Lateral force on posts resting on concrete deck blocks I am building a floating deck that is not attached to the house and is 2ft in height. The 4x4 posts are inserted into and resting on top of a concrete decking block. The post is just sitting inside the space provided in the block. In my area, Nevada, this is the only type of concrete deck block they sell. I have seen others where you can attach and secure the post to the block but no luck in my area.
First question, what is stopping any lateral force from pushing the deck over?
FYI, I have over engineered the base of the deck and it is solid. However, as you might guess, because the posts are not secured into the block in any way, I can actually lift the deck up and out of the blocks.
Could this be an issue (lifting the deck out of the blocks) and if so how could I correct it? (without tearing down and starting over)
A few points that might be raised:

I did not want to dig holes for a concrete footer under each post. (Bad back, lots of work and I have seen many other decks built this way.)
My assumption is that the fact that these blocks are manufactured this way, without a way to secure the post to the block, they can be used for this purpose.
I do not live in a high wind, tornado or hurricane area.

Thanks

You could add a diagonal brace connecting each post to the joists - that would definitely eliminate any change of the posts folding under the deck.
My bigger concern is that your rim joists are load bearing. I'm not so concerned about the short front joist but if the back rim joist is only supported at both ends then you are putting a lot of weight on the center of that rim joist. At best your deck will be springy at worst at some future point the rim joist will collapse in the middle of a party. To solve this you could add a few more posts equally spaced along the rim joist and/or double up the rim joist. Given the small cost and ease I'd suggest both. If you do double up the back rim joist make sure they are well connected along the entire length so they really are supporting each other.


What is a good way to protect the low voltage wiring on a doorbell transformer? I'm quite afraid of accidentally hitting the doorbell wiring and breaking the wire since the transformer is located in a somewhat accessible location n the garage. What's a good way of protecting the wiring that comes from the transformer? I've thought of using conduit but can't see a good way to route it.

Given it's low voltage wiring, you could put pretty much any sort of box over that mess.

Sure, you could wrap it inside a nice electrical box with an appropriate sized hole in the back for the transformer. It will cost some money, but it will also give you conduit options, etc.

Then again, you could cut a hole or 3 in a plastic shoebox and screw it to the wall, because it's low voltage and does not technically need any protection.

Or you could put a wooden box over it (but it has to be one you can open, as you can't make the junction box inaccessible) - say a free removed cabinet, and you remove the back and screw it to the wall over the mess. Or you build a simple open box, screw it to the wall, and add a door to cover the front. Possibly just a shelf below would make it less likely to be hit/snagged (with cleaning up the wiring.)

You could also tidy the mess up and staple/wire-tie it close to the wall, without all those loops just waiting to snag things, and call it done. Or you could get some adhesive-mount plastic wiremold to cover the wires, but you still need to tidy up those loops.


Quarter turn connection for plastic tubes -- Design idea request I'm developing a 3d project using AutoCAD 2013 and I would like to request ideas for a specific problem. It is not for a commercial project.

It is about how to connect two hollow plastic pipes using a "quarter turn" design.

The only thing that'll run inside them is non-pressurized water.

Is there a way to implement a locking mechanism inside the thickness of the pipes?

All measurements are available next to the picture, in millimeters.

The goal would be to:
-- Connect them without using any tools
-- Be easy to connect and disconnect
-- Have no water leakage outside of the pipes
-- Have a clean design (nothing hanging from the inside or from the outside)
-- Have the locking mechanism implemented inside the thickness of the pipes, at their extremities, 10mm max width, no plastic doohickey on the outside to lock or unlock

I keep trying to find a way to implement the following design but i'm just not visualizing in my mind how the mechanism would work.

http://www.emka.com/in_en/quarter-turns/standard/plastic-quarter-turn/

-- Picture:

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Thiago.

To rephrase:

  Is there a way to make two pipes join together in an removable way
  that would be no more than 10mm thick with nothing inside or outside
  the extended planes of the existing pipes in a way that is water tight?

No.

BTW- the image in the link provided is for a key lock for desk drawers and the like.


How to stabilize a wooden lawn mower ramp over stairs? I'd like to build a ramp for a lawn mower that is in the basement. The only way out is a set of stairs with a very little space to turn to them (that's why the ramp doesn't extend all the way to the ground). It'd be temporary placed over the stairs only when needed.

The steps are 13cm deep 25cm long each. This yields a 27 degrees steepness. 2 pieces of ramp will be made, 112x12cm each, have not yet decided on the thickness. It's either some 2cm thick solid wood or leftover laminated flooring pieces. At some point I wish to connect the two, to always be at the specific distance from each other.

With that said my current plan and biggest problem is how to stabilize the ramps so that they don't slide down (or up, when I drag the mower up). It's hard to cut 27 (63) degrees angle lengthwise with my circular saw, although I could do shallow depth large triangle pieces. These would be "cleats" or "studs" to grab on to the irregular old concrete steps somehow.

My question is which is bettter:

Purple triangle (or larger): shallow depth like 2cm
Blue triangle, small: cut at a length that is 12cm
Green bar, just a piece of regular lath, 12cm deep, fairly large
Other?

My current plan is:

It has 12.5x6.5x2.8 triangle pieces, 32 of them. Groups of 4 screwed together, forming a 11.2cm deep triangle stick to go on each step, on both sides.

I'll cut it up like this. It's a 80x25x2.8 piece of wood and will have some leftovers to stabilize (perhaps a vertical piece).

If I saw someone building this ramp my first thought would be to add a block as shown in the picture. To me it just looks like an accident waiting to happen.

Also consider starting from ground/floor level, as shown in this picture.


Is my treehouse platform structurally sound? I'm working on my first treehouse as an adult  I've built plenty out of scraps as a kid, but nothing of this magnitude. I'm mostly concerned about the structural integrity of the platform with this post. I'll layout my general plan, post some pictures, and ask some pointed questions at the end.
I'm planning an 8x12ft platform where 8x8ft is enclosed with a roof and 4x8ft is a deck with railings. Right now this is built around 2 trees that have a diameter of ~12in and sit ~5.5ft apart. I'm using two long 1/2in stainless steel tubes/bolts that go completely through the trees to hold the main beams. The beams essentially rest on the bolts and sandwich the two trees. On top of those beams the floor joists rest perpendicular. All wood is pressure treated.
Pictures of where I'm at (click to enlarge):

Questions:

As you might be able to see, everything is currently built using 2x6in boards. I think the floor joists will be fine; I'm not dry walling or installing a fridge  That said, I'm second guessing the beams. Should I double up the 2x6in beams or swap them for 2x8s or even 2x10s? I'm leaning towards doubling up the 2x6s since they're sitting on top of the bolts and I have the full 6in of vertical support.
Obviously I need to add some knee braces. My initial plan was to run 2 up on the outside of each tree parallel to the joists for a total of 4. However, I'm thinking maybe I should shift those 4 to the inside of the trees and then run 4 more out to each corner for a total of 8. Thoughts?
Last question, am I missing anything else obvious?

Just notes:

2x6s... plenty big.   Weight is a factor unless you will reinforce more.   You do not want it too heavy and these trees aren't that big.

see no issue with having boards a couple inches from trees.   As commented you can always re-evaluate and cut/sister these in 10 years.   Having a tree house means your structure needs to move with the tree(s).

you do need cross bracing

I don't see a a good way to get IN the treehouse.   Is the plan really to climb 15 feet then turn your shoulders so you can squeeze through 14"?

really the only thing I don't like is the resting on the bolts.   I am not against this method but I would like to see an "eye" or a "C/D" anchor that holds these into place (installed underneath).   It doesn't have to lock but I think your current design flaw is this thing rolling to one side.


Running multiple 20A circuits to a shed I have an outdoor shed that was powered with a single 15A circuit by the previous homeowner. I'm trying to rewire it to carry three 20A circuits. It's about a 100' run from my main panel via 1/2" schedule 40 PVC. I would like to run (7) #12 THHN for 3 hots, 3 neutrals, and 1 shared ground. I would terminate at the shed with a subpanel, three 20a breakers and a ground rod. From what I understand, seven #12 wires should work fine in 1/2 schedule 40 PVC without derating. Am I missing anything or good to proceed? Alternatively if I only wanted two 20amp circuits, could I run a multiwire branched circuit with 2 hots on opposite phases, a shared neutral, and shared ground to a disconnect at the shed without worrying about a ground rod?

The NEC only allows a single feeder to a building (NEC 225.30). If you want seven 20A circuits you would need to run a single set of 4 larger wires to an electrical panel, drive a ground rod (or rods depending on local interpretation) and break out your circuits from there.  A good plan would be 3/#6 + 1/#8 ground being fed by a 60A breaker in 3/4" PVC.

If the single feeder consists of one "Multiwire Branch Circuit", being two 20A circuits being fed by 12/3+g UF (or 4 #12 THWN wires in a conduit) being fed by a two pole 20A breaker then you would still need a disconnecting switch where the feeder enters the building, but a single Multiwire Branch Circuit allows not driving a ground rod. NEC 250.32


17 years old tankless, fix or replace? I have a 17 years old conventional tankless combi boiler, it has a 'spilling' 3-way and DHW exchanger clogged by limestone.

Should I fix it or I'd do better replacing the whole boiler with a new condensing one?

Replacing with conventional is no-option because now condensing boiler are compulsory (but in very few cases) and also with a condensing unit I can get a tax discount.

UPDATE:
I had it fixed: new heat exchanger and new 3-way valve pivot

The issues you mentioned are typical problems for a tankless system that hasn't gotten much attention for a few years. Descaling the heat exchanger and replacing a broken mixing valve are fairly simple tasks and can be done in maybe 3 hours by a decent plumber.

Condensing boilers are great and probably much more efficient than your current system. It's worth looking at your usage and figuring out how many years it would take to pay off an upgrade, especially if there are incentives available. But if there are no problems other than the ones you've mentioned, it's unlikely the cost to repair those would justify replacing the boiler on its own. On the other hand, if you're going to own your home for several more years and the efficiency improvement will pay for itself in that time, perhaps you'd prefer to take that leap now and skip the repairs on your current system.


How to locate septic lid in yard I have a septic system in my backyard, but I don't know where the lid is.

Is there a way to locate it based on the pipes or other method?  I think it's under the lawn somewhere.

The reason I want to find it?  You can save about $50 if you dig up the lid before getting the septic pumped.

Use a soil probe. Commonly used item for plumbers and landscapers:


What is causing this window to open, but not close? As you can see in this video, the window opens when I crank it, but won’t close when I go the opposite direction. It acts as though I’m taking out the crank itself. To close it, I have to remove the crank and manually pull the window shut. It seems as though the crank isn’t catching the gears when trying to close it.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0lYMr0wTUo7KLKfWCiDHtP9yA#Wakefield

When you try to close it, the cam screw in the unit backs out. That is the drive that will open and close the window. It should not unscrew out. There is some sort of nut or locking device on the end of it to keep it from backing and allowing it to close the window. That locking device is obviously broken. You might be able to disassemble the unit and fix the broken part. I think your best bet is to replace the opening device. Many home stores carry replacements and if you can find a name on it, you can probably get it online. Good luck and stay safe.


Drilling Holes in Cinderblock Garage? So I'm just getting started on basic home improvement type tasks, as I am now in a situation where I'm permitted to actually drill holes and stuff ;)  I've got a bicycle rack that is supposed to be screwed to the wall, and then you hang the bikes on it.  I'm trying to set it up in my garage.  The garage wall looks like its made out of stacked cinder blocks or something, so I pulled out my drill and set about making a hole.

The following points concern me:

1- According to the rack's documentation, it is designed to work when mounted into a wooden stud.  According to my stud-finder, the entire wall is a stud, so I think I ought to be ok?  The rack says it won't work with metal studs, but I don't know how I would know the difference.

2- When I drill into the wall, The 3/4 inch or so goes real easy.  Then the sound that the drill bit makes in the wall changes and progress comes to a complete halt.  I could keep trying to drill, but I'm worried that I might be drilling into something that maybe I shouldn't be?  Do walls normally vary in difficulty by depth when drilling, or is that a red flag?

I have to ask, who gave you permission to drill into the wall?  If you say your spouse, then maybe you need to take some home improvement classes at the adult education night school at your local high school!   Just joking.....

But seriously, if you have run into the concrete blocks, you need to use masonry bits with a hammer drill to bore the holes, and than use masonry anchors or specialty concrete screws (tapcons) to secure the brackets to the block. The masonry screws are easiest and the package will tell you what size masonry bit to use. You can use a regular drill, but it will require a lot of pressure and letting off every 15 seconds or so to clear the dust from the hole. Don't be surprised if the screw strips on the way in, very common, it may take a couple of trys. Be sure to drill the hole deep enough. you will get the feel of it. It is not at all like drilling into wood.

I have to mention, if you have drywall over block, then there is strapping somewhere ramsetted into the block. If you can find the strapping, you can use the standard wood techniques. Look for dimples or evidence of drywall screws, that will give you a hint where to find wood.   Good luck.


Keep bedroom doors closed or open with radiators? I see that with induced hot air heating it is advised to keep (bedroom) doors open, but I am wondering if the same advice applies for heating with wall mounted radiators.

I have a two bedroom apartment on two levels. Should I keep the upstairs bedroom doors closed or not? Does the decision depend on the structure of the house or is there a general rule that applies to homes heated with radiators? I see a lot of conflicting opinions on the matter.

It depends on how the radiators are controlled. Does your apartment have baseboard electric radiators with independent temperature controls in each bedroom, or do you have a central boiler (steam radiator) or furnace (forced hot air) that is controlled by one thermostat somewhere towards the center of the house?

If you have individual controls, you'll want to keep your bedroom door closed so that the temperature in that space is better regulated per the setting for that room. If you have one central thermostat, you'll want to keep bedroom doors open so that the entire living space is at an equal temperature.

You can close off doors - and the radiators within - rooms that are not used (guest rooms, e.g.) so that you are not heating those spaces. With central heating, you'll likely find that some rooms/radiators run hotter than others due to distances from the central heating source, poorly placed radiators in some rooms (e.g. under a drafty window) or the location of the central thermostat. You can adjust the flow to each radiator at the source to tune the heat going to each room.


Putting up old crown moldings I live in an old house with crown moldings in each room.  We took them down to replace a ceiling.  When it's time to put them back, are there any tips that would help us so we don't damage the moldings?  They are painted.

Have you de-nailed the molding yet? If not, pull the nails through from the backside. It will leave the finish intact.

If you marked the crown so it goes back up in the same place as before, you may be able to use the old nail locations to re-nail it to the framing. If the holes are not visible since the nails may have been pulled from the backside of the trim, use blue tape to locate them on the face to see where to nail. Piloting is a good idea too.

I have even used a larger nail pushed through the original nail hole so the larger finish nail head grabs the wood still. For example if the trim is nailed with 2 1/2" nails (8D) re-nail it with a 3" (10D) or 12D nail (3 1/4").


Hot Water Running Out in Large Home - Tankless Gas Unit with Tank? We have a large 3600 sq ft vacation rental that tyically houses 10-14 people. We have a 50 gallon gas tank water heater but guests have complained that the hot water runs out after a while.
We have three full bathrooms as well as three sets of washer/dryers.
We are contemplating installing an additional gas tankless water heater in addition to the current gas tank unit.
Would we run this in series (i.e., both units would be connected) and if in series, which unit would you install first? (i.e., would you have the tankless unit preheat the tank or would you have the tankless unit only kick in when the tank unit was depleted)
Also, a plumber suggested installing a thermostatic mixing valve to give us more capacity. If we were to install this, where would we install it in the system?

We have a large 3600 sq ft vacation rental that typically houses 10-14 people. We have a 50 gallon gas tank water heater but guests have complained that the hot water runs out after a while.

Only the maximum number of people is relevant so if you say it's good for 14 people in your ad, that's the number you worry about.  You need about 10 gallons tank per person based on recommendations for regular household use, and about 7.5k Btu per person.  If it's for holiday use there may be considerations like people showering every time they swim to take into account.  It's theoretically possible to supplement your system with a tankless heater, but the control would be complicated and the tankless heater would still need to be sized to cover the maximum load you want.

We have three full bathrooms as well as three sets of washer/dryers.

With tankless heaters, you size the heater as close as you can afford to the maximum reasonable load.  As soon as you draw more water than it can heat, output will cool down and be noticed, but your guests might tolerate not being able to shower, run the sink hot and do dishes and laundry at the same time as long as everyone gets a hot shower before they throw in some laundry or soak some dishes.  Because a tank heater can store significant amounts of heat, much lower Btu ratings are acceptable.  This means if you want to use a tankless heater you might need to upgrade your gas line.

We are contemplating installing an additional gas tankless water heater in addition to the current gas tank unit.

Another simpler/more reliable option would be to use the current unit to feed say one bathroom and one laundry and one kitchen sink and adding another unit of whatever type to feed the other fixtures.  This will also help with flow limitations since if your water heater is missized so badly it may mean pipes are also not sized for so many fixtures.

Would we run this in series (i.e., both units would be connected) and if in series, which unit would you install first? (i.e., would you have the tankless unit preheat the tank or would you have the tankless unit only kick in when the tank unit was depleted)

You could have it in series or in parallel.  In series, it would come before the tank heater and only start heating when the output dropped below a set temperature.  In parallel, when the tank heater temperature got too low it would switch in and close off the tank heater.  I personally would favor series as you wouldn't need the extra solenoid valve, just electrical control.  You would want to have the temperature controls for the system carefully set.  That said, Your existing tank system is sized for roughly 4 or 5 people, so the pipes into and out of it probably are too.

Also, a plumber suggested installing a thermostatic mixing valve to give us more capacity. If we were to install this, where would we install it in the system?

I'm not sure how price works out on those, but if you use one on the output of the tank, it allows the tank to store water safely at a higher temperature.  (Make sure you get a fail safe one intended for domestic use.  The total output volume of "Hot" water is a mixture of really hot water and cold water.  If pipes were inadequately sized, it would theoretically give you more total hot water throughput to put smaller thermostatic mixing valves closer to the fixtures.
To verify your pipes are adequately sized, you can let the current heater heat up and then turn everything on at once to verify everything is hot until the hot water runs out.  That would simplify things.


Remove wireway in meter-panel? I was planning to use one of the two free knockouts in my meter-panel for a 1.5" conduit containing conductors for a new sub panel.
Opened the main to find both of them blocked by a wireway.  Assume this was for a ground level service entry, but mine is overhead.
I cannot find any info from Eaton.  The panel is an Eaton mbx2040b200bts.
Is there any chance of a listed method for using the knockouts in the bottom left corner?
I'll be relocating a few of the circuits from this panel to the sub, so the mess in this picture will get a bit cleaner.
The other option is moving the leftmost 1.5" conduit to the new sub.  It feeds another sub panel on the opposite side of the house.  New sub is 125 amp, candidate for moving to it is 100, and currently experiences no more than 40 amps of load, but that may grow in the future.

Check your feeder size
That feeder coming off those 100A breakers needs to be either #3 copper or #1 aluminum.  If it is #2Al / #4Cu, then you must downgrade the 100A breakers to 90A.  Those are the rules, I don't write them.  If you were misinformed that #2/4 is good for 100A, that happens a lot because people love to misinterpret 310.15(B)(7), or blindly "take on faith" answers from others who did so.
If conduit fill allows, lean toward aluminum wire. It's always worked fine on large feeders like this.
Accommodating that extra conduit
No need to crack the wireway issue.  We can do this another way: install a splice box within 2' of the panel, and fit maximum conduit size between splice box and panel.
Pick either the feeder/conduit on the left, or the feeder/conduit on the right.
Pull out the existing feeder   Note the concentric knockout that it comes in, is not at its maximum available size.  Break off the concentrics so it is at its maximum size (2-1/2"??).
Install a new large metal junction box below the service panel.  The top hole gets a hole in the top the same size as the knockout you just opened up.   The bottom gets a hole fit for attaching the existing conduit (1-1/4"?)
Install an EMT or Rigid metal conduit nipple that is less than 24" long between the service panel and this new box.
The existing conduit will be in the way of the new box.  Cut the existing conduit out of the way, and apply fittings so it now enters the new box.
See what we did there? You now have a 2-1/2" (?) pipe from the service panel to new box, and a 1-1/4" (?) pipe going wherever that conduit currently goes.
Now, pull the wires back into it.   We're back to status quo ante.
Now, bring your NEW conduit into the side of the new box.  Pass its wires through the box and up to the service panel through that nice fat conduit.   Voilà!
If other conduits are in the way, like that 1/2" conduit, bring them into the new splice box also. More's the merrier!


How to remove clumps of algae from pool after using algicide So, we have a 1700 gallon pool that was stricken with algae, and our neighbors have one about twice that size that got hit at the same time.  We both shocked our pools and used an algicide that drew all of the algae to the bottom in clumps.  This was great - the water was clear again.  However, neither of our vacuums are working to clear up the clumps of algae at the bottom.

We have a vacuum that connects to our filter, they have a vacuum where you attach a hose and it pushes water through a filter bag on the other side.  In both cases, the algae just ends up circulating and clouding the pool again until we leave it alone and it all settles at the bottom again.

Our filters are doing the same work, roughly, insomuch as it's catching algae, but needs to be cleaned constantly and is not circulating enough to really clean it up (the algae was cleared almost two weeks ago now).

So, are there any tips out there on how to get it out short of emptying the pool, cleaning it, and refilling it?  If we go that route, pool season is over for this year.

Thanks!

When you added the algaecide it contained a flocing agent which clumps up the dead algae which it then settles to the bottom of the pool.
Filters do not filter out dead algae and all you're doing is recirculating the dead algae.
How to Fix

Some pool owners will need to fill their pool up with water in order to proceed to the next step.  You may not.
The multiport valve on your filter may have a Waste option.  Use it to blow out the dead algae while you vacuum.  Do no use the backwash option, only the Waste is needed.
After you have blown out the dead algae, then you will probably need to tap off your pool again, then backwash and rinse.

If the multiport valve doesn't have a WASTE option, then you will probably need to consider purchasing an external pump and attach it to the vacuum to blow out the dead algae into your garden.


How can I install a hood exaust vent with a joist in the way? I was preparing to install a hood vent this weekend and found myself with a bit of an issue...
Here's what it looks like:

The larger hole in the middle is the center point over my cooktop and the red line is a 2x4 ceiling joist going over the top. The 4 smaller holes are where the mounting plate for the hood attaches (they look off but that's the angle of the picture).
I need to put a 6" circle in the ceiling to run the ducting through and that's pretty impossible here. I'm assuming I can't cut the joist, or maybe I can if I hire a carpenter to somehow shore it up. I think I could remove some metal from the mounting bracket and fit it though. The bracket looks like this:

If I basically cut out one side I can probably get a flexible 6" duct through the offset hole. However I'm worried that this could impact the strength of the bracket, and also that flexible ducting might collect grease in the ridges of the tube.
Any thoughts or other suggestions on how I could tackle this and what the best option may be?

I would cut your "Top Support Plate" (as it's called in the picture you linked in one of your comments), as you suggest in the picture of your question.
Attach a metal 6in 90 to drop down (as I suppose you were going to), and then 6in ducting down and attached to the vent unit, all inside the shrouded box.
There seems to be enough distance down to allow a minor slant to this portion of the vent, form the off centre exit point at the top plate, down to the fan unit.
And attach the plate to the joist for extra strength.


Furnace Blower fan doesn't start I have a keeprite high efficiency furnace that Was a part of my new house. It's 2016.

The Honeywell thermostat is set at 23 deg C. This is what happens when the temperature is below the cut-off

I hear the furnace kicking in. No fan is heard
The section right above the furnace become hot and suddenly the furnace shuts down. A burning smell is there from the vents in some rooms
4 times LED blinking is seen and after sometime turns to 7 times.
I turn off the furnace and wait for 2-3 mins and start it again and everything is fine - blower kicks in after burner is ignited

I had the HVAC technician visit my place but I could not reproduce the issue.

Stuff I have already checked: combustion air flow from the vent is good. All wires and trips are great.

The fault codes are here: http://tradesmandrcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KEEPRITEHighEff.pdf

Edit: I read somewhere that fan set to Auto is for cooling only. Tried to keep the fan ON and ran into the same issue again. However, at night the 7 flashes showed up against me I left the furnace running with fan set to ON. In the morning I observed the fan was running. By the way, there aren't any nests or dust. I checked for that as well

Thanks

Get the furnace to show the problem again.  Then don't touch anything.  call for service.  As long as power is not interrupted, the furnace will hold those blink codes in memory. The service man can interpret the code and solve the problem.


How to detect a load bearing wall? Hello - I attached a quick picture to help determining whether the kitchen wall is load bearing. when I checked my basement, it has set of four concrete square pillars (not in the center but towards left). Directly above those pillars is a living room wall, which runs halfway and on the above floor, there is a wall directly above it which is the bedroom walls.
The kitchen wall on the first floor, extends halfway from back (see the top view diagram). I do not see any supporting pillar for this wall in the basement, but is directly connected to the 2nd floor. I wanted to remove this kitchen wall but a bit worried if it bears the load of the back half of the 2nd floor, but then as I mentioned there are no pillars directly below in the basement. Please guide.

Bearing wall: probably not.
Structural wall: possibly.
I suspect the floor joists run parallel to the wall you want to remove. If no overhead loads bear on this wall, then it’s not a load bearing wall.
However, the wall could support (brace) the exterior wall.
If the wall does not have plywood on it, it probably is not a structural wall. The Code requires the width of a building to be a certain percentage of the length. If it exceeds (less than 1:4, I think) that amount, an interior wall (bracing) be added for shear.


How to install level wood header under sloping garage door opening I am wood framing concrete garage door opening described with pictures in this question.

Top concrete header is about 2" inches out of level across 9' opening length. I want to install 2x8 PT header under it and make it level. So I will have 2" gap on one side. What is the best way to do it? I am thinking of just cutting short piece of this 2x8 and using it as a shim in the right place in the gap. Will it work? Does it make any sense to fill the rest of the void with something like cement patch?

The new lumber door header will not be structural.  Go ahead and frame the door rough opening plumb and level with your lumber and spacers.  Use shims to snug it up to the concrete.  Get creative with your trim to conceal the imperfections.


How strong is a lag bolt through the narrow face of a 2x4 stud (meaning it only has 1.5" to grab)? I'm trying to mount a TV, but the only studs are on the outside walls of this niche in my fireplace.  Meaning I could build a little wooden box and lag into the narrow face of the studs (the 1.5" thickness, instead of the normal 3.5" thickness).

But I've never lagged into the side of a stud before. Is it strong enough to hold hundreds of pounds?  This will be an extension arm mount for a heavy 70" HDTV, so it really needs to be strong.

An alternative is to use the flat stud in conjunction with one of the new style toggle bolts.

Now you have a 2+ inch piece of metal placed behind the shallow side of the stud. It would take many hundreds of pounds of force to pull that little steel bar through the stud.
You would need to drill a slightly larger hole to accommodate the toggle.
All of this assumes that the flat stud is not backed by another stud. If that were the case, standard lag bolt approach would have plenty to grab and a very rigid structure.

Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Tracking Potential Bathtub Leak Without Removing It I've noticed that the corner of my bathtub gets wet. When a paper towel is placed there, it gets soaked in a short while.  There is no large amount of water leaking out though. That spot just gets moist especially after the bathtub is used.

Is there a way to trace the leak without pulling out the bathtub?

(Note there's a wet spot on the baseboard molding and I don't know how water got there either.)

Do you only use tub? Shower curtain to high. Put down towel to dry.Low spot in floor.Add color diy to water see if it shows on floor.Then it is drain.


Cedar shims disappeared because of COVID-19 I've been hunting for contractor quality cedar shims - the super-wide kind that easily break along the grain. The big box stores don't have them and neither do the local lumber yards. At one of them I visited, they told me that they haven't been able to get them since COVID started. What's the connection? What other materials might be affected by COVID going forward?

This has been a well-known issue since the pandemic started. Materials have been scarce, and prices have increased dramatically.
This seems to be due to issues on both the supply and the demand sides. Supply has decreased because of obvious issues related to COVID, workers being sick with COVID, factories having to shut down for periods of time, and working at limited capacity due to having to keep physical distance between staff.
Demand has also increased, it seems, because people are stuck at home, and are bored. Seems people either undertake remodeling projects due to being stuck at home and not having other "entertainment" options, and of course having to look at parts of their home they don't like much more know. There is probably also the component of the stimulus money being used on construction projects. Oh, and mortgage interest rates have been at historic lows for a long time, causing more demand on new construction.


How much weight can a light bulb socket hold? I'm working on a thing in which I mount a few pounds of weight to one of those light-bulb-to-wall-socket adapters and I'm curious if there's a posted weight limit on hanging something from just the light bulb socket itself.

This is not really for a home improvement thing; it's a work project, but the application seems relevant to this stack's topic.

Not a great idea.

Electrical devices are designed and approved to be used unmodified. Adding parts or using them other than as intended voids the UL listing and, more importantly, poses risks of fire or electrocution.
Attaching something to a plug in device at or near the plug runs the specific risk of shorting out the spade terminals, risking the above noted fire or electrocution.
The weight that could be supported (but shouldn't be) would depend on whether the plug in socked was inserted horizontally or vertically (hanging down), the latter being much less reliable than the former, which is also not reliable.
The actual strength of the hold is a factor of the tension created by the contact points within the wall socket itself. This is variable across brands, types of outlets, and changes over time and usage. It is impossible to predict whether a socket will hold a regular plug, let alone extra weight attached to a device that already puts a downward strain on the grip. Another reason not to do it.
Finally, plug in lamps are varied in their quality and hence their strength, again making a load prediction nigh on impossible.
Don't do it.


Filling in 1/4" wide sharp joints on cured indoor concrete floor? This concrete garage floor is 3 years old.  It has these quarter-inch wide sharp joints cut in every 12 feet.  All settlement/curing cracks are in the joints, but I don't understand why they were cut so sharp and deep: All the depth and edge seem to accomplish is to collect dirt and provide a home for moisture and pests.

At this point is it OK to fill them in – at least partway to reduce the space available for dirt to accumulate?  Or are they serving some other ongoing purpose?

You could have caulked them a month after the slab was poured. You can caulk them now. Or vacuum/scrape them out and caulk them now.
Saw-Cut control joints (as opposed to "tool-formed while the concrete was wet" control joints) are inherently sharp. They are less expensive than formed joints. They need to be deep enough to accomplish the goal of having any cracks that form, form at/in them, not at random.
Use a caulking compound made for use on concrete. If the width precludes setting a bead in the top of the joint that will stay put, fill them with foam backer rod and then caulk on top of that.


Best way to source concrete for a long fence project I've done several small fence projects before, and hand-mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow for each post as I set them in place.
However, I'm now looking to build a wood guardrail around a parking lot at work, that requires 73 6"x6" posts. I'm going to need about 1.8 yards of concrete for the job. Hand-mixing is definitely out of the question, and it seems that delivered, premixed concrete is substantially less expensive than bags anyway.
I've never worked with a concrete truck before. I know that trucks supply premixed concrete for large areas like slab foundations, but is out out of the norm to have a truck come and fill each hole as we set each post? Of course, I'd have all the holes ready to go with posts in them and a level line set up, but this would still require the truck driving up to and stopping at 73 different spots within the parking lot, to deliver a small amount of concrete to each hole. A lot more time and effort than delivering an equal amount of concrete to a slab.
I've seen rentals of concrete mixing trailers, and of course, the rentable concrete mixers from the big box stores. It seems like there are several ways to skin this cat. What is generally most cost effective, efficient, or both? What would you do?

Delivery of ready-mix in a truck
This gets you a whole lot of mud fast. There are a couple of problems: First, the "short" (small) load fee may raise its cost by 50% compared to the per-yard price you were quoted. Second, they'll likely allow you something like 5-10 minutes per yard to unload the truck and may charge by the minute if you run over time. The unloading process may be sped up if you have several laborers running with wheelbarrows. Third, if the unloading is slow, not only might you pay an extra fee but you might also have the mud setting up in the truck (recall that concrete hardens through a chemical reaction, not through "drying"). This could be mitigated by requesting the mix have a retarder to extend its initial set time.
You-haul ready mix in a trailer
There may be a small-batch concrete provider in your market. They have little 1-2 yard mixer trailers; you bring a heavy-duty pickup truck and tow their trailer to your job site while it mixes. It's heavy; the empty trailer might weigh 3500 pounds and the concrete another 3700 pounds per yard. You could buy just one yard at a time (or even less) and make several trips to ensure that you have relatively fresh concrete throughout the job.
Portable mixer
Honestly.. this is the one I'd do. The main reason is that I frequently work alone or with one assistant, and this approach is the only one I consider practical for such a small "crew." Rent/borrow/buy a mixer large enough to do the concrete for 4-6 posts. (Could buy a used one and resell it when you're through.) Put a pile of sand and gravel on a flat bed trailer along with the mixer, bagged Portland cement, and a few buckets of water. Tow it around the parking lot as the job progresses. You can pipeline the job a bit by dumping the entire mixed batch out into a wheelbarrow or a few buckets -- then you can let the mixer run making a new batch while you're placing the concrete mixed in the prior batch. Size the batches so that the mixing time roughly equals your placing time and all of that is well below the initial setting time.


Is it safe to replace a 15 amp GFCI outlet with a 20 amp GFCI outlet? I have a 15 amp GFCI outlet on a circuit that has a 20 amp breaker in the fuse panel.
Is it safe to replace the 15 amp GFCI outlet with a 20 amp GFCI outlet?

If the wiring is 12 awg it is safe.
I caution folks that want to upsize parts to check the wiring because sometimes a breaker was upsized to prevent un wanted tripping.
A 20 amp GFCI really doesn't provide any thing that a 15 amp will except the ability to plug in a 20 amp device. When was the last time you saw a 20 amp plug on an appliance? They are out there but rare and the 20 amp costs more.
Note they both trip at ~5 ma fault current.


Adding a subpanel, but have one question. I decided to add a small subpanel to accommodate extra outlets for my garage. I have an older Square D 100A main panel. Only cat no I could find is QOC-20m e6. First thing I noticed after pulling the panel cover to see how I should go about running service to the subpanel, is that all the neutral and ground wires are under the same lug per each respective circuit. Not ideal, but not unheard of.

Now, my question is, when running the neutral and ground to the new subpanel, would I connect both to separate lugs on the same neutral/ground bar in the main panel?

Since it is a subpanel, in your new panel, you will need to run the neutral to the neutral bar, run the ground to a separate ground bar, and make sure the green bonding strap/screw is removed so that the neutral bar is isolated from ground.

This is different from the main panel, where you can mix neutrals and grounds on the same bus.


When is it OK to use stranded wires in fixed installation? I have heard many times that fixed installation requires single core wires while the flexible stranded wires are designed for movable devices like vacuum cleaners and TVs.

I know that a stranded wire has two primary disadvantages compared to a solid core wire:

It is more prone to oxidation (due to larger surface area for the same cross-section area), making it inferior for permanent installation.
It is thicker for the same cross-section area.

However recently I saw in Spain that professional electricians were installing stranded 240 V wires in a commercial building. This made me wonder if what I had heard before was outdated or I might be missing something.

All wire sizes are available in stranded, however not all cabling styles are made with stranded wire (i.e. NM/Romex). Any sort of flexible cordage is only stranded.

For single-wire 10-12-14 gauge THHN/THWN as is widely used in commercial work, they sell both kinds right next to each other - watch out what you buy.  I use exclusively stranded.

Larger wiring sizes are not available in solid, because they are impossible to bend.

You can use stranded wire anytime you can get it, and your terminations are listed for stranded wire. For instance a backstab (push-in) connector might be listed for ”14 AWG solid" in which case they mean "not stranded".


How to support 4x4 posts on cement driveway I'm designing some outdoor bike storage as a free-standing shed. It will go against a house on an existing cement driveway. We're renting, so I can't drill into the driveway or do any other permanent modifications.

Here's my current design for context:

Link to the public design in OnShape: Bike Storage Shed

  Edit for clarity:

  The rough size of the shed is 4 x 12'

  I have two goals for the post bases:

  Allow leveling.
  Keep ground moisture from damaging posts.

  This structure is in coastal northern California, so no snow load on
  the roof but occasional heavy rains.

  The structure as shown is not done being designed yet; there will be framed
  out T1-11 siding on the ends and diagonal braces in the back to provide
  torsional stability.

It doesn't seem right to just have the 4x4 posts rest directly on the cement driveway. What is the best way to support the posts? I was considering:

Let end of 4x4 rest directly on cement, paint the end with exterior finish for some extra moisture protection. Hope for the best on the levelness of the driveway.
Use cement pier blocks like these, adding sand/gravel underneath to get them level.
Use pressure-treated lumber skids attached underneath the posts, adding sand/gravel underneath to get them level.
Attach plastic standoffs like these to provide protection from moisture.

Any thoughts on the most robust way to interface the posts to the driveway?

+1 option #4, plastic standoffs.
"Any thoughts on the most robust way to anchor the posts?"
You said you are renting and can not anchor.
Take some five gallon buckets and mix up some cement, fill the buckets with the cement and put an eye bolt in so it stick out of the top. Put a nut and washer on the threaded part of the eye bolt  that will be in the concrete to prevent it from being pulled out.  Now you can place these on the sides of the structure and use rope or ratchet straps to secure the structure down to protect the wind from taking it for a sail.


Waterproofing shower When applying a rubber waterproofing like red gaurd or aquadefence. What kisnd of morter do you use modified or unmodified. I have read through each one amd it dosnet say anything about what morter to use when your ready to tile.

If you mean what mortar to use before applying waterproofer (e.g. Redgard), then use unmodified with an alkali-resistant cement board tape.

If you mean what kind of mortar to use after the application of waterproofer (i.e. to apply the tiles), then use whatever mortar is correct for the tile of your choice.

For instance, larger or natural tiles usually need a modified mortar, while smaller tiles can use unmodified just fine. The packages of mortar will describe their appropriate tile use.


Honeywell L6006C Aquasta wiring to a Taco 006-BC4 Hot water Circulator Pump I have a Taco 006-BC4 hot water circulator pump installed on a mechanical timer and its been working fine. However, I would like to install a Honeywell L6006C Aquastat to drive the pump so I could eliminate the timmer. The aquastat will only be working with the hot water circulator pump. It appears that I would only use 2 of the 3 terminal screws of the aquastat. I am looking for some help with the wiring of the aquastat to turn the pump on/off?  Also, what would be considered typical high, low and differential temperature settings to start with? I greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!

I looked at the instruction manual for the switch, and it says:

  Switching action is as follows:
  Upon a drop in boiler water temperature (to dial setting,
  less differential), makes R to B burner contact; breaks R to W
  contact, preventing circulator operation. Upon a rise in boiler
  water temperature (to dial setting), breaks R to B burner
  contact, makes R to W circulator contact.

Manual link

That said, I don't know much about how the circulator should work, and what temperatures to set, but if you want the pump to come on when the temperature drops, you would wire it to terminals R and B and if you need it to come on when the temp goes up, it would be terminals R and W.  One is typically meany for heat (B) and the other for a circulator (W), but your installation might be different.


DIY pool heater - best methods? Possible Duplicate:
  How can I efficiently heat a pool?

I have an in-ground pool at around 20,000 gallons and I live in the northeast (Maine). My pool  gets direct sunlight for about half the day. I would like to extend my swimming season by heating my pool. I don't want to spend the $2000-$3000 dollars on a commercial unit, and would rather go DIY.

I'm wondering what others have done with the most success. I don't think I want to go the small pvc piping route, as those often fail to think about friction gradients in a tube (so for the 100's of feet you need of tubing, your pump effectiveness goes way down). But if the tube size is the right size, I would consider it.

For a fun idea, there's this:
http://ecorenovator.org/diy-solar-water-heating-fresnel-lenses/

But I don't want to spend all day tracking the sun (but if you lived in a really sunny area, I'm betting a good method to utilize this would be to include a section of cast iron pipe on your return line and point the fresnel lens at that pipe. )

I'm thinking I would probably need to use propane/wood as my heat source, rather than solar.

Any good ideas out there?

When I first read this, my first instinct was "don't", and I think that still holds. You are mixing water, electricity and possibly natural gas in a single untested design, and if anything goes wrong your pool could drain out, you could get electrocuted going in the water, or you could even end up with a bomb. It's not worth whatever costs you'd save building your own heater versus buying a commercial unit.

If you are really serious about a DIY pool heater, I think the best (safest, most reliable) route would probably be a heat exchanger sourced from a commercial hot water heater tank. You can build the heat exchanger yourself with a 55-gallon drum and some copper plumbing pipe, but for a whole host of reasons I would buy the HWH commercially (you can get gas or electric; your choice, but either way the HWH should be kept in an enclosed indoor area and properly connected to your home wiring/gas). Then, simply draw water from your pool into one closed loop of pipe in the drum, where it will be heated by being in close proximity to the loop which is fed by the HWH (a transfer medium like more water between the two coils might be a good idea). The HWH's water can feed back into itself, and due to natural convection, as the water is heated by the tank and then cooled in the exchanger it will flow through the loop, so there shouldn't be any need for a pump on the HWH side.

The tricky bit will be the thermostat; you'll want the water from the HWH to be hotter than the desired pool temp so that you can rapidly heat such a large volume of water, so you'll need a method to monitor the ambient pool water temperature and stop running water from the pool through the heat exchanger. I think the easiest design would be a temperature monitor that controls an inlet valve, and then the inlet valve is simply a diverter that draws water out of the main circulation pump's loop. If you design the exchanger right, convection can work for you here as well, or you can use a Y with a reducer off of the circulation loop to let the pump's pressure help you.

If you simply must do it all yourself, instead of introducing heat through a water coil from a HWH, fill an inner drum (40 gals or so) with water, put the loop from the pool in that, and then put that in a larger drum with some gas burners or electric heater coils underneath. When the pool needs to be heated, turn on the burners; that will heat the standing water in the drum which will then heat the water flowing through the pipes. You will need the same thermostat with will control both the flow of pool water and the heater element, and you'll also need a thermostat and a temperature/pressure relief on the inner drum (for a demonstration of what can happen without it, check this Mythbusters clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGWmONHipVo)

Whatever you do, do not heat your pool water directly. First, it will be very difficult to control how hot that water gets, which can result in burns if the heated water is returned directly to the pool without getting a REALLY good chance to mix with ambient water. Second, there are a lot of chemicals in your pool water, which can react with the water line under high heat (like an open flame), and can erode it causing your pool to drain (and if you're using a gas burner, the flame could go out and then you have a gas leak). Commercial pool heaters are designed with multiple levels of redundancy to prevent overheating, flameout, or energizing the water with any electrical components. You will need to provide similar protection in any design you come up with yourself.


Where can I find a replacement for this 3.5" door knob spindle? I broke the spindle on my ~100 year old door, and I'd like to just replace the spindle instead of the entire door knob assembly as this seems to be the original piece. Unfortunately I've been unable to find a 3.5" assembly that is the same as what I had. Here is a (very low-quality) picture of the original spindle, all the spindles I can find online seem to be threaded in some fashion. Is there anywhere I can order a spindle like my original one?

This Baldwin spindle is the closest I can find to what I had, but instead of having screw holes it looks like it has a pressure fit.

If you're in an area with older homes, try your local locksmith.

The last time I had to replace a split spindle (where the split was not in the middle), the local lockmith had 'em in steel and brass.  I went with the brass, because I had to grind out a channel so it'd fit into the existing mechanism; you might have to do similar and drill it yourself.

The ones you see online probably aren't a press fit -- most of my knobs take a set screw.

You can also try a real hardware store (not a Lowes or Home Depot ... either an independant one, or an Ace, True Value, etc.)

If you strike out completely, I've also replaced the whole knob and spindle with a replacement set, and switched to a threaded spindle.  It looks like Van Dykes has a few :

http://www.vandykes.com/product/2-glass-knobs-with-spindle
http://www.vandykes.com/product/glass-knob-and-spindle-set
http://www.vandykes.com/product/glass-door-knobs-with-spindle

It looks like what you're looking for is referred to as a 'drilled spindle' (possibly drilled & tapped, if there's threading inside the holes)

Using the search "drilled door spindle", I've managed to find a shop in the UK:

http://www.doorfurnituredirect.co.uk/scpro/bernards/productscategory~prodtype~58~prodtypename~Spindles.htm

... but many of the hits talk about pre-drilled doors, rather than specificall drilled spindles.


Is it ok to enhance pipe insulation with fiberglass batts? I have hot water baseboard pipes running along the inside of the knee wall attic behind my second floor bedrooms. They are covered with old pipe foam sleeves. The knee wall is insulated as a conditioned space; rafters have faced batts.

To add extra insulation is it ok to cover the pipes with extra unfaced batts (r30) that i have from a recent attic insulation project? I just want to ensure that any heat doesn't escape from the pipes...

There's no concern unless there's moisture present. Fiberglass presents more of a mold trap than closed-cell foam.

Keep in mind that you'd have to wrap the pipes carefully enough that no airflow can move around the insulation. In other words, just laying batts over the pipe does little if the ends of the run are open to the air.

You might partially split the batt (think hotdog bun), slide it in place, and press the batt back together to create something of a seal.


Bosch dishwasher has water at bottom after using liquid soap I foolishly used liquid soap and baking soda when I ran out of dishwasher tablets for my Bosch (model SHX68T55UC).  It worked and I bought more dishwasher tablets after about 3 days and started using them.  Within another day I got the code E: 15 which means that there is water in the unit that has floated the leak detection sensor at the bottom of the unit (below the main bin).  There is a good YouTube video (see https://youtu.be/8kW4jkHln3k) that explains how to fix this.  It's basically just a float that rises in the water and trips a sensor.  I cleaned it all out and put it back together and the code was gone....

However, it came back, and there is water in the far back of the under part of the unit (where all the electronics are, NOT the main tub).  For the life of me, I can't find the slow leak.  All the tubes and connections seem fine. The insulation at the back of the unit is soaked.  I believe it's leaking somewhere at the back, and this water slowly seeps towards the flood sensor and trips it.  Of note, I can do a load (or two?) before enough water accumulates to trip the sensor.

I'll add a picture soon to make it clear I'm looking at the under part of the dishwasher, not the main tub where you put dishes.  It did occur to me that the main tub could be leaking, but the unit is only 3 1/2 years old (but out of warranty unfortunately) and it sure seems like a coincidence that I recently used liquid dish soap.  I'm thinking I still have a problem from the liquid soap OR when cleaning out the area around the flood sensor I did something stupid.
Thanks,
Dave

Update AND Pictures!
Worth mentioning that it only seems to accumulate water when I'm running the unit.  I left it off and watched for several hours and could not perceive any more water. So I think that rules out the inlet water?
The back right corner is what seems to be getting wet, which is weird because I don't see any tubes/connections there.  I believe the water then flows downhill to the left back corner and to the float sensor.

Update #2.  I inadvertently did a test that I think provides a ton of clues.  I clean everything up in the lower compartment (the area with the electronics including the float sensor).  I ran it on rinse cycle hoping to see where the water was coming from.  Very hard to see as the back insulation seems to slowly get wet but again, no tubes around there.  The inadvertent test was this:  I had to leave for work so I turned the unit off. I verified there was no appreciable water in the lower compartment.  Since I turned it off prematurely I had water at the bottom of the main tub (where you put dishes).  When I came home several hours later, the lower section was filled with water and the float switch was up (which gives E15 code). So I think there must be a leak somewhere between the upper main compartment where one puts the dishes and the lower section where the electronics is. This means that my previous assertation that there is no problem unless the unit is running is wrong!  If there is water in the dish area, there is a problem!  I'm guessing that while running, most of the water in the dish area is pumped away to the sink drain.  The problem is actually worse if you leave standing water in the dishwasher as I inadvertently did.  I'm not opposed to replacing gaskets etc., but does anyone have advice on what to check out first?  I would think this latest test rules out pumps, propellers, washers etc.

The main penetration of the tub that is below the waterline is the sump assembly. The sump assembly is comprised of the pump, heater, sensors, and other components. There is a main sump assembly seal that prevents water from the tub from leaking out. That would be the first thing I would inspect.

To further diagnose I would disconnect the unit and remove it, set it on sawhorses so I could view the lower components, then fill the tub and try to locate the leaking component.

NOTE- there are numerous other components that could be the source of a leak like your's (e.g. pump-to-sump seal, pump impeller seal, circulation pump assembly/volute seal, etc.) Disassembly of Bosch units can be tricky; not always intuitive. I suggest using your "Google-Fu" to check some online videos, such as this one: Bosch Dishwasher Circulation Pump Repair


What will happen to the concrete I tint with latex paint? Considering following the advice on pinterest to replace 1/4 of the water in some concrete with latex house paint to tint it.

Wondering if anyone has done this and knows if this will actually affect the strength or durability of the concrete.  Or, as pinterest suggests, improve the concrete.

Yes, there is a similar question on DIY but it was asked if it can be done, and that answer is yes; I'm asking how the resulting concrete will be affected.

Latex paint added for color, strength or work-ability will not harm concrete, it actually has a chance of improving it.
The scientific article from New Zealand with link someone posted here actually states that  optimum strength is achieved at 12% to 16% paint replacing water.
http://www.hms.civil.uminho.pt/ibmac/2008/14IBMAC_123.pdf
As far as the original post information, I did not read anywhere in the article that a  60% paint ratio to 40% water ratio was suggested. Article states that too much paint is not good, nor does too little accomplish much.  Other online research would lead me to the conclusion that I should not exceed 20%.
One site suggests that amount plus 10% to make a wetter mixture, but I trust the scientific study info more. An excessive amount is a bad idea, but at the 12 to 16%  levels the concrete is actually improved over a water only mix.
I am using paint for purposes of adding color, and getting rid of old paint, but will follow NZ article guidelines for strength and work-ability.


Is it safe to put insulation next to knob & tube wiring? I have a room that has some really ugly cheap panelling on the walls. I want to rip it out & replace with drywall. While I'm at it, I'd like to add soundproofing insulation between rooms & thermal insulation on the outside walls.

However, the house has knob & tube wiring. Is it safe to leave the wiring alone for this project? (Obviously if something must be done, doing it when the wall is open is best.)

The answer changes depending on location.

Because of a complete lack of actual fire incidents, four Western USA States: CA, OR, WA and ID petitioned for an exception to NEC 394.12 and permit insulating over Knob & Tube Wiring.  In some places you must first file a Knob-and-Tube Wiring Safety Report, and everywhere else it's a good idea.

It is a complete myth that Knob & Tube must be air cooled. Instead measure the gauge of the wire and put in an appropriate AFCI breaker for the gauge, and you're done. 100 year old copper is just as good as modern copper, in regards to household use.  You should remove from the K&T any high load devices.  What's left, especially in the era of CFL's and LED's, won't draw enough current to cause a problem.

The insulation of the era was not all that good, and perhaps for that reason K&T does not depend on it.  Ceramic tubes will outlast civilizations, and hold the wires apart even if the insulation is damaged.

You can even add an extra margin of safety by underrating the K&T (the opposite of depending on air cooling).  For example if you find 12 gauge wire, put a 15 amp AFCI in place, and you're more than done.  For 14 gauge wire, a 10 amp breaker might do nicely, even if they look at you funny at Home Depot.  Home Depot probably won't have the right breaker, but you can brave DIY scorn at Grainger, or just order online.

See

http://www.pct.edu/wtc/docs/articles/KnobTube_Report_WTC.pdf
https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/20279/5960
http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/forum/topics/knob-and-tube?page=1&commentId=6069565%3AComment%3A79069&x=1#6069565Comment79069

You should, however, replace any fuses.  Those are dangerous, even with Type S fuse bases.


Voltage drop for aluminum wire to detached garage I have been trying to use the voltage drop calculators but it seems like they give a different answer than the last one. Distance from breaker box in the house to the sub panel in the detached garage is going to be approximately 130 feet, 100 amps, 220 volt. Trying to figure out if I should use 2/0 or 4/0 aluminum wire. Any advice would be appreciated.

Going only 130 feet, you do not need to up-size wire for voltage drop. The usual #1 Al will suffice for 100A breaker.

Any plan requires a 125% derating of the expected load.  For instance, if you actually intended to pull 100A as a regular, frequent load, you would need  125A to be provisioned, i.e. A 125A breaker and wire.  By extension, the 100A breaker is sized to support 80A of frequent load.

Now there are a couple ways those voltage drop calc's get you. #1 is they prod you for the breaker value, not the practical load - 100A not 80A.  You should enter 80A.    #2 is that they are rather obsessed with 3% as a "very hard maximum" possible voltage drop.  That's not supported by Code; Code wants to see 8% among all voltage drops.   Definitely use a number larger than 3%, like 5-6%, and see what the result is.  Very often, you find the actual number works out to 3.34% or something, and it's just not worth paying a lot more over 0.34%.

By my math, 4/0 aluminum would support a 200A feed breaker.  However, it will not fit on a 100A feed breaker.


Can tile be removed and placed again before it sets? 20 x 20 tiles were started today in my living room. The tile has been laid straight without any kind of staggering. They are in complete rows which is not what I had wanted. The room has not been completed yet and I am wondering if the tile can be removed at this point and done again?

I see your question was posted two days ago, so without a bunch of discussion, I think the answer at this point is a simple "no", if the tile is still on the floor.

According to the instruction sheet for VersaBond tile mortar (a product typically used to adhere tile to floors), the tile is ready for light foot traffic after 24 hours.

intructions here

In my own experience installing tile, removing a piece that has been set with mortar is the kind of thing that can be done if it's caught right away, and if it's only a piece here or there. Even if the decision to remove half a room's worth of floor tile was made immediately, say within 5 to 10 minutes of setting, doing so would take time, meanwhile the mortar would continue to harden on the the tile, including the backs of the removed tiles and the sub-floor where they were removed. Cleaning that mortar off the removed tiles and the sub-floor before it hardens to a point where it needs to be chiseled (effectively ruining the tiles, plus making a big chore out of preparing the floor again) is the main problem with removal.

It would be considered an emergency in the scope of the job. And if discovered mere hours after the fact, I would not consider it as an option but would discuss the issue in terms of "starting over" with new materials.

Good luck!


Can I add a subpanel? Let me start off with the facts:

I have 125 amp service that is fed via overhead lines to a center fed panel.
I am maxed out on breakers, as every 110v breaker is now a tandem breaker.
When other homes in my area have upgraded to 200 amp service, they did not replace the feed lines. They are rated for, at least, 200 amps already.
My panel is exterior to the home.
I need a 220v (20 amp) circuit and a 110v (15 amp) circuits run to my garage.
Line slack is not a consideration here.

Now to my questions:
Can I add a subpanel to my current panel? Or should I bite the bullet and upgrade the service to 200 amps? I can't really afford the full panel upgrade though.

I was thinking (as a layman) that I could remove one 220v (30 amp) breaker from the main panel and put in a 220v (60 amp) breaker to feed a subpanel. Then I could feed the stove (old 220v @ 30 amp) from the new subpanel, as well as the adding a new 220v @ 20 amp breaker for the new table saw. As well as add the 110v @ 15 amp circuit.

In my uneducated brain, this makes sense. But I feel like I am missing something here. Please help.

One of the pros will give a long detailed answer, I'm sure.

But the short answer (from reading all their long detailed answers over many months) is that provided the existing panel is in decent shape, you can replace an existing double-pole breaker with a bigger breaker for a subpanel and use that subpanel to power several circuits, as you described.

However, you should put in a really big panel - i.e., big enough that it can eventually be your new main panel. A big (like 42 space) panel might cost you an extra $100 or $150 now compared to a small panel, but will allow you to gradually move circuits over time. Moving all those circuits is the big cost, particularly if you use the opportunity to add GFCI and/or AFCI as appropriate. But this way you don't have to spend it all at once. Then once you have everything moved you make the subpanel into your main panel, add a neutral-ground bond, and get rid of the old main panel.

Since you said "I am maxed out on breakers, as every 110v breaker is now a tandem breaker.", there is no way you can add GFCI or AFCI breakers right now. While you can add GFCI at the first receptacle in each chain and get full protection, and you can add AFCI in a separate box, it is a lot easier to put in breakers. Code generally allows you to keep the old stuff as-is, but for safety's sake, as well as if you do other upgrades (e.g., bathroom or kitchen remodel), you may want and/or need to make those upgrades at some time. With a new larger (sub)panel, you can do that easily. If the existing cables won't quite reach, you can splice them inside the existing panel, with that panel eventually becoming a large junction box when the the subpanel becomes your main panel.


G24Q CFL Line Voltage I am working with a CFL that requires a ballast to fire the lamp. This lamp is a G24Q-2. The lamp has four pins on the base. I am assuming that two of the pins are for the ballast connection and the other two are for constant line voltage. Is there a way to tell which pins are for which connection?

No sirree.  Nothing like that.

You may be familiar with ancient inductive ballasts where preheater 1, a starter, preheater 2 and an inductive ballast were all in series with line.  (and of course once the lamp strikes, it shorts out the starter and preheats, so now it's just the ballast and lamp in series, and the inductor limits current).  Those things predate this modern type of bulb.

Today, you will have electronic ballasts which intake 120V and output 4 wires to go to the bulb.  They do their magic electronic woo-woo inside the box, and synthesize high frequency (flicker-free) AC, doing a sequenced preheat start if needed for assured start in the cold.  These make sense because the silicon needed for the magic is cheaper than the mass of copper needed for a magnetic ballast.

Especially awesome are programmed start ballasts, which preheat the bulb exactly as much as it needs for a reliable strike at any temp, and very easy on the bulb.  That's the one to use for hard-to-change bulbs, or bulbs on motion sensors.

It's possible some very cheap lamp builder has found a way to wire those old-school, but I would not retain that design.  I would retrofit one of the electronic ballasts. In which case you wire it according to the wiring diagram on its labeling or instructions.


Different options for setting floor joists on top of cinder block foundation I am in the preliminary phases of a new home design, which I will eventually get run by a professional builder but I am conceptualizing it on my own.

So I am exploring different ways to attach the first floor wood framing onto a cinder block foundation.  The basement will be fully finished and have a legal ceiling height.  About 60% of it will be below grade and the rest above.  The location is on a high elevation in Colorado, countryside.

What are some different ways to set the joists on top of a cinder block foundation.  The foundation perimeter is approximately 18' x 52'/  Preferably with pictures.

IMO, there is no other option than using a sill plate:

www.woodaware.info


What windows should be used to soundproof from traffic noise? I am having a house built by a builder. On my contract, it is specified that 'Sound Attenuating' windows would be installed.

This is important as the house backs up to a busy road which provides a lot of noise. The seller agent sold it to me as sound proof windows, but the contract only states 'Sound Attenuating'.

It is now time to order the windows, and they are being ordered as double pane, one pane standard 1/8" thick, the other 3/16" thick. From what I have read this barely provides an STC of 31 Source - Vinyl 1/8+3/16 Dual

According to Wikipedia, for STC, 30 is described as Loud speech can be understood fairly well, normal speech heard but not understood

I feel like they are filling the contract technically, but not fulfilling the spirit of what the contract was intended to do which is to protect from the road noise.

What windows or soundproofing method should be used at a MINIMUM to not hear, say, 90% of road noise?

There are a number of companies that provide windows with high STC ratings. The series 7000 windows from http://www.silent-guard.com appear to have STC of 40 and above.  There are many other manufacturers that sell sound attenuating windows.

I believe you are correct that to get what you want you'll have to specify specific windows.  The way you describe the contract doesn't appear to be objective and measurable, and you really don't want to have to pay twice for windows.

You could also renegotiate the contract to specify STC rated windows of 40 or higher, however you might not get what you need then depending on how a given manufacturer rates their window.

Also, keep in mind that at higher STC levels the noise conduction through walls starts to become larger than the windows.  You may want to evaluate the siding/sheathing/insulation/wallboard plan to make sure that you don't put great windows in but still get significant low frequency road noise through the walls.


Which carpet for a swivel chair to roll easily? I'm about to replace an old carpet in my new house. I need the new carpet to be very well adapted for a swivel chair to roll on it easily. Not that I spend my time rolling when working, but I hate when I feel that my chair is like planted in the ground.

Which kind of carpet do you advise?

Ease of rolling is a function of the surface and the wheels. There are casters for rolling furniture that are specifically intended for carpets rather than hard floors

Additionally, low pile loop carpeting is used in offices because it wears well and is better for rolling furniture.

If you still have difficulty, there are chair mats made of plastics that sit under a desk and chair over the carpeting to allow easier rolling


Garage door closes and then reopens - Already adjusted force sensor to max and tried adjusting cable tension I feel like this has to be a common issue, but I'm having trouble finding references here. It's the same sort of Craftsman garage door opener that most of suburbia has here in the United States. This morning, I found the garage door open after my wife left in the morning, and I found that it was because the door is currently closing all of the way, then re-opening. I went through the standard steps of checking for obstructions (none, although I sweeped the area to be sure) and adjusting the downwards force up, but found that that value was already close to the max, and moving it that small amount more did not fix the problem (I did verify that reducing the force resulted in the garage door not closing all of the way). I furthermore tried the step of reducing the tension on the cable by adjusting the nuts (it seemed like a reasonable thing to try), but no dice.

The weather is cold and wet here, but no more than usual. There is some squealing when the door rises or closes, despite me re-dosing the railings with WD-40. The garage door and opener are probably pretty old, because I got them with the house six years ago, and the impression I got of the owner (now deceased) was that he didn't replace anything until he really had to.

Right now, I have the trolley disengaged so that I can get the door closed, but I'd prefer to fix this before my wife gets home tonight because I can very much see her hitting the button and just continuing on into the door.

This was a case that fell under General Knowledge idiocy. I had found the Down Power screws and was treating them like the Down Limit screws. In actuality, both generally need to be adjusted.

My method for fixing the problem (in case others find themselves in this situation):

Clear out debris under the door (this has been a problem in the past. A plant or some dirt will be under where the door is, not enough to trigger the electronic eye sensor, but enough to bounce the safety sensor)
Ensure that the electronic eye sensors are cleared (this usually manifests itself as the door not closing at all, just clicking, but just in case)
Adjust the Down Limit screw (located on the left side of the unit when looking at the garage door from the rear) a quarter turn counter-clockwise.
If necessary, adjust the Down Force a bit clockwise to ensure the door goes all the way down now.


Combatting moisture in crawl space after venting window is sprayed with insulation? I had a crawl space (top left) in my house which had a 12"x6" venting window. There is a room above the crawl space, so I decided to spray the walls of the space with closed-cell foam insulation which also closed off the venting window. The room above the crawl space is now warm in the winter so I'm happy with the insulation.

However, in the summer months, the crawl space (and, as a result, the entire basement) has a big moisture and mold problem. To alleviate the issue, I cut a small hole in the insulation where the venting window used to be and put a small 12V fan in which I leave on at all times. This helped the moisture problem a great deal - I would say that about 75% of the smell is gone.

My question is: what is the best approach to solving the problem completely? A larger fan? Spraying the floor of the crawl space? Something else?

Many thanks in advance!

The fan is the right idea, but it should probably be a stronger 120v unit. Look at bathroom fans and how they're rated for square footage. Some can be mounted in-wall and may fit your opening well.


Faulty grade and pest infestation My house has a faulty grade (the top of the foundation if at or below the ground level in many places).  It's a very old house (1920 built).  The foundation concrete is not steel-reinforced.  The previous owner capped the foundation in some places, but before fixing the deterioration in the foundation (efflorescence etc.).

The house has a crawl space, and the pest inspection company found that there is extensive wood-destroying pest damage near the front corners of the house.  The repairs for these would cost about $30,000.  Part of the reason is that the stucco in many parts also needs to be fixed due to dry rot.

I am wondering if it is wise to spend $30,000 or more to fix this problem without making the foundation better.  Isn't the pest problem likely to reappear soon if we don't fix the grade and the foundation?  I would rather do everything right and do everything once.

Also, the house is in an earthquake zone, so I wanted to get seismic retrofitting done.  Again, this to me means that I should change the foundation first.

What do you experts think?  I realize that my question might be very vague, or might not have important details in it for you to answer it.  This is the first time I am asking a question like this on this website, so please be gentle.  If you comment on the question asking specific questions about the house, I will update the original question.

Having the foundation a reasonable distance above adjacent grade is an important aspect of deterring termites (if that is your problem). It will not stop them, but it will make access much more difficult for them. Having wood at or below grade is like leaving your front door open with a big sign on the wall saying "Come on in! Take all you want!"

One thing to maybe consider, especially if you are replacing wood anyway, is to replace all wood too close to grade with pressure treated material that meets the standard for All Weather Wood Foundations. It specifies higher preservative content than typically seen in material available at big home improvement stores, as well as specific standards for the use of corrosion resistant fasteners.


Is there any advantage of one of these types of switches over the other? Shown in the photos below are two different 2-pole breaker switches in my circuit box. In order to turn the 15 amp switch on and off it must be pushed along a longer section of the breaker than the 20 amp, which by comparison has compact on/off switches. Is there any advantage of one of these types of switches over the other? Could the 15 amp breaker switch be replaced with a 15 amp breaker that had the type of compact switches as the 20 amp?

View with the cover off:

Thanks so much for the answers. The pictured 15 amp breaker is indeed a bit of an antique by breaker standards -- the house was built in 1966 and that's one of the original breaker switches. Which means the switch has seen about a half-century of use! I wanted to replace it not because of any preference in appearance but because it has been acting up a bit lately (doesn't always want to click into place properly). Now that I realize it doesn't need to be replaced with a longer throw distance switch I'll replace it with a short throw.

Thanks again to those who responded. I learned something new today!

The one on the left is old, quite old, early 1960's to early 1970's I'd say. The one on the right is the new replacement for that old style breaker.

The replacement for the one on the left is a non-CTL BR1515. See the question/answer here: http://www.amazon.com/BR1515-Circuit-Breaker-Without-Rejection/forum/-/-/1?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B002YF912M


Can I build a staggered steel stud wall? I want to build a house with steel.  I'm interested in building like say 8' wide exterior walls, with staggered studs or double 3' studs to prevent thermal bridging; is this feasible?  Are the studs going to be secure enough only screwed to the top and bottom channel from just one side?

Nope on all accounts, since it seems you're talking about big store steel studs. You would need to have Structural Steel Studs & they aren't store bought & must be part of a submitted, approved & continuously inspected building design. After all that, then most definitely yes on all accounts.


Help me find a certain tile pattern? Sorry if I'm asking too much or if it is inappropriate, and it is a long shot any way, but it is the best I can think of. I had my bathroom done in these tiles over a year ago, and I have to do some work and will have to break some of the tiles. Unfortunately I can't get in contact with the guy who put them up and ask him where he got them, but maybe somebody here happens to know where to get them or what they are called. It will help if this is in UK :-)
Here's a picture:

So, any guess?

You should resign yourself to the idea of not finding an exact match. All such products (whether natural or man-made, i.e. "cultured") have a large variation of color and pattern, even amongst tiles that come out of the same box. Manufacturers, distributors, and installers typically warn end-users of this.
The best you can likely hope for is something similar, but even that will require searching around...


How to deal with the mess when working with Tuff-R Recently we bought a piece of Tuff-R -- I guess you would call it a styrofoam insulation board -- and cut it to fit a small window exactly.  It is a temporary measure, to get through the winter.  The small window is a jalousie type of window that loses a lot of heat.  I would call the project a success, but it was messy work because the little styrofoam crumbs stick to your clothes, blow around unpredictably, and are hard to clean up.

I would like to do this again for another window.  What is a good way to minimize the mess when working with this material?

Tuff-R is polyisocyanurate foam.

For styrofoam (polystyrene) using a hot wire cutter to melt rather than crumb the foam is less messy, though with more fumes/smoke. You probably don't want to try that with polyisocyanurate, since the fumes given off by it are far more toxic, per a brief search.

For any sort of foam being cut (sawn) to crumbs(some types don't melt), vacuuming while cutting is helpful.

If you can make your cuts with a razor knife or similar non-crumbing tool rather than a saw, that can help, but may require more effort to make the cut.


Need to purge air from every radiatior? I have a gas fired hot water central heating system. Water is circulated by two zone pumps at the furnace. There is an automatic fill valve.

I recently had work done on the heating system, and the water was drained from the system. We are now back online, and I have purged air from most of the radiators.

Several of the radiators are behind decorative screens that are built into the wall.  Do I need to bleed every radiator in the system to get it operating up to efficient standards? If I cannot get to a few, will they eventually purge themselves of air as the water is pumped through?

Every bleeder. Some may not even be on radiators (depends on system layout/design - bleeder elbows are common, but more on baseboard than radiator type systems.

If there is air trapped in a radiator, no water gets pumped through it. Circulator pumps are very limited devices. They don't do well at pushing air bubbles around the loop.


How do I connect two 220V devices each with 12/2 wire to a 220V 12/3 feed? I have a two devices I need to connect to a 220V feed on 12/3 wire.

Previously there was/is 1 device connected but the connections from the feed to the 12/2 wire was done inside a ball of tape buried in the ground. (http://yfrog.com/h2bg1edj)

So it's 12/3 wire from home, to ugly ball where it's twisted together, to 12/2 wire to switch, to pump.  I need to also add a heater to that switch. What's the best way to do that?

(Also a note: I'm pretty sure it's a GFCI breaker (since it's an outdoor location))

Do you want the heater on the same switch as the pump? If so, then the simplest thing would be to add a new 12/2 wire between the switch and the heater. You'd run a short length of black wire (called a pigtail) from the switch to a new wire nut, where it would join with the black wire feeding the pump and the black wire feeding the heater.

It looks like the 12/3 wire was perhaps not necessary in this application. Typically, when 240V is carried over 3 wires, you have two hot wires on different phases (black and red), and one neutral wire (white). Voltage between either hot and the neutral is 120V and voltage between the two hots is 240V. If you have a device which only needs 240V, you can run this over a 2-conductor cable, and that is indeed what seems to be happening in your case. Note that some devices, such as clothes dryers, require 3 wires (plus ground) so that they can access both 240V (for heat) and 120V (for e.g. a lamp). Anyway, that may explain why your 12/3 suddenly changes to 12/2 - the neutral is simply unnecessary for 240V.

However, doing an electrical junction inside a ball of tape buried in the ground is a dangerous and horrible idea. It will be highly vulnerable to rain and yard work. Even with a GFCI circuit breaker, this wiring is unsafe for your family and visitors. You absolutely need to replace it with a proper junction, above ground in a dry and accessible location. And if you're only "pretty" sure there's a GFCI, I would strongly recommend getting an electrician to check this out. The buried ball of wire is a huge red flag that things were not done correctly and safely when this wiring was installed, and the danger here is serious.

I can't tell exactly what's going on in your picture. Is that a conduit line feeding the ball-of-wires or is it an outdoor electrical outlet fed off the same circuit? Buried wiring needs to be specially designated underground feeder (UF) type, is yours? These things should also be figured out while you have this all open.

My recommendation is to bury either conduit (easier to run new stuff later) or proper UF cable and completely rewire these devices. Your current configuration is seriously dangerous and needs to be corrected by someone who knows what he is doing. And given the carelessness evident here, you'd probably benefit from some further investigation inside the home. Sorry to sound so negative, but this is really too dangerous to be ignored.


Installing two outdoor receptacles using T LB pvc, How many ground wires? I am looking to put a general use swimming pool receptacle at my fence and then the dedicated pool receptacle by the pump, each on its own gfci circuit.

The general use would come first in the raceway. I originally thought I would have to branch off to the general use receptacle, and feed the dedicated pool circuit wires up to that receptacle and back down to a seperate pvc conduit and continue back to the swimming pool pump receptacle.

Is there anything wrong with using a T pvc LB, to split off?  So at the T the tge neutral and hot for general use will go left, and the swimming pool pump circuit will run straight and head on its way to that receptacle.

If so, how would I run the ground wire? Would I need two seperate ground wires?

T LB

Running the trencher this weekend and trying to plan the dig currently.

That conduit body is not large enough to contain a splice. You'll have to either run two grounds, or find a different place to splice.

References:

National Electrical Code 2017 314.16(C)(2); Allows splices, taps, and devices in conduit bodies, but only if the volume is stamped on it and it's large enough.
National Electrical Code 2017 314.16(B); Says that the CB would have to be at least 11.25 cu.in. to have a splice. (4 pass through conductors + grounds = 5 fill units. 5 * 2.25 = 11.25).

At least that's how I interpret the code.


Is grout required behind shower knob trim plate? Moved into a newly built home recently. I went to change out the walk-in shower faucet and discovered that the tile contractor had omitted the grout behind the shower knob trim piece. They left 2 spacers in place as well. The cement behind the grout-less tiles seems normal from the little I can see. But there's no grout for about 8 linear inches of tile.

The trim plate was held on by two screws into the valve assembly. You can see they sealed around the trim piece with a very thin bit of caulk; there was also a sizable amount of grout piled up on the trim plate where it crossed the grout lines.

My question is, how bad is this? Can I reseat or replace the trim plate with a same-or-larger size, re-caulk the edge and be safe from leakage? Or is this a don't-use-the-shower-until-fixed situation?

We do have a warranty process with the builder, but due to other recent experience, I'm expecting it to take over a month unless I raise an unholy stink, so I'm wanting a lead on the urgency before I contact them.

Not a big problem, easier to fix it yourself than to hassle with the builder. Remove the caulk and the inter-tile spacer(s). Buy a small pot of prepared grout (same color), and fill in the empty spaces between the tiles. This is easy to do, just use a flexible spatula to push the grout paste into the spaces to fill & then remove the excess (with same spatula). Then wipe the new grout line lightly with a moist fingertip to smooth the surface. Let it dry, then re-attach the cover plate and re-caulk it.


How can I remove a key that is stuck in a lock? I used the wrong key, checking a lock. Can I get it out or do I have to get a whole new doorknob. Oh and this is just a regular front door lock.

When a key is stuck in a pin-tumbler lock, what that usually means is that one of the pins has dropped down into the key's cuts but isn't lifting back out of the way so the key can be withdrawn.

There are several possible causes. One is that the key was cut badly and doesn't have enough of a slope to lift the pin as it is pulled back. Uncommon, though sometimes done deliberately to trap a key in the lock so it can be used as a semi-permanent thumb turn.

But usually the problem is that the plug (the rotating part of the lock) is not properly lined up with the shell. For the bottom pins to lift, they need to be aligned with the chambers in the shell that hold the top pins. If the key is slightly rotated, that alignment doesn't occur and you can't remove the key...

... But the more likely malfunction scenario involves front-to-back misalignment. If the hardware holding the plug in the shell (usually the tailpiece screw or screws) becomes loose, the plug can slide toward you as you start to pull the key out, misaligning it and trapping the key. (This doesn't become a problem while inserting the key because there's a hard stop in that direction.)

I'm betting on that being the cause here. If so, pressing the plug inward with one hand while removing the key with the other will probably work, for the same reason that inserting the key worked; you'll be using the plug's shoulder as an alignment reference point.

Try it.

If that does the trick, your lock needs to be dismounted and the tailpiece screws (or equivalent) need to be tightened. Don't delay too long on that, or you may be facing more serious malfunctions.

If this doesn't solve it, we need more detail about exactly what you did and the current state of the lock. It may be necessary to disassemble things to resolve this. Which is sometimes challenging if you can't use the proper key.

(Courtesy of ORK Security Services -- full-service, very part-time, locksmithing)


Help identify this electric clothes dryer part from an Asko T701 dryer? I just replaced the drum rollers on my Asko T701 electric clothes dryer. As I was removing the front frame to access the rollers, this metal part fell out (the Sharpie is just there for scale):

I don't know what it is. I put the dryer back together and it seems to run fine, but obviously I'd like to figure out what this part is and where to reinstall it. I didn't see exactly where it fell from but it fell into the dryer drum, so I'm figuring it came from the top edge of the front panel (somewhere around this diamond-shaped hole or below it):

It has no markings or text of any kind on it, and no holes for screws or anything. It doesn't appear in any of the exploded diagrams or parts lists for this dryer that I've been able to find:

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-model/Asko-Parts/Dryer-Parts/Model-T701/3365/0151200/P0907020/00005

http://www.greatplainsapplianceparts.com/order/Parts%20Manuals/Asko/ASKO-Dryer/T701%20(TD11A)%20WH%20REV.A.pdf

I also have the service manual for this model and this piece isn't mentioned in the section on removing the front panel (or anywhere else in the manual, as far as I can tell).

Indeed, it does look like a "Guard, Door Switch", part number 8064187.  See item 336 on page 6 of this.

Unfortunately, that diagram does not show how it is assembled.  It does show that it goes roughly at the top of the opening, just like you suspected.