How do I wire this Australian ceiling light? I want to install a ceiling fixture.  I have the manual and it looks pretty easy, but in the manual, it looks like I should have 2 cables coming out of my wall. Instead, I have 3.  I don't know what to do now.

The old fixture on my wall has 3 holes for wiring, labeled N, Loop, and A.

I live in Queensland, Australia.

Warning: Contains Dangerous Discussion.  Call an Electrician.

I did a quick search on Australian wiring, and found out that A is "Active", which would be considered HOT in other countries.  N is Neutral, and Loop is for carrying on to other outlets or switches.

This link https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/electrotech/toolbox1204/resources/04diagrams/04lighting/05loops.htm shows loop being used, in two different instances, on both the neutral and the Active sides of the circuits.  So in your situation, the best answer can only be: It Depends.

My suspicion is that there is another light connected to this one -- Did two lights turn on at the switch under the old install?  If so, you need to pigtail (See below) the Loop wire to either the A or N wire (But we don't know which!!!) to carry on the circuit to the other light.

My starting assumption would be that the Loop should be pigtailed to the A, but it's dangerous just to go ahead and try that.  You have a 50% chance of being right, and a 50% chance of shorting out the circuit.  Hopefully, this would result in a breaker tripping, but it could result in a fire.  So call an electrician.

Pigtails - Two wires in a circuit twisted together with a small (4-5 inch) length of wire. Typically this is used to both carry on the wiring to another device, with the small length being used as a tap, feeding the local device.  All three wires are twisted together with the appropriately sized wire nut.   http://electrical.about.com/od/wiringcircuitry/ht/pigtailwireconn.htm


Do I need to replace these metal support posts? I have these 3 permanent lally support posts in the basement:

post #1
post #2
post #3

 Closeup frame captured from video #1

Recently basement was flooded so I tore down drywall prepping things for remodel. It does appear that support columns have rust on them.

Do you guys think:

a) These columns need to be replaced?
or
b) I can just clean & repaint:
    + wire brush
    + rust neutralizer
    + red oxide primer

Short answer: No.

If they ring when you tap them like you did in your video, then they are solid.

Sand them and paint them with a good rust inhibiting paint.


Above Ground rigid steel conduit over creek I am running 3" rsc above ground across a 30' creek. I was told I needed a christy box installed on each side of the creek, what are these and how do I install them?

Christy is one of the many companies that make handhole boxes (like a minature manhole) for underground conduit / cable.  It gives you access to pull or splice at junction points on an underground cable / conduit rum.

I am going to assume the rigid conduit goes into the bank of the stream on either side and a direct burial cable will go in the pipe, or a direct burial cable will be spliced to something else at those points.

So someone suggested you'll need a handhole at those splice or pull points, which is correct.

(Unrelated to the question, also assuming the cable is supported by a bridge or something because you can't span 30' with unsupported conduit, and that the poster is aware the permitting for things crossing streams can be ridiculously difficult.)


How do I restore boiler pressure through the filling tap? I have a "Glow Worm" combi boiler that has been losing pressure slowly - from 1.0 bar to 0.6 bar over the course of a few months.

The instructions simply say that to restore pressure, "slowly open the filling tap beneath the boiler to pressurise system to 1.0 bar.  Ensure filling tap is then closed."

Being utterly hopeless with all things home-maintenance-related, I hope Stack Exchange can offer some advice!  The underside of my boiler looks like this:

The only thing that looks like it might be a "filling tap" is the blue blob in the middle near the top of the image.  Close-up:

As far as I can tell, the blue bit on the end doesn't twist or pull off to reveal anything underneath - though as the instructions say "slowly" I haven't twisted very hard. The shiny band just above it turns with no resistance at all, and I don't think turning it is doing anything useful.

Can you offer any advice as to where I am going wrong?  Is restoring pressure just a matter of turning the tap (when I find/manage it) on and off again?

I just googled the manual for the glow worm series of boilers and it look like you need to connect a flexible hose from the domestic water supply (far left if looking at front of boiler to the bottom of the thread under the blue cap, and then turn the domestic supply on. with out the model number of your boiler it is a bit hard to give you exact instructions. but the manual does say that the hose should be disconnected after pressuring which is why its probably not straight forward just looking at it. try this page glow worm manuals


Ceiling Light with no switch to turn off We bought an older home there was an old ceiling fan in the kitchen with a pull string.So we changed it and put a new light fixture in .It works fine except we can't turn it off.The switch in the kitchen turns on onother ceiling light in the kitchen.but not the new one. It is the only switch in the kitchen we tried the one in the hall to no luck.Hopefully someone knows whats wrong

You removed the switch for your light fixture when you removed the pull chain. If you want a switch, you'll need to run a line from the fixture to a location on the wall where you can install a junction box and switch. This may require opening up your walls and/or ceiling depending on the access you have.


My child flushed a flashlight down the toilet, how do I get it out? My 2 year old flushed flashlight down the toilet a couple weeks ago, and now its starting to clog. It worked fine at first, so I thought that maybe it went all the way down, but I've been having to plunge it fairly regularly for the past couple of days after a few "solid" flushes. After I plunge it, it works fine, but I have a feeling the flashlight didn't go all the way down as originally assumed. Do I have to remove the toilet off the floor to get it out?

The first (and most likely) place it's stuck is at the top bend inside the toilet. That's usually a rather tight turn. The second place is at the bottom, either above or below the floor flange. The bend going into the house drain stack is usually fairly gentle but there are ridges that can catch larger objects.

In short, there is no simple way to answer "where". The low-cost route is go and buy a wax ring, then pull the tank and bowl. you can then look up the toilet's internal trap and see if it's wedged in there, and stand a reasonable chance of getting it out with a wire.

If the flashlight is not in the toilet you will need to call a plumber. Get one with a fiberscope, not just a power auger - this isn't a blockage you can chop up and send down the pipe, you need to find it and extract it. We are not concerned about getting the light back, we are concerned it doesn't get stuck somewhere more expensive, like under the back lawn.


What's the best method and product to use for patching cracks in plaster walls? I have a 100+ year old house and while it's quite structurally sound there's been some settling over the years, leading to small cracks in the old plaster around the house.

I hired a professional to take care of some big cracks in the dinning and living room. But now I want to tackle the upstairs bedrooms myself. What is the best method for repairing these cracks in plaster (not drywall)? What products do you recommend for using in this project?

I don't own a house with plaster so please take this advice with a grain of salt...

As you pointed out, the cracks usually appear due to settling.  As a result, you ideally want your repair technique to be resilient against future movement. As far as I know, there are 2 main ways of doing this:

Method #1: For smaller cracks, fill them in with painter's caulk (latex caulk).  Because it's a latex compound, it will (supposedly) expand and contract with the crack. It also makes cleanup a breeze.

Method #2: Use a joint compound specifically made for plaster work, tape over the crack, and apply additional swipes with larger blades to smooth the look.  The technique is described here: http://www.askthebuilder.com/B38_Plaster_Repair_-_Cracks.shtml (the author suggests drywall compound but as Niall pointed out, it's better to use other compounds).

-M


Affixing a sail shade to balcony railing with a pole I need suggestion on how to put up a triangular sun shade sail over my balcony. There are already two pre-drilled holes on the wall where I can hook up the two corners.
Now is the third corner of the canopy. My old plan was to attach it to a pole and affixate the pole somewhere on the balcony railing. The pole has to be tilted slightly outward, I used a bamboo pole and placed it behind the planter, but it was never sturdy when the wind was strong, and it has already snapped.
This is an illustration from the side of my balcony (forgive my drawing)

This is the railing. The parasol holder is where I want the pole to stand but can't think of a way to hold a pole with it at tilted angle sticking outward.

And the two other corners of the sail see below. Ideally I'd like to tuck them away like this behind the pigeon spikes when I'm not using the balcony. The sail is 3m x 3m x 3m, but the balcony is not that wide, hence the third corner will be a little bit out.

Would it be possible to utilise the parasol holder to hold a pole at a tilted angle. Perhaps with the help of small gadget such as fishing rod holder? I don't know much about the maths of how much wind the sail can take if the pole is put up like that... I want to use a pole because my balcony is really tiny, and I want to avoid things like sand/water base...
Thanks for reading this, any suggestions welcome :)

Generally speaking, when the wind gets behind a sail, it exerts considerable force. People have crossed hundreds of miles of ocean with no more than 3m x 3m x 3m.
If you manage to affix the corner of the sail firmly to a sturdy pole and affix the pole immovably to the railing, you may be rewarded with the sight of sail, pole, railing, and all soaring off over the courtyard. Even if it doesn't actually break, your landlord is not going to be happy about what happens to that railing.
I checked some online introductory sail and rigging tutorials. According to their calculations, if a gust of wind is deflected by your building and strikes your sail nearly upward (or downward) at about 35 mph, the force exerted by each corner of the sail upward (or downward) would be about 200 pounds.
The structure that is least likely to damage your balcony is a full pyramid. Find two rigid lightweight poles each 3m long, attach them together at the ends, and form them into a triangle based at the pre-drilled holes. Prop up the free end of the triangle with a third pole, with its bottom attached to the base of one of the railing stanchions.
Attach the outer corner of the sail to the place where the three poles meet.
Do not brace the vertical pole against the railing. Let its motion be constrained entirely by the two poles along the sides of the sail.
Note that whatever fixtures you install at the locations of the pre-drilled holes will also have to hold against momentary upward (or downward) loads of 200 pounds.


Are junctions allowed in an active panel? Can I join two or more branches within a panel to a single circuit breaker housed in that panel?

Can I do this for multiple circuits?

What limitations, if any, do I need to observe?

Which section of the code covers this situation (so I can point the inspector to it if there are any questions)?

Background

I am the homeowner and we are in the process of converting a 1960's barn into finished space. The governing building codes are defined here. A building permit has been pulled and all work will be inspected. I am doing the electrical work myself.

About seven years ago, we hired a licensed electrician to install a new 100A sub-panel in the barn (connected to 200A main panel in the residence). This is a Siemens "2020" panel. Minimal circuits were installed to support livestock (cow, goats, sheep) and related storage in the barn. These previous circuits and all old fixtures are being removed as part of this project.

At this point, we are converting the barn for use as a 7BBL (propane-fired) nano-brewery and tasting room. I planned the the electrical for 16 circuits, with four left available for the plumber (HVAC). The plumber changed his plan and now needs six slots in the panel, so I need to reduce my number of circuits from 16 to 14.

The plumber told me "this is not a problem, you just need a couple of tandem breakers." In researching my panel, it appears that my panel does not support tandem (QT) type breakers.

If it is allowed, my preferred plan would be to pick appropriate branches to put on the same breaker and make this junction within the panel housing the breakers. This would allow me to "re-balance" the circuits in the future if needed simply by making changes within the panel.

If necessary, I can create junction boxes outside of the panel. Are there other alternatives?

The building inspector is one of my neighbors and I can ask him what he would prefer to see. However, I would rather just do it the right way without having to ask him too many questions.

What is the "right" (as opposed to "DIY") thing to do here?

Yes, you can have splices in the service panel. However, you cannot combine circuits that are required to be separate (if any).  You also cannot combine circuits, such that you're overloading the circuit.

A breaker terminal (or any terminal really) can only have one conductor terminated, unless the terminal is listed and labeled otherwise. Some breakers are listed and labeled for two (2) copper conductors, but not all are.  If the breakers you're using are not, you'll have to splice a pigtail to the breaker terminal  (though based on your question, it sounds like that's what you're planning anyway).

Fill rules apply, but it would take quite a bit to overfill a panel.


How do I wire this ceiling fan? I'm trying to wire a new ceiling fan.

The outlet box wires are White, Red, and Black.

The ceiling fan wires are Black, Blue, White, and Green.

The installation manual states to connect both Blue and Black ceiling fan wires to the Black outlet box wire.

Shouldn't the connections be:

Outlet     Ceiling
-------    --------
Black      Black
Red        Blue
White      White

Also, where am I supposed to "connect" the ground wire to?

Assuming your new fan has a pull chain control and your house wiring is wired conventionally, and you want the same function as before, your assessment of connections is correct. The fan's green ground connects to the green wire at the outlet that is bonded to the hanger plate. Use a crimp-on ring connector and connect the fan to the bonding screw of the plate.


How do I remove the connector covers on thermostat wires? How do i go about removing the plastic tabs without damaging or cutting the wires? We live in a down stairs apartment and get no heat cause they control it and all I have to do is remove these tabs so I can control the heat, it gets to cold down here for my 10 month old son.

Those aren't covers. They are permanently crimped connectors, like wire nuts but cheaper and faster. To do work on those wires you'd normally just cut them off and strip the wires fresh.

I'd take Harper's advice though and proceed with extreme caution. It sounds like you're not familiar with thermostat wiring and you can get yourself into real trouble.


Basement floor leveling guidance I am finishing a basement roughly 900 sqft. The concrete slab for the most part is level, however, it does have some imperfections at some 18-20 high points (1/8" or less) and a couple of low areas. One low spot probably needs some self leveling concrete for a 1/4" dip. We are planning on installing laminate on this basement floor.

Options (Please see updated questions in the update section below):

Install a thicker underlayment to absorb the high spots (if that's even possible)
Pour self leveling concrete to correct the high/low spots?
Grind the high spots down and maybe correct the bad dip?

Update:

Here's a better picture of my basement (aka the dungeon):

The red spots are the humps, anywhere around 1/8" - 1/4". Green are dip areas.

Thanks all for the comments. It's been a busy summer with kids activities and I found sometime and made an attempt at option #3 with a Bosch 1773AK 5-Inch Concrete Surfacing Grinder.

I spent 6-7 hours in the dungeon trying to grind these damn humps down and after all the dust cleared, I don't think that I really made that much of a difference and set off my smoke alarms (yes I had the vac attached with small particle filter) and massively sore forearms.

So here's my updated question:

Should I attempt to rent a bigger push type concrete grinder for taking out the humps(marked red) and patch pour the low spots identified in the green above.
Flood the basement with SLC (self level cement) and then rent a grinder to take out any residual high spots. (very expensive, but I'm looking for the best option)
Throw in the towel and hire the pros to come in and take care of this.

Thanks so much.

ok guys, here's what I did. Of the highs and low spots, I found that there were a couple dips that were significant, by the door and by the stairs/bedroom. I filled both of these in with SLC (self level concrete) and the results were pretty good.

Suggestions:

follow the directions exactly, do not over water, it will be too runny.. I used 5.5L/bag and it worked out somewhat perfect.. I had a couple of dry clumps that some how got missed. I had to scoop them up with the trowel and re-mix them with some water. I would recommend that you get a stir stick and check the mix before dumping to make sure that none was missed. I was using a paint type mixer and I think that an egg beater type would have been better.
get the straightest 1x4x8 and uses a screed. This is how id did SLC by the back door. The screed will slide along the high points and will push the material along, creating a perfect amount of SLC. Touch ups or moving smaller amounts of SLC with a trowel. I then feathered in the edges using a clean push brush.
Find some soccer cleats as it will displace the SLC way less than walking with a boot. You won't even see your foot prints after walking through.
don't freak out about this. If I can do it anyone can.


Repair AC adapter at plastic head How can I repair this adaptor wires?

Best bet would be to get a replacement adapter. Often you can find a replacement at a place like a Goodwill outlet store. At the place near me they have 100's of adapters for around a dollar apiece.

Next have to ask what happened to this adapter. How did the wire get like this? There is a distinct possibility that there was a short between the two bare copper areas and this may have burned out the innards of the adapter. Sometimes there is an internal fusible link wire that blows open due to a short and if this is the case then this unit is toast and will need to be thrown away.

If a replacement is not to be found then repair may be possible with care. It is delicate work but if you are handy with this kind of thing here is what to do.

0) Cut the damaged wire off of the adapter near the end of the strain relief. if at all possible note which of the two wires joined to what side of the wire that is down in the strain relief. Make sure to mark the mating wires so it is clear which is which.

1) Carefully cut away most of the length of the molded strain relief that is sticking out of the adapter. Use extreme care not to cut the two wires and their insulation as the strain relief is cut away.

2) The two wires that are exposed in #1 above will be joined together side by side via a rib in their insulation. Slit the rib between the two wires so that each one becomes a separate branch. From the picture it looks like these would end up being a little over a half inch long.

3) If it was not possible to determine which wire connected to which at the beginning then now is the time to look at the two wires on the other part of the cord. One should be identifiable from the other in some way. One may have a line printed on the wire insulation or there may be an identifying ridge molded in the insulation along the length. Look for matching markings on the stub wires coming out of the adapter. Mark with colored permanent marker which wire is which. (Note that if this adapter is one that puts out a low AC voltage as opposed to a DC voltage then there may be no identifying marks and  wire matching is not important. You can see the output spec on the adapter label).

4) Strip about half the length of insulation off of each of the two wire stubs from #2 above. Use extreme care to not nick or cut any of the fine copper wire strands.

5) Cut the end of the remaining cord back an inch to get rid of the burned and melted insulation.

6) Separate the two wires on the cord into individual conductors by slitting the rib in between the two. It will be necessary to separate these back about 1.5 inches or so.

7) Strip the wire ends of the stubs on the cord end back about a quarter inch or so.

8) Cut one piece of heat shrink tubing about two inches long that fits over the outer insulation of the two wire cord. Slide this up on the cord from the stripped wire end about a foot from the end.

9) Cut two more smaller diameter heat shrink tubing pieces about 3/4 inch long that just fit over the individual wire stubs on the end of the cord. Slide these well up on each conductor away from the stripped end.

10) Now individually twist the stripped ends of the mating stub wire ends together in a manner that they are twisted in line and not out to the side. Solder each twisted wire pair to complete and secure the joint. Two things to watch out for here....do not over heat the wires because the heat shrink tubing that you slid up on the cord end stub could start to shrink and you want to avoid that at all costs....and be careful to not blob lots of solder in this process. Ideally the two solder joints will be neat and the completed joint will not be much larger than the wire insulation diameter.

11) Slide the two smaller diameter heat shrink tubes down the wires so that they cover over solder joint and overlap the insulation on the stub wire from the adapter side. Use a heat gun to shrink the tubes over the wire joints. DO NOT TRY TO USE A MATCH OR LIGHTER to shrink the tubing. Use hot air so that you do not damage the wire insulation.

12) Lastly slide the larger diameter heat shrink tube down from the cord and over the other part of the joint to cover over the whole thing. Once again use a heat gun to shrink the tubing in place.

You can now test the adapter to see if it works correctly. This is best done using a multi-meter to read the voltage at the end of the cord when the adapter is plugged in. If it is a DC output adapter make sure the polarity is correct on the two contacts at the end of the cord. If all is fine you should be able to use the adapter for its normal duty.

NOTE NOTE NOTE

This repair will leave the wire exit at the adapter very susceptible to damage if the wires are yanked on or moved around a lot. So it is suggested to wrap the good part of the cord out from the repair site along the side of the adapter and then use two long zip ties that fit all the way around the adapter and secure the cord in place at the side. This will keep strain off the repair.

NOTE NOTE NOTE ABOVE


Hairy frayed white stuff around bathroom heater pipe joints: asbestos? I’m a bit worried about some frayed hairy/stringy material around my heated towel rail in the bathroom, sticking out of the pipe joints. It is white, so doesn’t look like hemp to me, and I’m wondering if it could be some kind of asbestos product used to seal the pipes. Any advice would be appreciated!

That looks like a synthetic packing material. I have not seen asbestos it that form.


Washing machine trips Gfi when rinse cycle starts Washing machine trips GFI as soon as rinse cycle starts.

Your washer has a ground-fault, or the GFCI is bad.  Replace the GFCI, have the washer serviced, or don't plug the washer into a GFCI receptacle.


Does this picture look like a burnt out LED lighting or is something wrong with the fixture itself? Does this picture look like a burnt out LED lighting or is something wrong with the fixture itself? The apartment was built a year and a half ago with these types of fixtures put in.

Is this just the LED (consumable) or is something wrong with the fixture itself (warranty)?

In the picture, the light switch is on and looks like half the LEDs are off completely and the other half is dim.

EDIT:

I took the cover off and below is what I found. It looks like one single LED is burnt out.

The question now is:

1) Does this look like a normal burnout, or is something wrong with the driver/capacitor that may have caused this?

2) It also looks like I need to replace at least one of these panels. However, there is one driver/capacitor (out-of-view) that runs four of these separate panels. The panels are all connected in a single circuit all soldered together. Is this a DIY replacement, or an electrician one?

Thanks for all the helpful comments.

According to the answers provided in the comments, the burnout looks normal (@agentp) and the damaged board of LEDs can simply be replaced. The one LED is probably causing the whole fixture to go out like Christmas lights.

According to other comments, LEDs vary by quality and the most crucial part is the driver/capacitor whose job is to convert the electricity correctly (@Harper and @Machavity). This burnout may be a result of that component.

I'll replace the board and see if it goes again.

As a side note, we had a similar LED fixture in the other room that went dim like this a year ago. I didn't take care of that one because the house was new and the building owner had an electrician take care of it.


How close can CAT6 run to electrical? I've run CAT6 throughout my house, mostly in the basement where the TV area and office are. I have a cable that goes upstairs to my bedroom along the chimney from the basement to feed a wireless access point. There are 3 spots where the cable comes about 4-6 inches away from electrical wires. The power and ethernet wires are parallel for about 18" and about 4" away from each other. Will this make an impact on my data signal?

CAT6, even "unshielded", is very resistant to electrical interference, just as it can carry very high-speed data while emitting little or no interference. Plus, your power cables have pairs of conductors carrying current in opposite directions, so any interference they emit is going to rapidly diminish with distance.

(For fun, here is an explanation of how CatX cables reduce crosstalk and increase EMI resistance.)

In real terms, 4" is plenty of spacing, even if you ran the two lines parallel for much longer distances.


Should I replace my roof myself? I have just bought a house from the 40s. It is an Art Deco style place that used to have a flat roof but has had a pitched iron roof added some time in the 60s.

One of the conditions of sale from the bank was that we replace the roof within 3 months. I don't really have the money to do it, so I'm interested in finding out what is involved to work out if I could do it myself to save money.

I know there would be removing old iron, laying new paper, cutting new iron and securing it on again, plus the spines and guttering is another story... Is there anything I'm missing?

Is this a job I can do piece by piece over a few weeks or should it all be done at once?

I'm reasonably handy and hope to do a lot of the work in the new place myself, but I'm not a builder.

Pretty much anyone can demo a roof.  Now it might take you a ton of time if you don't have the right tools but its not rocket science.  There is a lot of trash so you need to get a dumpster.

Laying new felt or paper is pretty easy too.  But at the same time this isn't something you would get charged a ton of money for and if a crew was doing your roof they might have it done in an hour if that.

Can you piece it over several weeks?  Yea if you don't care about anything inside your house that could get flooded.  Tarps aren't perfect and I have seen tarps blown and thousands of dollars of damage done.

What you are paying for when you hire a roofing company is the fact that they have expertise in installation, they know what materials to use, and they can do the job quick enough so there is no water damage.  Do you know how to handle edges, drip panels, buying the proper nails/staples, knowing the proper installation pattern and techniques?

This is not the hardest thing in the world to do.  But it does require expertise.  If you are willing to learn you can do it by yourself.  But the fact is if you make a mistake it will quickly cost you.

I have flipped a lot of houses.  I will prep the roof area then let the pros take over.  Could I install it myself?  Yes.   It is just one of those things that I don't do because of the cost/reward.  I just had a new roof put on a flip.  The roof was 30 squares and they did a ridge vent - pretty basic with architectural shingles.  I demo'ed old roof and they charged me $1200 over material cost.  There were 4 guys on the job for about 10 hours.  Pretty sure they got paid about $150-200 a piece and company took the rest as profit.

Also to go deeper into your exact situation.  You will need to buy something to cut the iron right.  If cut wrong it will look shoddy.  Nobody wants to buy a house where the roof looks half-assed.   I am thinking you are looking at at least $300-500 in tool rentals and purchases (if done quickly).  For gutters, these are only DIY if you can get long enough pieces to put up whole pieces and you have no corner joins.


Are there any other reasons to use 130 volt halogen light bulbs instead of 120 volt bulbs? I recently had PAR30 50W Halogen light bulbs installed. I would have gone with 75W, but 50W is the max wattage supported by my light (shallow 6" can). I'm very disappointed with the how dim the lights are. They should be about 600 lumens and I don't have a meter but they are just not very bright. I took out one of the lights and noticed they are 130V rated. So, why 130V when in the US our line voltage is 120V? Best I can tell, voltages can fluctuate and the 130V are designed to be more durable, but at the cost of less light. One source indicated that 130V lights are 25% less bright at 120V. This makes sense since the filament needs 130V for peak brightness. They also save energy but only about 14%, so really you are trading durability and some energy savings for a lot less light. So, now to my question: are there reasons other than what I've mentioned for installing these?

130V bulbs, sometimes known as "rough service bulbs" are designed for areas where the quality of electrical service flucutates and can go over 120V or for use in places that are frequently bumped or have frequent vibrations or shocks.  These bulbs have a more durable lighting fillament.


Attaching porch roof or pergola to old brick home I just took apart a very badly made porch attached to an old brick house (built circa 1890). I do not want to go into the details but the old porch was so badly built (cement blocks as footings, ledger bolts loose, mishmash material w zero detail...bad bad.  etc.) that it pulled apart some of the old brick which I then had to re-point!
I now have a solid wall and I would like good advice on a sure way to attach to this old house. The brick wall is soft brick built with lime-putty then 1-inch space, black tar-paper then 12-inch boards nailed on top of 2x6 frame.
My plan is:

To rest the roof of the structure onto a beam supported by two 6x6 posts on the house side
First doing proper footings below frost line (around here is 3.5feet) then build a deck.
Then build a porch roof with 6x6 four-post structure with lean to metal roof or just a pergola for more light.

Trying to cover lateral forces blowing from the west/east so what is the best & strongest way to attach the 6x6 posts against the brick house this old?
Is there a better way?

If your brick wall is solid and sturdy, you can through-bolt a wood header the same width as your new porch, and connect the joists to it using hardware for T joint.
Ideally, your posts shall be set away from the house to allow room for good foundations. You can add bracings or diagonals to maintain the squareness of the deck, and to resist the lateral load.


How to seal bath spout nipple? Our bath spout wasn't producing any water, so I took it off to take a look. Turns out there was a lot of grit in the little mesh filter in it - totally blocked. I cleaned it out, and now we have water. That's great.

Less great is my total inability to put it back together again properly. Given the amount of caulk and crap behind the cover (now scraped off), and the other tiling, I'm sure it's bit of a botched job to start with. Just need to fix it up.

I have the piping in the wall, into which I think I push the adaptor, using the nipple to screw it in. That all pretty much works, then the face plate goes over it, and the spout goes onto the adaptor, using a little grub screw to sit in place.

However, whenever I try to screw in the nipple, I can't because it's recessed into the wall, behind the tile, and I have no idea how to actually screw it fully in.

What tool can I use? Can't use an internal/nipple wrench, because the adaptor is inside the nipple. Can't use a regular socket, none seem to fit around it properly.

Is there something specific to fit it?

Parts are shown in the pics here: https://imgur.com/a/05UoE

In short -

How do I screw in the nipple tightly?
Am I thinking about this correctly?

Note, the chrome collar can screw to the nipple, but then it protrudes too much for the plate to sit flush on the wall, and it's too fat to go through the plate hole, so seems to just sit flush with it as a spacer.

So the adapter ring (the split threaded nipple) slips over the stem (the piece with the rubber O-rings). The stem is pushed into the supply pipe (in the wall). To connect the stem to the supply pipe the split threaded nipple is tightened until the stem is snug (the flat spots on the split nipple are there for a wrench). Next try sliding the chrome eschuteon plate on the stem and bring it to the wall. You should be able to fit the spout on to the stem and secure it to the wall plate.


MWBC and very low power factors The principle of an MWBC is that two hots can share a neutral if they're on opposite phases, since the current on the neutral will cancel instead of adding. But isn't this only true for loads with reasonable power factors? Consider if one phase of an MWBC had a load that was nearly purely capacitive, and the other phase had a load that was nearly purely inductive. The voltages are 180 degrees out of phase, but the capacitive load's current is pushed almost 90 degrees ahead of its voltage, and the inductive load's current is pushed almost 90 degrees behind its voltage. Wouldn't this situation result in the currents adding up after all, and potentially overloading the neutral wire? Are MWBCs considered safe just because loads with such low power factors are nearly nonexistent in practice, or is there something else that prevents this from being a problem?

Even with your power factor shift it is not that large over all most motors have a power factor of 80 or better.  The vast majority of loads are resistive or inductive not only in residential but industrial also, yes there are some high capacitive loads but they are rare.
Harmonics actually are more of a concern for multiwire branch circuits on 3 phase systems as the harmonics can cause the neutral to become overloaded I have measured this but rarely found it to be at a hazard level.
An example of this would be 23 amps measured on a #12 neutral yes that is overloaded but there is a huge safety factor you can see this by seeing that a controls cabinet wiring 12 awg can handle 60 amps beyond the enclosure 120 amps inside (now that’s crazy) to see these values with your own eyes NEC table 430.72.B
We try and limit the harmonic overloading in many cases it is only at startup when it’s the worst then it drops down to normal levels.
I have never found a problem with multiwire branch circuits being overloaded on the neutral and prior to GFCI’s being required everywhere I used to use them all the time. So yes in theory you could overload the neutral but with the safety factors built into code reality is you won’t overload split phase. Harmonic overload is very possible on 3 phase but not normally a hazard on branch circuits.


Proper way to apply plumber's grease to a two-handle bathroom sink faucet? I have the Plumb4orce Two Handle 4" Lavatory Faucet P4B-400CL installed in my bathroom sink. You can see the exact specifications for how it is put together at this link. Only a few weeks after installation, the hot water knob started getting harder to turn. It is now months later, and the knob now requires a lot of force to turn. I was told that I needed to apply plumber's grease, so I bought some (the lithium variety, to be precise). The problem is that I am confused by the currently available information regarding how to properly apply it.

There are some tutorials (albeit shockingly few for two-handled faucets made similarly to mine) available on Youtube, such as the one linked to here, which shows the rubber ring and the bottom of the cartridge being greased. But I invariably see comments below such videos stating that the videos are all wrong and that the rubber ring and/or bottom of the cartridge are stationary and that greasing them thus doesn't help. This confuses me, as I don't know what to believe.

I have also found written tutorials, but they don't include photographs and use terms that I do not understand in the particular context of greasing a faucet handle (I recall some saying to grease the "threads", for example, and I don't understand what that means in this context, as I see no "threads" anywhere on the cartridge).

In short, what I need is an accurate, clear, precise description of what I need to do in order to grease this faucet handle. I would especially like pictures and/or video included, but even a clear enough description in layman's terms would probably be enough.

Hardwicke,
  I opened up the file in your letter. It is the 5.1 and 5.2 cartridges that you need to lubricate. These come apart by hand and that is what you need to do. I recommend one at a time and pay close attention to put them back exactly how they were. Or the handles may operate reversed.
  I would not use lithium grease, rather I would recommend a good food grade product like super lube 3 oz tube synthetic grease sold at home depot.
  And next time consider a higher quality faucet. This would not be happening with a Moen.


Which wire is line vs load wires Which wire in this configuration is line and subsequently which ones are load?

Legend: B1-B6 are 6 black wires.

Not shown: each switch has ground wiring as well. Left them out for simplicity. There is also a clump or neutral white wires in the back of the box with a wire nut around them all.

Context:
Two light switches where the left switch controls lanterns next to a front door and the right switch controls a light post. They are independent. Turning either off doesn't affect the power to the other.

Background:
I’m wiring in a smart switch Caseta by Lutron and it has a black line in and red load out. I want to swap the right switch with this and need to know which of the existing two blacks is line in vs load out to the light.

Commentary:

The electrician used a red wire nut, not sure if that was intended to indicate something about all of those black wires.

I was a bit confused by this configuration because my assumption is that B1 is line, and through the left switch it caries power up to the red-capped pigtail and that feeds power to the right switch via B5. However when left switch is off, right switch still works.

My assumption is B1 is line, B3 and B4 go to each of the lanterns, and B6 goes to the pole. B2 and B5 join the switches.

Those colors

OK, so B2-B5 (blacks I assume?) are hot all the time, and would be even if B1 and B6 were disconnected.  Those four wires perform the following 4 jobs (and I really don't care which is which, as it's irrelevant):

Always-hot from the supply
Always-hot onward to other points of use
Always-hot to switch 1
Always-hot to switch 2

I like to force particular color codes

Now, cables are made in particular colors, but that does not reflect what functions those wires actually do. I like to re-mark wires using colored tape, using the following color code: :

Bare, green, yellow-green: Ground (mandatory per international law)
White or gray - neutrals (mandatory per NEC)
Black - always-hot (unswitched)
Red - switched-hot e.g. to a lamp
Blue - alternate switched-hot
Yellow - 2nd alternate switched-hot
2 yellows together = 3-way travelers
2 blues together = alternate 3-way travelers
2 reds together = 2nd alternate 3-way travelers

B2-B5 are always-hot and are already black.  I would recolor B1 to red... and B6 to blue.  And also recolor the wires that they splice to from the wall.  So now that your wires are identified, they are same color to same color.

The colors of wire nuts

Colors of wire nuts are a different deal.  They designate wire nut size.  Red is "the biggest in ordinary use". Yellow is next down, fit for 2-3 and sometimes 4 #14 wires.  Orange is good for 2 wires.  They have a lot of overlap in their ranges, but for instance four wires would be too much for an orange.

Their ranges are published and it's best to stay near the middle of the nut's working range.  You can stretch a yellow to work where a red is ideal, but better to just use a red.


What batteries are available for powering outdoor LED lights? I'm trying to build one of these myself (TLDR;
It's a lighting setup for outdoor usage to illuminate a pingpong table).
I would like to know what sort of batteries are available that might help me power this.
I'm a novice and the only types of batteries I'm aware of are
AA/AAA batteries, button cells and car batteries.
Are there batteries that lie somewhere in the middle of this spectrum and are easily available?
I'm looking for a rechargeable battery that can power this setup for 2-3 hours.
I'm suspecting that the LED lamps might require somewhere around 20-30 watts.
As for the rest of the setup I'm thinking of using PVC pipes to build the stand
that holds up the lights and some sort of clamps at the bottom to clip it onto the
net of the pingpong table, while the battery itself can rest on the ground.

The next size up from AA is C.  The next size up from C is D.  You can get both of those in rechargeable, and a sufficient stack of them will cover you just fine.
Over in the lithium world, we have the common 18650 size which about the size of two C-batteries with more energy storage for their size.
Do not underestimate the design challenges of working with LEDs.  Your best bet is to use lights designed to a standard voltage such as 12V "LED strips" and then use 12V batteries.  For instance three lithiums or 10 NiMH batteries will give 12V. Most 12V LED assemblies are tolerant of 11-14V, since those are voltages that will come off a car battery at different times.


Found metal while drilling into a stud I hired someone from Amazon Home Services to install a TV wall mount. As the person was drilling holes into studs, he found metal when drilling one of the holes. He wasn't really sure what he was drilling into. But, he drilled through it anyway, and was able to install the screw and then the TV wall mount.

My house is a newly built townhouse (2019 construction). Should I be worried about something (water leaks, electrical wires short circuiting)?

Thanks,
-Ghulam

Unless you know exactly what it is, do not drill through metal in the wall.  There are so many bad things it can be.  Ductwork in the wall wouldn't be terrible to drill into, but then trying to use a sheetrock anchor in that hole might not be a great idea.

If you are drilling into a stud, and you find metal, it could be a nail protector designed to cover pipes and wires that are run through studs.

These are easy to identify because they will sit directly behind the drywall.  They are thick enough so you can't puncture them by accident, but if you have a drill and are determined, you can drill through it pretty quickly.

If there is a wire behind the plate, the damage might not be immediate or obvious but the damaged wire could cause issues later.  (Of course you can get lucky and not hit the wire).

Plumbing pipe is another common source of metal, but in new construction that has been largely replaced by plastic pipe.  Either way if a pipe is drilled, you get pretty immediate feedback that you messed up in the form of a big leak.


Is wood flooring in bathroom a right decision? We have decided to install wood flooring in bathroom. Is it a right decision??

I'd like to suggest an alternative: There are tile product designed to resemble wood planks. That would obviously yield a much more water-resistant floor.


How do I Unstick a Fixture Mounted to Bathroom Tile Let's say, hypothetically, that I bought one of those lighted, fogless mirrors like this which stick to the tile in your shower and chose a really bad location to mount it. How do I get it off? I thought it would pull off fairly easily, but it feels too stuck and I will just break it by pulling.
Also, if you all have any good recommendations for shower stall mirrors, I'd like to hear them, too.

Dental floss (bathroom handy) or fishing line. Wrap it around a couple of handles (toothbrushes also seem handy in a bathroom) and saw the thing free of the wall.


Can I wire a transfer switch to two separate primary panels? I have 2 separate panels with 100 amp. ratings each - one older one fused, one newer with CB's - each with about 10 circuits. Both have bonded neutrals, using a #6 AWG cable and both have neutral and ground buses bonded together. If the transfer switch wire bundle is run into the older panelboard, can wires be pulled to the newer adjacent box, currently joined by 3/4" conduit, in order to power several circuits in the newer panel when the power goes out? I measured just fractional voltage (e.g., 0.012 volts) between the two panelboard neutral/ground buses with all circuits energized. The transfer switch can carry 10 circuits and 30 amps.

The way your 10 circuit transfer switch works is each switch is a single pole double throw (unless 240 then it is double pole double throw). The “common” switch element “load” leg connects to the generator in 1 position and to the service in the 2nd position. For small units wiring is usually remove wire from breaker connect to transfer switch # 1-10 common element or “load” switch leg. If each switch requires power from the service you run a wire from the breaker to the service side of the switch just connected. Run the Generator neutral / ground to the first panel and the second panel will be ok if fed from the first. If the 2nd panel is a separate feed or service not from the first panel you would be creating a ground loop (not allowed). You would need 1 wire from each breaker to the transfer switch and 1 wire from the “load” or common element/ switch leg of the transfer switch to the wire removed from the breaker. If your transfer switch is Buss fed as many larger ones are there would be 1 main breaker powering the transfer switch. Then powering the 2nd panel if fed from the first L1 & L2 must stay the same in both panels (if you put a breaker from L1 on panel 1 and breaker on L2 in panel 2 with a common buss feeder when going back to the service position it will short the main possibly destroying the 2 switches wiring and tripping the main).  If each transfer switch is powered by the branch service breaker this is not a problem.


How can I avoid hitting wood when cutting through drywall? I was working on concealing some TV wires, and when I cut through the drywall I noticed this wood behind. I did not have this problem in the bedroom.

How can I avoid hitting wood when cutting through drywall?

People typically use low-cost metal detectors and stud detectors to avoid drilling into or opening holes onto electrical wiring, metal structural members or wooden studs etc.

  It's not a stud. Some kind of panel

If a previous owner has somehow attached drywall to what was a completely wood-panelled wall of which you have no knowledge, the only way I'd expect to discover this is by accident when making a hole in the wall.

If the panel is localised, a stud-finder might give you some indications that an area is different from the rest of the wall.

You could buy or rent a DeWalt superman x-ray vision scanner (I may have the model name slightly wrong)


Can I use a 50 amp range cord to connect a new dryer to a 50 amp receptacle? I have read the original posts here, but just want to make sure I am correct.  Just bought a new dryer (been using mother nature for the past year)

I have 50 amp (double pole) breakers in my service panel, labeled "Range Basement" (must have been a range in the basement at one point).  It feeds roughly 25 feet of 6/3 wire, at the end is a 50 AMP 3 prong (all diagonal) range outlet.

I should probably change the breakers to 30 AMP (in case something goes wrong with the new drier), but here is where I am still a little confused.  Do I replace (if I keep the 50 AMP breakers) the outlet with a new 50 AMP, or can I just go down and buy a new 50 AMP range power cord for the drier?

Its obvious that the dryer will never pull enough amps to trip the 50 AMP beakers, and there will never be a Range in my basement again.

The dryer could pull 50 amps if it malfunctions or sustains damage. Use a breaker that's appropriate for the equipment.

Why would you change the cord and not the receptacle? It probably violates code to use a cord with the 50-amp configuration on a 30 amp circuit. Someone down the road could plug a range back in and have an overload situation.

Change the breaker and the receptacle.


Vaper barrier for kerdi lined shower walls I'm using kerdi membrane for my shower area with cement backerboard.  Should I still add a layer of plastic vapor barrier behind the backerboard.  Normally that's required to prevent the studs and insulations from wicking up water from the cement board, but I've seen discussion about water being trapped in the backerboard if the board is lined with Kerdi on one side and water vapor barrier on the other side.  What about the rest of the bathroom, vapor barrier behind greenboards? Any definitive answers?

Kerdi is your barrier if properly installed it will stop water from migrating. I don’t recommend a barrier behind green board it is better than standard sheetrock for moisture but sealing it may cause more problems than can be gained. A good quality exhaust fan with the lowest noise or Sones will do be the best way to go.


Color Temperature, Eye Strain and Headache I work as a programmer this is the second year where I start to get bad eye strain and headache (together with dizziness) starting in september (this is the season where Autumn starts here). I have checked everything with my eyes and with the technical enviroment but everythings seems to be ok here. Now I come up with the idea that in september we usually start do turn on the lights and it might be correlated to this.
We have Osram FH 35W/840 Cool White which has a color temperature of 4000 K. Could that be the problem? What is the right color temperature or lighting installation for this enviroment (sitting in front of a PC every day 10 hours).

First link with an explanation about color temperature, too long to copy here:
http://www.osram.nl/media/resource/hires/333565/light-can-be-white-en.pdf

Basically...

fluorescent tubes x30 are equivalent to halogen light. I installed them in my living room because I like warm light, but warm white (2700 K) was too warm. It will not tire your eyes and won't make you feel too awake at night, so you fall asleep normally
tubes x40 are cheap industrial lighting, warmer than the light outside, but not so warm to make your place feel "home" (yeah this is the best I can go to be short)
tubes x54 are equivalent to outside light, in a bright but not sky-blue day. Not common.
tubes x65 are basically almost blue and equivalent to a day when the sky is without cloud, blue. Not suitable.

The "x" above can be 6, 8, 9. For industrial you use 6, better luminous efficiency, for normal use 8, for specialised work (photo editing/printing studio, expositions, ...) and 8 for the rest.

If you have 840 you should be fine, it's very common. 830 is also common, in my company this is what we use in the offices. I can clearly see that, when the light is on during the day, the office walls close to the entrance appear more reddish/yellowish than the walls closer to the window. But it doesn't matter.

Color-wise you are fine (check also the PDF linked).

If you have old ballasts, they run at 100 Hz and you may unconsciously see some flickering. Better replace them with electronic ballasts. The former produce one or two flashes when you turn the tubes on, the latter make the tubes produce at the first shot the light (do the test in the morning when the tube is cold).

If you have an electronic ballast, and you already have a tube 8(35/40/54), then the source of your eyestrain is something else.

Check the monitor, reduce sources of reflections (or of diffused glare if it is a matte display, as it should be, in general, for office work).

Check the distance between eyes and monitor: it should be at arm-length distance.

Take breaks and look around, outside the window, etc, even 10 seconds every 10 minutes help a LOT, use Workrave for Windows or AntiRSI for Mac.


Samsung Ice maker stopped working Ice maker stopped working.  I replaced the filter, ran 4 gallons water through filter, Rest filter, pushed reset button on ice maker.  Waited 2 days, no ice.  I unplugged the refrigerator for 5 minutes and repeated all previous steps waited 2 days no ice.  The ice maker sounds like it is working but water doesnt come out during the fill process.  I used blow dryer to check if line is frozen even though i didnt see frost or ice build up..help
Oh forgot to mention water works in the door

Mary, how much can you do yourself?  I will share my experience, but I will also preface it with the fact I have my own hand tools, as well as a multimeter for diagnosing electrical problems.  You need to be able to get to the ice maker itself, and be able to disassemble/remove it from the frig, if need be.
I fixed my ice maker within the last year, but my frig. doesn't have water, so YMMV. the troubleshooting is the same. Find the water supply line to the icemaker (it might be different from the one for water dispenser).  the water supply line in the frig. will start at a water solenoid valve that usually is connected to the water supply line of the house (coming out of the wall and w/ a shutoff valve).  easiest way to test the solenoid valve is to disconnect the water supply line (at the solenoid) to ice maker and energize the solenoid to see if it works (this is assuming there's a separate solenoid for each ice maker and water dispenser). Cycle the unit however you can, maybe unplugging and then plugging back in the frig's electrical cord.  If the solenoid for ice maker dispenses water, then the solenoid is okay, and you can move on to next troubleshooting step.  If the solenoid doesn't dispense water, then that's most likely your issue.
Second step, remove the water supply line from the ice maker. You might have to unmount the icemaker from the wall of the frig. the idea is to see that you have water running all the way to the icemaker. if you don't then you have a clog (unlikely) in your supply line between solenoid and icemaker.  You might have to energize that solenoid again to push water through that line. If you do have water there, then go to next step.
Third step: depending on how new your frig is, the icemaker's controls will be mechanical or electronic. Mechanical controls are the lesser expensive option, and so more common to find, even in newer models.  The point is a lot of times the mechanical timer for the icemaker is what craps out.  It's a lot like the timer on a washing machine. It controls the different cycles of the icemaker.  First, the icemaker fills w/ water; then the water freezes; then the bottom of the icemaker heats up to release the ice, and then a mechanical arm/auger lifts/pushes out the ice into the basket. These steps are controlled by the timer.  These timers go bad, and most people will typically replace the whole ice maker, which isn't necessary.  The timers are available and replacing the timer is a whole lot cheaper than the whole ice maker, or even the frig.  The timer is fairly easy to troubleshoot, assuming you want to make sure. this is where the multimeter comes in and cheap ones are available at harbor freight and online if you need one.  the operation of the multimeter is pretty simple and can be learned online relatively quickly on YouTube. you can even find a video that explains these steps and shows where to look and some even show how to setup the multimeter.  A faulty timer is fairly easy to replace.  You might or might not have to remove the icemaker. getting to it will be the most labor intensive part of the job. Mine is in a bottom freeze, and I removed the bottom door and racks/shelving (and all the food) to get to the icemaker.
In summary, I troubleshot and repaired my icemaker to the tune of maybe 30 or 40 dollars, as opposed to spending couple of hundred dollars just for an icemaker and even more for a professional to do it, at which point that's when people decide just to replace the whole frig.  Hope this helps.


Hidden/Floating Hardware for Solid Wood Alcove Shelves? I would like to install some thick pieces of wood to form alcove shelves or a built-in bookshelf.

They will be tied into studs on the left and right. Minimal support in the rear, against a false wall.

I want it to look as if they are floating. I would like to hide as much of the hardware as possible.

Ideally they will be somewhat easy to remove and re-attach, as I will at times need to access the area behind the shelves and false wall.

I've considered some of the common ways to install shelves:

Floating shelf hardware brackets that install from the rear. My shelves will be installed, essentially, against a false wall in the back. I need to secure the shelves instead against the studs on the left and right sides.

Visible wood or metal brackets under the shelves. I would prefer for the beams to truly floating and without much visible hardware.

Constructed box shelves that hide their brackets internally. I already have some nice solid hardwood beams for the shelves, so I don't want to construct something like this.

This is the look I'm going for. (I'm aware this is a constructed 2x4 shelf with veneer.)

How would I attach solid wood shelves in the same manner, with mostly hidden hardware?

Remember that I need the shelves to attach on the left and right, not from the rear.

Edit:  I didn't read the requirement that it be supported on the ends.

The easiest way to support it from the ends would be with z-clips

But they are 2 1/8 wide which is likely too wide.

Tiberhan clips appear to be smaller.  You may be able to recess it into the end of the board to reduce the gap between it and the wall. https://www.amazon.com/Bracket-Tiberham-Interlocking-Stainless-Hardware/dp/B07K6HVYP5  No weight limit is listed.  The failure mode I think would be the screw in the drywall side bending.  A common #8 screw typically has a sheer strength rated at 75 pounds.  With 2 brackets on each end, that gives 4 screws at each end, allowing for 600 lbs.

This, however still leaves a bit of a gap at the wall end.

How about this for an idea:  For a 9.5 inch shelf (2x10) you put a 9" long section of 1" angle iron onto the wall.  The end of your shelf has a pair of blind dados that would accept the angle iron and be flush. Shelf slides in from the front, but is supported on the ends.

Original answer for free floating shelf against a solid wall.

This is actually fairly easy.

Find your studs.  find them for the entire length of the stud -- don't assume that studs are vertical.
Use a laser level and mark your holes.  Also mark a line 1/2 the shelf thickness below or above your line of holes.
Drill an initial hole to match elements of your set of dowel centres.  https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/marking-and-measuring/marking-tools/44995-dowel-and-tenon-centers.  I suggest using a jig to make sure that these are perpendicular to the wall.
Place the dowel centres plug ends in the holes.
This step is easier with 2 people:  Get your board lined up with the line, and pressed against the dowel centres.
Verify that the board is lined up with the line.
Use a mallet and tap the shelf on the edge opposite each dowel centre.  Recheck that you are on the line after each tap.
Get a supply of 1/2" steel bar stock.  Verify that it's diameter is consistent. Cold rolled is more accurate.  You can also use 1/2" diameter bolts
Redrill your wall holes to match the steel bars.  If using bolts initially drill about 1/64" under the nominal bolt size.  This will allow the bolt threads to bite into the stud.
Drill your shelves at the dowel centre mark to match the amount of exposed shaft.  I would use nominal 7 inch bars so that you have 3 inches in the stud, 1/2" in the drywall and 3.5 inches in the shelf.  Use a drill press to get perpendicular holes.
If you want the shelves to be portable, put the threaded end in the shelf, and glue in place with epoxy.
Put the shelf into the matching holes.

Risks:  wires are often run through studs at the centre, 1.5" from the stud's surface.  If you are unlucky you may drill through a wire.  For this reason, I would not put a shelf within 1 foot vertically of an outlet, or within 2 studs of a light switch.

You may find the end of a screw for the room on the other side of the wall's drywall, or the outside wall sheathing.  This will pop the screw or nail and will require some inconvenient repair work.

Cool option:  Use a longer rod, and paint it a lighter version of the wall colour.  (Diluting the wall paint with 1-2 parts white works well)  Now the shelf is really floating:  The back edge of the shelf is 1 to 2 inches away from the wall.  The light painted bars are remarkably hard to see.  This works best when the shelf is NOT in an alcove, but both ends are just ending in the middle of the wall.

Option:  I find that 1.5" thick shelves look clunky.  If you have access to a bandsaw with re-saw capability, you can make shelving out of 2x12, and using a jig to hold it at an angle, slice the board in half along the width, giving  you 2 triangular sections, each 1.5" thick on one edge to essentially zero on the other.


Installing a celling light with 2 black and 1 yellow wire I moved into this apartment and there were no ceiling lights just bare wires hanging from the ceiling socket.
Now i have this light i bought from Ikea which has 2 wires 1 blue (N) and 1 brown(L) and in my ceiling I have following wires:
White
green
yellow
and 2 blacks
white and green wires are just passing through the socket and they have no ends but the yellow and 2 blacks have bare ends.
I have attached pictures if someone can tell me which wires do i have to connect to my light.
Thanks
edit: sorry for not mentioning it before, I live in Dubai, UAE

Do you have a volt meter or a way to detect which of the lines have power?
In my area one of the blacks would be hot but having 3 wires is unusual.
a switched hot goes to the brown wire or L terminal.
The neutral goes to the blue or n terminal.
I would check with a meter to see where there is voltage.
black to black?
then voltage black to yellow?
Last the other black to yellow 0 volts?
I was giving an example as 3 wires would not be normal with 2 the same color if you could take some measurements it would be helpful.
I have seen black as the hot and neutral depending on country.
If you could describe the wires coming in the box I can’t make them out clearly which ones are together etc
No one has answered probably because there is not enough information.


How do those glowing LED faucet aerators power themselves? Do a web search for LED faucet aerator and you'll see dozens of different color-changing faucet aerators (and showers), most of which are powered just from the stream of water. How do they generate the necessary power? Is there a teenie turbine and generator? Some sort of oscillating fin on a piezoelectric bar? Gnomes?

The one I had was powered by either AAA's or stacked "coin" type cells. That, combined with the 2 inches of space lost in the sink made me ditch the whole system. I don't doubt that some are powered with a small turbine (or something like it), but some are just battery powered.


Can I repurpose an unused 6" radon pipe as an electrical conduit? When the house was built, 3 radon pipes were installed between the basement and the attic.  They are 6" PVC plastic are completely within the walls of the home except for their ends. Only one of them is used by the radon sub-slab system.
I need to get get some 120 volt electrical wiring between my attic and basement.   Can I legally repurpose one of the radon pipes as an electrical conduit?  I'm located in New Hampshire, United States.  I'm not sure what the electrical code would say about doing so.
If I can do so, do I need to use a flexible electrical conduit within the radon pipe, or can I just run the Romex through the radon pipe with no additional shielding?

It depends.  The pipe is not listed as a wire way or conduit so it would not be allowed for individual conductors you know that by your question.
If you limited the number of cables using MC for example it could be allowed.
However more than 6 current carrying conductors may be flagged since it is basically just a hole not a listed gutter.
Would I do it as a professional? Yes even with NMB if I cut the pipe so it is completely enclosed in the wall.
Code allows wires run in walls with the finish or covering and doesn't require stapling.
This is even safer for NM, or MC wire types than just in the wall but since it is not a wireway we have to limit the number of conductors and use cables that can be run in the walls, then limit the number so the inspector won’t call out bundling.
Fire block may be required to plug the openings since this bypasses all blocking.


Which to install first...closet doors or carpet? We are redecorating my son's bedroom. This includes converting the large bi-fold closet doors to sliding doors. We have also pulled up the carpet and are installing new carpet and padding. My question is if it is better to install the carpet first or the new closet doors?

Sliding doors may have a track at the bottom if they are doors riding in bottom side wheels. In this case definitely install the track first and fit up the doors. Carpet tack strip will be installed on either side of the track. Doors can be removed during carpet installation.

If the sliders are ones with a top hanger track that the doors hang from on rollers then there will be a center guide bracket that keeps the bottom of the doors aligned. With these you generally want to install carpet first as it will be very difficult to access inside the closet to fit the carpet through the opening with two hanging doors in the way. It will also be possible to better gauge the trim length for the doors once the carpet is in place.

There will be a decision point regarding the sliding door center guide on the floor. The best way to deal with that is to install a small square of plywood right where the guide will be located. This should be about the thickness of the padding. The padding would be cut around this block and carpet laid over the top. The guide will be installed with its screws going through the carpet and into the block below. The purpose of the block is so the guide does not compress the carpet all the way to the floor.


How can I tell if a breaker uses both phases/legs Good day.
I hooked up Sense monitor by adding a 240v breaker to my panel (bottom 2 slots on one leg). Problem is Sense has detected that my breaker is sitting on two slots that occupy the same phase/leg of the panel.
How can I tell of there is 2 slots in the electrical panel that will occupy both phase/legs so that Sense will work properly? From reading I suspect Sense monitor power needs to be connected to both phases/legs.
Panel:

Stab-lok CAT NO. BE 116-32
MAINS 125 AMP.MAX.
120/240 VOLTS A.C.
1 Phase 3 Wire
Y24-863A

Stab-Lok is a PROBLEM
See, for example, What can I do about a breaker that trips frequently on a Stab-Lok panel?
So first read up on Stab-Lok, post a picture of your panel (the pros will recognize it and tell you if it really is a fire hazard, etc.) and determine if this is a concern. If it is a real concern, then dealing with replacement is a much higher priority than hooking up the Sense monitor.
How it SHOULD Work
On many panels (I don't know if Stab-Lok is supposed to work this way or not), a true double (240V) breaker will always hit both legs. The exception is a double-stuff breaker, where it is really two-breakers-in-one. In that case, it normally only hits one leg, and the exception is if it can actually be 1/2 of one leg and 1/2 of the other leg. But that, as I understand it, is only on certain panels where you can have a quad == 4 in one, but really 4 in 2 - i.e., a double-space breaker that has 4 individual breakers, two on one leg, two on the other leg, with the result that the inner breakers can function together as a "double 240V breaker".
FIRST FIGURE OUT THE STAB-LOK!


What to do about a cracked stair when I can't find how the stair is held in place? I've got an old house from the 1950 or so, and it's got these old stairs that go up to the attic; they don't appear to be nailed in or anything (unless the nails are really small).
Well the other day the one step caved in and now I'm unsure of how to proceed to fix it (see photos below):

If we begin with the assumption that the broken piece is to be replaced, then anything that involves destroying only that one piece is fair game -- unless you'll be wanting to create a careful replica of the broken piece there's little reason to restrict yourself to removing it intact. Open up a hole in that plank so that you can feel and then see into the space and you'll gain understanding of how the builder assembled the stairs.
To open such a hole consider a saw that can do a "plunge cut." This means it can cut into the surface of a board as opposed to beginning at an edge. A reciprocating saw with a hook-tip blade can do this, as can an oscillating multi-tool. Another option is to drill a hole through the board and then use a jigsaw to enlarge the hole.
Things to watch out for:

The tread boards could be tongue-and-groove. If so it'll require some care to remove the rear board without damaging the front board.
The riser board is likely to overlap the broken rear tread board. You might have to cut the tread board into pieces that can be slid out from beneath the riser.

As you remove more pieces of the tread board it'll become more clear how the board was secured and which other pieces, if any, will have to be removed to make a good repair possible.


Can an LED Driver be mounted in a Ceiling Electrical box Can an LED Driver be mounted in a Ceiling Electrical box? I want to install a custom LED Lamp fixture to replace the existing bedroom ceiling fixture.

Will it violate code to mount the LED Driver within the existing 2 gang electrical box?

There is nothing wrong with a lamp having an internal DC power supply.

There is also nothing wrong with embedding a DC power supply in a junction box, provided there is a separator between mains AC voltage and DC.  For instance many furnace transformers are packaged as the lid to a standard junction box, or to fit in a standard knockout, with the AC power inside and the DC power outside.  I am unaware of any 12V LED power supplies in those packages, but I haven't really looked.


What type of wood should I use for my wood fence? We have about 100 feet to cover.
My neighbor and I are splitting the cost and we want the best value for the following characteristics:

Longevity/durability
Rot resistance
Termite resistance

We would consider a cheaper wood and add the cost of safely treating the wood to get those characteristics. (We have kids and pets and don't want chemicals fro the treatment to harm them)

No natural wood that I know of will resist termites. Cedar lasts best in Texas. I think redwood may outlast cedar but is considerably more expensive, at least around here. My 6' tall privacy fence has galvanized steel posts, 2x4 pressure treated rails and cedar slats.


Why is my GFCI/Switch combo working in such an odd way? I recently moved into a new apartment, built around 1960.  There was no outlet in the bathroom or within 10 feet,  just a light switch.  So I purchased a CFCI/Switch combo at Lowes. There were only two wires in the box when I opened it up, a black and a white(no ground wire).  I wired it according to the instructions, and everything is working fine, except.  The outlet will not work with the switch in the on position and vice versa, outlet works fine with the light switch off.  Is this normal? I am having trouble shaving in the dark, any advice would be appreciated.

It sounds like your electrical box for the switch does not have the power source (line), only a 2-wire cable to handle the switching for the light; the line comes in at the fixture.

Unfortunately you cannot add an outlet to this configuration as-is. You will need to bring a third wire down into the box from the fixture that will act as a dedicated neutral so that you can have the outlet always powered, and then optionally power the light via the switch.

Based on what you've described, my recommendation would be to bring in an electrician to handle this task for you as it requires pulling a new cable from another junction box and correctly wiring it up.


Installing pull-up bars. Will this design hold? I am installing a series of pull-up bars all the way down my hallway, kind of like really spaced out monkey bars, and would like some advice on my proposed design, b/c I have zero experience with construction, and I want to make sure this is safe.

These bars will need to hold the forces of an 82kg (180lb) person swinging on them and between them.

So far, I have attached a 2x6 Spruce-pine-fir (SPF) board to each side of the hallway, using long deck screws driven into the studs:

This seems to hold really well and supports my weight comfortably.

Next I need to figure out how to attach these flanges to the wood:

Those are 0.25" holes in the base of that flange. These flanges will be holding the steel tubes that will span the width of the hallway.

I guess the most obvious idea is to use lag screws to attach the flanges into the the wood, so something like this:
https://www.lowes.ca/screws/classic-railing-brown-lag-screws-2-12-in-24-count_g2437448.html

Or like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-x-2-in-Galvanized-Lag-Screw-25-Pack-803720/204282531

My concern is that I cannot find definitive info about the shearing force the lag screws can withstand when used with the 2x6 SPF lumber, and I am concerned that there's only 1-3/8" of wood that will be holding the screws. There'll be 4 screws per side, but this still seems a little sketchy to me, considering that I plan to swing on these bars.

My best idea so far is to use 1 long lag screw, and 3 short ones per flange. The long one goes into the stud in the top hole, so the existing deck screw above it shouldn't interfere with the strength of the lag screw (which is likely not true for the bottom hole, where the deck screw would be right under the lag screw, right?).

My secondary idea is to use small 2x6 sections to double-up the wood where the bars attach, thus giving the lag screws 2-3/4" of wood to bite into, but I'm not sure whether this is necessary?

What do you think? Will this hold? Any advice would be much appreciated!

4-each on each end of 1-1/2"x #12 screw is plenty to hold the body weight of a hefty adult male. No need for second layer of lumber.  No need to extend through the 2x6 into the stud. Your 2x6 needs to be secured to every stud, 16" on center, with at least 3" construction screws; not sheet rock screws.

The screws you show from Lowe's would be a good choice for the flanges.  They don't need to be that long.  Predrill your holes to the size of the screw shaft, not the thread diameter.  With predrilling the screws will hold with more strength.


kitchen faucet leaking from swivel My kitchen faucet is leaking at the swivel. I have no idea what type of faucet this is, as it was here when we moved in:

I assume there's some kind of o-ring I can replace here. But, I honestly can't even find a screw to get this thing apart to see what I need.

How do these things usually come apart?
Is this a simple fix once I get this apart?

These usually come apart by first removing the handle. Look for a set screw or cap at the end of the handle base and remove it. Now the cartridge will be exposed. There's usually a large nut or threaded collar that holds it in place. Remove the nut/collar and you should be able to remove the cartridge. You should then be able to see the bottom of the swivel and locate some sort or locking ring. Once removed, you should be able to pull the swivel out, exposing some "o"rings. You would want to replace them.

Even if everything comes apart, there's a good chance the new "o"rings won't solve the leak. If you look closely at the top where the swivel meets the base, you'll see a lot of pitting/corrosion. If that corrosion goes down to where the "o"rings sit, you could be out of luck. It might be time to decide if you really like that faucet or if there's another type you'd like more and replace it.


Efficiency of a heat pump water heater during the winter In my understanding, heat pump water heaters pump energy from the room around the water tank into the water.

Clearly, this must be energy efficient in the summer time, especially if I am using AC anyway. The heat pump water heater may actually cool the house a bit.

However, in the winter time the savings are not so obvious. If I am using a heater to heat the home, including the water tank room, then I don't see how there can be any savings. Instead of generating heat using a coil in the water, I generate heat in another area of the house which gets pumped into the water. A joule is a joule and I need to get it from somewhere. It seems to me that if I am actively heating the house, and lets assume everything is electric, then a heat pump water heater cannot be more efficient than a traditional one.

Am I missing something in the winter case?

You are right that a unitary HPWH is a parasite heating load in the winter...
When most people think of a heat pump water heater, they think of the unitary heat pump water heaters that were mandated as a replacement for large electric tanks (bigger than a 55gal drum) by the NAECA 3 standards, released in 2015.  These have all the heat pump machinery atop the tank, and as a result, draw heat from their surroundings to heat the water in the tank.  This means that they are as Harper said: nice for the utility since they don't have to ship as much electricity to you, but not so nice for you in that you are still paying for 100% of the heat that goes into your water.
However, unitary systems aren't the only game in HPWHville
While unitary heat pump water heaters are the most common type out there in the US, they are not the only type of system on the market.  The Japanese, in particular, developed a very different approach to using a heat pump for water heating, generically called a split system heat pump water heater, and often called an "EcoCute" as a trade-nickname of sorts.
These systems consist of two parts: an interior water tank and an exterior heat pump unit, the latter similar in form-factor to the outdoor units used in mini-split heat pump systems.  Water in these systems comes into the tank, then is circulated from the tank out to the heat pump unit, which heats the water and sends it back indoors to the storage tank.  Hot water can then be drawn from the tank as if it were any ordinary storage water heater, although some split systems use a mixing valve at the heater to maximize efficiency by way of storing water at higher temperatures than it is actually used at.
While more difficult to install than a unitary HPWH (due to the need for outdoor plumbing and accompanying freeze-prevention measures), these do not have the "parasite load" problem in the winter months, and can provide plenty of output in just about all weather conditions short of Arctic winters (the Sanden units are rated for operation down to an ambient temperature of -20°F) without the need for an electric backup heating element.  They also draw less current than the current generation heat pump water heaters under all operating conditions (15A@240VAC for the Sanden units I have researched vs the 30A@240VAC circuit required by most current hybrid/unitary heat pump water heaters), making them more amenable to running off of a backup generator or even off-grid without losing significant capacity, or putting an unreasonable load on the genset or inverter.
Note that while the Sanden units aren't the only split-system heat-pump water heaters out there, most of the other units (the Daikin Altherma comes to mind, although there are others as well) are designed for space heating or combination domestic hot water & space heating loads, and have poor support for being used purely for domestic hot water.
If that's not possible...
In situations where a true split-system HPWH (Sanden EcoCute, Daikin Altherma, etc) isn't feasible, some unitary HPWHs (most notably the Rheem/Ruud units) support duct kits that allow outside air to be pulled in to "feed" the hot water heater.  This can improve efficiency in moderate climates, but is subject to limits as the heat pumps in unitary HPWHs are not built for low ambient operation (with ambient low limits in the 30°F to 40°F range).  It's also possible to put the unitary HPWH in an unconditioned space, but those spaces are becoming scarcer due to trends in modern construction and it also can increase the standby losses the tank is up against in colder climates, so one must evaluate the tradeoffs of this approach carefully.


Light switch with 9 wires I tried to install a dimmer today in the dining area and found my switch is very over complicated. The switch only controls one ceiling light but has nine wires inside.

The 3 white wires are all just connected to each other. Same with the 3 ground wires. Two black wires currently connect to the bottom of the switch and one to the top.

Can I install a dimmer here and how?

This is not overly complicated and is quite typical.

The part of the old switch with two black wires: Remove both wires, splice them with a wire nut and one of the black wires from the dimmer.

The other single wire on the switch: Splice with the other black wire from the dimmer.

The green form the dimmer goes to the ground(s).

LEAVE EVERYTHING ELSE ALONE.


Does the number of links of a chainsaw chain affect the sprocket? How does the gauge of the chain effect the drive sprocket?

I bought a new bar and chain, the pitch is .325, the sprocket is .325 and gauge is .063, but the number of links is 81 instead of 74.

Will it work?

Gauge is the thickness of the drive tangs on the saw chain. Chain gauge must match the groove width on the bar.

The only effect chain gauge will have on standard spur sprockets is the contact area it presents on the spur teeth, thicker gauge = wider contact area.

Rim Sprockets use a pocket that must be wide enough to allow the drive tangs to seat.

Pitch is the length of the links that make up the chain, basically the distance spanned by three rivets divided by 2 and chain pitch must match the sprocket pitch so the chain is properly driven.

The reason for measuring over the span of three rivets and taking the average to calculate pitch is that the drive link has the rivets closer together than the tooth and span links.

Where the pitch matters, as shown on the simpler spur sprocket chain drive mechanism on an electric pole saw. Chain drive tangs must be the right distance apart to engage the sprocket teeth properly.

This leaves the remaining variable which is the number of links. More links, longer chain which must of course be accommodated by having a longer bar. Since the chain is seven links longer (81-74), the chain will be about 2.3" longer. If the bar nose radius on the new bar is equal to that of the old bar, your new bar should be about 1" longer.

Also, there are different geometries on saw bars that can be used to take up that extra length which only can be seen by comparing the old bar against the new bar.


What is this green cap for? This picture is from a 2nd floor apartment in Colorado. 1st floor is empty, unoccupied retail space. In the apartment's kitchen area there is a enclosed area which is finished with what looks like mold resistant drywall:

In the box around this area, there is a small, green cap, which I have no idea about what it is for:

There is no discernible writing on it. I'd guess that it connects to the retail space below, but the space has never been used or rented.

Any idea what it could be?

I agree with Ecnerwal. Given the retail space below, and the desire to not disturb that space with future construction needs, it's probably a conduit for power or data cabling.

I'd remove the cap (assuming that it's not glued on) and do some sound testing to find the other end. It's likely in a utility room.


Remove paint residue from ladder How can I remove these stains from my ladder? Do I need some sort of special cleaner or would some regular household cleaner work as well?

Don't waste your time.  Trying to prevent a ladder from being covered in paint is like trying to keep a war hero's uniform from getting covered in medals.  Exactly like that, in fact.

Paint stains means the ladder has been doing useful work.  When did that fall out of fashion?

Assuming it is latex paint, your best bet is to catch it right away with soap and water.  Soaking it in water helps soften the latex paint if it's fairly new.  For oils and 2-part paints, fuggedaboutit.


What is the best quick repair for a drain pipe? In particular, a cast iron drain pipe. It doesn't have to be pretty, but needs to be effective and should last until it can be fixed properly.

Depending on how and where it broke it going to affect what you can use.  I'm going to assume you're not looking for a suggestion of duct tape.

For long straight sections, where I had to cut a pipe, I've used rubber pipe connectors.  You just slip it on one side of the break, align the pipes, and slip it over the break and tighten down the hose clamps.

There also exist pipe wraps that harden to do temporary repairs, that you can find in most hardware stores, but I've never used it.

I've used epoxy putty when I had a leak right at a coupling, so I wasn't able to get wrap something tightly right where it was.  You just knead it together, press it into the leak, and wait for it to set up.


3 wire outlet.i know white goes with silver and black with copper. Does the order they go matter? There's six wires plus a ground. Wich one goes where?1234?♂

Pigtail
You have 3 sets of wires in cables. One comes from the main panel (or from a previous device in the circuit). The others go to 2 other locations. But they are all effectively the same.
As far as I can tell, the old setup (and what you are trying to do now) includes two wires on a single screw. You can't do that. Or alternatively, one set of wires in backstabs and the others on screws, which is legal but not recommended. Instead, use pigtails:

Connect all 3 blacks together with a wire nut and an additional short length of black wire. Connect the pigtail to the top brass screw.
Connect all 3 whites together with a wire nut and an additional short length of white wire. Connect the pigtail to the top silver screw.

If you don't have any extra wire around to use for pigtails, get some. You may want to get Romex, aka NM, aka cable. In any case, you must make sure the wire is the same size or larger than the existing wire. That means using either 12 AWG (which will work for 15A or 20A circuits) or, if you are sure the circuit is a 15A circuit, 14 AWG.
In addition to avoiding the backstabs, using pigtails will allow this receptacle to be removed (provided you cap the pigtails with wire nuts) and still have the other devices on the circuit function properly.


Under Cabinet LIghts - Anything Exist That's Not Harsh White? I'd like to replace the old fluorescent white tube lights under my cabinets.  I hate that harsh white color and want something warmer.  Does such a thing exist that could be hard-wired into the existing circuits and switches?

I've seen halogen before but my recollection is that they tend to get quite hot.  LED lights seem to be the latest trend, but I'm wondering if they're white as well.

What you are interested in is the color temperature rating, rated in Kelvins.

Lower K rating is redder (2700K Warm White), higher is bluer (5000K Daylight).

LEDs and fluorescent tubes use phosphor technology to produce the light and by changing the phosphor mix, unlike other lighting, can be made available a wider range of Kelvin ratings.

If you're already using T-8 (1" dia), T-5 (5/8" dia) or T-4 (1/2" dia) tubes, you might get by just by changing the tubes out from the Cool White or Daylight color you describe for Warm White.

I wouldn't bother if you have T-12 (1.5" dia) tubes, these bulky old, larger tubes require more power in both the ballast and the tube to produce light. Best to swap to LED lighting, pricing has come down and the fixtures are a lot smaller.

Kelvin ratings of common lighting:

Candle 1800K
Tungsten Incandescent 2700-2800K
Tungsten Quartz Halogen 3200K
Cool White Fluorescent 4300K
Bright Sunlight 5600K

Standard 4 ft T8 Warm White - F32-T8-827

Note: Technically, there are two types of LED systems out there, Native color LEDs that emit a certain color of light due to the elemental makeup of their PN junction and White Light LEDs that emit UltraViolet light and use phosphors embedded in their plastic casings that fluoresce in the visible spectrum to convert it to perceived white light. The first are specified by the nanometer light wavelength emitted (color), the second by their Kelvin rating.

White Light Phosphor LEDs most closely approximate the spectrum of lighting we are already acquainted with.


Plugging compressor into 240v dryer plug (NEMA 10-30R) I've recently received a compressor that has a NEMA 6-50P plug on it.  I would like to plug it into my current dryer receptacle which is a NEMA 10-30R.

Voltage and amperage-wise, I think everything should be fine.   The compressor seems to have a FLA of 15 amps - so the downgrade to 30amps should still leave more than enough.

It looks like the current plug was added or changed at some point, so I don't know if it was originally 6-50.

My concern is more around the grounding of everything.  I went out and bought a replacement plug for the compressor that is a 10-30 but I don't feel comfortable enough testing this without someone (who knows more about this than me) sanity checking my setup.

The compressor itself does make mention of "when grounded supply is available..." with a diagram, so it seems it should be able to operate in either condition...? (see the last pic below)

Btw, I rent the house, so I would like to avoid changing the receptacle if at all possible.

My question(s) is/are:

Should I be able to simply change out the 6-50 plug with a 10-30 plug in this case, since the FLA is only 15AMP?
Are there any special concerns I need to worry about around the grounding of it?
Based on the diagram and note on the compressor, does it appear that I need to change something there for the grounding (I'm a little confused by it).

I've included several pics below which should illustrate exactly how it's currently wired up with the 6-50 plug.  I would appreciate it very much if someone could chime in and help me get this switched over to 10-30.  Thank you for your assistance!

The new plug:

The old plug:

(full res)

(full res)

The switch on the compressor (one cord is the power cord, one goes out to the motor):

Wires going into the motor:

(full res)

(full res)

Compressor information (including diagram related to grounded vs ungrounded supply):

Update, per @threephaseeel's request, here is the receptacle:

Update #2

Red, Black, and White wires for receptacle in question:

(full res)

(full res)

(full res)

(full res)

This is a panoramic pic showing water pipes near the receptacle.

First, a few things about this situation.

NEMA 30A and 50A receptacles are not built for frequent use.  If you are swapping plugs in and out regularly, the receptacle or plugs are bound to fail.
Dryers and ranges hooked up via NEMA 10 have a very dangerous failure mode. If there's any problem with the neutral wire between the appliance and the panel, the chassis becomes energized at 120V. This is legal because these large appliances are rarely moved and rarely plugged/unplugged.  As such these connections are not legal for new installations.
Despite much searching, we here have found nothing in Code which prohibits putting two receptacles on the same 30A circuit.
Retrofitting grounds is only legal at existing receptacle sites.  You cannot install a receptacle in a new location and retrofit ground to it.
Because you are renting, you need actual permission from the landlord. Failure to obtain it is grounds for eviction.
Electrical work on a rental property usually must be done by a licensed electrician.  That does not apply to power cords on appliances.
"Belt and suspenders" doesn't work with neutrals and grounds.  You must not have 2 places neutral ties to ground.
Hokey-dokey patchwork is absolutely out of the question.  It will create serious liability for both you and the landlord.  Further, the rules of this forum require code-compliant solutions. Don't violate Code - seriously.

So here's what that adds up to.

I know you don't want to change the receptacle, but NEMA 10 is so dangerous, especially with frequent plug changes, that it's really time.  So I'm going to ask you to make the big leap.

From discussion, it sounds like retrofitting a ground wire will be logistically easy to do, with nothing in the way.  This can be a simple bare #10 wire, installed using normal wiring methods.   The new NEMA 14-30 receptacle will replace the old 10-30 receptacle.  The hots and neutral will transfer over to their same terminals, and the ground pin gets the retrofit ground.

The retrofit ground wire then goes to one of these places:

The service panel's ground bar
To a proper junction point on any grounded circuit whose ground wire is 10 AWG or larger back to the panel
To a ground screw in any steel junction box which has all-metal conduit all the way back to the panel (metal conduit is a legal grounding path). Junction boxes have a threaded #10-32 hole for a similar machine screw.  You can also use a bolt and nut.  Don't use sheetmetal screws or nails.
To any part of the grounding electrode system, which is the bare wire(s), stranded or solid, which come out of the service panel and go to ground rods, water pipes, etc.  Do not cut these; clamp to them with a "split bolt".  Do not clamp to a water pipe.

Then you'll need to get the manual for the dryer and follow its instructions to change the dryer cord to a NEMA 14-30.   I was looking for a way to avoid this but I can't find one.  A neutral-ground jumper needs to be removed from the dryer; failing to do so creates a fire hazard.

You'll also need to change the compressor socket to a 14-30 also; obviously.  In its case you will not hook up the neutral wire.

Now if you really wanted to, you could install a second 14-30 receptacle right next to the dryer (or somewhere else), that would eliminate the frequent plug changes.

Now because you are in a rental unit, the landlord needs to approve it and most likely, because it is a rental unit, local code requires that an electrician needs to do the work.  There is absolutely no downside for the landlord; switching to a 14-30 receptacle makes the unit safer.

Electricians only need to hook up wires. They are not required to clear paths for wires, place ground wires, design the circuit or do other preparatory work that is beneath an electrician.  I am guessing this will be a quickie job.


Can I use rubber bumper pads to prop open a door? I live in a one person apartment. Since no one else lives there, I don't need the door to my bedroom to close. Actually, I would prefer if it could be permanently propped open. The reason is, if I have my hands full, I can open the door without moving my hands. Or if I'm carrying a glass of water, I can always have 2 hands on the glass and open the door with my back. This is impossible if the door is latched. I would like to stop the door just before it latches.

I searched on Google Images and found these rubber bumper pads. They're clear and practically invisible. I was thinking I would place a few of them on the sides and they would make sure the door doesn't shut. I think they're from 3M, which I have used their products to hang wall art. Those products worked like a charm. My pictures to this day stand up.

I think this is the solution to this problem, but I would like to confirm with the experts on this website. There shouldn't be a problem with applying these rubber pads to the side of my bedroom door, right?

Insight is greatly appreciated.

Sounds more like a case for a doorstop -- either wedge style, or flip-down, or (what's becoming my personal favorite) magnetic -- to hold the door open rather than arguing with the latch. And that would leave you with the option of closing the door if you ever have houseguests or other reasons to do so.