Landscape lighting system only puts out one volt I've installed low-voltage (12V AC) lighting systems in my front and back yard. They're set up separately, but both use the same model of transformer and lights. I set this up in May 2017, so it's been working fine for about 18 months.

After setting up Halloween decorations last week, including one set of string lights, I saw that the lights in the front yard weren't turning on. The wires are tucked out of the way before they go underground, but it's possible I or my daughter snagged a wire and knocked something loose. But I haven't found any physical problems.

The outdoor GFCI outlet seems fine because the string lights still work, on both plugs.

Since the transformers are the same, I swapped them, and the transformer from the front yard works fine in the back yard. However, the transformer from the back yard doesn't work in the front yard. So it seems the wiring and not the transformer is the problem.

Then I put a multimeter on the transformer leads and found that it was only putting out one volt. Testing further, I found that that's what the transformers do when the power cords to the lights aren't connected. So in the back yard, I get the full 12 volts when everything is connected and 1 volt if I disconnect the lights, while in the front yard I get 1 volt no matter what.

I went around to some of the lights, pulled the bulbs and put the multimeter prongs into the bulb sockets and measured the same 1 volt at each location. So the circuit doesn't seem to be broken -- the power is getting to all the lights. It's just not the full power.

Does anyone know what would cause this behavior?

Update

Based on @Tyson's suggestion, I disconnected the wiring from the transformer and tested the resistance through the circuit. It was about .8 ohms, so neither a short nor an open circuit. I pulled out one of the bulbs and measured the resistance of the bulb itself and it was 1 ohm -- I would expect that to be about the same or a little less, but it's a little more. Perhaps one of the other bulbs is different and has less resistance. To be sure I didn't have a broken circuit combined with a short through moisture in the soil, I stuck the leads of the multimeter into the soil, but the resistance there was about 60 ohms.

The usual cause of this kind of symptom would be a short, likely an internal short in the power supply, but if you're seeing the power supplies both do the same thing and both work on one side of the house, it must be some kind of "feature."

I have not used a power supply that works like this;  most low voltage DC power supplies will show full voltage on the load terminals with nothing connected.  As mentioned in the comments, maybe it's a safety feature.  (If so it's a little surprising to me, since 12V is pretty safe, I could see this making more sense with 120V...)

But going with this presumption that this is a safety feature, where the transformer cuts voltage in a no-load condition, my first guess would be that implies one (or maybe even both) of the conductors between the power supply and the first light are broken.  Maybe they got damaged somehow while decorating, maybe someone drove a stake in the ground and hit a conductor.

If the wires were in tact to the first light, you would have a load.  If the fault was downstream from the first light, you'd get at least one or some lights working.

The simplest way to test this would be to run a test cable across the yard from the power supply to the first light and see if everything works.


Is there a way to open this kind of ratchet with no visible screws and no visible retainer rings? I'd like to know if this kind of ratchet with no visible screws is serviceable in anyway, i.e. if it can be at least opened to clean it. (The ring on the rear serves as selector). It tried prying up the ring with a flat screwdriver (with and without the release button depressed) but it doesn't seem to budge (up). I have to wonder how they even assemble the thing...

Here are some hi-res photos (well, as hi-res as SE would allow) of the actual head:

Contrary to the answer/suggestion below there are no visible retainer rings on either side. There is room for a 0.05 mm feeler to go all way around, and for the 0.1mm feeler in one spot (where the handle curves) under the rear selector. But even there a 0.15mm would not go in all the way that the 0.1mm one does. The gap space might look bigger, but that's only an illusion because the spinning parts are rounded on both sides. There's no retainer ring that I can feel anywhere.

Here's photo of the rear with the eject button depressed (and held that way with pliers grabbing the inner pin tip). As you can see the real ring is also one solid piece of [painted] metal, with nothing obvious to remove there...

(By the way, I managed to clear enough of it with the feelers, so it doesn't make a rock-dust-grinding noise anymore, but the question how to open this still remains unsolved.)

I have a similar one and if you look at the square drive side there is a retaining ring which holds the ratchet mechanism in place.

Take care when prising the ring out - I use a small bladed screwdriver.


Doorbell dings, dongs, but doesn't ding-dong I'm replacing a doorbell chime unit.  The old one worked, but the new one does not.  If I connect the wire to the terminal labeled "front", it will ding.  If I connect the wire to the terminal labeled "rear", it dongs.  The latter makes sense as that should be so a rear or side doorbell has a different sound.  But why doesn't it ding-dong when connected to "front"?  The hammer moves freely up and down (no wire in the way blocking it).

The transformer measures only 11 volts.  That seems low, should I replace it?  If not, what else could be the problem?

Old:

New:

It was the transformer.  I replaced it and the doorbell now works as expected.  Upon closer inspection the old transformer was only a 10V model where I needed a 16V one.


Best way to seal off the rear of an air conditoner to prevent dirt and bugs from entering? I'm trying to figure out if these is feasible firstly. I have a frigidaire 8,000 BTU window air conditioner for my bedroom and I would like to know if the rear of the A/C, ie. (where the heat sink, exhaust fan are located on the back - the half of the A/C where it is on the outside of a window not the inside) can be sealed off to prevent water damage/bugs/dirt from entering in. I'm not sure why this part is exposed to the elements because it needs to be cleaned. Any idea if this area is possible to seal off with something like clear tape?

You cannot seal the condensing coils. The back is where the heat exchange occurs that allows your AC unit to get rid of the excess heat. You can add a external screen or filter media to reduce dust & bug buildup but this will require regular cleaning. If your system has an vent option to bring in outside air only a small amount of outside air is brought in through the evaporator coil and cooled. Window units should have a slight tilt down in the back to make sure the condensate can drip out the back of the unit this is normal. The slight tilt allows the condensate to drip out the back and any rain water that is on the unit to drain and not enter the home.


Can you charge Bosch 18V batteries from your car? I'm trying to find out if Bosch or someone else makes a charger for their 18V cordless tools that can charge from the cigarette lighter (actually from a solar panel that has a 12V cigarette lighter adapter). So far my searches have been unsuccessful, does anyone here know if there's something out there other than using their 120V charger with a power inverter that can do the trick?

Here's a/the bosch version - no idea if it fits your particular version of bosch 18V battery, which come in many incompatible versions, but it's the only one I can find.

Just making an "answer" to get the picture in...


Mounting large mirror on drywall/studs with unknown brackets We got a large beveled mirror (50-60 lbs) at a garage sale thinking it would be easy to mount. After we got home we noticed the mirror has 2 brackets near one of the longer edges and I am baffled on how to mount with those. Can anyone help me?

If there are brackets (straps) on both sides about 1/3 of the way down from the top, then you could use S-hooks in the straps (remove the center clamping screw) and string a heavy steel wire between them. Then hook the wire on a heavy nail into a stud or use one of the new stronger hangers like a WingIt into drywall.


Why do radiators need bleeding? Where does the air come from? I had to bleed a radiator for the first time recently. This made we wonder where the air that gets trapped in radiators comes from.

I'm not looking for a specific cause for my own heating system, but a list of processes that might be the cause of air in generic central heating systems.

Air is dissolved in water, that's how fish and many other types of marine life live underwater. As water is heated it releases some of that air. (thanks for the advice, Ed)


120V measured between different outlet grounds I'm experiencing some electrical issues with the apartment I'm subletting. While connecting up a projector/speaker setup using outlets from different sides of the room, we discovered (through means of frying our electronics) that the grounds on each side of the room are at different potentials.

When measured with a multimeter from the ground pin of one outlet to the ground of the outlet across the room, we get 120VAC. Keeping the same reference ground pin across the room, neutral also measures at 120VAC and power measures at 0VAC.

It seems like one of the outlets must have it's wiring backwards, but a visual inspection of the wires (at least the outlet side) checks out and an outlet tester claims they are all correct.

Will that outlet tester detect if neutral and ground are powered and power is grounded? Is that condition particularly dangerous?

Note: I'm not proposing that I do any of the electrical work myself, I'm just curious about what went wrong and where.

Use a non-contact voltage detector pen on the outlet by holding it near the face -- if it lights up, you likely have what Johnny is describing in the comments, a so-called "reverse polarity bootleg ground".

(On a properly wired outlet, the voltage detector should not trigger until you stick its tip into the hot slot on the outlet.)


When to Repair Versus Replace Concrete Slab? I am a first-time homebuyer and purchased an older home in the Northeastern US. While I've found great infomation here on my many DIY projects, I have not been able to determine whether or not my garage floor is in a "refinishable" state.
The Problem: I have zero experience with concrete, and had originally intended on doing the refinishing process myself. After scouring the internet for how-to videos, I kept noticing that most of the slabs being repaired are in much better shape than what I'm dealing with.
The garage is a concrete slab poured around cinderblocks; I've included a photo of one large problem area, which has very long, deep cracks, and pitting all over the place. The cracks are rather wide as well. The paint removal process is also taking it's toll on the slab, bringing up chunks in the weaker areas.
My Original Plan:

Strip the original paint/epoxy using stripper and floor scraper.
Clean and V-Score cracks, and remove existing patchwork.
Apply concrete patcher & bonding agent to cracks and problem areas.
Sand smooth and spread resurfacer across the entire slab.

I grew concerned over the amount of concrete patch I would need to purchase to achieve results - more than what would be considered simple patchwork.
My Questions:

Is this concrete slab repairable, or is it beyond it's usable life? If you could please explain how you came to that answer, I would greatly appreciate any context (i.e. When should you consider full replacement for any slab?).

It's done-for. Whenever you have both severe surface degradation and spider cracks there's no turning back time. No patch will hold up with so many independently-movable segments. You'd have to pour a new slab that's robust enough to span such movement.
If it didn't cause problems at the door opening you could lay paver bricks over the top. They'd do pretty well I think. That would mean doing the same out into the driveway, though.


How can I repair slices in fibercement siding? In the process of removing caulk between butt joints, the contractor sliced down into the planks below the joint.  Now that the house has been repainted it's extremely obvious.  I'm not sure what my options are to minimize the look or having it repaired.

Everything i have read states it is best to replace a damaged plank but there are repair solutions.
Here are a couple of links to inform your discussion with your contractor.
How to Repair Fiber Cement Siding - The Complete Guide
Fiber Cement Siding Repair Advice & Specifications

The second one is full of links to valuable info.


Recommended paint for outdoor cement patio In my back garden, I have a small cement pad. It used to have a shed on it, but the previous owner took it with them when they left. I've decided to turn it into a sort of patio, which is working well. My only complaint is the somewhat dreary appearance of the cement.

I'm looking to paint it. I was in the local supply store the other day, and they have a few options, none of which seem perfectly suited to this application. The options include:

Masonry Paint, meant for outdoors and cement, but probably not being walked on
Floor Paint, where materials include cement, but indoor use only
Tile and Step Paint, which is for outdoors, includes brick + cement, but only comes in a single colour (dark red)

Does anyone have recommendations around what type of products would be best suited for this application, and how they should be applied?

Thanks.

I would suggest using a colored sealer instead of paint. It is available in several color options. Sherwin Williams is just one of the brands I searched. The sealer will penetrate the concrete so minor surface damage will be less noticeable.


Why is there water dripping from my ceiling AC vents? I have a one story house with hot water heat. The house also has forced air AC ducts running from the attached garage, in the attic, down into the living room, bedrooms, and kitchen. At certain times throughout the winter, water will drip from those vents. I believe it is from condensation forming in the ducts, and dripping down into the house.

If this is the reason, how do I resolve this?

Condensation is probably the result of uninsulated ducts running through uninsulated cavities in your home.

The solution is to find out what section of your ducts this is occurring at and either swap the ducts with insulated ones or insulate that section of your home.

I recently learned this about my home.  I had uninsulated duct work in the uninsulated/not sealed crawlspace underneath my house.


GE Front Load washer doesn't spin Today my 7 years old GE Front Load washer (MODE WCVH6800J1WW) doesn't work.

It can fill water successfully, then didn't spin to wash but start to pump water out, then unlock door but time still stay at 50mins.
If I switch to "Drain & Spin" mode, the spin works fine and water pump out just like works great for this mode.
Even if I use the BlasketClean mode, it will fill water then pump out but not spin at all.

I guess some sensor maybe doesn't work which will cause it think no water or something like that! Write mail to manufacture but no response till now!

Yes, you can use service mode to debug anything wrong with your washer! it will debug item by item till you locate the abnormal function then you can find right solution to fix it.

From the behavior, it mostly like the water pressure component has some problem,which will cause it can not detect water is enough to trigger spin process. for example: water pressure controller abnormal or the water pipe leak water,which will cause water pressure detection fail also.


Is my AC not controlled by a breaker? The 2 240v-breakers labeled "AC" do not control the ACs. No idea what they do. No other 240v breakers control the AC either. I tested the breakers with a multi-meter. They turned on and off correctly. There are two switches near the AC outdoor units, which can shut the ACs off, but they are not breakers and can't protect from circuit overload. Where could be breakers for the ACs? Or the ACs are hard wired? However, I didn't see any such connections in the breaker box. It is a single family house, so unlikely to be mis-connected with other houses. I am really puzzled.

What do the switches that control the units look like? If there are two individual switches that feed power to the unit, it's possible that each switch is fed from two different 120 volt, single pole breakers. If this is the case, there also may be other loads, such as lights or receptacles, on each 120 volt circuit. This would be an unacceptable installation practice and would also be a violation of the National Electrical Code.


How can I drain a low pan into a drain at standard sink height? I am a dog groomer and the building I recently moved in was used as a Beauty Shop. The drain that my bathing tub is supposed to hook up at is located too high. I know the water will not drain uphill. Does anyone have any ideas on how to remedy this issue? I cannot put a drain in the floor due to concrete slab. I don’t care about passing inspection or code, only if it will work. Thank you.

Move the tub’s connection to the drain lower at the wall (may need to make a hole) or put the dog tub higher. There are not a lot of options here.

If all else fails then a solution would be to drain the tub into a container on the floor and have an electric (or manual) pump to pump the water into the drain as it gets close to full.


Refinishing chop block counter top I have bought my first house. I am DIYing my kitchen renovation. I have chop block countertops from IKEA and an undermount stainless steel kitchen sink. I know its not wise to undermount with a wood countertop but my mom has a similar set up and it has looked great for the past 15 years.

I want to protect the countertop. I am using the Varathane Polyurethane for the first time "Matte Interior" applying with a Wooster Pro brush

I have been reading everyones comments on procedures etc.

Two questions:

Have I made a mistake using a water based Polyurethane?

How do I know when to dry sand VS wet sand?

I live in Florida so I have been paying attention to humidity and sanding in-between coats with 3M 400 and 1500. I am 4 applications in at the moment

I am only half way into my project and did not realize there was two kinds of polyurethane. I guess I'm only a day late and a few dollars short at this point:)

In my own opinion I don't think that the owner of this top has figured out how is he/she going to use this top. If he /she are going to use it as it was intended, as a butcher block top, then a poly coat would flake off in time. But a regular coating of mineral oil, not vegetable oil, would be suffice. Vegetable oil would turn rancid.


Direct vent boiler exhaust exiting close to brick chimney The exhaust vent for our Burnham Spirit direct vent boiler currently exits very near the junction box where I recently installed an IR-triggered motion-sensitive floodlight. The hot air is causing spurious triggering of the floodlights all throughout the night. I'd like to rotate the two 45-degree elbows 180 degrees (pointing to the right) to get some extra distance from the vent to the sensor.

The tricky thing is the (defunct) brick chimney in the right of the picture. With the current configuration of elbows, there will be only 4" of clearance between the end of the pipe and the brick. Is this going to cause any problems? The only guidelines I can find concern distance to combustible material, which this change in configuration won't affect.

Note that the air intake in the lower right is the combustion air intake of the boiler and thus I believe exempted from any clearance requirement for the exhaust, which would now exit about a foot above it.

Why not buy the correct amount and type of vent pipe and extend the discharge pipe out and to the right in front of the chimney and away from the sensor and the intake pipe. Check with the manufacturer to make sure that you do not exceed the maximum amount of pipe and fittings.


Single Neutral for Several Smart Switches I have some (seemingly common, but specifically unanswered) concerns about providing a neutral wire to smart switches that are in a single multi-gang box (4-6 switches on different circuits).  I am wondering if it is acceptable to use a single neutral line run directly from the electrical panel to serve all the switches, even though they are on separate circuits with their own neutrals at the fixtures.

See diagram of what I am thinking below.

This question relates to this and this question (to which the answers were "not ok"), but the difference being that I am not "stealing" a neutral from another nearby outlet or switch, but running an extra neutral directly from the panel.

To better answer @ThreePhaseEel , the setup is a bit out of the ordinary, and the current (inherited) physical setup is like this:

Keep 'em separated

Since you have two subpanels feeding this setup (one for each "side"/half), you'll need to make sure that the switches for each side have a neutral return back to the corresponding subpanel, and only the corresponding subpanel.  In other words, the two left-side switches have a neutral wire going back to the left-side subpanel, and the two right-side switches have a neutral wire going back to the right-side subpanel.

Cross-coupling the two smart-switch-neutrals in your setup violates 300.3(B)/310.10(H) and creates a neutral current loop that causes inductive heating of metal parts (like your raceways and boxes) as well as magnetic field EMI due to the loop area of the current (old-school picture tubes were susceptible to this in particular).

Neither of these neutrals needs to join with the light fixture neutrals on its side until the subpanel neutral bar, though.  The smart-switches are loads of their own (to power the "brains"), and running an extra neutral homerun in the same cable, conduit, or raceway is OK by code, as per 300.3(B) (otherwise, /2/2 NM wouldn't be Code legal, for that matter):

  (B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of
  the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor
  and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding con-
  ductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or
  cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with
  300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

Load isn't a concern here, but Code is

The primary concern for multiplexed neutrals is having multiple hots on the same phase return via the same neutral, which causes the currents on that neutral to be the sum of the currents on the various hots.  In this situation, though, that isn't a concern as smart switches don't draw much power at all.

However, technically speaking, unless you punch the circuits down as such to have currents cancel (i.e. a MWBC -- such things do exist in the three phase wye world, whether they are two-phase/three-wire or three-phase/four-wire), your proposal violates 200.4(A):

  (A) Installation. Neutral conductors shall not be used for
  more than one branch circuit, for more than one multiwire
  branch circuit, or for more than one set of ungrounded
  feeder conductors unless specifically permitted elsewhere
  in this Code.


Ceiling Fan Light won’t work My ceiling fan light stopped working in my kitchen. I thought one of the sockets broke so I bought a new light kit. Installed it ...correctly...and still no light. There is a remote control receiver attached to the fan that can control both but since replacing the light kit would it still work with the remote ? Or would I need to remove the remote receiver? I checked for all loose wires and tripped breakers. I have no idea what’s wrong. Any suggestions?

Modern ceiling fans have a current limiter for the lights these regularly fail. I have replaced them and bypassed , but this is possibly the failure point since the new light kit did not work.


Is it normal for a hammer drill bit to wobble? Last year I bought a Makita HR2470 for home use from German Amazon, because it had many positive reviews. Since then many negative ones appeared saying that the drill bit wobbles. There is also a user video on their site. It is an SDS-plus drill and I have an adaptor to use normal round bits too. With this I have put a ball pen in it, and touched to a paper when the drill was on, without the hammer function. It made a split pea sized circle on the paper. I also have a Bosch GBM 1600 RE normal drill. This leaves only a point on the paper, as expected.

Recently I have made with the hammer drill + adaptor (hammer function off) holes in tile, and did not know why the tile was chopped around the hole.

I have two questions. Is this a property of hammer drills, they are less precise or mine is defective? I actually sent it back, and now I am looking for a different model. Do you know any hammer drill without this problem? I understand if a more precise tool is more expensive than this.

I have 3 or 4 hammer drills some combo units and 1 is just a large hammer / demo drill model. None of mine have the wobble you are describing brands I have are hilti, dewalt and milwaukee. For tile I would not use a hammer function but a standard drill and a diamond coated or carbide / grit coated bit. I would think the hammer action will crack the tile, I am sure it would on most natural stone tiles as they tend to crack with a wet diamond saw.


Finish vinyl plank flooring (subfloor step) Just wondering the proper way to finish this project:

This is probably something you should have thought about before placing the new flooring :)

However you should probably put a door sill in.
As for material there are various options usually stone, wood or metal.
You'll have to choose what best suits your home.
If you want the drop to be gradual you should get an angled sill.
Most likely you will end up having to cut into the newly laid floor a bit to accommodate for the door sill.


How to cut aluminium chequer plate (with a jigsaw)? I have a nice sheet aly I bought for my project. It is 2.5~mm chequer plate that needs to be cut into 7 pieces (straight across the sheet, no curves needed), and I tried to cut it with a metal blade in a jigsaw - I only got ¾ of the way through cutting the first piece (2nd photo)

The problem is the blade became blunted, either due to aluminium wearing it out, or the aluminium melting and blocking it. This probably due to the speed on the jigsaw being set too high, so would it be possible to cut the aluminium using a jigsaw, and if so what would be the best way to go about it? I know about cutting wood and plastic with a  jigsaw, I am not experienced at all with cutting metal.

One thought I had would be to try getting some new blades (e.g. 1 2). However I am not sure what would be best specification of blade to look for. The jigsaw is a Makita 4350FCT.

They do make blades designed for non-ferrous metal, and may make a difference over a standard bi-metal/multipurpose blade. These may be special order v. a home depot find.

I suggest going almost painfully slow to maximize cutting, over deforming the material/dulling the blade.

However, the two best ways I know to cut this material are a power 'nibbler' that cuts semi-circular bits out with a repeating punch style cutter, or on a power shear.


Air Flow using Vacuum and High Air Pressure Air I am investigating container homes.  Something about the modularity appeals to me.
Regardless, I am thinking about one of the challenges that they face is to get adequate air flow without cutting holes in the container (and compromising the structure).
In most buildings, I have seen them use quite large ducting to provide the necessary cubic feet per minute/CFM.
My question is: why not use high pressure air lines (e.g. like the kind that are used to run pneumatic tools) to provide incoming air and vacuum lines to remove outgoing air?
It would appear to me to be a way to provide air circulation without having to have large ducting.

Creating compressed air is expensive If you consider most air handlers are pushing over 100 cubic feet of air a minute (many in the 200-300 rang). An air compressor 5 horse power will have a rating of 10-15 scfm at the working pressure so you would need a huge compressor just to move the air that would be expensive. Compared to the fractional HP motor on the air handler.
The best way to heat and cool this type of space in my opinion would be with a mini split. A 2-1/2” hole is all that is needed for that size space (each container) for heating and air conditioning the hole is for the electrical control from the main unit, a drain line and the high and low pressure lines that carry the “Freon”. No duct work just those lines.
You can use conventional ducted methods and all that space is lost but mini splits are very efficient and the inside units are small only about 32” to 48” long about 12” wide and protrude From the wall about 8-10”.  Depending on the number of containers and layout you could have a large outside unit with multiple inside units or several small outside units connecting to the inside units.
But we don’t use compressed air because of the cost it could be done but no one would be able to afford to.


What size torsion spring does my garage door need? I have a 17'x7' insulated garage door and one of my torsion springs broke last night.  The previous owner said that they replaced the original ones with smaller versions because that's all the store had in stock at the time. I want to get the most appropriate size for my door but I dont know what needs to be considered.  What size torsion springs should I use, or how can I figure it out?

Every door based on weight has has its own very specific spring or springs.  No guessing.  You can take your complete old spring to an overhead door company and they will get you the correct replacement. While we are on the subject, the changing of an overhead door spring is really not a job for the home DIY guy. This is dangerous.  If you have a high level mechanical aptitude, maybe; but watch the videos on YOU Tube first.  And be careful.


60 amp detached shop able to run 50 amp hot tub? my house main panel is 200 amp, the shops panel is 60 amp. My new tub is closest to my shop but wasn't sure it would cause my shop to trip with the tub on its 50 amp gfci circuit? I was going to run from my house 200 amp but the teck AWG #6 is going to be very expensive to run that distance hence me researching if it's safe and able to be done through my shops 60 amp service. I've read it's safe and fine as most tubs that require 50 Amp fuse usually run at a 40 amp level. I'm just concerned it would trip the 60 Amp shop breaker, I don't run much in my shop other then lights and tunes and the odd power tool and my welder but figured I can just turn the tub off durang that. Any input would be great.

Cheers
Danny

You should be fine if you install a 50 amp breaker into a 60 amp panel. Just shut the breaker off before using your welder.(Depending on its size it could draw quite a bit.)

The breaker should be sized by the manufacturer at about 125% of the tub's actual load. So like you say it may draw 40 amps at times when the heater is going full bore. When the heater is off it will draw much less than that.

The worst that can happen is you might trip the main in the shop if you forget to turn off the tub.

The only other thing of concern is voltage drop on a large load. Check the voltage at your shop panel while you have a large load on it to see if the hot tub would be undervoltaged or give us the particulars and we can help you calculate the voltage drop.

Happy Monday!


Grounding short section of metallic conduit or raceway used solely for protecting NM from physical damage without junction? I would like to run NM wire in a short section of metallic conduit (e.g. EMT) perpendicular to the joists in my basement so I do not have to drill any additional holes in the joists as allowed by 334.15(C) of the NEC.

As I understand section 334.15(C) of the NEC, I will still have to bond the EMT to keep it from becoming energized in case of a ground fault if I use a short section of to provide support and protection of the NM cable from physical damage per 300.12. The code provides specific guidance in 334.15(C) on how to do this, but provides very little information on how to properly ground it.

Can I properly ground the EMT without adding a junction box on one end or the other of the EMT just to splice the NM inside of the junction box and access the ground wire? If so, what are the methods to do so? At this point, I'm thinking Schedule 80 PVC is the easier way to go to avoid needing bond the conduit, but I'm still curious how this is done in practice (that is, if it is done).

Note: The NM cable is smaller than three 8 AWG conductors, so I cannot staple the cable to the bottom of the joists directly per 334.15(C) of the NEC.

Relevant quoted sections of the NEC (NFPA-70:2014)

  334.15(C) In Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces. Where cable is run at angles with joists in unfinished basements and crawl spaces, it
  shall be permissible to secure cables not smaller than two 6 AWG or
  three 8 AWG conductors directly to the lower edges of the joists.
  Smaller cables shall be run either through bored holes in joists or on
  running boards. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable installed on the wall of an
  unfinished basement shall be permitted to be installed in a listed
  conduit or tubing or shall be protected in accordance with 300.4.
  Conduit or tubing shall be provided with a suitable insulating bushing
  or adapter at the point the cable enters the raceway. The sheath of
  the nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall extend through the conduit or
  tubing and into the outlet or device box not less than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.).
  The cable shall be secured within 300 mm (12 in.) of the point where
  the cable enters the conduit or tubing. Metal conduit, tubing, and
  metal outlet boxes shall be connected to an equipment grounding
  conductor complying with the provisions of 250.86 and 250.148.

  300.12 Mechanical Continuity — Raceways and Cables. Metal or nonmetallic raceways, cable armors, and cable sheaths shall be
  continuous between cabinets, boxes, fittings, or other enclosures or
  outlets. Exception No. 1: Short sections of raceways used to provide
  support or protection of cable assemblies from physical damage shall
  not be required to be mechanically continuous.

You don't have to bond the conduit if it's only there to "provide support or protection of cable assemblies from physical damage", according to 250.86 ex. 2.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection
Article 250 Grounding and Bonding
250.86 Other Conductor Enclosures and Raceways. Except as permitted by 250.112(I), metal enclosures and raceways for other than service conductors shall be connected to the equipment grounding conductor.
Exception No. 2: Short sections of metal enclosures or raceways used to provide support or protection of cable assemblies from physical damage shall not be required to be connected to the equipment grounding conductor.


How do I fix a dishwasher leak and repair damage to surrounding cabinets? I have a Whirlpool dishwasher bought in 2005 that evidently leaks steam from the side and has caused mold to build up on the cabinet door that is next to it.  What could cause this to happen and how do we fix it?  This is a rental property so I am not sure how long this has been happening and do not have the manual that came with the dishwasher.  The tenants were not very clean people and have left a mess in the house, and took all the manuals.  Of course, they never let us know this happened.  The cabinets, also new in 2005 and bought at Lowes,  have the painted covers to start popping off.  If you have an idea how that can be fixed or if they can be painted, that would be helpful too.

If the dishwasher itself is leaking from a crack in the side of the tub, then it cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced. If it's just leaking from the door, then there's a door seal that can be replaced. You'll have to contact Whirlpool or an appliance repair guy for that -- appliance repair is something that we don't really cover around here because it's not really a DIY thing.

It sounds like the cabinets had a veneer that was then painted. You should be able to glue the veneer back down with some construction adhesive or epoxy. Unfortunately, many of the cabinets that Lowe's sells these days are made from particle board, and the cabinet itself might need some repair or shoring up before it can be used again. We can advise you more if you post some pictures.

I hope they didn't get any of their deposit back!


Can you run a 240v US split phase welder on 230v UK single phase I am moving from the US to the UK and would like to know if my welder will work on UK power. The welder is 240V 50/60 hz so that should be fine as I understand it... except, the welder is wired for US split phase so it has 4 wires (L1,L2,N,G) whereas UK power is 230V with only 3 wires (L,N,G) true single phase. Assuming I am correct so far, is there a reasonable way to run a 4 wire 240V split phase appliance on 3 wire, single phase 230V power?

EDIT: Thanks @Three for spurring me to actually open up the welder as it has completely changed my question. I had just (stupidly) assumed the 240V was 4 wire. The welder is wired (as is the receptacle) for 3 wire 240V. So the new (hopefully more accurate) question is-

My welder is wired for L1,L2,G 240V whereas the UK supply is L,N,G 230V. Is there a reasonable way to run or rewire to run a L1,L2,G 240V appliance on L,N,G 230V power?

This is a factory question. The ruling question is whether the machine guts are insulated for 240V.  Because one leg will be 240V from ground.

Is it really worth the shipping expense, though? It takes several times an object's weight in jet fuel to fly it intercontinental. Shipping of course is much better.


Protect hardwood floor from bed posts? I have carpet in a bedroom that I am thinking of replacing with a hardwood floor, but the bed has big wooden feet and they might scuff the floor. Is there a standard way to protect the floor? Maybe a rubber pad or cup?

In addition to Jim Stewart's answer, you can buy self-adhesive felt pads to place on the bottom of furniture legs.  These allow the furniture to be slid across the floor from time to time, without scratching.


how to temporarily seal a narrow gap between baseboards and laminate floor? there is a very narrow (<1/8 in.) gap between the baseboards and the laminate floor in my bathroom, which has been letting in ants from the storage units on the other side of the wall.  is there any good way to seal the gap temporarily until my building is done being treated?  it's an apartment, so i can't do anything too permanent.  caulking?  some kind of tape?  any suggestions are much appreciated.

You said it in your question: "caulking tape". I use the brand pictured but do not specifically endorse that brand. It is like string putty, you could gently press it into place and then remove it fairly easily. It does not cure like caulk, it remains a kinda stiff putty. I used it to seal a small roof transition crack while it was raining, then easily pulled it out and properly repaired the roof when the weather cleared up.


Why is the neutral conductor sometimes undersized in AC applications? Why are electricians allowed to sometimes lower the size of the grounded (neutral) conductor?

If alternating current is bidirectional then wouldn't the neutral technically be an ungrounded (hot) conductor 60 times a second? (For 60hz)

I can get my head around multiwire branch circuits sharing a neutral and phases and what not, but this one stumps me.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Why are electricians allowed to sometimes lower the size of the grounded (neutral) conductor?

As DrMoishe points out some pieces of equipment use mostly 240 volts and very little 120 volt power. It is the 120 volt power that uses the neutral. Therefore the National Electrical Code allows the downsizing of the neutral in limited application. This is NOT blanket permission to downsize all neutrals. It is only applicable in a few instances.
It is possible to downsize a feeder or service neutral according to the calculations in the National Electrical Code here:

220.61 Feeder or Service Neutral Load.
(A) Basic Calculation.  The feeder or service neutral load shall be the maximum unbalance of the load determined by this article. The maximum unbalanced load shall be the maximum net calculated load between the neutral conductor and any one ungrounded conductor.
Exception: For 3-wire, 2-phase or 5-wire, 2-phase systems, the maximum unbalanced load shall be the maximum net calculated load between the neutral conductor and any one ungrounded conductor multiplied by 140 percent.
(B) Permitted Reductions.  A service or feeder supplying the following loads shall be permitted to have an additional demand factor of 70 percent applied to the amount in 220.61(B)(1) or portion of the amount in 220.61(B)(2) deter‐ mined by the following basic calculations:
(1) A feeder or service supplying household electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, and electric dryers, where the maximum unbalanced load has been determined in accordance with Table 220.55 for ranges and Table 220.54 for dryers
(2) That portion of the unbalanced load in excess of 200 amperes where the feeder or service is supplied from a 3-wire dc or single-phase ac system; or a 4-wire, 3-phase system; or a 3-wire, 2-phase system; or a 5-wire, 2-phase system
Informational Note: See Examples D1(a), D1(b), D2(b), D4(a), and D5(a) in Informative Annex D.
(C) Prohibited Reductions.  There shall be no reduction of the neutral or grounded conductor capacity applied to the amount in 220.61(C)(1), or portion of the amount in (C)(2), from that determined by the basic calculation:
(1) Any portion of a 3-wire circuit consisting of 2 ungrounded conductors and the neutral conductor of a 4-wire, 3-phase, wye-connected system
(2) That portion consisting of nonlinear loads supplied from a 4-wire, wye-connected, 3-phase system
Informational Note: A 3-phase, 4-wire, wye-connected power system used to supply power to nonlinear loads may necessitate that the power system design allow for the possibility of high harmonic neutral conductor currents.

Regarding branch circuits, the code allows the downsizing of ranges and cooking equipment here, attention to exception 2:

210.19(A)(3) Household Ranges and Cooking Appliances.  Branch-circuit conductors supplying household ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, and other household cooking appliances shall have an ampacity not less than the rating of the branch circuit and not less than the maximum load to be served. For ranges of 8 3∕4 kW or more rating, the minimum branch-circuit rating shall be 40 amperes.
Exception No. 1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere branch circuit supplying electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and shall be sufficient for the load to be served. These tap conductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads supplied with the appliance that are smaller than the branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer than necessary for servicing the appliance.
Exception No. 2: The neutral conductor of a 3-wire branch circuit supplying a household electric range, a wall-mounted oven, or a counter-mounted cooking unit shall be permitted to be smaller than the ungrounded conductors where the maximum demand of a range of 8 3∕4-kW or more rating has been calculated according to Column C of Table 220.55, but such conductor shall have an ampacity of not less than 70 percent of the branch-circuit rating and shall not be smaller than 10 AWG.

There are no other allowances for a downsized neutral that I can find in the National Electrical Code.
Most dryers and ranges are wired with NM cable and will therefore have full sized neutrals anyway. If you are wiring with conduit, you could use this exception for the range.
The dryer circuit neutral has to be able to carry the full imbalance of the load. Since that load is unknown because you are wiring a receptacle not a piece of equipment, then the neutral must be full sized. These circuits are normally #10 wire and the range exception sets the minimum at #10 so there would be no reduction even if dryers used the same exception.
Hopefully, this will help to clarify this subject.


Does the type of sheet rock behind a glue up tub surround matter? Since the drywall, green board, or cement board is covered completely why does it matter. The exposed area would be exposed regardless.

Although the material may be covered there is still a potential for water or humidity to come in contact with it. A small leak may go unnoticed  until mold or rot are evident. The water resistance is dependent on a seal whether it is chaulk, grout or some other material. Water resistant materials are chosen for their "just in case" or "what if" properties. Think of it in terms of your roofs. Shingles alone may keep the rain out but it is comforting to know that the ice shield or roof felt are backing up the shingles just in case.


Underground downspout extensions - Are pop up emitters needed? To move rainwater further away from a foundation than the standard 2~3 foot above-ground downspout extensions, what are the underground options?

Example of standard downspout extension:

(Photo from carlsonexteriors.com)

When searching online, I see many examples of a downspout connecting to several yards/meters of flexible underground pipe which then raises to a "pop-up drain emitter". They open to allow water out, and close when the inside pressure drops, blocking water from entering from above.

Example of a pop-up drain emitter:

(Photo from kisseutopia.club)

Are these pop-up emitters necessary? Couldn't the underground pipe just have an open end with a grate?

I find the pop up emitters to be rather unsightly, especially next to a public sidewalk (which would be the maximum distance away from the foundation).

Pop up emitters are a good thing that do a few jobs.  They stop debris from falling back down into the pipe, but more importantly (in my area) they stop mosquitos from getting in and multiplying in the standing water.  If a grate was in place, you have open access to standing water.

They don't have a water-tight seal so they do not really stop water from back-flowing.  It's more for debris and to some it's a little "cleaner" looking than an open grate.


How to temporarily connect inverter-generator safely to mains panel I don't have one of these gasoline powered inverters yet, but am considering getting a portable 2200 watt to power lights, fridge/freezer. We are on a small leg (fewer than 20 houses on it) so we always get triaged last when the power goes out, and we're usually out for three or four days after a big storm.

Is there such a thing as a component that is designed to fit into one of the breaker slots in the main panel, with a three-prong outlet on it, that would accept a heavy duty power cord coming from the inverter?

No, you need to install proper transfer equipment. The transfer equipment allows you to automatically, or manually switch between power sources safely.

If you simply backfeed the panel, you could potentially kill a linesman working to restore the power.


How should I install a chimney for a wood stove in my garage? I have a new construction 24' x 48' garage that is two stories.  It is partial block construction (to middle of 2nd floor) and finished on the top with wood (trusses etc). The floor plan is very open.  I plan on installing a wood stove listed below:

SKU Number: 1015370

Manufacturers Number: B2350B
Brand: United States Stove
Fuel Type: Wood/Coal
Hopper Capacity: 50 lb.
Log Size: 23 in.
BTUs: 106,000

I want to install it on the first floor (concrete floor).  My question is where should I run my chimney?

Should I plan on going up through the ceiling of the first floor, into the second floor and through that ceiling into the attic, then through the roof? (the garage is something like 22+ feet tall to the eaves) I could build a steel grate to be around the pipe to prevent anyone from touching it etc on the second floor.  I would obviously use double wall pipe for the length between the floors, and preferable single wall in the first and second floor in the "open air" spaces to get the most form the heat, followed by double wall for attic/roof. I have heard of people going through closets, etc, does that seem ok?

My other option is to go through the block wall on the first floor, but then have an ugly, and expensive run of about 20ft insulated chimney pipe to get the desired height above the roof to ensure proper draft.

I am doing this on as tight of a budget as possible. I have considered pellet stoves, but have a steady unlimited local supply of wood available.  I realize it may not heat the second floor completely, so I will supplement with another type of heater up there when needed.  I do not have hvac installed in the garage, and would rather not install any. The garage is a very basic rectangle shape. I plan on insulating it very well.

Assuming open flame heaters are allowed in a garage in your area, carefully check all clearance requirements for the stove and flue.  I would encourage you to adapt to triple wall insulated flue pipe at the ceiling of the first floor and stay with insulated pipe the rest of the way. Do not attempt to change back to single wall pipe.

You may want to install a couple of floor registers to help take some of the warm air from the first floor to the second floor. Remember, heat rises, and depending on how long you run the stove, the heat will eventually fill the second floor.  Some simple electric fans can also be placed strategically to move the warm air around and even out the temp in the building.


Should I be using wire nuts to connect my light socket? I am replacing a light socket in a ceiling lamp.

The old socket had two short wires permanently attached to the socket, which were then connected to the wires coming out of the ceiling with wire nuts (neat looking ceramic ones actually, I think it was done in the forties or fifties).

My new socket has screw terminals, so I am thinking I can just connect the wires from the ceiling directly to the screw terminals.

These are all copper wires.

Is there some reason I should instead attach a new wire to the screw terminals and then use a wire nut to connect that?

It looks like this (although the mounting bracket is a different shape):

As long as the wiring is copper, there should be no problem using the screw terminals. If you're in the US, black (hot) to brass, white (neutral) to silver.


Under-floor heating and sub-floor I want to replace my existing carpeted living room with a wooden/laminate floor - as part of this project, I was also considering putting under-floor heating in.

Currently, the floor consist of carpet, underlay (8mm), T&G chipboard (18mm), polystyrene (45mm) which all sits on a concrete floor, which is part of the building structure (I live in a top floor flat).

So, I can either throw away the existing layers and start from scratch, or I can keep everything and just lay the new wooden floor over the underlay, but I'm worried that this won't be stiff enough for wooden floor, and it might flex.

Bearing in mind that the existing distance between the structural floor and the carpet is about 75mm, what options do I have if I want to install under-floor heating?

I'm not really sure what my options are for putting in under-floor heating, I was thinking that if it was something I could hook up to my existing central heating system, then it could be controlled with the existing thermostat, but maybe an electric one would be more efficient?

My initial guess (uneducated) is that I would keep the chipboard, and screed over it (and maybe the heating element) then put a thin layer of underlay, then put the wooden floor on top of this.

Use Quik Trak panels over the existing T&G chipboard and lay your new floor over the panels. Much cleaner than the screed method, and likely cheaper than starting over.


3-Toggle to 2-Toggle I’d like to replace the three toggle switch with a two toggle switch. The leftmost switch (as shown in the below photo) does not control anything in my bathroom. I’d like to replace this leftmost switch a blank face plate. What do I do with the wire on the left switch? The middle switch controls all the lights and the rightmost switch controls the bathroom fan.

Power off obviously. You can just patiently twist and tug the wire out of the backstab, and then put a wire-nut over it, and tape the wire nut so it stays. (Wire nuts are supposed to stay on splices without help, and shouldn't be taped then; however when capping a single wire they don't work properly and need help.)

Pulling a wire out of a backstab destroys its spring strength;  (even when using the release tab). The backstab cannot be reused.  Throw the switch in the trash.  Unless (like most of us) you are a member of the "never use backstabs, ever" club, in which case the switch is fine; put it back in stock. (backstabs are unreliable and create maintenance headaches later, which is why we shun them).

They make blanking plates that bolt to the same yoke screws as the switch did, and neatly fill that hole in the switch plate cover.  They also make switch-switch-blank switch plate covers, though they are rare, which is why I mentioned the first thing.


What else would an hot red wire be for in a split-tab outlet? We are replacing some older outlets in our home with newer, more modern outlets. In one room, we found that two of the old outlets have two hots: a black and a red wire. The tab has been removed on the hot side to make these "split-tab" outlets.

I'm used to seeing this configuration to make a "half-hot" outlet, where one half is switched with a light switch, etc. But in this case we can't find a switch that controls the red wire.

The red hot wire loses current when we cut power to the breaker that the black wire is on, so I believe this means they are on the same breaker. However opening the breaker box is a bit beyond my comfort zone.

What else would an hot red wire be for in a split-tab outlet? If we're not using any switch for these outlets, should we just cap the red hot wire off, or should we replace with the same configuration even though we can't verify the source of the red wire?

This is 120v, in the USA.

It could be a Multi-Wire Branch Circuit (MWBC).  You can test this with a multimeter -- if there's 240V between the red and the black hots, it's an MWBC.

These used to be common for kitchen outlets, since often heat making devices need the whole capacity of a circuit themselves, so this technique allows double the circuit capacity with just one more wire.  More recently, it's fallen out of favor, since GFCI and AFCI protection, required by modern code, are more difficult to add to MWBCs.


Replacing Doorbell Transformer I currently bought a Ring Doorbell and am trying to locate my transformer that powers it since it is unable to activate my indoor chimes. I'm in a condo and do not have access to the attic but do to the crawlspace.
I have a forced air electric furnace by the front door that is closest to the power panel but I cannot locate a transformer in or around it. About midway through my living room, under the stairs, is where my water heater is located. There, I found a transformer attached to where the water heater's power is connected. This is about 20 or 30 feet from the front door.
I turned the water heater off and the electricity test tool would still beep by the low voltage wires out of the transformer. I then turned the breaker off for the doorbell and it stopped beeping.
My questions are:
Is this uncommon for a transformer to be located so far from the doorbell and thermostat?
Can a doorbell and thermostat share a transformer?
I'm not convinced there isn't a hidden transformer maybe in a wall but both my thermostat and doorbell only have a small hole allowing the wires to come out. My next steps might be to cut the drywall out a bit behind the doorbell, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

The simple answer to your questions.
Is it uncommon for the transformer to be mounted so far away from the door bell and thermostat.
The location is not specified in code and many contractors locate them at or above the chime unit or in an water heater / furnace closet. So it is not unusual.
Can a door bell and thermostat share a transformer?
Years ago it was not something I have seen pre 1980’s,
As we get into the y2k era I have seen furnaces and door bells sharing transformers more often and there is nothing in code stopping this.
I would do what @jsotola suggested and pull one side of the transformer red or white it won’t matter see if the doorbell still works if not and it will after reconnecting you can be 100% sure that is the correct transformer.
Get a larger transformer same voltage but more VA to run the ring I thought I have read 30va was enough so if you have a 20 get a 50 or with 2 doorbells converted to ring 80 or 100va as long as the voltage is correct it will not hurt to go bigger or as big as you may foresee using.


Is it dangerous to request more power from a mains circuit than intended? Is it dangerous to attach devices using more than 3680W in total to a single 16A/230V mains circuit or is all I risk triggering the circuit breaker?

The main purpose of circuit breakers is to protect wires in the walls from overheating.  Even sprinkler systems cannot access wires in walls to put out the fire; the fire can become fully engaged.

You are messing up. You should not overload the circuit like that.

Your local government probably has provisioning standards for electrical supply.  For instance in the US, we must provision power for 125% of continuous loads + 100% of loads not continuous.  Many things such as a heater or EVSE are designated continuous loads even if they are not continuous.

So if I want to put a 1200VA water heater and an 800 VA garbage disposal on a circuit, I must provision 1200x1.25 + 800 = 2300 VA.  That just limbos under the 2400VA capacity of a 120V/20A circuit, so it is alright.

Stay within the provisioning limits of the circuit.  If you need more, either provision it or move the loads around physically to get them on different circuits.  This is often a blindside of Bitcoin miners who want to put 10,000VA of miner all in one room (never mind the cooling problem that creates!) Spread them around the house so they are all on different circuits!

Trip curves

Circuit breakers have a designed trip curve.  They will trip when current draw and time match the trip curve, with some tolerance.

This example (thanks Tester101) shows this breaker will:

at 2x rated current, trip between 9 and 35 seconds.
trip in 1 second with an overload between 4.5x and 8x.

These numbers vary due to manufacturing tolerances.  Note that the Square D does not vouch that it won't trip at 100% load; it only says it'll take at least 300 seconds to trip.

You should look up the trip curve for your breaker.  Its behavior should match this.


What type of plug is this, and can I replace it? Can someone identify this plug?

It came on an older radial-arm saw. Can I replace the plug with a NEMA equivalent that will fit in a regular socket? Not sure where it'll go, but all the locations I'm considering would be easy to put in a new breaker and run a line if it needs either 240V, or higher amperage.
Nameplate:

If I'm reading this correctly I can open up the wiring, connect as directed for 115V and then I just need a 10 amp, 60Hz, single-phase circuit - ie. normal wall outlet.
Thanks

That is a twist-lock-style plug used with receptacles like this:

Receptacles are still available - I have no idea if it's code-allowed to use them, they're not at all common in my experience.
I would also be inclined to replace the plug for use with a normal common socket. Check the electrical ratings on the equipment for how many volts and amps it uses. These twist-lock receptacles I found go from 120V/15A up to 220V/20A so what's safe and proper would depend on your device/appliance.


Rain/irrigation run-off drain pipe opening constant dripping Our house is at the bottom of a slope, and all rain water and irrigation runoff gets collected through a underground pipe which has an opening at street, a few yards away from storm drain.

We recently found a  small amount of water constantly yet slowly coming off the pipe and thus get collected on the street. There is water even when sprinkler is off for whole week and no rain. Where can this water come from? We do have a damaged sprinkler for the lawn (riser does not come up, nearby sprinkler heads lose water pressure ). there is no leak according to water leak gauge for the whole house. Can anyone please help diagnose the source for this water?

These sort of leaks can be notoriously hard to track, some of the possible causes can be

A spring in the area that may have been diverted due to earthworks in the area
Neighbouring property having a water leak that is running into a ground water drain on your property
Having a roof mounted solar hot water system that is leaking
A underground water leak

I noticed you said you have checked the meter for a whole house leak. That is good and I would recommend you do that by turning off all taps toilet cistern taps and washing machine taps etc, then go to your meter write down the reading and leave the test over an hour if possible as very small leaks can be difficult to detect on a whole house meter.


Cold or lukewarm water coming out of the hot water tap After shutting off the water for several hours to install new sink and toilet now I have warm,almost hot water coming out of every faucet from the cold tap. It takes a full minute for it to get cold.

My plumber is stumped.

Can you help?

I'm inclined to side with nobyman's shower mixing valve failure. A typical issue resulting from the water being turned back on all at once or too quickly and rupturing the rubber and plastic parts of this century's shower valves.

This is most common with ball valves. The best practice, especially with ball valves, is to just crack them to open and wait for the system to fill and return to silent before opening the valve the rest of the way.

Very rare but also happens with basement shut-offs that are quite a distance from the fixtures by creating a water hammer. This is one reason to have individual shut-offs for each and every fixture everywhere.


Swapping main breaker in a 200A panel with a 100A main breaker I need to replace my old panel now but I also have plans to add more circuits in the future. I suspect that I will need to upgrade my underground service from the current 100A to 200A in the next 5-10 years to accommodate the increased power demands of my future plans (hot tub, central air, etc.)
My question is simple. Can I buy a 200A rated loadcenter and swap the 200A main breaker for 100A to comply with CSA code (the main breaker can't exceed the maximum amperage of the service conductor - #2 aluminum btw)? This would allow me to install the original 200A breaker in the future once I finally upgrade the service conductor to 4/0 to allow me to draw 200A without having to buy another panel all over again.
If this is possible, which manufacturer/series panels support this "interchangeable main breaker" capability? (200A panels that can be downgraded to a 100A main breaker.)
Many thanks!!

You probably could do a breaker swap, assuming that a 100A breaker in the same case style as the 200A breaker could be found. I can't point to a manufacturer or product family, but I can at least say that Square D has decent drawings and technical specs available on their web site. Several of the drawings do indicate the case style of the main breaker, and some panels must be field-fitted with a main, so many of the drawings do include the information you'd be needing to match.
There are (at least) two other ways you could crack this nut. Supposing that your meter is located elsewhere, ie that you're not looking at meter-main combination type panels:

Install the new 200A panel and a 100A panel also. Set it up so that the 100A is the main panel fed by the existing service and call the 200A panel a subpanel. Later, when you upgrade the underground service, remove the 100A panel and have the upgraded service connect directly to the 200A panel. There's nothing wrong with a subpanel being equipped with a main breaker that's rated higher than some upstream breaker. If you find a 100A panel with output lugs you could wire the subpanel feeder directly from those to the 200A panel; no branch circuit breaker needed.
Install the new 200A panel with a 100A branch breaker rated for backfeed. Connect the service conductors to that branch breaker and mark it as the main breaker. Note: you'll probably be required to get a bolt-down bracket to retain the 100A breaker in the panel.


Do I need to redo this deck or it would be OK to clean it and repaint it? Do I need to redo this deck or it would be OK to clean it and repaint it ?
In my opinion the floor is in bad shape and so are the top rails

By law info

Yes, your deck is a bit tired. I don't think anybody can tell you whether to re-do or re-hab without seeing it, but these are the sorts of things I think about on a job like this:

Safety: are any boards going to break any time soon? Are they excessively rotted? Can they support an adult bouncing on them? Do you walk around in bare feet, and are slivers a concern? (I see bits that might catch.) Are the stair treads (and whatever holds them to the stringer/carriage) solid? It looks like one has been replaced already. Are the nails popping up in a way that's going to trip/injure people? If so, those could be pulled and replaced with screws.

Aesthetics: do you care about cracks, or is that okay from a wabi-sabi perspective?

Doing a thorough re-decking is almost as hard as building a deck from nothing, so don't sign up for this task without being ready for work.

On the other hand, a good pressure washing and coat of stain is relatively easy and might yield just the result you want.

Dunno. But good luck deciding.


How to repair a fault in roof We just found this dip in our roof that it causing rain water to leak through the wood directly under it. (It covers an open patio, not interior living space.) We'd like to make the repair ourselves instead of hiring a roofer, but I'm not sure where to start. The roof has asphalt architectural shingles and we live in the northeastern U.S. where we get a lot of rain, snow, and wind. Basically, our roof takes a beating so we need to make sure the repair is sound and will hold up in nasty weather.

This problem is likely caused by one of these things:

The wood roof sheathing under the sag area is rotted away eliminating the support for the shingles.
There is a gap between the sheathing edge and the rain gutter with no support for the shingles. Over time with heat and freezing cycles and winter ice build up the shingles has just sagged into the gap.
The rain gutter was installed too high on the rafter end fascia and it pushed up the tails on the lower course of shingles.

The fix needed to take care of the problem will require detailed analysis to determine the exact cause of the dished shingles. Once that is understood you can proceed with the proper fix.


How can I solder a wire onto a piece of metal? I am replacing the antenna on my radio.  I removed the old antenna to find that a wire had been soldered directly onto the bottom of the antenna.  I attempted to solder the wire onto the new antenna but could not get the solder to stick to the wire or the antenna.

Just bought a soldering iron just to do this and have no experience so any tips would be appreciated.  I think that one issue I may have is that I am using solder that is too thick.  Going to try picking up some thinner solder later this week to try with.

Soldering electrical connections is not difficult but there a couple of things you need to know.

First, you need a soldering iron that gets hot enough (but not too hot) for the conductor you are trying to solder. You also need to use a resin solder (not the same solder you'd use for plumbing).  All of the surfaces need to be clean; if there is any oxidation it will not "stick". You can clean copper surfaces with steel wool.

If you're using a new soldering iron, you have to tin the tip. To do this, heat up the soldering iron and touch the solder to the tip of the iron so that you cover the tip in a thin layer of solder. Wipe the excess off with a damp paper towel or sponge.

Now, heat both the conductor you are trying to solder and the pad you are trying to solder to.  When it is hot enough, touching the solder to the pad (don't touch it to the iron) should cause the solder to melt and flow into the connection. If it doesn't, it's not hot enough. Once the solder is sucked into the connection, remove the soldering iron and let the connection cool. You should be able to pull the wire with a bit of force. If it pulls away easily, you have a bad solder and will need to try again.


240V, 40A stove outlet was split into two 120V, 20A circuits, how do I properly isolate the neutral from ground? I recently been told that a subpanel box that was installed in my kitchen, which previously supported an electric stove, is wired incorrectly. The subpanel takes the 240 line and splits it into two 120 20 amp lines. The problem is that the neutral line in the subpanel is connected to ground.  How do I correct this? The main panel is on the other side of the house and this wire is fed through two attic spaces.  I currently use this to support a convection microwave and gas stove electrical panel.

EDIT:
The OP realized after reading this that she doesn't have an actual sub panel. I started answering in a comment and it was just too long.  ;-)

Well... so what you really have is a 3-wire "Edison" shared-neutral circuit with a bootleg ground. The 3-wire circuit is legal, but the bootleg ground isn't. Technically, since the old wire is probably #8, the neutral is big enough to carry whatever current might end up on it without overheating and starting a fire, so that's a bit of comfort. However; you could still end up with problems. At best, the problems might be unwanted radio frequency interference in whatever you plug into those outlets. At worst, if the neutral failed (in the main panel or in the re-purposed stove outlet box), you could maybe end up with something dangerous.

You have at least two possible solutions:

1) Install GFCI outlets. Disconnect the neutral and ground wires from each other, and put the little stickers on the outlets that say "No Equipment Ground." This is safe, legal and acceptable as long as you keep in mind that some sensitive electronics might experience unwanted noise. But nothing will catch on fire and the GFCI's will protect against electrocution.

2) Run a separate ground wire back to the main panel. You could get away with pulling a single wire rather than pulling all-new 4-wire cable. In fact you could pull a bare copper wire of sufficient size as long as it's protected from mechanical damage (you can't run a bare wire in metal conduit without bonding the conduit). But you could also pick up green-insulated wire by the foot at your local box store. Don't run a ground wire in any color other than green. You could also, of course, just pull new cable. If you do that, you could pull 12/3 NM cable (with ground), or could could pull two 12/2 NM cables (with ground). If the run is really, really long (100 feet or more), maybe you'd want to pull 10/3 or 10/2, to reduce voltage drop. But #12 wire is adequate for 20A circuits.

And a caveat/warning:  I presume that the original two-pole 40A breaker was replaced with a two-pole 20A breaker (and not with two independent 20A breakers, either)?

If the 40A breaker is still there, then you don't have two 20A circuits, you actually have two 40A circuits. The original wire will handle this, but the 15A or 20A receptacles that are now attached to the old circuits are not rated for 40A, and therefore the breaker will not protect those receptacles (which is illegal).

ORIGINAL: It used to be permissible only for detached structures and then only under strict conditions for a sub panel to be fed with only three wires and the grounding and neutral conductors to be bonded, but not any more. Even when it was allowed, imagine a mistake or fault running the return current through the metal panel, the metal case of your microwave, coffee maker, hand tools, your hair dryer, or any conduit between the panels, and so on.

Here's a good answer, which calls out relevant NEC sections. That answer relates to a sub panel in a detached out-building, but the same rules apply to a sub panel inside your house, except that you don't need dedicated grounding rods for a sub panel inside the same house (the panels aren't so far apart and the structure isn't so big that you have substantially different voltage potential to ground in different parts of your house).

If there aren't 4 wires in the cable between the sub panel and the main panel and you want to fix it up right, you should pull new 4 wire cable (3 conductors plus ground).

The neutral (grounded) and grounding conductors need to be isolated from each other in the sub panel.

The neutral bus will be the one(s) mounted on a plastic standoff, like the hot buses are. The neutral (grounded) bus bar is the one on your right in the first picture below, mounted on the black plastic standoffs. If there is a screw that goes through the neutral bus and into the panel itself (a metal connection from the neutral bar to the panel), it should be removed in a sub panel. The grounding bus bar is the one on your left, bonded directly to the panel housing.

In the second picture, the neutral bus is the one in the top right corner of the panel. And incidentally, the panel in the second picture is wired up incorrectly. It's obviously a sub panel, but you can see that it is only fed by three wires, and the neutral and grounding buses are electrically bonded together with a couple of white wires. To be corrected, that panel in the pictures needs a 4th wire--a ground wire going all the way back to the main panel, and the neutral and grounding buses must be disconnected.

There are different designs that accomplish the same thing. In the next two pictures you can see one method of bonding (or isolating) the neutral (grounded) and grounding buses. This would be connected (bonded) in a main panel, and disconnected in a sub panel.

So... if your sub panel was designed to be used as a sub panel, there will be some kind of disconnect for the neutral and grounding buses, or there will be a place to install an isolated neutral bus.

Of course the grounding wires and the neutral wires should be connected to their own buses separately, not mingled.

The reason for disconnecting the neutral and grounding conductors in the sub panel is to assure a low resistance path in the event of a fault, and to ensure that the neutral current never returns on the grounding conductors, which can energize the housings of appliances and electrical boxes/panels and electrocute you. In the case of a neutral failure, the ground could end up carrying all of the circuit's current, energizing the housings of your appliances, tools and the panel itself, but the circuit would continue to work without tripping the breaker.


How do I measure my screws to match how stores label them? When I buy screws, the container often has measurement labels, e.g. : 50/4 or 20/2.5 and such. I'm pretty sure the first number is a length in millimeters, and the second number is a width in millimeters; and there's definitely a correlation, i.e. the 50/4's are longer than 40/4's or 40/5's, and the /4's are narrower than /5's and so on.
However, when I try to actually measure these screws - it doesn't quite fit. My 50/4 screws are around 43 or 44 mm long, including the head; and without the head it's about 40mm. Their width - well, with the threading, and at the widest point, I suppose you could argue it's 4, though I kind of have to squint to make it happen...
So, my question is: Given a screw, how am I supposed to measure its diameter and length so that the values end up matching how stores label it?
Notes:

I live in Palestine/Israel, which is a mostly-metric country (although some remnants of Imperial measurements remain.)
I realize the answer might be country-specific; but it can't be store-specific, since this "larger number/smaller number" scheme is ubiquitous in hardware stores here.

How do I measure my screws?, let me count the ways.
Buy yourself a gauge.
For not much money you can take the guess work out of it.
Stainlesstown Nut Bolt Thread Gauge
SAE and Metric Bolt Gauge Check a Thread Fastener Tool


Refrigerator Keeps Tripping Breaker Read the whole story before responding.  Refrigerator started tripping the circuit after being in our new house for 5 years now.  Nothing new has been added to the outlets on that circuit breaker(20 amp).  Ran an extension cord to another set of outlets on another circuit breaker(also an 20 amp) and had the same problem.  Then decided to try a 3rd outlet on a 3rd circuit breaker(this one a 15 amp which also runs the TV/Box) and have had no issues.
The trip seems to happen after multiple opening and closing of the fridge in a short period of time.
I am not an electrician but this seems wrong to me?

You answered your own question. This is a ground fault. Your TV circuit isn't in a wet or unfinished area, so it doesn't have or need ground fault protection, so it doesn't have a problem. Since the problem happens on two different GFCI-protected circuits and didn't happen when the refrigerator was brand new, there likely really is a problem. Multiple opening and closing as a trigger would indicate either some sort of interference that happens (e.g., perhaps there are fans/motors that stop when you open the door and start again when you close it and repeated action causes the ground fault) or maybe some part that has an insulation breakdown and repeated opening/closing of the doors allows condensation to drip down to just the wrong place.
Bottom line: GFCI with refrigerator is generally not a good combination, because if this happened while you were out and didn't find out until the next day, your food would all be spoiled. Or potentially worse, you had the problem and didn't know it and reset the breaker because of something else, you might not realize the refrigerator had been off for several hours.
The ideal solution is to fix or replace the refrigerator. Realistically, the problem is probably not a true safety hazard, but we can't be sure. In many cases, a refrigerator can be plugged into a non-GFCI circuit, but normally the exception is based on the circuit not powering any countertop kitchen receptacles, which typically requires running a separate circuit exclusively for the refrigerator. Extension cords are only a temporary solution.


What can I do about mild water/moisture damage to laminate wooden flooring? Yesterday, I accidentally left the window open while it was raining heavily. Some rain poured in for a while (maybe a half-hour or so) before I noticed. After I had wiped off the floor, some dark areas remained in the vicinity of the seams between the planks. Since then, most of these dark areas have dried up and returned to their original color, but some still remain, close to the wall (see pictures below)

These dark areas seem to dry up extremely slowly (I guess they are a sign of trapped water, and not permanent discolouration). I guess they will dry up in due time, even if it might take a very long time, but I've read that mold growth can initiate in as little as 72 hours, which makes me a bit worried.
What should I do, just leave it and wait for it to dry up? Call a professional? (I'd rather not, of course). Take measures on my own?

The most common approach to dealing with flooded surfaces is to blow air across them. The constantly changing air absorbs moisture. Commercial companies use very high volume fans, but any fan should help. If you can exhaust the air from the room, the moisture level in the air should drop and more water will be absorbed from the floor.

Use of a dehumidifier would also speed up the drying.

While it is temping to use heat, there is a risk that the heat or the steamy water it generates may compromise the finish on the floor.


Radon Levels Remain Elevated I recently purchased a home. During the inspection there was measured radon levels of 6.3 PiC/L.
After having a professionally installed radon mitigation system, an electronic sensor indicates an unchanged level of 6.3. The system was installed 5 days ago.
The contractor noted clay soil underneath the basement slab.
What strategies can I employ to reduce my radon levels further? Should remain optimistic about reducing the levels below the WHO guideline of 2.7?

A gas or oil burner in the basement could produce a small vacuum if that burner takes the combustion air out of the room where it is installed.
If the basement windows and doors are closed, the radon could be sucked into the basement via cracks and openings in the walls/ground slabs.
Newer burners do get the combustion air through the exhaust pipe (counterflow in a ring).
Also other equipment could provide a tiny vacuum in the basement, f.e. fans blowing outward.
The layer(s) just below the first solid building layer and next to the walls under ground should always be made of material to break the capillary effect, f.e. small pebbles. This will avoid water getting sucked into the basement.
The radon can free flow in these pebble layers, and one way to reduce the radon level is to suck the air from this layer and blow it to the Lee side or over the roof of the building.


Can I partially suspend an angled climbing wall from my garage trusses? I'm planning on building a home climbing wall in my garage. I'm wondering about the structural integrity of attaching it to the trusses. They are 2x4s, 24" apart, and span about 30 feet.

This image shows basically how I would build the wall (the left one):

My wall will be 8' wide by 12' tall at a 45 degree angle (I have 9ft ceilings). Since this is a bit of an aggressive angle I'm concerned about attaching that much weight to my trusses.

I would also be adding some support from the middle/upper area of the climbing wall back to the garage wall, similar to this image:

If that doesn't seem like it would be alright, how can I modify it to work? I was thinking I could add some 4x4 posts to the each side of the top plate, but I would prefer less intrusive options.

Would I need to reinforce the garage wall too? I can double up the studs if that's necessary

One last question, that original image is using 2x6s for the climbing wall frame, would 2x4s be alright as well? I've seen a bit of both on the internet.

Thanks for any advice.

Edit:
Here are some pictures of the attic I took a while ago, I tried to add an outline for where the wall will go (roughly).

Here's an image to help visualize what I'm hoping the wall to be:

EDIT: Current Plan

Per most recommendations I shouldn't attach much weight to the trusses. My current plan is to anchor the climbing wall heavily to the garage wall with joists at an angle (like the second picture but beefier).

For attaching the top of the climbing wall to the trusses I'm going to lay a 2x6 across about 6 trusses on top from within the attic and then bolt a 2x6 from within a garage to that one (so the trusses are sandwiched in between), that way I don't need to drill/bolt into the bottom chords at all.

I'll be doing the same thing about halfway between the top of the climbing wall and the garage wall and attach the climbing wall there as well. In that way whatever load is on the bottom chords will be spread out across a larger area.

You need to define the type of garage ceiling you're looking to use. Not all trusses can be used for downward forces (say it keeps the walls from spreading) and if you're accidentally mis-describing them you could be getting some bad advice.

That said, assuming your climbing wall touches the ground the load will be carried there. Lateral forces on the side of the wall from 'pulling out' are supported by the cross bracing in ceiling. I'll see if I can find the article on design I read on the 'net about 3 years ago.

Edit: OK, going to give my non-civil-engineering view on this.
https://www.menards.com/main/buying-guides/building-materials-buying-guides/roof-truss-buying-guide/c-19431.htm

The example image shows all of the load being pulled downwards (compression) to the floor, and the ones nearest the wall providing tension to pull the rest towards the wall. You should have a large piece of anchored plywood or 2x8 back there to bolt into- lag bolting into your 2x4 sticks in the garage. Then you can attach multiple points to the 2x8 and the 2x8 can resist twisting the rear wall.

The bottom chord of your attic is in tension- it's to hold the walls from spreading. The upper chords are in compression and are carrying the load to the double sill plate around the base. The remainder of the web is stiffeners and compression/tension. Diagonal'ed boards in the attic prevent your roof from twisting around.

Just really limit how much 'weight' the ceiling is holding. If you do the example you've got, really emphasizing connecting it to the wall, it should be fine. Assuming of course the wall is connected to the floor somehow...


How do I frame a 2" (1.5") thick wall? How would you put up/frame a wall where the 2x4 studs are turned flat to make the wall 2" thick? One especially tricky thing is that (it seems that) all nails must be toenailed since a 3.5" long 16d nail isn't long enough to attach the 3.5" tall plates to the studs. Are there any suggestions on how to avoid toenailing or how to toenail effectively with a nail gun so that they go in at the right angle to grip well, not split the 1.5" thick wood and not stick out the other side?

An easy way to complete a wall like you describe is to build it flat on the floor. That way you can screw or nail the studs to the plates through the plates.  I recommend installing a separate plate on the floor or across the upper joists first. Floor usually works best.  Then simply measure the shortest dimension from the floor plate  you just installed to the joists and build your wall to that measurement less 1/4 inch.  Now you can stand it up usually without the angle getting hung up on existing ceiling and walk it into place. If you don't use the extra separate plate, it is almost impossible to stand it up into place. Attach it to which ever plate (top or bottom) you installed first, then shim it to keep it stable and plumb it as you nail it to the bottom plate or the joists. When you build the wall on the ground, lay out your 16 inch centers etc. Flush up the second plate to the one you just marked and transfer the marks to other plate with a square. Now you know where to place the studs between the plates. This method is the most common practice for building non-load bearing walls in an existing structure and works with any size lumber you want to use.


How to remove sheared woodscrew behind a 5mm hole? I'm looking for a way of removing a sheared-off stainless steel woodscrew embedded in a hardwood plank that is accessible only via a 5.5mm diameter circular hole in a metal panel.

The screw is secured fast, so will need a good amount of torque to remove. The hole is too small for needle-nose pliers and the metal panel can't be removed without a lot of effort.

Because the exposed part of the shaft is mangled at the top, I've thought about several possibilities:

A female square/hex key narrow enough to fit into the hole.
A square/rectangular cross-section metal tube that I can fasten over the exposed shaft.

However, short of going bespoke, I'm not aware of any standardized tools/materials like this.

I'd be grateful for any advice on how I can get it out, short of drilling it.

A quick update on this question that I asked several days ago.

The way of removing a sheared screw like this is by attaching a tubular diamond drill bit (for drilling into tiles, as in the image below) to a power drill. The internal diameter of the drill bit should match the diameter of the shaft of the screw, so that it fits tightly. In this case, a 3mm internal-diameter drill bit.

If the drill is spun in reverse direction while forward pressure is applied, the diamond encrusted tip of the drill bit bites into the screw thread in counter-clockwise direction, turning the screw.

The more tightly the screw is embedded, the more forward pressure may be needed to turn it.

If the first attempt fails, and you just end up cutting away the thread, leaving just the shaft, using a smaller-diameter drill bit (just enough to bite into the outer circumference of the shaft) may work.


What can I do with mold under grouting? In my new place, there's a semi-transparent grouting/glaze over the corners of my shower - and there's mold growing beneath them?

Is this normal? How can I fix it?

I had a similar problem and here's what I did.

using a scraping tool I removed the old grouting-glaze
I used Zep (incredibly effective with mold but really stinky)
then I cleaned the shower with water and let dry
purchased a tube of silicone caulk from Home depot
applied the a new layer of caulk where the old one was removed

To maintain a mold/mildew free shower I use Arm & Hammer Clean Shower every day after I take a shower. I spray the stuff around the shower cabin right after I get out of the shower. It has a nice scent and it does a really good job keeping mold and mildew out!


Are pressure-treated posts that have been submerged for a few days ruined? I dug holes for four 8' 4x4 posts, and had the posts positioned and plumbed vertically in the holes, but had to leave for a couple days before I could concrete them in.

In the meantime, storms came and filled the holes. The ends of the posts have been sitting in that water now for 2 days. Are the posts ruined? I've thought about flipping them over to be sure, but if they're done for, no problem, I can use them for other stuff if I have to.

Thanks!

Pressure treated wood can handle submersion. Many folks just pack rock around the post, so they are always in water after rain. You should be fine to go ahead and pour your concrete with no worries.


Toilet bubbles and gurgles after capping vent stack We had a bad wax ring on the toilet so we replaced that, then we decided to replace the toilet with a newer model. Now the toilet doesn't flush right--sometimes we have to flush it a couples of times for things to go down.

We thought it might be a clog so we had a plumber company clean the lines out there was nothing blocking it. They suggested that the vent stack might be clogged so we flushed it out with water and capped the vent pipe. However, the toilet is still acting up with bubbling and gurgling sounds and we can't figure out whats going on. Any suggestions?

The bubbling and gurgling sounds from the toilet(s) is an indication of poor venting or a plugging issue. Also, you should not have to "flush it a couples off times for things to go down" unless there is a special circumstance (like too much paper... or something).

Call a reputable licensed plumber and have your entire system assessed, including camera inspection. Then pay appropriately to have the root cause addressed.


Kilz over old oil based finished exterior ceiling yes or no Can you put water based kilz over an old exterior ceiling that was finished with oil paint 20 yrs ago ? I want to put a latex finish on it and I want to seal it with kilz 2, is it ok to do this ?

Yes you can, but you will want to ensure the existing old oil-based paint is properly deglossed and clean to ensure a good bond with the water-based Kilz.


Expand entrance area My entrance is below photo and it is very tight/small space inside. I would love to expand it "out" to make inside area larger.

My questions are:

Do I frame all the way to the top (hitting the roof) and make a box above the door like so?

a. If that is the case, how far can I go to ensure some roof overhang?

b. Is it possible to remove the old wall? What do I look for?

Or should I make a small roof sloping down like below (not touching anything on top):

Also look like in either case, I have to pour more concrete foundation on both side of the top stair, right?

But please advise if I should stay away from this idea (and why). Thanks.

I like your first idea best. In fact, you could expand the addition to include the area to the left and include an entry closet. (I don’t like the looks of additions “pasted” on.)

By expanding up to the existing roof, you’ll give the entrance a sense of volume and space, AND you’ll have an interior entry chandelier.

Remember, any glass in a door, within 18” of the door or within 18” of the floor needs to be safety glass, (tempered or laminate).

Be sure to check with Building Codes to make sure you’re allowed by zoning ordinances, (i.e.: lot coverage limits, setbacks,etc.)


Is it acceptable to run 22/4 security wire along side Cat6 and Coax cables, or is there any possibility for interference? Security wire is connected to motion/vibration/magnetic sensors and alarm keypad.

Can it disrupt the alarm system? or cause speed/performance loss in the cat 6 transmissions?

No cause for concern, cat 6 and other UTP network cables are very good at rejecting interference, the relatively low voltage and power of the security system will not disrupt the signal on the UTP.  Big, high power sources of interference like arc welders might.


grounded outlets and code compliance I live in a residential unit in Oakland, CA and I am curious what the rules are about grounded outlets.

Is grounded power required?
My outlets are 3-prong and an outlet tester reads that there is an open ground.  This must be a violation of code (and dangerous), but my question would be whether the required solution is for the landlord to simply put 2-prong fittings on the outlets?  If so this would not allow for me to have grounded power, right?

Meet grandfathering: the idea that if it was legal at the time it was built or renovated, it's still legal. However, fitting ungrounded 3-prong outlets were not legal in 1965.  What else could it be?

It is legal to fit a GFCI (Europe: RCD) device. Circuits are typically wired in strings, and a GFCI device can provide GFCI protection to downline points of use.  This means those are GFCI protected also.  However, those points of use which are receptacles should have a "GFCI Protected" label.

If an ungrounded outlet has GFCI protection, it is legal to put a grounded receptacle there. However, the receptacle must have the "GFCI Protected" label, and it must also have a "No Equipment Ground" label.

So that settles it.  It's legal if those labels (and GFCI protection) are present.

"But on this ungrounded outlet, I pushed 'GFCI test' on the outlet tester, and it didn't trip."

That is correct.  If the outlet has no ground, the GFCI test should not trip.  The tester can't create a ground fault if it doesn't have any access to a ground, which is kinda obvious if you think about it that way.

There are a couple ways to test for GFCI protection.

Trip GFCIs and see if you lose power here

Push "Test" on one GFCI device in the house.  If this outlet loses power, then presumably it is in  the protected zone of that GFCI.  Repeat for each GFCI device.

Hack the tester to use an external ground

Get one of those 3-prong cheaters (the ones you would use if they were 2-prong plugs) that have 2 prongs sticking out and a tab or greeen pigtail for ground.  The green pigtail ones are preferable; unfortunately they've been outlawed.
use any wire to extend that tab or pigtail across the house to the location of a reliable ground.  To attach to an outlet or service panel, attach to a cover screw. Any wire will do; I've been known to use fishing tape.

Tester into cheater; cheater into wall. At this point the tester should indicate "grounded" and the GFCI test should work.

If this fails, either the ground you are connecting to isn't a ground, or there is no GFCI protection here.  Or your test rig is broken.

If it tests out OK, then contact the landlord and demand they come out and fit the mandatory labels.  Then, next week, tear them off because they're ugly.

No grounds and no GFCI

This is a can of worms.  The nightmare scenario is -- nah, Oakland is a rent-control city, they would never condemn the occupancy because that would make it an easy way for the landlord to evict protected tenants.

So the landlord has several options.

Roll it back to the previous condition that is grandfathered, by changing the 3-prongs (likely put there illegally by past tenants) to 2-prong outlets.
Fit GFCI devices at appropriate locations, such that the 3-prong circuits are protected, then sticker them.
Retrofit "just a ground wire" to each of the outlet locations.  Thisis the ideal option.  2014 NEC made this a legal option. This would most likely require an electrician.
Rewire the circuits in question with all new cables.  The 2014 retrofit-ground rules make this unnecessary, yay!

Many jurisdictions allow landlords to do trivial repairs, such as exchanging an outlet, switch or light fixture.  All other repairs on rental properties must be done by a licensed electrician.  Oakland's permit office would know whether a particular activity a) needs an electrician and b) needs a permit pulled.