question, how should I secure the lines going up to the water heater and the expansion tank? Anything else I should think about?

Do the vertical water lines need to be secured to anything? I could nail in a 2x4 to clip them to. For the expansion chamber, If I mount it horizontally on the side, do I just use some type of strap to take the weight off of it? Can it be strapped down directly to the floor joist?

Yes, but keep the can in the same orientation as it was (or research your particular model to confirm if it can be oriented differently).

Make sure the valves in the system are configured the same (e.g. the check valve).


Does the mold on this bathroom panel look like it can be washed off? I previously asked this question
Is this mold or some other substance?
Anybody know what material the bathrooom side panel is and does it look like the moldor whatever substances can simply be washed off or does the affected area/whole part need to be removed\replaced?
Thanks.

That panel is made of hardboard.
A cheap compressed fibre board that is often used for covering or closing areas which may need later access. Usually about 4 to 5mm thick and is often nailed, screwed or glued to a frame.
Given the porous nature of the board, then the best course of action is to replace it.


Best practice for oily rag safety? Most everyone's heard about piles of oily/greasy rags igniting.  Linseed oil seems to be a popular culprit for it, but I've also recently heard claims of common automotive oil being involved.  I've run across a couple recommendations, but I have no idea if there are any better ways to handle them.  Also wondering if there's a certain threshold as to quantity of material required for them to ignite.  Is it a problem just with natural oils, or are synthetics also involved?

Recommendations I'm aware of include:

Seal rags in side a metal bucket (with lid).
Allow rags to dry (spread out), then throw out normally.

The metal bucket sounds good, but what happens when you have to transfer them into a trash bag?  Spreading them out to dry seems unproductive, especially with synthetic auto oil which never seems to dry.

I've experimented with putting a pile of synthetic auto oil soaked rags in a plastic bag (worst case scenario based on my reading) and not only did they NOT catch on fire, but there was no detectable increase in temperature.  I've seen so much conjecture on this important topic, hopefully there are people on hear that can bring some science to bear on the problem!  :-)

From the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of Klean-Strip® Boiled Linseed Oil.

  Flammable Properties and Hazard

  RISK OF FIRE FROM SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION EXISTS WITH THIS PRODUCT.
  Oily rags, waste, and other oily materials can cause spontaneous
  combustion fires if not handled properly. Immediately after use, and
  before disposal or storage, you MUST (1) Spread out all oily materials
  outside to dry by flattening them out to their full size in an airy
  spot for 24 hours at temperatures above 40 degrees F, or (2) Wash them
  thoroughly with water and detergent and rinse.  Repeat until you have
  removed all oil from all clothes, tools, rags, paper, clothing, mops,
  and any other materials contacted during use or as a result of an
  accidental spill. Make certain all wash and rinse water is disposed of
  properly.

It also says the Flash Point is 250°F, but has "No data" on the Autoignition Temperature.

The principle at work here is that Linseed Oil cures due to Reduction Oxidation, a chemical reaction which creates heat (Exothermic Reaction). If the heat cannot dissipate quickly enough (insulated by a pile of rags, for example), the process can accelerate creating more heat and eventually resulting in combustion.

It's always a good idea to check the MSDS for any chemicals you use.


How to get rid of this shed? I have a shed in my garden, and I'd like to remove it to plant trees instead. But I am not exactly sure how I can go about it, and would appreciate advice. I've included 2 pictures of the shed below.

The shed is basically made of wood or some sort of plywood, nailed together. I could not see how the roof is attached. Is there a better way than simply brute force to dismantle the walls and roof?

There are also some electric cables in the shed. I am not sure they are connected to anything, but how to best handle them?

Also, the floor is made of pure concrete, and a fair amount of it by the looks of things. How can I remove that, and how do I dispose of the material?

I would advertise "Free Shed" on Craigslist. I had a tree house I constructed for my grand kids, and when they outgrew it that's what I did. Some folks came out one Saturday, disassembled it, and took it away. They did the whole job. I just got to watch.


Connect the heater boiler through a relay instead of direct to the thermostat I am wiring up a new thermostat for an old boiler, and the thermostat I am using needs a common wire (Proliphix NT130h -- I wanted an NT1X0e series, which use PoE and don't need C, but they are no longer available).

The system uses a Honeywell "aquastat" controller that has an integrated transformer hooked up to Rh and W, so there's no way to add a common C to that transformer (short of what this guy did with taking apart the control unit and soldering a wire to the back of the board).

Here's what it looks like (though this is a much newer model, it looks pretty much the same):

Luckily, I have an additional 24VAC transformer right next to the boiler that I can use (it was meant to be used to power the thermostat for an air conditioning unit, but that unit was never installed, only the thermostat power and wires.
I know that I can theoretically use that transformer to power the thermostat by hooking it up to Rc and C. However, the installation manual notes that C must be in phase with Rh, which is not the case in my installation which has C in phase with Rc.

Since I don't think it will work to use only a single wire from the transformer (even though the manual says "in phase", I assume that it actually means "complete circuit"), I am trying to figure out another way to do this.

What I would like to do is hook up the heat through a relay.
That way, I can send power to the thermostat without needing separate Rh and Rc (in fact, since there is no AC, without needing Rc at all).

As I envision it, when the thermostat calls for heat, it will connect Rh to W which will connect the trigger side of the relay, which will close the circuit on the heater wires that used to go to Rh and W.

I have two concerns:

Is there any special relay I need, or will anything I find designed for low voltage work?
Do I need to worry that either side of the relay won't have enough of a load on it, possibly causing the equivalent of a short circuit on either of the transformers?

I talked to a local HVAC repairman, and he said it should work, so I did it, and it works.

Here's what the circuit looks like:


Two identical fire alarms- different pitch I recently purchased a twin pack of Kidde smoke detectors. One thing I noticed is that one sounds off at a slightly higher pitch than the other. A friend purchased two detectors of the same mode as mine, but purchased them separately, one at a time. Each of his alarms also sounds off at a different pitch. I could not find anything online or in the manual. Is this normal? Or would it be a defect in their current production batch? It's after hours so I could not reach Kidde, just something that's keeping me interested in my caffeine-induced insomnia!

The device that produces the sound is a piezo-electric transducer:

It works like a speaker, but as you can see, it has three wires, not two.

The detector sends the alarm signal to the transducer through two of the wires to produce the basic sound.
The third wire sends feedback to the controller, which allows it to slightly adjust the frequency of the signal it is sending so that it matches the natural resonant frequency of the transducer.

This positive feedback mechanism means that the transducer will be sounding at its loudest possible volume.
Think of a wine glass ringing when someone sings the perfect note that matches its resonant frequency.

It also means that even though the controller initially sends the same frequency signal, any two units will not necessarily resonate at exactly the same frequency.

See What's the third wire on a piezo buzzer? - Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange for a more technical explanation.

A similar thing happens in two-stroke gasoline engines.  If you've ever ridden a dirt-bike, you might have noticed that there is an RPM sweet-spot that provides maximum power.  Again, this is produced by resonant feedback from the exhaust system that causes, at that one frequency, unburnt fuel in the exhaust gas to be forced back into the cylinders.  Every engine will have a slightly different sweet-spot and sound slightly different from every other engine.


How should I remove a wooden fence from a tree trunk? I have a wooden fence that has been attached to a walnut tree trunk that was growing on the fence-line (wasn't my decision - was the builders).

That stump is now rotten and we would like to get it removed, but to do that we need to take the fence off the trunk. What is the best way to get this done, and if I go the road of paying someone to do this, what would be a reasonable rate to pay?

I would have to agree with Ed, with the added suggestion that a SawzAll might be used on the fencing if nails are an issue, or if you don't have a chain saw. The smaller size might also work better if the clearances between objects that are being cut are such that a chain saw might be unwieldy.

But, yeah, chain saw rules otherwise.

Be safe,
Bill


Vertical centering with a subway tile backsplash People always talk about horizontal spacing , but I never hear much about vertical.  I'm installing 3X6 subway tile today in an area with a vertical spacing between the cabinet and the counter lip of 15 1/8".  Should I be cutting a quarter inch off the tops and bottoms so I get three full tiles in the center and 3/4 of a tile at the top and bottom, or should I just start with full tiles at the bottom?

This is verging on "close as opinion based," but I'd use a full tile on the bottom, since you rarely, if ever, see the top tile under the cabinet, unless you are just barely taller than counter height, or lying on the floor. The one just above the counter you see all the time if you are of normal height and standing/sitting.

I have also been known to choose a border/trim of a smaller tile to make less fussy cutting and an accent feature for short people or those lying on the floor.


Bathroom Remodel; Tile laid, now told floor is unlevel? I hired a contractor to remodel my bathroom. They ripped out the old tile that was in the bathroom; underneath was a wood floor. I’m not sure what happened after this, all I know is that now, the new floor is installed (porcelain tile) and my floor has a gradual slant to the right. They installed the vanity on top of the new tile; it’s not level, using a leveler to judge and the naked eye it's obvious. I was not told any of though, I had to bring it up to the contractor the following day; that's when he acknowledged it, saying that my floor must not have been level prior to all this, but I just didn’t notice it because I was used to it (been in house for 3 years). He’s going to try to make the vanity level, I assume by way of shims.

I’m suspicious of this, thinking maybe they screwed up and are blaming the floor not being leveled? I’m not an expert but I’m pretty confident my prior bathroom was NOT unleveled. I’m paying a lot of money for this remodel on a super small bathroom (10ftx5ft); I feel it should be done right. Shouldn’t an unleveled floor have been realized before laying the tile? Shouldn’t something have been done to fix?  Or is this normal for a contractor to lay the tile THEN realize the floor isn’t level?

Yes, the contractor should have noticed that the floor was not level. At which point they should have had a discussion with you about how to proceed.


two shower faucets in one water supply line If I add a second shower faucet ( his & her) in the same shower will reduce the water pressure in both faucet,
How do I maintain the same water pressure in both faucets when they both operate the same time.
Thanks

Larger supply piping and a "parallel" (as opposed to "series") manifold arrangement will help, but you need to realize that there is only so much you can do. You are limited by your home's water supply pressure and size.

Probably the easiest thing to do is use low flow "water saving" shower heads/nozzles.

If you want to do more, check the size of your: water meter, water meter union, and main water line. Increase the size of all if possible. Also, check to see if your main water supply has a pressure regulator installed. Check your static (no-flow) pressure downstream of the regulator to determine if you can raise the regulated pressure (check your city bldg. office for max allowable pressure). Older homes with steel water piping often suffer from low gpm/lpm flow rates, consider a complete re-pipe if this is the case.


How do I fix stripped bolt holes in wood? I have a wood futon that is assembled with threaded bolts screwing into holes in the wood that are threaded.  Over time the threading in the wood has worn and the bolts just slide in and out.  I've found plenty of info online on dealing with similar situations for screws, but nothing about bolts.

What are my options?

If the threads are in metal, then you can replace the threads. What you're looking for is called a T-nut and should be available at any hardware store. Take a bolt with you to get the right size.

If the threads are in the wood, a simple option is to just take the bolt to a hardware store and buy a bigger bolt. T-nuts are also a good option if a bigger bolt isn't practical, but you will also need new bolts because you will not find T-nuts that match the threading of your current bolts.


Why does my water leave this pink film? I have noticed that my water will leave a slimy pink film on certain surfaces like a sink drain, bath toys, or dog water bowl. What would cause this and how can I fix it?

What you're most likely looking at is a bacteria called Serratia Marcescens.

According to Wikipedia it is commonly found growing in bathrooms (especially on tile grout, shower corners, toilet water line, and basin) as well as many other places.

From that source (and others), the best way to get rid of it is regular cleaning by soaking & scrubbing with bleach-based disinfectants.


Is this copper piping? Is the pipe in the picture copper piping? House is from 1962, I assume this is original piping. The valve is leaking and I want to replace it with a sharkbite valve

Looks to me like the fittings are soldered, so that would mean copper.  Can you gently scrape some of the gray paint off - it already appears to be flaking off in places - and see if the copper color shows?


What is this metal plate in front of wooden joist for? Can I drill through? I am trying to install a bike hoist on my garage ceiling, and ran into this piece of metal when drilling through the drywall to the joist:

It looks like the material behind the metal plate is wood. Can you tell me what this steel is? Can I drill through it to the wooden joist?

Update:

Since this is in first floor garage, with Living room upstairs, it doesn't help to check from the attic.

I dug the hole a little more from both sides, it looks like, and I can feel, that it is the regular 2 by 4 wood stud behind the metal plate, and there seems to have no wire etc I can touch around. So is it safe to drill?

I need to screw with a 3" lag bolt through the metal, so I guess I will need a titanium drill bit to do the work?

Thanks a lot!

I wouldn't drill it. It's probably a truss splice plate. Can you get in the attic and look to see if it wraps up the sides of the bottom chord?


Do I really need 10 AWG wire for a AC condenser that says 15 AMP max? I'm buying a used AC condenser for a rental property. The unit says max amps = 15 (see below), however the HVAC guy tells me I want a 20AMP double pole breaker with 10 AWG? I would have though 15 AMP double pole with 12 AWG would be fine. Is he correct? The wire length is probably 20 feet max.

It says specifically that you must use a 15A breaker max.  Max means not 20.

It also says you must use a HACR breaker.   All new breakers are HACR.

You are required to comply with a component's labeling and instructions. NEC 110.3.   You cannot go "la la la, I think I'll do something else because reasons".  Unless you can convince your AHJ of the reasons.  (AHJ is your local government which issues permits and does inspections.)

Why is the wire 10 AWG? Being Future-proof.  The cost of wire ($5) is next to nothing compared to the cost of tearing out 12 AWG wire to replace it with 10 AWG (hundred$). The last guy installed the heavier wire so you'd be "good to go".   You do still need to change the breaker to correct size, but that's cheap.


Completely remove nicotine stains and odors from walls? We're in the process of buying an apartment that was previously occupied by a heavy smoker for 20+ years. This isn't the unit, but the damage is about as bad.

I've scoured the internet for examples of people who have had success removing the stains and, maybe more importantly, the odor, but they're aren't many that I've been able to find.

Has anyone on here been able to successfully remove nicotine stains and odor from the walls of a house or apartment?

I'm not really interested in hearing anyone's opinions of what should work, but rather a testimony of someone who has faced this issue and was able to remedy it successfully. Alternatively, if you've tried something and it hasn't work, I'd like to hear that as well.

This is my game plan:

Wash the walls and ceilings extensively with TSP
Apply two coats of stain blocker (maybe KILZ?)
Apply one coat of plaster weld, plaster and skim coat the walls
Apply two coats of primer-sealer and two coats of finish paint

For walls you definitely want to wash with HOT water and a hefty mix if tri-sodium phosphate (TSP). Make sure to wear good rubber work gloves that cover some of your arms as well. TSP exposure can be quite hard in the skin of your hands. It can also be helpful to rinse after the wash with a clear wash of warm water. This is necessary because the smoking deposits on the wall are not a good candidate for paint adhesion. TSP on the other hand actually will take some of the gloss on old paint layer making an improved surface to which to apply a primer.

I reclaimed a house from a very heavy smoker family and had to also remove all the popcorn textured ceiling material. It had to be scraped off to the bare ceiling drywall. Then the ceiling needed to be sealed with a clear sealer material to seal in stains and the odors that had worked their way up into the drywall.

In my case the smoking smell had even permeated up into the attic space and the insulation up there. I had to install a gable end attic fan that I let run continuously for months to reduce the smell of the insulation.


How can I remove paint from slotted screw heads? What techniques work to dig layers of paint out of small slotted screw heads,
when the slot is so full of paint a screwdriver won't work?

I've tried an awl, utility knife and screwdriver/hammer.  These all work, but are tedious when there are a lot of them.

See also: How can I extract rusted/painted outdoor screws? or How do I remove calcification from a screw head?

I have successfully removed paint from screw heads and slots by using a rotary tool with a small wire wheel attachment.


Old wiring in house has cable with 2 white wires and one black. Trying to install new ceiling fan I'm trying to wire in a new ceiling fan. The ceiling has two cables, looks like a switch loop.

Both cables have two white wires and one black. Both black wires are bundled together and two white wires are. This leaves two white wires, one from each cable, loose.

One is definitely hot coming from the switch.

Can i use that wire as my hot and the other loose wire as my neutral while wiring in the new fan?

In the absence of any fuether detail, the wires you disconnected from whatever used to be installed are the wires that you should connect to your new fan.

That wire looks to be in poor condition, you should consult an electrician to verify it is safe.


How hot is too hot above fireplace I recently bought a house with a zero clearance fireplace, and had a metal/glass door installed on the front. I suspect the metal door is touching the tiles on the wall above and transferring a lot of heat. When the fireplace is running, I can't hold my hand for more than a few seconds on the bottom of the tiles above the fireplace. However, if I move my hand a few inches up it's just fine. Is this too hot, or expected?

Edit: Here's a picture of the door I had installed. It's made for zero clearance fireplaces. We always have the doors fully open when the fireplace is on. Also, to clarify, this is a gas unit, not wood burning.

i have never seen a zero clearance unit without a door assembly already attached.  was this unit open hearth design and then you retrofitted it with the door/glass?  or was the door/glass just missing and you replaced it?
is it a gas unit or wood burning?  the gas units can get pretty toasty right at the top above the trim escutcheon, but it could also be you don't have a tight seal on the new door to the old firebox, thus letting some combustion gas out and giving you too much heat, plus a little carbon monoxide for good measure.  if its a wood unit, you don't need to worry too much other than the heat degrading the tile mortar or adhesive.  either way, it should never get above 45 deg c, as that's the limit for temps on combustibles (tile no, but wood behind tile, yes) around a zero clearance unit


Garbage disposal always on when plugged in (sparks seen on outlet at every connection) I had to replace my leaking faucet yesterday.  In the process, a handyman came to help extract the undermount ring under the faucet, as it was severely stuck, and could not be twisted out after the screws were removed.  The previous installer applied pipe dope on it, which made it horribly impossible to twist the ring out.
I did unplug the connections for the garbage disposal and the dish washer before the old faucet removal and new faucet installation.
The handyman took hours to remove the ring with all sorts of tools.
He left after he removed the ring and removed the entire old faucet.
After I installed the new faucet, I plugged in the connection for my garbage disposal.
There’re sparks on the outlet every time I try to connect the garbage disposal, and the garbage disposal keeps running.  Also, the switch to turn the garbage disposal on and off stopped working.
Prior to the faucet removal and installation, my garbage disposal was working fine.
Please kindly advise.  Many thanks!

Are you positive you plugged the disposal into the exact same outlet? Often only one of the two outlets on a duplex plug under the sink is wired to the disposal. You might have plugged it into a plug that is always on, which would explain the spark when plugging it in


Ho do I fix a cordless screwdriver locked in "over-torque" mode? I have a 4V Li-ion Screwdriver by Master Mechanic and it's been super handy for the past 5 years. Recently, I've been having problems where it occasionally stops rotating properly when I press the trigger. It still turns, but slowly, weakly, and only for a second. This usually only happens when a screw is already on tightly, back when the electric screwdriver was still functioning properly. It's fully charged, and not in the lock position either. Most tutorials online I've been able to find are mostly for battery replacement but mine seems to be working. Any ideas what might be wrong and how I can fix it?

I suggest checking the battery anyway. 5 years on a rechargeable might need to be replaced. I have a small B&D like that that the battery is just gone far enough it will do light work, but nothing heavy anymore.


Should I insulate my rafters in addition to the ceiling in an unconditioned attic? I'm not quite sure that this question has been asked, but I might also be misreading some earlier questions. Regardless, I am installing fiberglass insulation batts to go in my (sadly) 2x4 ceiling joist bays. The underside (ceiling side) will be faced, and once all the batts are in, I plan to cover some portions with OSB to make attic access/storage easier.

My attic has two vents at the peaks of the gables, and two Whirlybird vents, so it's definitely an unconditioned space. I have no reason to make it a conditioned space, but should I also install insulation in the rafter bays (like rigid foam cut to fit the bays) or under the rafters (like panels of rigid foam sitting on the rafters, leaving an air channel behind them)?

My guess is that this isn't useful, but I'm simply unsure.

EDIT: I should add that there are no soffit vents. The only attic vents are the gable peak vents and the Whirlybirds, which makes for a very hot attic in the summer.

EDIT: I'm in Redwood City, CA. Winter temperatures get close to freezing at night, though rarely to freezing or below, and easily up to and over 100 °F during the day in the summer.

You should not. Because the attic is vented, the upper insulation does almost nothing. In the summer at the attic will get much hotter than it does now, increasing cooling costs.

Also, you would be creating what's known as a hot roof. This can be damaging to the roof sheathing and shingles.

Most truss bottom cords are 2x4. This is normal, and the insulation usually reaches much higher than the tops of the ceiling joists. The usual routine is to raise the floor with additional framing to allow for more insulation.


Washer/Dryer cases electrically charged We ordered a brand new washer and dryer. To start the dryer's power cord was wired wrong. It should have been hot-neutral-hot, but instead the installer connected it in hot-hot-neutral. We have it connected to a 3 prong 220v outlet. My girlfriend turned it on and walked away. About 10-15 minutes into she heard a loud POP and come to find out the case shocked her and the light inside the dryer exploded. When we connect the washer to our 110v and turn it on, when we rub our hand on the case it tickles and we feel a pulsing.

When I used my multimeter to test ground-to-hot I was only getting 8v.

1) After having a tech swap the dryer cables, it turns on and seems to work fine. Could there be unseen damage caused by the installer screwing up?

2) Is there a fault inside the washer that's causing it to short, and because the outlet doesn't have a full ground it's electrifying the case?

3) Did I test ground properly?

Assuming you are in the USA:

1: First you need to find out if your Dryer Outlet is a 3 Wire type or a 4 wire type!

If it has 3 wires - you will have a hot a neutral and a Hot - that is it. Check inside the box to be sure - DO NOT GO BY THE OUTLET BOX TYPE. People do crazy things - VERIFY IT PHYSICALLY (open it up and look at it) and ELECTRICALLY - measure it.

2: Find out if you are running 208VAC or 230VAC to that DRYER. Depending on if you are in an Apartment or in a House - determines this.
While this should not be a pop issue - it will change the performance of the dryer although running a 208V dryer on a 230 Volt circuit can present some problems (your dryer manual should specify). When Vice versa - there is no real issue.

3: Given that you have a tingling on your washing machine - is it when you touch between washer and dryer or just touching the washing machine?

4: When I used my multimeter to test ground-to-hot [G-H of WHAT ?? and where the OUTLET or on the washer / dryer ??] I was only getting 8v. [ You have something not right - G-H = 110/120VAC, ] [ Ground to Neutral - if this reads 8V - something is not right here because that should be less than 1 vac], Neutral - Hot = 110/120VAC.

While the below images show how to connect a range they go for dryers as well - just refer to your owners manual for correct details.
You will notice the Ground to Neutral Strap on the 3 Wire Hook up - it is not there in a 4 wire connection scenario.

[This is why the case can become powered in a 3 wire arrangement -  and why they moved away from this to a 4 wire arrangement a real ground.]


Can I bend CPVC like I do with PVC (heat gun) I'm working with some CPVC for hot water and now I need to make some adjust for better placement. With PVC I would just heat a bit to remove any possible stress or to put it into a more adequate position, can the same be done with CPVC?

Not that I know of, since you're dealing with heat & pressure & really don't want to screw around with the already somewhat marginal properties of the piping.

Try it at your own peril, but I'd suggest throwing in a 45 or less fitting to accomplish the slight offset. Two 45's (or less) might be needed so you can twist them for the perfect dry-fit & marking before gluing.


Do I need to replace a shower tile that has been scratched? I am regrouting my bathroom and the shower floor tile has a scrape mark / maybe not cracked through....my question is can i continue ( i can live with the mark) or is it now not waterproof ? Do I need to replace the tile ( a bigger job that may interrupt the waterproof membrane ) what to do ? Thank you

Grout lines are never waterproof and a tiled surface should not be considered waterproof unless it has a rubber membrane underneath it as is the case with shower floor pans. If you can live with the scratch you will be just fine.


Trying to figure out this wiring My girlfriend has a rather unusual wiring setup in her home with a two way switch at one end of the room, and a three way switch at the other end.

When the two-way switch is in the down position, the three way switch does nothing at all. However, when that switch is in the up position, the three-way switch works as normal.

I have pulled both switches out and at the end of the room with the three way switch I found that it has the standard setup for a three-way; one white, one black, and one traveller. There are no grounds, as the home was built in the 1950's.

At the other end of the room, in the box for the two-way, there are 2 black wires. I am assuming one of them goes to the light, while the other seems to receive power from the three-way switch, because when the breaker is on, and the three-way switch is in the down position, neither black wire is hot, but when the three way switch is in the up position, one black wire becomes hot.

Can anyone help me out by explaining (or providing a wiring diagram of) the most likely way that this is wired?

I realize that without going into the drywall and attic, it could be done multiple ways, but seeing as this is not my home, and she is renting, I cannot go into the drywall. I did try checking the attic, but there is too much of the original insulation in the way to try to get to the light.

Edits for clarity:

1) I will try to get pictures this weekend
2) There are two switches total controlling the light. One is single pole (this is the one I previously called two way), the other is a three way switch.

In the box for the single pole switch are two black wires connected to the switch and two white wires which are connected to nothing. One is capped off and the other is cut off at the entrance to the box.

At the bottom of the three way switch is a twisted pair of wires, one black one white. At the top, is a single black wire.

I previously assumed the single black wire was the traveler but I'm beginning to think it is not.

I will bring a volt meter and electrical tester with me this weekend and provide those details along with the pictures.

I have pulled both switches out and at the end of the room with the three way switch I found that it has the standard setup for a three-way; one white, one black, and one traveller.

A standard three way setup has a hot feed or a switched leg to the load, and two traveler wires between the two switches. One switch gets a hot feed and the other gets the switched leg to the load.

The "two-way" switch you describe is a single pole switch and does not belong in a three-way switch loop. That is why the circuit does not work properly.

The problem with giving you a diagram is, there are several different ways to wire this circuit depending on where you feed the circuit. So, you need to determine where the circuit is fed from. The light or one of the switches are your choices.

Search the interwebs for "three-way switch circuit" and you should be able to find all of the several iterations of this circuit.

Good luck!


Wire 2 GE smart switches to 2 different lights on the same circuit I have 2 GE smart switches that I want to wire in the same double gang box.  1 switch is for a porch light and the other is for my interior vestibule.  There is only 1 power source in the box, and that power source will continue on to another switch elsewhere.  All wires contain a black line, white neutral, and a bare copper ground line. I understand how the power line and ground line has been jumped from one switch to the next and then out to another switch,and the load lines to the lights, but what I don't understand is the neutral lines.  Both of the smart switches have a line, a load, ground and a neutral clearly labeled.   I did wire the neutral wires using 4 way connectors.  Neutral line from hot wire, neutral from smart switch, neutral from light, and last neutral to jump to smart switch 2 in the box.  The second 4 way connector has one incoming neutral from previous 4 way, smart switch neutral, neutral from light, then an outgoing neutral to continue out to another location.

Here is the question. I powered everything up and setup my smart switches and there was light.  Although when I turn switch 1 on, both lights turn on, interior and exterior.  Likewise, when I toggle switch 2, both lights turn on/off.  When I use the GE app I installed, i can turn on light one without turning on light 2.  It's only when i physically toggle either switch that both lights turn on/off.  Did i do something wrong?

I had the same exact issue. Physically pressing the button controlled both lights, and I could use the app to control them individually. I thought it might be wiring related too.
Solution: Move one of the switches into its own 'Room' in the 'C by GE' app. Create a new Room, and assign one of the switches to the new Room (that automatically moves it out of the previous Room). Presto! Each wall switch now only controls its specific switch. This seems more like a software bug because the solution is not a logical fix, but it worked.
Thanks, Wayne


Tile Shower Surround—Cement Backerboard Location? I'm in the process of remodeling an old bathroom and I'm coming up on the point where I'll need to drywall/install backer-board. I've been reading up on this and I just want to make sure I have my information correct.

We're going to have a tile surround in the shower, but no tile on the walls elsewhere in the bathroom.

I intend on first installing a moisture barrier, then the cement backer board around the shower (walls and ceiling), and green-board where tile will not be installed. Is this correct? Is there anything else I should consider?

Thank you!

That is pretty much it except waterproofing.  The easiest way to do this is do your plastic**/backerboard first, then drywall, mud/tape/sand/, hit it with waterproof membrane***, then tile last.

** - I don't put plastic behind hardiboard unless I am afraid of water coming in from the other direction.  With plastic if backer gets wet you are looking at longer dry times and the water most likely making its way down.

*** - You can use something like redgard.  It paints on in about 20 mins and you do two coats.  Its $50.  Does a tub surround HAVE to have this.  No.  Would I suggest it.  Hmmm.  I don't know.  This is determined by what is behind tub walls and materials.  Hardiboard isn't going to let a small amount of water going through grout hit the other side.  Some other brands of backer will (for instance durarock - which I would never use for showers but prefer for floors).  If it is an outside wall, especially one that might be cold for a few months, I would be more apt to do the waterproofing.  I just did a tub in my house a couple years ago and didn't.  It is all inside walls and would have been overkill.  (Old tile was on drywall that was in pristine condition after 50 years)

Another tip is to use the .5" hardiboard for tub.  You will need to buy 4 sheets for a typical tub.  They come in 3X5 sheets.  You will simply stand each one up for each end.  So backer will extend outside of the tub and 5 feet above it.  You will then lie the back piece horizontally, and then cut your fourth at 2 feet to be even with the others.  This advice is given you have standard American 5 foot tub.  If you don't just make sure backer extends a few inches outside tub and goes about 5 feet higher than tub.  For tiling I always recommend trying to tile past backer board so you have seamless transitions.


Grout or thin set oops Ok I was preparing n my plywood sub floor for ceramic tile I laid concrete board down with thin set and screws the applied tap and grout to seals instead of thin set by mistake , should I try to scrap off all grout and apply thin set or continue with tile installation

If the surface is nice and smooth then go ahead and tile, it makes no difference that you covered the screws with grout instead of thinset. The tiles will bond just fine.

The real reason not to use grout for that purpose is that grout is expensive and thinset is cheap.


8 gauge wire for 10 gauge I have about a 20 foot run for the outdoor compressor to my main breaker box. Can I use 8 gauge wire instead of 10 gauge? (because I already have this length and gauge.)

Yes, if it's approved for the line voltage and temperature and if connectors (e.g. wire nuts) are sized to fit. A lower gauge number means heavier wire, able to carry more current safely, with lower voltage drop for the same  length, so it should be quite safe if fused correctly for 10-gauge.

The reason heavier wire than necessary is not used is to save on the cost of copper, and to avoid difficulty in routing and bending thick wire.


how to drain a single loop in one of my heating zones? I have baseboard hot water heat.  In one of my heating zones, there are three "loops". (i.e. shortly after the supply leaves the zone valve, the pipes split in three directions.  These pipes then eventually join back together and return to the boiler.)  One of the three loops supplies just a single radiator in our mudroom.

Short story: I want to be able to shut off that loop most of the time but still have the ability to run water through it and heat it again if for some reason we decide we want to.

To this end, I put a ball valve on the supply to the mudroom and plan to put another on the return line before it joins with the other returns.  The mudroom return line already has a drain spigot and what I believe is a one-way valve (I'm not sure though - correct me if I'm wrong).

Here is a closer shot of what I think is the one-way valve on the return.  Water flows from left-to-right in both photos.  The tee connection on the right is where water returning from the mudroom meets up with the other returns.

After I put a ball valve to the right of the one-way valve, I will be able to isolate just the mudroom loop.

My question: If I turn both the supply and return valves to "off," how can I remove all of the water from the loop?  I don't want water in the line in case it freezes.

When I cut into the supply line to add a push-to-fit ball valve, I had a hose attached to the pictured drain spigot.  I expected the water to drain right out after I made the cut, but it wasn't a whole lot more than a trickle.  This surprised me, as I assumed air would flow in through the cut pipe to replace water running out the spigot.  When I blew into the supply (toward the radiator and toward the open spigot) I was able to push a good deal more water out.  However, I won't be able to blow into the supply line now that a ball valve has been inserted where it used to be cut open.

Thanks for any help or insights.

Long story: I live in Maine and have a woodstove which heats most of the zone very well.  However, heat from the stove does not reach the mudroom, and on cold nights I am afraid that the pipes in the mudroom might freeze (the zone rarely circulates when the stove is operating).  I know one solution would be to put the mudroom on its own zone, but that is more work than I can do right now.  My simple solution is just to cut out the loop that serves the mudroom, and I'd like to be able to include it back in relatively easily if possible.  Hence the ball valves instead of just capping the lines.  And yes, I know that I will need to purge air from the zone each time I either remove or add back in that loop.  I don't plan to do it often, I'd just like the ability to do so.

You can blow the water out with a purge gas, such as nitrogen, or consider adding glycol to your water system as an anti-freeze.

Below is a picture of Propylene Glycol:

Pay attention to manufacturers recommendation. Also, by the looks of your pictures, I would have an alkalinity test done on your water. That build up around the joints looks like acid. If it is acidic, then your copper will start to deteriorate and cause leaks.


Sink Angle Valve: Fully Open or closed Tiny Bit I have a bathroom sink with angled faucet shutoff valves (they are around quarter turns). I closed them for repairs yesterday. After repairs,

(1) should I leave the valves Fully Open,

(2) or "Open it all way, then close it just a Little bit, That will allow plumbers work both directions if it gets stuck in future"

Interesting debate, I was reading on the internet. Not Sure,

Resources:

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-far-to-turn-sink-tub-or-toilet-shutoff-valves-to-turn-on-water.16568/

https://www.diychatroom.com/f7/how-far-open-toilet-valve-177531/

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5119619/how-far-open-should-sink-toilet-shut-off-valves-be

These are 1/4 turn or ball valves, turn them fully on or off for best performance. Think of a bearing with a hole drilled through it. This is what a ball valve is there are 2 seals one on each side when the valve is turned fully off there is no way for the valve stem to leak when turned fully on again there is no pressure on the stem. At 50% open you do risk a leak but there is a seal it is not robust because the only time it is needed is when opening and closing.

With multi turn or gate valves we fully open then close a little to relieve pressure on the valve stem packing.
This may not be as big a deal with home plumbing but really makes a difference on high pressure valves like SCUBA , oxygen, acetylene or other high pressure gasses.
Opening fully and turning 1/2 to 1 turn closed will extend the valve stem packing life on a gate valve.
As far as closing I always fully close the valve when off I don’t want it to leak.


Where to find glass 'support' requirements? Where could I go about finding the maximum safe span of a pane of glass for a specific width?

I.e. say you had two rafters, X meters apart, with glazing bars, supporting a pane of toughened glass (arbitrary height) 4mm thick along two edges; how would I go about finding, or finding the information to help me calculate, an appropriate maximum value of X?

(In order to determine whether a given design provides sufficient support.)

You still have too many unknowns to make such a calculation, e.g.

Wind load needs to be taken into account.
Snow load needs to be taken into account.

The above loads will totally depend on whereabouts in the world you are installing said glass.

For total peace of mind (and most likely to cover yourself legally) you really should hire the services of a a qualified structural engineer to perform such calculations.

Rule of thumb, back of a cigarette packet calculations tend to only get people into trouble further down the road.


Did I install this roof vent correctly? I’m installing a roof vent to exhaust a new kitchen cooktop. I put a 6” hole in my roof and fit this painted metal vent between the asphalt shingles. I have sealed around the roof penetration l, under the vent flashing along the top and sides, over the vent flashing on the sides under the shingles, and over the two nails I put through at the bottom. I used Henry Wet Patch because it’s already 44F outside and not likely to warm up any time soon.

I feel like I cut away more shingles than I should have on the sides. And on top, the flashing is below two layers of shingle. Is this correct?

Yes this looks correct. You're right about cutting away too much shingle, but it looks like you fixed it with sealant.


GFCI tripping on overload? We called out the contractor who did our crawlspace encapsulation because the GFCI receptacle that serves the crawlspace loads (dehumidifier, sump pump, and two humidistat controlled fans) trips occasionally - I think this happens during the rainy season when humidity is high during the rainy season, but since the battery backed pump sounds an alarm when it loses power we disconnected one of the fans which stopped the tripping.

The contractor is putting forth the theory that since it is a 15 A circuit (14 AWG NM cable and a 15 A breaker) there may be an overload if all of the devices startup at about the same time and this may cause the GFCI to trip. That makes no sense to me because I don't think GFCIs work that way - but he is adamant that he has seen this happen.

I'm thinking that we must be seeing some leakage from one of the fans or the humidistat - but I don't want to be going off half-cocked, my years as an electrician are long past and I never did residential work.

Could startup loads from the motors down there be the cause of the GFCI tripping?

Overloads don't trip a GFCI. Period. If there was an overload, it would trip the actual circuit breaker. Since this is a GFCI/receptacle (as opposed to a GFCI/breaker) and the GFCI trips, that is a GFCI problem - 100% - and not an overcurrent situation.

14 AWG raises the question of the size of the breaker. If it is 15A then everything is good. If it is 20A then the breaker is oversized for the wires. If that is the case, the breaker should be changed to 15A. That is a general (fire) safety issue, unrelated to the GFCI issue. But even if it is 14 AWG on a 20A breaker with 18A flowing through (therefore over the allowed safe current for the wires but not enough to trip the breaker), it would cause overheating of the wire and potentially a fire - but would probably not trip the GFCI.

Now back to the real problem. Something is tripping the GFCI. Most likely that is some current leaking to ground. That is what GFCI is designed to protect. That also perfectly matches when humidity is high during the rainy season. When water gets in places in electrical devices that it shouldn't, electricity can move in unwanted pathways. It takes a lot of current to trip the regular breaker. It only takes a little to trip a GFCI or to injure or kill someone.

The good news is that it sounds like you already found the problem: "we disconnected one of the fans which stopped the tripping." If that's a consistent/reliable fix then the problem is either in that fan or the wiring going to it.

As far as startup loads: anything is possible. GFCI and AFCI both have sophisticated electronics. A GFCI should be relatively simple and immune to anything except actual current leakage, unlike AFCI which is trying to detect some relatively hard-to-detect problems and could be "confused" more easily by motors 'n things. However, newer GFCIs with automatic testing have more sophisticated electronics - and therefore are more susceptible to problems from other causes.


How to HVAC service 3 floors without ducts in roof? This is a little simplified, but not too much.  I have architects and plans for a a two story house plus a basement.  The house is about 80 feet by 20 feet with all stories extending the whole footprint.  The floors between stories are supported with a 20" floor truss system.

I was told the floor truss system could pass HVAC ducts. I thought this would mean that the floor of the 1st story could provide HVAC for the basement and first floor, and the floor of the 2nd story would provide HVAC for the second story.  All mechanical would be in the basement with a chase between the 1st and 2nd story.

Instead they want to serve the 2nd story from the roof (there is no attic) by adding roof trusses for ducts.  And add a 2nd story mechanical room.  This is wildly inelegant to me.

Since I insisted on keeping the mechanical in the basement, now they've designed a chase from the basement all the way up to the roof of the second floor.  Possibly even more inelegant.

Will the 20" floor truss system not provide the space to service 3 stories from two floors?  With a zone for each story?
If it doesn't provide adequate space, should I look at mini-split for the basement, hydronic floors for basement, or some other type of solution for one or more floors?  It'd be nice to avoid having HVAC in the roof, right?

HVAC is most efficient when you blow in the cold air from above and let it settle down. This gives a very even temperature gradient from head to toe. Just blowing it in from the floor will make your feet cold and your head hot, causing you to lower the thermostat and drive up your operating costs.

It is worth the effort to install the ducting in the ceiling or at the ceiling level, wherever possible. It may seem inelegant, but it's a good idea.


ELECTRICIAN BORED 4" HOLE through top & bottom chords in attic -- how to fix? I'm extremely concerned; hopefully unnecessarily so. We recently upgraded our electrical panel and I just noticed (about a month and a half later) that the electrician bored a 3.5" hole through what I think is the top chord and TWO 3.5" holes through what I think is the bottom chord.  There's nothing above it but the roof and it's not inhabitable space, but I'm still concerned that it might collapse over time, since there's nothing left of what (I think) is the bottom chord for approx 8" -- there was a previous 1" hole for electrical that they decided to bore next to... twice.  Is this going to be a problem over time, or is it okay because, presumably, this beam is supported by several studs along its length underneath? If we need to, how should we fix it?  We do not have the money right now to consult an engineer or tear open the outer wall/ceiling beneath the beam, etc.  The photos are of the top and bottom holes he drilled, which are 8" to the right of the dead center of our rear wall (where the attic peaks at the middle.)

For those that say, “It’s no big deal,” THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE of the double top plate...especially at the perimeter of the house.

If this occurs at the perimeter of your house, you have a problem, especially if you live in 1) high wind area, or 2) seismically active area.

Everyone has mentioned why it’s not a problem because it’s not a “truss”. True, but that is for VERTICAL loads. A double top plate is used for many purposes. In your case, the double top plate is used to “tie” the perimeter of all the walls together at the top of the wall for LATERAL loads.

When a wind load or seismic load is placed on your house, the house wants to “bend” to withstand the force. By cutting through  the double top plate, they have eliminated the chord that resists this bending...we call this “the extreme fiber in bending” in a normal beam supporting a vertical load. That is why it’s important to lap the double top plates a minimum of 4’ and nail the crap out of the lap.

If your House is 1) one story, or 2)is not located in a high wind area, or 3) small and square and not rectangular, you have less to worry about. Otherwise, I’d have the clown return and fix it. Fixing it can be determined, calculated and detailed by a structural engineer (not a civil engineer) or by an architect with a structural background.

Btw, get a Building Permit.


Why am I measuring low voltage when I connect this fluorescent fixture to an existing circuit? My bathroom has two switches: one [was] connected to two overhead can lights (with CFLs), and one [was] connected to a fluorescent wall sconce (one of those ugly circular plastic things that I can't seem to find on Google). To make room for a ceiling fan in the switch bay and since there is no need for two switches for three lights, I created a single circuit to run all the lights.

Trouble is, the lights won't turn on. The voltage across the circuit is measuring something like 24V. When I bypass the fluorescent sconce, the overhead lights work and the voltage across the circuit measures an appropriate 115V (good enough).

Can wall fluorescents (there are two external ballasts within the sconce; it takes two of these bulbs) be wired into a main overhead circuit? I see in this related question that there's something about them needing to be wired in parallel, rather than in series, but the response is a little hazy to me. If they need to wired in parallel, can they be run on the same circuit? I'd also be happy to replace this ugly little sconce.

Simple answer to your question is:
All load fixtures must be wired in parallel, never in series. This means you need to feed each fixture with 120vac. You can use a single run of wire, but the feed to the next fixture must be wired so that the hot and neutral are always connected uninterrupted to each fixture. Practically speaking, the black hot wire coming from the switch must be connected to the black wire going to the next fixture as well as the black wire for the local fixture in the same wirenut.  Same goes for the neutral and ground conductors. This is parallel wiring.  If you still have a low voltage reading, then you have a defective ballast or an open neutral.


Gap between house and wood deck -- to fill or not to fill? I have a low free-standing deck that keeps accumulating debris like leaves between the house and the deck, about a one-inch gap. Is it possible or advisable to fill this gap with something? Maybe like Great Stuff?

The length of the deck along the house is about 20 feet, and the deck is basically is resting on the ground like a big glorified wooden step.

Part of the reason why a floating deck "works" is that it is not attached to the house in any way. If you put in something that physically connects the deck to the house, even Great Stuff, you will end up with one of two possibilities:

Stays together when the deck moves

If the deck and the house stay together when the deck moves then you will be twisting the deck platform and/or supports, which is not a good thing and could lead to serious problems.

Does NOT stay together when the deck moves

If the deck and the house do not stay together when the moves, then the connection will break - which would mean your time/effort/$ would go to waste.

Floating decks move. That is why they are allowed to be built (in most places, up to a certain size) without a permit and also why they are specifically not to be attached to any fixed structure.

What can you do? I suggest adding a piece of wood trim to fill the gap but attach it only to the deck.


How can I hang heavy objects on a wall, without leaving any marks? Command Hooks don't hold very much weight wise and I would like to mount heavy objects - e.g. a whiteboard ...

any ideas?

(yes this is drywall - I cannot leave any marks in it ).

context: college dorms; they're not happy with any holes of course.

You have a dilemma. The strongest removable glue bases hooks, such as Command, appear to be rated to to hold a maximum of only 7.5 lbs.  Even if you double these up, you are at 15 lbs. It might be possible to rig a series of hooks to spread the load, but it would take a careful rigging to avoid having all the weight on the two outside hooks.

This is not a practical solution for something weighing over 20 lbs., especially if it is not static. A whiteboard is not static since it is subject to constant jostling as it is written upon.

Any surface attachment is problematic. When dealing with wallboard, you have a paint film attached to layer of thin paper/cardboard, attached to a plaster substrate.  The adhesive strength of the paint film sticking to the paper over a few square inches is not enought to hold significant weight. If you had an adhesive between the hook and the paint that was strong enough not to let go, the paint (or more likely the top surface of the wallboard paper facing) will likely pull away.

A possibility, one I have not tested, is the use of a tension pole system, such as ZipWall

The poles are extended between floor and ceiling and held in place with spring tension.  This system is intended to hold up a thin, lightweigh film of plastic to create a dust barrier, but several poles could probably hold a board of moderate weight.  This would only work if the ceiling were solid, not a dropped tile ceiling or any surface that was not plaster, plasterboard or wood.  It also rules out textured ceilings. Even if the ceiling is solid, there is a possibility of marring the ceiling.

While I know you ruled out nails, you might consider using Ook style picture hooks.

These use superfine hardened steel nails that are easily removable and leave a pinhole size mark.  Even that may disappear with a slight rub or covered with a tiny dot of tempera or acrylic craft paint. These hooks are available in weights up to 100 lbs. each and are aslo available with a cushioned back that is even better at avoiding damage to the wall.

If you want a truly mar free, safe installation, you should prop the board up on an easel-like structure, as suggested by Michael Karas.


Is it a problem if the frame of my house extends 1 - 2" from the slab? Is this a huge problem?  The house frame is about 2" off the slab along the north side.  On the other sides of the home it varies by 1", but not in as many places.

If I were a buyer I would beware.

Why is the house frame not firmly on the foundation?
2" off the slab is more than half the width of the 2x4 base of a wall.


How to determine if drill is suitable for concrete? I've seen two drills - one 600W the other 700W. Both 0-3000 rpm. But for 600W some guy said it can't make it with concrete, while for 700W reviews say that it does it. Both are hammer drills. I'm not mentioning models as the site isn't about product recommendation and anyway I want to learn how to choose them.

More important than the power rating is the type of hammer drill.
This is a very useful link which explains the full difference between a 'Hammer Drill' and a 'Rotary Hammer'.

The former achieves the hammer action by spinning a bumpy disk against the end of the driveshaft of the chuck, which makes is vibrate a bit. These are OK for soft brick, but not much else. If you hit a piece of flint in some concrete, it will just stop, or cause the drill to wander into a softer area.

If you're going to be drilling concrete, you'd be much better off with the latter type. This uses a piston which hammers directly onto the rear of the drill bit, which slides in the chuck (this is also commonly referred to as 'SDS', for the type of chuck).

When comparing this type of drill you will usually find that, as well as power rating, they have the impact energy in kJ (kiloJoules) quoted. Obviously bigger is better. Most can also have the chuck locked so that it can also be used for chiselling, tile removing etc.

IMO - if you are going to be drilling concrete, you would be well advised to pick an SDS drill. You won't regret it.

P.S. As noted in the comments: Both are routinely described as "Hammer Drills". The distinguishing feature of the better type is the SDS chuck.


Do I need to change the circuit breaker for a new stove with a lighter cord? The cord on the 40 amp new stove fits the 50 amp receptacle, but I don't know if the power will be too great for the new stove.

Like stated in the comment, appliances only draw the current they need. So simply put, you're fine. It sounds like new stove uses less power than the old one.

Edit since I feel like I should explain better...
The way it works, is a 50-amp receptacle has the ability to supply 50 amps of current. It is the device that controls how much it uses. Operating normally, your stove won't use more than 40 amps of current. Chances are it will normally use less than that.


Why would the magnetic switch on my refrigerator door trip when the freezer door opens instead? This is pretty strange: a few months ago I moved into a new apartment with a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator (freezer on top).  It's a fairly basic unit, and until today it worked OK.  This morning I opened the fridge door and the light did not come on; I figured the bulb had burned out.  But then I opened the freezer door, and the fridge light turned on!  There has never been any light in the freezer compartment as far as I remember, so this role reversal is quite troubling.

I did some poking around and discovered a magnetic sensor near the top of the fridge door.  But it happens to be equidistant to the bottom of the freezer door!  This is quite a strange design

  From the second page of this PDF

With the small white plastic cover removed from the face between the doors, a cylindrical black magnetic reed switch is accessible.  I pulled it out--it has about two inches of extra wiring, and played around with it.  I tried turning it about its main axis to see if its orientation matters--that didn't change much.

It simply seems that the sensor is far too sensitive, and that the freezer door seal is more than enough to trip it, even as the door is still 1-2 inches from fully closed.  It is hard to believe how this system ever worked.

Calling a repairman is likely to be expensive and the landlord will probably try to make me pay for it (I live outside the US, so don't be too surprised).  Entirely disabling the switch seems improper, not only because the light would stay on but because this fridge seems to change its fan behavior depending on the door open/close state.  I briefly experimented with taping the sensor to a location much lower on the face of the unit, far enough from the freezer door to avoid it tripping when only the freezer is closed.  But it's hard to get the fridge door to trip the sensor this way--the light seems to just stay on, as if the sensor were designed to do the opposite job it is meant to do.

Well, the problem is solved, thanks to a great insight from @bcworkz in the comments.

It turned out that there was another magnetic switch at the very bottom, below the fridge door, and this is what is meant to trigger the light.  For reasons unknown, the light had decided to activate only by the freezer door switch, even after I unplugged the whole unit and plugged it back in.  However, @bcworkz's comment about the control board having a problem got me thinking, so I started pressing buttons on the control panel at the back of the fridge.  I pressed the left-hand button that selects fridge or freezer when making temperature adjustments.  And lo, the lamp turned on immediately!

So I don't know why this whole thing happened, and pressing the button again doesn't make it broken again, but it's behind us now, presumably some strange bug in the embedded system logic.


Inserting bulb into fixture causes circuit breaker to blow, I'm installing two new bathroom light fixtures. First one went in fine. Second one will blow the wall receptacle based circuit breaker the moment I screw in the bulb (in fact three different bulbs tried).

So for clarity both fixture circuits run through this wall receptacle based circuit breaker. It has a little green light to indicate it is "on". I measured the new fixture and found 115-120v on the light socket. So with no bulb in I can turn on the fixture and measure the voltage, but screwing in the bulb (three different bulbs, which then work fine in the first fixture) causes it to trip. This happen if the first fixture is turned off or if it is turned on. Help?

I thought if I had a short I would never be able to measure the voltage at the socket, or that it would trip when I turned on the switch without a bulb. Doesn't trip.

I thought maybe something wrong with fixture, so returned it and got another, same problem.

This one has got me.

Wall socket

So I opened up the box and found that the light fixture (and switch) is wired to the line connections on the GFCI, and the true "hot" wires are wired to the load connectors on the GFCI. In the following diagram just reverse the labels for Load and Line on the GFCI.

UPDATED:

I opened up the switch and outlet under fixture number 1. Here I see the HOT lines going to a standard outlet and switch. These lines are then fed through the back of the wall over to the box under fixture number 2, where as I said earlier they go to the LOAD on the GFCI and my problem fixture (#2) is wired to the LINE terminals.

So my assumption is that due to this Fixture #1 never really had GFCI protection(?) Not sure I understand why it turned off when the GFCI tripped.

Can I fix the fixture #2 problem by just switching the incorrect(?) Load and Line terminal wires? and shouldn't this also mean my fixture #1is also now GFCI protected?

Thanks

The GFCI is miswired

It's quite common for GFCIs to be miswired in bathrooms where a light switch is right next to a receptacle.

I bet if you look at the backside of the GFCI, you will find that the "For Wizards Only" warning tape has been removed from the LOAD terminals,  and a wire has been connected to one of them but not the other.

I would speculate it is the white wire on LOAD, and the black supply wire loops through the switch and then hops to the GFCI, or vice versa.

This is typically done when a novice installer has hooked up the GFCI, but has a wire left over.  They see a spare screw behind the "Not For Novices" tape, and go "this is the easiest way to solve my problem, what could go wrong?" In your case they never hooked up a fixture up there, so they were never aware of the problem.

Since lamp current bypasses the GFCI on one leg, but goes through it on the other leg, currents are unequal and the GFCI trips.

The answer is to rewire the switch and GFCI relationship so either a) LOAD is not used, or b) whatever is attached to LOAD is wired entirely off LOAD and does not partially bypass it.


What leveling precautions should one take with plywood subfloor for engineered hardwood nail down installation? I installed the nail down engineered hardwood downstairs and did an OK job as far as leveling the subfloor is concerned. I sanded a few high spots down and even used a planer on an especially stubborn spot.

I'm now moving on to the upstairs and I am weary of the same situation. Is there anything else I can do to ensure the subfloor is level?

What are leveling compounds? Are they worth it -or- more of a mess?

Depending on the size of the sub-floor and what type of material it consists of, leveling is fairly straight forward. If you are leveling a  plywood sub-floor the most critical factor to focus on is the joints and edges of each adjoining piece; they must be level to each other. With a long (48") level and straight edge check each seam screwing down any wayward areas or high spots into the floor joists below. Screw down any sections that when tread on produce a "squeak" or bounce. Use a leveling compound for leveling low spots.


What could have caused these cracks, and how can I repair them? We have recently bought an old mid terraced house, early 1900s build, in the Salford, Manchester (NW England) area.

We have two cracks as follows:

Front upstairs bedroom:  The crack runs diagonally downwards in the alcove wall which adjoins onto next door, from the top of the chimney breast to approximately a third way up the wall into the corner where it adjoins to the front elevation of the property wall.

There does not seem to be a crack downstairs in the front living room to match or line up with the crack.

Front living room:   there is a vertical crack in the corner of the front elevation wall with the hallway wall.

Do you have any ideas on what the cause of both cracks may be and what the remedy is?

(Caveat: I'm a DIY type, not an expert.)

Diagonal cracks in old houses are usually the result of settling. Houses start out square, but they shift over time -- and turning a square into a parallelogram means stretching one diagonal and squashing the other. I've got some of these in my house, slightly older than yours -- most were patched and repainted before I bought the place but are still visible if you look carefully, a few were probably caused when I had a loadbearing wall replaced with a parallam beam.

If the cracks are new, and you haven't done anything like I did which might cause stresses to be redistributed, you should consider getting the place inspected by a contractor and/or engineer to make sure it isn't currently moving. You may need to install lally columns in the basement, or do some foundation work, to properly support the house so it stops moving.

Or it may be something more serious, but that's why you want the experts to look at it. (Neighbors had to demolish the old farmhouse they were hoping to rescue, when they discovered that it was both off the foundation AND had a broken main roof beam. Either would have been repairable by itself, but no reputable contractor would touch that combination.)

As far as repairing them: Once you're sure that the shifting which caused them isn't still in progress, it's like any other plaster repair. For small cracks, apply patching plaster, sand, repeat if necessary until the wall is smooth and level, and repaint. For larger cracks, you may need to use mesh tape to help support the patching plaster while it hardens. It may be desirable to undercut the crack slightly, to help ensure that the new plaster gets a good grip on the old.

If the house is going to continue to move, you're probably going to have to repair the crack repeatedly. Some folks suggest, in that case, using a paintable elastic caulk in place of the patching plaster; I'm skeptical.


How to plumb aquaponics systems that are far apart? I am setting up an aquaponics system. There is one large basin for plants (left) and one large basin for fish (right). The basin for plants is filled with rocks and is about 2" higher than the fish basin, filled with water. A pump delivers water from the fish basin though a pipe with an outlet buried under the rocks of the plant basin, supplying nutrients from the fish waste to the plants.

The black items show the pump that pulls water and moves it to the plant basin.
Normally I'd have a simple pipe return the water by gravity back to the fish basin (pipe shown in purple). The problem I have, is due to some other conditions, the two basins are located 20 ft apart, and the space between the two basins is the only walkway to another area of the garden.

I think maybe a drain pipe can then snake back, but I don't know if it is physically possible for the water to return as shown (in green). The return water must equal the amount pumped. I'm concerned any such configuration like shown in green either won't work, or might cause a siphon effect that doesn't flow at the same rate as the pump that adds water.

I want to avoid drilling holes in the basins, as that introduces the risk of a leak and insurance costs or lawsuits from neighbors. I'll only choose this option if a way without involving holes if impossible.
How can I plumb this so water returns back to the fish basin in an equal amount to that pumped, without obstructing the 20 ft space between the two basins?

Augmented siphon:  one pump and a perforated pipe.
For this scheme you need a serious pump and a perforated pipe on the plant side.

Your pump pulls water from the fish tank into the plant tank.  The water is pushed into a PVC pipe along the side of the plant tank near the top.  The PVC pipe is perforated such that some of the pressurized water leaves the pipe.  Some water from the plant tank enters the pipe.  I considered also using a drip hose for this but I think the inside of the drip hose would eventually get clogged with particulate waste from the fish side.
Water entering the pump side of the pipe will be under a lot of pressure and much will escape thru the holes of the pipe.
Farther down the pipe the perforations end.  There is a second smaller pipe joining the formerly perforated pipe at a steep angle.  The idea is that flow in the large pipe produces a Bernoulli effect and low pressure where the pipes join, causing water to flow in from the plant tank.
At the end of the large pipe is a hose leading back to the fish tank.  Pressure in the perforated pipe is lower now but still higher than the outside water, and so enough to push water up and over the top.  Once it has made that little climb the water will go downhill back to the fish tank.
This has one pump which is nice.  Some water from the fish tank will make it thru the perforated pipe and be returned to the fish tank which is not a tragedy.  If the pump stops, nothing will flood.  If the water level rises in the plant tank there will be more pressure assisting the siphon effect on the return circuit.
Obviously with too many perforations all the pressure will be lost in transit of the pipe and there will not be enough left to get over the top.  Too few and you will just be circulating water from and back to the fish tank.
I have this idea that more is better: as pump strength increases you will push more water out the perforations and also have enough residual rapid flow to maximize the Bernoulli effect and intake thru the angled intake pipe.
Ultimately the outflow thru the perforations needs to match inflow via Bernoulli effect.  This is the point where the architect hands the plans over to the engineer.


Water shut off to bathroom sink: valve not working and I do not have ready access to main water supply I did something dumb today and I'm panicking. I tried to replace the bathroomfaucet to surprise my husband (mission accomplished on the surprised part) because it was one of his tasks before we (and here's the dumb part) list our condo so we can get a bigger place. I replaced our kitchen faucet no problem. As with the kitchen, I turned the valves under the sink so that no water came out. I pried that old as dirt faucet off the sink and then started to loosen the cold water bolt with a channel lock. When it got loose water started coming out. Like spraying water. I moved the valve around and it doesn't seem to do anything. I did manage to retighten the bolt but now we have a faucet that's literally hanging into the sink.

Now, I live in a condo and where shutting off my main water means everyone loses water, which is what I found out when I asked the hoa president if he knew where our units main water supply shut off is. I called and emailed the hoa admin to see when they would be able to shut off water but no word yet.

I'm thinking now that maybe the valve is broken (?) and may also need to get replaced. So, the question I have (and I have seaehed for this answer) is: is there any way for me to shut off the water if the valves don't seem to be responding and I do not have access to main water? I'll need a plumber regardless at this point but would rather not have to have them sit around while the main water drains.

I'm mortified so any kindness and info would be greatly appreciated

B

Depending on access to the pipe in that area, there is a pipe freezing kit available which freezes a small section of pipe. This blocks the flow of water and allows the valve or whatever to be changed.

Some places hire these, and some plumbers have them as part of their kit. Plumbers will normally use the most effective solution for the situation...


What's the best way to seal unused flue? Our chimney has two flues, one we use the other must have been for a woodstove in the basement but has since been covered up with a finished basement. When we burn in the fireplace we can smell the smoke downstairs and from what I've been told it's because air has to come into the house to replace the air going out the chimney and the path of least resistance is down the other flue so smoke comes back down and into the house. I think the easiest solution is just to seal off the flue from the top, is that right? If so how should I go about doing this?

You didn't mention what the opening was that the smell was entering the house with. If it is a thimble opening, you can block the opening with solid mineral wool insulation, cut to the size of the opening and fit snugly. This will stop the downward drafting. Add a thimble cap over the insulation and it will look fine. It also will stop cold air from entering the house through the flue.

You could also put a flat concrete patio block. cut to just larger that the flue opening, over the unused flue. You can secure it in place with some exterior masonry caulking. This will stop the drafting, but also make it possible to remove the cover if you decide to use the second flue for another purpose.


Is it code compliant for a new construction bathroom vent (no shower) to go down and then over? I have a challenge on my second floor where a curved steel roof insulated with spray foam makes the best option for a half (toilet/sink) bathroom fan's vent to route down and laterally out the side of the home. I know appliance vent pipes need to keep a slope up and out. But a "fart fan" - is there any code prohibiting the vent duct to go down and over?

I don't think there is any restriction against an exhaust going downward.

A slightly downward direction is standard in some installations, like when a soffit exhaust vent (common in extremely cold and snowy environments) is used with a fan box which sits above the ceiling joists.


Can I vent a window air conditioner through a joist space for 30 feet? The situation:
We live in a one bedroom + den (rental). We're using the den as a second bedroom, as we're a family of four and that's what we can afford right now. The den has no windows, however, and so gets very warm.

The project:
We have a small 8,000 btu air conditioner that I would like to vent out the window in the living room. We're in a long-term rental situation, and our landlords are fine with us doing minor projects. What I'm thinking is cutting a hole in the ceiling of the den, and using flexible vinyl ducting run through the ceiling cavity (which I have access to). The cavity is just slightly too small to crawl through, so I'm wondering a couple things:

Is there a problem venting an air conditioner through roughly 30' of ducting?
Would would be the easiest way of fishing the ducting through the cavity?
Are there any major problems that I'm not considering, or any simpler solutions? It's not possible to vent to the roof, and I'm wary about venting into the ceiling cavity. It's a straight shot from the den to the window.

A couple pictures:

Thanks for any help you can offer!

I suspect the owner's manual for your AC would spell out the duct length capacity but I strongly suspect that 30' is much too long, especially with that vinyl duct which is, quite frankly, garbage.  Corrugated duct in general is not a great idea for long runs because it creates so much more air resistance but if you have to use it, look for the metal type which looks like a Slinky wrapped in tin foil.  Not to mention it will last much longer. Better still, if you can figure a way to route it, is rigid sheet metal duct which you can get at a big box store and perhaps fasten smaller sections together as you push it ahead in the overhead space, sealing the seams with foil duct tape.  That would give you the best chance at a satisfactory outcome but again, I think you will find 30' is too far for a small unit regardless...

BTW, do not under any circumstances vent into the ceiling space.  Utter disaster in the making ;)


Holes drilled in parallam beam: is this a structural problem? The electrician drilled 3/4” holes on PSL parallam beams. Both beams are is 4”x12”. The first beam measures 13’ft long and the holes are about 3’ft away from the end. The second beam measures 23’ft and the holes are about 5’ft away from the end.

Will the holes compromise the integrity of the beams? If so, is there any way to fix it or would they need to be replaced?

I'm going to be contrary.  Looking at the Weyerhaeuser documentation ( https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts/document-library/document_library_detail/tj-9000/ ) PG 26 shows you the allowable hole locations.

For parallam beams, it's in the center third of the depth and center third of the span.  Your holes violate both of those conditions.  They don't even mention drilling from the bottom or top, but that's probably a no-go as well.  From the same page:

I think you need to have your engineer look at this.  The fix might be as simple as the engineer writing a letter accepting it as is.


Two 3-Way Switches and One 4-Way Switch Controlling two lights. How do I convert the 4-way to a single pole switch? Here is the situation.
At the top of the stairs I have two 3 way switches. (the left one controls the upstairs hall light and the office ceiling fan/light and the right one controls the ceiling stairs light)
At the bottom of the stairs is the other 3 way switch that controls the upstairs ceiling stairs light.
There is a switch next to the bedroom that controls the Hall/Office ceiling light/fan just as the switch next to the bathroom controls the Hall/Office ceiling light/fan (I will call this light switch 2)
What happens in this scenario is that, not matter what the Hall light is on, ALL THE TIME (very dumb), and we will call the switch next to the bathroom light switch 3.
What I want to do, is make the light switch 2, next to the bedroom to act as a single pole switch, independent of the others.
Here are some pictures.
We will call this light switch 1 because it holds two three way switches.

Here is the wiring for light switch one with the switch to the hall pulled out.

Here is light switch 2 next to bedroom (I want this to act as a single pole switch).

Here is the wiring for light switch 2.

Here is light switch 3 next to the bathroom.

Here is the wiring for light switch 3.

Here is the situation above the stairs and "hall", which technically a hall but kind of. Stair light is present and I removed the hall light.

Top of stairs showing light switch one and two within 5' of each other.

Top of stairs showing light switch 3 within 5' of light switch 1 at the top of the stairs.

Here are light switch one close ups

Here are light switch two close ups.

Here is light switch 3 close up.

Splice the travelers through at switch 2 and slap a blank cover on that box, then cap off and cover the hall light box
Getting rid of the switch at position 2 is simple, fortunately: all you need to do is splice each traveler on one side of the switch (from switch 1) to its corresponding traveler on the other side (from switch 3).  In your case, this is especially easy because the prior installer did sane things with the limited colors they had, so simply splice red to red and black to black in that box, then slap a one-gang blank cover on it.
As to ridding yourself of the hall light, that's simple too.  Just cap off each wire that went to the fixture individually with a wirenut, and then put a round blank cover of the correct size on the box.  Now that ex-lighting-outlet won't irritate anyone by being on all the time.


Replacing two 3-way dimmer switches with two non-dimmer 3-way switches I had two Lutron 3-way dimmer switches for my bedroom lights. They looked something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-MAW603RH-WH-Electronics-Maestro-Dimmer/dp/B000BQMVXC

I replaced the bulbs w/Philips Hue smart lightbulbs, so I needed non-dimmer switches. I bought two simple 3-way rocker switches, and tried to wire them the same way. Unfortunately, on my first try, something was wrong. When the 1st switch was up, 2nd switch could turn the lights on and off. But when the 1st switch was down, lights were off and 2nd switch couldn't turn the lights back on.

So I tried moving wires around on the 2nd switch, and they behave as expected -- I can turn on/off the lights from both switches.

Does the mere fact that switches behave as expected show that I wired these two switches correctly? I ask because I'm a new homeowner, and am just paranoid that I may have mis-wired something that will burn down the house one day. Thank you!

(Ground wires are easy to identify, so you can assume I wired them correctly)

(There were no neutral wires on both my old and new switches)

You now have them correct, the one good thing with 3 wires connecting the 3 way switches you don't have to worry about burning things down they just don't work as you found out if they are wrong. Good job of figuring it out, you would not believe how many times I have been called to do what you just figured out.


Nest multi-speed fan control Based on this site:

https://nest.com/support/article/Learn-more-about-the-Nest-Learning-Thermostat-and-multi-speed-fans

It looks like nest recently added support for multi-speed fan control for some furnaces.

I'm looking to buy a new furnace (mine is old and past its life), but really like using the nest thermostat. It's the first thermostat I've ever used that I actually like. I would like to be able to control as much of the new furnace's features with the nest as possible.

My understanding is that sticking with Nest means I can't use "modulating" or "variable speed" furnaces. However, I think I should be ok with a 2 stage multi speed furnace. 95% efficiency is obviously not as ideal as 98%, but I think I can live with it if it comes with substantial UX benefits.

However, I don't seem (for the life of me) to be able to find any info on what multi-speed furnaces are actually compatible with nest control. In other words, what furnace models use 2 thermostat wires for fan speed control?

Do any of you guys have an info?

I am familiar with two basic control schemes for residential units:  (1) Relay logic (old school 24vac on/off), and (2) Communicating (direct digital control via serial communication).

I believe what you seek is any multi-stage furnace that is not exclusively a communicating furnace.  This type of furnace will have a W1 and a W2 for stage 1 and stage 2 heat, and might control the blower speed automatically or it might have multiple discrete fan speed selections labeled G1, G2, etc, which the multi-stage Nest should handle.

I say this based on a brief review of the literature online and I have never actually installed one of the multi-stage Nest thermostats.


Slow drain in upstairs jack/jill bathroom Possible Duplicate:
  What are some causes/solutions for poor drainage?

What is best way to repair slow draining water in bathtub?

If this just started I would try Draino or Liquid Plumber, if that dosn't work you may need to clean the trap. Seems like I've seen ads for a plastic thing for pushing stuff out of drains or use a piece of wire or a large zip tie and work it into the drain pipe to break up the gunk then try the draino aggain.


How can I prevent bugs from entering my apartment through air vents? A massive cicada just crawled through one of the air vents in my apartment. I vacuumed it up and then taped Glad ClingWrap over the vent as shown below. The tape is painter's tape.

I covered the other air vents in my apartment in the same way. Is there a better way to keep bugs from entering my apartment through the air vents? Would it be unsafe or cause damage to keep the ClingWrap on the vents?

You're barking up the wrong tree
First, as pointed out, cicadas, while numerous at the moment, are quite utterly harmless.  However, if you keep getting them in your apartment, it's not the fault of your HVAC system (unless they're getting in through a dedicated outside air grille, which is somewhat unlikely given the vintage of your building).  Instead, what you're dealing with is the fact bugs can squeeze in through small gaps and holes in the envelope/sheathing of the building left by the way frame or frame/veneer construction works.  These holes are often found around penetrations for electrical cables, hose bibbs, and AC lines, or at joints between different types of framing components, such as between the foundation and the wall bottom plate.  The ceiling drywall on the topmost level is also a common place for air leakage to happen, as there's no sheathing above it to back it up before you get to the "outside", aka your attic.
So, I'd take the clingwrap off before you kill your HVAC system with it due to the fan building up pressure, and if you get a bug parade, tell your landlord they should look into improving the air-sealing of the building as a whole.  The good news is that air-sealing doesn't just help with bugs, it reduces heating, cooling, and humidity loads as it plugs holes where uncontrolled outside air can infiltrate into the building.