How to remove an external dryer vent cover when it's covered by stucco? I don't know who built this house but they did it stupidly.

I need to replace my external dryer vent cover because one of the fins broke.  However, it seems like whoever built the house, covered the edges of the vent with stucco instead of attach it to the house with screws.

I think the previous owner ran into the same problem and just put screen mesh over the problem.  I want to fix the problem correctly (which is replace this vent cover) but I don't see any way other than breaking into the stucco.

Is there any advice on how to fix this problem or is putting the screen mesh the only way to address this issue without breaking into the stucco and making this a bigger and more expensive issue?

I hope the photo has enough resolution since it originally was larger than 2MB.

The vanes in a vent like that are usually just plastic with small pegs that project out from each of the top left and right corners. These pegs fit into holes in the vertical side rail of the vent frame so that the vanes can hinge out when there is positive air pressure coming out the pipe. They then swing back into the closed position under the force of gravity.

These vanes are removable by simply gently flexing the vane in the center and allowing the peg on one end to come out of its swing hinge hole.

There is a very good possibility that you can find a replacement vent where the vanes are the same size. You could snap the vanes out of the new unit and insert them into the existing frame. Making this replacement would eliminate a lot of work trying to rip out the old vent and installing a new one.


Can I drill into a wall's baseboard? I need to run coaxial cable to another room and the original hole near the bottom of the wall got covered by a taller baseboard. Is it ok to drill through the baseboard?

There's still a hole on the other side of the wall because that side has a shorter baseboard. Is it best to drill from this shorter-baseboard side that still has a hole? I don't want to push the taller baseboard off its wall though.

Perfectly fine to drill through a baseboard.

I would drill a pilot hole from the side that still has the shorter-baseboard. That gets you lined up without worrying about splitting the new baseboard or pushing it away from the wall. Then drill the full-size hole from the taller-baseboard side, centered on the pilot hole.


How can I prevent an above-ground pool underlayment from failing due to erosion at one location? I have had an above ground pool since 2008. The pool was installed professionally.
I have had to replace the liner 3 times, professionally installed as well.
We have talked with the pool installer, he recommends sand. I really want to try something else. The sand appears to erode at the same location, causing liner failure.

This will be the last attempt, so we are hoping to create a highly stable surface. The current underlayment is pool sand. However, the liners are continually failing. Current liner is 25 mil thick. I am planning to purchase a 30 mil thick vinyl liner in a week or so. I have read a great deal online about synthetic foam boards/pads. Would you be able to provide some specific guidance? (thickness, etc)

I have also read about gunite. Any suggestions on this? We live in southwestern Pennsylvania.

We do not have grass or weeds near the pool.

The first issue you need to address is why is the base eroding in the same place time after time? The large majority of above ground pools survive many years with a leveled sand base. The probable reasons for your erosion problem is an unstable base, misguided water runoff or the base is a bit too high in relationship to the surrounding area allowing runoff to seek a path under your pool.

An XPS base may help a lot, but even with a foam board base it needs to be on a stable compacted base. If the foam is installed over an area that is going to erode too deeply, it will collapse into the void created by that erosion. I strongly suggest you analyse the drainage around your pool area and correct or redirect runoff before you destroy another liner.


How to power Honeywell wifi thermostat with external transformer I want to install  A Honeywell RTH 6580 WF thermostat in my garage for heat only .  My heater is a simple LP gas, hanging unit heater; heat only and my thermostat has two wires labeled W and R .  I have no C wire which I understand is necessary to power the Wi-Fi thermostat .  I have also read that instead of a C wire that an external transformer can be installed and used to power the thermostat .  A transformer that I looked at at my local Menards is actually a doorbell transformer and can be wired as 24 V AC output and is rated at 20 VA.

Question 1: Is this an acceptable transformer for my application?

Question 2 & 3: There will be two wires (I believe) that will go from the load side of the transformer to the thermostat. Which terminals do these wires connect to on the thermostat? Then do my existing "W" and "R" wires connect to the corresponding "W" and "R" on the new thermostat?

There should already be a transformer on the unit. I believe it's on the back of the unit, mounted to a junction box. There should be two exposed terminals on the transformer. One is R, and the other is C. To determine which is which, use a volt/multimeter to measure AC volts between the R wire going to the thermostat and the transformer terminals.  One terminal will measure 24 volts, while the other will measure 0 volts.  The terminal that gave you 24 VAC, is the C terminal.  Run a wire from that terminal, to the thermostat C terminal.


How can I replace broken CFL bulb in a recessed light fixture? I tried to replace a plug-in 4 pin CFL and ended up having the socket stuck inside the can. How I can get it out? There are two clips at both sides in the can fixture - can I push these to get the broken bulb out?

That type of bulb just snaps in and out with a little pressure. It probably broke because the UV light had weakened the plastic, or because it force was applied in a sideways direction.

To remove it, turn off the light via the switch or circuit breaker. Grab the remaining plastic with a needle-nose plier and pull it straight outward. Do not twist or tilt or you risk damage to the socket.


Rekeying pattern for duplex with shared front door I have Kwikset KW-1 5pin locks (At least 10 of them). Since I have a duplex, I'd like to make two keys and have three locks (Unit 1, Unit 2, and Common)

So that each tenant can have a single key which opens the front/rear/garage door and their unit, but not the other unit.

Is this possible? What would the pin patterns need to look like?

Edit:

I want each tenant to hold a single key (they currently carry two). That key should open the front door (which is shared) and their unit which has no exterior door.

Which to me says there should be two patterns for keys (each unit)

And three patterns for locks:

Shared, that can be opened by either key
Unit 1, that can only be opened by key 1
Unit 2, that can only be opened by key 2

Second Edit

Been reading a bit about master pins. Maybe the right answer is put the same change key on the front door and unit one, and just use the master myself. Then I can open all doors with one key, and they can open just common and unit one. Obviously that won't work in a few years when we move on and rent both out though.

See if your particular lock shows up here:

http://www.imlss.com/images/pdf/kwikset_Rekeying_Manual.pdf

Though I think if you have a competent locksmith, you just tell her/him what you want, and it happens, you don't have to tell them how to do their job. And you have an incompetent one, telling them how to do their job is not likely to help, either. So anything past this is merely for information, unless you are planning to try and do this yourself, which can be complicated for boring legal reasons in many LAHJ's rather than technical ones.

I'm not a locksmith (I think we have a few posters that are) but with 5 pins that can be set 6 ways (each) you have many, many key combinations available, and you need, at most, 4 that work together, in 3 lock types.

In some sense you're delving into "sub-master" to get what you want, with each key working specific things - so the unit keys operate the common lock

52463 Let's say that's the common door.

Now, if you put a master pin of size 2 in position 1 and 4 of the common locks (with bottom pins of size 3 and 4) You can have Unit 1's lock set to 32463 and unit 2's lock set to 52443 and you get what you asked for, with neither being able to open the other via filing down a key.

If you want a full-on master or a front door only key, it's more of the same. Actually I guess I gave you a front-door only key while trying to avoid the "file down to open the neighbor" condition from the comments. If you are hiring a locksmith, they should be able to work out the details without your input on the specifics of the pins used. As such I'm going to stop here for now.


Wiring bathroom exhaust fan / light I have a bathroom with 2 wall switches, 1 for vanity wall light and 1 for exhaust fan. I want to replace the exhaust fan with a combination light/exhaust fan. The switch that operates the old exhaust fan only operates the light now. The switch has top and bottom screws and both are wired with black wires

The two-way switch in the picture switches a single conductor on and off. I expect you will find that the switched black wire and a neutral white wire lead up to the ceiling fixture. With this setup it's not possible to separately control the ceiling fan and light. But it should be possible to turn them both on and off together. It sounds like that's what you're trying to do.

The exhaust fan should have come with some instructions on how to wire it. We expect to find a neutral white wire, two hot wires (black and blue?) and a grounding wire (green or bare). If the existing wiring to the ceiling is non-metallic cable then you connect black to black/blue, white to white, and green to green/bare or grounding screw. If the existing wires are run as metallic shielded cable then the shield provides grounding and you will need to bond the grounding wire of the fixture to the metal ceiling box.

It sounds like you've attempted the first scenario but the fan is not switching on? Some bathroom exhaust fans are setup to run for a fixed period of time after detecting a certain level of humidity. These can be finicky and may not always turn on when switched on. You might read over the instructions to see if this is what's getting in the way. If it's a simple fan + light then tying the hot wires together should cause them both to turn on. Check your connections and if you can't get it to work try connecting one at a time to debug. It's possible the fan is a dud out of the box.


How do I add a new exterior door to a room? I have a room where I would like to add a door to the outside.

The house siding is cedar shingles and the room is not insulated (which I am going to add).

I believe it should be relatively simple to do (I'm not looking for anything fancy but do want the door to seal properly).

I think all I have to do is cut out the rectangular region for the door, properly sized, then frame up the entryway using 2x4's and secure it properly to the rest of the framing.

The main issue I am concerned about is with the shingles as it will be difficult to fix if a mistake is made.

Any tips or concerns I need to keep in mind?

There are lots of concerns I can think of (this is a much bigger project than simply cutting a rectangle in the wall):

Exterior walls are load bearing, so you need to construct a header, king, and jack studs, to properly transfer the load over the door. During construction of this, it's a good idea to install temporary bracing.
Any utility lines in the wall will need to be moved (electrical, plumbing, hvac, etc).
The door needs to be installed so the exterior house wrap properly overlaps it so any water that gets behind the singles doesn't come into the door.
You need a threshold and possibly some flashing to keep any water or drafts from getting under the door.
You need to properly trim around the door, particularly outside, to keep it weather tight.
It's critical that the door is level and plumb so it doesn't open or close accidentally.


What is the correct way to wire a 3 way switch where power comes into the middle switch? I found two books and neither had the diagram. Only I found two separate diagrams that did not work.
The setup:

Box 1 with 3 wire runs to box 2.
Box 2 has 2 wire power in, 2 wire to light and 3 wire to box 1

Both diagrams show Power (Black) to 3 wire (black), connected to common black screw in box 1 switch.
Power in Neutral (white) to light neutral (white/silver screw)
Box 2 switch Common black screw to  Light (black/ brass screw)
Where they differ is in the Red and White from the 3 wire.  One shows reds on left, whites on right; both switches. The other shows Red left box 2, red right box 1; white right box 2, white left box 1.
Both configurations trip the breaker.
I have checked ground connections, lines with multimeter, 3 separate switches, Checked tension and for micro holes/pinching, and checked the light.
The issue seems to be with the 3 way wiring.
I'm at a loss.
This is the diagram of what i tried, the other diagram was the same with the red and white in the far right box swapped... that didn't work either.

You'll lose your mind dealing with all the red black white business.  Get a 5-pack of colored electrical tape and start marking wires for their actual function.  Always mark wires the same at both ends.  Here is what's really happening in a 3-way.

First, the two traveler wires get marked yellow.  There is no need to tell them from each other.    So in the /3 cable, tape the black and white wires with yellow tape.  That'll leave red, which is a preferential color for switched-hot.
On the black and white cable up to the lamp, mark both ends of the black wire with red tape, since it is switched hot.  Mark the lamp's black lead red also.

The hard part is behind us. Now we wrap up.

On both 3-way switches, the yellow wires go on the brass screws.
On the near 3-way, the supply wire (black) goes onto the black common screw.  (It's almost like someone color coded it, lol).
On the far 3-way, you have no choice: 1 wire 1 screw.  Done.
All the wires that remain are white and red.  Nut them by color: white to white, red to red.
Golly, that was easy!  Or rather, we made it easy with our thinking cap and some colored tape.


Opening the cabinet on a Maytag Centennial Dryer I need to replace the drum support rollers on a Maytag Centennial MGDC700VW0 dryer, but first I just need to get the cabinet open.  Anyone know how to do this?

This dryer has a toe panel, which may provide all the access I will need.  Is that simply held in place with clips?  I can see it has little hooks holding it in place at the bottom.  I tried pulling on it, but I was hesitant to really pull hard.

I believe you will find two screws holding the top on located at the backside of the dryer. With those screws removed the top will come off. With the top removed the front panel retaining screws will be visible. You may have to remove the kick/toe panel to gain access to the lowest front panel screws. I would suggest that the drum drive belt be changed at the same time while it is all apart.


What do I do when a horizontal rod for a popup drain is too short? My contractor just installed a Delta Arzo Two Handle Widspread Lavatory 3586LF into a Kohler Persuade Curv top and basin lavatory, K-2956-8.

The problem is that the horizontal rod for the popup drain is not long enough to connect to the lifting rod strap. This is because the drain is too far from where the faucet is mounted in the sink.

What is the typical solution to this type of problem?

EDIT: Niall C. suggested finding a replacement rod that fits. Home depot has a few sizes on-line, but they may have more in the store. I'd try this solution before custom-making one.

Depending on the design of the horizontal rod, you may be able to replace it with a length of steel rod with the same diameter.

From what I can tell of the parts diagram , you may be able to slide some hardware off of the original rod and back on to your custom cut rod of the same diameter. If the original rod is threaded at one end, you could get a tap and die set or see if threaded rod would work.


Can I paint the exterior of a meter socket? My meter socket is on the front of my house in a prominent grey color against my home's tan brick exterior.

While it certainly makes a bold statement to the world that I am not part of an Amish community, I was wondering: Would it would violate code to tone it down a bit by painting the exterior of the meter socket enclosure to a color that better matches the brick?

If you are asking about electrical code, no.  In most places, you own (and are responsible for) the meter box.  As long as the electric company is able to read the meter, there's no problem with painting it.  How to paint it is another question.


Which furnace thermostats support variable swing/deadband? My home furnace is currently controlled by a programmable Honeywell thermostat, but it regularly thrashes the furnace by turning the furnace on for just ten or twenty seconds.

It seems that the thermostat will register a one-degree drop in temperature for a few seconds, turning the furnace on, but then switch back up to the previous temperature a few seconds later, turning the furnace off again. Presumably, air currents near the thermostat produce rapid swings in temperature of around one degree.

After some investigation online, it seem that what I need is a thermostat that supports "variable swing" or "deadband" -- that is, heat to a given temperature (e.g. 25 degrees), then let the temperature cool to a different temperature (e.g. 22 degrees). Apparently Honeywell thermostats do not support this.

Which thermostats allow a temperature range to be programmed? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a smart thermostat; a simple and cheap programmable thermostat would be ideal.

Update: the thermostat is a Honeywell Pro TH4000 series, most likely a TH4110D.

Looks like many Honeywell thermostats have a "cycles per hour" setting instead of a deadband setting. Not exactly the same thing but roughly analogous. If your thermostat has that setting you could try changing it.

But if the cycle time is 10 seconds, I'm not sure the deadband is really the problem... even 1º should take longer than that. Do you have a hot air vent blowing directly on the thermostat or something? Or possibly some other problem with the furnace not lighting?


Can I install a replacement faucet directly onto a laminate countertop? I am updating my wet bar area with a new sink and faucet.  Can I install the new
faucet directly onto the laminate countertop so that I can use a separate no-hole sink?

Sure you can.  I'd recommend using a sharp Forsner type drill bit or sharp hole saw to avoid chipping the laminate. Cover the laminate with painter's tape and mark your hole centers.  If your using a single 4" faucet fixture, use a template to drill the holes. If you are using separate handles/neck. the common spacing is 8 inches, but again, use the template.


Can a 15 amp and 20 amp share a ground? I uncovered a metal junction box that was behind a wall (I'll fix this, I know it should be accessible). I looked inside and found the following: a 20-amp circuit (12 ga wire) and a separate 15-amp circuit (14 ga wire). It all looked good at first; however, then I noticed that the ground wire from the 15 amp was connected to the ground wire for the 20 amp. The circuits are not otherwise shared (hot and neutral of each circuit are separated). I think the person did this because the 15 amp circuit coming from the breaker uses a flexible metal tube with 2 wires with fabric coating inside (the house was built in 1940 or so), and the circuit was "extended" using 14-2 w/ ground to include some other receptacles and lights. Technically the metal tube would be clamped to the box and the ground wire for the 15-amp circuit attached to the box with a green screw. Should I fix this or is it ok to have the two circuits share a ground? I did a lot of searching and it looks like they can share as long as the larger gauge can handle 70% of the smaller, which it can (70% of 15 is 10.5). I asked a friend who is an electrician and he said it was ok; however I want a 2nd opinion. Thanks.

Edit: this is different from another, yet similar, question because this involves two different amp circuits, and this one involves BX cable.

Edit again: Thanks for the answers. Running a new ground from the box to the bus is an unrealistic option. Regarding another comment: The 12-ga ground wire isn't connected to the BX except for incidental contact with the box.

Since there's room, should I separate the two in separate boxes?  I would ground the 14-2 to the metal box and be sure the BX is clamped good and tight.

Picture description: lower right 12-2 connects with yellow 12-2. Armored comes from bottom and connects with the two 14-2 coming out the top. (I traced the armored to the box, so it is grounded the best that stuff can be; built in 1940.) Ground wires (grounding conductor) for both are twisted together. There was a green screw in there, showing evidence that at some point the possibility that the grounds for the 14-2s were connected to the box.

It doesn't sound like the #14 and #12 grounding wires being connected is the issue, to me.

EDIT:

  NEC 250.148 (C) Metal Boxes. A connection shall be made between the
  one or more equipment grounding conductors and a metal box by means of
  a grounding screw that shall be used for no other purpose, equipment
  listed for grounding, or a listed grounding device.

The OP uploaded a picture showing that the #12 is an independent circuit, in new 12/2 w/ground NM cable. So what you actually have is grounding via the BX armor, presuming that the BX tightly clamped in both this box and the service panel, and grounding through the #12 wire in the 12/2 circuit, and the two should be bonded together to the metal box.

The ground path through the BX is likely to have higher resistance than the ground path through that nice clean #12 copper. The metal box has to be grounded no matter what. I say leave all the grounds bonded together and to the box, and make sure the BX clamp is clean and tight at the junction box and back at the panel. If you're really concerned about the grounding through the BX sheath, try to run another lone ground wire back to the panel, or pull new NM cable to replace the BX.

Also, you would get a much tighter connection between the armored cable and the box using a better clamp than the one built-in to that old box, something like one of the following (that red plastic bushing protects the wires from sharp edges, so you never energize your grounding system accidentally):

END EDIT

All of the grounds in your house are ultimately bonded together, anyway, to zero the voltage differential all over your house (Neutrals are different! The neutrals are only bonded to the grounding bus in the main panel, nowhere else, and neutrals can only be shared by two circuits under specific conditions).

You wouldn't want a large circuit using a too-skinny conductor for grounding, though.

It sounds to me as if the original circuit is possibly BX armored cable, and the flexible conduit itself is the only grounding conductor going back from this junction box to the panel.

This not up to current code if the flexible metal conduit is the only ground path--there can be continuity problems through the flexible armor. BX was actually demarketed for a while, then came back as armored cable with a metal bonding strip that makes contact with the flexible conduit all along it's length to ensure a good ground path.

However; if you can somehow run a #12 bare or green-insulated wire back from that junction box to the panel (route it up through the attic?) and bond it to the grounding bus inside the panel, as well as to both the #12 and #14 wires, and the BX armor in the junction box by using the right metal clamps and bonding the wire to the metal box, you'd be perfectly fine.

Having said all that, I guess somebody could argue that some grounding through the BX armor is better than no grounding. But if you're in there messing around, you want to do it right and bring it up to code.


How to replace on old 2 wire single light switch with a 3 wire? This house is over 100 years old and we don't know when this very old light switch was put in. The actual outside switch just broke right off yesterday.  All of the new replacements have 2 wires on one side and 1 on the other side. This one only has 2 black wires, one on either side. How do we replace it with a modern switch? Thx so much.

Your original switch sounds like a single pole single throw (on off). Your new switch sounds like a single pole double throw (referred to as a 3 way)
You can make this switch work by connecting 1 of the wires to the black screw. Then the other wire to one of the 2 other screws (notice a 3 way has no on off) turn the power back on and see if up on, if correct turn power back off and push switch back in, if backwards decide which would be better.
Turn switch and stuff it back in or move the 2nd wire (not black screw) to the other terminal. With old wiring I prefer to not twist the wires as the insulation may be brittle so moving the conductor over to the other connector may be best, then push it in and tighten.


Ducted A/C system under powered I recently replaced carpets with tiles in my apartment, and in the process generated an incredible amount of dust.

All this dust was sucked into my A/C ducting, and the filters in the return were completely blocked.

I've replaced all the filters, but am convinced that the performance is significantly lower than before.

It is a double story apartment, has only one single zone, and the controller is upstairs. The temperature on the controller is reading the correct temperature (and therefore the system shuts off), but downstairs feels notably warmer than it did before.

Could the excessive dust have blocked anything else?

Is there anything I can do myself to confirm the system is working as expected?

Fine dust particles can slip through the filter and cake up on the coil which is constantly creating moisture.

Once it is clogged the air flow will be diminished and because of that the air that gets through will be very cold. Eventually it will ice up and burn your fan motor out.

There are specific steps that need to be followed to clean the coil safely and effectively. I’d call a pro out for a service call and tell that human what happened.


Can I replace / recreate a tri-fold garage door with three fiberglass flush doors? My garage has three wooden doors that cover the opening.  The middle one's hinges are attached to the right door.  The left and the right doors' hinges are attached to the walls.  This way you could open only the middle door or two doors or all three doors to fully open it.

I know this is an odd setup but I actually kinda like it.

The garage is small and barely fits one car.  I don't use it for a garage but rather to store my tools and use it as a workshop.

The question:

The doors need to be replaced.  I looked at standard garage doors but didn't like them very much.  I'm going in and out of the garage pretty often, especially these days when I'm renovating.  I'm a bike commuter so get in and out with my bike at least twice a day.

I'm toying with the idea of redoing it the same way (with three doors) but use three modern fiberglass flush doors or maybe even doors with half windows.

Would this work?  Or it a bad idea?

If the existing setup works, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work with new doors instead. One down side to this setup though, is that doors without jambs aren't that secure and could probably be kicked in fairly easily. If it were my garage, and I didn't want a standard fold up door or a roll-up, I'd probably put in 2 larger barn style doors, or if you have the space, one of those sliding barn style doors that has an overhead track to slide on.


How can I shut off circuits when I have a generator with an automatic transfer switch? We had professionals install a generator with an automatic transfer switch. I showed them our circuit-breaker box and told them which circuit numbers should be on generator power. Okay, everything's working hunky-dory.

WELL ... I wanted to cut the power to one room in the house to install a light fixture, so I went back to the original circuit-breaker box and tried flipping switches (which worked before the generator installation) -- and nothing happened. None of the switches cuts out any power in the house. I threw the main switch for the entire house's power -- and the generator promptly turned on!

How can I shut off individual circuits now? Or for that matter, is it possible to shut off everything and leave the generator off? I'd think this is a safety thing...

The transfer switch box needs a screwdriver to open, so I've left it alone. The transfer-switch manual (it's a Kohler RXT) says it has a load center and circuit breakers can be added, not included. -- Do I need to pay an electrician (more money?!) to come out and add circuit breakers to the transfer switch?

The load center with the transfer switch (or "critical load panel") should have a circuit for each circuit that was specified to be connected to the generator.    The original breakers no longer function because nothing is connected to them now; there is probably one dual-pole breaker feeding the critical load panel, and there should then be a breaker for each circuit there.

If you are not comfortable investigating, call the electrician that did the install and ask them to walk you through operation and service requirements for the setup.


Can I use self-leveling concrete on a very not-level surface? My garage floor is probably 50 years old and is severely pitted, and decidedly not level. I don't mind it being un-level, but it's so not smooth that sweeping is much harder than it should be. Can I put a thin layer of self-leveling concrete on it to just smooth it out, or would it all pool in the lowest spots? I'm open to other ideas on how to get it smoother as well.

Why bother with self-leveling cement?   Just use regular cement and a long straightedge to make it flat.   Note that most of the smoothness of regular cement mix comes from working it with a "cement float" to work out the bubbles and help bring the "cream" to the surface.


How can I improve second floor HVAC performance? I have a forced air heating and air conditioning system that performs poorly on the second floor: It is way too warm in the summer and a little too cold in the winter.

I live in a 1920s masonry row house that has one vent going to each of the three upstairs bedrooms and four vents on the first floor. One of the first floor vents is on one of the three ducts leading upstairs.

There is a single 11"x13" return vent at the base of the stairs on the first floor.  There is no return upstairs.

Thinking it was a insulation issue, I had a cellulose blown in the attic a few years back, as this post suggests.  This definitely helped reduce the severity of the issue, but there is still room for improvement.

What remedy / remedies would provide the most benefit?  Feasible remedies I can imagine are:

Install dampers / new registers on first floor to restrict airflow there
Add a second floor return duct (in front or middle bedroom)
Add another upstairs supply duct (in front or middle bedroom)

I have read conflicting reports about whether adding an upstairs supply or return would provide any benefit, and that closing off registers can cause issues.

Below is a quick and dirty diagram of my HVAC system.  The blue rectangles are first floor vents branched off of the trunk in the basement, and the pink rectangles are second floor vents also branched off the trunk in the basement.  The only exception is the overlapping pink and blue vent, where a single branch has a first floor and second floor vent.  All of the vents are on or near the floor.  First floor is open, stairs are open both upstairs and down, and another image showing the upstairs bedrooms is included.

I would guess that modifying the duct work in a 1920s masonry construction home will be prohibitively destructive and involving removing or damaging irreplaceable trim that contributes to the building's character.

Mini split heat pumps:

An alternative, which will not be inexpensive but may be significantly less destructive, would be investigating installing a multi head mini split ac unit with one head in each bedroom.  Such a unit costs perhaps $2500 to $5000 for the unit, installation extra and depends on the difficulty of install.  If you live in a heating climate, especially one with cheap electricity in the winter or might install solar and have sunny winters, you should likely invest in the heat pump versions.  Models are available that operate down to -13 F now (Mitsubishi M-Series) in single head.  Supposedly multi-heads that operate that low are coming out this spring.

Advs:

Individual temperature control for each bedroom
- Really high efficiency available for both heating and cooling
- Avoid destruction of interior trim

Disads:
- Potentially a lot of $$$
- Still a newer technology in the US (used all over Europe and Japan).  If you plan to sell soon, recovering your investment at resale could be a challenge
- Some people hate the look.

Other than minisplits:

Air leakage:

I'd suggest you have a blower door test performed. All the insulation in the world doesn't matter if you are changing over the air in the house too quickly.  If you didn't air seal the attic before filling it with cellulose, you could have this problem.  An infrared gun on a cold night can help show these leaks too.  Insulation installers will say things like seals in air but cellulose, fiberglass insulation, and mineral wool insulation are actually very air permeable.  If you find that is the problem, you could move insulation out of the way in the attic to use canned foam (get a commercial gun, much nicer job to do than with home depot cans).  If you can't move the insulation, you could install a vapor permeable sheet membrane like Tyvek or a smart vapor retarder like IntelloPlus on top of the insulation to block air movement. Do not use a vapor impermeable barrier like black plastic or visqueen (clear plastic); you could trap moisture and cause a mold problem.  Attic access hatches are also causes of large volume air leaks.  There are special hatch covers you can buy or build to address this problem.

Duct work in unconditioned space:

Do you have any ducts in unconditioned (uninsulated) space like an open crawl space or an unconditioned attic?  If so, you could be losing huge amounts of heat to the crawl space or attic.  If your ducts are older, they likely aren't air tight either.  You could use specialized foil tape or duct mastic to seal the joints and you could insulate this duct work, though it won't be fun work.  If your ducts are really leaky, you could get big gains in system performance from this work.

Humidity control:

Have you measured your humidity when your system is running?  If your humidity is high in the winter or summer, you will feel colder or hotter.  Your humidity could be high in the house for many reasons (improper shower venting) but dirt crawl spaces are a big source in the summer (not in the winter so much).  Seal off the dirt crawl space to eliminate humidity, mold spores, radon, etc. from getting in the house.  A radon membrane company, in areas with radon, might be a cost effective contractor to use.


Base for refrigerator wine shelf I have a wine refrigerator that has shelves for wine bottles - image on this question.

I want to use this refrigerator and its shelves as a regular refrigerator. So I need to put something on the shelf to make it flat so it can hold anything. The inner (usable) part of this shelf is 23" x 17".

At its simplest I think could have some 1/4" plywood cut to those dimensions and simply put them on top.

However this doesn't feel like the correct solution to me. How would I best convert these shelves to a flat surface that can hold any shaped item like a regular refrigerator?

Tempered glass (might be costly, might not; but a good and common solution seen in fridges, easy to clean, won't harbor mold, etc.)

Plastic would work but will eventually get scratched up somewhat, but is also a common refrigerator interior suface.

Wire mesh (fairly heavy, stiff) works and permits airflow. Stainless steel or powder-coated to prevent corrosion. Again, a common shelf material in this application.

Have you verified that the "wine fridge" will actually operate properly at the temperature range you require? many are optimized for "cellar temperatures" in the mid-50's F (10 C) and don't do well running at normal refrigerator temperatures in the lower 30's (1-3 C)


Can a countertop microwave oven be placed under the counter on a shelf? I want to know if a countertop microwave can be placed on a shelf under the counter.  If so what is the code required clearance for floor to bottom of microwave distance?  I live in California.

I don't think the code cares. What you need to look out for is mostly awkwardness in getting hot food out of the microwave, and not blocking the vents.

You can get pull-out microwaves that are designed to be easier to use when placed under the counter, but they're hilariously expensive ($1000+).


What to do about water under interlocking floor? I started a load of laundry and apparently the drain tube had come out and it ran most of the water from the load onto the floor.. We have the interlocking floor tiles but there are gaps and in a couple areas I could hear water squishing under the floor as I walked on it. What do I need to do?

We had to remove the flooring as there was no easier way to prevent mold underthe flooring. Then run a dehumidifier until the floor no longer smells muggy and wet. then replace new flooring. That was our experience.


What material is my waste stack made of, and what can I do with it? A number of years ago I had a plumber out who told me what type of waste stack this is, but I've since forgotten, and cannot find info online. He indicated that it should be replaced eventually (of course, that is any pipe, but you know what I mean). For reference, the home was built in 1952.

We are now working on our upstairs bathroom and have an opportunity to replace this stack because of open walls. What kind of stack is this, and would we run into any issues attempting to remove it or join new PVC into it? Is there an asbestos risk? The join and the texture may help with identifying the pipe...

There is also what I assume to be cast iron waste pipes joined into this stack. In the below image, the cast iron pipe goes from the toilet drain, to the sink, into the wall on the right where it meets with the mystery stack pipe.

We are rearranging the upstairs bathroom so will likely remove the old cast iron pipes (which you can see have leaked before) and replace with PVC, joined into either the existing mystery stack or a new PVC stack.

Edit:
Added photo of pipe defect/damage:

The black is Orangeburg pipe, a layered (tar-based?) pipe. I did not think it was allowed inside, I have only ever found it as vents not as drains inside , yes it should be replaced with plastic , it usually falls apart in ground but your’s looks to be in good shape, (that could be ready to fail) , yes replace it if doing any remodeling before it breaks. Tapping with a mallet can break it you will see when you start taking it apart. I have seen remnants inside but not in use I should say.


Help understanding heating system I recently moved to a new home and I'm a bit confused about the heating system. I seem to have an immersion heater (which uses electricity?), and also something in the kitchen (that uses gas?). I had assumed the one in the kitchen was just for tap water on-demand, but it seems to randomly fire up when no taps are running. Can you please explain how this all fits together? Can you please also explain why the switch I have highlighted appears to be turned off, but everything seems to be working? Thank you.
My current guess is that the main tank is heated up with gas, but has an immersion coil as a backup (which is currently turned off). Am I way off base?
Main tank:

Better view of where the switch goes

Kitchen:

The unit in your kitchen is the boiler and looks like a very simple gas model with a simple temperature control. There should somewhere be a time clock to control it. The plumbing near the tank looks like you have radiators for room heating so there should also be a room thermostat somewhere.
The water in the tank is normally heated by the boiler. The two pipes that go around to the back of your tank will be fitted to a coil of pipe inside the tank, and the boiler circulates hot water through these to heat the water in the tank. The electric immersion heater is there because it can heat the water faster than the gas boiler, however it does cost more to run. Typical uses for this are:

In an emergency if the gas boiler has broken down
If you need a lot more hot water than normal e.g. several guests staying all wanting hot showers in quick succession.

In your photo there is a second switch on the same wall nearer the camera. This is probably the master switch for the system, it looks like it is on in the photo and should normally be on. The immersion heater switch you should only turn on when you want the extra heating power (and are willing to pay for it). If you hare having some work done, you could think about moving the switch outside the cupboard and changing to one with an indicator light so that you don't forget to turn it off once the extra need is over.
The timing of the boiler running should be mainly controlled by a time clock somewhere, but it will only run if there is need, that is if the cylinder thermostat (white cuboid on the front of the cylinder) indicates that the water in the tank is colder than it should be, or if the room thermostat indicates that the radiators should be on.


Need to find control valve for damper There is no control valve attached to this damper:

so I can't turn it to open/close the duct. It's currently closed :-(. It's smooth so I haven't found anything that can even grasp onto it tightly enough. What kind of part am I looking for or how can i turn it?

I was able to easily open the plate dampers with Vise Grip Pliers. The locking mechanism on the Vise Grip is great.

As Ed Beal stated in his comment, I think replacing the damper is a good solution because it 1) saves time looking for an obscure part and 2) manual dampers are not too expensive.


Turn off water heater as well during winter? If I am going on vacation for an extended period during winter (it occasionally gets below freezing here), should I turn off water valve AND the gas water heater or just turn off the main water valve?
I am seeing a lot of people advising to close the main water valve but leaving the gas water heater on "pilot" or "low". I am worried because what if a water line bursts and drains the water out of the water heater? Wouldn't it damage the water heater?
Please advise.
Thank you,
RK.

Ideally..

Turn the power/gas off to the water heater.
Turn off the water to the building.
Remove the water from the entire building, including the water heater, toilet tanks and water supply lines.
Pour RV antifreeze into every waste trap, including the toilet bowls.

The building is now winterized and your safe even if the heat goes off.
If the heat goes off and you haven't removed all the water, you will probably pay for it.


Loose bathroom wall tiles So after hosing down the bathroom, I started to hear some cracking. I looked at the tiles and they were bulging out from the center. I guess water got into the top and loosened the tiles.

I started to gently remove the very loose tiles by hand, so they wouldn't fall and break. The wall is concrete and the remaining adhesive is pretty rock hard. Not sure if I should remove it all and re tile or is this fixable?

I can see the ridges left by the installers notched trowel. Look at the back of any loose tiles. It should have thinset on at least 80% of it's back. I'm guessing the thinset wasn't mixed correctly. If it is to dry the tile does not get pressed into the notched adhesive so as to form a mechanical bond. You can check if the tiles are affixed properly by giving them a slight rap with your knuckle. You should hear a dull sound. A hollow or "ting" reverberation indicates a void or low spot were the thinset isn't fully supporting the tile.


Do i need a backflow preventer for drip irrigation system A gardener just installed a drip irrigation system in my backyard. He didn't installed the back-flow preventer. When I asked him why, he told me for drip irrigation you don't need the back-flow preventer! His argument was that in drip irrigation, we have to install a pressure reducer so there is no need for a back-flow preventer.

Is he right on his argument?

I think he is mistaken.  A pressure reducing valve is not listed in the code among the approved backflow prevention devices:

  2009 Uniform Plumbing Code 603.4.6 Protection From Lawn Sprinklers and Irrigation Systems

  603.4.6.1  Potable water supplies to systems having no pumps or connections for pumping equipment, and no chemical injection or
  provisions for chemical injection, shall be protected from backflow by
  one of the following devices:

  (1) Atmospheric vacuum breaker (2) Pressure vacuum breaker (3)
  Spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker (4) Reduced pressure vacuum
  breaker


Joining two wires into a single breaker I need to combine two wires with very light room lighting loads into one breaker in the panel to free up one breaker for another use.  How best to combine the two wires and insert only one into the breaker (since the two can't fit)?

You can simply pigtail them in the panel - splice those two wires to a short third wire (pigtail) of the same gauge and type, and land the other end of the short wire on the breaker.

Wire nuts are most commonly used for splices, but they do take some skill to use successfully.  Push in wire connectors are also commonly available, and are much easier to get right on your first attempt.  In either case, you must be very careful to select connectors compatible with your wiring.  In particular, be very careful if there's any aluminum wiring involved.

There is a persistent myth that the NEC prohibits splices in panels, but there's really no such rule.


Dripping supply line from the toilet cut off valve My toilet supply line is dripping, I can’t get it to stop. I had a dripping packing nut when the line was attached to the toilet, but since it was leaking in three places, I turned off the water and detached the supply line. As I was saying, now it’s just dripping out of the supply line into a watering can.
I have the pros coming in 10 days to replace my toilet and the shut off valve (old and likely the cause of this!anything I can do to keep me sane? I’ve tried the penetrating oil on the pack nut.

Here's a trick: purchase a new shut off valve (it looks like a 1/2 inch size supply line). Remove the supply hose and wrap Teflon tape around the threads.
Install the new valve onto the old one. You should get a new supply hose (1/2 inch x 7/8 inch). Connect it to the new valve and the toilet valve.


Is my thermostat transformer voltage too low? I measured the voltage at the thermostat Rc to G and Rc to Y terminals, and they read 16.2V and 16.34V respectively.  Shouldn't I be measuring 24V+/-?  I purchased a Nest thermostat and it will not work properly at these unusual voltages.

Is there a C wire at the thermostat?  You should measure between R and C for a proper voltage reading.

Y connects back to the other side of the transformer through the coil of the contactor, in the condensing unit.  G connects back to the other side of the transformer through the coil in the fan relay, in the air handler.  C connects directly back to the other side of the transformer.

The only way to get an accurate measurement of the transformer voltage, is to measure between R and C.


Move a gas meter 150ft or install your own gas line? I am DIY-ing a house in Montana where a mobile home used to exist nearby (150ft away). There is an existing NG meter (250CFH). Of course my home is much larger and needs a little over 500 CFH. This does not include the demand for a future planned shop. The main line will support me, but the meter must be swapped regardless (at the utility company's cost). The current meter is at/near the future shop location. This is important to remember (if I move meter to house, I still need gas for shop eventually).
The question is - pay to move the meter ($2200) or install my own gas line? Paying to move the meter is a simple solution that is done by someone else per the utility company requirement.
My own gas line:
This is a 150ft run. I would need a 2" inch line at 2PSI (gives me 900 something CFH) and the utility company is "uncomfortable with this, but will do it." However, isn't the 2 PSI an issue for appliances? Utility company won't advise on things beyond meter. But, seems like I'd need some pressure reduction system for each device? One for entire home?
My appliances are:
Gas HVAC: 200k BTU
Gas on-demand hot water: 250k BTU
Gas dryer: 25k BTU
Gas cook-top: 45k BTU
Future: Pool heater possibility and exterior BBQ.

Yes, if you take 2 PSI service, you'll need one or more regulators so that the appliances receive 4 ounce pressure. Inquire with the utility about the monthly service cost -- my utility charges a base connection fee and the fee is $10 higher for 2 PSI service every month. I don't know whether this is common with other gas companies.
Some factors to consider:

the shop is merely future/planned. Will there be issues with the utility or building inspector if, for now, you have a free-standing gas meter out in the field 150 ft from the house? Will it require bollards, a fenced enclosure, or other protection you hadn't considered?
what if the shop construction is delayed or its plans change (ie dimension or location)? Will the meter-in-field anchor point be a problem?
the 2" HDPE pipe isn't cheap and the risers aren't either -- just for budgetary purposes, the Orange Box home improvement store lists these online at $460 for a 250 ft coil and $190 (times two) for the risers. That's over one third of the cost of moving the meter to the house and doesn't include tracer wire, warning tape, nor installation (trenching) costs.
how much gas demand is expected in the shop? A pipe carrying gas from house to shop might be half the size and cost of the 2" you'd need to carry gas the other direction.
if the service is moved to the house would you still need 2 PSI service? If no, then the cost of regulators further erodes the savings of leaving the service in its current location.

All things considered, if I were in the situation I'd have the meter moved.


Why won't my AC system turn off after I flipped the breaker? We've got a central cooling air conditioner that was installed in 1984 with a thermostat from that same year. We are replacing the thermostat with a new programmable one (which has a 100% compatibility guarantee).

Following the instructions from Home Depot I located the circuit breakers for the unit and switched them off (the circuit breakers on the panel inside the house, not the main ones for the entire house). Nothing happened. The AC unit is still running and blowing cold air.

Am I missing something here or could the breakers be broken? Or worse, could the unit be installed improperly? Feel free to point out the obvious.  :-)

More info if it matters: We have a Trane central air unit with a heater pump and an emergency electric heater. We are in Central Florida

You are missing something.  Either you have not found the correct breaker yet, or the breaker is not inside the breaker panel for your house.

Walk through each breaker in the breaker planel for your house.  You could have a mislabled breaker.  (The breaker you are looking for is likely a two-pole 240V breaker, maybe 30 amps or better.)

Since this is a central cooling unit, it might be powered from its own breaker box.  Follow the electrical supply wires (cable) back from the unit.  Where does it go?  You might find another breaker box dedicated to the cooling unit alone.  There might also be a breaker in your meter box protecting the unit in addition to the main breaker for your house.


How do I remove the cartridge from my faucet? Nut doesn’t seem to want to turn. I have sprayed WD-40 overnight. Should it? Trying to stop drip.

the picture is not very clear on this, but it looks like a left handed thread

you are actually tightening it


double pole breaker trips all the time First of all, I have a dumb question: does this white double pole breaker offer 20A or 40A (20A+20A as labeled) in total?
This double pole breaker controls both pool pump and washer (washing machine).
It trips all the time, and one time, the outlet for the washer was even burned out. Sometimes pool pump would suddenly stopped and lost power.
For the pool pump, it uses 10 Amps max, and for the washer, it uses 20 Amps max. Also, the pool pump was recently replaced and has some air inside sometimes.
Anyone know what might be the issue here?

Could be an overload
This is a 240V (2-pole) breaker. Given the 20A size, it is perfectly legal for it to feed both 120V and 240V loads, and I suspect the pool pump is a 240V load.
A 20A 240V/2-pole breaker has two poles (legs) of 20A each.
A 120V load can draw off one leg and neutral, and it will draw the amps it says.
A 240V load will draw off both legs at once and will draw the amps it says.
So for instance, your pool pump draws 10A from L1 and 10A from L2.
Your washer draws 20A from L1.   Let's add em p.

L1:  10A pool pump.  20A washer.  Total 30A
L2:  10A pool pump.  Total 10A.

30A is more than 20A.  Whoops!
Or,  it could be a ground fault problem
That particular breaker is a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor) breaker.  It is looking out for ground faults, which is leakage from the places power is supposed to be, to places power is not supposed to be.
Such leakage is exceedingly common with electrical machines that handle water.
It can also happen in wiring, particularly outdoor wiring.
If you are getting trips when the washing machine is not running, this is likely the problem.
You would need to eliminate one appliance at a time by unhooking all of its wires (hot(s) AND neutral) from the system.  You must unhook neutral or the test will be invalid.   You don't need to unhook safety ground.     If you unhook an appliance and the problem goes away, that appliance is faulty.


what is the brown foam and sludge in my water softener brine tank? My water softener's brine tank has a brown foam on top of the water.  the water itself has brown particles in it.  My plumber said this is brown "iron" algae and it will not harm the system.  but he also said the crud can clog the inlet filter to the water softener.  Since the softener usually fails to complete a regeneration successfully, I am worried that this sludge is causing those failures.

I tried cleaning out the tank by bailing out all of the water and salt.  I then scrubbed the inside of the tank before replacing salt and then added some chlorine bleach.  Two weeks later the brown foam and sludge is still there.

What is this stuff and how do I get rid of it for good?

"Iron Reducing Bacteria" create energy by oxidizing soluble iron in the water.  In the process this creates insoluble iron which settles out and leaves iron staining.  The bacteria themselves create biofilms or foamy messes in several areas, most notably toilet tanks and water heaters.  Look in your toilet tank, if you have similar foam and iron staining you probably have iron reducing bacteria in the water.

If you do have iron reducing bacteria you have to deal with them at the source, your well.  Generally this involves pouring bleach or another sanitizer down the well, pulling and circulating that through the plumbing system and then letting it stand in the pipes and well for 12-24 hours.  This is not a permanent fix, but it can get you a few months respite.  Any well company can assist with this process or you can find information online.

The problem is your water softener resin beads will be destroyed by this process, normally the water softener is bypassed during sanitization.  You need to sanitize the plumbing system separately, and clean the water softener by hand.  I recommend replacing the resin beads and sanitizing the resin tanks and brine tank at the same time.

A more expensive but permanent solution is to install water treatment systems to deal with the bacteria.  Usually this involves chlorine injection, some contact time in a tank to kill the bacteria, and then running the water through a filter or reverse osmosis system to remove the dead bacteria and most of the chlorine.  This is very expensive.


Plastering a gap around a window Between one of our wooden windows and the wall there is a gap of about 5 cm that is only very loosely filled with plaster (see below). The craftsman who did some other plastering work in our house suggested to cover the gap with a thin wooden panel instead of fully filling the gap with plaster. At that time I thought it would be a good idea and did not ask for the reason, but now I am wondering why, especially since I expect the plaster would provide better insulation.

Is there a reason to not fill the gap with plaster?

Edit: In Germany, I am used to windows that are recessed. In such a configuration, there is no gap as shown in the following photo.

I don't know where in the world you are, but in the U.S. no one fills that gap with plaster. We install "casing", or trim frames, around the window. Casing laps onto both the window jamb and the wall.

Image source

If you were to fill with plaster you'd want to reinforce the joint with fiberglass tape or similar. The seams between the new plaster, the wall, and the window are sure to crack.


Do I need to screw down both sides of a composite deck board at each joist? I'm going to be using 6" composite deck boards to redo our front porch. I'm going to use a hidden screw system where you screw it down diagonally along the edge. The typical screw pattern looks like this:

| |          | |          | |          | |
-*------------*------------*------------*------

-*------------*------------*------------*------
| |          | |          | |          | |
-*------------*------------*------------*------

-*------------*------------*------------*------
| |          | |          | |          | |

I was wondering if I could get away staggering them as such:

| |          | |          | |          | |
-*-------------------------*-------------------

--------------*-------------------------*------
| |          | |          | |          | |
-*-------------------------*-------------------

--------------*-------------------------*------
| |          | |          | |          | |

My thinking is that the main reason to screw each side at each joist is to prevent deck boards from twisting. However, AFAIK, that's not an issue with composite decking.

The pros of this plan is half the hardware, half the time to screw down.

But are there cons to my plan?

My experience with composite deck boards is that they flex more than similar sized solid lumber. I would not take the quick way out and instead fasten the deck boards in the manner recommended by the manufacturer. Most certainly the manufacturer directions will also have something to say about the joist spacing as well.

Overall my take is that the more points you secure the deck boards to the joists the less flex that will be felt in the floor as you walk around on it.


How to remove this ceiling lamp cover held together with three metal latches For the life of me, I can't figure out how to remove this ceiling lamp cover.
I need to change the light bulb inside.

The three metal hooks there are held to the base of the lamp with these:

The metal hooks are very rigid. I don't think I can force them open enough to squeeze the glass lamp cover through them.
Here are two more picture of the rivets and latches holding this god forsaken lamp cover:

I'm stuck :(

As usual, it's easy when you know how.
The bolts attached to the metal rim of the light fixture (the part that's tight to the ceiling) are not the adjustable part.
Instead, the other part of them, the decorative metal clips that the glass bowl sits in are fairly flexible.
Here's how you remove the glass shade:
Cupping the glass shade in one hand, gently pry (with your finger) ONE of the decorative clips it sits in up toward the ceiling away from the glass bowl.
From here, you should be able to angle the glass bowl downward and out.
To put the glass bowl back in place once you've changed the bulb, pull back one of the decorative metal clips toward the ceiling and angle the shade back in,
letting the decorative clip gently flip back to hold the glass in place.
Good luck and be careful with electricity!
Always turn off the power.


Can turf be laid directly over sand? After removing the pavers From the yard , there is about 100 mm of concrete sand ( very compact ) . What preparation should I do to lay Sir Walter Buffalo turf on top.

Should the sand be just turned with top soil and fertiliser or,
Should I remove the sand completely ( clay underneath ) add soil and fertiliser

Then start the turf process

Can I lay turf on sand? Yes.

It is better to put an organic fertiliser such as fowl manure, mushroom compost or Dynamic Lifter down first before laying the turf.

This is best incorporated into the soil to a depth of 2-4″ (50-100mm) and will help to hold the moisture for the turf.

The above has been taken form the following source:
Lawn Care Tips and Advice - Atlas Turf


How do I eliminate stink from a waste water pipe? After some trouble I've finally figured out the source of the stink in my kitchen. The waste water pipe for the clothes washing machine does not have a U-bend/P-trap in it, and so the fumes from the outside drain are rising up through it:

A friend suggested I wrap the [washing machine] pipe tight with newspaper, like a cigar, and seal it off with silicone. Before I try this and/or if this fails, are there any other tricks that might eliminate the stink? Getting a professional plumber in to re-pipe things is a last resort. But I'd be open to getting a plumber in if there's something they could 'add' to this pipe to create a trap.

I should add that I don't own the property. But I have a pretty good relationship with the owner. After I reported the issue I said that I'd first try fix it myself.

Better picture of the pipe:

Also, I didn't think this was relevant so I didn't share it, but before I put 2 and 2 together (no p-trap, ugly mark from the fumes), I was using baking soda and vinegar to try to eliminate the stink. This exposed a leak in the pipe (see video on Google Drive) which I don't even care about for now because it's minor compared to the stench.

Cut the current pipe and install the p-trap near the bottom, close to however it's vented.  Retain the cut piece of pipe and add it back above the new p-trap.

Gluing to the top (as mentioned in comments) will cause an overflow issue.


Movable kitchen island on glueless vinyl My kitchen island is a 66" x 36" countertop supported by two 33" x 24" base cabinets, leaving a 12" overhang on the long side.

The island weighs at least 300lbs empty.  Contents will add another 150-200 pounds, for a total of 500-600 lbs.

The flooring is loose lay vinyl.

I'm working on making the island mobile by creating two caster bases made out of 3/4" or 1" plywood with 4 casters attached to each one, and then to place them under each cabinet base.  This is honestly the cleanest look I can think of so that the majority of the casters are hidden, and so that the island does not sit too high.

I am finding 4" casters to be the most common size online, and find some that seem to be a rubber or plastic that is non marring.  I believe these are the way to go for the vinyl flooring, but I am not sure if I will run into a problem with the vinyl wanting to "catch" when trying to move the island?  Secondly, I am not sure if the island will want to move too easily?  I can not imagine 500 to 600 pounds, with 8 casters, moving without being intentional.

Anyone have some experience with this or have something more to add?  I'm trying to keep this simple, and not so complicated that it never gets done!  I also am not sure how else to get casters under the island without them being an eye sore.

I’m sure the unglued vinyl will “ball-up” when moving (rolling) the counter.

When we do libraries, we always glue the carpet down or it will “ball-up” when they push the book carts around.

You’d better find a way to “anchor” the counter down too. (When my drunk friends come over they always lean on the counter. ) Maybe there’s a caster with suction cups too.


Advice on running power to a shed I have a 200 amp service panel, and I calculate I am using about 160 amps. (I used a formula I found online that takes the square footage of the house and then adds from there) The new 160 sqft shed is on the other side of the breaker box so the run will be about 80 - 90 feet. In the shed I want to run a mini split air/heat that requires a 240v 15 amp breaker.  I would also like to have a 120v 15 amp breaker for lights and a 120v 20 amp breaker for plugs.  Lights will be led fluorescents and the plugs will be light duty tools and battery chargers so not really very much draw at all.  The shed will be insulated and sheetrocked. It is 10 feet at the peak of the roof.  The mini-split is 27.5 seer and 550 Watts so should draw too much either.
I have space in my service panel to add a 240v breaker, two poles, 25 amps and 25 amps and I will run 2 hots, 1 neutral and one ground number 8 AWG THWN2 through 1" pvc at the service panel into the attic where I would switch to Carlon flexible Blue conduit, then pop out the other side of the house and go back to 1" pvc down the house and 18" into ground to the shed.  I was thinking at that point I would run it to a 60 amp disconnect switch and then through the shed wall to a indoor subpanel maybe 100 amps with my three breakers.  I read that the sub panel would need the ground and neutral unbonded and that I would need to use 2 8ft grounding rods 6 feet apart so will do that.
So does that sound reasonable?
If the new 240V 25 amp double pole breakers add up to 50 amps, that would technically give me 210 amps usage at the service panel. 160 + 50. Would that be okay on a 200 amp service? Or is it counted as only 25 amps in which case I would be fine.
Also, at the shed's sub panel, I would have those 3 breakers adding up to either 65 amps if the 240 15 amp gets added as 30, or else it would be 50 amps.  Would the 240V double 25 amp breaker be big enough to support the 3 breakers in the shed?  Is number 8 wire big enough or do I need to go to 6 awg?
The 60 amp disconnect has two line and two load connectors and a ground. However there is no place for the neutral.  Would I just pass the neutral through the wall into the subpanel and not be involved at all with the disconnect wires?  I'm thinking the disconnect just needs to break the hots and not the neutral, but wanted to make sure.
Thanks for any help.  I'm relatively new to electrical wiring so want to be sure I'm doing it all correctly and up to NEC standards.
Thanks, Andy.

First, a two pole 25A breaker would allow 25A on each 120v leg of your 240v circuit. All you would need is #10, and maximum allowed amperage for #10 is a 30A breaker. Your service is 200A of 240v, or you could think of it as 200A on each 120v half of the 240v service.
Load calcs are complicated, even if your existing load reaches 160A adding a 60A load/panel would not require a total 60A additional panel to the 160A due to various diversity allowances.
#10 copper is only good for 30A, the next size bigger wire is #8, THWN copper is good for 50A (with #10 ground), and would easily fit in 3/4" conduit. The loads you describe wouldn't require bigger than 30A, but I certainly wouldn't bother, things change. Drop a compressor into the plan and everything changes.
The panel in the shed must be rated for at least the rating of the breaker in the main panel feeding the sub-panel. Bigger rated sub-panel is fine, it will only be good for the breaker feeding it. Also almost all loads now require AFCI or GFCI protection, so full sized breakers must be provisioned, so a 12/24 space panel is now just a 12 space panel. Don't get one that small, things change.
Your shed requires a main disconnect, maybe that is what the 60A disconnect you referenced is for, but the easiest way to accomplish that is with a main breaker panel, with the main breaker 50A or above. A 100A 24 space panel is a good option. The panel needs to have a floating neutral, and a cabinet mounted ground bar. You may need to buy the ground bar separately.
Search "table 300.5" for depth requirements. The table shows cover, the minimum fill required above the conduit.
Edit: NEC 110.14 limits termination ampacity to 60°C if not marked, but allows 75° if marked, modern breakers are marked 75°C. Table 310.16 shows THWN-2 as 90°, but limited by 110.14 to the breaker rating of 75°. Table 310.16 #8 copper in the 75°C column shows 50A.


Are there drawbacks to installing GFCI outlets in sequence? Are there any big downsides to Daisy chaining GFCI outlets? I understand that protection would be redundant. I have an outside outlet that's protected by an upstream GFCI that's located inside the house. I am replacing the outside outlet and am thinking of replacing it with a GFCI. My thinking is that when it trips I'll be able to reset it outside rather than inside. I understand that if the inside outlet trips I won't be able to use the outside one until the inside is reset.

That won't work

You're trying to manage sequence of breaker trip, for your convenience of resetting them, and that's tough to do generally.

Especially it isn't going to work with GFCI, because they don't work that way. When there's a ground fault, they all will trip by design. And then, you will have to fight to reset them.

I fail to understand the core problem that you are attempting to solve. They shouldn't be tripping at all. If you have a device that is tripping GFCI, fix it. It's broken.


Garbage Disposal Leaking I have a garbage disposal with two leaks (see image below). The major leak is the left-most object, but it doesn't appear to be a screw like the other location.

Should I replace the entire unit or is this something that I can easily fix by taking apart the garbage disposal? Or, would plumbers putty or something over the object solve the problem?

Thanks in advance for any help!

The following is with the presumption that you have cleared out the cabinet and carefully inspected the entire area with a flashlight and you still are not sure of the exact source of the leak.

  "is this something that I can easily fix by taking apart the garbage
  disposal?"

Garbage disposers are not considered "user serviceable". What I mean is that if you "take it apart" you will probably not be able to repair it (assuming it needs repair).

  "would plumbers putty or something over the object solve the problem?"

NO, no putty or compound will ever work if you try to apply it to the areas circled in your picture.

You need to find the root cause of the water you are seeing. ISE disposers utilize an upper basket assembly that is fixed/attached to the sink as a separate piece from the main unit (main unit being the motor, housing and shredder plate compartment). The two pieces are fastened together with a locking ring. Upper piece pictured below:

Complete assembly:

Your leak could be a defect with the disposer itself. It could also be a leaky drain tube connection or a leak above at the basket assembly, and the water is running down around or through the plastic and foam sound insulating motor housing. You need to figure out which it is.

You need to disconnect the waste pipes and electrical supply (kill the power first), remove the motor/housing/shred chamber assembly and carefully inspect it.

I would reconnect the waste elbow but have it facing upwards, then fill the housing with water (while it is sitting on the floor, separated from the sink) to see if the unit is leaking. If it is, replace it. If it is not:

Remove the basket assembly from the sink by removing the steel lock-ring and backing out the the 3 mounting screws, then reassemble the whole thing using fresh plumber's putty and a new gasket, then make sure to use new slip-joint washers when reattaching the waste pipes.

If none of this sounds like it makes sense you really should call a reputable licensed plumber.


Tankless Hot Water Filling Tub - GPM? I have a question about how filling a bathtub would work with a tankless system. Due to my panels load/capacity I'm looking at the RHEEM RTEX-11 with a Flow Rate: up to 2.68 GPM.

I'm worried about filling my tub as it's quite large, but don't understand what happens when GPM is low.

I only have 1/2 Pipe in my house for one thing, not sure the PSI but it's low.
If the GPM is low, and I crank the tub to 100% Hot, will it just be a slow hot water pour or will the GPM basically match my homes pressure and the water won't be warm/hot as it's not spending enough time in the tank?
I don't mind if it takes longer to fill my tub, just want it to be hot.
It just occurred to me that slower fill means more heat will dissipate before filling, but the entire stream will be hot. As it stands, my tank is only about 3/4's my tub and then it fills the rest with cold water. I expect the two would be about the same, if that's how it worked, but I'm not sure if the stream would be hot with low gpm.

Results vary. A tankless heater I've had for many years regulates the output flow to assure that the output temperature is as hot as expected, however, not all tankless heaters do this.

The "installation instructions & homeowners manual" document from Rheem for the RTEX-11 states the following (page 7):

  To ensure the optimal temperature output and overall performance of your tankless water heater you may
  require a flow regulator. These flow regulators are installed on the outlet connection of your tankless water
  heater and limit the maximum volume coming out of your unit to a specified flow rate to prevent the exit
  temperature from becoming too cool. To learn more about flow regulators or find out how to purchase one for
  your tankless water heater contact Manufacturer’s national service department at 1-(800)-374-8806.

Based on that statement I expect that you could manually reduce the flow by partially closing the hot valve on your tub filler until the output rises to a temperature you like. Or, if you don't want to worry about that, install a flow regulator device to force the issue.


How to mount TV in old drywall or plaster wall I'm trying to mount my TV in the wall but it's proving to made much more complicated than expected. My house is from 1908 and has been through multiple renovations. The drywall seems old, and the studs are not laid out using modern standards (e.g. 16" on center). I've tried hollow wall anchors but they ground through the plaster. Any ideas?

If any type of drywall anchors are failing me, I immediately switch to toggle bolts. The down side being that if they also rip out they're going to pull off large sections of plaster. Finding the studs is always better.

To find a stud without a stud finder, try 3" screws every inch or so until you find one and then try measuring to help find the next, usually they're on 16" centers. If it's a small section of wall, there might just be one in the center or they might have split the difference and used two. It's also entirely possible that on a 32" wall there isn't one.

If you're willing to poke a hole, 20 little pinpricks should be no problem and if you're lucky the mount will hide them anyway.


Spring loaded roller door latch This "spring loaded roller door latch" is old and not very effective. I'm trying to replace it but all my searches for those keywords turn up nothing like this. I also can't find a manufacturer name on the door. Questions:

Can this be repaired or is replace the best option? (If repair possible then how?)
If it needs to be replaced what do I search for to find the replacement?

You were close with your search term, but try searching, "roller catch". You'll find a ton of choices.

(edit to add a couple of thoughts...)

Regarding repair versus replace: it's impossible at this distance to know, but replace usually is more predictable. (And in this case, probably not too expensive.)

And as a general rule, when I'm searching for something that I know exists, but I can't name it, I use google image search. Start with something similar, like "ball catch", and after a few pages of images, you'll probably see something like what you're really searching for. Then a few iterations later, you'll have found the most common name for the thing you're actually looking for.


What are some quick and affordable insulation solutions for a shed? I'd like to use my wood shop in the winter. It's a detached, 20x14 shed and I installed a 5000watt garage heater already but it takes a while (hours) to heat up and it's probably very wasteful since there is no insulation. I'm looking for the best place to start to help heat it up quicker and keep it warm longer. The walls are 2x4 studs so I could use bats and the ceiling is gabled with storage above. I did noticed that it appears the eves are open vented too so heat is probably just rising right up and out the eaves, is it okay to block these?

I'm in New England so it gets pretty cold, it's about 19F right now. Ideally I'd like to work comfortably when it's 30F>

I'm worried if I add bat insulation I'll have to cover it which adds to the expense not to mention at like $40/section it would cost a lot to do the walls let alone the ceiling.

Update with picture.

Could I vault the ceiling so it stays vented but still gives me space up there? Basically insulated with rigid foam and plywood up the rafters?

edited after picture added to question

It's tough to get a big shed like that warm when everything's cold.  You can heat up the air quickly, but the slab, the walls, the contents all soak up that heat so it takes a while to warm up.  That happens even with insulation, although it probably won't be as cold first thing in the morning if it's insulated.

I'd probably go across the collar ties so you have a little less space to heat and a good area above for ventilation.  You'll want to cut in a small gable vent at either end.  I'd say I'd use foam board on the ceiling, it will be easier to deal with than bats.  To use bats you'd have to add collar ties.  The foam board will leave some space so air can flow up from the eves over the insulation to the space above the rafter ties and out the gable vents.

It will be a lot cheaper to use bats on the walls.  Left uncovered they'll be prone to tears.  You could cover with pegboard halfway down and hardboard from the pegboard down to the floor.

Not really a cheap project unfortunately, it adds up to a few bucks any way you slice it.  You could buy one of those battery powered jackets ...


Is this 3 switch wiring arrangement allowed by code? I have a hallway light fixture with three switches. When the circuit is off, a small voltage persists to the fixture causing LED and CFL bulbs to stop working prematurely. It is believed that the phantom voltage is coming from induction between the traveler wires. Suggestions to my previous question regarding this situation involved using a resistor, relay, or other circuitry to bond the hot to ground. I'm not particularly fond of this idea because if something were to go wrong it could invalidate my insurance.
Last night I woke up with a crazy idea (yes, this has literally been keeping me awake at night), why not use a DPDT switch on the source end of the circuit to connect the open traveler to neutral. I've created the following diagram of what I intend:

Is this configuration allowed by code? Is there a name for this type of a multi-way switch setup?
Location: Utah, United States

Better idea: use a part listed for the job to bypass the errant current around the lights
Fortunately, there's a way to bypass the errant "phantom" current (from capacitive coupling through the parallel traveler wires) back to neutral without doing anything that'd void your insurance.  Simply nut a Lutron LUT-MLC in between switched-hot and neutral at the first light fixture on the circuit; they're listed (as an appliance control) for use in mains wiring, so there's no need to worry about your insurance complaining.
As to your original idea...
While your original idea seems sound, it falls into a grey area of Code interpretation regarding the meaning of NEC 404.2(A), which was originally put in to prohibit dangerous Carter 3-way setups:

(A) Three-Way and Four-Way Switches. Three-way and four-way switches shall be wired so that all switching is done only in
the ungrounded circuit conductor. Where in metal raceways or
metal-armored cables, wiring between switches and outlets shall
be in accordance with 300.20(A).

In your case, neutral is never broken by any switch (breaking the neutral with a multiway switch also violates NEC 404.2(B)), but simply connected to an otherwise floating traveler wire to short out a voltage that got coupled over by a parasitic capacitor.  Note that this configuration doesn't parallel the neutral either, because the neutral-connected traveler and the actual neutral are connected to opposite sides of the load, which means that the normal issues with wires in parallel and NEC 310.10(H) don't apply here.


Rewiring switched ceiling lights and outlet switched top receptacle to switched ceiling lights and always on outlet In my living room there are:

Recessed dimmable ceiling lights
A switch with a dimmer
An outlet where the top receptacle is only on when the ceiling lights are on. The bottom receptacle is always on.

I wanted to 1. Make both receptacles always on 2. Replace the outlet with a newer outlet (for aesthetics)
After removing the outlet, it was wired like so:
Top

Red wire on the right side (switched hot)
Black wire 1 on the right side straight into the back (doesn't seem to ever be hot)
White wire 1 on the left side (neutral?)
White wire 3 on the left side straight into the back (neutral?)

Bottom

Black wire 2 on the right side (always hot)
White wire 2 on the left side (neutral?)

On the new outlet,  I've connected:
Top

White wire 1 on the left side (neutral?)

Bottom

Black wire 2 on the right side (always hot)
White wire 2 on the left side (neutral?)

Now both top and bottom are always on, BUT my ceiling lights are off.
I have Black wire 1 (not hot), White wire 3 (neutral), and Red wire (switched hot).  What's the proper way to connect these so that my ceiling lights operate correctly.
Thanks in advance.

The following assumes that the metal tab was broken on at least the hot side of original outlet, completely isolating the top and bottom. The neutral side may or may not have been isolated.
On the new outlet, connect black wire 2 on the right side and white wire 2 on the left. These are the always-on hot and corresponding neutral. Top or bottom doesn’t matter.
Connect together, with a wirenut, the red wire and black wire 1. These are the switched hot and the hot feed to the lights. Also connect together white wires 1 and 3. These are the corresponding neutrals.
Unless the neutral side tab was not broken originally, do not connect white 2 to the other whites. These are neutrals potentially on separate circuits. Connecting them together could create a situation where a wire could get overloaded.
On the other hand, if the neutral tab was not broken, connect together all three white wires and a short piece of wire (a pigtail) with a wirenut and connect the pigtail to the left side of the outlet.
Where you have wires connected to the side and to the back push-in, they end up interconnected via the metal inside the outlet. Also, if the tab is intact, it will also interconnect the wires on the top and bottom.
One more thing, please do not use the push-ins in the back. Although legally approved, experience shows over time, they can come lose and cause problems. Only use the side connections.


Are smart meters really dangerous? It has been announced that we will be getting smart meters installed in our city by our electrical utility (in the US) later this year (2018). A bank of 23 analog electrical meters now sits about halfway down the hallway (inside our building)from my ground story apartment. I have been hearing for years how RF radiation from smart meters is dangerous to our health. Are they really as dangerous as they are made out to be? And if so, what can I do about it?

No.

It's a cellphone radio, of which there are probably another 3+ in your home.

It's also got a switchmode power supply, which there are probably 20+ of in your home.


Honeywell temperature attained but app says heating Recently set thermostat on iphone at 63, heat mode, but phone says 65 inside," heating".  Usually it would give me the temperature of the inside of the house and only tell me if it is cooling or heating if the HVAC was running. Not sure if the HVAC running since the desired temperature is attained but it says heating. We are out of town and use the app to monitor the HVAC

There is a dead band set point in the thermostat
This set point may heat for several degrees above the set point and not turn on until several degrees below.
The dead band saves you $ because starting a furnace and heating / or cooling the duct work takes energy, so fewer starts and stops an hour end up saving $. where more on off cycles costing much more.
Many times they come +- 2 degrees so the furnace will not shut down until it is 2 degrees over the set point and it won’t restart until it is -2 or below the set point by 2 degrees.
That 4 degree swing is a larger than I like.
In the summer I do not let my system get above the set point so it is +0,-2 or -3. In the winter I don’t want it colder than the set point so I have it +2 or +3, -0 .
You can set it so it kicks on all the time by reducing the span the effect this has on your power bill is BIG. I wouldn’t go below 2 degree differential and 3 is better for energy efficiency. On the flip side a swing of 5 really starts to make no difference and people notice the cold or heat as not comfortable, with a span of 5 or larger swings.
So your thermostat is functioning the way I would expect.


Wiring needs for electrical devices Device 1 (electrical fan) is 32W and 0,19AMP. Device 2 (lighting system) is 400W and 1,7AMP. Both run at 240Volts (Europe).

When wiring these up, what kind of cables do I need?
Can I use any domestic electrical plug adapter or are they usually rated for certain wattages / amperes?
I'm attaching both to an electrical timer - are those usually rated for certain wattages / amperes as well?

These are quite powerful devices and I'd like to avoid electrical problems, things melting, etc.

If you are talking about Romex type copper NM-B wiring for inside walls, then 12 or 14 gauge will be fine.  14 gauge is rated to 15amps at 120V. 12 gauge is rated to 20 amps at 120V.  I don't know how home wiring works in Europe, but if you are at 240V, then the 14 gauge wire should still be fine.  And, pretty much most permanently installed devices like outlets and timers are rated to 15 amps in the US, so in the US it would be easy to find those items which would be suitable.


Why won't my gas water heater light? Everything was working last night but no hot water this morning. Things I have checked:

gas supply to the house is fine
electricity is going to the boiler
fuses are good
sounds like the water pump is working
thermostats click correctly

But there is no spark, and not even the usual click for the igniter.

The good thing is - the nice man from Scottish Gas fixed it for me. Diagnosis took about 20 seconds - he knew before he had the cover off.

He couldn't hear the impeller fan running. Turns out the motor was over 16 years old and had just died. Because it wasn't drawing any air, the pressure sensor kept the ignition circuit off and the gas valve closed as a safety measure.

One swift replacement later (he had one in the van) and it worked straight away.


Is it possible for me to convert my downlights to normal lights? So just bought a house and it's one of those newer houses where every frigging room has got halogen downlights. Seriously I've probably got about 30-40 of them all over the house.

Not sure what the point of downlights are – is it just supposed to look good? Cause from my research, they seem to be incredibly wasteful and can be a fire hazard.

Anyway, so I've been considering a number of choices.

1) Convert them all to LED – this can be expensive but I don't have to do them all at once – maybe the main areas first. I've estimated at 50W – it's costing me ~$23 a year to run EACH light if I turn it on 6 hours a day (0.05kW * 6hrs * 365 days * $0.259 per kWH) compared to a fraction of that to run LED lights. So if they cost $20-30 each, I should be able to re-coup the costs of the main area lights in one year.

This seems like an ok choice but I don't have the nice GU10 types, I have MR16s and I've been told that changing those ones can be tricky and some lights may flicker and I may need to get new transformers etc. Whatever solution, I'd prefer not to have to climb up in the attic.

On top of that, I've noticed that the downlights aren't sealed and there's obviously no insulation above them. So on top of the waste of energy from the lights, I have 40 holes all over my ceiling to let out heat. And I've been told even with LED downlights, I'll still need to leave the gaps in the insulation because otherwise the heat will damage the LEDs and shorten its life.

Does anyone know how much heat actually escapes due to downlights and the lack of insulation? Is this a negligible cost? I live in a place where I would need to turn a heater on for most nights during winter.

2) Convert my downlights to just normal lights

Anyway, given these problems with downlights, is it possible to get some sort of product that I put into a downlight hole that'll seal the hole and have a light under it (basically so that it's no longer recessed). I don't care if it looks ugly – as long as I can use the same light switches to turn it on and off. Maybe I can put a light cover over it or something.

Your cheapest option is to purchase MR16 LED bulbs that are available online.  The MR16 cans are usually too small for any other type of bulb/retrofit and would require a complete replace to do anything else in them.


Is it OK to have a 20 Amp receptacle on a circuit with 12 AWG wiring and a 15 Amp breaker? I have a hypothetical question:

If you have a 15 Amp breaker connected to a 20 Amp T type outlet with (20 Amp) 12 AWG wire, is it within code, below code, or above code, where code means the National Electrical Code.

This is due to a discussion I had with a colleague that insists it is not within code due to the 20 Amp T outlet. I view it as the outlet may be 20 Amp and any appliance you plug into it that draws more than the 15 Amp breaker will support will trip the breaker long before any overheating or electrical damage will occur.

Now I will agree that having a 15 Amp breaker and using 14 AWG wire with a 20 Amp T type outlet could potentially overheat the wiring, as the draw could be just over the 15 Amp breaker which they tend to trip around 16 Amps.

The answer to this question can be found in article 210 of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Section 210.3 of this article, tells us that the circuit rating shall be determined by the overcurrent device rating.

NEC 2011
210.3 Rating. Branch circuits recognized by this article shall be rated in accordance with the maximum permitted ampere rating or
setting of the overcurrent device. The rating for other than
individual branch circuits shall be 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 amperes.
Where conductors of higher ampacity are used for any reason, the
ampere rating or setting of the specified overcurrent device shall
determine the circuit rating.

So if you have a 15A breaker, the circuit rating is 15 Amps. Section 210.21(B)(3), tells us to refer to table 210.21(B)(3) to determine the receptacle rating for circuits supplying two or more receptacles.

210.21(B)(3) Receptacle Ratings. Where connected to a branch circuit supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, receptacle
ratings shall conform to the values listed in Table 210.21(B)(3), or
where larger than 50 amperes, the receptacle rating shall not be less
than the branch-circuit rating.

This tells us that if we have a 15A circuit breaker protecting a circuit with two or more receptacles, each receptacle on the circuit must be rated not over 15 amperes. It's also good to remember, that the NEC does not view a duplex receptacle as a single receptacle according to the definition of a receptacle.

Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle
is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same
yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or more contact devices on the same
yoke.

So if you're installing even a single duplex receptacle on the circuit, you'll need to follow 210.21(B)(3) and use a 15A receptacle.


Use C-clamps in place of mounting clamps for truck cap/topper? One friend that says c-clamps are the same thing. Another friend thinks I should drill holes for bolts (where I'd fasten them with wing nuts).
Are c-clamps good enough to secure a small truck's cap/topper?

A large C-clamp is probably strong enough, but it is more likely to slip off. I would not use this method. You don't want to have to explain to an insurance company why your method failed and severely damaged several cars, or worse. Use the topper manufactures recommended method (probably bolts and some type of locking nut, not a wingnut).


Hang item from top chord of 2x6 roof trusses? The roof truss in question is part of a standalone shed structure in the back yard. Each truss is 2x6, and is composed of 3 planks - each side of the triangle, no center braces or anything. The width is about 10-12 feet. Is it possible to hang two large eye bolts from two separate trusses about 10 feet apart and permanently suspend something between 250-300 lbs between the two of the bolts? I can re-enforce or cross brace any of the beams as necessary, though I'm not sure what would be effective. Here's a shot of the interior with a drawing of what I'd like to do (x2). I know the cable will be against the bottom cord, but no direct weight. Most links I've searched recommend against this, but I'm really really hoping this can be feasible.

What I'm thinking:

Is it feasible? Thanks!

This is dangerous and should be calculated.

1) The top chord of the truss is in compression. By putting a load between web joints, you are putting the top chord in what is called "double bending". What this does is puts an additional amount of compression load on the top half (about) of the 2x6 top chord. This could easily over stress the member (the piece of the top chord spanning from web joint to web joint) and snap the chord. We've repaired these and its expensive.

You must live in a high snow load area, because you have 2x6 top and bottom truss chords for such a small span. (Where I live, we'd use 2x4 because we have minimal snow loads.) So, the truss manufacturer has determined that a 2x6 is required due to the snow load. Maybe it's over designed, but I'd ask the truss manufacturer. Give your local lumberyard a sketch of the size (span) of your trusses and tell them you're adding 300 lbs. and where. They can run the calcs and tell you exactly how and what to use. The calcs are free. (There are specific methods to connecting to chords and webs. ).

2) You show an eyelet type screw into the bottom of the top chord. I'd advise against that for two reasons. (A.) I'd ask the manufacturer, but I'd bet they'll recommend a thru-bolt or clip nailed to cross members...probably 3 trusses. You do not want to over drill the size of hole for a thru-bolt. When we mount roof top equipment or equipment hung in attics, we suspend from rod bolted THROUGH top chord. (B.) A screw type fastener into the top chord will damage the integrity of the top chord (cause the 2x6 to split). The chord will dry out over time and split. Then, you'll loose all holding resistance.

The code requires roofs to be designed with a 15% factor of safety. Verify this with truss manufacturer.


Why did my coat of spray paint crack along a profile line? I am spray painting my cabinet doors.

The first and second coats are good. However, I see cracking on the edges of each door after third coat. The surface is good, quite smooth.

Do you know what could be the problem?

My paint expired a little bit. The humidity is 74%. But I didn't see same problem when the first and second coats were applied.

I am using GRACO HANDHELD sprayer with 414 tip. Paint is water based.

Might be caused by the second layer shrinking beneath the third layer because it hadn't fully dried.
In high humidity conditions, I generally increase the recommended drying time between recoats by 25%, just to be safe.

Alternatively, if the backside of the door has been stripped and hasn't been resealed, the door itself may be expanding slightly due to the humidity.

I haven't actually had this happen before on something like a cabinet door, so these are just guesses based on experience with painting outdoors.