frozen evaporator coil on portable AC I have a Hisense portable air conditioner. It's one of those awful units that exhausts the hot air out a flexible duct, and draws air for the condenser coil from the conditioned space.
The evaporator coil starts forming ice almost immediately after turning it on.
There is good airflow across both coils, and both blowers are running.
I think that leaves low refrigerant charge as the only other cause of the problem. Is there anything else I'm overlooking?

You are correct that a low refrigerant charge is the most likely cause since you have verified air flow.
One additional check would be to see if it has a throttle valve or capillary metering system, a capillary is an inexpensive metering method with a very small tube if this kind of metering and your problem a recharge would be needed.
If there is a throttle valve it may have stuck open I have seen a couple of mid sized units with throttle valves and a tap may get it to cycle but once they start sticking they get worse with time.
I will note if R134a I have seen small 1-2 lb recharge kits at auto stores, if your system has a service port you could get a can and recharge the unit.
If you don’t have a service port there are bolt on ones that can be found on line for under 10$ but the ones I have are 1/4 flair fittings not the automotive R134a I think those are a 1/4” square thread or similar to acme and there are adapters for flair to acme that’s what I use for automotive.
I don’t know how they get away with selling the r134a but it is the real thing I checked it out a while back but the cost is quite high per pound compared to what certified people get it for in 30 lb cylinders .


How is my house's foundation constructed? I would have thought I'd be able to do an image search for help figuring this out, but so far I've been unable to put together a set of keywords that looks like my situation.

I have a two-story house with a crawlspace, built in 1985. The foundation, viewed from the outside, is 8x2" bricks. From inside the crawlspace, the foundation is 16x8" cinderblock. The total thickness of the foundation wall seems to be about 7" or 8". For the life of me, I can't figure out how this wall was constructed. Every common brick and cinderblock I see in raw form has 4" and 8" of depth, respectively, meaning this wall should be at least a foot thick. Is one (or both) of the surfaces a facade? What's holding my house up?

Wild guess (without photos):

6" concrete block structure (common for residential foundations--4" is mostly used for a shorty garage wall base and cases where actual brick ledges are present)
~1" thin brick veneer outside

You may also have a 6" foundation that transitions to a 4" block behind a full brick veneer.

You should be able to determine brick thickness at corners or penetrations. That'll tell us a lot.


How should I clean under the narrow toilet rim to restore full flush power? I have just moved into a new apartment and I found the toilet does not have a very powerful flush. After thoroughly cleaning the entire toilet – inside and out –, checking the water valve is fully open, and tank water level is correct, I still found the toilet to not flush properly.

I believe I have traced the issue to grime and dirt under the toilet rim that must be clogging the rim jets. I tried a few different household cleaners with a toilet brush as well as pouring vinegar through the overflow tube. I have removed quite a bit of the dirt; however, about 35% of the toilet rim still does not provide water when the toilet is flushed.

As many online guides suggest, I tried to use a mirror to look under the rim of the toilet and a wire to clean out the jet holes. However, the space between the bowl and the rim is quite narrow and I am unable to see any jet holes under the rim even when using a good mirror and flashlight. I do see a lot of dirt however and I cannot seem to get rid of it.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to restore full flushing to the toilet despite the hard to reach area under the rim? Is it possible that this toilet does not have any flush jets?

Someone told me to drain the tank. Then put duck tape over the holes under the rim. Add your cleaner of choice to the tank, (I poured directly into the bowl filler part as I was "flushing"). I used CLR. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Opened up the holes pretty well. Did it again. Flushes like new. I have HORRIBLE water, rust, iron ect. Give it a try. This is not spam, nor do I want to spent hundreds to replace it.


Why are their connected pairs of black and white wires in my light and switch boxes? I'm looking to replace (what I thought would be) a simple light fixture and switch.
Upon opening up the box, replacing the cables and doing some testing I have found some strange results. I do believe I'm dealing with a switch loop but I am unsure as to how to rectify my issue

The white wire in the 3rd picture (wall switch) is HOT (not labeled, but i tested it with a non contact voltage tester)
If I connect the items, how I think they should be connected, i get almost no power to the light (its very dim) and does not get controlled by the dimmer itself.
I also don't understand why there are two tied off white/black tied together in each location (perhaps for some of the outlets?)
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Because if power comes first to the light, you need a "switch loop" to the switch.  The two necessary wires in a "switch loop" are:

Always-hot  (so the switch has a source of power to convey onward) preferred color black.
Switched-hot (hot when the switch is on, obviously) preferred color red.

On hot wires, any particular color is not required, it simply needs to be not white gray or green.  These are mild preferences.
Now if you look at the North American market for cables, you'll find a whole lot of 2-wire+gnd cables that have black and white wires.  You will not find any cables that are black and red.  So wiring a switch loop presents a cable supply problem.
Rules for re-tasking the white wire
The cure to that problem, post-2011, is to require neutral to be brought on switch loops separately and also, which means  you use /3 cable which is black-white-red.  Solved.
However, prior to 2011, you would re-designate the white wire to be a hot.  We have specific rules for that.

White must be neutral if neutral is in the cable.  Otherwise
White must be always-hot if that is in the cable (but neutral isn't).  Otherwise
White can never be switched-hot to the lamp. (which leaves "traveler").

So, on a pre-2011 /2 switch loop, white will always be always-hot, and black will be switched-hot.  It has to be that way; the reverse would violate two rules.
Because if the were exchanged, both wires to the lamp would be white.  How on earth would  you tell which is neutral?  That would be bad, since electricians notoriously refuse to mark the wires with phase tape.
Now, neutrals must be marked
Also, neutral wires re-assigned to a "hot" must be marked with electrical tape or paint.  Yours are not properly marked, but on the other hand that requirement came into Code in the first decade of the 21st century.  Feel free to install the marking.
The marking also does the very useful thing of telling you which of these two cables is a switch loop.


Wire AC Condensor fan motor to three prong plug for shop fan Here is the wiring schematic on the motor:

How would I wire these wires safely to a plug like this:

Mains wiring is dangerous

You're not allowed to just barf a bunch of wires and call it done.  The fan, I assume you scrounged this from an old air conditioner, is made to fit inside a housing, which you have removed.  You need to head off to the metal press to restore two key functions of the housing: Physical protection from fan blades, and electrical protection for the wiring.

Once that is done, you can fit an appropriate cord and strain relief onto that housing.

The fan is almost certainly 240V

... Since most air conditioning units hook up 240V no neutral. The motor will not like 120V because it's simply the wrong voltage.  There's nothing you can do with the start capacitor to improve that.

Which means it can't be powered from 120V (unless you do some very graduate-level stuff that's way out of your depth and would be prohibitive in cost, since I assume the point here is to scrounge/be cheap).  It needs to be powered from 240V, which means it needs a different type of plug.

You need a NEMA 6-15 (I presume this isn't a 3600 watt fan).  This has the 2 blades rotated 90 degrees, so they are flat to each other.  See #3 here

This in turn means you'll need to run a 240V circuit to your garage if you don't have one already.  However they are rather useful, and let you get good deals on 240V tools on Craigslist from people who didn't know what they were buying and are now stuck with a white elephant.

The temptation for the novice cheapie is to hork this up in some non-code-compliant way.  That's just dumb.  Cheap is not the same as stupid.  Aside from potentially killing you in the interim, the inspector will require you put it right when you sell the house, and that usually turns into an  expensive fiasco because you're in a hurry to close.  There are some things you don't mess with, and electrical is one of them.


Identifying a bulb from a 1969 built light fitting I came across this light bulb socket in a piece of furniture built in 1969 in America. It's 2014 and I'm in Britain so frankly I have no idea. It's right down inside the thing so this is the best photo I can get.

I've worked with American pieces before but I don't recognise this kind of fitting. It doesn't seem to be threaded as an Edison Screw bulb usually is. Any ideas?

I've owned a light socket exactly like that one - identical in size to an E27 but totally lacking in internal threads. Mine was simply a manufacturing screwup - the rest of the sockets on the shelf, with the same product number, had the expected internal threads. I got mine all the way home and installed before I noticed the flaw. The store was quite happy to exchange it for a "real" socket that worked.

Replacing that socket with a normal threaded E17 socket is an easy job.


Opinion on how to finish quarter round I have just done some renovations and will have to replace some quarter round.  Attached is picture of existing.  Is there a "proper" way to finish quarter round that is against wood floor?  I have seen white (like the existing) and I have seen varnished to match the floor. The baseboard itself is to remain white.

Thank you.

I am one of those yahoos who prefer the shoe to match the floor color, although IMHO it is a matter of personal opinion. In the high end homes I help oversee being built in the Washington DC area, the color was determined by the architect or interior designer, of which many of these guys were highly regarded in their field and there was choices made of both types of finish. Again personal opinion...

In the case for the question, I would stick with the painted option, even though I prefer the stain. The stain would look different than the original, unless the floors will be refinished, then the floor finishers stain it along with the floor. The painted version will be easier to match up, and it may not hurt to "face off" the base with another coat to help hide the joint where the shoe and base meet. That way if the shoe is caulked in place, it has been done before, the caulk will receive a coat of paint to protect it.


What's best way to keep shower faucet handle from dropping? how to keep handle from falling off? Is there a type of adhesive that's best? Or is there something else recommended?

Note currently the handle just falls off; when the water is running or on own. Then again, it goes back quite easily; and drops off again few minutes later.

Saw this thread as I was having the same problem.The square socket is not stretched, it doesn't hold the handle in the wall (I thought the same thing at first). Here's the fix: pull off the large chrome/silver plate with the word KOLHER on it, it should pull off as it is not screwed into anything. It might have been caulked on the wall around the inside rim by the previous owner/installer to prevent water from getting in, but should pull off- just be careful not to pull out tiles. As someone else pointed out, the handle assembly actually should screw onto the black threaded part in the wall- it's just tricky and weird. It may be that the parts attached to the wall are too flush/recessed to the wall and the threads in the handle can't get onto the black plastic threaded part.

Now, with the chrome KOHLER plate removed from the wall, you will see two gold/brass screws, one on top and the other on the bottom. These screws hold the larger silver wall plate on the wall (the plate covers the hole in the wall). Loosen the gold/brass screws a bit, this will allow the plate against the wall be less recessed, and the black threaded part will also move out of the wall a bit. Put the metal KOHLER plate back on, and try to attach the handled by screwing it onto the black plastic part. The handle presses onto the KOHLER silver/chrome plate and holds in on the wall.

If it won't attach onto the black plastic, unscrew the gold/brass screws a bit more again to allow the black plastic part to be closer to the handle so that you can screw it on. I had to loosen the brass screws a few time because as I would get the handle on the black part and it screwed on, when I would tighten it firmly, the handle would pop off the threads because the black part was still too short.  When pressing the handle onto the KOHLER silver/chrome plate, the KOHLER plate may spin. I actually got the handle screwed on a bit and started to just spin the KOHLER plate, which spun the handle and tightened it to the wall very nicely. This way, no glue/adhesive is needed.

Once you get it on, and understand how it works, you may want to take it all off and use caulk on the KOHLER ring to prevent water from getting in. This may protect water from getting in behind the wall.


How do I wire one switch in a circuit with two "fixtures" but only one being operated by the switch? I am setting up low voltage 12v landscape lights in my backyard using  one transformer with have to runs/branches - one for two lights and other to operate tow small pond pumps.
I have no room for two transformers, so all have to come from one. However, I don't want the ponds branch to be running all the time - hence wanting to place a toggle switch, that will turn on the pumps only when I need. The other branch runs in auto (with light sensor)

How do I set up the wiring?

branch 1 - only lights to run in auto mode
branch 2 - pond pump to run on demand only( each pump has their wire run and spliced together at transformer
both branches to run from one transformer (running at less than 80% capacity)

do I:

connect branch 1 directly to transformer
connect toggle switch to spliced branch 2 and then piggy tail to transformer to be spliced together with branch 1

It sounds like you have a setup like this.

If you want to control the pump independently, simply add a switch between the transformer and the pump.


How to remove markings from laundry sink The laundry sink plug was blocked at one stage and did not drain properly. After the plug was unblocked there were markings which were left on the sides of the sink - see the image below:

These markings appear to be a stain, rather than material stuck to the surface. Any suggestions on how to clean it? I have tried bleach but that had little effect.

I had a similar problem after using a drain cleaner for a bathtub and for a sink.  I used Glass Plus, a multi-purpose cleaner found in the window-cleaner aisle of the grocery or big-box stores.  I sprayed it on, let it sit, and scrubbed it off with a sponge.  It is non-toxic.

After finding that it cleaned a litter box and neutralized the urine smell, I sent the bottle and a roll of paper towels with the 7-year old boy to clean his toilet splatters!  Since the success if that, we have learned that we can put half water and half Glass Plus in the spray bottle, and we use it routinely to clean the outside of their toilet and the floor around it as well as their bathroom sink and tub.  Adding the water is just an economical way of making the Glass Plus last longer.  It is not expensive anyway, only about $4 a bottle, but there are 5 toilets in this house, with 6 people, 3 of whom are boys under the age of 13, who do not have specific aim when using the bathroom.  It is important that we use that spray to disinfect as well as to neutralize the smell of urine.  All our boys can clean their own bathrooms, and get sent to do it whenever they need to behave better.


Where can I find a metal one of these online? I need something like the following but made of metal.

Here is a source for a metal bracket like you want.


Can I run a new independently-switched light from a box in a four-way switch circuit? I'm doing some renovating and where I want to put a closet I'd like to put a light. There is a junction box there which appears to have been used as a light before and would be ideal. It has only 1 3-wire coming in and 1 out, twisted together. They moved the light elsewhere. I'm hoping I can use this box for a light with its own switch and somehow get power from it.

So the current configuration goes like this:

 Light
  ||
  ||
Switch 1
  |||
  |||
 J-box (old light box?)
  |||
  |||
Switch 2
  |||
  |||
Switch 3 (power)

2-wire from the light to the first switch. 3-wire from that switch to the junction box and 3-wire to 2 other switches. Power comes in at Switch 3. Can I get power from this box or do I have to use a new line?

You do not have enough conductors in those cables to add a constantly powered device at the j-box. You would have to either run another wire from switch 1 to the j-box, or abandon the use of switches 2 and 3 and control the existing light with switch 1 only.


How do I wire this 240v fan motor and thermostat I'm trying to wire a two stage exhaust fan for my greenhouse. The motor comes set up for 240v wiring and is to be controlled by a thermostat. I undertsand how to get the 240v from the panel, but can't seem to figure out the thermostat wiring diagram. What connects to what coming from the panel and going to the motor? See photos 1)thermostat wires and housing label, 2) thermostat wiring diagram. The motor has three terminals labeled high, low, and common.

That thermostat is not meant to switch high voltage. You need to use a 240V thermostat. Or wire that one to switch a relay to switch the fan.

A 240V t-stat would be easier. It simply wires like a light switch.

To use a relay you need something like this.


Are child safety covers still required on modern outlets? I have a vague memory of either our electrician or home inspector telling us that the outlets in our recently renovated condo do not need those plastic child safety covers in order to be child-proofed because the circuit breakers are in some way better now than when I was a kid. Is there any truth to this?

Along with arc-fault breakers protecting some areas of the home, "tamper-resistant" outlets are also required. They don't allow insertion into just one slot--both slots must be pressed together as an actual plug would do.

I get the sense that you're asking about protecting little people. I'd either use plugs or install tamper-resistant outlets if I had toddlers, regardless of arc-fault protection.


How do I remove these bathroom faucet fittings with limited space? I have a faucet I am trying to remove to replace, seen below. It appears there is a nut holding it to the bottom of the sink, but I can't get a basin wrench around the nut and plumbers sockets won't fit over the threaded fitting:

I'm at a loss as to how this was assembled in the first place. It looks like the flexible copper line was sweated into the threaded fitting, which seems strange.

Here's a photo from another angle:

Here is a photo from the top in case that is helpful:

First - Remove the chrome apron and see if there is a top nut holding the fixture from the top.

If the faucet cannot be removed from the top, then use this method.  Since you are replacing the faucet, I would just cut the copper pipe at the Tee inlet as shown in my picture or close at the end of the thread.  Do the cut which would allow you to unscrew the fitting.  Once the fitting is removed, then a plumber socket can be used to loosen the retaining nut.  I have done this on several faucets for friends who were replacing their fixtures.


What are my options for erosion control under this fence? I am looking at options for mitigating erosion under this fence area. It is also an easement area shared with us and the higher neighboring property. I need: 1. A simple and cost effective solution to reduce erosion at the fence line along the entire fence

The other side of the fence:

The other side of the fence:

Stating the obvious. Grass. Other than that you have all dirt. Wind and water will continue the erosion. Grass seed is cheap. Try hay, if it is not windy in your area,bales of hay cost $12. You will need 3. Break them down and throw seed in, let weeds and grass grow.


How long should it take a professional to lay a patio? Two people laying paving stones, total area 5m x 3m, paving stones approximately 300x300, 300x600 and 600x600.

Roughly how many man hours is reasonable for this?

In particular, once dug out and hard core already down, how long just to lay the stones?

Edit in light of comments:  This is not about a quote but about work being carried out.  We are being charged by the hour (yes I know now this was stupid) and it took them a day to lay just under half of it.

I am a professional landscaper and I know that yes the majority of the work a brain dead monkey could do but when it comes to the skilled work it is a lot harder than you think!!! I can lay about 25 square metres of random lay rough cut slabs a day. Anything over 20 is a good speed. /Obviously it all depends on how accurate your base is and the quality of slabs.

On another note £80 a day (9 hour day) is about the going rate for a basic labourer!!


Can't find the release for this wiring harness connector I am unable to unlock any "tabs". The video text just says use a slot screwdriver to release the locking tabs. Any help is appreciated.

Picture is a bit fuzzy to be certain, but typical for this sort of connector would be to slide a flat screwdriver up the center (between the ridges on the left part) to pry up a tab sticking down from the end of the slot on the right part. Or, to lift the end of the slot off a tab sticking UP from the left part.

Or, sometimes, the screwdriver goes in the slot, from the right. Picture is not clear enough to tell which flavor you have, either try it, or take a better/bigger/clearer picture.

They can be pretty stiff to get apart even when unlocked, depending how long they have been together and how tight everything is. You also need 3 hands sometimes, as the locking tab won't STAY out unless you can actually get the screwdriver under it, and sometimes there isn't room, without breaking the connector, so you need someone to pry and someone to pull at the same time.


How can wood be bent this way? I am working on a DIY wood project and want to bend a piece of wood similar to the curves seen here by the artist Gustav Reyes, who is known for his jewelry pieces such as this finger ring:

Click photo for more examples

How does one go about bending a piece of wood like this?

Wood can be plasticized by various methods ...

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr190/chapter_19.pdf

"Wood members can be readily molded or shaped after immersion in liquid ammonia or treatment under pressure with ammonia in the gas phase. As the ammonia evaporates, the lignin resets, the wood stiffens and retains its new shape. Plasticization of the lignin matrix alone can be done using chemical modification technologies, which are covered later in this chapter."

http://www.google.com/search?q=wood+plasticizing+wood

However, in this video interview of Gustav Reyes published about a year ago, he states (at 1:50 min) that he makes his wood jewelry using steam and compression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq-zsyL3vZ8

However, he goes on to claim that the process was created 10-15 years ago.

Bending any wood, steamed wood included, puts compression on the fibers along the inner radius, and tension on the fibers along the outer radius.  The tension acts to splinter the outer fibers.  The compression acts to buckle the inner fibers.  The solution, long known, is to apply a metal compression band  while the wood is still straight before bending.  The strap is placed on the surface that will form the outer radius.  The strap greatly reduces the tension (splintering) of the fibers on the outer radius, which is good.  But in doing so, it also increases the compression on the fibers along the inner radius, which can be problematic.

If the technique he uses is indeed 10-15 years old, then it is not mere steam+compression and he's told only part of the story.  Plasticizing, as detail in the above PDF, is also and old technique, as is PEG impregnation. So the jury is out.


What quick and dirty tool/method should I use for cutting scrap drywall? I have a pile of drywall scrap that's been sitting in my garage for a few years after a remodel, "just in case".  My buddy came up with the idea of turning it into "karate boards" for our kids to destroy.  Scrap pieces start at half sheet (4x4) and go down.

I'm also on the lookout for an excuse to buy something new. (Honey, it's for the kids!)  At this point my only idea is to use the circular saw and toss the blade afterwards.

A craft knife or box cutter will do the job very quickly and cheaply.  You only need to score the front side of the drywall and then it should snap cleanly enough along the score line.

If you already have a Dremel or Roto-Zip, you can get drywall bits for them that will make short work of any drywall.


How to 'fix' a twisted hidden door? I'm new to woodworking and I am building a bookshelf door.  The bookshelf is constructed of hardwood.  I mounted it, and the measurements and square look good, but it seems that the surface I used to lay it out on (a 6 foot plastic table on my steep driveway) was not particularly flat, and the top left corner sticks forward about an inch when the bottom is flush with the doorway. The hinge side is perfectly aligned.

I plan on putting trim mounted to the bookshelf that goes over the existing doorway. I hope the pictures adequately illustrate the situation.  When I add trim, this will be a problem, as I want to give the illusion that it is a built-in bookshelf.  As I see it, my options are:

adding a spacer between the bookshelf and the trim on the left side
shave an inch off the top left corner
rebuilding the bookshelf
adjusting the hinge side and adding a spacer on that side

The last two options are much less preferable- the hinge side is much more visible, and you know, not rebuilding it.

I'm leaning towards a spacer on the left side between the trim. Would love any alternative recommendations.  I know it's a tough issue to describe and adequately illustrate, so please let me know if I can provide more concise information.

Edit:

Illustrating my current best option- a spacer to fill this gap

I'm hoping Solar Mike's solution works and solves your problem but that's a lot of twisting to correct by "pushing" and seems like it would be likely to revert back to the way it was built.
You're new at woodworking and your job looks pretty good, except for the gap. I don't thing a spacer will give you the desired effect you're looking for, especially for a secret door. Bite the bullet and fix it right, your option #3. If you don't, it will probably bug you every time you look at it and you will eventually end up fixing it right. We've all been there, done that. The more you try to cover up a mistake, the worse it looks. Just my humble opinion.


How should I secure an unused wire in my breaker panel? I accidentally pulled 6-4 wiring to a machine that only needs 240 and no neutral. What to do with the white wire?

I read here that at the machine, I just cap the white wire.  When I go to connect the wires in the main breaker panel, do I still connect the white wire to the neutral bus, or do I cap it in the panel as well?

Land it on the neutral bus

Since you have the correct breaker in there for a mixed 120/240VAC circuit, simply land the white wire on the panel neutral bus -- this way, it'll be readily available for someone in the future who wishes to repurpose this circuit.


New style ground attachment While reinstalling a switch I noticed that the ground lug is different. It contains a hole just large enough to fit a #14 wire. Wondering what the recommended technique is to use this?

That particular switch is made for construction installers to do very fast work so they can get 2 houses done in 1 day.  "Time is money, friend".

I imagine the source of your inquiry is that you notice how easy backstabs are to install, and you wonder why ground doesn't use backstabs too.  This is not allowed because backstabs are unreliable. Historically, NFPA and UL don't care if your circuit fails, as long as it fails safe.  They later realized backstabs do not -- backstabs are the reason that circuits now require AFCI breakers.  The backstabs make connection only on a tiny spring surface, this poor connection often causes arcing, which can lead to overheat, causing the plastic receptacle (and box) to char and burn.  The AFCI detects this arc and trips.

The backstab situation is made worse when someone (who doesn't know any better) re-uses a backstab, which violates instructions (and thus NEC 110.3).  The spring is fatigued, and is even more unreliable!

Most of us have had the experience of a scorched wire or melted socket from a failed backstab, and have sworn "Never again".  As DIYers, time isn't money -- time is safety.  It's no bother to use the screws.  Or we pay $2 extra for the higher tier Leviton ProGrade or competitor, which back-wire but clamp with the screws, making them a true lug instead of a hokey spring.

That hole is to quickly wrap the ground screw - remember for best effect, wrap clockwise so tightening the screw tightens the shepherd's hook, not unwinds it.  You stick the wire through the hole, pull it over sharply, then clockwise around the ground screw, tighten the screw, done.

Honestly, it looks better positioned to shape the shepherd's hooks for the other wires -- you'd wrap counterclockwise in that case, since you'd flip the wire over (nub up) to attach to the side screws.  Slick.


Can I install a dimmer switch on a 2 way circuit? I have a 6 lights controlled by 2 normal switches (2 Way Circuit). I want to replace one of the normal switches with a dimmer switch.

Is this possible?

Yes, you just have to buy the right dimmer. Here in the USA, most dimmers are compatible with 3-way circuits. I'm not sure if that's true in your area, so you'll have to verify when buying the dimmer.

NOTE: In the USA we would call this type of circuit a 3-way, while other countries (yours included) refer to it as a 2-way circuit.


On a true 60 amp 240 volt circuit will each side of the breaker carry more than 30 amps if required? If my distribution panel on my boat is wired 240 v  60 amps max and there are many 120 v 15 a  circuits, if one side of the 120 v panel starts to draw more than 30 a, will the breaker compensate by adding amps from the low usage side of the panel ? to a max of 60 amps

No, that's not at all how it works.

This feeder will provide 60A @ 240V. That is 60A on each leg of the panel, NOT 30A on each.

The 60A is available, you use what you need up to roughly 60A, again, on each leg.

A residential panel will be hard pressed to be fully balanced, or greatly imbalanced, due to the transient nature of usage.


bathroom fan does not turn on, just hums for 2 minutes then finally starts up Lately every once in a while, when I turn on my bathroom fan, it does not start up. Rather there is this low humming sound for about 2 minutes. Then finally, the fan starts to run. Why does this happen randomly (although it seems to be happening more frequently now)? Should I replace the fan or can this be fixed by cleaning it?

I don't disagree that replacing the fan is likely the best long-term solution, but it is possible that the fan's intermittent failure to start is due to dust. Starting up from a still position is the hardest a fan needs to "work", and dust buildup could be adding too much extra resistance on the fan rotor, preventing it from starting. You would hear a similar humming sound in any electric motor which has power applied but cannot turn over.

Why would this happen intermittently? One possible explanation would be that the fan rotor "lands" in a random place in its 360 degree range of movement each time, so sometimes it lands in a better or worse spot vis-à-vis dust buildup.

You could try using a can of compressed air to dislodge built-up dust inside the fan. It might relieve the problem, for a little while.

But the motor may be going bad due to the extra resistance of all the dust, so it will probably take less and less resistance to prevent it from starting as time goes on. At this point it is probably getting bad and should be replaced. (Maybe blowing out the dust will help you for a little while, though)


Where can I find a 1/2" bit screwdriver? I have a 3/8" bit screwdriver but the bolt I need to unscrew is even bigger than that and TIGHT, so using that screwdriver is starting to strip the screw a bit.  I can't find a bigger one anywhere online.

This sounds like a job for a socket wrench.

Because a socket wrench has a long handle, it acts like a lever and you can get a huge amount of torque from it, MUCH more than you can get from a screwdriver.

You can get driver bits for those as well, but since you said 'bolt' and it's 1/2", that it will have a hex head on it that you can use a socket bit on.

Using some penetrating oil or WD-40 on the threads may also help to loosen it if it's rusted or corroded.


Can I use silicone to glue drain gasket to drain before setting tub? I am about to set a bathtub onto an already installed drain.  Before moving the cast iron tub into place I need to first set a rubber washer on drain assembly.  Since there is very access and the tub is a beast,  I'd like to adhere the gasket in place before moving the tub.  Could a put a layer of silicone down under the gasket to glue it in place?

A thin layer of silicone won't hurt but make sure it is evenly applied in case it takes longer to place the tub and pull the drain tight. Several houses back I was doing a remodel that the original owner used a thick layer and let it dry prior to installing the tub I don't know how many years before but it had a small leak and I had to replace two of the joists and some decking because of the leak, but a thin coating will help seal and hold it in place while setting the tub.


Can I install electric equipment on carpeting? I am starting to build a 600-watt solar panel system. I have a small workshop, that used to be an office. I am planning to install it there. I plan to install backups, a charge controller in an enclosure. I will also be installing a disconnect, a breaker panel for 8 breakers and a few outlets, a meter socket, (only for KWH use tracking for personal use), and a few outlets.

I have heard that NEC code requires overcurrent devices ( a part of what I'm installing ) to not be located near flammable or combustible material.

Is carpeting an exception? If not, what can I do other than installing new flooring?

The NEC is only part of the picture the NEC defines the minimum standards like the breakers being in a panel or box. The 2 places in your house a breaker panel can not be located is in a clothes closet (closet with flammable storage) and a bathroom. Other than that the panel can be just about anyplace Except on a stairway. Your panel can be mounted in the living room or any other room with carpet. If all the equipment is UL listed and you use NEC approved methods your build would be ok But you need a permit for most states to be legal, so you need an electrical permit and have it inspected (yes even for solar).


Is wiring supplying an integrated HVAC breaker a branch circuit or feeder? Since this air handler / furnace has overcurrent protective devices in it, would my wiring from the panel then be a feeder or branch circuit?

I kind of think it would be a feeder circuit. And that would mean I have to obey feeder rules. But since this is part of the unit, I'm not sure.

Since you have breakers there it would be a feeder. A branch circuit : the conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and outlets. In article 100 definitions see exhibit 100.7 commentary is the direction from the feeder definition.


How to self-remediate mold? We had some water damage recently (leaky toilet supply line) that flooded an upstairs bedroom and the room immediately below it.  We had all the drywall torn out in anticipation of rebuilding and had a mold test done.  Despite the water being around for only a few hours before being discovered and removed, and there being no visible mold when the drywall was removed, elevated levels of mold spores were found in the air test.  Specifically, Aspergillus/Penicillium and Syncephalastrum (12k and 1k spores, respectively, compared to 0 in the outside air).

The company wants several thousand dollars for remediation.  I'd like to think there's a safe, reliable way for this to be done by the homeowner without spending a fortune.  I remember countless homes in my neighborhood back during the last major hurricane having tons of visible mold and nobody hiring professionals to take care of it.

What's the best way to go about doing this ourselves?

A question - were there elevated spore levels in the rest of the house? It sounds like you disturbed something removing the old drywall. If that's the case you might be OK.

You need to identify the source. Once you've done that you can usually deal with the problem yourself.

The hard part is going to be identifying the source. Mould is usually caused by condensation on the walls, which in turn is caused by poor ventilation and insulation. So there's warm, damp air in the room which when it comes in contact with the cold wall forms condensation.

If there was no visible mould before removing the drywall, then you should be all right - but I'm not an expert so please don't quote me on that.

When you replace the drywall make sure you install adequate insulation and ventilation in the room and then perhaps test again for spores before decorating. If the levels are still high then you'll need to do more investigation.


Installing acrylic tub closer to wooden subfloor vs. on old concrete in 1970s condo I am renovating a 1970s upstairs condo, it's a wooden construction with a layer of concrete throughout above the subfloor, apparently to "float" the floor.

In the bathroom, in the 60x30 alcove, we will be installing a new bathtub (acrylic, built-in 3 side flange, no built-in apron lip). At level installation of this bathtub leads to an about 19 inch step over height, which is admittedly a bit high.

I'd like to break down the concrete in the area where the bathtub will be, this way setting the tub closer to the wooden subfloor. Seems like an easy way to lower the step over distance by an inch or so. Since it's an acrylic tub, a mortar bed will be made in any case.

Would you see any reason to not do this as long as things are waterproofed properly? Is there any required reason to preserve the old concrete layer there? Thanks

Since the masonry subfloor was probably installed for sound deadening, and not as a structural component, you should be free to remove it under the tub.

I'd be inclined to have an engineer look at the entire structure to be sure, however, to make sure that the remaining subfloor is adequate.


Are there devices to find pipes in walls? I just moved into a new apartment and have no idea what's in the walls. This makes me somewhat afraid that I might hit a water pipe or so when drilling into the wall.

Is there some kind of tool that I can use to check whether a spot is safe to drill into?

Basically the tool you are looking for is some kind of Wall Scanner

These things are basically made primarily to help you prevent drilling into pipe and wires. A wall scanner is great for finding pipes and wires in the wall along with finding wall studs.


How do you refinish a Corian countertop? The title says it all.  We have a Corian countertop.  One of the selling points of this type of counter is that it is supposedly easy to fix minor flaws in it, but there seems to be little information on the net about how to go about it.

A few years back my wife put a hot pan on it and discolored the surface.  I have tried sanding the surface down with sandpaper (start rough and then moving on to finer grits), but it only slightly improves the look.  Are their any tricks that I am missing?

Some serious buffing is required.  Not just of the burn area.. but you'll need to buff the nearby surrounding areas as well.

Two options:

do it yourself cautious: experiment with automobile "rubbing compound" on it.. if it works on a small area, expand to the entire area.
do it yourself confident: sand with 800 to 1000 grit sand paper.. if it works on a small area, expand to the entire area.
hire someone: a corian professional

I do #3 in good times, #2 in bad.  Good luck.


Do I need to use an outdoor or wet electrical box for garage sink area? I'm installing some metal surface-mounted boxes for receptacles in my garage utility sink area, with emt between them.

I will use a GFCI receptacle, but do I need to use water-tight conduit and boxes because this will be surface mount near a garage utility sink?

I'm in California.

If the outlet is not being splashed you can use a standard box with knockouts, also a standard outlet. This would be Similar to a kitchen or bar. If the outlet is within 6' of the sink it will need to be a GFCI or GFCI protected within 6' of the sink. Indoors water tight fittings are not needed. For example is the area finished with sheetrock? If the sheet rock is ok it is not a damp /wet area as it will fall apart quickly being in a damp / wet area. FWIW All garage outlets need to be GFCI protected by current code.


How can I make trapezoid-shaped wood board (beveled edges)? The reason why I want this is somewhat difficult to explain.  I basically am looking for moulding-sized planks that have a trapezoid shape like this:

That's the best trapezoid shape I could find, but it's going to be as slim as the moulding/trim you'd find around your door or along your floor and wall.  Is there a tool that can create such beveled edges on a plank of wood as thin as a plank of moulding?

Edit: I wasn't clear on this, but I am looking for lengths up to 7 feet long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  I want to miter the edges so that, looking at it dead center, it will look like the below.  Look at it as if it's a moulding profile.  I am basically going to be creating my own moulding for a project.

Sorry. My first answer mis-understoood the question. Based on the updated question, there are many ways to create a shape of the desired profile, based on what tools you have or can find/buy/etc.

Rip the edges with an angled tablesaw blade.
A handheld power (circular) saw, with the blade at an angle. A fence will help you get a straight edge.
A jointer.
A handheld power jointer.
A hand plane. A good craftsman with a sharp jointer plane can do this easily.
A router table.
A handheld router.
A millwork shop can easily turn this profile out, so you can always buy it ready made, for a price.
If you have a friend with any of the above power tools, I'll bet they can be bought off for the price of a pizza.

Very much depends on what tools you have, how much money you want to spend. You can use it to justify buying a specific tool, if you have a use for one of the tools I've mentioned. They are all useful.

A tablesaw or a router are both terribly useful tools, but if this is a one time job and you have no interest in woodworking, then I'd look for a friend who can help you out. If you insist on doing it yourself, and might have an occasional use for a hand held circular saw, then go that route. A circular saw will be often enough of use even to someone who is not an avid woodworker.

Attach your board to a straight piece of wood to use as a fence. Then angle the blade, and rip the edge as you want it. I'll argue this is the cheapest solution that will give you a good edge. (A hand held jointer plane might be even cheaper, since you can get them quite inexpensively from an antique shop. But a jointer plane will take some practice to do this job well.)


Can solder be used instead of quick disconnect terminals? Current state:

Original:

I am repairing a cordless kettle's base plate whose the power cord was cut. The new wires need to be connected to the contact pins in the base. Originally, quick disconnect terminals were used with two crimped sections, one on the wires and another on the insulation, all covered with heat shrink.
Is there any safety concern with soldering wires directly instead of using crimp terminals?
I don't have the same type of quick disconnect terminals or the required crimp tool. The options I can think of are:

Buy general purpose quick disconnect terminals which can be crimped with a regular crimp tool. The insulation is probably not rated for 105C like the power cord, though I don't think the base of the kettle should be reaching such temperatures.

Try to reuse the old quick disconnect terminals by uncrimping the wires and then soldering the new wires into the terminals, and using heat shrink over the whole thing to approximate the original assembly.

Solder the new wires directly onto the terminals and cover with heat shrink.

The power cord is 16 AWG and rated for 105C and 300V.
Option 3 would be the easiest for me and require no new purchases. Option 2 would take the most effort and time, but require no shopping trip. Option 1 would look the best, but I don't know if the insulation used is suitable in this case. I would think it should be passable, but... what are your thoughts?

Soldering this connection is illegal and unsafe; it's prohibited in AC mains wiring by NEC, and in appliances by the UL White Book; both proscribe conditions in which soldering is OK, and this is definitely not one of them.
Feel free to do exactly what they did: use uninsulated crimp terminals and then shrink-wrap over the works once it is crimped.
I get uninsulated crimp terminals by removing the insulation from insulated terminals.  There goes the temperature limit!
After you crimp it for a complete and secure physical and electrical connection, feel free to solder it also if you really want to. This is how NEC tells you to use solder.   You can't just hork-a-dork solder like you do on hobby electronics projects; this is a high-current connection.  Solder has a low melting point, so voltage drop across the solder is something that matters quite a lot.  And that makes the resistivity of solder matter a lot.  In this application it combines rather adversely with the high temperature operating conditions and high current.


Why did my switch spark when I installed it in a metal junction box? Okay, so I put in a new Wifi Light Switch. The box was metal and tiny, while the switch was big and all of the screws were on the bottom of the switch. Why did it spark and blow up? Was it because all four screws hit the box? I just want to know, because I am going to get a plastic box replacement, and i want to know if that's all I need to do to assure it never happens again.

Don't downgrade to a plastic box.  Metal boxes are better and what's more, they are often essential in distributing grounding to other boxes.  Further in some cities (e.g. Chicago) they are required by Code.

The purpose of a box is to provide grounding and fire protection, and metal boxes do that better than plastic ones in all respects.  Plastic boxes exist to be cheap, so builders can save $20 per house.

Metal boxes also allow there to be fewer (or no!) ground wires in the box.  For instance this smart switch doesn't need a ground wire since it can ground via the yoke and screws.

This is a quality product with an ETL listing (equivalent to UL listed). Bad designs just won't clear that listing process, so I don't buy "all 4 screws bottomed out on the box".  Far more likely:

A wayward bare ground wire in the box touched one of the screws (feels unlikely)
Wires were over-stripped, leaving bare length sticking out.  This contacted a ground wire.

The screw issue could be annulled with a couple layers of electrical tape across them.  That's how you solve that problem (if it even is a problem).


Replace existing thermostat with diy solution I currently have a wireless Altech thermostat. Is there any chance I can replace it with an diy solution (based for instance on a Raspberry Pi)? The idea will be to only replace the transmitter and keep the existing receiver. The frequency used is 868MHz.

I have not find any information about a specific protocol used by the Altech solution. So maybe there is a proprietary one.

Why be married to their weird proprietary radio scheme? WiFi is available for the Pi.

Put another Pi down on the furnace. For instance it can advertise (or better, not advertise) its own WiFi channel.

A thermostat is a simple switch.  Either it shorts two wires to call for heat, or it does not.

Now in America we would just do all this with 24VAC control voltage.  But since Europe uses 240V thermostat voltage* you need to switch whatever the rating of the supply fuse/circuit breaker is, e.g. 16 amps.   A relay that size probably has a large coil, too heavy for the Pi to operate (especially when inductive kick is considered).  So have the "Furnace Pi" operate a small pilot relay.  The pilot relay pulls in the coil of a much larger relay.

* so I guess that means Euro thermostats require Class I wiring to the 'stat? How inconvenient.  All the more reason to control the 'stat wirelesly.  Do the same with doorbells, while you're at it... 230V doorbells, *shudder*


How to properly refinish & maintain exterior siding behind circuit panel I have a cabin in a four season climate.
The exterior siding is western bevel cedar (horizontal, overlapping boards).
The circuit panel is located on the exterior of the house, mounted against the wall.
I’m curious how to properly maintain wood siding that’s located behind the circuit panel. In particular, I’ve sanded and stained the rest of the house, but am unable to fit anything behind that panel to sand or stain. However, I can see that the boards there are in rough shape - they need it.
So, the question is in two parts:

How can I address the current need to refinish the boards there?
How should I expect to properly maintain them should the need come up again?

I'm not sure what to do in terms of sanding down the surface, but, since nobody can see it anyway, sanding it nicely probably isn't an issue.
For the finish, I'd suggest spraying your finish (stain and/or sealer) behind the panel. You may need to mask up the area around it to prevent over spray onto areas that have already been finished.
If you haven't yet finished the rest, you could try pouring some of the stain/sealer down the wall, above the panel and just let it run behind. It certainly won't be 100% perfect, but since it's hidden from view and the main goal is protection not appearance, that shouldn't matter. Since the flood of liquid will make a bit of a mess beside & below it, have brushes/rollers at the ready, and, as it's running by, make it look nice where it is visible. Now that you've got this wall wet with finish, do the rest of the staining on this wall before this area starts to dry and you end up with a line from where new stain overlaps old dried stain.


How do I dispose of gasoline? We've inherited a house with several gas (petrol) containers in the garage. I haven't tried using them because

I don't know how old they are.
I don't know what oil/gas mixture they have.

They've been sitting around for over a year now, and I want to get rid of them. What's the responsible way of disposing of them?

Your local fire department should take them off your hands and dispose of them properly (in an environmentally safe manner) and safely.

I say the above, as I recently wanted to dispose of some old engine coolant in a responsible manner and didn't know where I could take it for disposal, so I went to our local fire station to ask them, they pointed me in the right direction and additionally informed me for future reference they take and dispose of petrol (gas).


What pages should be included in a complete set of plans for residential construction? I'm designing the plans for my new house and plan to act as my own general contractor (hiring professional labor for most trades).

I feel like I'm close to being done with the plans, but need to know what all should be included in a "complete" plan package so that I can solicit bids for labor and materials.

The building department only wants a floor plan.

What I have so far is:

Floor plan.
Front / Back / Left / Right Exterior Elevations.
Wall framing plan (top view) that shows a letter for each wall, and where they go on the slab.
Wall framing detail that shows the exact framing of each wall unit (jacks, kings, cripples, headers, corners, etc) front and top view, with annotations for where bathroom plumbing, vents, and cabinet blocking goes.
A foundation plan with a top and section view of the foundation slab and footings.
An electrical plan that shows the location of built in light fixtures, switches and receptacles.
A door and window schedule with make and models for all doors and windows.
A roof truss plan that shows the overall dimensions of the roof trusses, gable end walls, and side and isometric views of the sofit and fascia framing. (The actual trusses will be designed by an engineer at a truss company- my plans show an "example truss" with the overall dimensions and pitch to help the truss engineer understand my intent for them).

What other drawings or schedules am I missing that are necessary or useful for a "complete" package for residential construction?

There are many other types of drawings, but many seem extraneous for a modest residence (like reflected ceiling drawings, interior elevations, renderings, etc). There are websites that list all the types of architectural drawings that exists, but not just the ones that are actually useful or needed for a basic residence.

You'll need more detailing

No longer can you consider structure, sheathing, cladding, and finish as the only elements of an exterior wall.  You'll need to have several more wall detail drawings:

First and foremost, you'll need to detail the wall cross-section or stackup.  This shows how the wall is insulated, where the barrier layers are put, and the locations of any air gaps needed (say to back ventilate the cladding).
Second, you'll need to detail the door and window openings.  The flashing and insulation details here are critically important to prevent leakage into the house, whether it be rain, air, or heat/cold.
Third, you'll want to detail the roof to wall and wall to foundation joints.  The roof to wall joint in particular is another critical envelope detail for a high performance envelope -- it's very easy to screw something up here and get an air leak or uninsulated spot.
Finally, you'll need either a roof stackup detail for an unventilated roof/conditioned attic, or a ceiling stackup detail for a ventilated attic/roof.  This ensures that air barrier plane continuity is maintained throughout the envelope -- a leaky ceiling on the top floor of the house is a great way to ruin all your attic vent work.

You'll also want foundation wall cross-section detailing to show the insulation and waterproofing details on the foundation walls in addition to detailing the footing and foundation slab cross sections.  Last but not least, you'll want dedicated floorplans for plumbing and mechanical routing, especially as those systems become more complicated as well.


Power Comes into Light fixture from Panel, connected to switch how to wire always on outlet in In my workshop I want to wire in some outlets. The power comes into the room into a light then is branched to other lights and a switch in the room to control said lights. I know how to hook up the outlet if I want to make it switched. How would I go about wiring it up unswitched? Would I tap off the hot in the light fixture?

In order to install a receptacle that is not switch it must come from a location which has a source conductor, neutral and ground. If the power source is coming into a light fixture first then that would be the place to tap it. However if the switch was installed under the new NEC requirements, then it should also have a neutral and you can tap the conductors from there. Look to your feed going to the switch and see if it contains 4 conductors a source, switch leg, neutral and ground. I not you can also replace the feed from the light fixture to the switch with the correct cable.

Good luck


"NEMA 1-15 & 14-50 in same faceplate Looking to install two outdoor sockets for charging an upcoming EV purchase, and if I am to put conduit in for running the extra wires, also to make it easier to power outdoor appliances than running a cord through a window.

I have decided on a NEMA 14-50 socket for EV charging, and I have found that the regular household socket is technically a NEMA 1-15. What I am struggling to find is a mount (am sure there is a technical term for this that isn't "faceplate") that would hold both something like this and a regular household power socket a.k.a NEMA 1-15. Is one not made with this configuration? Not opposed to separate mounting, just that would require more space and another security/weather cover.

That's not a problem.  Anything large like this gets put together like Lego.

First you get a multiple gang box.

Then you fit a duplex NEMA 5-15 yoke in one position and the 14-50 yoke in the other position.

Then you go get a faceplate that has openings for a duplex receptacle and also a large opening for a large socket.  These faceplates are the key to it, they are readily available at a real electrical supply house, your local big-box not so much.

All the large connectors - NEMA anything-30 or -50 - are of a standard size and use the same faceplate.

You may need to work backwards, find the faceplate first, figure out how many gang box you need, then position the receptacles to match the faceplate.


Would a projector lamp explode I have a projector lamp that has been used over its life hours. Its still working though, no colour distortion, etc. But if I keep on using it, will it just won't light up when it finally stopped working or will it explode and destroy the projector?

There is nothing explosive inside a projector bulb, so "explosion" is the wrong word here.  The glass envelope, however, can burst and that can shower glass fragments around inside the enclosure.  I've seen this happen but I have never seen a projector destroyed by it.
An older bulb can be more likely to burst due to the extreme thermal cycling they go through so you should be looking at getting a replacement soon since this on has reached the end of its useful life.
The more clear danger with such a bulb is that the filament is close to breaking and that will leave you without your projector usually when you need it the most.


When re-screening window solar screens, how do I avoid warping the frame? I'm re-screening my solar screens.  I have found that a very small one is easy but larger ones present some challenges (not surprisingly).

I don't want the screen to be too loose and sag.  However, if I try and make sure it is taut, it tends to warp the frame inward.

Can someone suggest a technique that will minimize this?  I have thought of making some sort of jig, but all the screens are different sizes and I would rather not have to build a jig for each screen.

I clamped two of four sides (left side and bottom, for example) to a workbench while I was doing them. Then I worked on the side that was away from the two clamped down sides.

It's not so much about getting it taut as it is about getting it even...


How to fix this door handle I have a door handle where the upper screws are constantly working themselves loose. Should I get longer screws, use polyfilla in the screw holes, or something else? The doors are quite thin, made of board I think (not solid wood).

The door is probably made of some type of composite pressed wood material. The screw holes have become mostly stripped out so they no longer can hold tight.

The best fix is to remove the handle temporarily and then clean out loose debris out of the holes. Carve a slightly tapered peg from a piece of pine board that is the shape of the hole and will just start into the hole by light touch. Coat the peg with yellow carpenters wood glue and then pound the peg down hard into the hole. Let the glue dry for a day and then cut the protruding part of the peg off flush with the door surface. To reinstall the handle drill new pilot holes for the screws of the proper size. Then screw into these fresh holes. Should be like new.


Removed Outer Brick on an Old Fireplace. Need Advice on how to re-finish So, long story short...

Wife and I were fixing some damaged walls around the fireplace and noticed the brick at the top starting to come loose, we wanted to update the fireplace anyways and decided to take the brick down to about mantle height and have a nice clean flat sheetrocked wall above the brick fireplace/mantle.

The white brick seen in the photo between the studs has some pieces of brick and a lot of mortar that is protruding into the room further than the studs you see on the left and right which would make a flat sheetrock wall nearly impossible.

Is this brick just filler and I can remove some of it to frame out the opening for sheetrock? or is it Firebrick? Our other option is build the upper wall where the brick facade used to be so that we can get a flat wall, the downside is that it will still protrude as the old brick did and wont look as good as we'd like (basically instead of brick to the ceiling it's drywall).

Any fireplace than can be used as a wood burning fireplace needs to be built to certain specifications set forth by the building code. The brick you are referring to is most likely backer brick as suggested by Karas but it will be backer for the smoke chamber. The smoke chamber must have a few cracks in it if you seen smoke infiltration coming through. FWIW, it will not need to be fire brick, that is only needed in the firebox only. Anything above, behind and below the firebox can be standard brick. the walls of the smoke chamber and firebox, for the most part the whole chimney, must be 8" of solid masonry everywhere.

Some of that backer may be able to be removed, but you must maintain 8" of solid, tight joint brick. After that the wood framing or any combustible material must maintain a 2" air space to avoid fires.

As you can see, when the fireplace was built, that wasn't too much of a worry. I can only recite what the code requires now....

To get past some of this, metal framing can be used, but the sheetrock must be 2" away from the brick at the smoke chamber and firebox.

If the fireplace was not ever a wood burning fireplace and was made originally only as a gas fireplace, these issues would not be a concern.


Recess AV Cabinet in Bonus Room We have a bonus room on the top story of our house. The room is built inside the attic; on the other side of every wall is open attic space. I want to use this space to recess our AV equipment in a custom built cabinet; the spot is not load bearing.

The cabinet is 36" x 20" x 20" (HxWxD). I realized the normal width between stud is 16" so I have to accommodate that. I plan to use 1/2" or 3/4" birch plywood from big box, pocket hold jig, and a shelf jig.

Here is where I'm stuck. Do I need to frame out the shelf with 2x4's and lay down dry wall? Or can I build the shelf the width of the stud and join it to the studs? The ladder I would support the back with 2x4 from the floor to roof in the attic. Either way I will need ample insulation around the unit.

Here's what I'd do:

Cut an opening in the drywall appropriate for your cabinet. Allow for the thickness of your cabinet walls. Cut off the one or two studs that are likely to interfere with the opening, from the back side, 1-1/2" above the opening in the drywall. Cut out the bottom wall plate flush with the sides of the rough opening.
From behind, frame the sides and head with single 2x4s. If desired, add a flat 2x4 on the back side of the wall, spanning the head of the opening, to stiffen the head area. It should extend at least to the adjacent studs and be flush on the bottom with the opening.
Add any floor sheathing needed to support your cabinet. This can be roughly fit and somewhat oversized.
Set your cabinet and trim it out to the drywall as desired.
From the back side, apply vapor barrier and insulation in accordance with your home's existing situation. This could be batts simply suspended from above and tacked at the bottom by nails or whatever.

There's no need to frame up walls around your cabinet unless 1) they'll form the cabinet walls, as in a drywall compartment, or 2) you need them to support insulation.


Is there some official or standard specification for an EK20 fitting? I'm researching parts for a heating manifold and am confused about what size or type of fitting is correct. More specifically, what the standard size of the fitting actually is.
The manifold is a Rifeng / Vevo make, which I think is also sold under a bunch of other name brands like Bluefin. The fitting in question is for each of the loop ports - its threaded and seals with an O-ring. Example:

The example parts that I can find are labelled "EK20". Here's an example of a '1/2" PEX to EK20 Loop Fitting' .
But I can't find any info on what "EK20" really means. I actually was able to screw on a US garden hose fitting... it went on "OK", not very smooth (but that's not uncommon with GHT). I didn't try it with any pressure or anything like that so I don't really know if it was a match [see below].
With fitting types like NPT for instance, you know exactly what will work with what. That's why I'm hoping to find some better info on whatever EK20 means, especially if brand names disappear over time.
I did come across a forum post claiming it was a "Eurokronus" fitting, but that search term seems like a dead end.

Update - I did a little test using a few garden hose caps. While they do screw on and feel like they tighten, they definitely do not seal well. I tried one under a little air pressure and it would leak. Possibly the threads are subtly different so that they aren't really tightening on rubber washer.
But also I noticed that another EK20 fitting I have has an O-ring with a much smaller diameter so that it fits within the male portion against a beveled edge; whereas a garden hose rubber washer seats on the outer surface of the male part and maybe cannot provide a good enough seal.
In any case, GHT is evidently not the same as EK20, at least in all the details.

At this point my best understanding is that "EK" doesn't refer just to a pipe thread but more specifically to a specific set of fittings used to mate a tube to a threaded device. The thread standard is just one part of what EK20 means.
Here's an example EK20 fitting, used to attach a PEX tube to a manifold:

The internally threaded female hex collar secures the assembly onto the manifold
The ring is compressed around the tubing (seal #1)
The T-shaped barb accepts the PEX and also mates to the manifold with an O-ring (seal #2)

There are other sizes of the same style of connection, like EK25 (25 mm ~ 1 inch), which appear to work the same way.
I think the benefit of this style of connection is that it allows many different pipe/tubing sizes to be connected to the same device, just by choosing the right EKxx adapter. Its also an efficient 2-for-1 design in the sense that the single threaded ring secures both ends and no special tools are required.

As far as the thread itself goes, I found some product documentation from one supplier which states:

[the product uses] a 20mm Eurokonus (EK20) connection also known as G 3/4"

G 3/4 is a standard British parallel pipe thread size (BSPP). (ref)
This statement is presumably accurate, but isn't as "official" a source as I would like, ideally.
Assuming that EK20 thread = G3/4 that does explain why a US garden hose thread almost fits but doesn't seal. US GHT and G3/4 are only similar:

The GHT and BSP standards are not compatible, and attempting to
connect a GHT hose to a BSP fitting, or vice versa, will damage the
threads.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_hose#Standards_and_connectors)  Wikipedia also notes that the GHT is 3/4 diameter but 11.5 threads per inch, whereas G3/4 is the same diameter but 14 threads per inch. So the GHT female would screw on partway but then bind up and probably not make a tight seal.

A remaining unknown  -- The inner O-ring I assume must have standard dimensions, given that it makes an internal seal in the EK20 male portion. But I don't yet have any information on what this standard might be. Without this detail it would be hard to know if a standard (BSPP) part would effectively seal to it or not. However, I do have some proper EK20 caps that use an external O-ring to seal (just like in a garden hose), which work fine.


Replaced door hinges and now the door won't close - hits the door stop on the hinge side I replaced the 3.5" hinges on an interior door with hinges of the same size. The only difference that I can see between the old and new hinges is that the barrels on the old set are slightly larger.

When I attempt to close the door now, the door hits the stop on the hinge side before it's completely closed - making it impossible to close the door.

I tried adding shims, since the hinges were not flush, but this didn't do anything to fix the problem. Any ideas of what could be happening here?

Resetting the hinges so the door sits a little further from the stop will work.  Sometimes it is easier to remove the door stop and reset it away from the the door a bit, especially if you are refinishing the door jamb anyway


How close multiple holes can be drill in top double plate? Have to drill multiple holes in top plate for wiring. how close can be drilled
have total 4 14/2 wires to be run through hole.
hole size- 5/8  to 3/4.
thanks

This is not critical. You need 2 holes. If you have the space: 3 inches apart. Feed 2 wires per hole. Keep holes 1.25in from edge of plate.


Minimum ampacity for circuits in a home from 1964 I’m attempting to fact-check a seemingly very dubious claim from my landlord, but I’m having a great deal of trouble finding useful information on older electrical codes, especially in a form that I can easily cite.

I’m in the US, I’m renting a room in a home built in 1964, and while I’m far from any sort of expert, I think I have decent basic knowledge of modern residential wiring.

My landlord, in what I believe is an attempt to discourage me from installing an ac in the window, has claimed that my room and one other are on a single 5 amp circuit, and that even a very small ac is likely to overload it.

Now this sounds like total bs to me, and there are at least a couple other times that he’s told very obvious lies on subjects that I know much more about (computers and networking), but I’d like to hear from people who are more knowledgeable than I am.

The wires in the electrical boxes appear to be 14 gauge. And the receptacles are all standard 5-15r’s.

What I’m looking for is:

1) how likely is it that the “5 amp” claim is false?

2) what was the minimum size for a residential circuit, according to the NEC in 1964?

3) finally, when (if ever) was a 5 amp circuit legal to serve receptacles in bedrooms?

Thanks for the help.

Update:  After I initially (politely) called bs on the 5 amp max, he came back about an hour later saying that it was actually a 10 amp maximum, shared between two rooms, for theoretically, 5 amps per room.

While perhaps not quite as blatantly absurd, this still seems quite odd to me, not to mention pretty dubious with the very-clearly 15 amp receptacles in the wall.  That said, this is hardly the only example of questionable wiring here, but for the moment I'm just trying to pick my battles and move somewhere better when I can.

Even with 10 amps, I do not think it likely that my ac would cause any problems (I've actually used it before with no issues, part of why I think this issue is largely or entirely contrived on his end).  Its rated for a peak draw of about 600 watts, though I think it will operate at considerably less once the compressor starts up.

I have purchased some inexpensive power-monitoring devices, and I'll be setting them up when they arrive, so that I have hard info available to back up my position.  And, while I'd much rather not spend the money right now if I can avoid it, I can also purchase a newer ac that would peak at ~400 watts instead.

I have also offered to pay to offset the additional cost of operating the ac unit.  Somewhat surprisingly, this didn't clear things up.

It is possible that the circuit that you are wishing that you could connect an AC unit to may very well be equipped with a 15A breaker and 15A wiring. However it is possible that this circuit services three users and so the landlord is telling you that it is limited to 1/3 of that capacity to your outlets on that shared circuit.

It may even be possible that the main wiring panel does not even have circuit breakers and instead equipped with fuses. It is old enough where that is a possibility. And 5A fuses were not unheard of.


Cleaning porcelain steel I have a whirlpool gas cooktop that is black and porcelain steel. I can absolutely never clean it entirely. The black color masks the spots when it’s wet and they show back again when it’s dry.

It appears there is some stuff sticking on the cooktop but I can never take it out.

I've tried a standard cooktop cleaner but didn't get good results. Any advice on cleaning?

Try dishwasher gel.

That burned on gunk is some sort of super grease.  If you get grease in an alkaline environment it turns to soap.  Ammonia works but it is stinky.  I used that on my barbecue grate - put them in a trash bag with ammonia and left it outside overnight.

Dishwasher gel works for that black gunk too.  The regular stuff like Cascade has sodium carbonate in it which is not quite lye but is very alkaline.  I used that to clean the burners on my gas stove.  I soaked them in the sink with some gel overnight and the stuff came right off.

Put some gel on each spot and leave it overnight.  Let me know in the comments if you can wipe them off in the morning.


How should I wire a ceiling fan remote where two switches are used to control the fixture? I have 2 wall switches. 4 wires coming out of ceiling (black-hot, red-hot, white-common, bare- ground), a ceiling fan and a remote. How do I wire them and still be able to use wall switches?

I can wire the ceiling fan and just leave the red wire capped with a wire nut, but that leave a useless switch in the wall. The ceiling fan that was up before had a remote and the switches on the wall worked ( 1 switch had to be on in order for the remote to work, and the other controlled power to the fan). How do I wire it back like this?

Start by turning off the power at the breaker, and verifying it's off with a non-contact voltage tester.
Connect all the bare or green grounding conductors together.
Connect the white wire from the ceiling to the white wire on the input side of the remote receiver module and the white wire in the fan.
Connect the black wire from the ceiling to the black wire on the input side of the remote receiver module.
Connect the blue wire from the output side of the remote receiver module to the blue wire in the fan.
Connect the red wire from the ceiling to the black wire in the fan.
Cap off the black and white wire from the output side of the remote receiver module.

Now when one switch is on, the remote will control the light. The other switch will turn the fan on and off. You'll end up with something like this.

Alternatively, you could wire it like this.

This way the remote module will control the fan (when the switch is in the ON position), and the other switch will control the light.
This answer assumes the black wire controls the fan, while the blue controls the light kit on the fan. Check the documentation that came with the fixture, for proper wiring instructions.


Do doors with overlapping swings violate building regulations in the UK? I am buying a new build property in Salisbury, UK and the cloakroom door swing overlaps the kitchen door swing, so if someone is coming out of the cloakroom at the same time as someone coming out of the kitchen they will bang against each other and could cause damage and injury.

Surely this is against building regs?

I don’t know about the UK, but in the U.S. door swings are not regulated until you reach 10 occupants in commercial, institutional, retail, etc. buildings. (Residential and agricultural buildings are never regulated...well, there is a requirement about the size of an exit/entrance door from a residence.)

So, your doors might be inconvenient, cause bodily injury, be difficult to use in an emergency, seem silly, etc. they would not violate any building code in the U.S.

Our codes are based on the International Code Council (ICC).


4-wire or 3-wire kitchen upgrade? Our kitchen wiring is getting updated because right now we are running everything off of two circuits. The electrician recommended we put a 4-wire system in versus a 3-wire since he will be pulling new wire anyways. How it was sold to us is that it would eliminate our need for GFCI outlets in the kitchen, which would save us money. Obviously the cost of a few outlets would't add up to the 4-wire system upgrade.

My questions is, is it worth the extra money to run a a 4-wire versus just leaving it as a 3-wire? What would be the benefits?

FYI, a "cable" is a bundle of several wires.

Yes, that's a good move - run "four wire" cables (I assume you're talking about /3 wire i.e. 12/3 or 14/3, the fourth wire is the ground wire.  If you're talking /4 or /2/2 or 4 wires plus ground, same logic still applies.)

The real cost here is the labor to engineer the layout and drill the holes and fish the cable and do the ugly nasty pulls.  The extra cost of a cable with 1 more wire is pretty small compared to his labor.  It's a smart idea even if the extra wire is simply unused. It can be used later.

I don't know how your contractor is pricing things. I personally find GFCI breakers to be annoyingly more expensive than GFCI receptacles, though GFCI breakers are a tiny bit safer.  Your electrician should certainly know that you only need one GFCI receptacle per circuit.  If your kitchen has 12 double receptacles fed off 3 circuits, you only need 3 GFCI receptacles. They "feed" the other receptacles in the circuit.

In the /3 cable (4 wires with ground), that third wire (red) allows you to add an entire second circuit with just one more wire.  The trick is called a "multi-wire branch circuit" and is wired in a special way that allows the second circuit to "share" the neutral (white) and ground (bare) from the first circuit.

In the /4 or /2/2 wire (5 wires with ground), you can have 2 complete circuits in the same cable.  Two circuits can share a ground wire.


Understanding household lubricants There are multiple things around the house that start squeaking over time: door hinges, locks, laptop hinges, car door hinges, furniture hinges, various appliance doors and covers, bike parts and so on. What they have in common is that they require lubrication.

Up until now I used WD-40, just because this is what I've found the easiest on shelves. A bit of research, and it seems like this is one of the worst options.

The problem is that I couldn't find some guidelines of picking the right lubricant for the job. What are the most common types of lubricants and are there any rules of thumb for using them?

I keep two things on hand, which covers 99% of use cases:

Household (3-in-1) oil
Teflon spray (or silicone)

The former is good for quick squeak fixes where dust accumulation isn't much of a concern. I use it for window blind gears, motor bearings, etc.

The latter dries to a film and tends to stay cleaner. I use it for window hardware , shelf guides, and hinge pins, for example.

WD-40 is a lubricant1, despite red-faced protests2 referencing the initials in its name3, but it's petroleum-based (or otherwise similar to kerosene--I'm not a chemist), which makes it smelly, thin, and quite a solvent as well. It's great for cleaning (adhesive and grease removal) and large-scale lubrication (plates sliding together), but doesn't last well in heavier duty applications. Using it on a door hinge, for example, will result in dirty stains on the floor and renewed squeaks in a few months. There are better products for pure lubrication.

1. Even water is a lubricant. Neither are ideal as such for household maintenance.
2. See also the motorcycling community and vigorously-defended views on drive chain lubrication.
3. Water Displacement, 40th formula


Replace electric water heater with gas tankless (electrical connection) I want to replace my electric water heater with a gas tankless water heater. My current water heater like most electric hot water heaters takes 220 and the tankless gas water heater uses 120. The room I am installing in has no outlets. Can I use that 220 line and get a couple out 120 15 or 20a outlets out of it. Maybe with a sub panel type set up or if I can't do that if I can at least wire the new 120 water heater without running a new line. Thanks in advance.

In the panel, move the white wire to the neutral bar, and move the black to a 20A breaker.   Fit a 15A or 20A duplex receptacle.  And you're done.

You can use up to about 19.5 amps of power off that receptacle, since the water heater won't take much.

If you want two full circuits good for a total of 30A@120V, in the main panel, leave the black wire on the 30A breaker, still move white to neutral. Then fit a subpanel, of any size.  Black to a hot pole, white to the neutral bar, ground to a different ground bar that is isolated from neutral.  Only every other row of breaker spaces will work. Fit two 15A or 20A breakers and use each one for a different circuit.   If you place the breakers in the wrong row, don't bust out more knockouts, switch the black wire to the other hot lug.


LP fireplace: My pilot and burner both shut down My Pleasant Hearth liquid propane fireplace (it's either 20k or 30k BTUs) is only a year old. I am using a 100 lb tank attached to a copper line (with a regulator, of course). I live in Maine, so the copper line is wrapped in foam insulation.
The fireplace worked perfectly last winter, but this year it occasionally shuts down entirely--meaning both the burner and the pilot shut off. The pilot comes on again when I re-light it and will continue to stay lit, but if I turn it up high enough for the burner to come on, it runs for less than five minutes and then the whole shebang shuts down again.
I've done most of the troubleshooting--checking air flow, making sure the tank's not empty, all the obvious stuff. Could it be that I need a new regulator? The one I'm using is several years old.
I will be eternally grateful for any and all input!

A 100lb tank? In Winter? In Maine? You are almost certainly overdrawing the tank.
Liquified Propane has to boil to provide you with gas, and it takes heat to do that. The pressure in a propane tank is a direct reflection of the temperature of the propane tank, and they will cool to well below ambient temperatures when boiling hard to meet a high gas demand. Perhaps you've seen frost on a propane tank in the summer at a barbecue? Same idea, but in winter tank temperature can fall low enough that there is inadequate pressure in the tank to supply gas. Figure frost in summer is 50 degrees °F below air temperature, reset the ambient temperature to 10 or 20 °F and the tank is down into the -30 °F and below area where there's very little (or no) pressure.
You need a larger tank, and if trying to use it for winter heat in Maine, a larger buried tank is the best bet, since a buried tank is considerably warmer in winter than an aboveground tank. But simply larger will work, if it's large enough.
There is also a reduction in available BTU/Hr vaporization rate as the fill level in the tank drops (on top of the drop in rate with ambient temperature) so it's possible that it may work better if it's filled more, but a larger tank is the surer cure.


240V/60A circuit in PVC on the ground This home has a PVC pipe running from outside the garage, to a pool+spa setup. The electrical circuit seems to be carrying 240V/60A - (primarily for the water  heater).  It runs on the ground beside a concrete slab for about 20feet and then it runs along the fence for 100 ft, ON the ground all the way.

<BREAKER OUTSIDE GARAGE> ----125ft long pvc --------<SUBPANEL NEAR POOL>

It sure is unsafe as PVC can break when a lawn mower goes over it and the wires get exposed.

Can junction boxes be used in this circuit?  If yes, the easiest DIY fix seems to be
- breakers off
- cut the pipe, cut the wires and make junction boxes,
- dig 6" deep trenches, put new wires and connect those to the junction boxes.

<BREAKER> ---good/safe section----junctionbox---6" conduit underground
           -----junction box-----<BREAKER>

That way, the electrical circuit itself does not have to be done from scratch.  I am told by someone that an electrician would have to disconnect the entire electrical circuit, including all breakers, lay out new pipes with PVC 2" underground, new cable and reconnect the breakers/subpanel etc.

Can you have junction boxes in this circuit?
Can you run a metal conduit mounted in the fence?
Can you run a metal conduit on concrete posts to keep it above the ground?

[EDIT/ADD] - The markings on the pipe indicate: Ridgeline SCH 80 Rigid PVC Conduit Max 90 C Wire NEMA TC2 Sunlight Resistant NSF NRTL UL 651"

It should be buried at least 18" or have at least  4" concrete cover extending 6" to either side of the conduit. Or, as mentioned, it could be attached to a wall/fence above-ground.

Pouring a 4" slab that extends 6" to either side (i.e. minimum 14" wide, centered on it) would be the straightforward solution.

Burying it 2" would be just as bad as it is now, from a code point of view.

See NEC table 300.5

If trenching rather than pouring concrete, you might want to make it a more direct run (lacking a diagram, I'm guessing it turns to run along the fence, rather than being a straight run now) in which case there would be no splices needed if the resulting run is shorter (one side of a triangle rather than two sides.) Assuming a right angle turn, you'd go from 120 feet now to about 102 feet on the diagonal, leaving you 18 feet "extra" (roughly 3 of which you would use going down to the proper trench depth.) If digging, beware of your own services (septic tank, sprinkler lines, possibly underground conduit between garage and house?) and call whatever service (dig-safe or similar) marks utility underground services in your area sufficiently in advance to have them mark any of their services. You do NOT want to dig through a utility line without having called (if you call, they mark it, and you hit one where it's not supposed to be, it's on them, not you.)


How can I add a bathroom GFCI protected outlet? I have a GFCI outlet in my bathroom (next to a vanity), and want to install a bidet, by the toilet, which will need an outlet. I was advised at the Home Improvement store that since its a bathroom outlet, it needs "a GFCI at the beginning of the run".
Do I need to install a second GFCI in my bathroom? The only reason for the new outlet would be to power the bidet. The existing GFCI is diagonally across (hence inconvenient) so I could use a Legrand Wiremold
My original plan  was to extend a line from a regular outlet on the bedroom wall, right behind the bathroom, now I realize it was probably unsafe given the steam and moisture in the bathroom.

If you provide power to the bidet, that circuit needs to be GFCI protected.  You can either run a line from the existing GFCI outlet (off the LOAD side, which is protected), or (I think) tap off an existing circuit that may be more convenient and put a GFCI outlet by the bidet.
When I added a washlette to my existing toilet, I chose to do the later as it was easier to tap into an existing circuit up in the attic above the bathroom and drop the cable down through the wall from the attic to near the toilet.


Can I use the tabs to chain 15A outlets on a 20A circuit? When wiring 15A-rated outlet receptacles on a 20A circuit, is it acceptable to use the tabs & screws to chain the circuit from one outlet to the next?

My instinct to overengineer says to use pigtails to pass the power to the next outlet and wire the receptacle, but this takes up more space in the box. So is the tab on a 15A outlet sufficient for handling a 20A load though a series of outlets? if so, why?

Yes it is sufficient.
A 15A receptacle is designed such that an appliance with a 20A plug should not be able to plug into it.  This means that at most under normal operating conditions of a 15A appliance, that the receptacle itself will only draw 15A.  If the circuit shorts then the breaker will kick at 20A however.
The tab of a 15A receptacle is designed to handle a 20A load.
EDIT for clarification above: A duplex 15A receptacle contains a tab that connects the hot lead to the hot load.  This allows the receptacle to carry the load of another outlet by wiring the lead of Outlet(2) to the load of Receptacle(1).  When you break off this hot tab then you are specifically wiring for a switch to control only of the receptacles of the outlet, or you are specifically wiring for each receptacle to have its own circuit on a shared neutral.  For two circuits to be wired to a single receptacle on a shared neutral, then you need to ensure that the breakers are on different service legs or you risk overloading the neutral.  If you also break the neutral tab then you are wiring the receptacle to have two separate circuits each with its own dedicated neutral.  These should be considered fringe cases for residential so it is probably best not to break the tabs if not needed so as to avoid confusing future DIY'ers and licensed electricians.  Every time a DIY'er or electrician gets confused then they are potentially risking themselves.
The NEC states that this is acceptable as long as:

The wire is 12 AWG sized for a 20A circuit

There is more than one receptacle on the circuit.

It is important to note that under no circumstances should you install a single 15A receptacle onto a dedicated 20A circuit.  This is against code.

210.21(B) Receptacles (1) Single Receptacle on an Individual Branch Circuit. A single receptacle installed on an individual branch circuit shall have an ampere rating not less than that of the branch circuit.
(3) Receptacle Ratings. Where connected to a branch circuit supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, receptacle ratings shall conform to the values listed in Table 210.21(B)(3), or where larger than 50 amperes, the receptacle rating shall not be less than the branch-circuit rating.

Table:
Circuit Rating (Amperes)
Receptacle Rating
(Amperes)
15 Not over 15
20 15 or 20
30 30
40 40 or 50
50 50

In conclusion, a standard 15A receptacle that one would buy in your hardware store is quality tested and approved to comply with all NEC codes to be legally sold in the United States.  If the tab couldn't handle a 20A load without overheating then they would call this out specifically.


How to fix loud foghorn noise from shower when going from hot to cold water? A new housemate likes to end her warm showers with a run of cold water.  We've noticed there is a very loud whining/foghorn noise after she switches from hot to cold water, for the duration of running the cold water.
I've read online about banging/pulsating noises when using hot water, but I don't think this situation is the same.
More detail: The housemate switches the shower settings from hot/warm to cold (the coldest setting) instantly, and our shower manages to change temperature with about a one second delay.  The noise usually begins after that second's delay (i.e. as soon as the very cold water comes on), and lasts the duration of the cold water usage.  It stops as soon as she turns the shower off completely.  The noise does not seem to come from the shower head but from the pipes system itself.  There is only a temperature knob for the shower, and no power setting.
Can anyone figure out what is going on and I'd be extremely grateful for quick fixes if there are any (aside from making her change her shower habit!).  Thank you!

With the flow on the cold being the issue it sounds like water hammer. I have seen extreme water hammer with very tiny flows but it is much more common with high flows.
The 2 solutions I know of for water hammer are.
Strapping the pipes that are chattering, if you have access a couple of straps to keep the pipes from chattering will quiet it down.
Add a water hammer arrester these are devices you install on the water line that have a chamber spring loaded or air chamber that cushion the flow issue. For best results they need to be on the line that is chattering but I have seen one installed at the toilet fix a shower & sink issue. These devices cost between 10-20$ in the US and since most plumbing is not accessible would be my first thing to try.


What is this pipe component in my gas range connection? I need to replace gas supply line for my gas range. Please look at picture of my existing supply line connection.

Red arrow shows shuttoff valve.
What is blue part ? Is that kind of extension coupling ?
Where do I need to disconnect old line from ? From yellow nut ?

The part in blue is just a nipple from the valve to a reducer for the corrugated pipe connection which is where you want to disconnect the line. Naturally, make sure your gas valve is in the off position, the handle perpendicular to the pipe.

Many jurisdictions do not allow homeowners to connect/disconnect gas appliances. Check with your gas company for compliance. they may come out and do it for free. They would also check the lines/valves for any leaks.


Changing old bathroom receptacle to gfci The new gfci receptacle has only 1 set of connections while my old receptacle has 2 hot wires and 1 white. How to connect?

Most GFCI devices will take 2 wires underneath one screw.  You loosen the screw, then insert the 2 wires in 2 back-connect holes that are under /next to the screw.  Then, you tighten the screw firmly to clamp the wires.

If I had one that didn't t have the feature, I would either take it back and exchange for one that did, or use a different technique called a pigtail.  However, a pigtail requires that you have spare wires and wirenuts and a stripper.

You may note that there is a warning label on the GFCI that says, "Do not use. For wizards only." or words to that effect.  There are in fact screws under that sticker, but it's a big mistake to use them here.  So leave that sticker be.


Ways to cover up a hole in metal siding Any ideas how to cover up this hole in my siding? This hole is on the side of the house. Not sure what is was used for. Hopefully it’s something I can do myself.

Get yourself a bit of aluminum coil stock. Find a color that you can live with, or also pick up some spray paint in flat.
Cut a rectangular piece that's as wide as the damage plus 2", and as long as height of the siding face plus 2".
Using a scrap board with fairly sharp corners, bend the sheet so that it fits the profile of the siding. You want it to to cover the underside of the plank above the patch, the face with the damage, and the underside below the damage.  Trim length as needed.
Check your fit and the overall appearance, then drill into the underside planes for pop rivets or sheet metal screws. If needed, flex the patch so it lays well against the siding.
Paint the patch piece if necessary and let it dry well.
Apply a bead of silicone caulk around the top and sides of the damage (not below).
Press the patch in place and fasten it.

If you find that the width of the fastener area is too narrow for comfort, go ahead and rivet from the face four or six times. You could then make the patch just cover the face and underside below the damage. Put some caulk behind the rivet points to seal them.


Install hooks to the ceiling of balcony Long story short: Live in an apartment building, top floor. Balcony overrun with pigeons. Literally a quarter inch of bird feces covering the floor.

I bought a bird net and want to hang it up. Unfortunately, I am not sure how I can attach it to the ceiling of the balcony.

Cross section looks like this:

 __
|
|_|

The gap is where I want to put the net, with the hooks of some sort attached to the ceiling. My initial idea was to use eyelet screws; however, I've tried the following to no avail:

Drill(hammer drill) with masonry and metal drill bits of various
sizes. Can't even make a dent.
Hammer in nail (RIP nail)
Tape (Used
double-sided, cause that was the strongest I had. Still peeled off)

My next attempt might be to buy regular adhesive hooks (from a dollar store) and then use cement glue or sorts to try and keep them on the ceiling. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to attach the net to the ceiling (that doesn't require a big investment), please let me know.

Thank you

Sounds like concrete?

A standard impact hammer drill will generally struggle and definitely not with HSS drill bits.

You would need a rotary hammer drill with SDS masonry bit.

Then have various fastener options.

Nails would be extremely difficult, you need masonry nails, but masonry nails from a nail gun can work easily into concrete.

If not concrete one of the only other things as tough is compressed cement sheeting.

Photo of the surface might help.

Also double sided tape does not work well on certain surfaces but quality is also important. Something like 3M VHB is insanely strong.