Anode for buried galvanized steel tube I recently installed an trampoline in my garden. The inclination made it necessary to bury parts of the trampolines feet in the earth.

Since matching replacement feet are hard to source I am interested to protect the feet from corrosion. I wonder if sacrificial anodes are a viable way to protect the metal? Do I need an anode for each foot?

The trampoline feet are made of several individual (hot dip)? galvanized steel tubes stuck together and fixed each with a bolt. The coating is old and partly worn. At several places the joints are also covered by earth. The entire assembly looks like this:

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trampoline_with_enclosure.jpg

The industrial way is both coating and cathodic protection ( sacrificial anodes/aluminum).The coating greatly reduces the amperage needed from the anodes. In your case it would be so easy and cheap to drive several inch lengths of aluminum angle into the ground that I would put in several ( each one attached with a wire to the steel frame). For a limited life item ,I would not bother with coating although that is best practice. In industry they would measure soil resistivity to decide how many anodes ,but,again, not necessary for your case. The aluminum could also be used to anchor the trampoline to the ground.


How can I vent my kitchen exhaust through vinyl soffit? My 1950s ranch had a loud, ineffective kitchen fan that I decided to fix up this weekend. Turns out that when a  previous owner had vinyl siding added, they simply put the vinyl over the vent.

I suspect this greatly lowered airflow and contributed to the lack of venting. But looking at modern options, I can't find any replacements for the 3 1/4"x10" ducting that was run out to under the eaves, only round ones. Will simply drilling more venting holes in the vinyl sheeting help?

Chances are good that there was still enough airflow happening with the vented soffit panel in place. I'd try it out with the new fan and see how well it works before cutting the soffit up.

Since the vinyl soffit was applied directly over the plywood soffit, you could install J-channel around the vent and cut the soffit to fit.

You could also replace the solid panel covering part of the vent with a vented panel.


Should I level my basement floor if installing a subfloor? I'd like to install a subfloor in my basement including that dimple stuff to allow moisture to dissipate. Currently, it has sheetrock walls and trim with painted concrete flooring, but that's it.

A month after we moved in, our sump pump failed, and I got to see where 1-2" puddles of water collected in the basement.

This told me the basement flooring is not completely level. As far as I know, most basements are supposed to have a slight slant toward the main drain, but mine had a few puddles in different spots and one larger area notably dry. These weren't all aimed at the main drain so I don't know what to do.

Should I level the concrete or just install the subfloor and not worry about it? Are there any issues I could run into by installing the subfloor without leveling?

How old is the house?

This sounds like an old house given a 1-2" deep puddle and painted concrete.

You should consider that :
 - the slab is probably too thin
 - inadequate drain rock under the slab
 - no insulation under slab
 - lack of radon / vapor barrier under slab
 - the exterior perimeter drain may be clogged
 - sewer service pipes in slab may be close to lifespan
 - consider a backup sump pump on a hydrocheck HC6000v2 (non mechanical float)

How long do you plan to keep the house and how large is your budget and timeline?  Doing this properly can be expensive.

Quick and Dirty would be to level it to within 1/2" over 4'.   Certainly fill any depressions.  Choose a waterproof vinyl plank flooring.  I like the 6mm duraclic from lowes.  You probably want to put down a 6mm poly vapor barrier under the flooring and tape seams to keep out radon.  Having gone down the high end path before quick and dirty appeals more and more to me.

If the house is newish and all the above items to consider are good and you have budget you could take the pro approach and flood the entire floor with self level.  This will yield the best result but is the most expensive option.  Have to worry about door heights, etc.


Can I vent a portable air conditioner inside? I recently bought a portable air conditioner and was wondering if it is absolutely necessary to vent it to the outside. I plan on using it in a room that doesn't have a window as was wondering if I could vent it to another room in the house without doing any damage (eg mold growing in the house). I understand the air coming out of the AC will be warm and would warm up the room it was venting into.

It's possible but it will be creating a situation where your a/c is fighting against itself, because you'll simply be redistributing the heat inside your house, instead of putting it on the outside.

Why?  Because the warm air will creep back into the room you were cooling, so the a/c will be acting like a big do-nothing machine - to a degree anyway.

Mold isn't going to be too concerning, however, because you won't be taking moisture out of the one room and putting it into the other - the moisture in the air in the warm room may increase a little (because warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air, so if moisture is there, it'll get picked up) but not to the degree it would if you were, say, venting a dryer into that room, where you'd be introducing lots of NEW moisture.

All that said - I do not recommend this idea.  Better to create a vent/opening (properly, of course, but that's a different question) in the outside wall to allow the warm air to go where it is supposed to.


What should I do after a low-voltage wire was cut putting the furnace door back on? I have the basic Honeywell thermostat that a lot of people have. All the thermostat wires go to the blower in the attic (for the central air). They are spliced with wires that then go to the furnace.

Everything going was fine until Saturday, when the AC wouldn't work. That's a different issue. While looking in the furnace, and replacing the door, the white wire was cut by the metal door. I bypassed that cut by splicing the wires, but the furnace still won't kick on.

What should I do to troubleshoot and repair it?

Shorting one of the thermostat wires to ground might have tripped the breaker on the 24 VAC transformer that powers the thermostat.

Another option is that you damaged multiple wires but only the white one badly enough to notice it.


What to do with post with dry rot? We’re getting ready to paint and I was checking around my porch. There are three columns that support the roof over my porch. One of them had a decorative cross member that was dislodged because of dry rot at the location where the cross member was nailed to the column. I saw some dry rot there and started to excavate the rot.

Here are some pictures of the bottom of the post. It has a small amount of concrete around the posts. The post goes into the concrete an inch or two deep.

What should I do about this. I think that since there are two others columns supporting the porch roof this one with the rotted base didn’t really affect the general load bearing aspect.

How should I fix this? Just add a lot of bondo, or wood filler, et.

Take the post out and put in a new one? (I don’t want to do this bc I would need to take out all he decorative cross beams.

Cut out the old wood base and graft on a nicer/new to replace the big sections that we cut out?

Are you sure about the load bearing? It may sag if you are not careful...

Anyway either replace the post completely or make a replacement bottom section and support the rest of the structure - acrow jacks work well for this type of thing.

This is one example of a supplier of acrow jacks - many others... :
https://www.scaffolding-direct.co.uk/new-size-3-acrow-prop-2-4m-4m/


Why is non-metallic cable (NM) cheaper than THHN? I'm looking at the cost of wire.  A 500' spool of THHN costs roughly $75.  I will need three of these to run hot/neutral/ground to outlets, etc.  Three spools will cost $225.  On the other hand, I can buy two 250' coils of cable and do the same work, but for only $125.  Isn't cable just THHN wrapped into an outer sheath?
I'd much rather run THHN through my conduit than use cable (I understand cable cannot be used in conduit...well, it's cross-sectional area is too high to make it feasible), but the cost has me stumped.
Is there some technicality or spec that makes THHN superior to what comes in cable?

All of these other answers primarily address the complexity of creating the wire, but cost really is due to a host of market forces such as base manufacturing cost (influenced by complexity of design and local labor wages), supply chain cost/availabilty, distribution costs, and economies of scale (how much of each wire type people buy and from where).
Don’t believe me? I encountered a situation at a big box store where a bare copper wire was more expensive than same gauge THHN wire: Is there a reason to prefer bare wire for Grounding Electrode Conductor?
THHN obviously requires far more processing than a bare copper conductor, so explain that one to me as something other than market forces.


Ramset nails not flush with basement frame wall I built my first wall in my basement when I started to frame and I bought the Ramset MasterShot 0.22 gun from Home Depot and read up on everything and when I used it to nail my treated 2x4 to the cement the nails don't seem to go down all the way.

Here is a picture of how far they go.

I'm using the yellow powder which should be plenty powerful enough and the 2 1/2 nails which are meant for nailing 2x4 to concrete.

If this is a base plate on the floor for a wall, you're fine as is and it pretty much happens to everyone. The nail is embedded in concrete, the floor keeps the base plate from moving lower, the nail's job is to keep it from moving side to side, and the wall you build on top of it is what will keep it from lifting up the small distance you see there. I wouldn't attempt to force it lower since you risk bending or breaking the nail, or fracturing the concrete that you have a solid bond to now.

As for why this happens, not all concrete is the same strength, especially if it's had a long time to fully cure. A charge that might work on one floor can easily come up short on another. I've also seen a firm grip on the tool and solid hand with the hammer (for the hammer style ramsets) can make a big difference.


What is this thing on my garage wall? I just bought a house last year and there's this thing with what looks like string in the middle of the electrical system. The two pictures show said thing from a distance and close up.

What is this thing?

For reference, the house was built in the 50s and is in the Bay Area in California.

Transformer. Probably for doorbell, possibly for hard-wired controls for garage door opener.  The "string" is fabric-insulated low-voltage wire, which was commonly used for that purpose.


Rewire a ceiling fan, ceiling fan on, not controllable by switch Friends with electrical background could use some help. The top drawing was the original of how the electrical ran in my wall. The thing I messed up and did was not take a picture of the switch before I dismantled it. There was a jumper in the switch box, connecting what wires I don't know. This switch would only control the ceiling fan in our kitchen.

I went to rewire it, which is the new drawing, bottom version and now, the switch for the fan doesn't work, ceiling fan stays on unless you pull chains, and the switch now controls a switch box in my dining room for an outlet and the outside lights. Any idea which wires the jumper would have been for, I think that's all I need to right this ship. Or maybe it's more than that

Sorry, was hoping to post a picture. Original wall wiring was w/b from attic to outlet, w/b from outlet to switch, red, white and black out of switch to fan. Now, in the junction box in my attic, I have the original w/b from the outlet coming in to my junction box, connected to the w/b going to switch, then the w/b coming from switch to the red, white and black, connecting the black and red going to the fan with the black coming from the switch, and the whites connected together as well. My ceiling fan stays on, but not controlled by my switch. Instead, my switch controls another switch box in my dining room. I feel my mess up was not taking a picture of the original switch box, and that the jumper is the key to fixing this problem. I have some childish diagrams I drew and was hoping to be and to post those, but it doesn't seem like that's possible.

I think you have a hot-neutral reversal somewhere. You don't show it, but I'm going to assume that you have a ground wire in there somewhere. If you have a multimeter, the voltage between white and ground should be 0 (or almost 0, a couple of volts at most). If not, then you need to take apart all of the connections in the circuit and test each one to figure out where the reversal was introduced and fix it.


Propping up double hung window I have double hung windows. One problem is that the top sash tends to slip down, so that cold air blows in the top. The latch does not work on most of the windows because they are not sized correctly.

One thing I have done is to cut a piece of wood the exact size so that it fits between the lower and upper sash tightly and forces the upper sash closed.

It is kind of inconvenient to make these special props. Are there standard products that are designed to be adjustable and can be used to prop up a window sash?

You really ought to repair the original sash mechanisms. There are many types but most are repairable, albeit with various degrees of difficulty. On the plus side, you will become an expert on how your windows operate.

There are various products made to solve your problem. For an easy solution on wood frame windows the simplest is the gull-wing shaped "hold-up spring", which should be available at any decent hardware store. It basically just sits between the sash and frame, exerting tension on the sash and holding it up yet allowing it to move when needed:

https://www.allaboutdoors.com/Spring-Quickie-Wood-Window-Sash-Wood-Sash-Hardware-Steel


Carrier Weathermaker 8000 AC not stopping I have a Carrier Weathermaker 8000 that is a furnace but also controls the AC from outside and the blower and everything int the house.  I was told by last HVAC gentleman that the AC wouldn't turn off without turning the "Cut-off" switch off to the whole system, otherwise the AC continues to run without stopping.  I actually rode it out like this for two years, testing out electric heat and yes my electric bills soared, but I finally bought the correct ICM replacement motherboard as he said I would need to correct the issue.  I have put in the new motherboard, connected everything right as best I could and ... its doing the same thing.  I can actually get the heater to turn on (no gas hooked back up yet) but the AC is running too!  I would appreciate any help!! THanks!! ZEE

The outdoor unit's contactor is welded shut, most likely

My first port of call at this point would be to check the contactor in the outdoor unit that turns power to the compressor on and off based on the Y signal from the thermostat -- if the contacts on that are welded shut, then the air conditioner will run constantly no matter what the thermostat and control board have to say on the matter.


How can I locate and repair a break in a circuit? After some effort, I have determined that there is a discontinuity between the wire from the breaker (hot wire) and the receptacle (socket).  The breaker is okay because couple of other sockets in the same circuit are working.  However, several sockets downstream from this socket are not working, i.e., are dead.  The wiring in question comes from attic, through the  wall (stud) and finally to the receptacle.  Before I fix anything, how do I make sure that my diagnosis is 100% correct.  If correct, how do I fix this wire or replace the wiring without breaking the sheet rock of the bedroom wall?

Locate the serviceable junction immediately upstream of nonfunctional outlet.
Establish which wires go to defective socket.
Switch off house mains and make safe.
Disconnect these upstream wires at the junction.
Disconnect downstream defective socket.
Using a long length of bell wire, attach it to the disconnected wiring at upstream junction, and bring the free end to the vicinity of defective outlet. Then with a continuity tester, check for continuity between upstream junction disconnected wiring and disconnected wiring from defective outlet.
This will establish whether a discontinuity exists in any of the wiring between upstream and outlet.
If no discontinuity exists, then the wiring is sound, and you need to then explore all wiring connections as described elsewhere in the other answers.
If one exists, then examine the suspected route of the wiring and look for a possible intrusion, a nail or screw, or evidence of one having once been there (a hole, or a repaired surface). That would probably be your culprit.
If you can expose the wiring in that area, locate the break, and contemplate an in-line splice at the fault. (This is what I did, with success, and the repaired area of decorative finish was small and easily disguised.)
Of course, if your wiring is within conduits, then the easy repair is to tie string (or replacement wiring) to the wires at the outlet then haul the wiring back to the upstream junction and use the string (if using) to install the replacement. Before hooking everything back up, conduct another continuity check to make sure the new wiring has no breaks.


How do I connect the ground wires to the new light fixture? Took out old fluorescent fixture and putting in new LED one. There are 2 switches for this fixture. Not sure what’s going on with the 3 ground wires. I’m not an electrician so dumb it down please.

You made your life a lot easier by keeping your nose out of the junction box, and not messing with that rather important bundle in the back that rather importantly needs to be not messed with (for a skilled person that is the Rosetta Stone for what's happening in this box.)

Grounds

In electrical, grounds are the easiest.  Their color-codes actually mean something and all grounds go together always.  Ground color codes are Green, Yellow-Green, or Bare, and are standardized worldwide except the former Soviet Bloc.  It's also two-way -- those colors are always ground and ground is always those colors.

All those ground wires should be spliced with any grounds from the lamp.   Use a red or tan (i.e. large) wire nut.

I also see a green screw on the fan junction box; get about 9" of bare #12 ground wire from a local hardware store (one that sells it by the foot) and wrap one end around the screw (clockwise) then tighten.  Add that wire to the aforementioned bundle of grounds.

Neutral is not ground.  This "grounds always together/always that color" does not apply to neutrals. Sometimes separate groups of neutral must remain separated, and white wires aren't always neutral.

Rest of the wires

The two groups of wires dangling down are the ones you want to hook your new light to.

The light's black wire(s) go to the solo black.  A yellow wire nut will be perfect.

The light's white wire(s) go to the two white wires, which must also stay together.  A yellow wire-nut will be fine unless there are several bulky wires from the fixture, in which case use a red/tan.


Must I screed/level floor that has a slight apex @ centerline? I am installing 6x24" wood look porcelain tile in an approx 200 sqft room.
It is rectified tile, remarkably flat for long tile.

To prepare the subfloor, I had someone install 5/8" plywood over the subfloor tongue & groove planks that was nailed to joists. He told me the floor was pretty flat using a 7' level; OK for tiling, so I installed backer board over that and taped the seams.

However, I did a final check with an 8' level I just bought, I discovered there is a high spot that's more like an apex near the centerline of the floor (tiles will run lengthwise against that centerline). Meaning, the floor has a very subtle 'tenting' (inverted flattened V) sloping consistently from the apex to each wall. The slope from apex to each wall is about 1/2" over approx 8'.

As bad as that sounds, the slope angle is so slight that when I lay the titles parallel to the axis, and run them with spacers from apex toward each wall,the slope cannot be seen either at the grout lines or across the tiles.

I'm considering screeding/leveling the floor with Versabond LFT thinset (tolerates 3/4" bed), which would be a hassle, but part of me thinks it's not worth that effort, because I could just tile because each slope is pretty flat (just not level).

I was planning on using the QEP Lash system because I don't think it will be a problem even with the slopes. I just wanted to get some other thoughts on this before making the leap.

½" over 8'?  Given the size of tiles you have, you should be fine.  The layer of thin set should be more than enough to compensate for a variance that small.  If you're still worried, try laying the tiles out such that the line at the apex lines up with the grout line.


Would providing shade for my air conditioner's condensor improve its efficiency? Our house has two A/C systems; one for the bedroom level, one for the remainder of the house.  The compressor/consdensor units are outside the south side of the house, and in direct sun all day, now that a nearby tree has been removed.

Would shading the units, perhaps with a small fence, improve their efficiency?

I'm not (very) concerned with the look, as this side of the house is not visible from anywhere aside from our veggie garden.

It helps for sure.  There have been a ton of studies done on this and I have read at least 10-11.  At one point in time I was going into a partnership for a "greening" business.

Your variance is somewhere between 1-15%.  There are a ton of variables.

Here is an OK study I read a few weeks ago from FSEC.  I personally don't like this study because they are first in a climate that doesn't cool well at night and then they used young trees...

Variables

The shading of the air coming into condensor is super helpful.  But if you have a 9 foot tree over the condenser in an open field then there is a very small volume of shaded air.  Once your condenser sucks in the shaded air then it gets the hot stuff and returns diminish.  So the first variable is shade volume.  With huge oak trees being optimal and anything less than that losing value all the way down to a bush.
Air temperature in shaded area.  This depends on what is under your tree (grass, rocks, dirt, water...), it depends on how many hours a day you get the shade, air flow, how close you are to house...
Air flow is huge.  The more wind you can push to the unit the more efficient it will be.  One of the things that people do that inhibits this is bushes right next to unit.  Obviously decreases air flow.

So the bigger tree you put there the better but you also want to configure the trees so that the unit gets good air flow.  The price of a tree and your work will be returned for sure and could potentially have a major change on your bills - I could see $300-600 a year in warmer climates.  Also I think a small fence would have no to little impact (restricting air flow).


Cracks on second store concrete slab...bigger Since my last posting, I've discovered potentially bigger problems.  Any advice on how to deal with these? Just fill?  It seems that the previous owner took out the sliding doors and installed windows, creating a book in the room. That part off the floor is 1/2 inch lower than the main master bedroom.

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/O1Abf.jpg

Having established in your prior question that this "slab" is merely a cosmetic/acoustic treatment (or "topping slab" as another poster called it) over whatever structural floor is holding it up, just fill the gaps up. If vaguely level, some sort of floor leveling compound (which may be what the "slab" is anyway - "gypsum cement" or gypcrete rather than concrete) should work.

Otherwise (if not level) you might want a less fluid product to fill it with that will stay put where you trowel it.

Think of it as having (more or less) a plastered floor, as that's closer to what it appears to be than "concrete." So you just need to patch the "plaster" until it's a level surface.


12/3 to disconnect box for mini split install? I have an issue with installing a disconnect box for my 24k LG mini split condenser unit.  12/3 is coming from 20 amp double pole breaker to disconnect box with surge protection box(ICM517).  I understand the ground bar cannot be used with the neutral lines.  My question is how do I correctly connect the neutrals?
I have included pics on how I thought it would be right and also with neutrals disconnected.
hooked to bar ( incorrect?)

disconnected but nowhere to go?

Pull the neutrals out of the ground bar and join them with a wirenut
Routing neutral through an A/C disconnect is rather easy once you realize that you can splice inside it just the same as you would with an ordinary junction box.  So, all you have to do is remove the neutrals from the disconnect's bonded bar, nut them to each other with the appropriate sized wirenut, button the box back up, flip the breaker on, and call it a day!


Using Fence as a retaining wall I have a fence, nearby which around which the ground is not level. the Kick boards (pressure treated) are around 2' high. Can i fill dirt and use fence as retaining wall. there is a post every 4'.

If so what kind of moisture barrier i should use before putting the dirt.

It is a good idea to create some type of drainage system in the area next to fence?

UPDATE: putting the Pictures as per the suggestion.

You can hold up 2' of dirt with wood structures. That's essentially what wood planter boxes are. But will it look good? Probably not...at least, not over time. Wood is flexible, gets wet, gets sun damaged, and the posts supporting it will suffer the same fate. If you don't care about looks, then it's probably OK, but if you want it to look OK over time, I'd suggest you consider retaining wall blocks or the like.

UPDATE:

Coming back to this as I think I answered before I saw the photo. I think you could probably make this work. However, I don't see a whole lot of space between the fence and the side of the house. Do you have a basement? If so, this slope is probably intentional to provide adequate surface run-off to keep your basement dry. Do you live in an area where you can get heavy rains at time? If so, I'd suggest not leveling this part of the yard.


Is spraying peroxide on studs with mold enough? After removing some drywall in a basement that had mold on the bottom 1-2 inches, I was left with the base stud still black. Per the recommendation of a local company, I sprayed everything with hydrogen peroxide. I'm now trying to decide if I should have the framing removed and replaced, or if it is OK to drywall over this stud:

I've seen peroxide and bleach mixtures used frequently to remove mold on studs.  The Natural Resources Defense Council suggests mixing a 1 in 10 bleach solution to clean. The NRDC might be a little too "green" for some people, but the Environmental Research Laboratory at the University of Arizona also has a great article regarding this.  They suggest a bleach to water ratio of 3/4 cup to 1 gal and a minimum 5 minute contact time before rinsing to inactivate and neutralize the mold. Since hydrogen peroxide and bleach do virtually the same thing, I would say the mold is dead if you allowed enough contact time.

However, my concern is the vapor barrier in your picture.

Concrete is porous and will slowly allow moisture to penetrate.  With the vapor barrier on the interior of the studs it will continually trap moisture in between the barrier and the concrete.  This could be the root cause of your moisture problem which caused the mold in the first place.  If so you may be seeing more mold in the future depending on where you live, etc. For more information the EPA has a great technical document on "When Continuous Water Vapor Barriers Shall Not Be Installed."


What is the lifespan of a typical incandescent light bulb? Does anyone know what the approximate normal lifespan of a regular incandescent (say 60 W, if necessary for an answer) lightbulb was back in the 1960s, 70s or 80s. Note - I am looking for the situation in former times, not what is currently specified for "now" lightbulbs.

Obviously, this would vary depending how often the lightbulb was turned on/off, and maybe other environmental conditions, but I am just looking for a very rough ballpark number, for a lightbulb that was, say, in a bedroom, or living area, somewhere where it would go on and off at least once a day usually, and often a couple or 3 times, and would be lit maybe 4 or so hours per day. Just a rough typical lifespan, like e.g.: "6 months", or "a year or so", or "5 years at least"...something like that, just from your memory of changing lightbulbs.

From 1924 to 1939 the lifetime of an incandescent lamp was not more than 1,000 hours. That's the duration of the Phoebus Cartel, in which the consolidated patent holders agreed on a strategy of planned obsolescence to boost revenues and fine any member that produced longer lasting bulbs. (It was a 30 year plan, the war shortened the 1959 end date.) Prior to that, longevity was a big marketing point. The Centennial Bulb is a famous bulb made by the Shelby Electric Company which has been burning in a California fire house since being installed in 1901.

Given that planned obsolescence is a profitable business model and the complete lack of any radical changes in incandescent lamps, it's a safe bet that 1,000 hours is in the ballpark right from the 60s through the 80s. I suspect most R&D revolved around making them easier to manufacture or brighter.


What should I do about a recessed light without a housing? I looked into my attic today and found one recessed light mounted directly in the ceiling (sheetrock) without a can/fixture. Isn't it dangerous (in terms of fire hazard) to have so.

What do you guy suggest, should I put a remodeling can in it?

If the trim kit shown in the comments is all that is there then absolutely yes, it needs a line voltage housing installed first. The kit linked is made to retrofit a Halo H7 housing.


How can I reduce noise from tenants coming through my heating duct? I live in an old house with a wood frame and forced air heating. My family lives upstairs and we rent out the bottom floor. My problem is that the sound from my tenant's bedroom travels directly into ours through the heating duct and we can hear all sorts of noises from them, and I'm sure they can hear similar things from us. To be clear, my tenants are not being unreasonably loud. It is only the ancient duct-work that is causing the problem. I've put a camera in the duct and I can see that there is a single right angle between their outlet and ours.

I'm looking for a simple solution that can dampen the noise. I cannot do any renovations to fix this, so it must be simple and DIY. I know that nothing will be 100%, but I'm hoping that we can do something that can add privacy.

Here's what I've already tried:

Putting a pillow over our outlet. This is not a long term solution and will not work in the winter when we need the heat, but it did dampen the noise somewhat.
Use a white noise machine, but I'd prefer a passive solution.

I'm considering placing some fibreglass insulation near and around the right angle turn, but I'm not sure if this would work, or if it is even safe. If this is not a good idea, can you suggest something of a similar complexity that I could do?

If you only have access to the inside of the duct, and then only as far as you can reach, you won't be able to make a huge difference, but you might be able to reduce it a little.

The sound is transmitted in mainly two ways, some is conducted through the metal of the duct and some is reflected around the inside of the duct until it reaches you.  You can reduce both a little, but remember that:

You're breathing the air that comes through.  You don't want to use materials like fiberglass.
The HVAC system is tuned to the volume of air that it's moving.  Also, temperature is based on how much air flows into the room.  You can't significantly reduce the air flow without affecting heating/cooling in the room, and if you reduce total air flow in the house too much, it puts a load on the HVAC system that can make it inefficient or even cause premature wear.

Conducted Sound

You can reduce sound conducted through the metal by dampening it.  This is usually done by attaching a deadening material to the duct.  It is typically a very soft rubber or gel-like material.  The vibration is absorbed by the material and dissipated as heat.  You don't need to line the whole duct, just a relatively small area.  One manufacturer has a demonstration video where they attach one piece a few inches square to a cymbal and the sound becomes a thud.

There are many manufacturers, and I haven't personally used any of the products, but here's an example from Amazon that has decent reviews:

This type is a soft butyl rubber sheet that absorbs the vibration.  One side has adhesive.  The other has a patterned foil.  You use a roller to press the material against the duct for a good bond.  The foil is just used so you can see where you've already rolled (the pattern flattens out).  Inside a duct, the foil would also serve to keep dust from sticking to the soft rubber.  This stuff isn't thick enough to materially change the the air flow through the duct.

I would clean the inside surface of the duct as far as you can reach.  Then put the sound deadener on the bottom and sides of the duct to the distance you can reach.  You can easily cut it to the size you need with scissors.  You don't need to go edge to edge on each surface, just cover a good portion of it.

Reflected Sound

For the sound reflected through the duct, you can't really block it, but you can absorb some of it to reduce what's bouncing around inside the duct.  In tests of materials for sound absorbing panels, ordinary cloth towels turned out to be on par with fancy materials designed for sound reduction.

Based on how far you can reach into the duct, fold something like a bath towel so that it's almost the width of the bottom of the duct and as long as you can reach.  You want as many layers as you can fit in no more than maybe 1/4 the height of the duct so you don't affect the air flow too much.  Stitch the leading and trailing edges so the air doesn't blow the folds open.  Then lay it on the bottom of the duct.

An alternative to the towel would be polyester fiberfill.  This is the stuff sold in fabric stores or places like Amazon or Walmart for stuffing pillows.  It's sometimes used to fill the inside of a ported speaker to reduce sound reflected internally.

It doesn't reduce air flow all that much because it's mostly open space.  You could take a bag or two of it (enough to fill the cross section of the duct to a depth of a few feet), try to keep it in an intact wad, and stuff it into the duct.  Push it in just enough so it doesn't interfere with the register.  If you find that it blocks too much air, pull some of it out.

You could also stuff some fiberfill in the duct at the tenant's end.


Bsmnt Watch Dog Battery Flashing "Add Water" but the water level is to the line I have Basement Watch Dog Special.  The "Add Distilled Water" alarm keeps coming on.  The water level is to the line and the probe is submerged.  I measured the specific gravity of each cell: one is below average and one shows overcharged. the rest are at "optimal".
The battery hardly gets any use at all - I have lucked out, on no power outages.
Any suggestions, other than buying a new battery?
Thanks!

It sounds like your plates are sulfated and the charger/watchdog is interpreting this as low water. In some cases a hard discharge cycle or two may extent the life, but it is probably time to replace. You don’t want to find out when you need it that the battery quickly dies when loaded down.


Can I configure home battery power like a UPS - where it constantly self charges and auto transfers? A simple UPS (uninterruptible power supply - like APC, cyberpower, etc.) will charge itself while simultaneously powering the loads on the other side.  If utility power is cut, the batteries will automatically kick in (a UPS has an automatic transfer switch built-in, I guess).  When power returns, the UPS passes it through to the loads again, and slowly recharges itself - no intervention required.
If I install a bank of home power batteries - I am looking at Blue Planet Energy - can I configure them to behave for my entire house in the same way ?  The auto-transfer is easy - I just need to wire an automatic transfer switch in between utility power and my main breaker panel ... but if I transfer away from utility power, the batteries won't ever charge.
How can I pass utility power through my battery bank and use it like a UPS ?

Yes you can, this is common in places where there are frequent power failures. When the grid is available it is used to charge or maintain batteries, and when it goes out the batteries are used to power the home.
A simplified overview of the system is as follows:

When the grid is available, the transfer switch will be set to power the loads directly from the grid, and the grid will also power a charger to keep the battery topped off:

When the grid goes down, the transfer switch shifts the loads to the inverter (quickly so there is no interruption), so now it works as follows:

When the grid recovers, the transfer switch will go back to its original state as explained beforehand, and the charger will kick in to recharge the battery.
However installing a system that provides backup power for your entire house is going to be very expensive as you need a big inverter and a huge battery bank to handle the load. It is more practical to have some essential circuits on backup power (such as lighting and some appliances), and to manage to live without those which are not essential during the brief outage (such as maybe air conditioners or water heaters).
The overview above is rather simplified, and making such a system yourself is IMO not going to work out well by just buying a transfer switch and a separate inverter and charger. What you may look into buying is something called an inverter \ charger. Magnum, Schneider, Victron, Voltronic etc. make them.
Edit:  I noticed that you mention  Blue Planet Energy, I am not familiar with them but maybe it is not just a battery and has required components already built in like a Tesla Powerwall, you should ask them about it.


Do vertical cracks in old plaster wall along studs indicate a structural problem My house was built in 1908 and still has its original plaster walls. One of the upstairs bedroom's wall has vertical cracks from floor to ceiling along the studs-3 studs in a row in the center of the room and another two studs from the corner. I had some plaster work done downstairs last summer and the plasterers were awesome-they showed me how to re anchor loose plaster so that's what I was going to do here. However, most of the other cracks I've had were diagonal and not so extensive. It makes me wonder what's going on behind the plaster to make cracks like these. I don't want to bother fixing them if there's a larger problem that should be addressed.

I'll add that our central air conditioner air handler is directly above this wall. Perhaps it's too heavy and is putting stress on the wall?

So, are the vertical cracks along the studs signs of a major problem or is it just a coincidence?

The pocket door that is dragging the floor is the best indicator perhaps of what is going on. If it is original to the house means one thing, if it is a newer install as in not original means something different.

If painting the wall covers the crack you are asking about, tells me they are very small and there is most likely no concern. Old houses move, Plaster walls don't like to move and when they do, you will get settlement cracks, which it sounds like what you have here. The again if the pocket door is an add on or part of a remodel, that will affect the wall. Still no concern. The door that is dragging the can be from a few possibilities. The header supporting the track failed. I don't think so, your wall you asked about would have worse cracks. The track may have become detached from the header and the door dropped. (poor workmanship)

It may be good to post another question with pictures about the pocket door. That appears to me to be more of an issue than the cracks in the wall.


Should washer hoses be replaced regularly or only as necessary? I caught an episode of "This Old House" a couple weeks back and it was mentioned that washing machine hoses should be replaced every couple of years.  I'd never heard this and don't know of anyone that does that.

I always thought they were an inspect & repair as necessary item.

Obviously the goal is to minimize risk of leakage, with there being increased risk of breakage/leakage as they age.  Although, there's also risk of sudden failure with new ones that might be internally defective while looking fine on the outside (hasn't happened to me on my washer, but did on my car, with a 2 week old hose bursting while I was idling in a parking lot).

Facts?  Industry best practices?  Opinions?  :-)

I don't know of any specific schedule, but I can recommend several "best practices":

Buy braided hoses.  These are the metal hoses with an inner
plastic tubing.  They are NOT guaranteed not to fail, but their
failure is much less likely.  Their most vulnerable failure point
would be at the connection to the coupling.
Inspect the hoses annually.
Do not allow the hoses to kink - allow plenty of space for their
installation.

Failed "fail proof" hose at the coupling:

You could also buy special high quality ($50) hoses - which frankly if you have a finished basement or your laundry is on an upper floor, is a sound investment in damage prevention.

Perhaps your BEST prevention, however, is an automatic washing machine shut off valve:

This device has an attached sensor (pic 2) which you set on the floor by your washing machine.  In the event of a leaky washer OR failed hose, it senses the water and shuts off the flow at the source.  For an under $200 investment, if you're protecting a $20,000 basement or worse, a whole house, not installing this once you know of it's existence would be downright foolish.


How do I safely install a mirror on an Ikea Besta door? I have a Besta unit for shoe storage. It makes sense for us to put a mirror in that room, and the door seems a good spot.  The door itself is about 25" x 50".  Standard Ikea Tofta pressboard door with high gloss veneer.

So, we picked up an ikea mirror on sale. It seems the perfect size to put in the door, so I'm surprised there aren't any pages online about the combo.

Is this a safe combo?
Will screw mounting in pressboard cause problems, Is there any way I can increase the hold in the pressboard? Or do I really need a bunch of mirror mastic?

And also can the hinges handle the extra weight?  How can I tell? The unit is bolted to the wall, so it should be able to handle the extra weight without tipping.

I guess my worst case if this goes 100% south is replacing an Ikea door and a ten buck mirror, but I want to model this for future mounting questions.

So, I went with the mastic.

Bad news - between not boing thick enough, and the fact it's pressboard, I didn't feel confident using any kind of screws to hold the door. I went with a pure mastic solutions.

Good news - this in fact a door, so you can take it off. This lets you keep it horizontal, and put weight on it to help the glue hold.

So, I took the door off the hinges and laid it flat. I marked off the perimeter of where I wanted the mirror with blue tape (Blue Painters tape is one of my favorite tools). I thought the surface was a bit plasticky still, so I scuffed it up some with some sandpaper.  I put the mastic on the mirror, trying to keep the inch from the edge. By the time I was done with my pattern, I was almost done with the mastic tube, so I just emptied it. I put some 2x4s and other heavy things on top to help the glue hold (another advantage of having a mirror it on a door). I let it sit for the recommended 48 hr set period and put the mirror on.

The only downside I see so far, is the weight on the door. It seems stable, but the wardrobe didn't seem 100% level. What was OK before, what closed fine before, now stays open a bit with the extra weight. My next subproject is re-leveling the wardrobe.


How to add cable to outlet box? My house has Legrand outlet boxes for coaxial cable -- they appear to be these. I would like to run ethernet to these cable boxes, since there's space for additional cables in the box. However, I'm not sure how I would get the cable to go into the box since the mounting nails appear to be in place and I don't want to remove any drywall. Is there any way to remove the box without breaking it so I could grab the new ethernet cable from the wall?

This is fishing. You can usually slice a little bit of drywall from the area above the box and stick an electrical snake in there and try to snag the cable and direct it over to one of the access points on the box. You can also loop the cable before running it in the wall and then try snagging it through one of the access points into the box. Sometimes you just have to cut the the nails with a hacksaw blade, remove the box and then get a new "old work" box that is supported by drywall clamps. Pull the cables into the box and then install it in the same hole as the old one.


Looking for a particular dual-track shelving bracket. I'm considering a dual-track wall shelf system for our living room:

(Photo from Home Depot/Rubbermaid)

I'd also like to hang a few things from the tracks other than shelves. For example, I'd like to hang some ikea cabinets, as well as some vertical plywood for a TV mount.

To do so, I'd like to find some brackets that can be attached to the back of an object and then clipped into the track. Essentially, just the back 1" or so of your standard shelf bracket flared out with screw holes to mount it to a cabinet.

Do such things exist, and, if so, what are they called? I've tried searching for terms such as "dual track cabinet mount" but not having any luck.

Brackets of the type you want are made. Specifically designed for supporting wall mounted cupboards, white boards, panels etc.

These were spotted in a UK web site for SPUR Shelving. You would have to check if the slot height and spacing on SPUR products matches those of the particular twin slot standards that you are considering.


Can dryer vent touch ABS pipe? I am installing a dryer vent (using rigid aluminum vent). The vent will be running along the same path as a 1.5" ABS pipe (which is used as drain vent, so no water flows through it).

Would it be a problem if the dryer vent touches the ABS pipe?

Residential clothes dryers typically vent at a temperature of around 130°-165°F (54°-74°C). Wikipedia gives the glass transition temperature (colloquially the melting point) of ABS as 221°F (105°C). Even assuming that you get a perfect heat transfer, you'll be fine.


Are plumbers required to provide specs for the job they have done if asked by the homeowner? A plumber installed a bleeder port in our upstairs bathroom and a valve to feed the frost=free facet downstairs in the garage. He never told us how the system works? The bleeder was left open and our downstairs is flooded out. The plumber created the problem because a bleeder-port isn't needed when you have a frost-free facet.
We wonder if the plumber is required to make up a plan, or specifications, and outline the project, so that inspectors and the homeowner can see if he did was what proposed? We had a contractor come in to do our heating, it's a disaster, and we got the specs and learned he didn't do anything at all as required.

Nope. They're expected to design and install to code and contract. Anything beyond that is a matter of professional courtesy to the customer or homeowner. I can't imagine one being unwilling to give you a few minutes to do so, and you'll be sure to take notes.


Sharing waste of washing machine with sink Is the plumbing below fine?

The part in red comes from behind a brick wall and the height on the exit pipe is at 50 cm, therefore, to avoid having to break the wall and redoing part of the plumbing I would like to share the waste links of the sink and washing machine.

It isn't uncommon for washing Machines to drain into a utility sink, so I would expect this to be fine.


Instant water heater wiring I'm installing a new instant water heater. The unit requires a 6 gauge wire when there was only a 14/2 (undersized?) wire going to the previous boiler-style hot-water heater. The electric panel is in the garage roughly 40ft away straight shot through the attic.

Now I don't fuss around with the breaker panel (I'll hire an electrician for that). I mainly have two concerns. Can 6/2 wire like this be run in the wall, namely the stretch from the attic down to the heater which is in a closet and down to the breaker from the attic.

And also, do I need a subpanel? Or can the 60amp breaker be installed in the master panel and the 6 gauge wires be connected in some kind of enclosure using a 6 gauge terminal block to the conductors of the water heater?

You can use that 6/2 WITH Ground wire and run it down through the stud just like 14/2.

I am surprised that it requires 6 gauge wire - What voltage and how many amps ?
I know you mentioned a 60 AMP breaker but that does not tell unit amperage as there are codes and guidelines for proper CB ratings.

That has to be one serious Hot Water Heater - I would have expected #8 or #10.

As for your mention of 14/2 to the boiler unit:

Any chance your old unit was a gas unit ?

That would explain the 14/2 wiring 120VAC for control circuits and gas to do the heavy lifting.
Just an FYI they do make Gas Powered Instant Water Heaters as well.

A 60 AMP breaker might be fine in the same panel as long as your panel will support the additional load. Since you are calling an electrician get quotes an electrician will tell you if your panel will support the added load or if you need a sub panel. This is all dependent on what you already have - a panel model number with pictures of behind the face plate cover would be helpful.

Since your Instant Water Heater is 220V you will not need an AFCI breaker, I would recommend a GFCI breaker.


Why does 36W LED bulb not light up? I bought a 36W (220V/50Hz/425mA/E27) LED growlight (well, only the lightbulb).
To make it work, I also ordered a simple lampholder (AKA the other part of the lamp).
After wiring it up, the light bulb doesn't work. I have already tested the lampholder with other bulbs (both lower wattage) and they all work.
Now I turn to you guys. Is the lampholder too 'weak' for 36W, or is the LED bulb broken?

If the lamp fits the socket, there is no problem with it being "underpowered". This appears to be a simple socket without ballast, just an on/off switch in series.
Two possible causes of the issue:

The center contact of the "Edison base" E27 screw socket might not be making contact, particularly if another lamp pushed the contact down. Unplug the socket from the mains! Then gently pry up the unattached end of the center contact. Hopefully, this will fix it; please let me know if it works.

The lamp sold to you may indeed be defective. Return it for a replacement.


Wood filler for rotten top of post The top of this railing post is rotted and the post is not easy to replace. Luckily the rest of the post seems solid. What kind of wood filler product can I use to fill the rotted out holes before painting?

I understand that it won’t last forever. If it can last a couple of years, I’d be satisfied.

Use a high-performance 2-part wood filler. It's like automotive body filler but sets a little slower and is easy to plane/form/sand smooth after it sets. This is one brand that I like but there are many brands out there:

I use a "cheese grater" style plane (Surform) to get it flat, then sand smooth. Works great for repair work when replacement of damaged wood is impracticable.


Washing machine E03 error I have Hoover washing machine. During my last wash cycle it suddenly stopped washing and gave me E03 error code.

The E03 error code on your Hoover washing machine means that the drum
isn't draining - normally this is caused by a blockage, and it only
takes a few minutes to fix

What I did later was completely clean the drain filter. (It was already clean when I pulled it out). One thing to mention that when I pulled out the hose to drain the water, it looked like limescale came out as well with the water.
So after the cleaning, I've put everything back together but the problem persists. You can check the video here on how it sounds when I put the drain mode:
https://youtu.be/mATUkTh_w8o
Any clues on what else I could try?

I had a similar problem with a Siemens IQ500 (Error E18). A reason for that sound might be that water isn't reaching the drain pump, so it's speeding up, getting stopped and restarted every few seconds. But that's just a guess.
A few things could cause that draining error:

Clean the drain filter.

Check if the drain hose is bent. Washing machines sometimes move, so they can bend the drain hose until water cannot go through anymore.

Connect another hose to the drain and let some water flow through it to make sure the drain itself isn't cloaked.

The drain pump might be corrupted or blocked. Try turning it with your fingers (it's right behind the drain filter). Doubt that's it though since you can still hear it running.

The outflow of the washing drum or the pipe between washing drum and drain pump might be clogged - are you missing any socks lately? :) That'd explain the sound you're hearing - water cannot reach the drain pump. You'll have to remove the front cover to get there though. Once you've removed the pipe you should be able to see (or feel) if there's something blocking the outflow of the washing drum (also a 20 EUR WiFi endoscope camera can be very helpful for checking if there are things inside the washing drum). If there's a sock stuck in the outflow of the washing drum, you can use a piece of thin copper or steel wire to push it out (stick it through the little holes in the washing drum).

In my case the problem was caused by case 5. I pulled out 4 different things the washing machine has eaten over time.


Can I reroute a return air duct if it adds length and several bends? I'm doing some remodeling in my house and would like to finish the basement ceiling with sheetrock replacing the old drop ceiling.  The only problem is the ducts both run on one side of the room as illustrated in the picture.  I'd like to reroute the return duct around the opposite side of the room so I can build a nice even soffit throughout the room.

Is it ok to reroute the return duct in such a way?  Will adding additional length and two extra 90 degree bends to the duct cause any airflow problems or stress on the blower? What about reduced efficiency?

Yes, it's okay to reroute a 14" wide return air duct.  Unlike the supply duct, the return air duct is passive (not dependent on the air velocity of a fan) to perform its function (the furnace won't be deprived of a lack of make-up air).


Which copper adapter should I use for tub spout and what is the difference? I'm going to sweat a 1/2" piece of copper with a Male Adapter Fitting to thread into the drop-ear for my tub spout.

I purchased this: 1/2 in. Copper Pressure Cup x MIP Male Adapter Fitting

Later online I found this: 1/2 in. Copper FTG x MIP Fitting Adapter Fitting

Both seem to appear to do the same thing, yet the latter is 4 times the price of the other with what appears to be just a little more copper.

What's the difference between the 2? Is one better for my application?

The cup fitting slides onto the end of a pipe. The FTG fitting is the same size as pipe and fits directly into some other fitting: an elbow, a coupling, a tee, etc. It probably costs more only because they're infrequently used. The cup fitting is the right one for your application.


What is a good PWM driver for LED lighting? I am looking at lighting options for my new flat. I'm looking for any recommendations and suggestions for the components to power and control the LEDs.

If we consider the main room (i.e. the open plan living/dining room/kitchen), my idea is to have a number of sets of lights, e.g. the dining area, the area around the TV, the kitchen, and another set of "ambient" lights.

I would like to have just one set of switches/dimmers in a single location along with a transformer and a multichannel driver (or a set of drivers), with the 12/24v line from the driver going to each set of lights (instead of the 240v mains going to all the lights).

I've googled about quite a bit, but ended up with more questions than answers. I've seen DALI and DMX512 based controllers, as well as some "raw circuitboards" if you like, but considering they don't have reviews like most consumer products, I don't really know what is good and what is not. So do you guys have any experience with or suggestions on which drivers might be a good idea?

Also, I would like to know if it is a good idea to run 12/24v wiring instead of 240v.

I would prefer to keep to drivers that use non-proprietary standards so I have the option of controlling the driver over zigbee or green phy.

Wow! You can use the screw in type LED bulbs, which contain their own controllers. These are typically dimmable down to about 20% using standard wiring. Here, we have Cree bulbs that look VERY similar to old Edison (tungsten) A19 bulbs, rather than the funny looking futuristic LED's. They're also much cheaper than the older screw-in LED's, about $8 each for the newest type. I don't know if they're available in your area. I LOVE THESE BULBS. ref: homedepot.com/p/Cree-40W-Equivalent-Soft-White-2700K-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-with-4Flow-Filament-Design-BA19-04527OMF-12DE26-3U100/205597080

If you're going with low voltage, (12V) you can use the LED strips and get rather creative, rather than using standard lighting fixtures. I replace fluorescent tube lighting with LED quite often now, for instance, or you can use them in an area with a diffuser panel below, as is typical in kitchens here. Friend of mine did the same with his bathrooms. I've also seen them used inside a paper light globe, wound in creative spirals and such, to make a unique decorative touch.  Also consider using the strips as they were originally created to be used, as under-cabinet lighting.
Be aware, however, you can't have a dimmer on the AC voltage side (before the transformer) and will have to use dimmers supplied for the 12V LED strips. I've seen these with remotes, and that's probably your only option for those. On a side note, the LED strips come in various color outputs (Bright white, Red/Green/Blue (for accent lighting or novelty lighting,) Warm white, etc.) The multicolor ones do require the specialty 12V controller to get all the effects.


Dalton wall mount garage door opener doesn't work My Wayne Dalton garage door opener, model 3790/3790z, wall mount used to open the door.  The manual said that I could lock the door by using the wall mount.
When I tried to lock door, it didn't work, so in frustration I started punching all of the buttons. Now the wall mount doesn't work.
Can I fix it? How?

Unplug the opener, for at least 5-hours, to kill all power to the opener and the wall mount switch. According to Dalton, this should reset everything and put you back in business...assuming you didn't crack the wall mount's board....you'll need a new wall mount if that's the case.


How to remove brick step I want to remove this bricks and mortar step. I have a brick bolster and hammer. Will that do the job? It looks like it isn't so well "stuck" at the bottom. Should I start there and see if the whole thing comes off or should I try and remove the mortar from between each brick, one at a time?

I would knock it apart for easier lifting. You could've done a little experimenting and probably had it done in the time it took to post this. :)


Best Type of Pex Manifold I am looking for recommendations on the best brand of PEX manifolds for a residence installation. Need one with shut off. I am concerned about the plastic based ones?

I looked at what was available, didn't like any of it, and simply ordered enough Tees (3/4 x 1/2 x 3/4 mostly, with a few 3/4 x 3/4 x 3/4) and valves to build my own from PEX (using a ring of 3/4" PEX as the "manifold."


How do I plumb an outside line to a roof deck faucet? I want to get water from the first floor up along the outside of the wall (with a parapet and projecting coping) to the second floor.

I got this working as follows:  1st floor hose bibb -> 4:1 hose adapter -> Garden hose-mpt adapter->mpt-sharkbite 90 degree elbow -> 14 foot run of 1/2" PEX that goes through a 45 degree curve (now vertical), and then goes in rounded manner over the parapet wall (supported only at the top, and over to a Sharkbite->MPT(Female) ->hose bibb attached to the deck railing.

Works fine, but PEX degrades in sunlight, so this isn't a long-term solution.  I'm concerned that the copper is heavier than the PEX and will put a lot of weight on the 4-1 hose adapter, and since the pipe is 6+ inches off the wall (thanks to the parapet), it isn't easy to support it.

What can I replace this with -- soft copper coil?  Hard pipe with sharkbite fittings?  PVC (???)

How do I support this from the top (I'd rather not drill holes in my wall)?

Well... since nobody responded.

I used 2 10' straight pipes as well as a 10' of soft copper tubing, and a bunch of couplers and 45 degree elbows.  I used copper clips and masonry screws to attach the pipe to the wall and to the upper hanger, and used sweated joints througout.  Was much slower than using PEX!


Integrate water circulation pump with Alexa to guarantee shut off in 10 minutes I have a water circulation pump which is useful for getting hot water to the showers without wasting water.  However, I am undoubtedly running up my natural gas bill in the process by running the pump too long.  Is there an inexpensive way to set up smart home tools to run the pump on a short timer?

What I have in mind is something like telling Amazon Alexa: "Please start the pump."  Alexa will understand that the pump is only to be run for 10 minutes, so I never need to worry about checking the pump after giving the command.

I have a return water circulation pump installed on my hot water lines and I use a timer to turn the pump on during the day and off at night. The pump I used is the smallest B&G pump I could buy. It is a  model NBF-8S/LW--103257LF that uses only 39 watts of power. Very little electricity is used by the pimp and very little extra nat gas is consumed when the pump is running. I had a short wire with a plug installed on the pump and I plug it into a cheap manual timer that I set to come on at 6am and shut off at 10pm. I plug the timer into a receptacle and plug the pump into the timer. This has worked for me for 20+ years. By the way you only need a very small pump, that is stainless steel or bronze since iron pumps get ruined by domestic water. As far as using Alexa, that is okay if you can remember to ask it each time. However you can't beat the cheap timer price.


Can I substitute diesel for home heating oil? I ran out of oil in my home, and a plumber friend said that I could add diesel from the gas station  while I wait for my oil delivery. Is he right?

Yes, no2 heating oil is pretty similar to diesel. Just less clean and usually dyed red.

So yes, it's ok to put diesel in your oil tank.


Washing machine drain suddenly backflows Since very recently, our washing machine's drain pipe started overflowing. It has worked fine for the last couple of years but for some reason it doesn't anymore. When the washer dumps only one load of water the pipe instantly overflows onto the floor. We checked for clogs and cleaned it out but found nothing.

NB: When I say "we" I mean me and the other tenants, as we share a washing machine and dryer.

I'm not able to take pictures at the moment, so I drew a rough idea of how it's all connected. I added some numbers to indicate points of interest, I've explained them below the image. It's not quite to scale but I did pay attention to the relative positioning of elements (like how the trap is at the lowest point). There's also a tough plastic clamp attached to the washer's hose to keep it in place at the top of the pipe.

Unused pipe, what's this even for?
This is a plastic cap with a white plastic ring in it, but parts of this ring seems to have broken off (judging by the rough edges).
There seems to be a small leak here (droplets of water fall down).

The "neighbour" is my downstairs neighbour and he's the only one on the ground floor. Everyone's toilets and showers etc still drain fine, if it matters.

I'm not entirely sure what influences the ability to siphon properly, but I know air (both excess and absence of) is a big part of it. It seems like a simple fix so calling an expensive specialist is something we'd like to avoid.

Alright, it took a bit of effort but we managed to take apart the drain construction (without breaking anything of course) so we could get deeper to unclog. Everything from the hose entry up to the neighbour's drain was already checked. The clog seems to have been a bit farther ahead, right about where my "diagram" stops. Lots and lots of gooey black gunk came out, I think we emptied about 3 or maybe 4 full buckets worth of the stuff.

We ran a couple quick tests with the washing machine: "rinse" program followed immediately by "centrifuge and pump" as soon as it stopped drawing water. This went perfectly fine for about 3 times (the vent pipe stayed dry the entire time), so we decided to pour a little drain unclogger down the top to get rid of any residual gunk. Then we ran the 2-program cycle twice again to rinse it out. My normal laundry is being washed as I'm typing this, so thanks for the tips and additional information on how drains work. =]

tl;dr: babby's first plumbing job was a success.


Modifying bottom chord of roof truss to accomodate new AC We just had a new AC air handler installed, and it's much taller than the old one. Due to an error on my part, it's actually too tall for the space. And it is deeper than the space between the trusses.

I need to cut a truss chord so that I can make an alcove in the ceiling around the air handler. My plan is run another 2x4 above the existing chord, then use 3/4" plywood on the face of the existing struts and chord with a notch cut out where I need to cut out the chord.

Here is a picture of what I am thinking of doing (red is new 2x4, blue is plywood, black is chord material to be removed):

Is this a good plan? Should I attach the new 2x4 to the existing chord somehow? What should I use to attach the plywood?

Absolutely not. You CANNOT cut a truss in this way. They are not engineered with a huge amount of wiggle room. You risk having your roof collapse. The saner solution would be to lower the platform that the unit sits on to create some more room.


Adding an extra 240v outlet to dryer connection with switch for charging car While I have limited experience working with high power (e.g. 120-240v) electrical systems I have a great deal of experience working with electronics. I want to install another socket on the same electrical line that powers my dryer and put  a double pole double throw switch to pick which device is receiving current at any point in time. The idea here that I would either allow the dryer to run or the car to be charging and want to prevent someone from throwing the breaker by doing both at once. The dryer connection is a three prong which if I understand properly those are two hots and 1 neutral(e.g. back through the non ground wire) with no ground. The 6-20p connector for my charger https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018A6QK7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 also has no ground so this doesn't seem to present an issue.

Is this sound? The idea would be that I would connect hot to the double pole double throw switch and send current to only one device at a time as I mentioned earlier. Are there safety concerns aside from the more basic stuff like putting everything in enclosures?

This was installed as a big, big mess.  That bare wire isn't ground, it's a dodgy neutral because the guy saved money buying the wrong wire. And this mess intersects the NEMA 10 problem: the way old dryers were wired, which is both dangerous and illegal by today's standards, but is technically "grandfathered".   The 400' distance both hurts and helps.  Sharing this as-is between an old dryer and a modern EV charger is out of the question.

You are correct that electronics experience doesn't map well to electrical.  For instance Ground is entirely a safety shield over which current should never flow except during fault conditions. Being AC, eddy currents matter, so only tree diagrams are allowed; currents must be equal (cancel out) in every cable.  It is also much easier to detect current flow; no shunts required :)

So let's get to work.

The problems

Like the rest of the addition, this is a mess.  You haven't told us about your layout except that it's 400' (that is both a curse and a possible blessing). As you know, there are two hot wires in the cable; the question is what the bare wire is doing.  It's an important question.

The EV charger requires Hot-Hot-Ground.  It is a 240V only device with no need for neutral, since it has no 120V parts internally.

The dryer is wired Hot-Hot-Neutral. This uses a NEMA 10-30 connector. Neutral is a live conductor that returns current normally.  We call it neutral because the equipotential bonding of the electrcial system places it near earth potential.

Our mantra: Neutral is not ground. There are many conditions (mostly routine, common failure conditions) when neutral is not anywhere near earth potential.  And that is fine, since we treat neutral with the respect of a live conductor.   Usually.

The original way of wiring dryers and ranges was Hot Hot Neutral, because grounds did not exist.  When grounds came in in the 1960s, they decided to break the rules and go ahead and ground dryers and ranges on the neutral wire, on the logic that this wiring is rarely disturbed, never complex and therefore unlikely to fail.  This is still problematic, and it does kill people, and it's outlawed in new work and has been for a long time.  Now, dryers and ranges must be wired Hot Hot Neutral Ground (NEMA 14) which is a universal donor that can also supply Hot Hot Ground (NEMA 6) loads.

Is this wire even a legal neutral wire?  The precedent for bare neutral wires is that in the days before grounding, a lot of dryer/range circuits got installed with SE (Service Entrance) cable, which is intended for prior to the service point and so doesn't have ground.  However this guy just used /2 NM cable, I'm not sure that's legit.  But it's legal as a ground wire. Dryer can't use that.  Boy, this sure would be easier if the dryer was hot-hot-ground...

Option 1: Hack dryer to be hot-hot-ground; retask wires

Dryers use 240V for their heating elements and sometimes controls and motor.  They use 120V for controls, lamps and motors.  Many manufacturers also ship dryers to East Asian markets like the Philippines which have both Euro and US style power.  In those cases, they "hack" the 120V loads to run on 240V, either by substituting 240V motors or by adding a small 240/120 transformer to supply the 120V load.  You can do the same thing, and now you have 2 Hot Hot ground appliances.

Then you rewire both ends of the circuit to make the bare wire ground: punch it down to the ground bar in the panel, and change the receptacles to NEMA 6 (Hot Hot Ground)

You don't need to switch ground, so you need to switch both hots. I'll come back to the switching later.

This complies with the National Electrical Code. Modifying the appliance may violate different codes, but I'm not too worried about an all-metal appliance with metal innards that is properly grounded.

I don't know what I think of doing this external to the dryer by making a NEMA 6 to NEMA 14 converter box with a common step-up/down transformer inside it. it would have to be sized sufficient to handle the neutral load (which is not nearly as much as the hot load).  It would need fuse protection on the neutral so you didn't smoke the stransformer. 240V loads would not go through the transformer.

Option 2: Super Stupid Mode

If you must... first use a mechanical relay, and second switch all three wires.  The bare wire is being used for different purposes dryer vs charger, these incompatible uses cannot be shared. Also don't blame me when someone gets electrocuted stepping into your car - and that really could happen.  This is a bad answer.

Option 3: Semi-stupid mode

Same but we'll take the worst of the life-safety risks out of it by installing a 2-pole GFCI breaker in the service panel, and this breaker ties to both hots and whatever that bare thing is.

The problem with this "solution" is, if there is any leakage to ground from the dryer's neutral or the vehicle charger's ground, this will trip the GFCI. So you would want do do everything you can to isolate the dryer and charger from ground.

So this has the risk of having a lot of nuisance trips.

Option 4: Gold standard, if...

You would need to check with your AHJ as to whether they will allow this old legacy wire to be a neutral. Remember the "currents must be equal" rule? The neutral must travel with the working conductors, since it is one.

However ground only carries fault current, so it is allowed to retrofit ground using a completely different route for the ground.  Bare copper wires can even be buried.

So in this scenario, we positively define the legacy bare wire as a neutral.  Then, we lay a ground wire via any practicable route, including outdoors, back to the same panel.

Now you replace that dangerous NEMA 10-30 HHN socket with a modern NEMA 14-30 HHNG socket.   And rewire the dryer with a NEMA 14 socket, and remove the dryer's neutral-ground jumper which is part of the cord-change procedure.

Now, you have fully modern, safe wiring and can do whatever you need in the normal way.  You could even put a subpanel here.

Now, if you're wondering, here's what you can't do: smack a ground rod into the earth and call it a good ground.  Electricity wants to get back to source, not earth.   Ground rods are great at returning natural electricity (ESD, lightning) to source (which is earth). But positively useless for returning human-made fault current to source (which is the power company's neutral wire. A ground-rod-only scheme will put lethal voltage on all your grounds the first time there is a ground fault.

Switching - avoiding it

You need to solve the above problems.  But if you choose option 1 or 4, you may not have to switch.   This comes up a lot, and we discovered if the breaker is 30A, you can simply have 2 receptacles on the circuit.  Of course, you have to worry about tripping the breaker.

Another option if you use option 1 or 4, is take a look and see if they up-sized your cable.  You can't tell at the socket, but look anywhere else you can access the cable sheath.  It should have the size stated every 1 foot.

The circuit must use at least 10 AWG wire.  But dryers are 23A, and the voltage drop would be a worrisome 8.05%.  So it's a good idea to look at the actual current draw, and consider a bump to a heavier cable.  These guys were cheap, and if they bumped, it may only be to #8. That will have a voltage drop of 5.30% which is acceptable.  Some people consider 3% an absolute limit, and they would pick 6 AWG for 3.39% voltage drop.

The voltage drop limits are advisory, not mandatory.  The mandatory limits are to keep the wire from overheating.  10AWG must have a 30A breaker, 8 AWG must have a 40A breaker, and 6 AWG is allowed a 60A breaker.

However, breakers larger than 30A don't allow multiple receptacles on them.  In that case you would need a subpanel, which will absolutely require option 1 or 4.

You say your charger wants a 20A circuit.  Ok, that means its continuous draw is 15-16A.  Together with the dryer that adds up to 38-39A.  However, due to the continuous-draw rules, you would need to derate that to 48-49A unless you use very specific breakers rated to carry at 100% rating.  If you can line that up, #8 could power  everything at once.

The subpanel is needed because 30A breakering for the dryer is mandatory.  And really, so is 20A breakering for the charger. If you need switching, a subpanel is compatible with the idea, and makes it a bit easier actually.

Switching - relays

Throw away the electronics catalog, you can't use junk from that.   Use either air conditioning contactors which are dirt cheap,  or 3-phase contactors such as would be used on a compressor.  They can be had with coils of 12V, 24V, 120V, 240V (handy) or 277V.

Anything with mains voltage should be fully enclosed in grounded (!!) metal boxes.  If you want to do something under the much easier low-voltage rules, use 24VAC: there are transformers for thermostats which easily mount in standard junction boxes,vand all this stuff is dirt cheap.

Switching - Current Detection

Again, remember the "currents must be equal in a cable or conduit" rule.  If wires in a circuit are tightly grouped, the AC magnetic fields cancel each other out.   If they are not grouped, the fields do not.

Likewise if you took all the conductors of a circuit and wrapped them around a ferrite core in the same direction, the magnetic fields cancel each other out.  If they are not wrapped in the same direction, they do not.

Have I painted a picture?  :)  Read the illustrated section of my answer here.    Look at the specs on magnetic reed switches, it doesn't take much to actuate them, least not to the 16A or 23A you plan to flow.  You may be able to just spread the wires and lay a reed switch alongside it.


How can I fix a small slightly damp area in my basement wall? I am in the process of converting a bedroom in our walkout basement, into an office.  Back in 1999, the previous owner had finished the basement.  The basement foundation walls are hollow cinder block, and there have been no water problems anywhere in the basement with the exception of this one corner of the room we are renovating.  There have been some issues with mold/damp drywall in that corner for quite a while.

I just opened the walls (drywalled studded walls, about 1" in from the cinder block), and found a 4-foot section with damp cinder block going approximately 6-inches up off the slab (above 6-inches up, all is dry).  In the previous basement finishing, poly was placed against the cinder block wall, a 1" space was left, then a studded interior wall was put up, filled with fiberglass insulation, then drywalled.

It looks like there is quite a bit of condensation on the insulation side of the poly, which is creating dampness, and is getting through to the drywall.

Any thoughts on how I might fix this problem.

Water IS getting to it. There IS water there. You cannot fix it by covering the wet. You must fix it by stopping the water from getting to that point.

Check your gutters. Do they tend to get clogged? Are the downspouts set so the water is directed away from that area?

Check the grading in that area.

If all of this checks out, then the water is getting through the wall. There may be a crack. You may need to dig down and apply water proofing in that area, or repair the crack.


How to run Gfci outlets I want to run 12/3 wire to gfci-outlet-outlet-outlet-gfci-outlet-outlet-outlet. How can I accomplish that? There will also be 2 separate breakers

You aren't allowed to do it that way anymore

That trick you learned a long time ago has been hit by a bunch of code changes, which almost moot what you plan.  It also has a name: Multi-Wire Branch Circuit.

Neutrals must be pigtailed at every splice point or receptacle.  You cannot land the two white wires on a device.   If you ever removed the receptacle, it would sever the neutral for the other half of the circuit, which is not allowed.
You must use a 2-pole breaker with common trip, or you must use two adjacent full-size breakers with handle ties so you must turn them off together.
Using a double-stuff is NO; that will set your wiring on fire. A quadplex can be used if you really know what you're doing and put it on the 2-pole middle.

If you do all those things, and stop to make sure you follow the other MWBC rules, then it is OK.  But...

This does not play with GFCI

The problem with GFCI and MWBC is the shared neutral.  A neutral cannot be both the MWBC shared neutral and also the protected-zone downline neutral coming off the load terminals of a GFCI+receptacle.

Every GFCI+receptacle device comes with a warning sticker across the LOAD terminals.  It says "Do Not Use. for Wizards Only." Or words to that effect.

Option 1 is to heed that advice and fit GFCI+receptacles where you need them, not using the LOAD lines at all.  That means up to eight GFCI+receptacles.

Option 2 is fit a 2-pole GFCI breaker, and wire the circuit in the normal way you intended, but with normal outlets.  DONE.  This works because the entire MWBC complex is inside the GFCI protected zone, so you can do all the normal MWBC things therein.  A 2-pole GFCI breaker is typically $80.

Option 3 is to fork the MWBC at the first receptacle, and carry them as 2 separate circuits each with their own hot-neutral.  You'd need /2/2 cable (black red white white-striped-red): /4 would not do since it only has one neutral. You could also use two separate /2 cables in the obvious way.


Reverse polarity on outlets, any negative side-effects? I've lived in a variety of different places where polarities have been different on a per-outlet basis, ie the neutral is where the hot should be. I've never noticed any ill effects from this.

Are there any side-effects of having the polarities reversed? My understanding is that almost any AC device out there will just simply flow the other way if the polarity is backwards.

There's no danger to the attached load. AC current reverses direction 50 or 60 times each second depending on what country you're in.
It literally makes no difference at all for the equipment.
Human safety is another matter. The hot/line conductor is generally dangerous if you touch it, while the grounded ("neutral") conductor is generally (not always) safe. However, if equipment has a single-pole switch, it is only breaking the conductor it assumes is the line conductor. If you have the line and neutral reversed, then the appliance is still energized even if the switch is off.


What factors influence the security of a front door lock? Due to misplaced keys, we are going to either rekey or replace an old lock on our front door.

The manufacturer was Barrows, which seems to be somewhat rare since our local hardware doesn't carry blanks for new keys.

We would replace it only if it is feasible replace only the approx 1" diameter cylinder on the deadbolt with common brand such as Schlage or Baldwin or ...

What security factors come into play?  For example, does the rarity of Barrows locksets make them more secure, or is Barrows know for poor or good security?

Lockpicking is tremendously sensitive to the accuracy of manufacture. A good-quality cylinder really is more secure than a cheap equivalent. (There are good-quality second-source cylinders, but don't expect to find them in a $3 lock set.)

Degree and kind of protection from brute-force attacks varies; that's a lot of what the lock grading system is about. Grade 2 locks are physically more durable than the cheap grade 3 versions. (Grade 1, commercial, is more so but is mostly needed where you're also concerned about how well the lock will stand up to the wear and tear of being used frequently.)

High-security cylinders do make a difference. So do higher-security strikes, anchored to the framing rather than the trim.

Master keying should be used only when necessary and should always start with a more-secure-than-usual cylinder. (Some locksmiths describe master keying as "the controlled destruction of security" -- I'd say reduction but they aren't far off.)

And so on. Seriously, the number of ways to get security wrong or right approaches the number of lock designs on the market, and there are real limits on what can be discussed in a public forum .... or should be, anyway.


How can I remove kitchen wall cabinets without visible screws? I need to take down the over the range bridge cabinet and reinstall it but I can't figure out how these cabinets are mounted to the wall. Standard KraftMaid face frame cabinets from the mid to late 80's era. Contractor that installed them worked alone and wasn't that great from what I am told.

There are no screws to be seen inside the cabinet other than some joining the cabinets together on the side of the face frames. There are no such screws for this particular cabinet group though. No screws in the backs of the cabinets attaching them to the wall studs. No screws in the tops of the cabinets attaching them to the soffit above. No screws in the back lip underneath the cabinet either.

There's a 3/4" laminate coated MDF board as a backsplash the cabinets are resting on but obviously that's not enough to hold them in place for decades.

Looking at the cabinet from the side, it is up against the wall. There is a drywall soffit above the cabinets that the installer added.

If I pull from the bottom of the cabinet forward it doesn't tilt up or move at all. Same if I try to push up from the bottom. Standard 2x framing and drywall behind the cabinets.

Only thing I can think is he used a french cleat or some other cleat (he was working alone) but it seems very secure given there are no visible screws. Removing the soffit is not ideal. Any advice on how these cabinets might be attached and how they can be removed?

I am not opposed to trying to take the cabinet apart if ti can be put back together as I have some woodworking skills. Never taken one of these apart and some guidance would be helpful.

Why would you think a French Cleat would not be secure? That's what I would think he did, and then by adding the soffit above, you can't push the cabinets up any longer, so you can't release them from the cleat. The cleat may be attached to the back brace or top of the cabinet, so no visible screws from the inside.


Could I have poisoned myself by using my gas fireplace with the flue closed? Ive been using my vented gas fireplace for a couple weeks not knowing the flue was closed. How dangerous is this.  I have myself & 3 dogs that were in my family room with me where the fireplace was burning.  I'm worried I've poisoned my poor babies.

If they are not dead, and you are not dead, none of you got poisoned enough to matter. Just don't do that again.

Buy a carbon monoxide detector (or two, or three), and put a note on the fireplace reminding you to open the flue.


What would be involved in moving electrical panel a few inches? My reading on the Building Science Corporation's website has convinced me I ought to remove the shoddy fiberglass+vapor barrier that the contractors put in my basement and place XPS directly against the concrete. The one hitch in doing this is the electrical panel.

If it weren't for the rigid conduit enclosing the feeders I'd think maybe I could add some temporary bracing, cut that section of wall loose, and incorporate it into a new wall a few inches further away from the concrete wall. Since it is there, what would I need to do to move the panel forward a bit? I won't be surprised if it ends up being impractical but I'd like to know what it would take anyway, if only so I can learn something.

If it were me, I would leave it alone. First, assuming that you don't have a disconnect outside of your house, (since you only have 3 wires coming in, I'm sure you don't) you will have to schedule a disconnect with the power company so that you can have access to your meter socket with it De-energized. You could then pull the wires coming from your meter socket to the panel out of the conduit. Cut the conduit above the breaker panel. loosen the panel from the concrete wall. You can then slide a spacer or whatever behind the panel then reattach the panel. Then you can put an offset on your conduit to make it reach out to the box, pull in the wire, make your connections and call the power company to reconnect you.

Fortunately, all of your wires come in the box at the top. As you move the box out from the wall a bit, you can move it up some too and your main wires coming in from outside will still reach. Looks like the most you would have to buy is an offset for your conduit and maybe some screws to fasten the box to the wall if you don't already have them. Oh, and you should get some anti-ox inhibitor grease for your connections since your wire is aluminum. It probably already has some on them, but I always put more on.

When you tighten the connections on aluminum wire, you should tighten, then loosen, then tighten, then loosen, then tighten, etc. Just like using a torque wrench. If you don't, with heat and cooling, the aluminum will become loose under the connectors as it is temperature sensitive. This procedure will keep this to a minimum or eliminate it all together. I have done it for years and it works well.

Good luck!


What are the legalities associated with mounting splicing wire connectors? There are some situations, such as those involving large junction or pull boxes that serve as central takeoff points for many-plexed homeruns or homerun banks, enclosures that form central splice points for control wiring, or situations where a panel cabinet is converted to a junction/pull box, where there are so many similar wires and splices that using free-floating wire splices edges towards the verge of no longer being "neat and workmanlike" to the standards of NEC 110.12.

While these sorts of problems are commonly encountered in the industrial controls world, the solution they use over there (namely, terminal blocks or terminal strips, whether they be of the NEMA style sometimes sold in hardware stores or of the IEC/DIN style used more commonly in industry) is not applicable for field mains wiring, as terminal blocks are only available in the form of UL recognized components (to UL 1059, Category Code XCFR2).
Furthermore, UL listed power distribution blocks (to UL 1953, Category Code QPQS), while legal in this application, have several drawbacks: they are large and relatively expensive relative to normal connecting means for 14-10AWG wires, while the available configurations are not conducive to single-sided tapping and splicing or to connecting large numbers of similarly-sized wires.

As it turns out, though, there is such a thing as a mountable splicing wire connector: ILSCO (NIMBUS PBTM aka PBTD-M) and NSi/Polaris (Polaris IPLM(D)) make mechanical screw-type connectors that have mounting holes for bolting to a chassis or enclosure, and, more importantly, Wago makes DIN rail carriers for their 221 and 222 series splicing connectors (the 221-500/221-510 and 222-500, respectively).  This appears to be all well and good, as the underlying splicing connectors are all UL listed (to either 486A-B for the mechanical screw splices/taps, or 486C for the lever-type splicing connectors), until you stop and check the definition of "splicing wire connector" found in UL 486A-B-C and ZMVV.GuideInfo:

  Splicing wire connectors establish a connection between two or more conductors by means of mechanical pressure and are not intended to be permanently mounted. They are floating, such as a twist-on connector in an outlet box.

So, does the act of permanently mounting a splicing wire connector to an enclosure using a manufacturer identified mounting facility void the listing of the connector, putting me back where I started?  Or does this situation simply mean the AHJ must make their own determination of acceptability, instead of being able to say "that's listed, so you're good?"  What applications are these mountable splicing connectors even intended for, if they cannot be used in applications where a UL listing is required?

Mounting a splicing wire connector turns it into a pumpkinterminal block

We know that by definition, as per ZMVV.GuideInfo:

  Splicing wire connectors establish a connection between two or more conductors by means of mechanical pressure and are not intended to be permanently mounted. They are floating, such as a twist-on connector in an outlet box.

, a device listed to UL 486A-B-C as a splicing wire connector is intended to be free-floating in a box, not mounted to a surface.  When we mount such a thing to a box, though, it then provides a set of wiring terminals, with the mounting means  becoming a supporting block for said set of wiring terminals.  By definition, as per XCFR2.GuideInfo:

  This category covers assemblies of wiring terminals and supporting blocks intended to provide a means for the connection of wiring. These terminal blocks may employ terminal connectors, wire-binding screws, quick-connect terminals and similar friction fit terminals, which are intended for factory-wiring and/or field-wiring connections.

, we now have a terminal block, which as per UL 1059, is not rated for field installation, as the creepage and clearance distances (spacings) and short-circuit current ratings on terminal blocks must be further evaluated by UL in the end application.  Furthermore, it cannot be a power distribution block, listable to UL 1953, because as per QPQS.GuideInfo:

  A power distribution block consists of one or more terminal wire connectors mounted on an insulating base. Each connector has provisions for one or more incoming run conductors and multiple tap conductors. A tap conductor is of the same or smaller size as the incoming run conductor. The connectors may be of the lay-in construction, which do not require the incoming run conductor to be terminated.

, the individual connecting means in a power distribution block are considered terminal wire connectors, which are defined by ZMVV.GuideInfo:

  Terminal connectors establish a connection between one or more conductors to a terminal plate or stud, or to any similar device by means of mechanical pressure. They are fixed in position.

to be mutually exclusive from splicing wire connectors.

What can you use a terminal block for? Control circuits, that's what!

So, if you cannot field-install a terminal block into a mains circuit, what are they good for, then? The answer, as it turns out, is control circuits that fall under NEC Article 725.  First off, wire connecting means generally must merely be identified, not listed, as per NEC 110.14:

  110.14 Electrical Connections. Because of different characteristics of dissimilar metals, devices such as pressure terminal or
  pressure splicing connectors and soldering lugs shall be identified for the material of the conductor and shall be properly
  installed and used.

This, by itself, does not prohibit us from using terminal blocks for mains wiring.  What does prohibit that usage is the listing requirement for power distribution blocks, found in NEC 314.28(E)(1) (with similar wording in NEC 376.56(B)(1)):

  (1) Installation. Power distribution blocks installed in boxes
  shall be listed. Power distribution blocks installed on the line
  side of the service equipment shall be listed and marked “suitable for use on the line side of service equipment” or equivalent.

However, Article 725 does not state Article 314 is applicable (see 725.3 for details) to control circuits, so the 314.28(E) requirements for power distribution blocks do not apply to control circuits to begin with.

But, there is still hope!

If one wishes to join 14-10AWG mains circuit wires en masse in a tidy fashion, though, without resorting to the rather unnecessary bulk of power distribution blocks, there is still an option on the table though.  Some manufacturers make enclosed terminal block assemblies that consist of a UL 1059 recognized terminal block whose terminals are considered "suitable for field wiring" that has been factory mounted into a plastic or metal enclosure (junction box).  This assembly is then UL listed (as a trivial UL 508A control panel) as an assembly, which means that it can be used for field mains wiring without having to worry about the precise approvals of the terminal block itself.

Furthermore, while these boxes do not ship with grounding bars by default, one can add a UL 467 listed grounding bar (such as a Penn-Union NA-414) to such an enclosure to provide a central grounding point, thus saving the terminal block's terminals for current-carrying conductors (hots and neutrals), as per the Exception to NEC 314.28(E):

  Exception: Equipment grounding terminal bars shall be permitted in
  smaller enclosures.

Finally, if you cannot find a suitable assembly prefabricated/stocked, you can ask a local industrial control panel shop with the appropriate certifications to custom-fabricate such a thing for you and get it approved under their UL 508A listing, although at a not-inconsiderable cost compared to a prefabricated unit.