The igniters on my range are clicking without me actuating them Frigidaire range. I hear  the igniters clicking about every 30 seconds.
Why do the  burner igniters on my range try to light when I’m not using them?

M# fpg$3085kfc S# nfo1942381 Took a while to find it’s been along time since I’ve worked on appliances

That is odd after cleaning the moisture must cause the ground but I haven’t clean my oven in a while.

When operating correctly, an electrical circuit supplies power to the ignitor system when a burner valve is turned on. This circuit usually consists of parallel connections to individual switches, with one switch mounted on each burner valve. If the oven is also heated by gas, there'll be a switch on the oven valve as well.
In your appliance, there's a flaw in the circuit and power is being provided when no burner (or oven) valve is actuated. This could be a short circuit between the wiring that carries the two sides of the circuit, or a valve switch may have failed closed, thus allowing the ignitor to be energized even though the user hasn't turned a valve on.


Telephone Termination Block upgrade I recently moved into a house which has a screw type termination block:

I am trying to get DSL service and self-install is not working so they are sending a technician out.  I will get charged $100 if its a wiring problem inside the house.  To ensure that problem isn't on my side, plan on running a new line to my wiring closet (which as CAT6 Punchdown panel) and disconnect all existing lines.

Is there a better way to terminate the phone line from the phone company then the screw type termination block?  (I fear my stranded 24awg CAT6 wire is not making a good connection, and possible noise/signal quality)

I am looking at something like this from Amazon:

But my concerns are:

The Current setup as a grounding wire... I don't see one in the Open House block
The wire from TelCo is very thick; I tried connecting it to a CAT3 Keystone Jack just to test the connection and wire would not stick in place.

Any other general advice on integrating Telco lines with CAT6 wiring is appreciated.

Demarc
The Demarcation point or DMARC or Network Interface for a phone line is simply the first place in the building where you can access the phone line to connect your own equipment. In a new installation, this will typically be an RJ11 jack in a box installed outside the building (for typical single-family home installation) or either an RJ11 jack or a punch block in a wiring closet for an apartment or an office building. The phone company guarantees a high-quality connection to that point.
In many installations the DMARC will actually have both RJ11 and a punch block. That allows you to securely attach a cable going into your house while still allowing for testing at the DMARC by plugging a phone, modem, test set, etc. directly into the DMARC outside.
The problem of course is older houses. In an older house the DMARC will often be a cable running into an old screw type jack (as pictured) or spliced directly to multiple cables for distribution through the house, or spliced to one cable which then daisy chains through the house. That leads to a game of finger-pointing as to where the problem lies.
The solution is normally for the phone company to install a modern DMARC (either outside or, if it is more convenient for them, inside) and patch your existing wiring into it. This is quite commonly done in my area (Verizon) for FIOS installations - the technician brings fiber to the house near the existing entry point and connects the existing home cable into the FIOS box. The FIOS box has an RJ11 test jack for every phone line. But even if you are only getting DSL, the phone company may decide to install a new DMARC to make things simpler for everyone.
Internal Cabling
Once you have a good DMARC, you may need to redo the cabling in the house. I prefer to put a DSL modem (or modem/router) near the DMARC so that I can split the cable coming from the DMARC to the modem (no filter) and everything else (one filter, installed inline). The normal procedure is to filter each non-DSL connection (phone, fax, answering machine) and just make sure the DSL modem is not filtered, wherever you install it.
The cabling to the DSL modem should be high-quality. But CAT6 is overkill. I normally use CAT5 or CAT5e, but even CAT3 is quite adequate for DSL. All the other cabling in the house can remain as is, particularly if it is filtered early on.
Recommendation for your particular setup
In your case, it appears that the cabling currently coming from the street to your nominal DMARC is crappy (that's the technical term). If you have not done so already, try (a) disconnect all other devices, (b) connect just the DSL modem at the first possible location (presumably that is the pictured jack) and make sure it does NOT get a reliable signal. Assuming it doesn't (as I believe you have already determined), have the phone company do "whatever they want" as long as they end it with a DMARC that is accessible that they can show produces a good signal. While they may argue that their testers can verify the signal, I'd want to see a DSL modem go from off->slow blink->fast blink->connected before letting the technician leave.
Then put in a splitter right after the DMARC. One side goes either straight to the DSL modem or via CAT3/5/5e/6 to the DSL modem. The other side goes to a filter and from there to all your existing phone cabling.
You may need to wire up a couple of extra jacks to make this all work - e.g., short wire from splitter to filter, short wire from filter to a new jack, then connect new or existing cabling to that new jack. Use jacks that have standard 110 punchdown connectors (the same as you have on RJ45 jacks for Ethernet) and use a proper punch tool. In general I would do that (I've learned the hard way) for all phone cabling from this point forward - even if you just want to wire up an extra regular phone extension.


Weird Power Outage in Certain Rooms- Condominium Half of the Condo I rent is losing power sporadically, sometimes for minutes other times for hours. We have power loss to our kitchen lights, microwave, outlet above dishwasher, the dishwasher, entire bedroom, both bathrooms, and the AC unit. Living room lights and outlets, fridge, oven, & foyer light work fine and never go out. We also have occasional flickering lights in the rooms with the power loss. I would say its the breaker, however the issue isn't just on one side of the breaker, its completely random. Also, when the power goes out we are using minimal electricity (usually just a light or two) so we are definitely not overloading the system. It's also important to note that the breaker NEVER trips and we just have to wait until the power just "magically" comes back on.
Any thought? 2 electricians have been in and cannot find the issue yet, thank you

Phase/Leg Out
You have lost one phase or leg (terms vary) of your power. 120/240 power comes in on 3 wires - two hots each 120V from the neutral and 240V from each other. Most breaker panels are designed with alternating legs. Left & right in each row are on the same leg. 240V (dryer, oven, A/C, etc.) use a pair of breakers, one on each leg.
Your electrician should have been able to figure this out. In any case, CALL YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY and tell them you have an intermittent phase/leg out. They'll check it out for free and fix it if it is on their side, which is very often the case.


How do I mount a TV to cover a cubby hole above my fireplace? I have an odd space above the mantle that my wife hates, and we tried covering it up with our TV, but I'm not very confident that the mantle is strong enough to hold the TV.  I would like to do something so that the TV can stay there, whether it be mounting the TV to the wall (not sure if this is possible) or put drywall over the cubby hole and then mounting a TV.  In the picture you can see the cubby hole in the wall behind the TV.  Is either of the options I listed able to be done and does anyone know what is likely in the small section of wall from the top of the cubby hole to the ceiling?

I would build a 2x4 (or 2x6, it's hard to tell the depth from this picture) frame to fit into the cubby hole, something like this:

Spacing and attaching

Space the studs 16" on center. You'll need to attach this securely to the rest of the walls. Assuming they're also wood, a few 3" #10 screws into either side would probably do the trick. Be sure to recess the frame by 1/2" so when you put drywall on it's flush.

Blocking

The blocking can just be a 2x4 or 2x6 flat against the front edge, and gives you a very solid surface to screw a mount into. You probably only need it for one edge of the mount, so long as you screw the bottom into at least one stud its should be sturdy enough.

You can also use plywood (or OSB) on the surface, either with a layer of drywall overtop or just in the center of the hole, butting the plywood edge to the drywall. Kind of your choice which way is better, just remember if the finish is all drywall, it's easier to remove the TV and just patch the holes later.

Power

It looks like there is already power there. Keep in mind all junctions MUST be accessible from the finished space, so this means you'll have to put power in a spot that the existing wiring can reach, or re-run wiring. There are various types of recessed plugs that can make things easier when dealing with a mounted TV.

Low-voltage signal cable

Some of the plugs also have low-voltage, or you can run that separately. Again, I don't know what's there now, so I can't make specific recommendations. It's not against code to make signal wire connections in the wall (eg, splicing coax), it's just not necessarily the best idea because if the connection fails, it's not accessible.

I'm a fan of just having the cables come out of the wall (without separate connection jacks) behind the TV since 1) it's cheaper, 2) it's easier to install, 3) it's less likely to fail. The picture above on the left is one way to do this; in my last house I used a recessed media box that has grommets on the faceplate, and this is a great way to go:

(Note, I did that nearly 5 years ago, and ran everything I thought I might possibly need. I only ever used a single HDMI cable, and actually eventually ended up pulling most of the other cables out. Since I had everything in two 2" central vac tube conduits going straight about 10' opening into an unfinished space, this was trivial for me. YMMV.)

You may also want to run cables to a spot on the wall next to the fireplace, to put your sources (receiver, game console, whatever) there instead of on the mantle. Since you're going to be patching drywall anyway, if you need to punch some holes to fish wires, now is a good time to do it.

Conduit (optional)

You might also consider running a conduit, so you can run future cables through. If you do this, be sure to run a reasonably big conduit; cables like HDMI can't really be spliced so you have to able to fit the end through. Also, don't run anything in the conduit today (except for a pull string, if you want). Just run existing cables beside the conduit; if you end up having to replace them the cables are obsolete anyway, why bother with trying to pull them out and potentially getting stuck, etc.

Drywall / Paint

Finally, put new drywall up and patch it in, feathering the edges (there are lots of drywall questions here to address that part, specifically). This will typically take 2-3 days since you have to wait between coats.

Finally, you can paint. If you have the original paint and it was painted fairly recently, you MAY be able to just paint the new part and have it blend without being noticeable. More likely, you'll have to paint this entire surface (up to any edges/corners), so be prepared for that. Around corners even reasonably big differences in color are not perceptible, but on a flat surface even the slightest color difference is very obvious (trust me, I've been there, including the "Crap.. maybe it's just because it's still wet" thought, to which the answer is: no, it will still look off when it dries).

If you don't have the original paint you can color match. Also, obviously, if you've been thinking of changing the room color anyway, now is a good time.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out


Can moisture travel through a microporous filler and fuel mould growth? I would like to use this product to fill holes due to it bring good for sensitive people:  https://auropaint.co.uk/product/natural-wall-filler-no-329/
However it says that it is micro poros which means it allows water vapours to go through.
Does this mean if I use it to fill a hole in my bathroom, and there is mold inside the wall, moisture will be able to travel through the filler and fuel mold growth on the other side?  Conversely can mold vapors travel through the filler also?
Thanks.

If you read the technical data, they recommend another product to fill holes, cracks, etc. Then this product is recommended for smoothing out surfaces, bonding to various substrates, etc.
If there’s moisture in the wall or coming through the wall, it will allow staining, mold, etc.


Inducer Motor spins up then shuts down Upon starting the heat cycle the inducer motor spins up then shuts down it does this sometimes 3 or 4 times before the burners lite. Sometimes even after the burners lite it seems to shut down prematurely.

I have replaced the flame sensor and the air pressure switch to no avail.

York furnace. model - gy8s080a12uh11c

Video of issue. Problem starts at 30 second mark.

First off, it is the draft inducer motor that is turning on then shutting off, not the blower. There is no possibility that it is the flame sensor or the pressure switch since neither items had been called for yet.
Order of operation:
1 thermostat calls for heat
2 inducer motor is called for and starts spinning
3 draft is proven via the pressure switch. If the pressure switch was bad the motor would just keep spinning with no ignition
4 igniter will ignite
5 gas valve will open and burners will ignite
6 flame sensor will complete circuit to ground via      flame rectification. If it doesn’t sense flame it will stay lit for about 3 seconds then go out.
7 blower will come on.
Your furnace only got to step 2 so the problem is before that. Check for voltage at the inducer motor.  Best to use alligator clips and see if voltage drops out when the motor disengages. If voltage stays constant the problem is in the motor. If voltage drops to 0 then your problem is elsewhere. Jumper the W and R thermostat terminals at the circuit board to eliminate the thermostat or thermostat wires as the problem. If it is still happening then the problem is either the circuit board or a loose wire between the circuit board and the inducer motor.


Siliconed round windows before repainting jambs - should have done it after? I'm repainting a room.  I've scraped back  the loose paint (in places back to plaster), filled, sugar soaped and, to my low standards, it's ready to paint.
I also scraped out the old mouldy silicone round the windows and replaced it with fresh silicone.  I immediately regretted that - at the thin edges where I smoothed it there is enough silicone to prevent paint adhesion, but not enough to hide the colour of the plaster (e.g. at the arrow).
Clearly the silicone should have gone on after painting.
Now it's done, how best to remedy so as not to leave an ugly line around the window when I repaint it?

am I worrying about nothing?
is there a primer or other product that will allow me to paint over this with water-based emulsion?
can I remove the new silicone from the plaster/old paint sufficiently well for it to be over-painted?  How?

If you're okay with spending some more money to avoid labor then you can buy a shellac primer to paint over the silicone and then apply regular paint. Before painting clean the silicone with denatured alcohol for best adhesion. It is said that oil-based paints will stick to silicone as well.
If not then scrape off the new silicone and apply paintable silicone or the cheaper painter's caulk.


Can I safely remove this unused blocking from a load-bearing wall? In opening up an exterior (load-bearing wall) to re-insulate it and replace wood paneling with drywall, I found a weird piece of blocking towards the top. It doesn't look like it's supporting anything, and there's nothing nailed to either side of it. I'd like to remove it, as its presence reduces the amount of insulation I can put there.

I would normally say yes but it appears the 2x4 on the right is heavily notched in a weird fashion.  I would keep blocking across from this to make sure that vertical 2x4 is stable.  Not really sure you need a piece that big though.


Restoring french polished buffet I have a 90 year old mahogany buffet that needs a pretty solid restoration job. Some of the planks that make up its top have lifted by a few mil, but most of the work is simply cleaning it up. I'm not sure how the wood is finished, it seems french polished but I do not know much about 1920s furniture.

What is the best way to attack this project?

You stated that your buffet is French Polished. French polishing is the technique of buffing in shellac mixed with alcohol and oil to a high gloss finish in many thin coats. If you attempt to sand down the differences in the slat matches, you will be in a situation to completely refinish the piece.  French polish can be easily touched up with a cloth pad and a mix of above ingredients, but refinishing from scratch using the French polish method is an art form and extremely time consuming. There is no way I know to even out the displacement of the planks without some precise sanding.   Good luck.


Solar water heater vs Heat pump for heating water? I'm debating between installing a solar water heater vs. a heat pump for supplying hot water to my house. The house is in Bangalore, India - we have about 300 days of sunshine in a year. My estimate is that we'll need about 150litres of hot water a day, mostly between 6:30AM and 8AM (just after sunrise). Whichever system is selected would be installed in the terrace and exposed to sunlight.

A few things I'm concerned about:

Availability of hot water on cloudy days and early in the morning -
is the insulation of the typical solar water heater good enough to
keep the water hot overnight?
Power consumption - with solar water
heaters, the power consumption is pretty much zero. What kind of
power consumption can I expect with heat pumps for heating up
150litres of water a day?
Reliability: what kind of life can I expect for a solar water heater vs a heat pump. Intuitively it feels
like solar water heaters should be more reliable since it has less
electronic parts. What should I consider when installing these in the
terrace to protect them from damage?
How do these compare on maintenance cost and effort?

Since these will be installed in the terrace and there will be about 30ft length of pipe to bring the water down, I'm concerned about the water in the pipe cooling down and the cold water having to be drained before the hot water from solar heater/heat pump in the terrace comes out through the taps. This could mean a lot of water being wasted. Is there any way around this: for example, are insulated pipes available/a good idea in this case?

I see 5 questions:

1) Solar hot water in the morning and on cloudy days.  Your usage pattern is worst-case since maximum solar energy availability is soon after your usage.  So you will need a storage tank that can keep the water hot until you need it.  Lots of variables here so your best bet is to consult an insulated tank supplier in your area.  As far as cloudy days, you're either going to have to upsize the tank considerably (probably not feasible) or plan on installing a backup hot water heater.

2) Power consumption of heat pump based hot water heaters.  These can be 2-3 times more efficient that a standard resistance heating water heater.  The formulas for calculating energy to raise a liter of water 1 degree are straightforward and you can do that yourself.  But keep in mind that most of these units also have resistance backups when demand exceeds capacity of the heat pump and that can reduce your savings.  Also remember that these effectively cool the room they are in and that can impact your heating costs.

3) Reliability.  Heat pump units are more complex that solar units and it's likely will require more maintenance and not last as long.  But depending on the solar unit you choose, there may be reliability and longevity issues with that as well.  Check with your supplier for their warranties.  Also keep in mind that you will have a pump with the solar unit that may need maintenance.

4) Maintenance costs.  See above but it's difficult to say without specifics and even then it's a lot of guesswork.  You need to rely on the data provided by the supplier of your specific equipment and, as you know, your experience may vary.

5) Insulated pipes.  In either case YES, you will want to insulate the hot water pipes to conserve as much of the heat energy as possible.


Can I cover junction boxes in the attic with insulation? This may be a duplicate of What are the codes for electrical wiring in attics?

I have an attic which is accessible via a ladder through an access panel in the garage and in a bedroom.  The trusses and joists are all open and there is blown in insulation up to the height of the joists.  In the future I need to have more insulation installed.  Is it safe (up to code) to cover the junction boxes with more insulation or is this considered concealing them?  Would I have to raise all of the junction boxes above the insulation for each light fixture, fan, etc.?

Your best bet in this case is to contact the local inspector,  since this situation may be open to interpretation. The most fitting code states:

  National Electrical Code 2008

  ARTICLE 314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole Enclosures

  314.29 Boxes, Conduit Bodies, and Handhole Enclosures to Be Accessible. Boxes, conduit bodies, and handhole enclosures shall be
  installed so that the wiring contained in them can be rendered
  accessible without removing any part of the building or, in
  underground circuits, without excavating sidewalks, paving, earth, or
  other substance that is to be used to establish the finished grade.

  Exception: Listed boxes and handhole enclosures shall be permitted where covered by gravel, light aggregate, or noncohesive
  granulated soil if their location is effectively identified and
  accessible for excavation.

  Article 100 Definitions

  Accessible (as applied to wiring methods). Capable of being removed or exposed without damaging the building structure or finish
  or not permanently closed in by the structure or finish of the
  building.

It may or may not be acceptable, depending on if the inspector considers insulation "part of the building".

If you do end up covering the boxes, it might be a nice idea to mark/flag them in some way. This way you; or any other future owner, will be able to locate them later if need be.


Can I use this copper wire to add a ground to an ungrounded outlet? I would like to add a ground to an ungrounded outlet so that I can use a surge protector with some electronics.
How do you add a separate ground back to panel on 2 wire ungrounded outlet?

The copper wire in the picture below runs across the joists in my basement from the water supply entry back to the electrical panel (It is definitely wired into the panel, no cuts along the path). This ground wire is about 10Ft from the outlet I want to ground. Can I use a split nut like the one pictured below to clamp a bare 12AWG ground wire to the existing ground?

Go for it

For a retrofit equipment grounding conductor, your case falls under NEC 250.130(C) point 2:

  (C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch
  Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor
  of a grounding-type receptacle or a branch-circuit extension
  shall be permitted to be connected to any of the following:

  (1) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode system as described in 250.50

  (2) Any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor

  (3) The equipment grounding terminal bar within the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or
  branch circuit originates

  (4) An equipment grounding conductor that is part of another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure
  where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch
  circuit originates

  (5) For grounded systems, the grounded service conductor
  within the service equipment enclosure

  (6) For ungrounded systems, the grounding terminal bar
  within the service equipment enclosure

So, your plan with the split bolt is good.  You can use green THHN without a conduit for this provided it's protected from mechanical damage and routed within the building structure, by the way, as per 250.120(C):

  (C) Equipment Grounding Conductors Smaller Than
  6 AWG. Where not routed with circuit conductors as permitted in 250.130(C) and 250.134(B) Exception No.2, equipment grounding conductors smaller than 6 AWG
  shall be protected from physical damage by an identified
  raceway or cable armor unless installed within hollow
  spaces of the framing members of buildings or structures
  and where not subject to physical damage.

If you do need to make an exposed run, though, a bare armored ground cable is going to be cheaper and easier to handle than having to run conduit just for a ground wire.


Painting pre-primed doors and trim When I bought my house everything was painted, trim, doors, baseboard etc.

Now I am developing my basement and ordered trim and doors from the same supplier. They all came pre-primed so I assumed I can just use a finish paint.

I checked what the builder left behind and I found that the painter used this paint for the doors and trim: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr-premium-plusltsupgtreglt-supgt-interior-semi-gloss-enamel-paint-ultra-/938906

Which is a paint and primer in 1. As the reviews are good and I would like the colors to be the same, is it safe to use this paint and do everything just 1 coat?

It is perfectly fine to use the paint/primer paint in the place of paint.

If you go with the same brand, you should be able to get the color code off the lid and any hardware store that sells the paint will be able to mix the same color again for you.


House being built but I think the brick is poorly done So our house is being built and the brick just went up on the house (it isn't structural).

I personally feel that the job was done extremely poorly. I don't know much about masonry but from my knowledge, the mortar spaces should be pretty consistent (unless going around an arch or something) but almost every brick has a different spacing distance. Also the size of the mortar spaces are from < 1/4in. all the way to 1 in.+. From my understanding they should be ~3/8 of an inch +-1/8 of an inch. Some of the spaces are 1+ inches. Builder says that what I'm seeing mostly is just excess mortar and that they will be pressure washing the brick to make it look better. But I don't feel that will help.

Am I out of line to think this brick was installed poorly?

Example pictures.
http://imgur.com/a/rc9JT

There are a lot of other issues (e.g. they didn't space out the bricks correctly and one-half of a wall is almost all brown and the other half is all white brick). Gaps, and spaces in the brick etc.

I have laid thousands of bricks and that is crap work! Don't pay for that, and there is no way to fix it it must come off and be redone. They should be ashamed of themselves, a new house that looks terrible. Stick up for yourself and the investment your making and make them redo there work.


Replacing moen moentrol shower trim I have two showers that are back to back, making accessing the valves extraordinarily difficult (no closet or access behind them). So, I don't really want to get into the business of replacing the valves - and I understand it's fairly complicated even if I did.

I'd like to replace the trim on all the spigots and handles with brushed nickel trim. The valves are Moentrol style valves by Moen. I see lots of options for Posi-Temp trim kits, but the only Moentrol trim kits are either $400 or chrome. This doesn't make sense to me... I can get a Moentrol chrome kit for $120. I can get a Posi-Temp brushed nickel kit for $120. Why are Moentrol brushed nickel kits $350?

I've seen that Danco makes brushed nickel replacement kits that work with Moentrol. However, I found that it was a really cheap product... it was plastic and it didn't sit flush on my shower.

Do I have any other options? I don't want to replace my valve, nor do I want to spend $350 when there are beautiful, high-quality trim kits available for $120.

Suggestions?

Moentrol is the type of valve, the single knob that pulls out and pushes in for flow control and rotates right and left for temperature control. There were numerous trim styles offered with that valve type, so just saying "Moentrol" does not adequately describe your needs. Some of the old trim plates were marked with the word Moentrol, but many were not. If you contact www.lasco.net they will direct you to a dealer. They have a huge line of plated trim in all finishes (ask for the Simpatico line) at reasonable prices and of good quality.They call it Satin Nickel but it looks like brushed nickel. You might need to take your old trim to the dealer to ensure proper size/type, rather than risking an on-line purchase.


Hot water everywhere but the shower Downstairs sink gets scalding hot. Bathroom sink (which is 2 ft from shower) gets scalding hot. Shower gets medium hot at best. Any non-plumber fixes here?

It sounds like the shower has a thermostatic mixing valve. These do have an adjustment to change the temperature limit if you want hotter water. I must say however that showering with very hot water may feel great, but is not really good for the skin.

Research the matter, but I would say that the temperature of full hot from a shower should not be over 110 F, but evidently the code is 120 F maximum. https://www.phcppros.com/articles/1828-hot-water-system-temperatures-and-the-code


Air conditioner that keeps turning off My air conditioner unit outside keeps on turning off and the fan in the house keeps on running.

When I switch the circuit breaker off, then on the outside unit works again.

Do you know what might be going on?

Here are some things that you can do:

check the air filter, could be frozen or dirty
check for any possible ice build-up
shut down the system from the breaker for 30 minutes: this will reset the system and allow time to melt any ice build-up. Power back on and see if the temperature holds and the system stays on.

Here is what I would recommend to have a professional do

Verify that the thermostat is working correctly, a bad thermostat would give the results you are getting.
Have the pressure checked. Too much or too little refrigerant can affect the efficiency of the unit and may cause it to cycle too much and shut down.

In my experience, I would tend to lean towards the thermostat since the system works properly after you've powered it off and back on. If the system cannot determine the temperature after a certain period of time (varies by manufacturer) it will shut itself down as a safety feature since it could run indefinitely and cause damage to the system.


Can someone name this part of the roof please? I haven't been able to find a diagram of a roof with the exact configuration ours has. I think the board on which our joists rest is called the wall plate but what is the name of the board that sits on the joists and on which the rafters rest?
This is in a garage and I think the plan was to make the roof space bigger for a future conversion because windows are already in place and wiring. The reason I'm asking stems from the fact that I want to sister a couple of joists so I can remove part of one for an opening.

I'm not sure there's an official standard name for this specific scenario, but I'd call it a purlin or an elevated wall plate, maybe. A diagram in this discussion has it as a raised top plate. This article discusses purlins as an intermediate rafter support member.
jwh20 is right in that this is a non-standard roof framing method, but there are a few reasons it may have been done (one of which you mentioned--attic space). Another is to create an "energy heel" or "raised heel", where there's more vertical space for insulation. Yet another would be to raise the fascia/soffit height to clear windows or improve appearance (in the case of a very steep pitch). In your case the ceiling joists may have been run through to create backing for the soffit, which is often added later at a lower level.


Cap icemaker water line under sink-cap leaks Following the suggestions on this site, I bought a 1/4" compression cap for the unused icemaker water line under the sink.  After installing it with Teflon tape, water is still spewing out.  I noticed that the icemaker line I removed has a male piece that plugs into the supply line and then a female nut to tighten it to the line.  Is there a cap that would have such a piece that would go into the line to improve the fit?

So at the end of tubing that you want to cap you should have a fitting similar to this
Additionally, add insert one of these into the tube after the nut and compression ferrule have been placed on the tube

Tighten the nut onto the couplers body only until the bottoms out or stops turning. Brass nut will crack from over-torquing. Remove the other nut and ferrule from the couplers other end. Wrap (2) turns of teflon tape in a clockwise direction on these threads. Tighten a compression cap

using directions as mentioned for nut above.
Compression fittings have a "finer" thread than standard International Pipe Thread (IPT).


using deck screw instead of Yellow zinc construction screw？ Here in Canada I found the Deck Screws to be cheaper then the Yellow zinc construction screw. They are both Carbon Steel, and to my understanding, the coating on the deck screws are just more Corrosion resistance then the Yellow zinc.
So, why not/can I use deck screw everywhere? Indoor and outdoor? At least where construction screws are used?
#8 x 3" yellow zinc
#8 x 3" brown deck screws
#8 x 3" yellow zinc, non-ACQ
#8 x 3" deck screw "duradized"

Stainless steel is corrosion resistant ; the various paints and coatings are not  ( in spite of creative names ). In my location , any deckcrew that is not stainless, rusts to useless in about 15 years . Rust rate depends on how much time they are damp. And, even with proper clearance and pilot holes ,the coatings are degraded when driven in


Why is the bathtub water backing up into the shower? When the bathtub water runs out, it backs up into the shower and floods the whole floor. We have cleaned the drain pipes, but it still happens. What could be the problem?

The rate of flow and effective pressure from the bath is more than the drains ability to drain. This is normally associated with a clogged drain but if you say it's clean. The drain problem is somewhere after the pipes run from the shower. I had that problem previously and it ended up being roots in the drain.
If the shower flows right after you let the water out then there is a blockage close by, but I would guess that the shower only gets water after a few minutes.


Code compliant way to hookup an electrical oven? I’m doing a kitchen remodel.
For the oven connection, the electrician ran #8 wire (two hot, one neutral, one ground) to the kitchen but didn’t put in an outlet.
Additionally, the cord out of my Bosch oven doesn’t come with a plug either. The cord is enclosed in flexible metal conduit and has four wires (two hot, one neutral, one ground) coming out of it. The wires have already been stripped to 1/2”.
My question: what is the code compliant way to hookup my oven?
While I don’t anticipate needing the move the oven, it’ll be nice to be able to unplug it if I needed to get back in there to clean stuff.
I opened the oven and there’s no easy way to replace the cord with another one that has a plug. So, I can’t easily put in a 40amp outlet on the junction box to plug in the oven.

You'll need a right-angle FMC connector, an octagon knockout faceplate, and some MAC-Blocks for this
It looks like your electrician threw an octagon mud ring on the square box they put in for this outlet because they didn't have a square one in the truck at the time.  While a bit non-standard, this is not unmanageable, either, as KO faceplates for octagon boxes are a standard item, and should mostly fit on the mud ring in question (using the two larger holes in the mounting flanges).  You'll need such a faceplate for this, as well as a right-angled ½" FMC connector to accept the flex conduit whip on your oven, a set of 4 Ilsco MAC-618 MAC-Block™ connectors as the wires from the wall appear to be aluminum(!), a short length of 10AWG bare solid copper for use as a box grounding pigtail, and a 10-32 green grounding screw.  Finally, you'll need an inch-pound torque screwdriver in order to correctly tighten the terminal set screws on the connectors.
First off, you'll need to land the 10-32 grounding screw on the back of the box and attach the 10AWG solid copper grounding pigtail to it.  You'll then need to use the FMC connector to attach the octagon KO faceplate to the FMC whip on the oven.  From there, we can proceed to strip the wires from the wall back about ¾", then attach the MAC-Blocks to them, torquing the screws used to 25in-lbs.
Now, the oven can return to the picture, its terminated whip getting connected to the remaining holes on the MAC-Blocks.  The grounding pigtail from the box also gets slid in alongside the grounding wire from the oven at this point, as the MAC-Block can accept 2 copper wires in the same port, but cannot accept copper and aluminum mixed together in one port.  The remaining connection screws can then get torqued to 20in-lbs, completing the wiring.  Finally, you can attach the faceplate to the box and slide the oven in, finishing our work in the kitchen.
Last but not least, you'll need to head to the breaker panel and fit the appropriate lockoff device for it to the breaker for your oven circuit before buttoning the panel up and turning the oven breaker on.  That way, if you need to call someone out to work on the oven, they can flip the breaker OFF then attach a padlock to the lockoff device, keeping someone from giving them a shocking surprise by flipping the breaker back ON while they're still working.
If you can't find MAC-Blocks...
If you can't find the ILSCO MAC-Block (any local supply house that carries Ilsco's products should be able to order some in for you), you can use two-port Polaris™ or equivalent 14-4 AlxCu mechanical setscrew-type splices for the hots and neutral and a matching three-port connector for the ground.  You'll also need to use the torque values that come with that connector instead of the ones I quoted above (35 in-lbs for a Burndy BIT4, for instance), and to put the grounding pigtail from the box in its own port on the grounding connector instead of combining it with the ground wire from the oven.
If that isn't satisfactory from a grounding standpoint, you could use a 10-32x⅝" machine screw to attach an Ilsco NBAS-002-1 grounding bar to the grounding hole in the back of the box and terminate both the oven and cable grounding wires there, letting you dispense with the grounding pigtail altogether.  (This is permitted by the Exception to NEC 314.28(E), by the way.)


Water softener beads in the system The water softener in my house failed and I now have tiny beads all through my system. I have poor water pressure with some outlets barely dribbling and these beads coming out. Is there a way to flush this stuff out of my system?

Sounds like the riser pipe is broken. Your softener will need to be rebedded (emptied, and then refilled, and obviously a new riser pipe installed).

To clear out your system, really the only way is the obvious way: flush it out with water. First off, make sure your softener is bypassed until it's fixed, so you don't add to the problem.

Regular faucets

Take off the aerators, shower heads, and anything else that has a screen or filter in it, and run water until you get everything out.

Other valves

There's a chance with some valves you could get something caught in them, so if you still notice a reduced flow or leak from a particular tap, you'll have to take apart the valve. How to do this varies depending on each particular valve, but you can find help online (try searching for "replace valve cartridge in ") or ask another question here.

Hot water heater

The hot water heater is a bit trickier, since you really can't get enough flow through the tank to "flush" it. The only way is to drain the tank:

Turn off water inlet valve and power/gas
Open some hot water taps in your house -- this will let air back in so the tank can drain
Connect a drain hose to the bottom drain valve (located around the bottom of your tank)

Open the valve and drain the tank


how much weight can I lift with 3 2x12x20 feet long beam supported by 6x6 post on each shide this is insde a pole barn I have a small pole barn with 6x6 beams on 7 feet center the barn is 20 feet wide  36 feet long  am planning to put in a  triple 2inch x 12inch x 20 feet long beam making it a 6x12x20   .. the question is how much  can i lift from this beam in the middle....

Hmmm...this is difficult. I’ve been staring at this for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to answer this...I’ll try.

Many factors: 1) Design Use, 2) Duration  of Use, 3) Species, 4) Grade, and 5) Exact span.

1) We design BUILDINGS for “working stress”. That is to say, stresses in wood have a “life expectancy “ and we design with a factor of safety. That is to say, we use the ULTIMATE LOAD and then take a factor of safety, usually by a factor of 2 or at least 1.5.

2) Duration of Load: The industry has learned (through testing) that wood can withstand up to double the DESIGN LOAD for impact loads. They define impact loads as 1) Less than 24 hours for double the load stress, 2) less than 7 days for an additional third, and less than 14 days for an additional 15%. (We use this a lot for buildings in snow zones.)

3) Species: Some species (like Douglas Fir-Larch) can support about double other species (like Southern pine.)

4) Grade: Likewise as for species.

5) Span: Is it really a 20’ span or 19’ span? Beams are designed based on NET CLEAR distance between supports.

So, based on all that, I’ll give you a range. 6,000 lbs. for Douglas Fir-Larch with a Select Structural grade and a 7 day duration loading...down to 3,200# for Southern Pine with a grade of #3 and with a 7 day duration loading.

It’s complicated. There are other factors too, but I hope this gets you started.


How can I trim around flexible tubing coming through drywall? I have what I believe is referred to as ENT conduit (smurf tube?). How does one terminate this type of conduit where the tube meets the drywall? I was looking for some sort of grommet, but I can't find anything that fits the bill.

There are 10 cat5 cables that need to go out of the conduit, through a hole in the drywall and to my patch panel. I just don't want an ugly hole in the drywall.

Run the conduit itself through the drywall so that you can secure it to something such as a wall stud, using a pipe clamp. Use a plumbing escutcheon to close off the hole. I'd recommend caulking around the conduit at the drywall intersection to prevent the drywall from fraying and leaving dust particles behind.


Testing and proper breakers for a multi wire branch circuit? How do you determine if an outlet is part of a unidentified multi-wire branch circuit? Also, does code say MWBCs need to be on double throw circuit breakers and is it permissible to link CBs with that hole in the handle?

The easy way to tell if an outlet is powered by an MWBC is to turn off the breaker(s) known to supply power to that MWBC and see if the outlet's power goes away.

The US National Fire Protection Agency's National Electrical Code does specify that all nongrounded conductors in an MWBCs must be controlled by a double-pole breaker or marked pair of linked breakers.

It's absolutely permissible to link breakers together using that hole - that's what the hole is there for. In most cases, though, it's a better idea to use a unitized double-pole breaker; that way you're likely to get the best possible match and service life between the two individual internal breakers.

Note that it is NOT permissible to link two breakers with different CURRENT ratings together in that manner - all nongrounded conductors in an MWBC must be the same size wire, and so if two linked individual breakers are used, then they MUST have the same current ratings.


Can I switch two door frames? I have a door that swings left and a door that swings right. Can I remove them from the entire door frame for both and switch them? I want both doors to swing the other way. Is there any reason this is a bad idea?

Assuming these doors are exactly the same size, you should switch the doors by unscrewing each door's hinges from its frame, and then reinstalling in the other frame. You will probably need to mark the outline of the hinges in their new positions and carefully countersink the outline with a sharp wood chisel. You will need to switch the strike plates as well, to the other side of the frame, so that the door can latch. You may be inclined to touch up the holes left behind when you remove the strike and the hinge screws - I would use wood filler for the strike hole and wood filler/spackle for the hinge screw holes.

You can remove and switch the frames, but that involves removing and later reinstalling the casing from both sides, and cutting the nails attaching the jambs. And unless the frames are exactly the same size, you run the risk of one of the rough openings being too small for the frame, which is a headache even if you are a professional. There are additional disadvantages if you are considering doing this with exterior doors (siding may be disrupted). If you do go this route, you will need to ensure the hinge jamb is installed plumb and straight (using shims behind your nails), and then ensure the reveal around the door is even (again using shims behind your nails in the strike jamb).


Bathroom fan and clothes dryer share an exhaust duct My dryer which is located in our garage and our downstairs bathroom vents are connected.  When the dryer is running warm air is moving to the outside, but also some of the air is coming back into the bathroom.  This leaves our bathroom wet with moisture from the heat unless we turn on the bathroom fan every time the dryer is running.  Is there some type of draft blocker which could slide into the vent in the bathroom which would prevent the air from coming in but allow the air out when the bathroom fan is running.  The vent in the bathroom is 3" in diameter.  I appreciate any feedback.  Thank you.

The only good solution here is to run independent duct lines to the exterior, as should've been done initially. It's a violation of codes for good reason, as you've seen. Both ducts should be rigid or semi-rigid pipe, as appropriate.

Backflow preventers aren't the answer, because if multiple fans are running, and one is stronger, the other could be completely blocked. This means that the weaker fan isn't doing its job and may overheat due to lack of cooling airflow.


How do I get a yellow stain out of a marble sink? I saw a similar question but it didn't give me an answer that helped. I recently began to replace the faucets and spout in one of out bathroom sinks. The marble that was covered by the previous chrome faucets is discolored and my new faucets don't have a large enough diameter to cover the stain. Here is a photo of what it looks like:

I've tried marble polish, bartender's friend, and a stripper for marble to no avail. What can I do to get rid of this stain?

If this is real marble, you are unfortunately stuck with what you got. once a stain is set in unsealed marble, it is next to impossible to remove. The only method is to mechanically repolish the surface, removing material until you get below the stain. Marble is a very porous material.  Sorry,,,,,,,


Leviton Vizia 24 hr timer - How do I install? I bought a Leviton timer and when I went to install it, I ran into a problem. The outlet box has ONLY three wires - Black, White and a bare copper ground. Looking at the wiring diagram for the Leviton timer, I don't know where the RD wire is supposed to be connected. I connected the Black from the box to the Black on the timer, and similarly White to White on the timer. When switched on, the timer lights up and I can hear a click but the outside light does not turn on. That's because the Red wire from the timer is not connected. Can someone please help me figure this out? I am replacing the currently installed timer with this Leviton one. But the previous timer had only 3 wires - black, white and ground. So I had no problem installing that previous one. Am attaching a pic to show my arrangement.

Your timer needs requires four wires.

Black is "hot"
Red is the load wire, which is only hot when the switch is on (closed).
White is neutral, which allows the timer itself to use power to operate.
Bare/green is safety ground.

The box you're working at, does not have a neutral.  It's what's called a "switch loop", so only has a hot, switched hot, and ground.

You'll either have to run new cable to this box, or buy a timer that doesn't require a neutral.


Why is there a drain trap high on a wall above an air gap? I realize this question is not about "home" improvement but as I had to deal with drain and vent lines recently, I was curious to note this installation at the Costco.

There is what it seems a condensate drain, with a P-trap and an air-gap at the bottom. Why the P-trap? What is the purpose, it should be AFTER the air gap otherwise I do not see how it helps anything:Note the P-trap on the top right corner

Detail of the drain on the base, see the airgap

Assuming that it's a condensate line for rooftop HVAC equipment, the trap is required to prevent contamination of the habitable space by exhaust gases. It's also possible that an inducer fan could draw air through an un-trapped drain.


Lights go out in part of the house whenever I plug.something in Weird thing. Whenever I plug something (TV,computer, anything really besides the fridge which is even weirder)  in in one part of the house a bzt bzt sounds can be heard, lights flicker and electricity goes off in that one part for several minutes.
No safety goes off. Lights flicker several times during those few minutes until electricity comes back.
I will call an electrician, but any idea to what might be the cause?

Probably a broken wire or bad connection in the box behind the outlet where you plugged in.  I recommend getting an electrician to look at it RIGHT NOW.  You could cause a fire in the wall and burn your house down.


Cannot remove the Kwikset deadbolt I took off the two screws on the interior plates, but I cannot remove the plates. It seems they are glued to the door.
It is supposed to be an easy job, Any ideas?

It looks like maybe there is just a bit of paint holding the cover on. Use a utility knife to carefully cut around the perimeter and then see if you can get a flathead under(insert at the bottom to hide the potential damage). You can also lightly tap with a mallet or a block of wood and hammer and it will probably come free


How to patch a wood lath plaster rounded corner? I am attempting to repair a rounded plaster corner. (Image below).  The plaster was blown out during an electrical re-wire for the bathroom switch pictured.

I’m assuming the wire corner bead runs vertically along the entire corner, floor to ceiling. There are parts of the blowout with no wood.

Question is - what is the PROPER way to repair this? Should I tie in a scrap piece of lath to the existing where it’s missing or can I treat this like a drywall patch and patch in a rectangular piece of drywall with some blocking?

Also, can I use a fast setting compound (20 or 45) and finish with a topping coat of joint compound - or should I use PlasterMagic, or another plaster alternative?

I’ll be painting the entire bathroom after the repairs.

Since this got ZERO love, and I have finished the job, figured I would post what I did.

Simply bought some wire mesh from the local home goods store, and screwed it directly into the wood lathe after breaking out the hole a bit more.  That gave me a good base for my 20 minute hot mud to mushroom through.  As for the rounded corner -- it was nothing special, just took a minute or two of using gentle rounding strokes to make it match the existing radius.

In hindsight, probably give it a minute to set a bit more before doing the radius.  Also -- I needed to apply the mud even CLOSER to the outline of the electrical box.  I left it a little shy of the box, and the regular sized plate cover did not cover the hole, and I needed 1 more trip to the store to get a 'JUMBO' cover plate.  Turned out great.


Finding studs behind new build drywall to mount TV I am a complete DIY novice so please bear with me!
I live in a house built in 2019 and got someone to mount a 45" TV to our bedroom wall which is interior drywall. The TV has stayed up for almost 1.5 years without issue.
After changing/rearranging the furniture in the bedroom it was now off centre to the bed so I decided to remove that TV and bracket from the wall and replace it with a new wall bracket for a better 49" TV I have. The bracket needs to go on the same wall - just in a different position.
The wall does sound hollow to varying degrees when I tap it so it seemed obvious I would be mounting into studs. Using an electronic stud finder and magnets I am able to find the first 6 studs 16" apart from the side of the wall coming inwards as expected, there is then another stud only 8 inches apart. Then after that (in the space I want to mount the TV - typical) I can't find anything. My electronic stud finder can't find anything and the magnets don't attract to anywhere. Not sure if significant but there looks to be a supporting beam running perpendicular to the wall at the point I can no longer find any studs.

Looking at the way it was mounted originally the holes drilled don't appear to be going into any studs and I don't recognize the fixings  as drywall anchors (as I said I'm a novice so could be completely wrong here!).

Looking into the holes that were drilled  it looks like there is some sort of grey brick almost immediately behind the plasterboard that the fixings were drilled/hammered into.

My questions are:

Do I start drilling holes attempting to find a stud (and how do I do this without causing loads of damage)?
Do I use similar fixings to what was used previously (I have some Fischer UX10x60 R fixings that came with the TV bracket that look similar to the original ones although it does say not for use in drywall) or do I use (Gripit) drywall anchors?

The reason for your standard 16" OC stud measurements being suddenly interrupted with an 8" measurement is that beam in the ceiling is being supported by a post, and 8" just happens to be where it was located. It's likely, though not guaranteed, that if you continue to measure 16" from the last "standard" spaced stud, you'll end up hitting studs again as you move to the left across the wall. Studs are usually laid out 16" and pick up again after interruptions for things like windows, doors and beam-support posts. It's also possible that they reset their measurement point at the post and the next stud is 16" to the left of the post. They may have also started at the left corner and laid out 16" centers moving to the right, ending regular spacing at the post.
Now that you know 3 likely locations for the next stud, if your stud finder doesn't find anything there, you can use a slim drill bit (3/16" or less) to drill holes in likely locations looking for the resistance of a stud or lack thereof when missing it. A hole that small is easy to patch when you're fixing up the holes from the old mount and will be nearly invisible after doing so.
That plastic bit in the 2nd picture is one of a variety of standard drywall anchors. It's no one I would personally rely on to hold up a TV and TV mount, though if it's a non-moveable mount, 4 of those might have sufficient holding power.
The general advice is to mount a piece of 1/2 - 3/4" thick plywood to at least 2 studs using lag bolts, then you can attach the mount to the plywood with the screws supplied with the mount, and you can do that anywhere you'd like since the plywood will provide proper grip for the screws.
It is possible to hang your mount/TV directly from drywall - there are drywall anchors that are rated for as much as 100lb each, and 4 of them would be more than sufficient. These are not the plastic type anchors that you showed, they're toggles that will require a larger hole and bolt through the anchor & the mount. However, it's your TV, so you can make the call on whether you want to trust your TV to those, or if you want to make the extra effort to find the studs.
It appears that the "grey brick" behind your drywall might be steel studs, though the rough shape of the hole back there is a bit odd. Do you have any idea what's on the other side of this wall? If those are steel studs, you'll want to use anchors designed for steel studs, not lag bolts that would be sufficient for wood studs, nor "drywall" anchors.


What are the options for my window on my brick house? I was hoping to get some guidance and am including a picture. I have a brick house that was built in 1913 and then gut rehabbed in 1998. They replaced all of the windows and redid everything in the house. Unfortunately on the front of the house the wood around the window has been rotting for years and I'd like to fix it up.

I was hoping to learn about the terminology involved here. Would this be called "window casing"? Is this a certain type of window design?

I would like to research this problem on the internet or perhaps call an expert but I'm not familiar with the terminology to even do basic research (what kind of expert would I even call for a quote? Window install company?).

Any idea why this rotted out? Does it just need to be replaced or did the construction company cheap out when they did the rehab?

The wooden part is called the window frame and going by the picture it seems to be a double hung window frame.
There are various types of frame materials (wood, metal, etc.) this site describes the different types of window frames, their pro's and con's and some other handy tips.
Among them whether to replace or repair the window frame:

Some window frames—especially wooden—can be repaired affordably. Still, you should assess the current condition of your window frame and glass before deciding if a repair or a full replacement is necessary.  Rotting windows aren’t worth the trouble to repair and often can’t be repaired anyway. Single pane windows create a drafty environment and they aren’t good for insulation or energy efficiency, so if you have single pane windows in need of attention, it’s best to replace them entirely.
If your home’s windows are double paned, you might consider repairing them versus replacing. Wooden windows can be repaired and updated easily with kits and other commercial products sold for the purpose. Older wooden window frames offer a certain charm that you won’t get from windows sold today, so making repairs is an affordable way to save that vintage aesthetic.

If you want to know what the different parts of the frame are called, you can visit this site.
Typically wooden window frames need yearly (or at the very least every couple of years) maintenance in the form of sanding and repainting.
This ensures the wood stays sealed and prevents them from rotting.
I'm not sure what the life expectancy is for wooden frames but 20 years seems a bit short, but if they weren't maintained properly then all bets are off.
Personally if the window is that rotten I'd probably look at replacing it.
By the looks of it, it's single pane glass so it might also be a good idea to upgrade the glass to a multi-pane glass type. Multi-pane glass insulates your house better and helps in keeping noise out (combined with a good window frame of course).


Why does my ceiling fan light turn off by itself? I have a remote-controlled ceiling fan and light.  I don't run the fan, but when I turn the light on sometimes it will stay on for a long time then just go off by itself.  I have tried both kinds of bulbs, but neither works.  What causes this problem.  Do I have to replace the ceiling fan and light, or can it be fixed?

I bought 2 Hunter Exeter model fans and was running into the problem of the lights cutting in and out after about 10-15 minutes of steady light output.  Both fans were having the same problem. The fans are controlled by radio frequency remote controls - which the instructions say are "paired" with the fan when they arrive.  BUT, you can re-pair them and doing so solved my intermittent light problem.  I only re-paired one of the fans and now both fan lights work properly.  My guess is there was some interference between the remotes for the two fans, and re-pairing one eliminated that interference.


How to troubleshoot HVAC for room that is uncomfortably warm in both hot *and* cold weather? I have a room in my house that I spend a lot of time in.  It is consistently uncomfortably hot in the summertime.  A thermometer on my desk will read 80 degrees or more in the summertime.  I was told that the HVAC likely isn't pushing enough air into the room.  I was told that I could pay thousands of dollars for a "mini-split" that would push more cold air into the room.  As an alternative, I purchased an evap cooler which works well enough, but at the price of frequently refilling it and keeping the door and window open, which compromises my privacy and comfort.
Now that the mercury is dropping, the evap cooler is in the closet, and it is still uncomfortably warm in this room.  The other day, I was on the phone and I noticed my forehead was sweating and the reading on the thermometer was 82.  This seems to mean that the same HVAC that was pushing "not enough cool air" into this room is now pushing "too much warm air" into this room.  I'm paying money for my HVAC and alternating between sweating my brains out and leaving the window hanging open so that I have to listen to every barking dog in the neighborhood.
All adjoining rooms in the house are a comfortable temperature all year round.
I suspect that if I had purchased that "mini-split" to get more cool air in here, I'd still be unhappy that this room is so hot in the winter time.
What kind of problem am I likely having that a room in my house is uncomfortably warm in both hot and cold weather while the adjoining rooms are all comfortable?
Here is some more information requested:
In answer to some questions that have been brought up, the room only has a single south-east facing window.  It is an ordinary room surrounded by ordinary drywall, like all the rooms with south-east facing windows that are comfortable all year long.  The room is directly above a kitchen that I have never had an HVAC problem with.  The ducts run between the two floors, so it is impossible to take a look at it without tearing holes in the ceiling below.
There is a single compressor that cooler the whole house in summer.  There is a single furnace that cools the wholse house in winter.
There is a single vent blowing air into the room.  We had an HVAC duct cleaning company in the house a while back.  The guy who recommended the mini-split said that duct cleaning companies can be good at finding if there may be a break in the system that causes air to escape.
I want to emphasize that I am not an HVAC expert.  I am handy enough to tackle something from time to time when I have the time and motivation for it, such as when I replaced the blower motor several years ago to avoid paying an inflated price to have a contractor do it.  I don't know all the lingo, but I will do my best to answer questions to help solve my problem.

With the info you have provided we really can’t help you, there are mini splits out there you can install for ~1500$  I would want see how your system is set up because your hvac guy sounds like he knows less than my neighbor and I helped him put in a mini split. Unless you can provide some specifics I vote to close.


What's behind laminate flooring AC rating Can someone explain what is the concrete difference in manufacturing/testing between the various AC (abrasion class) ratings? I'm most interested in the difference between AC3 and AC4.

I've managed to find a table by one manufacturer (Kaindl) that has some actual data.

Basically AC3 vs AC4 comes down to twice the resistance before IP is reached in a Taber test, which uses sandpaper basically. IP is defined as: "The IP is reached immediately damage over an area of at least 0.60 m2 is suffered by the printed design in two quadrants and over an area of max. 0.60 mm2 in a third quadrant." I suspect there's a typo in there and the first measure is also 0.6 mm2 not m2.

Also AC4 is more resistant to impacts as well, about 50% better; I'm still a little confused about the precise meaning of that IC data.


Door Jamb Rotted Where Latch Goes I just installed a lock in my door and when attempting to install the latch I found that the wood was splintering and not stable, so I cut it out. My problem is similar to this one. What can be installed in the gap to make the latch have something strong to screw into? Best type of wood to use? Other ideas besides wood? Replacing the entire door frame is not an option at this point.
Reference image:

I suggest replacing that jamb board. Measure the board and purchase a new board to replace it. Cut it completely out, top to bottom and install the new board. Cut your lockset holes and paint to match.


Caroma smart toilet isn't filling My Caroma Smart dual flush toilet isn’t filling up. Water supply is turned on,but there is no water coming into the thank. The tank is completely empty. I manually filled the tank  up with water and iit flushed appropriately,but didn’t fill back up on its own.  I can’t even hear the water running. Can someone please help me?

It sounds like there's a problem with the inlet valve, which should fill the tank when it falls below the set depth. Here's a video on maintenance for a Caroma Dual Flush:

http://www.caromausa.com/resources/videos/articles/29.php

And here's a PDF on servicing the inlet valve:

http://www.caromausa.com/database/rte/files/QuietFlow%202%20Service%20Guide.pdf


Why is electric heat capacity calculated using floor area instead of space volume? Doing some homework for a customer who wants to install electric baseboard heat. As I am trying to determine how many feet/watts I need. I ran across some guidelines that make sense, except they use the  "X" number of watts to square foot ratios.

Why wouldn't it be "X" number of watts to Cubic foot of space? Wouldn't that be more accurate??

Floor area is used for two reasons:

The temperature of a room results from a balance between the rate at which heat enters and the rate at which it's lost through the walls.  The rate of loss, in turn, is proportional to the surface area of the walls, floor, and ceiling, which, for a normal-shaped building, is roughly in proportion to the floor area.
Floor area is easier to measure.


Cool down wastewater from dishwasher I am planning to install a high power dish washer. This dishwasher runs hot and the water is heated to 180 degrees during the wash cycle. One potential problem with this is that I have a septic system, so if I send such hot water into the septic tank, it will kill the helpful bacteria there.

How can I cool down the water before it reaches the septic tank?

You could enlarge your wdv piping.  If you put a 4" abs trap under your sink (it would look crazy but you could do it), the 4" trap would hold (pie*4*4)* length of pipe = ~ 608 cubic inches * 0.0043 gallons per cubic inch = 2.59 gallons.  Dishwasher uses 4-6 gallons.  It would take quite a bit of work to upsize your venting and stack if not already at 4" at the tie in.

Make sure you don't have PVC pipe in your wdv as the max temperature it handles is 140.  180 is the limit for abs.

The other thing that might help is to put a watercycles heat recovery stack on the vertical portion of your stack that the dishwasher is eventually draining into.  These units pull cold water from your supply through a copper pipe around another copper pipe that is absorbing heat from your drain.

http://www.watercycles.ca/index.php/watercycle-products-2

Converting some of your wdv to metal would allow a large portion of the heat to dissipate, choose the portions of pipe where the water moves slowest.

I'd do some real world measurements of the temperature at the junction to the septic to see how hot the water is once it reaches that point.  82C water that is traveling through wdv at ambient say 20C pipe depending on the length of the pipe is going to loose a fair amount of heat to the trap contents and the surrounding materials.

There is of course manual intervention of running some cold water at the same time your dishwasher drains.  Super manual would be to have it drain into a 6 gallon bucket and manually dump the bucket later once the water has cooled.

A grease trap would probably work, they are large boxes that would have the effect of tempering the water coming out of the dishwasher with existing water and they have a fairly large capacity.


Is it possible to add a ground to a vacuum? I have an electronics vacuum that is not grounded. I feel this keeps it from adequately performing its primary function in a desirable way. Can I replace the cord with a grounded cord, and tap the cord to a case ground or something similar?

Not being grounded is not going to affect the way the vacuum cleaner functions. In fact, most vacuums I've had/used are not grounded. They are mostly made from nonmetallic parts and insulated in such a way that grounding isn't needed or impossible to achieve.

Now, if you're using an ungrounded vacuum to clean electronics, computer motherboards, etc.and are worried about static charges, then by all means you could remove the two conductor cord and install a 3 conductor cord and a three prong plug.


Is there a danger of back flow from water heater while replacing a saddle valve? We have a leaky saddle valve feeding our humidifier.  We eventually want to get a real valve installed, but for now are looking for a cheap near-term solution.

Here is my concern: the original valve was installed on the cold water line, but was put in very close to the water heater input (about 8" above it).  If I turn off the cold water supply and remove this valve, is there any chance that i will get water spraying back at me from the water heater?  Are there any sure ways to prevent this?  Just looking to do an easy DIY repair without getting scalded.

Yes, it's good possibility that if you don't purposefully depressurize the lines first, you will get spray. But this is easy to do.

Turn off the hot water heater. If it's electric, there is usually an off position on the knob on the front, or turn it off at the breaker panel. If it's gas, just turn the knob to pilot.
Turn off the cold water supply to the house.
Open the hot and cold taps in a sink somewhere. When the water stops flowing, you're good. If you want to be really safe, you could drain a little bit of water out of the tank using the valve at the bottom.
Complete your repair to the saddle valve.
Turn on the cold water supply to the house.
Open the cold tap on a sink. Wait for air to bleed out and a good water flow. Repeat with the hot tap. The hot water could take a much longer time to flow properly.
Turn your water heater back on.


I've stripped woodchip wallpaper with lead paint on it. I think I have all the dust in my carpet and furnitre. What do I do? I'm 17, I wanted to decorate my bedroom and decided to start stripping the wallpaper as my dad is working on other things at the moment (planning on moving house soon). Our house was built around 1974 so it's likely there is lead paint on the walls (or under a newer layer). I didn't cover my bed or my carpet or anything and now my carpet must have microscopic lead particles as i've read online can be quite dangerous. My mum has cleaned up my room (even though I said i'll do it) and she has vacuumed the bits of wallpaper up. I've heard that lead dust is blown into the air if you do that.

What is my risk of getting lead poisoning from airborne lead paint dust. I was wet stripping the woodchip wallpaper with a wet sponge after scoring the wall to help it penetrate easier.

My parents think i'm mad and I can't afford one of these "HEPA vacuums". Is my room that dangerous to live in and sleep in ? What can I do ?

Thanks

What can I do?

You could get a sample tested for lead. For example there is a 3M product called LeadCheck.

From what I've read: in the UK, lead-based paint was mostly used on woodwork. The relevant Wikipedia article suggests this. lead chromate was not used on walls after the early 1970s.


What type of anchor should I use for ceiling hook for ceiling fan? Going to install a ceiling fan, may I know what type of anchor bolt/sleeve to install ceiling hook?

Yes is a norm.

Location : Singapore

Ceiling Hook
http://www.kdk.sg/ceiling-hook.html

I would not attempt to hang a ceiling fan with an anchor. It would be much better if you located a ceiling joist and screwed directly into it.


Hanging 60 lb beveled glass frame in courtyard on a brick wall The mirror had a frame on it but it rotted off from being outside. I would like to hang the mirror now but need help to know what I need to purchase to hang it. I have a heavy chain that I had connected to the frame previously to hang it on the wall. I could use the chain again it I could figure out what to put on the mirror to hang it from. Thank you.

I would suggest using Z clips, unless you want the chain as ornamental.

These are attached to the wall and to the mirror's new frame.

To attach to the wall, I'd set anchors into the mortar (It's as strong as the brick and easier to patch if you move the mirror later.) Then use screws to attach the clips.

You have some fussy alignment to do to get the clips to match when using more than 2 pairs.

If you don't want to put a frame on the mirror, look at buying a single sheet of pressure treated plywood, cut it to match the size of the mirror, and glue to mirror to the plywood.  I don't recommend this for an exterior application.  Glass has a fairly high coefficient of thermal expansion.  I think the usual is to leave 1/8" per foot of glass dimension.  So a 4 foot high window has 1/2" of header space in the frame for it to wiggle in.  Might be 1/16" per foot.  Have to look.

A compromise is to use a plywood back, and then a lighter weight frame.  Frame elements only need to be big enough to hide the expansion room.  If you go this route, be sure to put drain holes in the channel at the bottom.  Otherwise water getting into that channel will rot the wood.


Running AC/Heater when washing a cleanable filter I have a heat pump/AC system with a washable air filter. I was told to clean the filter out and run water through it once a month.

He told me to let the filter dry for 3 hours before replacing it. I had a different tech tell me, however, to shake the water out of the filter and put it right back in.

So that leaves me with two questions.

Is it safe to run my AC/heat without a filter for 3 hours?
Is it safe to put a wet filter back into the unit?

Thanks for all help in advance!

edit:  My filter looks something like [this one][http://i0.wp.com/www.anthonydpmann.com/upload/2017/09/28/goodman-permanent-filter-to-fit-in-goodman-air-handler-goodman-furnace-filters-l-8c8fd9b9ed6663af.jpg?w=200&strip=all] and measures 15 x 21 x 1.  I looked around and was not able to find any disposable filters that size.  Would it be safe to use a disposable one instead of the permanent one?

It is not advisable to run the a/c without a filter in place nor to run the washable one while it is wet. Damp may be OK but not wet.

The best practice would be to get another of the washable filters and rotate them. Alternatively get a disposable filter that you use while the washable filter is drying.

You could speed up the drying process using a shop vac to pull water out of the filter, but then you would have water in the shop vac and you have to dry it out. Don't put a shop vac away wet; it will grow mold.

Alternatively you could dry out the filter by first shaking it gently, then pressing it moderately between two towels or terry cloth bath mats, then going over it with a hair dryer, but be careful not to overheat it.


Will this sink piping configuration result in standing water in the pipe? I recently had a contractor put in a new sink and disposal along with the piping. The disposal tailpipe is just barely above the drain pipe, however the p trap doesn't go straight out.

Is there a minimum height requirement that the disposal tailpipe must be above the drain?
Does the p trap need to be straight out to the drain or can there be an additional elbow like in the picture?
Does the dishwasher drain (smaller plastic tube) need to be above the disposal, or does that get pumped in without the need for gravity?

Thank you for the help!

I'll try to answer your questions as stated.

Minimum height difference

I'm not sure if there is a code for this, but it's good practice to have the bottom of the disposal drain higher than the top of the drain into the wall.  So a height difference of at least one pipe-width.

But, as long as the bottom of your tailpiece is higher than the wall drain, the disposal shouldn't hold water.  If the wall drain was higher, then the disposal would always have a pool of smelly water sitting in it.  Your problem is that the height difference is so slight that the inside of a fitting or even a very small buildup of gunk will cause water to start pooling in the disposal.  I would strive to have at least a 3/4" difference.

The depth of your new sink could be the issue.  You can look for a disposal that has a shallower neck, or cut into the wall to see about lowering the drain opening there.

Deep P Trap

I worry about the depth of the trap because that is a lot of room for gunk to accumulate.  The disposal acts like a water pump when it's on, so it should be able to blast water through that deep trap, but it's not on all the time.  Oil, grease, and other yuck can slip down into the trap and congeal causing smells and clogs.

I don't see any reason the trap had to be that deep and I think that can be easily improved on.

Dishwasher drain

I'm not going to fully explain it all here, but that part is fine.  The dishwasher drain should either have a "high loop" or an "air gap" (search terms to learn more) to help prevent siphoning of dirty water back on to your clean dishes in the event of a clog, but the height of the drain line entry doesn't matter because the dishwasher does have a pump for the drain.  It's pool of water is near the floor, so it has to have a pump to get rid of the water - gravity is not an option.


Can one cut the interior sill off a vinyl window flush with the wall surface? I am wondering if it is possible to cut the protruding part of the window sill here (see picture) such that my wall would be entirely flush. I am looking to fit a bespoke floating desk which would go right against the wall.
What are the risks here? Is the protruding part critical to the window stability?

Unless you get into either the mechanism or the seals of the window you can carve it up however you like. It's unlikely to be a structural concern.
Actually, that sill probably isn't part of the window to begin with. Jambs, stops, and sills are usually not part of the package. If it is part of the actual window, you may find a hollow which you'll have to cover with your desk or other trim.
If you decide to go forward, cut the caulk and/or paint all the way around that sill piece and give it a tap upward with a hammer. It may come free so you can remove it, run it through a table saw, and reinstall it. A fine bead of white painters caulk will have it back in place like new.


How do you calculate water supply fixture units? I'm trying to figure out how many water supply fixture units (WSFU) can fit off of my CPVC supply lines.  I looked at the tables in the 2015 NSP , but where I'm confused is figuring out where that is calculated.  Example -

I have a 3/4" supply line that tees to two 1/2" branches.  On one branch I have a dishwasher and kitchen sink, and on the other I have a bathroom with a 1.6gpm gravity toilet and a sink.  I'd like to T the connection to the bathroom so that it'll have 1/2" going to a bar sink and the other 1/2" going to the bathroom as before.

The question is, when doing the calculation, am I looking at only the WFUs off of the 1/2" line that is going to the bathroom, or do I have to take into consideration the line that is going to the kitchen as well?

   main =========T------------T---------- Bar Sink
                 |            |
              kitchen       half bath

        = -> 3/4"
    - & | -> 1/2" CPVC SDR11
        T -> tee intersection

At the 3/4" main you look at everything beyond that (i.e. everything, for this question.)

Everywhere else you look at everything beyond that - so once you pass the Tee for the kitchen, the 1/2" side feeding the kitchen is looked at for the kitchen devices, and the 1/2" side feeding the half-bath and bar sink is looked at for those devices.


100 amp box with two 100 amp breakers My electrical box is 100 amp. The box has two 100 amp breakers already. Can I install a subpanel in my garage with another 100 amp breaker?

That means that the box will have 3 100 amp breakers instead of 2.

The sum of the breakers in a panel means almost nothing.  As long as all the wires attached to those breakers are suitable for 100 amps, you can add as many as you want.

However, if your service and main breaker are 100 amps, you are still limited to 100 amps total.  If you are adding enough large loads in the garage to need a 100 amp subpanel, you may regularly trip your main breaker and shutoff all your power - which means you would need to upgrade the service and main panel to provide enough power for everything.


One isolating valve on both loft tanks inputs? Just after the mains stopcock under my kitchen sink there is a tee, one pipe to drinkable water+washing machine and the other to the loft cisterns. ( This is an open vented pumped S-plan system, standard here in UK )

I was wondering whether it is safe to add an isolating valve on the latter pipe, placing it right after the aforementioned tee ( I.E. under the kitchen sink ).

I am asking because I've read somewhere that the feed and expansion tank shouldn't have a valve on its input, but I couldn't find a consensus on that, online.

I am also suspicious because currently I have an isolating valve just before the bigger loft tank in the loft, not serving the FE tank. Which could be a hint that FE shouldn't have an input valve?

There may be (or have been in the past) rules or conventions about the F&E tank especially on solid fuel systems, to ensure they can't accidentally run dry.

However in the past some F&E tanks for gas central heating were installed without any cold supply at all, were initially topped up with a jug, and then left to get on with it. It was assumed there would be negligible evaporation loss, and the advantage of a very limited quantity of water to escape in the event of a leak. This was often on housing scheme work where hundreds of houses were done in one job and the saving of hundreds of ballvalves would mount up.

I believe current regulations require a service valve for every outlet.

It may also be useful to fit a drain tap at the base of that riser to the loft, so that pipe can be drained down if necessary.


Two circuits in same junction box? Can two different circuits go through the same junction box?  That is, two cables enter from different breakers and they tie to cables exiting, but the two circuits aren't connected except for the grounds if that is required.

Yes, that is fine. The only restriction would be mixing voltage classes. You couldn’t mix line voltage and low voltage (e.g. 12 volts) in the same box.

You can interconnect the grounds or not. If the box is metal and the conduit is not (or no conduit), you’ll need to tie one or both grounds to the box.

Be careful not to mix or interconnect the neutrals or hots.


Refinish or replace an old staircase I have a staircase from which I ripped up the old carpet. I’m trying to figure out how to refinish, seems I have four options:

Refacing with a veneer tread cover and riser. This was my original plan but will involve a lot of precision cutting to make it work, especially on the turn.
ripping out existing treads and risers and replacing with pine lumber. The existing treads seem to be pine 2 x10’s. I would then stain the pine. Not sure if this is a good idea.
sand down existing stairs and paint or stain, maybe carpet down the middle. There are about a thousand nail holes to fill but this would not involve any cutting.
carpet. These are basement stairs so I’d rather not do this

Sand and Paint
Veneer or replace treads - that's a lot of work.
Carpet - relatively easy - but you said you don't want that.
Don't try to sand and stain - the level of sanding will be much more than for painting and I suspect in the end you will find so much old paint that staining won't work well.
Which leaves Sand and Paint as the best option.
No matter what you do, if the stairs are older than 1978 then test for lead paint or just assume that there is lead paint and take appropriate precautions.


How can I reuse lumber from the basement walls of my 1938 home? I'm capable and ambitious but inexperienced.  If the solution to my question is obvious, I probably didn't find the answer because I didn't know the right terminology to Google the question!

In my 1938 bungalow, someone (probably in the first decades of the home's existence) created the semblance of framed walls in the basement.  The bottom and top plates, however, were not attached to the floor above nor to the concrete below.  (Some predecessor of sheetrock was clumsily nailed over the studs--a real mess which I'm glad to have outta there.)

I saved the studs and have them stacked in my garage. It seems silly to buy new lumber when I have this sturdy, dried, thicker-than-the-new stuff studs.  Only they're all too short to frame a wall in the tidy ways I read about and watch on the Internet. I should probably trim off the ends that were previously nailed, too.

What would be the best way to get use out of these 2X4s?  Would I double the top and bottom plates?  Is there some convention for building a wall where the studs aren't tall enough to run from top to bottom in a single length--essentially building a wall with a top, "middle" and bottom plate?

Hope that makes sense.  I appreciate your expertise and feedback.

By the way, from my initial research, I think I understand that what I'm proposing doing wouldn't probably be acceptable for load-bearing/exterior walls. If what I read is correct, the primary function of the walls I want to build will be to hold insulation and to secure drywall to.

Thanks a lot.

You could certainly double the plates if the size difference won't be a problem, or you can solve that in one of several ways if it is. Don't use studs that aren't full height otherwise. They won't be stable at the center joints.

If you're building new exterior walls, just flush everything to the inside. If not, you'll probably need to fur out at least the lowest and uppermost plates to flush on the other side as well. This will prevent cracked drywall, etc. Depending on the difference, 1/8" hardboard or 1/4" luan plywood could work well.

I wouldn't worry about cutting off nail penetrations unless there's obvious splintering or other damage. It won't affect the outcome of your project. You might find it appropriate to square up the ends and make the lengths uniform, though, especially if they were hand-cut.

Also be sure to crown them. This involves sighting down an edge from end to end and aligning all the bows the same direction (perpendicular to the wall). Discard any studs with bows greater than about 1/4", and use them for shorter lumber needs or where the bowing won't be a problem, such as in drywall backing.


Upgrading baseboard thermostat -wiring help Going from old analog thermostats to programmable digital. They're all 240v but appear to currently be wired as single pole and new stats are double. Photos attached of line in, and two out for load- this one runs two baseboards.
New stats are Honeywell double pole. I think I just need to separate the nuts connecting the white wires from the line in and run that to the new stat, leave the two white load lines and connect those to the load out of the double pole but wanted to make sure. Couple pics attached.

https://ibb.co/b2A6hG
https://ibb.co/f6v6hG
https://ibb.co/job1Gb

I think I just need to separate the nuts connecting the white wires from the line in and run that to the new stat, leave the two white load lines and connect those to the load out of the double pole but wanted to make sure.

Short answer is: Yes, you can do that or you can just use one set of wires like they did. (The National Electrical Code does require a disconnect for the heater. The thermostat can be used for this as long as it disconnects both ungrounded conductors and has a marked "off" position.)

Long answer is: Whether you use a single pole or double pole thermostat it will work the same. It is a single phase circuit and it will work either way.

The difference is, with a double pole thermostat you are breaking the circuit in two places at the same time instead of one. This reduces the amount of pitting on the device contacts. With a double-break device the contacts will last longer at any given voltage. At 240 volts contact pitting is much higher than at 120 volts.

If you had a triac based thermostat contact pitting becomes a non-issue and you can go back to breaking the circuit in one place.

Good luck!


Toilet constantly draining I've got a problem that I think has only started occurring in the last week or so, my toilet seems to keep draining for up to hours after it was last flushed, and weirdly so it seems to be affecting the en-suite upstairs as well.

I'll start by adding I know little to nothing about plumbing/toilets

The downstairs one (that was flushed most recent) has the water level just about inline with (i think) the overflow valve, and it's just currently constantly draining at a slow steady rate. Image

At the meantime the upstairs one is seemingly very low level in the tank, but just isn't filling up, even if I manually try adding more, this one is also draining, just very very slowly. Image

Is there a simple fix? Do I just need to put more water in the whole system, or is there something I'd possibly need to get a plumber in for?

Update

I've watched a few youtube videos, mostly about replacing the cistern for a new one (which I've just bought, doesn't solve the problem) although I think the issue specifically seems to be that the water is just going in the overflow, there doesn't seem to be a problem with the valve at the bottom, when I flush it, it does stop for a little bit until the water hits the overflow valve and then just keeps going, it's as though it's never told to stop filling the tank back up

Right ok, whilst I'm still not an expert by any means... but... I think that it's fairly easy to diagnose problem.

First I checked out a few youtube videos on the problem, most people suggested the issue was the flush valve/cistern (couple of videos on fixing that here, link 1, link 2.

I actually bought and replaced the flush valve on my toilets except that wasn't the problem.

Part of what really helped me was trying to take my time to realise why it was still running after the flush. I turned my water pressure lower so it would fill up at a slower rate, then I flushed the toilet again and watched each part until I saw what wasn't working as it was meant to.

The first link above helps to describe the process, but in very simplistic terms for people in a similar situation, when you press the switch it presses a release on the valve to eject all the water in the tank, once it reaches it's 'empty' state (which you can change on your valve) the mechanism will close back up and create a container for the water to fill back up again, this is step one in trying to figure out the issue, it's why a lot of the problems are related to the seal on the valve.

That wasn't my issue, then, as the water is filling, the level rises until it reaches the float gauge (where the water is coming out) and the float is then intended to lift the lever on the gauge to close it when it reaches it's fill capacity (again, you can change this)

This was my problem, the float was being lifted, except the valve inside the float gauge was clogged or damaged and wasn't stopping the water entering the tank when it reached it's highest point, and then the water was just flowing through the overflow pipe and down the toilet.

So the simple fix was just to change the float gauge, they're all of about £10 at toolstation, and I fitted it with no problem

Hope this helps someone in the future


Pocket door latch side is higher than the other My pocket door has become uneven.  The latch side is higher than the other side and the roller cannot be seen. What is the easiest way for me to readjust the door?  It rolls a little hard, but does close, just lopsided.

If you're lucky, you can just lift the door and hook it back on to the track.

But that probably won't work. Usually, you have to remove the trim at the top of the doorway to get access to the tracks and rollers.


I removed this non-load bearing wall in the corner of my basement, now 2 doors upstairs rub on their frames. Why is this? In the image below, notice where the small 1x1 bits are, running perpendicular to the ceiling joists. These was used by the previous homeowner to lower the ceiling in one room, so if you can imagine, the wall he built next to them would run next to that last one on the right.

This wall has been removed for about 2 months now, and in the last week, 2 doors within a 8 foot radius directly vertical of that jack post have started rubbing on their frames. One had shifted at least 1/4", the other about 7/16"

I got worried and figured obviously that's sinking. So I went out and got that post, installed it and cranked it up - the doors upstairs started to line up better, but they still rub. I can only assume if I tighten it more they'll go back to normal, but I'm not sure it's on the right joist.

In the original house floor plan, that wall was not there, so I'm very sketched out - the wall really did not appear to have any load on it! However, I'm worried that when the previous homeowner did the basement, he might have weakened the joists substantially and conveniently made up for it with that wall - see, he notched all the joists about 3/4" to fit heater pipes under the ceiling.

I am also suspicious that I may have caused the metal post on that main beam to sink, where you see the new PVC pipes sitting and waiting to be put into a wall, I jackhammered on 3 sides of it to make room for the pipe. I barely touched the concrete support for that post, I took off a 4"x4"x16" chunk from one side though. Could the vibration have pushed the post down?

Anyways, I'm going to be gone for 2 weeks and I don't want my house to collapse or all the tiles to crack while I'm gone. What do you guys think could have caused this sagging, and what should I do to prevent it from getting worse?

I really don't know where to start on this question.
There are several steps that need to be done, and soon before any serious damage is done. First, you need to stabilize the situation.  Several joists must be supported at once via a temp bridge support ( 2, 2X8's upright, spanning several joists)  held up by your temp house jack, but two would be better. One on either end.

Then you really should get the advise of a pro to evaluate your situation.  If you have a main lolly column sinking, that is a problem.  The 3/4 inch cuts should not be much of a problem, but they should have been made in the center of the joists, not an edge.  Are there any cracks traveling from these cuts? If not, then they are not the problem.  I have several theories, but without actually seeing the layout and taking measurements, it is impossible to properly evaluate.  Get a pro in there, don't take advice that is not based on an inspection of the problem.