Vertical direction of PVC tee used for vent only If a PVC tee is used to drain, where the flow of fluid is descending, it is obvious it should be positioned (T pedestal slightly pointing) upwards.
But if the piping segment is used only to vent, with air streaming upwards, should the tee be installed upside down so that the pedestal directions matches the ascending flow of air?

If you are using a sanitary tee to go from a horizontal vent pipe into a vertical vent the correct orientation is "upside down" from its normal usage.  The curve of the tee should go from the horizontal direction curving up toward the roof.  Air flows into the vent from outside to replace air pushed downstream by the falling waste, so the vent is oriented to allow smooth airflow from the roof side into the horizontal vent.


it is a good idea to turn on heating at the end of every air conditioning cycle at home for keeping filters clean against molds? The question is:
it is a good idea to turn on heating at the end of every air conditioning cycle at home for keeping filters clean against mold?
Or is there any other way keeping filters clean due to condensation? I think that heating will kill them.

No.

Your filter is before the fan, before the cooler. Condensation occurs far after that.


Can I use a generator with a bonded neutral with my interlock switch? My house has a separate electrical panel w/interlock switch for my generator that was installed by an electrician.  I've used my current generator fine but am looking at a new one. I'm confused by the bonded vs neutral discussion and GFI protection on the generator. I'm pretty sure the one now has GFI protection and I've never had an issue with it tripping. If I'm using the 4 prong twist outlet from the generator can I use a model that has a bonded neutral?

For a GFCI to function properly there cannot be a parallel path on the neutral conductor.  By using a GFCI compliant transfer switch, it disconnects the neutral conductor too thus preventing a parallel path.  It's a great design to incorporate this extra layer of protection for small portable generators.

Now if you're using a permanently installed generator that is hard-wired you have the option to chose whether to switch the neutral or not.  This is technically referred to as separately derived vs non-separately derived and all depends on the particular design setup.

There are advantages to each. One being non-separately derived systems do not require extra ground rods which has a tendency to let lightning back up into the structure damaging electronics.  More ground rods do not equal better protection.  It can actually cause the opposite to happen.

But again, small portable generators that are not designed to be hard-wired are unique in that they can be separately derived and still not require a extra ground rod as they are portable and not permanently installed.


Adding hot water feed to an outdoor spigot I have a regular outdoor spigot fed by a 1/2" copper pipe from the basement through a brick wall. I want to add a hot water feed to it, regulated by a valve to adjust temperature in order to make washing our dog a little bit more comfortable. I'd like to avoid drilling another hole through bricks.
My plan is diagrammed below:
Cold and hot come from the same main feed, with the latter passing through a tank heater.
Is this OK from the engineering point of view to add-mix hot water like this? Should I add  check valves?
To put it another way, do bathroom faucets that mix hot and cold water do something more than just combine two flows together that I cannot emulate with a couple of Ts and a valve?

Rather than trying to tie hot and cold together just add a hot spigot next to your cold spigot and attach a mixer hose like this one

Alternatively you could fit a mechanical mixing valve into the under house plumbing


What could cause excessive condensation drainage from my heat pump? I have a one-year-old heat pump in my attic that is producing substantially more condensate this summer than it did last summer (and last summer was hotter!).

There is a drain pan that is often full of water, and very frequently drains right onto my front porch two stories down.  We didn't have any problems like this at all last summer, or any time this summer until about a month ago.

The floor is dry underneath the heat pump and the drainage line, and it doesn't look like there are any leaks anywhere.

I would have thought a full drain pan would indicate a clogged drainage line, but the symptom that made me notice the problem at all is the excessive drainage from that drainage line, so it looks like that's not the case either.

first, if you have an air conditioner in your attic, then there should be TWO drip pans, and TWO drain lines.

one of the drip pans should be built in to the air handler/coil unit
the second drip pan should be at least as big as the entire air handler and coil unit, and positioned under the air handler to provide coverage for the entire unit
both pans should have INDEPENDENT drain lines
ideally, the second drip pan should have a float sensor unit it to shut off the system BEFORE it overflows.

either drain should be able to completely empty whatever amount of water you have in the pan within seconds. if it can't, then you have a clog somewhere.

also, the large drip pan below the air handler should typically be completely dry. it's there as a backup in case the drain line for the air handler clogs up. if you have any amount of water in there, then you have a problem somewhere else.

so, than being said, do the following:

verify that both the air handler and the external drip pan have independent drains
get a wet/dry shop vac and suck out both drain lines
pour bleach down both drain lines

if you don't have a way to pour bleach down the drain connected to the air handler, make one. a simple way is to cut the existing line at a vertical run, splice in a T, then make an L shaped piece out of some tubing and an elbow. leave the top part unglued so you can remove it. see drawing.

test your newly cleaned drain lines. remember, both drain lines should be able to quickly remove any water you pour in them. if they drain slower than your bathroom sink, you have a clog somewhere.


How do I install roofing material on a roof with a ridge vent? I am helping a friend repair his roof; his roof has a roof vent at the peak of the roof.  I've done a few roofs, but never with a roof vent.  So any help in how you roof with a roof vent?  I assume there's no roof cap underneath, since it vents the attic...  Any tips would be very helpful.

You will need to remove the ridge vent so you can shingle up to the cut opening, and under where the ridge vent attaches.  If you can salvage it great, but otherwise, install a new ridge vent. Do not try to mickey mouse your last row of shingles under it to avoid taking it off. You WILL be sorry the first time it rains.


Wiring a ceiling fan that has two 2-way switches to a universal ceiling fan wall control I want to wire my ceiling fan to a ceiling fan wall control. The problem is that the location where I am putting it is controlled by two 2-way switches. I need to figure out the correct wiring method so I can get the new control to control both the lights and the fan speed.

If I understand correctly, you have a fan control, that controls both the light and fan. For the existing switches you will be eliminating one of them. The new switch should have a wire for the light (red/blue), fan (red/blue), a single line-in (power source), neutral (generally white) and ground (green or similar). You will eliminate 1 line-in (you had 2, 1 per switch) as you now only need 1 for the new switch. If they are pig-tailed it makes it easy to remove 1. The switch itself should also have the wiring diagram as well which will help. What I just gave is a general. Hopefully it'll help get you going in the direction needed.


Soffits are dripping brownish water I have a new home and noticed brownish water dripping from the soffits. They overhang 16". The house has a metal roof with ice and water shield and insulated with spray foam insulation. I was told that soffit vents were not necessary with this type of insulation.

Soffit vents are always better than no vents.  THere's a volume of air in your attic between the attic floor & the roof.  You don't make it clear where the foamed insulation is.  If it's on the inside of the roof it may keep the attic temp a bit more stable but is otherwise a waste of money.

If you don't have a ridge-vent or other roof vents (or large gable-end windows) there's no circulation in the attic.  Sooner or later the cooler air will migrate downwards, find the soffits,  dump water there (cooler air holds less water vapor than warmer); that may be the main source of your drips.  I would in any case go into the attic to see where the water's coming from.


What is this cement coating? I have this coating on my front porch which is starting to disintegrate. I think the porch slab is probably still good, so I want to just replace the coating but I can't figure out what it is. I'm almost positive that it was added to the porch to add traction; especially when wet. Can someone help me identify this?  I could also use some advice on how to replace it... I'm looking for a good solution to clean up how this looks, not necessarily a perfect solution.

This coating is very hard like the cement, and became damaged from salt, also similar to cement.

It's too gritty be a Textured Paint. And, the color & material seems to be full depth, so it's not a colored Resurfacer topped with sand or even a Stucco. But, you can go with any of those to match the surface look...after a lot of trial & error on a board.

But, I'm more inclined to think it's the stuff below applied at almost twice the thickness, allowed to setup & then water hose flooded & broomed down to expose the grains & aggregates.


Sanding between boards for smooth finish I was following the guide at http://www.familyhandyman.com/walls/how-to-build-a-wainscoted-wall/view-all

Basically, my issue is that the vertical stiles don't match up exactly with the horizontal beams.  Wondering if I should use a sander to sand them down and feather it in, or some other method...

If the difference isn't very great, you could sand them down with a belt sander. This is probably best if your wall is a bit uneven and you need a very slight taper.

Otherwise, you may want to use shims behind the thinner piece to make it flush at the surface. Then fill the edge of the slight void behind the beam or stile with caulk.

A third solution would be to plane them down, but this won't be able to account for a taper like the other two above methods.

Whatever you do, the most important thing would be to make sure the biscuit joints still line up correctly for the front side! So anything material you're removing should come from the back, if the uneven wall is the cause of misalignment.


In order to soundproof the noise from outside, how to install studwork on concrete walls and ceiling? How to fix stud on the walls and ceiling? This video demonstrate how to build a stud wall.

My room looks like the following image, concrete walls and ceiling

In order to soundproof the noise from outside, how to install studwork on concrete walls and ceiling?

How to fix stud on the walls and ceiling?

A concrete wall having outside noise issues? Hummm I do think I have heard of that problem.
If you want to isolate the wall from the living space that may work but will make the room smaller.

To anchor into concrete you will usually need to drill the plate and extend the hole into the concrete and use a tapcon or concrete screw. There are other methods but many are not easily removed and you may not be happy with the results and want to reclaim the space.


What is this electrical fixture above a natural gas fired forced air furnace? While visiting my mother-in-law, we wanted to get the smoke detector situation in her house up to par (this is in Massachusetts, we're from Europe, though). She has a natural gas fired forced air furnace in her basement; it blows warm air directly into various rooms instead of using radiators.
Above the furnace, we found the following fixture:

(Sorry for the overexposure, the lighting situation is not quite optimal there.)
To me, it looks a bit like the eviscerated remains of a smoke detector. What throws me off, though, is that it has two wire conduits leading to it: the bx conduit leads to a small box attached to the furnace, the smooth conduit leads directly to the breaker box. I'm used to smoke detectors running on an independent 9V battery, with no conduits. I'm also sure it's not just a broken light fixture, given the text on it says it's an "alarm". (The text also refers to detailed instructions on the inside of the base of the alarm, but the base is nowhere to be found.)
What is is thing and what would need to be done to repair it?

That looks like it was part of a whole house smoke detector system.
Smoke detectors do have a limited life and when they start failing folks just pull them out.
Since the detector was close to the furnace it could have been smoke , carbon monoxide or both. I would see if the other detectors in the home work and in any case get replacements that are compatible with the others. You may find that multiple units may not be functioning.
On several jobs I have had to replace every smoke detector only the thermal detectors were still functional. In some cases I could get the same or similar model in other cases I had to replace the bases as the new models did not fit but used the same wiring.
You may be able to get more info off of the ring that is still there but getting a complete head will help you find compatible units.


Amp size for a sub panel to a shed? Going to try and give as much detail as I can so far. I'm in a mobile home, and I have a 100 amp service going into the house. my service disconnect is on the outside mast with the meter, 100 amp disconnect, and in with that is also a 25 amp, 240v (so a double 25 amp breaker) for my AC. I have 1 open spot on my inside panel.

I am wanting to add electrical to my shed outside. I want to do a florescent light ballast, an electrical outlet (which would power a table saw, Ryobi battery charger, and i know I'm going to need at least 2 outlet sets on the outside of the shed for an upcoming project (building a deck and doing low voltage lighting).  The low voltage lighting is going to split between 2 low voltage transformers, one for lighting on the deck and the other for lighting in the front of the house. I also will need an outlet outside for a set of outdoor bluetooth speakers.

so here's my question, what would be the easiest way to add a sub panel to the shed? should I use the 25A breaker on my outside service panel, put it at a higher rating, and feed that to a panel in the shed and then put the AC unit on the shed panel. or option 2 of feeding the sub panel for the shed from the inside house panel. in order to do this I would need to replace the inside panel with a new one that has more slots, because other than the open slot, the only single breakers are bathroom receptacles and the furnace, so i know I cant combine them.  and also what feeder size would i need for the shed sub panel?

I would take a very close look at that interior panel.   From the look of your outside 4-space "panel", it looks to be your main service panel, and contains your main breaker and your neutral-ground bond.  It's a bit like a "rule of six" panel: it appears you can/must shut off both breakers independently, e.g. The A/C will still have power if you shut off the 100A.

As such, the interior panel is a subpanel.  It doesn't need a main breaker since the main panel is attached to the building.

So I would take a very, very close look at the panel interior and look at Siemens' line of panels.  What I'd be looking for is a 16-20 space subpanel that is the exact same physical form-factor as your panel internally. That is to say, all the bolt holes are in the same place, and you could unbolt the guts of the new panel and they would just bolt up  into your existing panel chassis.

Because the hairy-scary thing about changing service panels isn't the guts, it's uncabling/unplumbing all the cable connections around the edges of the panel.  It's fairly easy to pop the breakers off (you don't even need to remove the wires) and remove the feeders from their lugs.  Tuck it all back so you can get to the main busbar assembly, then swap it with one with more spaces.

From there, I would move the A/C load into the RV's main panel.  Then use the breaker formerly for A/C, and use that to feed the shop subpanel.

The main panel's breakers total 125A, a common electrical service.  I would not allow them to total more unless you consult with the electric company about the service they are providing you, and whether it can handle more.


Arranging small niche as storage space In our bedroom with have a low but quite deep (~180cm) niche under. The ceiling there is so low (max 140cm) that to search and take things out from there you need to kneel down. We keep there many  small and bigs things: boxes, bags, Christmas tree decorations, old posters, jackets, etc.

How can we arrange it so that:

finding the right thing is easy
getting the thing requires little effort
it's good for storing both small and big things?

Options we considered so far included hooks and trolleys with shelves and baskets. What other options do we have?

I'd consider mounting drawer slides right on the floor. You could then install simple flat shelves with pulls on the front, or actual drawers with low or high sides (the latter would fit the ceiling shape).


Water Supply Noise due to Thermal Expansion? I have a plumbing issue that I'm looking for suggestions on. After using a substantial amount of hot water (say, a long shower + washing laundry) I will hear a loud rumbling / vibrating sound throughout the house, emanating from the water pipes. The noise seems to originate from the pressure regulator on the main water supply. If I open a hot water tap while the noise is occurring it will immediately stop. (The meters show that no water is flowing while the noise is occurring.)

I suspect that thermal expansion of hot water is causing backpressure on the regulator, and the noise is vibration as the seals in the regulator have water pushed past them.

My current plan is to get a pressure gauge and replicate the issue by nearly-emptying the hot water tank and letting it fill and heat. This should allow me to see the pressure swing in the system. Then based on what I see for the low and high pressures, consider the following options:

Decrease overall water pressure in the house so post-thermal-expansion it does not push back through the regulator.
Decrease hot water heater temperature (it's now around the recommended maximum of 130F-ish) to decrease thermal expansion.
Add an expansion tank to the hot side of the heater.

Does it sound like I'm on the right track?

We had similar issue with hot water heater. Went through three of them in 15 years. Plumber confirmed issue was related to thermal expansion. Consider getting a thermal expansion tank on the supply side of the water heater.  If your water company installed a check valve on their side of the supply to the house, to eliminate backflow in to the city water suppy, your thermal expansion is stressing the holding tank in your water heater.  That can compromise the tank integrity, causing leaks and flooding from a ruptured tank.


automatic water stop valve? I am looking for a simple mechanical device that I can install in the supply line for the fridge-water-filter and that will turn of the water if it ever runs for more than a minute. (Most fridges turn off the water themselves after about a minute, so if the water runs longer, there is a leak.)

I am assuming a device like this would be simple to build, yet I have been unable to find one for purchase. Does something like that exist?

I would prefer a mechanical solution, but an electronic one would work too. However, I don't want the system to rely on some form of humidity detection, as that does not reliably work with a fridge (I just had a fridge completely fill with water before it started leaking.)

The simplest, and most reliable, method (I think :-) ) is to put a drain tray under the frig, with a float switch tied to an electronic valve. If the tray fills, the switch cuts off the inlet valve.   BTW - whether or not your frig has an internal timeout, that timeout won't prevent a flood, since (1) the leak could be ahead of the timeout valve and (2) once the down-time counter is done, the frig would start up again anyway.

That said, may I suggest that you're in a "once bitten; twice shy" scenario?  Unless you Google your particular model and find many complaints of leak failures, it's highly unlikely this will happen again in your lifetime.


How do I remove glued-on carpet? I'm trying to remove carpet from a small closet in our bathroom (at most 3.5 ft by 3.5 ft). I started to remove it and it looks to have been glued around the perimeter.  What's the easiest way to remove it? I recently bought a oscillating multi-tool so I'm wondering if that would work to loosen up the edges.

-M

UPDATE: I lucked out -- only part of the carpet was glued... the rest was actually nailed in and came up easy.

That being said, as a future homeowner, I'd like to hear suggestions for how to tackle this type of issue in the future.

First, cut away the non-glued part with a craft knife or carpet knife.  Next, pull individual strands of the pile away from the mesh using a pliers.  Optionally, sand down the remaining bits of the carpet using your multi-tool.  Finally (and also optionally), patch any damage to the plywood subfloor with wood filler.

The last two steps are optional because it's in a small closet where nobody's going to notice any slight unevenness in the floor.


Dual hose portable AC unit creating negative air pressure I bought a dual hose unit because it's supposed to not create negative air pressure in the room, but I can definitely feel the air resistance when I go to close the door to the room it is in. When the AC unit is off there's no resistance closing the door. Any idea why it would be creating negative air pressure?

I've heard that a lot of portable ACs are cheaply constructed and may have significant gaps in the construction of the — not sure what to call it, the condenser compartment, the hot side. Such gaps, if larger on the intake side of the blower than the outlet, will pull in more air than they leak out and produce a net negative pressure, like a simgle-hose unit but less so.

If you can find such gaps, sealing them up should lessen the negative pressure effect.

However, also remember that a door is a fairly large surface, and so a small pressure difference creates a lot of force on it. The amount of air moving may not be all that much; you've got a sensitive detector.


Is it okay to install a sediment filter backward in a reverse osmosis system? I just had my reverse osmosis system serviced. The technician said that the sediment filter had some problem in passing water. The water pressure was low in the correct (or marked) water flow direction. He tried to clean it and then placed it back in the reverse direction. He said that it is okay to have it in reverse direction as it will serve it purpose, but looking at the videos of whats inside a sediment filter, I think this is not the right way.

Can some please tell if this is okay or should I get it reverted?

It's hard to say conclusively without knowing what brand or type filter it is, but chances are it's just a fine screen. The concern would be that the cavity intended to collect sediment may not exist on the downstream side. If that's the case it will clog sooner. Otherwise it should serve the function just fine.

Post brand and model information or a photo in your question if you'd like more specific advice.


Can my generator power my deep well water pump? I have a 120/240 volt generator with an output of 3250 watts peaking at 3750.  I want to be able to power my well water pump but I'm getting conflicting answers on whether this generator packs enough power.  I'm also unsure how large my well pump is but everything else in the house is pretty standard so I'm going to say between 3/4 and 1 hp.

Consumer reports says a well pump runs about 700 watts.  Multiply that by 3 to get a rough estimate of the starting wattage for the pump and you run about 2100 which still leaves plenty  of wiggle room in terms of wattage.
Consumer Reports Wattage Report

Doing some other research online there are a lot of folks saying you need at least a 5k watt generator to power a well water pump.  Obviously that's a far cry from what consumer reports is listing and well below the output of my generator.

I don't want to just plug it in and ruin my water pump or generator so I'm trying to find a solid answer or direction before doing so.

I had the very same question when I sized my generator to run my well-pump during power outages.  I purchased a clamp meter for under $100 and tested the pump on household current.  I simply attached the meter to the hot line and then turned on the pump.  My pump is 220 volt with two hot wires so I had to multiply the results by 2.  Unfortunately, I have moved-on from that home and don't remember how much power mine needed, but it was well under the 5500 watt stated capacity of my genset.

Also, it is important to note the starting current or use the "hold" feature on the clamp meter so you know the starting requirements and the running requirements.


What type of fill to use to raise grade in back yard There is a small section of my back yard that is adjacent to my house and slopes towards it. The yard itself is predominately graded away from the house, so I just need to raise the grade in this section to ensure that water does not run towards my house when it rains.

I plan to cover the area with peastone as finish(currently just dirt), but what type of fill should I use under the peastone to actually raise the grade. Should I use clay, or something else that doesn't drain, or is topsoil sufficient?

Topsoil is sufficient. After all, that's what is under it. ;) And I would suggest using bull rock instead of peastone; I've found that the peastone is difficult to a) walk on, b) keep clear of leaves and other debris.


Light replacement for a complicated light ceiling cover I need to replace the lights in the below shown light ceiling cover. I have read another post on this forum and tried those methods I.e. sliding the glass cover between the metal holdings or trying the move one of the side brackets but it doesn't work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Usually, ONE of those clips will be spring-loaded while the other two are fixed (as shown in the photos).


Why is wheel oil provided with a Montolit tile cutter? I am thinking to buy a Montolit tile cutter for a diy project, thinking that it will be useful in the future too. According to this site The P3 version introduces an oil bottle to lubricate the cutting wheel.

I do not have any experience with tile cutters. Does this mean that other tile cutters do not necessarily use oil on the wheel? What if they stop producing this replacement bottles with oil, or change its size etc., can I still use the cutter without oil?

This particular cutter is a score & snap tool, not a saw. The oil is just to lubricate the scoring wheel bearing/bushing, and not the cut itself. It's a very different animal from a wet saw, which uses a flood of water.

Most saws probably don't come with oil because either 1) they use sealed bearings in the scoring wheels, or 2) they don't expect that you'll put enough mileage on the saw to wear through the grease they apply at assembly.


2 wires on C comm at furnace I am trying to add a nest thermostat. But their support desk is not able to answer a simple question properly and keep asking me to buy a nest pro service. Right now my nest is connected without a c wire (basis their advise) and is working ok. But I would hate to not use a C wire that I feel probably is already existing.

I do see a blue coiled wire on either side tucked in (either side as in at the old thermostat and the furnace). But the wire is NOT connected currently. There is an additional red wire that’s on the “comm” of the furnace. I asked them if I can plug this blue wire which is currently running unconnected from my thermostat to the furnace and connect to both end of the nest and the furnace comm. which would mean though that the furnace comm will have two wires (there is already a red wire in the comm of the furnace and then there would be this new blue one) and the Y at furnace also has two already connected wires: one yellow and one white.
Can one of you good Samaritan’s see from the connections if it’s ok to connect the blue wire currently unconnected to the nest and to the furnace and is it ok to have two wires going into the comm at furnace.

By the  way what are all the other wires If anyone can throw light on the same.

Go for it

The terminal strips on HVAC control boards are designed to clamp two wires under the same screw, 1 on each side.  So, simply make sure the ends of the unused blue wire are stripped of insulation (and strip them if they aren't), tuck one end under the COMM screw on the furnace control board on the side opposite the existing red wire under that screw (you'll need to loosen the screw then tighten it back down to do this), and then you can install your Nest, using the blue wire as the C wire for the Nest.

As to the other wires in Y and C

The other wire in Y and the existing wire in C go off to your outdoor unit -- they carry the signal from the thermostat to the outdoor unit to turn the compressor on.  (In fact, one of the great hints for people with A/C who can't find their C wire is to look for where the air conditioner wires join in -- one of them will connect to the Y wire from the thermostat, and the other will always be connected to C.)


What type of space heater is best for an uninsulated garage? I'm planning on applying stain and polyurethane to some furniture I recently built. I've been thinking about getting a space heater for my uninsulated garage, both to help the poly cure, and for my own comfort while working.

What type of heater would be best? Electric? Kerosene? I'm not planning on having any ventilation, so how does that factor into things? A friend of mine mentioned that a radiant heater is most efficient for uninsulated spaces. Is this true?

UPDATE: I decided on an electric ceramic heater. I got this Bionaire ceramic tower heater at Lowe's for $40, and I'm pretty happy with how it performs:

It dropped into the low 20's last night, and I was comfortable in the garage with the door closed in just a t-shirt and undershirt. It heats up fast and even has an auto shut-off if it reaches the desired temperature. (Although I don't think it's got quite enough power to get the garage up to 70°F.) I'm pretty sure if I put on an old sweatshirt and cracked the door a foot or so for ventilation I'd be ok too. The rated power output for this heater is 1500W, but I had to open the box and look at the manual to find out - it wasn't written anywhere on the packaging.

I wouldn't go by power rating alone though - get some recommendations or read some reviews. I got this Optimus heater first for about half the price, and it claimed to have the same power output. However, you could barely feel the heat standing directly in front of it. It went right back to Lowe's.

I would recommend an oil-filled radiator style rather than an open coil style. This should reduce the chances of fumes and sawdust igniting.


pigtailed aluminum replacing regular receptacle to GFI Need to replace a receptacle closest to panel that has a light and another receptacle inline. All are aluminum. They have alumiconns on them (purple) pigtailed. Need to replace sink receptacle with GFI receptacle. The non-gfi receptacle has a white wire connected to the bottom left side and a black to the bottom right side. I think black goes to (line) top right gold on gfi and white to (load) bottom left silver screw. Is this correct? I live in florida, I am using a Leviton 15amp GFTRI-RKW gfi.

Almost everything in mains is done in hot-neutral pairs.  GFCIs are no exception. LINE has 2 terminals, brass and silver, and is used by a hot/neutral pair - both black and white wires go to it. These would be your two pigtails.

LOAD is used not at all, unless you intend to use the particular feature it supports, and you know exactly what you're doing.  That's why it has warning tape on it.   You do not seem to know what that feature is, which is fine; simply don't use it.

Use an AFCI+GFCI breaker instead

Some people say install a GFCI breaker which protects the whole circuit.  It's true, it'll be cheaper than GFCI receptacles at every socket or 4 alumiconns for doing it in this box.  but think bigger.

Arc Fault protection (AFCI) is absolutely perfect for protecting aluminum wiring.  It detects the thing that is most worrisome.  AFCI has to be installed at the breaker because it protects the wires.

They make combination AFCI+GFCI breakers that cost only $10 more than a GFCI breaker.  That is the thing to use.


What are the options for mitigating problems with an asphalt garage floor The house I purchased has a small detached garage that I use as a workshop and a place to store bikes. It is attached to a relatively long straight asphalt driveway.
My question has to do with recommendations for the floor in the garage which, unfortunately, has been surfaced with asphalt (or "tarmac"; I'm told there is a difference but I'm unclear on the distinction, though I don't think it matters in this case). I understand this was commonly done in some places, and you can see that the floor and driveway were surfaced at different times. I also ran into some previous Q&A here which was not exactly related.
The garage is somewhat finished, but it is not permanently heated (or cooled). That is, it has shop-finished walls with some insulation, but is otherwise an unheated space with a regular overhead door and open to the roof.
The main issue is that asphalt is a terrible surface for a place subjected to +25C temperatures and filled with tools (or a car up on jack stands, as was the case for the previous owner) as the floor is now a collection of variously sized holes and divots where tools and benches have sunk different amounts into the heat-softened asphalt. Bike kickstands have to be supported by little coasters as well, as even the mass of a child's bike will eventually sink into the floor
Over the years, I've placed strips of old flooring and other scraps under the legs of shelves and benches to spread the load over a greater area. This helps a lot, but it just slows the inevitable. Tools that are supposed to be portable for a small shop like table saws and the like just sink their wheels into divots over time. I've got some of those rolling onto little ramps of scrap wood as well. Either way this is inconvenient: either the wheels sink into divots, or the wheels are cranky going over even a 3/8ths of scrap plywood.
Short of hiring someone to scrape all this flooring out of garage and resurfacing with concrete, what are my options?

Would any of the epoxy style surfaces be appropriate, or could be misused to help the situation?
If I got my hands on some of that "Dri-Core" branded flooring, could I just let that sink into the floor? (i.e., I know I wouldn't have the air space under the squares, but I'm wondering if it would eventually settle into a somewhat wavy but usable surface.)
Something else I have not thought of?

I think I know the answer, but maybe this can be the canonical Q&A for this common situation.
Note that there is no intention of using this garage for a car. What to do about that is left as an exercise for the future owner of the garage.

The DriCore subfloor panels are perfect for this.

Your main concern will be the tongue and groove panels separating, so if they are not firmly held on all 4 sides by the inner walls, install an outer frame of 1x4, or similar to make a tight box around the whole assembly. Obviously, leave the last side open until all the panels are in, then lock the last board in, or cut the last panels carefully so you can drop them in tight to the wall.
If you are worried about sinkage, pour sand over the floor and sweep it until the cracks stop taking sand, the leave a half inch of sand between the floor and the dricore.


Renovating interior stone basement walls We have a 100 year old house, and I would like to finish the basement but leave the stone walls exposed.  I believe the stone can look great, but the mortar needs some work, and I am mostly focused on keeping the airflow to prevent any moisture problems.  I'm aware that it is important to manage moisture outside the foundation.  But when it comes to the inside, is it ok to somehow 'seal' the stone, or would that create an unwanted moisture barrier?  In general, what is the best way to renovate the stone on the inside to make it look good without causing any other issues?

You can do it. Certainly.

There was a recent episode on this for "this old house". They basically suggested cleaning out the loose fill and then replacing the old mortar with fresh mortar. It looked tedious more than anything else - but doable by a homeowner. I've re-mortared and chinked stone foundations. It's a surprisingly high maintenance experience compared to poured walls.

The good news about stone foundations is that with proper bracing, you can fix up almost anything well enough to sell it to someone else who enjoys huffing dust, cobwebs, squirrel mummies and Radon Gas. But for the most part, it's like fight club - we just don't talk about it.

With improper bracing, you can experience the joy of being crushed to death, or lose an eye due to the magic of newtonian physics while you learn about shear loads and amateur metallurgy using those hydraulic jacks you bought at Harbour Freight. It's very educational.

A well built stone wall can always be repaired with less trouble than concrete foundations. The mortar and chinking is mostly for aesthetics, anyway.

Sealing the walls is fine, as long as you do it on the outside first, and then and only then do the inside. You'll have to dig down to the foundation to do this, and that bracing is an issue on the outside as well.

Now the part you won't like. I did this in high school for a relative who had a nearly 200 year old house with a sandstone & rock foundation, in a damp (flood plain) area. It looked great, but ultimately it was wasted effort. Exposed rock and mortar foundations will always breath, sweat and disappoint anyone expecting a modern basement experience. You can apply gallons of sealer, but it will simply create areas where it perforates.

These foundations were designed to keep out animals, hold up your house so it doesn't rot all that quickly and very little else.

They will always be home to spiders. You can seal it with gunnite or epoxy and it will still allow infiltration. It might look OK, in that "I love Halloween" fashion so popular with the gothic/serial killer/lonely artist set, but it will never be a comfortable space.

You might build a second wall that can be plumbed, framed and sheet rocked, but it won't solve much over the long run, even with substantial vapor barriers and ducting. The walls will still slowly shift, moisture will come and go, and you'll never be happy with the low ceilings.

So in summary: You can redo the walls. You can seal them. You can even box them in and add ducting, insulation, AC and lighting. It's still going to be a basement that weeps moisture due to temp and pressure differentials.


Ok to have junction box hidden behind recessed lighting? The ballast went out on one of my recessed ceiling fluorescents. I'd like to replace all 3 of the fluorescents with remodel Halo cans then put in some LED retrofits.

The existing wiring isn't long enough to reach the junction box on the replacement Halo can, so I'd need to extend it with a few more feet of NM-B. (the existing NM-B terminates at the transformer box where it's wire-nutted to the transformers, but the new Halo housing has the junction box for the wiring on a bracket a foot or so from the can).

I'd like to put a  metal handy box up in the ceiling to act as a junction box for the wiring extension. I can secure it to Halo can frame in place of the transformer box (which is itself a junction box, the house wiring comes in to that box with wire nuts joining it to each of the transformers). The transformer bracket acts as a cover for this box so I can't just use it as-is as a junction box.

I know that junction boxes are supposed to be "accessible", but does hiding it behind a Halo light count as "accessible"?

(Note that this question seems to be a duplicate of Is a junction box “accessible” if it is mounted behind/above a recessed light housing?, but the answer on that question said to use the built-in Halo fixture junction box, so it didn't really answer the question about whether or not it's ok to put the junction box there)

Accessible is a somewhat relative concept. You need to fully remove a recessed fixture from a ceiling to access the connections.  This is a bit more difficult than pulling a switch to get at the wires, or even dropping a canopy style fixture, but it does meet the criteria of accessible.

But one of the main rationales for the rule seems to be to ensure a troubleshooter knows where all the connection are, that none are truly buried in the walls where they can't be found.

I don't know if the code has considered your solution, but it sounds like the box you are suggesting is buried, even though it is attached to the recessed fixture. In a sense, you are modifying the fixture in a way not contemplated by the manufacturer. But it might pass muster with some inspectors since it sounds like the junction would be accessible if you removed the can.

There is another way that might suit. The code now allows for certain in-wall splices that can be buried, such as these.

The old wire is inserted into one section of the device, clamped, and screwed in. A new wire is inserted into the other. The halves then snap together and the resultant splice can be buried in a ceiling or wall. If feasible, the completed clamp should be attached to a framing member, but I don't think the code requires it if the wire is left in an unaccessible area.

You could attach this splice to your old wire and run a short extension to your can.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


4 Vertical Prong Plug Adapter I just moved into a very old apartment. There is only one plug in the dining room and it is very strange.  It takes four same-sized vertical prongs, similar to a 50 amp outlet except the bottom is also vertical.

Some regular 3 prong plugs will fit in and our landlord insists that she has used it this way before with no issues. The problem is we want to plug in our mini fridge there and it doesn't fit (the ground prong is too wide). I tried using a 2-3 prong adapter but the ground part of the adapter ends up at the top or bottom and not by the screw, and I am just not comfortable plugging a fridge into a non-grounded outlet.

Does anyone know how we can convert this type of outlet to the traditional 3 prong grounded outlet so I can plug in my fridge? Sadly since we are renting we can't do any electrical work to accomplish this goal.

This is an obsolete socket type called a parallel and tandem socket, and is designed to accept either standard parallel plugs without a ground or older tandem style plugs (again without a ground):

None of the connections is a ground - it consists of 2 pairs of hot and neutrals, one oriented vertically, the other horizontally. If there is a ground wire to the box (which I doubt), this can be replaced with a standard 3 prong outlet. If not, you'd have to find a way to get a ground into the box.


Does this water pipe installation have problem? I just bought a new home which is still under construction. Today I visited the home and noticed that the water pipe installation at one place seems awkward!

It's on the main floor and actually the connector is slightly above the OSB subfloor!

Is it OK? Does this installation possibly violate any kind of code ?

I agree with ArchonOSX, it's very sloppy & does violate code beyond that. It needs to be re-done & even when it's right it should have a metal plate bridging more than its width so nails or screws can't penetrate it for just that bottom stud.

The jog they did has to be a minimum of 1-1/2-inches away from the underside of the floor, again so penetrations can't or aren't likely to happen. It doesn't matter how far back they have to start over with the line or where they have to move it to in order to do it right, it has to be safe from potential damage.


What are the pros and cons of Owens Corning shingles vs. GAF shingles? I am looking to get a new roof for my house. I have taken quotes from about 4 contractors and 3 of them are suggesting I should use GAF shingles. 1 suggests that Owens Corning is a better shingle and I should use that. I am really new in this field and not sure which material to go for? Does it matter which material I choose or are these both good shingles and which one I use does not matter?

More important question: Which contractor did you feel the most comfortable with and which has the best work history in your area -- have you checked BBB and something like Angies List? Who has the best relationship with their wholesaler/supplier and can get you support if you need it in case of roof damage?

Owens Corning and GAF make comparable products; the Owens Corning warranty is longer, but neither warranty is good unless the installer installs it properly with the proper number of nails at the proper spacing. Specifically, the two products that you're looking at are almost identical. One difference besides the warranty is that Owens Corning has a constant bead of sealant on the backside of the shingles to seal them to the shingles underneath; if you're in an area that gets significant amounts of wind-driven rain (such as a coastal area) to the point that you will be testing the wind resistance of the shignle, you will PROBABLY want to choose the GAF shingle because the Owens Corning shingles sometimes have problems draining after water has blown up underneath them.

Remember that it isn't the shingle that matters; the shingle really just protects your roof. Your roof is actually the tar paper and other membrane (such as Grace Ice & Water Shield) that goes on under the shingles. Those products should be of the highest quality and have perfect installations. Getting good shingles is essential, but it's almost secondary if you cheap out on the underlayments or your roofer installs it incorrectly.

One note that I'm suggesting all homeowners explore: If your attic is hot during the summer, look into the 'Cool Roof' shingles that both OC and GAF produce. They have a reflective substance in with the stone and will help reflect solar energy back out before it has a chance to enter your roof structure.


Move toilet rough-in two inches? Floor still open I have just gutted my bathroom and had the plumber move the toilet to a new location.
I just noticed that it is located only 15 inches to center of drain to where the shower glass will be installed. I know that is to code but feel it is too tight and would like to move it to be at least 17 inches away.
How difficult of a job would it be if the floor is still open?
(It would still be in the same bay and would not hit the next floor joist).
Photo shows the toilet rough and the pvc pipe to the right is for the sinks.

Looks like you could fit an Offset Flange there. You'd probably get about 1.5".

Home Depot - NIBCO 3 in. x 4 in. PVC DWV Hub Offset Closet Flange


Finding a replacement faucet spout I have a a faucet that leaks a bit from where the valves connect to the spout, and the threads where the aerator goes are badly worn. I was wondering if I can replace just the spout. It looks like screws in, so I should be able to, but I'm also not sure where I'd get a replacement. It's an old style (70+ years?), and I'm pretty sure it's an old faucet. Would most large home improvement stores carry a replacement, or would I need to confirm the thread size and special order it?

You might get away with unscrewing the spout, cleaning the threads on both the spout and faucet with a brass brush (just to clear any accumulated crud, especially if you have hard water), wrapping the threads with thread tape, then tightening it back on.
If that doesn't fix it, odds are good that you'd have to replace the whole faucet. I'm not sure where you're located, but that type of faucet isn't common at all in the US and wouldn't be available at a large home-improvement center type of store. You might be able to find something similar at an actual plumbing supply house. They may have something in a commercial line that would fit. If you go that route, either remove the faucet from the wall and bring it in with you, or take good pics with a measuring tape across the top of the plumbing stub-outs so they can help you find something with the right spacing.


What could cause clothes to come out of the dryer with tiny burn or scorch marks? I have a fairly standard Hotpoint vented electric tumble dryer, which normally works as you would expect, drying clothes, venting the humid air out the side wall, and with a lint trap I empty every load.

Over the past couple of months, though, I have seen a few shirts come out with tiny (1 to 2 mm) scorch marks and am a bit baffled as to the cause.

I can't find any marks inside the drum or door seal, and there doesn't appear to be anything that looks burnt in the lint trap.

I can't find this symptom described anywhere using a quick google, so does anyone know what could cause this or any area I should be looking at to try and diagnose the issue?

Pop open the front panel under the door and vacuum out the lint. It collects inside the housing and pieces get drawn into the air heating elements and blown into the drum. Having nothing to do with the lint trap, this stuff accumulates because it slowly migrates through the felt drum seal.

You may have a potentially dangerous situation here. Any other type of materials that get into the cabinet will also get vacuumed up and blown through the heating elements (glowing coils) which essentially turns them into glowing embers.

The air heater has a thermal limit switch that is supposed to break power to the elements if they're overheating. This kind of overheating will brown large areas, not pinpoints.

Make this cleaning task a six month or yearly scheduled event.


Are new "low noise" whole house fans actually quieter? I've dealt with a number of older whole house fans (10 years and older) and the one thing they all had in common was a ton of noise.

Are the new "low noise" fans actually that much quieter than the old fans, and should one expect a premium price for a quiet whole house fan?

Are there installation tricks/techniques that will help reduce noise even further?

Noise should be a main concern when shopping for a whole house fan, because the hours while you are sleeping offer the coolest temperatures of the day. More important than simply exchanging the air, the cooling of the thermal mass of the structure down to the core simply takes time. Unfortunately, you can not wring all of the heat out of the thermal mass like a sponge - it just takes time - and a bit of stady, constant airflow. In this way, Running a fan overnight while you are sleeping will take advantage of these cooler temperatures, making your fan more effective on more days of the year, and reducing your need for A/C to a minimum.

Some manufacturers have incorporated ECM (electronically commutated motor) technology  into whole house fans. This not only delivers AMAZING efficiency numbers, but the brushless motor design also offers extremely low noise levels.

With older, brushed motors, turning them down to a lower speed using a rheostat can reduce the noise level slightly, but you will notice that the power consumption stays roughly the same. On the other hand, ECM technology allows you to not have to trade efficiency for noise level, and you can actually maximize efficiency while minimizing noise level.

Whole house fans + ECM motors = A perfect combination for quiet, effective, efficient natural cooling.

They may cost a bit more, but considering the outstanding efficiency numbers and low noise levels, a modern whole house fan (especially those using an ECM motor) is definitely a worthwhile investment.

Cheaper whole house fans are too noisy that they in many cases go unused, or they are turned off too early in the evening, before it has really cooled off outside.


Junction Box size/type requirement Can a standard blue junction box be used for indoor wiring purpose?
Lets say I have one single gang box of 24 cu. in. which is placed as junction box to connect three 14/2 cables inside it. I know its within the box size. But does a junction box for this reason has to be specific one, I meant more deeper/wider ?
Edited: Added a picture to help other newbie.

Thanks.

Yes you can use a “device” box as a junction box.
The same rules apply you have to securely mount it.
wires stapled within 8” (my inspectors do not consider the alligator clamps good for 12”)
and it will need a solid cover.
I have done this throughout my career as long as the box is stamped or you use the chart from the code book for fill it is code compliant to use as a simple splice / junction box.


What type of window screen/frame is this? I had a 3 season room in the back of my newly purchased home that has these types of screens in them. Unfortunately a lot of them are broken/need replaced but I don't know why type of screen this is (w/ this spring loaded tab at the bottom). What are these and can I use an alternative?

As mentioned in the comments to the question, most window manufacturers have custom window screens that fit into specific window profiles (though, at times, you can come across very similar or identical profiles, depending on whether or not a manufacturer shares a supplier with a competitor).

For the screens that you have with damaged mesh, you can replace/repair those by procuring new mesh and new splines*. To remove the screens without cutting them out you typically just have to pry or pull out the splines from the narrow grooves in the screen bars (as those splines are what holds the mesh into place) which will allow you to remove the mesh in one piece. To install the new mesh, drape it over the screen frame, allowing for excess material to hang over the sides. With new splines, use a narrow/dull tool to press the spline+mesh into the groove in the screen bars, making sure the mesh is taught. Once in place, trim the excess spline and mesh material. There may be a warp in the screen framing from the way the tight mesh pulls at it but that is normal (that warp typically goes away once on the window).

In the case of the damaged spring locks that hold the screen into place (or missing screens in general), you will likely need to go to a window supplier/manufacturer to replace or repair the screen. However, if the window is too old or you are unsure of who made the window, you may need to find a substitute instead. Finding a substitute may require you to visit and consult with a couple sellers/manufacturers about using their products in place of your damaged screens. Though, keep in mind, replacements may not necessarily fit well but it will at least do the job.

You will likely be directed to the Service department for this and I would recommend taking with you at least one of your screens for reference along with clear pictures that show what the window profile looks like. Those pictures are needed to give a Service tech a better idea of where and how the screens are mounted. (Note: window manufacturers will require specific measurements before ordering replacement screens. Depending on the company, those measurements may be taken by you or a Service tech on site. I recommend waiting for feedback from a Service tech whether his screens will fit in your window first before taking measurements. He/she should tell you what part of the window to measure).

*Metallic wire or rubber lines that are typically pressed into narrow grooves in the screen bars. The splines are what hold the mesh into place.


Is an HVAC license required for DIY home owner AC installation in the State of Georgia? Does anybody know for certain if in the State of Georgia, an HVAC ("conditioned air") license is required in order for a homeowner to install their own HVAC system?

The type of unit called a "package unit", where the condenser and air-handler are combined into a single outdoor unit comes from the factory already charged.

That solves the refrigerant side of the equation.  Don't actually know if that is sufficient in Georgia or not.

Some un-named individual who lives in my house in NC installed one of these and, so far at least, has gotten away with it.


Can I add a wye fitting to this cast-iron drain stack? I recently leased a warehouse space in which I am trying to add a shower to a current half bath. There is a mini basement right below the bathroom which contains the plumbing.

Attached is a photo of what seems to be a series of drains from other fixtures coming into what I assume is a sewer ejector pump before it makes its way out of the building. My question, assuming all of this so far is correct, is whether I can add in another wye fitting into this main stack for my shower drain.

For reference my shower will be right above my head where I took this photo so about 2-4 feet max. One follow up question is if there is any opposition to the new drain from the shower to be PVC instead of cast iron. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Once you verify all is working, go for it...shower drains are usually 2"...looks like you can cut a 3 x 2 - Y  or tee on vertical...not sure where shower is going to be installed? Tank looks vented, be sure to throw a trap on shower drain...
Good luck


Cheap & Effective Way to Soundproof Windows I am looking to soundproof my home from the busy road that is in front of it. The roads are concrete not asphalt so the tires make a substantial amount of noise since the speed limit is 40mph.

I have listened carefully as to where the sound is coming from and it is mostly caused by the door and the windows. I purchased some of the weather stripping foam which helped some but not enough.

I was wondering if there is a mainstream version of a transparent audio barrier that can be placed over the window? I know that there is a trademarked company "AudioSeal" but I tried finding them on Amazon.com and some other .com companies and was not able to find them. Let me know what you guys think or if this is even worth while.

There are a lot of options you could consider depending on your budget and opinion on "cheap".  There are acoustic dampening windows you could look into if you have a higher budget and don't mind replacing your window.  If you're sure that the main source of noise penetration is through the window, which is to be expected, then this might be the best / most permanent route.  The AudioSeal looks pretty promising, and there are some more cheaper options.  A simple search for 'Transparent Vinyl Barrier' gives you a lot of relevant results.  The quality and the transparency of the product will depend on your budget.  Curtains, and specifically acoustic cancelling curtains might be your best bet, but they can be pricey (and very cheap, technically you could use your bedsheets as curtains, although they wouldn't help much).

Here are some relevant links you might want to check out:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/block-out-noise-coming-through-window-31141.html

and

http://removeandreplace.com/2014/12/02/how-to-soundproof-a-window-and-block-noise/

Good luck!


Can I split a 200v range circuit into two 110v circuits? I am doing a flip and there was a stove with 220 40A  and  I think 6 gage wire in the location where I'm putting an island.  I want to split off the 220 and run one hot to 3 110v outlets on the island and the other hot to an outlet for a microwave both using 14 gauge wire. Do you see a problem?

You cannot do that because of the following primary reason. The large gauge wire that feeds to that point is most certainly fed from a breaker in the breaker panel with a rating of 30A. If a short or failure occurred in your added wiring, added outlets or any thing plugged into those outlets there could be current flow well in excess of what the small 14AWG wire can safely carry. The wire would overheat, melt insulation and combust any adjacent materials. The result would be a serious fire, occupant safety concern and expensive property damage.

The proper way to do something like this is to run the appropriate sized wire back to the power panel and install the suitably sized breaker (15A for 14AWG or 20A for 12AWG).

You could possibly replace the existing 40A breaker with a 15A breaker so that the large gauge wire is current limited to 15A but before considering to do that check with your local code enforcement agency to see if that is allowed. As a bare minimum such replacement should always label the large wires at each end to indicate that it feeds a circuit with 14AWG wire.

There are a couple of other things to consider here too:

Check the microwave ratings carefully. Some units may very well require a 20A circuit with 12AWG wire.
If that existing 40A circuit was one that was installed some longer time in the past and terminated into a three prong outlet then there is unlikely to have been a safety ground wire in the cable back to the breaker box. You will not be able to connect outlets up to the old three wire power cable that does not have a safety ground as it is now required by code for any new added wiring and outlets to have a safety ground connection. This alone would require running new power cable with the safety ground back to the power panel.


Why is replaced outlet dead? Electrical outlets

I changed a pair of old 2 prong outlets to new ones with ground and grounded to the box that was already grounded.

It was a simple 2 wire with ground procedure.  However when I turned the breaker back on, there was no longer any power to the box.

What happened?

The power, usually black, goes on the brass color screw. The other wire, usually white goes on the silver screw.  The box is only grounded if it is connected to the breaker box by continuious metal conduit or a ground wire.  The green ground wire is connected to the metal box and the green screw.  The green wire will not keep the outlet from working unless it is a ground fault plug.


Where does water in shower plumbing go after a shower? I’m trying to debug some funny sounds in my shower (just purchased the house containing the shower) and would like to better understand how the plumbing works.  The shower is a stand-in type with no tub.

I can visibly trace cold and hot water pipes into my shower ceiling and then down into the wall containing the shower valve.  The cold and hot pipes enter the shower valve fitting (which is four feet from the floor).  From there, I assume opening the shower valve lets water flow up into the pipe that supplies the shower head (which is 6.5 feet from the floor).
This is my question.  When I shut off the shower valve, there must still be about 2.5 feet of pipe (this is the pipe that joins the shower valve to the shower head) containing water.  Does that water remain there until the next opening of the valve forces new water into the pipe pushing the old water out through the shower head?

Is there some sort of relief valve that drains that pipe of the water?

Background - After a shower, for about three minutes, I can hear drops somewhere in the wall that contains the shower valve and I am trying to find the source.  I’ve opened up the wall behind the shower and all pipes and fittings are dry.

EDIT: The source of noise was my Culligan filter shower head.  I removed the shower head and the noise disappeared.  Thanks to all for the ideas.

As far as I know there aren't any return valves in these shower systems.

You will have a column of standing water remaining in the pipe.
(When the shower isn't used for a couple of weeks you should always run the water a few minutes before using the shower to get that stale water flushed out. It is an ideal place for bacteria to develop. In hot weather just a week is long enough for Legionella to develop.)

If the pipes and fittings are dry the drip is coming from somewhere else. Noise traveling along pipes can do strange things and it is quite possible the noise comes from somewhere else. It may not even be a drip you are hearing but something similar that you interpret as a dripping noise. (Hot water pipe or the boiler cooling down and making a ticking noise comes to mind. This can sound like a drip.)

What I have encountered myself:
After the shower is shut off that pipe filled with water going up to the shower-head cools off. Cooling causes it to shrink slightly (how much and how fast depends on the pipes material and the ambient temperature) forcing a little bit of water out of the pipe into the shower head.
That water then drips from the shower-head to the floor. Dropping with a noticeable sound on the basin below. (Often people don't notice this drip as the basin is wet anyway after the shower.)
Or, if there remains some standing water in the shower-head itself, it drips into that little pool inside the shower-head. Sound-transfer/amplification will do the rest.
This sort of dripping typically starts 3-5 minutes after the water is shut off and stops after some time (typically another 3 to 5 minutes) when an equilibrium is reached in the pipe.


Is there an objective way to measure how easily a sliding patio door is moving and if it is adjusted properly? Is there an objective way to measure how easy a sliding patio door is moving and if it is adjusted properly?

I just installed my sliding vinyl patio door and since it is slightly larger than usual (not a standard size by some companies) I am not sure if it should move easier or not

This is not the same as the question I asked previously about unequally adjusting the door rollers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpUegt5pqo
and then go to Home Depot or Lowes and pull their doors on the display
Please vote if you agree with this method so I can selected as the answer or come up with a better way

Also some references
https://idighardware.com/2009/02/door-opening-force/
https://adata.org/factsheet/adjusting-doors-access

and the code says:
https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/opening-force-for-sliding-doors.7752/

2. Sliding or folding doors: 5 pounds (22.2 N) maximum.

These forces do not apply to the force required to retract latch bolts or disengage other devices that

hold the door or gate in a closed position.

Advisory 404.2.9 Door and Gate Opening Force. The maximum force pertains to the

continuous application of force necessary to fully open a door, not the initial force needed to

overcome the inertia of the door. It does not apply to the force required to retract bolts or to

disengage other devices used to keep the door in a closed position.


At what temperature does a WiFi thermostat stop sending a signal to the router? I recently purchased and installed a Honeywell WP6500 WiFi thermostat and thanks to Stack Exchange, got it up and running. I have a house in New Hampshire, which I use occasionally during the winter. I do not like to keep heat on in the house all winter as I may not be there for 2 to 3 weeks. When I set the thermostat to maintain the house at 41°F it works fine. However, if I set it to the heat off position, at some point it stops communicating with the router, and I cannot turn the system on or raise the temperature. It can get 5 to 10°F in the house. I have tried on many occasions to get some answers from Honeywell as to, is there a temperature at which the thermostat, stops communicating with the router, and if there is, can it be overridden.

You're looking for a specification called the operating temperature range of the thermostat or router or both. This is the temperature range within which the manufacturer states that the device will function correctly.

For consumer electronics like these, it's typically from 0°C (32°F) up to about 60°C (140°F) to 70°C (158°F). So if you turn the heat to off, the ambient temperature in the house will drop below that range, and the thermostat will stop working properly.

There should be a specifications page in the manuals for the thermostat and router that will tell you their minimum operating temperatures. Keep your house above the upper of those temperatures and you should be OK.


Freezer not cycling on I've been thawing 30lbs of meat in the refrigerator. I discovered some of the food items in the freezer started to thaw. The temperature in the fridge before I took out the meat was 37 degrees. The temperature in the freezer was 23 degrees. Will thawing large quantities of frozen food in the fridge prevent the freezer from cycling on?

Fridge freezers (the common type with a single compressor) are often designed in the assumption that a certain amount of heat will leak into the fridge, i.e. they have a minimum operating temperature of a cool room temperature.  They can't control the temperatures of the fridge and freezer completely independently.  Some models only have one thermostat, while in others cold air from the freezer is circulated through the fridge and back to the freezer, putting a load on the cooling circuit and turning on the thermostat.

You can sometimes work round this by pressing the "fast freeze" button if you have one.  This will force the freezer to run, but may slow down defrosting.

Wrapping the defrosting items in a thin insulating layer will also mean they defrost more slowly, and cool the fridge less.

Starting the defrost at room temperature would avoid this but you have to be careful to not end up with outer layers sitting around at room temperature.

A good compromise may be to start defrosting at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge when the outside of the frozen item is still around freezing point.  A light insulating wrap will slow this process down and make for more uniform defrosting; you can leave this on when you transfer to the fridge.  You would probably be talking about quite a few hours at room temperature, especially if it's multiple packs you can rearrange when you check to make sure they're still frozen.


How do you build a "wet room" style bathroom floor? 20 years ago I lived in Sweden, and remember that the bathroom was designed with floors that could tolerate a lot of water. There was a tub & shower head but no shower curtain. The floor sloped to a floor drain. The flooring curved up at the edges. There was a large squeegee to wipe down after a shower.

How would I build a floor like this?

Assuming you are using tile as the floor I don't think there is too much to do.  You will need to determine the appropriate slope to the floor drain and put down a waterproof membrane (like Schluter Systems' Ditra http://www.schluter.com/2080.aspx) below the tile.

The IPC covers floor drains in section 412 but it does not specify a slope on the floor.  A shower floor is supposed to have 1/4" slope per foot (section 417.5.2) but I don't know if that implies the whole floor should be like that.


Gluing two halves of a door together Needed a door that matches that the doors from 1940s in my house. So I bought a 30" door on Craigslist and cut it down to 23" by cutting out the middle of the door as you can see in the pictures.
I'm faced with two decisions that I would like some expert opinions on:

My initial plan was to install a new panel, but now I'm wondering whether it's possible to join the two halves of the old panel. They are 5/16" (or 11/32"). Is that enough thickness for some kind of rabbet joining strategy?

As far as joining the two halves of the door together, I have three strategies in mind:
a. Glue them straight up
b. Use dowels
c. Drill the entire 23" width of the door in three places and use 1/4" all-thread.

What would you recommend?

Slightly contrarian take: start over.
(I know, you've done a bunch of work, etc. They call it the sunk-cost fallacy for a reason. Strong butt joints in the rail are possible but hard and would involve a ton of wood filler afterwards.)
Get another door. Rough cut next to the hinge stile (but not cutting off the molding on the stile). Extract the panels and cut them to size -- no difficult joining. Clean off the dregs of the rails beside the stile. Cut your rails to an appropriate width and use whatever joinery seems best. (You'll probably need to do a bit of chisel work to flatten out the molding where the butt of the rail meets the stile.) I'd biscuit for alignment, then after glue-up is dry, sink 8-10" structural screws (2 or 3 per rail). 1/2" dowels would be good as well, as long as you were drilling the holes for them when the door was glued up and flat. Trying to drill two sides of the dowel separately is a recipe for frustration and alignment disaster.
--- Edit ---
Here's a series of pics that show what I'm talking about above.

Starting point. Sorry about the rotation.

Rough cut the rail. Don't cut any of the molding on the stile.

Mark where the rail copes over the molding on the stile. You'll cut that part of the stile later.

The molding on the stile runs all the way through under the coped rail. Somehow, chip/cut away the remaining rail.

You can do part of it with a chopsaw (granted, awkward with an 82" stile and impossible for the midrail), but don't cut past your pencil line. You'll inevitably be left with some wood that the chopsaw won't touch, so chisel/ multitool/ whatever to clean that flat.

Cut the miter that you marked with the pencil earlier on the stile molding. (Don't do what I did and bust off some of the molding while demolishing the remainder of the rail.)

Cut the rail to width and miter the molding.

Your parts should go together perfectly. Join them as described above.


Boiler losing pressure only when central heating is on, and only a little, leak? I have a MAIN 30 HE boiler and it loses pressure when the heating is on, seems to be fine and no loss of pressure if the heating is not on or only use hot water. Would this indicate a leak somewhere, iv'e tried to read up on it but unsure of the answer still. Anyone able to advise where to look, on the pipe outside for any drips? Iv'e checked the radiators and can see no sign or any water/leak. It will take two days of heating for it to drop 0.5 bar. Really appreciate any help on this one :)

Your expansion tank may be the problem.

From wikipedia:

  An expansion tank or expansion vessel is a small tank used to protect closed (not open to atmospheric pressure) water heating systems and domestic hot water systems from excessive pressure. The tank is partially filled with air, whose compressibility cushions shock caused by water hammer and absorbs excess water pressure caused by thermal expansion.

If it's busted you will have pressure fluctuations in the heating circuit.


conduit for ground in metal shop Ive run my EMT conduit and placed my boxes in my workshop and placed the wires.   All is good except... my inspector says I cant use conduit as ground and must run a bare or green conductor to each box/outlet...  I dont want to get into rules/lawyering but what NEC line tells me (him) that conduit is OK for residential grounding.  My city (Tucson) is on the 2017 NEC rev.

Am I reading this wrong?:

250.118 Types of Equipment Grounding Conductors.  The equipment grounding conductor run with or enclosing the circuit conductors shall be one or more or a combination of the following:
(1) A copper, aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum conductor. This conductor shall be solid or stranded; insulated, covered, or bare; and in the form of a wire or a busbar of any shape.
(2) Rigid metal conduit.
(3) Intermediate metal conduit.
(4) Electrical metallic tubing. ...

and this:

358.60 Grounding.  EMT shall be permitted as an equipment grounding conductor.

Yeah, that's wrong. The inspector ought to know better; clearly does not inspect a whole lot of commercial installations.
Gently stand up on the point and show him the code, and leave him a path to keep his ego intact (that is less than you pulling a bunch of pointless ground wires).  That's part of negotiating.
By the way, if you do pull the trigger on pulling ground wires, the ground wires go to the boxes not the receptacles.  They land on a 10-32 ground screw (which doesn't need to be green), which goes into the hole in the back of the box already tapped 10-32.  When bringing a ground to any metal box, you must go to the box first. Once that's done, if you also want to bring ground to the recep, you can do that also e.g. via pigtailing. #1 mistake I see grounding metal boxes.
In cases like yours, where the recep will have hard flush metal contact between its yoke and the junction box mud ring or domed cover, that is a valid grounding path and ground wires are not needed.  So remove that little paper square that captures the receptacle screw!
On switches it's even easier, you don't even need to remove the paper square and you only need screw-head contact with the yoke.


Why do my three-way switches only work in one configuration? I replaced a switch with a 3 way dimmer. There are 3 switches plus the dimmer to control 1 light. The only way the switches work is if the dimmer is in the on position then I can put the light on and off with the other switches. Why is that?

You wired it wrong, or the switch you added is defective.

If you want more detail than that, update your question with a complete and accurate discription of the circuit, photographs of the wiring you changed, and details (model number) of the dimmer you installed.


Why do my fluorescent lights turn on slowly or not at all in the summer? We live in Florida, and the fluorescent lights in the kitchen turn on very slowly (if at all) in the summer.  Other clues are:

They work fine in the early morning
Later in the day (hot day) they will not turn on immediately
These are ceiling light fixtures, above the ceiling is the (hot) attic
If you flick the switch back and forth rapidly, you may get lucky and the light comes on
This house was built in 1992, therefore probably an electronic ballast
Our Air Conditioning went out for all of last week, it stayed 85 degrees F in the house as a minimum and they never came on.

Is it the ballast?

Almost certainly the ballast, unless old enough to actually have a separate starter, at which point it becomes a tossup between ballast and starter - probably not from 1992. But a 1992 ballast is certainly ripe for replacement 22 years later. They don't live forever.

I have a few older ones I have not gotten around to replacing that are very humidity-sensitive (a little bit heat, a lot humidity...at least in my case.)


Can new sheathing be laid over my original roof decking? I have a 1960 ranch home and will be having my roof replaced in the near future.  I currently have old space decking and the roofing company said that they need to put sheathing down.  Is this something that can be put down over the space decking or should the old decking be taken off first?

So your existing roofing is either wood shingles, wood shakes or tile ( clay, concrete, etc.) These types of roofs can span across gaps in the roof sheathing.

Your new roof is going to be composition shingles that need solid sheathing.

Yes, it is quite common to add solid sheathing over the top of the spaced sheathing. The added weight will be off-set by removing the heavier existing tile roofing and the heavier wood shingles and shakes (when they are soaked with water).

Here are some precautions: 1) make sure the new roof sheathing is a minimum of 1/2” thick. Roofing manufacturers require a minimum of 1/2” for “holding power and withdrawal”...blow off. 2) Increase the height of your perimeter flashing by at least 1/2” to compensate for the additional height due to the thickness of the roof sheathing. (You want the same lap over the siding.)


How can I keep my computers cool in a 100 degree house? I live in a tiny house of sorts and my AC doesn't run while I'm not there. I have two desktop servers that I use for my work which are currently stored elsewhere, but I'd really like to move them to my home. My only problem is that I'd need to supply the computers with cool, dry air (think 60-70 degrees) while the rest of the house gets over 100 degrees F during the summer months.

I've designed a basic insulated box (R19) with a vapor barrier on the inside to fit my computers. It's a basic box with some mineral wool insulation and some plastic sheeting between the insulation and the computers.

I have the following already:

box and insulation
temperature controller like this one https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Fermentation/dp/B015E2UFGM

I need help with the following:

What small, efficient appliance can I use to cool and dry the air going into the box? basically a mini AC + dehumidifier
Is the vapor barrier in the proper place to keep water condensation from damaging the computers?

I've tagged this under different appliances, but feel free to change if there is a better tag for it.

You need an ultimate-heat-sink OUTSIDE the house

Here's what you can't do: Server makes heat in box, A/C moves the heat out of the box and into the tiny-house, tiny house copes with ambient + solar load + server load + A/C load all stacking to make it so hot you can bake cookies.  At that point, the A/C, will break down due to not being able to transfer the heat from the Freon to the too-hot environment.

So every solution must remove all server and A/C heat entirely out of the building -- and if it removes solar load as well to make the place habitable, that is fine.

Put the box on an outside wall

In this case, you mount the air conditioner on an outside wall, and enclose the A/C cool side with the servers.  This will have a big problem: accessing the A/C controls.  A wired remote will cure that; a remote thermostat won't since the thermostat will be in the wrong place. A wireless thermostat may have trouble with UV line-of-sight. In this case the A/C unit needs 3.4 BTUs per watt consumed by the servers, just to break even, and that assumes ideal conditions.  So you would be wise to upsize the A/C unit somewhat.

A carefully oversized unit would allow you to open the house-side door to the server box, and let the unit cool the entire house.

Downside: It will be L-O-U-D all the time.  It will be like sleeping with a running vacuum cleaner.  Your neighbors won't like it either.

Big downside: When the A/C cycles off, you have a problem. It must wait awhile before restarting, due to a problem called "short cycling".  Meanwhile the box will very quickly heat up, and as it heats up, cooling fans/heatsinks becomes even less efficient, creating a vicious cycle.  The box could critically overheat before the A/C is ready to run again.  The way you solve this is  by having a much larger "thermal mass" to share the heat with. But water jugs won't cut it because they have too little surface area to interchange heat quickly.  You need something with a lot of surface area, like... the rest of the house.

Air condition the whole tiny-house 24x7

In this case you don't bother with a box, just mount the servers where convenient and mount the air conditioner(s) where convenient.  As far as air conditioner size, you will need the normal BTUs + 3.4 BTUs per watt of power actually consumed by the servers. So if you have 3000 watts of servers you'll need 10,200 BTUs additional, on top of the normal BTUs your tiny house will require.  That math works because servers convert 100% of their power to heat.

Downside: you are paying to cool the entire house all the time, even when you are not there.

Water cooling on the servers

In this case, you fit water heatsinks onto the major heat-making components, and plumb them so you can carry the hot water outside.

Skip through what these guys did.  They did a lot of mistakes and wheel-spinning that totally defeated the effectiveness of the project, because they are dumb and it was a stunt for a video.  But the principle is good.

I'm not a fan of how they use copper instead of cheaper stuff like PVC (humans won't drink it; no need for PEX).  In fact, the long uninsulated copper pipe runs acted as a radiator and dumped all the heat right back into the room,  completely defeating their project.  They also failed to design "high spots" for bleeding bubbles. All easily fixed.  Also, keep in mind these guys promote products for a living, so for instance they did a very stupid radiator design simply to use that manufacturer's units, which were totally unfit for the application.

A sensible person would go to a pick-your-part type junkyard, and obtain a radiator assembly off an SUV. Including radiator, shrouds, fans, thermal switches, fan relay(s) and wiring harness bits.  Wire it so when the thermoswitch closes, it starts up the fan(s), which you power from an adequate 12V power supply.  All this stuff is designed to live outside, obviously.

An SUV radiator is so large that I doubt the fans would ever need to run if it's not in direct sun.  That means the cooling system runs near silent.  The only thing running is a water pump.

Also, you would never use plain water, not least because stuff grows in it.  Use propylene glycol antifreeze (won't kill cats and dogs), or mineral oil.

Downside: This only cools components with cooling plates on them.  The rest of the components will still be adding heat to the box, and that too must be removed.  You could help that with another radiator inside the box, and putting it "first in line" for cooling: so the cooling flow is external radiator  -- in-box radiator -- CPUs -- VPUs -- external radiator.  Water cooling is so darned efficient that it won't matter if the water arrives at the CPU somewhat hotter.


What type of caulk should I use for bathroom tile? So I have a bathroom that has a tile floor, a small tile baseboard, and a tiled shower that has tile on the walls and floor.

The builder used grout everywhere and so after a while, pretty much all of the grout where the wall meets the floor is cracked.  I started researching and it seems that I should be using caulk at the change in planes.

So I was originally going to use silicone, but then found a mapei siliconized acrylic that color matched my current grout.  Should I be using just that, or silicone, or use that first and put a thin layer of silicone over it?

I would use the color matched acrylic everywhere except the shower stall. In the shower, I'd touch up with regular grout and then apply clear silicone. (Just be sure that the shower area is completely dry/clean before you apply the silicone.)


Conduit for cable under a porch I want to run power from my house, under my porch for ~13 feet, to an outdoor outlet on the "wall" below my porch. I'm wondering, can just run UF cable from the breaker, through the wall of the house, under the porch, and into the outlet box?

My front porch is maybe three or four feet above ground level and has decorative concrete blocks on three sides (and the house on the other side). There are holes in the decorative blocks, but too small for a person. So, since no human could get under the porch, it seems like the run wouldn't be subject to damage. (I can get in behind some drywall in the basement and then unscrewing an old boarded up window in order to work under there). So, I don't think I should need conduit. I figured I should use UF cable since rain/hose water could theoretically get under the porch.

Do I need to support the cable under the porch or can it rest on the "ground" under there? If I need to support it, what's a good way to do so considering I'd be surrounded by masonry? (I assume regular staples are not an option.)

I'm in the U.S.

Since this is outdoors, and a location where it shouldn't be subject to physical abuse (such as being stepped on, weed-whacked, or run over), nor will it see much if any sun, go ahead and run a UF cable under your porch.  You can either run it in the porch floor as if it were a NM cable (so, NM cable staples, bored holes through joists, or cable clips attached to masonry by whatever-means-needed), or leave it laying on the ground (it's direct burial suitable, after all).  You can even dig a trench under your porch and bury it if you so wish.


How do we extend, stabilize, and give a finished look to an outside faucet that is attached to the house? We have three issues we want to resolve regarding an outside faucet.

We want to extend the faucet about 4" from the siding,
We want to stabilize the faucet because it is bouncing around in the pipe hole,
We want to give it a finished look when done, because it is on the front of the house.

What product/products should we use to accomplish all three, and how should we install those products?

A 4" block of pressure-treated wood, or cedar.

A drill.

A frost-free-sillcock 4" longer than the connection to the pipe inside to the outside wall surface.

Some screws, type dependent on wall materials.

Paint. Optional on cedar for certain values of "finished look"


Will this plumbing setup result in galvanic corrosion? When I moved in two years ago, the plumbing in this area showed significant corrosion. There was no galvanic isolation between the steel pipes leading to the upstairs bath, and the copper piping in the basement. I updated the entire thing to what is shown below (cold water stack is labeled -- the hot water stack to the left is identical).
The two valves at the bottom (shutoff for laundry sink) failed last month, the cold one broke off in my hand when I needed to close it to work on the laundry sink. When I replaced it I noticed that the hot water side was leaking, this one failed when I went to remove it (luckily water was off). Both valves failed at a joint in the valve that appeared pressed together, and showed some signs of corrosion inside.
In the photos below you can see that the threaded nipples below the valves show some corrosion. I assumed this was due to the leaking valves. I also assumed the valves failed due to a faulty design of the pressed joint. But to avoid having to do this repair again in the future, I want to confirm if this set-up did/will result in galvanic corrosion, or if I was just unlucky in choosing a poorly designed valve.
If it's relevant, I am in Wisconsin on city water, and both hot and cold water are softened.

Looking at your photo I believe I see the upper 2 pipe unions appear to be dielectric unions, notice the orange insulators.
Dielectric unions isolate the copper to steel and would be the industry standard way to connect copper to galvanized pipe.
The lower pipes are flex pipes most commonly nickel plated brass with a plastic liner so no problem there either. It appears if anything the wrong type of nipple was used those fittings are for compression type not pipe thread thus the most probable reason for the leak. And the mass of Teflon tape that they tried to seal things with.
Ball valves can get sticky due to contaminates in the water (no corrosion statement would point to this) even the cleanest water and non use of a ball valve can cause a failure.


What type of drill should I get? I am moving into my house in a few weeks, and I want to get a general purpose drill for use around the house. I learned that there are different types of drills: power drill, hammer drill, and impact drill. Also, I've seen drills that are 8V all the way to 20V.
I want to use it for making holes in drywall for hanging TVs, picture frames, etc... I also want to be able to use it to assemble furniture, for example from Ikea.

A basic drill/driver will meet the needs you mentioned.
What is drill/driver?
I think a cordless one would be more convenient. I own the Dewalt 20volt max but you could get away with 12volt max if you are not going to be doing heavy drilling. Dewalt's and their batteries are not cheap, I have set of craftsman cordless tools in another location and they are more affordable. There are many options, Rigid is another.
You want one that has a clutch or adjustment stops so when you are assembling cabinets you can set it to a weaker torque setting to avoid driving the screws too deep.


Metering gas used for heating water in a multi-dwell building with one boiler I rent in a multi-dwell building. We are not directly charged for hot water but trying to figure out if we are indirectly charged via the Con-Ed gas bill.

Is it possible to meter gas usage for the heating of water in a building with one gas-powered boiler? If so, how? I have access to the boiler room. What should I look for to confirm?

Nope. One boiler means only one opportunity to meter the gas.


How to move building material, including large timbers, onto my property? I'm trying to build a small house on my rural property. I'm trying to use a building kit, which is delivered normally by a series of 18-wheelers. It includes large timbers, such as six 6x8 x 14ft treated posts (over 140 lb each) and dozens of 2x10s 10 feet long and longer. Plus pallets of roofing steel.

And I'm only one person - having someone to help isn't impossible, but it may be difficult.

I'm up a roughly half mile gravel private road and a 250 yard gravel driveway, the latter being kind of hilly, narrow, and winding. There's no chance that the 18-wheeler will go up the driveway, and it may not go down the private road.

My assets include a 4x4 pickup truck with lumber racks and some block and tackle type equipment. I also can potentially rent heavy equipment, though that has difficulties.

I was thinking possibly something like this might be practical: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200673741_200673741

I would get a flatbed trailer. The rig from northern tool is great for logs but your metal roofing won't work with that and usually when I have roofing delivery it is 20' sheets so a pickup is not the best choice either because of the length, however a flatbed trailer can handle both lumber, and the metal roofing. I made side boards for my flatbed and have hauled loads of bark mulch saving delivery costs. As a possible future use for the trailer, or sell it once the house is finished.


Wood knots showing through gloss paint on knotty pine doors despite applying knotting solution prior to painting I painted some knotty pine doors about 3 years ago but (despite applying knotting solution) knots are showing through on nearly all of them!

I followed the instructions on the bottle of the knotting solution (applying 2 / 3 coats with a rag IIRC) but obviously

a) I did something wrong or
b) the knotting solution I used (which was basically shellac) or
c) these doors are really knotty

Any suggestions as to why I have such a paint failure are welcome but what I would really like to ask is... is there a product on the market that will

paint over gloss paint
and will definitely seal the knots

I do not like the idea of sanding the doors (I have nine) back to the wood and I do not want to have to repaint them every 2 - 3 years.

Follow up

I have done a bit of googling and found this post.  It sounds like this Zinnser 123 or "ZinBin" are products similar to the "Kilz" paints mentioned by DA01.

I shall get one or the other (probably Zin123 since that is a bit cheaper and is soap+water cleanable (something I always like) unless anyone knows that ZinBin does a better job that is.

Knotty pine is great if you like the look of knotty pine. It sucks for every other use.

Otherwise, look into the line of Kilz products. They may have one that will do the job for you.


Can you lay ceramic/porcelain tile over existing mastic without grinding the floor? We had a basement flood, and consequently had to rip out the vinyl floor tiles in our basement. The tiles were not asbestos (we had them tested).

But after the tiles came up we discovered that they had been secured with black mastic. The adhesive did test positive for asbestos, 4-5%. So now we need to figure out the safest way to proceed with getting new tiles in, in light of that potentially dangerous material.

Contractors we have spoken to think the best approach is to put down new ceramic or porcelain tiles right over the existing adhesive. They said "capping" the mastic in a seal coat or thin layer of concrete wouldn't be a good idea- they'd need to pour rather a lot of concrete for that.

Originally the contractor wanted to grind the floor (which I've read is exactly the wrong thing to do if mastic has asbestos!) When I balked at the grinding, he said he'd instead use a "fortified mortar" to lay the new tile down. I believe he also referred to this as "high polymer" mortar.

My question: can you lay down ceramic/porcelain tile over existing mastic without grinding the floor?  Will it adhere suffiiently? Is there a better/safer approach?

I know this is an old question but you would us a modified thinset and tile.  NO NO NO you do not use mastic for a basement floor.  Next time it flood you will have tile/asbestos coming up.  If this option wasn't discussed with you then you had the wrong contractors.


Can a GFCI outlet be bad? If so, will it take everything on the circuit? Can a GFCI outlet go bad, causing the entire electrical line to open?

Yes, GFCIs can go bad over time.

And yes, they can block power to the entire downstream circuit. In fact, it's better that they do that than the other way around. You don't want a faulty GFCI providing power to a circuit that they're unable to protect. However, they're not guaranteed to do that, which is why you should test them regularly.


How can I patch a leak in my sprinkler system manifold? I found a couple tiny leaks in my sprinkler system manifold (see red circles in picture); While I already plan to have the manifold replaced, is there some way I can temporarily patch the leaks?

There are epoxy-based putties designed for leaks like this, but your sprinklers might work at a pressure higher than the putty can handle.  JBWeld makes one which is sold in home improvement stores.

If you try it, be sure to leave the water off while the putty dries, and use enough to circle the entire leaky joint.

Wear gloves to mix and apply.  Don't expect to be able to remove the putty from anything it is attached to - when you replace the manifold you'll need to replace the puttied parts too.