Wired vs Battery Impact Wrench I was considering the purchase of a 1/2" electric impact wrench. The first application is to change out an anode rod for an electric water heater.

I was looking at some online, and the torque given in the specs between battery powered and wired versions is very close. The battery power specs claimed for a particular model said 4800 in-lb)] vs the wired version with 4140 in-lb.

I already have the battery that would fit the battery powered tool. Would either work just as well? Am I missing something (other than how long you can use it before the battery is drained)?

I also have a 1/4" impact driver with 1400 in-lb, would it work OK for this job?

I ask because I was reading in a Family Handyman magazine that you often need an impact driver to break the bolt loose. I haven't tried it yet with hand tools.

Either tool would be fine; but as stated in the comments, neither should be required for this job.


Is 12 by 20 feet garage big enough for today's cars? My house that I am moving in was built in 1950s. It has garage which 12 by 20 feet but I measure the length and the exact measurements are 11.4 inches (internal width) and 20.4 inches (internal length). I haven't measured the gate myself but it's probably 7 or 8 ft.

So I was entering toyota sienna for the first time and I could barely enter it. It was a lot of work. I just had an inch or two on each side and that was too much work. I end up not parking there.

My question, would you park in garage this tight? I do have a drive way which is a lot convenient but garage is nice for those bad weather days! Should I abandon the idea of parking Sienna in it?

I am trying to figure out how to best use the garage space and I want to install 2 ft deep cabinets for storage. That leaves 18 ft for a car. Is that enough for average size sedans?

Has anyone gone through similar situation? I would appreciate an advice. Needless to say there some nice sales already going on cabinets but I am also worrying if it would make my garage not usable for any car?

I have a few comments:

That is a pretty enormous car but looking online it seems like you should have about 2.5 feet on either side. That seems like enough. I assume you'll get more comfortable about maneuvering in the garage once you've done it a few times.
If you are concerned about the length, the are a variety of tools that can help you pull in far enough to close the door but no further. My favorite low-tech way is a tennis ball hanging from the ceiling by a string that has been adjusted so that it touches the windshield when you have pulled in just far enough. There are also high-tech gadgets that use radar and lasers.
If you want to park your car in the garage at all you I think should keep the space clear. If you slowly add various tools, boxes, extra stuff you will have a hard time when the forecast calls for snow and you need to spend 3 hours finding somewhere to put all that stuff. In my opinion it's just easier to have it be a car space or not.


Garage door not operating correctly My garage door opener is a Linear. It opens fine with either the hard wired button or remote. It will not close at all with remote. It will not close with the hard wired button unless you hold your finger on the down button until all the way down. If you only click the down button it starts down and immediately goes back up like something is in the line of sight of the safety switches.

The tow lights on the safety beam sensors are both green all the time. No red and nothing else lights up. I've checked all wiring, pulled the hard wired button apart and cleaned it. Tried to align the safety sensors and nothing will fix the problem.

Is it likely that my safety switches have gone bad? the door is only 6 years old and does not get used every day.

If I've found the right documentation for your opener, it says the lights should be red for a good beam.  You should also get a set of flashes that indicate the fault after you press the button.  Three flashes are for a sensor fault.

https://www.linearproaccess.com/wp-content/uploads/LDO_user.pdf

Follow the troubleshooting steps in the doc to see if they help.


What's a good tool create a floorplan with? My brother just moved into a new house, and it has quite a lot of rooms that we aren't entirely sure what to do with. As a result, I thought it'd be a good idea to create a floor plan that I can print out and then they can sketch what they think would look good in each room.

Basically I'm looking for some kind of software to construct a floor plan with.

I'm not sure if Software Recommendations are on topic at DIY.SE, on a lot of SE sites they aren't, but it's up to the individual site's 'community'.

That being said, Sweet Home 3D is easy enough and free enough to create a floor plan. Here's where I include a screenshot for bonus points:

Also, (formerly Google) SketchUp would probably accomplish a decent floorplan as well.


6" faucet hoses seem to be unavailable, what do I do with an old design? I'm replacing a faucet on a pedestal sink.  The supply hoses are the old plastic rather than the modern braided ones and I would much prefer to upgrade the old (21 years) hoses.  Unfortunately, I'm having zero luck finding hoses that short.  As it's a pedestal sink I don't see how to use a longer one without it sticking out and being ugly.

Any solutions?

Ace Hardware has 6" supply lines on tap. The bad pun is free.


How can I add support for my floor inside a rigid metal return vent? I bought an old house with tongue-and-groove flooring and no subfloor. It looks like it was retrofit with a modern HVAC system and floor vents some time in 2008. Whoever installed the return vent made some questionable decisions - they used the space between joists to form the return duct, and also cut away the floor such that the edge is not properly supported on one side:

You can see that the floorboards are already cracking from people walking across them.

What can I do to support their edges? You can see that the return vent actually spans more than one joist cavity. I don't think I could add a block parallel to the joist visible in the picture without completely taking apart the vent or lifting up the flooring (which I'd rather not do). If I add any blocking perpendicular to the joists inside the vent, I would be partially obstructing the return airflow.

I also can't make the vent longer by cutting back the flooring to the next joist over, because at that point it would extend in front of the new doorway we just built.

Are there any other options? Some kind of bracket or brace that would support the edges but still permit airflow?

One option to consider would be a set of pillars under each individual floor board, wedged or glued firmly in place, perhaps only secured on the bottom to allow for thermal movement.

This concept extended within my grey matter to suggest a plank running across all the floor boards, but with holes across the span to provide for the airflow.

The pillars could be hardwood dowels of an inch diameter or larger, or strips of lumber with the grain oriented for maximum support.

A plank with holes would be more restrictive, but having more than one option isn't a bad idea.


Wood Floor Worn Spot! I have a bamboo floor that's been work throughout the years in a few isolated spots. Because the majority of the floor looks fine, I'm hoping I can patch up the spots that have issues. I attempted one section by sanding and then coating with wipe on poly. It looks decent, but the finish is not glossy enough and the color is too light. I'm thinking that I may need to try the normal poly finish, but I worry that trying to blend this with the edges of the patch will be difficult. Any advice on the best way to proceed? Many thanks in advance!

Photos:

Untouched spot:

Attempted fix (fixed part on the right):

When wood has been exposed to natural light over many years, it changes color. When it is sanded that color change goes away, and you have what you have now. I am surprised that is all the difference it is.

I would suggest "toning the finish", as in add color to the top coats that mimic what the aging has done on the surrounding surface. If the color looks grayer than the new, add a few drop of gray or black stain to the finish to give it a subtle difference. Put a coat of that over it. If it is heading in the right direction, add a second coat to add to it. If it goes the wrong direction in any step, use the solvent appropriate for your finish, wipe it all off and let it dry, start again.

Keep the added coloring stain well under 25% of the volume of the finish. Stain weakens the wear ability of the finish. This why 2 coats of toned finish. Do not try to do it in one shot. If you get the right color and your added mix is only 10% of the total mix, good deal. Carefull how you cut in the new finish. You may have guessed that adding the toned finish over the existing finish will make a darker ring around your work.

DO NOT MIX oil and water based stains.


How can I open a door with the knob removed? My door automatically locks when you close the door. I of course forgot about it and closed my door as I left now we can't get it open. Please help I'm not sure what to do.

I would just put a screwdriver in the left hole and pull to the right against the spring to withdraw the latch.


Why does my garage consumer unit buzz when the kettle is on? I fancied a cup of tea while working in the garage and didn’t want to keep going back into the house so I fetched the kettle etc and plugged it into the garage.

When I turn the kettle on, the consumer unit buzzes.

It’s a 13 amp plug and on a 32 amp circuit and it’s does it even when the kettle is the only thing plugged in so I don’t think it’s an overload issue. Also I’ve used power tools on the same plug without issue.

There’s only one socket and some lights going into the unit, the socket is on a separate mcb to the lights.

I don’t think it’s the kettle as it’s fine when used in the house.

Any thoughts on why it buzzes and what can be done?

Buzzing is a clue that there is a bad connection. This could be a bad breaker contact. On this side of the pond I have had top name brand breakers do this. My solution at least short term is turn that breaker on and off 10+ times with nothing plugged in. This seats the hammers in the breaker displacing the crud that was causing the problem. If the buzzing quits that solved the problem for now. I say solved the problem for now because if the arcing was severe it may return when this circuit is heavily loaded and then it's time to replace the breaker. It could be a loose wire lug also but I have found the breaker to be the cause most often even in large 3 phase systems the on off seats the hammers and things may be normal.


Is voltage drop calculated from the meter or the service panel? In sizing underground feeder wire to a detached garage/shop do I calculate voltage drop based on distance from the main service panel on back of house to the shop(175feet)? Or do I include the distance from the meter to the house main service panel(160feet) and the distance to the shop(175) to come up with a total distance of (335feet)?

I want to run power to a new building(24X32). I've trenched approx. 165ft from my main service panel(200amp) on back of the house to the shop. I am thinking of installing 100amp sub-panel in a one-person shop and run; air compressor, small heater, lights, table saw, welder. Thinking of running 2/0 Al MFH cable to sub-panel. The small house was built on sub-divided property, so the meter is actually 160 feet behind the house(main service panel) and the cable coming into the house I believe is 4/0. I am trying to determine cable size to run in my trench, in conduit, with these variables.

For a sub panel fed from your main panel normaly we size base wire size on the distance from the panel to the load or location using distance and the max load or supply breaker size. The conductors are already sized for the panel size from the meter to the panel.


What is the best way to tidy outdoor items around block paving? There are 3 aspects (circled in red) that I would like to tidy around some bricks and block paving. 2 cables coming out of brickwork into the block paving on both ends, and cuts around a drain. Are there products that would do this and can be cut to size?

I have seen things this cover but its not quite wide enough.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cable-Cover-Plate-Brick-Buster-Blast-Exterior-Walls-TV-Coax-Sky-Satellite-CCTV-/202193245877

Pretty common to just use a matching silicone sealant around the cables, brown or black in this case. If using plastic covers, you'd probably have to buy two and cut them down to meet in the middle.

The drain pipe needs some mortar with a drop of red cement colouring (a powder usually) mixed into it. Wrap a piece of polythene around the pipe first and carefully slide/twist it out after 2 or 3 hours (before it sets really hard).

Alternatively, fill around the pipe with a small decorative gravel, although sweeping may pull this out over time.


What size power supply do I need to connect two 5 meter LED strips? I want to buy 2 of these 5 meter LED strips to make a 10 meter run.

What power supply do I need to have to avoid voltage drop? what controller do I need? How do I connect those 2 LED strips?

It says 2.1 amps/5 meters for the 30 LED/meter strip, 4.2 amps/5 meters for the 60 LED/meter strip. So, that's either a 5 amp @ 12V supply or a 10 amp @ 12V supply.

I would not recommend hooking up the two strips in serial; the LEDs at the end of the second strip will likely be much dimmer than the ones at the beginning. You can get around this by running a thicker cable in parallel with the strip.


How safe is it to just cram all the wires to a ceiling fan up in the canopy? This is just a very general question about whether or not I should worry about how tidy my wires are in the ceiling box when replacing a fan? When I finished the installation, I basically just let the canopy of the fan cover and push whatever wires it needed to until it fit properly so I could screw it in place. Is this wrong / dangerous?

Whether it is safe depends mostly on how well the wires were protected and how much space is in the canopy. But it is not a good idea.

Wires need to be protected from being disconnected and from being shorted out. Disconnecting could happen if there is too much strain on the mechanical connection through excess force. If wires are well connected with wire nuts or their equivalent and screws on terminals, this is not common. But it happens.

Shorting is a more common problem. a sharp edge of a canopy or other hardware can cut through wire insulation and short the fixture, the box, or to a bare terminal or the ground wire. A bare ground can be pushed into an exposed screw head, creating a short.

Good practice would be to carefully fold the wires, with bare ground usually being pushed in first, to the deepest part of the box. Then fold in the rest of the wires to minimize stress on the connections when the device or canopy is pushed in. Finally, try to have the bent wires oriented so that, when the canopy is pushed up, none are sticking out over the edge of the box or canopy.

Often connections are taped over the wire nuts or bare screws to reduce the risk of disconnection or accidental short. This is a good idea especially in a crowded box.

Finally, be sure that the box itself is large enough for all the wires and devices it will contain. This means, at minimum, the size required by code, but also may mean a slightly larger box.


When is it ok to sand against the grain? Everything I've read says that you should always sand with the grain of the wood. What if it's impossible to sand with the grain? For example, I'm installing a brand new stair post - the kind with the rounded cap. The shape of the thing makes it impossible to sand with the grain in certain spots. Is it better to sand against the grain here or just leave these parts unsanded? If sanding against the grain, will this have any negative impact on how the wood holds the stain?

Sanding with or against the grain doesn't matter much until the last sanding stage, if that. Lots of us use random-orbit sanders which sand in all directions at once, and that works Just Fine.

The first sanding pass, with the coarsest grit sandpaper, does most of the work of levelling the surface; ideally, it should leave you with no scratches larger than that grain. Each successive move to finer sandpaper erases the previous set of scratches and creates finer ones -- and shouldn't take as long since there isn't a lot you need to remove in order to do that. The final sanding, with the finest grit sandpaper you're going to use, should be with the grain so any remaining scratches also line up with the grain and hence are less noticeable.

Ideally. I have to admit that I've been known to just random-orbit my way through and trust that the 220 sandpaper's scratches are fine enough not to be noticed after the wood has been coated with varnish. I'd probably be more paranoid if I was staining the wood, since sanding details can affect how the stain is picked up... or if I was doing something that will be looked at from inches away rather than feet.


What is the proper way to use a hand plane on wood? I am installing threshold between a bamboo floor and tile, and the threshold sits too high above the tile. I would like to use a hand plane to reduce it. But I have never used a plane before, and would like to know the correct way to use it?

The concept of a plane:  It uses a very sharp chisel like blade mounted in a body to remove a thin layer of wood.  In practice, you use both hands (for control and even pressure) to slid the plane in the direction of the wood grain to remove a thin layer of wood at a time.

For effective use, you will need the piece of wood you are planing to be firmly held in place.  Use clamps, not someones hands, to hold the wood.  The blade on the plane needs to be razor sharp (reason for not using hands) to effectively grab the wood and shave it.  If it is dull, it is just going to skip and mar the wood.  You will need to find the right amount of pressure you will need to pressure to keep the blade in the wood.  Also don't try planing off too much at once.  The deeper you set the blade, the more likely it will mar the wood.  Start razor thin at first and gradually cut more as you get used to it.

For best results, do full strokes along the wood.  Where you start and stop it is easy to create mars in the wood.  Also if you do short strokes it is easy to create an uneven cut.  A good way to see if you are cutting evenly into the wood is to create a scribe line where you want to plane the piece to.

As @Keshlam said in the comment, use some scrap first.


What is this wire nut-like cover called? In a few boxes in my house, I've found a some of these things that serve the purpose of wire nuts. They are made of rubber and have a loop on the bottom. They wrap between the wires, and then around and up over the top. If you pull them off, the wires inside are held together by a separate a metal clip.

What are these things called? Are they safe, or should I replace them with regular wire nuts?

That is a rubber insulated open end crimp. They can be removed without cutting the wires.


Flickering lights when appliances turn on Recently our lights started flickering whenever a major appliance comes on.
Such as the furnace, dryer, fridge, washer...
All of them flicker only once, except for the washer. The lights flicker in tune to the washer agitating. It's really weird. They changed a few power poles on our street 2 years ago if it matters. I checked the 2 main wires coming in at the main breaker and got 121V and 116V. Then after checking every outlet in the house, about 12 of them have an open ground, but they all work. At the washer, the outlet had a reverse nuetral, which I fixed, but that didn't help with the flickering. I'm call the power company on Monday to come and check it out. Any other thoughts?

I agree that it is a good idea to start with the power company in this matter.

Places I have seen this problem start from is higher resistance connections for the mains in the panel box, and higher resistance connections in the meter box, on the mains.

Most of the time, in my limited experience, it has been the mains into the power box.  You will want electrical gloves and appropriate tools.

Some of the time it is connections in the meter box.  Most frequently the fingers which grip contacts on the meter.

If you are not comfortable hunting this down, I suggest getting someone who is and has the right tools.  But if you power company investigates first, you will at least have assurance that the power available to you is stable.


Very odd gas furnace installation in apartment... How do I change the filter? Here are some pictures of the installation: http://imgur.com/a/UWSyD

This furnace is actually in my unit. It looks like the previous tenant or landlord just jammed a bunch of filters on both sides. I find it hard to believe that this is the right installation but can't really figure out how a filter should be properly installed? Has anyone seen anything like this? Or was the whole furnace just not installed right to begin with. Seems very weird. The 4th and 5th pictures are what is on the opposite side of the furnace.

Can't tell for sure, but it appears that the return air intake is on the "back" of the furnace.

You'll have to measure the opening, and then buy a return air grill that can accommodate a filter.

You may have to install a bit of ducting, or seal the grill to the furnace using some foil tape or mastic. You'll want the return air to all be pulled through the filter, so you want the grill sealed to the furnace cabinet.

Once it's installed, you'll just have to pop open the grill to replace the filter.


Is it within code to hang a pendant light independent of a junction box? My new construction home has a 23.5' cathedral ceiling. The electricians roughed in a junction box that is slightly off-center with the room below. In order to fix this, and at the same time not move the current junction box, I'd like to stub up a pendant light through the drywall ceiling.  The pendant light would be dead center within the room below. However, it would also be 6 inches or so to the right of the current junction box.

Is it within code to stub up a pendant light through the drywall ceiling, and wire the pendant light ( in the attic space above ) to the roughed in jbox? The junction box is around 6" from where the pendant light needs to go.

Only if the fixture has its own built in junction box. This is not common on most fixtures that are surface mounted, except for flat fluorescent fixtures or under counter fixtures. You do often find it in recessed fixtures, like can lights.

Fixtures that have built in boxes have a small entry hole for the cable and a clamping mechanism. If a fixture is rated to take a cable directly, rather than being mounted to an approved junction box, its installation instructions will make that clear.

If it is not rated for direct cable mount, the connection you propose will be against code, and more importantly, unsafe.

Finally, if it is code rated, you still have to leave the existing box accessible and need a blank cover over it.


HVAC blower motor runs for a few minutes then stops I have a Trane X80 furnace with a Nest gen 3 thermostat. This combo has worked flawlessly for a summer and a winter. I just switched back to "cool" and the fan and compressor come on, but the fan stops after a few minutes (while the compressor continues to run). I contacted Nest and after a lengthy list of diagnostics, they determined that the Nest baseplate was bad and sent me a new one. I replaced it and the problem did not change. I pinged Nest again and they said that it must, then, be an HVAC problem. If I jump the fan wire (G) and power wire (R) wire, the fan runs for a couple minutes then shuts down. I'm guessing I have a fan going bad but just wanted to confirm before I replace it.

I welcome and thank you for your input.

I believe you are correct that the fan itself is the problem.

Your diagnostic test of supplying power to just the fan, and the fact that the symptoms stayed with the fan, sound like conclusive evidence.


What to do about bathroom ceiling peeling It was painted early in the year. Now large parts of it are peeling into large slices of paint, like an orange. It's still attached, just being peeled away and hanging from the ceiling. Under the white paint or above it, a grey ceiling unaffected.

In all likelihood, you put a modern water based paint over an older oil based paint.

Peel off the paint, Put on a mask and go over the old paint with a random orbit sander just to rough it up a bit.  Wipe off the dust with a damp rag, and let it dry.  This would be a good time to go to your favourite orange or blue store to get some primer.  I happen to like Kilz, particularly for bathrooms.   Prime the ceiling, and let it dry thoroughly.

Now paint, letting it dry completely between coats, and avoid using the shower for a couple of days.


How can I enlarge a hole in a brick wall without drilling? I currently have a small hole in my brick wall that is bringing a cable for my satellite dish into my house.

I now want to install outdoor speakers in my backyard and I would like to feed the speaker wire through this hole, however it is too small.

I'd like to make the hole a bit larger without having to do any drilling to avoid damaging the existing cable. Is there a way to chip at the hole to make it larger that won't risk splitting the brick?

Technically you could use some device for precision grinding like Dremel with some diamond bit with an extender to make it long enough, but that's almost mission impossible to do. First, you risk damaging the existing cable. Second, doing such job in a hard material when the hole is long and narrow will take too much time and precision to be worth it.

You actually have two options. Option one is to drill another hole or maybe find some other way to lay the new cable. Option two is to disconnect the cable, remove it, drill a wider hole in place of the existing one, then install the old cable and the new one.


Is it possible that this GFCI receptacle is grounded without an equipment grounding conductor being connected? I was attempting to upgrade an old outlet to a GFCI outlet. There are only two wires one black and one white. There is no ground wire. However the receptacle tester read "correct wiring". Is it possible that the outlet is grounded in some other fashion?

When you say the receptacle tester read "correct wiring", I am assuming that the existing receptacle was a three prong (had a ground pin) and that the tester was also a three prong, something like this.

If that is the case, it is probably reading ground through the metal box and the armored cable.

Before plastic boxes and non-metallic cable that used a continuous run of a separate bare or green ground wire, there was a grounding system that used the metal strap of the receptacle or switch, firmly screwed to the metal box, firmly screwed to the armored cable with was also firmly screwed to the service panel and through that, to ground. In later years, a bare aluminum wire was also included with the hot and neutral which (I believe) was intended to be a bonding strip.

This system worked. Sort of. It assumed that the metal connections were direct and firm at each juncture. The weakest part was probably the strap of the receptacle, which often sat on plaster and never touched the box. No metal-to-metal connection, no ground (although the aluminum wire, if properly connected, would provide ground). The connectors holding the armored cable to the box were also sometimes loose, leading to poor connection and poor ground. I think it is still code compliant and may be fine if proper techniques are used to install it.


What happens when a vapor barrier is too close to the cold side? The vapour barrier must be installed on the warm side of the wall, that is on this interior side of the house. It is permissible to have it sandwiched in the middle between two layers of insulation, but only if the cold side insulating layer is at least two thirds thicker than the warm (source).

My question is what happens, exactly, if the barrier is actually on the colder side? e.g. two-thirds warm insulation, barrier, one third cold insulation? This is in a very cold climate (-40 in winter not unusual). And what can be done to mitigate this situation?

You put the vapor barrier on the inside of insulation to prevent cold air from getting near the vapor barrier. If warm, humid air is touching a cold surface, the water will condense out, just like you see on a glass of ice water on a hot, humid day. This condensation is a bad thing, since the presence of water over a long period of time will cause mold to grow. The moisture may reduce the effectiveness of your insulation. It may cause dry rot in your home. It may cause other problems, attracting bugs who like moist places.

How can you fix this? Turning the insulation to lie in the proper orientation is clearly the best solution.

I suppose one could put an additional layer of vapor barrier on the inside. That will stop the inside, moisture laden air from getting to that middle layer. The problem is, this will create a layer of insulation that does not breath. Any moisture in there will never escape, and you will have the same problems as I mentioned above. So this could potentially be a bad solution.

Better seems to add more insulation to the outside, with NO vapor barrier on it. That will prevent the cold air from getting near the vapor barrier. It may not be possible, or even terribly easy. But this is why you try to do things the right way the first time.


Tap Oven Electricity for Outlet I just purchased a new house that has the oven in the island in the middle of the kitchen.  Not the stove, just the oven.  But there are no electrical outlets on the island.  Can the oven electrical be tapped to supply power to an outlet or will I have to run a new electrical line to its own breaker?

Assuming we are talking about the US/Canada, I'll make some basic assumptions:

Not the stove just the oven would almost always mean electric oven. That is because gas is great for a cooktop but not as useful for an oven. So typically a combination cooktop/oven will use gas but not when they are separate.
Electric oven typically means 30A or 40A dedicated 240V circuit.

Assuming that is the case, you can't add receptacles to the circuit because:

The receptacles need to be on a 15A or 20A circuit. A 30A or larger breaker is not allowed and is not safe. It turns out that in theory it is OK to tap up to 10' away using the usual 12 AWG wire to 20A receptacles. However...
If the manufacturer's installation instructions require a dedicated circuit then technically code would require a dedicated circuit (because code says "do what the manufacturer says as long as it doesn't conflict with the code"). But practically speaking, you are likely OK except beware - if you try to use a 1500W small appliance at the same time as your oven is the high-energy-usage part of a cycle, you risk tripping a breaker.

The whole situation is a bit strange though, as kitchens are normally (for a while now) supposed to have receptacles near all countertops for small appliances. The island should be no exception. If this is a truly new house then you may have recourse with the builder to meet code requirements. But if it is just "new to you" then it is likely grandfathered in without the extra receptacles.

Three solutions:

Simplest, usually: Run a new 12 AWG cable for receptacles connected to a 20A breaker.
Much more expensive unless running a cable = "tear up concrete": Connect the existing incoming power to a small subpanel and connect the oven (with appropriate size breakers) and new receptacles (20A) to the subpanel. Whether this is technically/code-compliant possible will depend on a number of specific details.
A hanging power pendant


How much power should I run to my workshop? I have a work shop currently powered with a 20 amp breaker coming from my main panel. I want to dedicate that to a small hot water heater, and run more power for other appliances. I was thinking of running more power from my house's subpanel. I’d like to also power a small heat/ac window unit, microwave, plus some receptacles and lights. Would one more 20 amp circuit be enough, or should I run two 20 amp circuits?

power a small heat/ac window unit [ How much current will that use ?  I am thinking at least 20 AMPS ]
A microwave - fixed (like over range or in wall) it must have a dedicated circuit - moveable countertop models 20 Amp
Receptacles 20 Amp
lights 15 AMP

Will one more 20 amp be enough ? No - you will need at least 3 more depending .

Do you have a sub panel that feeds your shop or in the shop ?
Do you only have a 20 Amp run from the main to the shop sub panel ?
What CB Amperage is in the main panel feeding the shop sub panel ?

If you have 20Amp CB in your main panel feeding the Sub panel in your shop - you will need to upgrade the sub panel feed CB upgraded, Wiring from Main to Sub panel upgraded, Sub Panel might also need to be upgraded.


Will closing vents in closet and bathrooms help cool other areas better? I have a large 4 bedroom ranch home. The two smaller bedrooms never get as cool as rest of home. Master bedroom is cold enough to hang meat. Return and thermostat are in hallway. Can I close vents in bathrooms, closet, laundry area to help cool those two small bedrooms?

Yes, this will work, but it could be hard on the furnace blower motor if you close too many vents.

I actually do this in my tri-level home - during the summer I close some of the vents on the lower levels so more cool air makes it upstairs, and in the winter I close vents on the upper levels so the lower levels aren't as cold.


Replacing older light switch, confused about "5a 250v 10a 125v" rating I have an older light switch in my basement that no longer works (when lifted to the "on" position there is no "click" and it simply falls back to the "off" position).  I took off the faceplate intending to replace it but the markings on it were not a single rating, but instead contained what appears to be two sets of amp/volt ratings?

If the text is not legible in the photo it reads:

5A 250V 10A 125V
UND LAB INC INSP
A. H. & H.
U.S.A.

I'm a bit confused by this-- When previously replacing light switches I've generally relied on simply replacing the switch with a new switch of the same rating as that seemed relatively safe.  There are only two wires going in to the back of the switch, and as far as I am aware this is the only switch controlling the light in this room.  I am wondering what kind of switch this is.  I was hoping to replace it with this switch:

...which is rated 15A-120V.  I am located in the Chicago area of the United States.  I can take additional photographs or provide additional context upon request-- any assistance is appreciated.

Should be fine.
You are replacing a 10A rated switch with a 15A rated switch, assuming your lights are 120V as per normal. More is better there. especially since it's unlikely that the circuit is fused or breakered at 10A.
AIUI, all 110/115/120/125V devices in the US (at least the UL-Rated ones) are actually dual-rated up to 250V, though you might have to look at the device markings rather than the packaging to see that. In any case, the 125 .vs. 120V is just a matter of nominal rating, not "this will blow up if the voltage fluctuates to 121V"
It may lack the 250V marking specifically because it's a "lighted handle switch" and thus can only operate on the one voltage, correctly. Depending on how the "lighted handle feature" is configured, you might get strange behaviors if the lights are LEDs rather than incandescents.


Would solar panels save money with electric baseboard heat? My house has electric heat, built in 1969. How can I save $. Are solar panels the way to go, or is there something better out there? I'm not sure which way to go . My electric bill is nuts. I have a fireplace and it helps, but it only heats one room. Are there any good solar panels on the market?

I thought about geothermal but I would have to remove my electric registers to put in hot water registers and the cost I think would be too much. I also thought about an outside wood furnace but I have no duct work, more money? So I guess solar panels is the only way, right?  Is there anything out there that would help?

Entirely apart from the high cost of electric resistance heat, (that is, regardless of heat source) a 1969 house is almost certainly going to benefit from insulation upgrades and the boring best bang-for the buck stuff nobody ever thinks is "fancy enough" to go for first - caulking, weatherstripping, and generally reducing air leakage.

With the advent of cold-climate air-air heat pumps (mini-splits) that is probably the best direction to look for electric heat replacement - 2.2-3.5 times as much heat from the same amount of electricity. But start with a caulking gun and a can or 12 of spray foam, follow that with more insulation anywhere you can add it (usually the attic) - THEN think about replacing the heating units, since it's unlikely you'll actually get that done during this heating season, while you can be air-sealing in minutes and benefiting from it in minutes - not to mention it's cheap...

Solar electric panels generally don't make sense as a heat source. Direct collection of heat from the sun is far more efficient than collecting a little bit of the suns energy as electricity and then using that for heat. Costs of the relevant types of panels are also rather different.


Is this normal - Electrical outlet - make hot prong on cable a tiny bit warm My vacuum cleaner cable and plug (pins) used to get hot. As a workaround, I bought a heavy duty extension cord  and I use it with the vacuum cleaner. Originally, I noticed that while the vacuum cleaner cable continued to be warm,
the extension cord never got warm at all.
Recently, I started testing the extension cord prongs,
and I noticed that while the neutral pin temperature doesn't change at all, the hot pin gets slightly warm. If I don't test right away after unplugging the cord, I would hardly notice the difference.
I have to put the pins on my lips to confirm the temperature.
Now I read that it's normal for a cord to get a little warm for appliances such as vacuum cleaners or toasters.
What I am not sure about is why only one of the two pins gets warm, while the other doesn't. Should I call for an electrician to inspect, or is this normal, and I am being a bit paranoid?

Yes, that's normal especially when running a relatively high-powered appliance like a vacuum.
As long as it's just "warm" there should be no issues although sometimes the outlets get worn and the pins inside no longer make good contact.  It this is an older or heavily used outlet, you might consider replacing it.  This could be why you are seeing only ONE pin getting warm, one may be weaker than the other at this point.
Also make sure the cord is in good condition with no kinks or worn areas.  The vacuum itself can also be an issue if the motor is having trouble due to blockages or bad bearings.
But unless things are getting "hot" you should be ok.


Can the last few boards of hardwood near a wall be glued if there is not alot of space for nailing So you get near the wall and cannot use the floor nailer or brad nailer to get a nail in through the tongue at an angle.  I have seen advice to glue a board like this down vs trying to drill a guide hole and hand nail.  For the glue types, some just fill the groove and attach the next board, some do this and glue to the floor.  It doesn't seem to make sense to have a board glued to the subfloor (wood) when the rest are nailed (to allow it to move/expand).  Did a quick check of other answers and it seems that nailing is the way to go, though it is more work.  Make sense?

Thanks!

we just do the last few runs with 2in brad nails.  you can easily fill and hide the heads with lacquer sticks.  we put woodglue under every square foot of hardwood flooring we lay.  its not even a point of debate.  the wood will expand and contract with glue or without it.  its just a question of how soon you want the floor to squeak and cup.  wood glue prevents that almost entirely.


Patch hole in cement slab when ground below is excavated I removed a shower stall and there was a hole for the plumbing as expected but once I got a good look the entire area below the cement slab is open.  I want to fill the whole as the bathroom is being converted into a mud room.  I was assuming I would just have to get a bag or two of gravel and/or sand and fill the hole and then add 3-4" of concrete but since everything is open underneath I am not sure how to fill the hole now.  Seems weird it is all open underneath.  Any tips would be appreciated.

Hole where shower was.

Picture underneath showing some more pipes.

Another look at another direction.

Note the soil on top of the pipes.  You should have this looked at by a good remodeling general contractor or structural engineer. Residential slabs do not generally span those distances even with rebar.

Filling with sand may be the answer but figuring out what’s going on should be the priority


Burcam 506532ss booster pump pressure too high New user here.  Hope someone can help.  I just installed a Burcam 506532ss Water Pressure Boost Pump

to help with my municipal water pressure.

Example:  Burcam 506532ss Water Pressure Boost Pump (Amazon.com)

It is in a closed system with a check valve to stop back flow.  We are at the end of the water line and the pressure coming in is very low 20-22 psi max.  I have gauges installed to measure before and after the pump.  The pump runs on demand and shuts off after the demand stops.

The problem is that it runs the pressure up to 100-120 psi and once the water heater kicks in it goes even higher due to thermal expansion.

I know this is not safe and from the specs on the pump it should not go that high.

Can anyone tell me what could be happening?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You did not mention an expansion tank installed after the pump that would allow the pressure device time to respond to a shut off of the flow or demand. The expansion tank would also absorb the thermally expanded water.


Should range hood ducting be installed before cabinetry? When should I install range hood ducting? I am putting in new cabinets. The kitchen has never been vented outside before. The duct work needs to be installed above the cabinets. What needs to be done first, cabinets or duct?

I suppose you could do things in either order but make things easier on yourself and prepare the ducting and needed cutouts before hanging the cabinets.


How to enforce wooden shelf with steel strip I'm making a shelf that'll be 1 meter wide and 2.2 meters long. It's going to be simply supported by wire attached in four corners (with necessary 10 cm space from attachment point to the shelve's edge).
I'm making it out of 18mm OSB board.
Obviously I need to reinforce the board, otherwise it would sag too much on 2m span.

I want to keep the thickness of the shelf to the minimum.
My idea is to sandwich the board between steel strips 40*4 mm. (Thus steel strips would act as universal beam's flanges, maximizing second moment of inertia constrained by overall width).
The 4 strips will run along 2m edge through wire attachment points.

My questions are:

Does it make any sense? Would it hold 50 kg total load with reasonable sag less than 1cm?
(4mm thickness of the strips are taken from what's available on the market here. I'll not be bothered by the bulge that the strip will make on the surface of the board.)
Should top strip be of the same width as the bottom one? Can I drop top strip altogether?
What's the best way of attaching strips to the board? Screw both strips to the board/rivet top strip to the bottom through the board/ making threads in the strip for the bolt?

This can be done with hardwood strips, but it's definitely better to go with steel. But No, the strips should not be on the top or bottom, those won't do anything...the shelf is already the universal beam's flanges, you need to add the universal beam's vertical support.

The single piece full length strips of steel should only be applied (glued & liberally screwed) to the front face edge & the backside face edge, use as thick a strip as you can or double & triple them up. You can also use Angle or L-shaped steel. Try to keep 50kg the maximum load, but you'll have to gauge if it can take more & how close to center heavy items are, lighter items in the center is the best configuration.


Schluter... Membrane over green drywall? We're about to remodel our bathroom, having tile applied to about 17 linear feet of wall (8' high).   90% of the wall area to be tiled already has green drywall.  The remainder is open studs, where a bathtub used to sit.  The tile contractor suggests we rip off all the greenboard and they will put up 1/2" kerdiboard instead.
I was thinking to fill in the missing greenboard (about 16 ft2) and the installer would put membrane over the whole thing.
I understand that either way will work.
It seems like it would be cheaper to go greenboard/membrane. I'm doing the drywall work (ripping off or installing).
Which is preferable and which would you do??

The answer on what will be easier depends on how square and flat the walls are currently. If the walls are already really flat(no more than 1/16" deviation in 2 ft) and the corners are square then you proceed with the membrane. If there is any work that needs to be done it is easier to shim the studs and/or plane studs before wall install. Take a level to the wall and check it everywhere.


How do I remove the cistern lid that has been grouted in? My tiler grouted the cistern lid against the wall a few months back. Only realized when the toilet started leaking and I couldn't open it. What is the best way to get rid of the grout and try and release the cistern from the wall? I'm hoping there's no more cement behind the grout...

Yikes. That was a really bad idea on his part.
The first thing I would try is a grout saw. It's designed to grind the grout out without damaging the tile. Hopefully grout is your only obstacle.
If the tiles immediately above the tank are insurmountable, your next job will be to try and remove them. They are partial tiles and hopefully you can remove them by sawing the grout out and prying them up (they will probably break in doing so). Once the tiles are out, hopefully that solves the problem.


What is the best drill bit to use to drill a hole in a chainsaw bar? I need drill a 3/8" diameter hole in my chainsaw bar to attach a plate on it.

I sincerely doubt that you should be custom hacking something onto your chainsaw bar. If this was a legitimate attachment that is provided by the chain saw manufacturer then there should already be mount points defined and instructions provided for installing such option.

Custom modifications to a tool, especially one that is already as dangerous as a chainsaw, should not be done because of the additional danger and risk to safety that can come into play.


I have 1/2 electricity in my master bedroom, exterior walls have no power I have 3 outlets on exterior walls out. The rest of bedroom has power. Checked breakers, none popped.. Have 2 GFI plugs in bathroom,reset them.. Did notice that I have a 3 way switch on the wall that controls 1 outlet on interior wall.  Turned that on,nothing..
But, it did that before I was told.. Any suggestions???

Turn off the breaker, are all the outlets dead now? Start with the last outlet that was working prior to turning off the breaker pull it out.
If the wires are pushed in to the back of the outlet push in and pull out on each one, if the wire pulls loose that outlet may need to be replaced.
If the wires are pigtailed make sure the wire nuts are tight.then go to the first dead outlet. if no problems are found start at the other end(outlets are normally daisy chained and it will be the last good one or first dead one not passing power to the others. Other than recent construction damaging a wire the above check has fixed many dead outlets.


How to repair a detached fiberglass bow rake I have a fiberglass bow rake that has separated from its handle.

I inspected the 2 pieces but I cannot figure out how the head is attached to the handle. There appears to be some wood inside. But I'm not sure how it is used to attach the head and handle together. Is it something that I can repair? The following picture is taken after I removed some wood piece.

I suggest that the first approach is to remove the fragments of wood from both pieces. Once that is accomplished you might be able to determine a near-standard diameter that will accept a replacement wooden dowel. Measure the depth of both pieces, add them together and cut that length of dowel.

If you don't have a standard diameter, buy the next larger size and sand it as closely as possible. A polyurethane glue such as Gorilla Glue or equivalent will swell up to fill any small irregularities caused by sanding.

You may also be able to sand a slight taper to one end of the dowel and use a hammer to tap it into the metal section, shaving off the excess, then sanding away the portion that extends outside of the metal section to match diameters.

If you want extra-super strength for the joint, there is a product known as Fiberfix, available at many handyman type locations, including Ace Hardware (US). It appears to be an air-curing type fiberglass tape and resin, activated after a period of time removed from the air-tight packaging. The video adverts are encouraging, but I don't believe everything I see on the internet.


Repairing broken plaster Removing some rotted wood above a window bay caused more destruction than would have been desired, and am hoping for some advice on how best to repair the holes in the plaster.

It looks like there is more damage likely hidden under the plaster and the wood members there would be structural. You should remove the plaster to get to and repair this damage or verify that there is none.

I suggest removing all the plaster of the relatively small area that is the ceiling of the bay window and replace with drywall after the repair work is done.


Barrier around shed base to hold dirt for retaining wall? Building a shed on a slope, and looking to add a retaining wall around it to block the space underneath, but offset the wall 2ft or so to add dirt and plants.

If possible, I want to be able to put something around the shed base to put the dirt up against on the back side of retaining wall without having to use concrete blocks. Keeping the space under the shed empty, and only filling dirt in between retaining wall and barrier. I am thinking of sealing the columns, and attaching wood wrapped in tyvek or something to protect it from rot.

The 6x6 posts, joists, and rim joists are all pressure treated wood.

What are some options to hold the dirt between the perimeter of the shed and retaining wall? Also do I have to leave a gap for airflow? Or can i seal it up to rim joist.

See picture for example.

You want air flow under the shed to keep it dry. The traditional barrier around houses on piers was a wood lattice, mostly aesthetic, and of course unwanted critters would get past it.

I don't understand your idea of a retaining wall and a barrier with a 2 ft gap. The purpose of this is not apparent to me; it sounds elaborate and a lot of trouble. My initial reaction is that Tyvek wrapped around wood in contact with soil would not protect the wood from rot.

Plants around a shed are going to lead to watering around the shed. I can see that just a lattice around the perimeter might seem stark, but there is a reason this was traditional. Whatever you do, leave some convenient access to put rat traps under the shed. If and when they are needed, put them in the special boxes to prevent pets or any non-target animals from being trapped.


test if dryer motor is broken My dryer won't turn.  When I push the start button, I hear a hum.  If I hold it down, it will hum for a moment and then stop with a click.  I've checked the door switch and the belt, and tested for continuity on four thermal fuses/thermostats.  Everything looks good.  Is there a way to test if the motor itself has died?

Model: Kenmore 110 67904791

Thanks!

Take the belt off and see what it does.

IMPE, this is usually failed drum rollers that have too much resistance to allow the motor to start. You might be able to get a sense for that by simply trying to rotate the drum (without trying to turn the motor on.) If the motor starts with the belt off, excess mechanical resistance is the problem, not something electrical.

Last time it happened to me I did a "kit" rebuild - kit was $25, rollers alone were $19 - kit included both rollers, the belt and the tension roller. I tucked the old, worn but intact belt in the dryer in case of future need for it (and wrote myself or whoever sees it a note on the inside of the top of the dryer.)


Suspended grid ceiling with T-channel on the perimeter? Is it possible to install a suspended grid ceiling without using L-channels? Two of the walls are structural masonry, and I would like to avoid risking structural integrity by drilling into them. I'm assuming that by using only T-channel, there may be a gap along the edges that fluctuates around an eighth of an inch or so, depending upon the straightness of the wall -- that is something I'm willing to tolerate in exchange for not drilling into the masonry walls.

There's no reason you couldn't do what you have planned. Suspended ceilings are a decorative feature, and not a structural one, so you can do whatever you like. I assume you'll cut your interior channel and lay it over the perimeter channel as normal, as opposed to somehow replicating the locking mechanical connection you'd normally have between interior channels.
You're going to have one particular challenge, though, and that's keeping them flat.
L-channel is rigidly mounted to the wall, so the horizontal portion is more or less stuck in position. You can lay interior channel on it and it doesn't move much.
In your case, you'll be suspending the T-channel and it'll have freedom to pendulum away from level. Laying the interior channel on it will have a tendency to tilt it down on the inside flange.
One solution might be to use pop rivets or screws to tie things together more rigidly. You could simply do this through the mating horizontal flanges, or you could strategically cut tabs into the ends of the interior channel so you can rivet in a hidden fashion:
TOP (PLAN) VIEW
__________________________________________

             rivet locations              <-- perimeter channel
_____________*______*_____________________
            ----..----   <-- tabs cut from center rib of interior channel
         |      ||      |
_________|      ||      |_________________
         |      ||      |

if you are going to rivet from the bottom you might consider just floating L channel, though. It'll look a little more standard since it's narrower and it's usually cheaper.


Fix drywall around outlets I completed my first drywall project and I learned that I hate doing drywall.  Apparently I'm not good at it either because when I finally screwed on the outlet covers it is obvious my measurements were off.

What is the best way to fix this?  What is the easiest way to fix this?  What would you recommend?

Luckily I just happened to have one of my own to do (in my case repairing plaster around an old work box, but exactly the same process), so I'll give a walk-through of repairing the gap on the left:

What I usually do is fill the gap with wads of rolled up fiberglass joint tape:

Pack the wads of fiberglass into the gap (I'm using a screwdriver because the gap on mine is pretty narrow).  For wider gaps, you can either fold them into 'U' shapes or make larger balls of tape.  Doesn't really matter how you do it as, but fill up the gap.

When you're done, it should look something like this:

Make sure none of the fiber strands poke out beyond the plane of the wall (or you'll have to deal with it later during sanding and painting when it's more of a pain). Then, run a strip of fiberglass tape down the side of the box flush with the plane of the wall.  You'll want to use a full width strip - mine is cut narrower because I'm working next to the trim:

Then, use a putty knife to pack mud into the gap.  For really wide gaps, take your time so you don't push the fiberglass backing out:

Skim coat the tape smooth with the wall, and you should end up with something like this:

I've used the same method to fill in gaps around boxes as wide as an inch and haven't had any problems.  The first "coat" will take a long time to dry, and the wider the gap, the longer it will take.  It may also run a crack down the mud as it shrinks while it's drying, but that's fine - just pack mud into the crack on the next coat.  After this point, it's basically like finishing any other mud joint.

Good luck.


Interference with cable and electrical in same box I'm finishing a basement and am running cable to 2 of the rooms in the basement. I would like to run the cable into a double gang box with the cable outlet on one side and an electrical receptacle on the other. I know that the only way you are supposed to run low voltage to the same box as inline electricity is with a partition in the box for safety. Will this also prevent interference or might that still be an issue? I can put them in separate boxes but was hoping use 1 double gang box as opposed to 2 singles just for aesthetics.

There are boxes that you can use that has the partition in them to keep the interference down. The trick, possibly for you is to make sure the lines where they run parallel with each other is keeping them separated at a MINIMUM of 6". The low voltage guys I have worked with preferred 12" and more, some wanting 2' separation. If the walls are still open it should not give you no trouble then. When you do pass by a line voltage wire, use an extra foot or two and run the low voltage across the line voltage at a 90 degree angle, this will minimize the "crosstalk" where the cables meet.


What can I use to clean my brick fireplace I have a brick fireplace that has been great over the years. I was wondering, since I can't pressure-wash the grout or brick with a cleaner, what can I use to bring the brick and grout back to life?

What we did with our 32 year old brick fireplace was paint it white. It was a lot easier than trying to clean the brick and grout.


What projects should never be DIY? What are the most common DIY projects that you should not do yourself? What must be hired out?

Edit: Just to be clear, what we're looking for here are the things that a regular homeowner might think they can do, but should not.

Things that look easy but are actually hard. Last summer my landlord decided to put a new roof on the house. They removed part of the old roof, and then the the rain and wind started. It took them 3 weeks to finish. Much of their time went to securing tarps overnight or bailing water out of the attic. An expert crew would have done it in 2-3 days, and avoided all that hassle. (We're still finding nails in the grass!)

Things that have to be done right from the beginning and are hard to repair later. Like plumbing in a poured concrete slab floor.

Or things that could be dangerous in non-obvious ways. Like gas lines, where an overtightened fitting can fail, and the whole house burns down in a hurry.

Domestic gas piping. Seems like it's trivial to connect a stove to the pipeline in an apartment - buy a pipe and two thunks, play with a wrench - what could be easier?

Then you overtighten or undertighten some nut or use a wrong type of "thunk" and you've got a gas leak and possibly a devastating explosion. Saved 30 to 100 bucks but destroyed your own and others' property and possibly killed and injured people. Bad Idea™.


Storage racks - plastic vs Bronze inside room I am thinking of putting storage racks in one of my carpeted room. I looked at the bronze one, big and heavy at costo and I thought they would not be suitable for placing on carpet because

They are very heavy
Design for very heavy object
Hard to move (not easy to move for family)

Their advantage are

Very sturdy
Larger size and can store more stuff
Good value for money

Which one should I consider? Esp is it ok to place this heavy weight storage racks directly on carpet in a room? Wouldn't it damage carpet?

Based on your comment that you'll be storing heavy items, it's worth it to go with a more sturdy metal rack.  If you're worried about carpet damage, dents are relatively simple to fix with steam, ice, or other methods.  In the worst case, you'd probably prefer a few square inches of flattened carpet than your possessions broken.


How do I add wire to a rusted electric box? I'm adding a plug to a closet so that I can put my server and router in there.

I am trying to daisy chain it off of the nearest plug, but when I try to remove any of the knockouts they won't budge, presumably because it came with the house 75 years ago and is rusted shut.

The other issue is that I can't simply remove this box because the box was placed on the metal mesh that was eventually plastered over, so it is literally plastered to the wall.

Any thoughts on the actions I can take to get this wire inside this box or is it a lost cause?

I would recommend cleaning the knockouts first. Sand them completely free of any paint or rust. Then scrape clean the circular groove of the knockout on both sides using a sharp pointed tool like an awl.

After doing this, the knockout should come out with a sharp block from a ball peen hammer and screwdriver.

If this does not work, the next step would be to use a tool called a knockout punch set. They can be found in any hardware store and they look like this:


Should I use a float "piggy-back" sump pump switch? I have a Zoeller M-53 sump pump and I'm considering using a float switch to stop the pump from cycling too frequently. Here's the situation...

The water level is pretty high where I live. The sump pit is really an old, rather shallow brick-lined pit. The pump is working fine, but there are many times of the year that the pump just goes off too much. I'm afraid that the pump's life will be limited by this constant cycling. There are times that I know the water level won't climb out of the pit, but the pump's built-in switch triggers the pump anyway. I don't need the water to be that low.

Note: I cannot raise the pump higher than it is because of how shallow the pit is already. Plus, I have a battery backup pump that is on top of this that just sits at the absolute top of the pit.

Is it ok to do this to my pump, or would the pump being covered in water cause more damage?

As kkeilman points out, your pump is fully submersible, so that part should be no problem.

You can easily just piggy-back a float switch like this one on your existing pump. It has a special plug that you plug the existing sump pump into (no wiring necessary), and this one in particular handles up to 1/2 HP, which is more than enough for your 0.3 HP Zoeller.

The nice thing about these tether floats is you can adjust the heights depending on where you attach it, and how much tether you give it. Just be sure to test it manually moving up and down to be sure it's at the right heights, and it's not going to get hung up on anything (causing it to either stay on, or not turn on when needed). I highly recommend you secure all the wires going into the pit with zip ties or electrical tape to be sure they're not going to fall down in the future.

You can leave the existing float working, which is fine - it will act as an extra safety to shut it off if the pit is dry, but also be sure this one doesn't get hung up - because both floats will have to be "on" to make the pump turn on -- if either is off, the pump is off.

If you don't want to use the existing float, there may be a way to bypass it internally by rewiring the pump, or you can simply zip tie it "up" so it is in the on position all the time.


Converting Nema 10-50 receptacle for car charging I might be buying an electric car soon and i was wondering if I could use my current nema 10-50 dryer plug for my 240v evse? The plug is not used since I have a gas dryer.

The receptacle was installed by the previous owners, it was run through 1/2 inch emt conduit from the main panel to the dryer (roughly 25 feet total run).
I read nema 10-50 is supposed to have hot-hot-neutral, but it looks like this has hot-hot-ground since there is a red, black, and green wire (also verified at the main panel).

Can i safely convert this to a nema 6-50 receptacle since i've read nema 6-50 should be hot-hot-neutral anyways?
The current circuit has a 30amp breaker with 10 awg cable for the two conductor wires and 12 awg for the neutral (green) wire.
Is this wire gauge safe/code for 30 amps? Should the ground cable also have been 10 awg vs 12 awg?
The evse is only 16 amps but i'd want to know the plug is safe for 30amps. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!

That socket is wrong, and was wrong at the time of installation.  The person probably had a leftover socket lying around and went "whatever".  I myself had a NEMA 10-50 in my stocks; I threw it in the trash rather than risk someone installing it.

You cannot ever use NEMA 10 except to repair a broken outlet in dryer or range circuits which predate 1989. Anytime you see a grounded with neutral location with NEMA 10, it was installed NEMA 14 and foolishly rolled back to NEMA 10 socket because an appliance arrived with a NEMA 10 plug. The proper procedure is to change the plug to NEMA 14.

Your all-metal EMT pipe has two #10 hot wires, a perfectly acceptable ground (The pipe itself) and a useless dunsel of a ground in the #12 green wire. Fortunately, redundant grounds are not illegal, so you can just ground it to the box and the panel and forget about it.  Can't hurt, might help.

Your wiring can support any of the following connectors: NEMA. 6-15, NEMA 6-20, and NEMA 6-30, however you must change the breaker to the corresponding amperage.   (Due to a special exception a 20A breaker is allowed on a dual NEMA 6-15 socket; however it's illegal to put a 6-15 plug on a 16A charger.)

Your charger, at 16A, is right on the line between needing a 20A plug or a 30A plug.  Consult the instructions.  Set your socket and breaker to match.


How to correctly wire a bathroom heater switch I have an old Honeywell thermostat-type switch that controls the heater in the bathroom.  Teenagers frequently forget to turn it off and so it runs for hours.  I want to replace it with a push-button timer switch to prevent this.

The heater unit in the ceiling also has an exhaust fan connected to a typical light switch.  It is on a different breaker than the heater.

The new switch has three wires on the back: green for ground, red for load, black for hot.  So far so good.

When I removed the old switch, I found the following setup

The two black wires connected on the switch are labeled L1 and T1, while the two red are L2 and T2.  Obviously the bare wire is the ground that I would connect to the green on the new switch.  I believe I should connect the red wire on the new switch to the white wires.  I'm confused about what to do with the existing black wires and the black wire from the new switch.

Needless to say, my electrical experience is mostly limited to light fixtures and ceiling fans.  This house was built in the 40s and the bathroom was obviously a later renovation, so I have no experience with how it's wired.

Am I correct in what I think about connecting the new red to the existing white?  And what should I do with the black wires?

NO, NO, AND NO!!!  RED DOES NOT CONNECT TO WHITE. The "hot black" from your new switch goes to the black wire in the box that is feeding the circuit. The "load red" from your new switch then goes to the remaining black wire in the box. Yes, the green wire goes to ground.


How to Connect Modems to Wall? I see this kind of connectors at the bottom of each my modem but I cannot use them for anything because the package is not provided with particular screws and I cannot find those screws anywhere etc AliExpress by searching modem connector wall and the biggest electronic store in Finland, Verkkokauppa.com with ruuvi (=screw) -search where the customer service also says and confirms (19/8-2016) that they do not have any screws suitable for the attachment. It would be great to find specific names for such screws.

Screws are from the standard Ikea's screw package in the figures.
Fig. 1 connectors are the right-hand-side, Fig. 2 Screw unstably in the key slot, Fig. 3 Two bigger screws there which cannot completely fit the plastic but may be sufficient

You can put two screws in the keyhole slot but I cannot find anything that just fits there so the screws are in little angle and unstably there in Fig. 2. I think big screws are not the right ones for the task. Perphaps, something specific could be found.

Factors

length of screws
size of necks in the screws

Modem/router in the picture: TP-Link Archer MR-200

That's a keyhole slot for a screw. It's not specific to a modem (though I'll keep using the word here). In this case it's actually a double keyhole. The idea is that you put a screw into the wall with a head that just goes through the central circle, then slide the modem so that the screw head is trapped in the slot.

Normally you'd have at least two and the distance between them has to be spot on. Also they're normally set up so that you slide the modem downwards onto the screws. You also have to screw the screw in the right amount so it's secure and doesn't wobble.

Finding the right screw can be a little tricky especially if you have hollow walls that need some sort of anchor. But any hardware store should have something.


Do I need a certificate of occupancy for each building on a single property? If I have 2 buildings located on one property do I need a certificate of occupancy for each building or does 1 certificate cover all buildings?

Check with your local courthouse permit office. In our area you must have a certificate of occupancy for each separate building. The building must pass all inspection requirements and any fines/taxes on the property have to be paid.


Can I tie grounded/white and ground/bare from a subpanel to any grounding bar in in the main panel? Suppose I'm wiring a 100 A subpanel, which receives my two phase wires (black, red/black), my grounded/neutral wire (white), and my ground wire (bare) from the main panel. Since this is a subpanel, the green bonding bolt isn't installed, and so the subpanel neutral and ground terminals are not bonded in the subpanel.
My question is, back at the main panel, are there any constraints on where can I tie the grounded/neutral and ground/bare wires from the subpanel? The main panel has a grounding bar along one side and the usual neutral/ground bars on either side of the breaker rows. Can I connect my grounded and ground wires to any ground/neutral bar in the main panel, since they're bonded in this panel, or must I land the wires from the subpanel on specific bars? Seems like it makes no difference in terms of safety, since neutral and ground are bonded in the main panel and at the same potential, but maybe there's a 'gotcha'. Any advice?

Neutral needs to go to the neutral bar.
The purpose of neutral is to be the normal path for return current which flows as part of the circuit's operation.  As such, it can only go to the neutral bar, since only that is rated to handle that current continuously and on a routine basis.
Safety ground certainly can't do that.  Think about it, that bonding screw in the main panel, is that a 4/0 AWG screw?? :) No, it's 10-32 and steel, which is a several times worse conductor than copper.  That bonding screw was never imagined to handle normal service currents.
That's why you can't land any neutrals on grounding bars and other facilities intended only for safety ground.
Safety ground is not used for anything; it only handles fault currents for the duration of a ground fault (i.e. long enough to trip the breaker).  Ergo it does not need to be rated for continuous service current.


Joining two composite decking boards side by side I described my problem in this question here

How to fix deck board at edge not lined up with beam?

This is the outcome of that project. There ended up a bit of gap in some area like 1/8" - 3/16". It's the one on the left here:

The reason is that when I cut 2 boards using the table saw, it's not straight all the times. Plus the bottom beam is not flat so it's impossible to join two boards like that without any noticable gap when looking closely.

At the end, the gap is a bit larger but not bad. You can see the beam directly below:

My question is: how to fill the gap to prevent water from sipping in and rot the lumber below over the years? If there is no lumber below, it's easier. But this is always a target for rotting.

I am thinking about filling in the PL 400 completely and wipe it off at the surface using thinner or gas to clean it. Making it like some sort of filling / grout.

What are some options?

The answer that you are looking for is... there is no answer.

You will not keep the rain from migrating under the deck boards. That is the reason the framing for decks are done (or should be) in a rot resistant wood. If you wish to add another layer of protection, remove the deck in the area you wish to further protect. It should be easy since it is screwed down, and cover all the tops of the framing you wish to protect with a "peel and stick" membrane that also seals around any penetrations. This product is usually used for flashing around windows and doors when they are installed in their rough openings. It comes in rolls 6" wide or wider, but you can slice it into 3" widths to cap over 1 1/2" wide tops or use it full width on the 3" backer under the joint in question. The sticky material also seals around any screws you put through it so no water penetrates through where the screws are. Here is a link that shows how it is used on a deck. It is a few pages down on the pdf.


How long to wait between coats of polyurethane? I sanded down a 2 inch old Maple butcher block bowling alley and stained 48 hours ago.  I then applied 2/3 poly to 1/3 mineral spirits and let sit in direct 80 degree sun  from 10-4 pm.  It was totally dry after 2-3 hours.

Is it safe to sand and apply second coat or do I need to wait 24 hours as suggested?

This answer was helpful:
What is the proper procedure to apply multiple coats of Polyurethane?

  It's all about adhesion. When you recoat after 2 hours you get a
  chemical bond between layers. If you let it go longer than that, you
  need to wait 24 hours so it's hard enough to sand and get a mechanical
  bond

However I'm curious if since my table is dry, then it will be a mechanical bond (after only 4-6 hours)

We cannot really answer without being there and evaluating the base wood but under 6 hours is cutting it very short. Have I ever done this? yes but it was 4 year dried walnut that was stained ~ 60 days beforehand close to 2 months.
My first 5 layers were cut to thin it down to allow it to fill the small divots and grain, yes this may have been excessive but the next coats were full strength with very fine steel wool at first and later 1200 grit wet dry paper. It still looks awesome 20 years later, but if not allow to fully dry it may bubble or craze. The problems may not show up until the next year on a hot day, I have had that happen, had to strip almost down to bare wood and start applying fresh coats to make it look right. I still have those tables and other than a slight yellowing they are fine after 30 years (not in direct sun).


Can I use setting joint compound to fix a a plaster ceiling with metal mesh lath? Plaster repair with drywall compound? Will it work? I put fiber tape over the hole and filled it in with dura bond. Will it last or not? I need to figure this out fast. I have never worked with the plaster. But I am very good with sheetrock finishing. Can anyone give me some answers please.????

I would use the faster setting durabond mix it a little dryer than what you would use on walls and press it into the metal. The faster setting is a harder to sand but it will hold up and look fine when painted. My mom's house has the steel mesh with cement, It is really hard to work with because the cement eats the metal disks and the metal eats the cement cutting wheels. But it holds up better than wood lath.
If you have any areas that are sagging from water damage I have had good luck adding some 2x4 between rafters, breaking the cement (or plaster in your case) and pulling the mesh up with screws then putting in fresh durabond 20 or 30 minute fast setting. I did this shortly after my dad passed and it still looks great after 20 years.


Circuit breaker trips randomly I will relate all information that I can possibly give as I have no idea how to even diagnose this issue.

I live in a hot, dry country with 240V supply. The house I just bought here, has it's lights wired through 2 separate 10A circuit breakers. For some reason earth leakage was bypassed for the lights when I bought the house. A electrician rewired the entire lights circuit and made sure that earth leakage is not bypassed anymore.

After the rewiring we started to have a weird issue. The main earth leakage circuit breaker trips randomly.

With randomly I mean that I am unable to detect a pattern.

Times between this happening have been 1 week, 1 week, 4 weeks, 2 weeks and 2 days.
2 times it was raining at other times it was dry and hot.
Once it happened in the morning while other times it happened in the afternoon.
3 times it happened without ANY lights being on.

When this happens, I am unable to reset the earth leakage breaker unless I switch off one of the lights breakers. (Always the same breaker)
If I try to reset the breaker without switching off the lights breaker earth leakage trips again.

None of the lights have any timer functionality. They are all just light switches connected to standard lights. (Some LED)

The only odd wiring is a 2-way switch for a bedroom.

Now comes the weird part. After the breaker trips I need to wait several hours (more than 3 hours each time, usually overnight), and then everything is fine again. I can reset all breakers and everything works as it should, until the issue happens again some days or weeks later.

Has anyone had a similar issue? Any suggestions on diagnosing the issue would be appreciated.

You have an intermittent earth fault, probably triggered by expanding metal pinching something

From the symptoms described, this sounds like there is some piece of earthed metal that is heating up and pinching/damaging a wire when it does so, causing an intermittent earth fault.  The heat source can be either environmental or internal, which makes this hard to troubleshoot.

I would recommend a thorough checkout of the circuit's always-hot cabling, with all devices unplugged and all light switches removed, using an insulation resistance tester from both H-G and N-G at the distribution board.  (Your local electrician should have access to one.)  From there, the circuit can be divided into sections by way of the junctions in it for further troubleshooting.


Could a steel beam span 24 feet for a pergola? First time post here, thank you for such a great resource! I've done a lot of research but am hoping I can get some help building a pretty large pergola.

I'm trying to be my own master contractor and hire subcontractors to build a long freestanding pergola with no post in the middle. My plan is to have an architect draw up plans, but before I started spending money I'm trying to see if this is even a viable project that a pretty handy person can manage. Basically am I crazy for attempting this?

Property details
- main structure is a duplex
- there is a detached four car carport/garage 12' from the back of the main structure.
- trying to cover the space between the garage and the house with a slight hang over both structures.

Project details:
- 24' L x 14' W.
- I am hoping that a steel beam could span the length with no post.
    a) What's the max length span? It would be preferable to go greater than 24'L.
    b) Any guesstimates on what a beam this size would weigh?
- Would 8" x 8" wood post be strong enough?
    a) how deep do footings need to go and how close can footing be to house foundation?

I wouldn't bother with an architect.

Hire a structural engineer if anyone.

You want a 24' long beam, probably two?  with just some minimal loading from open air beams that sit on the two 24'L beams?  A quick diagram would help.

24' is long but I've done wood PSLs 5.25"x11.75" that open air span more than that and support floor and roof loads.


What's the best way to fix this horrible drywall patch job? Is there a technique I should use to smooth this in so it doesn't look this bad? Before paint I thought it looked fine but it's obvious my drywall skills are not as good as my other ones.

It's very difficult for a beginner to mud in the vicinity of recepticals and switches. My advice is to cut well around the switches and then tape and mud the three joints. It would require removal of the door moulding but when your done you'll find it was very easy.

This gives you all the room you need to apply your mud with a full size blade, making it much easier to blend the mound in.
There is no such thing as a flat wall every joint in the house is raised a little bit. The trick is to make it so gradual that it is imperceptible.
Make sure you cut an approximately 45° bevel in all your butt joints with a sharp knife. Set your tape in the vertical joint. Let it dry. Set your tape on your horizontal joint without overlapping. Let it dry. Sand. 1st coat vertical, dry. Sand 1st coat horizontals, let dry sand. Repeat 3 coats after you set the tape.
You should try to finish each coat as if you don't have sandpaper.


Do I need to install a sump pump? The crawlspace under our house has a tendency to get a bit muddy when the rains are heavy and then dry up a few days later. When the rains are especially hard water will collect in a pit in the crawlspace and I have to go in with a wet vac to clear out the puddle that has formed.

I've had this explained to me by a contractor as the high water table which comes and goes with the tide (I live in Berkeley, CA) and not something to worry about. Other contractors are pointed it out as a concern. Our neighbors have a sump pump to keep their basement dry.

How do I know if I need a sump pump? What are the risks of not getting one right away? How hard is it to install myself? The house is 100 years old, I assume it's been standing this whole time without one.

It sure seems to me that a sump pump would be a good idea, especially if you don't want to keep drying it with a wet vac.  I am assuming the pit you speak of is of some solid material, not just a hole in the dirt?

A sump pump is pretty easy to install. A small one with a built in float connected to some tubing running out of the crawl space would do the trick.  You just need to supply some electricity, set the pump on the bottom of the pit, connect the hose/tubing and your basically done.  It will work automatically when the water raises the float.


How do I wire three 3-way switches in one gang box to three switches in another box? I have two 3-gang boxes (with 3-way switches) to control 3 sets of lights within our kitchen. Since there are two entrances to the kitchen, I have a box at each door. My main question is how to connect the two boxes together. Do I use 3 runs of 14/3 or a combination of 14/3 and 14/2. Here is my schematic if anyone can help.

Basically you need three 14/3 cables between the two boxes. Wire each pair as a set of 3-way switches.

Here is a basic diagram. Just do this for each set of 3-ways. The only difference is that you will need to pigtail three leads onto the incoming feed wire to feed each switch in the first box, and splice all the white wires together since they are all sharing the same circuit. At the box with the switch legs you will splice each white to it's corresponding white going to the lights.


Tighten rope without turnbuckles? I have two 4-ft x 4" x 4" wood posts, and each post has a screw eye. There's 12 feet of distance between each post.

How can I tighten a piece of 1/2" diameter rope that goes through each screw eye and it's stretched tightly without having to buy turnbuckles?

There has to be a knot just for this.

Use a simple cinch loop:

Connect to the first eye and tie a small loop about 2/3 the way across the span.
Run the tail through the second eye and back through the loop.
Pull the tail toward the second eye to create the desired tension and pinch the tail to maintain position.
Tie off the tail at the loop.

Source

The key here is the pulley effect, which compounds the user's strength, and the friction of the assembly, which helps hold position while tying.


What should I consider when determining whether to clear coat, oil/wax or paint an old fir floor? I'm not sure how to make the decision about how to finish my 100 year old fir floor. The boards are 7/8" thick, but quite splintery. They have stains on them. Even after sanding 1-2mm of material off, they still look kind of dirty.
Floor ready for sanding:

Another room after sanding with 24 grit:

That’s called character.
I’d use a pre-stain (test it and the stain color in a back corner of a closet). I’d set and putty all exposed nails, you don’t have to be perfect.
You’ll enjoy it for years.
If you paint it you’ll have a “plastic” looking floor.


Can I glue the float back onto linkage to my toilet fill valve? The part (circled in red) has snapped off - I think it belongs to the entry fill valve. I have placed the knife in there to stop the cistern from filling and overflowing.

Should I try and super glue the black bit attached to the metal connector (at the bottom of the red blob, you can see the black plastic bit that has snapped off)?

Or, should I replace the entire unit? If so anyone know what this unit is and where I can get it from?

That whole assembly is the toilet tank fill valve. The float assembly below rises as the tank fills and pushes up the tab that broke. That in turn pushes up the linkage rod and then the lever to turn the water off. I am not sure what made the tab on the float break but possibly the plastic just got super brittle after being exposed to chlorine in the water over a long period of time.

I do not think that a simple gluing of that tab is going to last. The types of plastic used for these do not lend well to being glued. And if you did get some glue to hold initially the exposure to water could make it fail.

Replace the whole toilet fill valve. They are not that expensive [mostly due to being made of all plastic parts  :-) ] at your big box home improvement store. The last one I purchased was between 10-12USD.


Broken wire inside Rangehood, advice needed My range hood was damaged, which caused it to flare up and spark. I immediately powered off the main to the house (as in the pictures).

I can see that the connection has been damaged. I have no idea how dangerous this is and I'm afraid to turn the power back on to the house, as A fly was literally zapped out of the air floating past the broken wire... Also I don't know if this is a fire hazard or likely to spread to other parts of the house!

I have very little money right now. So is there something I can do for right now until I can have a skilled electrician come to take a look? I notice on the main switchboard there is a node labelled "Stove".

Any Advice would be hugely appreciated...Cheers

...

I think you were wise to turn off the power to be on the safe side.

I also agree that the simplest thing would be to turn off the power to the hood, or safely disconnect the wiring to the hood, until you can get it repaired or replaced.

Turning off the breaker for the stove may or may not turn off power to the hood.
It's almost certain that turning off the main will turn off power to the hood, but in multi-tenant buildings, it's not that unusual find some of the wiring crossed up - there is a chance that hood is on another tenant's service.  If that's the case it will still be live when you turn off your main breaker.

For this reason you want to verify things are safe with a voltage tester, whatever you do.  When you're done, you'll want to test those exposed terminals to make sure they're safe.

Disconnecting the wires from the small gray cable but leaving the wires from the big cable, secure in the connector after you re-tighten the lugs should safely disconnect the hood until it can be repaired.  It should not be necessary but just to be safe, I'd cap the exposed ends of the small gray wire with small connectors of some kind.  But you really ought to use a voltage tester to verify those wires are safe (no voltage) before working on them, and test again when you're done to verify those exposed terminals are indeed dead.


How to stop inverter from charging battery using grid power and charge battery using only solar panels? I recently installed solar charge controller and solar panels to the inverter battery system. Here inverter also contains battery charger and other components.
So now instead of connecting inverter directly to grid power,it's connected to solar charge controller.
Inverter power plug is now connected to power output of solar charge controller.
So solar charge controller decides when to give power to inverter for charging battery through grid power and when to charge battery from solar panels.
During day,solar charge controller mostly charges battery from solar panels when required solar is available and does not give power to inverter,so inverter stays on backup mode.In this way during day,solar panels charges battery and inverter discharges DC to AC providing power to appliances.
During night, solar charge controller gives power to inverter.So inverter is now in charging mode and charges battery while powering appliances directly from grid power and switching to discharging battery DC to AC when grid power is not available.
So how to stop battery charging process AC to DC through inverter from grid power in the inverter during night.
Inverter details :
12V 1450VA
https://www.exideindustries.com/products/home-ups-system/exide-inverterz-gqp.aspx
Battery details : 200Ah tubular
https://www.exideindustries.com/products/solar-batteries/tubular-solar-batteries.aspx
Solar panels : polycrystalline solar panels 600 Watts.
Solar charge controller details : Pulse wave modulation (pwm) 40 Amperes.
Similar to this. https://www.amazon.in/UTL-Solar-Charge-Controller-Hybrid/dp/B073TJ1GR5/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=pwm+solar+controller+40&qid=1610387855&sr=8-2
Here is the daigram showing this setup.

Thanks.

UTL`s SMU has the capability to charge a battery that goes in deep discharge condition. It can charge the battery if the battery voltage during discharge drops up to 8V per battery.
It uses four stages to charge the battery i.e. Boost, Absorption, Float and Equalization.
This feature protects the battery from being over charged.
Read your manual how to set these thresholds.


Air Pressure and Ball Valves I'm making my own airsoft gun and I need a pressure regulator for my HPA tank. It outputs 800 PSI which I need to bring down to about 130 PSI. Problem is, air pressure regulators that support 800 PSI cost around $120. I don't have the money for this, so I'm wondering if it'd be possible to use a ball valve that's almost completely closed to reduce the pressure. I found one that supports up to 1000 PSI on Amazon for around $7.

NO , a ball valve only will control flow. If you even allow a slight orifice the size of a human hair with time the chamber pressure would be at 800 psi.

I would look for a used scuba regulator they can handle up to 3000 psi and the first stage around 135psi , their actual output pressure can be adjusted a little.
I mention this because I used an old scuba regulator to charge my potato guns.
Other possible regulators C02  I think they are 1200psi with the output being adjustable, oxygen or acetylene regs,
Try Craig’s list or eBay for used regs possibly from a welding shop call and ask.
There are lots of options that will be much safer.

Do not use a valve you need some kind of regulator.


How should I wire toe kick lighting for bathroom vanity? I'm remodeling my bathroom and have everything torn down to the studs.

I would like to add some LED lighting to the toe kick of the vanity that is controlled by a switch and I don't want any cords/cables to be visible.

My question is, what's the ideal way to wire this?

Should I install an outlet somewhere in the vanity then plug in the LEDs to it? Is there a solution where i just hardwire the LEDs? Since these are low voltage, is there some other solution?

I know there's a million ways to accomplish this, but wasn't sure if there was a standard way that was being preformed for new construction.

There's not a standard for this.

What I would do is:

Install a receptacle hidden inside the cabinet (depending on cabinet style, this could also be installed in the wall if there's no back on the cabinet, or you cut a hole)
Install a switch on the wall, that controls the receptacle
Install a second junction box in the cabinet for the low-voltage connection, and run a lamp wire (or similar low-voltage wire) from that down underneath the cabinet to the toe kick (leave it coming out of the top of the toekick to be connected to the LED strip.
Plug in a transformer to the receptacle, and make the connection to the wire inside the second low-voltage junction box.

You could skip the junction box for low-voltage, but then you'd have to deal with the transformer being connected during construction, and think about how the transformer could be replaced if it ever broke (without having to tear out the cabinets).

The receptacle would also have to be GFCI-protected: so either it is a GFCI receptacle, or it is powered from the load side of another GFCI already in the bathroom. If you do this using an upstream GFCI, you could also run a 14/3 and wire the receptacle as split (so you have both constant and switched power).


How to wire new pendant lights to an existing ceiling light that has two different switches and have them work independently? I have a ceiling light that has two wall switches (one at either end of room). I want to install two new pendant lights and have them run on one of the switches, and have the ceiling light run on the other switch. Should I call a pro, or is this something that can be done by a DIYer?

I think by reading your question that you have one light fixture controlled from two locations with 3-way switches. If that is true then you should have enough conductors between the devices and fixture to do what you want if can you tap your new pendant fixture off of your existing lighting fixture.

You can replace the 3-way switches with standard switches and arrange the wiring to switch the existing fixture with one switch and the new with the other switch. It would be a matter of tracing, sorting and marking the wires correctly to achieve this task.

Of course I can't tell you exactly how to do it since your question doesn't provide enough information. That would require much more information and perhaps some pictures.

FYI - A "pro" as you say could probably trace, sort and mark the wires in less than an hour if knows what he is doing and was on site. Of course installing fixtures in an existing ceiling would take some time and depend on existing circumstances. So call a pro or try to sort your way through it? The answer would be based on your experience and ability as an electrician, and your willingness to take the time to do the research and post it on this type of site.

Hope this helps.