Can I have net-metering with an ATS between utility and batteries and diverse power inputs (solar, wind, generator) behind the batteries? I would like to participate in net-metering until I have a solar array large enough to disconnect from the grid entirely.  However, for various reasons, I am going to have an undersized solar array for the next 5-10 years.
I would also like to have full power during blackouts and I am happy to purchase a battery bank to enable this.
My final requirement is that I would like to opportunistically mix other power inputs into my batteries as they are required.  Since my solar array is undersized and power outages might last a long time, I could switch over to a generator or (dangerously, weirdly) connect my electric car.
The bottom line is, I want all of the benefits of a vanilla grid-tied net-metering installation on one side of the batteries, and on the other side of the batteries I want a swiss army knife of macguyver power inputs.
I think a schematic looks something like this:
utility <---> ATS <---> batteries <--- solar
So far so good.  Vanilla grid tied net-metering, right ?  But now, instead of connecting only the solar to the batteries, I would instead connect a 4 way manual transfer switch:
utility <---> ATS <---> batteries <--- 4-way-MTS
One input to that switch would be the solar panels.  Another could be my Generac generator.  Another could be a small wind turbine that I have the ability to install.  Another could be a CS6375 that would let me plug in anything ...
Under normal operation, the manual switch would be set to the solar array and I would get the benefits of net metering, etc.  However, this would go through the batteries so if there is a power outage, the ATS would switch over immediately to the batteries and we would not lose power.
During this power outage, if were out of town, the solar array could probably match the power needs and keep the batteries charged.  But if we were present, we would eventually throw the manual switch to the generator.  Or if we were conserving power and it was windy out, we could throw it to the wind turbine.  Or if the generator breaks, pull up a rental job-site generator and plug right into the CS6375.  Or we could (dangerously, weirdly) connect our electric car batteries to the CS6375 and void our warranty.  We would have a LOT of flexibility.
Is this a valid and code-compliant configuration for safe, utility compliant net metering ?
Have I described anything (other than the car hookup) that doesn't work the way I think it will ?
There are 4 way manual transfer switches, right ?
Thanks.

As to your direct questions,

Is this a valid and code-compliant configuration for safe, utility compliant net metering ?
Have I described anything (other than the car hookup) that doesn't work the way I think it will ?
There are 4 way manual transfer switches, right ?

These reflect a "skill gap" which is rather enormous, and far too large to address in StackExchange's Q&A format.
Is the idea even feasible? Is it worth the effort to skill up? YES.
What you want to do really isn't a problem, not even with common off-the-shelf solar equipment that's been around for over a decade.
In particular, the "blending power" objective is much easier than you think, and doesn't even require switches.  The key is to do the blending on the DC side.  DC does not require synchronization the way AC does, and multiple battery chargers can act on the same battery bank simultaneously, "replenishing on the fly" power being drawn out of the system.  This is how a gas car's alternator/battery already work.
My concern, however, is that I'm already going over your head.  To build such a custom system, you simply need the prerequisite knowledge; there is no substitute.
Mind you, if you go with commercial off-the-shelf systems, they do some very complicated stuff with interlocks and transfer switches, because they are after the cost savings of using the same inverter for both grid-tie and grid-down operation.  However the way I see it, this greatly complicates the system, and requires a much higher level of certification; I think a "2-inverter" system is just a lot simpler.
Consider a simple grid-tie system.  It looks like this.

Of course in a commercial installation, the "controller" and "grid tie inverter" are simply sold as one unit.  And the one unit doesn't provide for "battery" at all; it's all dump.
"Dump" is a terminal set on better charge controllers.  If the solar system is generating more power than the battery + loads can use, it is routed to "dump".   A simple grid-tied system has no battery or DC loads, so it's all dump.
Grid-tie inverters are Very Special and Very Weird and their characteristics are quite different than off-grid inverters.  For instance, a Grid-Tie inverter actively senses for presence of the power grid, and will shut down if it's not present - that's a UL 1741 requirement.  They cannot be used for off-grid inverters.
I drew them separate for reasons which will become obvious.
Add a battery, DC inverter, and subpanel
Now, let's add a battery, and a DC side inverter, and a critical-loads subpanel (which can really be an every-load subpanel if you really want that).

What do we have here?  We now have a battery system.  It is using a second inverter, the "Off-Grid Inverter", to make AC to drive the loads in the subpanel.  The subpanel has a $50 interlock, which can be thrown over to either "utility" or "inverter".
Note that the charge controller, battery and off-grid inverter are simply tied together -- there's no fancy splitter needed here because it's a DC system.
Windmill too
OK, for a windmill, you just add another charge controller.  You need a charge controller to keep the windmill from overcharging the battery, and this also connects hotshot into the battery.  Since it's DC power, this works.
Now the wind charge controller may have its own "Dump" terminals. You can feed that into a second UL 1741 Grid-Tie inverter, and also feed that into the main panel.
Or for more money, you could select a specialty charge controller that has inputs for solar AND wind.
Subpanel switched to solar. Grid still up.
Now, I'd like you to consider what happens when the subpanel is thrown into "off-grid" mode, yet the grid is actually up.   The connection between "main panel" and "ATS/interlock" is effectively out of the picture. Here's the stripped-down diagram.

In this switch position, the subpanel loads are running off battery/inverter.  The charge controller powers loads and recharges battery, but what happens if the solar produces more than the battery and loads need?  Well, look at that. The waste energy goes out the "dump" terminals to the grid-tie inverter, and sells it to the power company since the grid is up.  Isn't that nice.
And this just happens automagically, you don't need to throw any switches.
Oh, and I added a battery charger so that in theory, you could run the subpanel 24x7 at all times off battery, with the AC power grid "making up" any power the solar or wind could not supply.  The battery charger would have to be a pretty big one, as it would be carrying all the subpanel loads while also charging the battery.   This would be a dual-conversion at all times - AC to DC back to AC -- which is less efficient than a transfer switch -- however, this is exactly what "online" UPS's do all the time.   Note that this setup does everything you are talking about, but does not have any switches at all.
I'm not suggesting you actually eliminate the ATS/interlock - a manual interlock is a measly $100 and that's cheap insurance.  I just wanted to illustrate how well the system could work if you do.
Let's support a generator and EV convenience outlet

Here, we reroute the battery charger so it is powered from an inlet such as your CS6375.   Now you can plug a generator straight into the battery charger. "That was easy"
Oh, and you have an Electric Vehicle?  Many EV's include a fairly hefty 120V or even 240V convenience outlet for use camping, or during power outages. Don't hack your EV, get one that has that feature.  (heck, the 2004 Chevy C1500 Silverado hybrid yes, that really existed had that feature, giving 3600 watts (120V@30A).  It's simply shameless that any EV ships without this feature, since it's so easy!)
Oh, the grid is up, you say, and you'd like to top up batteries with grid power? Well lookit that. Right next to the inlet is an outlet that is on utility power.  You simply have a 3 foot extension cord that jumpers inlet to outlet. "That was easy"
Let's power DCable loads on DC.
A lot of loads in your house are perfectly capable of running on DC power. Lighting, TVs, computers, most Internet modems and routers, and any cell phone charger (in the USA, many more shops sell 12V USB chargers than sell eggs).
So I suggest putting any household load on DC that can be put on DC, especially if your main battery (or an auxiliary battery) is 12 volts. As it happens, certain service panels marketed to consumers and sold at Home Depot are certified for DC - I'm talking about Square D's "QO" family.  So here I'm revising the drawing a bit more to show that.  (and I rolled back the "power inlet" just because my stock drawing doesn't have that, but you can still do it).

So you see on the bottom left, you have a DC master bus that is rather busy.  It's got 3 power inputs: battery charger; solar charge controller and wind charge controller (not pictured), all just bussed together.  That is possible because it's DC.  You can't just merge AC sources like this; that takes insane complexity (which UL 1741 grid-tie inverters do have).  But with DC it's fine.   Then you have the battery buffering while you have 2 outputs: the DC load panel and the off-grid inverter.


Knob and tube wiring I'm currently remodeling my 1876 home. Some upgrades have been made by just adding new breakers and wiring, but I've come to a room that runs its power through the old knob and tube wiring. I am going to install all new wire, fixtures, etc.

The old knob and tube system also powers the two rooms next to the one I'm currently remodeling. Can I cut the old wire and cap it off with a wire nut and tape until I can remove the remaining live knob and tube wiring in the house?

Sure you can but you must make sure that the ends that you cap off are still accessible if there is any chance they may become active (hot). I would recommend you cut back to a place such as an attic and make them safe from there.

Happy New Year.


Any ideas how to replace bulb in this bathroom ceiling fan? This is an old bathroom ceiling fan & light fixture. The bulb has gone out, now I cannot find away to open it and replace the bulb.

There are no screws that I can see. I played around with glass and managed to pooped it up but now its just sitting in the frame stuck but I can rotate it. But again its not sitting on any grove, its loose now.

How can I open this fixture to replace the bulb? Thanks

That white ring should be spring loaded and should just pull down maybe revealing some screws.


Need Wiring diagram to Help Rewiring a Bedroom and Bathroom to prepare for smart home system I need a wiring diagram to help with the re-wiring of a bedroom and bathroom. I will use 14/2 and 14/3 for all lights, then 12/2 and 12/3 for all outlets, ALL LIGHTS will be LED. The whole home will eventually be controlled by a smart system such as lutron radiora2 so I will be using smart switches etc.  Bedroom will have a ceiling fan with light combo on a 3 way switch with speed control and dimmer, I was thinking I would run power source 14/2 wire from main lug to switch A then run 2 pieces of 14/3 wire from switch A to Switch C which would be the end of the switch loop and from switch C then run a single 14/3 to the ceiling fan / light combo.  But from this point I need to get power to switch B and D which are for two separate closets which will have an LED light strip inside closet above door but I want the switch to control power to the light in each closet independently thus meaning that the ceiling fan light being on or off does not affect turning on or off the closet light. Question is what is the best way to wire this scenario.

Also

I would like to rewire the bathroom with a 2 gang box that would control a ceiling light with built in exhaust fan in center of bathroom, a recessed can light in shower stall, and a vanity light above sink. I was thinking one switch would control the shower light and exhaust fan seperately via a lutron one gang double switch then use the second gang to control the center ceiling light and vanity light both also independent via another lutron single gang double switc, thus having two switches controlling 3 separate lights and a exhaust fan all independently.  I also need to have a double gang GFCI near the sink for my wife and her hair dryer etc.  I actually have two bathrooms that are fairly close to each other and I am not sure if I can use one power source to feed the GFCI outlets used in both bathrooms or if each bathroom needs to be independent also not sure if I can run one 14/2 power source to control just the lights in both bathrooms since each bathroom is the same setup and the light will also be LED so not much of a draw.  As per code does all wiring for bathrooms need to be completely independent or can a bathroom share power from another bathroom. What would be the best way to wire this bathroom as shown in drawing attached.

Any and all help or drawings you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance. I have attached drawings with notes for your information.

!wiring digram for bedroom lights]3

Bathrooms

Bathroom fixed loads like lighting and fan can be served by any convenient circuit.

With the bathroom receptacles, you have two choices.

Many things, one bathroom:  The circuit serving receptacles in one bathroom can only serve other loads (fixed loads, lights, fan) in that same bathroom.  or...
Many bathrooms, only receptacles:  A circuit may serve receptacles in any number of bathrooms, but it can serve only receptacles and only in bathrooms.

You can go either way.

Switched receptacles

When having split receptacles (one unswitched, one switched)... the usual way that will be most understandable by "the next guy", and keep box fill sane, is to do switched receptacles is off the same circuit that powers the unswitched receptacles.  So in that case, you connect 12/3 between the two split receptacles, and from one split receptacle to the switch. Remember, you need to carry /3 to a switch loop because you must bring neutral in a switch loop.  You cannot use neutral from the other circuit!!!

Because you will have two different circuits in the same box, you must be very careful not to mix them.  You might even consider putting this switch in a different junction box, to remove all risk of confusion.

Having made the /3 connections between the two receptacles and the switch, you now can supply power in any of these locations - or really, anywhere else in the circuit.  Since I would be worried quite a lot about box fill in switch #1, I would consider feeding power into the receptacle circuit at the near receptacle.

Off the far receptacle (or anywhere in the circuit), you then continue with 12/2 cable carrying always-hot and neutral to other outlets.

The second way to do it is to put these switched sockets on the lighting circuit.  In that case, the switch box would be all one circuit and that would ease box fill there.  But now you are running two complete circuits to the switched/split receptacles, although you can use /2 cable.  You will need to break off both the hot and neutral tabs and take care to keep separation of circuits.  Which will make box fill worse at the receptacles.

Closet lamp #4

Given the proximity of closet lamp #4 to a receptacle location, consider powering closet lamp #4 off the receptacle circuit instead of the lighting circuit. This will need #12 wire because ALL wiring in a 20A circuit must be #12, no exceptions.  It is totally legal to do this, it's just not recommended to put lighting on receptacle circuits generally, because if you overload a socket, the breaker trip will plunge you into darkness.  That's not a big issue on a single closet.

By the way, no receptacles allowed in closets, and lamps can't be where clothing can touch them.

Box fill

Switches 1 and 3 are going to have a rather significant box-fill problem. I believe we discussed this six months ago on the three-fan circuit.  Be careful selecting your boxes so they are large enough, I'm fond of 4-11/16 square steel boxes and either 1-gang or 2-gang mud rings.


Me and my mom and dad moved to a older house since we have moved in we have had health problems Me and my mom and dad have been having health problems since we have moved in our house in October , have brain fog and anxiety and my alleges and ashms and rashes and my mom and dad have been having heart problems and ever body has anxiety and moody , my mom and I have talk fast, and feel like we have ran a race, please let me know if you think our house is making us sick, we had to leave one over black mold, please if know what this please let me know

You need to have your new home inspected for excess dust, mold, CO, CO2 and any other pathogens. Most of these items would have been found with a good home inspection. Also, the heating system, exhaust vents, chimneys, any air filters, water lines and sewers need to be inspected. Areas of excess humidity and wet spots need to be addressed. There may be other problems but these should be looked at first.


Protecting the bottom of the wall while painting vinyl siding I will be painting my vinyl siding in order to change the color.  Below the bottom row of siding, there's a sort of a flexible white strip tucked into place.  I'm not sure, maybe this is called flashing.  Anyway, the strip is maybe 8 to 10 inches wide.  That would be a LOT of masking tape to cover it to protect from drips and splashes.  Is there some easier way to protect it?  I don't particularly want to paint it.  The white will coordinate with the window trim and the door and with my grayish light blue new siding color, I think it will look cheerful.  Which is the whole point of this painting project, as the house is currently a depressing drab light brown color, which looks especially bad next to a taller house that is lemon yellow.

Mask it off, we used brown paper (1m or 40" wide approx) to cover larger areas like your flashing strip. We had 2" masking tape for that paper and 1" masking tape to sort tiny detail.


What can I use to tunnel under a walkway or driveway? I have seen Walkway Tunnel Kits being sold in the US, unfortunately I can't find a similar product in the UK.  Are there alternative products or methods, that can be used when a product like this is not available?

I have tunneled under a concrete pad using lengths of rigid pipe, a hose, and lots of dedication.

You dig a substantial hole on both sides, then you put the hose in the pipes with a pressure nozzle, then you hammer the pipes through the ground and put them together as you need length.


How can I transition between rooms when refinishing hardwood floors? I'm planning to rent a sander and refinish the ugly floor that is the darker floor in the photo. I'm also planning to pull up the carpet which has nice hardwood under it in good shape (no refinishing needed).

So how do I transition between one room that is being refinished and another that is not? I want to make sure there isn't an abrupt line from one room to the next where the new polyurethane ends and the existing floor starts. As you can see in the photo whoever did the floor previously didn't know either. I have this issue several places int he house where one room needs a new coat of polyurethane and the other does not. Some of the doorways between rooms are double wide so I'd rather not add a threshold strip if there is away to nicely transition the refinishing. any ideas how to go between rooms like this?

I think that if you could make sure the stain/varnish colors match by refinishing both floors together, that would be your best bet. Unless the wood floors were installed at different times and have different grains/widths. In that case, no matter what you do the transition will be apparent.

If that that's the case, you might be able to do something decorative, with ornate wood squares or with tile, especially if you do it multiple areas of your house so that it echos the accent in more than one place. I know this is not the unobtrusive look you hoped for, but it could still look very pretty. If your kitchen uses small tiling, or if you have a fireplace with stone or tiling, or if you have any brick walls, you might be able to do a thin band of the same tiling/brick in the doorways, complemented by a border of the tiling/brick beneath your front door. See http://www.pinterest.com/pin/377739487469141226/  and  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/383368987001982461/.


Do I have to use Kerdi tape with Ditra membrane? I've been convinced to use Ditra with my powder room/half bath tile installation project. Should I consider the addition of Kerdi tape as optional or mandatory? I don't want to overkill for a half-bath but I do want waterproofing protection.

"Schluter®-KERDI is a pliable sheet-applied waterproofing membrane and vapor-retarder designed for the direct application of tile. KERDI is ideal for use in tiled showers, bathtub surrounds, residential steam showers, and other tile applications in wet areas." Schluter Kerdi

I would consider Kerdi tape or membrane to be overkill anywhere outside a shower. Ditra is indeed waterproof, but its primary purpose is to serve as an uncoupling membrane, which prevents movements in the subfloor from cracking tiles. The tile and grout are intended to create a water resistant barrier sufficient for keeping drips and spilled water on the surface long enough to be addressed with a mop or towel. If you want to be thorough with your bathroom install, make sure you seal your grout or invest a little more in a urethane grout like CBP Fusion Pro.


Adding an ammeter to a small workshop I have a small workshop room in my apartment which shares a breaker with an adjacent room. By small I mean closet sized; I work mostly on small models so the most "heavy duty" tool I'm using is a small shop vac or a hotdog-style air compressor.

That said, I'd like to avoid tripping the breaker on accident (this hasn't happened yet, but someone is about to be living in the room which shares this breaker, so I'm trying to be prepared to be a little more courteous) and I'm wondering how hard it would be to just install an ammeter in a handy box so I can see how much current I'm using. If I use one of those analog panel mount ones, is it safe to wire it in series with the two workshop outlets and mount it in a blank handy box on the wall?

Something like this (only 0-20A instead of 50):

Obviously there's inherent danger working with electricity, but if I am careful I see no reason this shouldn't work, and it should make it easy for me to avoid tripping the breaker and cutting the power from my roommate's room.

Building a small panel with a panel mounted meter would be doable but it can be more work than meets they eye, you have to cut the cover for the meter, and you need a lot of room inside - the terminal studs on the back of the meter are usually pretty long and uninsulated.

An alternative would be to use a good heavy duty plug strip with a 12A breaker in the strip.  This way with any luck the breaker on the power strip would trip before the breaker in the panel.  You could use a Kill-a-watt with the power strip to get an idea what kind of load your tools demand.

If someone in the other room plugs in a space heater or hair dryer when you're already drawing a few amps, there's not much you can do from your end to avoid tripping the breaker.


Can I do two circuits on 12/3 and still have GFCI? I'm thinking about running a single 12/3 cable to my garage to wires all of the outlets (8 or 9).  (This is old construction, with a finished ceiling.)  I understand that the black and red wires will create two circuits fed by a double-pole breaker.  Will I still be able to install GFCI outlets at the beginning of each wall run?  I've read that a GFCI breaker may be needed.  I haven't decided if I'll do every other receptacle or the tops of all receptacles on one circuit and the bottoms on the other.  By the way, each wall will likely be fed by its own cable, going back to a junction box.

This applies to all MWBCs

That type of configuration is called a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC). In this arrangement, you connect a receptacle to one hot and the shared neutral. It is a Code requirement that neutral be pigtailed (i.e. don't use the receptacle as a splice block for neutral). The rule is to assure that neutral is not severed for the other half of the circuit. (this can cause all sorts of bad).

This applies to GFCI on MWBC

You can absolutely install GFCI+receptacles at the beginning of the wall run. You just won't be able to use the LOAD terminals to carry the circuit onward - you will need to pigtail both hot and neutral.   Because you can't use the LOAD terminals, only  those receps will have GFCI protection - you can't pass it downward to the remainder of the MWBC.    You'll need one GFCI per outlet that you want to have GFCI protection.

If you want to GFCI-protect the whole circuit in one shot, use a GFCI breaker at the start, then plain receps throughout. .  Mind you, the circuit may require AFCI also, in which case you'd use a GFCI+AFCI breaker.


Should I install a vapour barrier if I'm using rigid foam insulation? I'm re-insulating a room in my house from the inside.  I've read that polyisocyanurate (polyiso) rigid foam insulation is the best R-value, so I plan on using that.

Details:
The house was built in 1955 in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. And the previous wall was insulated with fibreglass batting with a type of tar paper as a barrier.  On top of that  (on the interior) was 2 sheets of plaster - pretty impermeable to air flow I'm guessing.

Question:
Do I still install vapour barrier?  I'm almost certain I should, but I've heard it could cause moisture trapping problems when using a faced insulation like polyiso.

Edit: I should mention that I'm planning on putting this insulation between the studs, not completely over the studs from the outside.  I'm not taking down the outside siding, I'm doing this all from the inside.

Edit Please note the posting time of this thread.  I asked this question in summer of 2012.  While I appreciate the enthusiasm, the question has been answered, so please refrain from answering again.

Rigid foam insulation is usually a qualified vapor barrier. However, an installation between the studs can pose a challenge. To complete the vapor barrier you would want to foam-seal or tape all the sides where the rigid meets timber, because these gaps will facilitate vapor flow.


What mortar should be used for flagstone? I once read about a mortar that starts as a powder I could put in between my flagstones, and then just wet it down and it would harden in place.

Do you know what this product is?

First of all, a caveat:

  We only use this dry grouting method with freshly buttered joints, where find that there is sufficient moisture from the 'proper' mortar to initiate setting of the dry mix. Dry mix into dry joints rarely, if ever, produces a good joint

From http://www.pavingexpert.com/pointing.htm#dry

A basic dry mix is 4:1 sand to cement.  That's by volume, not weight.  I'd try to find a fine sand, and preferably sharp cornered.

You may be able to find a premix at your patio/garden center.

The problem here is that all cement compounds require a significant amount of water to cure, and your joints will need water from the bottom as well as the top.  You might be better off using a wet mix and just taking the time to apply it carefully.


Alarm turns on after power failure I have an alarm mounted at home, which I don't use (it was installed by previous owners). The annoying feature is that it turns on after every power failure (i.e. when the power comes back - its rubbish enough not to have any internal power source). How can I disable it? The only thing I know about this unit is the name 9448 written on the main panel.

Most alarms are plugged into a transformer, which is plugged into the wall. Easiest way is to find that, and disconnect it.

If there is no transformer, and it is hard-wired directly to mains power, then you have a couple options:

If it's on its own circuit, turn off the breaker (or disconnect fuse)
Turn off the breaker to it. Open the panel, and then disconnect the mains wires, and cap them off with wire nuts, before turning the breaker back on. The wires should look like your regular house wiring (in contrast to the small cat3 wiring the alarm sensors use).

It could also be hardwired to an external transformer (like a doorbell is), though I've personally never seen an alarm installed that way. If so, same options as before:

If it's on its own circuit, turn off the breaker (or disconnect fuse)
Disconnect the wires from the transformer, or inside the panel. They should be black and red or black and white, and marked something like "Pwr in" or "12V DC" or "24V AC". In the pic below, the power wires are the thicker wires on the left side: two go to the battery, and two go to the transformer/mains.


Should water heater thermostats be set to the same temperature? Should the top and bottom water heater thermostats be set to the same temperature?

I did a quick google search and saw all kinds of differing opinions.  for instance, this guy seems like he knows what he's doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCDvHIcPreo&t=2m09s

and he said the top thermostat should be set to a higher temperature than the low one, but other places I've read said they should be at the same temperature.

my water heater's old, if that makes a difference.  I didn't see a date, but the energy sticker had some reference to 1994.  sorry I don't have more info; the thing's wedged back in a tight closet and hard to get to.

Setting the top element slightly higher helps the elements to be used evenly.  If you set them to the same temperature, the bottom element will be the first one on every time, and frequently the only one used to maintain the temperature.  If you set the top element too much higher, then it will be used most of the time, and the bottom element acts more as a pre-heater.

Having them used evenly will spread out the minimum time to replacement.  But I wouldn't go through too big of an effort to change the settings on an old water heater.  Whenever your elements do go, or whenever you decide to change the temperature, that would be the time to make this adjustment.


Why is a neutral wire needed for most 'smart' light switches? Why do most smart light switches need a neutral wire?

Put simply; the smart switch contains electronics that needs power to operate, while a regular switch just mechanically cuts the load.

Regular switch:

Smart switch:

Source: http://www.vesternet.com/blog/2014/09/why-smart-switches-cant-be-used-without-neutral/


What is causing discoloration on my bronze-finished lockset? We bought a bronze finished lockset about five years ago, and now a lot of it is ashy looking and green in some places.  It looks a little worse every year.  It's on an exterior door facing west.  Would it be the sun causing such discoloration?  If so, what's a good finish for an exterior door lockset?

It's called a tarnish or patina and is caused by oxidation of the copper in the bronze.  The sun's heat will accelerate that reaction somewhat compared to one in a cooler place.

If you don't like it, simply clean the lockset with Brasso when it starts to look discolored.  It will take some elbow grease the first time because the tarnish has had time to build up, but if you keep up with it, subsequent times will be a lot easier.


Why don't my bathroom outlets work after an appliance power surge? My wife plugged a heater in the bathroom it zapped the lights and receptacles in the bathroom. Checked the breaker it was not tripped. Changed the outlets in the bathroom still no power. All outlets show hot when I put tester to it  but no power to the outlets . I have two outlets and a light switch that is not working one outlet in my bedroom and the outlet in the bathroom and a light switch. All are on one wall..

Having a circuit failure when using a portable heater is probably the number one cause of receptacles not working.
In the U.S. The most common cause is use of back stabs (push in wire connectors). After that loose wirenuts then a loose or broken wire or wire in the service panel.
Your receptacles show hot but what about the return or neutral? If this connection is damaged the circuit won’t work but will show hot with a non contact tester.
If you work towards the service panel on this circuit the last working receptacle or switch or the first non working one will be where the failure is. Use a light or hair dryer to see which outlet it is. Turn off the power and look in this case for a loose, burned off or broken white wire, if things look good with back stabs and things start working when you turn the power back on the circuit will probably fail again when under heavy load so if you find backstabs it is best to move those connections to the screw terminals or if no terminals buy a receptacle that has them, 99c specials work 3-5$ specification grade are worth the extra and will last longer and hold the plug better.


The gas home heater turns off after some time and wont turn on again unless I lower the thermostat and raise it back up I just got some info that may help.
See this google doc
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VQ5RKnu5wZUIdHfiWDm2ZcqK4KqLm_2zuZBcYDqasQI/edit?usp=sharing
There are some wires that look like they may be touching, I will ensure they are not tomorrow. See the image in the google doc.

My house heater (gas) will turn off after running for some time but before reaching the temperature set at thermostat. I then have to lower the temperature at the thermostat below the current house temperature (I hear a loud click from the return register) and then back up to a level above the current temperature. The cycle then repeats.
For example:
The thermostat reads 68 but is set to heat to 72. The heater is off.
I lower the thermostat to 67. I hear a click.
I raise the thermostat to 72. The heater turns on.
Some time later the heater turns off, but it does so before reaching the level set at the thermostat.
I repeat the cycle.
Last year I had two separate techs come out and they did not find any issue. One adjusted something and the issue seemed to be better for a while but neither fixed the issue.
Any thoughts on this or is there a stack exchange better suited to this question?
The heater is original I believe, installed in 97. It is gas like I said and I change the return register filter regularly.
Thank you
Edit - Thermostat is an emerson up500W. It is set to a single stage gas heater and the reversing valve position is set to "O" (but "B" is an option). The device says the batteries are full.
https://ibb.co/pnGbvQR
https://ibb.co/k3d8xJz
https://ibb.co/bdfXgmL
I apologize but I do not know anything about the furnace. I will crawl up into the attic and take a look tomorrow and get a model number.

What I would try since it is a single stage gas and not sure if it may be a Tri state relay in the thermostat. Pull the thermostat  and connect the wires together and let the furnace / home get to temp so let it run for at least a normal time or longer. Then separate the 2 wires and wait at least 20 minutes. Reconnect the wires and if the heater starts properly it is the thermostat, even though the battery indicator states ok try new. The set point may be off because of a span or dead-band  setting.  I scanned the users manual and did not see a dead-band and this is unusual for a system that can heat and cool.
If things work just connecting the wires removing and connecting and the battery doesn't fix it I would look for a master reset there may be a programmed hold that is causing the issue.


Drill Fast vs Drill Slow When should I drill fast and when should I drill slow, when drilling holes on metal pieces? and what are the advantages and disadvantages for both of them?

(Suppose a corded drill have 10 speed level, you may assume that drill fast means drilling at speed 7 or above, while drill slow will be at speed 3 or below)

Most of the time you'll be better off using slow speed, high feed: i.e. slow drill speed and press hard. Bigger the hole the slower the speed. Small holes you might get away with a medium speed, anything over 10mm you need to be real slow. Judge your speed by your swarf. Nice long curls are perfect, but you'll need good bits.

Oh, and don't forget to use lube. Water in a squirty bottle gets used a lot around here if the proper stuff has gone walkies.

Drilling dry overheats and kills bits faster than anything.

Remember to dry off though if you don't want rust.


What could green covering on a radiator pipe be? Recently I have discovered the pipe to my radiator is looking a bit weird.  From what I can tell, it does not quite look like corrosion, neither like mold. I think I recall there was some green paint on the pipe, but I am not sure. Neither would I know how it would turn into this. Any ideas what this could be?

You're seeing corrosion salts forming. In the presence of a water leak, copper will display greenish or bluish crust as the corrosion mineral in the water reacts and dries. Blue-green is copper sulfate, green is copper chloride/oxide. Fix the leak.

Discuss with your HVAC expert to find if you need to demineralize/deacidify the water in your heating system.

This is heated pipe, cold water pipes can show a greenish tinge where a lot of condensation from damp air coming in contact with the pipes condenses and drips off the copper pipe.


Paint on copper pipe leaching into my water supply? It’s been months since this has been changed but I just thought about the fact that the pipe we connected to had been painted before.

Is this white paint leaching into our water?

Any way to tell?

The Water is inside the pipe. The fitting you have on the left side connected to the painted pipe should be making a tight leak proof seal there should not be any paint at the point of inner seal. If you are concerned - remove the connection and sand the paint clean it and remove it then reconnect your fitting.

If the paint is lead based - you can try a lead test. Be forewarned that what is coming from your utility will probably be more than what you have from that paint area if anything at all.

Paint is not leaching from the outside of the copper to the inside of the pipe either.

Just thought I would add this picture to help you - see the insert sleeve that fits on the inside of the pipe - the white nylon piece. This seals the inside from the outside.


Should I use nails or screws for hanging drywall on the ceiling? I'm replacing water-damaged drywall on my ceiling and was considering using screws. Other than cost, is there any other reason I should use nails instead?

Or am I too paranoid that nails won't have enough holding power? I'd prefer the cheapest option that's still going to be effective.

There is absolutely no reason to use nails in this day and age. I urge you to use 1 5/8" drywall screws.  There are several reasons.  Screws have much better holding power, they are actually faster to install, and they can be slightly counter sunk during installation to make mudding a lot easier ( especially with a drywall screw gun or a decent drywall bit that can be used in any drill).  Nails can loosen with age and "pop" out through the mud coat, cracking your paint.  The difference in price is negligible, but the difference in performance is massive. Drywall finish is the end result of a room project, the surface you will see for a very long time, don't cheat yourself.  Do it well, use screws and a good gun or bit.  Good Luck.


How do I fix a light switch timer? I have some auto-light switches in my home. The one in the image below has nothing in the LCD display and is non-operational. How do I fix that? Manual operation does not work either.

Below the buttons is what looks like a battery compartment. Gentle prying with a screwdriver was unable to open it.

At the top of the switch is another slide-button. I can move that to the right but not the left. The light doesn't work in either position.

Does anyone recognize the brand of this light switch and if there's an operator's PDF around? (In addition to any ideas on how to fix this...)

The other light switches in the house that are like this operate normally.

Do you know what the part pointed to by the red arrow is for?

I am not familiar with this unit but the indicated item seems like it could be a catch to allow the control panel unit to be removed from the wall mount.

It is also possible that this could be a manual override switch although this seems more unlikely from looking at the pictures.


Replacing particle board underlayment and building up floor height to lay tile We are in the middle of updating our guest bathroom and while removing the vinyl flooring we found that it was sitting on a 1/2" particle board underlayment. Given that particle board in a wet environment is a no-no and we are looking to put down a tile floor, we pulled up the particle board underlayment (staples, galore!). My question is, I now have about a 1" gap from the plywood subfloor and the start of the wall (as well as the carpet in the hall) and am debating on how to best build up the floor height. We did take off the baseboard trim around the floor and will be putting that back in place so we don't need to be completely flush with the wall.
I am interested in the Ditra underlayment, but given it's low profile (1/8"), I am thinking that I need to put down something between the Ditra and the subfloor. Would another layer of plywood be the best bet? I suppose I could also go with the Ditra XL, but that is still less than a 1/2" thick.
My other option is to use 1/2" backer board, but I don't love the thought of hauling and cutting the board when Ditra is so much easier to work with.

Thanks for any insight provided!

Plywood would be a very good choice. You should consult the ditra literature for your particular joist spacing, however, generally the bare minimum thickness for plywood/T&G subfloor under ditra is 5/8". Plywood in general adds more strength to a subfloor than cement board, and given that you are going over it with ditra, it makes more sense to add plywood than it does to add cement board. If you are looking to come up around 1" you could use 1/2" or 5/8" ply + 1/8" ditra + 1/4" tile would get you pretty close to 1". In the context of tile, you want as stiff of a subfloor as you can get. Ditra is a great product and I have used it over major structural joints with no cracking of grout or loosening of tiles.


Swapped out light switch and now WIRES have no power? We’ve been swapping out all our outlets and switches in our house....with minimal problems until today.

In our living room we have a dimmer switch on one wall that controls our overhead light.  On another wall, we have two switches (in one box).  One controls an outside light.  The other switch was a mystery to us.  It did not turn on the overhead light and did not control any outlets.  We assumed it was a dead switch.

We replaced the dimmer switch first.  We found a black and red wire pigtailed and connected to the common screw and a white on the other screw.  We connected it the same way and its worked perfectly for the last few days.

Today we tackled the wall that had the outside switch and “dead” switch in one box.  The outside switch replaced easily and works fine.  When we pulled the dead switch, it had a red, black, and white wire on 3 separate screws.  So we put in a three way switch to replace it.

When we turned the power back on, we figured there was no way to “test” it.  But then I noticed the new dimmer switch for the overhead light no longer worked.  After scratching our heads for a few minutes, my husband flipped the “dead switch” and the overhead light came on.  After some testing we learned the “dead switch” wasn’t a true three-way switch....but wasn’t really dead either.  It seemed to merely provide power to the dimmer switch.  The dimmer switch provided power to the light.  But if the dimmer switch was off, the “dead switch” couldn’t turn on the overhead light (which is what we had tried earlier when researching the switch).

We were fine with the setup....so we shut the power off again and went about getting the switches back in their boxes and putting the covers on.

Once that was completed we tested everything again.  Now we have no power to the “dead switch”, hence no power to the dimmer switch.  We took everything back out, disconnected the three wires, and turned the power on.  None of the wires are showing power for the dead switch (and therefore none of the wires for the dimmer switch show power either).

All other outlets and switches on that breaker are working fine (including the wires in the same box for the outside light...) and we never tripped a breaker.

So what could have happened?  I’m thinking my husband may have connected the wrong wire to the common screw initially.....but 1) why would it have worked and 2) could it have then shorted something?

Any thoughts or ideas will be appreciated.  We’ll be calling an electrician....but we’re really scratching our heads right now.

I had an instance in my current home where the previous owner replaced a three way switch with a non-3-way dimmer and it acted like your situation.  The original switch would seem like it did not work, unless the dimmer was on, then it would switch the dimmer.

Take a look at the wires you have and also look at wiring diagrams for a three way light circuit and see if anything makes sense in that context.  For my situation, I had to remove three light switches downstairs where the bad dimmer was and figure out what every single wire did until I found the two travelers and hot that were meant for the original three way.

For now, also check your breakers.  It's possible that a certain on/off arrangement of your new switches is leading to a short that is tripping the breaker since it doesn't seem like you truly know what wire goes to what screw.


Chandelier cord was cut off and sold to me Can I add 10’ of 18 gauge wire to 2’ of 16 gauge wire to make the cord longer? It is only used for short term events like weddings.

I am sorry, I gave backwards info: the original cord is 18g and what I have on hand already is 16g. Can I add the 10 feet of additional 16g to the 2feet of 18 gauge that was cut off?

More important than the breaker protecting the circuit is the load on that cord.  If the chandelier had all led lamps the cord might handle the current, but since it was wired with 16ga I wouldn't use any smaller than that.


What is the function of a check valve on the inlet of a household macerator pump? Macerators sometimes require check valves on the inlet for shower waste. I'm thinking the low rate of flow from a shower might not be enough to trigger macerators activated by air switches, so the valve creates lets water from the shower through without letting air out, triggering the pump.

Would that be correct?

The check-valve prevents waste from flowing backwards after the macerator pump stops.

Macerator pumps usually can't stop backflow by themselves. The pump has to let some solids through so the pump mechanism isn't water-tight. If it was, the solids would wear the those water-tight edges down quickly and the pump would no longer be water-right.


Is it acceptable that mastic was applied as a blob on the back of tiles in shower stall? We recently had a new bathroom built in basement. The tile job is suspicious to say the least ( based on watching too many home improvement shows). The tiles were put on walls not by buttering evenly the tile or the wall; instead he used a blob of mastic and stuck tiles on wall and in turn there are gaps behind the tiles. Is this even acceptable technically? What are my risk? When we asked... he said that he was doing so to ensure even layout?

The mastic should have been put on with a notched trowel. A notched trowel is the industry standard and the best way to ensure the tile will be secure and seat at a uniform level. I would not want a hack job in my bathroom, I hope a backer board was used or at least green board.


Are 9kg bricks too heavy to build an arch I am having a go at making a pizza oven. I know very little about DIY and as such, this project is more about the experience (not the final result!).
I purchased some fire bricks but I did not expect each brick to weigh 9 kg!!
I've laid the bricks on the floor to get an idea of dimensions of the oven and to get the shape right! I've even created an wooden arch so I can 'mount' the bricks onto the arch, cement the bricks together, remove the wooden arch and hopefully will be left with a standing arch!

My concern is, will a heat resistant mortar like this be strong enough to keep this structure this way, or are 9kg bricks not meant to be built up this way? Each brick is 5cm high, 23cm wide and 19cm deep

I don't think weight - at 9 kg/brick - is an issue in this particular situation. Masonry is heavy by design. In another case I might consider weight to be an issue, just not the main thing here.
The key issue here is the shape. The way to do this is to use bricks that are designed for arches. Something like this Googled set of arch bricks for sale.
You can also cut rectangular bricks to turn them into wedges, but since this is a common problem, wedge-shaped bricks are readily available and a whole lot easier to work with.


How to flash a roof valley on parallel roofs I'm redoing my entire roof (roof deck included).  The previous owner built a carport parallel to the house.  The carport is a permanent structure with a normal roof - trusses and whatnot of equal quality to the house itself.

The two roofs are parallel.  They come together at a valley roughly 12 feet long with almost zero slope in the valley itself.  I'm worried that water will run down either roof and just stay in the valley.  How can I flash this properly so it will not leak?

Responding to Ecnerwal:

Are you talking about something like this?

Since you are redoing the roof deck, you are at an ideal time to fix this right, or as right as you can without redoing the major framing.

Depending whether you want the water to all go one direction, or go two ways, you build a flat (but sloping) triangular roof in the valley - either raised at least one foot and sloping all the way to one end, or raised at least 6" in the middle and sloping both ways.Cover with ice and water shield (first) and metal flashing in a wide continuous sheet running up both roof slopes. Essentially, you are giving this valley floor some slope - to do so you have to give it some width as it rises from where it is now.


Water coming in through the walls of an old concrete garage I recent bought a house with a detached garage, made of old concrete (high aggregate content) reinforced with steel rods and set into a hill. Built in 1938 or so; no waterproofing.

Now that Boston has turned into a rain-forest, water is seeping / leeching through the walls of the garage, making the whole thing very damp and smelly. There are no obvious drips, but the bottom 3-4 feet of concrete is discolored and damp, and there are patches of dampness on the (newer) floor.

The concrete is degrading, and I was thinking of parging over it with new concrete to smooth the walls, but I want to address the leaking first. Or would a parge coat help? What else can I do to seal up the concrete, short of digging up the foundation (15' of dirt with a garden on top!) and painting the outside surface?

It sounds like your garage is the low spot in the landscape and making a drain system difficult or impossible.  If you are sure that drains aren't possible, the only other possible solution may be treating the interior wall surfaces with an epoxy wall treatment like "Dry Loc".  Dry Loc will withstand hydrolic pressure of about 3psi, which is usually enough for walls and floors effected only during times of heavy rain etc.  The trick of making this stuff work well is to be sure the concrete is dry and any loose, flaking or effluence is removed. Obvious cracks and foundation form pins must be "keyed" and filled with hydrolic cement such as "rocktite" before painting the Dry Loc on.  The Oil based Dry loc is much easier to use than the latex based version, but lots of ventilation is needed, which should not be a problem with a garage. you will probably need two coats and be sure to work it into all the tiny holes etc, 100% coverage is important.   Good Luck.


2 Air Filters in Air Conditioning Unit My air conditioning system has a 2-layered (each 1") filter holder, definitely made for two filters. My idea, to improve the filter life and have the least air flow restriction, is to have the initial filter be a coarse particulate filter to catch the big stuff so that it doesn't clog the second filter which is a much more expensive allergen fine filter. Any objections?

Go for it.
Your only worry should be too much filter resistance, but you have that potential problem now.
You could go for a washable filter as the first layer, then a MERV13 for the second layer.  Or a disposable MERV6 or MERV8 as the first layer and MERV13 for the final.  Expect to wash or replace the outer layer more often.
Your unit may have a sight glass indicating "filter replacement", if so watch it. If not, you could cobble in a manometer.  Or experiment a bit with cardboard blocking the filter, and get a sense if you can hear the difference in pitch when the airflow is blocked.


What is in the 4-pin DC cable? I received a used DVR, which expects a power supply like this -- note the 4-pin connector. I want to feed the DVR and the cameras from a battery-backed system like this so that the whole setup survives a power outage for at least a few minutes.

The cameras are easy -- they want only the + and the - of the DC. But what's in the four contacts of the DVR? I can guess, the third one is ground -- what of the fourth? Does the connector have a name I can put into Google?

The images in the eBay post show a 12v 7a power supply with a pinout on the power brick. The pinout shows only a 12v positive (pin) and ground (barrel).

The connector is called a 4P Power Snap and Lock, but you may also find it loosely described as a 4 pin DIN connector. The latter description is slightly inaccurate.

If you have a volt meter, you can confirm that the inside four pins are all 12v. It's not out of the question that all four pins are hot in order to handle the relatively high current capacity of the 7 amp power supply or 7 amp power requirements of the DVR.


LED lights dimly lit when off Here is a link to my home earthing condition when the lights are dimly lit  https://youtu.be/eqR-CawKdgw

Measuring a socket I am seeing 225 volts between hot and neutral as expected... But 91V from neutral to ground and 144V from hot to ground (when I would expect to see 225 volts).

My home is a 220 V single phase connection. All LED lights are glowing in my home.

Finally found that there was a leakage of current from the mains... The neutral was getting earthed from the streetlights and many of the houses are receiving current but due to lack of LED lighting they were unaware.


Leaking pool in Georgia - Let it leak through the winter and fix in spring? My swimming pool has a moderate leak. I've had several people out to look for the leak, and they've failed to find anything. This summer I was losing around 1/2 inch a day, which is bearable, but since the pool was closed in the fall it seems worse -- an inch a day or so. I plan to have yet another company look at it when we open up in the spring. The company that is most recommended requires that the pool be open and safe to enter, so I think I need to wait until spring.

We live in the Atlanta area, where temperatures occasionally drop to just about freezing but not much more, and not for long. Normally I just leave the pump running on slow and that prevents any freezing issues.

If the pool is leaking this much, I'll need to continuously re-fill it all winter long so the pump can run. That's wasteful (and expensive, our water costs quite a bit).

What I'd like to do is turn off the pump and just leave the pool alone during the winter. I suspect the leak is in some of the plumbing and that the water will drop to just below the pipes (6 inches or a foot down) and then stay like that.

What am I risking by doing this? I hate to waste the water, but I don't want to have the pool more damaged than it already is.

You should confirm the leak is in the plumbing. The pool company can do a pressure test (it's easy to do diy too, just need some fittings. Just be careful not to put too much pressure in the system.) Anyway, another way to confirm where the leak is to plug the return and skimmer lines. If the water stops falling, then you have your answer.

If the leak is indeed in the plumbing, capping the lines, winterizing and waiting till the spring is fine.


How can I protect my kids' toes from this evil grating in the floor? The cold air return in this house is in the floor, in the most-trafficked part of the house. It has a heavy grating over it.

My kids' toes are small enough to fit in the gaps, which is very painful when it happens. In the summer I cover the grating with a rug, but in the winter we have to keep it clear.

This is a rental, so relocating the cold air return isn't an option.

If the grate is easily removable, simply lift it up and wrap it in a thin, loose fiber fabric like a muslin, cheese cloth or nice smooth burlap. (not the rough course kind). Even a piece of regular fiberglass screen would do the same thing.  This will look nice, let plenty of air through, keep excessive amounts of dirt out of duct work and help protect little piggies. Check out the fabric dept at Wally World, bet you can find what you need for a couple of bucks.


How to get A/C analog thermostat to have tighter hysteresis I have three air conditioning units.  The largest one cools my main room and has a nice digital thermostat that keeps things within plus or minus one degree Fahrenheit of the temperature I set (the compressor turns on when the temperature gets two degrees above my set temperature and turns off when the temperature gets two degrees below my set temperature).

The other two air conditioning units have an analog thermostat that doesn't even let me set a specific temperature.  They are rotating dials with such arbitrary zones set on them as "cool" and "very cool".

Additionally, the hysteresis in the thermostat is very large.  I use these units in my two bedrooms and the large hysteresis produces what for me is an uncomfortably large range of temperatures over the course of the night: I will put on the minimum blankets needed to be comfortable when the temperature is at its lowest and still end up getting woken up a few hours later when the room gets too hot, before the A/C's compressor has kicked back in yet.

The unit with a digital thermostat is too big to fit in the hole available in either of the bedrooms, otherwise I would use that one in my bedroom to help me sleep better.

Is there any way to tamper with the A/C units to get the hysteresis held to a tighter range, or to trick the A/C unit's temperature gauge in such a way as to get the temperature held to a tighter range?  Or will the only solution for me be to get a smaller A/C unit that has a digital thermostat?

Possibly relevant info: I live in NJ, which is pretty humid.  I live on the second floor of a two-story building, and my neighbors below do not air condition.  Two of the four walls of my bedroom are exterior walls.  The insulation in my building is terrible, especially around the window (I can usually feel air leaking in through where the extended window frame meets the wall).  My windows do open but they are not nearly large enough to put in-window A/C units, I'm stuck to using a rectangular hole of a fixed size that is below the windows.

Divert some of the A/C output air toward the thermostat sensor. This should cause it to shut off sooner and raise the low end o9f the hysteresis. It works like an anticipator.


Can I connect a cord and a GFCI outlet box to another GFCI outlet to power a pump? I have a gfi receptacle I am plugging a drop cord
Into it and running it to a box with a switch and gfi receptacle in it.
I am plugging a pump into this gfi.
Will this work

It might work but would not be code compliant and with 2 GFCI’s on the same circuit you may have nuisance tripping. If you test the GFCI at the box it may trip that one and the one inside.


Leaving the extra wire from a 12-3 run un-connected I'm embarking on a re-wiring of my Garage/Workshop. I've identified 3 new circuits I'm adding. I have a large roll of new 12-3 wire, which I'm looking to use up in this project. After completing the wiring I'll be insulating and covering the stud-bays.

I am thinking of running two pulls of 12-3 while I've got easy access, and leaving one of the extra hot wires unconnected (capped), in the box, for when I get around to re-doing my pantry (shares a wall) and want to add a grounded outlet. Running an extra 12-2 would mean putting another hole in each stud along the wall, and I've already got 2 holes in each (50's house with many partial-remodels), I don't really want to turn the structure into swiss cheese.

I have not been able to find anything in the code about leaving one of the wires of 12-3 unused. Do you think an inspector would balk at this? My city uses the most recent version of the NEC code.

I know a 12-3 run needs a double-pole breaker because of the shared-neutral, but what about my theoretical extra wire (with one live circuit, but will eventually require a shared neutral)? Do I just need to run the circuit and wire a dummy outlet? I'd rather not unless necessary.

There's nothing in the code that says you can't pull unused wire.  In fact, since it's not technically connected to the electrical system, NEC probably doesn't apply at all.

Just keep in mind that garage receptacles will require GFCI protection, while a receptacle in a pantry would not.


Is the huge white metal grille on a ceiling called a "cassette AC". Is it supposed to be noisy? I am looking to buy a house, but i'm worried about the AC noise. It has the compressor outside the house. The evaporator coil is inside the attic on top of the furnace. This attic is above the laundry.

So, every room has a little (around 10 by 5 inches) white metal grille on the ceilings to push the air in.

But the hallway ceiling has a huge (around 30 by 50 inches) white metal grille. Is it called a "cassette AC". Why is it so noisy ? What does it do ?

Maybe this is the normal noise level. I don't know. I can't ask my realtor, 'coz she will assure me everything is fine :)

That's the return air grille, where the AC's air handler sucks up air to cool that it pushes through the ceiling registers in the other rooms. Central return systems are inherently noisy, but good duct design can alleviate this to a certain extent as can using a smaller blower motor if the ductwork was done well enough that the reduced airflow speed doesn't result in worse air delivery.

Your bigger problem is the fact that your air conditioner is in the attic, where it will get to be like 140 degrees. I bet every time it kicks on, all the rooms get blasted with a slug of hot air for a few seconds, right?


Is an explicit ground wire required through steel conduit? We just bought a Chicago-area house and found that there's no ground wire in some of the recently re-wired areas.  I thought that the national electrical code requires a ground wire for new construction and remodels, as opposed to relying on the steel conduit as ground.  Is this correct?

Conduit (RMC, IMC or EMT) is an NEC-accepted ground path. So, if the wires are in steel conduit, no OTHER ground wire is required.
If that gives you concerns, you might find this link reporting research into the effectiveness of conduit as a ground relieves them.
Updated link to NEMA Technical Services Department Bulletin 97.


Breaker trips when turning switch on with no load (No GFCI) This circuit is a dedicated light circuit with 7 can lights. I removed all the bulbs, turned the switch on, breaker trips. I swapped the switch, breaker trips. I' guessing there's a short circuit somewhere but how to go about locating it? The can light wiring is in the attic near the eaves, not easy to access. Is there a way to test the can lights from below or just suck it up and low crawl to each fixture? Once I'm there, how to test?

If you didn't test the wiring periodically as you installed it, it is now for you to do.

I would sever off lamps 4-7 at the lamp 3 junction, relight, see if the problem clears.  Then divide the remaining area-of-uncertainty in half and repeat, in half again repeat.  Now you are down to 1 light, it is that light or the one before.

If it helps, get some 3/4" plywood and lay it across the joists so you have a roadway and don't put your foot through the ceiling.


Shower valve: connecting 1/2 inch pipe to 1 inch shower valve (threaded) first off, there are images attached for best description of the problem. The setup is: The 1/2 inch copper pipe connects to a threaded joint on the shower valve (1 inch), easy, right? Except when I try to replace/rebuild this assembly (it is leaking at the joint, see picture), I cut it out and take it to HD/Menards: they say they don't know how to replace it or what the connecting bit really is. It seems like some random threaded part that was soldered on top of the pipe.

I can't solder, is there a way to rebuild this joint using pex or sharkbites or something else? Or I can only solder electronics, I doubt it's the same-never tried it.

EDIT: the manufacturer seems to be selling a very similar/ updated version of this at https://www.pioneerind.com/product/three-handle-tub-shower-set-2/#0868-Z, but the installation guide is not clear on how to connect the 1/2 inch supply lines.

Thanks a lot!

That looks like one side of a union. The threads on the union nut engage with threads on the valve body to make a flat metal-to-metal seal.  Alternatively a special seal, now missing, might have fit in a groove and pipe dope was used to try to make it seal.

Pipe dope is to be used to seal threads. A union seals with two clean flat surfaces clamped together by threads, or with a special seal (not pipe dope). You might get it to seal by cleaning down to bare metal without gouging the surface, but it could be that a seal is needed.

EDIT

If you reinstall this part or a new one you will have to use a slip coupling, e.g., a Shark Bite 1/2" "slip" coupling. That way you won't have to use a torch inside the wall.


Can I put a junction box in the ceiling accessible by removing a bath fan Can I put a junction box in the ceiling which is only accessible by removing the bathroom fan. My existing fan has conduit from the switch coming in on the top and then conduit on the side going to the shower light. I have not been able to find a replacement fan that has two knock outs so I can connect both pieces of conduit. My thought is to connect the two with a junction box and then connect the fan to the junction box with FMC. The junction box would be accessible by removing the fan which would be held in place with two screws. I have a feeling this is not allowed, if  so what other options do I have.

You can drill a hole if there aren't enough knock-outs, but you still need to have enough room in there to make all joins you need.


Will my ceiling hold an over the popcorn solution? I am looking for a solution to my popcorn without removing it. I am thinking of using MDF ship-lap then creating small depth coffers.
My issue is that I don't know how much weight my ceiling can hold. It's vaulted ceiling made of 2X4 trusses on a 24" OC. I when to the attic and counted 12 trusses over the area i am concerned about. The area is about 26.25' wide (measuring across the trusses), the peak in the living space is about 13' and the length of each angle (along the trusses) to the peak is about 16.3'.
What's on the ceiling now is SR but I don't know how thick it is. I do have a fireplace in the middle of the room and I have no idea if that is supporting anything.

I do believe your ceiling would support the added weight of the shiplap. For an actual confirmation you really need to consult an engineer or possibly a truss manufacturer  who can run the calculations for the additional weight you intend to add.
I do not see going directly over the popcorn with your shiplap. If you really insist on leaving it, then perhaps attach a flat 2x4 (preferable) or 1x4 screwed to the bottom chord of the trusses and attach your shiplap to that. It seems a tongue and groove would be better than a shiplap- with the addition of construction glue you could blind nail the T&G.
Truthfully, the removal of the popcorn seems an easier/ cleaner option.The un-eveness and the length of fastener necessary to soundly attach the shiplap seem likely to cause more difficulty than removing the popcorn.


annoying vibration, deep humming noise in home What in my home could possibly vibrate and/or make a very low humming noise?

I have been driven mad by a low droning vibration type noise for nearly two years. I have gone through testing various possibilities; Electric being the first - switch power off at circuit and still hear it. Water- turn off at stop valve under stairs, still hear it.

I hear it worse at front of house than back. Hear it upstairs too. We are in a terraced row of houses so I've been round to the neighbours either side and can hear a faint hum in their houses but nothing as bad. To me it appears very loud as been living with it for so long I am totally tuned in to it!

What can this be? Is it possible for gas lines to vibrate? Could it be a mains water issue? Someone suggested we could have a leak? Electrical problem (but had mains off and could still hear it)? Boiler issue?

We have had gas and water companies out but there was not anything obvious found by them. All appears normal. Gas meter is fine. No pressure issues with gas. No water leaks. Turned off toby in street and it was still audible.

The front room floor does feel like its vibrating but perhaps the noise I am hearing gives the suggestion of vibration (sounds like a bus engine idling in distance or the throb of engine when you are on a ferry but very low level). At night when all is quiet it's horrendous as there are no other noises to mask it. It sounds like a pump running 24/7.

Any ideas? We have had Scottish Power out as I thought it may be one of two electrical substation that are along the road. They were doing work on them when this noise was first noticeable but the new installations are supposedly meant to be quieter models. Think they are 132kv transformers.

At the same time we had to get our shower replaced and ended up withwater hammer, with pipes banging every time we turned tap or shower off. This was sorted by draining down the systm but the stop valve leaked for while after obviously not being used for years. I read about the possibilty of worn/loose washers  causing a humming noise but it sounds no louder when right beside stop tap... Hhhmmmm...

In the past 18months it has only been quiet twice really, but there was silence for a good few weeks then it returned. I don't hear a hum when I stand outside in garden or beside the closest substation but the furthest one (approx 180m away) does emit the usual hum but not at a level that you would think would reach my house...

I do not hear it in friends houses and have to escape to my parents or in-laws homes to get away from it. I went for hearing tests and I've got perfect hearing. It's not tinnitus either as it is only in my home I hear this low drone.

Any theories??? What can I try?

This would be a last resort but ridges of ledge underground that the foundation may be poured on top of can transmit vibration from hundreds of feet away if the source, (heavy machinery, road traffic, etc.),is strong enough. Can you pinpoint the area of strongest / loudest vibration? If yes what is it closest to?


AC doesn't cool room well in old poorly insulated apartment. What can I do to fix? What are the causes? I live in a two story apartment and I'm in the top floor. The apartment is pretty old, 54 years old. Due to that, the insulation is really lack luster. The windows are single paned walls are relatively thin.

Even if I keep my windows covered and windows closed, after a hot day, the room becomes a sauna when I get home at night. It's cool at night so I just have to vent the heat out. However, during the day, r it is almost impossible to get the AC to make much of a difference. I have to stand in front of the AC to feel cool. The AC feels plenty cold and strong and my apartment isn't very large(<600sqft).

What is causing this? Is the cool air simply escaping? Is it all the heat coming through the windows? I have pretty thick light blocking blinds.

What can a renter do to make the apartment a little nicer in the summer?

there is a proportion to be observed for the air to be cooled down, between the square feet of the whole area (home or apartment) against the basic "1 ton"
of equipment capacity.
One ton = 12,000 BTU which is barely enough force in your a/c unit to transform the air of 400 sq.ft from hot to fresh.

I hope this gives you the idea how to size the equipment properly according to the square footage.


Should I replace my house wrap when re-siding? My house was built in the 60s and doesn't have normal plywood sheathing. It has that old sheet-rock-like sheathing (it's black, I think it is exterior gypsum). Basically the walls (right now) go, exterior gypsum > tar paper like stuff > foam board > vinyl siding.

I am not re-sheathing the house, so I am unsure if a house wrap is needed when re-siding. I'm hiring a company to do the siding and the owner said it wasn't necessary to install a house wrap, I was hoping to verify that with someone who knows siding.

Whether or not you want it has nothing to do with siding.

It makes no difference to the siding.

The point of housewrap (brand-neutral) is that it is vapor-permeable air-barrier - as such it can reduce drafts and air movement, and thus potentially reduce your heating and/or cooling costs.


Short rise bottom step or platform I have porch steps where the bottom step has a 9-1/2" rise while the rest have a 7-1/2 " rise. The run is 11". Can I add a new bottom step or platform with just a 2" rise so that the next step will now have the normal 7-1/2" rise?

If I understand the question correctly, then steps should always be a uniform height.  The 9 1/2" rise at the bottom of a series of 7 1/2" rises is definitely bad.

Adding a 2" platform on the ground below the step to even out the overall step size is a great idea.  I'd suggest you make the platform be large - something like 2 feet deep and 6" wider on each side than the step itself.  That will give it a clear, distinct landing feel and be much safer than having that 9 1/2" drop at the end.

If you can't do that, however, then making the new bottom step be only 2 1/2" above ground is better than the 9 1/2" you have now.


100amp to 200amp Service Upgrade I am renovating a cabin including complete re-siding so I thought I would use this as an opportunity to upgrade the electrical service to 200amp (currently 100amp). Two reasons, 1) I might want to add full HVAC in the future, 2) the current service is not up to code and down-right dangerous (as you can tell from the attached picture). In the picture the black box is the location of the interior (now main) panel.
I initially started this discussion on this thread:
Pros/Cons combined meter/load center
I've met with the Staking Engineer and we discussed various service entry points. Given the landscape, it will be difficult to put a pole in that actually helps. I've attached a photo with the final plan based on everyone's input
I like the idea of a combo unit because I think it will look a little cleaner and has a smaller foot print than a separate meter base/panel. Plus the unit I am considering (Square D SO2040M200S) allows me to bring a conduit out the top to feed my subpanel through the rim joist instead of coming out the side and taking a 90 degree turn up to the rim joist. The Square D SO2040M200S combo is about 18" wide and 41" tall as compared to (as example) UTRS202B meter base plus HOM12M200PRB panel which together are about 45" tall and only give me 12 full spaces.
Specifically:

Service attaches to the (reinforced)flying rafter via 3" Clevis attached with through bolt (blue line)
Service head approximately 12" below fascia and not more than 24" from Clevis
Square D SO2040M200S Combo meter base/panel
2" RMC to meter box/panel combo - mounted so meter is 5' above landing (Red)
2" (or 2.5") Schedule 80 PVC from panel to rim joist and enter basement (Red)

I plan to use:

(3) 4/0 Al XHHW-2 for service entry to meter
Homeline (HOM2100CP) 100amp branch breaker
SER 1-1-1-3 Al for the 20' run to 100amp subpanel (green line)
#4 Cu ground wire to main panel

I think this is all doable and appears to meet code requirements.
Questions:

Does this all sound reasonable?
I want a spacer between the panel and concrete block. I believe I shouldn't mount the box directly on treated lumber without a spacer due to reaction with chemicals (?). This area will see weather so standard lumber will probably be short-lived. Suggestions?

You will need to use RMC, not EMT, for the service mast
The first order of business is that your utility's overhead service guide requires the use of RMC/GRC for service masts.  You are correct with using 2" for mast sizing, though; inside the mast, I'd run 3 4/0 Al XHHW-2 individual conductors in order to keep pulling reasonable and comply with Code limitations on what can be used in a conduit to begin with.
I like the thinking with the conduit to the interior panel, but it sadly won't quite work due to stud boring limits
Sadly, your plan with running oversized conduit from the meter-main to the panel won't work either.  However, this is not because it's electrically wrong at all, but because of mechanical issues.  IRC R602.6 point 2 limits holes in studs to 40% of the stud width, or 60% if the bored stud is sistered or fitted with an approved stud shoe to reinforce the area around the hole.  However, this limits a 2x4 nominal stud (3.5" wide) to a 2.1" diameter hole, even if a stud-shoe is provided, while 2" PVC or GRC has an outside diameter of 2.375" and 2" EMT has an outside diameter of 2.2".
So, you're better off exiting the lower rear of the meter-main directly into the basement with your 1-1-1-3 SER cable and then running the SE cable up to the subpanel via whatever route works.  That means you'll have to replace the SE cable with a 4/0-4/0-4/0-2/0 SER and overbore the studs and joists from 1.25" (achievable without stud shoes) to 1.75" (which requires stud shoes) if you want to upgrade the interior panel to 200A down the line, though.


what kind of radiator is this? Can I build a wood cover for it? There is a thin pipe coming from wall on the left that attaches to this metal filterlike coil thing.  This coil thing is this very dirty, is it a filter?  The dirty filter thing measures 1.5" thick, 8.5" deep and 34" wide from pipe entry to end of white metal cabinet that its encased by. Building said they use oil/natural gas for heat so not sure what type of radiator this is? I wanted to build a nice wooden window seat to go over it, can I do this with this type?

It appears to be a "forced hot water" radiator, unless there is a steam vent you're not showing us. Also called "fin-tube radiators".  How the water is heated is not entirely relevant (oil, gas, wood, coal, electric, solar -- same radiator).  The fins conduct heat from the water in the supply pipes (tubes) and "amplify" the transfer to the air, which flows across the fins. Airflow may be natural convection or mechanically forced by a fan.

You need to straighten the fins for best airflow (there are heavy-duty "combs" made for the purpose) and blow/vacuum them out from time to time, if you want to maintain maximum efficiency.  You can dress it in wood if you like.  They are generally designed to carry water no hotter than about 180 degrees F. Wood will not be as good at conducting or radiating heat as the metal enclosure. You must provide adequate air vents in any enclosure so that the warm air has a way to heat the room.

My fin-tube baseboards run nicely at around 150, except on the coldest days, at which point our on-site engineer raises the boiler temperature and chucks in more wood.


How can I get my entry door to stay closed? Our entry door opens and closes fine but it won't engage the latch when it's closed. It almost seems like it's too small for the frame. The wind just howls through the opening and the strike plate on the frame will develop a frost layer on it. I have to use the deadbolt to keep it closed all the time.

I had a door with many of the same issues. It turned out that the previous owner had done a shoddy job of door installation.

The first step I would recommend is to check the door to ensure that it is square. IF the door was not hung correctly, it could cause many of the issues you described.

It may not be the door itself but the door frame. If the door frame is out of square, you can try to adjust the reveal to remedy the situation.

I ended up just replacing my door, as I wasn't very fond of the previous door anyways. It was an afternoon well spent. My house is much better insulated, as the new door actually has a decent R factor.


How can I stain a faded area of my wood floor to match the rest? A small area in front of the patio door has lightened but the other 500 square feet of the room remains dark and beautiful. I sure don’t want to sand and refinish the entire room. Is there a way to blend a dark recoat of a compatible product on top of the aluminum oxide urethane?

In front of the patio door seems like the perfect location for a dust mat or a small piece of carpeting.


Laying your own telephone cable (from demarcation point) So my telephone cable from the demarcation point to my apartment is broken and there's no way to get a proper technician to fix it in the next few weeks. So I tried to do it myself, but the router keeps blinking, indicating that the connection isn't functional.

I made some pics from my phone to illustrate what I did. In this first picture, there is a little Telecom box which the Telecom technician connected. This is right at the demarcation point. Instead of plugging the telephone cable in there, I cut the wires and connected them to a telephone cable. This can be seen in the background. Its a 2x2 telephone cable, but I only connected the white and red cables. The second picture shows what I did at the other end, in my appartment. cable then goes straight into the router, but without any effect. Does anyone have an idea how to proceed? Would it make sense to get a Multimeter to detect it there are some voltages measurable, or is that doubtful even it it works? Any advice is appreciated.

Step 1: Bring your router to the demarc point and verify that it works there. You did not mention if you had done this, but if not, you should, as the whole point of a demarc is to say: "If it does not work here the provider needs to fix it. If it does work here the problem is in your wiring." So you need to test that.

THEN you can start to concern yourself with the wiring onward from that point. Which appears to bear no resemblance to the North American standards I'm familiar with...


Can I sink a hot water copper pipe into the ground and keep the heating functionality we are remodeling a our kitchen and the hot water baseboard heating is in the way. We had two ideas.
1. we let the baseboard heating run under the cabinets
2. we cut open the floor and drop the copper pipe in, covering it up with a metal grille.

Regarding the 2nd Option, will it still heat up the room as it used to before?
Thanks for your Feedback.

The hot water baseboard heating will be heating the room mostly due to radiative surfaces that conduct the heat out of the water pipe and into the air of the room. For this to work there needs to be allowance for the air in the room to naturally move from the heater area and into the room.

If you cover it up it will not be heating the room in the same way.

If you end up having to bypass the hot water piping beyond the area where you are now placing cabinets you will have to arrange for alternate radiative devices to be installed elsewhere in the room so that the heating can be effective.


Looking to improve acoustic and thermal performance before relaying wooden floor We are about to lay new wood floor in the entire upstairs of an old Victorian house.
This seems like the perfect opportunity to acoustically (and thermally) insulate the floor to separate it from downstairs.

I was initially thinking about putting 25mm acoustic roll in-between the joists (1st floor) but I can't find any information about if 25mm will be sufficient e.g
http://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/25mm-knauf-earthwool-acoustic-roll-4-x-600mm-x-200m-2400m2-pack.html

Then I thought about the idea of using 100mm loft insulation roll as its cheap but can't find out its accoustic properties.
e.g http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/109449

Should I use acoustic roll or loft roll?

What thickness should I use?

What is the cheapest option for me?

Thanks for your time!

If you want to reduce the sound of footsteps, you should use a soundproofing underlayment (which is essentially a sheet of rubber).

If you want to reduce other noises in the rooms, such as voices, TV, etc., then the insulation is a good choice. You should use enough to fill the cavity; if the cavity is 100mm thick or more, then the 100mm loft insulation should provide significantly more sound insulation. The actual difference in performance between regular building materials and their "soundproof" counterparts at equivalent thicknesses are typically quite small, making the added cost difficult to justify. Specialized construction techniques are much more important than specific materials for achieving overall good soundproofing (in other words, the difference between no insulation and insulation is much bigger than the difference between normal insulation and special insulation).

As far as a thermal barrier, if you're heating/cooling both levels, then you're not likely to benefit much from it (and it could even reduce comfort by allowing some rooms to get too hot/cold).


Should my evaporator be hissing? Should cold air be blowing from it? My A/C hasn't been able to keep up with the heat lately (it's been in the high 90's with high humidity, and today the house was up to about 82 inside even though it's set on 70). I went up into the attic a few minutes ago to see if my untrained eye could see anything wrong with the unit, and I noticed two things:

There is a hissing noise coming from the unit where the refrigerant lines go into the evaporator. I know that I have a TEV, and I've read online that these can sometimes hiss, but I wanted to see if that's likely what the cause is or if it's possibly something else.
Cold air (quite cold) is blowing out of the hole where the refrigerant return line comes out of this box (this is also where I'm hearing the hissing), and the attic was cooler than the rest of my house!

I just had a popular local A/C company out here to investigate, and he said that the unit appeared to have been undercharged from the time it was installed (the house was built in 2006), so he added two pounds of refrigerant. He said that he didn't find any leaks. Are either of these things issues?

Have you lived there long enough to compare the performance of the system to previous summers?  (Sometimes units are undersized, or paired with poor duct design.)

Is the air coming out of the vents cold?  Is it as cold as you remember before problems started?  Is the airflow at the vents good?

After he added coolant, is the system working better?  If yes, the system was low on charge.  If not, something else is wrong.

It is possible for the system to be low on charge, but still be able to keep up on days that are moderate (albeit at a lower efficiency than a properly charged system).

It is also possible for there to be a leak, but the HVAC guy missed it.  He probably only did a quick leak check (soap bubbles).  There are more involved (expensive) tests he can do.  However, they may not be necessary.  If adding coolant made the system work well, wait and see.  If the performance degrades again in a few weeks/months, you have a leak.

If there is a leak, it is usually in the outdoor unit, which is exposed to the elements, and takes a beating.

The good news is that the unit is probably still under parts warranty (typically 5 years for a cheap unit, 10 years for a good one), so if there is something expensive wrong, the parts should be covered.

(When was the last time your air filter was replaced?  If it's been more than 6mo, look at it and see if it is OK.  Replace if necessary.  If you aren't up for replacing your air filter at least once a year, you should consider a service contract where the techs do it for you.)


two condensate drains? we just had a new AC system installed in my florida house. the unit is in the garage, and the air handler is vertical with the evaporator on top.

the unit he removed had 2 condensate lines: one that drips outside on to the lawn and a second on that points at the floor but never dripped.

the new unit is only connected to the outside drain.

should the new unit have 2 drain lines?

No, probably not. The reason there are two lines is in case one gets clogged up, the second one will be used as a backup.

The reason for the backup line is if the unit is in the house, you absolutely don't want a clog in one drain line to cause water to drip out of the unit and get all over your house.  Since it is in the garage though, it probably just doesn't matter much if you get water on the garage floor.  Which is probably why the installer didn't bother installing a backup line (which it sounds like just drained onto the floor anyways)


How can I prevent racking on a large free standing wardrobe? I have two free standing wardrobes, 2.8m by 2m (depth 70cm). Actually inside the wardrobe there is one internal 'wall', halfway 1m, so it divides each wardrobe into 2, but is no stronger than the side 'walls'.

I would like to remove the back board

(for ventilation purposes and to keep an eye on possible mould)

but I am worried about racking

(when a rectangle box structure slides horizontally forming a diamond before collapsing...).

What are my best options?

I thought about using internal L brackets, similar to shelving brackets, I have some industrial strength ones to hand for 60cm shelves (with a diagonal support within the L). Could that work? Would I need to support all four angles? IF I use internal  L brackets should they be longer? Or if these brackets are overkill, let me know because i don-t want to waste these shelving brackets!

Or should I go for four strips of backing plywood to place within the original backing board grooves? (a piece along each vertical, and each horizontal) So a a partial back board by at least with this some of the wall behind is visible.

Or.. the fact there are two wardrobes, shall I join them?

Or....?

Consider drilling a series of 4" holes instead.  You'll retain most of the shear strength, and get some ventilation.  Diagonal braces are more effective but more work.  T brackets at each rear junction are a possibility, but probably not as strong as the backboard with 4" holes.


Knob/handle to turn shower diverter valve Handle for diverter valve.
The plastic has split and will no longer turn the spindle which is 5 mm in diameter with a flat. The handle/ knob does not need to look like this one. I just want to be able to turn the spindle. Can anyone help to find a replacement?

Easy fix. You just need a Universal Diverter Handle. Home Depot has several options. Take the old one in with you and they will fix you right up or you can order online.


What is this utility box found above a basement bathroom? While investigating putting in a fan, we came across this odd utility box with spring loaded cover. What is it for, and can we remove it?

House was built in 1935. An addition to another part of the house was added in the 1960s.

Center part looks like ceramic. Insulator?

Four holes, that might be threaded. Center, ceramic? part has a raised section that would maybe prevent mis-alignment of whatever attaches.

Here is a shot of the wire disappearing under the house. Electric wire in foreground gives some scale:

Looks like a telephone wire. Also looks like an old style 4-prong telephone jack (inside a fancy metal housing that's a new one on me.) Do you still have an active land-line?


Options for fixing leaking polybutylene water service line The water service line going to our house is leaking.  The leak is originating from our lawn down to the street.  The plumbers who have looked at it are saying that our pipe is made of polybutylene, which is known to crack.  Our neighbors have had the same issue before.  The line is going from the city shutoff to our water meter, which is about 50ft away.  Our house is on a concrete slab and we do not have a basement.  The plumbers have given us some options:

Spot fix the line.  This is the cheapest option.  The line from the leak to the city shutoff valve would replaced with a copper pipe.  However, they are not recommending this because they say that since the pipe is fragile, moving it could upset the rest of the pipe and cause more leaks
Replace the entire line by threading the new copper line through the existing pipe.  The existing pipe would split apart.  They are saying this does not have a high chance of success
Run the copper line up to the garage.  Once inside the garage, the copper line would be run along the walls until it got to the water meter.  They will wrap track wire around the pipe and plug it into an electrical outlet; the purpose of the wire is to keep the pipe warm.  They will then insulate the pipe and wire assembly.

Is option 1 recommended?  Options 2 and 3 are more expensive, and I don't have high hopes for option 2.  For option 3, I am concerned about the maintenance required.  For example, what if there is a snow storm and our power goes out?

I would either minimize the repair and have them spot fix the line and at that time inspect it to verify its structural integrity, or maximize the repair and run a new polyethylene pipe including going under the footing and inside properly due to the reasons mentioned.  This is invasive and will require multiple trades (concrete, excavation, possible wall repair, etc) for access and repairs but running main lines external to the wall sounds like a problem waiting to happen.

PB usually reacts with the additives to the city water and breaks down or it stays just fine.  But deterioration is usually from the inside out though so you have to cut the line to tell.  So if your line is still structurally intact there is a chance having the leak repaired could be a long term solution.

How many times can you have a leak repaired over how many years before it equals the cost of a new main line?


How can I improve this deck ledger and the flashing around my ledger? I'm planning to replace the current warped ledger board with a new one new using galvanized lag bolts.

How can I protect the exposed black paper and OSB between the two vents?
Is more flashing needed on the bottom of the ledger?
Any other tips?

Perfect world ... the flashing would be gav metal and create a template (opening) for the vents. Top and side exterior would overlap this flashing top down to DRAIN water (installed as bottom, side, top). I'll mention tar paper here, or peel-n-stick, to underlay and cover any missteps...USE IT.

If...when...you replace the wood, and peel-n-stick the area (bottom up so top overlaps bottom), it will never leak! Your problem is more of a surface issue where the vent is recessed. Fix that and bluff the vent out to make even with the exterior surface, then seal and flash in.

Caulk..and press caulk into any crevises or corners...the outline of the template when finished for a water tight seal.

Don't be scared of the opening, put a hose to it to check for leaks and see where/how you need to repair.


What are the pros and cons of steel vs. aluminum metal roofing? I'm considering a new roof for my suburban home.  The home is about fourteen years old and the shingles are in so-so shape.  We have had two leaks already and I've been told that means it is a good time to consider replacing the roof.

Rather than replace with another traditional shingle roof, I'm considering going with a metal roof.  I've seen a couple in the neighborhood and they look nice, and I hear a metal roof will last a lot longer.

Aluminum and steel appear to be the two major products when it comes to metal roofing for residential homes.  I'm not sure whether I should be considering aluminum, or steel.

What are the pros and cons of steel vs. aluminum metal roofing?  That is, what advantages and disadvantages does steel roofing have compared to aluminum roofing, and vice-versa?  If I go for one or the other type, what should I be looking out for and what should I be avoiding?

The aluminum is probably more susceptible to denting, being a softer metal.

Will you ever need to walk on the roof? Do you have overhanging trees that may drop branches in a storm? Even trees near your house can see branches go flying your way.

Another question is the coating used. Since steel can rust, you don't want to worry about it. A high quality product would seem valuable there. Of course, you don't want to see paint flakes peeling off an aluminum roofing product either.

Finally, make sure that you can deal with snow, although this is not a factor that depends on the material itself. Our neighbor has a metal roof. A few years ago, we had a large, heavy snow fall, and a huge mass of snow broke free to slide off the roof. As it was coming down, it tore off the gutters on their home, then completely flattened part of their porch. My guess is it was several thousand dollars worth of damage. Falling snow can also damage plantings near the house. There are tabs that can be placed on the roof surface to prevent this if you live in the snow belt.