How can I prevent heat loss through heater/air conditioner wall units? HVAC experts out there...

I live in Wisconsin and it gets mighty cold here!  I have a condo with 2 wall units that are used for both air conditioning and heat.  My heat bill in the cold winter months can get up to near $300 per month (normally my bill is about $100 +/- $10 during the spring/fall and is about $200ish in the summer with the air on).  If I keep one of the units on in the living room and turn the one in the bedroom off, my electricity bill is higher.  It seems strange but true.  If I have both running, they turn on and turn off every 10-15 minutes.  They work with my thermostat and whatever it's set to in each room.  Whether I have a unit turned off or not, and go next to it, I feel an extreme cold air coming in through it's vent.  I think when it turns off (when it heats the room up to the desired temp), that area cools down and it was like not heating it at all.  Seems to be a bad vicious cycle.

I guess I'm looking for advice to prevent that heat loss, or to prevent the cold air from coming in from outside.  It's about 2 degrees outside.  If you want pictures (or make/model numbers) let me know.

You can install an insulating cover on the inside of the unit.  Some vendors caution against using outside covers unless the unit has been cleaned and drained first.


When to use inox (stainless steel) screws in an anchor as opposed to using galvanized/normal screw? Is it only when there is a possibility of humidity? Are inox screws better for withstanding some weights, are they tougher or just their water handling is better? I see there are different types of Inox too, like A2, A4, supposedly better for handling water.

I am assuming that for home use and weight holding, it might not matter, but what I am asking is in theory; which screw would handle weight better, and if I compare inox to other normal screws, what should I go for and why?

Also is A4 Inox worth the price?

Inox is stainless steel with 10% (or more) chromium. The different grades have different alloys and create a stronger fastener. In industrial settings we do use A4 because it is superior. Think of case hardened for a parallel most think of in the U.S. do you really need the best grade? That depends on what you are doing high heat or cryogenic freezers may require a high grade but for home use I probably would not pay the extra. In fact depending on the type of fasteners needed you may have cheaper options with coated screws 1/10 the cost with 20+ year wearability. Although inox is stainless it can have iron oxide rust spots and if metal dust gets on the fastener in a damp area it can affect the material and can end up looking like a shiny rusted fastener. The difference I see with inox and galvinization both hot dipped and electroplated is after torquing a fastener in the contact point on galvanized parts may start rusting where with inox won't. It would help to know if you are talking about machine screws or wood screws to provide better comparisons.


Laying conduit in preparation for electrical work? UK I am planning to renovate an external brick garage which currently has no electric fed to it. The plan is to eventually have lights and sockets.

One of the tasks I want to do in the week is add dot and dab plasterboard to the walls as I have some unexpected time free. Unfortunately I can't get an electrician in before I do this due to time constraints on the project and my sporadic annual leave availability with work.

Is it ok if I add (unwired) plug sockets, light switches, light fixtures, and plastic conduit channels throughout the plasterboard to make wiring possible when the electrician is booked in for X months time? I can also in preparation dig a channel in the ground between house and garage ready for cable laying.

I don't plan to do any of the wiring myself. My concern is I don't know enough about electrical work to reliably add enough conduit and junction boxes, or even in the right place, for the electrician.

Is this reasonable approach? Would I be helping an electrician by doing this or just making the problem worse.

Call around to local electricians to see if doing this would cause any problem. Since they don't know your skills, they will likely recommend not doing it, but you never know.

Some of it might be acceptable, while some others would be too risky.

I don't know about the codes where you live, but I believe I've read that in some places the walls and wiring would need to be exposed in order to have an inspector look at them. Since this is just a garage, not sure if you're going the whole "permit" route.

I understand your desire to get things done while you're off work, but don't rush into something that'll cost you more in the long run.


Where can I find fireproof caulk backer? A while back I asked this question and got a lot of great responses.

I've been able to locate fireblock caulk, but one thing I didn't think of is the backer. I need some kind of fireblock/fireproof caulk backer for the gap in my fireplace's molding. The only caulk backer at Home Depot I've found is the polyethelyne backer. Something like this.

All of this stuff explicitly says to not expose it to heat, and that it's highly flamable, but I need something that will be fireproof.

What should I be using for caulk backer in an area highly sensitive to heat?

You could try and fill the majority of the gap with furnace cement, allow it to harden, and then seal the remainder with the caulk.


How can I cut through brick to add a window? I'm redoing a bathroom and would like to add a window (36x12) in the shower. This involves cutting through brick. A contractor I spoke with said he could cut it with a angle grinder (diamond blade?), but wasn't all that confident. The brick would be cut on the mortar on the horizontal but would still show unfinished edges on the vertical. So, my questions are: is the angle grinder an appropriate tool to cut brick, and are there any dos/don'ts for cutting brick?  And, What are my options to cover the exposed brick cuts and make the window opening look professional? I won't be able to match the other windows since they have brick detail around the window which I don't think can be replicated

Here's a photo.  The window would be aligned at the top of the other windows and be about a 36" x 12" awning

I won’t say I'm an expert; I've worked with someone doing something similar in the past and may at least give you some guidance.

Personally, I would use a concrete saw (larger blade than an angle grinder) and/or a chisel to cut the opening. Make sure you have help as you DO NOT want to drop the removed section(s). You can use these bricks later (see below).

Don't forget the header. I know I'm using the wrong term, but I'm referring to the steel plate that holds up the brick over the window.

I would then use a chisel to remove the halved bricks and either turn them around or replace them with good ones from the removed section.

I would also recommend that you at least talk with a mason. They may be able to replicate the detail work around the window with the bricks from the removed section.


Thermostat upgrade delivers heat instead of cooling QUESTIONS
The apartment heatpump delivered cool air (16 degrees delta).  The thermostat was changed out with a Radiothermostat CT50.  CT50 switch configuration setting include HP (Heatpump) and Electric (see photos)

Does the photo (2nd photo below)  of the original thermostat confirm wiring color convention?

Why does the new wifi thermostat produce heat (100+ degrees from ceiling registers) and not cool air?

The second question is important because, I believe that wiring color convention was used.
As I understand it, the convention is True = +26V-28V.  Thermostat Wiring color convention:
White: Heat
Green: Fan
Yellow: Cooling
Blue: Common
Red: +26V AC

The voltmeter, measuring the wifi thermostat, indicated:
White = FALSE,
GRN = YEL = TRUE

CONTEXT
The apartment heatpump was originally configured with an electronic (not wifi) thermostat.  The old thermostat worked fine and is wired as such:

The wiring into the original thermostat leads me to believe thermostat wiring convention was followed.
The office heatpump (identical wifi thermostat) correctly pumps cool air when summoned:

I am happy to provide any other information, if asked.
3-PHASE-EEL TESTS
JUMPER Experiment
Purpose: Confirm BLU=Common, YEL=cooling, RED=26-28V AC
Expectation: Cooling is engaged
10AM: 86 indoor temperature: Thermostat Mode = OFF = [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA]

Jumper YEL (cooling) & GRN (FAN) to RED:

Return =70 degrees: Jumpered: [GRN WHT] = >26V = ON = TRUE;   Measurement: FALSE = [ORA,YEL] <2.0V AC
Conclusion: cooling is engaged as expected =>  WHT, YEL, GRN, ORA convention is utilized
Measurements: Thermostat = HEAT-Setting
Purpose: Does calling for heat actually invoke cooling?
Remove jumpers from JUMPER Experiement
Measure voltages at [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA]; Measurement =  [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA]=FALSE
Set thermostat to Heat and set target above ambient temp
Measure voltages at [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA]:  Measurements: ORA=FALSE; [WHT,YEL,GRN]=TRUE
Measure return temperature:: 76 degrees=return at 9 minutes  83=ambient temp
Measurements: Thermostat=COOL-Settings
Purpose: What signals are sent?  [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA]
Set thermostat to off confirm fan /compressor off, then to cool.
Set target-temperature to below ambient:
Measure [WHT,YEL,GRN,ORA] = [FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE]
measure output temp: 93+degrees at ~3Min
====> Disconect orange (Reverser valve?): measure ORA = 130Mv =>  **OUT_TEMP=76 @ 1 min**
Why would the controller (thermostat) send a TRUE to the ORA (Reverser Valve) in cooling mode?

Move the orange wire on the troubled thermostat from O to B
What you are seeing here are fairly classic signs of getting your system's reversing valve control backwards.  In order to do their fancy tricks of being able to heat your house as well as cool it, heat pump systems need to be able to make the indoor and outdoor coils "swap places", and this is done using a special four-way solenoid valve called a reversing valve.
Sadly, there are two different conventions for the way the reversing valve works, and no clear mapping between them and thermostat wire color codes.  Most systems operate where the reversing valve needs to be energized to put the system into cooling mode, which is conventionally marked by the use of an O terminal designation on the thermostat and in system wiring diagrams.  Oftentimes, this corresponds to an orange wire in the thermostat cable, but different cables may have different color codes, and fat cables may be used differently by different installers.
However, Rheem and Ruud units are a bit different; they require their reversing valves to be energized in order to get the system to heat.  This is denoted by the use of a "B" terminal designation on the thermostat and system wiring diagrams; however, the dark blue wire that is intended to be used for this is rarely available in thermostat cables, so its often wired using an orange or brown wire instead.
To add to the confusion, many electronic heat pump thermostats have a single reversing valve output, denoted as O/B and configured for correct operation through the setup menus, instead of having separate O and B outputs available, as in a mechanical heat pump thermostat.  In your case, your experiments with the jumpers and mode settings show that your system is configured with a reversing valve that must be energized to heat.  Since your new thermostat has separate O and B terminals, fixing this is a matter of moving the orange wire over; on your old thermostat, there was a setting that had been changed to do the same thing.


LED downlights working in conjunction with bathroom fan There are 3 led downlights and an extractor fan wired with a bathroom fan isolator and separate light switch. The light switch also, when on, provides the live connection to the fan isolator switch, ensuring the fan is not left on permanently when the lights are switched off.(3rd wire provides timer circuit for fan to run on).
Lights are full brightness when fan is off but dim when the fan runs. I am assuming this is due to the led lamps/drivers being starved of current. They are both fed from the same lighting circuit. Previous arrangement was a filament lamp in single fitting so I assume effects would be less.

I think you may have a wiring problem. From your description you circuit is acting like you have hooked your fan up in series with the lights. In a series circuit the lights will all stay the same brightness if they are all the same wattage and type. Once the fan comes on part of the voltage is dropping through the motor and the rest is distributed through the lights.

Take a close look on how the fan and the lights are wired up and if you have a meter verify that all equipment is wired in parallel and check for any crossover wiring.

I am only using the information you have given us. If the problem persists, you might edit your question and give us some photos or diagrams.

Good luck.


Should I insulate steam pipes in the basement? I have a steam-radiator heating system.  The furnace is in the (unfinished) basement, and the steam-carrying steel pipes spread out across the basement ceiling before going up into the rest of the house.  Should I insulate these pipes in order to save energy in the winter?  Or will the furnace itself heat the basement so much that insulating the pipes doesn't matter?

Insulate the pipes.

You are likely losing a lot of heat into your basement if they aren't insulated. Unless your basement is finished (and therefore you want the heat there) you want to keep as much heat in those pipes as possible so that it gets into the main part of your house.  The heater (and other similar equipment like hot water heater) should heat the room enough to avoid freezing or being a drain on the rest of the house, which is all you really need to worry about.

It can also be safety concern if those pipes are running places where you might inadvertently touch them.


Should I use a stripper or sander to remove paint on my deck? I have a deck that's maybe 10 years old and the previous owners used paint instead of stain.  I want to remove the paint and I already started with the Behr Premium Stain and Finish Remover, but it's not removing every coat in each area.  I was wondering if I should use a Belt or an Orbital Sander to complete the job.

This all started because the railings weren't up to code so I tore them down and I decided to redo the entire deck, because it was peeling.

The wood looks to be in good shape; this is fortunate. I think your best bet is to use a large drum sander from a rental place; just make sure all the nails/screws are sunk below the level of the boards. If you use small power tools, it will take a lot of time, effort, and sandpaper. If you plan to re-use the spindles and they are painted, a grinder worked better for me than any orbital or belt sander.


Level of repair for rotting outdoor stairs I've got wooden stairs leading up to a porch that need repairs. The more I look into it, the more that I see needs to be done, so I'd like advice as to what I should do short term and what I can put off.

Here is a summary:

About 10% of the tread boards are clearly in need of replacement.  For one, my foot went through it.
The stringers have rot where the nails from the rotten tread boards were.  The rotten wood goes 1" deep.
Other rotting near the bottom of posts that is cosmetic rather than structural.

I have pictures below to illustrate.

These are the three levels of repair I am considering:

At a minimum, I need to replace the 10% of the rotten tread boards and use putty on the stringers.
Replace all of the tread boards and patch stringers where needed.
Rip everything out and rebuild. I'd like to put this off for a few years because the rest of the porch needs work as well.

The criteria is that I'd like the stairs to last another 5 years or so until I do larger renovations on the porch, and to minimize the amount of needed work until then.

Obviously you have to replace the bad treads. The bigger issue is the stringers. Unless you remove all the treads and trace one it'll be difficult to accurately match the current shape. For that reason, and assuming that the rot doesn't substantially weaken them, your best bet is patch blocks.

I'd cut lengths of 2x6 to about 16" and screw them to the stringers, level with each tread cut and flush with the riser cut. They can extend out the rear somewhat, saving fitment effort. Use four to six 3" corrosion-resistant screws on each, through the stringer first. This puts the primary grab in the new wood. Do this on one side of each stringer as needed.


Toilet drainage leak We have a problem with our toilet. When we flush it, water rises in the bowl, then slowly leaks away through the drain onto the floor. I took a video of the problem to possibly send to a plumber. However, firstly I wanted to know if it is possible to fix it ourselves.

The water seems to be leaking through cracks in the caulk where the drainage pipe goes into the floor. I was wondering if unclogging the toilet and re-applying the foam/paste would solve the problem, or if it would only serve as a temporary fix. We haven't tried this yet because:

We currently don't have a plunger.
We don't want to worsen the problem in case a plumber needs to come

All help is welcome and thanks in advance!

video of the problem, still capture:

That is not at all how a toilet should connect to the floor. You'll need to remove the toilet, clean away all the caulk, and set it anew.

In my part of the world we use a ring of waxy material, sometimes with an embedded rubber flange, to make the seal between the toilet and the floor. This is a one-time use product and must be replaced if the toilet is re-set.

Anytime you encounter caulk in plumbing you can assume that something is very wrong. If it hasn't failed already, it soon will.


AC issues / Insulation of vaulted ceiling Issue: If it's hot outside, ~90F, house temperature can't get below 79F.

Background: 6 year old house, vaulted ceiling with 1 ceiling fan in family room where thermostat is (also 3 large windows, with wood blinds). I finished the basement this winter and added return & a couple of registers (new pipe ran off of unit). I've since covered these & removed the added pipe with cardboard and metal tape (seems to have sealed pretty good).  The heat wasn't an issue a few years ago but has steadily gotten worse.

Had AC guy out, he refilled the Freon (a little low) and took temperature of attic (no vaulted ceilings) and said it looked right. Said to not run the fan and issue was vaulted ceilings might not have enough insulation.  Not running the fan does seem to help but still can't get temperature down (when temps ~85, weren't able to get below 77, now able to) .

What kinda options do I have?  Can I insulate the windows with something? Is there a way to get more insulation into the vaulted ceilings. Is it time to get a bigger compressor?

All of your stated options are possible. However, unless this ceiling has absolutely no insulation, or you have a LOT of glass in this room, none of these options will really address the problem.

Put curtains on the windows and glass-paneled doors. Also, rent a FLIR camera, which takes a thermal image of what it's looking at, and take a reading of every surface in the warm room. The thermal picture will tell you if there is a significant rise in temperature anywhere, which indicates improper insulation, or conversely an unexpected DROP in temperature, which in the summer will indicate a leak in the vent. If you do see poorly insulated areas, you may be able to fill in the gaps with blown or spray-foam insulation, or you may have to drop the whole ceiling and reinsulate.

The most likely culprit for poor cooling in one space but not others, other than solar gain through a lot of windows or skylights (in which case curtains and blinds should give you a DRASTIC improvement), is inadequate air circulation into and through the space, or else poor insulation of the ductwork bringing air to this space. The easiest thing to check and fix is the filter; it should be replaced at least once a year and more like once every 6 months especially if you have pets. More than that, and the filter will become so clogged with dust it will impede airflow. The more surface area the filter has, the better, because the more dust it can trap before becoming clogged. I have a 16x25x4" electrostatic media filter and it works just fine for a single system cooling a two-story house. However, the filter will generally degrade the performance of the entire system.

The next easiest thing to diagnose is the condition of the ducts themselves. Take off a vent cover and inspect the inside of the ducts with a mirror; if there's a layer of dust, there's probably more of it closer to the main blower. Call an HVAC crew in for a duct cleaning. Again though, this will likely degrade the performance of the entire system, not just one room (unless there's a leak).

If the ducts themselves are clean, you may need to balance the system. Certain vents will get better airflow than others; it just happens, and which ones get the most airflow depends on the ductwork design. To direct more air downstream, or to underserved areas, partially close the vents in areas of the home that are getting plenty of air, which will direct more airflow to rooms that aren't getting enough. Also consider completely closing the vent closest to your thermostat, thus requiring the thermostat to get its reading from the air coming from other rooms; I've seen plenty of very poor designs where the thermostat is right underneath one of the closest vents to the blower, and so the A/C only runs for 5 minutes at a time because the vent blows cold air right onto the thermostat. This balancing process will require a little patience to get just right. Once set properly, the rooms in your home should each receive the right amount of air to maintain the desired temperature without rooms being too hot or cold.

Similar to balancing the system, understand that doors are very effective "valves" allowing air flow from the vents back to the air returns. If a room is too warm and you want it cooler, opening the door allows more airflow out of the room, which by the same token allows more airflow INTO the room through the A/C vent. Keep as many doors open through your house as possible, especially during the heat of the day. If this is not feasible, you can maintain privacy in your home while increasing airflow by adding a louvered panel to the door, which allows air to blow through.

The hardest thing to fix (impossible sometimes) but still easy to diagnose is the temperature of the air coming out of the ducts feeding the warm room. Get yourself an IR thermometer, and take a reading from each of the vents in the room or house. You should get a reading between 20-30 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. If the air coming out from ALL vents in the house is less than 20 degrees cooler than outside, the compressor is on its last legs, or the coolant is low, or there's condensation in the system. An HVAC tech can disgnose which of these is the problem in a matter of minutes.

If only a few rooms but not others have the problem, the ducts to those rooms are being exposed to outside temperatures, perhaps along an exterior wall or uninsulated ceiling. The fix is to somehow get better insulation to the duct, and you will likely have to tear out ceilings and walls to do this, unless the duct runs through an open attic space. Alternately, you may have a leak along the duct line leading to this vent, allowinfg most of the air to escape, and what's left isn't enough to cool the room. Again, unless the duct's in an accessible attic, you will probably have to tear out walls and ceilings to find and fix the problem.

The reason turning off the ceiling fan helps is that the fan is simply circulating the hot air in the vaulted ceiling above your head down into the room. This requires your A/C to cool the entire space (made more difficult by deficiencies in the ventilation of this room), when you really only need a 6-8ft "blanket" of cool air at the floor. By turning the fan off, you allow the air to "stratify"; cool below, warm above. If you have a nice "blanket" of cool air, and the fan is really high up in the ceiling, you can try extending the downrod of the fan to lower the blades into the cool air, so they grab less of the warm air from above. Keep the fan blades at least 7 feet off the floor though, and I would recommend more like 8-9'. Understand that, fan or not, the warm air will still mix with the cool air at a level determined by how much there is of warm and cold, and if that's at head height, you'll feel little relief even if the air around your feet is 60 degrees.


Concrete patio against the house I am going to be starting a project in which I will be pouring my patio next to my home, it will be approx 10' x 50'  The home is on a concrete slab, no basement.  I have to two questions.

What is the appropriate slope to use to have water run away from the home and how do I get this slope in the patio slab?
From what I have read thus far, the concrete should not butt directly against the home's slab and a joint expander or something should be glued to the home and then the concrete poured against that.  My question is, how do I properly scree when there won't be a form board against the house on which that end of the scree board would typically rest? Just use a chalk line and go by that?  In addition, how do I scree such a large area, I hadn't planned on having any framing boards within' the patio, meaning it would be one large continuous concrete slab patio.  Or is that a mistake?
I guess I had more than two questions but...whadya gonna do?

Thank you.

Typically when I pour concrete against a house foundation, (never pour concrete against any siding IMHO, it invites trouble later) I have an expansion joint set to the house. It can be cork, 1/2" thick by 4" tall set to the wall with short pins to hold it while pouring. There is a tar or asphalt impregnated expansion joint material too that may hold a straight line better with fewer fasteners.

The 1/8"/ft is a good number as mentioned by Jimmy fix-it. To set the slope, a form is set in place that sets the size (area) and the top level of the concrete surface. The form is also set at the recommended slope. 2X4s are usually used for this, then they are removed after a day or so. You will also need a concrete edger to ease the corner where the 2X forms are.

Usually pro concrete workers would not set anything within the 10 width, they don't need it, but you can set something at the middle if you choose, since an 8' screed board is a killer to pull if you don't have good help. It can either be a short piece of rebar driven in so the top is at the level for the concrete, strike your concrete in that area to the level dictated by the rebar, after the surface is set, drive the rebar further into the concrete so it is well below the surface. It works but it is easy to loose track of this pin while everything else is going on.

The other way to do the same is set a wood stake in the place you wish to use to set the top of the concrete, making sure the stake is tall enough to be well above the concrete finished surface, say anywhere between 6" to 1' above, (it can be more, but shorter would make the removal harder), set a screw or nail at the level of the concrete and when the level of concrete is set to the nail or screw, pull the stake out and plop a small amount of concrete while you are pouring to fill the void left by the removed stake. Yes you will need boots, and get in the middle of it.

When placing the concrete the edges are floated very close to the finished level, all around the edges. The pour will start from the farthest side, and the pour will proceed closer to the truck. Set the level at the house using a hand float to set the level to the expansion joint and work the far side and start going down the long side, striking the concrete off to the finished level with the screed. You will still need to float it perhaps 2 more times after that if you are going with a broom finish.

Get the rest of the concrete down, and if you are still alive, start the floating process. Use a "bull float" to get most of the surface closed up and the grout brought up, this is critical to get this right the first time!!! Setting the level properly with the screed will really make a difference too.
One more time with a hand float after an hour or so should make it ready for the broom finish.

On a slab that is 50" long you will need to run control joints or cut them in later at every 10' or so. I think it is recommended to have expansion joint every 20' but it may not be required. Again, control joints would be highly recommended..


What does "Ampacity Dwelling" mean? I have a few questions I'd like to lump into this one, so please bear with me.
I am planning to completely rewire my main level, moving my laundry room up from the basement in the process.  I decided that I want to put a sub panel in the laundry room that serves as the home run for the entire main floor.  In looking for what gauge feeder wire I need, I ran across a confusing entry in the table that I am not sure what to do with.

What does "Ampacity Dwelling" mean?

https://www.nassauelectrical.com/products/3-0-3-0-3-0-1-0-copper-ser-service-entrance-cable
Allowable Ampacity 60C (Amps):  165
Allowable Ampacity 75C (Amps):  200
Allowable Ampacity 90C (Amps):  225
Allowable Ampacity Dwelling (Amps):     225

I am assuming that a 150A sub panel refers to the 240V, so would that mean it could technically handle 300A worth of breakers in 120V circuits?

Would a 3/0-3/0-3/0-1/0 SER copper cable be the right thing to run from my main panel to supply the sub panel for the main level?  I do not mind paying extra to oversize my cable for larger derating and less wasted power from wire resistance. (I also cannot have aluminum wires in my house for unfathomable religious reasons.)

This is all part of a bigger renovation of this old house from 1978.  I'm planning to upgrade the house from 150A service to maybe 300A at the meter so I can plan for the future where I need to charge vehicles.  I also just got into welding as a hobby, so my 120V Harbor Freight welding setup may eventually grow into something more serious in my workshop (woodworking, 3D printing, electronics, etc.).  When I upgrade my main service, I plan to have it wired to support a whole house generator, and the main panel will only supply power to the garage, HVAC, and fully-finished basement level (two bedrooms, home theater, etc.) in addition to the sub panel upstairs, of course.  My house was built on a hill, so the garage comes in at the basement level, and the main level with the master suite, living room, kitchen, guest bedroom/office is above.
I want to do this once, and I want to do it right.  I'm planning to have a dedicated 20A circuit for each bedroom in addition to a dedicated 15A circuit for each bedroom because you never know if you might decide to throw crypto mining rigs in every room one day.  :)

"Ampacity Dwelling" doesn't apply to your situation
The "Ampacity Dwelling" figure you see is based on the 83% "uprate" that the NEC permits on 100-400A feeders or services that feed entire dwelling units.  This is set out in NEC 310.15(B)(7); some sources provide a table instead of the rule, as this information has historically been conveyed in the NEC in tabular form, although the application conditions have not changed.  As a result of that "entire dwelling unit" criterion, though, that number is useless when putting in a subpanel within a house as you are doing here.
150A refers to 240V, yes, but adding up the breaker ratings isn't what you do here
You are correct in so far as the 150A figure you're considering for your subpanel refers to a 240V rating.  However, you don't figure the load on a panel by adding up the breaker ratings; instead, you need to do a load calculation using rules found in Article 220 of the NEC to figure out how much load you're putting on said panel.  This requires the square footage of the area served, which is used to compute general receptacle and lighting loads, while not-so-generic loads such as kitchen/laundry small appliance circuits and heavy appliances either get their own allowances or are computed from their nameplate ratings. To top this off, generic-ish loads have a load factor applied to them past the first 3000VA of load to account for load diversity (you aren't running everything plugged into the walls in your house at the same time, after all).
Subpanel selection advice: GO BIG OR GO HOME
However, what I said above about load calculations doesn't mean you need to put some itty-bitty subpanel in.  Having more busbar capacity than needed is not a large deal for reasonable values of "more", and more importantly, the rise of AFCIs means you can't rely on "double-stuff"/"duplex"/"tandem" breakers to bail you out of a shortage of breaker spaces.  As a result, given that you don't want to rip anything out and replace it in the future, I'd use a 40- or 42-space, 200 or 225A, main lug panel as a minimum specification for your new panel.  If you can get a 54-space or 60-space panel for a reasonable price, that would be a worthwhile upgrade, even.
Don't Fear the Aluminum (but get a torque wrench to keep the reaper at bay!)
Your "no-aluminum" policy is also not grounded in what we know today about electrical installations; aluminum wire was only ever a problem because AA-1350 "EC grade" pure aluminum wires were landed on steel wiring device (switch, receptacle) terminal screws with inadequate testing to smoke out the connection problems that happened due to thermal expansion, creep, and so on.  However, distribution equipment uses plated-aluminum box-lugs instead, which provided they are correctly torqued, are not prone to such failure modes.  (Burnups observed in the field are generally the result of inadequate torque, not any inherent property of the modern AA-8000 series aluminum alloy wires that are required by the NEC for most customer-side aluminum wiring applications.)
So, I'd go with 250kcmil Al SER cable instead of blowing a bunch of money on copper, and use the money you saved on that to do something more useful, like getting a big panel as I mentioned above, and an inch-pound torque wrench for that matter.  However, even if you insist on the 3/0 copper (either as SER or as individual wires in 1.5" EMT or RMC -- 2" conduit simply doesn't fit in 2x4 stud walls), you'll still want that torque wrench, so that your electrical system doesn't give you the loose lugnut!


How to prevent Epoxy from sagging/dripping I have to anchor a bolt to concrete, but I can only find 2 component epoxy in "medium viscosity" around here (Brazil). I made a test setup to see how much might drip out and it is much more than i would like. What is the best wait to prevent that?

Its open time is 50 minutes, I took this picture 1 hour after I made the test.

Microballoons. Tiny glass or phenolic bubbles. They are the standard product for mixing into epoxy when you need a paste. Should be available at any place that caters to boat repair.

Plugging the hole with masking tape or similar may also work perfectly well in this case. If you can arrange to hold the bolt in with pressure, you could also use a large washer and a nut to hold a rubber or felt washer/gasket against the wall to keep the epoxy in place until it cures.


How do I knock out only the correct sized knock-out with Carlon A238 ENT boxes? Carlon A238 plastic boxes have three ring knockouts for 1/2", 3/4", and 1" conduit fittings. When trying to knock out for 1/2", the 3/4" breaks out as well.

How do I prevent this, or if it's already happened, fix the now over-sized hole?

They're not concentric so this might be easier than you think. I would take two flat-head screwdrivers to do this. Hold the box with one flat head against the back so that the head is supporting the 3/4" and 1" knockouts. Use the other flat head to pry the 1/2" out.


Are there any downsides to floating click lock floors versus traditional nail down floors when both are full wood? I'm researching flooring and have decided against laminate and engineered in favor of full wood flooring.

I have a choice between a solid bamboo floating click lock floor and a solid bamboo traditional nail down floor.  (Neither are engineered).  They will be laid on 3/4 inch OSB ( Oriented Strand Board ) sub flooring.

Everything negative I'm reading about click lock flooring has to do with the fact that usually they're engineered (and impossible to finish more than once at best).

So my question is are there any negatives to the floating click lock architecture itself?  In other words, why would I opt for a more difficult nail down flooring in this scenario?

If both are installed correctly then there isn't a ton of difference.

But the small difference - in that the floating can slightly buckle in some areas due to humidity and temp - makes nailing down the choice.  Really floating should be used if installing on slab, if you used a ton of floor leveler, or mixed surfaces.  A far as the install nailing down requires a gun but it is actually easier then glueing everything together.


13ft wide desk/workbench with only one leg This question is much like: how to "float" a large desk (3000mm x 720mm x 40mm) between walls but somewhat different (mainly, significantly wider).
I want to build a desk that is 13ft wide, supported by cleats (lagged to wall studs) at the back edge and at the ends.  I don't want to try to make the top stiff enough that NO support is needed along the front edge (the "torsion box" described in other questions).  I simply want to reinforce the front edge with a piece of steel angle (already in hand), and perhaps some additional wood, and support that in the middle with a single strong leg (in order to have as much clearance as possible under the desk).
The top will be made from two pieces of 3/4" furniture-grade (hardwood) plywood.  I'll cut some curves into the front edge, to make two somewhat separated work spaces.  (Cutting those curves smoothly enough to allow applying edge-banding is probably beyond my skill level, but I have a carpenter friend who can easily do it in his workshop).  It'll look something like this:

My question is about how to support the front edge.   Is simply bolting my piece of steel angle (2 x 2 x 1/4" by 7ft long) to the underside of the top, near the front edge, and supporting the center of that angle with one leg, sufficient ?  If I think of the two ends of the angle (from either side of the leg) as cantilevered beams of 42" length, a 100lb point load at the end gives about 1/4" maximum deflection; that's a bit more load that leaning hard on the edge of the desk with both elbows, and it doesn't include the rigidity of the plywood itself, so I think I can live with that.  (I realize the entire 84" of steel can rotate slightly off the top of the leg, so modeling it as two separate 42" cantilevers isn't that accurate, but hopefully in the ballpark).
Then there's the deflection of the unsupported section of plywood between the end of the steel angle and the end wall, about 35".  I'd like to compute the deflection of a point load (let's say 100lb again) at the center of that 35" span of plywood, but I'm not sure how to compute that (nor the shear on the plywood).  So perhaps some extra wood support along the front edge would be in order.   This shows a 2x8 board near the front edge.  It would be laid flat (even a 2x4, in the normal joist configuration, would provide too much obstruction under the desktop).

With a 100lb load at the center of a 35" span of laid-flat 2x8, I compute a max deflection of about 0.04" (seems counterintuitively low, but it's what I get using the formula FL^3/48EI, with   E = 1.15*10^6 lb/in^2 for #2 SPF lumber, and I = 2.04 in^4 for a flat 2x8).
Another idea was to make the desktop two layers thick, with the base layer made from 3 pieces ripped from a sheet of BC plywood.  It has the added advantage of supporting the top layer between the back wall and the front edge, although I doubt that is needed.  It would look something like this:

So, which of these three ideas for supporting the front edge of the desk is best ?

The piece of steel angle alone ?
The steel angle plus a laid-flat 2x8 ?
The steel angle plus a base layer of 3 chunks of BC plywood ?
(Each with a single leg in the center of the front edge).

Also, for appearance sake, the front (curved) edge of the furniture-grade top will hang off  whatever support is underneath it (option 1, 2, or 3 above) perhaps 2" where the desktop is only 28" deep and 10" where it is 36" deep.   I wonder if that it too much cantilever of the desktop ?  Do I need to bring the support 28" out from the wall (won't look so good) and/or reduce the depth of the curvature of the front edge to 6" instead of 8" ?

Attach the angle to the plywood and put the 2x8 behind the angle where it doesn't use up any extra height. you can screw through the vertical part of the angle into the edge of the 2x8.
put extra plywood under the seam where there is not already angle or 2x8.


How to open a PVC ball valve with a broken handle, stuck closed? When attempting to close a valve to change the property-wide water filter, the valve closed but the plastic handle broke off. I tried to open it again with a wrench but the bit of plastic it was mounted to broke off too.
I'd cut the pipes and replace it myself, but I don't know how to relieve the water pressure without this valve.  As far as I can tell, it's the only way.

We currently have no water because of this mistake :(
How do I open the valve, or is there any other way to relieve the pressure (preferably without flooding the pump-house)?

Ok, you can do one of two things or both. Drill a 3/16" hole into the black valve stem and screw a 1/4" x 1" lag screw into it. When the screw tightens up against the valve stem turn the screw another quarter of a turn and the valve ball could/should open. The valve stops are on the handle and valve housing and since the handle is broken off, the valve ball can be opened by turning it clockwise with the lag bolt. Once pressure is released, you can replace the valve.
Now if that's too much work, just drill a hole in the valve housing where the PVC enters the top of the valve and catch the stream in a bucket. Remember to close the valve feeding the filter and use a cordless drill when drilling into pressurized water pipes. Once pressure's released, replace the valve.


How to connect a 230V jointer to a pre 1996 dryer circuit? I would like to connect a jointer to my dryer receptacle but I am concerned about proper grounding.  The jointer draws 8.5 amps at 230V and has a NEMA 6-15 plug.  The dryer is plugged into a pre-1996 NEC circuit with three wires (red, black and white) and a NEMA 10-30 receptacle. Can I connect the jointer, which uses a green equipment grounding wire, to the dryer circuit which grounds the frame (equipment grounding) to the neutral circuit conductor (white wire)? In other words will the white wire properly ground my jointer if I connect the jointer’s green wire to the dryer’s white wire?  I have made a (3 wire) extension cord with a NEMA 6-16 receptacle on one end and a NEMA 10-30 plug on the other end. I have no confusion about where the 2 hot wires go and which is the grounded or grounding blades on the plugs.

First, remove that NEMA 10 from the wall with great authority and conviction, and strike it many times with a sledge.  Set the resulting fragments on fire. Spread the ashes on the pitch of your town's rival football team while screaming "Demons begone!!"

Convert to NEMA 6

Now here's the illegal part.  Get some green tape and wrap it around the white wire, on the insulation near the end.  Do this on both ends.  (it is illegal to mark colored wires as grounds, with an exception for very large wires).

While you're in the service panel, move the wire from the neutral to the ground bus.  (On a MAIN panel, they may be the same thing).   You have now redesignated the white wire as ground.

You are now wired for NEMA 6.  Put a 6-20 receptacle on the wall and replace the 30A breaker with 20A.  Done.

Or, convert to NEMA 14 by adding a ground wire

This is 100% legal.   Get some 10 AWG bare or green wire (single conductor, solid or stranded). Run it from the connector site back to either:

the panel from which this circuit is served, or
any junction box that has a 10 AWG or larger ground wire running back to that same panel.  I.E. your water heater, stove, A/C etc.  This has to be a ground wire, not a neutral wire.

If you pull your NEMA 10 off the wall and discover there's already an honest-to-gosh actual ground wire tucked back unused, awesome!  Just pop the cover off the service panel and make sure it's actually connected.

Neutral is not ground

All of my advice will fail you if you believe that Neutral and Ground are just two flavors of the same thing.  They are not.  They serve completely different purposes.  Crossing those purposes gets people electrocuted, which is why NEMA 10 is a bad connector.  In the 1950s when they wanted to start grounding things, NFPA very foolishly made a compromise with appliance manufacturers, who were afraid appliance sales would go ice-cold if NEMA 14 upgrade was required everytime you bought a new dryer.  They compromised at allowing NEMA 10 to continue in service, and use the neutral as ground.  The reasoning was an appliance failure (hot-chassis fault electrifying chassis) was more likely than a connector failure (neutral failure guaranteeing chassis is electrified even on a good appliance).  Their reasoning was that NEMA 10 circuits serve large appliances which are rarely ever moved or unplugged.  Didya catch that part?

Plugging a 15A appliance into a 30A receptacle

You're not allowed to. The issue is overcurrent protection (fusing).

NEMA 6 follows the exact same rules as the old familiar NEMA 5, because the rules do not specify voltage.  Any number of NEMA 5-15 receptacles can go on a 15A breaker.  Due to a special exception, any number of 5-15 or 5-20 receptacles can go on a 20A breaker.   Same rules apply to NEMA 6-15 and 6-20.

A 30A breaker can only feed a 30A receptacle.

So, changing the appliance cord to 30A is right out.

If you must build a 6-30/14-30 to 6-15 cheater cord, it needs to include overcurrent protection (fusing) at 15A or 20A.  If you use 20A, you might as well use a 6-20 receptacle, since 6-15 plugs go into it.  All the wiring up to the fuse must be 10AWG.

Or, convert the dryer to NEMA 6

You heard right.  The trick is, they probably sell this dryer in the Philippines and other east Asian countries that have 240V power. And so they probably make a 240V-only version of this dryer.  They designed the dryer from the ground up for this to be possible, and the difference is adding a small step-up/down transformer to power the internal 120V loads.

Don't want to plug/unplug? Sub-panel!

You need a real ground for this.

Remember that bit how those fat 30A connectors are not made for frequent plug/unplug?  There's a way around this.

Install a sub-panel at the old dryer plug site.  Use one with a main-breaker, any size over 30A will do since it's there to be a switch not a breaker. Don't scrimp on the breaker spaces. 20-30 is not too many.  The neutral bus must be separate/isolated from the ground bus, because say it with me, neutral is not ground.

Then install a 30A breaker and bring it out to a 14-30 for the dryer.

Then install a 15A GFCI breaker and bring it out to a 6-15 for the jointer.   The 5/6-15/20 receptacles are made for frequent unplug.

This setup has some sizing problems obviously - you can't run dryer and jointer at once for instance.  Your local inspector may have an issue with that. But this is certainly the safest of available options.  Also the most expense and work.


Why can't I find a listed single pole dual smart switch? I've been looking for ages for a smart switch to replace an analog single pole dual switch like this.
Everything I am able to find on Amazon, or really anywhere, is cheap foreign-made and not UL or ETL listed, e.g. this or this.
This one actually claims to be ETL certified, but I bought it and it has no such marking and have not yet installed it.
But I'm just wondering if there is some fundamental issue that prevents single-pole dual smart switches from being certified? GE, Leviton, etc. make tons of smart switches but no dual ones. With there being ZERO reputable manufacturers making these, but several shady ones doing so, one has to wonder why?
Note I may just wind up getting a dual Z-wave relay and keep the switch analog, but it's not my top choice as the box is pretty cramped as it is.
Update:
Well I found at least this one that's cETL certified. That's progress I guess.
Update 2:
Wait a tick. Could this actually be what I've been seeking? Z-Wave. A dimmer and a separate on/off in one gang.
Update 3:
The Zooz dual switch arrived yesterday and indeed seems to do the trick! It has US and Canada ETL cert and looks and feels like a legitimate switch unlike the plastic garbage out there.
The dimmer part paired with my ADT Control system despite ADT not being listed as a compatible. The "relay" (for the fan) didn't pair but I assume that is because of the hub; they note that the Smartthings hub needs a special update so I'm sure it's just a software issue. It also doesn't bother me that much since turning off the lights from bed is more important than the fan which I have on 99% of the time.
One thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have screw-in wire terminals but rather has stranded wires that come out the back that you have to pigtail to wires in the box.
But overall I'm glad to see at least one product that sortof fits the bill and hope this is a sign of things to come.
Thanks for all the suggestions!

I'd use Insteon for this job
The type of control flexibility you want with multiple controlled devices at a single wallstation isn't really addressed by "smart switches" per se, as the programming becomes involved enough that a single, standalone "smart" wallbox control with that functionality is no longer worthwhile.  Instead, what you get into at that level are systems of lighting control, designed for complex situations where entire sets of lights can be controlled with a single button. While there are a variety of products that can handle the duty, most require special low-voltage control wires from the wallstations to a central control unit, which rules them out in a retrofit like this.  However, the Insteon system uses a mix of power-line and wireless communications that lends itself well to retrofits, and also has a FanLinc module available for precisely the job you are after; namely, controlling a fan and its associated lights (or a different set of lights) simultaneously.
In this situation, I'd use an Insteon keypad module connected to always-hot and neutral at the wallbox, while bringing that same always-hot and neutral up to the fan.  At the fan, a FanLinc module is wired, much the same way you'd do with any other fan remote receiver; this gives you full dimming control over the connected lights, as well as multi-speed control of the fan.  You can also replace the existing wallbox dimmer with an Insteon dimmer and make all the lights in the room "talk", allowing for one-button scene control of both light sets from the same keypad that handles the fan.  Of course, all the Insteon gear is properly listed and labeled -- Insteon was in the "smart" game well before all the consumer-gadget vendors jumped on the bandwagon.


Should gaps be left between sheets of drywall for any reason? My cousin says I should leave 1/4" space between all edges of drywall so that mud can be pressed into it. Everything I've read online say to butt them tight. When is leaving a gap a good idea?

It really doesn't matter, I would run them tight, it uses less mud. If a gap occurs, don't sweat it. It is better to run drywall tight into the corners, it makes taping easier than having a gap. I have never seen a drywall crew intentionally set gaps.


What should I use for a sandbox bottom? I'm building a sandbox for my three-year old.  It will probably sit on the deck, so it needs some kind of bottom.  Ideally, we should be able to move the sandbox around the deck.  Is it necessary for water to drain out of the sandbox, or will the sand absorb enough water?  What should I use for bottom?

Ideas:

Landscape fabric: allows water to drain through, but may not be strong enough to move.
Regular plywood: allows movement, but may rot and does not drain.
Redwood plywood: I don't know anything about, but I saw it at Home Depot, and it may be more resistant to rot.
Edit: Combination: plywood with a few drilled holes, covered by landscape fabric.

Since you are going to place it on a deck, move it around, want to keep water and cats out, I would just buy a plastic one with a lid.  In my opinion its not worth the hassle.  The wood alone will make it heavy and hard to move around, let alone with sand in it.

They are fairly cheap, we bought one a few weeks ago at a garage sale for $5.  I know there is pride in doing it yourself, I wanted to build one too, but in the end, it may not be worth it.


How can I prevent curtain rings from catching on the joint between rod sections? I have a plastic curtain pole (unlike that one). The spot where the extension starts creates a bigger edge than on the pic, and curtain rings always bump into it. It's really, really annoying.

Because the window is so wide I need to use such extendable pole. So there's no alternative, at least within my budget.

Is there any solution to prevent curtain rings from bumping so much against the edge?

A great trick is to buy 2 curtain rods. IKEA is cheap enough. Join the bigger rods, with narrow inside. For some might need tape to make them snug. Put join in centre to go in support. All the same diameter in the end.


What is the best way to dissolve tape that won't peel off? Scotch tape? Duct tape? What about other types of tape (like the tape they put on supermarket labels?)


Steel tube deflection over span I am installing 16' desktop to a concrete block wall.  The back wall and one side will sit on a 2x4 ledger.  The opposite short side will be a solid plywood panel to help support weight.

The top will likely be 3 hollow-core doors topped with laminate.

As this will be used like a desk for multiple people, I want the front of the unit to have no support legs to be in the way of chairs/legs. I do plan to have some angle supports cut from plywood to help distribute the load (think right triangles, but with a with a significant crescent removed from the hypotenuse to help for knees clear)

At the front, I could use a 2x4 on edge to make a rail to help stiffen the edge, but I thought that perhaps a piece of box steel or angle aluminum would do the job with less deflection and a lower profile.

What size angle or box tube would accommodate the 16' length with the smallest vertical profile and least deflection?

Given the length and aspect ratio that you've proposed, it will be very difficult to meaningfully support the desk the long way. 16' is just way too long to get any support across. Certainly a 2x4 will be basically useless, even "on edge". Also, consider the ergonomics of having a thick tabletop surface: if this is going to be a computer workstation area you do not want to have a very thick top since that will force people to sit too low and have their keyboard too high.

I suggest ignoring the ends and building the desk to be supported the short way, i.e. cantilevered out from the wall. If you look around you will find various floating / triangle desk bracket designs. You might also consider whether adding a few legs would really be a problem; that would make the desk substantially stronger (and/or easier to build).

Whatever you do, make sure the desk is sturdy. People will invariable pile a desk with books, computer equipment, etc. and even sit on & lean against them.


Frozen drain line into septic from furnace Last winter the condensation from our high efficiency furnace caused our line to freeze from the floor drain where the water was running into, all the way to the septic. No one was there to flush toilets or run water more than the drips that comes from the furnace. It was below 0 for several days prior to that.

Where do you suggest we run the water from the furnace instead of the floor drain?

The furnace is in the basement and not near an outside wall.

If the furnace was running in the home and the temperature in the home was above about 50 degrees F. I can not see how the drain line could freeze. Also, how did the drain line freeze all the way into the septic tank? Drain lines that are underground do not usually freeze. I believe that more information is needed as to the construction of your home, the location of this drain line, and the overall operating conditions  need to be explained farther. Is there a vent line between the house and septic tank that would allow cold air to enter the drain line at that point and freeze that drain line? Also, 45 degrees is probably a little to low a temperature to maintain a home when you are away. I would keep mine at 55 degrees.


Can I run a sink drain horizontally through an adjacent cabinet? I am in the process of finishing my basement, and am at the stage where I need to plumb the wet bar sink.  When the house was built, the contractor just plumbed the area for the future wet bar, and we never really discussed where we wanted things.  Once we put the cabinets in, and had the countertop installed, we decided to have the sink adjacent to where the source lines and drain were plumbed.  So now it looks like this:

But, now I'm not sure if it's fine to run the drain horizontally from where the sink is to where the drain is plumbed.  Ideally, I'd like to run it around the back perimeter of the cabinets (resulting in 3 90 degree angles) to maximize cabinet usage, but If I had to run it in a most direct route from the sink to the drain, I could live with that.  Either way I was planning on having the horizontal pipe drop 1/4" every foot.  I was also thinking of using 2 45 degree elbows in place of a 90s to help reduce friction. I believe the drain is 2" if that matters.

Here's a quick mock-up of what i'm talking about, if it's not already apparent.

The hot and cold lines are a fairly simple matter. What I would do is elbow 90 them and then run CPVC up a bit vertically and attach an inline cutoff (not a faucet cutoff, I'll explain why in a minute). I would attach maybe a 2x3 or 2x4 in the back to strap these to, and then elbow 90 them off again, just below the counter (might not be a bad idea to strap them to the counter for this step but CPVC should be rigid enough for this). Now run them at a 45 degree angle to the wall of the cabinet adjacent to the sink.

Once we reach the wall, cut holes, attach a 45 elbow to each line, then feed the pipes through and 90 elbow them down the wall on the opposite side. Or, if you prefer, you can 90 elbow them to the back, another 90 elbow to the left, and then 90 elbow down (this will require more complex running on your part). Finally, we put a faucet cutoff valve here, where the faucet will attach.

Why two cutoffs? Let's say you're loading something into the cabinet on the right and damage the piping somehow (it's very exposed). The extra cutoff will allow you to shut the pipe off there. Think of it as insurance against replacing the cabinet and anything in it.

The drain is a bit more difficult. Measure to the top of the drain pipe in the wall and take note if they ran 1 1/2" or 1 1/4" to there. The drain will have to take up some room on the back wall and will be in the middle unavoidably.

On your sink side, install the drain and P-trap (buy the whole kit with the wall tube). Now, on the wall adjoining the other cabinet in the back, mark 1/2" above where you measured the top of the drain in the other cabinet. We need the extra height to ensure the water flows down to the drain. Cut a hole here. Put a 45 elbow (if they installed 1 1/2" on the drain, here is a good place to transition from your 1 1/4" drain pipes) and then put your drain line (PVC or ABS) along the back wall. I'd aim for a 1/4" drop here, then 90 elbow and drop the rest of the way to your drain, putting a final 90 elbow here.

It's a lot of piecing and gluing, but it should be out of the way to maximize cabinet space. You should still have post of your cabinet space this way. I would not route them squarely in the middle


Can I connect the UPS neutral to my mains neutral permanently? I am trying to wireup a UPS (old one bought for my PC once) to power one of my ceiling lamps so it works as an emergency light. (Stupid idea? Yeah? :P)

But since the ceiling lamp wiring is already done and in place, I have only access to its switch where you only have the live wire. The neutral runs as common for all other lights on that circuit.

Since I want to power this specific light from the UPS, how am I going to get its neutral sorted? I read somewhere that you should never connect the output of the UPS to its input (may be on its user's manual).

If I connect the UPS and mains neutrals together, will it end up in chaos? Please advice. Thank you.

See the diagram below:

If the neutral is just a straight wire through the UPS, and it almost certainly is, then this would have no effect. If not, then this would be a very bad idea. I wouldn't connect the neutral at all. (Of course, this may be a bad idea for other reasons, not the least of which is it would certainly violate code.)


Why won't my new Craftsman garage door opener power on? I installed a new Craftsman garage door opener by following the instruction booklet it came with, but after the installation was done and I plunged it in the outlet nothing will power up. Nothing lit up, or any movement. I made sure the outlet was working by plugging another device, and the other device worked but not the garage door opener. any suggestions?

There are two options here:

You've installed it wrong, or missed something: maybe it's as simple as a switch on the unit that needs to be turned, or the remote batteries aren't in right
It's DOA, and no amount of re-configuring will work

You're going to have to go through the whole set-up top to bottom. Check all your connections, make sure that batteries are in right, that any fuses are installed and work. Then call Sears.


What should I do with an unfinished parquet floor during a two-year rental? I'm renting an apartment and I've just moved in.

The apartment's floor is a wooden parquet floor and it appears to have been polished/sanded but it doesn't seem to have any sort of finish on it, so I have no clue of how to take care of it for the following two years (until my lease ends) since the only wooden floors I've know were all lacquered or varnished.

(I will post some pictures as soon as I can)

I would find it hard to believe that someone would sand a wood floor but then neglect to put a protective finish on it (unless this is a very rustic building like a barn?). It's possible there's varnish there but it's not a glossy type. An unfinished wood floor seems like a negligent decision by the landlord and a bad investment on their part. I would check with him/her. I don't know where you live or what the landlord/tenant laws are, but in general at the end of your lease you are not required to leave the property in pristine condition: normal "wear and tear" (for which you are not responsible) would be considerably higher for an unfinished floor.

In any event, the best thing you can do for any wood floor (regardless of finish) is to keep it clean. If you let sand and dirt accumulate they will act like sandpaper and wear the surface away much more quickly.


Vapor barrier for room next to garage? I'm finishing a room that was built between the house and detached garage. I know I need to put 5/8" drywall for fire protection after insulating the wall. Do I also need vapor barrier? If so, how do I install it around laundry hookups?

(I'm in California, so the climate is mild)

Vapor barrier goes on the warm side of the insulation (averaged year round)

If, on average, the garage is warmer than the house, vapor barrier goes on the garage side.

If, on average, it's cooler, it goes on the house side.

If you rarely close the windows, you probably don't need one at all.

Penetrations should be sealed with something like acoustic sealant (which never quite hardens, so it tends to last better than things that harden.) You can cut an extra patch of vapor barrier to aid in sealing penetrations by making a double-layer patch sealed to the main barrier.


how to add c wire to heat pump ac unit (only have wires with nuts) I can’t figure out which is the C wire or how to make a C wire and how to connect it to my ecobee 3lite Power extender kit. My old thermostat has wires G,Y,RH, W/E, and O/B plugged in. No "C" wire. It seems like The "G, R, & W" wires coming from the thermostat connect to the three wires that go up into the furnace. All the other wires on that cord going up into the furnace aren't connected to anything.It seems like the Y & O/B cable coming form the thermostat are connected to the grey wire that connects to the outside unit. I cant tell for sure because of all the electrical tape wrapped around those connections.

The C terminal connection in your furnace is denoted by the part of the wiring diagram that I have highlighted in blue as shown below. In fact the furnace diagram shows that these wires in the furnace itself are blue (BLU) colored as well.

You will have to remove that taped up wire bundle to ascertain if there is one wire in the cable from the thermostat that is not used. If so then the it can be re-assigned to be the C function to the thermostat. At the furnace end that re-assigned wire will have to be connected in with the wires as highlighted in blue as above. The connection may entail pig tailing into the existing furnace's blue wires. For example at terminal #3 of the SOLID STATE TIME DELAY module.

It is possible to purchase push on terminals that adapt a male terminal out to two terminals. (See the adjacent connections on terminal #2 of the module). Using an adapter like this would allow you to make your C connection without having to cut into the furnace wires.

Picture Source


Caulking a round corner stand up shower I have to re-caulk a round corner stand up shower. I'm wondering the following:

Can I re-caulk it without having to take it down? The previous guy that came over, had taken it outside to clean it and brought it back in (kept it somewhat in one piece).
How clean is the surface supposed to be? I've so far scraped the inside (along the left, right and bottom of the rail) using a plastic scraper and some dissolving solution. There is still some residue remaining.
Lastly, there is a gap between the bottom rail and the floor base. How much space is normal? Are a few millimeters okay, or should the bottom rail be sitting flush to the bottom?

Update #1:

I'm now wondering the following: should I just get rid of the current one (barely 5 years old) and get a new one?

Shower itself:

Where it started leaking:

Noticed this (build up inside the rails) as I was trying to remove it, move it to the garage and clean it:

The build up is due to the ends being caulked I think:

A little history, this is a new construction approaching 5 years old. The original plumbers have had to come a few times to fix leaks on this very shower.

Noticed that the left "pillar" isn't tied to the bottom rail at all. Will have to redo the caulking on that panel as it has cracked while trying to take out the unit.

The walls aren't plumb it would seem. There is a noticeable gap in areas between the base and the rails.

Update #2:

Shower taken down and in the process of cleaning individual pieces.

Update #3:

Decided to lay the level on the bottom of the tray (left to right is from wall to center of tray):

Not sure if I should address it if it's off by this much? The rest of the walls are okay.

Also, contractor who built our house has been out of business for a bit now. The store where I assume he took our stuff cannot backtrack that far in the past. Having issues cleaning the parts, essentially a PITA.

I have dealt with a lot of tub/shower surrounds.  100% silicone caulk (GE II is best at big box).  Most install instructions for the surrounds will actually tell you 100% silicone - some will give you their preferred brand.

Answers:

You don't need to take it apart.  This may make it easier though.  Weigh how much time you will spend taking it apart and putting it back in.
All of the old caulk needs to go and you need to be caulking on a very clean surface.
It should be sitting flush.  Why wouldn't it?  The fact that it isn't sitting flush tells me that it is moving (even if very slightly).  There is no way this 20 pound shower door is staying perfectly still suspended at certain points.  This movement will cause constant issues with your caulk and the fact that it will cause the issues in the easiest place for water to get in is a double whammy.  It isn't hard to install these things right.  There is no reason this should be sitting right (if it is bent then it needs to be bent back).

Other notes:

Sorry to say but this whole job looks hack to me.  I am not sure about the "main" issue (other than the people working on it) but it looks like maybe the wall isn't perpendicular or base isn't flat.
On the last picture it looks like you are actually missing a trim piece on the inside.  You must have something there to salvage this shower. I would simply call the manufacturer.  Ask them if they make something or have replacement parts for your shower.  You might want to order a new enclosure.  Your actual shower looks fine it is just the door system so I don't think this is a tear down for sure.
The caulking looks ridiculous.  This is "one-month" caulking.  More caulk isn't better.  The more caulk you apply the greater chance of the caulk being moved, bumped, whatever.  Then the seal on the caulk will break and a .5 mm crack can allow tons of water to leak.  Also all of your caulking should be from the inside of the shower.  Anything on the other side is cosmetic.


Issues installing water spigot I been trying to install an exterior water spigot for the past few hours. I bought a new 1/2 inch frost proof lawn faucet from arrowhead brass and plumbing llc and the salesperson recommended that I get a shark bite 1/2" x 1/2" FNPT female adapter to slide over my existing copper piping inside the basement of my house. The shark bite slide over my copper tubing no problem at all. The problem I am having with my spigot is that it is consistently leaking at the threads when I connect it to the shark bite no matter how much or little teflon tape I put on it. When the tap is turned all the way on and I turn on the water supply second, it does not leak from the threads of the spigot, however as soon as I turn the spigot off, it starts to drip rather quickly.

I saw that the threads on the on the spigot seem to be quite pronounced and they are fairly sharp too. I also noticed that when I take the spigot out from the shark bite, almost without fail the teflon tape is shredded. I made sure to put the teflon tape on clockwise so that it would not unravel when I screw it on to the shark bite and it still does not seem to work.

I was wondering is there anything I am doing wrong? Is there anything else I could try before attempting to bring these items back if possible? Thank you all so much.

You can try wrapping the male threads with Teflon tape, and then putting thread sealant on top of the Teflon tape and also a little on the female threads.

It's not the correct way to do it, but it's the only way that I was able to seal the NPT threads on my sister's water softener.


How do I calculate the size of electric baseboard heater needed? I'm working on finishing our basement which does not have any duct work to tie into for heating, so we're planning on using electric baseboard heaters.

How do I calculate the needed size of heater for each room?

There are all sorts of elaborate calculations that you can make to determine the total wattage that you need.  These take into account where you live, insulation, room volume, number of people, etc.

The quick and dirty rule of thumb many electricians use is 10 watts per square foot.  So if your basement is 1200 sq. ft., you will need 12,000 watts of baseboard heaters.  When wired for 240-volt operation, a baseboard heater puts out 250 watts per foot.  So a 6-foot long heater, for example, will give you 1500 watts.

Figure out the area (square footage) of each basement room, then multiply by 10 to determine the wattage you will need.  Next, figure out how you want to layout out the heaters.  They come in increments of 2-feet, from 2-feet long to 8-feet long.  If you have any windows, the heaters should be placed underneath them.

Last, decide how you want to control the heaters.  Baseboard electric heaters can have individual thermostats installed in the end of each unit or can be controlled by a wall thermostat.  However, if you go with an in-line wall thermostat, you will be limited to a maximum of about 3840 watts (about 16 amps at 240 volts).  This might work fine if you have two or three small rooms.


Water hammer, dripping faucet in bathroom So I have a mix of problems that I'm not sure how best to deal with since it could very well be multiple problems or just the one.

We had a plumber replace the tub/shower faucet and the corresponding "insides." Ever since then, when we turn the hot water on, only in that tub, we get water hammering. We called them back to fix it twice, but they didn't and so we gave up. it's just a standard shower/tub unit with the water mixer etc. in the insides of the handle, nothing fancy or complicated.

Lately, we are also getting water dripping from the faucet and shower-head when anyone flushes the toilet. A lot of water, about 1/4 cup. Once the draining stops in a few minutes, then there is no dripping until the next time the toilet is flushed.

The toilet flushing does not induce the water hammer, only turning on the water to hot. If you slowly turn the hot water on, you can avoid the hammering, but everyone gets impatient standing there, slowly turning on the hot water.

We do have very high water pressure in our community and do sometimes keep the wall valves only partially open to reduce the pressure coming to the fixture. So what is the answer? draining the lines? Installing a whole house pressure regulator? Finding a new plumber?

There are alternatives to try first before spending more money. See this link...

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-quiet-noisy-water-pipes.html

If these methods do not work for you install a water hammer arrester.

See... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0Tb1SdFGk


How to attach a new 2x4 wall frame's top plate to a concrete load bearing ceiling beam? I have a concrete beam that extends throughout my apartment. The concrete beam comes down about 30cm from the ceiling. I would like to build a wall underneath the beam, running along the beam.
I plan to build the wall out of wood framing. I am wondering how best to make sure the wall is stable by attaching it to the ceiling. The wall will extend from one structural load bearing pillar to another load bearing pillar, running underneath, along the beam.
Is it safe to drill holes and put screws through the top plate and into the concrete beam?
How else could we make sure it's stable?
Thanks!

I suggest TapCon concrete fasteners with washers.  They come with a disposable masonry drill bit for pre-drilling.  Use a hammer-drill.
Another option is powder actuated nails, but a concrete beam might be made from concrete that is too hard for PAT nails to penetrate.


Hotpoint Dish Washer Not Draining The model is AQUARIUS FDW60. For about a month it was leaving bits of food all over the dishes and then one day, it just wouldn't drain and now it won't work at all...

Any suggestions?

first, remove the drain hose. it's usually a flexible hose connected to he drain pipe under your sink. be careful, because when you remove it, it may spill a bunch of nasty water from both the hose and the bottom of the dishwasher.

clean out the hose, or replace it if it looks crushed or damaged at all.

every dishwasher has a one-way valve to prevent the water it pumps out from returning to the dish washer. sometimes the valve is built in to the hose, and sometimes it's built in to the dishwasher. find your valve and make sure it's clean and not jammed. if it looks broken, you can get it replaced.

if the valve looks ok, put everything back together and test it out.

if it still doesn't work, you may need to replace the pump, which should also be fairly easy to replace and available online.


Using spade lugs to terminate wires under screw posts I was wondering if it would be advantageous (electrically) and acceptable (code-wise) to use spade lugs as wire terminations under receptacles with screw posts. Instead of using a typical side-wire connection, which is often difficult with stranded wire, such as 8AWG to a weatherproof metal box, can the wire be terminated with a spade lug, sized for the wire, then the lug screwed down instead?

I imagine something like this:

I find on stranded thhn if you strip the wire back but not enough to remove the jacket completely off the copper it keeps the strands twisted and protects the ends of the wire. Clip some of it back if it is sticking far off the receptacle but not enough to bring the copper back to the surface. Not sure if I described it good enough but off you can picture it, it helps greatly on screw terminals if you have to loop your wire, plus I don't trust crimp on connections, they fail often in my opinion


How do I terminate coaxial cable in a crimp on F type connector? I've got some coaxial cable, and I'd like to put F type connectors on the end so I can use the cable to connect my TV to the Cable box.  How do I put ends on the cable?

The first step is to cut the cable to length.  You can use any tool capable of cutting the cable, personally I reach for my trusty lineman pliers.

Once you cut the cable, it will look something like this

Now that the cable is the proper length, you'll have to strip the insulation off. Again, you can use any tool capable of stripping the insulation without damaging the inner cable.  Personally, I use a tool specifically designed for the job.

With this tool, you simply

Push in the button on the end.
Slide the cut end of the wire into the hole, until it hits the stop.
Release the button.
Rotate the tool around the cable a couple times.
Pull the tool off of the cable.

When you're done, you'll have a perfectly stripped cable.

Next you'll carefully bend the braiding back over the insulation (this step may vary, depending on the connector being used. Consult the documentation with the connector).

In this case, I'll be using a crimp on connector like this (twist on connectors are also available).

Push the stripped cable end up into the connector.

Make sure you push the cable in far enough, so the inner insulation starts to peek through the hole inside the connector.

Finally, using a crimping tool.

Place the cable end into the crimping tool, and squeeze the handle.

Note:
Twist-on F type connectors are available, in which case you'll not need the crimping tool. However, I've had poor results with the twist-on variety, and much prefer the crimp connectors.


Why would my plumber have installed two drain stubs for a single vanity sink? I had a plumber do some rough in work for a bathroom remodel and was planning to install the sink/vanity myself. It’s a single sink. Why would there be two pipes leading to the same drain pipe and how would one even hook this up? None of the other sinks in the house have this and I can’t seem to find anything like it online for a single sink setup.

The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that he didn't know the height of the vanity he was plumbing for.

If you try to hook up a sink on a tall vanity (~34" high) and the drain is roughed in for a standard vanity, you'll need an extension for your p-trap, and waste space.

In this situation, I would decide which fits your sink the best and cut-off and cap the other one.

Give him a call and find out for sure.


Can I extend a 220 V line? I have a 220 V line in my kitchen for an oven. We are remodeling the kitchen and moving the oven and, thus, need to move the 220 V outlet.

Can I extend the line by joining cables in a junction box and moving the outlet where it needs to be?
Can I just have a long cord (6–10 feet) from the oven to the original location of the outlet?

Here is a photo of what my outlet currently looks like

Here is the inside:
It may be hard to see, but there are only three wires, no ground.

Here is another picture of the inside of the box. You can’t see very well outside of the box. There is a ground wire attached to the metal box. There is no conduit. There should be something (I don’t know what it’s called) that clamps the wires as they come into the box, but there isn’t.

You need a 4-wire range connection.

Since this is a remodel, you must upgrade this circuit to a 4-wire connection.  That "NEMA 10-50" 3-wire connection is obsolete, illegal and dangerous.   If there is metal conduit, or a separate ground wire hidden back there, then you have the necessary grounds present, and extending is a possibility.  Otherwise, forget about it; you'll need a home run back to the panel as part of the remodel.  I recommend running 6/3 cable unless you are in conduit, then #8 will suffice.

Part of this will be converting the range to a 4-wire plug.  Ranges and dryers can be easily converted from one to the other, but you must follow the instructions (available on the web) to properly remove the neutral-ground internal jumper.  Leaving that on would be bad.

Splicing is tricky, though.

You can't bury the junction box. Obviously the temptation is to seal up the steel box and bury it behind trim or whatever.  Can't do it, not allowed. The junction box cover must be accessible without the use of any tools.  (other than the two screws holding on the box cover itself, obviously).

However, you can make the junction box be dual-purpose. For instance, the best way to conceal such a junction box is to use a large, deep 4-11/16" square metal box (which you need for the cubic inches), then stick a 2-gang "mud ring" on it, then stick plain 120V receptacles or switches there, fed by totally separate 120V / #12 wires. It looks and acts like an ordinary countertop recep, nothing special.  But if the receps are removed, there isthe oven splice lurking behind, still full accessible.

Remember in any splice, the wires must be long enough to a) come out 6" beyond the clamp, and b) come out 3" beyond the surface of the wall. That would require 8-9" in a large box like I describe.


How do I properly size the ground wire for a subpanel? What is the general rule for sizing ground wire relative to the conductors?  I know I saw this somewhere on here, but I cannot find it.
I'm running aluminum (#1 AWG aluminum) to my subpanel and I'd rather not try to tie a #1 wire into my ground bar.  Can I use #4 Al for ground?

YES you can use #4 Al as your ground.  Your 1AWG Al is good for a 100 AMP feeder (actually 110).  From NEC 250.122 this requires an #8 CU or #6 Al ground wire as a minimum (or 6CU and 4 Al if you are really running a 110Amp Feeder).
As a reminder, your feeder will be 4 wires, the two hots and the neutral will be #1AL (unless you've de-rated the neutral to 70% or from specific load balancing calculations if that is allowed in your area).

NEC 250.122 table:


What are my options for multi-room audio? Multi-Room Audio

I've been tasked by the wife with setting up a multi-room audio system.  We've broken the house down into the following zones:

Kitchen (Stereo)
Office (Stereo)
Master Bed/Bath (Stereo x2)
Son's Bedroom (Stereo)
Daughter's Bedroom (Stereo)
Guest Bedroom (Stereo)
Hall/Laundry (Mono x3)

For inputs we have the following:

Whatever the TV is on
Bluetooth from either of our phones
Radio
Computer

Bonus features would include:

Intercom between rooms
Touchscreen Control Panels
Central control
Input from the room (like for the kids' computers)
Other cool stuff

I've been trying to research everything and here are the options I've come up with:

Stack of Receivers

One receiver per zone, with all inputs split between all receivers.  This seems to have a lot of ability without a horrible price, but it would be hard to get everything working from a central control, and the wife isn't a fan of a stack of 7 receivers somewhere.  Also may not be very power-friendly

Multi-zone Receiver with Selectors

I'm not too familiar with selectors, but we could get a decent mix of features with a three zone receiver, and 3 selectors capable of 7 zones apiece.  I'm not clear on how volume control would work, and it might be a pain to get everything controllable.

8x8 Matrix Switcher

Again, not too familiar, but not sure where the amplification goes.  Also sort of difficult to find these with remote control and I don't want in-wall knobs or something.

Multi-Room Intercom System

I haven't found one that'll integrate with external speakers, extra inputs, or looks attractive.

Sonos

Pretty pricey (~$500/room just for the amps), kind of confusing about what I need and how it works.  Also not sure if I can use IR remotes or I need phones everywhere to control everything.

Homebrew Tablets & Amps

This would be kind of fragile, but for less than a lot of the other alternatives I could get a Nexus 7 for each room, mount a cradle on the wall and wire that in with a fixed level amp, controlling volume from the tablet.  Then I can stream anything to each room (including tons of online content) plus be able to set up things like video intercom (via skype) and other cool features.  The downside is this is pretty homebrew and probably fragile.  Also it's highly likely that audio in different rooms will not be synchronized, so rooms may be off by a second or two which would be irritating.

Am I missing any other options?

If you can run wiring to the rooms easily, I'd recommend going with the centralized stack-of-amplifiers approach. It's very cheap, easy to set up, probably has the best sound quality, and is the most reliable.

IR repeaters

Start by placing all the stereo receivers in a centralized location (I picked the laundry room). Then, install an IR receiver everywhere you want to have control over volume and source. I like these ones  since they're cheap and stick onto anything, however, you can get really nice units that have Decora plates that look very professional when installed. Don't worry about sticking with one brand -- all the systems are interchangeable. The only think you need to provide it is with 12V, ground, and a signal pin.

Routing the IR receivers

They usually have a 3.5mm stereo (i.e., headphone) jack used to carry these three signals -- so to run them back to your storage room you could either buy really long headphone extender cables, cut off the 3.5mm connector and splice in a cable, or build your own cable with a 3.5mm jack on the end.

Connecting everything together

Once you run all of these different IR receivers to your centralized location, you simply tie everything up into a parallel bus, i.e., connect all your 12V wires together, connect all your ground wires together, and connect all your signal wires together.

Usually, you use a connection block like the one in this kit to accomplish this goal. All it does is connect the IR receivers to a power source, and route their signals to the IR transmitters. The IR transmitters (termed "IR blaster" in the industry) get stuck onto all of your devices (amplifiers, signal sources, etc).

This may sound complicated, but it's very simple -- you can have a dozen or so IR receivers hooked up in parallel to one connection block, and you can tie multiple connection blocks together.

Understanding how the system works

The signal line is pulled up to 12V by pull-up resistors in each receiver. When you start pressing a key on your remote control, the IR receiver receives this digital code, and pulls the signal line down and releases it back and forth to generate digital 1s and 0s. This is what allows multiple IR receivers to be wired in parallel, but it also has some known limitations

One more thing

It's nice to have a centralized location, but remember that as long as everything is on the same IR bus, you can control anything wired at any point in the bus. For example, instead of just hooking up the IR receiver to a cable running all the way to your centralized location, you could put another connection block right there in the room with it, put some IR blasters on the DVD player or TV you may have in that room, and then continue to run the signals back to the centralized location. This allows you to control those appliances from anywhere in the house. This may be useful if you have kids that blast music too loud, too late. All of the sudden, you can turn down (or turn off!) their stereo from your room. It sends a message.

Known Limitations

Since everything is on one bus, the system doesn't "know" which room the command came from, which means if you have a stack of Sony receivers that are all the same brand, then any time you use your remote control, it will affect all of them.

If you want to be able to control multiple same-model receivers independently, instead of wiring all the signals to one connection block, wire them to separate connection blocks.

Audio Path

Alright, you have a stack of receivers -- and I assume a stack of signal sources. Obviously, if your stereo receivers each have multiple inputs, you simply route the output from each signal source to one of the inputs.

Most audio sources don't have multiple outputs, however. You may find that you can simply use Y-cables to split the output of each source to drive your different stereo receivers. However, you may notice poor audio quality when you do that, depending on how your sources and amplifiers handle output impedance and input impedance.

It's not really important to go into, but basically, if your amplifier "loads" the source down, then hooking multiple amplifiers up to the same source is going to load it down more. The source is "expecting" to only be loaded down so much, so if it's loaded down too much, your frequency response may get wacky. Don't worry! You won't damage anything. But it may not sound as good.

This is highly unlikely, given that most audio sources have MOSFET output stages that don't have any series resistance, i.e., they have no output impedance, and can drive dozens of amplifiers without any issue.

However, if you do have issues, buy an audio distribution amplifier, which is designed to take one signal source and drive it to multiple stereos.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

This also works great with video -- you can put TVs in multiple rooms, and run HDMI-over-ethernet back to a centralized location
Don't think you can't get a high-tech computer-based media center into this action; I use a Windows Media Center USB-based IR receiver that I've got an IR blaster stuck onto. I bought four Windows Media Center remotes and put them throughout the house. You can control the music or movie from any spot in the house
Obviously, you can use any remote control you want -- if you want some fancy touch-screen business, go get a fancy touch-screen remote control. As long as it can send IR signals, you're good to go.
I'm getting a PhD in Electrical Engineering, where I'm working on Wireless Mesh Networks and high-tech stuff like that -- but I still know wires are always better than wireless. Because of its simplicity, this system never crashes, and never needs to be taken care of. It just works.


Standard duty cycle of fridge compressor? I have a refrigerator which has compressor duty cycle of about 50% percent.

It’s set on 2 out of 5 which is the highest setting. It basically works for 12-13 minutes and then it’s of for about 16 minutes, and then cycle repeats.

Is this OK value?

Quoting Targeting Refrigerators for Repair or Replacement:

  One can begin by recognizing two very common characteristics of most refrigerators.
  Over a broad range of models and vintages, the operating characteristics of properly operating
  refrigerators under reasonable temperature conditions appear the same. A refrigerator turns on,
  runs for a while, turns off and is off for a while. It then turns on again and the cycle repeats. A
  typical,steady-state cycle is about 40 minutes with the duty cycle, or per cent running time, being
  about 50 percent for standard temperature differences between the food compartment of the
  refrigerator and the room in which the refrigerator is placed.
   In other words, a typical, properly
  operating refrigerator runs about 20 minutes and is off 20 minutes.

Seems normal from what I have read
Hope my math is correct:
I have a 20yr old 23.3cuft GE side-by-side refrig that runs 45% duty cycle (18min on, 22min off or 18/(18+22) = 18/40 = 45%, after refrig door has been closed for >8hrs.

With the current rating of 11.6 amps at 110v so this is ~.547kw/hr (110v*11.6*.45)
guessing off the top of my head newer compressors & fans don't use this much current so if a new ref will run at same 45% duty cycle the cost savings will be directly proportionate to the amperage reduction (i.e. 25% reduction in amps = 25% reduction in electric bill)

Note in Texas they claim we can get 8.5 cent kw/hr but for four years now and tried four different providers past 6yrs, I only get this rate the first month they sign me up at 8.5 cents then it jumps to 10 cent a Kw hour due to each power providers tricky math; their all lying A$$e$ in my book! Used car salesman tactics of first month cheaper than all the rest. Someone should file a class action against them!


What are the main causes of loose connections in lighting circuits? I'm fairly new to doing house jobs myself, so I apologise if this is an unsuitable question here.

I have a ceiling light which has started working only intermittently. I understand from the many answers to similar questions here and elsewhere, that I should be looking for loose connections as a first port of call, which I intend to do. The thing I've not been able to glean from those answers, which I'd like to know before I start looking, is what causes loose connections. I don't want to just 'paper over the cracks' of the problem, I want to solve the root cause if possible.

The switch I can understand, it's turned on and off hundreds of times and any one of them might well be the last straw on a worn connection. But people are suggesting looking at the ceiling rose connections and the junction box. The thing is, no-one's even so much as nudged those. The ceiling rose is completely out of reach and the junction box is in the attic. The light has worked fine for at least ten years and just wouldn't turn on one day, then it turned on fine the next day and has been intermittent ever since.

So my question is, say I open up the switch tomorrow and find nothing wrong there. What should I be looking for in the ceiling rose/junction box that might indicate what actually caused any loose connection I find there to suddenly spring into existence without anyone touching it after ten years of flawless service. As I say, I don't want to just paper over the cracks, tighten up the connection and ignore whatever factor caused it to just 'come loose' all of a sudden.

Your question is not unsuitable but it is a little puzzling. The main reason for loose connections is improper installation. Connections, splices and taps should be mechanically and electrically sound (that's right out of the training manuals). The fact that something can be used before failure, does not mean it was originally installed properly. It just took time for the fault to become evident.

I think what you should be looking for is evidence of improper or loose connections. That would be discoloring, burnt insulation or smell, and loose terminals. Of course electrical evidence would be flickering, equipment seeming to struggle to come on, an overheating smell or hot to the touch. An infrared thermometer is very useful in in detection hotter than normal surface areas.

Hope this helps to educate and good luck.


How can I extract broken off shutter-lok fasteners from brick? I'm in the process of replacing vinyl shutters on my brick-front home.  I'm replacing the existing ones with identical sized new ones that will use the same drilled holes.  The problem I'm having is that when I take off the old shutters the old shutter-lok fasteners often break off with nothing to grab on to.  At ground level I have been able to drill them out by pressing with all my body weight while drilling.  I can't do this for the higher ones since I have to be on a ladder.  Is there a effective tool I can use to extract these plastic fasteners from the pre-drilled holes in the brick without applying significant force?

Note: I have tried using smaller drill bits to break it up first with limited success.  I have also tried a reverse-thread screw extraction bit that didn't help at all.

The best solution I have found so far is to take a long wood screw, drill it into the plastic fastener that is stuck in the wall, then take a hammer and pry it back out - hopefully with most of the plastic fastener still attached.  It isn't great, but the best I can do until I find a better method.