Difference wood and deck screws I'm curious what the difference is between these two screws and when one should be used over the other. And are deck screws also referred to as construction screws?

As far as I can tell by visually looking it appears deck screws are galvanized for outdoor use to avoid rusting, but is that the only thing? Are their other smaller subtleties I'm missing?

I'm just curious what screws to purchase for different projects if it even matters in the long run. I know drywall screws aren't really meant for anything else due to their brittleness.

Most(all?) screws have a corrosion delaying treatment on them, what used to be considered outdoor decking screws are now constructions screws (the gold screws) due to the change in pressure treated wood chemicals.

The corrosion delaying treatment on modern decking screws has been changed to accommodate ACQ treatment, which is significantly more corrosive than CCA (the old way to treat lumber). This is also why when building a deck you have to use hot dipped galvanized (HDG) bolts and brackets as opposed to electro plated zinc (the shiny ones).

You'll notice on construction screw boxes a red circle with a bar across the letters ACQ, this means they are not suitable for pressure treated lumber as the chemicals with quickly corrode the sacrificial layer.

As an aside, drywall screws are also heavily used in cabinet making because of their thin shafts, it removes the requirement of a pilot hole.


If apiece of wood furniture is varnished, can i just paint right over it? If apiece of wood furniture is varnished, can i just paint right over it or any special advice?

The sheen of the varnish needs to come off first.  That can be done best in my opinion with sand paper, 175-grit would be good.


Are we reading our propane tank wrong, or are we being overcharged? We have a buried 1000 gal (3785 l) propane tank used for heating.

When it was filled up recently the gauge went from about 49% to 88%. This would mean 490 gal to 880 gals, or an addition of 390 gals.

We were charged for 434 gals, which is an excess of 44 gals or about 11% extra. Both gauge readings were within about 24 hours, there's no way we consumed that much propane in that short of a time.

Are we interpreting this situation correctly? Could the gauge readings have as much as 11% error in them?

Note that this is the first time we have taken photos but we think this situation has happened before. So if the gauge is error prone would that error consistently under-represent the fill level? Usually measurement error goes both ways.

The supplier has said that they take readings from their truck, and that our gauge is really measuring pressure and not volume. I'm not sure if we should trust that or not. Our gauge is in gallons after all, not PSI or something pressure-related.

Here are before and after pictures of the gauge on the tank itself:

Before fill up:

After fill up:

FYI the tank is buried but there is a lid you open to view the gauge.

Your gauge is certainly not reading pressure.

The only thing pressure tells you is what temperature the propane is at (LPG is "liquified propane gas" and reflects the fact that propane is easily transported in bulk because it becomes a dense liquid rather than a gas a relatively low pressure. That pressure varies with temperature.)

So, there's probably a float in the tank reading the liquid level. Such things are not uncommonly in error - if you think about the shape of a typical buried LPG tank (a horizontal cylinder), there's a complex relationship between the distance the float travels and the percentage of the tank that is full, which is being "interpreted" by a mechanical linkage.

If you have a local authority in charge of weights and measures, they (probably) check on the metering of the supplier. You could inquire if they do and (if so) when the last test was, and what it showed.


Why isn't the switch working to turn off my ceiling lamp after I replaced a fan w/light? I have properly connected the new ceiling lamp. Once I turn the breaker on again, the lamp turns on immediately. There is a double switch on the wall. One used to turn on a standing lamp on the corner and the other one was used to turn on the ceiling fan with a light I had there before but now the switch for the fan/light seems not to work to turn the light on or off: the light remains on at all times.

What is wrong and how do I fix it?

If everything else is hooked up correctly, then you have a bad switch.  This is easy to diagnose if you have a meter that measures continuity.  Most digital multimeters have this option.  Kill the power to this circuit at the panel before testing for this or performing any work on this circuit. The connection between the two screws of the switch will be open in the "off" position, and will be closed in the "on" positions.  If the meter reads "closed" in either position then you have a bad switch.  If you don't have a multimeter, just put a new switch in and see if that fixes it.
The other possibility is incorrect wiring.  If you replaced a fan/light combo then you probably had 3-wire going from the switch box to the device box (black, red, and white wires).  When you wire the new light fixture, select one wire and cap it on both ends so you won't use it by accident (I usually cap off the red one, we usually use black in residential applications for the hot wire).  This will only leave you with a black and white going to the lamp.  After that, it's a simple act of wiring the black to one screw of the switch and putting your whites under a wire-nut in the switch box.  The black from the panel goes on the other screw.  Don't forget to bond your grounds to the boxes if they're metal.


Is is appropriate to negotiate price with contractor I have a problem with my roof that I'm not equipped or interested in fixing myself.  I found an appropriate contractor who sent a contract with a price that I feel is to high.

I would like to ask the contractor to do the job for a lesser amount.

My question is, is it acceptable and productive to negotiate these prices or am I wasting my time?

Lots of good advice here already, but maybe I can step back and explain where that price came from.

Labor + materials + overhead + profit.

Labor is pretty obvious... some firms pay more; some pay less. Some provide health benefits; some don't. Built into the labor price is how long the job is expected to take: some firms will cut corners and reduce their labor cost and others will do everything pretty well and have higher labor costs. Some will exclude "unknown conditions" from the contract and issue you a change order that will cost you more; others will anticipate likely problems and have a little money built into the contract so that they don't have to annoy you with a flurry of change orders. (There are plenty of contractors out there that get their feet in the door with a low bid and then make a ton of extra money with change orders.)

Materials are something you'd see on comparative quotes if you got multiples. You'd see that one guy was offering 15# felt and the other was offering Grace Ice and Water Shield. That's not the whole story, though, as the price a big firm pays for shingles isn't necessarily the price that a little firm pays. And maybe the guy that's offering you a massive deal is just trying to burn through some leftovers from another job. So material choices and prices vary. You shouldn't concern yourself with what the materials cost; just be concerned with what materials are specified in your contract.

Overhead is what it costs a company to keep their doors open whether they're working or not. That's rent on the office, truck payments, certain insurances, cost of ownership of tools, licenses (if applicable), their advertising spend... the list goes on. A big company is apt to have more overhead than some dude with a truck and a couple of buddies. Be sure that the dude with a truck has liability and workman's comp, otherwise, you could be paying for his buddy that fell off the roof and crippled himself. (Top tip: ask for proof of insurance, then call the companies to verify. I know that sounds like you aren't trusting, but consider the alternative.)

Profit is what's left over at the end of the year, after the first 3 have been covered. Profit gets used to weather hard times or grow the business or buy a big stupid bro truck. You can decide for yourself whether a business deserves to make a profit, but I can assure you of two things: you want the business to be around in a few years if a warranty claim happens, and there's very little incentive for people to run businesses without profit as one of the motives. (And, I should note, some businessmen are greedy, so try to make an unreasonably high profit. Some guys do astonishingly good work in expensive markets where an unreasonably high profit is almost forced upon them so that they can keep up the veneer of exclusivity.)

So with all that in mind, how did you decide the price was too high? If you're not running that particular roofing business, you have no insight into anything other than material costs.

You might ask for a lower price and you might get a lower price, but most businesses aren't running strictly on charity, so I doubt you'd get as good a product as you would've at the original price.

If, hypothetically, roofer X was the only game in town and you needed to get the price down without compromising on quality of execution, then a productive route would be to ask what they can remove from the quote to cut the price. Cheaper materials? You haul all the tearoff? Shingle over existing? (Btw, that's usually a bad idea that gets you far less lifespan, but if you only need a roof for 5 years, it might work...)

Get a few more quotes. Try to compare apples to apples regarding materials. You might get a quote you like more.


Does my LED replacement bulb need to screw in all the way? This feels like a very dumb question, but I just bought some LED light bulbs for my chandelier. I'm looking to save energy and thought upgrading my light bulbs would be a simple task.

Well it seems that while the base of the LED bulbs are the same width, the length is not. Looking online, it seems a lot of LED replacement bulbs do not conform to the normal chandelier thread length like the incandescent counterpart. I've even come across some Amazon items that showed a side by side view of comparable LED bulb replacing an incandescent, and the thread lengths didn't match.

So now to my question. Screwing the LED bulb led to a small part of the thread exposed. Does this matter? It's almost as if it needed one more half turn, but it was as far as it would go in.

Here's an example LED I was looking at. Here's an example of an incandescent which matches my old bulb.

The problem isn't the base being exposed.

The problem is the tip not going down far enough, and arcing as a result.

The #1 reason for this is the new bulb being wider on the bottom than the original, because of the LED driver being located there.  And it is hitting a part of the fixture.


gas fireplace main burner wont light but pilot will light gas fireplace has switch on side of frame and it looks like a millivolt switch which goes down to gas valve and also a plug which I beleives runs the fan. Now when I depress the pilot switch the pilot lights then I hold down for a minute then when I let up to turn it to on the flame goes out.

Sometimes you can clean up the thermocouple with some fine sandpaper if you can get to the thermocouple
It worked on my gas fireplace


Open load bearing wall There's a wall in my house that I'd like to open to widen a room. The beam (a single 6x10 of hard wood) above is sitting on the concrete foundation at each extremity of the house (10in wide concrete) and there's 3 steel columns that supports it. In between the steel columns, there's a wall made of 2x3s every 16 inches (some are doubled in the center).

|-----------------------------------|< 10in concrete
|                                   |
|                                   |
========O=========O=========O======== <- support beam (sits on concrete)
|                                   |
|                                   |
|-----------------------------------|< 10in concrete
^                                   ^
10in concrete                       10in concrete

O = position of the steel columns

I won't touch the 3 steel columns, they will remain where they are.

Can I remove those 2x3s?

EDIT:
Photo of the top of the steel

Top of another column:

Yes, you can remove the 2x3 stud wall.

There is 1) single top plate, 2) no plywood for shear wall construction, 3) no hold-downs for uplift or “racking” considerations, 4) the steel posts are close enough together to support 17 train locomotives (well, a significant load).

2x3’s are not used for structural walls.

Is that an adjustable cap on that steel post?


Rip old door in half? I've got a 26.5"x79" rough opening for a storage space under my staircase. I'd like to install a double door where each door is about a foot wide an hinges out. A ball latch in the top casing could keep them in place when closed.

My preference is to match the Victorian aesthetic of the rest of the house so I was thinking about taking an old solid interior door that's about 24"x80" that has stiles etc (don't know all the correct terms) and rip it in half then cut the top and/or bottom to dimension.

My question is, would the door fall apart if I did this because the glued joints would be compromised?

Edit: Added photo of example door and dimensions above.

It might work - however the problem would be where the centre uprights join the horizontal sections.

This piece of ascii art might help:

||========||
||   ||   ||
||   ||   ||
||   ||   ||
||========||
||   ||   ||
||   ||   ||
||   ||   ||
||========||

Where "||" is the vertical sections and "==" the horizontal.

You'll end up with two sections like this:

||====    ====||
||   |    |   ||
||   |    |   ||
||   |    |   ||
||====    ====||
||   |    |   ||
||   |    |   ||
||   |    |   ||
||====    ====||

As you can see buy cutting up the centre you are cutting through the middle of the joints which will weaken the joints and they could come apart.

These joints are mortice and tenon and you could try strengthening them by putting a dowel through the tenon before cutting:

Drill all the way through, insert the dowel (with glue), plane and sand smooth. If you're painting the doors you won't see the join. To drill the hole straight you could use a portable drill guide or a plunge router.


How should I fix a small crack hole in Mirolin 3-piece tub/shower? We've got an acrylic Mirolin tub/shower that recently developed a small pea-sized crack/hole in the bottom, causing water to gush out when the tub is filled. I just ordered a repair kit from gelcoat.ca, but I have some doubts about how well it's going to work.

Does anyone have any experience with kits like this? Can I expect a reasonably long life from it, or am I looking at replacing the whole tub/shower because of this crack?

Depending on where the crack/hole is, I would wonder about the support underneath the acrylic of the tub. Was the crack/hole caused by some part of the tub that was not supported getting flexed too much under regular use? If so, then I might doubt the repair kit myself. However, if the crack/hole was just due to some sharp object hitting the tub, then I suppose it will work fine. However, if it is a support issue, you might as well try the repair kit, because your other alternative is pulling the whole thing out to try to fix the lack of support, which sounds like a huge job. Just my $0.02 worth.
Hope this helps.


Outlet tester shows "bad ground" I have a brand new Square D sub-panel installed in my barn that replaced an old  panel that had been there for many years and was deemed a fire hazard by the inspector. The new panel has a grounding wire that runs from the panel grounding bar to outside and is connected to a copper rod sunk 6 ft into the ground. For the receptacles on the ground floor I have a 20 AMP GFCI breaker installed in the panel that feeds a single line that they are daisy chained to. The breaker is wired correctly (hot wire to breaker as normal, neutral wire to the breaker neutral and then neutral pig tail from breaker to the neutral bar on the panel. Ground as normal goes to the ground bar on the panel).

When I plug in my outlet tester it reads "Bad Ground" on any receptacle I plug it into in the barn. I tested the same unit in my house and it reads green (all correct). Here's what I've tested so far with my multimeter:

continuity between receptacle ground pin and ground screw - good
continuity between receptacle ground pin and ground wire that comes from panel - good
continuity between ground bar on panel and the other end of the ground wire that connects to the grounding rod - good

What could be going on giving me this reading?

If you only have a three wire feed to the barn then the panel should have the neutral and ground connected together.
The old method of wiring a sub-panel in a separate building was the 3-wire method like you have. The wires should be Hot, Hot, Neutral not Hot, Neutral, Ground.
Consequently the sub-panel would have been bonded (neutral and ground connected together). So, the replacement panel should be bonded.
If you have not bonded the neutral to the ground in your barn that is why your tester is saying it has an open ground.
Here is the pertinant NEC section:

(B) Grounded Systems.
(1) Supplied by a Feeder or Branch Circuit. An equipment grounding conductor, as described in 2S0.118, shall be run with the supply conductors and be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s). The equipment grounding conduc- tor shall be used for grounding or bonding of equipment, structures, or frames required to be grounded or bonded. The equipment grounding conductor shall be sized in ac- cordance with 2S0.122. Any installed grounded conductor shall not be connected to the equipment grounding conduc- tor or to the grounding electrode(s).
Exception No.1: For installations made in compliance with previous editions of this Code that permitted such connection, the grounded conductor run with the supply to the building or structure shall be permitted to serve as the ground-fault return path if all of the following requirements continue to be met:
(1) An equipment grounding conductor is not run with the supply to the building or structure.
(2) There are no continuous metallic paths bonded to the grounding system in each building or structure involved.
(3) Ground-fault protection of equiprnent has not been in- stalled on the supply side ofthefeeder(s).*

Good luck and stay safe!


Slightly extending an opening in plywood I'm trying to fit a slightly larger trash can into an opening in thick (about 1") plywood (see photo). Basically, I need to shave off some material in the corners to make the new can fit.

Question is, what is the right way to do it and what tools should be used? So far, I'm thinking about possibly using a hole saw. Or is there a better way?

Correct thing to use in this situation is a rasp -- you are just trying to remove a small amount of material and get it to conform to the existing garbage can.

A coarse file would also work, as would a draw knife or spindle shave.

I would avoid saws, as it is hard to cut relatively small amounts of material out using a saw.


Can I use 90 amp breaker and #4 wire to connect to two 14-50 50 amp outlets? Or I need two 60 amp separate breakers for those two outlets? Can I use 90 amp breaker and #4 wire to connect to two 14-50 50 amp outlets?  Or I need two 60 amp separate breakers for those two outlets?
Those two 14-50 outlets are for EV car charging.  My concern of using one 90 amp breaker is the 50 amp rated outlet could be overrun.  I'm planning to use both outlets together.  The total amps should be under 90 amp.  Could the outlet be overloaded?

Stop the press! The Tesla Wall Connector does exactly that
Leave it to Tesla.  They HAVE come up with a way to do exactly what you want.  It's called the Tesla Wall Connector.  They are designed to have 2 (or up to 16) share 1 circuit.  They have datacomm lines between chargers that will make them automagically adjust (video, cued up to 16:16) to prevent overloading the circuit.
Apparently, the Tesla Wall Connector can support everyone else's EV that takes a J1772 connector (with an adapter).  Do your diligence on this; but the people saying "yes" sound smarter than the people saying "no". Regardless, there's also the ClipperCreek system that does the same thing.
It's not a perfect solution - it can't prioritize your guest's vehicle over your own, for instance - but it will auto-balance, when EV #1 reaches full, it will increase current to EVs #2 and #3.
The video also makes a drive-by mention of other competitor EVSEs also doing this trick, so that is something to research too.  Since you didn't mention any model of EVSE, and we're not a shop-for-me site, that's as far as I can take that.
When wiring these, you bring the 90A cable down to a large (e.g. 6" x 6") junction box, then use any proper wiring method (e.g. #4-14 Polaris connectors) to split out the supply wire to the two EVSEs. Follow the UL-approved instructions in making this connector, including down-breakering e.g. to 60A, or hardwiring if it says that, which it certainly will.  Don't defy the instructions and use sockets - or you could create a serious safety hazard. And don't mix EVSEs that aren't matched, and you must use the data communication lines and switch settings.
Can't do it
You cannot put a 50A socket on a 60A breaker. (typo?)
You cannot put 2 sockets on a breaker that equals the sum of the sockets. That's basically the same as not using any breakers at all.   With rare exception, breaker size must exactly match socket size.
Also you're not allowed to have two 50A receps on one circuit even if it was breakered 50A.
You need a subpanel
If you want to run one line, you'll need to go to a subpanel. Then, you have two 50A breakers in the subpanel that go to your sockets.
However, "the total amps should be under 90 amps" isn't good enough.  You can't run feeders at 100% of their load.  The feeder size needs to be 125% of the expected loadm and since you expect to run two chargers at once.  So for instance if you have two 40A chargers that take 50A breakers (125% of 40A), then you have 80A of actual load and must run feeder for 125% of that (100A).
Why #4 copper wire? Do you already have that, or are you just trying to chintz out on the cable vs. the #3 you'd need for proper 100A?   Because hey, aluminum wire.  It's the right stuff for a feeder of this size,  Large feder like this has always been the right stuff, and it never had the problems of small branch circuit wiring: the subpanel lugs are aluminum for Pete's sake. (why create a dissimilar metal problem?) It has always been safe even in the old AA-1350 alloy.  The new AA-8000 alloy is gold standard.  It's also 1/3 the price of copper.
You'll need #1 aluminum wire for 100A, which is readily available in THWN or XHHW, but hard to find in MH and other cable types, so you can just go 2/0 in that case.  It's still dirt cheap compared to #4 copper. It will give you some headroom to be able to run other stuff besides just the chargers.
Also in the "don't chintz" out" department, don't shortchange yourself on the panel. Spend a few bucks extra and get a nice big panel so you can add other circuits as you get the inspiration.  Because you'll want to do that.  People who DIY subpanels tend to also DIY other upgrades later.
But remember - EVSEs are programmable
An EVSE is nothing but a relay and a tiny microcontroller that sends a signal that tells the EV how much current it can safely draw. It is the EV's job to comply with that request.  The conversation goes like this:
EVSE: Hey, anyone, I can serve 40 amps.   Anyone?  Anyone?
Car: Oh, hi.  40A, alrighty then. Please turn it on.
EVSE: SNAP Power is on.
That first part is not hardwired, it is a "software" announcement. It is possible for EVSE manufacturers to design their EVSE so you can program it to any value you please.
A breaker that serves EVSE's must be 125% of that value.  So for instance:

40A EVSE -- 50A breaker
32A EVSE -- 40A breaker
72A of combined EVSE loads -- 90A breaker

So maybe you can use that #4 after all.  Still, I'd sell it on Craigslist and get aluminum. Copper is so valuable that it'll probably be a net profit after you buy the Al wire!  And then you won't be painted into a corner by limitations.  Which is how you got to the "full panel" situation in the first place... why repeat that?
Why be limited by electricity?  Electricity serves us, not the other way around. This stuff is cheap.
I myself would run 2/0 aluminum off a 125A breaker (because both are price/availability sweet spots and the 125 is the biggest breaker that will fit in 2 spaces) then run dual 50A breakers to 40A chargers.


Filling the seams at butt joins for a perfect paint finish (how do i?) Hello I make a lot of boxes and do not have the facilities for mitered edges,

I always have a visible seam when I make a butt join.
I fill it with fine crack filler and it seems to shrink into the seam as it dries, and when I sand it back it is always apparent after painting plus it roughs up the particle boards finish around it.
This is "no shrink filler".

I have been looking for some kind of high build primer or something more thin to fill the scratches and seams, any hints for me?

You might want to pre-treat the gap you are filling with shellac or paint so that the raw/cut particle-board is not "sucking up" the filler.

On the filler front, for painted boxes, you might visit the auto-body supply and pick up some bondo. Possibly just the 1-part "Glazing and spot putty" will do, but the 2-part (and stinky) standard auto body filler will fill larger gaps more effectively.


Fire Separation Wall - what should I use to seal small exposed openings? From recent home inspection:
FIRE SEPARATION WALL: Recommend sealing the small exposed openings at the low voltage wire penetrations at the garage ceiling above the garage door openers to maintain the garage fire separation wall.

Can someone please recommend what I should/can use to address it?

Firestop - caulking or foam (there are other brands of both, just examples, not recommendations.)
These are helpful because they will seal around a cable as it melts in a fire (they expand with exposure to heat/flame) but the majority of the hole could also be addressed with plain old drywall compound (it seals all the other holes in the wall.) Using firestop around penetrations (such as the cable itself) is good practice, and some jurisdictions require more extensive approaches, such as an extended collar with fire sealant around cables, pipes and ducts.


What voltage adapter do I need for a 5 meter 5050 LED strip? I have a 5050 5 meter LED strip and it requires an AC/DC adapter to run the full strip.  I was told that I needed a 2A adapter, but I went to electronic store to buy an end adapter and they said this adapter was not powerful enough to run this strip and that it requires a 6 amp. I want maximum light without any concern of over heating.

Which is right?

Assuming the 2A was correct, then you really cannot go wrong with the higher AMPS and more AMPS will not make the LEDs overheat. AMPS will simply provide more available current to the circuit. This can give you more scalability if you decide to add more lights later on. More AMPs does not translate to higher power consumption either.

Hopefully these illustrations help:

You could go seriously wrong, however, if you over-volt them and it will make them overheat or destroy them altogether. If batteries are involved then there may be some considerations about AMPs.

More reading:

Good info that directly applies to your question.
This is about speakers but the same principal applies.
This is also good info


Can turning up the temperature of a water heater damage it? I've got a 40 gallon water heater, and what I've been finding is that it provides just enough hot water to fill my sizable bathtub, but no more. Which means if I want to rinse off with the shower after the bath is over, that rinse is going to be ice cold.

I started looking into buying larger water heaters, but found an article online that said there was cheaper alternative involving the following two steps:

Install a tempering valve, and
Crank the heat way up.

By turning the heat way up, but then subsequently tempering it with cold water, this will turn scalding water back into hot water, and the net result is that you'll be able to pull less water from the water heater to get the same result.

That does sound like a good alternative to me, but I have some concerns. Would cranking the heat way up actually cause any damage to the water heater? Or limit its life perhaps? Thanks for any advice you can provide.

The usual remarks about the safety of scalding water anywhere in your system go here.

Physics says the life of your tank will decrease, but not enough for you to notice.

Everything else being equal, hot water has a slightly higher pressure, but expansion tanks are there to deal with that very problem.

The one place you might notice a difference is in energy use. Water in the heater will cool faster when it is hotter. But as worst the difference will be a few dollars a month.

If you are going to pay someone to put in the tempering valve, then it is likely worth changing the tank at the same time.
A bigger tank is the right answer in the long run. The efficiency of the new tank will be higher. The water will last even longer with a bigger heater and tempering valve. I guess it depends on how long you think your current heater will last.

If you sweat your own pipes, I would say stay with your current heater until it is old enough to replace.


Should new plywood be installed over old separating plywood? I just had my roof replaced and the contractor said that the old plywood under the two sets of shingles were separating and rotted in some places. He also let me know that he installed the new plywood over the old plywood to save the cost of  removing the old. Will this be sufficient for the new plywood to hold? And will it affect the life of the new shingles?

If the old plywood was clean and not infested with dry rot or mold it should be OK to cover it with the new plywood. One thing to consider is that the new plywood probably wants to be the same thickness as what would be used if it was used by itself on the rafters (i.e. if the old plywood had been removed). This will ensure that the strength of the plywood is enough to bridge spots on the roof where the old plywood was weakened to the point that it would sag under the load on the roof.

You also should consider the design parameters of the roof to ensure that the extra weight of the added plywood is well within the static load capability of the roof support structure.

Lastly it would be best if the new sheets of plywood were offset from the seams of the existing plywood but at the same time placed so that the new seams can be properly nailed into the rafters and other roof structure members. It is unlikely that seams of new plywood simply nailed at random locations into the relatively thin old plywood will be assured to keep the plywood held down over time.


How can I seal this hanging electrical outlet in my horse barn? I really am not a fixer type of gal but this seems like it should be simple enough.  Please respond appropriately for someone who has limited knowledge.

I have a hanging outlet in my horse barn.  It seems to be properly wired per a contractor friend.  All wiring enclosed in conduit, etc.  The only problem is, it appears that this outlet box has lost its seal?  The front plate is coming off (where the outlets are) of the rest of the box.  There are no screws that can be tightened to fix this.  The box says on it "For use in wet or damp spaces, use sealing compound to seal."

Okay, but what type of sealing compound?  And do I apply it around the edges?

Don't worry, I know to shut off the power to the barn prior to fussing with anything electrical.

Silicone caulk works wonders in all kinds of situations. The screws that are missing to hold all parts together can usually be replaced at any Home Depot or electrical supply store for just a few cents per ea. The hanging outlet box I have seen used several times in barns, however if a 2 by 4 can be attached to a  ceiling crossbeam and placed perpendicular to those beams it will offer more stability to the box and wiring. It can be installed high-up still rendering it useful and out of the way of any horses but will provide more stability to the whole thing.


How to prevent birds from entering a dryer vent? Both of my neighbors have had issues with birds nesting in the vents in each of their houses. Securing the bathroom exhaust vents against birds seems straightforward to me: simply replace the vent hood with one that has a mesh around it (something like this).

However, this seems like the wrong thing to use with a dryer vent. I'm concerned about lint getting caught up in the mesh of the vent, ultimately causing the ventilation of said vent to be lowered dramatically.

Are there any clever means of securing a dryer vent against nesting birds, while keeping it relatively open to allow small bits of lint to escape? My dryer vent is unfortunately on the second floor of my house, making my job that much more difficult.

I have installed a vent screen that looks almost exactly like the one you linked to. Mine had a plastic frame piece that screwed to the wall around the vent assembly. Then the screen part just snaps onto the sides of the frame with a snap.

It can be easily removed for cleaning out accumulated lint by inserting a flat blade screw driver into a notch on either side.

Yes the screen does catch some lint but I have rarely had to clean it more than once in 4 to 6 months. It really does depend upon several factors as to how often cleaning is required.

How often you run a load of laundry through the dryer
What types of things are being dryed
Whether you have a good lint screen in the dryer
Whether you make sure to clean the dryer screen each load
If there is any possible lint that falls off the dryer screen into the dryer innards whenever you pull it out for cleaning.


Storing riding lawnmower under deck I have a ceiling system under my deck so that no water gets to anything under there.  I'd like to store my riding lawnmower under there.  The surface of the ground isn't wet, but I wanted to put something down over the dirt, to park it on.

I can't afford to put concrete in, but I was thinking of putting in gravel.

If I understand correctly, some types of gravel drain water and some don't.  Should I make sure to get a type that drains well?

What kind should I choose and why?

edit: I should probably ask about stone dust.  Should I consider using it instead of gravel?

Since you say you have a ceiling system and no direct rain in this protected area, I would think you want a material that will pack down firmly so wheels of equipment and walking won't depress into the material too much. I have used 3/8" stone dust, which is a by-product of the stone crushing process mixed with 3/8" pea stone. This material is heavy, forms grade and packs well. You could also use a clean "packing gravel" which is a very coarse sand used under concrete slabs etc. Another good solution is to use a garage mat over the base to park heavy objects on. These mats are available at many box stores and auto supply places. Another good reason to use a parking mat is that oil or fuel spills can be cleaned up before they seep into the soil. You can also sweep it clean occasionally so it looks neat as well.  Good Luck


Definitons of various sand, gravel, and rock products There are various gravel and rock products for sale, but their names do not always mean what the layman thinks they do.  For instance, I ordered three tons of gravel, expecting the 5–15 mm rocks that are commonly used to surface driveways.  What I received was something I would describe as sand with pebbles.  I think what I wanted may be called “crushed, angular rock,“ but I'm still not sure.  (The vendor was nice enough to exchange it for me.)

So: what kinds of sand, gravel, and rock products are sold, what are they called in the trade, and what are they used for?  Pictures welcome.

I can't answer from a building perspective, but I from what I recall (working from memories over a decade old) from my geotechnical engineering classes:

over 2 cm : rock
2cm to 2mm : gravel
2mm to 0.2 mm : sand

Then you get to silt and clay at smaller sizes.   I might be wrong on the boundary between rock & gravel, as the wikipedia page for gravel lists the upper limit o gravel at 64mm / 2.5 inches, and the lower limit of sand lower as well.

You also see terms like 'coarse aggregate' and 'fine aggregate' when dealing with concrete mixing (fine tends to be sand or rock dust, coarse is larger).

You've already seen the 'smooth' (aka 'river rock', aka 'pea gravel' when small) vs. 'crushed' (aka 'sharp') issue.  Smooth will always leave voids and won't compact well, so I'd assume it'd be better in drainage situations

There are also products available that are of mixed grade for better compaction (I've beard it called 'crusher base' or 'crusher run'), which are intended for compacting before your sand course for patios and the like.  In some areas, you might also be able to find recycled crushed concrete.

I'm not going to get into larger rock products, as there's just too many (flagstone, slabs, blocks (dimensional stone), tumbled blocks, cobbles and pavers, riprap, decorative boulders, etc.)


Do I need a separate home inspection if I've got a good contractor doing a gut rehab? We're looking at buying a single family home that's... rather out of date. It's basically in gut-rehab shape. We're planning on replacing electrical, plumbing, heating, and even some foundation work. We have a contractor we like and trust. Is there any point in paying a separate home inspector?

You still might want the inspection.  Even though you don't care about the electrical, plumbing, heating, wall and floor finish, you are counting on the underlying structure to be sound.  You might want to know about, for example, evidence of water damage / possible mold, rot in the sill or beams, sagging floors, possible asbestos, evidence of termites or other pests - many things you might not have thought of.

You may be able to ask the inspector to place less emphasis on the systems you know you plan to replace.


Routing Wires in a Bathroom Simple question...probably over-thinking it. I've framed out a medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I'd like to put a GFCI outlet underneath it. I'll connect the wires to the light above the medicine cabinet. Are there any rules regarding how I route the cable? Is it okay if I route the cable around the medicine cabinet framing instead of through it.

There are no rules for routing cabling other than it must be protected from damage and properly strapped down. However, you question opens up another problem.

First if you light power is coming from the switch you do not have a hot wire in the fixture.

Second the NEC 210.52 (D) states that the receptacle should be within 36" of the basin but not over the basin.

Third NEC 210.11 (C) (3) Requires the GFCI receptacle to be a 20A dedicated circuit. Exception, if the 20A circuit is only  feeding one bathroom you can connect the light and the exhaust fan to the same circuit.

Hope this helps


How to install shower 'S' pipe I want to raise my shower head a few inches. It seems a common solution is an 'S' pipe such as this one. But when tightening this pipe on the wall, how do you ensure that it stays perfectly vertical? The weight of the shower head will be on top, so if it's loose, if will fall down, right?

When the S-pipe is firmly threaded into place such that it will not leak then it should be able to hold up the shower head. If the shower head is not staying up in position then you do not have the S-pipe threaded in firmly enough.

I installed one of these shower S-pipes in my shower in order for an accommodate an large "rain shower" type head. I removed the original small angle pipe and then inspected how the shower head plumbing was attached up in the wall behind the drywall. This needs to be FIRMLY fastened to the studs in the wall or to a cross member that bridges between two studs. To get a idea of what the shower head plumbing pipe fixture looks here is a picture of a typical installation:

If the shower head plumbing is not securely fastened then steps need to be taken the strengthen the mounting including the possibility of adding a proper cross member between the studs. The reason for this is that hanging a heavy shower head up on a tall S-pipe will transfer a lot of torque into the plumbing line and if not properly mounted could lead to future plumbing failure and leaks.

For installing the S-pipe first make sure that the mating pipe threads in the plumbing are clean and free of any debris. Then you put Teflon plumbers tape onto the end of the S-pipe. Do not put on an excess of the taping. Finally the S-pipe can be threaded loosely into the plumbing pipe. When tightening the S-pipe no wrench is really needed for the S-pipe itself because its length makes it easy to turn it into place. An the ideal situation, if you have access to the shower head plumbing, is to use a plumbing wrench to counteract the thread-in force of the S-pipe so that the rotational torque does not get transferred into the plumbing. If this is not possible then you have to depend on the quality of the plumbing attachment to the studs or cross member in order to hold the plumbing in position during installation.

When you get the S-pipe rotated into position stop turning when it thread joint is tight. If the joint gets tight before the pipe is in the correct position then you may need to torque it into final position if the amount of turning is less than about a quarter of a turn. If more than the quarter turn it may be necessary to remove the S-pipe, re-clean the threads on both the S-pipe pipe and the plumbing pipes and start afresh with just a little more of the Teflon tape on the end of the S-pipe.


Ceiling fan bulbs repeatedly fail My Ceiling fan light in my bedroom keeps going out.  I changed the bulb and it worked for a few days and went out again.  I changed it again and days later it went out again.  The ceiling fan itself runs fine so I am not sure if I need to call an electrician or go from a 40W to a 60W bulb.

There are industrial duty lamps they are built to take some vibration. We use these in areas that have vibration. They do cost more but hold up better than off the shelf lamps.


Levelling hearth - what to use? I'm trying to fit an old cast iron fireplace in my Victorian house. So far, I have replaced the builder's arch with a concrete lintel (the floor level is apparently a few inches higher now than when the house was built, so I needed a few extra inches for the insert. I've also removed all rubble inside the chimney breast, including the original but now cracked quarry tiles that formed the base, so the back hearth is now down to bare (and slightly damp) earth.

See the attached pictures.

The front (constructional) hearth is 2-3 cm below the level of the floorboards. The back hearth is approximately 8 cm below floor level.

I'm planning to fit a 30mm thick slate slab on top of the constructional hearth, extending slightly onto the floorboards on either side. Then I'll need to raise the level of the back hearth to sit flush with the slate. So probably 10cm in all at the back.

Here's where I'm stuck. There's a 2cm gap all around between the constructional hearth and the floorboards (which had been filled with a quite crumbly mortar), plus a large chunk missing on the right side. Given these gaps, what's going to be the best way to raise the constructional hearth by the required 2-3 cm to reach the floorboards?

For the back hearth, should I use concrete (4:2:1) or just sharp sand and cement (4:1) to raise the level to sit flush with the slate? This surface will need to be strong enough for the fireback and some of the cast iron insert to sit on, and I'd like it to be smooth enough to brush ash from. Will this be able to withstand the heat from the fire grate burning logs and perhaps coal just above it?

Thanks for any advice you can offer on this one.

Cheers,

Matt

It sounds like a Fireplace Screen or Cover and not an "Insert" with its own firebox. But, the fireplace floor must be replaced with Firebrick using High Temperature Fireplace Cement/Mortar and according to your local regulations, may need to be slightly lower than the hearth.

The hearth Slate that you plan, should be laid and leveled on a bed of freshly poured fireplace cement/mortar (not the old stuff) and, by regulation, may need to be pitched back toward the fireplace so stuff can't roll onto the combustible floor...regardless of The Insert.

Due to the re-purposing of an open fireplace to now contain an Insert you may, by regulation, be required to blanket and surround The Insert with high-heat resistant Mineral Fiber wool or board. Check Your Regulations.


How do I stop a creek from eroding my steep embankment? Behind my house there is a very steep bank/slope that leads down to a decent-sized, slow moving creek about 10 - 12 ft wide. Unfortunately it meanders right behind my property at the base of this steep embankment:

When we bought our house almost ten years ago, it had not meandered nearly as much and we had significantly more embankment/real estate than we do now. Over the last decade the creek has cut deeper and deeper into the embankment and we now have lost about 8 - 10 feet of property at the top of the slope due to erosion of the embankment. We are now about to lose our fence which runs along the top of the embankment and I think this is finally the year that I need to do something to stop the erosion of loss of real estate (and our fence).

One thought I had was to see if I could (as impossible as it sounds) redirect the creek to flow straight rather than to meander. This would prevent the creek from cutting into the embankment any further. But it wouldn't stop erosion from rain which is now just as much a problem as the creek.

To fix the erosion issue, I'm wondering if there is any material I could apply/spray/whatever to the entire embankment? I know on the side of highways I often see rocky cliffs with some kind of retaining netting that helps "pack" in the rocks and loose debris from falling onto the road.

At this stage I'm just looking to review my options so I can weigh them and only then drill down into their logistics so I can figure out which way we're going to go.

So, options-wise, what are some solutions out there that could help with both problems (that is: preventing the creek from meandering any further, and erosion of the embankment due to the creek and rainfall)?

This is often a complex legal situation due to regulations that affect (in many parts of the world) what you can do in or near a body or stream of water even if the land next to it or around it belongs to you; not to mention the fact that you are fighting with a force that has literally shaped the planet, and it's inexorable and quite capable of undoing many things you try to do to stop it, if, in fact, it is even legal for you to try to do those things. If the stream also is a property BOUNDARY, the legal implications of trying to move it get even more complex.

The "wire mesh" you describe is most probably gabions, which are empty wire cages which are stacked and filled (pretty much by hand, which has taken a novice contractor or two by surprise, to their cost) with rocks. Another common technique is "rip rap" which are simply large rocks layed over the face.

Your only legal option in many places would be to think about moving your fence back before it's undermined. Trying to get plant material established on the eroding slope is another approach, but many jurisdictions are less fond of people planting highly invasive species often selected in the past for that purpose, so you may need to stick with native/local species. Or, you may be able to perform some work after having hearings/meetings with the Authority Having Jurisdition over such activities in your area (conservation commission, department of environmental protection, etc.)


Fixing Bosch SHE series insufficient fill issue? (SHE43R Series 300) I have a Bosch SH43R dishwasher.  It has started not always filling enough on a cycle, leading to poor wash performance (often it can't even get the soap out of the dispenser).

Frustratingly, it's not every cycle.
Awkwardly, adding 2-3 cups of water sets things right (the water level then comes up a few cm above the drain mesh).  So I've been running it each night by listening for a lack of enough sloshing, then adding water by hand.  Ugh.

I've removed the integral filter and fill solenoid (Bosch part #00622058).  The filter was a little dirty, but not bad. I measured 4.1 gallons per minute out of the inlet hose: seems like plenty.  But the problem persists.

I know this model is a "timed fill" meaning the dishwasher computer has no idea how full the tub is.

How can I run a diagnostic cycle, as this particular model has no display (other than a useless red LED that shines on the floor)?

What could be the low fill cause?  Can a weak solenoid do this?

It was the fill solenoid, Bosch part #00622058.  My kids and I ran a bucket test, operating the valve into a bucket and timing flow over one minute:

Don't do this at home (ahem), note the bare wires from the scavenged extension cord: it's a 120V solenoid.

Test runs produced 5,8 and then 6 cups of water in one minute with the filter completely removed.  This explains the inconsistent behavior.  The new solenoid from the local parts store produced 12 cups in the same condition.

The hose was grotty also, and is going back to FluidMaster under Warranty:


One switch controlling 2 lights I am replacing a 3-way switch that controlled two lights in a bathroom. There is only one switch, but controls two lights. The old switch worked fine. But now when I replaced it, in one switch position one light is on one light is off. In the other switch position, the lights switch so the other is on and the one that was on is now off. I tried a different 3 way switch just in case it was a bad switch. I also tried switching the red and white wires just in case I messed something up but the same thing happens. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

You are probably not replacing a 3-way. A 3-way switch system uses two switches to control one device. Try using a regular(single-pole) light switch. Connect the the 'live' line or power wire to one side of the switch. Now any device(s) connected to the other side of the switch will be controlled by the switch after you turn the power back on.


Garage door sometimes doesn't open all the way: belt or opener? One of our Craftsman garage door opener has recently started not always opening the whole way. It will come up to about five feet and stop. If we put it down and reverse it a few times, eventually it will go all the way up. This doesn't happen with every open, but it's frequent enough to be frustrating - probably 20% of lifts.

I adjusted the up force control to increase force, and that seemed to help but hasn't eliminated the problem. While I was up there, though, I noticed two things:

The belt for this opener seems to be significantly looser than the one on the other door bay. However, before a lift which fails, one side of the belt will be quite taut and the other slack.
The LED by the "learn" button is blinking: six blinks, then a pause (during which it flickers a bit), then six blinks, etc.. The manual says this probably indicates a logic board failure, because the status is meant to indicate a motor failure, and the logic board fails more often than the motor.

I'm relatively handy but I'm inexperienced with garage door openers. I'm relatively confident replacing the logic board (based on instructions I've read) but much less so troubleshooting the belt; I don't know where to start there. On the other hand, if the issue is the belt, replacing the logic board is unlikely to solve the problem (even if it's actually necessary).

How can I figure out if the problem is the belt or the logic board (or both)? (Subtext: should I keep at it myself or call a professional?)

Try disconnecting the door from the opener. Then you can open and close the door by hand to see if there is anything stuck or jammed. Could be that there is a kink in the track or one of the wheels is coming off the rail or something.

If door runs smoothly and without much effort then you can turn your attention to the opener. Note that it may be easier to just replace the whole unit; door openers are not that expensive. I certainly would not call a professional... a new opener is only $150 or so, you could easily blow through that with a diagnostic visit from a tech without actually getting to the real problem.

(If you have never disconnected the door before: there is usually a pull-cord or lever where the curved door arm meets the rail. Pull down to release the door, then push it back up to re-engage when you're done.)


Changing a pull switch to a hard wired wall switch Ceiling fans Hi have have 3 new ceiling fans that have a pull switch cord for the light and fan. I am wanting to change them to a hard wired switch on the wall and a light switch. They have 3 speeds and have lights attached.
Anyone that could help, thanks Stella

This is possible.

Wired Control
However, if there's not already wires run between the unit and the wall switch location, you're going to have to run the wires yourself. For this answer, I'm going to assume there's no wiring currently installed between the unit and a switch.
Select the switch location
The first step is to decide where you wan the switch. Once you've decided, you'll want to cut a hole in the wall large enough for a double gang electrical box.  An "old work" box is a good choice for this project, since it will be difficult to attach the box to the farming due to the walls being covered.
Selecting wire size
You'll select the wire size, based on the size of the circuit breaker protecting the circuit. If it's a 15 ampere breaker, you can use 14 AWG wire. If it's a 20 ampere breaker, you'll use 12 AWG wire.
Selecting cable
To control the light and fan independently, and meet National Electrical Code standards. You're going to have to have four current carrying conductors, and one grounding conductor between the unit and switches.  You can use 12/4 with ground, 12/2/2 with ground, or two 12/2 with ground NM-B cables, install conduit and pull individual wires, or use any other type of acceptable cable with the proper number of wires.
Selecting switches
The switch to turn the light on/off, can be any type of single pole snap switch. The switch for the fan can also be a snap switch, if you wan to use the pull chain on the fan to control the fan speed. If you want to control the fan speed from the wall switch, you'll want to install a fan control switch instead. If you only want a single gang switch to control both, you can install a single gang electrical box, and use a special ceiling fan control switch.

3 speed fan control switch

3 speed fan and light control switch
Wiring
If the ceiling fan is currently wired without a wall switch (as this answer assumes), you'll find that there should be three bundles of wires in the box.  There should be one ungrounded (hot) bundle, that is likely made up of black wires (assuming US). One grounded (neutral) bundle, made up of white wires. And finally a bundle of grounding wires, made up of bare or green wires.
For simplicity in the following wiring description, I'm going to assume you chose to use 12/4 with ground NM-B cable.

WARNING: Make sure you turn the breaker off, and verify the power is off before beginning. If you don't have the tools or knowledge to complete the work, don't hesitate to contact a local licensed Electrician.

Connections in the ceiling

Connect the black wire from the wall switch, to the black wire coming into the ceiling box (you can disconnect the black and blue wires to the fan in this step as well).
Connect the white wire from the wall switch, to the bundle of white wires entering the ceiling box.
Connect the bare wire from the wall switch, the the bundle of bare/green wires entering the ceiling box.
Connect the red wire from the wall switch, to the black wire on the ceiling fan.
Connect the blue wire from the wall switch, to the blue wire on the ceiling fan.

Connections at the wall switches

Use pigtails to connect the black wire to the LINE terminal of both switches. Or connect the black wire to the COMMON terminal, if you've installed a single control.
Cap the white wire with a twist-on wire connector, or connect it to the switch(es) if required.
Use pigtails to connect the bare wire to the grounding terminal of each switch. If you've installed a metal box, use a pigtail and grounding screw to connect the bare wire to the box as well.
Connect the red wire to the LOAD terminal of the fan control, or the FAN terminal if you've installed a single control.
Connect the blue wire to the light switch, or the LIGHT terminal if you've installed a single control.

Wireless Control
If you don't want to fiddle with running cable, you can go the wireless route. Yo can chose either ceiling fans with wireless units already installed, or buy aftermarket control modules.
Wiring
To install a fixture with a pre-installed wireless module, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions that were included with the unit. There's a few variations, so I'm not going to go into detail of each one.
To install an aftermarket wireless module, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions that were included with the unit. Again, there are a few variations, and I'm not going to go into detail here.
Selecting switch location
Once the wireless module is installed, pair the remote to the receiver by following the manufacturer's instructions (might require setting dip switches). Then install the remote wherever you want.


Is it possible to separate air return vents when you have 2 different furnaces? I have 2 separate furnaces, one for basement suite and another one for upstairs. The tenant in basement suite smokes and I smell the cigarette smoke upstairs through the vents... how is that possible if we are supposed to have to different air systems? I asked the technician, he said we are sharing the return air vent, what the heck!!
My question: is it possible to have 2 different air return vents? how the tenant in the basement suite can have his/her own air system without sharing?

Thank you.

Yes.  Both either should not be from the same room and/or the room should be very large and can pull make-up air from elsewhere.


Are impact driver bits a different standard than screwdriver bits? I bought a Milwaukee M4 cordless screwdriver (Milwaukee 2101-22) from Home Depot.  Home Depot has plenty of Milwaukee screwdriver bits and I bought a set.
The bits are too short.  The head of the bit is nearly inside the socket; it's hard to even reach it with my fingers to remove it, let alone drive screws with it.
Reading the label on the bits more carefully, I realized that it says "SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty".  So my best guess is that this set of bits was intended for use in a Milwaukee impact driver.  (I guess with an impact driver a shorter bit is better, for strength.)
The cross-sectional size of the bits seems identical (1/4" hex drive), but it seems that the M4 screwdriver needs longer bits.  Yet it's nearly impossible to find the suitable bits on the Home Depot web site; almost all they have is SHOCKWAVE.
It seems strange to me that there should be two standards for screwdriver bits, differing only in length.  And if there are two standards I would expect the Milwaukee web site would make it easy to search for exactly the kind of bits you need, but there's no obvious way to search for non-SHOCKWAVE bits.
Am I correct that there are two standards and I need different bits for the M4 screwdriver?  Or will the SHOCKWAVE bits work somehow with the M4 screwdriver?  Maybe there is some kind of common adapter I could get?
P.S. I believe I found one set of bits that would work with the M4 screwdriver.  Here's the link, and a link to a SHOCKWAVE bit set for comparison.  Sorry for using a Home Depot link but I cannot even find non-SHOCKWAVE bits on the Milwaukee web site at all!  Not even using Google to search for part number 48-32-1552!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-Screwdriving-Bit-Set-64-Piece-48-32-1552/306715205
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Accessories/Accessories-Sets/SHOCKWAVE-Driving-Set/48-32-4062
EDIT: Thanks for the responses.  Now that you educated me, I checked to see if the SHOCKWAVE bit set I bought includes a bit tip holder, and it does.  (In fact it has two bit holders, a 3" and a 6"!)  I feel silly that I wasn't able to figure this out on my own, but with your help I eventually figured it out.

Those little bits aren't really made to go straight into the chuck.  Even if the chuck is made to grip the little grooves, it's hard to see the tip with it so close to the chuck.  There might not be enough room to get the whole nose of the driver in that close to the screw.  Those bits

are best put into a bitholder - the bitholder will grip the little grooves so it doesn't fall out, and it gets it away from the chuck a bit.

You can also buy screwdriver bits that are made for the chuck, and these bits will be long enough that they are easy to use placed directly in the chuck.  You can see it has the same style shank as the bitholder.

There are about four million of these in HD, L's, etc.


How can I attach a sink drain to a drain that is higher than the sink? My home is pre-plumbed for a water softener -- whole house water filter.  Meaning I have a main water pipe that comes out of the wall, makes a u-turn, and goes back into the wall.  Just below the water pipe is a drain point for connecting the softener/filter drain hose.
My question is this:  The drain point is located 36" above the floor.  I am considering installing a utility sink in the garage and I'm wondering if there is a way to utilize this drain point for the sink?  Of course the bottom of the sink and p-trap would be considerably lower than the drain point which is up higher on the wall.  I do not believe water from the sink would ever drain properly and would most likely just back up in the sink.  Would this be the case?  Any suggestions on how to get around this?

That isn't how gravity works.

Drains like sinks are typically gravity drains where the water is drawn down into the drainpipe... by gravity.

This is in contrast to things like washing-machines where the wastewater is pumped out into standpipes.

In order to drain your sink via a standpipe above the fixture you'll need a drain pump or drain into a sump and pump it out from there.


220V GFCI circuit breaker neutral I have a 220V 15 amp body dryer with 2 prongs on the plug (European). Manufacturer instructions indicate to connect 2 hots and 1 ground to the receptacle. Since this is in a bathroom, I have installed a GFCI 2 pole breaker, which requires a neutral from the receptacle.  Without a neutral from the GFCI, the breaker trips. I just finished wiring my other GFCI single pole circuits to include the neutral from the receptacle, walla no more trips. How do I wire this? If I need to run a neutral, what size? I am using a 20 amp circuit.

GFCIs work by making sure current is equal in and out (i.e. that all current is accounted for).  As such, all (normal) current must pass through a GFCI device: All hots and any neutral.

Normally one attaches the neutral wire to the neutral bar.  The GFCI instructions are warning that you can't do the normal thing, and "the" neutral wire must go through the GFCI breaker (for detection purposes) just like all the hot(s).

Since  your circuit does not employ a neutral wire, this advice is irrelevant to you.

When wiring this circuit, you may find it prudent to run a /3 cable so it can be used later for some other appliance which may want neutral.  In that case, leave the full length on the neutral wires, but cap them off.

All that said, the GFCI breaker will have a "neutral pigtail" (literally looks like a pig's tail, it's all curled up) -- this is where the GFCI gets the supply-side neutral from.  You will probably need to plug that into the neutral bar on the panel; many 240V GFCIs need it to power their own onboard electronics.

As with all GFCIs, hook up the GFCI itself and get it fully working before attaching anything to the load side.  You will easily catch any such problem in this area.


Is there a "Right" direction to build soffit with plywood? Is there a right or wrong way to face the plywood when building a soffit for ductwork?  I was following a tutorial from Family Handyman http://www.familyhandyman.com/basement/how-to-finish-a-basement-framing-and-insulating/view-all

which has the plywood facing on the "inside" side of the duct.

Seems like almost all of the other tutorials I've seen, they have it on the outside, and they seem to use OSB instead.  Is there a prefered side, and does it matter if using plywood vs OSB?

Putting the sheathing to the outside makes hitting backing easier when hanging drywall, etc. On the other hand, it may be easier to hang the verticals pre-assembled if the sheathing is to the inside, as you can then screw through the 2-by into the joists unobstructed. From a structural standpoint it does the job equally well inside or outside. Do whatever makes sense in your situation.

OSB is more dimensionally stable than plywood (so you're not fighting warp while you build), and it's usually quite a bit cheaper. For this purpose 7/16 or 1/2" is more than adequate as the drywall adds support as well.


Should doors over carpeting be hung higher than those over hard floors? A joiner recently hung doors in my house but 2 x bedroom doors where the carpet will be fitted hang higher than the surrounding doors.
The timber frames are also about 1.5 inches higher.
After the doors have the framing around them and the carpet is fitted will I even notice this?
I am currently worried my house is going to look ridiculous

The tops of the doors should all be in a perfect line with each other. (Often the tops of windows align with this also). The bottoms of the doors could be cut differently to clear whatever flooring there is. This is only for aesthetics but is an important visual detail.


How can I hang a heavy frame without making holes in the walls? I live in an apartment, so I don't want to put holes in the wall, but I have a large (2'x3') wire-suspended frame, weighing 14 pounds, that I'd like to hang. The heaviest-duty 3M Command product (the Sticky Nail Wire-Back Hanger) only holds 8 pounds and 18"-24" frames. The Command FAQ says they “don't recommend” using multiple hooks to hang heavier things. Any ideas?

This may be thinking outside the box, but there are other ways to display a picture rather than "hanging" them. Hopefully these inspire some solutions...

Have you considered using some sort of display easel like the one above instead?

Google Search: Photo Display Easel

Compression poles are also an interesting way to hang things without causing damage:

Or if you are more industrious, you can construct some sort of free standing (or leaning) panel to hang the picture from. A nicely framed section of painted drywall or other type of surface can make a nice accessory for the room. It can be made free standing or designed to lean up against the wall without causing any permanent damage.


Wall Textures In Different US States I am trying to learn about wall textures.
Can someone share some knowledge about in which US states are textured walls (like orange peel, ....) common vs which states they are not common?
I would really appreciate any help!

Thanks

Orange peel, knockdown and skip trowel finishes are very popular in FL. Faux finishing adds a nice touch.


What type of tape is used to seal vapor barrier seams? If I was installing vapor barrier in Canada, I'd use Tuck® Contractors Sheathing Tape.  However, after a trip to the local Home Depot (USA), I came up empty in my search for Tuck Tape.

I did find Tyvek® Tape, which is used to seal the seams of Tyvek® HomeWrap®.

Can Tyvek tape be used as a stand in for Tuck tape, or are there more appropriate products available?

I too, was in search of Tuck Tape at Home Depot / Lowe's and couldn't find it. When I asked a salesman about it, they didn't understand what I was looking for.

When I said I wanted to seal the edges of vapor barrier, they told me to use the Tyvek tape, the same one you found.

Duct tape won't cut it; it's too porous. We used the Tyvek and it's worked well so far.

Don't use it on hard wood floors as painter's tape; it'll rip the polyurethane right off of the floor (lesson learned).

  It is the opinion of the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) that “Tuck® 205-02 Contractor's
  Sheathing Tape / DuPontTM Tyvek® Tape”, when used as a sheathing tape in accordance with the conditions and limitations stated in Section 3 of this Report, complies with the National Building Code 2005:

  PDF


DC pass cable splitter So we have a direct tv satellite that we don’t use anymore. They left a dc pass cable splitter hooked up. Can we use that to hook up an outdoor antenna? Will we get shocked or something? Clearly we don’t know what we’re doing. I wasn’t sure if I should just get a regular splitter or could use the one that’s already hooked up to our cables.

I suppose you could use it, but unless you need the splitter function, you do not want any extra splitters in your antenna line, as each one cuts your antenna signal (tiny) by half. Use a straight barrel connector if you need to join two cable ends.

The "DC pass" part of the one you have was to permit power to be passed up to an amplifier built into the dish receiver for the satellite. If does not make you any more or less likely to "get shocked or something." If you are installing an antenna, you should learn about not causing the antenna cable to look like the best place for lightning to run into the house. (not affilated with the linked content, nor is it directly relevant to this question, so I'm not going to copy it here, either. Might make a good question for someone to ask.)


How do I remove countersunk baluster screws? How do I remove countersunk screws where the head is not accessible?  I'd like to find an easier way to do this than breaking drill bit after drill bit, trying to drill a large enough hole to pull the head end through

You could use a plug cutter to remove the screw and surrounding wood.


Shower drain clogs yearly after clearing - call plumber or DIY? My shower drain clogs infrequently but regularly - about every year or so. The first year it happened, I used one of those 18" plastic drain "hooks" (and pulled out a fairly large hairball). It clogged again about a year later, so I got a 20' snake and ran it all the way through to the end, hoping there was a blockage farther down that I missed the first time. Another year later, and it's clogged again!

Should I just keep doing what I've been doing and expect to do this every year, or might a plumber be able to clear out the problem once and for all (or at least get me a few years before having to do it again)?

I don't know for sure, but my guess is that there's a bend or turn close to the shower that's catching hair and I'll just have to keep doing this, but if there's a more permanent solution, I'd love to know.

in homes with lots of women, or men with long hair, this is a constant battle.  the only way to prevent this is to put a hair catcher over your drain, but these are a nusiance.  primarily the problem comes from hairs getting stuck at some bend or sticky area in a pipe, and this acts as a scaffold for more hairs to accrete and so on and so on.  if you regularly pour a bottle of some sort of sodium hydroxide based drain cleaner down the shower drain (say once every week), it will be the best you can do to prevent it, as it will regularly be cleaning the pipe and attacking any hair that has accreted in the previous week.

the only permanent solution is to convert the drain pipes to a larger size and a smoother finish (eg. remove old 1.25 inch copper and replace with 2 inch abs) all the way from the drain to the main stack.


What would you do to quickly troubleshoot a j-type fixture that burns out bulbs every few days? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DUPXJLI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  - bulb example
Fixture is just a single overhead ceiling light with plenty of air flow and cover.   I have about 20 of these exact same fixtures across rentals and people love them.   All exact same setup, same bulbs, all on a dimmer.
This particular one was installed about 10 years ago.   I replaced the bulb for the 3rd time over 10 years about 3 months ago.   When these bulbs go out there is usually heavy black marking.    So after I replaced it, boom out in 3 days.   No marking, filament blasted.   Went through this process 4 more times...
Things I have tried...

took cover off to reduce heat
brought in new bulbs
brought in a bulb from working light
used bulbs from same pack in a different fixture at house
checked voltage to light and checked connection at switch

So I am either buying new fixture or trying an LED or fixing.  I am being stubborn about this so I would like to fix it but really have no reason that this thing is burning out so quick.  It seems to be heat related as you can sit there and test the thing out put the dimmer up and down for a half hour and it works fine.
To add on:  The tenants love these lights.   Looks great.   Really warm and bright on dimmer all the way up and almost like a night light all the way down.   This is the first light out of the 20 I have had any issues with.   Honestly I don't think I have ever replaced any bulbs within a year and some in sparsely used rooms have last a good 5 years.

First ever... I don't know.
I had two different lamps fail bulbs after 3-4 days.   Not 1 day or 4-5 hours buy 3-4 days.   I think the lamps are fine.   I never put my fingers or anything else on any contacts.   I never put my fingers on the end of the bulbs.
So....

crappy bulbs... guessing so
tried several variations of LEDs and finally hit one that worked well plus didn't look "white".

So... I should have switched to LEDs sooner.   I have no idea why my bulbs burnt out so quick.   I rather have the halogen but the LEDs I have are in the same range has them and it is "good enough".    The tenants are happy, dimmers working, bulbs lasting.


What's the difference between "Framing Lumber" and "Framing Studs"? The Home Depot website has these two as categories under Dimensional Lumber.

Why would one want to exclude items from one category during a search for wood to use in a project?

What is the difference?

Studs are cut to length at the mill so you can build your 8’ walls without cutting the ends off the top and bottom plates with studs make a quick tilt up wall, the rest is true 8’ 10’ 12’ .  Note if remodeling verify length prior to building a wall.


What is the best way to level a tree log? I'm making an end table/floor lamp from a 3 ft cut log. What's going to be the easiest or best way to level the bottom and top of this piece?
I thought about throwing it up on some saw horses and using the chainsaw to get it approximately level, then sand it to get it perfectly level.
Just curious if anyone had a better solution.

It is also possible to do the final smoothing of the rough squared off faces by using a router. The router rides in a set of movable supports that you arrange over the end of the log and the router bit can cut to a smooth finish across the whole log face. As you make each pass with the router you slide the movable supports over an appropriate amount and then take the next pass.

The starting point is to afix (clamp) a frame of two straight boards in parallel along each side of the log. Then at right angles to these you have the router support slides. The router makes passes by feeding the router along the support sliders. The next pass is arranged by moving the sliders along the first parallel support boards. The following picture attempts to show a top down view of the setup.


What is happening to the surface of this shutoff valve? Yes, I know it's rust, but should I be concerned? In the third picture you can see the complete layout, to the right is where the water enters the house with the first valve (green) before the meter, then the red is the primary shutoff.

This is in a house we moved into, but do I need to worry about turning it if I need to? In the sideview, it looks like it's just the handle, perhaps it hasn't rusted inside the valve?

It doesn't appear anything has been dripping on it, just seems odd why there is so much rust. Can I replace the handle?

You can replace the handle but you've probably have to take it off a new valve that you'd buy. No reason to do that though, just wire brush the valve and throw a little rust remover on it. That's the main shutoff and there could have been a leak above it ,maybe on another faucet, that just ran down the pipe before or after the insulation was added. So clean it up and keep an eye of it to see if it starts to rust again. I wouldn't worry about operating the valve as they are probably the best valves on the market.


Cannot fit in the new rain shower head I just bought a shower head from Amazon (Chinese seller I think). As soon as I received it I removed the old one and tried fitting it in. But it cannot be screwed in. The diameter seem identical to the old one with my bare eyes. But the old one screws in easily and this one stops after one turn. I tried cleaning the threads with a toothpick, adding some WD40 and it does not get any easier. Do I need a connector? How universal are the connector widths?

I have added pictures.

ps: It is not easy to force as the disk part can spin 360 degrees around the connector, hence I have preferred not to force for now.

Link to the item I purchased if it helps: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07SSZ9RH7/

Your photo is not all that helpful but it appears that you are attempting to screw the new unit into a part off of the old one.  You should remove that part that is sticking out from the disk and get to the standard plumbing stub that is coming out of the wall.  That is where your new shower head should attach.

I have no idea what that circular plate is doing.  Is it a part of the new one or the old one?  Some better photos of what you received from Amazon might help here.


Knob and worm gear open windows Can you help me identify or suggest what you'd refer to this type of window that has a rotation handle powering a worm gear that drives the rod to open or close the window?

Basically, what do you call this kind of window, as opposed to, e.g. double hung etc.

A window hinged at the side is called a casement window.

More specifically, that is a slide hinge, manual, sector crank casement window.

Different manufacturers may have a different name for the 'slide hinge' style. Its purpose is to allow easy cleaning of the outside of the pane.

It's 'manual' because you turn the crank by hand. Some industrial buildings have motorized window cranks.

I'll take your word for it that it has a worm drive. Mine have little pinion gears. If the mechanism includes a member that looks like a partial gear wheel attached to a lever, that's a 'sector crank'.

If you're searching or shopping for this kind of window, don't bother with the 'worm drive' and 'sector crank' terms as these vary with manufacturer choice. Use the terms 'casement' and 'slide hinge' to find these kinds of windows.


My front door frame doesn't appear to support installing a storm door; is there anything I can do? I bought a storm door to for the front of my house, and realized too late that there's no inset in the front door frame to install one.

My options at this point appear to be to A) Forget it and return the door, or B) replace/modify the door frame. Replacing the door frame sounds like a moderate-level difficulty project, something I'd probably be more comfortable having a contractor do. I'm guessing this would cost a couple thousand dollars.

Am I understanding my situation properly? Are there any options I haven't considered?

You dont state what your problem is.  You can install the door to the outside of the door frame. It looks like the top sticks out farther than the sides so you either have to add a board the thickness of the distance to the outside of the side frame. If you need more room for the frame flange at the top you can add a 1x2 board to the top of the door . With the thick door frame the bottom of the screen door may not hit something so you will have to look at that.

Installing a screen door is not an easy project even on a standard door. Especially the first time so if you're doubting yourself you might want to hire someone.


How do I choose the correct fluorescent ballast? I have a fluorescent fixture which takes tubes.  The fluorescent ballast has gone bad, or I want to upgrade to the latest.  How do I select the correct ballast for my fixture?

You identify the tube type, then the ballast.

The fixture decides the tube

The fixture and its lampholders are going to decide the size of tube you can use.  Within that, you may have some flexibility.

Start by looking at the fixture. Look at the length and shape of tube, and the lampholder sockets.  Often, it's totally obvious, like the ubiquitous 48" T12 or T8 bi-pin linear tubes.  Or is it?  That "48" tube could actually be a 46" T5 tube, and I've even seen 2'x4' ceiling troffers with U-shaped bulbs in them.

You still have some options.  For instance, most fixtures using linear T12 tubes will also fit linear T8 tubes, and vice versa -- and there will often be LED "tubes" also available in those sizes. There are even lampholders for T12/T8 fixtures with extensions to fit the shorter T5 tubes.

1-pin vs. 2-pin tubes.  In over-4-foot tubes, look closely at the ends. Some have a single pin (a "nub") on each end of the tube. Others have a plastic molding with 2 pins.  The latter are "high-output" (HO) or "very high-output" (VHO) and they require different ballasts.

T12 vs T8.  The old T12 tube (1.5" diameter) is obsolete.  Most T12 sizes have a T8 (1" diameter) equivalent which will snap right in, but is not electrically compatible.  You need to use a T8 ballast.  T8's are smaller, more efficient and produce more light - often three T8s can replace four T12s.  (or you can just use four T8s and have more light.)

T5.  T5 is yet thinner at 5/8". It hasn't really caught on in the US, and the fixtures and bulbs are costly.  Selection is limited.  They are not pin compatible and are shorter. That is why T5 conversion lampholders for 4-foot fixtures have an extension on them.

LED replacement "tubes". These are typically the shape of a linear T8 fluorescent tube, and will snap into T8 or T12 fixtures. They have fewer lumens, but they only light up one side of the tube. The light comes out perpendicular to the pins, which works great in most fixtures but could be a problem in some. LED emitters are very durable; the weak link is the electronic power supplies, especially on cheap units, which may not even last as long as a fluorescent tube!

Oddball tube sizes or sockets.  Some tube sizes give you only limited choice of tube.

Color temperature  These days, you can get fluorescent tubes or LEDs in any color temperature you want, including black. From 3000k halogen to 6500k blue daylight.  Traditional fluorescent colors are 4100K.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) This indicates how realistic the light looks to the human eye.  A better CRI is a breath of fresh air. Older fluorescents are 75 CRI or worse. Today, 80 CRI is mandated (higher for T12s) and 90 CRI tubes are readily available for $2.50/tube.  Even 98 CRI can be had.  LEDs aren't near these numbers, at least not at consumer friendly prices.

The tube decides the ballast

Once you know the tube you are using, you must find a ballast which is listed to drive that type, length and wattage of tube.  Beyond that, you may have freedom to make some choices.   First, ballast type has a lot to do with lamp performance and how long they'll last.  Most wear on a fluorescent light is from how it is started.

Magnetic ballasts are obsolete, and you will not see them except for odd-size, specialty or HID lighting (mercury vapor etc.) in which case you're stuck with them.  These buzz, flicker in cold, and flicker all the time for some people.  I'll assume you'd rather have a modern electronic ballast which will be silent, work in cold, and not flicker.

Instant-start ballasts connect 1 wire to each end of the tube.  Some sizes only have 1 pin, and are built extra-stout to endure the rough starts of an instant-start ballast.  2-pin tubes, not so much.

Rapid-start ballasts have a fixed "start sequence" where they preheat the filaments in each end of the tube.  (that's why each end has 2 pins, and 2 wires going to each end of the tube).  They take a second to start, but are much easier on the tubes.

Programmed-start ballasts have sensors to preheat the tube until it's actually ready to start.  This varies by conditions, so they can take several seconds to start in the icy cold, for instance.  They are easiest on the tube.

LED replacement tubes: "Plug-n-Play" are designed to work with an old fluorescent ballast in place.  The sales pitch is to "save you the trouble" of removing the old ballast, just one problem: among the above types of ballast, they need a specific one.  So you could have to add a ballast and worse, maintain that ballast forever.  Terrible!

LED replacement tubes: "Direct Wire" types require you to bypass/remove the ballast, and wire 120V supply power directly to the lampholders.  If you have the chops to change a ballast, you can handle this.  Some LED tubes want 120V on the opposite ends of the tube. Others want it on the 2 pins at one end of the tube, in which case watch out for "shorting lampholders".  More below.

The all-important ballast data sheet will tell you exactly what combinations of tubes the ballast can drive.  Many can drive several sizes.  What's more, some ballasts are able to drive 1 or 2 bulbs; if a bulb is absent, they still work fine.  All of this is in the data sheet, along with other stuff.

Ballast factor indicates how strong the ballasts drives the tubes.  A ballast factor of 1.00 means "normal" brightness for that tube type. They can overdrive to 1.10, or underdrive at 0.90, 0.74 or even lower.  When a professional designs facility lighting, he will "spec" ballast factor as part of the overall lighting plan.

Power factor describes how unevenly the ballast draws power from the line.  90+% is good.  Don't use much lower than that; a poor power factor requires the wire to carry more current, even though the light doesn't use it. For instance a 100W light with a 25% power factor, needs wiring for 400W of power draw, so only 3 of those on a 1440W circuit instead of 14.

Instant-Start ballasts vs. other kinds

Instant-start ballasts are wired very differently.  This requires some adjustment, notably in the lampholders.

Instant into a fixture wired for magnetic/rapid/programmed.  In this case, you'll find 2 wires coming from each end of each lamp.  Typically one pair of those wires is common to all lamps (usually yellow).  You simply join the 2 wires to the single wire coming from the ballast.

Rapid/programmed/LED into a fixture wired for instant-start  The rapid or programmed ballasts (or some direct-wire LEDs) need 2 wires to each end of the tube.  The fixture, wired for an instant-start ballast, will have only one. The wires cannot be joined; both these wires will need to go to the lampholders.  The problem is, they are likely to be shorting lampholders.

Shorting lampholders. Most tubes have 2 pins, so the lampholders have 2 pins. But instant-start ballasts use only one, and want them wired together.  Fixtures built for instant-start ballasts often use an ugly beast called a "shorting lampholder", which shorts the two pins together internally.  Watch out for these, they often have an "S" stamped on them, or only 2 holes when you'd expect 4.  They won't work with rapid, magnetic, programmed or most direct-wire LEDs.  Lampholders are mostly standard (mostly!) and you can buy common replacements online or from the big-box for under a buck each.

Tips

Ballasts are generally standard sizes. Sometimes the old ballast will be shorter or longer. But usually, the fixture is set up to take the other size of ballast, by using a different mounting slot, or moving the mounting screw.

Don't be spooked by the complexity.  It can be a rats nest of wires.  Hook up the "common" end of the lampholders first; then hook up the other end of each individual bulb; and lastly connect the AC power (black/white).  Remember to unplug, or if not unpluggable, add a disconnect as described below.

Save extra length.  The internal wiring is special.  It's 18 AWG, but it's not thermostat wire -- it is insulated for 600V due to the high voltage of fluorescent lamps.  It's tough to find this wire, and when you do, it's expensive.  As such, I'm not in a hurry to trim back excess length - I can't get replacement wire!

Wire nuts for the typically 18 AWG wire inside a fluorescent fixture should be appropriate to the size -- I use the "blue" size, and it's good to tie 14-18 AWG or up to four 18's together.

Longer power cord, now's the time.  Some fluorescent fixtures have six INCH cords (15cm).  I buy 10 foot (3m) cords from McMaster-Carr for $4 each and retrofit.  Always use 3-prong plugs; many ballasts need ground.

Hardwired fixtures? Disconnect plugs! The US National Electrical Code now requires that when you service a hard-wired fluorescent fixture, you also add a disconnect plug on the power supply line. This just hangs loose in the wiring.  Turn the power off when doing this!  But you don't have to do everything else in the dark: once the disconnect is fitted, you can turn power back on.  That being the point.

Pull chain? Put a disconnect on it!  When I pull ballast covers, they often dangle by the wires to a pull switch.  I put a ballast disconnect on those,  specifically the orange Ideal type, which will freely disconnect if you drop it.  Now it won't tear wires out!

If a wall-switched fixture has a pull-chain and 2 ballasts, put the pull chain  on only one ballast.  Then you can switch it high and low.


Ceiling fan switch replacements I have 2 ceiling fans that were in my house when I moved in. Both fans have recently had the pull strings torn out of the switch. I took the fans apart, and wrote down the information on the switch, and both fans have a switch with 4 wires. The wires are labeled L,1,2,3. I went to the hardware store and bought replacement switches, also labeled L,1,2,3.

At this point I decided to play it safe and I labeled each of the wires based on the hole that they were inserted into (L,1,2,3). When I turned the power back on, instead of 3 speeds, I have 1. When I put the old broken switch back in place, the fan immediately runs on high (the speed it was on when the chain was pulled out), so I'm pretty sure that the fan is alright.

I'm nervous about just trying random combinations, not know what each of the different holes is for. I also do not know the manufacturer of the fans, so I am at a bit of a loss as far as reading manuals, or getting OEM help.

Will I be OK just trying different combinations until the fan is working better? I'd really rather not bring in an electrician.

Do you have any part of pull chain left in the old switch, even if you need to use tweezers or something to use it?  If you do, then you could use a continuity tester or volt-ohm meter and test how the switch is working when the chain is pull through its cycles. That is, see which wires let voltage through (and it may be more than two at a time).

To me, "L" should be the hot voltage in to the switch, while 1-3 should be power to the fan.

If you can not test the switch directly, perhaps this article will shed some light.

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-pullchain-replacement-and-repair.php


How to calculate if a 15 amp circuit will be adequate for your needs? I have a 15 amp circuit and I would like to have the following things plugged into it:

definitely will have:

tv
4 lights
microwave
mini-fridge

could possibly have:

oil heater
electric cooktop (though this could be gas if it was a deal breaker)

Is this too much for a 15 amp circuit?  How do I go about calculating what a 15 amp (or any size) circuit can handle?

Are you in North America with 120V power?   Your 15A circuit has 1800 watts and 1800 VA (a different way to measure watts).  The microwave, oil heater, and electric cooktop are each large heating loads.  Any one of them draw nearly the entire circuit capacity (1440 out of 1800 watts).  No two of them may ever run at the same time, but of course ther's no way to enforce this, so you will get breaker trips everytime you mess up.

Them mini-fridge will be small, probably no more than 300 watts when running.

In a "power is precious" situation you really, really want to be using LED light bulbs, and those will be tiny - 5-15 watts each.

TVs vary, but presuming it is not a tube TV, and is not gigantic, it will draw under 100 watts.  If it has a "wall wart" or lumpy DC power supply, it's all but certain it draws less than 100 and maybe even 50 watts.  You didn't mention a cable TV box (which can draw more than the TV).

All of these small loads can coexist with one of the large loads.

You didn't mention any decked out PC gaming rigs or laser printers; eqch of those can draw power like a large load.

All of the large loads will also add a lot of heat to the room, which may matter if it's summer.

How to calculate

A 15A circuit (assuming it's all yours) can supply nominal 1800 watts or VA of electricity.  That's 15A x 120V.

All your appliances will have a rating of either amps, watts, or VA.   If it's amps, multiply by 120V to make it comparable to watts and VA.   The difference between watts and VA comes up for certain electronic or motor loads.  VA will be higher, and you must use that in place of watts.

On some loads, their rating is excessive compared to what they actually draw, e.g. A 900 watt PC power supply rated to draw 10A (1200W).  (the difference is due to internal conversion losses).  if the PC has just a few components inside(i.e. only one modest video card and hard drive), it will draw considerably less than 1200W, and you can only measure that with a device such as a "Kill-a-Watt". Make sure to measure at worst-case, with the hard drive spinning and the video card rendering hard.


How do I fix this poorly designed double-rod towel rack? Original question: How do I name/ describe this bolt so that I can search for and purchase it?
I have a troublesome towel rack that I’ve been fighting with, off and on, for several years. After much analysis it turns out to simply be a very poor design, allowing one of the hollow towel rods to fall to the floor.
Closely examining the design there are a pair of existing 1/2” 40-TPI #5 machine screws that I could replace with shoulder bolts, and securely attach to the troublesome rod with set screws, but I have no idea how to search for a shoulder bolt with a head that will accept (hopefully pre-drilled and pre-tapped) set screws perpendicular to the bolt threads. While a single set screw on each bolt head would be ideal, I could need up to three, to ensure the rod is properly held in place. The “shoulder part” of the new bolt will need to be at least an additional 1/2”-3/4” long, on top on the 1/2” threaded part.
How do I describe and search for the bolt I need? How likely am I to find exactly what I’m looking for? If what I’m looking for isn’t readily available, what modifications do you recommend I make to this proposed design?
Thank you in advance!
 The fully assembled towel rack. (The sides rotate apart letting the bottom rod fall.)

One of the screws to be replaced, the parts it fits together with, and inside the hollow rod.

close up of the troublesome joint assembled.
(I will need a “shoulder bolt” to extend through the funnel, and into the rod, where I can drill holes for the set screw.)

I would get a long threaded bar cut to length to use the existing threads in the end brackets.
Seems to be the simplest option and only needs cutting to length.


What could cause a bad oil-like smell every time the heat is on? The new gas system works great, heats quickly and seems very efficient.  However, there is a strong smell that comes every time we turn up the heat.  It smells like some kind of oil.  Had the installer come back, says its not dangerous, that it is from the lubricant used between pipe joints.  Looks like there is a lot of excess putty like substance around the joints, that seems to be where the smell is coming from.  Is it safe to clean the excess without compromising the functioning of the unit?  The smell is causing headaches, sore throats and irritated eyes.

Your question concerns me. I'm a general contractor and have had many new heating systems installed for customers and have NEVER had this complaint from anyone. As a matter of fact, I just had a complete change over from oil to natural gas done at my private home two weeks ago. I have never smelled any residue from cutting oil used to thread pipe. My sub contractor is very conscientious about cleaning all excess oils and pipe joint compounds. Also, before any gas can be turned on, an extensive test of pressure and inspection of all black pipe and outlet fittings is done. There is absolutely no reason to have any fumes.

The other reason for my concern is that you smell this when you call for heat. My first concern is that you may be getting some exhaust or carbon monoxide leakage. Do you have CO and explosive gas detectors installed? If not, get them installed immediately! If your contractor won't take your complaints seriously, then call the gas utility and ask them to check it out. Tell them you suspect a leak, and they will be there in a heart beat!

I should ask, what kind of furnace unit/heater are we talking about? Vented, unvented? Give us a bit more info and maybe we can narrow down the possibilities.