Why is my emt 1/2" conduit offset bend off? I used the Klein shrinkage calculations on the handle.  For example for a 3 inch offset bend, you use 6 inch from point A plus 3/4" or 6 3/4" for point B.

So, why is it when I bend it, that it is 4" instead of 3"?

Also, even when I used a 2"inch offset with 22.5 angle -- Klein table calculation it is off again by 1". What am I doing wrong? I'm not going past the line?

Also, is their a tool snap collar to measure 180 degrees so I can be exact instead of eye sight when I reverse it the opposite way on mark B? I also noticed that if it isn't exactly 180 on point B it also causes the offset to not be flush with the ground.

Thank You

So, why is it when I bend it, that it is 4" instead of 3"?

If your marks are accurate you are apparently overbending the angle. The shrink is not important with EMT since it can easily be cut to fit. Try making two marks 6" apart and see if you can accomplish a 3" offset with the bender standing up. See below.

  Also, even when I used a 2"inch offset with 22.5 angle -- Klein table calculation it is off again by 1". What am I doing wrong? I'm not going past the line?

You should bend offsets on ½" EMT in the standing position holding the conduit in one hand and the bender in the other. Bend the conduit down until the BOTTOM (not the top) of the conduit is even with the angle mark on the bender.

  Also, is their a tool snap collar to measure 180 degrees so I can be exact instead of eye sight when I reverse it the opposite way on mark B?

Yes, it is called a No-dog or an Anti-dog. But it will not work with a hand bender in the standing position. We just use our eye and sight down the conduit until it looks straight.

  I also noticed that if it isn't exactly 180 on point B it also causes the offset to not be flush with the ground.

This is called a dog-leg and can be remedied in ½" conduit fairly easily by inserting the conduit back into the bender and bending slightly perpendicular to the last bend. Larger conduit is done with a mechanical bender and that is when the No-dog comes in handy since with larger conduit it is very hard to fix a dog-leg.

I would recommend you get a copy of either the Benfield Conduit Bending Manual or Richard Cox's - Electricians Guide To Conduit Bending.

Good luck!


Insulation options for roof, looking into spray foam or batting I have a house built in 1955, it's a ranch. I'm in New York. The attic insulation appears to be pretty sparse. There are floorboards on the floor of the attic, it appears there is some pink fiberglass insulation between the floorboards. There is no insulation on the underside of the roof.

I was looking into insulation options, because:

It definitely feels a little drafty in here.
We're going through oil pretty quickly (we have a 3 year old burner running at 82% efficiency - not sure if the oil should be going this fast).

I was looking into spray foam as an option, but saw some horror stories about jobs gone wrong and the health impact on residents. Is batting insulation worth pursuing? I was hoping if I have it done professionally, then maybe its performance would be comparable to spray foaming the roof.

Cost isn't my primary concern, with spray foam I'm worried about:

Health impact
A bad job, seems like it could ruin the house
Any wiring etc fixed to the walls will get entombed in the spray foam.

Thanks for any opinions on this.

You first need to decide if you want the attic inside the HVAC envelope or not. Right now it's not, there's insulation on the attic floor (ceiling of floor below) capping the area to be heated there. That's most common/traditional. Making a "hot roof" and putting insulation on the inside of the sheathing would be instead of insulation on the attic floor.

Personally, I first air sealed the gaps in the attic floor and then put 22 inches of cellulose, plus added soffit vents. Made a big difference in energy costs.


cheap hot water tank failure after 3 1/2 years - expected, luck, installation problem, acid water, pressure cycle? This "6 year" hot water heater failed after 3.5 years - is it bad luck (eg normal for the $429 box store 40 gal DHW heaters and how they make money off what I expect is a pro-rated warranty?), poor water and/or pressure environment for the heater, or possibly an installation issue?

The failure is a pinhole leak about 1/2 way up the tank (I could hear a hissing when the tank has water pressure.)  After turning off the cold water supply, hissing stopped, but upon turning back on the leak became worse, even when supply was turned off, requiring immediate draining of the tank

Some facts about the water and system:

Well-pump with cold water pressure tank - which takes care of thermal expansion.  However, the pressure switch is likely operating in the 20-40psi range.  Could this pressure cycling, 100-500 times per day, weaken the tank?  (100 times per day is probably normal, but in the summer could approach 500 times per day due to use of garden hoses.)
The well water is rather acidic, but a solution pump raises the pH to the low 6s.  The water is naturally soft enough, with no other conditioning.
Never observed any excessive discoloration of the hot water.
The shower is over the heater, and on occasion, there is some air in the lines - don't recall if it was hot or cold.  Interestingly, this hasn't been happening for the past ~1 year.
A sand filter was NOT used water supply for most of the duration.  Possibly a fair amount of sand went into the tank - based on the amount of sand in the tank of a nearby toilet.
The previous two hot-water tanks had also been replaced prior to warranty expiration (under the previous owner), but the last one failed (3.5 years) due to internal gas leak instead of water.  (I prefer the internal water leak failure than as gas leak on New Years Eve!)

Facts about the installation:

Connections : Flue, plugged into grounded AC outlet, gas supply, hot and cold dielectric w/flexible water pipes, tanks metal feet rest directly on the concrete floor

The water pipe connections are via dielectric fittings at the tank, with ~18&24" flexible hot watcher hose kit to the copper pipes.  I'll put photos up.
Cold water pipe has nearby electrical earth ground connection, but the tank itself has no direct connection (except possibly the flexible hoses and AC plug ground)
After 3.5 years there was some corrosion on the hot water side, and the fittings can't be removed from the tank.
Previous tank was ~4' on resting on concrete blocks so I replaced with a tall (~5') and modified the plumbing using the flexible hoses instead of direct copper connection
Never checked the anode rod, maybe I should?

With 50 degree well water in the summer, everyone would be happy if the next one lasted longer.

Given that the last two also failed in the ~3 year timespan, I'd say either

you and the last guy have a strong affinity for bottom-shelf big-box cheapies
there is a quality problem with your water
there is a quality problem with your fuel

Assuming the pinhole developed in a non-combustion area, that would point to the water.  I would have it tested (which water treatment sellers will often do for free).

I would also have a close look at the anode.  If it is relatively intact, then changing the anode won't help. If it is massively corroded, then you'll need to make "changing the anode" an annual affair!


How to remove adhesive from ceiling? I just started to renovate my apartment in an old building. I removed the paint from the walls, but when i started to remove it from the ceiling I noticed it was fitted with polystyrene sheets.
I thought that it was glued, but to my unfortunate surprise adhesive, cement i think. It was used to bind it to a wall.
How do I remove it without damaging the ceiling? I read that chemicals are used on bricks but not sure about wall?
Also underneath cement is from what I can see paint on a plaster (i think its called that in English)
I would be really grateful for any help, or do i have to call somebody with more experience?

I would venture to say that if you remove that cement, the people in the apartment above you would land in your apartment. Your entire building is probably made of poured concrete and you're seeing the bottom of the upstairs apartment's floor.
The Styrofoam™ sheets you're seeing are for sound and thermal insulation between your apartment and the one above.
I'd suggest that you'll want to cut off the torn Styrofoam to create neat, square edges, replace it, then paint over it.
Also, you say "apartment" - to me, that implies that you're renting. I presume you have permission to do the renovation work? Often landlords don't like it when you start messing with their property without permission...


Can I tap into the kitchen / dishwasher drain pipe with my washing machine? I am moving my washing machine as a part of finishing my basement. Can I tap into a kitchen drain pipe (draining my sink and dishwasher) for my washing machine drain? How would this be done?

I imagine a 45° pipe fitting would suffice:

but, would that cause a smell from the kitchen in my laundry room?

Since you asked, I live in Virginia, USA.

Probably not a good idea. Clothes washing machines generally discharge a large volume of water at a high rate, the drain apparatus is built with a standpipe (either inside the wall or outside where you can see it) to accommodate the volume. The standpipe holds the water long enough for it to drain without overflowing. Alternatively, a laundry tub/sink is sometimes used. Your local code enforcement authority might even require a standpipe or tub.


Do I need crushed rock under a rarely used rock paver walkway? I am installing a rock paver walkway in my backyard. It won't be walked on frequently except by my dog. Approximate dimensions will be 9 x 4 feet. A base of about 4 inches of sand will be needed based on the size of the rocks I'm using.

Do I need a crushed rock base under the sand? I'm trying to do this as inexpensively as I can, because I'm only renting the house. I live in South East Pennsylvania if it matters.

Do you need? No.  You could technically lay them down on grass and they'd probably be OK for a short period of time.  But the next person who rents the house will be annoyed, and so might the landlord when the pavers settle.

A 30kg of gravel is about $5 at my local HD - so how much money are you really saving here?  And lets say you save $50 - if they settle while you are still living there, it will cost you more than $50 to fix after-the-fact.

Do it right the first time.


Replacing old tile kitchen with wall My basement kitchen wall is adjacent to the bathroom and shower.  I want to replace the old tile in the kitchen with a straight wall, which I’m planning to paint.  I have removed the old tile and found different material behind it.  The top appears to be cement board and the bottom appears to be drywall screwed into the cement board.  Behind this wall is a standing shower, which is also tiled.  Can you please advise on what is the best way to replace this side of the wall with a straight wall that I can paint?  Thank you.

Straight wall example:

The backer board is usually screwed to the studs , just like the Sheetrock although some used to use nails back in the 70’s.  The problem with demolition on this side of the wall is it can cause issues on the other side. The shower should have a vapor barrier moisture would not be my concern, but if any hammering is done on the wall make sure to get a grout & Tile sealer and reseal the shower so it will not have a leak.
I like to work with fresh Sheetrock to have clean straight walls it may be easier to Remove the cabinets they look to be sectional. Remove the backer and install fresh Sheetrock,
another option is to overlay Sheetrock on top but that is hard to hide the edges  with cabinets in place but I have done it with 1/4” where I wanted to cover a large mess without all the removal, then extending the receptacle  and switch boxes with extenders is simple. The tough part is very precise cuts on the Sheetrock to slip it in place, but this may give you the clean straight wall look you want with the least work.


How can I fit a door to my 28" wide fireplace? We recently removed (and, unfortunately, discarded) our fireplace door in hopes of getting something we liked better. Little did we know that our existing opening, at 28 inches wide, was abnormally small.

Wb bought a replacement a "small" fireplace door. The trouble is, the inset portion of the door is 28 1/2" wide. Doesn't fit so well. The way I see it, I have three options:

Find a source for ready-made doors that will Just Fit. I'd love this one if I knew a source.
Find someone, somewhere, who will make us a properly-fitting door. This sounds like an expensive prospect.
Skip the door, just put a screen on it. We're in the frigid northlands, though, so having a door to keep my heat from zipping up our fireplace flue sounds like a nice thing.
Get me a brick cutting wheel for my angle grinder and notch out enough brick so the door will fit properly. This makes a permanent change to the fireplace, so I'm a little hesitant. I mean, it'd be covered with the fireplace door, so maybe it's okay?

I've attached pictures (don't judge my measuring tape pics). The blue tape denotes where I'd need to cut, if I were gonna take the "cut it" route – that's about 1/2" on each side to give me a little wiggle room, and 3/4" deep to give the hinge some room.

Thoughts?

Notching the front of the fireplace sounds like an acceptable solution to me. The brick will be soft.  You may also need a little hammer and chisel work.


Electrical - converting 3-way to single pole for multiple fixtures My kitchen has 4 ceiling lights that are all on a 3-way switch (one switch at each end of the room). I would like to separate them and put 2 lights on one switch (single pole) and 2 lights on the other switch (single pole).

Can someone provide a wiring diagram for this?

The house was recently professionally rewired (before we bought it) so I'm hoping everything looks nice and tidy once I open up the boxes.

Thanks!

Three way switches offer a convenience that is sometimes not appreciated until you eliminate them and then are living without them.

One thing to consider if you are trying to split these four light fixtures into two in order to have times when your whole kitchen is not blaring in full light is to consider a different approach. You could replace these two 3-way switches with 3-way type dimmer switches.

This could give you want you want, reduced lighting, whilst being able to use the existing in place wiring. Depending upon device selection you could also get the ability to control the lights remotely.


Does No VOC Polyurethane Work Well? I am finishing a piece of furniture for my home and would like to use a no (or low) VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) product.  However, there does not seem to be many on the  market.  I found one so far:

http://www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com

Have you found a No/Low VOC that works well?  What tips do you have?

There are a number of low VOC finishes on the market.Two are Safecoat Polyureseal BP and Minwax Polycrylic.

They have one problem. If you have a dark finish, they tend to collect in corners and appear white against the dark stain when they dry.


Why is there water in my washing machine barrel some time after a load? I have a frigidaire front load washing machine, and we are finding a few inches of water in the barrel after running a load, but not right away -- it takes at least 1/2 an hour before the water appears in the barrel.

I can empty it quickly by running a spin cycle, and notice that the water is foul smelling, which leads me to think that it is drain water, rather than fresh water.

Also, the drain pipe runs into a utility sink, rather than a standpipe, so I'm pretty sure that there isn't water backing up into the drain.

Any thoughts what could be causing this?

It sounds like you have something causing drain water to backup, and siphon back into the barrel slowly.  The drain pipe that runs to the utility sink... does the pipe incline to get to the sink?

I had one many years ago and I can see it in my head.. the pipe would hold about 1.5 gallons of water, and would stink quite badly.  I never had it run back into my machine, but it would occasionally get knocked off the sink and spill on the basement floor.


Understanding electric heaters power I have tried a few electric heaters but they are not strong enough. My electric stove emanates more heat that those portable electric heaters. So Perhaps I am not looking for the right thing. What is the right heat measure for indoor radiant infrared/ceramic heaters (without fans)? (regardless of energy efficiency) and can they be used on normal outlets.

Well stoves aren't space heaters.  Remember that.

If you think your stove heats better, its probably due to your stove having 50 AMPS at 240V available to it.  That' 12,000 watts.

Any portable cheap electric space heater that you can plug in to mere common outlets will be limited to 1800 watts, but more often 1200 or 1350.

It's about the amount of energy available

Stoves have bigger wiring, bigger outlets, and access to more power.

In contrast my home electric furnace is hard wired and can draw up to 28,800 watts with an additional 2500 via the heat pump.

What it comes down to is this...

Heaters gonna heat

Install an appropriately sized heater.  If you want more heat you should buy one with a higher wattage rating, and it will probably need to be hardwired.  Don't use your stove for heating.


LED Replacement for T5 Fluorescent lights I have several T5 fluorescent lights in my kitchen, serving as under-cabinet lighting. Some of them are bust, and I’d like to replace them with LED strips instead.

The power for these lights are incorporated into the walls, hooked up to standard light switches. If possible, I’d like to replace the T5 units without needing to try to pull the new cables through the units.

I have some basic electrical skills: I’ve replaced several light switches and can rewire plugs, etc. But beyond that my knowledge is relatively limited. I’m pretty confident  could follow a decent guide though.

Are there LED strips available that easily plug into these connectors?

Alternatively, how would I best go about replacing these with LED lights? Is it just a case of sucking it up and pulling cable through the walls?

There are three ways to go.

Fit T-5 LED retrofit "tubes" into your existing fixture.
Purchase a new fixture which has socketed light bulbs, and fit LED light bulbs in the sockets.
Purchase a new socketless fixture which has LEDs soldered down.  Socketing LEDs is ridiculous since the LED emitter will last longer than the socket! (not so high hopes for the electronic driver circuit; that's probably what will die actually, but quality varies dramatically on that.)

Most of us here will recommend #1, for sheer simplicity of installation.  In this case, you obtain LED retrofit "tubes" (they look like a T5 fluorescent tube, but are festooned with LEDs instead of filled with argon gas or whatever). You must be conscious of what you are buying, because there are two ways to go here:

Plug-and-play, which means they pop right in where the tube went for ease of upgrade, except they still require the old fluorescent ballast (an electronic module) to be present and maintained. If the ballast fails you must maintain it.  Upside; you can always roll back to actual fluorescent tubes.
Direct-wire aka ballast-bypass, in which you pop the ballast maintenance cover off the fixture, and rearrange the wires so the AC power feeds the lamp sockets directly. Then the fixture only works with LED "tubes".

The fourth (first, really) option is to replace the fluorescent tubes with new actual fluorescent tubes.  Do this if you see black  rings near the ends of the tubes, or other signs the tubes are worn out.  If the tubes look healthy, the ballast may have failed - and that means don't do plug-n-play LED!  T5 tubes are expensive enough that I wouldn't want to buy some just to find out.  In 1-2 bulb quantity, LED "tube" replacements are cheaper than plain tubes!


Strange water pressure problem I have a water pressure problem (city line).  In our kitchen, which is the first physical stop (not counting washing machine) for hot water, the hot water flow pressure seems fine, but the cold water pressure is weak.  I'd guess about 25% of the hot water pressure.  Yet in the first bathroom (next in the chain), it's the opposite, but to a greater extreme.  The cold water gushes just fine, but the hot water is more a trickle in comparison, maybe 15% of the cold water pressure.  Not only that, but running the water in the bathroom or the washing machine causes the kitchen sink faucet to go from a drip to a steady stream leak for the duration of the use of water.

Is this something that the city needs to fix, since I do pay a water bill, or is it up to us as homeowners to hire a plumber or someone else to figure out what is going on and fix it?  This has been an on-going problem for years, I'm guilty of putting-off addressing it.

It sounds like a possibility that the valve may not be open completely, or a small debris plug. Make sure the valves under the sink are open completely. If no change, turn them off, disconnect them and look for an online water filter and make sure it is clean. If no filter, or it is clean, then check the faucet valve. Again disassemble the valve (handle assembly) and look for debris. 1 or both of these could be your issue. Do the same on the other faucet. If after these checks and cleanings, thing don't improve, then your shut off valve under the sink could be blocked with debris. Same check applies here except you need to make sure the water is shut off to the house first. Make sure all your joints you disconnect are tightened completely before restoring water.


What should I do about an electrical service panel that is next to the gas service meter? I have to upgrade my electrical service panel from knob & tube to current grounded code. The house is on bedrock and ground is the water pipe entry in the garage more than thirty feet away. Now it appears the service panel may need to be relocated due to the proximity of the gas service meter. The house was built in 1956, in San Mateo County, California.

What should I do about this situation?

I would contend that the gas meter was installed in the wrong place.  It clearly was installed long after the house was built and the original electrical panel installed. I would first ask the gas utility to move their mater. I would state that a 'home inspection' found the situation a hazard and are now asking to have the gas meter moved out of safety concerns. In fact, 'my' home owners insurance may become void without reparations.  It doesn't hurt to try.  They certainly have more resources to make this kind of a change than you do; not to mention the fact that they are the ones that put the meter is a hazardous and non-code compliant location. If you wanted to get hard nosed about it, I am  sure you could find a lawyer who would love to help.


Distance to leave between drilled holes in plaster I've drilled 3 6mm holes in a wall, about 30cm away from each other. They were meant to be vertically aligned but the measurements were off and it's on about a 5-10 degree slant. Because of this I need to start again (or mostly start again).

I had initially thought that I could keep the top hole, and just drill 2 more underneath but I think that the relatively short distance combined with the relatively small angle mean that this hole will be too close to the existing one and it will end up as one wide hole.

Is there a recommended distance between holes in plaster (either officially or anecdotally) so that, if I do start again completely, I can keep the holes as close to their original locations as possible.

Alternatively, is there a filler I can use (bought off the shelf) to fill these holes that would make them blend in with the existing wall (which I assume is plasterboard) and I could drill wherever I needed to?

Edit (in response to comments): The holes are being drilled to put some mounts for shelves up. The fasteners are just standard wall-plugs (that expand when a screw is inserted to wedge them in place)

For posterity, I'm copying my comments into an answer... hopefully this can help someone in a similar spot in the future. (Though generally speaking, hitting a stud instead of using drywall/plaster anchors is infinitely preferable.)

I can imagine a few possibilities:

If you can flip the shelf standards, you might get a totally different spacing. (Granted, they might only work one way up.)

Next best would be to raise everything by 2 inches. (That's totally anecdotal, btw... I have no evidence that 2 inches is the right number, although @Jack seems to agree.)

If you can't change height, I'd opt for toggle bolts, with the toggle arms vertical.

If you were to do shelving like a hack, you'd just angle both of the standards the same way and it would probably work out.


Ryobi circular saw motor runs, blade doesn’t Ryobi CSB142LZ - Used a fair amount.  Recently used it and made a lot of noise.   It seemed like the spindle lock was partially engaged.  Now, the spindle lock does nothing, ie, doesn’t prevent the blade from turning.  The motor runs, but the blade does not spin.  It is like the motor shaft is disconnected. Bought a new saw, but wondered if this is worth fixing.

Replacementparts.com show s no gearbox for this saw so it appears you have a snapped shaft. The armature goes for about $59 and you could get a new saw for that amount so it's not worth fixing. Numerous other parts are no longer available so don't waste your money. Just for fun, take it apart and see what happened. If you're in the USA, you have time on your hands.


What is this metal rail in the basement ceiling What is this metal rail in my basement and can I hang my 80 lbs punching bag on it? Thank you.

This is a load-bearing I-beam. This beam is holding up your house, so as long as it's well secured, you should be able to add an extra 80 lbs to it. They make mounting brackets specifically for hanging heavy bags onto these: http://amzn.to/2iXojjG


Why does my hot cooktop indicator light stay on too long? Why does my hot cooktop indicator light stay on after the cooktop is cool?  The indicator light never turns off.

This indicator may be driven by some form of temperature sensor.  If the light is staying on too long; or indefinitely, there is likely something wrong with the sensor, the sensor wiring, or the control board that interprets the signal from the sensor.

Without knowing the make and model of the stove, it's impossible to tell you where the sensor is, what type it is, how exactly to troubleshoot it, how to replace it, or if it can be adjusted.

The basic idea is that when the stove top heats up, the temperature sensor sends a signal either directly to the light, or to a control board. This causes the light to come on, and stay on as long as the stove top is above a certain temperature.  When the stove top cools down, the signal is no longer sent, and the light goes out.


Why do adjacent kitchen outlets need to be on separate circuits? I believe that's what the code calls for (I'm in Alberta, Canada) but maybe I'm making it up. I'm just wondering what the reason behind that is. Is it to spread the load out more in the event that you're using several appliances right next to each other?

I ask because I wired an island that has three outlets on it but I only ran one 14/3 wire to all of them. So there is two circuits and each half of each duplex receptacle will be on a separate circuit, but the adjacent outlets are on the same two circuits (if that makes sense). Is there something I'm missing that could cause a catastrophic failure?

Thanks!

You guessed it. You put adjacent receptacles in a kitchen where you regularly have high wattage items, toaster, blenders, microwaves, on separate circuits.  Additionally, each circuit in a kitchen or bathroom should be protected by a GFIC outlet.

I'm not sure of the code in your area, but typically you use 14/3 (the thinner wire) only for lights on a 15 Amp breaker. For receptacles, you typically use 12/3 and a 20 Amp breaker.

If you have a failure, it won't be catastrophic as long as you match your breaker amperage to your wire capacity. Though if you are using toasters and stuff on your island, you may be popping the circuit now and then.


Pulling outlet from existing 220 switch trying to install an outlet in the HVAC closet next to an existing switch. The switch has 2 black wires, 2 red wires and a ground wire connected to it. There is also a lose white wire in the back, which i would assume is neutral, but when measuring voltage between Neutral and Ground there is none. Any ideas if and how i could power an outlet from this?

Can't put a receptacle here

Receptacles are not allowed on a circuit if more than half its capacity is provisioned to hardwired loads.  A built-in air conditioner circuit will be 22A or so.

Can't put 15/20A receptacles on a 30A circuit

The circuit is breakered for 30A.  That means you can't have a 15A or 20A recep on it, in any case.

The wall-wart doesn't lend itself to hardwiring... Unless it does

All the Dyson power supplies I turned up in a search were "hang off a socket" type wall-warts, and had a built-in plug matched to local power.  Presumably yours is NEMA 1-15 or 5-15.  If instead of a plug there were a pair of wires, we could make a case for "hard-wiring" the load, dodging the "no receptacles" and "no 15/20A receptacles" rules.  However, I don't see a way to attach wires to that which I could defend to the inspector with a straight face.

There's also a question of whether the power supply is a factor in the battery charging.  Batteries - especially the popular lithium batteries - absolutely require circuitry to prevent overcharging.   If the vacuum simply wants a generic DC voltage such as 12 volts, and has that charge-controller circuitry onboard, then we can substitute any generic DC power supply of the coarsely correct voltage, and that can include supplies that lend themselves to hard-wiring.  However, if the "keep the lithium battery from exploding" charge control circuitry is in the Dyson wall-wart, then we ned a Dyson branded supply involved somehow.

See if Dyson makes a car charger (cigarette lighter) for it.  If they do, then any 12 volt DC power supply will do that supports hardwiring. It can be brought out to a cigarette lighter socket if it doesn't have one built-in. Then, use the Dyson car charger.

Don't trust that neutral

It's probably not even connected in the panel. By the way, the way you test it is measuring 120V between each hot and neutral.  Regardless, I would just wire up the load 240V, as that dodges multi-wire branch circuit complications.  Do not under any circumstance put a NEMA 5 socket on 240V.


Vinyl Siding Repair Quantities Installed vinyl siding has missing chunks.  I would like to purchase a small quantity to replace the siding.

What information do I need to provide to the local supply shop?
How is siding material purchase measured?

The job needs a very small quantity.

Best bet is to take a small section to the place you plan to order from. They might be able to match it up to what they can order. Color, size, shape, etc.

Measure the areas to be repaired and convert that to square feet.


What is this radiator vent used for and how is it used? My place has a steam heater.  On its right side, there is something similar to radiator vent

It has a pin movable anywhere in the middle slot which is about a half circle. I was wondering what it is used for, and how it is used? When the pin is on either of the two ends, what does it do?

Thanks.

According to the manufacturer, Heat-Timer Corp. The item pictured is a "Varivalve" air vent.

  "The function of the radiator air vent is to provide a means for air
  to be driven out of the radiator as steam enters. At a given pressure
  the fill time of a radiator varies proportional to its heat capacity
  and inversely proportional to the venting capacity of the radiator air
  vent. It is possible to control the speed at which a radiator will
  fill with steam by installing a radiator air vent with a certain
  venting capacity. Used in this manner, radiator air vents are helpful
  in evening out the heat distribution in a building."

The pin is an adjusting lever that controls how fast the air is released from the radiator which, in turn, affects how fast the radiator fills with steam. By setting the pins correctly you can prevent all the steam (heat) from running to one end of a room or building.

I don't have any first-hand experience with these specific devices, but here's a link to the manufacturer's instructions for the product.


Should I lubricate moving parts of electric dryer? If yes, then how? Recently the belt of my 8 year old electric dryer snapped due to wear. So I have opened up the dryer and while I am waiting for the replacement belt to arrive I was wondering if it makes sense to also lube up pulleys and/or other moving parts inside the dryer to extend lifetime of remaining parts? If yes, then what lube to use (teflon, lithium, graphite or some other)?

Following considerations came into my mind and I am somewhat overwhelmed with all the lubricant options available:

pulleys are made from plastic. Hence lube must be plastic-friendly
small lint will be inside dryer. Hence lube should not attract such particles.
the temperatures can get quite high. Hence lube should not be flammable.
any other considerations I may be missing?

Your Dryer manufacturer should have a part number for lubricants that are used for those components - if you want the correct lubricant - that is where to get the correct type maybe even find a second source for it if they provide a manufacturer and type.
However some bearings are sealed bearings and if they are sealed they aren't to be lubricated - but replaced.


Why is voltage detected in my ceramic tile floor? I found out (in a rather uncomfortable manner) that there is a potential difference between the phase line in my home and the ceramic tile floor. My Fluke multimeter reads 30V AC, I assume the reading is inaccurate because of the low conductivity of the tile surface. However, there was enough current to give me an unpleasant shock. I was dry, but my skin was in contact with the floor.

How is this possible? Are there tiles made of ceramic-like materials that are conductive? Are conductive ceramic tiles sometimes used in home construction?

Check the voltage with an analog voltmeter. Digital voltmeters will register a voltage from almost anything as they have a very high impedance and draw very little power. You could also use a regular incandescent bulb and see if it glows a little.This will let you know if there is any power behind the voltage. If by phase line, you mean the neutral incoming wire, it's possible it's not groundedat the panel and/or the pole transformer. Measure from the neutral to ground to see if you have a potential difference. It's possible the shock you received was static electricity and nothing to do with voltage difference between the tiles and the neutral..


Why would skim coat discolor? There was peeling and bubbling paint in the area (bottom right) where the brownish stains are in the picture.

That wall has been scraped, sanded and skim coated. I think the wall is plaster.

What would cause that brown stain?

There is plumbing behind that wall. The shower head is in the other side of the wall ( a foot or so above that stain and maybe a foot to the left)

Moisture.  Given the sequence of events resulting in the appearance of the brown spots and an obvious source of moisture, from the piping, one can rule out "grease", "tar", "solvents", "oils", and etc.  Whatever caused the previous paint to "bubble and peel" is continuing to impact this area.


What would cause this dishwasher diffuser part to repeatedly fail? The diffuser / wash arm support part on my Kenmore dishwasher has failed like clockwork every six months, three times now. This comes as one solid part, with the diffuser blades and support axle fused to the inside of the support shell. The failure is always the same: the diffuser and axle piece separates from the shell and falls into a lower position, which makes the wash arm less stable and less effective.
The machine worked for years before this part failed the first time, but now the replacements only last six months. What could be putting additional stress on the part? Is there something else that could be repaired that might make the diffuser last longer?

The part is Frigidaire # 154367402.
A note about wear and tear visible in the picture: The scoring visible on the bottoms of the diffuser blades happens as a result of the part breaking and ending up in the wrong position, so this wear is unrelated to the root cause of the failure.

Look for an imbalance in the wash arm (or whatever it is) that rides on he axle. check that all the jets are clear and flowing propperly etc.


How do I reduce the moisture under an exterior wood deck? Existing conditions:

2000 sq.ft of deck, 3/4" x 4" cumaru planks with 3/8" spacing, over 2x8 pt joist and double 2x12 pt beams, over helical piles.
depth of deck to bot of dirt is approximately 18"-20".
there is very little ventilation on all sides.

May I just add, providing spacing between the decking?

When we moved into our home, the deck which has two sides connected to the house had some standing water beneath it.  The decking was pushed together and heavily painted, so there were no gaps for water to just drip off.  Instead it all flowed to the lowest corner and created a puddle underneath the deck.

Once the decking was correctly spaced, water would drip evenly beneath the deck, now had a third option when evaporating which was up.


Doors are sticky and noisy when opened? For some reason, the doors in our house make a very loud "unsticking" sound when you open them.

It's almost as if the paint isn't cured, since the sound seems to come from the contact area around the frame, where the door touches the doorframe -- but this house has not been painted in 5 years.

This loud "unsticking" door opening noise doesn't seem like a big problem, and I suppose it isn't, but since I'm a night owl, so when I open doors it tends to wake my wife up. And that's not good for ye olde marital harmony.

What can I do to make the doors in our home open more quietly without this sticking sound?

Should I somehow lubricate the frame (I'm worried that it'll collect dust or other particles and look bad)? Maybe use sandpaper to rough the paint up so it's less likely to stick?

By what you're describing, I assume you have paint on the outer edges of the door and the inside of the door frame. Paint doesn't make a good lubricant. And the door may not have been fitted to have the clearance for a coat of paint, or three coats if its an older house. And then when its humid and the door expands a bit, the paint rubs catches against the paint on the other surface.

If that is true, you could sand down or strip the offending parts until they clear each other without touching (and possibly repaint with a single coat if you need to). I'd expect sanding only to "rough it up" to increase the friction, not make it better.


How to mount TV to basement wall under stairs? I have a 55" TV I'd like to mount on a basement wall, which is located under the stairs. The area under the stairs is actually accessible, and I've gone back there to see what's available. It looks like there are studs there, but they're only 2 1/4" x 1 1/2"? Here is a picture:

Here the sloping ceiling is the underbelly of the stairs.

Is there any way to mount this TV to this wall safely and securely? Sorry if this is an easy question, I'm a complete novice at this.

Edit: some more photos.

Here's the front of the wall:

Here's some better pics of the back of the wall:

As you can see there was apparently already a TV mounted there beforehand.

The person who installed the dual speaker assembly cut off one of the studs and this could be of some concern. You could try to anchor that stud to the side of the stair support to make the stud more secure. Alternatively you could screw a flat 2x4 down (shown as red outline) on top of the lower plate just under the speaker assembly. Then a second flat piece of 2x4 depicted in the yellow outline could be screwed to the added red piece and into the stub of the stud above. The stud may need to be shimmed out with an appropriate piece of wood cut to size. From your pictures this looks like it would clear the rear end of that one speaker. Do use screws to fasten the pieces as the pounding of nails with a hammer would likely blister the nails/screws that hold the drywall in place. Since the added 2x4 pieces are relatively small it would also be advisable to use some construction adhesive to glue the pieces together before screwing. Once set the glue will make the assembly much more solid.

So as long as you put the sturdy mounting screws for the TV bracket into the studs in a proper manner (i.e. predrill with the correct diameter pilot drill) to prevent splitting of the studs you should be good to go.


How do I best protect my hardwood floors from damage by moving chair legs I have beautiful oak wood floors in my kitchen. Its looking wonderful since I finally found something great to clean it with.

The problem I have though is an ongoing one. I have wood kitchen chairs and the pad things don''t stay on very well. I use felt pads that won''t stay stuck to the bottoms of the chairs. I am constantly having to go to home depot and buy new pads and even then they don''t stay on very well. They slide around the bottom and leave sticky gooey mess on my wood floors (from the adhesive on the felt pads to stick to the chair.

I tired the kind of pads that you nail on and nailed them on all 6 of my chairs and they were leavig white marks on my floors so I had to spend an evening prying them off my chairs with pliers.

Why am I having such a hard time finding something to put on the bottom of my wood chairs that won''t scratch my wood floor?

I can't do a rug because with 4 kids I end of with lots of food on the floor!

What's you guys' suggestion to protect my floors?
Thank you!

There are Teflon glides that can be screwed on. You might try those on one chair to see how they work out for you. Because they screw on, then can be easily unscrewed. I would drill a pilot hole - though your existing nail holes might suffice.

Teflon is a proprietary name for PTFE, so search also for screw-on PTFE furniture glides.

Teflon is slippery, so a disadvantage may be that your chairs might scoot away from you if you are not careful when sitting down. There's no getting away from the fact that staying-put requires friction which means abrasion.


Can you repair a kinked copper pipe? I have a copper water pipe which has a mild kink in it, very similar to this photo, not even quite as severe:

It is hard copper.

The kink itself is not causing any problems but in the future I may need to do some work in this area and I'm concerned that it might make working with fittings near the kink difficult, especially since the pipe may need to be cut back a bit closer to the defect.

Obviously one option is to replace the kinked section, and that might be the best course of action.

But is there a method to attempt to restore the correct shape of the pipe? This seems worth at least trying first before taking on a much more laborious replacement. Especially if there is, say, a $15 special tool or something that could do the job and save a few hours work.

Thanks

If you can drain the pipe, then you could heat the pipe with a blow torch and using some long handle pliers or pipe grips gently "persuade" the kink out... You have to have patience.

But if it is not severe then leave well alone and don't bend it any more.


can I use an unused y2 or w2 aux wire and connect to the C terminal I got a new ecobee thermostat that requires a c wire. my current thermostat has 4 wires plugged in, and there are 2 extra wires not being used coming out of the wall one blue labled y2, and a brown one lableled w2 aux. they both have current flowing. Can I use either of these and connect to the c terminal?

[

It looks to me that you can connect either wire to the same terminal as the yellow wire. I would use the brown simply because it is as close to black than any other color. To be honest T'stat control wiring really doesn't have a color code but everyone sticks to the color that the letter indicates for clarity's sake. So disconnect the brown from your control panel and connect it to the C terminal and then connect it to the C terminal in the T'stat.

Good luck


What should I consider when boarding up windows for a storm? What should be considered when boarding up windows for a storm (or for that manner, during construction, etc.)?    What thickness plywood is required?   Should it be sized to the size of the sash and fastened inside the frame, or should the framing be covered as well?

First measure across the window, door, vent from the inside of the exterior trim to the outside of the exterior trim on the other side. Do this vertically and horizontally. Then add 6-8 inches to BOTH measurements, this is the size of plywood you need. You add length and width because you don't want the plywood pushing on the glass.

The thickness of the plywood is a personal choice, I would use 3/8 or 1/2 inch, but remember 1/2 is more expensive and weights more. I have never had problems with 3/8.

When you attach it to your wall, you can do things quickly or carefully. This depends upon what the exterior of your house is, how much time you have, and how often you see yourself doing this in the future. You could just screw the plywood to the wall with a long screw every 12-14 inches. OR you drill holes into the boards, hold it to the wall, mark the hole locations, then drill into your house and use a tap and die to make a more permanent screw hole.

The former option is preferred if you don't see yourself protecting your home that often. But if you live in tornado alley, I would definitely upgrade to 1/2 inch and use a tap and die for strength and convenience.


Why won't my natural gas fireplace light when it's cold? I installed a Heatilator Caliber, natural gas fireplace, model CNXT4236 a couple of years ago in my basement.  When the outside temperature  gets below 32°F or so I have to heat the area where all of the electrical and piping is below the firebox to get it to light.  The pilot comes on and the sensor glows red but the burner won't come on.  If I blow an electric heater in the area for a few minutes it lights fine and continues to work fine until it's been off for several hours.

From the Manual, one of these two solutions sounds most likely:

  Verify all connections to wiring diagram in manual. Verify connections underneath pilot assembly are tight. Verify flame sense or igniter wires are not grounding out to metal chassis, pilot burner, pilot enclosure or screen if present, or any other metal object.

Or

  With fixed glass assembly in place, verify that flame is engulfing flame-sensing rod on left side of pilot hood. Flamesensing rod should glow shortly after ignition. With a multimeter, verify that current in series between module and sense lead is at least 0.14 microamps. Verify correct pilot orifice is installed and gas inlet is set to pressure specifications. Polish flame-sensing rod with fine steel wool to remove any contaminants that may have accumulated on flame-sensing rod.

The fact that it occurs only when cold could mean a poor electrical connection (metal expands when heated which results in a better connection), or the thermocouple is not properly in the flame (maybe by such a small distance that the room heat allows it to get to the proper voltage).


Should I replace a knob lock when replacing a matching deadbolt? I've got three external doors with Callan knob lock and deadbolt sets. The deatbolts on two of the doors have failed due to a part on the inside that has deteriorated.

I was hoping to replace the deadbolts but keep my knob locks and keys. Is that advisable? Can a new deadbolt (different brand) bey keyed to match my old key and lock sets? Should I replace the knob locks when I replace the deadbolts and go with new keys?

As the comments above pointed out, it makes sense to change both the knob and the deadbolt at once. Somebody also mentioned that Callan uses the Kwikset keyway. I confirmed that my key was a kwikset keyway and bought two Kwikset smart key knob/bolt combos from home depot. Using the smartkey feature, I was able to rekey the locks at my home to match my existing key. At about $90 total, this ended up being both a reasonably priced and convenient way to continue using my existing keys on all doors.

I still have callan knob/locks on 2-3 other doors, but they are much lower traffic and have not seen the same amount of wear. Should they ever break, I can replace them with a kwikset combo.


How does hot water get circulated into an indirect fired hot water heater? For an indirect heated hot water tank, the hot water comes from a boiler.

Why are there two output ports on my tank?

I have appended below a diagram of an HTP/Superstor tank to use as a reference:

A - emergency relief
B - outlet 1
C - thermostat
D - input to boiler
E - output to boiler
F - outlet 2

So, from the diagram you can see that there are two outlets. Does the hot water make a circuit and one is an outlet and one is an inlet?

It's because inside the tank there's a coil in which circulates hot water from boiler (without mixing with clean DHW). The boiler is connected in a 'closed loop'.

The 'loop' connections are on DE, clean water enters at F and hot water exits from B.

I think they call both 'outlet' because you could use the lower one also as outlet when you drain your system. Also input to boiler sounds little weird to me.

Another option is if that thank is used as 'cold' puffer for AC: heat pump cools water inside then water is 'recirculated' trough the fan-coils. In this case return from fan-coils should be plumbed on B and cold output to F

top to bottom:
1> hot water outlet  (B)
2> input FROM boiler (D)
3> output TO boiler  (E)
4> clod water inlet  (F)

also check this


How do I trade the lights that these two light switches control with each other? I have two light switches in my bathroom.   I'd like to swap the lights that they operate with each other.

I have no experience with this kind of thing, but I'm hoping the proximity of the two switches makes it simpler.

Your honest statement, "I have no experience with this kind of thing," is both refreshing and cautionary. Electricity can be dangerous. Most of us who dabble in it have learned a good bit by watching those who are much more experienced. When in doubt, call a pro (or at least a well-seasoned amateur). What follows is not a recommendation for you to proceed. Think about getting more experienced help.

The switches can be switched. How difficult it is depends on how they are presently wired.

The switch on the left, Switch A, has a full circuit in the box, that is, a hot, neutral and ground, which powers the outlet. Switch A above it is probably on the same line and works by interrupting the hot current to the light it controls, Light One. The neutral and ground that feed the outlet are probably tied in to the controlled light. The question is, where does the switch on the right, Switch B, and the light it controls, Light Two, get their power?

If Light Two gets its power (hot and neutral) directly from the box that contains Switch A, and the line to Switch B is just a two wire hot line that Switch B either connects or disconnects to Light Two (back through the box containing Switch A), then the lines in Switch A's box that control both lights can be swapped to reverse the switches.

If Light Two draws its power directly from the box on the right (rather than through the Switch A box), you cannot reverse the controls without running a new line.  The most likely solution is to open a channel in the wall between the two boxes and run a new line to Switch B. Then Switches A and B can be reassigned. The channel can then be patched with drywall tape and compound.

The way to tell whether you have the easy or the hard setup is look in the box containing Switch B.  If there is just one line with a black and white wire (and a bare ground), but no other wire, you have the easy setup.  If there are two or more lines in Switch B box, you have the harder setup.

Exactly how to swap the wires is a bit complex, and if you do not already know how to do this, you really should have help.


I can't shut of the hot water completely I have a leaky shower. I bought new inserts to replace the valves in the faucet handles. I shut off the water at the main coming into the house and then removed the hot water side first. When I removed the valve a quarter inch stream of hot water continued to flow out of the pipe. As the hot water heater in in the basement and this bathroom on the floor above I don't think it a gravity issue of any kind. I replaced the valve and that stream of water continued to leak, but now out of the faucet. I can't seem to get it stopped. Any help would be appreciated!

Go back and once again turn off the water main valve where cold water enters your house. Then go to various sinks and bath areas and turn on the faucets there. These will allow the water from higher level piping to drain out and break any potential siphon action that may have been occurring in your shower where you were trying to do the repair.

There are a number of reasons why a replacement of part of that hot water valve insert may not be working:

The wrong style of insert is being used.
The insert may be too thin.
There is debris in the faucet body that prevents the faucet stem from being turned completely in to bottom out the insert.
There a crack or corrosion damage of the seat part of the valve that prevents the new insert from even working.


Splitting a 220v line into a 110v line and a 220v line? This question reminded me that when we bought our house, I found the previous owner had taken the dryer's 220v circuit and continued half of it from the 220v outlet to make a 110v circuit for the rest of the garage.

The 220v outlet still powered the dryer.

Even as a new naive home owner this struck me as probably incorrect and had it fixed when we upgraded the panel.

Can you explain the specific reasons why this was bad - and what code it breaks?

20A outlet on 30A circuit = no

The Code problem here has nothing to do with voltages and everything to do with currents. First off, 210.21(B)(3) and the associated table prohibit putting a 20A receptacle on a 30A branch circuit.  In addition to that, you can't run a receptacle off a tap conductor, as this is prohibited by 210.19(A)(2) (as well as being excluded by the list in 210.19(A)(4) exception 1):

  (2) Branch Circuits with More than One Receptacle. Conductors of branch circuits supplying more than one receptacle for cord-and-plug-connected portable loads shall have an
  ampacity of not less than the rating of the branch circuit.


Running two new circuits to outside backyard (One for swimming pool) I am looking to run two new circuits outside. Initially it was one circuit for a swimming pool, but I figure since I am doing the run to the other side of the yard, I should run another circuit for yard decorations, tools, etc.

I am going to use a GFCI circuit break for both, and I would like to run the same wires in the same conduit. I planned on making the pool circuit 20amps, and the secondary outlet 15amps. I have metal conduit in the house, and would like to lead out of the house from metal conduit to pvc conduit.

1)For inside the house, is it better to run a separate conduit line for these two circuits, or pull through an existing conduit to save time. Here are pictures of the basement ceiling conduit and breaker box, and the corner of the basement I would like to lead the conduit out at. Is there a circuit spot I need to come out of the house at, or any restrictions?

Bring electric out through this corner.

Would like to run conduit along fence line to corner gate, right side. The other trench in picture is for french drain I am installing. The trench would start from left of picture to fence. Pool will be around that corner as well.

Trench start from house

2) with the length of the run, about 75ft outside, and then about 40ft to run the wire from the breaker box to the otherside of the basement, then to outside, should I run 12guage wire for both the 20amp and 15amp circuits to reduce any voltage loss? Also, would the wires be 2 neutrals, and 2 hot, and then coming from the outside, 1 ground? What guage should the ground be?

3) can I come out of the house on an angle to shorten the length then with a 45 degree turn, then straight and then a 90 for 4ft, and another 90 for 1ft run then go up to surface mount..

4) how far above ground do the outlets need to be? And can both circuits sit on the same 4x4 post?

5)Anything else I should know?

I have the permit for the pool approved and I was told the electrical is included. I submitted the permit application before I decided to add the extra circuit. Would the second circuit in this scenario usually cover the second circuit inspection since the inspector is basically looking at all the same things?

Thank you!

Two circuits to the same place must be different.

You can't simply run two 120V general-purpose circuits to an outdoor location or outbuilding.  There must be something that makes one circuit different from the other.  For instance it can be a different voltage (120 vs 240 vs 120/240 split vs MWBC)... Or differently controlled (always-on, on a manual switch, pressure switch, timer, etc.)

For instance you could have a 240v pump working off a pressure switch, a 240V always-hot circuit powering heater on a thermostat in a shed, a general purpose 120V circuit, and two lighting circuits controlled by different switches.

Separate neutrals required; shared ground is fine

In fact, certain types of conduit are permitted to be used as the ground wire.   The ground needs to be sized for the largest circuit.

Upsizing wires is a good idea for these distances

It's not required to upsize wires for long distances, but it certainly helps machines perform better and reduce breaker trips.

Once you commit to 12 AWG you might as well breaker for 20A.

No more than four

You can have a maximum four circuits per conduit.   240V/120V circuits count as one circuit.  MWBCs count as one circuit.

If you want to have more than four circuits, you can do up to ten if you bump all the circuits up a wire size (well, 2 sizes, 12 to 10 etc.).  This applies to circuits up to 20A.  For larger, the math is more complicated.


Receptacle connection with aluminum wiring? I recently purchased a home that has some aluminum wiring. The previous owner decided to "upgrade" the receptacles to make it "safer" for me and my family; these changes were made after the general inspection. He added some kind of crimp (yellow) between the wire and the receptacle and then added anti-oxidant paste.

I had two electricians inspect the work:

The first claimed that it doesn't follow regulations/standards, it was dangerous, and crimps used are not rated for receptacles (usually for electronics) and that there is even more of a chance it will come undone now. He recommended cutting them off and doing the connection directly to the receptacle with the anti-oxidant paste (as it was before)
The second claimed that it should be fine as long as the anti-oxidant paste was added

Find attached a picture illustrating the crimps (yellow) that was used in the installation (this is a sample the previous owner gave me, the real wiring in my wall is aluminum.

Now I am reaching out to the community to see who is right...
Are these "crimps" safe and acceptable solutions for the receptacle wiring or do I need to re-install them?

Any advice would be much appreciated, mostly worried about safety and insurances.
Thanks,

First off, the first electrician is wrong in saying that the use of a crimp-type terminal in house wiring is categorically unsafe.  Crimp-type terminals listed under UL 486A for use on solid wire of the given gauge are considered acceptable for use in building wiring, as per UL 486A section 1.1:

  These requirements cover pressure wire connectors and soldering lugs for use
  with copper conductors according to the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70.

and NEC 110.14(A):

  Terminals. Connection of conductors to terminal parts shall ensure a
  thoroughly good connection without damaging the conductors and shall be made
  by means of pressure connectors (including set-screw type), solder lugs, or
  splices to flexible leads. Connection by means of wire-binding screws or studs
  and nuts that have upturned lugs or the equivalent shall be permitted for 10
  AWG or smaller conductors.

  Terminals for more than one conductor and terminals used to connect aluminum
  shall be so identified.

However, I would be quite hesitant to call this specific application fully Code-conformant -- garden-variety listed crimp terminals are listed for use with copper wire only, and it would be unlikely that the previous homeowner had access to terminals identified for use with aluminum wiring.

EDIT based on updated info about the devices:

Since the existing devices are copper only, your options go as follows (in order of preference):

Find an electrician in your area who is qualified on the Tyco/AMP COPALUM system for pigtailing copper to aluminum -- these have a long, successful field service history, but require a specially qualified electrician to install, and are rather expensive -- you might be able to get the seller to shell out for this, though...
Use the AlumiConn connectors with a torque screwdriver for pigtailing.  This is something that most electricians can do, or you can DIY if you know your way around electricity and have a torque screwdriver -- the AlumiConn must be torqued to spec to meet its UL listing.
Replace all the devices with modern CO/ALR types.  This is a last resort as CO/ALR device performance has been historically variable, unfortunately.


What is this receptacle called? My Honda EU3000 generator has two types of output receptacles. One takes a usual (USA) 3 prong 110v plug.  The other is also 110v but seems to take some type of twist connector.  I need to find an adapter to change it to the usual 3 prong plug. What is this twist connection called and are there adapters to standard 3 prong plug type?

Just what you asked in your question. It's called a "twist lock" receptacle and accepts a twist lock plug. You will find this type of plug at the temporary power pole on job sites. They have the distinct ability once plugged and locked-in the receptacle to remain plugged-in no matter how the extension cord is pulled. This has saved many foot steps back and forth to re-connect for power.   And yes you can buy change over adapters that have a male twist-lock and a 3 prong standard female plug at each end.


How to anchor zipline to house I want to add a zipline to my backyard. I'd like to anchor one end to the house itself. The other end will probably anchor to a tree in the back end of the yard. There is a lot of information for how to anchor with trees as both endpoints, but I'm not finding anything for if I want to set a safe anchor on the house. I haven't moved in yet, so I can't get too specific with what kind of material we'll be working with, but here's a view of the back of the house:

Ideally, the anchor would be accessible from the deck you see on the left side of the photo (where there is stucco).

The bottom line is that the framing in the corners of your house really isn't meant for a dynamic (e.g. bouncing and jerking) lateral load like what you're talking about. It isn't even meant for a static lateral load. It's meant to hold stuff up, vertically. Once it starts leaning, the game's up.

If you're really dedicated to doing this, I would look into sinking some kind of post in that corner and supporting it appropriately. To know what "appropriately" looks like, you really should talk to an engineer. I can think of a few crazy schemes, including guy lines (metal cable) running through the attic and secured at multiple points where there are headers,  with the addition of some kind of metal plate to distribute the load, then down to be staked into the ground. But the only way to know if the loads would be supported would be to do the math. The math is going to involve some trigonometry and maybe some calculus. That's what engineers are for. ;-)

You will not have anything like 4x4's at the corner of the house.

You'll have regular 2x4 studs (or 2x6's depending on what the exterior walls were framed with), with typically one extra stud positioned so that it gives you a lip to screw the drywall to on the inside. The corners typically aren't built up heavy. Keeping the wall from deforming into a rhombus is the job of the shear wall design.

The extra stud might provide a tiny bit of extra lateral stiffness in the corners, but not anything significant. Even if you have three or four king studs teamed up at the end of the wall, it isn't really going to create extra lateral stiffness. It's still the shear wall design that keeps the walls square when the wind blows. I've heard framers joke that it's the sheetrock that holds your house up. It's actually the plywood or oxboard on the outside that stiffens the wall, although the sheetrock actually does stiffen it up a bit, too.

Here are a couple of pictures of what your corners look like on the inside, and a picture of a shear wall undergoing load testing with a hydraulic ram simulating earthquake and/or wind loads.


0v at DC thermostat terminal in furnace I have an old (mid 80s) Rheem gas furnace I hope will last me through at least one more California winter. It's been known to go down into the upper fifties, so it has its work cut out for it.

In any case, this is my furnace

Its breaker is on, and there's AC power to it, I've checked.
This is the switch through which its AC power comes in.
(bonus points for who can tell me what that little transformer looking thing below it does - is it related?)

I any case, after a remodel that involved moving the thermostat, I went to plug it back in, and it complained about there being no power on the Rh wire.
Troubleshooting led me back to the furnace itself. I measured DC between the terminals here, but they all read 0v not the 27v I read about and was expecting.

What can I do, am I even in the right place?

Thermostats utilize 24VAC, not DC. If you measure an AC voltage with a DC meter, it will show 0.

I just noticed that ThreePhaseEel posted this answer 16 hours ago as a comment. He/she should get credit for the answer!


Can I add a pop up drain stopper to this bathtub? This piece has been missing since we moved in. Bought one from Home Depot and part that screws in was way too big. Does anyone know what kind I would need? When I went back to Home Depot, it looked like the only thing that might fit this is a drain strainer, but I would rather have a pop up stopper.

You can replace the silver drain spud ( the silver part in your tub )  by using  this special tool. You can replace it with one that will accept the stopper you have or any other.

You place the tool into the spud and use a crescent wrench or a screw driver thru the hole to gently turn it counter clockwise to unscrew it from the drain pipe under the tub, then install the new one in the reverse.

Use a little lube on the new treads and some plumbers putty under the flange when you put the new one in. There is a gasket under the tub between the drain pipe and the bottom of the tub, this should stay in place but be careful not to let it fall down inside the space under the tub.


What is the recommended technique for refinishing hardwood floors? I have old hardwood floors in my home that I'd like to refinish myself. I'm ok with all sorts of manual labor, but I'd like to know the preferred method for refinishing them without damaging my walls or baseboards.

Belt-style floor sanders were current years ago, but more recently the best bet is a random-orbit style sander like the Varathane ezV sander.
(source: rustoleum.com)

The random-orbit sanders don't have nearly the risk of grooving that the belt sanders do, and these ones also have a built-in vaccuum which collects a large portion of the dust, unlike the sanders of my childhood.

I've sanded both floors of my house using that system; each floor took about a 3-day weekend start to finish using a process similar to this one.  I did find that I needed to use a hand-held belt sander for the edges, and since our floors are not all that even we used it to get the existing finish out of some of the deeper spots in the floor as well. If you pull out your trim and use some care you should be able to get right to the edges without having to do more than touch up the paint on the trim.

We just used the water-based polyurethane and have been quite happy with the results, but it's absolutely worth it to put down as many coats as you can - we ended up doing 4.


How to keep a window from opening too widely? I am moving into an apartment, and I have a cat. I need to alter the windows in a way so that it can’t be opened beyond a couple of inches - little enough that there’s no chance of that cat slipping out. Here are the catches:

We can’t alter/damage the window frame in any way; we have to be able to leave it just as we found it. No screwing into the frame.
We’d rather not install screens, as we really love the view.
We’re hoping for something that can be done with easily accessible hardware, since we’ll be stuck with the windows closed until we figure this out.

I imagine two strategies: a cord/chain of some sort that limits how far open the window can go, or something to jam into the hinge so that it stops earlier than at it’s built-in bump. But I am open to other options!

This is my first time trying to do something like this, and I’m not sure who I could ask about this other than the internet. Thanks in advance.

Any thoughts or ideas could help!

It appears that the regulation for the angle of the window is the distance between the mounting screws for the rails in which the brace slides.

The ideal work-around would entail removing the bottom screw from each side and inserting a metal shim that fits within the track below the slider. Return the screw and the slider cannot drop far enough to open the window to cat-head-width. CAUTION: cats can pass through holes far smaller than you might think!

One aspect of this method is that the sliding mechanism, including the rail, has to be accessible when the window is closed to the maximum desired opening.

But wait, there's a work-around to that as well.

The shim that would have been inserted between the bottom screw and the slider now has a slot to allow it to pass around the bottom screw. It is of sufficient length to reach to the bottom of the window frame and can be slipped into place even if the window opens only a few inches.

Depending on the width of the pivot assembly, one may be able to purchase a piece of aluminum or steel of sufficient width to work in this manner. The Home Depot has a materials section with solid aluminum rod and flat as well as solid steel rod and flat. Aluminum is easier to work and should hold up well enough if one does not slam things together.

You'd need a piece thin enough to slip under the inward facing lips with sufficient width to engage as much of the lip area as possible. Even if the thinnest piece you find is too thick, you could file or sand away material to get it to fit in place.

In the image above, the top represents the view from above if the flat aluminum is thin enough to fit in the groove/lips. The bottom is the answer if the piece is too thick, and has the corners filed/sanded away to provide placement.

All of this should work with the recently revealed "bumps" that provide limitation of travel of the sliding mechanism. The bumps are going to pose a problem with placing a single spacer above the screw, but the single spacer above the screw can be of the right hand side of my original drawing with a hole for the screw to engage.


Can a floating floor of click connected strand bamboo cup I am in the market for some wood flooring and due to condo constraints I am forced to go with a floating floor. I am probably going with bamboo from Plyboo or Teragren. I am concerned about the warnings regarding moisture. I live in a 2nd story condo and I must float my floor.

CONS (pulled off a website)
-Only suitable for indoor environments with very stable year-around humidity. Low-to-average dimensional stability leads to excessive shrinkage when humidity decreases by 15% or more
-Maximum recommended runs if very stable humidity cannot be maintained: 15 ft across widths (tangentially) and 25 ft lengthwise (longitudinally)*

I have been reading horror stories about floors cupping and buckling that I wish to avoid. I was thinking since my floor is not glued at all, just click&lock that this issue is pretty much avoided since the entire floor slab can move as unit over the sub-flooring.

Is that a fair statement? I am not sure what stable moisture environment entails. Would a single hot and humid day kill a floor. I can try and mitigate with a dehumidifier that just runs constantly.

Also would an engineered variant ameliorate the situation?

Thanks in advance.

Cupping will happen with most laminate floors eventually if the laminate gets wet and is not cleaned up right away. You can get waterproof laminate that is made from vinyl as an alternative but it is a little more pricey and may still get damaged when furniture is slid across it. There's also stick down vinyl planks which go over luan and it is easier to replace damaged pieces in the middle.


Old house odor in a condo Condo is in Florida. The building is 32 years old. 8 Units in a 2story building. Mine is on the 2nd floor. Brand new HVAC system including ducts-2018.

Attic insulation was fine according to a home inspector in 2018, but some "bare" spots were remediated in 2019 through weatherization assistance program. Humidity is maintained 50-60. Temp is set 74-77F.

No leaks, no visible mold anywhere. Walls are clean and painted in 2017 before selling. No old furniture. No carpet. Large windows, plenty of day light. Mix of cathedral ceiling and normal ceiling in bedrooms. Washer and Dryer are on Lanai (outside). No pets.

I live there year around. I am very sensitive to odors. When I walk in from outside, the old house odor is clearly felt. It is not very strong, but I sense it.

Any ideas on where it may be coming from?

If you can not find the source of the odor or want a temporary/permanent fix try using a charcoal filter in the cold air return of the furnace. I use a filter from Home Depot or Lowes called a "web absorber" model#FPR-5 at about $12.00. It is a 20"X25" cut to size filter that I used to replace the pre-filter in my electronic air cleaner. My wife is like you in that she can smell a "flies fart" at 10 miles. I have been using them for about 15 years and she is happy and so am I .


What is wrong with my recessed light wiring? I went to put a retrofit LED lamp in my recessed light fixture.  But after completing it the light does not work. I even put it all back the way it was and still nothing.  Double checked the bulb and it works fine.  When testing to see if I had power I touch the tester to the black line going into the bulb screw socket and when I touch the other probe to the metal housing itself I get a power reading.  I get nothing when touching the black wire and white wire.  Seems something is wrong to me and that the metal housing should not be hot, or am I wrong?

If you have a voltage reading between hot and ground but not hot and neutral, it means you have an open neutral somewhere between the bulb and the panel.  Since you were playing around in the fixture, that'd be the first place I'd check.  Remove all of the wirenuts and check the quality of the connections, both from the line as well as the socket.  If the fixture has a transformer there will be another set of connections to check (primary and secondary sides).


Why is one half of a subpanel not working? I have 12/3 wire running out to my garage. I have a double 20 amp breaker in main box and a subpanel with two single 20 amp breakers in the garage with black to one breaker and red to the other. The black works but the red keeps tripping. What  can I do?

Is anything connected to the 'red' side? I am not 100% clear on what is connected to the subpanel but the debugging sequence should be the following:

turn off all the breakers on the 'red' side of the subpanel. Check if the main breaker still trips. If it does not, the issue is with whatever hooked up to that side (shorted wire, etc)
If it still does, swap with the 'black' breaker to see if the breaker itself is the problem.
If the problem continues, check the wiring.


What mesh to buy (and where to buy it) for gabion walls? I'd like to build a DIY gabion wall. I've watched many tutorials, but I'm at a loss on where to buy the mesh the build the baskets from. I saw the mesh at the local Home Depot store and it was rusted, unsightly, and dented. I'm hoping for a clean straight look. I also looked in the local stone supply and found nothing. I'm in the Philadelphia, PA area.

So my questions are

What kind of mesh won't rust? What keyword am I looking for? (Galvanized?)
What kind of store can I buy it at?

I have done further research following brhan's suggestion and I have found a galvanized fencing that's 12 gauge. Here is a link to product. It comes in various sizes, including 8' wide.

Pivoting this discussion, what I'm wondering about is whether 12 gauge would offer sufficient strength in a retaining wall application?


Halogen vs. Incandescent - is one 'better' than the other for an oven light? Is there a 'better' choice between Halogen bulbs and Incandescent bulbs for an inside the oven light?  Is one more efficient or safer than the other?  Should I seriously consider which is used when choosing a new stove?  Thanks.

A halogen bulb is a subspecies of incandescent:  Incandescent bulbs produce light by heating up a conductive filament made of tungsten to a high temperature.

Halogen bulbs do the same thing, but add some iodine or bromine to the enclosure to efficiently redeposit evaporated tungsten back onto the filament.  For that to work, the bulb interior is smaller and uses a higher gas pressure than a conventional bulb to keep the glass hot enough to sustain the halogen cycle.  Halogens run hotter by design, but it also produces higher efficiency light with a whiter spectrum.

For an oven bulb which directly or indirectly experiences oven temperatures, you probably want an "appliance bulb".  They are designed for direct exposure to extreme household temperatures and are suitable for being inside freezers and ovens, even self-cleaning ovens.

As far as I can tell, all appliance bulbs use ordinary incandescent technology, so they aren't as efficient as could be.  But really—how much time does an oven light spend on?  In my home, it is less than an hour a year.


What's the purpose of the throttle and the gears on a snow blower? I know they make it run and move faster....but mine cruises pretty fast in 1st gear, I can't ever imagine having to use 4th gear. Should it be in 4th gear for higher and more snow so it will shoot it farther....or does the gear not matter for that?

The throttle controls the speed of the engine and the auger(s), and the gears control the speed of the wheels.  You should normally run it at full throttle to pick up and throw the snow.  Choose the gear based on the situation - for light snow in a large area use a higher gear to get it done quickly.  With heavier snow you may need to use lower gears to keep it from bogging down.  As Ecnerwal pointed out, the higher gears are also very useful when you're moving the blower but not clearing snow - like heading back to the garage when you're done, or heading over to the neighbor's yard to clear their driveway. If you’re happy with just using first gear, that’s fine.


Removing SuperGlue in-place My girlfriend bought a cheap-but-chic watch (a Peugeot 705) that she likes a lot.  Unfortunately, the crystal wasn't glued in place very well, and she suddenly noticed that the hands and face were exposed.  We found the crystal, and I used my old standby: SuperGlue.  Bad, bad idea!

Take a fool's advice, by the way: you don't want to use CA glue in a visible/transparent setting where the vapor can't escape as it cures.  I didn't make the connection, but this is how they "raise" latent prints on all those police-procedural TV shows.  Basically, the inside of the crystal is now coated in an acrylic fog, with a partial thumbprint in the top right.  There's a fairly clear area in the center, through which I can see that the watch is still running and actually keeping good time.

So now I want to take the crystal back off so I can clean it... but since SuperGlue is fairly tough stuff, I'm having difficulties.  I used an X-Acto knife to scrape out the excess from the outside groove, and I've (sparingly) used acetone-based nail polish remover in that groove... but the crystal remains firmly in place.

The watch body is stainless steel, so it's fairly tough; the crystal is... uh, crystal?  I don't know, really.  Not acrylic, anyway.  My main concern is damaging the works and/or the face.

The watch itself probably cost $50 or less, so it's mostly pride on the line, not money...  that and domestic tranquility, which is priceless.

The only times I've ever pulled off superglue were when it was used on the surface, not blind like in your situation. For that purpose, we would add a little acetone and scrape it off with a dental pick. The problem you have is that you've got a bunch of superglue that the acetone can't get to (because it's under the edge of the crystal).

Unfortunately, for this situation, unless you can get the acetone to wick under and attack the superglue under the edge, I think you're probably done. The best you can try is to put some acetone at the superglued points on the crystal and then pry at it with a dental pick. Other than that, I think you don't have any options.

In this instance, I think domestic harmony can probably be preserved by you replacing the watch. And don't forget to apologize for botching the repair. That will help too.


Fixing slow water damage at top of wall I recently noticed that there was water damage at the top corner of an exterior facing wall in one of my bedrooms. Previously, I had thought it was electrical wiring in the wall due to the snake-like shape of the damage. This was over a year ago. However, when I looked at this corner again recently, the drywall has split open in some parts and I strongly believe it's water damage.

I'm going to try to get some qualified repair person to come in and assess the damage. I was wondering if this community has any advice for a first-time homeowner like myself on how to handle this issue. Should I contact my insurance? What kind of serious issues should I be on the look out for? How should I handle this issue if the source of the water leak is from the apartment above mine?

Are you a condo owner or are you renting an apartment?  If you're renting, take good, clear photographs showing the location, extent, and appearance of any damage before you report it and keep dated records of all communications and changes in condition. Before doing any demolition to look into the walls or ceiling contact your landlord/HOA/POA first.

When I lived in an apartment, the landlord had some changes made to the deck above and beside my unit. It caused rainwater to run into the wall and ceiling of my unit, causing major mold and structural issues.  When I moved out he tried to say I damaged the unit and bill me for the repairs but I had dated copies of photographs and letters where I notified him in writing of the leaks, resulting damage, and requested repairs, showing it went on for over a year with no response from him.  I got my whole deposit back.

Can you post a picture to help us understand the extent and location of the damage?


adding a ground wire to a 2-wire breaker panel I am trying to run new ground wires from outlets in the house into my breaker panel that handles an old 2-wire system. There is only one panel after the meter that has the main cutoff, the various breakers and a neutral bar ( at the right in the photo ) with what look like bare copper grounding rods of varied thicknesses.  Looking in the panel it only has one neutral bar where the white colored wires and bare copper rods connect.  Is it proper to connect my new, green ground wires to that bar?  Do I assume that there is a grounding rod for the box?  If I do use that bar as my ground, is the position of my new green wire on the bar relevant?

btw, one of the smaller bare copper rods in the panel goes from the neutral bar down and into my crawl space, where it ends as if it has been cut sometime in the past.  Could I, as a matter of convenience, use that as my ground if I place another box down there with a "grounding" bar.  It could come in handy that way if I find a way to get ground wires to the outlets in other rooms on the lower floor.

Since this is your main panel, you can land the ground wires on the same bar as the neutral, as this is the point where they come together anyway.  However, I don't believe you can "extend" the grounding bar using the cutoff bare wire from the panel, as it doesn't fall under anything in 250.130(C) -- if it were connected to a grounding electrode, it'd work though as it'd be a grounding electrode conductor then.


What is the best way to stop tiny ants from entering my home? Possible Duplicate:
  How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?

I've got tiny ants coming in from the window above the sink in the kitchen.  We are taking care to make sure the area is more clean since the ants started coming in.  I've tried a few products, and I seem to have the best luck with the Terro liquid poison (I don't remember the exact name at the moment).  When they come in, they don't go too far beyond the poison.  However, they don't seem to be going away.  It seems that I have to keep that stuff out there constantly since they started coming this summer.  I feel like I'm just giving them a nice meal.  I'm interested in product recommendations, or any other ideas.  I'm not afraid to poison the heck out of those suckers!

You have to stop them at the source. Use baits that ants will gather and take back to their nest, or follow the trail back to the nest and Raid the entire trail + nest.

I've also been known to put a pesticide in my lawn and flower beds once or twice a year to keep them from getting near the house. I try to make a 10' perimeter around the home.


How to support a hollow tabletop in the center? I am new here, so I apologize in advance if my description is unclear or details insufficient.

I recently bought an IKEA LINNMON tabletop and two FINNVARD trestles to go with it (on each side). But the dimensions didn't match and the tabletop is not wide/deep enough to reach the two silicon rings that would otherwise hold the tabletop in place. (A bigger tabletop is not a solution in my small living space)

I improvised and decided to use just one of the trestles as the main support in the middle of the table. How do I make sure my table is stable and will not topple when weights (many heavy books) are placed unevenly on top?

The tabletop is hollow and the inside is a honeycomb paper structure, so would using alum angles be a good idea?

I would be happy to include more details or pictures if needed.

Thank you!

The trestles appear to be solid wood... and the top is supposed to fit. The tabletop is said to come with predrilled legholes. Regarding the silicon rings (that came with the trestle?), Ikea says, "Plastic bumpers for holding the table top in place are included"; I think that you could drill holes in the trestles and just put the bumpers wherever they need to be- or just use a dowel rod to pin the trestle and tabletop together (since the tabletop has predrilled holes).

I would not drill all the way through the trestle-top because I wouldn't want the dowel pins to fall out through the bottom. I would be tempted to glue it, but then again, it would be easier to take it apart without glue.

Also, I'm not sure what alum angles are, and I don't see any (good) ways for attaching the table with brackets, but if you happen to have a good bracket for this, then I wouldn't object to it.


How can I build an insert on a desk that adjusts the height of a sewing machine? I'd like to take my executive desk ( now sewing table) and cut out a piece of it to use as a support for my sewing machine. I want the sewing machine support able to lower the machine to table height, which would enable me to have everything level and I'd be able to sew faster. I'd like it to be mechanical and not air powered. Support needs to be able to swing back up to table height when machine is not in use and must be able to lock in place.

All ideas and links appreciated

My sister has a working surface for this purpose as well. Except there isn't a mechanical swivel to raise and lower it.

There is simply a drop in the desk where the machine fits. Like a small cubby, lowered from the surface. If you were to search for "sewing desk" I'm sure this is what you'd see.

Then, when she isn't sewing, a piece of glass fits into a shallow rim around this hole to make the work surface completely flat.

Consider this log at IKEA Hackers:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/07/melltorp-to-sewing-desk.html

A simple cut-out, except that the surface piece is removable.


Repair cracks in molded foam in sofa The structure of my 1960s italian sofa has a medium density foam molded around it. (In the pictures, it's the orange stuff, it's called Bayfit foam). The foam has developed significant cracks (or tears). How best to repair or reinforce the foam?

I'm thinking maybe of a spray foam or glue into the cracks or somehow bonding some reinforcing material over the entire surface?

If you are adventurous and have a lot of patience, remove the upholstery over the crack to get both sides exposed. That is the adventurous part. Next, widen ALL the cracks, even the little hairline cracks radiating from the larger ones, with a fine tooth narrow blade saw, something like a drywall saw, with finer teeth if possible. Get them all open to about 3/8" wide or so, a litle wider is ok, but not much more than 3/4". Wider=more difficult. Square out the areas where the small cracks stop, make sure you cut out all the crack. That is the patience part. Removal of the upholstery will keep everything clean, especially in the next step.

Using a can of the original, minimal expanding Touch and Foam for doors and windows, (no I do not work for them), NOT the latex based, but the urethane based, use the applicator straw to fill the cracks you just widened. The density of the foam should be compatible with the couch, and this stuff sticks to EVERYTHING, including you. The foam will expand beyond the face of the existing foam, use a piece of cardboard to flatten it down. This will smear it over the surrounding surfaces, creating a stronger bond and creating a skin that is denser than the "core" of foam in the center of the new application.

If the old foam will not line up with the remainder of the couch, you will need to support it in place to keep it in line with the rest while you do the repair. If it does not to cooperate, use a piece of 1/4" plywood on the inside, the upholstered side, bedded with the foam to reinforce it. Do not let the foam's expanding push it up to make a lump under your cushion. If it pushes out of the cracks you widened, trowel it flush with the cardboard.


Why is our new water heater makeing a ticking sound? I installed a new electric Rheem model XE40M06ST45U1 water heater last week and for the past four days it has been making a ticking sound. The sound seems to be the loudest near the supply lines. Frankly, it sounds like a grandfather clock!
What could be causing this noise?

Those ticking noises are likely just the sounds of your "heat traps", one way valves that are used to save energy by not allowing heat from your water to migrate into the pipes, cool off and sink back down to require heating again. Heat traps are often installed as nipples on the cold and hot water lines, so you may not even realize that's what they are. The sound is perfectly normal.
The first image is actually kind of exaggerated, they often look like normal nipples. as in the 2nd image.


How to repair a wire in a light switch box In attempting to install a dimmer switch, I managed to snap a wire in my light switch, by not realising when I was tightening it it was pushing on the wire. What would be the best approach to fixing it be, or would I be better calling out a professional?

I can't see the clamp on the NM cable is it plastic or metal? If metal there is probably a screw on the outside you may be able to pull the Phillips screws(s) holding the box in place and move the box to gain access. If plastic you can break It and try, replacing the clamp with a raco "insider" it is a clamp that installs from inside the box quick and easy compared to other types. It looks to short to make a splice,  sometimes you have to open a wall when this happens hopefully you can get enough slack to splice in the box.