How to design unit with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 laundry, 1 kitchen and 1 living room that has very open space? I have a land with 17x12 =204 sqm. I want to use just 12x10 =120 sqm for my unit, so 84 sqm is the outside of the unit.

I want to design my unit that has very open space for the  living room. I also want to have a big kitchen.

The unit should have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 laundry, 1 kitchen and 1 living room.

Here is what I designed my unit, but I am not sure it is the best design.

In the picture, each cell represent 1 sqm. The entrance is at the back of the unit. There is a balcony but no enstrace in the front of the unit

Can u come up different design for my unit?

"Can you come up with a different design?"

Many. Enough that it isn't worth describing any one of them.

"How to design...?"

That's an endless topic, but I can suggest a few starting points:

Think about how you're actually going to use the space, for everything from large parties to quiet times to needing to get away from each other.

Think about how much time you're going to spend where, what furnishings are going to go where, and what that says about how space should be distributed.

Think about sound isolation.

Think about traffic patterns, and make things as convenient as possible.

Think about whether you really want/need two full baths. Think about whether one of them wants to be attached to a bedroom to create a "master suite".

Think about whether some of these functions can share some of their floor space -- eg, if the laundry room can be combined into one of the baths or the kitchen, that may free up space to be used for other purposes. Plumbing work may be cheaper if most of the things which use water are close to each other (sharing a "wet wall", for example).

Think about whether you're designing for you own needs and don't care if it's too odd to sell easily or for a good price, or whether you're designing it for resale value and need to conform to current conventions, or something between the two.

And so on. And on. And on. There's no single best answer to any of these questions. If you're designing, you need to work through all the tradeoffs, look at lots of other designs for ideas, and generally spend time drawing up alternatives until you find one you're satisfied with.

Remember that non-loadbearing walls can be added or ripped out later, and even things like plumbing can be relocated to some extent. Doing so may not be cheap, but you do have that option if you decide you've really made a serious mistake.


Outlet giving off a burning smell There is an electrical outlet in a room in my house giving off a strange smell. It smells kindof burnt? It happens almost immediately when something is plugged in/turned on and I promptly turn off/unplug every time so I don't know what might happen if left on/plugged in for an extended period of time (and the outlet is in my young daughter's bedroom so I'm not too inclined to find out). If something is plugged in and off (like a lamp in the off position), the smell does not happen. But if it's plugged in and turned on (lamp turned on or something like an alarm clock that has no on/off switch and is thus always "on"), the smell comes within about 30-60 seconds and is quite strong. We've tested this on a number of different things to conclude it's the outlet and not the thing being plugged in. My husband replaced the receptacle and cleaned the dust & debris out of the box, but the problem persists. He noted that there was no discoloration of the receptacle, wires, or the box, though there did appear to be some mild corrosion on the wires he believed to be the result of arcing. The thing was old, but otherwise appeared normal.

Any ideas what the problem could be and how we can fix it?

If you've replaced the outlet and are still getting the burning smell, then there is a serious fault in the wiring that needs to be corrected before you use the outlet again.

Unfortunately, if the inside of the junction box and all the visible wiring looks good, then finding and repairing the fault could require tracing house wiring inside your walls, which usually means making holes in the walls1.

But before you go that far, look inside all the adjacent outlet boxes, even the ones on the other side of the wall2. Outlets are often chained together and when one doesn't work it can be a fault in that outlet box or in the previous one.

Be sure to call in professional help if you are not certain that you have found the problem.

Please let us know how this is resolved. Many posters come here to ask about a fatally dangerous condition and are never heard from again. It makes me wonder how many people I've killed with my advice.

Or just keep using the outlet, and eventually the fire department
will make the holes for you.
I know, you said the smell is just around the one outlet, but check
anyway.


How to finish kerfed arch We are remodeling our house and we bought an antique arched double door and I am building the arch trim (it is not a circle arch).  I have a table saw with kerf blade and am planning on kerfing the some wood to create the jamb.

My question is, how do you finish the jamb?  How do you hide the cuts?  Seems like you would have to veneer surface?  What about the sides where the reveal is?

Been searching the interwebs and all I can find is someone filling all the holes with wood filler, which seems like it would work but I didn't know if there was another way.

Generally kerfing would be used for the face board of the curved arch with the saw cuts facing toward the rough opening framing. There is a technique that can be used where you make a form for the curved piece with a couple of layers of 3/4" plywood and then glue and clamp a 1/8" layer of plywood to the web fingers of the kerf cuts to strengthen the piece a huge amount. This could look like this in process.

The part of the face board not penetrated by the kerf cuts is the portion of the edge of the face board that can be the reveal by the edge of the trim.
The trim itself would not be bent into a curve using kerf cutting. Instead that would be made in a variety of ways. One way is to bend wood with a hot steam approach. Another as mentioned in comments is to glue together many layers of thin wood material. A simpler approach that is often used is to cut pieces of wood in segments and join end to end. These are made up wider than needed and then cut into a curve across the pieces similar to as shown below. It the trim wants to have a non-flat profile that can then be cut after the curve is cut using a shaper or router.

The number of segments that you choose to use will depend upon the look you want to attain with the wood grain. If it is a painted application then you can use longer segments.


Do I need to reuse these radiator connectors, or should I get new ones? I have finally got around to removing an old damaged Stelrad radiator - I have an identical one waiting to go on the wall but despite using a fair amount of force, the connectors don't appear to want to come off. Looking inside them, the olive seems quite damaged anyway.

Is best practice to buy a new pair of these - and what should I ask for if so? I can get whatever measurements I need from them but am unsure what is important.

Here are some pictures of the connections. Obviously these are the bottom of the radiator - I have inverted it to show more clearly.

I can't see where to get a good grip:

Detail inside:

New radiator:

what should I ask for if so?

Radiator valve tails

  I can't see where to get a good grip

Use a large allen key (hex key) inserted into the bore. Probably 12.7mm (½") "radiator key" / "radiator spanner"

Workarounds include

Use a smaller allen key wedged in with a flat screwdriver
Attach an old/spare radiator valve, tighten the nut and turn the valve to unscrew the tail.

  whatever measurements I need

I surmise they're standard across the UK. My habit is to take the old parts to the store when buying replacements. A specialist plumbers supply store will have someone knowledgable behind the counter. Last time I did something like this (but not this), I walked in, silently plonked the old part on the counter, almost before it hit the counter the bloke behind it casually reached under the counter and then placed an exact replacement part on the counter next to mine and told me the price.

Source: How to Install a Radiator


Weather proof connection from FMC to box I usually use these clamp connectors to connect flexible metal conduit to a box:

However, I am now installing a weather proof light fixture box outside of a shed (just surface mounting it, poking the FMC through the wall straight into the back of the box - basically like this but surface mounted). So I didn't think that warranted fully water proof conduit, but I can't seem to find any connectors that will keep water out of the box at the connection point. Do I not need to be worried about this?

In my opinion FMC is no good for this application, even though it's only barely outside, it's not rated for outdoor use.  (I realize lots of people would either disagree or figure it's close enough and run with an indoor rated wiring method.)

The easiest thing to do would probably be to set a box inside and transition from FMC to UF cable - run the UF through the wall to the back of the box with a suitable waterproof connector such as this one from Arlington:

http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/non-metallic-cable-fittings-and-supports/uf-connectors/UF50

To connect the UF connector to the inside box, you could use an indoor-rated clamp as long as it's listing / instructions / labelling says it's for use with UF.  It might be easier to just use the outdoor connection indoors as well.

You might be able to find what's called a "transition fitting" or a "this-to-that" that will connect UF directly to FMC but again it's probably simpler and easier to just transition in a box.


What's the term for a hole with a screw thread? I'm replicating a drawer handle that fits on an M4 screw. If you'd look inside the plastic hole, you can see a gold-colored metal tube that has screw threads. That's what the screw screws into.

My question is: What is the technical term for this metal tube? I want to order some of those.

That is simply called a threaded insert.    It is either first placed into the mold, then plastic injected,  or pressed in after the plastic handle is injected.   Google images for "threaded inserts for molding".

McMaster Carr or Fastenal if you want to buy some.


10d nail gun or # 8 screws I have to do a one side 8ftx6” slab repair on 6 lower chords on my trusses. I can use 10dx3 nails or #8x3 screws.
Do you think it would be better to use nail gun or screws?. I understand nails have better shear strength but not sure if that is an issue on this application. And if i use screws, do they have to be structural screws? I asked the engineer but he is an ass and will not answer more questions without paying him more. I have about 80 fasteners to install. Thanks Dean

With that many I would probably use nails in my gun. If you don’t have a gun but do have an impact driver I would use screws , this would be the last time I used that guy , yes there are structural screws I like fasten master torx head, these have a long smooth shank with the threads on the bottom 1/2 maybe slightly less on 3”.


How do I cut an angled cut with low clearance? I need to cut a header down on an angle to match my stairs. It needs to be cut on a 51° angle, which my circular saw can handle, but there isn't enough clearance under the joists to get my saw in there.

What kind of tool should I use to cut this? I have marked lines on the front and back, and I'm considering using a reciprocating saw and just trying to hold it steady. Is there a better way?

Easiest would have been to cut it before placing, but I really had to whack that thing to get it in and regardless it's in place now.

Update:

I just used a hand plane and started going to town. It worked surprisingly well.

If you can get a rough cut with a Recopicating saw, you can use a handheld power planer to finish the cut and get the right angle.  Just attach a scrap piece, cut at the correct angle, to the planer fence.


Can a toilet be moved 6 inch to the right? I want to move my toilet over horizontally by 6 inches. Is there an "S" shape pipe piece I can use to connect my existing plumbing to my toilet?

Is there any other simple solution to getting this done? Anything that is shy of having to re-plumb the 4 inch pipe going to the bowl is desirable.

Here is some context on the toilet project... the toilet in question is in a 2nd floor bathroom. Since I am taking things down to the studs I can pull up the sub floor and expose the pipe. The pipe is plastic.

If you strip down the floor, it is an easy job to extend the 4 inch PVC to the new closet flange.  You have to have a new closet flange anyway, so a coupling, 6 inches of pipe, a new elbow and you're in business.

Re-plumb it and avoid a lot of grief in your life, like leaks coming down through the ceiling. The Micky Mouse adapter in the last answer is completely unacceptable for toilet waste.


How should I connect this new ceiling light? I purchased a light fixture and the wires attached to the fixture are white, black and green.  The junction box where I am planning to install the light was unused and therefore capped.  When I removed the cap I came across the following wires:
- 2 x white bundles
- 1 x black bundle
- 1 x orange bundle
- 1 x green bundle
- 1 x single pink wire

How should I connect the light fixture?

Here's some context.  the ceiling fixture would be controlled by a switch on the room, HOWEVER, it would/should also be also be connected to a master all-off switch by the front entrance.  If this power-off switch is in the off position all light switches can't turn on.

Update:  I opened up the room switch and there's only one pink/red wire attached to it.

Thanks everyone who provided advice.  I was able to get the light working properly.  I had to connect the fixture's:

Black wire to the junction box pink/red wire
White wire to white wire
Green wire to green wire


How can I rehang heavy fire doors? I need to re-hang a sagging door (actually several).  I've seen this question and answer, but wonder if my situation doesn't call for something a bit different.  My issues: 1) its a heavy fire-door with a door-closer.  2) It is currently hanging completely on the door jamb.  3) Each hinge has 4 screw holes.  2 screws probably won't be able to bite the stud no matter what I do.  For the other two screws I could probably get a minimum of 1/4-3/8 in clearance away from the edge of the stud if I angle the screws slightly.

I'm wondering if I'm just better off using machine screws with washers and nuts.  I'm grateful for any advice.

I see in your picture that there is a wooden shim between the door frame and the jack stud.  Typically the frame should be screwed into the jack stud separately from the door hinge.  The small door hinge screws should only have to hold onto the frame of the door and usually don't need to be driven into the wall stud.

A fire door can be quite heavy though and might need a bit more.

You can see here that they make door hinge hardware that comes with at least one extra long wood screw that will anchor your door hinge to both the door frame and the jack stud.  This will also further strengthen the door frame itself.

Go to the door accessory section of your local hardware store and find where they keep plastic packs of door hinge hardware.  Each hinge typically comes with short screws and one long screw.  Each pack is cheap, usually under $4, you will need three.  Make sure you match the shape and hole pattern of the existing door hinge.


Do I need to relocate the shower and open the floor again if I rotate by basement bathtub 90 degree around the drain point? In the picture below (current layout) the shower heads will be located in the corner on the exterior wall.
As you can see in the new layout I would like to install a new bath tub but this time along the exterior wall AND keep the shower head and the water pipes/ and the tap in the same position/
Are there any pros and cons for this plan?
Can I expect to have to open the floor again to reposition the drain IF the drain is off a couple of inches (2-3in)? Is there a solution to avoid that?
As you can guess I am trying to not to have to redo the plumbing
Here is the current layout

and here is the new layout

The location where the tub drain is, typically has an area of the floor where the drain is that is not poured, so the p-trap can be adjusted the final amount for the connection to the tub. You most likely will need to cut out the old p-trap to configure the new one.
I am not certain of the code, but for one sink you can use 1 1/2" pipe for the drain, but since you have 2 sinks, you will need to run 2" pipe. That means drilling 2 1/2" to 2 5/8" holes through the 3 1/2" studs, not leaving much for strength. In addition, you will need to run a vent line to tie back in to the original as well. Vents are to be within 5' of a sink or tub. If the vent comes off the tub drain, you may be in luck, but if it come off the old sink location, it will need to be added. Back at the drilling, you cold notch the pipe, leaving 1" on one side and use a reinforcement piece that guards the pipe from fasteners and strengthens the notch.


Bathroom exhaust in finished attic I have a finished attic with bathroom where there is currently no exhaust. I am thinking of installing an exhaust fan in this space. I have following questions.

1) Can I install a fan that directly vents thought the roof?

2) What kind of exhaust fan do I need? I imagine space is tight between the finished drywall and roof boards.

3) Can this type of installation cause any moisture or ice-dam issues as the part of the insulation will have to be removed to accommodate fan? I live in the northeast.

Thanks!

They do make roof vent kits for bathroom fans. The only problem I could see if you get a lot of snow it could get covered but other than that it would be like any standard roof vent.


Preparing cedar board & batten siding for new solid color acrylic stain ... what makes sense for time I own a circa 1986 ranch style home in the often cold & snowy northwest (Buffalo, NY) area.  It is cedar board & batten as you see below. Size is approx 40' x 65'.

I believe the color is original, it may have an additional coat or two (hard to tell but the stain peels off thick). I may opt to vinyl side it, but asking for tips here as I'm leaning towards keeping the look and my main question is what methods of "expedient" preparation make the most sense for this condition cedar?

Some of it is in very good shape, but I'd say 85% easily looks like below.

I've considered using chemicals. Is it worth the additional investment or is pressure washing or scraping or planing outright - more sensible? Must it be sanded anyways?

I've pressure washed it with 45 degree in some areas and find that a pre-wetting and follow up blasting does loosen up some of the stain but I'm finding it is far easier and quicker to have the wet stain "peeled" off by hand like a banana. When it is dry, it adheres pretty well, but again, if I grab a flake, I can peel off 2-3 even 6' of it, and it is definitely taking wood with it. Basically, there doesn't seem to be any way to get the stain off without taking wood with it. Sanding is SLOW. Can I use a power wheel (since it appears it needs to be sanded anyways)?

I've never owned a cedar sided house, and I know cedar is soft, in fact some of it is split apart or rotted and must be replaced. Is what I've pictured below worth salvaging? I believe it is, but would like to hear from some pros.

Here was a test with the new color applied over the top of the old to check for bleeding. It was scraped and sanded in some spots as well, and the coverage looks good. When it dried, it adhered well, and didn't rub off:

Here is one of the existing stain seen where the wood is already significantly pitted, While I did pressure wash the surface, the removal of stain was done by hand. It is seen how much wood and wood grain is damaged and this is not from the washer:

Area that was washed/peeled, and the batten sanded with 80 grit, looks like it will turn out fine after quite a bit of work:

Well, you're in for a ride. Solid stain's application is really no different than paint's. For woods like Cedar and Redwood that bleed a lot of tannin, you'll need 2 coats of primer after sanding down to your desired look.

Meaning, if the Cedar has heavy grain like the first picture, then you only want to lightly sand. If you want smooth, then you'll sand a lot. The best results will be from Rustoleum's Deck Start primer, it's the only acrylic one and will therefore compliment your stain's structural properties.

As far as stripping goes. For any stubborn spots I'd go with Dumond's Smart Strip, it hasn't failed me like all others have. It's expensive, but won't harm you, the grass nor the wood. It can be a come-back-tomorrow-stripper, but I think your 1-coat will be ready in a few hours. So, continue your current methods and then Smart Strip the remainder.


Filling in gaps between pavers with a caulk-like material? I was walking home the other day and came across a group of workers installing pavers for a driveway.  The thing that caught my attention was one guy who was filling in the gaps (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch) between the pavers with a caulk gun loaded with a tube that contained some kind of tan material.

I've used sanded caulk before, but only indoors.  I'm assuming that this is something similar, but designed for a slightly harsher environment.

What was this material, and what are the advantages and disadvantages to using this to fill the gaps between pavers?

It could very well be an outdoor sanded caulk, meant to seal the gaps in the pavers to prevent weeds and water, which can disturb a nice level surface of pavers over time. I mean, if you'd trust a 1/2" bead of general-purpose silicone caulk to seal flashing on your roof, I would trust it to perform similarly in most any other application.

It could also be a grout-like substance, used in much the same way as for tile. This kind of material would be more rigid, and I wouldn't count on it lasting very long if you get cold winters; it'll crack, loosen and eventually crumble away as the pavers, and the ground itself, shrinks and expands.


Fix deep Scratches on hardwood floor I notice deep cracks on hardwood floor all over like below. We really like the house and buy it. Is this a major problem or a common one

Those are really deep scratches, you can't fix those completely. You could get rid of the smaller ones and fill up the bigger ones, you'd need to sand the whole floor down and refinish it though or it would look worse. At the end of that it may not look that much better, then the only option is replace the whole floor.

If it was me I'd invest in a rug which would cover that area, or I'd just live with it.


Why does my generator throws 220 volts to one leg when put under load My generator when running showed proper voltage on both the 220 and the 110 outlets, and when wired to a house panel during a power outage it reads the proper voltage at the panel. However, when I start throwing breakers on, and putting a load on it, the full 220 volts jumps to one of the 110 legs, and when the breakers are off it is back to normal.

I have lost many appliances. I took it to what I thought was a reliable repair shop, and they said they fixed it. Well, needless to say, one more power outage and the same thing, lost my entire kitchen again.

I have built many houses with this generator using the 110 outlets, saws, compressors, and all at the same time, and it has kept up with the whole crew, and it always starts on the fist pull. I hate to get rid of it, I have not seen any one online with this problem. Please help.

Without more information I'm guessing a bit, but I'll bet that you're connecting your generator's 220VAC across your house's two 120VAC phases, with no neutral connection. That will work fine, IF you are drawing equal amounts of power from the two phases.

But what if you aren't? Let's say you plug a 1500W hair drier into one 120VAC outlet, and a 100W lightbulb into another 120VAC outlet, and they're on opposite phases. The only path for the current from the generator goes as follows:

From one generator output into the hair drier
Out of the hair drier into the house neutral
Out of the house neutral into the lightbulb
Out of the lightbulb back into the generator

So, you've basically connected the hair drier and lightbulb in series across the generator. But, since the hair drier's impedance is so much lower than the lightbulb, the lightbulb will bear the brunt of the 220VAC generator output, and will blow before the hair drier even starts to get warm.

(This is a general principle; if you have two devices in electrical series, the one with the greatest resistance will dissipate the greatest amount of power.)

So, as you flick the circuit breakers on, you're inevitably adding unbalanced loads to the two sides of your breaker panel. Bingo: the less-loaded side will see higher voltage, perhaps even a drastically higher voltage.

(Note that even if your generator has a neutral, and you're using it, there's no guarantee that drawing a lot of current from one of the two phases won't mess with the voltage on the other phase.)

For way too much detail, here's a simplistic calculation, based on the standard voltage, current, resistance and wattage calculations:

Current (amps) = Voltage (volts) / Resistance (ohms)
Power (watts) = Voltage * Current = Voltage^2 / Resistance

Based on its wattage, the resistance of the lightbulb is:

100 Watts = 110V^2 / Resistance
100 Watts = 12100 / Resistance
Resistance = 12100 / 100 = 121 ohms

Based on its wattage, the resistance of the hair drier is:

1500 Watts = 110V^2 / Resistance
1500 Watts = 12100 / Resistance
Resistance = 12100 / 1500 = 8 ohms

The total current of the circuit is:

Current = Voltage / Resistance
Current = 220 / (121 + 8) Ohms
Current = 1.7 amps

Voltage across the hair drier is:

Voltage = 1.7 amps * 8 ohms = 13.6 volts

Probably not enough to even spin the blower. But, what's happening to our poor little 100W lightbulb? Let's see:

Voltage = 1.7 amps * 121 ohms = 205 volts.
Power = Voltage * Current = 205 * 1.7 = 350 Watts. (Pop!)

(To check the calculations: if you add the two calculated voltages, you get 205V + 13.6V = 218.6V, which is close enough to 220V for our purposes.)


What type of copper pipe do I need for a typical LP gas range? I need to buy ~25' of copper pipe to fix our badly kinked stove line.  It looks similar to (but worse than) this pic:

I won't be able to measure the pipe for a couple days and the guy at Lowes wasn't able to help me determine what kind of pipe I need.

The pipe I'm using looks like the pipe in this image and is the only pipe I have seen connected to stoves before.  I don't know the exact diameter, but it is approx the size of my pinkey (say, around 1/2").  The guy from the gas company who recommended replacing the pipe said that I could get the same thing, or a newer version with a yellow coating that would be slightly better (I read that as more durable).

I thought this was a pretty standard kind of thing though, no?  Does anyone have a good guess of what I need to ask for at the hardware store?

I'm not sure exactly where this pipe is, or how far back the pipe runs. Though most codes now call for a shutoff valve be installed for each appliance, in the same room and within 6' of the appliance.  I'm going to assume that the piece of pipe you're looking to replace, runs from the shutoff valve to the appliance (this might be a terrible assumption, but you didn't supply much detail about your situation).  If this is the case, you could use a piece of flexible copper pipe exactly the same size as the one you're replacing. Or you could use a corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST).

As you've seen, flexible copper is prone to kinking, especially if you're moving the stove often.  The CSST is more resilient to movement, and is typically easier for DIYers and homeowners to work with.  If you do switch to CSST, you might find that you need an adapter to connect it to the valve.  You should be able to find CSST fittings in various lengths, at your local hardware store.

If you choose to replace the pipe with flexible copper, you should shut off the gas and take the pipe with you to the store. With the pipe in hand, it should be no problem finding replacement pipe.  You might also find that the end(s) of your copper pipe are flared. If they are, you'll also need to flare the ends of the new pipe. Some stores can do this for you. If they can't, you'll need a special tool to do it.

Without actually seeing the installation, it's difficult to provide any more specific information.


Is it possible to replace a fusebox lever without replacing the whole box? I'm pretty new to DIY stuff... but I'm selling my home soon and was wondering if it was possible for an electrician to fix just the part causing the lever to not come down in my garage's fusebox (sorry, I'm not sure what the term for the piece that's broken--but it's the brownish colored piece that moves the metal bar up and down).

I'd rather not have to replace the fusebox, but am guessing this wouldn't pass inspection since the box won't shut off when the lever is pulled down into the "Off" position.

Is it possible to replace just this piece? Is it an easy fix? I really don't want to spend thousands of dollars installing a new circuit breaker.

No, that box can absolutely NOT be fixed. There are parts that are physically broken that are not replaceable, aside from that fact that it is generally in poor shape. Plus, I see evidence that that right-hand line side screw has overheated.

Even if it could, as Aloysius said, it is really not worth it. Someone, probably a home inspector, will see it and make a stink over it being band-aid fixed.


What's causing the sewage smell in my laundry room? I noticed my laundry room has developed a strong sewage smell over the last two days. I suspect it may have to do with vent blockage, but I ran a garden hose to the vent in the roof last night and had my wife listen near the drain in the laundry room, and she reported hearing a slow trickle of water - so it's not completely blocked up.

I haven't washed anything particularly dirty that might put a lot of debris down the drain pipe recently.
The washer has been used regularly, so the drain pipe trap shouldn't be dry.
I'm on a septic system, if that matters. None of the other bathrooms or sinks in the house have any smell coming from them. I sniffed all the vent pipes while on the roof and could detect a faint level of the same laundry room smell coming from all of them, but I think that's normal.
I checked in the attic and discovered the vent pipe makes a 15-20 foot horizontal run before exiting vertically through the roof.
The slope on the horizontal run actually dips down and back up a few inches over its distance, but the issue just surfaced after living in the house for 7 years. I suppose it's possible it's acting as a trap for venting gas, but I don't know why it would start doing so spontaneously. (The water I ran down the vent from the roof before noticing the lack of proper slope could easily exacerbate this possibility, so I plan ensuring it's drained tonight.)

So my forward plan tonight is as follows:

Snake vent pipe.
Pour water down drain pipe to fill trap if it's empty.
Cut vent pipe in the attic and snake down into drain pipe from there.
Reroute attic vent pipe to have a minimum 1/8" per foot slope at all points.

Any other suggestions for remediation?

Well, I'm not sure which of the following actions fixed it, but the smell seems to be dissipating after letting the room sit overnight afterwards:

I cut the vent pipe off in the attic right above where it came out of the ceiling. Then I drained any stagnant water due to the "U-bend" in it.
I snaked down from the roof to the cut location, with no obstructions found.
(Due to more luck than planning, the run was within a few inches of the 25' length of my auger!)
I snaked from the vent cut location in the attic down as far as my auger would reach, and don't think there was anything there, since it came back clean again.
I rerouted the vent pipe in the attic so that any horizontal runs had at least a 1/4" per foot slope upwards so any sewer gasses wouldn't be trapped.
I snaked from the laundry room drain pipe as far as I could reach, once again no obstructions detected.
I borescoped the drain pipe and saw that the trap was full of water as it should be. I added a gallon or so of water anyway, then maybe a cup of vinegar to help with any smell that might be in the pipe itself.

After all that, the smell dissipated overnight. Unfortunately, I didn't find any obstructions, and discovered the trap was full of water. The only thing I really "fixed" was the vent pipe slope, but that's been in that configuration for 7+ years without any trouble, so I still don't know what actually worked!


Fan switch compatibility How do I determine if I need to use a manufacturer's fan switch or if I can use an off-the-shelf fan switch?

E.g. I would like to buy an Emerson Loft fan and Emerson Curva fan and control them with Lagrange Adorne paddle fan controls.

Looking at the specifications, both the Emerson Loft Fan CF765WW and Emerson CF144/CF152 Curva Fan appear to use PSC motors, so they should be compatible with any typical fan speed control, including the Lagrand AAFN4S16AM4.

I notice that both of these fans are premium models that have the speed controls included in the box.  In the case of the Curva, the package includes a wireless remote and receiver.

Obviously you won't be saving any money by using "off-the-shelf" fan switches with these.


No hot water in faucet where return line for recirculating pump is installed Just had a recirculating pump installed. I have only a trickle of hot water at the single handle control faucet where the return line is attached when I turn off the cold water supply. What could be the cause? Is the faucet bad or do we need some kind of valve? Cold water mixes at the faucet and sends cold down the return line no matter if pump is on or not.

"A trickle of hot with the cold turned off" is utterly normal for any modern fixture with a built-in anti-scald valve arrangement, which responds to low cold water pressure by blocking hot water flow.

If cold water is flowing from the faucet to the hot water circulating loop, it sounds like you need a check valve, or if you have one it's backwards, in the wrong location, or not working.


Subpanel run to secondary floor apartment from basement What size wire would I need to run a 100 amp subpanel 28 feet away? I have 6/3 wire would  that do it?

Just to answer the question..

You'd need 4 (Hot, Hot, Neutral, Ground) #1 AWG wires.

1 AWG supplies up to 110 amps
6 AWG supplies up to 55 amps

If you use the 6 AWG, you could only feed the subpanel with a 50A breaker. Essentially making it a 50A subpanel. It's best to go ahead and get the most out of it if you can by using #1 wire.


Finishing with boiled linseed oil I'm currently working on an oak table and I'm finishing it with boiled linseed oil is this a stand alone finish? I normally use a clear varnish but fancied trying something different. Will the linseed oil give me protection against spills and the like or should I give the table a coat of lacquer as Well?
Thanks

BLO is a good stand-alone finish for things that won't get wet.  That is to say that many people like the way it looks on it's own...but it does not provide any significant protection against moisture.

For instance, it would be terrible as a stand-alone finish for an eating table or a side table in a TV watching area.

Very nice though for something like a TV stand, or a rocking chair or a picture frame.

Be sure to read up about fires from drying BLO rags.  BLO is unique in its ability to create enough heat while "curing" to light itself on fire.  Many garage fires have been started in this way.  As long as you handle the used rags properly, no problems.  Just tossing it into a trash can in your shop along with wood and sawdust...not so good.


Should I add a vapor barrier when re-siding? I am removing the siding on my house in Montana, which was built in 1964.  From inside out I have sheetrock, 4" studs with R-11 paper backed fiberglass insulation and gypsum board sheathing.  I want to add 1 inch rigid foam insulation and reside with steel siding.  Should I install a vapor barrier between the existing sheathing and the new rigid foam insulation?

It depends on where you live and how you plan on attaching everything. For interior insulation you want the vapor barrier on the warm side so the colder regions would always do the interior facing and some warmer climates would do the exterior side of the insulation. The underlying rule of where would the moisture most likely be trapped still applies but it typically biased because of installation, how you plan on attaching everything. For interior walls, no vapor barrier is recommended if you use a full fill spray foam because it is a close cell foam (over 2lb density like most spray foam) and is meant to be a tight squeeze unlike most insulation and stops airflow instead of slowing it down. The same can be true for rigid foam especially for outside insulation. If you plan to use contact adhesive, liquid nails, etc glue to hold the rigid board to the house then you'll be essentially stopping all the air flow and that side would not be a candidate for a vapor barrier, additionally if you are gluing the siding on, the same rule would apply.

To sum up: If you are in a cold climate, even seasonally, it is a good idea to put a vapor barrier on the outside of the outdoor insulation as long as you are not gluing the next layer onto the insulation. This will help the trapped moisture wick out better.


Heating element in oven not working - can I still use it? We noticed a few days ago that one of 2 heating elements in the oven is not glowing. I would assume that would mean that for some reason it has stopped working. I did notice recently that whenever I cooked pizza, it would be floppy in the middle. Other foods seem to be okay.

My question is, is the oven still safe to use?

I think the oven is probably safe electrically, but you should immediately have it repaired. You could "throw parts at the problem" by just replacing the heating element yourself and this might fix it, but it could be something else.

You could remove the element and test its resistance. When our oven went I out I decided to first test the temperature sensor (thermistor). I spent a lot of time on this and the tests indicated it was OK, but testing a heating element might be simpler.

How old is the oven? Is this a stand-alone oven or is it in a stove?

The oven in our GE 30" base quality (but self cleaning) electric range was first erratic and then would not heat. It turned out to be the controller/display module (aka the "oven timer"). The range was over 20 years old and I could not get a new timer module.

I ended up removing and sending the timer to a company (in Ontario, Canada) which repairs them and within a week or 10 days got it back (total charge was about $125). That was 7 years ago and it has worked perfectly since.


Remove sheared-off screws from a concrete slab? An old door-threshold was fixed into concrete with screws.  Decades of wear and tear resulted in the shearing of these screws.  Is there a clever / simple / easy means of removing the screw remnant in the concrete and re-using the existing hole?

Update: I will need to chop the threshold because it is wide by one inch: this should enable at least one hole to align.

Tack weld a bar onto them and use that bar to unscrew them.

Or grind them flat and forget about them.


Are Soap Suds Normal After the Dishwasher is done? This washing machine uses the normal pods. I set the jet dry to minimal. However, at the end of the wash cycle I see soap suds on the bottom. Is this normal? I was wondering if the soap suds were from the jets washing the soap off the dishes.
The dishes come out really clean and I do not detect any soap on the dishes.

If you use a rinse or "anti-spotting" agent ("Jet Dry®" is one brand name of such products) this is almost certainly the residue of that. Put a drop of in in a bottle of water and shake to observe the effect.
Personal opinion - I don't fill that spot in my dishwasher and see no ill effects from not using it.
Actual dishwasher detergent makes almost no bubbles - as anyone who has screwed up and put hand dishwashing liquid into the dishwasher will understand better than any who have not (don't do it for the experience, though - just imagine opening the dishwasher door to a wall of foam...)


Troubleshooting immediate CAFI Trip I'm currently building an addition to our house and in the final phase of wiring - installing the switched, receptacles and fixtures. I am running into an issue and was hoping to get some help troubleshooting this. I have 3 light circuits - one for the garage and exterior lights, one for the lower level, and one for the upper level. These are all on 15 amp SquareD QO CAFI breakers.

I had the garage part already wired and working properly, as well as the upper level. Yesterday, I installed switches in the lower level. There is one pair of 3-way travelers going from a box on the garage circuit to a box on the lower level circuit. I am however not using this set, I am only switching those lights from the garage box currently (the cable - NM-B 14/3 with ground -  is just for future use if we decide to not use motion sensor lights).
I had by accident tied the neutral from that set in with the neutrals in the box for the lower level. When I went to turn the garage breaker on, it tripped immediately. I then figured out my mistake and removed the garage-circuit neutral from the lower level bundle. I could now turn on the garage breaker. But when I try to turn on the lower level breaker, it trips right away.

I went through the steps for the QO time saver diagnostics and it trips at 0 seconds, indicating one of the following:

Arcing to ground
Shared neutral
Grounded neutral
Ground fault

My plan now, instead of removing all my switches, I would start in the middle of the run, disconnect a set of load wires, and see if it still trips, indicating which half of the circuit the problem is, and continuing like that, inspecting all my previous work. I do have a DVOM, and a circuit traver available. My questions are:

What should I look for specifically? My theory is maybe a bare ground slipped and is touching a hot or neutral.
Does the diagnostics indication from the breaker make sense with the previous issue in mind (other breaker tripper when neutrals were connected)?
Is there a quicker/easier way to troubleshoot this then my idea?
Is my idea the "correct" way to troubleshoot this?

It's possible you have a ground wire nicking a hot or neutral. The easiest way to remove that issue is wrap the outlets and switches with a couple loops of electrical tape so the screws are covered.  I do that in metal boxes/EMT, and that doesn't even have ground wires.  Also, if the screws are all the way out because they came that way from the factory and you use the backstabs, that creates a larger surface area for that to happen, and the answer is stop using backstabs!

However the more likely threat is your wiring topology.

The most basic rule is currents must be equal in each cable.   Now, the rule is relevant to EMF emission (on a balanced cable, all currents cancel each other out, so their EMFs do also).   However, it's also relevant to GFCI, AFCI and CAFI, since those are looking for differential current as a sign of a ground or arc fault.  But this rule has a very valuable corollary:

Tree topology is safe. Mesh topology is dangerous.

If you consider a tree, it has many branches, but the branches never rejoin. Quite different from a roadway system, which is a mesh - you aren't obliged to go back the way you came.   Consider ants exploring a tree all day and going home in the evening. Ants can't jump branches.  You could put an ant turnstile anywhere on the tree, and if 130 ants went up past that point, 130 ants come back down.  Currents are equal anywhere in the tree.

So as long as your wiring topology is that of a tree, it's hard make a shared neutral mistake.

Now, sometimes your cable topology needs to enter a box from 2 separate directions (e.g. that 3-way case). You can either use 2 boxes, or you can use a box divider (real or mental) to fully separate the cables so it's effectively 2 boxes.

Nowadays with GFCI you have to be really fastidious about this stuff. Before, you could play fast and loose and it would "work" if nobody put a clamp meter around the cable, but that GFCI or CAFI is the clamp meter.

Multi-wire branch circuits need a 2-pole GFCI/CAFI

Perhaps you are using an older trick: the Multi-Wire Branch Circuit or MWBC, also called a "shared neutral" circuit.   Two hots on opposite poles share a neutral. Perfectly safe and proper when done correctly, but doesn't play well with single pole GFCI/CAFI. You need to use 2-pole GFCI or CAFI for that.


Not sure how to vent our bathroom - trying to avoid the attic We started a remodel of our bathroom.  It is a 1949 built house, one level with partially finished basement.  After we did the demo, we got concerned about entering the attic to do any venting.  It is an older home with vermiculite insulation. It is a small bathroom with one outside wall where the shower/bathtub combo covers that entire wall.  Is there a way to vent out the wall or down through the basement and out that wall so we can avoid the attic?  The basement directly below is unfinished.

There are wall mounted bathroom vent fans like this. I don't think going down through the basement would work as well as the wall unit.


Running Electrical Wires in Basement Wall of Strapping I'm finishing my basement and used the technique from This Old House to insulate and build the wood structure of the walls.

It involves attached 2in foam board insulation to the foundation walls along with horizontal and then vertical strapping on top of the horz.  I've learned that code wants wires to be 1.5 inches from the front plane where the drywall will be attached.  Each strapping is 1in thick, so when the wire is traveling horz. it's probably greater than 1.5 inch away, but when it travels vertically, in needs to travel over the horizontal strapping meaning it's < 1in away.  How do I handle this?

Thanks.

That's only really true where wiring passes through studs (and fastener penetration is likely). Because no one should be mounting anything to those recessed straps, I doubt it's a concern. I'd run the vertical wires in the middle of the stud space and move on. The obvious alternative is to use EMT (metal pipe).

Here's a discussion that seems to address this exact issue (though the images are broken, unfortunately). The consensus seems to be that there are no setback rules except where wires pass through the studs.

To be sure you'll pass inspection, ask your inspector.


Wiring a light switch I am trying to install a new single pole light switch in a restroom.  I previously had a push button switch that has an off, light, heater, and fan button's and also a light to show when the heater is on.  When I pulled it out there were wires everywhere I cut all wires to switch.  I have 3 black wires, 3 white, and 3 ground.  I have no clue what to do.  I think the hot wire black goes to the bottom screw of the switch once I locate it. Most of the grounds are connected to the box except one that is connected to a neutral wire...Does anyone have a clue what I am talking about? Do I connect the black wire going to the ceiling light to the top screw of the switch?  What about the grounds do I need one to the switch or is the box grounded enough?  Do I connect all neutral white wire together?  Help Me!

Based on comments, you want to install an unswitched outlet next to the switch. Since you have confirmed that you have neutral in the box, that should be straightforward:

Unless the circuit is already GFCI protected, you MUST use a GFCI receptacle. The following is based on a typical GFCI receptacle.
Add two pigtails on the incoming hot wire with a wire nut. Connect one to the switch (where the incoming hot was previously connected) and one to the hot screw on the LINE side of the receptacle.
Add a pigtail to the neutral bunch and connect it to the neutral screw on the LINE side of the receptacle.
Add a ground wire to the rest of grounds and connect it to the ground screw on the receptacle.

Nothing goes on the LOAD side. Those terminals are covered with tape, leave the tape on there, it will save you unlimited grief.


Would you expect a plumber to put up plastic to contain dust for a basement bathroom rough-in? I've read through other posts on basement bathroom rough-ins, but haven't found anything.

Yesterday, a reputable plumber used a jack hammer to break up concrete in a basement bathroom being added to the unfinished portion of the basement. I expected dust in the laundry room, and made sure the HVAC was turned off. I left the plumbers to do their work as I'm sure they've done several times for years.

When I checked the work last night, there was a healthy coating of dust in the finished portion, and no signs that plastic was put up. I asked this morning and was told that the contractor (who did the frame-up) was responsible for hanging plastic and that people did not prefer to pay $150 hr. for the plumber to do it. Since it's a bid job, at a premium price I might add, I hoped to get a second opinion.

I am afraid the couch, other furniture, and TV may be difficult to clean. Is it common practice for a plumber to put up a couple sheets of plastic or am I overly concerned here?

I appreciate the information. The other posts have already given me ideas for some other basement bathroom issues.

Thanks in advance.

I will tackle this from three ways.

I work as a general contractor when doing flips.  I would hope to remember to put up plastic or block off areas.  First because I do not want things in other areas to get damaged and secondly because I can allocate someone I am paying $15 an hour to do this.
If I didn't think ahead... I don't have 1 plumber out of the 5-6 I use that would ever let this happen.  First they would get fired on the spot.  Second they are just good guys that care about their job.  They would give me a call and say "Hey you don't have this area ready, you want me to wrap it for you?"  And often they are chuckling because they know their time is 5-6 times what I would pay someone else.  I might tell them $40 for a wrap - but guess what they would do it anyway.
In my area if there was work done to part of your house that caused damage to another part then the person doing the work would be held liable.  I have seen your EXACT case happen and it ruined not only electronics but also expensive clothing.  This plumber could be sued.  Unless he stated in his contract that his job could expand into other areas and things could get damaged unless XYZ happens - he is liable.  That is why he is bonded.

My last point.  Why the hell would a plumber be doing the jackhammer rough-in by himself?  I always hire a laborer to help plumber with this and sometimes two guys.  It is not rocket science to bust up concrete and it certainly isn't plumbing.  These laborers would have covered things.  I know if I am in someone else's home doing work that keeping their house clean is #1.  You should be really pissed and this is 50% on the plumber and 50% on the GC.  If the GC is paying the plumber he is liable to fix your damages.  Depending on your relationship with him I might just bring up the issue and then try to resolve it after the job is over - and hopefully before your last check to him.

Note: And this is me ranting because of the lack of accountability that the other answers seem to have for the trades...  It is NOT the homeowners responsibility to have expertise in how you will do things or how "things work".  If a plumbing rough-in needs to be done the owner has to completely understand the method of excavating?  Also give me 2 20-year-old guys and a few sledgehammers and we can rough-in a basement bathroom 40 feet away from stack in 4 hours with minimal dust.  How the hell is a homeowner supposed to know what might happen when an expert is doing their job.  If they understood everything they wouldn't need the expert!


Wiring 240v where 12/2 wire using a 20 amp circuit breaker is present I have a 20 amp breaker that is providing juice to the new outlets I installed in my basement. I would like to put a space heater in the three rooms.
The space heater allows for (1000/1500/1600W, 120/208/240V) but I am concerned that 1000/120v will not be enough. Will I have to run separate wire for 240 or can I change out the circuit breaker with a 220? Will that impact what I can use with all of the outlets that are currently wired to the 20 amp breaker?

You would need to change out all the receptacles from NEMA 5-20 or 5-15 (125V) to NEMA 6-20 or 6-15 (250V) - it is a gigantic violation and hazard to supply 240V on a 120V outlet.

As such, running a new dedicated wire for the heater (if even needed) would appear to make the most sense, as you probably don't have many things with 240V plugs to plug in.


Are pocket screws strong enough for a bed frame? I've built a loft bed for my 4 year old following the plans posted here:

http://ana-white.com/2012/07/plans/camp-loft-bed-stair-junior-height

I modified the plans slightly to use a ladder instead of stairs, and added diagonal braces in each corner to connect the legs to the side rails to prevent the frame from wobbling. The bed seems to easily handle up to 200 pounds, and everything feels very secure.

My primary question regards the strength of the pockets screws, which are the only joinery method used. Are the 2.5" pocket screws really going to be strong enough in the long run? I used 2 pocket screws on the end of each 2x4, and 6 on the 2x6 pieces. Should I be concerned about these eventually failing?

Pocket screws are NEVER adequate for structural support. Something like this bed should be assembled with lags and carriage bolts, or better yet, Simpson brackets. Having said that, the most important joint in this piece is the connection between the bed rails and the posts so you could just use a combination of ship laps and bed bolts at those intersections. Glue and screw the ship lap together but don't glue the long rails. This will be strong but allow you to disassemble the frame into manageable pieces. I also think you should consider adding cleats to your ladder rungs to keep them sturdy. Cheers!


How can I temporarily secure a wooden countertop to its base with limited cabinet access? The title is a bit of a doozy, sorry.

I'm repurposing an old counter I bought off Kijiji to turn it into a kitchen island / kegerator. The old cuonter top was some terrible, cheap, laminate-esque thing. I'm tossing that and replacing it with a nice butcher block countertop I've bought.

The original countertop was secured to the base via screws, screwed in through the top frame in the base.

The problem is, I can't use this same method for the new countertop. Because I am repurposing the unit as a kegerator, I'm turning the inside into a fridge — using an open mini-fridge on one side, while an insulated box is attached and taking up the other, making use of the full inside space.

Essentially, I no longer have access to the holes.

The solution also needs to be non-permanent, as in glue. I need to be able to remove the countertop in order to remove the fridge, for transportation purposes (among others).

The solution ALSO needs to be fairly strong - the countertop will overhang the back of the base, to allow for some seating. I worry that with weak fasteners, anyone who might lean or put weight on the overhang might tear the countertop from the base.

In my head I'm picturing something stuck into the bottom of the countertop that will slot into holes in the base, which can then be "fastened", somehow. Possibly in the Ikea camlock type of way, where the "lock" would need to be inserted from the outside, which isn't preferable, but I don't have much option here, I guess. That being said, I doubt camlocks would have the strength to keep the counter attached securely. That, and I can't seem to find the screw portion of them anywhere.

In the same vein, cross dowels / bolts could be an option, but the bolt would have to be visible on the top of the counter, which is no good.

Another (maybe) possibility is something akin to a toggle latch? Something that locks / pulls the countertop tighter to the base. Though I'm not really sure how these would attach or where they could be placed so that they weren't overly visible.

Are there any kind of fasteners that exist that would allow me to accomplish this? One thing to maybe note — the legs seem to have a hole in their dead center that may or may not go all the way through (tbc). Perhaps there's some sort of incredibly long screw mechanism where a rod would be able to be screwed in to the countertop through the bottom of the legs?

Use figure-8 clips. Screw them into the frame overhanging the outer edge (they are usually done to the inside, but outside works fine, and only your friends who have reached "lying on the floor" will ever see them, and that, blurrily.)

You screw them down into the frame, up into the top. It's what they were made to do.
Alternatively, borrow, rent or buy a pocket-hole jig and put in new pocket holes on the outside of the frame (just like the ones you have now, on the inside of the frame) Once again, counter overhang should make them unobtrusive to anyone not lying on the floor.


SDS, SDS MAX, SDS PLUS: which bits can I use? I recently purchased two Dewalt D25501K Hammer Drills.  I need bits.  In pest control doing termite treatments, we need to drill 1/2 inch holes through concrete slabs. In the past I have used drills that have had "spline" drives. These Dewalts don't, so I am uneducated on what bits I need.  I know I need 1/2 inch in diameter and at least 16 inches or so cutting depth, but I'm not sure if my new drills require a certain kind of SDS bit. I see SDS MAX, SDS PLUS and just SDS. Can you tell me what my drills can and will use so I know what to buy?

It's described as SDS MAX and Spline combination.

This question/answer imply that your choices are... SDS MAX and Spline. SDS MAX is incompatible with (and much larger than) the other SDS types.

What are the differences between SDS, SDS Plus, and SDS Max drills?


Window dividers have slipped out I don't even know the appropriate words, so good luck understanding this! Our formal dining room has a large window with dividers that are between two glass pieces.  There is the half moon window above it, but two white divider pieces have slipped out and fallen midway down the larger window. Is there any way to remove these myself?

I pride myself on being able to fix many things, but the inside of window that's probably gas sealed isn't one of them (maybe someone else here can chime in with some window magic).

Replacing the window package I could do; fix your window, not so much.

If you can get the window out of the frame and take it somewhere, it'd be cheaper but you're most likely going to have to board up the window for quite some time while it's in the shop.

Ordering a new  one and having it on hand for a swap out would be ideal. I'd have an eye on the other windows too, though. How soon until they go; consider having a complete new install on the dining room package.


Levelling newly opened area between rooms We removed a wall to make a kitchen bigger - to use as an eating area.

The kitchen has vinyl flooring, which we are now changing to porcelain tiles.

The way it is now, there is about 1/2 inch rise on the kitchen side.

How can we cover the space where the wall was, so that the floors will be mostly level?

My carpenter's solution was simply to bridge the gap with a threshold, with its underside cut differentially to compensate for the difference. Having a clearly raised area between the two, with slopes on either side, is less likely to be a trip hazard than a smaller but sharper transition.


How do I make this wiring inside cabinet safer? tl;dr: How do I make this wiring meet code, or at least safer?

The pic below is inside one of my kitchen cabinets. Once upon a time the stove was located below these cabinets, and that wire must have run to an exhaust fan (note the metal vent in the pic). The stove had been moved to another spot by the time I bought the house, but the wire is still in the cabinet and still live.

When I bought the house the wire (old 2-wire NM, no ground) ran to a light fixture on the underside of the cabinet, but there was no junction box at all. Just exposed pigtails inside the cabinet. I'd like to improve things here, so what can I do, short of running a brand new wire with a ground through the wall? I figure putting the pigtails in an actual junction box would be a good place to start.

I plan on staying in the house for a few more years, so I'm more concerned with safety than exactly meeting code.

There is nothing you can do with old wiring that doesn't meet code that will make it meet code. Old NM cable with no ground may have been "grandfathered" into an existing building, so long as you don't alter it. But that would not apply here because the WAY it was done was never per code.

Do you really need a circuit there? I would just find out where it comes from and disconnect it there, then pull it out. If you DO want another circuit there, you can attach new NM cable with a ground to the end of this before pulling it out, then get an "old work box" that can be mounted into the wall properly. An old work box is designed to go into a cut-out in the wall, then has "molly bolt" type fasteners that turn behind the wall and snug up against the back of it to hold the box in place (make sure you put the wire through the KO first!). Once the wire is in there, you can put in a receptacle for a light, fan etc.


How can I remove Ink stains from my dryer? Long story short, I washed some clothes that had ink pens still inside. I throw them in the washer, and now that the clothes are dried, I see inks stains ALL over my dryer. It literally looks like skid marks on the street.

What is the best way to remove these ink stains? I did some searching and found that I can use bleach, acetone, or dishwasher soap. I haven't tried the bleach method. The dishwasher soap method does not work. The acetone method kind of works but it only lightens the stains and the smell is unbearable. Does the bleach method work or is there another solution that will remove the stains completely?

Depending on the ink, denatured alcohol may be able to remove the stains without causing further harm to your dryer. Isopropyl alcohol may work, but it will be less effective.

Take a rag and fold it up neatly into a square and saturate it in the alcohol. Then take another piece of rag and wrap it around the square and keep rubbing until all of the ink has been removed. The rag on the outside should be changed as soon as it becomes saturated in ink.

The denatured alcohol may also be able to remove these stains from your clothing.


What model circuit breaker is this? I live in an old 50 + year old house and it still has the original circuit breakers. I am trying to search for one that died, but don't know the model or even if they make these anymore. If any electricians out there can help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.

I haven't removed it (Kinda' scared to do so and get shocked), but here's a pic.

Here's more pics on the Fuse Box.

While I think you'll be smart to hire an electrician and consider replacing the whole panel...

Circuit breaker boxes vary in style.  You have to buy the correct replacement breaker for your specific box.  To determine what you need, examine the box itself.  Somewhere on the box will be the name of the manufacturer.

Tip:  "Square D" is not it.  (Personal experience talking) - Square D MAKES breakers to fit numerous types of boxes.

If you can't immediately find the name of your panel maker, go to this link:
Online site for buying circuit breakers

They list a lot of manufacturers there - see if you can find yours.

Now again - because you yourself said you're scared to remove it - PLEASE DON'T.  This is potentially deadly work you're considering and if you don't know what you're doing, this is NOT a project you should learn using the trial and error method!!!

Update - after looking at the extra pics - your breaker box is by "American".  First manuf. on the list.  The labels on some of your breakers indicate it.


How would I replace this wall? I have a house that was built in 1950, when it was built, the garage was built 10 feet away from it. At some point in the last 60 years, someone closed the space (side walk area) between the house and garage making it a connecting room, with a standard floor. The rooms at that end of the original house is the kitchen and a bedroom.
The end wall of the house is still intact, with the former 'backdoor' now the door into the room. I've not pulled any of the sheetrock and paneling down to do a inspection on how they joined the two buildings.
But from the attic I see that the original shiplap sheathing is still on the end (of the attic anyway), and the roof is the older rafter style, not the truss style.
So, what I'm wanting to do is remove the end wall of the kitchen that has the former backdoor in it, and open it out into the newer (former sidewalk) room.
Since I'm not changing or moving the middle support walls between the kitchen and bedroom, do I need to do any special supporting for the segment of wall I'm taking out?
Since its between the front wall and the middle load bearing wall, I would think it could be removed, but I wanted more opinions.
Once again, I've not looked at the quality of the 'add-on' connecting it to the garage, that may make several other decisions in itself. But wanted opinions on that one wall.
And before anyone says anything about permits. Yes, I'm planning on a permit, and I'm just wanting to get my ducks in a row before I take the time to draw out all these plans, just for them to say 'no'.

All exterior walls of the original building are load bearing. You can, however open up an exterior wall as long as you install a properly sized header to bridge the opening and support the header with jack studs. Depending on which way the floor joists (two story) or ceiling joists (single story) are oriented, you may need to install a temp support beam that spans the area where you are going to open up. This temp is installed before you remove any framing from the wall. Once you jack the temp enough to relieve any stress from the existing wall, you can demo the wall, build your header, support the header, then release the load down onto the header.  Fairly simple process, but must be sized and installed correctly.


I just had a heat pump installed. I had central air already so the duct work was there already for a/c. Should my vents in the ceiling be changed? One person told me I need to change my  Registers on the first floor that are in the ceiling because the house was set up for air not heat. They say the Registers I have keep the cold air going a crossed ceiling because cold air falls. Now with the heat pump they say you need a Register to blow hot air to the floor because hot air raises.They say if you don't do this it will be cold where you sat and warm at the ceiling. Does anyone know what Registers I need For the heat pump/A/C ?? Do they make one Register that does both or doing you have to switch it out?

There is something to what you've heard, but it's not like you will get no heating with the current system. It may not be ideal, but it'll work. Unless you live in the Southern hemisphere, you should already know if it's going to be an issue or not. Most registers do not blow flat across the ceiling but at an outwards, downwards angle.

You could change out the registers for those with a more straight down configuration, or even a simple grille with no directional fins. But also consider what happens in the Summer. Air con blowing straight down is not good for the same reason it's good for heating. You should select the dispersion pattern for the most critical condition.

In primarily hot climates, air con takes priority, do what's best for that. It's the other way around for primarily cold climates. Or obtain adjustable registers so you can direct the flow as needed.


Blender killed outlet? tl/dr: It seems a finicky blender killed my outlet - My blender initially turns on but then stops after a moment, and won't turn back on.  I plugged a night light into one plug and it turns on initially but then turns off once inserted fully.  The night light works fine in the other plug.  The blender doesn't work properly in either plug.  Do I just need to replace my outlet?

The incident
I had some trouble with my blender: I accidentally broke part of the lid, and it is one of those blenders that has built in "catches" to make sure it doesn't run without the lid on correctly.  I already had my food in so I attempted (with some success) to continue blending anyway.  However, the blender was finicky and kept turning off despite my efforts.  Eventually it stopped turning on altogether.  I figured the blender just didn't appreciate my efforts and switched blenders (the other one wasn't ideal for my meal, which is why I didn't try it sooner).
The Symptoms
A bit later I realized that, in fact, the whole outlet was acting wonky.  Namely, the other blender also had trouble with it.  It initially turned on, but then stopped turning on too.  I moved a few feet to the next outlet and the new blender worked fine.
I then got out a "night light" to test the wonky outlet.  In one of the plugs the light worked fine (which is the same plug the new blender was plugged into and didn't work).  In the other plug (the one the broken blender was plugged into) it only lit up if I had it partially plugged in - once it was fully plugged in it turned off.  Obviously the outlet has issues.  To recap and provide more details:

The outlet provides power, but apparently not enough for a blender
One plug worked fine for a low-power device, but the other plug stopped working when the light was plugged in all the way.
No breaker circuits are tripped
There is one GFCI outlet in the kitchen, on a different wall.  I confirmed that this outlet is not controlled by the GFCI
I'm 95% sure that this outlet isn't on a GFCI at all
There are additional outlets on this wall in the kitchen, and they all work fine (in fact I finished my lunch by using the fully-functional blender plugged into another outlet just a couple feet away).
There are no signs of physical damage to the outlet

The question(s)
I'm guessing that the blender turned on/off a little to quickly for the outlet and damaged it in some way.  My presumption is that I just need to replace the outlet, which I have done before.   However, I'm always very cautious about electrical issues and will happily get an electrician if there is any sign that there is more to this issue than it seems.  So, my questions (the first one is the only one I need answered):

Does it sound like the only issue is a faulty outlet that needs to be replaced?
Does a blender turning on/off repeatedly seem like the sort of thing that could break an outlet?  I don't think my blender actually cycled that many times, and I'm mildly concerned that there was more wrong with this outlet and my blender was just "the straw that broke the camel's back".
In particular, might this be a sign that my blender is trash?  A broken lid is a lot cheaper to replace than an entire blender.

And because a picture is worth 1000 words:

That one may be a builders grade .99 special get a spec grade for 3$ they are heavier and you won’t have the problem any longer. In past positions I had to test outlets (hospital electrician) now they use hospital grade outlets crazy expensive but they last longer and have a higher withdraw force than new .99 specials, the spec grade have very similar withdraw rates as the hospital grade. I mention the 3 basic grades because they all wear out but the cheap builders grade fail much sooner than the other 2. You know the blender is good it works in another outlet, get a new quality outlet, turn the power off and replace it.


Converting dryer to 4 prong I have been looking online on how to do this, but everything I see talks about an existing white cord for the ground. Here's where I'm at.

The wires in front is the new cord, and in the back is how the dryer (Ariston 30616) was set up with the 3 prong cord. Any help?

-edit-

Here's how I set it up:

And here's the diagram on the dryer:

Can anyone verify that this is correct?

Looks correct. You connected Red and black to L1 and L2, white to Neutral, and green to Ground. Also, you removed the jumper between N and G.


Can I run THHN for separate washer and dryer circuits through the same conduit? I am relocating a 120V washer and 240V dryer from the basement on south side of my house to the basement north side.

The current wiring is one 110V 20amp circuit with dedicated circuit breaker and one 240V 40amp circuit with dedicated 40 amp dual breaker.
The wiring for both circuits runs out of the panel box into one 3/4" conduit to the receptacles (first receptacle in line is the 110V and terminating with the 240V 3 prong receptacle for the dryer.)
I also plan on removing the old circuits.

I have two questions:

Is it still within code to run all the THHN wiring (12 gauge for 110 and 10 gauge for 240) or should I run two separate conduits for each circuit as one will be 20 amp and the other will be 30 amp?
My current dryer has a 3 prong receptacle (2 hots and 1 neutral).  The NEC code since 1996 states that all dryer circuits 220V for house dryers need the 4 wire (2 hots, 1 neutral, and 1 ground).  My house is 1925.  So in converting from an 3 wire to 4 wire plug and receptacle where do I attach the new ground wire on my old dryer? And does the ground connect into the neutral bus or the ground bus?

I will need to get a permit here in Oregon and I am not a licensed electrician.

It is permissible to run more than one circuit in a conduit as long as the conduit is sized to carry all of the current carrying conductors. In your case a 1/2" conduit should do it, but I would go with a 3/4 for ease of pulling.

2(a). One of the advantages of pulling in one conduit is that you would only need a single grounding conductor sized to the largest circuit.The ground is attached to the receptacles and any metal enclosures and there are places marked for that purpose. You will attach the ground to the neutral bus in the main panel. You might check to see if there is a proper ground in the panel and make any necessary upgrades.

2(b). Most jurisdictions require any work to be permitted and installed by qualified personnel. We really can't be certain of every jurisdiction since codes vary by state and municipality. A quick call to your AHJ can solve that problem.

Good Luck.


Sloping ditch for corrugated pipe I would like to bridge a 80 foot corrugated pipe into an existing section.

While digging the ditch to for the 80 foot section.  Is there any ditch \ trench techniques or tools to ensure that at any point the slope is either flat or downwards?
Update
For context, a bird's eye view is provided of the building.  The above photo is snapped from the southeast corner of the building.  Building is approximately 80' by 80'

For an even slope.
set-up profiles (frames, or stakes) at each end and run a sloping string line between them. Measure down to the floor of the ditch from the string line with a stick of appropriate length.  You could possibly tie one and of the string to the downpipe. and the other to a stake
If you don't need an even slope just use a spirit level (repeatedly) to confirm that the floor of the trench is still sloping as you are digging it.


How can I fix pooling water due to my fence? I got my fence installed a few months ago on a down sloping part of my yard. I need to resolve the nagging issue I have of water pooling due to it not being able to get through the fence fast enough.
My neighbors say I should try using a circular saw to cut 1/4” off the bottom, but before I go hacking away at my brand new fence, I would like to know if there are possible any other ideas that might prevent this.
Flooding was NOT an issue before the fence was up. It just appears to be an issue now because the fence pickets essentially go into the dirt, like they were designed to do. Thanks!

Pickets should not be in contact with the ground because they will hold back water like this and they will rot out very quickly. This should definitely be on the installer to fix. Additionally, the pickets should not be installed so tightly against each other that they're sealing water in. The pickets will expand and contract with humidity and need room to move. If they're this tight against each other, they'll likely end up splitting or warping over time. Of course, that may create the space necessary to let the water out, so it could end up being a self-solving problem, however, that's not an ideal solution.
If the installer is unwilling to stand behind his work, you've learned who to never call again and can offer some negative feedback online, along with posting some pictures. Often, just the threat of doing so can get some motion...
If you have to do this yourself:
If the pickets are screwed to the rails, unscrew each one, cut 1-2" off the bottom*, then screw them right back into place with the existing screws through the existing screw holes.
If the pickets are nailed into place, wait about another year for the nails to pop, then remove the pickets, cut 1-2" off the bottom* of each one (more if necessary to get rid of the rot), then drive screws through the existing nail holes.
Each picket should go back where it came from, as each should be cut to the correct length to be in contact with the ground and maintain a consistent and smooth top arch. i.e., don't go removing them all, then cut them all, then try to figure out where each one is supposed to go back. Remove, cut, replace. If you have a spouse/kids to help, set up a fire-bucket line with someone removing, someone carrying, someone cutting to make things go faster and especially to teach the kids about work, helping and the fun of DIYing.
NOTE: You're going to want to remove the bottom of every picket on all runs of fencing. Just because it's not holding back water doesn't mean it won't rot out by being in contact with the ground.

* Pick an amount to cut off the bottoms and be consistent with it - otherwise it will look pretty sad. If you're not sure, start with 1" and put the picket back up and see what it looks like. It's easier to cut more off, it's tough to add some back on.
If you have a miter saw, set a stop-block at the right length - that will make it dead simple to cut the correct and consistent amount off each picket. If you're doing it with a circular saw, spend some time to make a jig that you can set each picket in. The time spent making the jig will more than be made up for by not having to measure and mark each picket by hand.


Why are my gutters allowing water to drip off the fascia and soffit? I moved into a new home in the summer and having water issues with water at the corner of my garage. The picture probably helps the most, but basically after everything has dried up, I still have water dripping from the corner. It looks like the water is coming in behind the eaves and along the facia, then gets to the soffit and finds the lowest point where it drips to the ground. It looks like the shingles are on well and drip correctly into the eaves. Also think there is a drip edge the whole way along. Any tips what might be causing this?
I'm worried this will be a bigger issue in the winter with freeze thaw and an ice patch right on the pathway.

Here is a picture from above.

Looks like you've got water standing in the gutter. It also looks like you've got a mitered corner on the gutter itself.
Standing water:
Either the gutter is not sloped correctly, or the downspout is clogged.

To check slope, pull off some of those plastic clips and put a long level on the edge of the gutter. If the gutter is dead level, that's your problem - it should slope about 1/4" per foot. If the bubble is off center, that's good. Center the bubble and measure the gap between the level and the top of the gutter - it should be about 1/4" of height for each foot of run.

If it's just debris in the gutter preventing water from flowing to the downspout, or debris in the downspout itself, that's all pretty easy to scoop out. Not fun, necessarily, but an easy fix.

Corner miter:
That miter may not be well sealed. Or, the seal may have failed. Because there's water standing in the gutter, it's slowly dripping through and down the soffit.
You'll have to get the water out of the gutter, then dig into that corner to see what's going on there. You want a good seal between the two pieces of gutter along each wall to ensure the water moves along the gutter to the downspout instead of leaking out at the seam. You may need to clean out the seal the best you can, then squeeze some sealant into the gap.
What's my line?
Additionally, this line at the back of the gutter trough itself just caught my attention. Most gettering I've seen does not have any sort of a bend, break, or other anomaly along the back wall. It might be worth taking a look at this to see what's going on here. If it's a seam of any sort, make sure it's good and tight and sealed.


Ok to reduce size of return vent grill? In my living room I had two metal return vents which are both 14 x 12 = 168 square inches, not including the vent slats which are narrow.

As part of a renovation one of those vents is being replaced by a wooden grill, that dues to the limitations of working with wood, has less surface area. If I count up all the holes in the wooden grill, it comes to 62 square inches of hole.

Should I be concerned about this reduction in return vent size?

Yes you should be concerned. When we size the duct work it is usually the minimum size needed. By reducing this opening you are affecting the furnace. Depending on the type you can cause enough excess heat to cause the safety’s to trip. Even if the safety’s do not trip the reduced flow can cause the fire box heat exchanger to run hotter (gas or electric) and fail sooner. So your plan needs to be modified a slight change in size 10% can cause problems but this huge change is asking for problems and I did not even mention it will cost more to heat the home because the flow is restricted.


Will the current drywall look better after I texture it? We are in the middle of a project where new drywall is going up on three walls. The current walls does have some screw holes that I would fill. The taped joints are bubbling up so not a clean looking wall at all. I will be doing a slapbrush texture on the new wall and this current wall so it matches the rest of the house. Will this help hide these joints? Or am I just wasting my time and I should replace this wall too?

That's not exactly a quality finish - by texturing it you're just hiding a bad job.
If time permits, I'd rip off the old tape and most of that plaster/mud, and re-finish this wall in the same way you've done the other new walls.  That way your texturing has the same base to sit on, and more likely to age the same way as the new walls.


How does a three-way light switch work? A three-way light switch allows the light to be controlled from two locations. How does this work?

There might be some confusion because the type of switch you need (single-pole, double-throw) is usually called a three-way switch in the US, and a two-way switch in the UK. So for two switches to control the same lights, you need two SPDT switches, and you can find the wiring diagram on Wikipedia.


Ground and neutral bus considerations when wiring a gfci breaker Hello all,
I am adding a gfci breaker to my main breaker panel. By the looks of my panel I think the ground bus and neutral bus are bonded but not certain of this. It looks like my right bus bar is the neutral bus and the left is the ground bus. The copper wires coming in from the bottom and going to the right/neutral bus are bonded to ground rods. There is a flat metal strip running from the center of each bus bar to the center of the panel and I am thinking this is connecting both the neutral and ground bus bars together. I am wanting to check the following.

Since my ground and neutral bars are connected I can treat them interchangeably when choosing where to place ground wires and neutral wires.
Since I can treat the two bars interchangeably I can place the gfci pigtail and the incoming ground wire from the circuit I will hook it up to onto the same bus bar.

Thank you for your support and advice in this matter.
Ben

Yep, you got it right.  Main panels (not sub-panels) always have the ground and neutral bonded (connected). I prefer to put neutrals on the bus bar that can be isolated and is connected to the neutral conductor.   The reasons for this is neutrals carry as much current as the hots and should have a good path.   Not only that, if the main panel were ever to become a sub-panel (like behind a generator transfer switch), it's much easier to do that install.


Is it common to have a pressure shut off for Jet Water Pumps? I'm looking at installing a pump for a domestic water supply with a pressure tank.  I'd like to be able to determine if a pump will shut off once it has reached pressure.

I've seen several pumps installed which seem to shut off automatically but I can't seem to figure out if this is a standard feature or not because it doesn't seem to appear in their specifications.  For example, this grundfos pump is commonly used and I've seen other grundfos's shut off automatically at pressure.  Is this standard for a jet water pump?

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Grundfos-97855088-JP4-61ASI-Shallow-Well-Basic-Line-Stainless-Steel-Jet-Pump-115-230V-1-HP

I am asking because I'd like to try a different brand but I can not tell if it has a built in shut off:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NAKPSRC?ref_=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t
I've contacted the manufacturer, but with little response.  Is anyone familiar with jet pumps like this and what I should look for to fit this application?

Thanks.

EDIT:

After some time the manufacturer indicated that there is a port on the side for the pressure switch and sent a photo of one installed.  So now I know that's probably the standard way most jet pumps come so they can be externally configured to different PSI settings.

It is not a standard feature. The pump often hooks into a manifold that connects to the pressure tank and that has a check-valve, pressure gauge, pressure switch, tank drain valve, main shutoff valve, and over-pressure relief valve. The assembly looks like the following once assembled (note: check-valve not shown in this setup).

You will have to consult the manufacturer's spec sheets to see if it comes with an integral pressure switch. Even if the manufacturer won't respond, often they have spec sheets and manuals available online that will give you this info.

Note: the bottom pump is a no-brand Chinese manufacture pump, you might be able to trace it through Ali-Baba, but you'll have to take the Amazon description's word for what it does as there's not much else available about it online.


Why are my new switches tripping the circuit breaker sometimes? Here's the scoop:

There are 3 switches in my hallway.  One switch on side A and two switches on side B.  Side A switch controls same light as one switch on Side B.  I replaced the switch on Side A and now, when the switches are in a certain configuration, you can hear a buzzing sound and then the circuit trips within 10-15 seconds.

I feel like its a grounding issue, but I don't want to touch anything till I'm sure.  The switches all work as they should except for when a specific configuration of on/off exists, the circuit goes haywire.

Any ideas on what the problem is given that a buzzing sound happens and then the circuit trips?

EDIT:
There are two lights, switch A and switch B1 control one light, and switch B2 controls a separate light

The wiring/power source is unknown - could come from the 2 switches at opposite end of hall.

The switch had to be replaced due to physical damage of the switching mechanism

That sounds like a short to me, and a potential fire or electrocution hazard. Leave the breaker off while you fix this. With a 3-way light switch, you'll have two possible paths between the switches (which is why there are 3 screws + ground, 1 line/load, and 2 switched). My guess is that one of the two switched wires is grounding itself. Remove the switch that you worked on, and see if the ground wires are coming into contact with any other wires.


Reinforce awning pole made from 2x4? I'm building a rudimentary awning with 2x4 treated lumber that I'm not using. One of the two "legs" of the awning looks like this. There's going to be a 2x4 attached to the concrete wall, and two 2x4's attached to it. The final result looks like below.

Considering that the top 2x4 is 6ft long, my concern is that it will be too heavy for the 2x4 attached to the wall. I've seen many DIYs doing something like this, but the upper leg isn't that long.

What do you guys recommend?

You could extend your brace further toward the middle and use corner joist hangers at the wall.


Fastening ceiling box to side of joist Is there such a ceiling junction box that will allow me to attach it to the side of a joist from inside the box?

NB: I have a finished ceiling.

I know I can install a support bar and attach a box to it, but in a finished ceiling this can be a bit of a hassle.

I'm looking for a box that will allow me to put it into place and run the fasteners through the wall of the box and into the joist.  Maybe something that uses one of the side knockouts?

There is a box available that has holes in the side so you can fasten it to a joist from the side.


How to fix leaking basement window in foundation I am trying to fix leaks in a basement window.  After running water to determine the spot it is leaking, it appears to be leaking between the metal frame and the foundation.

The concrete is chipping under the metal framing.  I went to Lowe's and they said to 1) break away the chipping concrete, 2) clean it well with alcohol, 3) put on a concrete bonding adhesive, 4) put on Quickrete Hydraulic Water Stop cement, 5) spray on a liquid rubber sealant coating called Flex Seal.

I chipped it as far down as it would easily, but it doesn't seem to be far enough to add more cement.  I suppose I could a little bit, but I worry it will not create a good seal against the metal framing. Ideas?

All basement windows will leak given that you have standing water in the area.  This issue is about the drainage of water on this section of your house and not about the shape of the concrete.

Probably the easiest thing to do is to dig out around this area, add some rock and a drain pipe going out.  I can't see in the picture a "well" or cover either.

If this is not "standing water" for sure and you are getting direct rain, then silicone caulk will be far more effective than more concrete.


GFCI trips after adding new circuit to it Preface: I am a complete newbie when it comes to electrical circuits. I usually have electricians do all the work in our house.

An electrician installed a circuit in our backyard with 8 outlets on it. The circuit was controlled by one GFCI.

Everything worked fine, as expected.

A couple of years later, another electrician added another circuit with 2 outlets and an air conditioner compressor to the same GFCI.

Now the GFCI trips every few minutes.

Obviously adding the new circuit has something to do with the GFCI tripping every few minutes. But beyond that I don't know why this is happening and how it could be fixed. Any suggestions? Thank you!

If you have too many receptacles on a 15 amp circuit this would be the issue as an AC unit will draw some current


What to use when sealing floor-to-wall and window-to-wall? During my infiltration (air leakage) test we found two other major places where air is leaking through into my home:

the joints between the wood floors and the wall (wood) molding

the joints between the windows and the walls

In both cases I was told to simply "caulk" it closed, is there something SPECIFIC I should be using?

You can caulk the window to the drywall or moulding. I like siliconized latex caulk, but pure silicone can work well too (lasts longer, but not paintable, and collects dust more if it's on a horizontal joint).

For the baseboards, there are a couple of things you can do. If removing them is an option, you can stick foam backer rod between the customary gap between the drywall and the floor, if it's accessible. If that's not an option, you can make sure the baseboard is well-caulked to the wall at the top and the floor at the bottom. Clear caulk works well for this.


Where's this water coming from? The carpet outside the bathroom has two wet spots, as though water is seeping up from slab foundation. Cannot find any pipes leaking in bathroom, the spots are randomly positioned, about a foot into the bedroom. The carpet is soaking wet in these spots, but nowhere else. There has been no heavy rain lately. Home built in 1984, southern CA. Who do I call to look into this??

I agree with Ed Beal. But, the culprit should be the bathroom. Lay paper towels (select-a-size) or a strip of toilet paper along the bath's adjoining wall to see if it gets wet anywhere.

I suspect it's coming from the toilet's seal at the floor & that seal needs replacement, they can leak a clear water stream & not be noticed. It could also be traveling under the finished floor, thus why it's depositing outside of the bathroom.


What is causing earth leakage? This is a UK install for reference.

Long story short is I essentially have a 13A plug wired direct to an RCBO. Output of the RCBO is connected to a 13A trailing socket.

There's a multimeter inline between the earth of the 13A socket and plug. Functional earth is connected to the earth pin of the 13A plug.

With the RCBO off, as expected, the current on earth is 0A. Turning the RCBO on causes a current of 6mA to appear on the earth.

Why is that?

Most devices have small amounts of earth leakage, electronics, computers are good examples. The casings of the devices are metallic they are bonded to the earth. EM radiation from components will work its way to the case and pass as earth leakage. They could be designed not too but the cost is prohibitive when it serves no real purpose as they are low enough to not cause a real problem.


What's this ceiling mounting system called? I'm looking to suspend some Wi-Fi Equipment from a roof slab where there's no suspended ceiling grid to clip it to. The suspension is a cable loop that can hang from just about anything (the access points are ~300g) so where there's existing unistrut I can use that, but where there isn't, there's metal plating on the roof slab:

I think that's just a series of Unistrut channels that I can use channel nuts on, but I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm it?

Also, assuming it is, can anyone recommend a part that I can use to suspend a cable loop such as this from?

Thank you for the clarification. I wasn't sure if the "equipment" was additional to the access points or if the access points were the equipment. Being just very lightweight access points, the off-the-shelf most everywhere anchoring solutions are quite broad. I'll just present a few options to help you visualize & build upon.

If you'd prefer a single attack & homogeneous look & procedure in only using the ceiling's channels, since they're everywhere. Then, I'd suggest Little L-Brackets Masonry Screwed or Masonry Bolted into the channels with a drilled hole. Due to the small amount of weight we're talking the L-Bracket's one side can be cut or slit to slip in your Loop Cable.

Drilling the holes too big or sloppy can be remedied by bigger Masonry Screws or going to the longer & drill deeper Sleeve Anchor pictured on the far right, these combinations would very closely match the method used for the Unistrut's anchoring.

The I-Beam anchors can be as simple as a Metal Rod bent around the I-Beam Ledges. Or, a Picture Frame Wire (possible scraps from your Loop Cables) tensioned between 2 of the L-brackets above, you'd just close the "L" down with pliers to a "V". Or, a variation of the below concepts.

The Unistrut's c-bar usage can of course be their nut option. Or, just a simple Plastic or Metal Wire Tie (always trim that tail off) or more Picture Hanging Wire (possible scraps from your Loop Cables) or a Bolt, Nut & Washer assembly.

But, I think those options will get it done in overly securing your Loop Hangers. If this is more than a single in-house installation you might invest in a system like this for future installations.


A crack in my foundation wall is leaking I have a thin crack in my basement wall that is starting to leak. Can I put a water sealant on while concrete us still wet?

Doing that will be virtually useless.  It may help when there is very very light water pressure for a little bit.  However note that by stopping the water from coming in temporarily that it will work harder on the cracked area.

Which means that the crack will grow larger faster and soon leak again.  You need to fill the crack with some type of concrete patching compound plus waterproofing (the outside) or what is usually the best method is chiseling out the cracked area and adding an epoxy to secure it.

Both of these methods have products that allow them to be done when wet however they are cheaper and more effective when completely dry.  There are epoxy kits that you can get for abut $200-300 in the US.  It is borderline DIY.  If you have things that you are trying to protect in your basement I would probably call a professional which isn't a whole lot more than the kit.