Not sure how to fix this drywall with paper showing I'm trying to fix my wall for the first time and I've no clue on how to fix this wall with paper showing. I've applied "ready Patch" on top of the paper and after couple minutes you could see the paper bubbling up. Do I have to cut the paper out first and then apply compound? Why there's paper in the first place? What would be the proper way to fix this? What materials do I need?

That is paper drywall tape. It covers joints between sheets and prevents cracking. It's doing this because there wasn't enough joint compound ("mud") underneath to bond it.

Your best bet for fixing it is to cut back the paper to somewhere where it's well bonded; get some fiberglass mesh tape; apply tape and coat thinly with setting type compound (not premixed); apply another coat or two of setting type compound; sand flush; then use orange peel texture in a spray can to re-texture.


How do I troubleshoot 2 light switches in the same box with 4 black (hot) wires? I opened up my bathroom light switch and fan box to replace the switches. The light is for overhead and the fan is a standard bathroom fan.
Inside the box I found 4 sets of wires (1 black, 1 white, 1 ground per set). After measuring the voltage of each black wire, I found all 4 to be hot. When I wired  up the single pole switches (1 black per side of switch with all 4 neutrals pigtailed together), not only did the light and fan not work, several outlets downstream of this particular box did not work. When tested with a 3 light outlet tester, they presented with a “hot/ ground reverse” result. When I tested the voltage of the neutral line in the same outlet, I received a small voltage reading which coincides with a “hot/ground reverse” result.
I did not take a picture of how the switches were initially wired but all 4 hot lines were used and 1 line was strung across the 2 switches (not sure which terminals). The neutrals were all pigtailed together.
I’m not quite sure where to go from here.

So the neutrals were all pigtailed together and you didn't disconnect any of them, right??  So one black wire is your always hot and is strung across both switches. It is also connected to one of the black wires that feed the outlets that are not working. The remaining two black wires go to each switch to control the light and fan. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to determine which wire is which by process of elimination, connecting wires two at a time and see what turns on or with a good meter. Naturally, you'll be turning off the breaker every time you touch in wires.


How do I repair latch lock that has unscrewed? In the image, part C has detached from part A. I assume that this happened because part A moved slightly each time the door was opened. Part C cannot be screwed onto part A because of the square shape. The only way that it can be reattached is by turning part A. The problem is that there seems to be no way to turn part A.

Part B is a spring that goes over part A when reattaching.

Turned out that there was a screw at the other end of the bolt that release the two metal sides which allowed me to remove the plate and attach pliers to part A and screw part C back on.


Putting TV cables inside a plasterboard wall cavity - Is my plan reasonable? I'm mounting my tv on the wall at the weekend and want all the cables hidden in the wall but easily accessible. I've found these backplates that I'm looking to use:

The plan is to cut out a section of plasterboard next to the wooden stud, attach a new stud section for the cables to fall down in to as the wall contains insulation material which would make it hard to run cables through, put one of these plates at the top and bottom, then put a new bit of plasterboard there, screw it on to the new stud and the existing one and plaster over it.

I've drawn up in AutoCAD before and after - legend:

Green: Plasterboard
Blue: Stud
Red: TV
Purple: VESA Mount
Grey: Backboxes (I'll have to cut a section out of the bottom/top of the backbox to allow the cables through)

Before:

After:

The only difficulties I see are:
- Screwing the new stud pieces in to place, half under the existing plasterboard.
- There may be a noggin across at some point, which I'll have to cut and attach to my new stud.

I see no real reason to add in the new stud box to allow for the TV signal cables to have their own cavity. You should be able to simply mount the flange on oneside of the backbox to the stud and use some type of toggle anchor to simply attach the other flange of the box to the drywall. Using this technique you should be able to simply cut two holes in the existing plaster board without having to remove and replace a large amount of material.

I do see two concerns though:

It is not up to standard electrical codes to string TV power cords or extension cords up through a wall cavity like you can do with low voltage signal cables. You really should plan to install separate permanent in-wall mains wiring from the existing power outlet up to a new electrical box and outlet that you locate behind the TV.
From your pictures it looks like the TV mount that you are planning to use is one that mounts to only one stud. If that mount is an articulated arm type designed to allow the TV to fold out from the wall then I would strongly suggest that you look for another type of mount that installs across multiple studs. If the stud locations are not in a good location then face that wall section with 3/4 inch thick plywood that does span two to three studs and mount the bracket to that plywood.


Bathroom Vent Fan Upgrade I am upgrading an undersized bathroom fan that is 50 CFM and has (possibly) a 3" to 4" exhaust pipe. The new fan, which is 150 CFM requires a 6" exhaust pipe. Do I need to rip out the existing vent pipe and replace everything with 6" (including the roof vent) or can I get by putting a vent reducer (from 6" to 4")?

You can install a reducer, but you'll cut your flow volume by an equal proportion:

28.3in2 - 7.1in2 = 21.2in2 (an area reduction of 75% when going from 6" to 3" duct)

This will negate a significant amount of your fan upgrade, will make it work harder, and may shorten the motor's life due to reduced cooling.

You might ask yourself whether you really need 150 cfm (and the accompanying noise).


Downstream GFCI protection vs NEC code requirements If I have an outlet, which by code needs to be "GFCI protected", and that outlet is downstream from a GCFI outlet, is it in lines with the code requirements, or does the outlet itself need to be a GFCI outlet?

GFCI protection extends to circuits; including any devices, that are connected to the LOAD side terminals of a GFCI device. This means that if the wires feeding the circuit beyond the GFCI are connected to the LOAD terminals of the GFCI, then the downstream circuit is GFCI protected.

A simple test is to plug something into the receptacle that you need protected, then press the TEST button on the upstream GFCI device.  If the plugged in item turns off, then the receptacle that it's attached to is GFCI protected. When you press the TEST button on a GFCI device, anything that is protected by that device will lose power (unless of course the GFCI device has malfunctioned).


U brace/bracket to hold vertical 2x4 over wood floor? Is there some type of 2x4 brace or bracket that will hold down a “standing” 2x4 on a wood floor?
Here’s a very rudimentary drawing, and the brace Im looking for is in red in the corner.
I know I can use L-brackets or pocket screws, but Im looking for something that will push it down.

If there is a header, this connector from the Simpson Strong-Tie could be what you need.


Can bushes help keep driveway and patio gravel stable? My front yard has a U-shaped driveway on a significant slope. The arrows in the diagram below indicate the downward direction of the slope. From the bottom right to the top left, the elevation drops about 3'.
According to my design, there will be a level round patio in the middle.  The patio and the driveway will be covered with two distinct species of gravel. On the low side, there will be a quarter-circle retaining wall supporting the patio. On the high side, the patio will flow into the driveway. But in-between, there will be a 2'-wide sloped strip that spans the two elevations.
My question is: if I planted bushes on that strip, can they serve as a separator between the patio and the driveway? Would they keep the patio gravel contained in the patio? Would they help keep the stope on the strip stable? And can they be planted on a slope to begin with?

Since there is an area of direct contact between the patio and driveway, the bushes won't serve as a separator (between your "two distinct species of gravel") there. They will not, of themselves, "contain" the patio gravel, either - it can be kicked into them easily. For both of those reasons I would suggest some sort of "hardscape" (brick, paver, etc) edge completely encircling the patio to serve those functions. At minimum an edging strip.
Bushes will help to stabilize the slope and can certainly be planted on a slope. Choose the right (fruiting) bushes and they can also provide a snack at certain times of the year.


water supply line shut-off valve stuck I was going to replace my bathroom sink but realized that the water supply line shut-off valve was stuck and could not be closed. I am concerned that turning it off forcefully might break the pipes.

Is there any tip for loosening it up? As the last resort, I could shut off the main valve and replace the whole water supply line but before doing that, I am wondering if there is any easy solution.

This answer may be inaccurate because I assume you have the most common type of shutoff valve, which is a seat and washer type (v. gate valve or ball valve) and an oval handle (called, I think, a wrench pad).

First, shut off the main valve, so if you do break a pipe you won't flood.

Try turning the handle with a wrench while maintaining a counter-rotating force on the valve body with another wrench. This usually works for me, although the valve remains stiff and sometimes I need two wrenches to close it again.

If that doesn't work, try removing the compression nut. Here also you want two wrenches, a proper size crescent wrench for the nut and a pipe wrench for the valve body. As the nut starts to move, turn the handle with it and remove the handle, stem, and nut together. Once you have them out you can separate them without stressing your pipes. You will probably find that the packing has stuck to the stem.

Of course if you do break the valve or any pipes then you will have to replace them but at least you tried the easy methods first.


Gas fireplace won't run/turns off when fan switch is in the ON position So I have a gas fireplace that originally didn't have a fan installed. And this issue occurs whether or not the fan is connected or not.

The issue is that whenever the fan switch is placed in the on position the flame will go out if the fireplace is on, or not be able to light if it was off before.

I'm assuming it has something to do with the electric pilot, since when the fan switch is in the ON position, I can't hear the click sound that my electric pilot does. However I thought my electric pilot was battery powered (by 2 D batteries) so I don't understand why the switch would cause issues.

Also this fireplace runs on propane not NG.

So the batteries are only for when the house looses power. The "fan" switch actually cuts all power to the outlets under the fireplace. According to the manual, there is one for the fan, one for the pilot, and one for the REM/AUX.

According to the fan manual, it uses a temperature sensor to control the fan.

The reason the flame cut off when the "fan" switch was turned off, is that the batteries were dead despite having been new when installed last December. Since the batteries were dead, and power to the fireplace's control module was cut, it turned off the flame as a failsafe.


Is copper piping required within a certain distance from a water heater? I have read that National Code requires you to use copper for 18 inches from your water heater.  How can I do this when everything existing is PEX?

I need to replace my existing low boy water heater next to my kitchen sink.  It was installed by the builder ten years ago. All the pipe in the house is PEX.  The existing water heater is connected using PEX as well.

The supply line comes directly thru the wall to the HW Heater. There is no space to run 18 inches of copper! The heater is under the kitchen counter, and the countertop is directly over it. Only about an inch clearance.

Although copper may not be required, it is possible that PEX is prohibited.

One reason for this would be building codes / regulations. For instance, the UPC states:

  604.11.2 Water Heater Connections. PEX shall not be installed within the first 18 inches  (457 mm) of piping connected to a water heater.

The specifics of what your local regulations state can vary widely, so you should inquire with your local officials.

Another potential restriction could come from piping manufacturer's rules or recommendations.  For example:

  Install a minimum 18 inches of metallic or other approved material
  piping between water heater and PEX tubing.

from the TUBING INSTALLATION
PRACTICES section of  INSTALLATION HANDBOOK:
Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX)
Hot and Cold Water-Distribution Systems of the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association.


How to remove water based wood stain splashed onto painted surface How do I remove the water based wood stain from my kitchen wall. I got some on my kitchen wall while I was staining my kitchen cabinets?  I tried to remove my using soap and water on a sponge. It did not work. My kitchen wall is painted with water based satin finished paint.

The primary difficulty you are facing is that virtually all paint is somewhat porous, water based paints generally more so than alkyd (so-called oil) based paints. It is complicated by the fact that the stain that has been added is also water based. While there are plasiticizers in water based paints used to make them more stain resistant, these only partially prevent absorption of staining materials.

Soap and water is a good first start for most stains (after gentle blotting). The next step is usually a stronger detergent based cleanser, such as Fantastic. A test should be made on an inconspicuous area before trying any cleanser. If the test does not indicate serious compromise of the paint, proceed to attack the stain.

First put a bit of the cleanser on a paper towel or clean rag, and try rubbing the spot. If that does not work (or work well enough), try spraying directly on the stain and rubbing with the paper towel.  If some stain is being removed, keep turning the towel or rag to a clean area as you work. If this works, wipe the area with plain water when you are done.

If this does not work, you could try solvents, such as alcohol, mineral spirits, or acetone, but any of them are almost certain to compromise the finish. They also give off serious fumes and need to be handled with care.

Even the gentler detergent based cleansers may leave the paint with a different sheen from the rest of the wall. If the area is small and near trim, it may be worth dabbing a bit of matching paint over the stain. Depending on how long ago the wall was painted, it may blend and match well. If not, you may be facing a repaint of the section.


Does it matter if my newly installed GFCI reads "open ground"? I just replaced a few two-prong outlets with GFCI outlets so we can plug in things built this millennium. Two of the outlets read "correct" on my circuit tester, but one reads "open ground." None of the outlets are grounded, so I don't know why this one would read differently. Anyway, does this matter? Should I bother to do something to fix it?

No. In fact, GFI protection is a safe and legal way to install 3-prong receptacles on non-grounded wiring.

You are likely reading a ground in some area because armored cable will show a ground with a tester but it is NOT a safe or acceptable means of ground in all cases. Only one type of AC cable will provide an acceptable ground.


Leaning timber retaining wall I have a timber retaining wall about 4 feet tall builting with 6x6 which is leaning  probably due to the downspout draining inside. I'm wondering if using an earth auger to relieve some of the pressure and then using a sledge hammer to knock it back straight would work?

That is not unusual in our neighborhood. A sledge will do nothing but break wood. Repairs that have worked are to dig out soil behind the tipped area and replace the vertical posts with longer ( deeper) ones. The larger the concrete "footing" for the vertical posts , the more resistance to tipping. Additional support can be added by driving metal bars into the ground a few feet behind the wall and attach these with steel cables to the vertical posts. The bars and cables will be under the ground surface so not seen , Yes, they will corrode in a few years but by then the soil will have settled down and be stable ( hopefully). I did this with 3/8" steel cable and it was still holding when I moved 5 years later. The digging sounds worse than it is , or contract it.You only need to remove a narrow trench like 2 ft wide and not necessarily all the way to the bottom. An Auger would be a help. I have also seen a new stronger wall built where boundaries permit ; then fill in the narrow gap between the original wall and new wall .


What prevents water from getting underneath these roof shingles? I see a lot of houses In my area with roof edges where one side of shingles overlaps the other. For example:

Is anything special needed to prevent water from getting underneath the overlap?

Yes, there are several things required to make a “valley” installation waterproof.

There are two ways to install valley shingles: 1) “open cut”, and 2) “closed cut”.

Here’s an illustration of each:

http://esgreenville.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/timberlineinstallation.pdf

You have the “closed cut” system.


garage door usually won't close - even trolley without door won't move much I'm having a problem with my Lift Master Forumla I Whisper Drive garage door opener.

For the last few weeks, the door has frequently stopped part-way down when closing and then gone back up again.  Now, for the last couple of days, the door will not go down at all -- at most it goes down a couple of inches, and then triggers to come back up.  This happens most of the time -- sometimes it will just randomly work.

If I detach the door, I have the same problem with just the trolley. Most of the time, it will just go a couple of inches and then halt and go back.

I've done the following so far:

maxed out the downward KG pressure -- no effect
checked the sensors -- they seem to be fine (and anyway, I get some movement from the door)
same results from the wall button and the remote
pulled the cover off and visually inspected -- nothing that immediately jumps out as a problem. Also, no smell or noise or anything that I notice when this is happening.
tightened the "chain" (it's really a rubber belt with teeth) -- no effect

Any thoughts of what might be going on?  I'm really hoping I don't have to call a pro.

thanks in advance.

You did not state the actual model number so I will not be able to answer with model specific information that would be much more detailed and specific to your situation. So you will not be able to do this blind folded.

Since your sensors are working .. good. Some movement of the door is not an indication they are working - that is an indication they are clear to start with. You could have a loose wire or sensor or circuit board inside the senor that when the Door Moves the vibration causes the beam to break! - been there done that.

Why do the lights on my garage door opener flash and my door will not close

How to align safety reversing sensors.

So if those sensors are Truly fine.

Then check your drive gear, it has a set screw or some means of securing it to the drive shaft that screw may have backed out and or is loose. The gear may turn with no load (in other words no belt connected) but might spin free if there is a load - Remove the belt and you can try to grab the drive gear by hand and hold it from turning while the unit runs. Your motor appears to have a gear box and the belt pulley attached - this style pulley if I am not mistaken is a compression style - so it might not have a set screw but rather the way it is secured causes a compressing effect and the pulley grabs the shaft - in short tighten the pulley to the shaft (it is most likely loose) as I said previous Make / Model number / perhaps picture of the name plate .. might have yielded you detailed pictures and specifics to what you have and you might have had it fixed in less than a minute..


Do common surge protectors prevent outgoing spikes? I have a air humidifier connected to a timer, and every time it turns off there is a huge spike going through the lines; lamps and computer monitors flicker.

I'm thinking about buying a surge protector to put in front of the perpetrator, will this prevent it from sending out spikes? Or do they only protect again incoming spikes?

Most ordinary surge protectors are designed to protect against large incoming surges only. That is surges large enough to cause permanent damage to equipment. They are not intended to prevent mere flickering of lights.
Many (maybe most) of them provide only one-time protection against large surges (e.g. lightning strikes nearby)
It is very unlikely that a typical home/office surge protector will provide the benefit you seek.
The relevant Wikipedia article says:

A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold.
The standard let-through voltage for 120 V AC devices is 330 volts
MOVs have finite life expectancy and "degrade" when exposed to a few large transients, or many more smaller transients.

Other types of protective device can be more durable, but they still might not prevent lights from flickering.


Gap between door and frame is too large at latch location As you can see in the photo the gap is the right size towards the top and bottom of the door but widens in the middle and is the widest where the lock is so the bolt barely reaches the strike plate.

The hinge side is fine and seems even. Looks like someone half assed the trim part? (Not sure the name of that piece of wood, stopper?)

Anyway what could I do so the latch seats better. Was thinking of shimming the striker but not sure what type of wood would be strongest.

This likely has nothing to do with the casing installation, but with the set of the door frame (jamb). You're right that you should shim the strike area further out from the framing. It's also possible that atypically long screws were used for the strike plate and over-tightened, pulling the jamb in.

* UPDATE*
From the photos in your other question I now realize that this is an exterior door. It's very likely the case that long security screws in the strike were tightened too much. (Though a good carpenter would've shimmed at that location when the door was installed, preventing the problem.)

Remove just the strike plate and use a small pry bar to check whether the frame will move easily. You'll need to overcome the force of the casing nails and any nails through the jamb and into the framing.

Another option is to run a construction or drywall screw into the jamb in the strike plate mortise and use it to pull the jamb. Don't get too rough or you could split the casing if there are nails right there.

If you can move the jamb, use any available means to shim it out a bit--a wad of paper, a screw through the jamb and behind the strike plate, or whatever. It doesn't need to be complicated or overly robust.

Once the jamb is in the right position, install a countersunk, piloted, full-thread screw behind the strike plate to lock the jamb in place. Re-install the strike plate.


Why am I getting no power to the branch circuits with a new sub-panel? My home had an ancient Zinsco sub-panel in which the breakers were grounding out and arcing to the panel.  I've swapped it with a new Eaton 100 amp panel.  I've re-installed all the breakers, and re-connected everything.

When I re-energize the 100 amp breaker in the Siemens main panel, my non-contact tester shows that I have power to the new panel, but none to the individual breakers.  The breakers all switch normally between the on and off positions, but I have no current.  The main wires are installed in the 100 amp cut-off breaker in the panel, neutral is fixed to the neutral bar and I've installed a ground bar and connected all the ground lines.

Is there something obvious I'm missing?

Start by shutting off the breaker in the main panel that feeds the subpanel.

Using a multimeter set to check continuity, test the continuity through the main breaker in the subpanel. It's possible that the main breaker in the panel is bad, and needs to be replaced. The problem is, it's usually cheaper to buy a whole new panel then to get a replacement main breaker.  If this is a new panel, and the breaker tests bad. I'd contact the place you purchased it from, and ask them what your options are.

While the power is still off to the subpanel.

Check all the connections to make sure they are tight.

Check the continuity from the bus bar through each branch circuit breaker.

Make sure the main breaker in the subpanel is fully closed. If you turn it to the ON position and it has a little wiggle to the handle, this might mean the breaker is not actually setting when you turn it on. In the ON position, the handle should held tightly in place. If the breaker will not set, it means the breaker is bad and needs to be replaced.


Adding a two-way circuit to a three-way circuit I have two overhead lights controlled by two separate circuits of two three-way switches.

One is wired like this:

The other is wired like this:

There are two three-way switches for the overhead light in a three gang box.  Is there a way to add a separately controlled single pole switched light using the feed from the three-way switches just before the overhead light in the first diagram.

If both switches are of the type 2 configuration in your diagrams, then no. You need unswitched power from somewhere to either the new light or new switch. For example, if either of the switches in the 3 gang box were of the type 1 configuration, then you have unswitched power and can add another switch.

To do what you want you would need to run another conductor from where there is unswitched power available.


Transfer Grille Baffle I just finished building a new home and as part of the Energy Star rating transfer grilles were installed above each of the bedroom doors to allow air exchange when the doors are closed.  The problem is that sound (and a small amount of light) pass freely through the vents negating all privacy of closing the door.  I've read that I should install a baffle into the vents to allow air to pass through but deaden sound.  I can't find any details for where I can buy this or what kind of materials I can use to construct it.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You could experiment with making the baffle out of a piece of a furnace filter. Filters allow the air to pass but would block much of the light and some of the sound. The more expensive type filters with corrugated construction and a HEPA rating would probably offer better sound and light filtering than the cheaper thin flat filters.

You will gave to study on your side just what type of baffle you could fit behind your grilles.


For deck stairs adjacent & parallel to the house wall do I need handrails on both sides? For deck stairs adjacent and parallel to the house wall, do I need handrails on both sides?

No, one handrail is required on stairs with 4 or more RISERS. (R311.7.7.) it needs to have a minimum of 1 1/2" clear from the handrail to the wall and shall be mounted not less than 30" nor more than 38" above the nosing of the tread. (R311.7.7.1.) The handrail shall be continuous, but it can be interrupted by newel posts at turns. (R311.7.7.2.)

The size is complicated, but don't go larger than 2"... (R311.7.7.3.)

AND, all stairs shall be lighted. (R311.7.8.)


Install drywall on narrow corner adjacent to closet door frame I'm looking to finish the inside wall of my closet by putting up drywall. Most of the closet is finished, but the backside of the wall with the sliding door on it isn't.

There's a vertical wood stud that sticks out ½ inch past the door frame, and I'm not sure I can reasonably fit drywall onto that narrow surface.

Photo from the inside, looking up and towards the room (the phone cord is unimportant and will be removed):

I sketched the area for my own reference:

How can I finish this? I thought I might install drywall onto the larger surface, then wrap corner bead around the new drywall and directly onto the wood stud. Is this reasonable? Is there a better option?

When you add the wallboard to the larger portion of the wall to the opening of the door, stopping all drywall at the door opening, the short portion you have the measuring tape on could take a jamb extension. Which is a piece of wood or MDF cut to fit the space out to the new face of the drywall and that will be trimmed with the same door casing as the outside.

If you are not concerned about going into that much detail, then after the wallboard is set on the larger wall, cover the corner with a nail on corner bead and smooth over with mud, sand and paint. No need to trifle with that small of a piece of drywall. the corner bead will cover it all. If you wish after that, you could add a small piece of molding like quarter round at the inside corner of the corner bead and door jamb to help finish it out a little better.


How to seal joints in ductwork when tape is not an option The duct-work in the basement for my forced air heating system has been modified at various points over its long history and as a result had quite a few leaks when I moved in recently. I used foil tape to fix most of them, but I'm having trouble with the biggest leak:

The red arrow is the main branch from the furnace, showing the direction of airflow.
Blue shows the branch leading to the register. This register is the second one on this branch, and the most "direct" (the other leads through a section of smaller duct-work). The register is located directly above the floor joists shown.
Green shows where the leak is -- the duct (blue) butts against this joist, and where it meets the main branch (red) there is a gap about 1/4" (0.5 cm) wide, for the width of the duct. Between the joist (green) and the main branch (red) there is just enough space to get my fingers. This is the space that needs to be filled or sealed to stop the leak.

Since I have failed to get tape in to seal this joint, how else can I seal it? I'm thinking of getting a piece of foam insulation or perhaps tube wrap to shove in the gap, but would this be wise?

Some additional details:

Moving the main branch to get better access is probably more trouble than it's worth.
Location is an unfinished basement.
The space is already warm enough given the small size and the fact that the furnace and lots of duct work is radiating enough heat to keep it warm.

I've used duct sealer in the past to seal up my attic air handler, it applies like a paste and dries hard. You can try that, but you options of globbing it on may be limited.

Is this duct in a basement or crawlspace?

The handler and ducts in my unfinished basement leak a bit, but I don't bother sealing them up as it helps keep the temp in the basement that much more liveable.


How to trace mystery switches Since I moved into my house last year there are a couple of wall switches that remain a mystery to me. I don't know what they do, if anything.

What are my options for tracing these switches?

I'm looking for something between plugging stuff into various outlets to see if it controls them (which I've tried) and buying and using a tone and probe kit (which is probably more money and effort than I'm willing to expend for these switches).

Guessing from experience, they are probably to outdoor lights that you don't use, to a switched outlet that was converted to be on always, or to a fan/light combo that is no longer wired to separate switches.

The outdoor lighting, check for any lighting fixtures that you can't turn on, make sure you have a good bulb and start turning on switches.

The outlet option can be checked by removed the wall plate and checking for any extra wires (can typically be done without removing the outlet from the box, just use a flash light) evidence of an extra wire does not guarantee its use but absence of one means it's not that. The outlet option is typically the lowest chance if you have an overhead/ceiling light. If it is still wired in, you can go with the typical circuit breaker to outlet locator method and plug in a radio or other device to an outlet, that way you don't have to be in the same room area to detect power, just make sure powering on/plugging in actually makes noise, most digital models require you to push a button.

The fan/light scenario is most common in a bedroom where there are multiple switches in the same box, always possible in bathroom for previous vent/light combo. This would require actually checking above the fan which most of the time means removing the fan at least from ball joint.

An generally, finding out which circuit the switch is wired to may help located what it is to, although there is a chance it can confuse the situation even more.


How do I change these MR16 light fittings to GU10? (pics included) I'm looking to change to GU10 from MR16.

I bought this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0785RKFNN/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've circled in blue where I attached the new GU10 lamp holder. I plugged in a GU10 bulb and the light doesn't come on.

What's going on here?

In general, MR16 bulbs use 12 volts, which is the reason for the transformer (white box). GU10 bulbs, on the other hand, generally run directly on mains voltage (120 or 240 volts). So you are feeding 12 volts into a 120 or 240 volt bulb and it is barely light, maybe not visibly.

You need to look at the markings on the bulb and verify its voltage. If it is mains voltage, you need to remove the transformer and splice directly into the wires from the ceiling.


What is this dark stain on my flooring and can I fix it? I have either engineered hardwood or laminated flooring.

This was where my dog's water bowl had been

Is this mold?

There are three possible ways to fix this.

Drying, sanding, bleaching, re-staining to match the existing stain, apply clear coat. This option requires that you are able to match the new stain to the color of the rest of the floor. There are videos and how-to articles available to explain the details.
Replace damaged boards with good boards. If the existing floor is worn/old even an exact match of new original flooring will be an obvious repair. There is online information for this process.
Replace the whole floor.

I don't think you will be able to do option 1 and get a match that will please your landlord.

There are people who specialize in repairing this type of floor damage. It won't hurt to get an estimate. Google "repair wood floor water damage" and you'll get a list of businesses. Someone with experience might be able to match the existing floor.

If the repairing the floor won't please your landlord you might be able to persuade him/her that the floor is old and nearing the end of it's life and you should only have to pay some percentage of the whole cost of a new floor.

I'm sorry I don't have easier options.


Why does sink gurgle after installing AAVs in attic? I recently installed Studor Mini-Vent air admittance valves (AAVs) in my attic on the two secondary (2 inch) plumbing vents (serving laundry room and kitchen) so that the vents no longer penetrate the roof. After doing this, my kitchen sink gurgles whenever the clothes washer drains into the laundry standpipe. If I remove the AAV on the laundry vent, the gurgling no longer happens, so it doesn't seem like there is a blocked vent.

I tested the AAV with my mouth and it seems to be working properly.

My only guess is that the AAVs require more pressure to open than the pressure required to gurgle the sink. Should I look for "weaker" AAVs? Would installing an AAV by the kitchen sink help eliminate the gurgling?

There is a blockage downstream of the kitchen. AAV allow air to enter the system and not exit. Plumbing systems are a neutral pressure system and the vent equalizes the pressure on the back side of the waste water. As the water from your laundry goes down the drain the blockage causes a pressure build up that the AAV no longer allows to escape. Removing the AAV allows the air to escape up the vent pipe.

One other possibility is a main waste line trap with the vent removed.

Main waste cleanout

Chest of Books

Some houses still have a set up like this. In this picture the vent is on your lawn and the clean-out is under the sidewalk or street. Often people remove the vent because it looks like some weird piece of metal with a cap on it sticking out of the lawn. With that vent gone and AAVs added top the air has nowhere to escape. This is an unlikely scenario but it is possible.


What can I do about small pools of water on my garage floor? I just moved into this house and I have discovered about 20 different size "water" marks.  As I haven't parked my car in the garage - I would have noticed it sooner.  But what can I do for this problem.  My drains outside are not close to the house.

Your options are:

Do nothing.  A little bit of standing water on an unsealed concrete floor will seep away and vanish in a few hours to days.
Use a broom or squeegee and move the water outside or to a drain.
Place catch basins (if it comes from a drip above) or barriers (if it comes from the side over the floor) to prevent the water from standing on the floor.
Identify the source of the water and remedy it.


Is there something that will completely cover two gangs of my electrical box below the drywall? I previously installed a four gang box in a house. The problem with that box was it ended up being that it was so long that half of the box will be in the backsplash of the kitchen counter and half not in the backsplash.

I was thinking of covering two gangs of the box with possibly a piece of metal covering that would go on the device box (than drywalled over). I will replace it with another 2 gang box above or below it (therefore all four 3 way switches will have a home). I really wish they just had three way rocker switches. But they actually only have rockers switches that are a single pole and three way switch in one. No double 3 way rocker switches...

I cannot ungang the box since it's a solid 4 gang device box and I do not want to slide it out to replace with a 2 gang because it took a lot of fastening on both sides of the box, and the wall is finished and painted! (Heck maybe I will take it out).

So I believe from a code standpoint that should be fine since the box is still accessible (from the other two gangs...nothing will be in the end two that I want to cover). So do they have a part for this. I cannot think of a name of one. I just wanna be ready for tomorrow.

Code pertaining to electric junction boxes is pretty clear when it states boxes are to remain accessible and uncovered.


Why did my GFCI by my kitchen sink burn up? My wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table and heard about 10 seconds of buzzing, then smoke came out of the GFCI next to the kitchen sink.  Nothing was plugged into the outlet, and the only thing on was the dishwasher, which after inspection was sharing a neutral with this outlet, but the dishwashers hot was on another circuit.  The breaker did not trip either.  The receptacle is about 2 feet to the left of the sink and about 8 inches up from the counter.  Here a picture of the damage:

I called an electrician neighbor and he spent a long time with me trying to figure out what happened.  We took out all the receptacles in the kitchen and tried to make a circuit diagram.  I drew it out after he left and I apologize for anything that is not correct, but here's what I got:

So the receptacle in question is a split, where the neutral is shared with a circuit on the other leg in the house.  Since neither breaker tripped, they were both replaced as a precaution and tied together. I also replaced the GFCI outlet on the other side of the sink that is sharing the neutral wire.
I couldn't even find anything else on the same circuit as the one that burned, just the one receptacle.  I replaced it with a non GFCI outlet, as I didn't have another one on hand.  I guess I'll need to pick up another one and swap it out.  I did add a pigtail to both the neutral and the hot lines for that outlet, but everything else I left the same.
The insulation on the wire seemed good (after the burned part), so I trimmed the wire back and used it. The electrician said that the outlet must have just gone bad.
Everything is hooked up and working right now, but I'd love some insight.  It's hard when you don't have confidence your house won't start on fire while your sleeping.

First, if you replace breakers as a precaution, be VERY careful to get the correct breaker for your panel (even if the last guy didn't).  I am concerned that a non-necessary breaker swap could result in a correct (say: Murray) breaker being swapped for an incorrect (say: HOMeline) breaker, which would then cause other bus arcing problems later.
Also it's vital to use factory provided handle ties, not a sawn off nail, because the proper ties force the phases to be opposite.
Now you have a multi-wire branch circuit in which someone did a big naughty.  They used the neutral terminals on the device as a way to splice the supply neutral to the onward-power neutral (and also supply the device obviously).  That's not allowed; the neutral must always be pigtailed anywhere both hots are present.  That is so a device can be removed without knocking out power to the other half of the circuit.
Since you're supposed to pigtail anyway, and you need a GFCI there, and the screw terminal looks serviceable in traditional mode... you should pigtail this neutral and attach the pigtail to the old GFCI "the old fashioned way" so you have GFCI protection again.
Now, there are 2 possible failure modes here.
Improper torquing of the screw-and-clamp connection
In this arrangement, the screw clamps the one or two wires placed under the screw.  If the screw is not tightened to the correct torque, a poor connection will result in overheating, possible arcing, and exactly the damage you see.
Because of this, Code was amended in 2014? 2017? to require use of a torque screwdriver to set all torques.
Where was the current coming from to do this damage?  One of the various devices or outlets that flows onward from this location - note that all the MWBC's neutral current comes right through here.
Current travels in loops, so any current going out a "hot" must come back a "neutral".  Now if the MWBC is properly phased, some of the A-leg's current will travel down neutral to a B-leg load, and then return via that B-leg (so a bigger loop, with 2 loads in it).   The neutral in a proper MWBC never carries more current than a hot.
Misplacement of the breakers, resulting in overload of the neutral
This is the problem with individual (or duplex) breakers used for an MWBC.  If both breakers are on the same "leg" of power, the neutral handles all the return current for both hots, added together - so up to 40A of current.  Now, 15-20A receptacles are required to have 20A internal through-busing, but obviously not 40A - so this is likely to burn up the internal busing that connects the two terminals that you're not supposed to use as a splice.
If both breakers are on opposite legs, then neutral only handles difference current - if one hot is 17A and the other hot is 15A, neutral only handles 2A.  It's impossible for neutral to carry more than the breaker trip, so that works out great.
This is why MWBCs require at the least, two breakers with a factory handle-tie (which forces them to be on opposite legs) -- and at the most, a 2-pole 240V breaker.
This is especially vexing in GE panels, where it is very easy to mis-phase their double-stuffed 1/2" wide breakers. In a GE panel, consider it mandatory to use a 2-pole breaker, and don't force it into a space it doesn't want to go into!


Is it safe to operate a kitchen stove without the original insulation installed? My rental house has an electric stove that has had a nest of mice living in the insulation.  We removed the insulation to clean. Is it safe to use without replacing it?

No. Manufacturers don't spend money doing things like installing insulation if they're not important.

This is especially true where you have tenants who are less concerned with careful use of the appliances than you'd be, and where you are potentially liable for injury or death.

If by "my rental house" you actually meant "the house I rent", you'd need permission from the owner (but don't expect to get it, for the reasons I mentioned).


How do I turn off the power to my thermostat? I'd like to replace my thermostat with a new one. My current thermostat is one that doesn't have a C-wire and is powered by batteries.

Now, my question is... is there a switch for the power that I need turn off too? I could not find a switch for the thermostat in the breaker box.

I'm assuming just removing the batteries is fine for replacing my thermostat?

Simply turning off the breaker that feeds the furnace will turn off the thermostat power as well.


If I pull an electrical permit for my home in FL can I hire a licensed journeyman electrician to do part of the work? If I pull my own electrical permit for adding a subpanel and 2 circuits in my Escambia County, FL home, can I hire a licensed journeyman electrician to do all or part of the work with me?  He cannot pull his own permit and his master electrician will charge me double the permit fee to let him pull it under the master's license.

With you pulling the permit you are the responsible party for the work.
Hiring someone on the side is really common. I may have done this for many years myself :).
it’s not only the masters license needed to do work ( in my state general signing supervisor) but you also require a contractors license and this requires bonding. All those costs are why we charge so much.
My current apprentice I believe may be doing some work on the side for friends the same as you are doing I don’t know.
A sub for us is a very simple job, is it legal?
Only if blood related mother, father, brother, sister some states go out to grand parents, grandchildren aunts and uncles other than that no it’s not legal.
When the job is inspected usually the inspector will really look it over making sure it is done right for a homeowner. When I moved to my current location that I had not worked and pulled permits on my home I did it as a homeowner and on the inspection the inspector wanted that were not code required done and was not going to sign off until I grabbed a code book and he asked if I was licensed
After finding out I was he put his X on the paperwork.
When signed off by an electrician they look it over and test GFCI’s as that is a requirement in my state. knowing this the inspector may want more than is required by the homeowner.
Guys that work on the side for $ can be at either end of the spectrum but simple jobs like a sub should be easy for any journeyman and something my first year apprentice could do. today only very close friends get me but a young journeyman wanting some extra $ is quite normal just like a mechanic friend that works on the side.


What should I do about water filling the excavation for a house's foundation? I live in Duluth, Minnesota. As stated, I am putting a new foundation on my house. When the contractor was excavating, they hit water. They are constantly pumping this water out. I now have 2 new walls already done, and am working on the third.

I am concerned about the amount of water. I do have a sump pump. My contractor told me my drain tiles were not working at all and this water has been there for a long time, but this water keeps filling up. I have had the inspector there of course when the footings were poured, and he seems like he is OK with this.

I am concerned. Is this OK?

It all depends on what type of foundation it is, i.e. cement pad, basement, crawl space?

Was there water present when the footers were being poured?
Is there a crawl space or basement?
How deep are the footers?


How do I make an non-toxic, low cost DIY cleaning solution for laminate floors? My kitchen's laminate floors quickly become dirty from food and dog bowl spills. Instead of spending a fortune on potentially toxic cleaning solutions, I'd like to make my own cleaning solution that is safe, cheap, and leaves no residue. I've heard mixed reviews on vinegar and dishsoap solutions, but I'd imagine they leave a residue, and I don't think soap is necessarily great for pets and kids (or humans) to ingest. Does anyone have a recipe they have found works for laminate floors?

Pure water is not good for dissolving greasy residue. I use warm water with a small amount of dish washing detergent in it to mop the ceramic tile in the kitchen and throughout the house. I do not do a second mopping of the floor with water. The small residue of detergent left on the floor presents absolutely no risk. I figure if this detergent is safe for dishes (of course I do rinse the dishes) it is safe for the floor.


Propane wall furnace not firing I have a propane wall furnance that is'nt firing, the thermostat is not appearing to trigger the unit. The pilot is fine and the thermostat is a simple unpowered one with mercury that appears to be in working order according to my multimeter.

What may be wrong with the unit? How does one go about further diagnosing the issue? I did have to do some work on the thermopile some time back, is it possible the thermopile may be generating enough voltage to keep the pilot but prevent ignition?

Try adding a jumper wire to the gas valve to see if that will fire the wall furnace. If it does, the problem is in one of the devices in control system.  Jumper out each device until you find the one that has failed. Take down the control's model number and see if it one that is recommended for a thermopile system. All devices used with a thermopile system are made special for that type system. The thermostat used with a thermopile system is not a standard type thermostat; they usually do not use mercury.  All the devices have special contacts that have very little resistence since the thermopile has a voltage output of about 3/4 volts. Next, when you jumper the thermostat wires at the gas valve and the unit will not fire, you should have a service tech check to see if the gas valve is opening and allowing gas flow but the flow is not getting to the burners. If this is the case they may need to remove the burner or burners to see if a spider or bug has made a home in the orfice of the burners.


Why can't I get gas to our gas fire place? Okay so my boyfriend and I are trying to light our gas fire place... we turned on the gas that t's off from the line in the basement which goes out to the main line which goes to a meter. The main line comes from the meter into the basement t's off for the gas pipe to the fire place it goes under the stairs out of the house continues outside  and comes up along the fire place chimney and back into the house.... no value out there we checked...comes out of the wall which goes into a vent along side the fireplace.. there is a value inside the fireplace which we have to use vise grips to open because it is to hard to turn by hand... we turned it on and nothing we dont smell or hear anything.. tried to lite it when gas was "on" but nothing... any help would be great we have owned the house for 10 years and our family  said we had it lite once but we dont remember how or anything....

I have no advice at this point other than to contact a professional, seeing as that you've probably tampered with what I assume is the flame adjust, 'trying' it the other way could prove disastrous.

Ok, the picture shows that's not a FA valve but I've nothing more to add without a response to BMitch's comment. - Which I forgot to mention that if both of those are a yes (as you say), I'd still be at a loss.

Shot in the dark: (I've never seen this happen but I guess it could) The packing nut on that valve is so old and deteriorated that it's blocking the flow of gas even when 'on'. Also, the fact that the valve is inside the chamber doesn't seem right to me.

Don't forget to open the flue if you get it working.


Why does my fan switch sometimes turn the lights off? I recently undertook a small project replacing a single toggle light switch with a Z-wave enabled dimmer switch, which is also wired to a fan toggle (a knob with 3 speed settings) in a 2-gang case. The original switch and the fan toggle share a hot wire, which I had to cut and splice due to the way the builder had installed it originally (it was just a loop of exposed wire which wrapped around one of the switch's poles). Everything went pretty well (aside from the dimmable CFLs not being as awesome as I would like, but that's tangental), but sometimes when I turn the fan to a different speed, the lights will turn off, but the switch still has power as evidenced by the blue LED at the bottom.

Now, I've done a small bit of experimentation, and this seems to only happen if you turn change the switch rapidly from one speed to another. If you wait about 20-30 seconds between switches, it doesn't do it.

What could be wrong here?

Edit: More Relevant information. The Z-Wave dimmer is rather sensitive, so if it were to lose power for any period of time it would reset to off, which is probably what is happening here.

Diagrams

Pardon my poor diagramming skills, I was never any good at cad.

Before

As you can see, the bottom wire was just wrapped around the bottom pole of the toggle switch, then ran into a wire cap, where it was connected with the fan toggle.

After

So, I cut the loop, and then twisted it together to splice the two wires together, so that I could also splice in the wire coming from the Z-Wave switch.

Edit

Annotated Picture

So here's what's going on in there.

Also, I took some voltage readings. When the Light is off, it is measuring 83v (which I think is normal for a Z-Wave switch, to power its wifi).
When the light is all the way on, it reads 13v.

When the fan is off, it is at 122v. On speed setting 1, it is 115v. On 2, 100v. On 3, I can't get a reading at all.

Your wiring looks okay (except for the redundant "power to dimmer" and "power to fan" wires -- as I commented, you don't need the extra pigtails, just connect the switches directly with one marette).

I can think of 3 possibilities:

The z-wave dimmer is not operating properly with the CFL. Try using a regular incandescent or halogen bulb, and see if the problem goes away.
The z-wave dimmer is being affected by the electrical/RF noise that the fan generates when it turns on. Ensure the fan switch is designed to handle inductive loads, or try replacing it with another brand of switch.
The z-wave dimmer is defective.


What risks may arise from putting a capacitor on the supply line to the door-bell? The door-bell at the residence is (nominally, was) a simple buzzer between live/neutral that sounded Bzzzzzzzz using a simple electromagnetic hammer powered by the 250VAC. The problem is - some creature went and kept the button pressed too long burning out the buzzer (and some wiring too).

Things to do now -

Gut the destroyed wiring til lthe nearest junction (I can do this)
Replace buzzer (No problem)
Try to put some kind of a delay so the buzzer does not keep receiving supply.

For the last my plan is (admittedly simplistic - feel free to shoot me down) to put an AC capacitor from the ceiling fan (1.5MFD or thereabouts) in series between the line to the buzzer. I'm hoping the buzzer will receive supply until the capacitor is charged up after which it won't until the capacitor discharges on it's own (which may be a while).

What, if any, are the risks inherent in this scheme? Should I put the capacitor in parallel to the buzzer?

Don't do anything like this. Mains voltage is not a toy and it's not for tinkering.  Everything that touches mains voltage should be UL/TUV/etc.* listed as mains equipment and installed according to its labeling and instructions. Bare components from the electronics supply are not equipment: they lack labeling and instructions for use in mains wiring, and cannot be so used.

It's very likely the device failed not because of over-use, but because of defectiveness.  Running a buzzer til it's burnt out won't damage wires unless the buzzer melts down and shorts out.  You may have dodged a bullet as far as your house not burning down.

I would go to a low voltage DC doorbell, because low voltage DC is treated much more lightly by the electrical codes.

Either get a (very, very small) solar panel, battery and charge controller, or kitbash a consumer product that already combines those, such as one of those solar path lights.  Or get a low-voltage "wall-wart" transformer.  Have that power a low-voltage doorbell via the button obviously.  Ordinary use won't flatten the battery, but extraordinary use would.

* CE is not a testing lab.


Is there a type of interlock (transfer switch) that can be used for a generator OR solar panels? For a new house, I've decided to install two breaker panels, one for critical loads like the well pump, lights, refrigerator and certain outlets, and a second for heavy and non-critical items like the oven, water heater, HVAC, etc.

I would like to put a transfer switch between them at the time of installation, so that in the future, I can easily hook the sub-panel up to a generator, OR hook the sub-panel up to solar power so only the main panel is on grid.

Is there any type of transfer switch that would allow me to do either solar OR a generator as a second input to the sub panel, without having to shut off and rework the mains and change panels? If so, what type?

To clarify, it does not need to be a three way transfer switch, I would wire it initially with the second side of the interlock going nowhere, and add either solar OR a generator to the other side later, but not both.

I think 60 Amps should be enough to feed the subpanel. Most of the transfer switches I've seen on solar systems are designed specifically for solar, and let you switch individual circuits, and also have battery gauges, and other thing. I'm just trying to figure out if the same type if interlock used for a generator would work for solar instead.

Simply put a box and splices in the middle of the feeder

Here's the rub -- transfer for a generator works differently than transfer for a hybrid solar setup (which is what you're probably envisioning -- forsaking grid-tie capability is simply not worth it unless you take the whole house off-grid).  With a generator, the transfer means is essentially a big double-throw switch -- the common connects to the standby subpanel main, one throw goes to the feeder from the main panel, and the other throw goes to the generator (perhaps via an inlet).  The number of poles depends on if your generator has a neutral-ground bond and if your standby system is 120VAC or 240VAC -- other than that, there's really not that much to it.

However, solar systems that are capable of operating a significant standby load in this day and age can also be set up to grid-tie when the grid is present -- to do this, they use a single throw transfer means that is basically internal to the inverter.  The inverter output and standby loads connect to one side of the transfer means, while the grid input connects to the other side of the transfer means.  As a result of this, they can operate stand-alone or grid-tied, but basically need to be in series with the feeder to take advantage of the latter, which is something you really want to take advantage of.

As a result, putting a box and set of splices in the middle of the feeder is the best plan -- this provides a "hook" that can then be used to install a transfer switch or hybrid inverter at a later date, given the drastically different connection requirements of the two.  You could put  what's called a bypass/isolation switch in with the non-bypass poles broken out separately so that you can connect a generator to the standby-side poles; however, standalone bypass/isolation switches tend to be hard to find, and are not necessary unless you are sure you are putting in a solar setup.

If you really want to spend the money now...

While premade, standalone bypass/isolation switches are quite scarce (they typically are shipped with things like UPSes), it is possible to wire a four-pole transfer switch as a two-pole bypass/isolation switch.  Most four-pole transfer switches are quite costly, though, but there's an exception -- modular UL98 switches such as the TeSys VLS series from Schneider Electric are available for a reasonable price and can be configured for this job.

One caveat first though: this approach does not extend to generators that have bonded neutrals (i.e. are wired as separately derived systems). You'd need six (!) switch poles on each side, and it does not appear that the TeSys VLS series can be extended that far.  Additionally, hybrid solar setups are never wired in a separately-derived fashion, so bypassing the neutral would not make sense in such a setup.

For a 60A switch, you'll need:

A switch assembly, consisting of:

a. 2 Schneider Electric VLS3P063R2 3-pole, 60A, UL98 rated rotary disconnect switches

b. 2 Schneider Electric VLS1P063R2S 60A simultaneous-operation additional poles

c. and a Schneider Electric VLS8C2 rotary interlock
A 15" by 15" by 4" (minimum) NEMA enclosure of the appropriate type (for NEMA 1 aka indoor apps, the SC151504 from Wiegmann works) -- if you use an enclosure deeper than 4" (such as a 16" by 16" by 6"), you'll need a subpanel within the enclosure to mount things to instead of the back of the box
3 Burndy BDBMHC222/02 power distribution blocks with BDBMHCCOVER covers for each pole
Some standard (35mm by 15mm) DIN rail (you only need 7.5", but it tends to come in meter lengths, so just get a pack)
2 40mm DIN rail support brackets (Weidmuller 792427-0040 or equivalent)
About 6' of black 6AWG stranded copper THHN
Grounding supplies:

a. A 10-32x1/2" self-drilling grounding screw (Garvin GSST or equivalent)

b. A 1-hole copper or AlxCu offset box grounding lug that accepts 6AWG stranded wire and has a #10 screw hole (Ilsco SLU-35 or equivalent)

c. And a 1' length of green 6AWG stranded THHN to use as a grounding jumper
And mounting hardware:

a. M6x8mm machine screws for mounting the DIN rail to the brackets

b. #14x3/4" self-drilling screws for mounting the DIN rail brackets to the enclosure

c. and #10x3/4" self-drilling screws for mounting the distribution blocks to the enclosure

as well as an inch-pound torque wrench with 3/16" and M8 hex bits and a #2 cross-drive screwdriver for assembly.

Put the switch assembly together, then attach the parts to the back of the box (or subpanel, if you're using one -- the subpanel installs first in that case) as governed by the drawing below -- parts denoted by dashed lines install first, and the bold line denotes the front panel cutout needed for the switch.  Note that if you're using the minimum specified enclosure, you'll want to terminate the far outermost black jumper wire onto the left and right power distribution blocks before screwing them into the box, or else hooking up those two wires will be harder than it needs to be.

Once everything is installed into the box, then the jumper wires can be fitted as per the diagram below (the wires in the top gutter and between switch terminals themselves, as well as the green grounding jumper) -- torque the terminals to 120 in/lb on the power distribution blocks and 50 in/lb on the switch.  Then the box is fitted into its final mounting location and wired (with the wires landing on the distribution block terminals).  Once it's all wired up, put the covers on the distribution blocks; finally, put the front panel on once the cutout in it for the switch has been made.

As to explaining this to the electrical inspector, all the parts specified that need to be (the blocks, box, wire, and switch) have appropriate UL listings, and the usage of the blocks here with the supplied covers conforms to NEC 314.28(E) as the box is big enough, the covers keep live parts from being exposed when the box cover is off, and there is sufficient wire-bending space.

Last but not least, if you need 100A here, you'll need to use 3AWG wire instead of the 6AWG for the jumper leads in the box (save for the grounding jumper), and use a 100A switch (VLSxP100R2x) instead of the 60A switch specified.  (The power distribution blocks are rated for well over 100A.)


Replace light switch with z wave smart switch I'm trying to replace a light switch with a new z wave smart switch. Specifically, the old light switch has 2 black wires and a ground wire attached to it and it is the only switch that controls 1 LED light. The new z wave switch is an Eaton RF9601 and it has 4 output wires: white, black, red and blue. This is the wiring diagram provided with the switch:
And I am a bit confused with how (or if) my scenario is compatible with this z wave switch. I capped the blue switch output and connected the green output to the existing ground wire I had, and connected the black output to one of the existing black wires. The other black wire is what I wasn't sure how to connect. I tried connecting it to the red output and the light comes on but was very dim, when connected to the white output the light was completely off. Any suggestions for the correct way to wire this?

A = Black Wire
B = Ground
C = Black Wire
D = Neutral?
When connected with A -> Red, B -> Green, C -> Black, D-> White and the light does not come on at all when power is turned back on.
Based on suggestions in comments I tried connecting A -> Black, B -> Green, C -> Red, D-> White and the light flashes and immediately turns off when the power to the switch is turned on.
Adding another picture of box to help clarify:

Turquoise circles are ends of white wire (D) and red circles are ends of black wires coming into box.

The new smart switch requires a neutral so unless you have a couple white wires wire-nutted together in the box with the switch, you're out of luck using that switch. You'll need to get a switch that doesn't require a neutral.
If you have only two true black wires in the switch box, chances are you have conduit and you could pull some THHN from the ceiling to the switch and bring in a neutral but we'd need more pictures to verify that.


Accidentally cut through joist above eave On the far corner of our carport, I replaced an eave-mounted light a few days ago that had no junction box holding it.  In trying to be a responsible DIY-er, I decided to go ahead and install a junction box for the new light fixture before mounting it.

I stupidly chose to use a reciprocating saw to try to cut a round hole for the new box.  In doing so, I slashed through a joist above the eave, not once but twice.  The cut went all the way through horizontally but did not actually remove any chunks of wood material.  My concern is that the joist/rafter could be supporting weight that will cause the joist to bow downward, on the side of the cuts.

The two cuts appear to be about the equivalent of notching the joist ~30% of the way up.  The joists are, I believe, 2x8's.  House was built in the 70's.

Is this something I need to repair, and if so, what is the best way to go about repairing it?

Edit: pictures detailing the boo boo.  The cut is just to the right of the new light fixture.  I have already patched the eave where I cut the half circle (including the two cuts that went through to the joist) so I'm not going to undo that to take a picture, but at least you get an overview.

I'm honestly not certain that it wasn't a rafter I cut through but I can investigate more when I get time and daylight.

Without pictures it's hard to say. I don't fool around with structural (the cost of getting it wrong is too high) I'm going to assume you need to repair it.

What you'll want to do is called sistering. Basically, you'll take a new board the same size as the rafter (you said it was a 2x8 so get a 2x8) and use it to patch the damaged board. You'll need some 3"(or longer) nails or screws. I would also suggest some construction adhesive for added strength.

Attach the new board to the top part. Put the adhesive on and then attach it via nails/screws. Alternate locations and which side you're going from
Glue and nail/screw attach the lower (presumably smaller) part. This may take some clamping. Ensure it's as straight as you can make it.

Once dry, your joist should be as good as new


What design should I use for a desk that is only around 1' deep? I have a small apartment. I have an empty wall space that is approximately 1 foot 'deep' as it butts up to what I would call a "room divider" wall.

I want to use this space for an office desk. I need to include my laptop, a 27" monitor, a keyboard, a laser printer, and room beneath to push in my rolling chair when not in use.

I'd prefer to limit the width of this desk to no longer than 4'.

Should I build (or possibly find) a simple "skinny" table that is short enough to be used as a desk? Are there other designs or pieces of furniture that are better suited for this type of space and usage?

I'm hoping that there are similar furniture designs used historically or for other purposes that might be well applied to this situation.

A "standing desk" would fit such a space, and be very easy to install:


Can I stop the water in my basement? I'm digging out my basement and am seeing water flow in because the water table is very high right now. My thoughts are that once I cemented the basement and created a sealed box so to speak the water would not come in. My neighbor disagrees and says the water will lift the cement floor. I've dug down 3 feet so far and prior to this dig out I only had water come in on occasion, not nearly what I'm seeing now. I find it hard to believe that 3 feet of compressed dirt would prevent water and 12 inches of concrete would not.

Am I wrong?

I'm not entirely clear what you are asking. If the water table is 3' from the surface, I agree with your neighbor...a basement is a bad idea.

Concrete is porous so in and off itself will do absolutely nothing to stop the water. You can waterproof it by applying a rubber based membrane to the outside, but with a high water table, it will always try to find a way in. You'd have to definitely install French drains and a sump pump as well.


Finishing an attic, building codes, layout possibilities Our attic is entirely unfinished - exposed floor and wall studs. It has windows and is wired for a single light fixture. There is a fixed staircase up to the attic from the second floor where 19.5 is on the diagram below.

I've done some basic code research and as we only have 7.5 feet of height along the unfinished centerline, we clearly don't meet the "50% of the usable floor space should have a ceiling height of 7.5 ft or more" requirement.

Based on my approximations, we have about 400 square feet of area with 4 feet or more of height. I'd like to make use of it somehow other than just dry storage - even if it just means a carpeted play area for our children.

What are the implications of not meeting that height code? Would a contractor refuse to take the job? Would a DIY project be subject to fines? Why does the height even matter? I can understand not wanting someone to misrepresent it as a bedroom but any prospective buyer would immediately understand the reality of the situation upon climbing the stairs.

We're in Illinois if it matters. I'm having trouble finding anything other than "the code says" ...

You say you don’t like answers that start with, “...the Code says...”, but I say, the Code says, “Habitable rooms, hallways and basements containing habitable spaces shall have a ceiling height of 7’ min. (ICC R305)

Also, it says, “ For rooms with sloped ceilings, the required floor area of the room shall have a ceiling height of not less than 5’ and not less than 50% shall have a ceiling height of 7’.”

It also says, “Conversion of basements and attics to habitable space shall provide a minimum height of 6’-8”.”

I’d quit arguing with people and go see your local Building Official and get a copy of Section 305 AND read it yourself. Talk to him/her. They’re there to help. (You’re getting a Building Permit, right?)

Maybe you can furr out the side walls to 5’ and make a great “habitable room” with bookcases, shelving, etc. along the walls. (Bathrooms, etc. is 6’-8” and showers are 6’ minimum height.)


Two socket fluorescent lamp OFF switch hot / not working with single bulb I have a two-socket fluorescent lamp. Initially only one light tube was inserted and it worked fine. At some point, it started to go off seconds after being turned on. I thought the tube went bad, so I bought another F15T8. Surprisingly, if inserted alone, the new light tube would also go off right after being turned on. However, if I put both tubes in, BOTH would stay lit. The OFF switch then gets very hot (>100 C), which did not happen when I was able to use just a single tube. The lamp has two switches. The ON switch has to be kept pressed down for a few seconds until the light is turned on, while the OFF switch only needs to be pressed briefly.

How should I understand what happened here? Is the switch going bad and did that cause my first problem that a single light tube no longer stays lit? How could the switch get so hot?

A quick search of ballasts revealed electronic ballasts that support (2) F15T8.

Go straight to that, don't waste any time with old magnetic ballasts that buzz and flicker on a good day.

An instant-start ballast does that by shocking the tubes lit, but this wears the tubes faster.  It typically needs 3 wires for a 2-tube setup, and they can run independently.

A rapid-start or programmed-start ballast makes use of the preheat coils in the tubes (automatically doing what the start switch did), causing an easier start.  The rapid-start ballast is guessing.  Both of them need typically 6 wires for 2 tubes, so you'd need to add wires to the neck conduit.  They usually need both to be present/working.


Downspout repair (with the 6 inch section) I cut a 6 inch section out of a 3x4 inch downspout. How can i put it back together?  I was installing a rain diverter and placed it too high. Thought about using 2 adapters but having trouble finding them at that 3x4 size. Should i just buy a whole new downspout?

You can crimp your own ends with a crimping pliers available at most home stores in the heating duct work section or hand tools section. They are simple to use and not expensive to purchase. When using these for splicing you will lose 1 1/2" - 3" of overall length though so keep that in mind when deciding whether to replace the whole downspout or repairing it.


Moving a light switch without moving it I live in a rented house, and there is a lightswitch which is unconventionally not next to the door in one of the rooms. Is there a way to move the lightswitch so it's next to the door. I am currently thinking of something that plugs in between the bulb and light switch that can be turned on or off wirelessly from a switch that can be stuck to the wall. Does such a thing exists? Or would leaving the main light switch always on and having a [remote controlled] switch in the light fitting cause problems?

I did exactly that some years ago, replacing the light switch with an X10 remotely controllable switch, and hang the remote on the wall at the other end of the room. However, that approach will NOT work with LED bulbs, due to the way it powers itself, and may not work safely with fluorescents. (X10 is the low-budget brand which introduced carrier-current control signalling; there are better versions of the same system and alternative systems but they cost twice as much and require more planning in the house wiring.)

Remote-controllable devices do exist that screw in between the bulb and its socket. However, those obviously add significant bulk, and may not fit in the fixture (or may look pretty darned ugly).

A better solution may to be leave the room fixture alone and set up remote control of a floor- or counter- mounted lamp. That would provide sufficient light for you to navigate the room until you can get to the far end and turn on the overhead lights.


Bizarre electrical set-up for bathroom light fixture I'm updating a bathroom in our old house (circa 1935) that still has some fabric-sheathed 2-wire (hot/neutral, no ground), but also has some new wiring mixed in here and there.

Our bathroom wall fixture had this set up: romex from below, fabric-sheathed from above. The most noteworthy issue is that only one wire from the romex is being used: the hot wire. The ground and the neutral are clipped off. IF you look closely at the yellow nut, the hot wire is attached to the grounding wire on the fixture.

So it would seem then that the fabric-sheathed wire is the only one actually providing power to the fixture, and the romex is serving only as a ground wire that was added later, correct? But why would the hot wire from the Romex be used and not the ground wire if that's the case?

The fixture has worked fine for the past several months that we've owned the home, and presumably for years prior (it looks pretty old). I don't understand this set up at all, but would it be a terrible mistake to replicate this set up with a new fixture?

This is a common hack for ungrounded outlets.  Sometimes you see just loose wires, sometimes like this someone will use a new cable.  The worse I've seen is someone stringing lamp cord around to use as an add on ground.  The lack of a junction box is another issue.

For safety this should be replaced by a professional.  A new grounded cable should be run from the main service panel and a GFCI protected outlet to replace the outlet on the light.  The cloth wiring does not get better with age.


How can I supply 17 showers without a drop in water pressure? My question is in relation to hot water reticulation. I want to supply hot water to 17 showers situated on the same floor. How do I go about it in terms of avoiding a drop in pressure when multi showers are in use. Are there any special valves I will need to install along the way?

This is a calculation which depends on supply pressure, flow required, and distance. To avoid unacceptable pressure drop is simply a matter of sizing all piping components properly. It is easy to design a system which minimizes pressure drop and there are numerous on-line calculators you can use: link to calculator.

Your bigger problem will be hot water supply. At 2.5 gpm (a conservative estimate for water-saving type shower head) you will use 42.5 gpm (assuming all showers are in use), a good portion of that will be hot water (ratio unknown as is dependent upon delivery temperature and mix temperature).


Yard Light has Volts but no light Mobile Home. Yard lights are "typically" tapped off the back of an outlet and buried in the ground. I have wired the wire from the house directly to the light bulb. I will worry about putting the light sensor in when I get the bulb to work. I have volts on the black wire..... and the same volts on the white wire. (Tested with a Klein voltage tester.) Am I right that there should be no volts on the white wire? I think this means that the white, common wire, is not going back to the common in the fuse box. The other lights on that circuit, CB #1, are all working fine making me think that wherever the tap in was done...the white wire has come loose.....? Then the problem will be finding the place where the tap was done....

There should be 120 volts AC between the red and black wire.  Or sometimes, 12 volts DC.  If there is not, there is no power there.

Electrical power works in loops.  There need to be 2 wires involved or nothing happens.  The way we do electricity in the US, the white wire is one of those two wires, but it is kept as close to earth ground as possible, so it is called neutral.

One way power can fail is for the white (neutral) wire to become disconnected or damaged.   This breaks the loop, obviously.  And since it is not connected, it will pick up stray voltage by induction.  In which case you can see a weak phantom voltage on the neutral.   If a non-contact tester shows voltage on both, perhaps that has happened.


Can't find 1-inch to 1.25-inch flexible coupling After mice chewed through my stock thin plastic dishwasher drain line, (ruining our kitchen floor, leading to a homeowners claim), I'm replacing that line. I refuse to use the cheap, stock dishwasher drain lines. Besides being too short, mice could chew through them again. We have extra cabinetry between the dishwasher and sink, making this a longer-than-usual run.

I have some new, black, thick, reinforced hose that mice will not chew through. This new hose is 1 inch OD, and 5/8 inch ID which will slip onto the sink garbage disposal perfectly.

The dishwasher drain outlet is unthreaded, and 1.25 inch (1-1/4") diameter. Thus, it is larger than the OD of the hose I'm using. Connecting the hose to that drain outlet is the trick.

What I wish for is a 1-inch to 1.25-inch flexible coupling, since that plus two hose clamps would render this job complete. But despite many attempts (both online and at multiple plumbing supply places), I've found no such part. This is close, but is the wrong size:

https://www.amazon.com/Fernco-PDTC-150-2-Inch-Drain-Connector/dp/B000BQL17Y

As a further constraint, I do not want to insert anything into the new hose that would reduce the ID. I've already burned out one pump in this dishwasher due to debris clogging at the drain hose connections.

So the question I have is this: how can I create a solid connection between this hose (1" OD) and the dishwasher drain outlet (1.25" OD)?

Call an appliance parts supplier with the model # of the dishwasher, they probably stock the drain hose although they may provide both sections, drain pump to discharge, discharge to waste line (garbage disposal). You should be able to buy what you need there.


How do I fix this fluorescent light? I have a  fluorescent light in a 30-year old fitting. The light has recently stopped working, though it is trying to light at each end.  Replacing the tube has had no effect.  However there is a little knob on the side of the fitting and when I rotate this it is breaking and reconnecting the live wire, and making the light work.  I think therefore that I may have a starter problem but I am not sure.  Can I replace the original big silver 'starter' (actually a capacitor) with a new starter, or is there likely to be something else wrong?

Besides the bulb, there are two other common failure points:  the inductive ballast (which limits current and, for long tubes, is a step up auto-transformer) and a preheat/starter switch (not a capacitor).

Both those components are replaceable, though it may be difficult to find them.  In the 1940s through the 1970s, they were available at every hardware and electrical supply store, but since standard florescent fixtures have now been completely obsolesced by compact florescent (CFL) and LEDs, compatible components are now uncommon.

If you can't find parts or they are expensive, this might be a good opportunity to replace the light fixture with a modern one.  It will be about three times more efficient, quieter, more reliable, and more easily repairable.  They should be quite reasonably priced too due to significant competition.


Can you use a motion sensor switch to control an outlet I am planning on installing some LED light strips in a closet full of shelves. I am using an A/C adapter (wall wart, brick, what have you) connected to the strip, which plugs into an outlet. I plan to have the outlet controlled by a light switch to provide on/off to the light strip.

Is it possible to use a motion sensor as the light switch?

Or, is there an easier way to get the LED lights to turn on automatically?

Is it possible to use a motion sensor as the light switch?

Yes. You can buy standalone sensors designed to switch lights on and off. There are both plug-in switches and ones that you hard-wire to your light fitting.

  is there an easier way to get the LED lights to turn on automatically?

It depends. You could use a microswitch on the closet door.


Why have all my LED bulbs stopped working at once? Prior to today.I had all LED bulbs,everything was working fine.Today none of the LED bulbs were working.I tried changing LEDs with an ordinary lightbulb, and everything worked. I noticed them all to be not as bright as they normally are.Even the light in the fridge looked somewhat dim.

I had a problem where I bought a house with a dimmer on the chandelier. We never used the dimmer portion, but it was one of the old style dimmers and you had to push the dimmer knob in to turn it on. One night, my daughter bumped the knob while turning it on and a LED bulb blew out. It wasn't an expensive bulb thankfully (Black Friday sale), but it still scared her. I replaced it with a standard switch and it's worked fine ever since.

It sounds like you have the non-dimmable LEDs like I do (they're cheaper). Any variance in the voltage could cause this problem (it's how the old-school dimmers did it). Make sure you don't have any stray voltage in your house. This could be a precursor to a wiring problem. As others have mentioned, get a voltmeter or an electrician out to make sure it's not wiring related.


Repair a Hole/Crack in Hollow Core Door Someone punched a hole/crack in my hollow core door. I was wondering what my best course of action would be? Would it be relatively cheap/not too difficult for me to try and fix it myself? I looked at a few other similar questions to mine but the hole/crack in my door looks different than the ones in the questions that others have posted. Here are a couple pictures of the door:

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!

You can repair it but you're not going to be able to match the wood decor grain - which means you'll have to paint it.
There are a few different products you can use but I like Bondo. It's basically the same stuff they use for auto body repair. It looks like there is enough backing in the hole that you shouldn't need anything but the Bondo, a putty knife and a few sheets of sandpaper. Apply it according to directions trying not to overfill it too much since you'll want to sand it smooth with the door. After it dries start with about a 120 grit sandpaper or sanding block to take off most of the excess and finish with a 220 or higher grit to finish. If there are any hollows in the patch you can apply more Bondo after it's dry. It will be difficult to get the patch to totally disappear but with patience and going over it a few times you can get it very close.
It's hard to tell the material in the picture but you may need a good prime coat to get the adhesion and consistency you'll want with the paint.


Small gap underneath garage's concrete slab on one side that needs to be filled Previous owner dug a trench right behind the garage to install some pipes as a landscaping drainage solution, but never filled the trench back in after the job was completed.  As a result, the bottom of the concrete slab under the garage has been exposed on that side and between regular rain/snow/erosion the gap has presumably grown over time and I just became aware of it recently. There are a couple small cracks that have formed and each extend a few inches into the slab from the top.

The gap between the bottom of the concrete slab and the soil below it is a couple inches tall, but not very deep, going back only 3-4 inches in some areas, and probably 6-8 inches in the worst parts.  This isn't to say it's a 2 inch gap going all the way back, just that tall at the very edge of the slab.

I'm thinking I need to fill that gap with something and then after that is done shovel the dirt back into this trench so that it's back to the level it was at before the trench was dug.

I can't seem to find this sort of case discussed elsewhere, but what I am finding is a discussion of much larger voids under concrete where expanding polyurethane form is recommended.  Should I still be leaning towards expanding foam as a solution, given the small area to be filled (prior to replacing the dirt to build the ground back up to the level it should be at) I question if just squirting it in around the edges like this would even provide significantly more structural support than packing in cement or any other filler material?  Or am I overthinking this whole thing and should just use dirt?

With the small area and it being on the edge just pack it with dirt. We fill in voids under sidewalks and with sand   Water works well to help the sand flow and provides a solid base where there was a void. , in your case get some dirt and a metal “post tamp” and pack the dirt in by hand it won’t take long then back fill.
On the edge with nothing to trap the foam it will expand and just make a mess, yes I have lifted slabs yes I have used poly and grout.
What is a post tamp, a steel bar that has a round flat end and a flat rectangular blade on the other end used for packing dirt in small areas like you have.


How accurate does corner angle measurement on crown moulding need to be? How accurate does angle measurement on crown moulding corners actually have to be? What I am saying is say compare a manual angle finder that has 1 degree increments vs a typical digital one that would have tenths measurements (40.1,40.2,etc). It appears that digital one would be more accurate because more detailed measurements can be made,but I have seen where they have a plus or minus error of .3.  If you was to cut crown moulding using either of these tools would you notice much difference in the resulting corner made from these two pieces?

Cannot really answer your question because everything depends on you no matter what tool you use. Here are the four main factors:

How crafty you with the tool when taking the measurement. Holding, sighting and marking are all part of this.
What type of saw and saw fixturing you use to make the molding cuts.
How you handle and use the saw tool.
And to a lesser degree the type of molding materal used.


How do I treat crumbling lath and plaster in my bathroom? I have lath and plaster in my bathroom. The west wall in the bathroom keeps crumbling into a powdery substance.  My dad has fixed it a number of times but it keeps reappearing.  The powdery area is all around the window and up on the ceiling.  I don't see any water or feel any moisture on the wall.

How do I stop this pattern?

I recommend replacing all or part of the wall with drywall. Specifically, greenboard. If you patch only part of the wall you may need to use furring strips or use a thicker greenboard to make it flush.

As a bonus, if you rip apart part of the wall you may find there is something else hidden back there that is causing this issue which you can address at that time.


After accidental contact with ground wire, hot wire is dead Was trying to install a new light switch and the ground wire came in contact with the hot wire.  There was a spark, and I believe shortly after that the hot wire is no longer hot.

Circuit breaker in the panel did not trip, and other loads on the circuit AFAIK are still working!  It is just the hot wire for the light that is now dead.

Any tips on troubleshooting this?

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the helpful hints.  mmathis and Harper had it spot on: upstream was an appliance and I immediately noticed it wasn't working.  Sure enough it was connected to GCFI outlet that was tripped, so I just reset it.

Thanks again.


Trying to Determine if Attic Braces and Collar Ties are Structural I have a 1924 house. The attic has 2x4 ceiling joists with 1x4 collar ties about 80" above the joists.  The slope of the roof is 20/12.  Below the collar ties there are two crossing 1x4 braces that are nailed, on each end, to the 2x4 rafters with 3 nails each. The braces seem to be resting on the top plate of the 2x4 walls (16 oc), but are not connected to the top plate.  You can see a picture of the braces and collar ties here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5hgKW1CXf-ZeThwQmZFSFQzems/view?usp=sharing

I'm wondering if there's a way to tell, based on the photo and info above, whether these braces and/or collar ties are structurally necessary (maybe this is a 1924-version of a truss?), or if they're potentially left over from the original construction before the roof was completed.

One final note... When I push on the braces they are pretty flexible. Not sure that means anything, but I guess my thought is that they'd be more rigid if they were under material tension.

Thanks for the opinions!

2x4 rafters. I'm afraid those should be considered structural. Those rafters shouldn't really span that distance by themselves.


How are tandem breakers used in multi-branch circuits? I'm in the process of replacing my breaker panel. I was talking to my neighbor and she said that her panel was changed when she did some remodeling. I was interested to see what was installed in her condo because we have a limited width (11in) space for the panel. Here is a picture of her panel (the one with the 30A breaker) and mine (the one with the 40A breaker). It looks like all of her breakers (except for the 30A) are tandem (Type MH-T on the labels). The installation was done by a certified electrician and inspected/approved by the
city. I have two multi-branch circuits in my condo. You can see breakers 4 and 5 linked with a piece of metal. Breakers 2 and 3 are also multi-branch but the metal link is missing. Her condo is like mine so she should also have two multi-branch circuits. So ... how did the electrician do that with the tandem breakers? I'm trying to fill the missing info I have in my knowledge because my ignorance says what the electrician did is wrong.

BTW it also looks like the A/C breaker was downgraded from 40A to 30A. I measured the current in the A/C in my unit and the running current is 18A so I thought I could do that but I was discouraged from doing that (in another post here) because of high current at start up, which made sense.

I could think of a weird way of using tandem by connecting one to one pole and another to another pole and butting them together and connecting them with a metal rod but ...now that would be streching the rules, wouldn't it? and something I wouldn't do myself but would it be legal? Anyway I don't see any metal rods connecting her breakers.

Thanks

By "multi branch circuits" you mean multi-wire branch circuits or MWBCs.

How do MWBCs and tandems go together?  THEY DON'T.

Either

the electrician ran new wire, eliminating the MWBCs,  or
he carefully placed them on opposite poles (you have to know how to do that) and totally ignored the Code requiring handle ties, and is just hoping the next guy doesn't carelessly rearrange them onto the same pole, or
he slapped them on a tandem and the neutral wire is glowing cherry red right now.

If you want to do that same thing, your best bet is to put both pairs of your MWBCs onto a 2-pole/2-pole quadplex.  That's what he should have done.

Making your own handle tie is out of the question.  Listed handle ties arent available for duplex breakers, but they don't need to be, since quadplex breakers are readily available.


How should I deal with a cable found underground on my property? I was digging in my garden and I found a wire coming through my garden underground. It looks old and dead, and I would like to take it off the ground, but the problem is that both ends lead somewhere outside my garden, so I don't really know where it ends or starts.
I called the TV providers and no one seems to know anything about it. Ex owner of my property is dead. As I found out by asking neighbors, some time ago (~50 years ago) this property (now mine) was bigger and included a shack and a well on it. This cable was used to provide electricity to both. Now there's a new house in that place and I don't know what's happened to the cable part which is under this house's property. They said, the cable comes from our house, so I'll try to get to the basement and check if I see it there.
It looks dead to me because I used a cable locator to check if it sees anything - and it doesn't. I'm not sure if it's a valid test in this case, though
It's plain black, no writing at all. I's about 1 cm thick (0.4 in), I live in Europe, Czech Republic.
It seems that I actually cut it a bit accidentally while digging. I found the cuts and I see the copper wires inside, as can be seen on the last photo. It looks 100% like the electric cable.
I believe it's not very safe to just cut it at both ends? I called the local electric provider, but they told me they didn't have anything in there. Any ideas on how to handle it?

The images show a cable similar to a spool I have of "cable-in-conduit" which is used for cable television service. Typical cable television cable drops, from the service point (tap) to the house can be 6 mm diameter, but the c-in-c will be slightly larger. It's hard to tell from the image, but even if it's direct-bury drop cable, it's not dangerous.
Are you able to view a service point for local cable tv service in either direction?
Cable television drops are buried less than 30 cm deep in many cases and are easily cut by accident. Cable in conduit ostensibly protects the cable, but a sharp shovel and a determined gardener can certainly cause damage.
Consider to contact your local cable television provider with the same query you've posed to the power company.
Allowing for your edit, determining that it is a power cable of some sort, you can check for active current with an ordinary compass, the magnetic type, not the circle drawing type. According to one web site, for alternating current, the needle will vibrate at the frequency of the electricity, likely 50 Hz in your country. If it is direct current, the needle will point in one direction as you move it about the wire.
A more expensive method is to use a clamp-on ammeter, if one is available. That is sometimes inconclusive as it often requires to separate the conductors to ensure an accurate reading.