Can I connect a GFCI outlet's ground screw to the neutral wire if no ground wire is available? I noticed with a two wire cable (with a ground), the ground and neutral wires in the circuit breaker box all connect together. If I have a two wire only cable to a new three wire receptacle can I install a jumper from the neutral to the ground terminal in the receptacle box with the same results?

Although the neutral wire will generally be near ground potential, there are some situations where it might not be.  For example, when switching on a large motor, the voltage on the neutral wire may jump briefly but significantly.  Further, if the neutral wire breaks between a device and the panel, it will very likely end up with full line voltage on it.  If the neutral wire were bonded to the ground terminal on a piece of equipment, any voltage on it could shock anyone touching the equipment.  Because the current would be flowing on the ground wire which the ground-fault interrupter does not switch, the GFCI would provide no protection against it.

The accepted way to handle the situation where no ground is available is to use a GFCI with its ground lead attached to nothing but with a label affixed reading "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND".  A GFCI used in such fashion will not detect some failure modes that would be detected if the grounding wire were bonded to neutral but the danger of putting neutral voltage on the ground wire exceeds the safety gain from catching those particular failure modes.

It would be helpful if someone were to sell a GFI which was designed to connect ground to neutral well enough to trip the detector immediately if a device has a leak between its hot and ground leads, but not well enough to pose a dangerous condition.  I am unaware of any such devices being for sale, however.


Do these two coax amplifiers do the same thing? In the picture below, the one on the left (black) is in use, while the one on the right (red label) is one I found that I'd like to use in another location (to amplify incoming internet signal), so trying to figure out if they do the same exact thing.

It would appear to me the red one has more amplification? (15db?), but are they doing the same thing - amplifying the signal input?

I'm thrown off because the red one says it's for VOIP. I'd like to use it for the same purpose of increasing cable internet signal strength coming into the house, but didn't know if they're functionally doing the same exact thing. Is the VOIP output on the red one the same thing as a normal output?

The VOIP port is meant for the cable company's telephony modem, it works even if the power to the amplifier is interrupted.  The label shows it does not have the same amplification or return loss.

So although it's possible it will work, it isn't the same.


using paint that has been frozen I used some latex paint that had bee frozen. it had a granulated texture but that was no matter for the project I had. I have heard this will crack and peel faster. what if I paint over it with good paint will it cause problems with that too or will a coat of new paint prevent the premature peeling? basically do I have to remove the layer of bad paint or can i just paint over it?

Once you have a weak layer of paint, adding strong layers won't help, as it will still crack and peel at that weak layer. I'd suggest waiting and seeing what happens; if it lasts as-is then you're good, if it starts peeling then you'll have a head start on removing it.


What are these bathroom mirror lamp holders called? I have two mirrors in different bathroom that looked like this:

Now one of them looks like this:

Now the problem is these sockets are old and loose and i would like to replace them and "fix" them in one place but i can't seem to find the holder with the screws that put the socket in one place, i searched online and physical stores and i can't find anything like it.

Help is appreciated.

EDIT: More pictures as requested, they are at least 20 years old, i don't know the brand, i can't see any imprints either...

So, looking at the photos, what part is loose? The lamp socket, or the lamp base? Is the bulb loose in the screw base or the whole socket loose in the mirror? Here are some suggestions:

1) Bulb loose in socket (Lamp socket), breaker off, with a screw driver, gently pry up on the middle tab to bring it up into the socket further.

2) Lamp base loose in the mirror. You can remove the lamp base, and adjust the clamp on it, unless the clamp is broken. The clamp is the part that looks like a 2-prong fork on each side of the socket base (your last 2 photos.) Make sure that the prongs are on the mirror part and not falling into the hole. Sometimes those metal prongs become brittle and break. I had hallway lamps that used a metal "spring" that held the lamp shade on. After taking them down to clean them and do some painting, one of the "springs" broke and I was forced to replace the lamp or DIY a solution. The solution was to drill holes in the metal lamp base and use set screws. This doesn't look possible here, but you might be able to find suitable metal to create new clamps or build up the mirror surrounding the clamps.

If you can't do either, and the lamps are flush, you might have a hard time trying to find replacement sockets, and you might need to make a DIY solution that will work. You may need to convert to a keyless socket like this: https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/137319/SOCK-45389099.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5NPjBRDDARIsAM9X1GJrCuKLGaqEfPjjn9EjRkCRqzLa7R1FIDpdcu-ViyEzrbYVU28fnjYaAuyQEALw_wcB

This is just a sample and not intended to be the only solution, brand distributor or manufacturer.

A keyless socket would have either a fixed ring and adjustable ring, or 2 adjustable rings, that would allow you to adjust the depth of the socket.


What kind of ladder on slope? I want to be able reach the eaves for cleaning. The ground is on a slope.  What would be a good way to get up there?  What it to be safe, not cost a fortune.  I don't need to go up very often. Adjustable ladder legs seem to be costly.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

With a solid surface like that, that is sloped a little bit, a few sizable scraps of plywood or short piece(s) of 2X8 under one side is all that would require. I know it sounds sketchy if you haven't tried it, but with a solid sidewalk under it, it will be surprisingly stable. On job sites, I have used rocks, brick, 2X4, anything to get the leg even with the other. Of course discretion is used how these are placed.

If this is something you want to keep handy, a piece of 3/4" plywood, say 2 ft X 1 ft, which should be enough to comfortably set a ladder on, and fasten wood blocks on the underside, one at the low edge and another in the center that are 1ft long as well to level the plywood  "base" for the ladder to set on. You can hang it on the garage wall until needed again.


High Efficiency Furnace vented through the roof. How screwed am I? I'm investigating installing a central air system and in doing so it was brought to my attention that my high efficiency furnace may not be installed properly.  I'm in a narrow semi without much clearance and they vented the furnace out through the roof a couple of years before I moved in.

There's a pump off the furnace that pushes the condensation into my drain, but no drain line off of the pipe itself. Is this set up ok, is there something I can do to retrofit this, or am I looking at major work here?

All of the units I have installed the condensate in the exhaust drains back to the firebox and drains with that condensate. The pipe if run horizontally is supposed to have a slope. So I do not see a problem. Adding an ac coil or evaporator should not affect the heat system exhaust unless it needs to be re routed you can add the ac drain to your condensate pump but I would install a sensor to alarm if the pump fails. So you know because both systems can make quite a mess when the pump fails and they do fail.


Insulation in the attic with ridge vent and eaves Do I need to leave space over top plate at eaves when adding insulation if I have a ridge vent

Yes.

They make thin foam inserts for the eaves to keep the insulation from filling the eave.

An example like these.

Good luck!


Remove switch from three-way series circuit I've got a three-way switch installed in series (I believe that's the correct term - it is not a proper three-way switch, both switches have to be in the on position for the lights to be on.) I had an electrician check, and he said it was wired improperly at the light and I would have to completely rewire it to make it function properly.

So as an alternative, I want to just remove one of the switches, the first on the circuit.

Can I just connect black to black and white to white at that switch, to basically treat that switch as always on?

How to bypass a plain (1-way) switch

Make sure the switch works now, if not you will lose your mind trying to make it work.   Turn the power off first at breaker or fuse.  Unscrew covers and pull switch out of box.  Photograph everything. Then

Note any ground wires which go to the switch. Grounds are bare, green, or yellow+green stripe.
Ignoring any ground wires, there are now exactly two wires going to the switch.  If there are not, STOP: you will not be bypassing this switch today, and post the photos on SE for advice.
A wire you can't identify is not a ground wire!
Remove the switch and splice together those exactly two wires.
Remove any ground wires still on the switch.
Do Not Touch any other wires which may be in the box.

Push it all back into the box and fit a blank cover.


What's the correct term for a steam radiator valve pipe with tapered threads? In changing the air valves on antique steam radiator, I bought two different brands which both have machine-like straight threads, whereas the old ones reveal themselves to be tapered.

The new will not screw in. Assuming this is a mismatch and not a lost ability to screw, what is the plumbing terminology needed to shop for these devices?

In the US, most likely "National Standard Taper Pipe" Thread.

Elsewhere in the world most likely "British Standard Pipe Taper" Thread.


How to mix concrete cement How do i make sure i have the right air in concrete cement if i'm mixing at home.So that the concrete is stronger and won't crack in cold winters. I'm pouring a small walk way about a meter of concrete.

To get air entrained concrete similar to that which you'd get from a ready mix delivery, you'll need to add an air entraining agent to your mix.

Without getting in to serious mix design, for all practical purposes, a 4:2:1 (stone : sand : cement) mix will likely suffice for a walkway.

If you're really bothered about cracking, include a layer of smaller gauge reinforcement (eg A142) as an anti-crack mesh.


Convert MWBC to single 240V receptacle I currently have a 20 amp double pole breaker supplying a multi-wire branch circuit for two 120v receptacles in a double gang box.
I'd like to remove the 120v receptacles and install a 240v receptacle.
Can I simply attach the two hots and the ground from the circuit? If so, what should I do with the neutral wire?

Cap the neutral off and you’re done.
However, since your breaker is 2-pole with common trip, you’re perfectly allowed to eat your cake and have it too.  You can replace one side’s receptacle with either

a dual NEMA 6-15
a dual or single NEMA 6-20,
or a combo NEMA 5-20 NEMA 6-20, giving one socket of each.  Come off the hot of the other receptacle to the 2nd hot on the NEMA 6-20.

That last option lets you make full use of the MWBC, and then, make full use of the 240V circuit... although, not both at once at max amperage.  So an 8A/240V load will play nice with two 12A/120V loads, etc.


Flushed cat litter, maybe clogged? I stupidly flushed some cat litter a couple times yesterday( 2-3 flushes so i didnt do it all at once and clog it). I now realize i should not have done this as it causes major problems. Im in an apartment.

The toilet seems to be flushing and filling back up fine, but once the bowl fills back up with water and once it stops running i notice the water recedes about 2 inches or so. I even noticed when the neighbor flushed there toilet more got sucked out of mine a bit. I am assuming it is just cloged and thats what i need to fix?

Any tips or suggestions or has this happened to someone else?

The litter has probably gathered in the piping underneath the toilet in the closet bend. You might try forcing a water hose down through the toilet until it stops. Make sure you get all the way through the toilet and near the closet bend. The more pressure you can get, the better. Run the water at high pressure for a considerable period of time to wash the clay as far down as possible. That might help prevent more issues down the plumbing line. If you know anyone that has the skills, remove the toilet first and see if you might be able to use a shop vac and suck out as much of the clay as possible.

Chemical drain openers will not dissolve clay. Don't waste your money.


How to use fiber optics to illuminate glass tiles? Just a cool idea I've been kicking around for about an hour, I'm trying to figure out how it could work. I'm considering doing this with backslpash tiles and maybe even some shower tiles.

Ideas:

Side illuminated fiber optic cable that's just the size of the gap between the tiles, then covering that in grout. I'd put it in every other grout line, because each line should illuminate tiles on both sides of the cable. Maybe if the cable is undersized, I can use some optical glue to attach the fiber to the glass
Using casting resin as a surrogate fiber. I saw a few people making their own fiber optic cables (for decoration quality, not data) by injecting it into a PVC tube. I figure if I attach all my tiles using ditra or some other membrane that'll prevent cracking, I can just "bridge" all the tiles using casting resin and then cover the resin with grout. Alternatively caulking or hot glue. Similarly, solid core 2mm fiber cut to the width of the tiles, glued face to face in the grout line between tiles. This would use the tiles as a pass-through. This would have to be vertically or vertically and horizontally as the brightness would definitely fade as it goes.
Regular fiber run along the sides of the tiles, glued or caulked down to the side of the tile. Maybe run it straight down the center of the grout line if the glue or silicone is conductive enough.

Bad ideas:

LEDs on the underside of the tiles. This will cast a shadow with the backing web, and this will cause a bright spot
I was considering drilling/grinding a 1mm hole in the back of the tiles, then securing a 1mm fiberoptic cable with optical glue. Except the hole would be ugly and clearly visible as the tiles get their colors from the backing. Drilling from the side would be time consuming and run the high risk of nicking one of the finish surfaces.

You guys have any other neat ideas on how to implement this, words of wisdom?

Consider using high intensity LEDs at the edges.  This is how they illuminate light panels in elevators - using some kind of diffusing backing behind it or properly-selected tiles that can be lit from the top or bottom.

The problem with using fiber optics is if they break, you can't service them if they're mortared along with the tile.  Light the tile from the edges and the lighting system can be serviced.


To which terminals do you connect a phone jack? I just had my house phone connected and it's wired through conduit in the wall, so everything looks as professional as possible. Unfortunately the phone company here in Mexico does not connect phone jacks that are not their property. So I’m basically stuck doing it myself.

They have a 2 wire (blue and white) cable to their phone jack and my jack has 4 places I can connect to but cant figure out which two to use (TX,L2,TS,L1)

L1, L2 cross-references to TIP and RING respectively per standard US phone nomenclature. TX/TS can be wired as the second line TIP2/TX, RING2/TS or a sort of daisy chain, but in a single line system, can be ignored.

Wiring on this will be

Green => Tip => L1
Red => Ring => L2

This pair will connect to the center pair of contacts in the modular socket/jack. Most phone wall cords sold are RJ-11 with a single pair to save money.

What the phone company has given you is a standard T-568A (Cat 4 or 5) color coded single pair. If you examine it closely, one wire's insulation will be white with blue stripe and the other will be solid blue.

It cross-references to the old RING/L1, TIP/L2 wiring convention as follows:

White/Blue => Green => Tip => L1
Blue => Red => Ring => L2

RJ Modular wiring:

RJ-11 Single Pair
RJ-14 Two Pair
RJ-25 Three Pair

POTS Local Loop voltages (positive ground to reduce electrolytic corrosion):

Tip is at ground potential
Ring is -48V DC (nominal)


What is the recommended way of removing a siliconed in tub jet tube I was trying to get our jetted tub back in operational order when I noticed it was leaking. After cutting a hole in the wall in the other room, I traced the leak back to a tube that was not properly sealed. The tubing used is some sort of soft but very stiff PVC tubing. It appears to have silicone calking or something similar all around holding it in. Ideally, I'd like to take it out and clean it up and put a better layer down, but I am finding it very hard to get it out. Are there any tricks to loosening or this up? Perhaps a tool made for sticking down inside the crack and cutting the silicone?

I've tried to cut with a hobby knife and pulled out as much as I could with needle nose pliers, but it still won't come out.

That would not be silicone caulk. It is PVC glue. You can see the blue primer on part of the fitting. The PVC tubing would have been coated with PVC glue as would the interior of the fitting and the two of them twisted together. The tubing probably goes all the way into the fitting. It's almost impossible to get that apart without damaging it to the extent that you wouldn't be able to reglue it. When I've had repair jobs like that, I have replaced the fitting and added some extra PVC to connect to the PVC tubing.


What are my compact CNC milling machine options for stone carving? I am looking for suggestions about a small and compact CNC milling machine to sculpt decorative figures in metal and stone plates. I have no experience with such machines (I once saw an industrial one using high pressure water to cut through marble, but it's beyond my needs, budget and expertise), but I would not need a professional level machine, just a hobby level one with basic functionalities

I would like to know the following information:

suggestions for resellers and products
expected price
expected maintenance
tips for usage and precautions

There are a bunch site like hobbycnc that sell plans and parts to build your own hobby cnc.  Here's a site that sells a kit.  Looks pretty neat actually...now I know what I want for Christmas!

Update:
Just found the Torchmate series.  They have a Torchmate 2x2 version starting at $3000.


Annoying sand that gets into our house! We just bought a house and the top of the driveway has sand which we figured is where a french drain pipe is underground.  As of now, moving the french drain pipe is not in our budget but in a year or so, we hope to move it.  It is about 5 feet from our side door and we get sand in the house.  We would like to put pebbles or stone down on top of the sand but we are afraid of crushing the pipe.  What is recommended?  Thanks!

Those pipes can usually stand to be buried pretty deep.  but either way There would be no harm in removing some of the sand and replacng it with crushed rock or pebbles.


Best way to flash an EPDM rubber roof on a concrete roof deck? I'm planning to install an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber roof on my 1922-built, poured concrete garage. The concrete deck leaks heavily during rainstorms, and it looks like installing an EPDM roof is just within my ability. One detail I'm unsure about is how to flash the edges of the roof deck, but I'd welcome feedback on any part of the plan.

Right now, the plan is to first install a layer of fiberboard onto the concrete deck. This is to allow good adhesion and provide some padding for the EPDM. I'm going to screw that down with 3" tapcons and special large washers designed for EPDM. Then I'll glue down the EPDM to the fiberboard, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side. (I'm planning to use a large enough EPDM sheet, 15'x20', that I can do the whole garage roof without any seams.) I'll then fasten the overhang to the vertical edge using a termination bar (basically a strip of aluminum with screw holes every 6" or so) along with some EPDM caulk.

This use of termination bars seems like it should be really reliable, but possibly overkill -- they're designed to help seal the EPDM on its way up a wall, and this is down. Another possibility might be to use aluminum roll flashing, but I'm not sure of how to best install that -- would I fasten it over the fiberboard and down the side, then glue EPDM over top?  Or does the aluminum go on after the EPDM and if so, how do I fasten it without making holes that could leak through the EPDM? In either case, should I worry about ventilating anything -- is it possible for moisture to accumulate in the fiberboard?

Additionally, there is a gutter area shaped into the concrete at the rear of the garage, with a small pipe at its edge that leads to a downspout. I'm planning to continue using this to drain the roof, and expect to cut a small hole in the EPDM above it, flash that with EPDM flashing tape, and install some sort of leaf guard. I'd prefer to use a proper roof drain, but the pipe isn't wide enough -- maybe 2" diameter, slightly deformed metal.

Will this approach to flashing the edges and drain produce a long-lasting seal?

Is the 2" diameter pipe (connected to the downspout) the only means for water to flow off the roof?

If yes, does this current system allow the roof to drain correctly? ie Does water flow off the roof in a reasonable manner or does it build up (puddling) or does it overflow else where off the roof?

  I'll then fasten the overhang to the vertical edge using a termination bar (basically a strip of aluminum with screw holes every 6" or so) along with some EPDM caulk.

  This use of termination bars seems like it should be really reliable, but possibly overkill -- they're designed to help seal the EPDM on its way up a wall, and this is down.

Also the above has me a little confused, is the EPDM being terminated via being dressed vertically up a wall or is it being bent down a wall (a photo of the existing would greatly help)?


Why doesn't my electrical service panel have a main disconnect breaker? I had another question about the electricity in my shed that I now understand, but in one of the comments:

  Either this is a real oddity (a split bus QO) or a severe Code violation (MLO panel improperly used as a main panel with no service disconnecting means)

Outside

The Panel

Behind the Cover

Top of the Panel

Main Panel Inside (Closeup)

Bottom of the Panel

In the bottom here you can see the thick black wires coming in through the back punch out on the left side.

On the right side you can see the large bare aluminum wire in the clamp by itself - this goes out the wall and is connected to the grounding rod. That actually didn't exist until our mains power was shorting with the ground and our electricity started swinging wildly from 80v-240v, which caused the power strip we had under our bed not only to trip, but the capacitor(?) melted/blew up and it started arc welding itself. That was an exciting way to wake up from a nap. But there was no option to just flip a main breaker and cut the power, so I just had to do it manually.

So, what is up with my panel? Is this normal? Was it at least a legal thing to do in the 1970's when my house was built?

Your real problem is a lost neutral.

That's why your voltages were going all 80-240V.   The neutral wire broke between the panel and the pole. This needs to be fixed.  Unless it's in your panel, it's the power company's problem and should be reported as a power outage, which it actually is.  Shut off everything until it is.

If hooking up a ground significantly improves conditions, that diagnostically proves the neutral problem, but This is NOT a legitimate or safe fix!!! It should not be continued for even one more minute.  Shut Everything Off and get that neutral fixed.

Since your panel does not appear to have a main breaker, you would need to call your power company and have them come out and pull the meter.  They need to do that anyway to investigate the lost neutral.

Now might be a good time to get a meter pan which contains a main breaker.  I would obtain it and have it ready for when the power company comes out to fix the neutral.  They may just fit it for free, since they're in there anyway, and replacing beats troubleshooting.

Other stuff

The nice thing about a main breaker on the meter pan is if you turn it off, your entire panel is deenergized, which makes the panel safer to work in, and makes a whole-panel replacement safe to DIY.  Not that there's anything wrong with a QO panel!  It is small for my tastes.

However I think you definitely do have a split-bus "rule of six" panel.

Fill the empty hole in slot 28 with a spare breaker.  They make proper blanking plates, but I find them flimsy and expensive, and breakers are cheap and a heck of a lot easier to find.  Label it N/C.

The zinc plated copper ground wire is fine. You can't use aluminum for ground wires.

The big aluminum is fine and in fact preferable, since the lugs are aluminum.  Beware of small gauge (12-8 gauge) aluminum wire in the house on branch circuits. That is the scary stuff.   Until recently, the repair approach was to run around screaming and tear your hair out, then tear your wire out.  Today, there's a magic device called an AFCI breaker which will catch arc faults, which is what we're worried about with aluminum wire.  That, with CO-ALR terminations or Alumiconns, I'd sleep well at night.

It's definitely a Rule-of-Six "split bus" panel.

Now, the dead giveaway of a Rule-of-Six panel, look at the top 12 spaces (where the six Rule-of-Six 2-pole breakers go).  Follow all their wires.  Are they all accounted for?  NO.  Breaker 1's extra fat wires do not leave the panel.

Its top wire does a most unlikely thing, that seems like an optical illusion but is not: it goes straight down, just to the left of the L1 lug.  Look close in empty position 9, you can see it again just left of the bus, with that same spackle splattered on it.  And just to the right of the L2 lug is an equally fat wire that is mostly obscured, that can only be its partner. Split-bus panel.

Now look at Space 14, right side. Compare to spaces 28 and 30. See how the bus is different there, as in weirdly missing?  Split-bus.

I'm not a fan.  I would transform any Rule-of-Six panel into a Rule-of-One panel by having only one breaker in the Rule of Six area.  QO makes snap-on breakers as large as 200A that will fit there, then I'd feed an external subpanel.  (the internal subpanel is too small).

** If you really know what you're doing, you can activate certain loads, e.g. 240V-only loads (which have no neutral).


How to attach a TV mount to a resilient channel wall? first SE post!

MY QUESTION: How do I safely attach an articulating mount (tilt/pan) for a 75" LCD TV to a "sound deadening" wall that uses resilient channels?

Thanks to the miracle of the StackExchange Home Improvement answer to someone else's question, I learned that the bizarre insides of my wall are so-called "sound deadening:" drywall, attached to horizontal metal 'resilient channels,' attached to wood studs, attached to concrete cinder block.

Here's the inside of my wall (this is from 8 years ago when our water heater popped and drained down into the wall.)

I had never heard of such a thing and was image-googling "horizontal studs" when I found the pic that "Ecnerwal" shared in the linked post (reposting here to save you all a browse):

Except I don't think my building includes all the fancy layers, it's just drywall. :/

So what should be my approach?

Anchor the mount to the wood studs, through the metal channels?
Anchor to the wood studs, avoiding the metal channels?
Anchor directly to the metal channels, avoiding the wood studs? (seems risky)
Forget both the studs and channels, just mount a plywood backing plate to the drywall with 18 drywall anchors and attach the TV mount to that?

I really don't want to have to open up the drywall in the living room if I don't have to. Not finding any info about how to deal with resilient channel walls. Would love your thoughts.

Your best option is to cut a peice of 1/2 " finish plywood around 36 inches wide and tall enough to split the resilient channel at the top and bottom. That way the drywall will be supported by the channel as will the plywood. Carefully cut the drywall to the same size and firmly secure the ply through the channel into the wood without crushing the channel. You can fill the seam and sand it but choose a filler that remains flexible because wood and gypsum expand and contract with heat and moisture at different rates. Now if you so choose, you can prime and paint.  This method will allow you to support several hundred pounds, assuming you wall can. My TV is a 100lb 70" with a 30" long mount which allows me to turn the TV beyond 90 degrees. In my application I added plywood behind the drywall and replaced the drywall. As you can see from the image I didn't fill sand android paint but that's an optional step.


Replaced a dimmer switch but the dimmer doesn't work I replaced a broken dimmer switch where the dimming happened by positioning the switch in various places to one that has a small lever next to the switch. I turned the power back on and the light fixture works but the dimming does not. Any ideas how I can get that to work? Many thanks. Could it be the type of lightbulbs?

There are different colored plates to go over the light switch. If the switch, dimmer knob etc. are all not on an up position, the dimmer won't be able to toggle up and down.


How to repair a large hole in OSB? I know that it's just the garage but I'd like to repair this approximately 5 inch hole in an interior OSB partition wall. How should I proceed?

Turn off the power feeding that outlet and move the wires out of the way.  Set the blade on your circular saw to make a cut just a little bit deeper than the OSB is thick.  From the opposite side of the wall than what is shown in the picture, cut a rectangle out of the OSB that includes the top and bottom of the hole and extends to the middle of each stud to either side.  Cut a piece of OSB to fit the hole, and screw it into the studs.

Alternatively, if you don't want to see a patch, you can just take off the whole piece of damaged OSB and replace it with a new one.


Japan: Can I ground a dishwasher by connecting it to a sink? This is a question about electrical safety in Japan.  I know this isn’t a Japanese forum, but my Japanese isn’t up to much, and everyone I can ask either knows nothing about electrical safety or nothing about Japan.

I come from the UK, where every plug is three-pronged and ordinary consumers like me don’t have to think about matters like grounding.

Here in Japan, most plugs are two-pronged. Risky devices like washing machines and dishwashers come with an extra green and yellow ground wire bolted onto the back. In my 80s apartment there are a couple of power sockets with a little metal plate where I can attach a ground wire; one is in the place where you’d expect a refrigerator to go, and the other is for the washing machine.  It seems that the builders didn’t anticipate other kinds of home appliance.

So now I have a dishwasher, and it’s nowhere near any of the grounding plates. But it is near the kitchen range, and the kitchen range has a couple of gas taps attached. I am vaguely aware that gas pipes should be grounded, so I considered connecting the ground wire to the sink, but on closer inspection, it appears that the gas taps and the sink do not make electrical contact -- a 1 inch ring of uPVC separates the two.

The pipe work is safely sealed away from incompetent amateurs like me, so I can’t start hunting for evidence of grounding work there.  However, the kitchen range does appear to have electrical contact (through metal pipes) to a gas water heater just above the kitchen range. The gas water heater is, in turn, connected to one of the gas taps via what appears to be a rubber hose. I don’t see any other signs of grounding, and the water heater was professionally installed so, at first glance, this suggests that the kitchen range is grounded.

So, what should I do? Shall I just connect the dishwasher to the sink, or am I going to have to bite the bullet and run a long wire to the refrigerator’s ground plate?

Many thanks for taking the time to read this.

You can't rely on the integrity of the ground/earth on the pipework of the sink. For all you know it could be connected to PVC pipework further down. In the U.K all pipework is meant to be cross-bonded which is then taken to the earthing bar. However in Japan I am unsure if this is what is done. Regardless you should be earthing/grounding it back to the incoming supply.

In a lot of countries that use two pronged devices they are actually fed from centre-tapped transformers or are double insulated devices. Either way they should not become dangerously live.

In short don't connect to the sink run it back to the earthing/grounding bar.


How far can a 2x4 or maybe 2x6 support over a 10' span? I am creating a shelf in my garage to go over the front of the car.

The rules of the town home community is that we can't have anything that puts weight on the structure of the garage, so have created two by side supports designed to have something go horizontally go from one to the other ( it's 42" deep ).

I was thinking of 2 or 3 2x4's to go span the 10', and then using 1 x 4 slats over that for the shelf.

How much weight would this hold ?

Should I use 2x6's ? Should I use 2 or 3? Or ?

Not planning to put a lot of weight up there, maybe cumulative around 150 - 250 pounds.

Any thoughts on what I should use to span the 10' wide, 42" deep shelf space ?

I do not know how your side supports are constructed or how you plan to keep it from racking side to side.

Three 2" x 6" set on there side so they are like floor joists, I.E. not laying flat.

One front, one middle one back, use Simpson joist hangers to attach to side support rim joist. 1/2" Plywood decking on top of that to create a shelf.

If you want even more weight capacity overkill make it four joists.

How much weight will it hold ?  There is an online sag calculator you can use https://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

It is a garage shelf, if it sags a little over time it is not the end of the world. When it does, Turn your  joists over in the joist hangers so the crown is on top and get a few more years out of them. Or use 2"x 8".


How can I save my gunite pool that is in danger of cracking with freeze guard disabled by power outage? We're in Texas and have 5 degree temps this week with rolling blackouts. Our swimming pool is full year round to keep it from being burped out of the ground. We have a freeze guard installed but with the blackouts, the power is off for hours and ice is forming. I've read that if you float wood in the pool, it will act like an expansion joint & the ice will burp it out if it freezes. I don't have any logs but I do have 2x4's. Will putting these in the pool work?

Jump in and break the ice periodically. Minnesotan up!
Seriously, walk the perimeter on a regular basis and bust the ice up with a shovel or other heavy tool. Unless the ice gets thicker than say a half inch across the entire surface it won't cause damage.
Covering it will certainly help. You have a lot of heat in the ground, so if you insulate the top it'll stay much warmer. Pull your cover over it and throw all your extra laundry on it. Dark colors absorb solar heat.


Holes designed in water spigot? https://youtu.be/mhYfr3y6Jkw
See the video above for what I'm referencing. I noticed water shooting out from my spigot today (never seen this happen before).
Upon closer inspection it looks like it actually has holes designed in it (so I have no clue why this hasn't happened before).
How can I prevent water from shooting out of those holes in the water spigot? The garden hose is fully tightened already.

It looks to me like there is something screwed onto the end of the spigot, probably a backflow preventer. Try to unscrew the wide ring that you are connecting the hose to. These wear out and/or get gummed up and stop working properly.
For reference. here is a photo of such a device I found on the internet:


Holes in gas grill burner replacement constitute a leak? The burner rusted out in my gas grill so I purchased a replacement - a universal burner that was approximately the same size.  It was easy to assemble and install.  However, the ends of the gas tubes that connect to the gas line ends by the control knob have a wire-mesh webbed opening.  When I attach these, the ends coming from the control knobs do not go beyond the webbed opening.  The old line had a similar mesh opening that was even longer.

How is this not a gas leak in the line?

Those openings are the air inlet.  The gas line ends in a small diameter opening that inserts into the burner assembly.  The small gas opening causes the gas to flow out at a high velocity, which causes the pressure to be a bit lower at that point because of the Bernoulli effect.  So instead of gas leaking out, air actually flows in to mix with the gas before it gets to the burner exit where the mixture burns.  There should be an adjustable metal sleeve which partially covers the opening.  By moving the sleeve to let more or less air in, you can adjust the flame until you have the right ratio of air to gas.


Wiring a fluorescent T8 fixture to a standard plug I am looking to connect a T8 fluorescent light fixture (that holds 4 bulbs) to a cord with a plug at the end so I can plug the fixture directly into a standard wall socket (or in my case a light socket adapter like this one.)

Here is an image of the connector, I'm not sure the exact name of the connector part, but how would I connect that to a cord with a plug at the end?

Notice the connector has 2 holes for white and 2 holes for black, I'm not sure what those are for.

It seems the ballast is grounded to the fixture, would I need a 2 or 3 pronged cord?

The extra holes in the connector are for wire chaining the fixture to the next fixture.  One pair goes to power, the other pair to the next fixture.

You can cut off the connector and strip the two wires (black and white) and connect them directly to the cord with wire twist connectors.  These are color coded for the total size of wires in them.  Yours plus a cord is likely to be the smallest (blue).

Black goes to black and white to white.
Be sure to use a three prong cord with a ground wire, like this:

Secure the green wire to the fixture's metal with a screw (maybe one already in place), or cut the end of the wire, strip it, and use a twist connector to tie it to a ground wire in the fixture.
The clamp is a great idea if the edge of the hole in the fixture is sharp.


What is an acceptable temperature difference for rooms over garage vs not over garage in a new home? I recently moved into a new construction home where there are rooms above the garage. I've read several articles about how you can add insulation, but I am trying to figure out what I should reasonably expect by default.

The home also has two-zone hvac where upstairs is on it's own so I am expecting better than if it was one zone for the whole house.

I used a infrared thermometer (not expensive FLIR, but basic). Taking reading from the master bedroom where the thermostat is to the bedrooms above the garage, I get typically about 7 degree Fahrenheit difference.

So Far

Test Day 1 in Sep: 74 in the room with thermostat, 67 in the rooms above garage

Test Day 2 in Oct: 69 in the room with thermostat, 62.5 in rooms above garage.

Are there any standards or code which I should be checking? I want to have the builder do at least the proper minimum before I start shelling out from spray foam or something else. This seems like something is missing for such a big difference.

Edit:
I have not yet had the system blowing on full tilt for a long time for heat. Even on days when it was in the 70s outside, it would feel cold in the bedrooms, and the temp in the garage would actually be warmer. Maybe when the systems are blowing hard it will have an impact, but in the shoulder seasons when systems aren't blowing a lot I would expect closer temps across the floor in a new home.

Yes, there are energy efficiency code standards for residential buildings. The Code is divided into 1) one and two family structures, and 2) three or more residential structures. (There are also energy standards for manufactured housing, log homes, commercial, institutional, etc. too, but that does not apply here.)

I will reference one and two family structures only.

Each building department “adopts” their own “code”, but this is recognized throughout the U.S. This is based on the International Code Council (ICC), 2017 edition, which is the current edition.

First, you should know that the Code provides a “proscriptive path” for all building elements. If you use them, then you are approved for construction.

Second, the Code allows substitutions and “alternate means of construction “, but the calculations required to show you meet the Energy Code is difficult (and would probably require a mechanical engineer to do the trade-off calculations.) That is to say, you don’t have to use R-21 insulation in the walls, but if you don’t, you’ll need a more efficient heating/cooling system...etc.

So, here is a list (you can verify this list by calling your local jurisdiction...Building Department) and it doesn’t matter if you’re over a garage or not:

Walls: R-21
Flat ceilings: R-49
Vaulted ceilings: R-30
Under floors: R-30
Windows: U-0.30
Window area limitation: n/a
Skylights: U-0.50
Exterior doors: U-0.20
Forced air duct insulation: R-8

Note: R-values are for insulation ONLY. It does not include values for siding, sheathing, etc.

Gas fired furnace or boiler: 94% eff.
Air source heat pump: HSPF 9.5/15.0 SEER cooling
Ground source heat pump: COP 3.5 or Energy Star
Ductless heat pump: HSPF 10.0 in primary space.

There are many other Energy Code requirements like : window air leakage, slab on grade performance, etc., but too numerous to list here.

SUMMARY:
If your contractor met the above requirements, I’d expect better performance in your living space above the garage.

If the space is not too cold (in heating season) or not too hot (in cooling season), then the heating system is of adequate size.

I’d then check thermostat. Some have a “dead zone” setting...usually about 3 degrees. That is to say, if you set it at 70, then it must drop (or rise) 3 degrees before it turns the heating/cooling system on. If the thermostat is located in a drafty area (say by an exterior door) it could trigger the thermostat.

I would then check insulation thicknesses. One easy check is to see if the walls are made out of 2x4’s. The required insulation cannot be installed in 2x4 walls...a 2x6 wall is minimum. (You can easily check thickness of walls by looking at the walls by the windows.)

I’d check the ceiling insulation, because heat rises and you’ll quickly loose heat through the ceiling/roof quicker than walls. (Likewise, If cooling is an issue, then check the floor insulation. )

If the windows are not double pane or the exterior door does not have weatherstripping, then they do not meet minimum requirements.

Remember, your large temperature change is caused by a lack of retaining your heating/cooling AND your heating/cooling system not responding quick enough.


Split a single branch circuit into two runs? I'm trying to figure out if I can split a single branch circuit into two runs. Basically, I want to add an outlet to a circuit, but it's not in a convenient place to put it in line with a single run. The wiring would look something like:

 -----------
 | Panel   |        --------
 |         | 12/2   | Jct  |  12/2
 |     20A |--------| Box  |---------Outlet-------Outlet----...
 |         |        |      |
 -----------        --------
                       |
                       \ 12/2
                        -------Outlet

Will NEC allow this? Thanks!

Yes, that's fine, you can "tee" circuits.   I just did one that looks like a tree... starting with a 3-way split right in the service panel.  And two branches themselves have splits downstream.

Now let's talk about splicing.  USA receptacles provide two screws or backstabs per side.  That has several uses, but the most common use is an easy way to do a 3-way splice: one for the power source, one for the downstream feed to the next outlet, and of course the receptacle itself.  Here's the thing: people get hung up on this, and forget this is only one of several ways to do a splice.  You can use any listed method.

So with both screws full, how do you add a third wire?

you cannot use both screws and backstabs.   You must use one system or the other only, and don't use backstabs anyway becuase they fail a lot.
You can use a short pigtail to come off one screw, and then any of a variety of splices to join the pigtail and two of the wires.  One remains on the other screw (or not; you can just join all the wires at the splice, I do that when the receptacle is in a really awkward location.)
you can use special receptacles called screw-and-clamp which can accommodate four wires (plus the receptacle itself obviously).  You have to hunt these down, but they cost about $3 - not unbearable.

What kind of splices would you use? Any listed splice.  Some examples are wire nuts -- Alumiconns (they work fine on all copper wire) --  Euro type terminal blocks -- push-in (unreliable) -- snap-down splice connectors.  I use wire nuts myself.


Framing a knee wall in front of a half-height foundation wall with windows I have a light basement with 3'6" foundation walls with windows framed above. The finished height of the window sill is 5" above the concrete sill.
I want to frame a knee wall in front of the foundation wall with a reclaimed wood ledge shelf capping the knee wall and foundation wall. I have 1/2" of spray foam on the concrete walls and sill and want the windows trimmed with 3.5" trim. If I cap/attache the framed knee wall to the sill plate framing with  2X lumber I will not have enough space for the full trim.
Can I use galvanized corner brackets to attached the top of the framed knee wall to the concrete foundation wall and then just cap with the 3/4" reclaimed wood or does code require that I use structural lumber to cap/join the framed knee wall to the foundation wall?
If I use metal brackets to secure the framed wall, how to I anchor the reclaimed wood to the sill plate framing?

I believe you will want to attach 1.5" thick material to the sill plate and have that come out to the top of your knee wall. If you do not do this you will have a dickens of a time trying to adequately attach the reclaimed lumber in a secure manner to prevent it from cupping and warping over time.

With regard to the windows...why not just use a separate flat window stool at the bottom of the window and use your desired window trim on the left, right and top of the window. There is nothing to say that the apron trim under the sill board has to be a matching trim to the casing around the window. Below is a picture of one such application.

Picture Source


Soundproofing a room cost effectively I am looking to get the most bang for my buck when attempting to limit the noise coming in to our bedroom from the neighbours house. The cost of re-plastering the wall is out of the question.

I have searched around the internet and found that perhaps the large majority of the noise will be coming through the window we have facing the neighbours house in the room. This seems to be where we will get the most noise reduction for the cost of implementing it.  It is approx 1m x 1.5m in size.

Would the best solution to this problem be to get this window double glazed? There are a number of technologies for noise reduction and windows, what are some experiences others have had?

Before you replace the windows, you may want to try sound dampening drapes. Google search and a few companies will offer solutions for home theaters and other rooms.

I have single pane windows in my house. In the winter I install a second, plexiglass insert to help with heating costs. But it does make a huge difference with noise. If you want to experiment, get some scrap plastic or plywood and cover your window. It will look terrible but at least you'll get a feel for how it would be.


Can a Knob & Tube live hot wire be left disconnected without the neutral in a switch box? Can a live (capped) knob & tube hot wire be left disconnected, without the neutral (it's removed) in a new switch box now fed by a modern 20amp circuit and romex?  The reason it is still live is because the circuit operates other lights in the house.

Knob and tube is no longer listed and approved, it should be de-energized and abandoned when encountered within the scope of any new work after being replaced with listed cable assemblies suitable for the location (in your case, non-metallic bonded cable, aka Romex).

That said, it sounds like what you have in the box used to be a switch leg where the original knob and tube feed part of the leg is no longer present (hence, the absence of the neutral), and through the process of removing it the lighting circuit was changed so that the leg ended up being always hot. What you should do is just disconnect it from whatever fixture is now back-feeding it. Be gentle, that stuff is brittle and the insulation can just disintegrate in your hands as you handle it.

If that's the case, then you probably don't have a multi-feed (two circuits on the same phase sharing the same neutral) going on, it was just a switch leg, but you should probably consider retiring the rest of the old wiring anyway.

If you can't find where it's being fed, your immediate concern is now to ensure that the box is suitably grounded if it's metallic, you can test this by attaching one end of a voltage tester to any known hot leg, and the other to the box itself. You should read around 120V and be able to confirm the presence of some kind of physical ground connected to the box. If that's not the case, call an electrician and have them straighten it out.

Still, the best guidance in these cases is just get rid of it where / when you see it, especially if it's been disturbed recently. That old feed is probably not going to cause you any problems, but please consider erring on the side of caution and having that old lighting circuit re-fed.


How do you (safely) test a GFCI circuit breaker from the outlet when the circuit has no ground? I know I can press the "test" button on the breaker in the panel.
But I want to double-check that there isn't some strange wiring situation hidden in the walls that could prevent the GFCI from tripping properly. I have used an outlet GFCI tester but it tests by using ground, which I don't have (hence new GFCI breakers).
Theoretically I could test by sticking a fork in the socket, but even if I had a controlled way to do that (e.g. plug with wires tied together and insulated well), I am nervous about a situation like that causing a rapid heat build-up and damaging/melting things, or starting a fire.
One idea I had was to take my GFCI tester and wire it to an outlet so that the tester's ground goes to the outlet neutral. Then pressing the button on the tester would do the normal test, but using hot/neutral. Would that work and be safe?

Get a three to two prong adapter and run a wire from an actual ground to the little tab, then use your button tester.


How do I fix/fill this void left by previously tiling around a bathroom vanity Previous home owners tiled around a vanity, then the vanity needed to come out. Now this void approximately one inch deep is left, and we want to fill it and retile so we can use a wider variety of vanities. How do we level the floor under the tile, then what do we use immediately under the tile?

Bonus question: what is the best way to hide this new install? I was thinking a single row of rectangular tile, and then some of the same hex tile (I think we have some of the original, uninstalled, but unknown how much).

It turns out there is no additional tile of the same size/style/color available, so this idea has been scrapped. For those who may stumble upon it in the future however, I offer the following...

If we had tile to match, I could have gently removed the cut tiles, and replaced them with whole tiles, after filling the under-tile void, continuing the patterns as though the vanity (and void) had never been there in the first place. This would have avoided any design issues in terms of aesthetics, or inserting designs / masking transitions. The weakness in this plan would be the 'joint' created between the old mortar floor and the new thin-set. However, I believe the matching could be done without it becoming a problem, with some well-measured work.

As it stands, we plan to gently remove this existing floor, saving as many tiles as is reasonably possible. With this saved tile, we will have backups for the other tile floors in the house that match this older tile, while taking the opportunity to modernize this room. Hopefully this is a win-win.


Why do my appliances show two sets of power consumption ratings and which one applies to my house? Aptos, CA, USA

I'm trying to determine how much power my electric oven is using (as part of a larger project to possibly upgrade our electrical service (with help from a licensed electrician of course).

When I check the sticker on the side, it has the following info:

VOLT           KW             HERTZ
----           ---            ------
120/208        2.60           60
120/240        3.40

The circuit going to it is dedicated from the breaker box and the breaker itself is rated for 60 amps (two 30 amps connected together).

How do I know which line item applies to me?

Assuming you have the split-phase power supply that is normal for residential settings in the United States, you should use the line item for 120/240V.

The 120/208V line is for 3-phase supplies, which you typically find in commercial or industrial settings (each leg of a 3-phase supply is 120V relative to the neutral, and is at a 120° phase difference to each of the other legs, so the voltage between them is 120V * sqrt(3) = 208V).


How do I begin to lay out floor tile in a small bathroom? I have a small bathroom 58x52
Do I need to start in center of room
Can I start on wall. Less cutting.
How do I make sure tile is square on the floor in case wall is not plumb.

Tile is 12x12.   6pcs across 4 pcs down.

In the case of a very small bathroom I tend to lay the tile out on the doorway, where the pattern and position are most conspicuous. I usually center either a tile or a joint. In the case of 12" tiles this is even more impactful, as an off-center doorway catches the eye.

Then, lay out tiles in both directions and see how they interact with walls, plumbing fixtures, and cabinetry.

Almost any project should be undergone with this approach--ask yourself what will be seen and noticed most often, and make compromises where necessary to fulfill that goal. In this case, the number of cuts you have to make for a project intended to last many years is irrelevant.


Why would my shower only have hot water? I bought a house a couple years ago and the previous owners added a small bathroom in the basement. The shower only has hot water and I don't know why. The toilet and sink next to it both have cold water but the shower isn't getting any. I took the cover off the shower handle but it looks like every thing is hooked up properly with a hot and cold line. Could this be an issue with the faucet that I could check for?

UPDATE: It looks like the cartridge is faulty. Cold water is present but not coming through it.

According to your picture that valve looks like it has flow controls on each line cold and hot - turn the screw on the cold line - CCW a little bit and see if you now have cold water (be careful as the screw could come all the way out and you will have full on water ).

It could also be that when the shower lines were installed that the installer sweated the copper joints and it got clogged with some debris (not unusual). You would need to do two things here :

1: Remove your flow control on the cold water line - that screw and nut assembly next to the cartridge (with the main water valve turned off of course).
Verify you have water there and check for debris which could easily come from someones copper pipe solder sweating job.

Have someone turn the main on ever so slightly - verify you have cold running water coming through to the shower valve.. it might also force out some debris.

If you have Water flowing - re-install the flow control valve - see if you have cold water from the shower valve ..

2: If no cold water is coming out of the shower at this point and you have cold water at the flow control - you will need to remove the cartridge and check for debris there and also that the cartridge is properly installed.

Just one other comment here - the pipe fitting for the shower cartridge is designed to be screwed into a supporting board - I would try to install a 1 by 3 or 1 by 4 in the back of that flange between it and the drywall and lengthwise between the studs - so my pipe would be supported and locked down - no movement and flexing..


Do I build my own garden-hose manifold? It is spring time, and the manifold I used last year is, once again, irreparably broken. Judging by feedback on Amazon, none of them survive winter -- even if drained dry before the first frost.
I'm thinking of building my own -- using a manifold (such as this) and valves like this.
I'll connect it to my exterior faucet with a flexible hose like this one.
Questions:

Is such a thing any likelier to survive the next winter, than the much cheaper (made in China) offerings I've been using so far?
Will I be as satisfied with it during the very first summer -- or will the 1/2" width of the manifold's ports perceptibly limit the water-pressure in the attached hoses?

I built my own manifold using tees, nipples and ball valves. My supply to my manifold is 1” and all my valves are 3/4” I have several of these at my farm, my setup is fed from the top valve and the bottom valve can fill a 5-7 gallon bucket, if the weather is going to be really cold I will close off the top valve and open the bottom valve and drain the manifold the other valves are opened so they drain.
The reason I used ball valves is even when they freeze they will usually function when warmed up. I have some that were not drained and the brass cracked but the only time it leaks is when changing from on to off or on to off.
Standard valves or gate valves have always cracked and leaked more than the ball valves when it freezes or that has been my experience
The size of the manifold probably won’t be an issue because of the pipe size feeding the manifold in my case I can run a pair of rain birds to water the indoor arena at the same time and have enough pressure, but if the kids start washing a horse down in the shower stall there is insufficient pressure for the rain birds to overlap. But the automatic waterers in each stall always function and don’t use enough to affect any thing.
You may have similar results depending on your flows through the manifold.


Replacing Bathroom vent, heat light combo and wiring is weird I am replacing a bathroom vent, light, heater combo.
The wiring from the house has three switches, but has only two lines with three wires (black, white and ground). The new vent, light and heater has 2 wires (colored and white) each function and ground.

How do you wire this configuration?

Not counting the ground wires, you have four insulated conductors. One could be the supply hot, each of the others could be switched hot leads. The presumption would be that the neutral is in the ceiling box and not present in the wall box. Totally possible. If this is true, please mark the switched hot leads appropriately.


How do I determine which outlets are on the same circuit without power? I just bought an old house that I'm currently fixing up.  Right now, the house doesn't have any power or water because I don't want to pay for power and water before I move in.  I have a few chipped receptacles, but instead of replacing those few by themselves, I'm instead going to buy and install gfci outlets at the start of each circuit and move those old receptacles to where the chipped ones are.  Of course though, I don't know which outlets are on which circuits, or even how many different circuits my house has for outlets.

How can I figure out which outlets are in the same circuit, preferably on the cheap?  Is it even possible to do?  I was thinking that if I had some sort of cheap ac power generator, I could attach it to the load wires and take note of which outlets start receiving power, but that sounds too expensive.

Actually, if the wires aren't connected to anything, could I technically just attach a 9-volt dc battery to the load wires?  Would it basically just be like a square wave with really slow hz?  How stupid is this idea?

I'd use one of these - a tone tracer. They're mainly used by telecoms engineers to trace pairs in large multipair cables and junction boxes but they'll do just as well for this application.

Though why you don't want to pay for electricity before you move in beats me. Surely you can get a plan where you just pay for what you actually use?

I'd have to advise against doing electrical work on the cheap though, it rarely ends well.


Can I place a vessel sink over integral sink without cutting out existing sink. I If I bring counter top to level can I place a vessel sink over existing one?

Depending on the sink it might be  possible. If you're talking about one of the larger vessel sinks that lay flat and would completely cover the sink opening then that may work. You'd probably need to cut the sink bowls out of the existing counter top so you can hook up the drain. The one problem you may have is if you will be able to mount the faucet behind the sink.


Determining which 3 way switch is wired wrong I have two 3 way switches controlling one light.  Sometimes when the light is on neither switch will turn off the light but one of the switches will turn light off if switch is placed half way between on and off.    Would this be the switch that is wired wrong or do I have to take off the plates and look at wiring of both ?

In both pics the left most switch are the problem ones.  Strange thing is they both looked wired correct.  It appears the travelers red and black are both on bottom.

Get an electrician with an insulation resistance tester in to check this out further

Since both 3 way switches appear to be wired correctly, the one cause left remaining in the wiring system is a short between the two traveler wires themselves.  To find this, I would have an electrician come in and unhook both traveler wires at both ends, then measure between them with an insulation resistance tester (often called a "megger").  From there, it would be a matter of chasing down any shorts found, and replacing either the entire cable or patching in a section of cable using NM splice kits to repair the situation.

If it isn't that, then I'd have the switches themselves checked, although that's less likely than an errant staple or nail causing a short.


Opening an electric motor I had a pool pump motor given to us that isn't working right.
When the power is switched on the shaft jerks to a fixed position, and stays there unless i give it a manual turn.
Once the motor starts spinning it is labored and gets very hot.
It rotates freely when the power is off.

I am trying to figure out how to open the motor to see what kind of shape it's in.

Here's the label:

I don't see any fasteners or anything obvious, and I can't find any instructions or manuals online.

Edit:

There is no capacitor.
Here's a close-up of the front:

And the back:

So I put some penetrating oil in as suggested by @EdBeal, and then proceeded to pry the crap out of it to get it open. Took a little work but it did happen.

Unfortunately, the previous owner leaving it out all winter didn't do it much good, and the motor is beyond the amount of money and time I want to put into it.

Fortunately I was able to get a hold of another one that's in much better shape, so the pool is happy again!


6/3 NM-B (Non-Metallic) across the yard I would like to extend a 6/3 NM-B (Non-Metallic) ROMEX Simpull wire diagonally across my yard from basement to a wooden pole that will have the Nema 14-50 outlet. The outlet will be exposed to the elements, since it will not be in a enclosed area.

I have read many opinions around protecting the wire from physical damage, and in some cases that it is prohibited to run the wire in a conduit. Appreciate your help with code that will allow me to stretch the wire diagonally buried under the yard running some 30 ft.

It will be helpful to know the type of conduit I should use, how deep should it be buried underground and how to finally connect the wire to the outlet. the other end of this wire will be directly connected to a electrical panel with 50 AMP breaker. The panel is directly inside the front wall, therefore my plan is to make a hole and pull the wire from outside into the electrical panel.

Thanks all. I have decided to purchase the following items. Just wished to know if there are better sites who are reasonably priced. More importantly, wanted to show the items that I have selected from all your help..really appreciated]1

Cable in conduit

Say what?  It's never prohibited to run a wire in a conduit. What's prohibited is running wires in too-darned-small conduit, which is a problem of the cheap.   Well, in fairness, it's easy to mis-guess with cable, because a flat cable needs the same space as a round cable of the wide dimension. (because they twist).

For instance, with 1 cable in conduit, the conduit ID must be 138% of the widest dimension of the cable.  6/3UF is flat and 1.223" wide, so the conduit ID must be 1.680".  That puts you into 2" conduit.

You need to use UF cable, because the cable you want to use, NM-B, is not rated for outdoor use, and lots of us have experience with NM-B cable failing outdoors.

Why even put cable in conduit?

Because cables are the only kind I have ever heard of.  I didn't know there were other kinds of wiring.

Meet THWN-2 wire.  It is actual wire, not cable.  Like what's inside an NM-B sheath, but with insulation that's up to the task, and wire markings to make it legal to use directly. Needless to say, this packs much nicer into conduit than balky cable, only needing a 3/4" conduit (though I recommend 1" to make the pulling easier).

Also, it's a pleasure to pull, since each wire flexes independently.

Downside: THWN-2 cannot be used outside a conduit.  So the entire route must be conduit.

Upside: Shallower burial depth, only 18" cover isntead of 24" for cable.  Also, Rigid or IMC metal conduit only needs 6" cover - expensive, but the upside is you can trench it with a garden trowel.

Upside: smaller wire. 50A only requires  #8 Copper THWN-2 instead of #6.  Further, #6 Aluminum THWN-2 is also acceptable, for some cost savings, but this requires a socket which is CO-ALR rated. The breaker lugs are already aluminum rated.

Boxes at the pole

That's pretty easy. They already make a variety of outdoor boxes for mounting on poles, intended for RVs. Just use one of those.

You can get a simple one, that simply provides a receptacle.

Or you can get an RV "sub-panel", that provides a 50A, 30A, and normal common outlets all in the same panel.    However, this will require installation of grounding rods on-site and a ground wire back to the panel must also be run. The ground wire deals with ground faults; the ground rod deals with lightning.

Certain applications will also require GFCI protection on the 50A circuit.  If you need that, it needs to be a GFCI circuit breaker back in the main panel. Upside: the 120V socket doesn't need it now.

You come into the bottom of the box with conduit.  Even if you use direct burial cable like UF, you must still use conduit for the rise from burial depth to the surface and on into the box.  Remember your 6 AWG UF cable will require 2" conduit. Make sure your box has a knockout that big!


Replacing GFCI receptacle behaving like the old one I assumed my old receptacle was faulty and so I decided to replace it with a new one. I wired it like in the photo below :

As you can see I placed both white(neutral) and black(line) in the line part of the GFCI, as the receptacle comes with a tape over load terminals. Also connected green (ground) to the receptacle.

This is actually 3rd receptacle that I've wired this way. The original one was wired this way too, then I replaced it with a new one. But figured it may be that the new one is faulty too (unlikely but wanted to rule it out). Still same thing. I tried pressing reset and test buttons but nothing happened, nothing 'clicks' in the receptacle as it was 'clicking' when I was replacing it before.

I m not a licensed electrician, I've replaced couple of receptacles and lights, and I think I have very basic knowledge of wiring, long way from an expert( not even my desire but I want to be able to do basic things).

I inserted the phone charged as well as the receptacle tester inside but nothing worked as I expected it would.

What am I doing wrong? And what can I do to make it work again?

EDIT:

I found a problem, it's the series of connecting GFCI's. So now what? I can't(would not pass inspection when I sell this house next year) just put regular receptacle in there (it works I tried).

Do you have a voltmeter? You need to check voltage from the black to the neutral and to the ground, also ground to neutral. If the new GFCI is not "clicking" that usually means there is no or incorrect voltage at the location and the GFCI is not resetting. If you really think it is the GFCI then connect it up to another GFCI or standard receptacle that is working and see if it works.

Also make sure you are not series connecting GFCI's. Make sure there are no other GFCI or AFCI devices ahead of it.

Good luck


Adding a hot tub which needs a 220 60 amp circuit I reviewed some other questions - none of them seemed to be similar enough to consider.

I am planning on using an electrician for this upgrade and want to be able to explain to him on the phone our needs. We're out in the country and I'd like to have a much info for him before he visits.

We are getting a new hot tub which needs 220V/60 amp service. As part of our recent remodel, we already ran heavy gauge wire which we were told was big enough for the circuit - I don't think this part will be an issue and I'm sure the electrician will verify - I think it's at least 6 gauge my even be 4.

Our current master breaker box has a 220 outlet with dual pole 30 amp breakers which was used for a shop air compressor previously. The plan is to connect the hot tub to this breaker (with the new wire of course).

We need to replace this breaker with one that fits the needs of the hot tub. From a replacement perspective, is this as "simple" as replacing the current dual pole 30 amp with a 60 amp breaker?

I know when the electrician comes, he'll make sure it's done properly, but I'm trying to get an idea of the complexity.

Assuming that the wires are appropriate for 60 amps (6awg copper is rated for 55 amps at 60c and I believe you are allowed to “round up” to the next higher breaker size, 60 amps) then yes, you can simply replace the old dual 30 amp breaker with a dual 60. (Cap off or remove the old wires running to the 30.)

Note that a hot tub requires GFCI protection. This can be done by using a 60 amp GFCI breaker in your panel or by using a GFCI cutoff switch near the hot tub.


How can I match the wall color after dent fixing? I used to have a couple of small dents in one of my walls (the walls are plastered brick if that matters). I covered them and the wall is now smooth. However the main issue I have right now is the paint. Is there any way to paint the fixed areas without painting the whole wall and without having a noticeable difference between the old wall color and these fixed patches?
First I thought about trying to match the original color but there are 2 problems with that:

I didn't paint the wall in the first place and finding the exact color will be impossible.
I assume that since the wall paint is fairly old, even if I find the exact color, it is still going to be different from fresh paint.

Any ideas?

Your best shot at that would have been to take a large enough chip from the damaged portion of the wall before it was repaired, take it to a paint store to have it computer color matched. There would have been only a chance it would been an exact match still.

Your next best bet if it is close enough, is to paint the wall corner to corner, at least it would not be the whole room.


How to install ceiling lights in old houses My house is quite old and I'm having trouble installing ceiling lights. Due to the age of the building, proper light fittings (e.g. where I can screw in a light bracket) were never installed. Instead, many rooms have the wire sticking out of the plaster and some kind of metal tube which allows you to hook things on. This works for lights like chandeliers which have hooks, but many lights on the market don't.

My questions are:

Are hook-based lights common? Can they be retro-fitted to fit onto a hook?
Looking at the photos below, is there an easy way to install a fixture which would allow screw-based ceiling lights to be installed?

I know there must be studs either side of each light, but since this is a rented property, I don't want to be drilling holes to find out. Plus, as you can see, even if I were to find a stud and drill in, I'd need some kind of light fitting that's big enough to fit over the metal pole. Any tips or advice?

Are hook-based lights common?

Not where I live, but Ikea sell them.

  Can they be retro-fitted to fit onto a hook?

There's no easy way to adapt light fittings that are prevalent in my part of the world and which are designed to screw into the ceiling.

Of course, typical pendant lamps that hang from an electrical cord or chain would work well with the hook if you remove any ceiling fitting supplied with them. You'd retain that existing connector widget and its covering dome.

  is there an easy way to install a fixture which would allow screw-based ceiling lights to be installed?

Not easily, especially in rented property.

If you speak to the property owner, you might be able to arrange a professionally installed solution.

That tube obviously supports sufficient weight for a modest lamp. I can imagine it should be possible to create an adapter - perhaps a wooden disk with a hole that fits over the pipe and is held in place by that bolt (which presumably attaches the hook). You might then be able to screw a normal light fitting to the wooden disk. I've never seen a ready made adapter (but then I've never looked for one).


Connecting cooker to UK 3 pin socket I have just bought an electric cooker, and I haven't got anything to connect it to the three pin socket I have at home (I am in the UK). What should I buy and where should I connect the three (live, neutral, earth) wires (see photos )? The earth cable should go under the right-hand screw, but what about the others?

Photo1

Photo2

The electric cooker should have an installation manual. Most electric cookers in the UK are not plugged into a normal 13A wall outlet/socket. They are hardwired to a dual-pole cooker switch on a dedicated cooker circuit (e.g. a dedicated 32A circuit).

A typical cooker instructions will say something similar to this example.

  The cooker must be connected by a competent
  person  such  as  one  who  is  a,  NICEIC  registered
  contractor to a suitable double-pole control unit with
  a  minimum  rating  of  32A  and  a  minimum  contact
  clearance  of  3mm  (applicable  to  newer  properties,
  older properties where a 30A double pole control unit
  and a minimum contact clearance of 3mm is
  acceptable).
  The double pole control unit should be fitted
  adjacent to the cooker, in accordance with IEE
  regulations.  The  control  unit  must  be  within  2  metres
  of  but  not  directly  above  the  appliance  and  should
  be  easily  accessible  in  the  event  of  an  emergency.
  The  power  supply  cable  should  conform  to  B.S.6004
  with  a  conductor  size  of  6mm2,  minimum.
  Access  to  the  mains  terminals  is  gained  by
  removing  the  rear  access  cover.  The  mains  cable
  must  pass  through  the  cable  clamp  adjacent  to  the
  terminal  block.  Sufficient  cable  should  be  used  to
  allow  the  cooker  to  be  pulled  out  for  servicing.
  Ensure that the mains cable is routed away
  from any brackets affixed to the rear panel and
  is not trapped to the rear wall when pushing the
  cooker  into  position  between  cabinets

Examples of the required diversity calculations can be found online. For example: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/6.5.2.htm

In your photo of your cooker's connectors, the multiple live and neutral connections appear to be each be connected by a copper bus bar. This presumably means that you can attach the supply to any of the screw terminals (brown to an "L", blue to an "N"). Don't use 13A flex or a 13A plug, it'll eventually blow the fuse or catch fire.


If I sand this bump down will the drywall start to fall? There's obviously a piece added to the drywall like a replacement in the hallway.
I don't know how they placed it there but things were not done right all around the house.
We just want to sand it down then put texture and paint so that the line bump is not there but we are concerned that sanding it would cause the drywall replacement piece to fall down because it is on the ceiling.

Drywall is not held to ceilings or walls via mud/tape.   The mud/tape is used to hide seams.   So sanding should not effect how it is fastened to a wall/ceiling.
In your particular pictures you have a seam that almost surely has tape at the top right in the picture and then a stress crack down to the left.   The stress crack may or may not have tape.
I can bet on two things from the picture above...

I don't think there was a repair in this section.   Well there could have been but not at the border of the entire crack.   It would be very hard and silly to cut out drywall at weird angles.   To me this is original job then a crack patched up.

If you do sand it down and do whatever to it after, more than likely whatever you do will end up looking like this.  There is a buckling of this drywall going on and sanding it and retopping it may work for 2 months, maybe 6 months but go through a full seasonal cycle and you will be back to this eventually.

What can you do?

you need to clean out the cracks that have been patched.   I would take a chisel and scrape out everything that is raised.  If you can get the full mud strip that would be ideal, until you are a good 2-3" past the "issue".
I would then create a "v" notch along the seam with a full 1/4" gap at the bottom of the "v".
Fill the gap with caulk.  This is messy and may require 2 layers.
Reinforce the drywall with more screws.
Resume with normal mud/tape schedule.   If this is an extremely sensitive area it may be better to use spackle or some other wall topping that has more elastic properties.   (There are also additives available for joint compound)
If it is a REALLY sensitive area you may also want to use an elastomeric paint.   This is a bit extreme and I am not sure if they even make these for indoors (but I have used outdoor elastomeric paint for stairs areas in homes that kept cracking).


What is the purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan? Okay I actually do understand the purpose of the bathroom fan; it gets the steam out of the bathroom after a super hot shower, right?  Well turns out I never turn it on.  I suppose I don't shower in sauna temperatures.  Also we tend to shower with the door open.

Or, is the point that it rids the room of odors?  Thus, the nickname 'fart fan'

The duct from the bathroom fan simply terminates in the attic space.  I've been reading the threads explaining the reasons to vent it to the outdoors, but I don't want to.  I have a beautiful house with new cedar siding and I don't want to ugly it up with a big vent sitting in the middle of the gable.

So here's the question;  why?  Can't I simply not use the fan?  The steam or stink doesn't bother me.  Do I need to put an end on the vent I don't use?

Since yours vents into your attic space I would never use it either.  Probably the biggest use of a bathroom vent fan is to help keep mold down in bathrooms, especially in humid areas.  Lots of lawsuits against housing tracks have happened in humid areas where builders just put the cheapest fan in and a couple years later the residents find mold.  Most bathrooms that are bigger than a closet have undersized fans and don't really do anything but make noise.

Building code changes will happen, if not all ready changed, that homes will have to have a certain air exchange per hour.  This is because the modern homes are being built pretty much air tight, or about as close to it as you can get with doors, windows and other entry points for air to get in a house.  Builders are starting to use bath fans for this, and a lot of them are being designed to be used 24/7, with very little noise.

Either way, do not pump moisture into attic spaces.


What is the best way to get rid of plants growing in my walls? In a rental unit my fiancée just leased, 2 weeks after she moved in, a vine-type weed sprouted from the baseboard in her kitchen. Upon further inspection, I was able to pull about a foot of vine before it snapped, and more vines were found to be growing above her dishwasher. The flooring appears to be a concrete base, no plants are penetrating the visible substructure from outside, and the plant growth appears to be contained between the walls and cabinetry.

Is this something I can take care of, or will I need to call the landlord in to remove the cabinets?

Call in the landlord.  The plants have to be getting water to grow from some source.  Either it's penetrating the siding of the house, it's found a way into the plumbing system, or there is a leak (e.g. plumbing or roof) that is getting water into the wall.


Structure for mounting TV above fireplace Soon, we'll be gutting and redesigning our fireplace surround, similar to this picture. Which way would be best for mounting a tv?

Tile the whole wall top to bottom, drill through the tile into the studs, mount the tv
Measure the current tv mount plate, mark it on the wall, tile around it, allowing the tv to be mounted more securely directly to the concrete board / studs then over the rather soft travertine tile she's chosen. Save some tile in case someone decides to take down the tv and put the original tile in it's place
Build the box big enough to accommodate a "someday" bigger tv one of these days when she's not home to stop it :)

The concerns we have with mounting the tv on top of the tile are:

It's a brick style tile that isn't flat.
The tv mount we currently have - a 30 inch extending articulated mount is heavy enough, let alone the 80lb 50 inch plasma it holds. I'm concerned the weight of the mount + tv would crack the tile after multiple pushes and pulls. The mount and tv are about 120lb combined, not including the forces exerted pushing and pulling it from the wall and rotating the tv.

If I were you I would frame in a 2x10 flush with the tile roughly a little longer than the TV's mounting bracket.  It would be hidden for the most part behind the TV and would be secured to the wall studs for extra strength. It can be painted too.

As a side note, it's important to use pressure treated lumber if building on top of an existing fireplace.

Our TV is mounted above the fireplace.  It uses a special hanging adapter made by the TV company that uses a steal cable so it literally hangs like a picture.  I used two 5/8 lags with washers to hang it, but could have opted for a normal TV hanging mount. Though it would have probably not have been flush.


Is it safe to soundproof a bedroom that doesn't have an air vent? I'm looking to soundproof my apartment bedroom. The bedroom itself has a single-pane window, relative thick carpet, and a cheap hollow core door. It has no air vents, only a hot water baseboard heater.

I'm primarily concerned about sounds coming from within the unit. It seems that they transfer in primarily through the door. Long term I do want to do something about external sounds as well but I think my only option there is acoustic curtains (or whatever they're called)

I understand that I should be adding a door sweep, and acoustic tape to the door frame to form a seal. However, I'm wondering if there's any health risks associated with low oxygen because the only way for air to get in is around the door.

Are there risks? Should I form a close but not tight seal? Any other ideas?

I'm also considering add a hallway runner to the hallway, and some art there to break up the noise before it gets to my door.

How big (in m3 not m2) is your bedroom? What I mean how much air is in there? I’m not sure that there is a danger that you will run out of air? Although it is a good thing to have source of fresh air.


How do I connect a new light fixture that has two black and two white wires? I just took down a chain chandelier. In the ceiling I have one black, one white, and one bare ground wire. The new light fixture has 4 wires two black and two white. How would I wire the new fixture?

Combine the 2 white from the new fixture to the white from the box, then connect the 2 black from the light to the black in the box, last connect the bare ground in the box to the metal strap that the lamp hangs from, If there is no metal strap or the new fixture is not metal tuck the bare ground up in the box and mount the new fixture.


Stain and seal bathroom tiled floor grout - remove upper grout layer? The grout of our tiled bathroom floor (approximately 8 ft x 6 ft total area ), installed some years ago prior to us purchasing the house, appeared stained in various ways, ranging from a sandy white to a dark brown color. The grout also seemed poorly installed (though I have no experience in this), with grout reaching the top of the tile and in parts even covering part of the tiles. We decided to use Polyblend Grout Renew to color (lighten) and seal the grout, a process that's been going just fine with the overall look much cleaner.

While working on staining a section of the grout I noticed that some grout had chipped off (circled), uncovering what looks like another layer of rough, grey grout beneath. This made me wonder whether the entire installation had for some reason been grouted twice.

My goal is to stain and seal the grout on the entire floor. My questions are:

If this top layer indeed is grout, is there a structural reason why it might have been (so poorly) applied in the first place?
Would it be worth trying to remove this upper layer prior to staining?

Removing this upper layer seems like it would be a lot of work (the tiles are 1.75x1.75"), but the result might look cleaner. Staining and sealing the grout as is however looks just fine to me.

That layer below is likely the normal tile adhesive.

The grout is the finishing layer above that, so that broken or missing part should be regrouted.

There are tools for removing old grout. You can do as little or as much as you feel you need, but I would just repair faulty sections if there are only a few. When most are faulty then you have to do all of it.


How to protect this foundation sill from elements, rodents? This is a pre-fab panel house, which means the walls were delivered to a team on site that had built the foundation and floor. It's fascinating to learn how this approach impacts the final project (TLDR, it's a classic "throw it over the wall to the next team on the line" situation).
One issue we've discovered is at the connection between foundation and sill. The sill plate sits on tarpaper, on top of the foundation. The rim joist has a layer of wood fiber insulation on the outside. The siding (hardiboard) runs to approximately the top of the foundation, but there's a gap. The backfill is up to approximately the top of the foundation.
The gap between the siding, the rim joist, and the top of the foundation is a great place for critters to go in, chew that insulation, get in between furring strips and siding, and find holes into the crawlspace. I've seen wasps flying in and out. I've seen voles going in and out.
In an effort to protect the interior, I've foamed around the inside of the sill. And in a couple places I've foamed on the outside, just to plug a wasp nest. But most of the base of the walls on the outside is still exposed to the elements and creatures. Appx. 50% of it is under a deck.
I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for making this better.
In the attached photo, you can see all of these elements: On the left, the siding comes down to the ground. On the right, the wood fiber insulation and furring strips. Under the wall, the tarpaper comes from the sill.

An L or Z-shaped metal flashing is often used to bring water from behind a cladding out to the front of the wall (for example, when the upper part of a wall is clad with stucco/siding/etc and the lower part is clad with brick/stone/other masonry). Metal also makes a nice barrier against things that chew, burrow, and otherwise damage structures.

You could clear away the soil from the top of the foundation (probably a good idea anyway to keep insects at bay) and insert this kind of flashing. Ideally it would slip up behind the fibrous insulation layer and would project forward to the outside face of the siding. In this way the metal blocks access to both the furring strip gap and also the insulation. Secure it in such a way that critters can't pass between the foundation concrete and the metal, nor between the metal and the bottom edge of the siding.
Avoid applying a sealant between the bottom of the siding and the metal. Up to now any moisture that gets into the wall can freely drain out the bottom, but sealing this flashing to the siding would trap liquid inside the wall.
Alternatively, use a flashing that is perforated along the bottom edge so that liquid can drain out. This kind of drainage flashing is sometimes used at the lower edge of EIFS stucco installations. The one I've used was extruded plastic, though, so it wouldn't keep out rodents with sharp teeth so well as metal could.


How to prepare a wall with drywall for painting after wallpaper removal I have removed wallpaper on drywall. It only took 10 minutes to remove, however, the wall was primed as instructed to make removal easier.  I am now trying to remove paste residue and am damaging the wall while doing so.  Those areas are rough. There is a product called Gardz that you place on the wall to hold in the paste. Will this do the trick.  I am also thinking of having two walls skim coated before painting. The other two walls are horse hair plaster and will be skim coated.  Any thoughts on this?

Skim coat is more reliable than magic paint, but no direct experience with that particular flavor of magic paint, just seen lots of problems in general with magic paint and wallpaper residue.

The counterintuitive (at first) fastest (and thus cheapest when labor is a cost, however you count that cost) approach that's 100% reliable is to rock over it (you can use the thin stuff), or rip and replace the rock. Skim coating seems like it's less drastic, but can actually be a lot slower.


Can I directly add a Common wire to this point on a 24VAC transformer, or will load be too high? (70mA) Referencing This excellent answer
I have a two wire furnace controller, 24VAC, no common. I measured the current draw of the relay (when the thermostat wires are shorted), it draws 0.2A
Wish to add an Ecobee Lite 3, which draws about 1.9 watts (just 80mA).
Am reasonably comfortable with general electrical/electronics. Have opened the control box, and located the "second" terminal of the 24VAC transformer, where one would tap a common wire.
Question: Is there any issue if I just directly solder a new common wire straight to the transformer and use that (+"R") to power the smart thermostat?  That would mean a draw of 280mA on a system rated for 200mA.  Is that likely to be an issue? Potential consequences? is the worst case scenario just the ecobee lite turning off / relay not having enough power to hold closed, or could it be something more problematic, like making the transformer fail?
I would tap the common wire at the location shown by the blue arrow in this image:

If you cannot find a rating on the transformer I would not add the extra load.
With small signal and control transformers it is best to have a “buffer” so you do not over heat it. Small transformers when overloaded will break down much faster than large power transformers as they get hot at first the voltage rolls off and in some cases if they get hot enough and break down the varnish on the wires they can do all kinds of bad things.
When I size control transformers when using relays I usually target a 20+ increase in size so the “pulse” from pulling in the relay doesn’t cause an excessive voltage dip (under sizing with relays can cause chatter and buzzing) chatter is hard on the relay and even worse for the electronics in the circuits think inductive kickback. With the loads you mention I would want a 350ma transformer.
A transformer that is oversized will usually last “forever” but fully load or overload the transformer and the life curves roll off very quickly.


How do I change light bulb on this type of ceiling fan? I am having trouble changing light bulbs of my ceiling fan pictured below. I took these images to home depot and no one could help me! I showed the fan to two handymen in-person and they couldn't figure it out either!
Please help me and show me a way to open the fixture for bulb changing.

Thanks,

It should be a counterclockwise twist off, by the ring it appears & just 1/4" not anything like a 1/4-turn. Sometimes they're really tight though. You want to twist in a sudden jerking motion rather than a slow torqueing like a light bulb.

If grip is an issue you can do pretty well with 2 short pieces of duct tape or any wide tape to use as handles...press-on one-half & let the other half hang down & then do your jerk action.


What is the best way to run underground electrical and low voltage in the same trench? I'm putting in a couple of new electrical lines for my back yard. I have a trench dug from point A, to B, to C, etc.. I then had a bright idea. Why don't I put speaker wires and CAT6 under ground while I have the trench open already?

The dilemma:
The electrical wire is a 12/2 direct burial. It's just the wire with no conduit. My speaker wires will be in 12 Gauge, along with my CAT6, will be pulled through in a 3/4" S40 electrical conduit. This run will be about 100 ft.  The big question is... will my low voltage have any interference from my electrical? Although they are running in parallel, the low voltage is in a conduit. If that doesn't work, what will be the best solution?  I would hate to dig up more trench in the backyard.

The National Electrical Code does not list a minimum cover requirement for communications circuits, so in theory you could put the conduit at grade level. Irrigation control and landscape lighting has a minimum cover requirement of 6" (150 mm), so I'd probably go with that as a basis.
Since you're not specific about the electric power circuit, I'll discuss a few different situations.
120 volts, GFCI protected, 20 amperes of less
If this is a residential application (which I'm assuming it is, or you wouldn't ask the question), and the circuit is 120 volts or less, and the circuit is GFCI protected, and the maximum overcurrent protection is 20 amperes. The minimum cover requirement is only 12" (300 mm).  In this situation, you could bury the electric power at 12", and the communication circuit at 6". This allows 6" of separation, which is likely enough to avoid interference.
Ideally you'll probably want to bury the power circuit at 18", and the communications circuit at 6". Then you'll have 12" of separation, which should be enough to prevent interference.
Over 120 volts, or not GFCI protected, or greater than 20 amperes
If the power circuit is 240 volts, or not GFCI protected, or the maximum overcurrent protection is over 20 amperes.  The minimum cover requirement is 24" (600 mm).  In this case, you can bury the electric power at 24", and the communication circuit at 6". Then there will be 18" of separation, which is surely enough to avoid interference.


How do I remove this metal grating-type thing from a coffee table? I want to remove this lower part of my coffee table so I can sit down and put my legs under the table.
How do I remove it cleanly?
(I'm a home improvement newb, I have basic power tools but never worked with metal before)
picture 1 is the coffee table
picture 2 is the underside of where the metal thing connects to a leg

Picture 2 shows it's held on to the legs by a pretty crappy weld. My first thought is "hit it with a hammer" because that weld should be reasonably easy to break; but you run a risk for collateral damage to the leg (bending or twisting) or the rest of the table, that you want to keep.
The proper and clean way to remove that would be with a Dremel or an angle grinder. That way you can target the weld and grind the leg smooth again after it's removed, but you'll need to repaint at least that bare-metal area when you're done, and possibly the whole leg if you have trouble matching paint.
I agree with what ScienceGeyser said though, this bottom grate could be structural in a pretty heavy table and removing it might cause it to be incredibly unstable.