How to I eliminate the smell coming from my Mitsubishi mini split units? I have 2 Mitsubishi mini split units on the 2 additions on my house. One is a Mr. Slim Inverter and the other is an Inverter.

During the warmer months when I am running them in A/C mode, they frequently give off a pungent sour milk smell. It seems to be when it is particularly humid outside. Here's what I've tried to fix the smell.

Cleaning the removable/reusable blue plastic air filter
Pouring a cup of white vinegar over the evaporator coil
Pouring a cup of bleach over the evaporator coil
Spraying the evaporator coil with Nu Calgon Evap Cleaner
Removing an cleaning the blower wheel, drain pan and all surrounding plastic with the Nu Calgon cleaner.

These all seemed to help at first but the smell always comes back, sometimes within days. It is worth noting that the evaporator coil doesn't look particularly dirty. The drain pan was a bit funky and seemed to have a good bit of water but I checked and the drain is clearly allowing water to flow through to the outside.

Any ideas? The smell is very unpleasant and doing a number on our sinuses.

I wonder if the mold is growing in a place in the drains where cleaning solution isn't reaching. I can think of different possibilities to get the cleaning solution on the entire inner surface of the drains:

(1) Add cleaning solution as directed, then use a shop vac for a short time on the end to vigorously pull cleaning solution through the drain.

(2) Add solution as directed. then plug the drain to let the solution entirely fill the drain.

(3) Make up a quart of cleaning solution in a jug and introduce this into the unit from the discharge end outside so that the solution completely fills the drain. This risks the possibility of an overflow of solution into the evaporator unit inside and so one would have to be careful.  I'd use a length of clear neoprene tubing with swollen sections so you could cut at a swelling to get an end of the right diameter to seal the discharge end of the drain. By alternately raising and lowering the jug one could flush the drain repeatedly.

(4) Attach a  6 ft or 8 ft length of neoprene tubing to the end of the outflow tube outside and raise the end of the neoprene tubing to the height of the drain pan inside the evaporator.  Introduce the cleaning solution into the drain inside as instructed. The solution should completely fill the drain system and overflow out the end of the neoprene tubing.


Breaker in circuit panel doesn't appear to do anything? I just finished mapping every light and electrical outlet in our house. I made a map of the entire house and marked every light and outlet on the map. I have everything (I think) accounted for, however there is still a single 15 amp breaker on the panel that doesn't seem to correspond to any outlets/lights. I flipped it off, and I can't find anywhere in the house that loses power.

Could there be simply an unused breaker in the panel? If it's unused, why wouldn't the electrician just leave the blank piece of metal there instead?

Could there be simply an unused breaker in the panel? If it's unused, why wouldn't the electrician just leave the blank piece of metal there instead?

Yes sometimes spare breakers are inserted as part of the contract to allow for future expansion. Or someone discontinued a circuit and left the breaker.

Either way it is nothing to be too concerned about. At least now you know you have an open circuit if you wish to add something later.

Happy Day!


Is it necessary to paint over window glazing? When replacing a window pane in an old wooden window sash, after the window has been glazed is it necessary to paint over the glaze, or is it OK to leave it unpainted?

The product I most often use for glazing wood sash windows (DAP 33 Glazing Compound) must be painted or it will shrink and pull away from the glass.

Unfortunately the stuff takes a while to firm up, like at least a week. If you mess with it before it skins over and firms up, it will deform. Also, because it is an oil-based product you have to paint it with oil based paint (or you can use oil based primer then paint over that with water-based paint). You should lap your paint over the line where the putty meets the glass, to seal the gap between glazing putty and glass.


New sink and faucet but no water? So i installed a new sink and faucet even shut off valves and lines.  But when i went to turn on faucet it only dribbles out water. I turned the water off at the water heater and i know some times it can take a few mins to build up the pressure.  But everywhere else has good pressure.  I even took off the line and turned the shut off to check pressure it was fine.  I then got different lines but still no luck.  Any suggestions?

There is often debris from manufacturing, sometimes dislodged during shipping.

The first thing to try is to unscrew the aerator and clean it. If it still has problems with the aerator but works fine without it then the problem is the aerator.

If it doesn't work well even without the aerator installed then something is wrong in the cartridge or other innards of the faucet. Faucets typically come with a parts diagram for replacement parts, but if it comes to taking it all apart then I would just take it back to the store, particularly if you got it from one of the big box stores that has easy returns/replacements.

But my bet is the aerator.


Should I use SER or URD cable for a 100 amp sub-panel? I am running a new line from my main panel on the pole out to a sub panel in my shop. The sub panel will be 100amp. I have a 180' run and have buried 1-1/2" sch40 conduit. I'm planning on using 1/O alum wire, but can't figure out if I need to use "SER" cable ( looks like it comes with a ground) or "URD" and use a additional wire for the ground?
If I use the "URD"... what size & type of wire do I need to use for the ground?
Is THHN good enough or do I have to use XHHW ?

SER cable isn’t legal underground, so cross that off the list.
URD also called Mobile Home feeder, comes in 3-wire or 4-wire, so it’s an option.  It’s legal for direct burial underground, but not for use indoors without conduit as if it was Romex or something.
So the real question is, what happens at the ends of the conduit?  Does the conduit go straight into the panels at both ends? Or does it just sorta end, and then ??? to get over to the panel?   I do not recommend the latter, as that ??? can get rather messy with wires this large.
If it’s conduit all the way
Then don’t use cable.  Because the wires are bound to each other, cable is excessively stiff and a real pain to “pull”.   You can buy individual wires, either THWN or XHHW.  (All THWN is dual-rated THHN).  You simply buy three full-size wires for hots and neutral, and one appropriately ground-sized wire for the ground.
Note that URD is simply THHN or XHHW wires glued together.  If your conduit is continuous, then gluing the wires together is bad, and works against you.  Get the wires individually.
You need #1 Al. Do you need a wire size bump?
Voltage drop is proportional to actual load, and cannot see the number on the breaker handle. Therefore we do not calculate voltage drop based on breaker trip.  We calculate it based on the actual, expected, or permitted load on the wires.  For instance you’re only allowed to plan for 80A on a 100A circuit, so you’d never, ever calculate voltage drop based on 100A. Never!
At less than 180’, I don’t even bother crunching the numbers to see if a wire size bump is worthwhile. It’s not.  So you’re right on the cusp. Anyway, we don’t do wire size bumps for distance. We do them for distance and load. So let me ask - how much thinking did you do about loads?

Did you sort-of “arm-wave it” like “meh, everybody gets 100A, it’s a common size”?  Or
was there a gory-details load calc like “47A compressor, 23A plasma cutter, blah blah, need to provision 93A” sort of thing?

In short, if it’s the second one, and you’re close, I’d do the bump to 1/0 Al wire.  Otherwise fuggedaboutit, just stick with #1 Al.
If you bump hots, bump ground too..   #1 Al maxes out at 100A, and that means a #8Cu / #6Al ground is sufficient.  However, if you do a wire size bump to 1/0, that maxes out at 125A, and that means you MUST have a #6Cu/#4Al ground.  When you bump the hots, bumping the ground also is mandatory per Code.  That’s because ground wires have voltage drop too, and theirs is worse, because they only carry fault current!
Don’t “Nanny Breaker” yourself.  If you decide on a wire size bump to 1/0 AL, you might as well use the 125A breaker that you are entitled to.  That way, you can the entire 125A of your feeder on the occasions when you do need it and are willing to “endure” the “scary, terrible” 3.7% voltage drop, woo woo.  You don’t need a “100A nanny breaker” to protect yourself from voltage drop.  Unless you are in Canada, because they say you do.
Did we mention BIG panel?  Buying extra spaces at install time is extremely cheap. Adding spaces after you run out is extremely expensive.  As such, we really like to see people splurge on excessively sized panels (in terms of numbers of spaces).  If a 125A feed breaker seems like a buzzkill because your panel is only 100A, that implies a too-small panel. Take it out and swap it now, while it’s still super easy to do.  That’s one mistake NOT to double-down on.


How much paint do I need to apply to a new Shurline roller at the beginning of a paint job? I am painting a ceiling and it seems there are many more roller marks than when painting a wall.  To be honest this time around the evenness of the paint on the walls even seems lower quality.  I wonder if I put enough paint on the roller to begin with.  Other background ... I did use the same roller (shurline 3/8") for both ceiling and walls.  The total time that one roller was used was about 4 hours.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Regards,
Ken

Shurline roller covers are a mid range quality cover, but not bad and should do the job fine. I like to use Purdy White Cloud covers for final coats.  If you are getting lots of ridge lines, that usually indicates that you are pushing too hard on the roller and trying to stretch the paint. Don't be afraid of loading the roller, obviously, you don't want it to be dripping, but don't work too much out of the roller before you start to apply the paint.  If you find yourself pushing harder to transfer color, then you need more paint on the roller.  Also do smaller sections at one time, not much more than a 4ft by 4 ft. Cover an area wall to wall one side to the other, then make one continuous long stroke over the entire length softly to even out the paint and remove ridges.  Keep in mind, especially with cheap ceiling paints, the first coat always looks spotty and should improve with second coat.


How to prevent the washing machine outlet from backflowing to other devices I have a washing machine that drains into a sink standpipe.

I also have a clothes dryer that drains to sewage or greywater plumbing.

When I connect the two via a T-piece with the dryer inlet at the side and the washer inlet at the top, even with a siphon internal to the T-piece, backpressure further down the drain leads to backflow from the washer to the dryer, which if operating, thinks that its drain outlet leads to the internal water tank, which has become full, and stops so the tank can be emptied, thus interrupting drying.

Right now, I've had to separate the two outlets, with the dryer outlet moved to the sink, but this is less than ideal, as we may want to store water in the sink without it overflowing, and I aam anticipating adding another appliance which I would not want to have drain to the sink at all.

The dryer barely has enough pump pressure to pump water into the sink, any back-pressure leads to the dryer assuming a full tasnk and shutting down, so common backflow preventers that need even a slight bit of pressure to allow forward flow won't work.

The appliance I am considering adding to this system is a Catgenie, a  black-water-outputting device, with a low flow and also a low output pressure, so I would certainly not want that draining direct to the sink.

How can I prevent the washing machine outlet from backflowing to the dryer and catgenie, prevent the catgenie from backflowing to the washer or dryer,  and prevent backflow from any of those 3 devices to the sink?

I am looking for a minimum time and cost solution, as I can't afford to go to a plumber unless I have no other choice, and would prefer a non-permanent solution that isn't 'plumbed in'.

EDIT

I am going to need some sort of backflow preventer.  When the washer drains to the standpipe, sometimes grey water flows into the sink basin, depending on if there is a partial blockage downstream.

With the catgenie connected and the washer running, the possibility of black water backflowing into the sink basin currently exists, which, while tolerable for grey water, is obviously unacceptable in this situation.

Any backflow preventer is going to have to work at very low pressure,  since everything is effectively gravity fed.

So... I need a backflow preventer for the sink basin, and also for the dryer and catgenie. They need to be near-zero forward pressure devices.  Mains pressure backflow preventers will not work. Something like a float or gravity valve, probably.

If these appliances are supposed to drain into a standpipe, then they need to be connected in a way that allows them to drain in open air.

Get a double wye, of the appropriate size to fit on the standpipe.  Then put one drain into the left wye, the other into the right wye, and leave the center wye open.

If the standpipe opening is large enough to accommodate both drain lines, and still have open space to "breath".  Then you should just be able to put both drains into the standpipe, without adding any other fittings.


Can I use a terminal wire kit meant for a dryer on an electric range stove? So one of the terminal wires on my families range melted off (one of the
 black wires) which was probably caused by a loose connection and they ordered a terminal kit but apparently it's meant for dryers. https://www.whirlpoolparts.com/PartDetail/Terminal-Kit/279318/469513
It seems to be the same type of wire but it has screws where the rings/lugs are suppose to go. This is probably a stupid question but if I unscrew those and just leave the hole and inserted into the block, would that work? Would it be able to handle the load and create a tight connection? If not, could I remove those and put a lug on the ends instead? The electric range model is a whirlpool WFE505W0HZ1

Wait.  You are paying $32 for four #12 pigtails?

No, return them, they are too small anyway.  They should be #6 (if the breaker is 50A) or #8 if the breaker is 40A, unless it is a factory authorized replacement part for your exact model.

I would just go to an electrical supply house with the burnt pigtail and see if they have those lugs, or better, a premade pigtail in that color.  It won't be $32.


Can I use a sheet of plywood to get a tighter hardwood floor? someone told me that I should screw a sheet of plywood like 8" x 8` long about 10 boards away from my wall and make that my straight edge then start my hardwood from that then after I reached the end go back and take out the plywood and finish it off, he says it will make it a tighter floor then starting close to the wall and nailing the first boards threw the surface? what are your thoughts?

You can do it the way it was suggested, starting with the ripped plywood, yes, will need a spline to change the direction of the floor to fill in the space that was occupied by the plywood, and you will still need to face nail the last 3 or 4 pieces, since the floor nailer will not fit that tightly to the wall. You will need to rack out the flooring and compress it in place using a lever system to draw it all up tight, before it is nailed tight, again, only with the last 3 or 4 rows. The lever can be a prybar with a block of wood to keep from breaking into the drywall or a tapered 2X something to act as a lever

OR

You can do it the way I seen it always done, and the way I do it myself when laying floor in a room with a simple floor plan.
Some guys don't take the time to mark the floor joists, they figure I guess many nails will hold and I am sure it will. If you mark the joists first at the starting edge. Then chalk a line 3/4" wider than your flooring is onto the subfloor, lining the first row of flooring tongue of the T&G flooring on the chalkline. This should give about a 1/2" space to the drywall or framing, which is required, if you use the tongue of the as the reference. This will get covered by the base and shoe mold. To keep this space though not needed in my opinion, you can set 1/2" thick plywood shims to maintain the space.

Now back at nailing. It is a simple operation once the joists are marked, usually on the wall so the base will cover it or use blue painters tape if perhaps the base is in place. That way when you put the paper down you still have reference marks. Next take your longest, straightest strips and set them on the chalk line as mentioned before, set them on the line and shoot 2 nails at each joist location, 1/2" to 3/4" in from each edge of the flooring. Do not worry how the ends of the flooring happen at the joist. You can add a 3rd nail in the tongue, like the flooring nailer that you will eventually use will do. Move on to the next row. This will be nailed once on the face and once in the tongue and do the same for the 3rd row. That should get you to where your nail gun can take over.

Just a mention on the laying of the floor. Maybe you have instructions, maybe you don't. I want to impart some techniques on laying a high quality floor. Just 3 or 4 tips.

Keep the ends of your flooring apart from the next row by at least
6", more the better, but if it needs to be closer than that, so be it.
When possible, do not let the breaks (ends) in the flooring line up on subsequent rows no closer than the 3rd row out.
Use as much of you can of that short stuff in a closet or pantry if you have one.
This one regards layout, check the room for parallel
            walls, tweak it here or there if you need to so a difference will
            not show up on the other side of the room, then it is too late to
            fix. If 2 people are nailing the floor, have them switch sides
            periodically, one person always drives the floor tighter than the
            other. When you get halfway across, measure the room again, you may
            be surprised how the dimension changes. With using more force or
            less on the hammer, you can actually "steer" the floor to finish
            well on the other side, granted, if the difference isn't too drastic.

Good luck


How to lift a staircase frame? I will be making a staircase frame like the one below, but just now it strikes me that it will weigh about 200 kg (around 400 lb) and one end need to be lift 3.5 m off the ground.

How can I lift it to the correct spot to screw it in the concrete beam? Every contraption that I thought about doesn't seem like it is going to work (some are hard to move around, others are hard to lift, etc).

Some pictures from the site:

A block and tackle (pulley and rope).

A simple fixed pully provides no mechanical advantage. A moving pulley does. Each time you add another moving pulley, you reduce the effort needed to move something. In general every time you double the length of the rope, you halve the effort (perceived weight).

In the illustration, the pulleys are both doubles, something like these.

One pulley is attached to the stair structure, the other to an eye screwed into a stud facing the stair, or to a stud above and forward on the wall alongside the stair.

The rope is attached to an eye above the wall pulley then threaded to the opposing pulley, back to the wall pulley and so forth.

A block at the foot of the structure prevents it from sliding.

This type of setup can reduce the load to about 1/4 of the actual weight (maybe 100 lbs.) More pulleys and rope can reduce it further, but you get more friction and more chance of tangled lines.

This is definitely a multi-person project. You need help in pulling the rope and in guiding the structure, and maybe someone else to place a supporting brace under the unit when it is in place.

Alternative

To avoid any tie in to the walls, you can get a hydraulic jack very cheaply (maybe $20) that can lift several tons but only about 6 to 12 inches at a time.

You could do this, chocking the unit at each lift, then raising the base of the jack on a wooden block and doing it again.

This requires careful blocking and patience. It also gives you less ability to shift laterally, but it could work.


How can I find a dimmer switch *without* a separate on / off toggle? Most dimmer switches I see in stores have an on / off toggle and also a slider to dim the lights. They look something like this:

I think their goal is that you can set the brightness at your preferred level, then switch the light off and on without changing that.

However, I want a dimmer switch that works more like this speaker knob: to turn it off, you twist it counterclockwise, reducing the volume all the way to the minimum, at which point there's a click as you pass from on to off. Turning it on is the reverse: click on, turn up to desired level.

The advantage here is that you never switch on the sound or the light and get surprised with a very bright or loud level; you always start at nothing and turn it up to the desired level. As a nice side effect for a dimmer switch, because you must consciously choose the light level every time, it's likely you'll stop before reaching maximum brightness instead of always defaulting to that, and thereby save power.

Is there a name for this kind of "toggle knob" dimmer switch so that I can search for one?

"Slide to off" for one that works in a straight line. "Rotary dimmer" for one that is round. If you're using with led's you need to make sure the one you choose is compatible with led's.


attaching a coupling to copper pipe very close to wood I have a copper pipe connected to a pex pipe by a leaking sharkbite fitting. I'd like to replace the sharkbite fitting with something more permanent. However I'm not sure if it's safe to use a soldered fitting since the copper pipe only extends two or three inches from the piece of wood it runs through.

Is there a way to safely solder this or are there any other permanent copper fittings which don't require heat to attach?

Use a soldering mat and that will protect the wood.

If you don’t have a soldering mat, then anything that will stop direct flame contact with the wood will work - I have used non-flamnable fibre board very effectively. Good because you can cut a slot with a hole to fit around the pipe.

More of an issue will be getting that copper pipe clean and using a decent flux - I use Powerflux in those situations as it is very strong but you do need to wash it after.


Ceiling fan to light fixture I’m replacing a ceiling fan/light with an older light fixture. I have a couple questions-1. The light fixture has two black wires (one with tiny print) and the ceiling fan has three (one for motor, one light, and one neutral), which do I connect together? 2. I don’t have a wire cap for the third wire-is it safe to cut off exposed wire and just leave with sheathing over it?

So you have 2 switches one that control is the fan and one that control is the light on the same circuit. Just cutting the wire off is not safe on the unused hot at a minimum I would cover it with tape but would preferr a wire nut for better safety.
Wiring the light if there is a rib or stripe on the wire with the writing it would be the neutral, since we can't see that examine which wire connects to the center of the screw in shell and the outside the neutral goes to the outside and the hot goes to the inside or center pin. With some fixtures I have found things were not to the standard so I will check to verify this. I have found some really nice older fixtures that the quality can't be matched today unless you win the lottery, make sure the power is off before connecting things up.


What can i do to up electrical amps in my house via fuse breaker i have in my home 120/240 Volt Main Service - Service Size: 100 Amps  I have a renter in the basement so he has cooking appliances and tv and refrigerator plugged in so we keep blowing fuses . What should I do to solve this problem.

Call an electrician!
Given how little information you've posted, and given the additional complexities / loads introduced with an income suite (additional fridge, microwave, stove, etc), this is best handled by a professional.
Do not, under any circumstance, replace a fuse with a bigger fuse (i.e., one with a larger current rating).
Doing that is an extreme hazard and fire risk.
A fuse or circuit breaker is sized to be the smaller of the following: the current rating of the smallest wire in the circuit and the rating of the receptacles or fixtures in the circuit. In order to increase the size of the fuse, you need to re-run all of the wire in the circuit with bigger wire, or run all new (bigger) wire to all of the receptacles / fixtures and properly disable the old wiring.


Bathroom fan leaks during heavy rains My bathroom fan leaks water during very heavy rains.  It is on the first floor.  The exhaust is also on the first floor on the side of the building, not the roof.

The fan is on the ceiling and there are no leaks during light rains.

What could be causing this?  Any ideas on how to go about fixing this?

Thanks for your time! :)

I would suspect your flashing around the  wall cap on the outside wall.  Seal it with caulking and then see if it leaks next hard rain.  There has to be a breach of some sort at the wall cap as that is the only portion of your system exposed to the elements.

When it does leak, is it just a hard rain, or one accompanied with high winds too?   Could be the wind is forcing the rain into the wall cap

If it still leaks after caulking and you dont think high wind is a culprit,  you could try replacing the the wall cap.


Toilet water tank sometimes takes hours to fill and sometimes it fill up right away As stated above, sometimes the tank takes hours to fill and other it fills up in a minute or less. This has been happening now for weeks and I had no changes made recently, it started all of a sudden. Thanks.

Your problem could be a flapper valve that does not always seat down tight on the flush drain at the bottom of the toilet water tank. This can cause a small flow of water to continue to drain from the tank as it attempts to fill. Sometimes the flapper will plop down in the correct position and allow the tank to fill normally.

In the leaking case, as the tank does start to slowly fill, the water pressure from above will try to push the flapper valve to a fully closed position thus starting to close off the leak and eventually allowing the tank to fill up.

Flapper valves, despite the claims from the manufacturer, can react with the water and become either hardened or start to decompose to a rubbery gunk. (Even with the best ones I can purchase I need to replace mine about once every one to two years). Both of these cases can lead to the flapper valve seating problem like I describe above. The fix is to purchase a new one. Typical install is easy and usually takes all of 5 minutes. There may be some extra time to adjust the chain from the flush lever to get it operate correctly. Chain too long and it can get under the flapper and create a leak and too short and the lever tugs on the flapper putting undue stress on the part of the flapper where the chain attaches.


no hot water in a single handed shower with low pressure since summer is over i've started using the hot water again and now it has low water pressure, low enough to not being able to start the gas water heater.
oddly, the sink faucet of the same bathroom has good pressure and can easily have hot water.
i've notice that we have very hard water, but i replaced the shower head and the problem persists.
i live in a three year old one store house with two bathrooms.

Since you do have hot water coming out of other faucets it is most likely your shower valve.

Many of the single handle shower faucets have a cartridge valve that is very easy to replace. The cartridges are specific to the faucet so you will need to look up your model. I had a similar problem with mine. The cartridge cost around $60 and took about 10 minutes to replace.


Type of Wood able to be Curved around Line Bent Acrylic This is for a DT GCSE Coursework Project, not Home Improvement, but same sort of thing.

I'm designing an iPhone Dock, and on the inside there is going to be a piece of ('gently') line bent acrylic in order to hold the speakers, wires and stuff (basically like a roll cage in a car but also for holding stuff). What is a type of wood that'd look good, and I would be able to put around it (wrap around), as I haven't seen any wooden iPhone docks before and I think if done well it would look really good?

I can upload a diagram if you need, but I hope this is well enough explained

If you want something that's flexible, then you need the thinnest board you can find. Something like this might work since it's only 1/4" thick. If you need a thicker surface, then glue two or more pieces together in the bent position. I've also seen boards placed in a hot steam to make them more flexible. Get plenty of extra wood to be prepared for some trial and error.


Are new buildings warmer (when first built)? My wife is a teacher in a new school that has just been built in the North East UK, and staff and pupils think it's too warm. They have been told that:

  "new buildings are warmer due to the curing / drying of the materials for the first few years".

This sounds like bunkum to me. Can anyone deny or confirm this?

One must ask how it is that the thermostats know they are installed in a building with materials that are still curing and drying? They don't. 18°C on a thermostat is the same regardless of a building's age.
The students may be noticing that the new building is less drafty than the old. A lack of drafts will make a room seem warmer than a similarly heated, but drafty room.


Air in cold water line from well. How do we replace the check valve? Reading this question, I suspect we have a bad check valve. How can we tell and how do I replace it? I have a submersible pump in a 100ft deep well and a pressure tank in my basement with a single PVC line coming from the well.  Bill

You may want to call in a professional.  To get to the check valve, also called a foot valve, you need to pull the pump up by its connecting pipe, which takes a strong back and/or special equipment, and is VERY easy to mess up and drop the pump down into the well which is a big ($$$) problem!

But if you really want to try it, you'll need to rig up something so that you can hold the pipe as you reset your hands to make the next pull.  You will definitely need an assistant.  Just disconnect the electric wires, pull the pitless adapter release, and pull up on the pipe.  It will be HEAVY!  Be VERY careful not to let go once it releases from the pitless or down it will go.  Note that the well may be 100' deep but chances are the pump itself will be considerably less deep than that.

After you get some pipe above the top of the casing, most pros I've seen use a special tool that clamps the pipe to keep it from dropping down but some use a pipe wrench.  This is where it gets tricky as you need to unscrew sections of the pipe as you go to avoid trying to hoist 50' or more of pipe above your head.  Eventually it will bend and possibly break.

Once you get to where the pump is, you should be able to pull it out, remove the foot valve, and reverse the process to re-install the pump.

DISCLAIMER: This answer assumes that your well is installed using steel or rigid plastic pipe which is probably the most common in most areas until recently.  Note, however, that it may be installed differently as noted in the comment below.


What's the intended usage scenario of the Cat5e runs in my new house? We are buying a new house, and I was curious about this junction box. It has several lines of coax and cat5e in it.
Each room has a blank plate, and behind it is a coax and a cat5e drop.
I was assuming that when we get Comcast,I could put the modem in this closet, with a router and switch, put ends on each Ethernet cable, and have wired connection in most rooms.
But then I looked closer and realized that 6 of the Ethernet cables are wired to 2 other Ethernet cords, using only 2 wires from each cable.
Any ideas as to what this setup is?

Summarizing what has been said in the comments:
Having the blue pair paralleled between all the cables strongly suggests the builders intent was that they be used for phones. Cat5e cable is often used for phone wiring as it's more interference resistant than regular phone wire and the blue pair is the conventional "first pair" for phone wiring.
As for your options, there are two main ways forward.
Option 1, ditch the phone wiring cut off the builders mess and terminate the cables individually as network cables with all four pairs. This will let you run gigabit networking.
Option 2, leave the phone wiring as it is and use the green and orange pairs of each cable for Ethernet, this will limit you to 100 megabits per second.


Insulating a replacement insert window It seems that if I want to properly insulate our windows, I need to choose a full-frame window replacement vs an insert.    Since our house has stucco siding, I fell this may quickly get more expensive than I anticipate.

Why is it more difficult to properly insulate a window if we replace with an insert instead of full frame?

A fair amount of the heat loss from a window is through the frame and mullions.  If you are going to replace windows, normally you would replace the frames too.  This not only gives you better performance overall, but it's usually easier.

When you make a custom window at the factory you have a whole set of jigs that you can use to cut, hold pieces, etc.  It's a fairly fast operation, although the machinery doesn't come in crackerjack boxes.

If the windows are traditional wood, you could remove the putty, remove the old glazing, replace each each a bare sealed unit, and re-putty them in.  This isn't affordable to hire trades people for, but if you are accurate with a tape measure, and have more time than money you can get somewhere around half or 3/4 of the performance increase using your existing frames.

Also try a search for "Building your own windows and doors"

In passing:  Right now energy is cheap.  The return on investment on new windows is often negative -- they never pay for themselves.  I have a 35 year old house.  We've replaced 2 sets of windows.  One set when a bird flew into it and shattered the outer pane.  The windows were custom shapes, one a pentagon, and two trapezoids, and on the second floor.  Since all had broken seals and were grungy inside, we opted to replace all 3 while the lift was here.

The second set was to replace all the aluminum sliders in the house.  These were more than radiation leaks.  An aluminum slider in a cold climate is a continuous source of drafts and moisture.  (Water condenses on the cold aluminum, then drips onto the wall/into the framing.

The new windows that replaced the sliders were made to be slightly smaller than the rough openings.  They were able to remove the brick mold from the outside without damaging our vinyl siding.  The replacement windows had a molding build in, slightly wider than standard brick molding.  This covered the joint.  From the inside, foam insulation was sprayed into the space to seal it.

So it may well be possible to replace the windows without having any stucco repair.


Insulating attic above garage We built a two story garage with attic trusses. The space has windows on the West and East end. We would like to insulate and finish the space. Would insulation and finishing make the area cool enough to use during the summer? We have a metal roof with a ridge vent and are located in Northern Wisconsin.

Probably, but "it depends".

How much insulation, how well the ventilation ABOVE the insulation works at getting the summer heat from the roof out of that space. That part is critical. You don't mention eave or soffit vents, and if you don't have them, you don't have airflow to the ridge vent.

As a small point of whatever, I have a metal-roofed building with eave and ridge venting and I honestly find the ridge venting, in particular, rather sub-optimal - I'm seriously considering retrofitting a functional cupola. The vent is there, but the small passages appear to end up far more restrictive to airflow than would be ideal.


Air conditioning with exhaust fans between two rooms I'm renovating a space where there will be a partition of 2 rooms (3m height, dimensions are approximates, high humidity location, 23-34degC avg outside temp)

Room 1: 5x7m
Room 2: 2x7m

Room 1 will be most frequently used while Room 2 is planned to be some sort of a baby room (maybe nursery, tbc). I plan to install AC system in Room 1 (wall mounted inverter - though I actually wanted a floor type).

To cut cost, I don't intend to install another AC in Room 2, instead I'm thinking of installing 2 exhaust fans on the wall between Room 1 and 2. These fans will only operate when Room 2 is used.

The setup would be:-

Exh.fan 1: from Room 1 to Room 2 (adjacent to AC)

Exh.fan 2: from Room 2 to Room 1 (on the other side of the room)

http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/c7227ba3071aa4bd_8-3908/home-design.jpg

Q1.Is it advisable to do so (will it affect my AC? Will Room 2 benefit from the AC thru the exhaust fans?)

Q2.How much power does the AC require with the area given?

Q3.What if I went for the floor type AC?

Q4.Any suggestions for alternative setup?

First, "recommended"? Coming from a contractor and engineer, it sounds like a good solution, and it will work.

You don't need two fans. One with a transfer grille will do.

Power-wise, I have to this in IP so bear with me. Room 1 is 5 x 7 x 3.28 x 3.28 = 376 ft^2. Rule of thumb- and this is only an estimate - is 400 sq ft \ 3.5 kW. (1 ton refrigeration = 12000 btuh = 3.5 kW). It could be 600, but you would need to know construction type, insulation, fenestration, exposure, latitude, etc. and consult ACCA manual J. With high humidity, you want to make sure it runs long enough to dehumidify. Now add the second room which is 14 sq m = 150 sq ft. Total area is 527 sq ft. Using our rule of thumb, that would be 527 sq ft x 3.5 kW\400 sq ft = 4.6 kW of cooling. If we assume 6 air changes per hour (another rule of thumb), the volume of both spaces is 147 cu m or 5187 cu ft. X 6 air changes = 31,123 cu ft per hour which is 518 CFM. Again, rule of thumb is 400 CFM per ton, so 518 \ 400 x 3.5 is 4.5 kW.

So your exhaust fan should provide a minimum of 14 x 3 x 3.28^3 x 6 \ 60 = 148 CFM or 4.2 m^3\min.

Size the transfer grille for a maximum 500 ft\min, so about 42 sq in. A6 x 8 will be quiet. Probably quieter than the fan.


Installing thermostat but can't disconnect power I just bought a house, and I'm trying to save some money by doing simple projects, on my own.  I just purchased a smart thermostat and I am trying to follow the directions, for installation.  The problem I am encountering, though, is that I can't seem to shut the power to the thermostat.

I removed the batteries from the current thermostat, turned off all the breakers in my breaker panel, but power is still getting to my thermostat.  I went to look at my central air unit, and saw that it appears that the wiring from the thermostats is wired directly into the unit.  Is this correct?  Here are some images:

I also see that there is a small box, on the side.  I am not sure what it is, and therefore I'm reluctant to polk around.  I took the lid off, and there was another cover.

Anyway, my questions are:  First, is it normal to just have the wiring directly into the central air unit, or should there be a breaker somewhere between?  Second, if all this is fine, how do I turn off the power to the thermostat?

thanks

No it is not normal. There is normally a disconnect between the power supping the condenser and the condenser itself. It should be near the condenser.  (the condenser is the outdoor portion of the A/C side of your system. I am certain that the disconnect you need is the box shown in the second picture.  Open the front and pull out the plug.  This should kill the power to the transformer.  Also you could find the breaker in the house panel that supplies the furnace and secure the power there.


How can I tell if this is a gas or wood burning fireplace From what I've been able to determine what's pictured is a gas log lighter for wood burning fireplaces. The prior owner did some questionable stuff so I don't know if it was originally gas and he "converted" it to wood burning or if it was originally wood burning. As an example the log lighter is not installed correctly.

What things should I look for to confirm if it is wood burning or gas.

That is a wood burning masonry fireplace with a gas log lighter. Gas fireplaces aren't supposed to have dampers, so the damper lets you know that it was originally designed for wood. The log lighter is a convenience to help you light wood fires, if it had fakes logs or a different burner then you would know its a gas fireplace. Its a good idea to get it inspected by a chimney sweep.


How can I replace garage door opener remotes? I have a working garage door opener, and at least the button on the receiver works too (the thing inside the garage with the button on it) but I have no remote clickers to it and it's pretty old anyway.

There's a thin double wire that goes into the receiver. Seems standard. It's an old Sears garage door opener.

I did some research on here and found a post linking to youdoitstore.com garage door parts site:

I found some digicode and multi-code receiver sets.  Anyone know the difference or know whether a replacement here would even work? Here's what I was considering..

MULTI-CODE 2 CAR RADIO SET 2022
DIGI-CODE 2 CAR RADIO SET

What is the difference between multi and digi code?

One last thing, I also have a key entry to the opener, which is a separate thin wire from the key to the main opener unit. I think this will continue to work since it's a separate wire altogether.  I'll consider other brands and models, I just like the idea of having a couple clickers or even a key chain remote too.

I fixed the exact same problem with my garage door using a general purpose relay output wireless transmitter / receiver module I purchased from eBay. The receiver module for inside the garage operates from a +12VDC power supply which I purchased for low cost from Goodwill. The normally open relay contact of the receiver is wired in across the same wire pair used by the inside door open push button. The existing push button is designed to short across the two wires that run to the garage door opener. The added relay connections need to be wired in parallel to the switch so that they short across the same wires when the remote is activated.

The trigger buttons are small key fob type push button controls that operate from a standard type of coin battery.

Note that models on eBay change often and it is a good idea to search for a unit that comes with multiple fobs and to purchase a spare unit if you ever think you will need replacements. Some sellers will add additional fobs to your order for an additional small charge. The search to use on eBay is Wireless Remote Control.

The whole setup cost me about a third of the lower priced options that you have linked to. The unit I purchased was a two channel device with an A and B button on the fob and so one setup was deployed to run both of my garage door openers.

These come with the remote transmit code set to some default value and it is advisable to change that code to some random code that you select. Changing the code entails some work with a small electronics soldering iron inside both the receiver and the transmitter.


Decorative tile piece My contractor forgot to add a decorative piece of tile to my project he says that he can do this after the project is complete? Is this possible?

Yes it is. If it's the same size as the rest of the tiles he'll just knock out some and put in your decorative piece. If it's a irregular tile, he'll trace it where it should go and just cut out the shape with a hand held tile saw.


Hot water recirc system not working Issue: Hot water slow (90-120 secs) to come to distant fixtures
Recirc system: 2 dedicated returns, merged to single pipe, feeding a 103258LF Bell & Gossett (NBF-9U/LW Pump 1/40 HP Motor) pump installed at the “Space Heating Return” inlet (where drain valve is) on our 50gal Bradford White water heater.
House: built in 2014, 3600sf, 2-story, 10 foot ceilings, upstairs bathrooms on opposite sides of the house, water heater on ground floor roughly centered.  Kitchen about 25 feet from water heater.  2nd story bathrooms roughly 20-30 feet horizontally, & 12-15 feet vertically removed from water heater.

Pump seems to be oriented correctly (arrow pointing down toward the water heater) and it gets quite hot when it runs.  It seems to be running normally, gently vibrating and very quiet.  This system has never worked—no change in time to hot water whether pump is running or not.  I don’t know where the 2 return lines come from—upstairs & kitchen (or maybe both upstairs)?

Is this pump sized right for our home?  What else could be wrong?

When the pump is running the pump and piping around the pump will get hot even if there is no water flow. Check the spring loaded check valve, that brass thing between the pump and the water heater to make sure that it's arrow is pointing down also.  more possible problems; 1) The pump may not have enough "head" to push water through that spring loaded check. If that is the case, remove it and replace it with a standard swing check in the horizontal piping above the pump. 2) The pump may be air bound and will require that a vent valve be installed in the horizontal piping above the pump to purge the air. That type pump will not push any trapped air in the pipe. The air stays trapped and the pump will not pump. The installation looks OK except for the spring loaded check and the pipe above the pump not having a vent valve. I have the same pump on my hot water recirculating lines that handles 3 bathrooms and it works great. I set my timer to run the pump 15 minutes each hour and for 2 hours in the morning and evening when we normally take showers. my 2 cents


Pull power from hard-wired smoke detector? I'd like to put a power outlet in a closet to power some tech. I have access to the attic above the closet so I'm looking for possible sources to tap into. I first thought about ceiling-mounted lights, but they're switched so I don't imagine I can get full-time power from them.
I do have hard-wired smoke detectors mounted in the ceiling, and they're on all the time. Can I tap into one of them to power the new outlet?

The National Building Code (NBC) -not the electrical code- requires that smoke alarm be permanently connected to a lighting circuit, or one that supplies both lighting and receptacles.
So if you have a junction box feeding a smoke detector, you can feed an outlet from there too. You will have to add a lighting circuit to it.
AFCI/GFCI circuits are permitted, and the alarm must have a battery backup.
Should you not have a GFCI/AFCI circuit, and should you require or want one, you could always use a GFCI/AFCI receptacle as your first outlet.
You can Leave the smoke alarm and the new lighting wired to the line side of the GFI outlet (e.g. branched off in a junction box leading to the outlet) and feed other receptacles from the protected side. Thus if you have a ground fault, you trip the outlets, but not the lighting and not the alarm.
It's wise to use lighting that will be used a lot, for instance main lighting for the new space. Often the master bedroom or kitchen is used (the choice depending on where you spend most of your leisure time). Don't use an obscure lighting spot, e.g. in a closet or a far corner, just to meet code.


Can I turn a 4 X 4 deck post, eight feet high, into a 6 x 6 post by laminating a 2 X 6 and 2 X 4 to it? My mother-in-law has a deck 8 feet off the ground that is is built with 4 X 4's for support, with only one notched 2 X 6 rim joist on the outerside of the deck which also supports the 2 X 6 joists that are spaced at 24 inch centres. The deck is at least 24 feet long by 8 feet wide.

There are no deflections. It's just old and had some joist wood rot along with top decking rot. I've replaced the three joists that had wood rot. The posts were set on patio blocks about 6 inches max into the ground and surrounded by crushed limestone and interlocking brick. Three of the six posts have wood rot below ground level.

The deck was built 25 years ago and does not meet current Ontario building code which calls for all decks to be built with 6 X 6 posts with 2 X 8 joists, and at least two, 2 X 8 rim joists joined together.  Since I'm not building a new deck, you're not required to meet the newer Ontario building code, but I want to at least make sure that it is secure. It seems the 4 X 4's stood up okay for the past 25 years without requiring 6 X 6's.

I could remove one post at a time with temporary side supports, remove the patio stone and dig down four feet as required by code, insert a sono tube, fill with cement and then attach a saddle with a new 4 X 4 or 6 X 6 post. The current floor of the deck is covered with 2 X 6's. Quite a few need replacing. I was going to remove these.

I wanted to enhance the structural integrity of the deck by turning the 4 X 4's into 6 X 6's by adding a 2 X 6, vertically screwed onto one side of the 4 X 4, and then a 2 X 4 vertically screwed into the side that overlaps the 4 X 4. This would then make the post a 6 X 6. Then, for added rim joist support, I was going to lag bolt a second rim joist to the one that is already there. This rim joist would sit on top of the 2 X 6 that I would add to the 4 X 4. I was also going to add an additional 2 X 6 joist between all of the current joists thereby moving from 24 inch centres to 12 inch centres.

Please let me know whether this is a futile effort to enhance the structural integrity of the deck, or would I be better to spend her money and replace the current 4 X 4's with 6 X 6's, still adding a second rim joist attached and notched into the 6 X 6 post? I've already added joist hangers and lag bolted the deck to the 2 X 6 header that is attached to the house. Originally, this deck was built only with 4 inch nails.

If I understand your description correctly, you have a maximal load area of ~38 ft². If so, 4x4s are more than sufficient for the posts. (Check your trusted load tables; don't believe some random guy on the Internet.) If you replace some posts there is no harm in upgrading them to 6x6s, but I don't see a reason to sister onto the existing 4x4s.

However, it sounds like there is so much rot that it will be easier to tear down the entire deck and build a new one. If you do that, the new deck will of course need to meet current code requirements.


What is the purpose of these holes on my wire stripper? I have been using this wire stripper for a while, but I have always wondered what was the purpose of those holes in the center and above LOOP, and those teeth on the handles.

PLIERS
Used as pliers.
Stripper
80 - 22/20
Strip 22-20 AWG (.8 mm) wire.
1.0 - 18
Strip 18 AWG (1.0 mm) wire.
1.3 - 16
Strip 16 AWG (1.3 mm) wire.
1.6 - 14
Strip 14 AWG (1.6 mm) wire.
2.0 - 12
Strip 12 AWG (2.0 mm) wire.
1.6 - 10
Strip 10 AWG (2.6 mm) wire.
CUT
Used to cut wires and cables.
LOOP
The loop hole is used to bend hooks in wires, so that the wire can be attached to screw terminals.  Place the tip of a stripped wire into the hole, and bend the wire around the body of the tool.
Screw/Bolt Shearing Holes
The other holes in the middle of the body, are screw/bolt shearing holes. They are used to cut small screws/bolts to length. To use them, simply thread the screw/bolt into the proper sized hole to the desired length, then squeeze the handles together. The screw/bolt will be trimmed, without damaging the threads.
CRIMP
INSUL AND NON-INSUL
This means that you can crimp insulated and non-insulated crimp terminals
16 - 10
This means the tool can crimp insulated and non-insulated 16-10 gauge crimp terminals. The colors below represent the color of the insulated crimp terminals, for quick reference.

Blue = 16-14 Gauge

Yellow = 12-10 Gauge

22-18
This means the tool can crimp insulated and non-insulated 22-18 gauge crimp terminals. The colors below represent the color of the insulated crimp terminals, for quick reference.

Red = 22-18 Gauge

INSULATION ONLY 7 - 8MM AUTO
This means the tool can crimp insulated 7-8mm auto ignition wires (spark plug wires).


Electrical problem - loss of power to fixture and outlet Hot to ground and neutral to ground read 120 V. Hot to neutral 0 V. This is a portion of a circuit that appears to be at the end of the wiring. An overhead light/fan and one duplex outlet are not working and show the above readings. Everything else on that circuit appears to be working properly, with voltage between hot and neutral and hot and ground 120 V and 0 V neutral to ground. That portion was working until a few days ago.

Neutral to ground should never read 120V. This means your neutral connection back to the breaker/fuse box has gotten disconnected somehow. That needs to be found and fixed.


How to install kitchen shelves in a wall which conceals a pocket door? What are methods to install kitchen shelves on a wall behind which is the cavity for a pocket door? There are a few studs in the cavity but I'm not sure if they are thin studs and if they would be appropriate to support the weight of kitchen shelves. I would need to make sure to use short screws which wouldn't penetrate so deep as to collide with the concealed door.

Cut and install a plywood sheet to cover the entire space. Mark or measure the locations of the vertical wood strips (studs). Use screws just long enough to go past the drywall about 3/4" into the strips. Sand and paint the plywood, then attach shelves wherever you need.


Can I use 12-2 wire on a 20amp breaker to power an entire bathroom? I have a half bathroom I was going to power with a dedicated 20 amp circuit breaker.

I was going to use the 20 amp breaker to power:

vanity light
shelf light (Phillips hue light strip)
outlet
bathroom fan

I was curious if this is frowned upon or even allowed? More specifically if using 12-2 to power my vanity light, and light strips is unsafe or “too much power”

I was under the impression 14-2 is typically used to power these sort of things so I was unsure what is preferable and safe.

Any help would be appreciated

You must use 12AWG with a 20A breaker for this run

Your "half-bath" is still a bathroom by the NEC's definition, as it has a toilet and a basin aka sink:

  Bathroom. An area including a basin with one or more of the
  following: a toilet, a urinal, a tub, a shower, a bidet, or similar
  plumbing fixtures.

As a result, the fact you have a receptacle on this circuit makes it a bathroom branch circuit, which falls under NEC 210.11(C)(3) and the Exception thereto:

  (3) Bathroom Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
  branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
  one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to
  supply the bathroom(s) receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall
  have no other outlets.

  Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom,
  outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted
  to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

This requires the circuit to be a 20A circuit, run using 12AWG wire throughout.  It's not at all rare or unusual, by the way, to have a single bathroom powered entirely by a dedicated 20A branch circuit as you describe, so don't worry about any silly notions of providing "too much power" to the lights.

The only things you'll need to know is that the bath fan needs to draw no more than 10A in order to comply with the 50% rule in NEC 210.23(A)(2):

  (2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating
  of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere
  rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug-connected utilization
  equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied.

Unless you have one of those fancy heated bath fans, you shouldn't have any problem meeting this rule, as an ordinary bath fan only draws a few amps.

Note that you'll need an AFCI for your 20A breaker, and will probably want to bring power to a two gang box at the vanity for the GFCI receptacle and lightswitch, with separate 12/2 runs going from there to the lights/fan.  If you only have a single gang box installed, and can't change it, you can still do this, but you'll be stuck with a GFCI/switch combo, which means your fan and lights will be on the same switch, stopping you from having a timer for the fan.


Question about a bathroom wiring I do not understand I just bought an old condo and am doing a renovation. At the hallway ceiling just out of the bathroom door, there is an exposed junction box with no covering, and I try to figure out what it can be used for.

There are three wires from the box, with the color white, black and purple, all covered with twist-on connectors. The white one is always hot, the purple and black ones are neutral. It seems that no existing switch control this junction box.

However, later I notice that this junction box can somewhat control bathroom light in a weird way. The bathroom light has its own switch in the bathroom. When I turn on the light switch, and use a screwdriver to touch the purple wire, the light can be turned on and off. That means, no wires are connected or disconnected. I just touch the exposed copper of the purple wire, and the light can be turned on and off.

My question is:

how does this happen?
Does anyone have an idea what this junction box can be used for?

Thanks!

The white one is always hot, the purple and black ones are neutral.

White and grey are neutral. The only exception should be if the wires are in a cable - e.g., a switch loop with white & black but no neutral has to use white for either hot or switched hot, neutral just isn't an option. If you had red and black then it could be some sort of "crazy setup with a cable". But purple isn't a typical wire-in-cable color, so I assume your wires are in conduit as described in Harper's answer.

Colored wires are NOT neutral. No exception there.

So that leaves two possibilities:

You misunderstood the function of the wires

For example, the purple and black wires might be switched hot and appear dead until a switch is flipped. No current doesn't mean "neutral".

The wires are connected in a very strange, possibly not code compliant, manner

In any case, figuring out where these wires are going is necessary before doing anything with the wires or replacing the wires. It is impossible to guess what someone else did. If everything is working and you open up a switch and everything looks "normal" then it is normally OK to swap things based on normal expectations. But when you start with capped wires with no known matching switch, you are just guessing. And guessing can be dangerous.

The first thing I would do is get a non-contact tester. They are not 100% reliable - nothing is. But they are generally safer for poking around unknown areas than a tester with open metal tips. Plus you can use it easily one-handed. Something like:

Klein tester

Then figure out what breaker controls the wires. You should find the tester showing voltage on at least one wire (based on your description, the white wire, but I suspect it may be different with a different type of tester) and when you turn off the right breaker you'll find no voltage on any of the wires. Turning off the breaker will be necessary for doing any work anyway, so you might as well figure that out first. Simply knowing what else is on the same circuit might provided clues as to where the wires go.

Then you need to figure out where the wires go. Once you figure that out, we may be able to help explain how it all works - or how the wires in this box should be connected to a light.


Can I connect a drain for my new washing machine to an existing toilet drain? I would like to add a wash machine to the basement.  Near the area of the basement where I'll be adding it is a 4 in drain coming from an upstairs toilet.  Can I tap the new drain into the toilet drain?

You can tap in to the existing stack to drain, the only issue (like bcworkz said above) is you need proper venting. If you were to tap in to that stack without a vent, you could potential pull the water out of any traps above (via suction).


What is this closed off pipe under my kitchen sink? This pipe has a very slow leak. What is the pipe for and what is the best way to stop the leak?

It is a drain cleanout. You can try turning it clockwise to see if it tightens enough to stop the leak. If not, have a bucket or pan to catch any spillage, turn it counter clockwise, remove the plug, clean it off and the inside of the pipe. Wrap some Teflon tape around it and screw it back on.


What can I do about water leaking behind the shower tray? Background:
I've moved into a house 3 months ago that I have been renovating for a while. I have done a lot of the work myself but I left my builder to do the plumbing and tiling while I was away for work.

If I spray the tiles in the shower for 5 mintues, water starts tricking out from behind the shower tray.

If I just run the shower into multiple buckets then no leak occurs so it can't be the pipes or the waste.
I have uploaded pictures here
(You can see the shower tray is not flush with the wall)
I re-siliconed around the tray / tile boundary and I tried a grout sealer which seemed to stop the problem for a few weeks but now the issue is back again.

I know he tiled straight onto green plasterboard and used Bal Micromax 2 grout.

Do you think the grout has failed? Would this happen if we did not let the grout cure for long enough? How long is not long enough?
Should I expect the grout to be waterproof? If not is their waterproof gout on the market?
Would removing the grout and re-grouting fix the problem?

I also thought about removing the bottom row of tiles and trying to reseat the try against the wall but I am not sure that will help either...

He was a nice guy so I am sure this is how he always does it and I know he has done 50+ jobs without issue (unfortunately he has moved country so I have lost contact with him and cant even bounce some ideas off him to troubleshoot)

Tile over green drywall is not waterproof; you will get water migrating through the group and into the drywall. The best thing to do is to tear down tiled walls, put up a new solid backing, and then put a waterproof membrane over the backing. Then tile goes on the backing.

Kerdi is a common backing, and that will be waterproof on top of a drywall backing, though I'd probably use a fiberglass-reinforced version.


Is clorox outdoor + jomax safe on vinyl decking? I used the recipe suggested in this question to successfully clean my vinyl siding. Its a combination of Jomax, Clorox outdoor, and water. I'm wondering if this solution will work fine on my vinyl decking that I'm looking to clean?

Just tried it on my Azek vinyl decking and it worked great just like it does on vinyl siding. No problems whatsoever.


Electrical Insulation in Built-in Barbeque I have a built-in barbeque (Braai if you're from South Africa!), which is basically a big steel box with brickwork all around. There is a normal electric incandescent light bulb on the inside and I was surprised to find a few weeks ago that this had started to leak current into the barbeque itself.

After removing some of the brickwork, I could see no obvious problem with the wire insulation at all. This leads me to believe that the problem is moisture getting in-between the steel casing and the brickwork, flowing down the wire and accumulating within the fitting for the light bulb. This seems rather unlikely, but I don't really see another way.

Normally, I would then simply use some form of silicone or similar insulator and cover the base of the fitting, but since this is a barbeque, it tends to get a little hot. What is the best kind of insulator to use in this case?

What is the best kind of insulator to use

What does the manufacturer say ...

I suspect the roof seal doesn't get too hot in normal use. You can get "heat-resistant silicone" intended for use with flues etc.

Personally, I'd get the metalwork properly earthed (grounded) to help avoid killing family or guests.

  the problem is moisture getting in-between the steel casing and the brickwork, flowing down the wire

That is possible, inspection of the fitting may make this clear

  I don't really see another way.

As Ed Beal pointed out, soot is largely carbon and carbon is conductive. Maybe soot is getting somewhere it shouldn't.

I would examine the light fitting and its connections very carefully to try to identify what is creating a conductive path from the hot (live) wire to the metal frame.


Is it safe to swap the neutral wire between the supply and load side? I have a double-pole cooker switch I wanted to replace. But careless me forgot to mark the neutrals when disconnecting the old switch.

The socket has 4 wires, 2 red and 2 black. One red & black pair is the supply (of which I've marked the live wire), the other pair goes to my AC unit.

Is it safe if I just connect the 2 neutral wires to whichever side?

Picture below illustrates my situation. Except there's no Earth wire in my case.
Can I swap where the neutral wire goes on the switch? (Yellow circles)

Thanks in advanced!

You already said they come into the box in pairs/cables.   And you said you marked the supply hot.

The supply neutral should be in the same pair/cable as the supply hot.

So there you go.

Generally switches are direction-agnostic, unless the labeling or instructions says otherwise, as would surely be the case for a smart switch.


How much linseed oil is needed to treat a beechwood counter top? I'm going to be treating beechwood counter tops with linseed oil (following these instructions).

The person in control of the budget has asked me to figure out how much oil will be required (so we don't buy too much).

The tops are 40mm deep.

How many ml of oil should be used to give a single coat to a 1000mm × 1000mm × 40mm block of beechwood?

I am assuming it will be the same amount for each coat, so let me know if that assumption is wrong.

Is there a heuristic I can use to work it out for other thicknesses?

Given that, I can figure out the total required from the number of coats and reapplications.

The oil that you use (or are thinking of buying) will typically list the coverage on the package or instructions as BMitch suggested in the comments.

For instance, on the website you linked to for the instructions, they sell this (randomly chosen by me, no endorsement) counter top oil, and in the description it says:

  One litre covers approximately 13 square metres per coat. It is touch dry within one hour and can be recoated within three hours depending on temperature and humidity.

So this 500ml can will cover 6.5 square meters, or give your 1 square meter surface about 3 coats.  You mention the depth of the counter top, but that shouldn't matter.  The oil is largely a surface treatment, and the coverage will not change based on the thickness of the wood.

It's been my experience that the first coat might "soak in" more than the additional coats, so the coverage won't be as high as advertised.  In the case of this oil, I would worry that a 250ml can wouldn't be quite enough, so I'd get a 500ml and feel good about having some extra for later.

Of course, look at the coverage on the oil that you want to buy and do the calculations for yourself.


How long should I wait before plugging in a new refrigerator? Today I received my new refrigerator, and I've been told not to plug it in until a couple of hours have gone by. Some people told me a couple of hours was enough, but others have told me up to 12 hours. I understand the reasons as to why do this (although there's probably more to it than what I know).

How long should I really wait? Is there some science into this?

The short answer is to check with the manufacturer.  That way you can be sure to stay within warranty guidelines.

The longer answer is that it varies from model to model.  When a refrigerator is placed in a non-standard position (for example on its side), compressor oil can run out of the compressor and up refrigerant lines.  So if you don't stand it upright and wait, the compressor will pump without sufficient oil -- not good.

-M


How can baseboards be attached to a plaster-on-masonry wall? The walls on the sides and back of my fireplace are plaster on masonry. How can I attach baseboards to these walls? I tried bonding with HMA but eventually that just peels the paint off.

If by HMA you mean Hot-Melt Adhesive, that stuff is for arts & crafts, not construction.

You should be using construction adhesive.

LOCTITE®, LIQUID NAILS®, DAP®, and possibly other adhesive manufacturers offer a molding adhesive.


Possibilities for shielding porch deck from rain My porch is farmhouse style (low to ground, no railing), and fairly narrow. The (metal) roof is exactly as deep as the deck. One annoyance that I have is that when it rains, the water coming off the roof's drip edge often is driven back towards the porch and splashes on the edge of the deck.
I'm planning on replacing the deck boards soon, and was considering leaving the new boards an inch or two shorter to help minimize the splashing. However, since the porch is fairly narrow as it is, it's not my favorite idea. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for solving my problem. One thought I had was using some sort of extended drip edge or flashing to extend the actual drip line away from the house... but what type of flashing should this be? Would it have to just be custom bent from a piece of flat flashing?
Two notes:

I live in the land of heavy snows, so this needs to be a solution that can accommodate deep snow sliding off the roof (so either very rigid, or very flexible)

there are several inches of fascia underneath the drip edge (~6" of or so)

I would like to avoid gutters if at all possible - I have no drainage issues otherwise.

I'm interested in keeping the current porch deck design as is.

I was going to suggest rainhandler as well - because I'm a civil engineer and I think it's a neat idea - but not because I've ever actually seen it used (it is not a common product). However, I would not install on my own home if heavy snows or ice were a big concern.

I believe what you're looking for is a simple drip edge, similar to your picture. Do a quick search for "drip edge" or "drip flashing" and you'll find all kinds of products (many of which are likely available at your local home improvement store). Drip edges are often installed with a gutter system, but can be installed on their own as well. A drip edge is just a strip of metal or plastic that moves water droplets a short distance away from a building and then lets them fall straight down.

As you've shown in your picture, a drip edge will usually have a 45 degree bend at the end. This bend is what makes the water droplets fall down, as it is very difficult for them to travel "back up" the backside of the bend. If your flashing were flat on the bottom I.e. a 90 degree bend, then it would not work well because water droplets could wick back to the building by traveling along the flat bottom.

One problem that I see with your picture is the placement of the flashing - there's no overlap from the metal roof to the drip edge. Drip edges are more commonly installed at the top edge (top of the fascia), often under shingles. The idea is that you want water droplets to roll off the shingles or metal, onto the drip edge, and then down to the ground. In your picture, water droplets would roll off the metal roof, down the fascia, and then (hopefully) down the drip edge. I say hopefully because most likely you'll end up with some sort of gap (however small) between your drip edge and the fascia. This little gap is where mold likes to grow and water likes to sit to rot away your fascia. Installing your drip edge at the bottom is fine, but I would then choose a product that covers the fascia too, and then goes up under the metal roof (the drip edge needs to somehow start underneath the metal roof). You want a continuous path of overlapped materials for water droplets to flow down - like how shingles always overlap the next one below.


How can I repair my shower that is leaking from the back of wall? I had my shower remodel a couple of years back, from plain old shower to now cement tile. Now I noticed that when I go to turn the water on, there is water coming up out from the back of the shower wall. I didn't think much of it, til last night when I came to notice there is water coming from underneath my bedroom floor. My bedroom wall faces my shower wall. Can you help me in telling me what it might be?

Gotta open it up to find out.  You can always open the drywall on the backside to get a look into the mixer valve and pipes in that area.  Drywall is much easier to repair than tile and any fixes can usually be done from there as well.  Also you might want to consider adding an access door so inspections/fixes will be easier in the future.


Heavy Duty Floating Shelves for Kitchen BACKGROUND:
Remodeling our kitchen and SWMBO wants open shelving on one wall versus piecing together 10' of upper cabinets. The lower cabinets on this wall will actually have a big 33" sink and lots of countertop space on each side. The shelves would hold all our dishes, cups, some pots, some pans, and decorative things. I really like floating shelves so am hoping to build the frames out of 2x4's that screw directly in to the wall studs. Something like these (only finished completly):

QUESTION:
My question is if two of my shelves cover the entire 10' width of the wall from end to end, is this shelving system strong enough by itself without any additional support brackets? Here is more or less the layout we are going for:

UPDATE: Pic of wall I'm dealing with:

My take is that the sheer thickness of the shelves that you propose will look heavy and chunky to the point of being unattractive.

I would also have concerns about the overall sturdiness of a shelf that is cantilevered off a single 2x4 screwed to the wall. If it were me I would go for a thinner style of assembly and use vertical end sides on the shelves.


Will a locksmith prefer to install a handle on a door that is hung or laying flat on horses? I have several hardwood doors that will need to have door handles and latches installed. Currently the doors are unhung and laying on saw horses (for sanding and painting).

Will the locksmith prefer to install the handles with the doors laying horizontal like this, or will he prefer that the doors be hung?

I would vastly prefer to do them hung.

As far as just attaching the hardware, that job is a cakewalk when the door is hung.  Doing it while the door is on sawhorses only creates a handling problem; the doorknob will be awkward.

If holes need to be drilled for the knob, latch and strike, then trying to do that separately using measurements would be insane. 95% chance you'd mount the carefully measured door, and by golly, they'd be misaligned.

Doing the work hung doesn't add enough difficulty to be worth the trouble it will cause for fitment.


Painting rooms partially, how to get good edges While I prefer to paint rooms completely, including the ceiling, I sometimes need to paint a single wall, or even a limited area of one wall.

For example, the kids may have drawn directly on the wall, or in the entrance area just one area of the wall is very smudged etc., and there may be a lot of furniture on the "good" walls which would just be not worthwhile to move around.

That said, what are good techniques to avoid ugly edges where your new paint meets the old? For example, at wall edges, would you rather stick on your masking tape on the wall that you are painting, or on the adjacent wall? Or would you avoid hard edges where new paint meets old, but somehow smooth the paint into the old areas? I saw an old professional painter do that once and it turned out fine, but I really have no idea how I would do something like that consistently.

I am mostly talking about the commonplace western europe white interior paints, not latex based paints.

Professional painters don't use tape.

They "cut in" the wall by using an angled brush in the corner. Usually a 2" (50mm to you) sash brush. This requires a fair bit of practice and a steady hand but once you are accomplished at it, it is much faster and even looks better then taping off, and even beats hi-tech painter's tape.

Then, they roll the wall right up close to the corner and you can't really tell they brushed the corners.

If you paint break to break (corner to corner or floor to ceiling) then a very small difference in shade is very difficult to see because of lighting. Additionally, you don't need to try to match the stipple of the of the existing paint.

Always save leftover paint in a stable temperature that doesn't freeze and you will be able to touch up nicks and scratches for years before having to change colors.

Good luck!


Lawn Sprinkler's water pressure is low in one zone All my sprinklers worked about a month ago.  However, now one of my six zones are not producing enough pressure; all the other zones work just fine.  I checked the voltage for this problematic zone and it was around 25 VAC. The resistance is around 60 Ohms. So, it seems that the solenoid is just fine (please correct me if I am wrong).
Question:

Am I correct in my hunch/diagnostic that it is the zone-valve and
not the solenoid or sprinkler head that are the problem?
What is a good way (diagnostic) to find out which zone-valve is busted?
What should be my next steps?

I want to make sure that I am reasonable accurate since the zone-valves have not been touched in the past 20+ years and hence have a lot of dirt/mud on them; besides, they are each in 10-inch diameter plastic canisters under the ground (making access rather difficult).
Thanks.

Manually operate the valves until you find the zone that isn't working right. It might be a solenoid, but usually those are an "all or nothing" failure. Solenoids can fail electrically or mechanically. The coils can short out and/or the plunger itself can get stuck.  Once you find the failing zone you can further diagnose what's going on with it. And we can help better with more info.
Co-incidentally I have a zone valve right now that is stuck open.  So I had to shut down the supply. Probably fix it tomorrow.  Almost certainly a stuck solenoid.
Pictures and more information on the zone valves will enable us to help you better.
You are lucky, IMHO, to get 20 years out of zone valves without service.  They must have been pretty high quality to start with.


Correct way to remove a red wire from a circuit Reference: Can I convert a 3-way switch that switches half duplex outlets into an outlet?

My answer to the referenced question involves removing the red wire between two 3-way switches and converting the bundle to an always hot bundle.  Essentially making a 14-3 bundle do the job of a 14-2.

What is the proper way to deal with the extra wire?

Cap each end with a wire nut and leave it in its junction box.

Do not trim away the ends of the wires. That could confuse a future maintainer, and someone might find a use for that wire someday.

If you maintain infrastructure documentation on your home, add a note describing the abandoned wire.

If you do not maintain infrastructure documentation on your home, start now. Begin with a note describing the abandoned wire.


Outlet covers no longer fit I installed a backsplash in my kitchen, after finishing the job I realized that the outlet covers no longer fit due since they are flush with the wall as opposed to slightly sticking out. Is there any way I can fix this?

A photo would be helpful, but from your description it sounds like you need a box extension. This extends the box so your receptacles stand proud (above) of the surface and will allow the cover to fit properly. I use these quite often after a tile job where they did not reset the boxes prior to tiling. If it is a slight setback you can loosen the receptacles and pull them to the cover if 2 screw would be ok by code, there are plastic shims that go behind the tabs on the receptacles with only 1 screw to the cover so the covers don’t break but this is for ~1/8-1/4” set back more would need an extension.


Is it necessary to use ceiling joists (ties) with conventional rafters? I am going to be putting up an outbuilding with rafters. Is it necessary to use a ceiling joist with conventional rafters?

This picture shows that I need one (https://www.carpentry-pro-framer.com/Roof-Framing.html)

However in this video there is not one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeNC98mCgoI)

Also, can I just nail the rafter into the ridge board or do I need a metal brace:

Collar ties go on the top third of the rafters, and mainly hold the rafters to the ridge beam, they may or may not be required by local code, or may not be required if you use an approved metal connector like a Simpson rafter tie.

Rafter ties go across the bottom third of the rafters, in older construction they could be on the bottom half or bottom two thirds of the rafters.  They prevent the roof from flattening, and they're pretty much usually required unless the structure is engineered so the outward thrust is taken into account some other way.  For example some cathedral ceilings are made to be stable without rafter ties.  In most cases ceiling joists are parallel to the rafters and are installed in such a manner that they function as rafter ties.


How do you put another outlet onto conduit I'm debating how wire will be run in my workshop.  I asked a similar question earlier, but this deals specifically with working with conduit.
First off, I think I prefer running raceway along the walls.  However, I'm considering metallic conduit as a alternative.  If I run conduit, how would I go about adding another outlet (or something) in the middle of the conduit run?  Do I have to disconnect everything downstream from where I want the addition, pull the wire out of the conduit then cut the conduit, add the new receptacle and pull the wire back down the conduit to the downstream receptacles?  This seems like an overly laborious effort just to add "something" else to the current conduit, but I see no way of cutting the conduit without pulling the wires.

Surface raceways will save you a lot of work in many situations, especially big raceway where you mount receptacles in the cover.  You can add wires from the nearest receptacle on the same circuit to the new receptacle.  These surface raceway products are expensive, some are very expensive, but it's not too hard to work with and you can get a great finished installation without any special tools.  With conduit, you really need to buy a bender and learn how to use it to get a nice finished install.
Of course with conduit, you could just backtrack.  Put the new box under the existing conduit, run a new conduit and wires from the nearest box to the new box.  It doesn't look as nice but it's totally fine.
If you really don't like the idea of boxes at different heights when you backtrack - you could enter the tops of the boxes on the left and exit on the right with pull elbows...

... or, you could run the conduit down at baseboard level and stub 90s up into the box left and right.  That might look a little nicer.  You get the idea, you can get creative.
EIther way, then you'll have clear space between for new boxes.  This will be easier to modify if you add boxes.  You can use a side knockout to backtrack and hit a box set at the same level.


What does it mean when one wire goes into load, and one goes into line I am replacing my kitchen outlets with GFCI.  The inspector told me I just needed to install one at the first outlet in the circuit.  I looked at the outlets on either side of my kitchen; at one end both black and white were connected to the LOAD nodes (and no wires connected to LINE), and the outlet at the other end of the kitchen had one wire connected to LINE, and one connected to LOAD, but neither LINE nor LOAD had both a black and white connected.

What does this mean?  Which side is the first in the circuit?  Was this even wired properly?  How should I connect my new outlets?

Line is the side of the device where the wires from the panel (or other equipment feeding the device) are connected.  Load is where any devices that are to be protected by the GFCI device are connected.

Most "newer" GFCI devices will not reset if they are not connected probably.

GFCI devices use a current transformer (CT), to detect any current differences between the "hot" and "neutral" conductors. The LINE terminals are on one side of the CT, while the LOAD terminals (and the receptacles on the device) are on the other.


Remove greasy material from wooden frame There is a wooden frame in my kitchen and due to cooking/heating the wooden frame right above my burner is become greasy.

how i remove that greasy material from wooden frame, as i tried to remove it from water with no luck.

Most household degreasers work just fine.  Krud Kutter works great, Lysol lemon degreaser also works well.paint thinner even works well as a degreaser


Is it safe to replace Type A plug with Type C? I'm really sorry if I'm asking a silly question or the Home Improvement is a wrong place for that but it's better safe than sorry.

I'm going to buy a couple of electronic devices from Amazon, which was made for US market only (charging station for game console accessories to be more precise). Since I live in Russia the apparent problem is what this devices' "native" plug will not fit sockets in my apartment. I'm not any experienced in such kind of situation so I tried to google to learn if this issue can be addressed at all. Many forums suggest that I can just replace original plugs or buy a plug adapter, but these devices are not cheap and I don't want to kill them and waste extra money. Both devices have Type-A plug which looks as follows:

plug one

plug two

You need to learn to tell the difference between a plain plug and a power supply with a built-in plug (known as a wall-wart).

There are several giveaways that indicate something is a wall-wart and not a regular plug.

Wall warts are typically much larger than regular plugs.
The output cable of of a wall-wart will typically be thinner and more lightly insulated than a mains cable.
The output connectors of a wall-wart will typically be of types that are only safe for use at low voltages.
A wall-wart will typically have a label indicating input voltage range, output voltage, power requirements and safety approvals.

Not every wall wart will have all these indications, but most will have at least one of them.

Both of the items in your pictures are wall-warts, if you remove a wall-wart and replace it with a regular plug you will almost certainly destroy the equipment and create a serious electric shock hazard.

Russia apparently uses 220V, which is similar to most of Europe (the EU is nominally 230V but with a pretty wide tolerance band) and much higher than used in the USA. Before connecting a device with a US plug to Russian mains you need to check it is suitable for the higher voltage.

Some devices, especially older ones, may need to be reconfigured for different voltages either by moving a switch, turning an insert, moving fuses inside the device or a variety of other mechanisms. This is unlikely to be the case with wall-warts though.

The label on your wall-warts should indicate the acceptable range of input voltages, most but not all modern wall-warts will be designed with a wide input voltage range (e.g. 100-240V) that covers essentially all mains voltages in the world. If your wall-warts have a suitable input voltage range you can use them with a plug adapter, otherwise you will need to source replacement power supplies.

Unfortunately sourcing replacement power supplies can be a pain. There are a wide variety of combinations of voltage, current, output connector and sometimes even output polarity out there.


Question about subpanel install in a shed I am not an electrician, so let's get that out of the way. However, in the past I have installed simple subpanels in detached buildings and had my electrical work inspected and passed first time, so I feel comfortable doing some basic, standard wiring.

Now the story, in 2014 my wife and I purchased and began renovating an older house. The house was built in the 30's and renovated the first time in the 80's and at the time upgraded with romex wiring. The house main service was a 200A fuse panel but we asked the sellers to have an electrician replace that with a new breaker panel, which they did and it was inspected.  The house has a detached garage that was built in the 80's and it has a 100A subpanel installed in it, with just a few circuits for receptacles and lights.

I recently installed a shed out behind the garage and now to it I want to run a subpanel off of the garage panel. I plan to get the permits and have my work inspected. This weekend I did a review of my environment and found something I'm not sure about.  When I pulled the cover off the subpanel in the garage I found that it's only fed with three wires, H-H-N and the ground and neutral bars are bonded. I was not expecting this.

I have not called my local officials yet (Virginia) because right now I've done no work or pulled any permit, I'm just feeling out my options.  The shed is approx 70' away from the garage.  A run back to the main house panel is impractical (paved driveway, concrete sidewalks) and even if I cut through those, would make it about a 175' run.  I was planning to run 3 - #6 THHN and 1 - #8 THHN (ground) in conduit to the shed and put in two ground rods, and separate the neutral and ground in the shed sub. However, I'm concerned what an inspector may say about this setup seeing that I'd be feeding this subpanel from a subpanel fed with a 3-wire feeder configuration.  My other option is just to run separate underground circuits for lights and receptacles to the shed and not do a sub, but that's not what I'd prefer to do.

I do believe the detached garage was built with older code that did not require 4 wires and grounding electrodes.  But now, does that hurt me for pulling a subpanel off of that?  Pending differences in local code, is this possible or do I need to make changes to the garage subpanel before I can do this?

Added to answer the question below:  that is a good question, I did not crawl under the other end of the house to see if I had access to the point where it enters the conduit. I suppose you're thinking that if I did, I might be able to fish in a ground wire back to the main?  However, I also posted a response below that I got from the county inspector today, which pending how difficult driving ground rods might get, sounds like a much more feasible solution. I was planning to rent a breaker hammer from HD to drive in the other rods anyways, adding two more while I have the rental doesn't sound terribly difficult.

I just looked and VA is on the 2011 NEC , I thought the change to 4 wire was back in the 99 code. So I would check with your local inspector to find out what the local requirements are (I would want 4 wire and ground rod). Very strange that a 2014 sub would be set up this way unless allowed by VA code modifications.

Added after op coment: you will need to update the garage to the 4 wire with ground rod to meet today's code if you want to pull a sub from the garage. I have used pipe and water hose to tunnel under driveways and sidewalks many times in the past so you don't have to cut them depending on your soil conditions its a bit messy but cheaper than cutting in most cases.


How are sacrificial anodes electrically bonded to the water heater? I was thinking about the sacrificial anode in my hot water heater.  It screws in via a hole on the top of the unit.

Every time I've made a threaded plumbing connection, I wrap Teflon around the threads before screwing it in.

It occurred to me that Teflon is not conductive.  So how does the anode bond to the case of the water heater?

Is it assumed that when tightening the Teflon will deform enough to let some metal touch?

Or does it use a parallel thread and seal on a gasket so as to not use teflon?

Or is it irrelevant and the anode works regardless of being bonded to the case and Earth ground?

The anode needs to have continuity to work, the Teflon or PFTE fills the voids to create the seal but the threads cut through and make contact. If you would like to verify this put some tape on screw it in and then remove, you will see small areas have cut through the tape and this is all that is needed.


Prevent water from overshooting gutter at corner roof valley? I have a large, steep roof section (~400sqft) connected by a long ~20' valley.  During heavy rainstorms, the majority of the draining water completely overshoots the gutter, landing near the foundation.

How can I fix this?  I've heard of manufactured or home-brew L-shaped attachments, as alluded to in this similar post here, but they didn't go in to any detail about how they work or where to get them.  This answer attempts to describe them, but I don't really understand how to build one, and I read about potential problems with snow.

I'm open to just about anything, bigger gutters, some kind of ground drainage to deal with the overshot water, etc.

I represented a company that installed roofs and gutters in NC for 4 years.  Your gutters are way too far below the shingles.  Judging from the pictures this looks like an older house and you may have some issues with how level the roof line is and perhaps that is why.  Ideally, you want the gutters touching the shingles on the high end and sloping down gradually to the downspout but not more than an inch below the shingles.  From the pictures, it looks like the water is missing the gutters entirely when it rains hard.

You have half round gutters, which tend to act as a "ski jump" if there is any velocity behind the water flow.  The way to reduce this is to use a diverter which is vertical piece of metal bent into a "L" shape with the bottom section about 3/4" wide and the vertical part about 4" wide.  It is screwed to the outer lip of the gutter.  I don't know if you can buy them, our guys just made them from scrap pieces of gutter.  They will trap snow and debris and you will want to clean behind them from time  to time.  The easiest way is with an old paint brush attached to one of those painters extension poles.

I suggest getting a well qualified gutter company involved.  You have half round gutters on open rafter tails which may require changing the brackets and there are a lot of different brackets to choose from.  You will want someone who knows what they are doing.  I doubt you will be able to eliminate the overshooting entirely, but you should be able to greatly reduce it so that in most storms it's fine.