Would increasing pipe size just after the meter give better flow without increasing pressure too much? I have a wife and 5 kids. Three of them are teenage girls, which means I hardly ever get a chance to shower. I wanted to put in a second bathroom to help fix this. I spoke with some local plumbers and they said that I should just cut the 1/2 copper after the meter and replace with 3/4 pex. They said it would give much more flow so I wouldn't have to worry about water pressure dropping if both showers were being used at the same time. The meter is 5/8 coming in and then 1/2 after the meter.

The problem for me is that I used a pressure gauge and it said that my water pressure was 84 psi. My research on the project seemed to indicate that the plumber was wrong. Increasing the 1/2 copper to 3/4 pex would increase pressure and it is already too high.

Unfortunately, I already purchased all the supplies to convert everything over to 3/4 pex. I seem to be fixated on this project. Having a hard time thinking about anything else but don't know what to do.

I fear that 1/2 copper will not provide enough flow to cover two showers at the same time. I don't think 3/4 pex with a pressure reducing valve would help as it would just reduce the flow to less than what I have now. I can't see that having the city put in a 3/4 meter would help if pressure is too high with 1/2.

How can I make sure that I can feed two showers at the same time?

I also need to install whole house water filters. Everyone complains about the water but they say anything over 75 psi should have pressure reducing valve installed. It seems to me that if I need to bring the pressure down to 75psi it would not matter if I did that with 1/2 copper or 3/4 pex as the amount wouldn't change after the reducing valve. Is this correct?

Would a 3/4 pex line with reducer to 75 psi provide any more water than 1/2 copper reduced to 75 psi? I would think that the amount of water would be the same as the flow is reduced to lower pressure either way.

UPDATE
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and advice. Honestly, I'm still a little confused as I don't know if a 3/4 pex with pressure reducer to 75 PSI will offer any more water than a 1/2 copper line with pressure reducer to 75. My thinking is that regardless of pipe size, once it is reduced to 75 psi, the same amount of water will be available. I think you guys are saying that for some reason it will so I will book some time off next week and replace all the 1/2 copper with pex. I will do a homerun with 3/4 pex coming off the 1/2 pipe at the meter. Than branch off with 1/2 or 3/8 pex to all the faucets.

If I am wrong, please correct me. Otherwise, thank you everyone for your help.

Bad idea.  Enlarging hot water lines will dramatically increase the inventory of water sitting in those lines.  I.e. How much water is in the lines themselves.

I.e. How much cold water those hot water lines are full of, when you first turn on the shower.

I.e. How long you must wait for the cold water to be pushed through and become hot.

You reduce droops by not allowing any one appliance to suck up all the water, and you do that with flow restrictions.  The single best thing you can do to ease water droop is fit low-flow showerheads.  Of course, if it's a shower only, with no tub diverter, that means waiting even longer for initial hot water.

Here's how I'd fix that.  So I would couple that with minimizing the size of the water pipes, and have a homerun for each shower, for both hot and cold lines.  And tap both right at the top of the water heater.  That will ease pressure droops, and pressure droops will affect both hot and cold equally, so no chilly/scalding surges.

So for instance a 3/8" run just for each shower.  A 3/8" pipe has 1/4 the inventory of a 3/4" pipe, so it warms up 4 times faster.  Such a small pipe would make sense given your high water pressure and a low-flow head.


4 way circuit with two 4 way switches I have a 4 way circuit (3 physical toggle switches).  I am use to seeing this setup with two 3-ways and a 4-way in the middle. Looking at what I have, I have a 3-way, and two 4-way switches! All 4 terminals on both 4 ways have wires. There is not a 4th switch anywhere.  One of those 4-ways should be a 3-way. Would one of those wires into the 4-way be useless? Is this just a different way to wire up a 4-way? In the end, I want to remove the 4 way and just be left with 2 switches in a normal 3 way. I thought I could just remove the 4 way, connect the travelers and be left with a 3 way, but I'm not sure what to do with the second 4-way.
Thanks for the help.

Someone probably misunderstood the requirements or changed plans. One conductor is probably unnecessary at the end of the circuit.

Refer to standard 4-way wiring as a guide and see if you can replicate it with your wires.


How to extend PVC vent pipe? I have an RV which has a 1-1/2" PVC piping to ventilate the waste tank. I need to extend the roof end of the pipe by about 3 inches or so to install a different vent cap. I have no idea what I'm doing, but my research thus far leads me to believe I should buy a 1-1/2" "slip" coupling and then prime and glue that. Is this a valid approach?

Yes, that will work; coupling, additional length of pipe, adhesive kit, preferably sandpaper to clean the surface before gluing, saw or appropriate-sized tubing cutter if you need to cut the pipe section to length.

I presume you aren't going to have to redo the flashing around the wall or roof pentration; if that has to be disturbed add supplies to deal with that.


Can I add receptacles on the same circuit as the garage door opener in my garage? I am wanting to add two new outlets on a unfinished wall in my garage. This wall currently has no outlets at all and is a exterior facing wall. I was wondering if i can tie into the outlet in the ceiling that is used for my garage door opener. I believe this outlet is on the same circuit as all other outlets in my garage. I don't plan on running a lot of devices at the same time, just need the extra outlets for ease of use on that side of the garage. I have never had a breaker trip in the garage either. I am wondering if this is allowed? It is the nearest outlet that i can tie into and it would be very easy to do as well. These would be two 15 amp outlets and would be used for light use.

These outlets will need to be GFCI protected if the garage door opener outlet isn't already that way, but yes -- there isn't a limit on how many receptacles can go on a general receptacle circuit.

Do double check to make sure that your circuit doesn't serve something else funky though.


Does water pressure drop when opening a faucet? Wondering if anyone can explain how a PRV (pressure reducing valve) works? I have a water pressure gauge connected to my hose bib right after the PRV. It measures 75psi.  When I open a faucet inside my house, the pressure is dropping to 60psi. Is this normal, or not? Is the PRV supposed to maintain the 75psi when faucet is open?
Thanks!
Jen

The PRV won't always keep the pressure from dropping below the pressure it's set at - in this case 75 psi. Its primary purpose is to keep the pressure from going over the set limit in the event of pressure surges. It's a safety device.
The pressure coming into most homes (curb pressure) is usually anywhere from 120 PSI upward. Usually the closer you are to the water supplier the higher the pressure. This curb pressure is generally too high for most faucets and other domestic water controllers and if it isn't reduced can cause damage and leaks.
As more faucets are opened the pressure will drop since the water has more outlets to flow through. The PRV will compensate for the pressure drop to some degree by allowing more flow but there is almost always some drop in pressure for various reasons. Sometimes this can be partially corrected by replacing the PRV, resizing water supply lines, or simply cleaning out hard water deposits or debris.
However, it would be helpful to know the curb pressure in your situation. The PRV cannot provide more pressure than what is available.


How to lay tile backer board on sandy cement floor I've just removed some super old tiles from my bathroom floor.

Most of the now exposed concrete is in decent condition. However the cement is a little soft / sandy around the drain area (it's an old terraced house with extension over drain).

I'm laying tile backer boards over the floor before the tiles.

What should I do about this slight sandy area. Would it be ok to level with tile adhesive or should I try something else.

Pictures

You have to get rid of the sandy area/sand.   If there is just a thin layer and you have solid flooring under you can use a filler like a floor leveler - there are other options but I would need to see pictures.   If there is a thick layer or no solid flooring you are going to have to pour concrete or frame (which may be impossible).

There are solutions like floating a floor over the sand but these would break down over time - probably a lot faster than you think.   This is maybe an alternative in some climates and some situations.


Can I use fewer than the recommended number of fasteners for exterior wall insulation? I'm insulating my exterior wall (built of perforated Porotherm blocks) using 40mm gutex wood-fibre boards.  The recommended application involves the use of an adhesive (allegedly very strong) and plastic fasteners / anchors. The insulation layer will be applied over the existing (cement-based) rendering.  The recommended number of fasteners for gutex boards is minimum 6 per square metre, which I find excessive.  Is there a good reason why I should use so many dowels (and bore so many holes into my wall) ?  Can it be avoided - especially given that the adhesive is very strong and is applied continuously rather than just in spots?

Your material might warp could be one of the reasons they recommend to do this - I would suggest to follow their recommendation.

While any one can ignore a manufacturers recommendation given the manufacturer has studied their product and engineered out issues with their product and tested it - I mean what could they possibly know about their own product.. right?

That said here is my recommendation:

Cheaper to do it right the first time than it is to do it right the second time.


Why are my smoke detectors going off when I cook? Seems like every time we cook anything in the oven the fire alarms (in-home system, all connected) go berzerk. is there any way to make them "less sensitive"? We do blow/vaccuum them out gently here and there but it doesn't seem to help.

The obvious (but ultimately unhelpful) answer is that the heat/smoke from your cooking is setting off the alarm. So what you have to do is reduce the heat/smoke getting to the alarm.

There are a number of things you can do:

If you don't have a smoke alarm in the kitchen close the door while cooking. This will stop the fumes reaching the detector.
Use the cooker hood's extractor fan to help divert the fumes. If it doesn't have one, consider fitting one.
If you have a smoke alarm in the kitchen make sure it's of a suitable type. The standard ones are (quite rightly) designed to be sensitive to any smoke/heat. A kitchen one will be less sensitive to heat (for example).
Clean your cooker. This might reduce the particles being emitted. You might not be able to see them, but they are there.


How to hang 1/4" Plywood I have a 12" x 24" piece of plywood that is 1/4" thick and I'd like to hang it on the wall. I don't want to frame the piece or put any nails in it. Here are a couple of ideas I had:

I was hoping there would be some mounting/hanging brackets similar to what picture frames use but haven't had any luck for 1/4". Also, I know plywood isn't very resilient and I'm not sure if screwing in to it will crack the wood.
Another option is attaching string to the piece and then hanging it from a nail in the wall but not sure what the best way to permanently attach the string to the plywood is.
I would be fine drilling small holes in to the wood for string/wore to go through but I don't have an automatic drill with me and, again, I worry about cracking.

Any ideas out there on ways to best hang a 1/4" piece of plywood?? I'm open to any suggestions.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Glue a strip (or two strips, to keep it parallel to the wall surface) of thicker wood to the back.

Properly shaped (see ASCII art below for one version), that can BE your hanging hardware, or you can attach your hanging hardware to it.

X
X||   X is the plywood. This angle-cut bit of ||
X\|     wood is attached to the plywood.      \|
X\\                                            \
X|\
X||   X is the plywood. This angle-cut bit of \
X       wood is attached to the wall.         |\
X                                             ||

"Swiss Clips" would another approach, with no glue or nails, but some hardware showing on the front side.


Unidentified pneumatic part I recently purchased a pneumatic micro die grinder and it came with pretty much no instructions and this piece with some clear plastic that screws inline.  I have no idea what this for.  What is it and when/how do I use it?

My guess is an oiler. Air tools with moving parts want a small, but steady mist of oil in the air. With some, like an air nailer, they simply say you can add a couple of drops to the connector before you attach the hose to it. But some tools want a steady fix.

Check out this photo and description over at Amazon.com:

Keep in mind, that if you use your oiler with a hose between the oiler and the tool, that hose will now contain oil. While the hose can be used easily with any tool that can tolerate oil, you will not want to use it with any kind of spray painter since water/latex based paint and oil don't mix well.


Why does the Tesla PowerWall operate at 350v - 450v? According to the Tesla website the new Powerwall operates at 350 to 450 volts?  Why such a high voltage when most solar battery banks operate at 48V?

The Powerwall is/will be based on the lithium ion battery technology used in the Tesla cars, so instead of a few large lead acid batteries (like in PV battery banks) it will contain a zillion tiny 18650 cells, which work better if you put them in series and let the voltage soar.  This keeps the current low while still allowing the same amount of power output (good old ohms law).  The hardware to turn the current into a sine wave for consumption (called an inverter) also becomes simpler to design because it has high voltage to start with, so it doesn't need a boost circuit or a transformer to generate 120/208/240v RMS.


How to remove or de-solder old flashing I'd like to remove some old copper flashing to repair the rotting wood beneath it.  My plan was to de-solder the old flashing joint (I'd like to reuse the flashing when done).  So I bought a used copper hand iron and heated it for half an hour with a propane torch.  Before hand I cleaned the joint with steel wood and ruby fluid. I also cleaned the iron and with ruby fluid before and after heating it and tinned the iron.  But the hot iron didn't make a mark on the old solder.

Does anyone know how long I need to heat it to get it hot enough and how to tell when it's hot enough (glowing red?). Or is there another way to remove the flashing without destroying it?  I'm concerned that using an angle grinder would be too delicate a job and there are some places it probably wouldn't fit.

Copper is good at taking heat away from the area you want to heat so I would heat the joint directly with the torch and as the solder melts separate the sheets.

Take care that you don't set the wood alight.

Perhaps consider just cutting the sheet off then looking at how you solder it back on after.


Can I add a single pole switch to a 3 way switch with power? I have a box with 14-2 power, 14-3 communicator wires (run from another switch that is connected to lights), and a 14-2 cable fora ceiling fan. How do I wire the switches to operate independently in this box?

Yes, what you drew in the diagram is fine.

To de-confuse the rats’ nest of wires in the boxes, I would get some colored tape and mark the 3-way travelers (the red/black in the cable between them) with yellow tape, to indicate they are travelers.  Mark both yellow, there is no need to distinguish travelers from each other.  Of course, travelers go on the brass screws on a 3-way.

You can also mark the black wires in the /2 runs up to the lamp and fan with red tape, to signify that they are switched-hots.


How do I cut 1968 cast iron rough sewage pipe? I have a rough in bathroom that was done in 1968 for the homeowners to finish. Cast iron pipes for shower and toilet are about 4 in. out of floor. How do I go about cutting them to install a toilet and a shower? To be flush with the concrete floor.

Usually, the easiest way to cut cast iron pipe is with a snap cutter, but I don't think you could cut it completely flush with one. A sawzall with a long diamond tip blade might work for you. A diamond wheel in an angle grinder is another possibility. Alternatively, you could frame a wood floor to the height of your pipes.


I want to be able to time my in wall air conditioner. Can I update the controller? I have an old in wall AC/heater (brand McQuay, Now known as AMANA)  in my rented Apt, which cannot be time-programmed. Also it is not possible use an outlet timer because the AC must be turned on and off via the controller as you can see in the pic.
The controller can be unplugged and taken out which made me think I could possibly change the controller with something newer that have that ability. Is this possible? Otherwise, any ideas on how to time-program it would be much appreciated.

How I hacked my window unit for IOT control:

This (admittedly slightly janky) setup allows me to easily undo the modification in case I need warranty service or I'm going to resell it. I didn't have to use a soldering iron or spend all weekend trying to hack into the control board; I just hijacked the code the AC already runs by lying to the program's inputs.

My window AC had a thick solid copper "wire" centrally behind the intake filter that connected to the thermostat. It's usually placed there so as to sense the temp of the incoming room air more than the outgoing cold air. If that sensor gets hot enough, the AC turns on. This is typical and common. You might have to remove the plastic face of the unit to get to the probe, but you don't have to deeply disassemble the whole thing.

I first cranked the AC thermostat up to 85F, making so that it almost never comes on, unless it gets really hot in the room.

I then taped a small heater to the AC's exposed copper temp probe. you can use a strip from electric socks, a USB drink warmer, or if handy with electronics, use a simple ~150 ohm resistor to short a 5v power supply. You don't need/want more than 1/4 watt of heat.

Wrap the heater and probe tightly with gorilla tape. You should be able to smush it all in-place and keep the cover as expected. The thermostat is almost useless at this point, so it doesn't even need to stay in the air flow, you can tuck it all to the side if needed for the fit.

You might tell where this is going.

To turn on the AC, my smart home system applies 5v to the heater from an arduino-like box. This raises the temp on the sensor above 85 and turns on the compressor.

My smart home uses an external temp sensor to monitor the temp and tell probe heater when to turn on and off. The AC on/off state will be the opposite of the small heater on/off state.

This mod isn't for everyone, but it's probably more approachable for many than splicing into the AC's wiring or trying to clone an IR remote control.


How to cut away ceramic from a sink that doesn't fit I need to remove the stem for the faucets from my bathroom sink.  However, the people who built this house (10 yrs old so fairly new home) messed up.  I think this is what happened.  They cut holes in the granite and plywood for the sink, faucets and spout.  They installed the faucet and spout first, then tried to undermount the sink.  However, since they didn't measure correctly, the rim of the sink hits the hot and cold water faucet/stem.  They barely cut enough of the sink away so that it fits but now, I can't turn the retaining nut on the stem because the sink is in the way.

Here's a photo of what happened .

My question is how do I cut away more of the rim of the sink so I can remove the stem?  One person suggested to get a "Dremel" and cut away the rim from the retaining nut without removing the sink (less work)

Someone else suggested to take the sink out (which means cut the sealant and caulk, remove the wood holding the sink, remove the piping) and cut it with a tile cutter.  Or instead of cutting, do this every time we need to replace the stem, which seems like a lot of work.

Which is the best/easiest way such that a noob like me won't mess up?  Both ways I'm a little concerned because if I mess up and destroy the sink, I have to replace the granite, along with the sink since I don't think I'll find a sink that is the exact size as the existing hole.

Since you are intending to remove the "stem" of the faucets I would concentrate on that instead of the sink itself. Seems to make sense to concentrate on the goal instead of getting sidetracked with these other details. (I have to assume that removal of the faucet is all about replacing it with something new).

To that end I would still recommend a Dremel tool with a cut off tool and a decent pair of eye protection goggles. Use the Dremel to cut completely through the retaining nut on two or three sides if possible. See cut areas as suggested below on the flats of the nut so there is less to grind through:

Once cut through you can use a flat blade screw driver to widen the cuts and pull portions of the retainer nut free from the stem threads. Since we are assuming replacement here the fact that the Dremel cut off tool will grind into the stem threads is of little concern.

When you go looking for a faucet assembly look carefully for one that has a long threaded part that will extend down below the lip of that butchered sink. This will allow you to slip some tubing (even a short piece of PVC pipe would work) over the threaded part offset where the new retaining nut and washer will tighten to. From the looks of it the tubing should be able to clear the butcher slot cut in the sink lip. If the PVC type tubing has too thick of wall a piece of brass drain pipe would work too. Just make sure the tubing is cut nice and square on each end.


Manual garage door won't fully close I disconnected my automatic garage door opener and I can see when closing the door manually, and it's almost at the bottom, the remaining panel gets stuck and it won't fully close. There is no visible barrier in the tracks or anywhere. However, I can't fully see the springs in this position. I'm not sure if the springs are the problem because I can open and close it fine up to that position.  It's been working fine until today when I found one of the bottom wheels was displaced. I put it back in and it's still not fully closing.

Any idea what might be wrong?

Update:

Clearly something is binding, catching or blocking the door sections or roller wheels in the tracks. It could be as simple as one of the track mounting bolts has come loose and is binding with the roller as it tries to go by.

It is also possible that the door is becoming wedged as it gets toward the lowest position. There may be a small diameter cable attached to the lower section of the door on each side that goes up toward the top and spools onto the spring assist lifter at the top. It is possible that one of these cables has broken, become detached or has doubled over itself in the spool mechanism. One or the other of these could cause the door to not be supported uniformly on each side or the cable not allowed to un-spool nicely on one side.


Can i get electrocuted with boiler I just got my new electric Bosch boiler because my old one has been making strange noises, now im a little bit scared.. can i get electrocuted trough water while im showering..should i turn it off while showering and how smart is that.. :D

If it has been properly installed, you cannot be electrocuted. The metal parts of the boiler and any metal pipes will be connected to earth. If there is a fault, your breaker will disconnect the electricity. If you are concerned check that the electric  circuit that powers the boiler has RCD protection.


What is involved in replacing leaking iron drain pipes in a house with a concrete foundation? I noticed cracks in the walls getting larger and called someone to check on the foundation. The foundation is fine (it's previously been repaired) but the center of the house is sinking. I plugged the outside drain line and did a leak test, and the water level in the shower drain dropped pretty quickly, so I'm pretty sure there is a leak.

My house was built in the 60s and I'm told it should have iron drain pipes. I assume the problem is a pipe running through the foundation to the outside sewer line. What is going to be involved in replacing the drain pipes? Am I going to have to tear up the floors all over my house to get all of them?

EDIT: I should add that this is Texas, so I don't have a basement.

Vertical sections of cast iron rarely need replacement.  Horizontal ones do.  I would get a quote(s) from a plumber that does/has connections with sewer line installations.

They should start with a in-line camera review.

Chances are most of your work will be in the (hopefully you have) basement and yard to the main sewer, but again, don't panic until someone runs the camera


double fence and easement issues Both my neighbor and I have a fence, parallel to each other, at the back of our houses, with little space between them. My fence needs repair. What is the best way going forward?

Some posts are leaning and the runner is broken in a couple of spots. A partial repair is possible but probably won't look nice.

Does it make sense for me to come into my property by a foot and leave that space between the two fences? Perhaps adding a gate so that I can go between the fences and do periodic clean up of brush etc.

There is a power line about fence, and ATT line crossing the fence underground and mostly at least two feet away.

Fence is about 90 feet by 8 feet. What is a reasonable replacement cost?

My locale requires a minimum 6" set back from property lines for fences; check with your local building regulations and verify that a foot meets or exceeds the easement.

What makes sense to me is for neighbors to split the cost of a fence and be cool about it. If you want to tie into their fence and it is decent shape, get an agreement written up and pay them a fair price. If you can't work something out with your neighbor, then it does make sense to set it back a bit and create a gate so you can clean it out.

Cost is off topic here and it is too broad of a question. Check with two or three local builders and pick the one you like best.


Drilling depth for 3" anchor sleeve? Im concrete, How deep does the hole have to be so that a 3" anchor sleeve is most effective?

I'm drilling in very hard concrete, and I've drilled about 2.5" in depth. Is that good enough?

They'll be used to anchor these simpson ez bases.

IMHO full depth = full strength.

If you don’t go full depth, will you add washers to make the anchor fit snug to base?


Is a ten guage solid copper wire safe to use for a range? The old house I bought has 10 gauge wiring to the range receptacle. Without fishing wires through the walls or attic, can I use that wire for my range? The old range receptacle has an L shaped ground slot and the range is a straight slot.

For a safe and code compliant setup, everything has to be compatible:

the breaker
the wire
the receptacle
the range cord / plug
the range itself

What you can use is determined by the range;  the manufacturer's instructions will state what operating voltage and ampacity is suitable for the electrical circuit.
The breaker is the main safety device, it protects the wire from starting a fire if there's a short or overload.  If you have 10 gauge wire, you're probably limited to a 30 amp breaker.  Most ranges require a 40 amp or 50 amp breaker.
The receptacle has to be suitable for the ampacity of the circuit.  The NEMA specifies a receptacle configuration for all the various circuits / ampacities.  Ranges usually operate on combination 240/120 volt circuits, and either 40 or 50 amps.  Many will also run on 208/120V circuits, and some will only operate on 208/120V circuits.
The range is usually sold with the NEMA cord and plug for the NEMA receptacle that's suitable for the type of circuit your range requires, if it is not included with the range, the appliance store will usually sell one that's suitable per the manufacturer's instructions.  They may sell you both a three prong and four prong cord and plug set for your range;  older homes often have three prong circuits with no safety ground, and have three wire receptacles.  Newer work will have four wire 120/240V range circuits with four wires circuits and four slot receptacles.  You would (carefully) follow the manufacturers instructions to attach the three-wire or four-wire cord to terminals in the range.
Unless your range is made for a 30 amp circuit, you're probably going to have to run new wire.  Even if your range operates at 40A, I'd install a 40A breaker and receptacle with wire capable of 50A.  There's nothing wrong with oversizing the wire, and this way you can upgrade the stove by changing the breaker and receptacle without changing the wire.


Connecting two thermostats in parallel to control old millivolt wall gas heater Hello I have a very old propane wall heater on a vacation home. It is a "millivolt" type that does not require external power (no battery, no 24 VAC, no 110 VAC). It is a simple 2 wire system. No C wire. You can see the current thermostat here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQWADS

I would like to keep this thermostat because we often lose power at this location. This allows me to control the gas heater even without electricity.

However I would like to install a smart thermostat in parallel that I can control remotely via the internet - but keep the existing one as back up. In case of a power  outage, I can still control the temperature when I'm at the same location.

I understand that most smart thermostats like Nest don't support millivolt heaters out of the box, but I've read there are ways to rewire them to support them, especially the UK version of Nest. Regardless of this possible issue, my question is more basic:

Will two thermostats wired in parallel work well with each other?

Will heater run as long as one of the thermostats is ON (even if the other one is OFF)?  Are there any conflicts or concerns is both thermostats are ON at the same time?  Any concerns if one is ON and the other is OFF?

Thank you.

The quick answer is yes: if both of your thermostats are the "dry contact" type, meaning they're a simple switch with no voltage applied, then they can be wired in parallel and connected to your millivolt gas valve. When either one or both together calls for heat the heater would turn on.

You're also correct that most thermostats designed for 24 VAC controlled furnaces etc wouldn't work directly with the millivolt system. It seems that such a thermostat could control a millivolt system, though, if you wire things so that the thermostat operates a relay and the relay interfaces to the millivolt system.


Replacing a switch where power comes thru the fan to the timer switch, with only 2-wires? I can see an answer where it suggests a 3-wire run from the fixture but I'm hoping to use existing wiring and it only has black and white wires coming from the bathroom fan to the old timer switch.

The new modern timer switch has red, white and black wires out (and green of course).

Which wires connect to which wires please?

and thanks
Scott

You got the wrong timer switch.  You grabbed one of these digital jobs because you're too cool for school.  Unfortunately your wiring is not.

What you need is the trusty dusty mechanical model, available in any "max time" you like.  That one's an hour, you can get 15, 30, 2 hours, all the way up to 12.


pressed in faucet seat evaluation Is this seat removable? No, vintage.
Will this seat leak?
Will a beveled washer help if it does.
Is there anything a seat dresser can do that i cant do with a grinding stone on a dremel.

Stem. Sterling 22-1081 is a close fit.

What is the exact size of this and how do you install it?

NATIONAL BRAND ALTERNATIVE 555251 COLD RENU BARREL BIBB SEAT

Yes. Maybe. Yes.
To remove a seat use this tool
You can see at the 10 Oclock position on the seat (2) chips are missing which may cause a opening when the washer is pressed down to stem the water flow.
A beveled washer may make a complete seal rather than a flat washer, but your better off, as you mentioned, to replace or grind the seat. Check/replace both. Replacing is probably the easiest and most assured  way to repair the faucet. Any well stocked hardware store will have an assortment of seats. Take the damaged one with you.
A seat dresser will have a guide for the dressing wheel that keeps it steady and at a 90 degree position for a uniform removal of seat material.  Replacing the seat is easier and more likely to be successful at repairing the problem.
stepped washer


Can i use my old electric water heater electrical supply wire to power new outlets? I removed an electric hot water heater and replaced it with a gas unit.
Can I use the 10 gauge 30 amp line to install 3 outside outlets and how to do it.

Yes, it can, but for normal 120v outlets, you'll need to swap the 240 volt/30 amp breaker for a 120v 20 amp,  I suggest a "DUFI" if available for your panel.  DUFIs are industry slang for Dual function breakers.  They actually do 4 things:  1) Normal over-current protection, 2) Ground Fault protection, 3) Series arc fault protection and 4) parallel arc fault protection. You'll need to get filler plate to block off the space since the 120 v breaker will be taking 1 slot whereas the 240 took two.
Depending upon your jurisdiction, only GFCI may be required for outdoor outlets. But AFCI isn't a bad thing.   Others here (with more knowledge than me) favor using GFCI breakers in panels rather than GFCI outlets, the reasoning is they are protected from the weather, by being installed in a panel and last a lot longer.
OK, that aside said, moving on:  At the box where the old water heater was, run 12/2 from there to your outdoor outlets. Use high quality outlets, not $.79 cheapies.
You'll install the white wire that is now the neutral to the GFCI breaker (assuming you go that route), and the white pig-tail from the breaker to the neutral bus bar.  If you choose to use a GFCI outlet "first in line" for your outdoor outlets, you'll need to move the white wire that was formally connected to the water heater breaker to the neutral bus bar.  Mark the 10ga wires with a tag saying there is 12ga as part of that circuit. Any decent electrician would probably realize that, but a future homeowner might not. No penalty for clarity!
I'd like to see a pic of the inside of your main panel to see exactly what we are dealing with.  Brand and age of panel also helps.  Based on that, I may update my answer.
CAVEAT:  What I responded with is what is a "typical" install, if you have something more unique, your mileage my vary.  Again, shoot us a pic of the innards and we can be more sure.


How to add grounded junction boxes when installing recessed lighting? I'm interested in adding recessed lighting in my basement where there are only two flush mount fluorescent fixtures, so I'd be adding 8 or 10 additional fixtures. My home has no dedicated ground wire, all three prong outlets (that have been converted from two) are grounded via the boxes.

How do I go about adding new fixtures and grounding them properly?

For jobs like that I am very fond of EMT conduit.  It's a semi-improved space so it's a good fit.  You lay the conduit (the metal conduit is a legit ground path) and then when it's done, you run the wires.  The material cost is pretty good except you'll need a $30 bender and waste a stick or two of 1/2" conduit tube until you get the hang of the tiny offset bends.

However, EMT inherently connects the grounds of all those locations together, and

Don't "island" grounds

I heard you mention that your house wiring has no grounds, and your receptacles are grounded "to the box".  That only works if the box is grounded!!  and "grounded" means all the way back to the main panel to the neutral-ground bond and the grounding electrode system (the intertie to ground rods or water pipe). Otherwise, it can work against you.

Consider this.  Imagine a 2-socket outlet that is grounded "to the box", but the box is not grounded.  You plug a PC into one socket, and a plastic case battery charger into the other.  Unbeknownst to you, the battery charger has a hot-ground fault.  Ok, so the fault voltage is carried to the ground wire, and is safely grounded back to the panel, right?  No, it's not.  It lifts the ground wire, and thenunction box up to 120V.  Wait, isn't the PC also grounded there?  Yes, it is.  The chassis of the PC is also lifted to 120V.  You touch the PC and blammo.

The PC does not have any problems.  It got electrified because of the ground fault over on the heater.  In effect, your ”isolated island” of grounding worked against you - it assured that if one device has a ground fault, everything has a ground fault.

The upshot is, "no half measures".  Grounds start at the link between the grounding rod /water pipe and the main panel neutral ground bond.  Then grounds propagate from there.  Anything else isn't really grounded.


What is the difference between a single and double union pressure reducing valve/regulator? My house was built in 1978 and the water meter is underground. In 2016 a plumber moved my water meter away from the street and closer to my house. Apparently there was something weird about the PRV he used and it's a single union. Can I use a double union as a replacement? What is the difference? Thank you.

A double-union device, and it doesn't matter if it's a pressure reducer or valve or whatever, should always be used where it's not at an end of the line.  That way if it ever needs to be removed for replacement or service, that can be done.
The single-union will not have enough clearance to be removed since it's likely the pipes on either side of it will not be movable.  As you unscrew the non-union side, the union side will be pushed into the pipe and likely prevent you from getting it off.
Interestingly, I've seen a water company service guy reach down into a valve/meter box, unscrew the two unions on the valve (it had broken) and screw a new one in without having to shut off the main.  It didn't take him 30 seconds to do it.  They didn't want to shut off the main because my street only had a single shutoff for the entire length of the main vs. hookup by hookup shutoffs which are standard these days.  He could never have done that with a single-union valve.


Pouring footer in dirt without form A construction site close to my house made their footer by just digging a ditch around the perimeter of the building and poured concrete directly in the dirt with no wooden form. I'm just curious if that's the proper way to do it or should it have a wooden form that comes off when cured.

P.S.: Picture pending

That's the way it has been done for centuries, if not close to it...Adaptations of using wood forms help in waterproofing issues or if there is no concern of freezing, and an over dig, (digging a larger area out, beyond the foundation line for certain purposes) that may aid in waterproofing, drainage or what-have-you.


Electrician Terminology "FAU" I've noticed these letters several times written on the circuit breaker panel door. Does someone know what F.A.U. stands for in this context?

FAU is likely a "forced air unit" (e.g. a heater or air conditioner).
If it's two breaker switches tied together, that's a 240V volt circuit (if there's no tie between the two switches, that's an immediate hazard and must be fixed).


What is causing the loud screeching noise when my A/C shuts off? When my A/C turns off after a few minutes it makes a screeching sound that lasts about 20 seconds. You can hear it about two houses down it is so loud. My unit has a heat pump, and is about 5 years old.

I have had four HVAC people look at it and no one can figure it out. Two of them said they had never heard anything like it. I had the reversing valve changed about two weeks ago and the noise stopped for two weeks and now it is back.

Other than the noise, the A/C works great. What could be causing the noise?

It could be a leaking discharge valve or reed on the compressor. When the compressor shuts down the head pressure pushes past the valve. If the unit has service valves, shut off the discharge valve out of the unit, run the compressor until the head pressure increases to it's max, shut off the compressor and listen. Any good service tech can do this. If there are no service valves, then I would run the unit, shut off the compressor and use a stethoscope to listen to the compressor. If it is not the compressor then use the stethoscope on the reversing valve. Check the fan bearings to make sure it is not the culprit. And while you are at it go find a good service tech and never call the other 4 imposters.


How can I repair the structure of this floor? I am working on a house that the concrete piers on the back side have tilted, and pulled the ledger board and header away from floor joists. this resulted in the floor joists dropping over about a 30 foot span.
so far we have fixed the water drainage issue causing the piers to tilt, we have raised the back side of the home and pulled the ledger and header back into position. the floor joists are now resting on the ledger board, but the joists lack around a half inch in certain spots from flushing up to the header.

the ledger is two 2x8 beams that have been nailed together, with the header being a 2x10 beam sitting on top of one of those ledger beams, like this (side view):

l         this is the header. this text is parallel to the floor joists.
ll        this is the ledger
lllll     this is the concrete pier

the people who built this home didn't use joist hangers; instead, they nailed ONE nail into the outside of the header going into the floor joists...

a couple of questions i need help with:

the ledger boards have separated in three spots from one another, up to 3/4 of an inch, probably due to our jacking and pulling in activities. Could I use bolts, and bolt them back together? Or should I sister another 2x8 along their length, and bolt all three together? this would add another 1.5 inches for the joists to rest on, so that seems like a better solution, but not sure. also by doing this, I am thinking maybe the extra board would apply pressure to the concrete piers and allow them to pull back to level.
Can I use joist hangers on the joists in the areas where it is still pulled away from the header board up to a half inch? There is not sag and the wood is all in good shape. Is there a problem with doing any of this?

I am not a carpenter by trade, my side is electrical, but I have framed out a few buildings in my time and I am very good with the tools needed.

You need an engineer and an inspector to tell you what to do in this situation.


removing tree roots without stump grinder I am installing a sprinkler system in my backyard but a thick tree root is crossing a pipe path. This tree was actually removed last year (cut & stump grinding) and the tree roots are the remaining ones. One easy way is of course to rent a stump grinder but don't want to spend money only for this job. I am wondering if there is any other alternative way. I was thinking of using router bits to cut off the top portion of the roots up to, say 10" so that the pipe can pass. But, I am wondering if there is any other better method.

Use a pickaxe to dig a hole around the tree root, and use an axe or a saw to cut the root. Repeat as necessary.
This works reasonably well for one tree, not so well for a forest.


How far into a footing pier should rebar extend from the rock below? Cottage is on Canadian shield (igneous rock) and unfortunately slopes off where deck footings are being installed.  The deck will be secured only to a corner of the cottage and the two furthest footings will be on that sloped rock.
Chiseled squares out of sloped rock using a borrowed Hilti to obtain some flatness. Then drilled four 5 inch holes (16 inches apart) to secure 1/2 inch Rebar with epoxy. Rebar extends out of the rock about 12 inches. Bent all four overlapping & tying the ends together in the center with wire. The bent rebar rests about 4 inches above the rock.  Added an additional four 5 inch holes nearer to the center and secured smaller pieces of rebar standing straight up about 4 inches above the rock. Then (in one pour) added a 20"x20" square footing 5 inches thick  and another smaller 18"x18" pier (?) 4 inches thick on top.
So i think i have lots of secured rebar but similar to a previous question - there is not much out there on how to.  With the one pour does the rebar need to be higher within the concrete?

Well, if it's poured & done, you're evidently into the test phase, so this is not really going to help you much unless it fails and you replace it (which seems unlikely.)
Normally you want rebar a few (2-3, depending on conditions) inches deep in the concrete (for corrosion resistance) but otherwise as near the edges as practical, and connected to as much of the mass as practical.
The basic spacing sounds reasonable, but the fact that it's all within the footing is less than optimal for the pier. There are probably few tension loads on the pier, so it's likely to be fine - you've got the footing attached to the bedrock.
Normally you also want to "cage" between your uprights - tying the bent-over bars in the middle is probably doing the least they can do for you, but you didn't cut them long enough to bend over and reach the next corner, and you don't mention bending and tying any other rebar in that position, or adding mesh. Whether doing a single pour or two pours, it's good practice to have rebar sticking up from the base into the pier, though your pier is rather short. So having it stick up 4" when the pier starts at 5 inches and tops out at 9 inches is less than ideal.
When anchoring to rock, I prefer to drill at slight angles so the rods cannot be pulled straight out as a set once the concrete is poured, regardless of epoxy or grout holding them in the holes.


Extra Wire in Light Switch Box? I'm attempting to replace two switches in my house with smart switches (specifically, this one for the lights and this one for the fan). Upon opening my switch box and loosening the old light switches, I found the switches connected like so:

As you can see, the left switch has three wires connected to it: a ground connected to the bottom left screw (not visible in the picture; sorry), a red wire connected to the top-right screw, and a black wire wrapped around the bottom-right. That black wire is also connected to the bottom-right screw of the right switch, along with a second black wire (this is the "extra" wire I'm puzzled about). A third black wire is connected to the top-right screw of the switch, and a ground wire is connected to the bottom-left (once again, not visible). There were also three neutral wires linked together with a wire connector behind the entire setup.

I know the wire daisy-chaining the two switches is the line wire. And I know the red wire going out of the left switch is the load wire for the lights.

Following the instructions that came with the new switches, I wired them up like so. I hooked up the left and switchs' load and ground wires using wire connectors (I assumed the black wire originally going to the top-right of the right switch was its load; this seemed to be correct, but I'm not sure). Because the left switch needs to be connected via a wire connector and the right switch has a screw to wrap a cable around, I reversed the original setup of the line wire; it now connects to the right switch first before connecting to the left. I connected the neutral wire on the switch to the set of neutral wires I originally found, and just sort of left the last wire hanging there.

The whole setup looks like this:

And it seems to work. The lights turn on/off and can dim, and the fan turns on/off and has its speed controlled by the switch. But there's that extra wire there, seemingly going to nowhere, that was originally connected to the bottom-right screw of the right switch (along with the line wire). I obviously don't think they would've included an extra wire just for fun, but the whole setup seems to work without it being hooked up to anything.

Which takes my long-winded story to the question: what is this wire for, and what should I do with it?

You have the right idea

You understand that a wire going into a backstab right next to the screw is the same as going to the screw.   And you understand that when a wire goes to the backstab, and another goes to the screw right next to it, those wires are also connected to each other.

Let's pause, to remove confusion, and take that load/switched wire that was on the old right switch (the black one) and mark it with let's say yellow tape because it'll match that Lutron.

Respect how it was before

Now, look at the previous configuration.  You had the supply wire, a switch's lower screw, the pigtail between switches, the other switch, and this mystery wire all connected to each other.  And they are all black.  And they are the only black wires in the box (since we re-colored that yellow).  And, spoiler-alert, they were all intended to be always-hot or "line".

Since they're meant to be together and are the same thing...  Connect them all together.  So you'd join the 2 black wires from the wall (i.e. not yellow) with the 2 black wires or pigtails to the new switches.


Valve to select higher pressure water source I'm trying to build an irrigation system which runs off city water supply and pumped water from a rainwater storage tank.

To keep it simple, the idea is to have the sprinkler timer open a valve from the city water, as well as turn on the tank pump. Each path has a backflow preventor, and they meet in the middle at a T before going to the sprinkler.

Using a pressure reducer, I keep the city water lower than the pumped water, so if the pump is on (tank not empty), its water is what goes to the sprinkler. However I'm not sure that will work on its own. If one is 30PSI and the other 20PSI, will the 30 win out entirely, or will the city water contribute too?

I'm thinking what might be necessary is a valve which selects the higher pressure water source, turning off the lower pressure one. A diagram might be something like this:

Where the central piece can slide left/right to block off the lower pressure, allowing the higher pressure to exit.

Does such a thing exist? Is there a better option?

This would be called a shuttle valve...

They are quite common in hydraulic control systems.

The only use I can find for irrigation is small 1/8" and 1/4" units for agricultural irrigation controls. Usual implementation is a stainless steel ball that rolls back and forth between two brass seats.


Wall shelving: 2 or 3 brackets? I am trying to build wall shelves in this little nook here. The space is 52 inches long.

I'm using these wooden brackets from Ikea:

But I am unsure whether to use 2 brackets, or 3. (2 would be ideal, visually)

I believe the wall might be concrete or brick. It's definitely not dry wall.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have "student" bookcases I built years ago, which have 4'-long 1x12 (nominal) shelves supported only be a pair of shelf clips at each end, carrying two solid rows of paperbacks each. (One upright, one tilted back in front of them.) These sag just a bit in the middle, but have no trouble handling the distributed weight.

You've got a shorter span, so you don't need the stiffness of my 1x12s.  And if you're using shelf brackets at the 1/4 and 3/4 locations, the weight "outboard" of the brackets will tend to balance the weight between them, so sag would be less significant (and better distributed so less visible).

So I think the real question here is only how well you can affix the brackets to that wall.


Replacing ceiling fan/light combo with LED light only Replacing an old ugly ceiling fan/light combo with LED light. Two issues.

Three wires come out of the ceiling - Red, Black, & White. LED light has only Black and white. Tried capping red white connecting black to black and white to white but the light did not come on. I tested this with the current light switch, not the one I want to replace it with - see below.

I also purchase an LED dimmer switch. Looks like the original fan/light had one switch for light and one for the fan. That was replaced sometime as the fan switch does not work but is still wired to the light switch. The fan I just took down had a pull chain to turn on the variable speed fan.

I'm now in over my head. What do I need to do?

The black/red/white at the ceiling junction box are travelers.
Most-common wiring will have the following:

You're going to find power at the existing switches, one switch should have two black and one switch should have one black and one red. One of these switches will be downstream from the other.

Figure out which is downstream and delete it (switch, wiring, and the box if it's a separate box demo the box or use a blank plate or if it's the same box go buy a blank insert if you have decorator switches). Most common wiring practice will have a cable entering one of the switch boxes, three-way nutted to another cable leaving the box and a pigtail to the switch in that box; if you have that, you'll pull them apart and test them all to see which is carrying the power.


How to glue back a piece of wood (particle board) that fell from my kitchen cupboard? As seen in the attached images, a piece of wood fell my from my kitchen cupboard, leaving behind a trace of something that looks like a red dried glue. (I don't have much experience with DIY and have no idea what kind of glue this is.)
What do you recommend I should do to glue back the piece? Should I try first to scrape out the red glue? The glue seems to have been very coarsely applied and some areas have noticeable bumps. It also seems very firmly glued to the cupboard.
Moreover, what kind/product of glue do you recommend me to use? I fear that some wood glues wouldn't work in this situation, as the glue has to be applied vertically. Moreover, the bumps of the red glue might make it difficult for the piece to connect back with the cupboard.
Many thanks!

Well, all that glue did was to stick itself to the cupboard. There was not much in contact with the bit that fell off. So make sure of good contact next time.


Top loader washing machine fill valve drips continuously I have a top loader washing machine. When it's done washing it keeps dripping from the top fill valve, where the water fills up the drum.

The Solenoid Valve is leaking.  It is an easy repair if you are comfortable with disassembly and re-assembly of the machine.

It should be about a $20-50 part depending on your machine.  It may be possible to replace the soft goods in the valve and repair it, but its probably not worth it as all the work is in taking the machine apart and putting it back together.


Garage door - sunlight & garage door sensor Can direct sunlight interrupt the sensor, preventing the door from going all the way down?  At night, early mornings or on overcast days my garage door goes up and down with no problem.  However, when the sun is out the door will go down partially then back up.  What can cause this?

My Genie suffered the same issue, sunlight "blinding" the system.

After reading all the "fixes", it occurred to me that the one simple remedy would be to simply reverse the devices, putting the receiver pointing away from the sunlight instead of into it.

The opener doesn't care which way it's laid out; it's totally arbitrary, at the whim of the installer.

The wiring on the Genie is very simple, with two leads to each device. This can be done in either of two ways: "home runs", (a pair of leads to each device), or a "loop", (one lead going to one device, then looping over to the other one). Both circuits are electronically the same. The red wire connects to the white with black stripe and the white wire connects to the white-only wire.

It took ten minutes to do, and I didn't have to build any boxes or use any toilet paper tubes. Hope this helps.


Is it possible to move a vent from the floor to the wall without ducts? my contractor needs to move the floor vent to the new closet wall.  His plan is to simply partially close off the floor vent, then build the closet wall over the remaining portion, allowing the air to just flow into the closet wall and out a vent which he will install about a foot off the ground.  He plans to block off the airflow about a foot off the ground with a 2x4 framed into the closet walls.  This does not seem like a good idea to me.  Doesnt he need to protect the drywall from moisture?  Or insulate the interior of the closet wall?

A vent isn't hard to extend.  Any decent contractor could extend your current vent to closet wall.  I am assuming this is the outside of the closet too - you don't ever put a vent in the inside of a closet and not even sure that is code.  Anyway you need to part ways with this contractor if you can. If he even thinks about telling you something that dumb then who knows what he is doing when you aren't watching.


How to cut wide shallow grooves in existing driveway slab I want to create look of giant poured in place pavers on my driveway, using the existing concrete slab. Other than cutting all the way thru the slab and removing giant lines of concrete, then refilling it to desired depth, is there an easier way to do this? I want 3-4” grooves between pavers for that fake turf grass. Don’t think I need more than 1” depth for that. My question is: is there a tool or grinder blade that can cut a wide, shallow channel in concrete that DOESN’T have to be chipped out?

Put a 1" topping on your slab. Leave 3" grooves out of the topping


Maximum toilet pipe width? It looks like incorporating a wider toilet pipe "system" (everything from the u-shaped tube of the bathroom toilet down to the home pipe that finally connects to the greater "public" sewer system) should make for an overall "less cloggable" toilet experience.

But, since homebuilders can't alter the general public sewer pipes dimensions, is there a legal limit as to how maximally wide the pipes of a home sewer system (just for the house itself!) can be? It seems like there would be some limit here to prevent the general/public sewer system itself from getting clogged -- by keeping everyone's "home" sewer plumbing widths to a minimum!

Regulations (if any - they are mostly concerned with minimum sizes) will vary with the LAHJ (local area having jurisdiction) but the simple and practical consideration (if connecting to a sewer) is that your pipe size from the house should be equal to or smaller than the pipe size from the street.

A reduction in size will be more prone to clogging, and it's your house that will have the clog, not the general public.

There is no real benefit to the public system in limiting the size of pipe in houses - the size of pipe does not materially affect the amount of flow, which is based on number of occupants and fixtures, not the size of the pipe.

Where there is no sewer, the input connection on your septic tank will set the maximum practical pipe size (typically 4" in the US unless special-ordering a larger intake, which is really not called for on any normal-scale single-dwelling septic system.)


Can I replace a spiral window balance with a constant force balance? I have old vinyl windows from '79 that currently have 24" long 5/8" diameter spiral balances.  They have the red tip.  Can I replace these with constant force balances?

As a manufacturer of all three types of window, balances, Caldwell are uniquely positioned to have insight into you question.

Does this look like your balance?  Its Caldwells' EZ Lift series

Unfortunately, their constant force balances require a much different mechanism, so a new window would likely be needed.


Ceiling fiberglass getting yellow because of bad primer? We started to prepare an old reinforced concrete ceiling of a panel building for painting. We cleaned off several layers of very old soviet wallpapers, glue, paint, putty and other stuff. Then we applied primer, then putty, primer again and then glued fiberglass(with Seinaliim glue). The next day fiberglass got yellow stains all over the place, everywhere. It seems like places where we applied more primer became more yellowish. And it's quite possible that I bought a wrong kind of primer. I was told to buy "Ceresit CT 17" but I bought "Ceresit CT 17 Pro" instead.
We were given advice that if we apply a new layer of another primer then we could fix it and then put some finisher putty and paint. And it won't be yellow.
The question is: Why it could happen and will extra layer of good primer help protect the paint from this yellowing?
Here is an image of the kind of fiberglass we used:

I don't think it's insulation, it's rather thin. The painter said we need it for the paint to look good.
I didn't make a photo of the result because the yellow spots are not vivid enough and won't be visible on my camera.

You will probably need a shellac based primer. It sounds like the coloring in the insulation is bleeding through.
I have found that shellac based primers are the only way to stop bleed through with other painting projects.
Zinser, bin and kill are the primer brands that work well for me.
I have no association with these products other than being a satisfied customer.


Voltage between shower faucet and drain Is it normal to have voltage between shower faucet and drain?
I measured 2 volts between shower faucet and drain when water heater is off, and 11-12 volts when it is on?

No, this is not normal and dangerous. I suggest that you hire an electrician or least favorable option (ground is like crazy science to regular person and there are a lot of gotcha ya), do your own research. It looks like there is insufficient grounding and your heater or some other appliance has a ground fault. All of the electrical circuits and appliances must be grounded and all metallic piping must be bonded.


When did it become illegal to use lead solder in residential plumbing? I'm looking for a citation on when the requirements to use lead-free solder in residential plumbing took effect.

Why? On 06/09/2009 a local plumbing company re-plumbed the house I live in.  Today we had lead testing done and found:

Pipes: trace amount of lead
Brass Fittings: 6.25%
Solder: .7%

The fitting at 6.25% was legal at the time.
The pipes are fine.
But that solder number seems quite high for 2009 in California.

A fine fact sheet is at http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/upload/lead-in-plumbing-fact-sheet.pdf but it does not give the history.

The main site before your link shows that is was in Jan 2009 (par 3)
, with the regulations before 2010 being 0.2% for lead solder.


120/240 Multi wire branch circuit - failed inspection because of uneven loads? From a double pole 20-amp breaker, I ran 12/3 w/g to a quad box with a 120 receptacle and a 240 receptacle. Red wire from one pole of the breaker to the 240, ground to the grounds, white to neutral bar in the panel and then the 120 outlet, and black from the other pole of the breaker to the box where it's pigtailed and split to the 120 and 240. The inspector failed me because this "produces uneven loads on the breakers".

I'm confused because everything I've read/seen indicates that this is exactly how to run such a circuit and the inspector could not well explain the problem or point it out in the code. Worse case if I run a tool drawing 20 amps on the 240 and plug something in drawing 10amps on the 120, both poles trip no harm no foul. I don't understand the problem or what exactly in the code I violated. He wants me to add another breaker, pull another wire, and put the 120 on its own hot.

According to 210.4.c of the NEC MWB shall supply only line to neutral loads. With 2 exceptions. #1 supplies only 1 utilization equipment. #2. All ungrounded conductors opened are opened simultaneously by the branch circuit OCD.
Because of this wording many inspectors won't allow line to line to be used but it is legal , if you have a NEC hand book you can even see an example exhibit 210.2 that I have used in the past for an air conditioner and standard outlet in my case it was a 20 amp 240/120 outlet. How do they know what you are going to plug into it?


How do you hard wire a lamp socket to the ceiling? I have a swag style pendant lamp that I want to hard wire into the ceiling. I cut the plug off the lamp cord and wired it directly to the neutral and hot wires in the ceiling recess. I made sure the neutral and hot wires went to the corresponding terminals in the lamp socket. There is a ground wire in the ceiling recess, I have not touched this as my wiring does not have a ground and I am not sure what to do with it.

Anyway, when I turn the light on nothing happens. I can confirm the hot wire is energized as my live wire detector beeps when it is next to it. It beeps all the way down to the lamp holder.

The lamp holder appears to be wired correctly, it has power to it and a fresh bulb but nothing happens.

I've never wired anything like this before so it's entirely possible I've messed something up or misunderstood something fundamental.

Edit: I should mention when I first wired this up I had live and neutral reversed in the lamp socket and got a short when I turned it on. I don't think the fuse is blown because I get power and I changed the bulb to make sure the bulb was not blown either.

This is assumes we're talking a screw in bulb socket like a medium base A26.  You can adapt the below for other socket types.

The first thing to do is test the socket itself.  Best way to do this is to use a multi-meter set to AC and an appropriate voltage setting for your supply voltage.  Using the test leads, touch the bottom pin and the metal of the base exterior (the part the bulb screws into).  It should read your supply voltage. If it does not then there is an issue with the socket itself.   If it reads the correct voltage, either your bulbs are bad or they are not making contact with the socket.  With the power off, try using a screw driver to gently lift the bottom pin up a bit and then try your bulb again.


Sprinkler system & smoke detectors - Illinois code requirements when closing loft I am looking to close a loft and turn it into bedroom.
I live in Illinois and house (built on 2007) has fire sprinkle system and smoke detectors through all the floors. After closing loft there will be none.

Do i have to install sprinkle system in new bedroom?

Do i have to install smoke detector in New bedroom? Can I just use simple battery smoke detectors or do i need to wire it? Current smoke detectors have common line (interconnect)

do I need to add return air duct in this new room?

Is there anything else I should watch for?

Thanks
Arek

You will need to have sprinklering run to the new bedroom, and a smoke alarm fitted as well
In order to keep a sprinklered house in compliance with codes that require sprinklering, any rooms that are added on or "carved out" and are not exempt from sprinklers (small bathrooms and closets are exempted from that by NFPA 13D and IRC P2904) must be sprinklered as well.  Note that you will need professional help for this, both because most states require a professional license to work on any fire suppression system and, more importantly, many fire sprinkler systems are hydraulically calculated and thus require those rather non-trivial calculations to be rerun any time the system is added on to.
You'll also need an interconnected smoke alarm in the new bedroom; this is an easier problem to solve though, as it's just a matter of running a /3 cable of the appropriate type and gauge from an existing smoke alarm to a box in a suitable place in the new bedroom and tying that cable into the existing smoke alarm circuit, then installing the smoke alarm.  (Of course, if you have an alarm panel with system smoke detectors instead, that's a different story, and probably one you're best off talking to the alarm system installers about.  It's not impossible to DIY adding a smoke detector to such a system, but you have to be a little more careful to get the right stuff for such a situation.)
The return duct, however, is not essential; some houses get by just fine with a central return point instead of a fully ducted return.  You'll probably want a supply register, of course, which will mean a duct run for the new bedroom, though.  You'll also want to make sure the loft has a large enough operable window to serve as an emergency escape and rescue opening (aka "means of escape", or an operable window that provides a minimum of 5.7 square feet of clear area when open with a minimum height of 24" and a minimum width of 20" for that clear area).


Equalizing upstairs and downstairs temperatures when A/C is on Our A/C unit is in the attic in an unfinished area on the second floor. The A/C thermostat is in the finished area on the other side of the wall from the unit. As expected, the the second floor is generally several degrees warmer than the downstairs and we have the A/C thermostat set at what is for us a comfortable 76 degrees. It appears to be working as expected, but while the upstairs is kept at 76 degrees, the downstairs is generally about 5 degrees colder.

Would a simple solution be to partially close some (all?) of the downstairs A/C vents help to raise the temperature there - I would experiment by gradually making small changes? Or would partially closing the vents in any way hamper the efficient running of the A/C?

Thanks.

Cold air always sinks (gosh !   :-)  ), so the  stable condition will pretty much always have the lower floor ending up cooler than the upper floor.   Yes,  closing downstairs vents will help balance things out, and at least avoid overshoot in the downstairs temperature.   There should be dampers in the ductwork close to the heat exchanger (in the attic) and those are designed to adjust flow rates for each path.  If those weren't installed, go ahead and partially close whatever dampers are at the exit points of the downstairs vents.


How can I combine two outlets into one output using OR logic? I need some sort of electrical device which would combine the output of a switched electrical outlet with a programmable timer plugged into a non-switched outlet. Then I would plug lamps into said electrical device, and have the timer set to be on only from 10 minutes before my alarm goes off in the morning, to 10 minutes before I need to leave for work. This way I could turn my lamps off at night, the timer would turn them on in the morning, then turn them off right before I leave for work, and then when I come back, I can use the wall switch to turn them off and on as I please.

I'm pretty sure this cannot be done and would most likely short out, but the way I visualize this is something like an extension cord with two outlets, and then put Male to Male adapters on the outputs and a Female to Female adapter on the input.

From what I've read, it seems what I'm looking for is very similar to a redundant power strip, however these are $150+ and I'm looking for $25 and under. I'm guessing there would also need to be some sort of relay to switch which power source is being used to power the power strip, and to prevent any shorts.

        Switched Outlet ->  ||
                            ||  -> Lamps
Normal Outlet -> Timer  ->  ||
                            ^
                            |
                  Mystery Electrical Component

There probably isn't anything you can buy that does this for a residential application, but it's done all the time in industrial plants, like this:

As the drawing suggests, make good and sure that you're only using ONE phase.  In other words, don't put the switch on one phase and the timer on the other, wire them together, and expect them to work.

Call an industrial electrician if you're not sure about doing this yourself; I wouldn't expect a residential one to understand this.  (When I worked for an industrial controls company, some customers hired residential guys to do the wiring.  I was very impressed with them...the wrong way.)

Alternatively, most residential timers have provisions for manual override, as long as you can access the timer itself.  But judging by your question, it seems that you want to bury the timer and forget about it.


Necessity of electrical boxes Are electrical boxes required by code to house electrical devices and outlets or is it just an accepted way of doing it?

If it is required, where does this requirement come from? Would it still hold up if an outlet receptacle had no exposed metal parts (and accepted wiring with push-in terminals)?

Electrical boxes are required by code for some wiring methods.  300.15 specifically mentions conduit, tubing, Types AC, MC, MI, nonmetallic sheathed cable, and other cables. However, 300.15(H) says that insulated devices do not require a box, as permitted by 334.40(B).

300.15(H) Insulated Devices. As permitted in 334.40(B), a box or conduit body shall not be required for insulated devices supplied by nonmetallic-sheathed cable
334.40(B) Devices of Insulating Material. Self-contained switches, self-contained receptacles, and nonmetallic-sheathed cable interconnector devices of insulating material that are listed shall be permitted to be used without boxes in exposed cable wiring and for repair wiring in existing buildings where the cable is concealed. Openings in such devices shall form a close fit around the outer covering of the cable, and the device shall fully enclose the part of the cable from which any part of the covering has been re-moved. Where connections to conductors are by binding-screw terminals, there shall be available as many terminals as conductors.

There's also 300.15(E), which allows devices with an enclosure integrated into the device.

(E) Integral Enclosure. A wiring device with integral enclosure identified for the use, having brackets to securely fasten the device to walls or ceilings of conventional on-site frame construction, for use with nonmetallic-sheathed cable, shall be permitted in lieu of a box or conduit body.

So, yes. If a receptacle was designed and listed specifically to be used without a box, then it can be used without a box.


Is there a required spacing between waste vent line and chimney? This question seeks answers with one of the following as supporting evidence: International standards, other standards widely recognized in multiple areas of the United States, or sound building and engineering principles.

Note: If there is a preferred material for the vent line in this application, I would also greatly appreciate a recommendation. As a theoretical example: "Use PVC instead of galvanized steel because PVC will help to insulate against the heat of the chimney."

Why I ask this question:

As part of a basement remodel, I need to upgrade an existing plumbing line and add venting through the roof for the fixtures it serves.

There is a roughly 4" gap between a brick chimney (which provides the exhaust for my furnace and hot water tank) and one of the walls all the way to the attic.

This leaves enough room for a 2" waste vent line and a roughly 2" air gap if I were to run the vent line by the wall next to the chimney. Then, I do not have to drill any new holes in floors or ceilings to add the vent line. However, I realize that the methane gas from waste is combustible and running something combustible that close to a hot chimney could make it a bad idea.

The ultimate standard is going to be your local building department and inspector, but the International Plumbing Code only specifically prohibits plumbing in elevator shafts or in elevator equipment rooms (301.6).  The only requirements specific to location of venting deal with size, distance, and type of connection to the system that they are venting. Everything else is deferred to the International Mechanical Code.

For chimneys that are used only for venting gas-fired appliances, the IMC defers to the International Fuel Gas Code.  The relevant portion (501.15.4) of that code states only that there be airspace clearance to combustibles per the International Building Code.  Note that there is a specific exemption for masonry chimneys with a low clearance liner.

This gets you back to what it appears that you already know from your question (R1003.18) "Any portion of a masonry chimney located in the interior of the building or within the exterior wall of the building shall have a minimum air space clearance to combustibles of 2 inches (51 mm)." However, again this is exempted if a low clearance flue liner is in place:

  Masonry chimneys equipped with a chimney lining system listed and
  labeled for use in chimneys in contact with combustibles in accordance
  with UL 1777 and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s
  installation instructions are permitted to have combustible material
  in contact with their exterior surfaces.

PVC will ignite at 435°-557°, roughly the same temperature range wood will (although it will be a molten puddle at that point). So, unless your chimney liner is rated for contact with combustibles you would need galvanized or some other form of non-combustible pipe.  If you don't know how the chimney is rated, I would take the presence of the existing air gap to indicate that it is not contact rated.

That said, if you can maintain the 2" minimum to a PVC pipe and the local code authority will sign off on it, I'd do it. Oversimplified, a 90% efficient gas furnace would basically dump only 10% of it's BTU output into the flue gas. I don't ever recall finding a brick chimney that was even warm to the touch on the outside, except right next to the inlet from the furnace.


Where to locate light switches? I live in a 1920s row home. It is 17' x 35'. We are planning on essentially rewiring the whole house since there are limited outlets and all the switches need to be replaced and the ceiling lights need to be replaced. I don't know where to place the light switches.

As you walk in the front door you immediately enter the living room with 3 switches on your left that controls the porch, living room, and stairs lights.

As you walk 11' through the living room you get to the stairs and the dining room. There is a switch for the stairs lights at the top of the steps. The dining room also has a single switch when you walk in. After walking through the 11' dining room, you get to the kitchen with a single switch.

What this means is that if the sun sets while you are in the kitchen and then want to go upstairs for the night you need to:

1) walk through the dining room and turn on the dining room light

2) walk back through the dining room and turn off the kitchen light

3) walk through the dining room and living room and turn on the living room light

4) walk back through the living room and turn off the dining room light

5) walk back through the living room and turn on the stairway lights and turn off the living room light

6) walk back through the now darkish living room and up the stairs

As crazy as this sounds, the rooms are 11' long, so it is not that much walking, but the house is too dark to walk without lights.

Do I add switches on both sides of every room?

If there are two switches for the dining room, do I put them inside the room, or outside (one in the kitchen and one in the living room)?

I was also thinking about motion sensitive switches.

Sounds like you want 3 and 4 way switches everywhere. That’s fine. Designing where you put switches always should come back to how people use a room and putting a switch where they expect it. When using a 3 or 4 gang box the switch closest to the door should be the main light, the one you use most often. Then the lesser switches are farther from the doorway. It’s all common sense stuff. The only trick is to have the imagination to know how you’ll use a room when all that’s around you are bare studs.

Bringing up motion sensors makes for an interesting twist. I am putting them in bathrooms more often now. My favorite use is to attach the undercabinet lights in a kitchen to the motion sensor. When someone walks in the undercabinets feel welcoming without overpowering. When walking in at night I don’t always want the overhead lights to come on at the brightness I cooked dinner at, but I’m always happy to have the undercabinets. If I went into the kitchen to cook I’m already trained to hit the switch for the overhead lights.
So one option would be to put 3-way switches everywhere you’ll want them then next to that switch put a motion sensor that controls coved lighting in each room (its hard to say without seeing your house, but mine is from 1917 and every room except the kitchen has hanging picture molding and sometimes coved ceilings). I’ve seen that done well.


Sizing System for Screw Heads? I am restoring an old lamp with a shade that attaches with sort of a hose clamp thing held on by a small machine screw. The screw was stuck so I ended up breaking the head off assuming it would be easy to replace.
Well I ran into a little problem. I have NO idea how you search for a specific size head. I went to my local hardware store. All their machine screws had heads almost twice as wide as mine despite being the right length and width. For a decorative item, those larger heads really wouldn’t look right.
Asking for a specific size head felt like I was speaking a foreign language. Can someone please inform me what terms to use when searching in person or online or what sizing system machine screw heads would go by? I thought this screw was fairly standard but I’m grasping at straws here.
The measurements are 5/8” long, 3/16” wide and the head is 7/32 or 1/4”.

These are specialty brass screws used for lighting fixtures. Some of the larger home stores have a large selection of brass screws but your best bet would be to go to a commercial lighting supply store. The ones I've been in have a large selection of brass screws. Bring the lamp in with you.


How to reduce toilet tank refill noise? The refill tube that goes from the valve into the overflow tube in my toilet tank sprays water with quite a bit of pressure and makes a lot of noise when the tank refills. It's attached with a clip and an angle adapter.

Is there any other adapter or maybe other type of (wider?) refill tube that I can use for this and reduce the noise?

This is one of those old style toilets with the tank hanging higher up close to the ceiling. The overflow tube is metallic which only contributes to the problem.

You could try partially closing the water supply shutoff valve to the water tank unit. This would reduce pressure and flow rate some and thus could also reduce the noise produced in tank.

If you do decide on this approach make sure to test it out a number of times to make sure that the flush operation and the refill time are suitable.


What could cause my light and TV to turn off, then back on? Light is on a switch, TV on a different outlet. When I switch light on, then turn TV on after awhile they both go off. If I wait awhile, they will come back on by themselves. Breaker never trips. Same thing happens, even if they are not on at the same time.

You might be at risk of a house fire, and I believe you should call an electrician to come out and diagnose the problem, unless you have the diagnostic skills yourself. Maybe it's something that would go on for years without causing a fire. But maybe not, and either way it's annoying or (much) worse.

You could have a broken wire inside a wall, or in a junction box. This can happen if NM cable is pulled over-enthusiastically when there's a kink in it, especially if it's #14 wire.  Or it could be a bad connection in a junction box. You could even have a bad connection inside your service panel, or a bad breaker. I assume both the TV and the light are on the same circuit, since they seem to be the only things affected?

Electrical connections should be tight, no wiggling, with plenty of pressure and plenty of metal in contact.

A bad connection would cause heat (potentially a lot of it). The heat would cause thermal expansion, which might be breaking the circuit by physically moving bits of metal apart. Then as it cools back down, the parts separated by the thermal expansion touch again and the light and TV come back on. But the connection is bad, more heat, thermal expansion, repeat. If this is what's going on, you are potentially at risk of a fire, and you should call an electrician.

Another kind of weird (very unlikely) possibility is that the TV is somehow wired through the light fixtures. Does the TV come on at all if the light switch is off, or does the light have to be on for the TV to work at all? I only ask because you explicitly mentioned turning the light on before turning the TV on. Some light fixtures are designed with thermal protection and shut off if they overheat. If the light is shutting off because it got too hot, and the TV is wired through the light fixture somehow (serially? Or using a neutral that gets switched off?), the TV would go off and come back on with the light. As I said, though, this is unlikely and you almost definitely have a bad connection somewhere, which is a fire in the making.

Regardless, I really think it's time to call an electrician. If it's something that wouldn't cause a fire, you get it fixed and you're out a few bucks. If it's a fire hazard, then you will have potentially saved lives.


How to remove a 40mm shower head without extra tools? My shower as displayed below needs a wide mouth wrench (at least a 40mm) and the jaw of my adjustable wrench can open up to 30mm. I have a number of other simple tools.
I do not want to buy another wrench only for this shower and it's not easy for me to find a tools shop here. Is it possible to detach the current shower in any other way?

Update: thanks for all answers. I came up with opening it with a pair of slip-joint pliers.

If you have a thin leather belt of sufficient width to engage well the fitting, consider to wrap it around the fitting as snugly as possible. Leave sufficient material at each end of the wrap to secure the ends against each other.

One way of looking at it is the leather will form the shape of the letter P. The vertical bar of the letter P is where to attach your existing wrench. Place the moveable jaw of the wrench in the portion that will contact the fitting when moving the wrench. As you begin to apply torque to the wrench, this jaw will compress the leather against the fitting as well as providing better leverage for releasing the fitting.

Obviously, you will want to tighten the jaws as firmly as possible on the leather strap ends. As you begin to apply force to the wrench, you may be able to further tighten the moveable jaw even a small amount, but that may also require three hands.


Easy to repair washing machine? It appears our front loading Kenmore (aka Whirlpool) may need new main bearings, and various sources (including appliance repair guy and online reading) suggest that replacing them is a non-trivial job and "best to just replace the whole thing". (Btw, this failure was most likely caused by the machine not being properly leveled which caused excessive shaking during the spin cycle.  Something for others to learn from my mistake!)

Assuming I do need to replace it, I'd rather buy one that is easier to repair in the future. I don't mind if its an older model (though I definitely prefer a front loader). It doesn't need all the fancy electronic features (more to go wrong!).

Can anyone recommend a category or brand of machine that is better than others?

E.g. I wonder if some of the laundromat machines are better, as they have to hold their own in a pretty tough commercial environment?

Staber advertises that you can do the repairs yourself, and they will sell you parts and give free phone support.

Some people love them (low water, low power, low soap, gentle on clothes, spins out more water, built in USA, great customer service)

Other people hate them (expensive, loud, bad customer service).

Search the web and read both the rants and raves.


Is there any way to drill through minerall wool in order to install a pvc pipe? This is related to this question What type of pipe should I used to build a gravity drain from my furnace to the bathroom plumbing?
I am building the red pipe in the below picture, This is the condese drain for the furnace
The original tubing used by the pump is 3/8 ID, 1/2 OD.
The specs for the condense pump are in the above mentined post
In order to give the PVC tubing a slope I decided to run it through a 1/2 PEX pipe which I pushed in the ceiling as indicted below.
The problem is that this setup is not working for two reasons:
-due to the fact that there is mineral wool in the ceiling and this is between two joists I can't push the pex pipe as I want and I can's seem to be able to give it the right slope
-the other thing that is now working is the fact that the pup is at floor level. It has to push the water 8' up to the ceiling where the pvc tubing enters the pex pipe. when the push there is water left on the vertical segment from the pump to the ceiling and that seems to bounce back. That creates negative pressure in the tubing and some of the water is being sucked back.
The end result is that very little water comes out at the other end and it takes an eternity for the pump to empty the basin ...
Is there any way to drill thrugh that damn wool to make room to run the pipe properly. The middle of the red segment is out of reach so there is no way to pull the wool out.
I am considering using using one for these to pull the wool out

I have used a copper pipe with an angled cut to push through several types of insulation with the plastic pipe following on behind.


How can I prevent mold on the wall/particle board behind the kitchen sink? Behind the kitchen sink I noticed this deteriorating situation happening so I took it apart until I found no more mold and then washed with bleach (1 tbsp to 1 gallon) and let it dry good.  It's all the way down to the dry wall.  There does not appear to be a leak or any sort, but the splashing from washing dishes seems to have caused.  Any recommendations on how to go about fixing and avoiding in the future?

It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like it was tile mounted to a wood board.  Wood is one of the worst materials for behind the sink.  If going to replace with tile, use a concrete backer board instead and consider using tile trim caps to cover the top.  Otherwise use a solid stone or stone like material.

And make sure the caulking is in good shape.  Every couple of years it needs to be stripped out and replace.  If it is starting to look old and cracked, it's been there too long.  No mater what the material, water under or behind the splash with always cause problem.s


Drywall over irregularly spaced studs - how do I secure edges? I'm diy-ing on an 80-year old+ house, putting drywall over damaged lath and plaster (can't save the plaster because reasons).

The wood lath is too weak/damaged to serve as effective backing, so I'm trying to nail off only to studs. Problem is, they're 17-19" on center

So, should I cut the drywall down so the edges of each piece are on the studs like new construction? Or can I nail off with edges off-center?

The plan is a thick skimcoat and maybe a knife finish to try to get back a little of the plaster charm, but I'm afraid of the taped seams cracking.

The edges of your drywall pieces must be on studs - at least two of them and preferentially all four.  (some drywall guys will vastly disagree with needing 4 so not trying to start a war)

But two is a must.  Your drywall should end on stud or be butted up in the center with another piece of drywall.  Either cut your drywall or add more studs.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with 17-19" on center which sounds like about 3 studs per sheet.  I have run into this with old houses.  Just buy 15 2x4s and throw them up where you need them.


Temperature control when I can't affect either airflow or thermostat Our apartment is heated by a natural gas burner (the burner itself is inside the unit) that vents in two directions: one vent into the bedroom and a second (about 3x the area) into the rest of the unit. The bedroom vent can be partially closed but the other set of vents can't.

Question 1: It drives me nuts that if we want to keep the bedroom tolerably warm at night, we have to heat up the rest of the apartment too. Is there any safe, reasonable way to block off some of the vents? The gas is burned right in the apartment, so I'm concerned that partially blocking them off might encourage carbon monoxide production.

Question 2: I'd love to install a programmable thermostat, but the wiring is so archaic that standard models don't seem to be compatible (and the landlord really doesn't want us to mess with it). Does anyone have experience with those "thermostat setback" devices that sit underneath the thermostat and warm it up, tricking it into producing less heat while the device is on? Is there a model you'd recommend?

Get a carbon monoxide detector, and block of one or more of the non-bedroom vents.  This will force more of the warm air to your bedroom.  You can just tape cardboard over the vent or they make magnetic vent blockers that are pretty cheap.

I believe that you will be able to use a modern thermostat.  The wiring may be confusing but if you read the thermostat manual you can probably figure it out.  Save the old thermostat and take the new one with you to your next place.


Fill large gap in plaster with no lath An electrician recently replaced the electrical panel in my apartment and left an inch-wide gap in the plaster along one side of the box. Unfortunately, they had to cut through the lath, so there is no backing for a repair patch.

I've included two pictures below.

Any thoughts on how to approach a repair would be appreciated, and please let me know if you have other questions that might be relevant.

Thanks!

Roll up some fiberglas insulation like a jelly roll, so you can stuff it into the opening. Keep it recessed about one-half inch, so it acts like a foam backer except non-combustible. Make it a tight fit. Remove the front cover if you prefer, and tape a piece of heavy plastic over the electricals so you can just access the gap.
Fill the new gap with plaster or drywall compound, flush with the existing wallboard. A masking tape barrier will keep the mud from touching the panel box. Re-install the front cover, then sand and paint to match.


Replacing LVL beams by some lower depth ones We are planing a roof opening to access our roof top deck.

We were advised to use 3 ply LVL 1 3/4 x 11 7/8 beams.

Can we replace this with something shorter and wider (like 4 ply LVL 7 1/4) in order to reduce the overall height ?

Probably not.  Height adds much more strength than width does.  A beam that is 1 3/4 x 11 7/8 has an I of 975 [I = (b*h^3)/3].  A 7 1/4" tall beam would need to be ~7 3/4" wide to provide roughly the same capacity (as @isherwood said, WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS).  This seems that it would be more inconvenient to your design.


Why would angle grinder cutting wheels of the same diameter have different thickness? Cutting wheels for the same diameter angle grinder can have different thickness. For example, 125 millimeters wheels can be 0,8 or 1,0 or 1,2 or 2,5 or 3,0 millimeters thick. I've tried several variations - looks like the thinner the wheel the faster it cuts because the smaller is the contact surface.

What's the reason for having so many thickness varieties of cutting wheels of the same diameter?

Quoting from the Norton Catalog:

.035, .040, .045, .060 Where fast cutting and low kerf loss are
desired
.090, .125 For tough cutting and notching applications where
stability is important

I would also expect that longevity plays into the equation for industrial applications (not something a DIY-er needs to care about)


2 switch lite switch I have a 2 switch switch, it controls 2 different lights. When one is turned on it sparks and trips the circuit breaker. I disconnected the lite and wire nutted the wires and closed off the outside lite box. I replaced the switch but it still sparks and trips the breaker. I cut the wire going to that lite flush and wire nutted it and used electrical tape. I then put it back in the plastic wall box, reclosed everything the 2nd lite works. Is this safe since the wire I wire nutted is a hot wire?

That is the accepted practice for dead ending a wire. The wire nut and tape. Sounds like you insulated it well enough if everything is working without sparks or tripped breakers now. Just keep your eye on it for a while.


When using US-colored 14/3 for a simple switch does the red wire need to be marked? In a typical switch loop (from the past) where 14/2 is used, the white wire should be marked on both ends with black tape to indicate it is a "hot" wire just like the black wire.

In a 14/3 cable, the black and red would be used for the switch and the white remains the neutral to be used in the switch box if it's ever needed (now required by code).  Is the red wire being red good enough to indicate that it's "hot", or should it also be marked with black tape to indicate it is actually the switched side of the black wire?

For the answer - is this codified, or just convention?

Being red is fine.  Code wise, anything that's not colored as a grounded (neutral) or grounding conductor, is an ungrounded (hot) conductor.