Door Repair - 2x6 bolted together I am purchasing a log cabin built in 1915 with an entry door that appears to be 2x6 boards assembled together. It does have three lights, so I expect it was professionally made, not a homemade item. My inspector mentioned I could disassemble and replace the one damaged board, he thinks I should keep it because it has character that a new door would not match.
How difficult will this task be?

Suppose I were to ask a master chef how difficult it would be to assemble some dish of theirs? Of course, for the expert it is trivial. But for me, who has no serious knowledge of fine cooking, it might be quite a bit more work. What in the name of god and little green apples is a roux anyway? For some, dicing up an onion is done in a flash, a matter of seconds. For others, it may well involve a spot or two of their own blood spilled. The same may be true of any task. Much depends on your level of skill, upon your willingness to learn, upon a variety of factors.

In the case of a door, how is the door assembled? Is it joined with glue, that must be taken apart and then later reassembled? Are bolts truly the only method of attachment? What species is the wood? Will you find a new piece of wood that is an adequate replacement? Do you have the tools to cut that large piece of wood accurately to the proper size? Is there any rot in the wood that must be repaired before it goes back together?

You might try taking the door apart, then if you can remove the damaged (split?) section, take that piece to a dealer in hardwoods. Don't just go to the local Home Depot and expect to find a replacement. It won't be a match in terms of species anyway, and the wood you will find there is of poor quality, expensive for what you get, and may well warp on you anyway. All wood is not the same. Your local hardwood dealer will be able to find a match for your board, and for a very reasonable fee, even cut it to size for you.

Finally, you must know that new, freshly milled wood will often have a very different color and patina than old weathered wood. For example, fresh walnut or cherry both look VERY different from aged wood of the same species. While it is not always difficult to achieve a match, this too can take some expertise. Practice on a scrap piece before you go near the final work.

In the end, yes, you can probably do this task. It will take you a longer time to get it right than it would if done by an expert, but with persistence, a willingness to learn, and a little guidance you can get there. And once you are done, you shall be satisfied to say it was you who did it.


Adding an EV Charging Station to an AC Circuit We just had a air conditioner compressor installed last week. The contractor installed a new 240V 30Amp circuit to the compressor. We are also wanting to install a new EV Charging Station (which is also 240V 30A). Can we ask an electrician to install the EV Charging Station (or to add a 240V NEMA outlet) on the same circuit as the Air Conditioner or do we need to have an entirely new circuit run from the main box for the EV Charging Station?

Nope. EVSE's need to be on a dedicated circuit.  That's a Code requirement.

The amps of the service don't decide how many spaces are in the panel. "spaces" and "amps" are totally different numbers, you can have 12-space 200A or 42-space 100A. It sounds like you need to add a subpanel somewhere convenient.  I recommend counting the spaces (not circuits) you now have, subtract that from 50, and get a subpanel with about that many spaces.


Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets? I’m putting in hardwood floors and I am at the spot where kitchen cabinets would go. The last strip is going to be narrower than whole flooring boards, and usually I would rip the boards going elsewhere in the room. Should I just leave the last few inches of floor exposed? What is the downside? It’s a second level of the house with joists and osb. I am also leaving some exposed parts around plumbing and central vac pipe. Does this look good?  Thanks!
EDIT: flooring is not floating, it’s nailed down 11/16 thick hardwood.
EDIT #2: Wow, I didn’t realize I was starting a topic that was so controversial! :) I might as well asked what was better PC or Mac. I ended up finishing to the wall with some gap for expansion (though type of hardwood I am using doesn’t really expand). Cabinets are in and it did actually make the leveling them easier. Thanks to all who contributed to this (at times heated) discussion!

It's not the end of the world, but you might consider cutting the pieces so the gap is smaller.
Why?  Some cabinets sit on the floor via little legs.  If the legs were to be exactly where there's no flooring, it becomes uneven.  You'd then have to put something under it the right thickness, which just happens to be your flooring.
If it were me, I'd spend the extra few minutes and rip the pieces to within maybe 1/4 inch of the wall (for expansion/contraction).


Furnace only blows 55 degree air! Pipes freezing, please help My brother's cabin has a heil horizontal mount attic furnace model # NTC 5100 BFE2 that runs on propane. It's about 14 years old. Only 3 of the 4 burners work, but the heat only comes out at 55 degrees. The heat on the exhaust stack outside in 10 degree weather is 98. The main blower clicks on simultaneously,  and the induced motor squeals,  and on one start up, not at all, with flames coming out against the shield. I'm sure it has multiple issues, but looking for options. The flame was originally orange, but now at least is over 50 percent blue. I'm at a loss as to where all the heat is going.

Thank you!

You need to have an HVAC service company that works on propane appliances look at, clean and service this unit before it hurts someone. Everything you describe is an accident "waiting to happen". Do not be a victim.


Additional wire on light switch with no 3 way I recently changed my sons' bedroom light switch with Lutron smart dimmer. The house is fairly new and has not been remodeled. I have changed out about 3 other light switches without issue. This particular switch had an addition wire connected. I thought that maybe it was traveler so just didn't reconnect it when installing the smart switch. Turned on the power and the switch works well however, the receptacles (only in this room though the breaker runs 3 rooms) no longer work! What could this wire be? Thank you in advanced for your help.

Without KNOWING how it was connected (which it's always good to document before you tear stuff apart, but too late for that) I'm going to GUESS that the outlets were getting their power by being joined to the unswitched hot feed to the switch.


Joining 10-2awg to 12-2awg wire I have a 30 amp breaker with a 10/2 feeding a 220 volt dryer outlet. Currently it is powering an air compresser in the garage. I want to put in a 220 wall switch so I don't have to go to the panel and turn on the breaker to power the compresser.

Can I use 12/2 from the 10/2 to switch and back to the compressor outlet?

No.  12 AWG wire is only rated for 20 amperes, and so cannot be protected by a 30 ampere breaker.

The switch also has to be rated 30 amperes. Which should solve your problem, as the 30 amp switch should accept the larger wire.


What are the downsides to paving a dirt crawlspace with cement? I've got a home with a dirt crawlspace -- post and beam holding up the house, with the piers for the posts in the crawlspace of course. I had someone come look at it recently to clean it up -- I've had rodents in there recently. There is currently NO INSULATION in the crawlspace -- none whatsoever. Crawlspace is about 1000 sq. feet, flat.

The guy who came to look at the crawlspace said that he can clean it up (the poly was dragged all over the place), install traps and seal off entrances. But he also said for more money he could just pave the entire crawlspace to keep animals from burrowing and tunneling under.

Seems to me like if the crawlspace is dirt, it should probably stay dirt. Something doesn't sound right about paving it. Are there downsides to paving what is currently a dirt crawlspace?

By paving I assume you mean pouring concrete.  The only downside is the cost and future modifications.  If you want to run a new drain line, for example, you need to break up the concrete versus just digging up some dirt.

Generally I would say homeowner and future buyers would prefer to see a concrete floor since it just looks better.


Are gutters the only way to fix this ice accumulation issue? Whenever it rains or snow melts in the winter these rain guards drop water right in front of the walkway which freezes and causes an ice mess. I am reluctant to add a gutter section because no other part of the house has them or run off issues. Might look weird if only one edge of the house has gutters. Was wondering if there's any solutions that don't involve annual maintenance ie cleaning.

Sure, there's a solution that requires no annual maintenance (well, no more than the whole house needs) but that would be to rebuild the roof so it does not dump there. Which you might consider a rather major task, but hey, you asked. Thank the architect for causing the problem for you.

Simplest solution will be a section of gutter and a section of heating cable (run only as needed) to keep the downspout and gutter functional with ice. But you might need to clean it, yes.

Most absurdly expensive solution to operate would be to retrofit ice-melting heat (electric cable or fluid/heat exchanger) into the walkway itself. Truly crazy expensive to run, but some places do that.


Can I use a 3 speed wall switch with a ceiling fan that comes with a remote? I'm not too familiar with fan motors/configurations. I'd like to install a fan and use a Z Wave 3 speed switch to control the fan speed, and a Z Wave dimmer switch to control the lighting in the fan. The Z Wave component shouldn't matter. I'd like to use a 3 speed switch to control fan speed and a dimmer to control the light in the fan.

In my mind, there are two different types of fans: 1) controlled by a remote (comes with or works with the fan/light combo) and 2) pull strings on fan/light combo.

Questions:

Is it correct to assume that I cannot use a 3 speed wall switch with a fan that comes with its own remote?
Is it correct to assume that I can use a 3 speed wall switch with a fan that has a pull string to change the speed of the fan?

Or better yet, what type of fan can use that will be compatible with the above referenced 3 speed switch?

Get a fan that does not have a built-in remote receiver

Most fans with built-in receivers have the remote receiver rather tightly coupled to the fan, with no instructions for how to remove it and all power to the receiver for both fan and light control supplied by a single hot wire.  Fans with pull-chains, though, do not have this problem -- their fan and light hot wires are brought out separately, allowing use with whatever setup you wish, whether it be a "quiet 3 speed" control or a fully variable control, as well as multi-way setups.


29 volts too much for a 24 volt thermostat? I replaced a digital non-programmable thermostat with a programmable thermostat and the new thermostat keeps the house around 60-62 no matter what temperature I set.  When I contacted the manufacturer, he had us test the voltage and indicated our 29 volts was too much for 24 volt thermostat.  Recommended getting a contractor out to resolve that - easier said than done.  Are there other programmable thermostats that have a more flexible range?  I haven't seen this range on packaging/specifications I'm looking at.  This is for a combiboiler if that makes a difference.

Picture of wiring:
https://imgur.com/a/qd9l4bF

Thermostat: Honeywell RTH2510, Boiler: Vesta VRC

This seems like poor design of the thermostat: most household HVAC "24 VAC" transformers are designed to provide that voltage under load, i.e., while drawing the design current, perhaps one ampere. Open circuit (O.C.) voltage of 29 VAC is normal.

That said, it would be easy to reduce the voltage to 24 VAC. Two 6 VDC zener diodes such as the 1N5340BG (~US$0.50 each) soldered in series, with opposite polarity, would bring the supply down to 23 VAC, giving a 1 volt margin. However, I question the manufacturer's claim that the normal O.C. voltage is causing the issue. and doubt that lowering it by 6 volts would help. More likely, the connections are incorrect or the thermostat is defective.


Will this non Contact voltage detector be adequate for my use case? Read somewhere that if I want to be super safe I should not only cut the breaker, but also use a voltage detector to be 100% sure there really is no current.

Looking on ebay they are real cheap:

It says the voltage sensitivity is 90~1000V AC. Can I use this to test light switch fixtures? Is the voltage sensitivity right for this purpose? They are so cheap I want to be sure the voltage sensitivity range they are rated for is adequate.

A Non Contact Voltage Detector doesn't replace the need for a Voltmeter but it is an item I keep in my pocket as a quick verification of AC Power.  If I cut the power, I'll do a quick test before I go into a wall box to make sure it is cut.  If it indicates power when I don't expect it, I will use the volt meter at time to see what it is.

I do get a number of false reads with the device, so if your life depends on it use a volt meter instead.  Also this is a safety tool, real cheap doesn't really sit well with me.  I'll rather spend $15 dollars at a hardware store for this from a known brand than get an unknown brand/quality.


Is it safe to use an HVAC system even though the duct wrap contains asbestos? In our rental house the furnace ducts are very dirty. We brought an expert to clean it, but he said he just won't do it because the tape around the ducts (in the attic) is probably asbestos.

After notifying the landlord, he got another company to have the material tested. The results came back, confirming that there is indeed asbestos in the tape. However, the test "results" also state that "as the material is on the outside of the ducting/unit, the asbestos material is not being subjected to the furnace air flow, and therefore is not causing a contamination issue, not a reason for concern".

Our concern is with the fact that the guy from the asbestos test company barely took a look at the duct system: he did not look inside the ducts, and did not see an area where the tape starts to crumble (in the attic, outside the duct). All he did was to take sample of the wrap material next to the furnace itself.

The questions are :

How can we know if the system is really safe to use? Is the braking tape a reason for concern?
Isn't the landlord supposed to make sure the heating system is in a usable condition? Currently he says that since the test indicates that this is not a concern, then he won't do anything. Also, he does not want to take care of cleaning it (even tough it hasn't been cleaned in years, possibly decades).
Suppose we do believe the conclusions of the test results. How can we get the system cleaned?

Related question:

Must I remove asbestos from my heating vents?

Edit:

Thanks for all the tips. I don't mind writing the check for a 2nd opinion test, but here's a breakdown of professionals that I spoke with:

HVAC cleaning companies: don't want anything to do with it.
Asbestos companies: don't understand what I'm talking about, and propose to take more samples and test them.
Other HVAC companies: "we don't clean ducts" / "We won't touch anything with asbestos" etc.

Any recommendations on companies that do systematic evaluation of the system (that has asbestos in it)?

If you don't trust the expert brought in by the landlord, then you might want to pay to have your own expert validate your concerns.

As far as to what the landlord does and does not have to do, you'll have to review the lease and laws in your state.  At this point, he has paid for a report of a presumed expert that says the ducts are safe as is; it will be difficult to challenge this without an alternative expert opinion.


How important is soffit ventilation with tiled roofs? While attempting to install a security camera in the soffit of my bungalow home, I noticed that there is wood paneling beneath (above) the soffit. The soffits are aluminum, and it looks as though there are breathable soffit panels every 12' or so. The wood appears to be solid, I assume where the breathable panels are there is a gap in the wood.

EDIT: My brick bungalow is approx. 1100sq/ft, My roof pitch is 8/12. Just before the peak on one side there are 4 roof vents, evenly spaced. In addition, there are gable vents close to the top of the brick at either side of the house.

My roof tiles appear to be in good condition, but I am concerned that I do not have enough ventilation intake. Is it still recommended to have wood above soffits? Am I risking damage to my roofing tiles by leaving this for a couple of years, or is it recommended to deal with this asap (if ventialtion is indeed inadequate)?

Attic Ventilation shall be “cross ventilation “ and shall be 1/150th the area that is to be vented. (See ICC R806 Vents.)

However, there is one exception: The attic ventilation can be reduced to 1/300th the area to be vented provided one of the following items are met:

1) a Class I or II vapor retarder is installed on the “warm-in-winter” side of the ceiling, or

2) not less than 40% and not more than 50% of the ventilation is located in the upper portion of the attic. The upper portion is defined as: “Upper ventilation shall not be lower than 3’ below the ridge or highest point of the roof. “  (See ICC R806.1.2.)

Also, the Code says you’ll maintain a 1” clearance between attic insulation and framing.

So, you can see there is clearly a benefit to having ridge vents, gable vents, etc. , but in a proportion that allows COMPLETE CROSS-VENTILATION to the attic....and cross ventilation is best with soffit vents.

Remember, you’re venting the attic to remove condensation. Condensation damages wood, not your tile roofing. I’d act quickly.


Water pulsing / banging from shower So I recently remodeled my master bath. We put in a new shower head and hand held with separate control handles / valves for each. Our faucets we got was from Design House Karsen collection model number 547612.

When I turned on the shower on either the shower head or hand held the water starts pulsing and you can hear banging.

Somethings I noticed / check

Water only starts pulsing when hot and cold are evenly mixed ( handle is directly in the middle) and stops when I change temperature from this "spot"
If I turn handle to hot and slowly turn back down there is no pulsing.
If I turn on a faucet at the sink before I turn on the shower there is no pulsing or banging.
Water pressure which is from city, is at 80 psi. I was told that the pressure is kinda high but i have no PRV.
I talked to the contractor who put in everything and said that either the valves or cartridges could be faulty so he called Design House and got replacements.

So my question is if the valves and cartridges arent faulty (which I suspect it isnt.) Could it be the water pressure or something totally different??

It sounds like water hammer to me. With just the right flow it can get very loud. There are 2 ways I know of to eliminate this:

Have a section of pipe at the faucet that goes up and is capped. The trapped air creates a cushion which can solve the problem.
Or use a commercial water hammer arrester. These do basically the same thing and are smaller but cost more.


How do I determine where lead paint was used? I just bought a new house. The inspector told me that the entry way paint is cracking because a previous owner painted over lead paint without using the proper primer. How do I find out which walls have lead paint before I move in? I plan on painting all the walls.

They make lead testing kits for this purpose.

You should ensure that you understand the correct process and procedures for painting over lead paint and that you take the proper safety precautions.  The EPA has a website with lots of information on this.


is it permitted to invert the line/neutral polarity on an AC->DC power supply? I'm trying to work through the parts required for an LED strip light project.  I'm considering this power supply as the driver, driving about 20' of 24V LED strip.  I've worked with similar but smaller power supplies in the past that were NOT explicitly labelled with Line / Neutral on the AC input side, but this one is in fact specifically marked with Line and Neutral inputs...

So my possibly stupid question is: is it safe/legal/permitted to wire this to a NEMA 1-15 non-polarized 2-prong cordset?  A non-polarized plug would obviously permit the user to invert (intentionally or not) the polarity of the AC input.

I've also seen and worked with smaller power supplies that use IEC C8 connectors or extensions, which are non-polarized:

I can't seem to find anything explicit in the data sheet for the power supply, but it's also entirely possible that I just don't know what I'm looking for.  I'd easily believe that ALL devices marked with L/N specific inputs must be polarized, or I'd also believe that there's something about these that tells you implicitly that they are safe to invert.

A similar question has already been asked on SE Electronics, and Kellenjb's answer alludes to the fact that unless there was something extremely strange (like a practical joke level strange) happening in your voltage rectifier, there will be no difference between the positive and negative part of the AC circuit.


Do I need junction boxes where conduit containing data cables terminates? I'm going to be running 1" blue PVC conduit from all my low voltage boxes to a structured wiring panel. My wiring panel will chase to the attic where necessary and I was wondering what the best practice/code compliant method was for reducing my 1" conduit runs down to the chase. Will I need a junction box somewhere in the attic? Can I just leave the 1" conduits open ended somewhere near the chase(s)?

I would use boxes or at least caps to prevent insects from using your conduit as an expressway. At worst, you could have water moving down from a leak; at best, you might have cold air moving down.


No ground wire, no box (old or new) trying to install light fixture I just removed an INCREDIBLY old and ugly Hollywood light fixture from my bathroom. The wall now looks like the picture below. I bought a box and a Snap Tite connector. I even got a hold of some grounding screws but then quickly realized (DUH) how am I supposed to ground the actual box? I live in an older home and just wanted to update my lighting fixture. Am I really going to have to call an electrician just to do that?

Please help. I am unsure if I am worrying for nothing or if this is a serious issue.

Thank you all in advance!

You'll need a metal old work box with a BX/AC connector and insulating bushing

Your wiring appears to be BX (old style armored cable).  While the armor on BX is not up to modern standards as a grounding path, it's better than nothing whatsoever, and should be bonded to in any case.  This is done by using an appropriate armored cable connector fitted into a knockout on your new box -- this connector in turn uses a setscrew or spring clamp to retain the cable armor in the connector.

From there, you can ground the light fixture to the box using a grounding pigtail and screw into a 10-32 tapped hole on the back of the box, provided you get the correct box of course.  It will need to be a metal box (no plastic here!) with old work mounting means that attach to the existing interior sheathing materials (instead of being attached to a stud).


Wiring a European range My brother just bought a Fagor range for his kitchen. The range came pre-wired(less the plug) with a red, black and green wire. The range is 240v, 15 amp. The wiring instructions read: red is hot (240v),black is neutral and green ground. Which is how it would be wired in Europe. My question is how do I wire this here in the states? Thanks.

Does the range have 120/240 volt hookup instructions?  They might be inside the access port where the pigtail ("cord") is wired into the range.  The hookup instructions are the authority.

However, lacking any instructions, this is likely to work:

Connect the hot (red) to the U.S. red, the "neutral" (black) to the U.S. black wire.  That provides 240 volts to the heating coils.  Connect the ground to the green.  Leave the U.S. white wire unconnected to anything in the range.

The range does not use 120 volts for anything (timer, appliance outlet), so the white wire is not connected.

There is a slight danger that the appliance manufacturer has somehow assumed that ground and "neutral" are at the same voltage.  (They should not have, but there could be an assumption that ground to neutral is not more than a few volts different.)  If so, connecting the range might blow an internal fuse or the house's panel circuit breaker.  For this reason, do not plug the range into the outlet with the breaker on.  Instead, after plugging it in, turn the range on at the breaker.

I tried to find a user manual, but Fagor's website is trying to be "smart" and routes my U.S.-based IP to something they think would be suitable.  Alas, it persistently picks a Spanish language enterprise-wide "under construction" stub site.

http://www.fagoramerica.com/my_fagor/user_manuals still might be useful.  Have a look with the specific model number.


Is it a problem if my dryer vent slopes uphill through a crawl space? My dryer is vented through a crawl space and as it exits the space it will run up hill. Is this creating a problem by code or will it collect lint and moisture and clog prematurely?

The International Residential Code (IRC 2009) has no restrictions or requirements for clothes-dryer exhaust ducts to have any pitch, either up or down, although they are also required to conform to the "dryer manufacturer's installation instructions".


Ground wire in the house but not in the fixture? I have been reading some posts here and am still unclear.  I have an old fixture that I want to install.  The fixture does not have a ground wire.  Just white and black.  My ceiling wires have a ground as well as one white and one black.

Do I simply attach the bare copper to the ceiling box with a screw?  I have tested to see if the ground wire is properly grounded by putting my tester on the bare copper and the black.

Many light fixtures are not grounded. If once installed there is no exposed metal even a brand new UL listed fixture may not have a ground. With a metal box the ground wire should be attached to the box by code. Once you connect the fixture to the box it would be grounded if it needed it.


proper way to run conduit on top of siding I'm looking at running a new main line to upgrade my electrical service to 200 AMP and using some 2" metal conduit run horizontally for 12' on a sided house.  What's the proper way to do it?  This will have siding around it on the house

I'm worried mostly about flashing details.  Does the pipe need to be extended away from the wall?  Should I use blocking to hold the screws / pipe away from the wall so the siding can fully go underneath.  What attention should be paid to the screw holes?  Am I overthinking this?  Do the screw holes need to penetrate the siding, or is there a safe way to slide the siding around without causing water problems.

Reading your question and comments I am assuming you are trying to install a service drop to a meter. In that case you would want it to be as short as possible and use GRC. I am not sure if you can read the image or not but if you use 2" GRC you can use that as an unsupported riser for the drop any other conduit you may wind up installing a support bracket. That's what I am trying to show you in the image below.

Remember I said it should be as short as possible. Generally what we try and do is get down to the meter and in this case install a 200A enclosed breaker. Then from there you can run to a main lug only panel and from there you can use any allowable conduit EMT, PVC, etc. Because it is exposed to sunlight over 10' on the exterior you need to factor in derating per NEC Article 310.15 (B)(3)(c). Also Article 310.15 (B)(3)(a) exception will allow you to use Type XHHW-2 insulation on you conductors and you do not have to derate.

Finally in your comment you mentioned an AEP engineer disallowed a run over the garage. Are you sure you have to move the meter? In the state I am in we are allowed to raise the service drop to meet overhead clearances.

These images are from the Oncor book which is our utility company in this state. I don't know which utility you are using or where you are but I am pretty sure they have something similar to this. If it were me I would make sure that the engineer would just allow you to readjust the drop to meet the modern clearances before I would start the project you are proposing.


When I turn on my light switch, there is a delay before the light comes on We have a ceiling fan light.  One swith controls the fan, the other the light.  When I turn on the light switch, there is a noticable delay (like a full second) before the light comes on.  Is it a wiring issue?  I notice no blinking, no other problems, just the delay.

This is one of those problems that you just have to work out systematically, don't be swayed by logic.

If there is only one bulb change it.
Check the wiring at the light and switch - see that the connections are tight.
Change the switch.
Try wiring a test lamp to the fixture.
Call an electrician. You may have serious wiring issues.


Are ungrounded three-way switches dangerous? I have 3-Way Switch 1 and 3-Way Switch 2 going to a light / ceiling fan.  Older house.  I replaced the old switches and the light works when I wire them as below, but I'm worried about the safety:

Switch 1 Box has 6 wires:
Black - HOT
Black -  (Traveler?)
2 White - Pigtailed, not attached to switch
Red - (Traveler?)
Ground - believe was NOT connected on the old switch

Switch 2 Box has 3 wires:
Black - HOT
White - (Traveler)
Red - (Traveler)

How do I know if this is safe?  Neither switch has a ground wire to the ground screw on the switch.

THANKS!

This looks to be wired correctly prior to the current code 2014 with the exception the white wire in the second box should be marked with tape black or red just not green or white. If there are metal boxes and the boxes are grounded things would be fine but you probably have plastic boxes so adding the ground to the switch would be a good idea. You did not mention if there is a ground in the second box there should be. And it should be connected to the switch also. The main difference in your wiring and current code is that the neutral needs to be run to the 2nd box with the ground and other 3. With the grounds added to the switch(s) it would be safe, with the whit leg identified as a Curren carying conductor, this would be up to code prior to 2014. your state may be on an older version of code so depending on that it could still be up to date with the changes.


Can styrofoam be used between plywood to bring up floor height I have a new room built but floor is lower than adjoining hall by 1 1/2 inch.

Can I put rigid foam down over the plywood floor and top with plywood to match heights?

That will work as long as you use the dense form of foam board. The white board typically does not have enough compressive strength, at least to my knowledge. The blue or pink colored versions have enough compressive strength withstand the pressure. I have had 2 different occasions to do this type of install. One install was 4" of blue foam with woven wire mesh and radiant floor heat with 3" of concrete first and 2" of bluestone and setting bed over it. The other was 2" of blue foam over a concrete slab, with a layer of 2'X2' squares of OSB with plastic dimple board as a floating floor over the foam. These where done 10 years ago and still holding up fine, so yours should do well.

For your install, plywood will work fine. Use T&G and screw through the foam and the into original floor to keep the large sheets flat. Every 8" on the edges and 12" in the center. This will also help eliminate the hollow sound and feel the floor will have over the foam.


How to shim a doorknob latch plate I'm replacing all the doorknobs in my new house. The new knobs "latch plates" (not sure what the proper term is) are thinner than the old ones, so they sit a bit too deep in the space that was cut out of the door (see image below). Is there any easy way to shim the plate? This is purely for cosmetic reasons (it functions fine as is). Pre-made hardware would be ideal, and maybe I'm just lacking the right search term.

The shim is not visible, so you could make your own shim out of cardboard -- more than one layer, if needed.


Multitool attachment sets for quick release reciprocating saws I just purchased this cordless reciprocating saw:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089QGR718/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has a quick-release blade holder

for quick-release blades like this

Are there any attachment sets available for this type of tool - along the lines of what we see here for the big names brands?
https://www.amazon.com/Oscillating-Multitool-Universal-Accessories-Milwaukee/dp/B087DYRP56/ref=sr_1_47?dchild=1&keywords=reciprocating+saw+accessory+attachments&qid=1618685207&s=hi&sr=1-47

I am trying to understand what are the different types of chucks/adapters used for reciprocating saws - and if that difference is why there are so few attachments available. I don't need help on "shopping" but on tool/[brand?] categories. Given such a sizeable set of name branders use one approach - is there a name for that 3/4 circle chuck/adapter?

They are completely different types of tool.
The item you bought is a reciprocating saw commonly known as a Sawzall.  It vibrates in/out with great force.  It is designed to use saw blades which have the cutting teeth on the side of the blade.  It uses a semi-standard blade shape which looks like an "L" with a dot.
There's a totally different type of tool called an oscillating saw.  This head vibrates in 4 directions (sort of like "Wax on/wax off" if you are waxing a car).  When it has saw blades, the cutting teeth are on the end of the blade. However it supports a huge variety of other tool heads which can benefit form the oscillating motion. It has a quick-disconnect type that looks like a big asterisk with a side missing, to allow you to position the heads at a variety of angles.
Reciprocating saws are beasts that can cut through 1/2" thick steel with the right blade.  Oscillating saws are much more dainty, intended for finer work, and don't have nearly the same cutting force.  You don't worry about cutting your arm off with an oscillating saw.
The second set of tool heads you linked are for oscillating saws.  They won't work on a reciprocating saw any more than a band-saw blade would work on a chain-saw.

Note that everything you linked is cheap Chinese crud from third-party "eBay tier" sellers on Amazon's little flea market they call "Amazon Marketplace". Expect these tools to very quickly fail, and the tools may be dangerous, since they bypass all consumer-safety laws by selling direct through Amazon.  Unfortunately, Amazon mixes these junk products in with their regular search results with no ability to filter, and you often have to muck through pages of these to find a product actually worth buying.
Since Home Depot and Lowes also have online catalogs, and their stuff does not bypass the safety laws,  and they have "curbside" so I can get it same day, I buy there instead.


How do I clean stains from rice pilaf from my off-white carpet and wall? I spilled rice pilaf on my carpet and I don't know how to clean the stains it left. I picked up most of it, but as you can see, remnants of it still persist. It has now been sitting for about a day. Is there a DIY way to totally remove it?

The method of cleaning will depend on what your carpet is made of.  Synthetic carpet (nylon)  -   and wool or wool blend carpet generally require different chemicals.  Wool responds well to slightly acidic condition based cleaners - a home made one being - approx 300mls (1 and a bit cups) of warm water, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 drop of dish washing detergent.  mix well and dab on stain. Treating stain whilst still damp gives better chance of removal than when stain has dried out. Apply on a small patch of inconspicuos area first.  Dab dry with a towel.I worked as a wool technologist for 20 years and this was the most useful general method we used.


Wait until summer to seal? I have zero home improvement/DIY experience. I got someone recently to carry out an unrelated repair on my porch, and he offered additionally to apply  sealant to the exterior porch window frames, as some patches were exposed to rain as the sealant seemed to have pealed.

He scraped off what was there and said he would apply mastic, and it looked fine at first. However it didn't dry and after a few days had bunched up (as below). (I asked him to come back but have given up there). I assume he used a product intended for indoor use as the vertical sections look ok but the horizontal sections look like this (i.e. similar to how it was before):

Should I scrape off what he applied and put on some caulk? It being December and me being in London, it's been raining, so I assume I'd be locking in some moisture.

Or better to wait? It would have been rained on a fair bit more by then, but perhaps after a dry spell in the summer when the wood's hopefully had time to dry out a little?

(Perhaps I should remove the top few millimetres of wood but don't have the confidence to do that especially as the pane of glass is a kind no longer supplied.)

It would be best to wait for a couple of dry, sunny days before applying exterior sealant, but if you fear that rain will enter through the window edges it may be necessary to execute an emergency repair. If you have a 2-3 hour window of no rain in the forecast start the repair by removing only the sealant on the window edges that show the easiest routes into the house (lower horizontal edges?). The sealer will remove easier if you slice both edges with a razor knife. Coax the sealer off with a putty knife. Once removed apply (in order of best at sealing): 1) 100% silicone caulking, 2) window putty or glazing and 3) latex caulking. Use a caulk gun for all 3 suggestions. 100% silicone is hard to shape but seals the best. #2 and #3 are the easiest to work with; they seal sufficiently, but need at least 4-6 hours to become rain repellent (a hair dryer will shorten dry time).


Options for correcting improper deck beam to post attachments We purchased a house with a large deck where the post to beam connections look exactly like the prohibited configuration shown here:

The 6 x 6 posts are all attached to concrete footings using the typical Simpson style post base connectors.  I am looking for options on how to correct the problem.  I have considered simply bolting or nailing a 2 x 6 to the side of each post under each beam but I am hoping there is a simpler, less kludgy solution.

If the deck is 2' off the ground or less, I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. Otherwise, if they are already existing the easiest way would be to use hardware designed for this kind of connection.

However!

Keep in mind that a beam that consists of two 2-bys means the two 2-bys are sandwiched together and nailed together so they share their loads and reduce twisting, deflection, etc...

This means that your beam might not actually be properly size either, which is not a problem a bracket can fix for you. You might need a bracket AND more 2-bys. That or just redo it properly instead of trying to fix it.


Cutting depth of a Jig Saw I'm looking at getting a hand held Jig Saw like the Bosch 150 CE because it has the longest cutting depth 15cm(6"). I'm wanting to do some end notching on 150mm x 150mm lumber.

For example:

What I'd like to know though is what happens when you attempt to cut through a larger piece then the blade is specified for, e.g. 200mm? Must the blade be able to extend past the other side of the material, or can you do a cut only part way into it? So if I wanted to notch a 200mm piece, could I do a 150mm cut, then flip the wood over and cut the remaining 50mm?

For example:

I asked several sellers at stores why all the Jig Saws they have only have it specified that they can cut to 150mm max, yet they sell blades for 200mm. Nobody could tell me why.

If this isn't how you would tackle a notch on pieces bigger than 150mm, could you point me in the direction of how you would do it? At the moment I'm using a hack saw and chisels and it takes too long considering how many I have to do.

Hand-held jigsaws are not the right tool for cutting large notches in a 6x6 post. Yes, the blade must extend past the wood - they only cut on the front of the blade, not the bottom. And the blade will drift quite a bit going through 6 inches of lumber. Jigsaws are meant for fine detail work, not large straight cuts.

However, a close cousin is the reciprocating saw like the Bosch RS35. Larger motor, much heavier blades. You still have the problem of squaring off the bottom of the notch, but if you use a large auger bit to make a series of holes you will be able to remove the bulk with one good hammer hit and then use a thinner blade or a chisel to flatten out the bottom.

If you have a large number and want to mass-produce the notches I would rent a 12 to 16 inch circular saw, line up all the posts, bind them together, and make a jig to hold the saw in position on the ends. Cut, move blade down a bit, repeat.


How can I fix flickering and continuous-clicking with a UPS on an inverter-supplied circuit? My whole house has been backed up by an inverter for a few months now. My computer is still connected to a UPS so that it gets clean power - I don't trust the inverter alone to provide ultra-stable voltage.

Now whenever the computer is turned on during a power outage (and when the inverter is running), the UPS starts to "flicker" or click like mad. By flickering, what I mean is that it appears to switch several times a second between battery source and AC, making a clicking sound, anywhere between 1 to 4-5Hz, sometimes more, as if the relay is constantly switching several times a second.

Now the inverter handles all the load I try to throw at it otherwise. Having every light and fan on in the house doesn't challenge the inverter. So it's not an issue of the inverter's power capacity.

But when the UPS turns on, and it starts flickering/clicking, it also makes all the lights flicker. So I guessed (this was a pure guess, not an educated one) that perhaps this flicker was the result of a frequency mismatch between AC (as provided by the inverter) and the UPS. Perhaps I was seeing the 'beat' frequency of these two signals.

To test this - I mean if the devices were that fickle - I figured changing the impedance load of the overall circuit might affect the frequency relationship. And it did!

Turning on just the right number of lights/fans would eliminate (what I believe to be) the frequency mismatch and the UPS would keep working fine.

However this solution has proven to be fickle as well - perhaps the inverter is too wild in its frequency deviations and the impedance correction is not enough sometimes.

So here is the final question.

Is there anything I can tweak in the UPS in order to better handle this frequency mismatch?

P.S:

Am I right in the first place? Is this a frequency problem? If not, please explain. I do have a bit of theoretical knowledge of how electrical circuits/transformers etc should work, so please don't hold back in your analysis.
Even if the inverter with its (alleged) frequency fluctuations is the root of the problem, replacing it is not an option (cost). Hence the question.
Once I understand the problem theoretically, I should be able to bully an electrician into getting the necessary done to the UPS.
I'm not a hardware hacker, so unfortunately I don't have a multimeter at home or see myself getting one in the next few days. I might if absolutely needed. So, sorry, I can't help with actual (experimentally measured) facts and figures on the frequency, voltage etc in the short term.
Both the UPS and inverter are supposed to work at 220V/50Hz (India). If the amperage of both matters I can find out and post back. Note: As I have mentioned I don't think it's a case of the UPS somehow overloading the inverter, as I have thrown all other appliances (About 5 fluorescent lights, 4 ceiling fans, 4-5 old-fashioned 60W-ish bulbs) on at the same time, and it has stood quite well.
The UPS brand is not an issue since I've tried multiple (reputed ones such as APC, local brands, etc) and they've all had issues in one form or another. So simply replacing the UPS won't suffice.
Considering (1) and (4) and the absence of facts/figures is there another SE that's a better fit for this? I do need a practical solution eventually though (even if it means a delay if I HAVE to measure the frequency/voltages to be sure), so this still feels like the right place. But I'll leave it to the mods.

What type of inverter is it? If it's a MSW (modified square wave) it's very unlikely that any UPS is going to be happy eating what it provides, since UPSes (even ones that generate MSW themselves) expect a real sine wave (or True Sine Wave - TSW) on the input side.

On the other and more relevant hand, you really don't need any sort of purity to feed most modern computers, many of which (check yours) are happy to take 100-250V at 50-60 Hz, (and don't care about TSW or MSW) since their own power supply is just converting that to DC with a switching converter. Only older linear-type power supplies are all that fussy about voltage and frequency. So viewing the  inverter as a huge UPS is probably a valid approach, and removes a complication. I would suggest a good surge supressor power strip for the computer.

If you really need (for some reason) the cost (initally and in replacing overpriced batteries) and hassle of a separate UPS, or equivalent, consider using an adequately sized "high quality inverter" that runs on batteries all the time, and a battery charger that can handle whatever your whole-house inverter throws at it to maintain charge on that battery all the time - essentially your own "dual-conversion" UPS (most actual Dual-conversion UPSes would have the same complaints about a low-quality inverter input as a normal UPS does.)

The other obvious solution is to plug the UPS directly into the Mains supply, so that the UPS works off its batteries when the Mains go out, and the inverter works from the inverter's batteries (or whatever powers it) separately.

If it is a MSW inverter, the likely reason you can make the UPS happy with other loads is that the other loads (particularly ones with inductance and capacitance) will tend to take the "sharp edges" off the waveform and make it better approximate a sine-wave.


Is paint enough or do I need to shellac? The paint from my ceiling has fallen off due to humidity/no extractor fan being used.  The exposed white rings are not leaks etc but salt so I’ve been told by a plumber who inspected it.
The smell of plaster is coming off the ceiling.
Im a sensitive person so want to seal the plaster smell in or reduce it to negligable levels etc.

Will any water based paint seal the plaster smell in sufficiently or will I need to use shellac?

If I were to use shellac how long does it typically take for the shellac smell to go?

Is it neccesary to paint over shellac or can you just leave it as it is without painting?

Were one to paint over the shellac, how long do you let shellac dry for before you paint?

Thanks

You need to find the source of the humidity and correct that first before applying and paint shellac or varnish. When you fix the problem you should remove as much of the old paint coating as possible, then paint the surface with a shellac product like BIN Primer before painting. If you do not fix the humidity or the moisture problem from above nothing I know of will stick to that surface.


vinyl 1/2in tubing for supply to faucet Running vinyl tubing from a foot pump to a faucet.  I have the standard compression supply hose that came with the faucet.  What's the easiest way to marry the 2?  I want to attach that supply hose to the vinyl tubing. a male compression to 1/2in barbed fitting?  does such a thing exist?  I tried a regular compression adapter for size alone but it leaks I'm guessing because I need the barbs for the vinyl instead of the threads with a clamp.

I suppose you might be able to find one fitting do this connection, but it's going to be much easier to use two that are very common at home stores.  First, you will need a 3/8" compression to 1/4" MIP (male pipe thread) adapter and then a 1/4" FIP (female pipe) to 1/4" barb (or whatever size you need) adapter.

These two adapters will connect with the common pipe threads (with teflon tape) and provide the barb you need on one side, and the compression fitting needed for the faucet.

Barb fitting

Compression fitting


can i use a mortar shower pan before its tiled can i take showers in a mortar shower pan, before it is tiled?

I am trying to redo 2 bathrooms at once.  Is it possible to take a showers in one when it is only half complete, and for how long is this OK?

You could use the shower if your drain is flush with the pan and sealed. You would not want standing soapy water left after showering. If I did this I would etch the pan with a weak Muriatic acid and water solution prior to putting the tile in to remove the soap residue.


Replaced 4-way electrical switch with new one with ground. Will it work without the ground? I noticed that one of the three switches used to control our kitchen lights was acting funny. By funny, I mean that when I flipped that switch to turn the lights on there was a delay of about 1 second. Looking through forums the most likely candidate was a bad switch. The other two switches work correctly. Went to Home Depot and picked up a Leviton 4 way switch, samve amperage and voltage (15A 120V) as my original. The only difference was the new switch had a grounding screw, whereas the old one did not. I did not have an obvious grounding wire in the box, so I decided to hook up the new switch without it (I understand this is not the best long term solution). I hooked up the 4 wires in the same position on the new switch as on the old one. Turned the power back on and none of the switches worked. Checked to ensure the screws were tight and there was a good connection.  Went back to the old switch, it worked fine (the delay is gone too, for now).  My question is, is it most likely the new switch is bad, or that there is some sort of "failsafe" in newer switches that won't let them work if the ground screw is not connected--from looking at the switch, this doesn't really seem likely, but thought I would ask.
Thank you.
Thank you for looking at this.
I did not see any installation instructions when I first took it out of the package. I didn't think I needed them--I thought how hard could it be to detach 4 wires and attach them in the same place. Then, after reading your response I doublechecked and found they were written, in VERY small print, on the inside of the box. From the tiny diagram they supplied, along with your information that they may not be positional, I was able to hook it up and it works.
The old switch had the wires from each of the other two switches on one side or the other.  This switch wants them on top or bottom.
Thank you again for your help.
Robert

I hooked up the 4 wires in the same position

That's your problem right there.  Common blunder with 3/4 way switches.
Manufacturers completely randomize screw positions on the switches.  Every switch is different.  You cannot rely on positions at all.
You must use screw colors.
Fortunately, this is not too bad to clean up: simply group your 4 wires by the cables they come in on, so you have cable 1/wire 1-2...... and cable 2/wire 1-2.
Now, on cable 1, put its 2 wires on the black screws.
On cable 2, put its 2 wires on the brass screws.
And you're done.
On your switch grounding, if the junction box is metal, your work is done.  Switches ground though the 2 mounting screws.   Otherwise if you see ground wires in the back of the box, you can pigtail a ground wire off of them and bring it to the switch.  Note that adding a pigtail can entail a number of supplies and tools you don't necessarily have!
Lastly, a 1-second delay in a light starting cannot be caused by any plain switch.  Unless your existing switch(es) have some sort of smart-switch/dimmer feature, it ain't them.
A 1-second delay is typical of certain fluorescent and LED lights, however.   In the case of fluorescents, it is the tube being pre-heated for a soft start that extends the life of the tube (which is VERY long).  In LED, there's really no reason for it.


How do I attach a drywall corner bead to a wood door jamb? I am installing a door into a wall and I do not want to have casing on the door. I want to install corner bead directly to the door jamb to create a "hidden door". It seems that typical corner bead is too small.

It seems to me that there are two possibilities here. If the opening in the wall is just a pass through without an actual door itself then you would band the opening with drywall material and then put normal metal corner edging around the outside corners of the drywall.

On the other hand if there is a door jamb in use with an actual door then the width of the jamb wants to be equal to the stud width and then the drywall is installed out over the edge of the door jamb and finished off with an end cap type metal edging.


Samsung Refrigerator not cooling (both freezer and fridge sides) We have a Samsung RSG257 refrigerator.  Over the weekend we noticed that food in the freezer was melting and the fridge side didn't feel cold.  We ran all the self diagnostic options and it didn't report any issues.  We did verify that it was not in demo mode.

After taking things apart, this is what I have found:

The condenser fan is running
The compressor seems to be running.  It is vibrating and heats up.
The evaporator coils are not cold at all.
The evaporator fans don't seem to be running.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting the issue from here?  From what I have read it seems a lack of refrigerant could be the issue, is there any way to verify that?  Or ensure it is not an issue with defrost mode?

Start with manually defrosting the unit. Remove all food and place into another unit. Unplug the unit and allow it to defrost, with the doors open, for at least 24 hours. Make sure it is completely defrosted by feeling it and looking for any leaks of water. Once it is defrosted, plug it back in and monitor it for a few hours. Check for it to start, blow cool air, and chill inside. It could be that the defrost timer, thermostat, or heater have failed. This test will help to determine if it is potentially one of these things.

If it doesn't cool, see if you can manually move the timer. If so, will it now cycle? The timer is bad if you can manually cycle the unit, but it won't automatically cycle.

Condenser coil frozen, could be either defrost heater, thermostat, or timer.

If timer is ok and cycles properly, then see if it cools. If so, then you could have a thermostat issue that is not cycling the defrost heater. If the heater is not coming on, but the thermostat is good, then the heater is bad.

So see, it could be a number of things. But first, you gotta figure out if you can manually induce a defrost cycle.


Widening my driveway I removed some trees and now widening my driveway as illustrated in the image below. Not sure how to proceed because I'm stuck on the following questions:

What type of driveway is it?  Dirt?  Crushed blacktop?  One thing I'm pretty sure of is that there must be a layer of crushed stone or gravel underneath because my driveway has been quite stable.
If I widen the driveway, do I have to change the crowning from the solid blue line to the dashed blue line or can the high point remain where it is?
Can what I'm trying to do be accomplished by adding material (i.e. 3/4" crushed stone + something finer - if so, what?) on the right. What I'm trying to avoid is a major digging project which achieving a consistent look across the width of the driveway.

It looks from the photo like this is a crushed gravel drive that hasn't been "refreshed" in a few years.  I have a similar drive and I have "eights with dust" or #8 gravel delivered.  You can ask the materials company what they recommend but around here (Central Indiana USA) most gravel drives use this.
Crowning is not as important on a drive as it is on a public roadway but you may want to adjust the overall crown for the new width to help with drainage.
You also need to consider the base for the new section.  Eights are used as a top layer.  It's common to use "threes" or #3 crushed gravel for the base.  I'd apply the #3 on the new section and let it settle and be driven on for a few weeks.  Then apply a top layer of #8.


Can you splice a #10 bare copper ground with a irreversible crmp? Can you extend a #10 bare copper ground with a irreversible crimp? and could you run it through 1" PVC conduit? What codes will back up either way. I know you cant have a splice in a location that you can not access but what if its a irreversible crimp?

You can make that splice in any junction box.  You will need to leave the usual amount of spare wire that any junction box splice requires, e.g. 6" beyond the end of conduit and 3" beyond the wall surface.

You cannot make the splice then pull it into conduit to reside in the pipe between junction boxes, unless you are using a splice method specifically UL-listed for that purpose; I expect none exist.

  NEC 300.15 Boxes, Conduit Bodies or Fittings - Where Required. Fittings and connectors shall be used only with the specific wiring methods for which they are designed and listed.
  Where the wiring method is conduit, tubing, Type AC cable, Type MC cable, Type MI cable, nonmetallic-sheathed cable, or other cables, a box or conduit body shall be installed at each conductor splice point, outlet point, switch point, junction point, termination point, or pull point, unless otherwise permitted in 300.15(A) through (L).


Flatness requirements for bamboo laminate flooring I'm installing Lumber Liquidators' Morningstar XD bamboo laminate flooring in my basement. According to their tech support, they have the following flatness requirements for the underlayment:

  (1) no more than 1/8" over 6', and (2) no more than 3/16" over 10'.

A contractor friend thought that sounded excessively stringent. And to meet those requirements I'd need to smooth out the existing concrete floor, so I want to be sure.

Are those tolerances overkill?

It's really hard to provide objective advice. There are many factors, and the shape of the irregularities is critical.

Is it a gentle curve or a hard angle?
Does it curve in several directions?
Is there more than one such issue?
Do you have multiple underlayment options, whereby an upgrade could help mitigate the concerns?

It would take a booklet to lay it all out. I'd stick with mfr specs + maybe 25%.


What should I use to fill drilled concrete holes that are not used anymore? Just wanted to do some home repairs and found lots of old drilled holes.

I've used putty to cover them up but it occurred to me that there would be air gaps for the holes as the putty cover over them only.

I went searching around online and there has been no definite answer.

I've saw selleys no more gap and was wondering if it was a good choice to push this sealant into the concrete or perhaps those adhesives sold in a caulking gun would be a good choice.

I am afraid that next time i'll re-drill the holes at the same place and it would crumble.

I've saw this question but from where I am, they do not sell them.

Hydraulic cement would be a reasonable choice for patching small holes in concrete - since that's what it's made for. Be sure to wet the hole first, then pack in the cement and level it off.


How to offset this shower drain I'm installing a new acrylic shower pan and the drain pipe is off an inch from where the new pan needs it to be. I don't have a ton of room to make adjustments here. I want to use a mechanical seal drain instead of a solvent weld drain so that there's not as much stress for this DIYer to set the pan perfectly on the first try. So that rules out an offset drain. Are there any fittings I could use to create the inch offset I need here?
I thought about two 22.5 degree elbows, but that takes up too much height. My only other thought would be to replace the trap to adjust the angle, but off to the right (in the pic) are a lot of other fittings that all tie into the main, and it seems like that would be a way more complicated route.
The drain pipe is 2".

I could find no fittings to do what I needed to. I ended up cutting the entire assembly off at the main and rebuilding it from scratch to gain the inch I needed.


Multiple 3 Way Switch wiring I have a box that has 2  3-way switches.  One goes to control the basement lights.  The other one controls a light outside the basement.  There is also a 3-way switch outside the basement that controls that light.  The switch for the basement lights works fine, but the other 2 switches no matter what configuration I have tried I can't even get the light outside the basement to light. I have a diagram below.  The dots next to the switches is what I believe is the correct setup, but it does nothing.  Here is the weird thing.  If I take a wire from the red connection on Switch A to the red connection on Switch B then I can turn the light on and off from switch B.  I know that isn't right because then the lights to the basement don't work correctly from other switches for the basement lights.  Switch B & C never worked correctly, at one point if you switched it on from C you had to turn it off from C.  Any help is appreciated.

Whomever did this fundamentally misunderstood how three-way switches work. A three-way switch changes which wire (in your case the white/brass screws) is connected to the black screw. One of the two brass screws will always be hot. We call the wires connected to them traveler wires.

There's no easy fix with the existing wires here because they tried to make one cable do the work of two. I put in a three-way last year and my setup is

Line (hot and neutral)
Load (2-line cable going to my fixture)
3-line cable running between the switches (two travelers and the switched hot)

That's all going into what is your B switch. In other words that's three cables where you have two. The good news is the 3-line cable can still be used. The bad news is you really need a 2-line cable run between B and your fixture. I suspect they tried (and failed) to use the unused white wire to do that. The problem is that you can't run a multi-way without two travelers.
Per the images you've added here's how I would fix this

Go buy some equivalent gauge metal-clad (MC) cable. I can't tell if that's 12 or 14 from the jacket so use a wire stripper to confirm size. You'll need two cable clamps as well. I think both boxes are a combo 1/2" and 3/4" but measure a knockout to be sure (1/2" clamps are sometimes confusingly labeled as 3/8"). It's also a good ideal to buy some cable clamps to secure it to the wall
You need to bond your metal boxes. Buy some ground screws (they're green) and add some wire between the box and your ground nut. Some places have ground pigtails if you don't have enough spare ground wire.
Run your MC cable between the B box and the middle box. You do not need to remove any existing cable. Knock out a hole in each box and clamp the cable
Inside the box, disconnect everything except the ground (hopefully you bonded in step 2)
In the B box add your MC black wire to that black wire nut for the other switch. Add the MC white to the white nut.
B will now hook to the 3-line black screw, and the 3-line white and red go to the brass(white) screws (order does not matter). Hook the ground wire up as well. B is now done
Rewire C to swap the black and white (this helps the sanity of wiring). Black is now on your black screw.
In your box hook the B and C 3-lines up as such: C-black to MC black, C-red to B-red and C-white to B-white. I would mark the 3-line whites with a black sharpie so you know it's a traveler and not a neutral.
The 2-line is your load to the fixture. The white from this goes to your MC white (neutral), and the black connects to the B-black (switched hot)

When this is all done what you're doing is piping your hot to C, creating two proper travelers back to B, and hooking the fixture to the switched hot from B.


Do I need to sand my new fence before staining? We are replacing our current fence with a cedar fence, and I wanted to know if I should sand the fence before staining it. The wood is from a cedar company and it is really rough. It's also easy to get a splinter if anyone runs their fingers/hands along the wood.

If it is optional, then what are the advantages/disadvantages?

Will the stain look nicer if the fence is sanded down a little bit?

If you were hoping for a smooth finish, buying rough lumber was probably not the way to go.  Nobody would try to sand a fence - if nothing else, because of the time required.  Boards like that get run through a planer to take off the roughness in a few seconds - sanding would take far longer.  I suspect you'd throw in the towel at about board #2, even using a belt sander.

Cedar is soft and porous, and will absorb stain just fine either rough or smooth.  As far as application goes, either way should work.  You'll have to repeat the process every few years anyway if you want to maintain the look and protect the wood.  Personally, I'd stick with what you've got, make sure the boards are dry and clean, and rent or buy a good sprayer.


How do I replace a worn isolation valve which is partially recessed into a tiled wall? The outer screw on an isolation valve in our bathroom has been worn away:

We believe it needs to be replaced. The valve itself is partially recessed into the bathroom's tiled wall:

We have a few questions:

Is there a way to use the isolation valve effectively in its current state (i.e. without having to replace it)?
If we do need to replace it, is there a way to do it without causing damaging to the surrounding tiles? (I believe I have the skill to replace the valve itself, but probably not to deal with the related tile work.)
Approximately how much should we expect to pay a professional for the replacement / clean-up job (UK)?

It looks to me like the valve stem and handle were cut off!!

The valve will need replacement.

Access for replacement will require removing at least one tile.

Cost estimates are something you will get from bids in your locale.


Thinking of switching to a salt water pool I’m getting conflicting opinions from a couple local pool service providers on the benefits of going to a saltwater pool.

I’m hearing it’s maintenance free compared to regular chlorine.
Then I hear it’s not maintenance free because you have additional chemical levels to watch.

The worst part is the anti-salt folks mentioned the pool can turn green even if the chemicals are in balance.
I have a 36k gallon pool with a heater, Hayward 2 speed pump and a big de filter.

Any advice if I should switch to salt?

No it is not maintenance free.  A salt water pool is still a chlorinated pool but due to the salt levels it uses less chlorine.   I have had both pool types.   To sum it up the chlorine pool does require more daily maintenance as the chlorine levels have to be high but not too high.   Everything else though is easy on a chlorine pool.

The salt water pool only needs to be checked a couple times a week and usually serviced weekly.   It has higher start up costs and you have to watch for corrosion due to the salt.   I preferred the salt water pool but it wasn't a huge difference.

(Most pool places will try to sell you a saltwater pool as it makes them more money - unless they think you will buy chlorine through them.   In my opinion salt water is probably cheaper in long run if your pool is in an open yard.  If my pool is near trees I would go chlorine as the salt water pools do not handle the extra bugs/leaves/stuff as well as the higher chlorinated pools.)


How can I mount a window fan in a very tall slider? I am looking for a way to mount a window fan like this one in my apartment.  The only windows my unit has measure 70" x 58" (H x W) with 29" wide slider panel which opens horizontally.  This is too tall to mount most window fans as the extenders don't usually stretch past 3-4'.

Window fans and window air conditioners seem to be almost universally designed to work with single-hung or double-hung windows -- that is, windows in which a sliding sash moves up and down rather than sideways. Installing one of these in a horizontal window will be a fight from the moment you open the box.
The first thing is to prevent the sash sliding sideways (opening) any further than needed to accommodate the fan. The same techniques that prevent a burglar forcing entry by sliding the window work here: a wood dowel in the sliding track, a clamp to the window frame, etc.
Assuming the fan rests at the bottom of the opening, the second thing is to block the space above the fan. Depending on your requirements for security, aesthetics, air sealing, and weather resistance you might choose acrylic or polycarbonate sheet, plywood, or even cardboard. A foam gasket around the sheet can improve the weather seal. Whatever the material it'll need to be trimmed to fit. Shims or a narrow block of wood on the fixed side and top of the frame can help to hold the sheet in place. The side that interfaces with the window sash is difficult: a person could make or find some kind of U- or H-profile channel that fits nicely around the edge of the sash, but it might just be too much trouble.


Please help! Exterior Sliding Door Leak on Interior Slab - No visible threshold - 1980 construction I have a townhouse built on a concrete slab. Laminate flooring was installed 5 years ago, and has buckled severely at the patio door.

I suspected water intrusion, cut back the laminate, and saw:

The original concrete slab stopped about 10 inches from the interior wall face.
A styrofoam surround (about 1" thick, maybe an expansion joint?) between the concrete slab and a framing member run parallel to the wall / door.
An uneven (rough) concrete surface outwards from the framing member, onto which is mounted the exterior patio door.
From the finished interior slab to the adjacent framing and rough concrete is a drop about 1/4". (Appears the interior slab has lifted about 1/4" from the original build).

It seems the laminate flooring installers 5 years ago noticed these surfaces and tried to bridge the gap with some sort of filler that simply expanded (had a hollow air bubble underneath) with moisture.

I'd like to repair this situation ASAP as I am intending on moving in shortly, but would benefit from expert advice.

Does anyone have any guidance on this?

Thank you sincerely,

Andrew

Often contractors will use styrofoam as a “blockout” for something to be installed later and they are not sure of the exact size of it.

That is to say, the contractor could have installed the styrofoam 10” wide so the sliding door frame and threshold could be installed 1/4” below the top of the finish floor slab. (They even sloped it so any infiltration from moisture would drain outside.)

If the threshold is installed 1/4” below the finish floor level, then when it leaks under the threshold, water won’t run into the room. It will be stopped by the lip of the concrete slab. (Unfortunately the recess extends too far into the room.)

To me, it looks like the sliding door is damaged (missing part of a threshold) and the entire unit needs to be replaced. When you replace it, you can set it in a bed of sealant and a flashing “pan” to keep it from leaking.


How can I totally smooth a wall surface without replastering? I have taken the wall paper off of a wall, to find there are several layers of paint under it. I have sanded till it's as smooth as I can get it, but there are still patches not even 1 mm deep that look like little indentations. I have bought polyfilla smooth over, but when putting this on, layers of the previous paint are coming off. The peeled paint is getting stuck to the roller, and then making the rest of the surface have lines across it. Should I sand more and risk damaging the plaster? Any help would be appreciated as I am a total novice.

You could use a fine surface filler to fill the small imperfections and sand that smooth.

Alternatively, if the old paint is loose enough to pull off on the roller, you should probably scrape it off before painting anyway.

Finally, if there is too much surface imperfection, you could paper the wall with lining paper and paint over that.


Green and red wire connected together on terminal I am installing a smart thermostat but I found the old thermostat has the green and red wires both running to the g terminal. When installing the new thermostat I will be removing the jumper wire between RC & RH. I do not have a heat pump ac unit only I live in south FL.

If you look very closely you'll see the red wire is on R and the green wire is on G. It just looks like the red and green are tied together on G.


How to fix broken brick staircase? Short form question: Replacing bricks of a brick stair-case (leading to house), what kind of concrete to use?

Full story:
The staircase leading to my house (from outside) had some broken bricks.  The biggest issue was the rail - as the bricks to which it is fitted came loose, the rail was no longer stable.
Since than, I used chizzle+hammer to remove the broken bricks and concrete that was holding them.  Most of the staircase is intact - but about 20 bricks from various sections of the stair-case were removed.

My next step, I think, is to buy some new bricks and concrete.  Home-Depot or Lowes are the two stores I normally would get these in.

My question is: What kind of concrete should I get?  There seem to be different types, my prime concern is that it holds well.  A long time ago I replaced one brick in same stairs, and this time I took it out, as the concrete didn't seem to hold. (It is very possible I messed up installation)

I'd like to do this myself due to budgeting issues, and I do not have any tools that a construction person might have.

To clarify, this staircase is entirely brick, correct? If so, you absolutely don't want to use concrete. Concrete is harder than the brick and will eventually damage the bricks.

You want to use mortar. If it's an older staircase, it's likely sanded mortar (mortar + sand).


Can I split a 3 wire circuit into 2 separate 2 wire circuits? I currently have a 3 wire running from my panel, red is connected to  a 15 amp breaker, black is connected to a separate 15 amp breaker. White is connected to the neutral bus. This is running to a split receptical. I want to install 2 extra outlets. Can I cut the 3 wire, and connect separate 2 wires Black to red and black to black and the connect all neutrals together?

As others have mentioned, this is a shared neutral configuration.  Technically, yes you can do it however I believe the current NEC only permits such circuits in a kitchen. The most common use of this is to have an outlet where both top and bottom plugs are on different circuits.

You are also required to have the circuit breakers tied together so if one trips, both are shut off.  The most important part of this configuration is that the two hot conductors come from different legs of your service so that they are out-of-phase from each other.  The result of this is that they balance out the neutral conductor; if you used hot from the same phase you could double the allowed current over your neutral conductor.


Can you spray paint one color on top of another color of spray paint? I want to spray paint a piece of wood blue, then on top of it, put a stencil of map and spray paint that green.

Will the green successfully cover the blue or will the colors combine and become muddy?

You should be able to do this. The success depends on a few factors as follows:

Make sure that the first color coat is fully dry before applying the second color.
Make sure to try out a test run before committing to your master art project.
Some colors will cover better than others.
Some paints are better than others for color hiding. Paint quality and price play a role here.
Spray painting with stencils can be tricky to get sharp edges so special care and technique need to be developed.
Stencils often get taped onto the first coat of paint. This will demonstrate how well the first coat adhered to the substrate when removing the tape. This means that it is very important to properly prepare the first coat surfaces to ensure maximum adhesion (including primer if applicable).
Keep in mind that the best success with spray paints is to use multiple light coats instead of heavier coats. Done carefully this can eliminate runs and uneven application of paint. This is mentioned because the initial light coats through the stencil may not provide the full color hiding capability of your spray paint.


Soldering or brazing copper pipes At a local workshop we have a portable and old heating device where the heat generator's housing reaches around 180°C during operation. The original external aluminum radiator with a fan attached to it have small dissipation capabilities. The integrated heat protection often trips that sometimes breaks our work waiting it to cool down a bit. We decided to give it a go and attach two old CPU tower-type coolers, each has 4 heat pipes to it.
The idea is to remove their pipes from their bases, straighten the pipes (slowly) and cross them so the fins are in the four directions and in one plane.
The problem is now clear; Which one is better for cross-connecting the pipes, soldering or brazing, Which will hold against the 180°C?
Note: That this will be a pure spare-time project before the better device arrives

CPU heat pipes are filled with low-boiling chemicals, such as water or alcohol. At 180°, likely above the critical temperature of the coolant, there would only be supercritical fluid in the tubes, and the heat pipes would no longer function. Further, they might burst, whether soldered or brazed.
Why not just add an auxiliary fan -- perhaps a squirrel-cage (centrifugal) blower, if there is high back-pressure? These blowers produce high airflow in limited area, and are used for cooling devices dissipating tens of thousands of Watts, such as transmitting valves (AKA "tubes", to the US).


What is a good reference book for cabinetmaking and/or other millwork? I'm interested in making some cabinets and shelving. I have basic carpentry experience but have never tackled a project like this before. I'm looking for a good, illustrated guide to making cabinets and/or other millwork (e.g. shelving) that explains things like joints, hinges, finishing, etc. Any help would be much appreciated!

There are libraries of reference material out there so I'll just give you three that are suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced. When I say "advanced" I don't mean that you are an advanced woodworker, but that you have a desire to get a little deeper into the theory and underlying concepts than someone that's just trying to bang together some cabinets.

Beginner: Building Kitchen Cabinets (Taunton Press)

Taunton Press has released dozens of reference manuals covering everything from traditional joinery to building your own work bench and even one specific to cabinet making. They have great full color pictures and illustrations and cover a pretty solid base of information in clear simple language, but anyone with carpentry experience and a desire to get to the heart of things will feel like their only getting a skim coat.
Intermediate: The Encyclopedia of Furniture Making (Ernest Joyce)

This is the "Codex Gigas" of woodworking. It will teach you everything you want to know about furniture and cabinet making you ever wanted to know (and probably more) but it is entirely focused on techniques, methods, and mathematics in the dry delivery of a scientific text book. Also it was written in 1970 so some of the tools and techniques are less than cutting edge.
Advanced: Anything by James Krenov (specifically The Fine Art of Cabinet Making or The Impractical Cabinet Maker)

James Krenov's books are probably the finest written material on the subject of woodworking (and craftsmanship in general) ever committed to paper. They not only cover a myriad of great techniques and practices, procedures and processes, methods and methodologies, but also delve into the softer side of cabinet and furniture. He discusses design, stock selection, the soul of the work in a way that's approachable even to people that wouldn't consider themselves artistic or creative. And at least for me personally, his words on how to think like a craftsman were nothing short of inspirational.

Now, these are all good reads and worth owning for anyone into woodworking. But honestly the best way to learn a trade is to watch someone doing it. Youtube, surprisingly, has a great wealth of videos with everything from garage jockeys talking about their latest successes and failures to the entire library of This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop. Some of the content is more...accurate.. than others but it's actually a pretty effective learning tool. And if you like the Stack Exchange format, there's a Woodworking Community in the commitment phase as we speak so please consider signing up!!


how to fix: the lock core came out and it's still locked? I captured a photo for The problem, the core came out and the key just rotating 360 degree with no effect.
any help please?

If a prybar won't deflect the top enough to open the drawer, take a hacksaw blade and saw off the locking bolt.


Replacing chandelier I tried to change an old chandelier, but when I removed the ceiling rose all I have is an earth and one large brown cable and a block connector with red, blue and earth each side of connector but not attached to light.

That "large brown" cable likely has 2 conductors inside that coming out of the brown jacket somewhere out of sight and then are connecting to that block.


How should I wire multiple lights controlled by separate switches? I need to wire about 4 light fixtures through a parallel circuit, I wanted to see if I am going about this the best possible way.

Each fixture needs it's own independent switch.

From the panel I am going into the first fixture's switch box, in the first switch box there will be 3 Romex cables; one from the panel, one that goes to the fixture and one that goes to the next switch box.

In the first switch box I splice all the Romex's neutrals, the hot that goes to the fixtures will go on one of the switches contacts, the hot from the panel will be spiced to the hot that goes to the next switch box and I will add a leg from that splice to go on the remaining switch contact.

I was planning on using this method on all switch boxes to the last in the run.

I was wondering if this was the best possible way of doing the wiring and would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions for a more efficient way.

Your method is fine.
If your area has adopted the 2011 version of the National Electrical Code, this method allows you to wire the circuit using 2 wire cable instead of 3 wire cable. A change to the code now requires a grounded "neutral" conductor at all switch locations that control lighting loads.

National Electrical Code 2011
Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use
Article 404 Switches
I. Installation
404.2 Switch Connections.
(C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. Where switches control lighting loads supplied by a grounded general purpose branch circuit, a grounded circuit conductor shall be provided at the switch location.

So if you were to bring the feed to the light outlet first, you'd have to run a 3 wire cable to the switch location. Bringing the feed to the switch first, means there's a grounded "neutral" conductor at the switch, so the code is satisfied.


Wire a 5 wire down draft remote motor / can this be done? I currently have a Thermador downdraft range w/ remote blower on the roof.  The  range has failed.  This blower unit was very expensive and I hate to chuck it.   Am wondering if it can be used elsewhere.  What I would like is to wire it to a 3 speed wall switch.  Can this be done.  I would hire it out but don't want to waste the cost of an electrician if it is not do-able or safe.  The blower has 5 wires. (white-red-blue-black-green)

Yes, it should work. I found this wiring diagram below on Thermador's website. It's for a 4 speed blower, but it's basically the same concept for the electrician except one less wire. Black, red, and blue are the three speeds. White is the neutral. Green is the ground. This diagram might not be relevant to your model or installation and so any information that you still have on the blower would help out the electrician I'm sure. However, it should be as simply as just connecting power to the switch and then have it branch off and wire nutted together with the blower.


How to secure an ikea Kallax shelf unit I’d appreciate some advice on the tools I need to complete a task.

I bought an Ikea Kallax shelving unit (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30275861/) It came with two brackets, with a space for one screw per bracket to attach to the wall.

I need to secure it to a wall. The wall is solid – 99% sure it’s not plaster board. (My terraced house is from the 1930’s.) There is a gap between the wall and the unit because of a skirting board.

I’d like to secure it in as simple and safe a way as possible. Can you recommend the screws, plugs and drill bit I need?
Thank you for your help.

My kids each have the red Kallax shelf system.  They each come with a long L bracket.  These should be installed on the third row up on the outside squares.  If you can't do it there go up to the 4th row.

The long part of the L goes on the wall.  For plaster you will need to use threaded anchors or toggle bolts.  You may have to put in 2 on each L bracket into the wall.  It would be advantageous if at least one of them went into a stud (then just use a wood screw - even a drywall screw).

From there you screw in the short end into you shelf.  I have trim too and shelf actually sits a good 3/4 inch from wall - should not matter.  Also when screwing in the short end of the L bracket try to keep the shelf flat or slightly slightly tilted back.  Really the shelf should "sit" and you are not moving it during install.

Once you screw in bracket IKEA gives you bracket covers.  Throw those on and you are done.  Note that these brackets are not made to hang you shelf on the wall or anything crazy like that.  They are simply so a child can't tip the shelf over on them if climbing it.  I am sure I could go in their rooms and rip these off the walls.


Changing 240 tankless water heater to 120v tank heater The wall is wired with 8/3. and the white was not used, capped in the junction box. The breaker box has two-pole 30 amp breakers. I want to change the wire size in the junction box to feed the 18a 120v heater with 10/2, cap the red in the junction box, using the white/black/ground to the heater. The internal wiring of the heater uses 12ga. Can I leave the breaker box alone? Or do I need to change to 20 amp and blank out the red leg?
The 8/3 in the wall will remain, and I plan to install the heater with 10/2 from the wall to the heater. I understand that 10/2 can use a 30a breaker. I think my question relates more to the breaker box. That would leave me with a two-pole breaker, only one of which us used. 8/3 to the junction box, 10/2 from the junction box to the heater, and 12ga internally in the heater rated 120v/2000w, no amperage specified.

As far as wire size, you're always allowed to use bigger wire than is required.  Stay under 50A and that #8 will be fine.

As far as breakering that 18A heater at 30A, let's look at that.  You must derate a heater by 125% of its nameplate rating. 18A x 125% = 22.5A.  So you need at least a 22.5A breaker.  You can round up.  30A looks okay to me, unless your AHJ insists on you using 25A.

Powering a 120V load off half a 30A breaker is fine.  In fact I recommend using a 2-pole breaker for a 1-pole/30A load, because 2-pole 30A breakers are commonly used, and 1-pole 30A breakers are unlikely to have another use.


Replacing light bulbs with receptacles in garage I'm trying to improve the lighting in my garage. Currently it has several simple bare-bulb lampholders, and I am installing larger hanging LED fixtures that have a cord with a plug.

Initially, I tried using an adapter that screws into the light socket. Unfortunately, this does not make proper contact with the center terminal of the socket, and the plugged-in light fixture did not initially work. I attempted to bend the center terminal out slightly to make better contact. That worked for a while but the light stopped working after just a few minutes. If I wiggled the plug, the light would flicker and I could hear arcing inside the fixture - not good! Reading reviews of several similar adapters, this seems a common problem.

I purchased some Leviton 1228 receptacles which are designed to fit a round electrical box. Unfortunately, when I went to install them, I found that the existing electrical boxes have the screws at a 2.75-inch spacing instead of the more common 3.5-inch spacing. This simply does not fit, and I have not been able to locate any similar receptacles that would fit.

I have considered replacing the fixtures with lampholders with built-in outlets (which do have the spacing). However, I do not want to have an empty socket or install bulbs in these locations. I'd also prefer not to cut the plugs off the end of the light cords and hardwire them into the box.

Are there receptacles that are designed to fit a round box with 2.75 inch screw spacing, or some other good solution to connecting these light fixtures?

What you want is available if you are willing to order parts and put it together. The starting place is a single round outlet such as the Leviton 5258-SS.

Picture Source

Then you need the smaller sized 3.5" cover plate with 2.75" mounting holes. The above outlet mounts into the plate.

Picture Source

See picture sources for possible suppliers. To mount the 5258-SS into the shown cover plate you would need to drill your own holes. The existing device holes in the plate have too large of a dimension.


What happened with my spigot and how to fix it? I went to shut off my hose and this happened. (Fortunately, the water got shut off.) To what degree is this spigot busted and what is the general course of action now?

Edit following comments. After unscrewing the flange, all I was able to do was to pull it out slightly (see below). So I wasn't able to look inside. To add, the wall on the inside of the house is finished. To compound the challenge, there does not appear to be a shut off valve.

From this image:

...it looks like maybe the Bibb washer has come off the end.  Is there a  threaded hole on the shaft?   Or is the end broken?  In which case you'll probably be replacing the whole thing.
Edit:  Image source: https://www.doityourself.com/forum/attachments/plumbing-piping/1386d1340667135-freeze-proof-spigot-soldered-threaded-connection-36947d1312808313-help-stopping-hydrant-squirting-water-out-top-2005-9-12_frost_proof_sillcock_w5.jpg


Which wire is neutral and hot? I have the following wires in a box for a switch. I'm trying to replace the switch with a smart switch but cant figure out which is neutral. I thought it was the white one, but when I unbundle the white white, the light no longer turns on when I toggle the switch.

Also if I measure the voltage between the load and the box and it comes up as 120V, does that mean the missing ground wire isn't a problem?

US wiring.

You've got hot and switched hot on the existing switch. If the box is grounded properly then you will get 120V from hot (or switched hot when it is switched on) to the box. You will also get 120V from hot to neutral when the switch is off. If I understand it correctly (and Harper or one of the other real experts will correct me if I'm wrong), the circuit is actually:

hot -> switch -> switched hot -> light fixture -> neutral

The problem is often, particularly in older installations, that neutral is not present within the box because it is not needed by older switches. But neutral is needed by the light - just often that neutral will bypass the actual box since it wasn't (without a smart switch and prior to current code) required inside the box for any reason.

In your case, if I understand the pictures correctly, multiple black (hot) and white (neutral) wires nutted together. That indicates you have some additional circuits - e.g., outlets or more lights controlled by another switch - that are sharing the hot & neutral with this light switch & fixture. That is perfectly normal, but the result is that the neutral for the light fixture depends on those white wires being together. Removing the wire nut breaks the light circuit, and probably some other outlets or lights elsewhere in your house.

Bottom line: The white wires nutted together should be neutral, and you should be able to add another wire (pigtail) from the smart switch into that bundle/wire nut.

One more thing to be watch for: Hot vs. Switched Hot

In an ordinary single (i.e., one switch, as opposed to 2 switches - which is actually called 3-way) switch, it does not matter in any practical way which wire (hot vs. switched hot) is connected to which screw. However, with a smart switch you must make sure that hot and switched hot are connected according to the switch instructions. Hot is the wire that goes to the wire nutted bundle of blacks. Switched hot is the black wire (it doesn't have to be black, but it is in your particular case) going from the switch out of the box all by itself. If your switch instructions refer instead to line and load, line == hot and load == switched hot.


How do I fix a leaking garden hose connection? I just moved to a new house last week. Today I tried connecting several garden hoses to the both spigots. Each combination of hose and spigots leaked water (more like sprayed) below the connection before the hose (I'm not sure what to call this part).
    I hand tightened each one. I also used a wrench to make sure the connection was tight without over tightening.  I thought that the hoses were old so I bought a new one from Target which comes with a new rubber washer and connected it to both spigots. The same thing happened.

Am I doing something wrong here? Any suggestions? Could the spigots be defective?

If it's leaking there, on a brand new hose with brand-new washer, I'm going to have to bet on the threads on the hose spigot being damaged. That should be evident if you look at them, and may be amenable to fixing with a triangular file.

The hose is not tightened, so the rubber seal is not sealing on the end of the spigot. If it's cross-threaded, or suffering thread damage, it may not be possible to tighten it until it's either put on correctly, or the damage is removed. If it's been cross-threaded with excessive force, the threads will also be damaged.


Bathroom fan runs despite switch is off My fan in the bathroom is constantly running no matter what position I put the switch to.

The switch looks like this:

And there is some other controller that I don't understand what it does (never used it before):

Can someone please tell me, how is it possible that the fan keeps running even if I put the switch in the off position?

Is it probable that it has some internal sensor and that sensor turned it on?

Also, did someone see that "Thermolec" controller before and can point out to me what it does?

This is the model of the thermolec controller:

And this is the fan case (sorry I can't get to the fan right now because my hand is broken. I'll need help):

Thanks in advance for your kind help.

P.S. There was a power outage insident recently. A lightning strike hit the house and there was no electricity for 3 days in the neighberhood because 2 transformers were blown out. That's when the problem started.
It might be a coincidance because a real brutal heat wave has also arrived at the same time and the electrical generator that the State Electrical company has put infront of my windows doesn't help with dissipating heat. lol

The thermolec is a make up air duct heater , the lightning strike may have damaged the control board is the occupency sensor causing the fan to run as long as there is power. I would turn the breaker off pull the controller (switch) and disconnect its power  if the fan stops you know where the problem is the switch. If the fan continues to run with the power restored and the switch disconnected the thermolec duct heater may be controlling it and that would be the next item to remove power from the controller (with the power off). I would guess the occupancy sensor part of the switch failed.