Why would I have hot water at one faucet but not the others? I recently installed a new electric water heater and now I only get hot water to one faucet at a time. The kitchen faucet is closest to the heater with the bathrooms being the furthest. when i turn on the hot water to the kitchen faucet i get cold water til i go to the bathroom and turn on the hot water there then the kitchen turns instantly hot while the bathrooms only get warm water. haven't been able to get hot water to the bathrooms at all, only warm.

When this happened at my house it was the antiscalding valve at the water heater.  These mix cold and hot water together to reduce the temperature of the hot water to safe levels.  Some places install them at each faucet, others install them at the water heater itself.

Turning on one faucet would just give cold water no longer how long it ran.  But opening others, or sometimes turning the tap on and off rapidly a few times would bring the hot water.

The anti scalding valve was getting stuck, and the pressure changes of opening more faucets, or maybe water hammer effect from opening and closing would make it work for awhile.

If you installed a new one at your new water heater it might be defective.  If you kept an existing one it may be worn out or have minerals trapped in it - sometimes things like that never cause a problem until you turn the water off and it moves around.

Also check under the sink to see if it has an anti scalding valve.  It might need replacing too.


What could be causing condensation on attic pipes? My son just bought a new house in Calvary, Alberta.  The last few nights have been approximately -30 °C (-22 °F).

When he was cleaning his second floor guest bathroom, he noticed a stain on the ceiling of the main floor directly under that bathroom. He called the builder right away and their plumber looked and said the stain is caused by condensation on a pipe in the unfinished attic space thawing and dripping down the pipes. My son lives alone and works full time so he is not there running the water and steaming up the house a lot.

Would there have been any reason to run a pipe through an unheated attic in a new build in cold weather?
Should they be looking for bigger problems like incorrect insulation or leak in envelope?

What kind of pipes are in the attic space?  There should not be any water pipes otherwise you have a risk of burst pipes.   It sounds like there is a problem with the vapour barrier having gaping holes and missing or insufficient insulation.

A common problem with attic fans is that the ductwork is cold and when the fan is switched on for showering, then the humidity condenses in the ductwork and can run back inside the fan housing.

This doesn't sound like excess moisture -- to me that would mean a lot of moisture on the windows, for example.


How can I have one circuit always utility powered while all other circuits are either generator or utility powered? I'm trying to determine if there is a cost effective way to do this when I do my panel replacement as part of an upcoming project.
At my last house I did a panel replacement and installed a backfeed breaker into the panel with a mechanical interlock. This is my preferred way of providing backup power as it allows a lot of flexibility about what I power during an outage, including the ability to rotate between circuits as needed to run freezers, water pumps, etc.
The one thing that I would like is an easy way to tell the utility power has been restored while my panel is being generator fed. I'm trying to determine if there is a cost effective way to do that. My first thought was to install as second main panel (just a tiny little little 30A/2 space one) which is fed from the meter along with the primary 200A main panel which includes the backfeed and mechanical interlock. This would seem to be allowed by code as long as both panels were grouped together and would be a neat and tidy solution allowing me to monitor for utility power on one circuit on the small panel with a radio, buzzer, etc.
My concerns are:

A 200A meter base is probably only approved for a 200A panel, and there would be another 30A panel.
Finding a 200A meter base with double lugs on the load side which is approved by my utility (lever bypass, etc) I think this is possible but possibly quite expensive.
Possibly that the main conductors from the meter to the 30A panel would only be 30A rated though the meter could supply 200A+ (though main conductors really always have this issue and the panels would be located just on the other side of a wall from the meter so it's probably not such a big deal).

Alternatives/Solutions I've considered:

320A meter base which are also more readily available with double lugs. -- Seems like overkill for really a 200A service though
If a 200A base would be allowed to feed both panels could do a tap off the main conductors in a gutter to feed the small panel
Install a 200A disconnect/breaker after the meter and use double lugs on it's output to feed both panels
Install a meter base with an integrated outdoor panel which can feed the utility direct circuit and also feed the regular 200A panel

My concerns are that most of these (with the possible exception of using a 200A base to feed both panels and tapping the conductors on their way to feed the 200A panel to feed the 30A panel) are more expensive than this is worth to me. Meaning it could easily be $500+ in additional supplies versus like $50 if I could do it with just a 30A panel and some taps or double lugs.
Any thoughts on how to accomplish something like this in the most cost effective way?

The THP108 PowerBack audible alert might fit your need. It is a battery-powered alarm which detects mains power via an antenna wrapped around one of the supply conductors (upstream of the main/interlocked breaker). There's no electrical connection to the conductors. I don't have this device (yet?), but from what I can tell, a person switches this thing on while they're running generator power, and the alarm sounds whenever utility power comes back on. (photo from Reliance Controls)

Still, though.. I'm interested to see whether one of our expert electricians will come along with a suggestion for tapping the supply for an extra panel as described in your question, or perhaps a code-compliant means for adding a neon (or other) pilot lamp that indicates when utility power is live.


What are some good web resources for designing/building bunk bed? I am looking to make bunk beds for a new house we are moving into.  Does anyone have any thoughts on a place to get some good plans?  Looking online has scared me and they all look like a scam.  Just looking for book recommendations or a website that someone knows is reputable.  Thanks in advance.

Try looking at the image search first, then drill down to the site if you like the design.

Here's a plain jane variety from HowToSpecialist.com


What material should I use for painted window jamb extensions? Beginning stages of starting to add window jambs to my basement. Question for those of you familiar...what material have you all found typically works best? MDF? Pine? Poplar? These jambs will more than likely be painted and not stained. Also, is it recommended to leave a small gap between the jamb and the actual window? Is this an area that is then filled with caulk? Silicone? Thanks!

For jamb extensions, I'll always use wood (pine/poplar) over mdf, as the tiniest bit of moisture on mdf will swell it like old cardboard. Be sure to prime every side of the wood (including cut ends) before installation.
You shouldn't try to have a gap between the extension and the window. Just butt it as close as you can and caulk with a paintable latex caulking. Avoid pure silicone, as it won't take paint.
In anticipation of casing the window, you want the jamb extension to be perfectly in-plane with the drywall. If the window is set slightly out of plumb, or there's something going on with the framing, that might mean putting a slight taper on the jamb extension before install. It's not a perfect solution, but if you find you need a taper, just mark the top/bottom of the jamb extension to where they'll be flush with the drywall and cut a straight line between the points. Rotate the jamb extension so that the cut edge is against the window and the factory edge meets casing. (You could go nuts trying to scribe the jamb extension exactly to the drywall, but your casing isn't going to conform to small wobbles and you'd have a cut edge that you'd have to tidy up a lot.) All that said, sometimes you just need to take a hammer and mash down a section of drywall that's sticking up. Stay within the boundaries of the casing and nobody but you will know what a terrible thing you did.
If you're fastening into a wood buck or framing, life is pretty easy -- just shims and nails. If it's into concrete, I'd try to build the entire unit with screws at the butt joints and then insert it into the window opening. You'll still need a few attachment points into the concrete, but it'll hold itself together without too much strain.
Be accurate, even, and square with the jamb extensions and the casing will go more easily. Having said that, I will occasionally intone the carpenter's creed: "Caulk and paint make you the carpenter you ain't."


How do I replace a bricked in mailbox? My in-laws have a Mailbox that's a normal looking metal mailbox that's in a brick enclosure.  It appears that when it was built, someone just put down mortar, set the mailbox in it, covered the mailbox in mortar and then bricked around it.  Fifteen years on the box is rusting and the door has broken off.  Any hope of replacing this mailbox somehow or do we just need to tear down the whole brick column and put in something new for a new mailbox?

Is it rusted enough that you can pull the old one out?  If so, you might be able to find a similar model that could slot right back in the hole, possibly with a little modification.  A plastic one might be a good candidate, both for ease of modification and for weather resistance.

If you do manage to do this, I wouldn't try to mortar the new one in, but instead hold it in with Tap-Cons or similar self-tapping concrete screws.  A few of these could be driven into the inside brick surface through the mailbox shell, just to keep things from rattling around too much when you open the door.


Running circuit and service panel ground wire adjacent to one-another My electrical service entrance is on the opposite side of the house from the municipal water supply's copper pipe, so the panel ground wire runs about 30-40 feet through the house before it's bonded to the city copper.

Is there any problem running a 12-2 wire (120V + neutral, panel is 240V split) along the same path as the panel ground (same stud/joist holes, staples, etc.)?  Would inductance from the circuit cause any problems with GFCI receptacles in the house?

It should not.  The magnetic fields of the hot and neutral conductors should cancel each other out, as explained in this answer.


How to move utility sink and extend trap / drain pipe under it? I'd like to move the utility sink (that my washer drains into) in my basement ~6 inches to the left to accommodate a new washer dryer.

The incoming water lines aren't a problem, but as you can see from the image below, the drain goes straight down to a trap and then back 90 degrees to the house drain.

My question is: if I move the sink to the left should I build with a couple of elbows and a straight section  from the house drain side and connect to the trap or is there any kind of "extra long trap" I should be looking at instead?

If it makes any difference, I'm in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Thanks!

You would do well to incorporate an elbow or elbows, if possible into the part of the drain line that is behind the white PVC pipe, the metal pipe. The trouble with that would be is that old of pipe is easily damaged (broken) at the joints where the threaded sections are.

The reason I suggest this as the place to tie in the new extension is that by the time, I feel, if you simply replace the drain it will be so far away from the wall it will be a number of inches away from the wall it is against now. To remedy that, it would take so may elbows to get it back to the wall, I am afraid the drain would not drain readily or perhaps clog easily. So back at the reason why I mentioned taking it back and tying it into the farther in from the joint where it is tied in now. The place I refer to is at the wye, there is a small straight pipe there, perhaps there is a smooth part (no threads) to it to use a neoprene coupler there.


How to simply turn heating on/off with VRT 340f thermostat? I've just moved into a new house and it has a Valiant boiler with a VRT 340f thermostat and I have to say it is completely perplexing even after having read the manual several times!

It seems entirely geared around scheduling heating but all I want is to have the heating off by default and then turn it on/off on-demand!

How can I achieve this with this indecipherable thermostat?

I reviewed the manual for your VRT 340f thermostat online. It does not appear that this unit is intended for use in a simple on/off on demand mode. From the description in the manual it appears that unit is intended to be operated on a schedule.

Your most logical choice may be to replace the thermostat with a different model that offers the simple level of control that you desire. Since this thermostat communicates with the heater unit using a radio link your choices of replacement unit are going to be limited to what is compatible with the heater.


Is it safe to have two separate circuits hooked to the same outlet? Is it safe to have two power sources (meaning 2 sets of 12/2 wire) on one receptacle?
One set of wires goes to breaker #2 and another set of wires goes to breaker #7 but both 12/2 wire sets were hooked up into one receptacle.
Just curious why someone would do that.

Sounds like they messed up and accidentally made a "ring circuit".
It's possible to have 2 circuits legally on one receptacle (the 2 sockets and frame called a "yoke").  However, if you do have 2 circuits on a yoke, the breakers MUST be handle-tied with a factory provided handle-tie.
Otherwise a maintainer could plug in a radio and shut off circuits until the radio goes silent, then pull it out and get nailed by the other circuit.
A 2-pole breaker (that's a 2-pole NOT a duplex/twin/tandem) will also satisfy the requirement since its handles are tied.  They're a lot easier to obtain than handle ties.
Generally, handle-tying implies that they will be on opposite poles of 240V service (i.e. 240V between the different hots).  This is one of the very few cases where a handle-tie on a tandem would be alright, but they don't make any such thing, not least because it would be bad in any other application.


How can I ventilate efficiently a tiny room under my stairs? Under the stairs that take to my bedroom there is a tiny room, as big as a cupboard.
I can barely stand in it.
I smell mould in it, I tried keeping its small door opened and I think situation vastly improved.
With door closed I get 80% / 90% humidity and with door open around 50% / 60%.
For this reason I would like to improve its ventilation and I thought about cutting the door to put a vent with or without a fan or just shorten the door.

Am I going in the right direction?

Is there a safe and easy way to calculate the fan / vent I need?

Here is a picture of the entrance:

And a picture of what could be the source of humidity, a non complete part of the floor where I see dirt (but I am not sure) on its top you see the beginning of the stairs:

Thanks for your help!

Edit after comments:
In the room one wall is communicating with a tiny toilet (closed, no windows) another one is shared with my neighbor (I guess, I don't know if there is any space between us), one is the one with the small door you see and then there is the one where the stairs are.

I also attach a couple of pictures that are often worth much more than words

I believe I see concrete, if a ground floor with concrete this may be your issue to know for sure tape a piece of plastic to the floor for 24 hours . When you pull the plastic up if it is wet you have found the source of the moisture.

I have had good results using 2 part epoxy paint on concrete sealing damp concrete. I usually wait until summer when the moisture is lower. I prep the floor with a muriatic acid & water etch after that is done and the concrete has dried (a fan blowing over it helps to dry faster) I coat the area with the 2 part concrete floor epoxy this has eliminated several homes problems with basements and daylight basements that had the same issue.


Should a light tunnel be positioned facing east or west? I want to install a light tunnel to increase the light in my kitchen. Above this room there is a roof with one side facing east and the other side facing west. Would I get more light from a light tunnel fitted to an east or west facing roof?

There's no difference as your question is worded. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so half the day it will be on one side, and half the day it will be on the other.

Consider timing how long the sun is hitting each roof since there could be obstructions, a slight angle north or south, or other factor we can't help with here. Note that the sun will be shifting in the sky throughout the year, so don't be too precise with these measurements. Also consider what times of the day you'd like the most light, whether you're a morning person, or will be home and awake for longer in the evening.


How to check if floor is level Is there any way to check if a floor is completely level without having any advanced tools?
I want to be sure that a bookcase would not need extra support

The common tool to do this is a level. One that is 4 feet long is better because it can check the floor over a wider area for flatness and level. You really only need to check the area where you intend to set the book shelf and not the whole room.

A level like this would not be considered an advanced tool as they are rather simple devices. If you find the longer sized levels too expensive you can instead find cheap short ones that you can use on the top edge of a 4 foot long, straight and even pine board.

If you want to avoid buying any tool at all you could consider the idea to use pine board like the above example but substitute the cheap level with a Smart Phone running an app that simulates the bubble style level. For example there are many apps like this in the Google Play store for Android phones. (Similar apps on iPhone at the iTunes store site).

The smart phone apps require you to calibrate your phone on a known level surface. Some folks may consider this idea a gimmick but it may be just what you need for a quick and simple check. The quality and repeatability of the cell phone type of app can vary from app to app and be affected by the quality of sensors in the phone. So if you go this direction I encourage you to download three or four of the free apps and find the one that best suits your needs.


Funny "thump" sounds sometimes at night, what could be the cause? I live in a 4-story townhouse that has a wood frame (no concrete except in basement) and was built in late 1980's.

Once in a blue moon, whilst laying on the bed at night, I have heard a rather loud thump sound come from somewhere in the house. Sometimes there is 2-3 sounds, with perhaps a 5-10 second interval.

The bedroom is on the second highest floor and the sounds were loud enough to make me think someone had broken into the basement. So I checked the house but did not see any evidence of anyone breaking in.

Anyway this house has air ducts embedded into wooden floors, so I wanted to ask if these sounds could be caused by e.g. warm air in the heating system expanding the floors? Or could it be something in the plumbing system that can cause this? We live in Massachusetts and the temperature has been in low 40's for some weeks now, maybe it is related to that somehow?

If your basement has a honey bucket sump or water sump pump, what you might be hearing is it shutting off. I have both in my basement. The regular water sump (which gets water from the drain tile and from A/C) runs quite regularly, especially during the rainy season. It is rather noticeable when it runs and shuts off ... it's sounds off when shutting off, but not too badly. The honey bucket sump (sewer evac for basement bathroom and grey water) kicks on every now and again. When it shuts off, there is a large noticeable thump from it. I don't know how to fix the issue, but it does do it. I hardly pay any attention to it because it is a known sound in the house which usually doesn't happen very often.


Help me assemble a kitchen sink drain I am trying to assemble a kitchen drain that will have two dishwasher (DW) hookups, one on the garbage disposal (GD) side and one on the second drain side. I have obtained quite hard to find slip joint that has a DW inlet. Problem is, if mounted directly to the sink, it sits too high in relation to GD drain. The gap I need to create is about 1.25”. I know I can add a very short slip joint extension, however bottom end of that extension would just be a regular 1.25” pipe, which I won’t be able to connect to the slip joint with retaining nut and washer.
Easiest way to me would be to use a small extension tailpiece pipe between the sink drain and the drain pipe but I am not sure what is the proper way to do it. Can you help me figure out what is the correct connection type at both sink and the slip joint pictured?
On the photo, I am just holding up the slip joint a little offset to the right, in relation to the drains for illustration. I am also attaching another photo of the part that I think may be a proper way to make this connection but I am not quite sure it is. The thought is that the threaded end will go on the slip joint, and the other end, I will cement the short tailpiece extension. With just 1.25” gap, I’m nit even sure this will work but it’s one possibility I can think of. There has got to be an easier way though.
I already know how I will be connecting it to the GD drain. I will be cutting the slip joint arm and will be using a short pipe with flat end.
I am not well versed with drain part terminology but don’t both ends of this connection require a pipe with flat/flash end? Thanks.

A tailpiece   is the solution if the top of the piece in your photo is a slip connection. You may have to get one that has a slip connection on top to accept the tail piece you buy.
If the cut tail piece is to short to work with you can  exchange the long IKEA type basket (you called it a sink drain)  for a more traditional basket, they do not extend down as much.
Then cut down a 6" tail piece to give you the distance you need for the dishwasher tail piece.


Smoke detector at highest point of pitched ceiling - good or bad? I have several smoke detectors in my house - all of which I can reach with a ladder - except one.  It is at the highest point of the pitched ceiling in the entry way of my house.  A person that is 6'5" can barely reach it with a standard ladder (I'm 5'2").  Does a smoke detector need to be this high or can I tear the thing out and move it to where I can reach it with a ladder?

It's generally best to install smoke detectors up high where smoke will reach them as quickly as possible.  However according to the NFPA you may have some latitude, and you actually don't want them all the way at the apex of a peaked ceiling.

source:  https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Smoke-alarms/Installing-and-maintaining-smoke-alarms

There are additional considerations for placement at the above link that should be reviewed if you decide to move your smoke detector.

Keep in mind that that smoke detector may very well be required by local building codes, and you'd want to be careful that any changes you make are code compliant.


Does the security certification of a lock relates to both bolts? I have a Vachette lock installed on a door with a internal doorknob and no doorknob outside (one needs the key to open it). The lock is certified, which means that it is supposed to "resist to attacks" for a given time.

My question is whether this resistance applies only when the lock is turned (ie. the deadbolt is engaged into the frame of the door) or does this also applies to the latch bolt?

In other words, is a door closed, but not locked, conceptually as difficult to open as when the deadbolt is out? I am strictly asking about the difficulty to manipulate the lock so that the latch bolt is pulled in (to open the door) compared to the difficulty to bring the dead bolt in (and, ultimately, the latch bolt to open the door).

For locks, you have ANSI grades 3-1.  3 being the weakest and 1 being the strongest.  Typically, if you buy them as a set both lock cylinders will have the same grade.  But the cylinder is only one part of the security.  A higher grade cylinder will resist picking and drilling but have no bearing on resisting blunt force to the door.  Blunt force is typically the easiest way to open a locked door.

This is where latches and bolts greatly differ.  The door latch will not resist someone kicking in the door.  A deadbolt has a chance if the door, strike plate and jam are up to the challenge.  If you have a metal clad door, an ANSI class 1 strike plate (properly installed with long screws that go into the door framing) and a reinforced door jam it will take a battering ram to open the door.


Is vinyl flashing as easy to work with as metal flashing? I have seen a lot of vinyl flashing at the big box stores recently.  Duraflash is a name brand  that I have seen most.  It seems they just come in long rolls just like unbent flashing does, and you can bend them to the shape you want (and they'll hold it?)  For people that have used it, is it just better/easier to use metal flashing (except for Aluminum since it corrodes against PT wood), or is vinyl flashing the next best thing?

It's actually easier to cut and you're less likely to cut your fingers on it.  I've never used rolls but the pre-cut sections and they were easy to put in.  Just follow the directions.


How to run ground, for electric supplied by generator and batteries through a inverter I have a panel that is powered from the generator, it runs my major appliances. One of the circuits feeds my inverter/charger , which charges my batteries. A 2nd. panel receives power from the batteries, through the inverter, and powers rest of house at 110 volt.   Should I keep all grounds on their own bars?.(separate from neutral) Connect ground bars from one box to other?, and run wire to ground rod outside?.           I have a Trace 2.5 KW impulse correction FET power inverter, Model 2524. I use a Honda 2000 Inverter generator, or Black Max 3000 standard generator. Plug in connection runs to panel.                       The neutral feeds the neutral bar in the appliance panel, positive feeds the breakers, and ground feeds a ground bar. The neutral and ground are not bonded. Wire from neutral bar feeds input on charger/inverter. Positive from one of the breakers feeds the positive input, and ground from the ground feeds the inverter safety ground. Next the inverter feeds another panel. Positive from output on the inverter feeds the breakers on my other panel, a neutral feeds a neutral bar, a ground comes from the safety ground on the inverter, and feeds a ground bar. In this box the neutral bar and ground bar are bonded through a screw in the neutral bar. This panel runs my lights, TV, pump, etc..

You are the electric utility -- thrice over!

Your configuration, with a generator and an inverter/charger, requires special care as you have not one, not two, but three electrical systems, all isolated from each other and completely off the mains electrical grid.  This is outside the norm for a residence, and requires careful application of the NEC rules for separately derived systems starting in 250.30.

Start with the easy stuff first

The easy part of this all is making sure that all the panelboard (aka load center/electrical panel) cabinets, the inverter's safety earth terminal, and the generator frame are all solidly connected together.  This makes sure you have an effective fault-current path everywhere it's needed as per 250.4(A)(5) and 250.92.  These conductors can be sized as per 250.122 in your case due to 250.102(D) and this rule from 250.32(A)(2):

  A supply-side bonding jumper shall not be required to be
  larger than the derived ungrounded conductors.

Getting down to earth (ground)

You'll need a grounding electrode, of course.  This defaults to the metal-cold-water-pipe electrode (or structural steel, but you don't have that) in 250.30(A)(4), but I'd put another 250.52(A)-compliant one in to protect against plumber-induced losses of grounding, as they can leave your system completely floating which is a problem if lightning strikes nearby.

Since you have multiple separately derived systems, though, this is where things get hairball.  You'll either need to:

Run completely separate grounding electrode conductors from the generator grounding electrode attach point and inverter AC output bonding point to each of your grounding electrode(s).  This is straightforwardly permitted by 250.30(A)(6), but can lead to a proverbial spaghetti bowl of grounding electrode conductors, a minimum of four in your case, all of which must be at least as large as required by 250.66.
Or, run a single grounding electrode bus conductor between all the grounding electrodes and then tap it with 250.66-compliant conductors to feed the various grounding electrode attach points.  This bus conductor must be enormous though, as 250.30(A)(6)(a) requires it to be a minimum of 3/0 copper or 250kcmil aluminum.  That's the same size as a 200A service conductor!

In any case, you'll need to use listed grounding clamps or exothermic welds to make all grounding electrode and grounding electrode bus connections.

Bonding it all together

You'll now need to make sure that your supply bonds are in the correct places, and nothing's cross-wired between your grounds and your neutrals.  This means that you will need to practice good ground bar discipline -- both of your panels must have separate ground and neutral bars, with all the neutrals going to the neutral bar and all the grounds going to the ground bar.  Typical residential-sparky-in-a-hurry slobbering of everything onto one bar will not fly here!

First, the generator in your case is supplying the ground-to-neutral bond for its part of the system.  This means that you must pull the service bond out of the panel for the generator-powered stuff, wherever it might be (on a modern panel, it'll be a green screw in the neutral bar).  You will also need to install a ground bar kit into the panel if one is not present already and transfer all the ground wires to the new ground bar.

Second, thankfully, since you are dealing with a 24V DC system that is derived from a grounded AC system by a rectifier (battery charger), you don't need to bond the DC system to ground (as per 250.162(A) including Exception 2).  I would make sure that any metallic, non-current-carrying parts that may short to the DC system, such as metal battery racks, are bonded to the generator (inverter/charger AC input) system ground, though.

Finally, since your inverter's AC output is floating, you'll need to bond it to ground somewhere as per 250.20(B) point 1.  This can either be at the inverter with a jumper from the inverter output to both the inverter safety ground terminal and the grounding electrode conductors for the inverter system, or at the panelboard using the green screw or link (i.e. configuring the inverter-circuits panelboard as service equipment) as well as terminating the grounding electrode conductors onto the panelboard ground bar instead of the inverter bonding jumper.


Wiring for 30amp RV plug from 50amp (14-50R) outlet When building our home, I pre-wired for a 50amp electric car outlet using a 6/2 wire (not 6/3 because according to Tesla charging station, they only need 6/2. 6/3 wire was going to cost me $20 more - oh man... ). We bought an RV that accepts 30amp using TT-30P.
The RV came with a 50amp to 30amp converter and I have a 50 amp (14-50R) ready to install.
Can I install a 14-50R knowing that only three wires are going to be used during the conversion to a 30amp TT-30P?
Does the 50amp need to be a wired as 3 pole or wire as a traditional 110v (one hot, the other neutral)?
Thanks for your help!

Sophie's choice: One way, you fry half the appliances in the RV... The other way, you electrify the chassis of the RV.  Whoops!    The only other possibility with a 6/2 cable is to hook up neutral and ground properly, then not hook up one of the hot wires, but this too is bad (just less destructively).
The only way to support a 14-50 with 6/2 is to add a 12 KVA transformer to the mix.
But why bother? You don't benefit from a 14-50. You benefit from a TT30, which is the plug your RV actually does have.
That's a much simpler matter.

Change the 50A 2-pole breaker to a 30A 2-pole* breaker.

Move the white wire from the breaker to the neutral bar.   Very important!

Throw the NEMA 14-50 recep on the shelf. You will not be using it today.

Install a TT30 receptacle.

Enjoy your RV.

Now, you may find the breaker or recep will not accept a #6 wire.  In that case you'll need to pigtail a #10 wire onto it. The big blue wire nuts should suffice. Crank Hard.  No... HARD!

* Mind you, you don't actually need a 2-pole breaker, but you do need to fill the empty space, so a 2-pole breaker takes care of that.  Also, 30A 1-pole breakers are essentially useless for any purpose but TT30 RV outlets. 30A 2-pole breakers are used for all sorts of things.


How to I repair this leaking tub valve? I just discovered that one of my tub valves was leaking inside the wall for quite some time, given that the wood floor in the adjacent closet has gone moldy and the drywall beside the tub out past all the tile is soft. It was probably 1 drop every second.

Last night I installed a couple ball valves so I didn't have to leave the whole house turned off while I mess around with this, but I am not 100% what to do next. The leak is coming from some sort of adjustment valve right under the cold water handle. I don't know what this thing does or what it is called so I am having trouble searching for a solution. It is accessible from the tub side through a hole in the valve trim plate, right underneath the handle. See the hole in the photo below. Anybody know what this is and how to repair it before I just start taking it all apart?

The drywall behind the thickset mortar bed tile was totally disintegrated in this area. There was insulation wicking the water all over the place. Without the insulation the leak probably would have just gone down the hole in the slab for the drain. For reference, the house was built in 1977, slab on grade in north Florida.

Update

I pulled the handle off to get a better look. The bottom adjustment piece is where it is leaking from. What does this thing do? I'll need to get a special wrench to open it I guess. My sockets don't fit with the tile there.

If you have drywall in the shower that has failed due to the moisture you need to replace it.  If the corner is wet and failed you will likely need to replace the adjacent wall too.

At the very least with access in the back you are looking at installing a new valve.  You can troubleshoot yours but for $30 you can get a builder's grade (what you have) or $100 you can get a nice shower/tub valve.  This needs to be swapped out and the connections.

After you swap valve I would leave that open for a while.  You can inspect the wall and make sure it dried out and you don't have mold growing.  Just know that there is a pretty high chance of this wall failing but really no need to do it now as you should be able to install new valve without hurting it.

Note:  If you do not want to retile now I would suggest using pex/sharkbite as you can just take them off to install new boards.  I would definitely not weld your copper to valve unless you are doing tile at the same time.


Wiring a ceiling fan with different wires from the ceiling I'm trying to wire a ceiling fan and light. I have 2 wires coming from the ceiling. 1 is a black, white and ground where the black is constant hot. The second wire is a black, white, ground and red and is only hot when I turn the wall switch on. There are 2 wall switches, one for the fan and one for the light but only the one wire (black, white, ground and red). How the neck do I connect it to work? Right now, I capped off the constant black and white wire and hooked up the other, black to black, white to white,, and red to blue and turn the switches on and it doesn't work.....

This deal is sorely in need of some colored electrical tape.  Seriously.

There is one /3 cable (black white red) since ground is not counted as a conductor.   It is the same cable both in the fan box and the switch box.  On this cable:

Mark both ends of the white wire with black tape, to designate that it is for "always-hot".  Use of the white wire for always-hot is mandatory in this case, but also mandatory is the marking I just described.   This is the only mandatory marking; the rest a done for sanity's sake.
You see in the switch box where the white wire joins a black and red wire in a wirenut.  They are both short pigtails, also mark the red wire with black tape near each end, which will reduce confusion in that box.
The red wire exits the cable in the switch box, and hits a wirenut to connect to a red pigtail that goes to a switch.  We'll leave that all red.
The black wire exits the cable in the switch box, and hits a wirenut to connect to a red (!!!) pigtail that goes to a switch.  Annoying!  So we will:
get blue tape, and on the /3 cable, mark both ends of the black wire with blue tape.  Also mark the red pigtail with blue tape.

Ok, now counting the tape color, black = always hot, blue = switch 1, red = switch 2 and white is neutral.   This just got a whole lot easier.

Up in the fan box,  black gets nutted to black (which is the white wire remarked black, and NOT the black wire remarked blue).

Three wires remain: blue, red and white which is actual neutral.   That is what your fan needs.


Old electrical panel, what torques do I use? Ok, so NEC 2017 makes it mandatory to torque all termination screws to spec.

But my panel is so old the original electrician's labels are in Latin.

It doesn't explicitly state torque values anywhere.  What values should I use?

You are looking for the tables in Annex I of the 2014 NEC (and I don't believe they went anywhere with the 2017 edition, either).  (Oddly enough, it specifies torques for slotted, hex, or square drives, but not Phillips or Torx.)

If you're looking for a more authoritative reference, UL 486A/B is the original source of this data (and also provides info about combo-headed screws and I presume things like Philips and Torx drives too).


Is THWN wire appropriate for an underground vehicle charging circuit? We recently purchased a Tesla Model 3 and are planning on adding a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet in our detached garage to improve charging speeds.
Tesla's documentation specifies 6 AWG copper wire with 4 conductors (including ground, 2 lines and neutral). Since we have the standard range model vehicle, it can only draw a maximum of 32A from the wall. When we bought the house there already appeared to be 120V electric run to the detached garage via existing conduit. We were hoping to dig a straight trench and run another conduit to house the new wire.
This cover requirements document indicates that it's safe to dig a 18" trench and use 1" PVC conduit directly from the building to the garage. The house panel would be on a 50A breaker. (We have a 200A service). It is my understanding that sheathed cable cannot be used for this type of application, so after some more research I saw a few people recommend using 6/3 THWN wire (with ground).
The estimated length of cable required is about 70ft total, with about 30ft being outdoors.
I'm trying to find a good seller online since most local places are closed and both Home Depot and Lowes don't seem to show exactly what I think I need on their website (Unless I'm not using the right searching terms). Is there anything wrong with my thought process here? Something I am missing? Anything I can do to simplify, lower the cost, or make the setup safer?

The documentation from Tesla's website specifies 6 AWG copper wire with 4 conductors (including ground, 2 lines and neutral). Since we have the standard range model vehicle, it can only draw a maximum of 32A from the wall.

Tesla's website is just an opinion.  The controlling document is first NEC, and second the UL-approved instructions that come with the EVSE.
What matters is the ampacity on the (once again) UL approved nameplate on the charger, not some sales literature about what the car is supposed to draw. I suspect the nameplate actually says 39-40A.  For any EVSE, this number must be derated 125%, so we arrive at 49-50A.
Your cable will include 2 hots and a neutral.  It is a complete mystery to me why an EVSE needs neutral, but the upside of a 14-50 is if you ever get an RV, it can plug in there too.
NEC says a NEMA 14-50 recep can be on either a 40A or 50A breaker. The wire must be large enough for the breaker chosen.

When we bought the house there already appeared to be 120V electric run to the detached garage via existing conduit. We were hoping to dig a straight trench and run another conduit to house the new wire.

OK, stop and evaluate the existing conduit. It is certainly better to re-use the existing conduit rather than have to lay a second one.  In fact, you need to know what's there now, because you are not allowed to have 2 same-voltage circuits to the same outbuilding.  If the existing conduit is big enough, it may be better to install a subpanel and pull cable big enough to support the EVSE and also the other garage loads - typically 10A more than the EVSE will suffice.
Worst case let's say the existing conduit is 1/2".  And let's say your EVSE's nameplate really is 32A - which must be provisioned to 40A.  And let's say you fit a subpanel supporting a 40A EVSE breaker and two 15A breakers for garage circuits. You only need a 50A feeder for that (some oversubscription is allowed), and that's three #8 THHN wires and a bare #10 ground, and those just fit inside a 1/2" conduit.
Obviously if the existing conduit is bigger you have more size freedom. 3/4" = #6 THHN wires (good for 65A).  1" = #3 THHN (good to 100A).
Note that THHN is allowed to run at higher temperature than NM/UF cable (75C vs 60C), and so it's allowed higher ampacity (in NEC 310.15(B)(16)). That's how we're running 50A on #8.

With a bit of googling it seemed safe to dig a 18" trench and use 1" PVC conduit directly from the building to the garage.

You need 18" of cover. So for 1" PVC you'll need a 20" trench.  1" PVC is overkill, but overkill makes pulling easier.

I'm trying to find a good seller online since most local places are closed and both Home Depot and Lowes don't seem to show exactly what I think I need on their website (Unless I'm not using the right searching terms).

A real electrical supply house should be able to easily accommodate all your needs.  Those are all over the place.  You drive past 5 of them on your way to work.  You don't see them because they're not in malls, they don't have 1000-space parking lots, they don't run ads on TV or have inserts in the Sunday paper.  Their prices are better than big-box, and they'll work with you if you call them (most of them, anyway). They won't give you much help, but (huge upside)  they won't give you BAD help like the staff at big-box who really know nothing.
Also electrical supply is cheaper for 90% of stuff, if they will give you trade prices.  Some will give novices "list" prices; those guys are being jerks.  I like to open the conversation with how I'm fed up with paying Home Depot's high prices :) (which is true and they know it).
Also Home Depot sells #8 and #6 THHN both by the spool and by the foot. You need a white neutral, but both hots can be the same color.  If you're trying to cram #8 into 1/2" conduit the ground must be #10 and bare and copper, or it won't fit inside legal fill limits.
If you run #6 THHN you must use a #8 ground, for arcane reasons. #8 ground is good all the way to 100A (#3 copper).

Is there anything wrong with my thought process here? Something I am missing? Anything I can do to simplify, lower the cost, or make the setup safer?

Well, you have better instincts than most. I'm not worried about you doing anything unsafe.  But still, "trying to fill knowledge holes using Google".  Which doesn't work; Google doesn't tell you what you didn't know to ask. But you're here, so you'll get that if you keep reading and asking.
Harper's Rule: Buy the wire last.  You'll learn more that will further educate you; don't pull the trigger too early and buy the wrong thing.  Doesn't matter; the feeder goes in AFTER the conduit and panel work is complete and buried.  (cannot assemble conduit around wires).
Cable inside conduit is a nightmare. NM cable isn't allowed outdoors (can't handle water) and UF is very flat, so it requires absolutely huge conduit.   However THHN requires conduit the entire route panel to panel/socket.
As far as lowering the cost, the magic word is aluminum wire.  It is your friend for large feeders like this. The only reason I discussed copper above is because of the desire to cram feeder into existing conduit, which is obviously a huge win if you don't have to trench it lol.
With aluminum, just use 2 sizes larger - #4 instead of #6 etc. If you use #4 or larger wire, it is no longer necessary for neutral to be white, it can be black like the others and mark it with white tape. Ditto ground (green tape).


Shouldn't a compressor automatically stop compressing on a predefined PSI level? I just received a new E.C.SMART 25/2500 DARI compressor.
It came without any owner manual, and I couldn't find a manual on the net.
When I turn it on, the main PSI level goes to the red zone and doesn't stop increasing.
Shouldn't it stop automatically on a predefined PSI level ?

Dari Smart 25/2500 Compressor. 2HP Single Stage, Max 116psi

From the picture, it has a pressure switch, a tank gauge, regulator and regulator output pressure gauge.

The compressor should run till the tank is up to max pressure (116psi) and shut off. What is the Red Zone pressure? Usually Red means Dead and it sounds like the pressure switch has a failure and is not shutting the compressor off before going overpressure.

Amazing that no manuals are available online, I'd use the contact form on their website to see if you can have them email you an electronic equivalent if it's available.

Closeup

Pressure Shutoff Switch -- Cuts off compressor motor when maximum pressure is reached to prevent over-stressing pump and components.
Main Tank pressure -- maximum level reached is controlled by Pressure Switch, operation in the red zone indicates switch failure.
Regulator Output Pressure Gauge -- Shows the regulated output pressure
Pressure Regulator -- Use the knob on the pressure regulator to set pressure on the Output Pressure Gauge, set to pressure recommended by tool or paint sprayer attached to the compressor


How to cut a rectangular notch out of a timber beam? Let's say I've got a length of 6x2 (150*50mm) and I want to cut a 2x2 notch to inset another timber perpendicular.

How can I make a neat square notch accurately? Two vertical cuts are easy but how to make the final cut to get the piece out?

What tools and techniques are used?

The third cut is the tricky one, you could plunge cut with an oscillating tool, that'd be one way.

However the old-school way is probably faster and easier just to make a few more cuts between the first two, and then break the fragments out and clean it up using a chisel.

if the first cuts were with a hand-held rotary saw, you already have the depth set, so make another three-to five cuts kind of parallel between the first two (precision is not needed) then snap off the upstands and scrape the bottom clean with the chisel.


Shouldn't a kitchen 'fridge be on it's own circuit? I thought major appliances like refrigerators in newer houses were supposed to be on dedicated circuits.

I just replaced a melted outlet in my kitchen. It was a 15 amp outlet, wired as a pass-through using the screw terminals. The outlet says "For 15A branch circuits only". (The breaker on this circuit is 20A)

The same circuit powers the fridge, 2 outlets in the kitchen (one of which powers a toaster), a couple of outlets in the laundry room, and outlet on the floor in the kitchen. I haven't traced the wiring for certain but I'm pretty sure the fridge and toaster outlets pass through the outlet that melted.

I replaced the outlet and re-wired it using pig-tails rather than pass-through, but if the outlet says "For 15A branch circuits only" that sure sounds to me like it's not rated to be anywhere on a 20A circuit.

So my questions are 2:

Should a house built in 2000 in Fairfax county, Virginia have a large refrigerator on a shared circuit? (It was built to order by a supposedly well-regarded builder.)

Is there any way it's ok to have an outlet that says "For 15A branch circuits only" wired into a 20A circuit? Somebody on another thread here said something like "All 15A outlets are rated for 20A pass-through" but an outlet that is explicitly labeled as only for 15A circuits sure seems like it doesn't belong on a 20A circuit.

In the US, under the NEC, a residential kitchen fridge is not required to be on a dedicated circuit. It is certainly a good idea and best practice, but not a requirement. A fridge can be on one of the minimum two required "small appliance branch circuits".

A 15A duplex receptacle is rated for 20A feed-thru. What you are reading about "15A only" is regarding the push-in wire connections in the back of the receptacle. They are limited to #14 solid wire and a 15A circuit. Check out the wording in the image in this related answer: Can a 20 amp circuit have a 14 gauge pigtail directly to one receptacle?

A "well-regarded" builder would never put a fridge on with the counter receptacles. Not unless this is a code-minimum tract home.

As for kitchen receptacles being shared with receptacles in a laundry area, this has not been allowed by code for many years. Well before 2000.


Wiring question converting 120to 240 Here's my question since it maybe confusing.
Correctly there is a 12/2 with a ground running from panel in basement to the second floor AC. The outlet for the AC was wired 120v 20amp. I am going to install a ductless mini split and need 15amp 240v. So what I want to do is change the single pole breaker to a two pole breaker move the neutral to the breaker tape it red and change the outlet to a disconnect. So far I have no issues doing this.

My question or concern is how can I made sure there's no additional outlets/lights Daisy chained before the end of the line before I make it 240v. I obviously checked the normal ways and have turned the breaker off for 3 months and haven't noticed anything not working.

Yeah, sounds legit.  Generally since the circuit served the A/C before, it is typical for those to be dedicated circuits and thus homeruns.  If there are onward wires, you'll know when you open up the socket.

You can fit a 15A breaker and NEMA 6-15 recep(s).  Feel free to use a dual 6-15 so you can just keep the same faceplate.

Or, you can fit a 20A breaker, and fit either a) any number of NEMA 6-20 sockets, or b) two or more NEMA 6-15 sockets.

Oh, one more thing.  Code requires that a receptacle exist within 6' of any point along walls (following the walls around corners, not straightlining).  You must make sure eliminating this 120V socket doesn't make you fall short of minimums.  If it doesn't, that's good evidence that the socket was installed specifically for the A/C, and may have even been 240V once upon a time.


possible cause for the water heater being unable to be lighted The water heater could not be lighted. I tried several times without being successful. What could be the possible causes for the water heater to fail to be lighted. This water heater is only 1 and half years old.

There are one user failure and 2 equipment fails that usually contribute to non lighting water heaters"

User

Not pressing down the pilot button long enough.  After lighting the pilot flame initially, you must hold down the pilot button long enough (30 seconds) to allow the thermocouple (a detector of heat, which sents its signal to the main gas valve) to heat up enough.

Equipment

Thermocouple is broken or misadjusted so that the pilot flame dosen't heat it.
Main gas valve broken.  This must be replaced as there are no 'user serviceable parts' inside.


What are the frames at the ends of benches called? Even though I’m trying to build more stuff on my own, I’m DIY-challenged.

So today I saw these 2x4 chair ends.

Picture Source

I liked the overall idea, but I didn’t like the material these chair ends were made from. They’re made from resin and they looked cheap.

I guess my question is: what are these called and does this exist in another material besides plastic?

What you have there is the modern soulless crappy plastic injection molded version and the old classy cast iron bench ends.

Do a search for cast iron bench ends and you will find a world of benches and bench ends from basic to elaborate and ornate.

Go out a find a pair Paint them black and ad some oak slats, your DIY street cred will go up considerably.

search result image page


Yet another Electrical Sub Panel Bonding for A Condominium At a condominium sub panel, which fed by 3 wires from a main disconnect only, where there is NO main panel dedicated to subject sub panel, is it still allowed to bond ground/neutral bar to the sub panel' s chassis?

You have a 4-wire feed

You actually do have a separate ground wire, even though you can't see it.  It's the metal pipe the wires run in.

Commercial scale buildings like that usually use conduit for feeder. And 1985 is before PVC came into vogue.  So almost certainly, this conduit is metal and non-flexible, and is the valid and proper grounding path.  I have four large buildings with not one green or bare wire anywhere in the complex.

Still unclear on if this is a main or sub panel

You need to check with the condo association about where exactly your neutral-ground bond occurs.  If there is a main breaker down in a utility room somewhere, it is assuredly there.  But you have to ask.


Electrical code - Cable coming through wall terminating at outlet immediately on the other side Can anyone advise if running a cable through a outside wall, one is allowed to terminate that cable immediately on that outside wall in the form of a NEMA 14-50 outlet? I live in Maryland, USA, if that is helpful.

Would be extra helpful if a link to an online copy of section of the electrical code that stipulated the requirements in the above regard could be provided in an answer.

It's not prohibited, just not the wisest thing in the world

While entering a NM cable into a box mounted on the outside of a wall via the back of the box is permitted by Code, it's not a particularly wise move since the paper filler in NM can wick water that gets into the box up the cable, causing a difficult-to-troubleshoot issue down the road.  Using a length of UF of the same gauge from the last indoor box on the circuit into the outdoor box avoids this problem in a relatively inexpensive way.


How do I fix a leak in the bathroom floor? Five years ago a friend and I made this master bathroom. The floor was pored with radient heat in it. This floor supports a toilet, a bidet and a sink. The walls are equipped with many shower heads so the whole room serves as a shower. So one can sit, shower, and shave!

The problem is that the floor leaks to the downstairs. The lower level bathroom has been is gutted for long time due to the leak. It seems to me when one takes shower water finds a path through a crack in the cement and is then following the radient heat tunnel. The water drips from the point where the radient heat exits the cement it drips to main floor bathroom.

How do I go about fixing this leak problem?

Seal the floor with a high quality penetrating sealant.

Another way to fix this would be to take up the entire floor and redo it, ensuring the floor is solid enough it won't bend and cause cracks to form. However, sealing it should work.

Keep in mind that such a leak may be behind the wall along a pipe to the shower head or some other place where a leak is possible. In that case it would follow the pipe back down and enter the subfloor via that route.

You can get a special camera at the home improvement store to look through a small hole to inspect for leaks rather than having to tear open the wall. This way you should be able to locate the actual path of the leak without having to tear up the bathroom in the process. If possible, enter the wall from an adjoining room rather than making a hole in the tiled walls of the bathroom. It's a bit easier to repair a small inspection hole in sheetrock than it is to replace a tile.

If you have grout that is not sealed then water can pass through the grout almost like passing through sand. Seal it.


Copper pipe through cinder block wall: corrosion issue The pipe in the picture runs from my oil tank through my basement wall and to the outside (guessing it's the vent pipe for when they fill the tank).

Should I be concerned about what it going on at the pipe/wall interface? The white stuff is very crumbly.

Any advice on how to remedy or prevent from getting worse.

Thank you.

Normally it is perfectly acceptable for copper piping to come into contact with (or even be embedded in) concrete. Pre-cast concrete block is often an exception. This is a quote from the Copper Development Assn.:

"copper should be protected when it comes in contact with concrete mixtures that contain components high in sulfur, such as cinders and fly-ash, which can create an acid that is highly corrosive to most metals including copper"

They don't call them cinder blocks for no reason, fly ash (a residue left when coal is burned) is used in their manufacture.

Check with your local code enforcement authority, but that pipe should have been protected, both against corrosion and against abrasion due to thermal expansion. You may eventually need to cut out that section and solder a new piece in. If you can disconnect it from the tank and plug the end, fill it with water to see if there are any pinholes or leaks. Solder a new piece in if you are worried (remember to disconnect and flush first, torches and oil residue/vapor do not go well together).


Should I protect a shipping container from direct contact with the ground? I'd like to buy a shipping container (something like the picture below) for my plot of land. However I heard some people saying that it can't go directly on the lands earth (don't know if it is true or not). So what should I use between the earth and the container?

Just making it clear, I don't want to build anything (no cement please) and its weight is 3.8 ton. Its measure is 12 meters x 2.59 meters.

Containers are designed to be supported in 4 corners and span the rest.

If your container is longer than 40 feet (12 metres), you will find 8 support points, not 4.  The most important ones are the middle ones that are 40' (12m) apart.

Left in contact with the ground, they will rust uncontrollably, with rate wildly depending on the soil type, pH and wetness.

The contact with the earth will also be a haven for critters.   what kind of critter will depend on the height, so you get to decide whether the underspace is fit for scorpions, cats or horses!  Choose a height that will attract the least dangerous or most desirable critters.


Can I wire a 200amp auto transfer switch from one metered service to two 100amp panels? I have one metered service feeding two 100 amp panels separately one to the house then one to the garage. Can I install a 22kw generator and use one transfer switch for both 100 amp panels?

The answer is yes you can install a 200 amp transfer switch to feed the 2 100 amp panels.
The possible issue becomes code requires the generator to be large enough to handle the load transferred.
Your generator being 22kw will probably be fine however the total load transferred may exceed the 91.6 amps of capacity.
An example of this being electric oven drawing 40 amps , electric dryer drawing 20+ amps the water heater drawing 20 amps and now add some lights or a well pump A refrigerator, freezer and the generator could be maxed out.
I usually suggest manual (much cheaper transfer switches) this allows you to turn off the dryer Breaker and something else so the refrigerator/ freezers Can run without over loading the system.
22kw will probably be large enough to run your home and garage but if not large enough some load shedding is required and a mechanical transfer switch would be my recommendation.


Re-wiring a Lightswitch I am looking to "close" a light switch that controls an outlet so the circuit is always on. What wires do I need to connect?

There are two black wires and one red wire connected to the switch, with two white wires tied together. Here is a pic of the switch:

Here is a pic of the outlet it controls:

You can't eliminate the only switch

Both the electrical and building codes require that every habitable room have a light switch in the usual place, and that it operate a light. (or, in the alternate, because of builder demands, a receptacle into which you might plug in a light).

Builders prefer to give you switched receptacles, because it is cheaper for them to build that.  Putting in a proper ceiling light is probably the #1 modification people do to home electrical.

If you were doing that, and connecting it to this switch, that would be copacetic.

However, I gather you want an unswitched outlet there so you can plug in other stuff.  You are OK with simply groping in the dark for a floor lamp (since you know how to do that) and turning it on from there.  However, that is a code violation.

You can split the difference (er, receptacle)

You can make one socket switched and the other always-on.  Receps are designed to do this, and the wire in your walls supports this.

Your switch and outlet wiring actually brings always-hot along; wires aren't normally color coded like this but your wires happen to be, and red is switched-hot and black is always-hot in both boxes.

You see in between the screws is a little "tab".  You can bend back and forth and break off the tab on the "brass" hot side (not the silver neutral side).   Then you can put a short black pigtail wire from that screw (now isolated) to the wire nut of black wires in the back of the box.  Now you will have one recep socket switched and the other not.  You can plug in normal things into the unswitched, and still have a lamp on the switched.

Alternately, you can hardwire a ceiling light either from this receptacle or from the switch box, whichever you find more convenient.


How to reduce the size of a door opening to fit smaller door? I have a 1930s internal door frame which measures 810x2020mm. The door is missing so I'm looking to match it to other doors in the house which are 800x2010.
The closest commonly available door sizes are 762x1981 (too small) or 813x2032 (too large).
I cannot use the larger size as it's a fire door and I'm limited to trimming 3mm maximum off each edge.
That leaves me the option of the smaller door which I assume means reducing the size of the doorway by about 20mm all the way around.
How would I go about doing this?
The wall is an original (I think brick) internal supporting wall. The original timber frame is scrappy, but sound. I'm happy to replace it, or not. I'm not so sure about what's underneath though.

If you cannot find an adequate door to cut down your only option is to build out the frame to accommodate a smaller door.
Once you select the door that works for you build out the framing on top and sides using whatever sized material that will get you to the proper dimensions. 1x4 or 1x6 or even 2x. The casing can be installed over it and trimmed out shimming where necessary..
You may have to use extra wide trim around the casing to get the look you want. Since it's a fire door be sure to check your local codes concerning the type of door required and compliance requirements regarding the framing and method of closure.
It would be a lot easier if you can find a door that you can trim down or order one custom made..


Garage Conversion and HVAC What is the best way to bring heating and cooling to an attached garage? Our HVAC is being replaced, and our large family needs the garage for living space. Wed be going from 1500 sq feet, to 1900 about... Its HOT here in summer, and COLD in winter. Portable, wall, and window AC and heating units don't cut it. The walls have drywall, but no insulation. I have a roll up door with no insulation, and a slopped roof with no insulation. We have contractors coming out to talk to us about replacing the HVAC and I want to ask what they can do to the garage. If my children have to use it for bedrooms as they get older, I want the AC/Heat to work just as well as the house. Any suggestions?

Converting a garage to a living space means applying all the features that you'd normally expect in a living space:

Remove the rollup door and frame in the opening (or frame a new wall with an offset to create an externally-accessible storage space, as Ed Beal suggests). Install an insulated service door or window if desired.
Insulate the walls and ceiling and apply vapor barrier.
Run supply and return ductwork from the new HVAC system.
Consider framing a floating, insulated floor over the slab

I think that you knew this was the answer but were looking for shortcuts. You've eliminated the shortcuts in your question by saying that window units don't do the job. I'm not surprised, and I'd be wary of the energy bills even if that was a workable solution.


What glass for an interior, mainly glass, wall? We would like to install a small interior wall (say 3m long) with a wooden door. We want to make it out of large wooden beams with glass between them (there is already one such wall in the house, and we want to copy it).

What thickness glass should we use? We will certainly take toughened glass, so that if the kids do decide to dive through it it will either not break, or at least not break into large shards. But what thickness should we be using? Obviously the thicker the more expensive!

Here is the kind of thing we are aiming for, though the individual panes could be smaller: (this is not our house!)

If it is in a frame 1/4" glass will be sufficient.  Your options for glass will be tempered glass or laminated glass because of it's proximity to the ground.

Tempered glass will break into very small pieces like a car window for a door.  Tempered glass is stronger than normal glass.

Laminated glass will break like a car windshield.  It breaks normally but it is two pieces bonded together with a plastic.  The plastic prevents most injuries as well as the mess from breaking.  Laminated glass is more often used for safety/security applications.

Although 1/4" is suitable for the application, I myself am always weary installing it as an interior partition.  My family business has built all glass offices in buildings and we use 3/8" tempered glass.  3/8" Tempered is extremely difficult to break.  When you get up to thicknesses that large as far as cost goes the difference between 3/8" and 1/2" thick glass isn't very significant.

If you go with a thicker size be sure that your trim is strong enough to withstand an impact of the weight of the glass, the weight of a person, and the velocity they are traveling.  This is due to the fact that it is more likely to break from breaking out of its frame and falling down, especially in wood.

If the beams are not structural I would recommend you use a router to create a slot in each beam deep enough to slide the glass in far enough to place it where it needs to go and then slide it back towards the other beam into the slot you created there.  This is commonly done with metal storefronts and is called a flush glaze.


Hiring a contractor to inspect / survey / analyse my home as a whole Last summer I hired a general contractor to do some painting, trim, and cabinetry work. During that time he told us a bit about our home, and that in the next 20 - 25 years we may need to do some more serious renovations to things like our insulation, electrical, and plumbing.

What I'm interested in doing at this point is hiring a contractor to come in, inspect our home, and do some analysis on what type of work we may need done, how soon we'll need it done, what we should prioritize, and how we should do it. Basically someone to lay down a framework to fix up our home over the next 20 - 30 years.

My question is, what type of contractor or builder would I be looking at to get something like this done? And how would I go about getting this type of quote / estimate?

it sounds like you want a building inspector.


Pressure problems with oil boiler I've been having continued problems with the pressure in my home oil boiler rising to 30psi over time (and then leaking out the pressure relief valve).  Technicians have examined it multiple times but have not addressed the issue.

The last technician indicated there were only two ways the pressure in the boiler could increase: through the water intake valve or a faulty expansion tank, and through backpressure from the external hot water heater (heated via a boiler zone).

To validate it wasn't the water intake valve/expansion tank, I shut down the system, closed all incoming and circulating water, then lowered the pressure to zero manually off the pressure release valve.  Once it was at 0, I opened the water intake to restore pressure (it climbed to 15), then shut that valve before turning the system back on.

After a few days, the pressure has again climbed to 30psi.  So, my questions are: was the technician correct that the leak must be coming from the water heater?  Is the only solution replacing the water heater in that case?  Or is there anything else that can cause a pressure build-up?

Your diagnostics so far point to the indirect hot water heater coil leaking potable water into the furnace loop as the most likely issue. You could perhaps verify if you can shut your hot water down for a few days (not convenient, I know.)

Depending on the overall condition of the indirect water heater tank, the coil can often be  replaced as a part, if the indirect hot water tank is otherwise in good shape. Some are not designed this way, however.

While your test might leave room for a failed expansion tank, if you did not cool the boiler down too much (so the cool water then expands as it's heated; which with a failed expansion tank would raise the pressure significantly, and with a functioning one will raise the pressure slightly) it's probably valid, especially if the pressure rise took days, rather than shooting up the first time the boiler fired to temperature (a sure sign of expansion tank troubles.)

For a typical "modern" bladder-type expansion tank, there's an easy, quick test of the tank integrity - drop the pressure to zero on the system again and check the pressure on the air fill valve for the expansion tank. If it's also zero, the tank (diaphragm/bladder) has failed. The even quicker (if crude) test is to "burp" the air fill valve very slightly (don't want to release significant air or you need to drop the system pressure and refill it) to see if air or water comes out - if it's water, the tank has failed. I would expect your service technicians to have already done one or both of these tests, given your symptoms.


Bending wire versus cable When running NM cable, you're supposed to not make any bends sharper than 5 times the cable radius.*

When dressing wires to go into a box, though, you often curve them any which way or shape them into an accordion to leave a workable length while fitting them behind the device fixed to the front of the box.

Why be concerned about how sharply the wires are bent in one case but not the other?

(Regardless of the answer, Code demands conformance. This is purely curiosity.)

* Or something like that - I just remember the rule that for 14 or 12 gauge you want to go no sharper than the bend in a soda can. When I run thicker cable, I'll look up the details then.

the minimum bend radius can serve two purposes.

the first is to protect the inner "conductor". on fiber optic cable and very thin copper cables, going below the minimum bend radius can cause the "conductor" to break.

the second is to protect the sheathing. on heavier gauge wire such as electrical wiring, going below the minimum bend radius can cause the sheathing to break, exposing the inner conductors. when you get to the end of the wire (as in a switch box) a tight bend causes the sheath to retract from the exposed end instead of just breaking.

breaking the inner conductor is not as much of a concern with electrical wiring because, at these diameters, it generally takes repeated flexing to cause a failure in the conductor itself, and these types of cables are meant to be installed in fixed environments.


Why is my gas oven no longer heating? I have a Frigidaire gas wall oven that is no longer heating. It was working off and on the past couple of weeks but now is not heating at all.  All the electrical functions work and the igniter mechanism is turning on and heating (see picture), the gas is just not triggering.  The separate range/stove right next to it is working fine.  I saw this video that says there's a thermal switch in the back but I wanted to see if others have ideas about this before I pull the oven out of the cabinet.

I've had that happen on my double oven Viking range. The igniter would glow, but not draw enough current to convince the gas valve to open. One oven had two igniters the other smaller oven had one.  All of them eventually failed.  I found higher quality after-market igniters and they have been working fine for many years now, lasting longer than the OEM ones.
Not sure if this applies to you, but it's close.


Laying pavers over existing concrete patio and extending to compacted gravel base I have an approximately 1000sqft area I want to put pavers on. I am doing it myself so I was wanting to run my idea by others just to make sure I’m on the right track. About half of the area (~500sqft) is an existing concrete patio.

Phoenix, AZ area... little rain and no freezing
Tearing up the concrete I think is excessive, especially without a freeze cycle.
I need to minimize height since the ground is already level with the concrete slab and I would prefer not to bring in tons of soil to regrade the lawn edge to be even with the pavers. There is also the issue of where this new patio will intercept the garage and I would prefer to minimize the step up. Because of this I was hoping to use thinner pavers.
Pedestrian traffic only

This is what I was planning on doing:

4" compacted ABC on non-concrete area, final height will be level with concrete slab. Geotexture fabric under compacted ABC.
On the edges where the sand could escape and underneath is the concrete slab, I was going to first mortar the paver down with ~1/2" of mortar to bring it up level with the pavers that will have sand under them. On the edges with the compacted ABC, I was going to put them on top of the screeded sand base and retain them with standard staked paver edging.
3/4" screeded concrete sand over entire concrete and compacted gravel base. After the pavers are compacted, I was hoping this would go down to ~1/2" so they are level with the mortared pavers.
Thin pavers... maybe either something ~2" (http://www.belgard.com/products/pavers/lafitt_grana_slab) or 1.25" (http://www.belgard.com/products/pavers/cambridge_paver_tile).

Any obvious glaring errors or bad ideas? Thanks for your time.

I know it seems excessive but I would HIGHLY recommend removing the concrete. The reason is that the pavers over the concrete will not settle at all while there will be some settling of the pavers over the compacted ABC. You will end up with a very ridged area and the point where a paver sits partially on the concrete and partially off will become an ugly not to mention hazardous edge.

Body of Knowledge:
5+ years laying pavers, rock walls and sandstone patios.


Adding a new fireplace to upstairs bedroom. Want to tap into existing unused vent Our house used to have a wood burning stove in the basement. We also have a fireplace on the first floor of the house, leaving two separate vents in our chimney.

Before we bought the house it was renovated and a heat pump was added. As such, the basement wood stove was removed. The chimney vent for that stove is obviously still in the chimney so I was wondering if it is possible for a contractor to tap into that vent from our upstairs bedroom. The bedroom is directly adjacent to the chimney (behind drywall) but I figure if we can just tap into that vent it will save some time and money over adding a new stack.

I realize there are probably some building code restrictions in my area, but I am just trying to see if this is something that can be done?

I will start by saying, if you're willing to spend the time and/or money, almost anything is possible.  My gut feeling is that a wood burning fireplace would generally be out of the question without permits, engineer drawings and significant modifications.

A gas burning fireplace is definitely doable along an exterior wall using direct vent models, bypassing the chimney all together.  Some models can also use the chimney and I would think that as long as your current chimney can provide the necessary clearances of the exhaust vent, it could be used.


Can pipe dope be used on water lines in a vanity Does it hurt if I use pipe dope on water lines connecting a faucet in a vanity?

no - pipe dope can pretty much be used everywhere.  its not necessary though on anything but a thread to thread seal.  most vanities nowadays use flexible supply lines that have compression type fittings at either end with a rubber seal in them.  its not necessary on that connection at all.


What is the correct Air Flow change per hour for my house? I recently just got my house air sealed. Before air sealed the Building Air Standard (BAS) was 1.4 now it is 1.2.
Based off a 1300 sq ft house. What should the BAS be? Is there a calculator to determine if I have the correct air flow per hour?

Thanks

Building Air Standard (BAS) is sometimes referred to as BAS - ACH This appears to be a (I begin to think deliberately, after quite a few vague web results) slippery number to track down, but it appears to be essentially an estimation of "natural air changes per hour" based on the blower door test. Simply calling it "Estimated ACH" would apparently be too straightforward for whomever came up with "BAS"...

0.35 or below is "tight" (requires mechanical ventilation below that to maintain indoor air quality.) It might be a good target to shoot towards or near, though that may be difficult on an older home. Some newer builds are evidently shooting for 0.06 and then mechanically ventilating, but that's a new build where you can take steps at the design and build phase to make things tight. Retrofitting is more difficult.

As such, 1.2 is better than 1.4, but not all that great, or all that much improvement. i.e. you still have significant air leakage.


Question About Fluorescent Ballast Substitution I have a fixture that uses one 36" T12 lamp. The recommended replacement ballast is a GE140RS120DIY. I am unable to find that ballast. I purchased a GE240RS120DIY ballast and wired it in.  I wire nutted the two yellow wires with one nut to a wire. The new ballast is for two 48" lamps vs. one 36" lamp. It won't light and I'm wondering the reason why. Is there a way to wire it so it will work? Right now I'm two red to one end, and two blue to the other end of the 30 watt lamp.

Many ballast can be connected to 1 or 2 lamps some different lengths. The wiring may be different than your original (colors) look at the picture on the front of the ballast if it only shows connections for 2 lamps it probably will not work with just 1 lamp. This ballast should work found on line 13$.  Fulham Fluorescent Electronic Ballast 120V for for (1-2) F32T8 (2) F25T8, F32T8, F25T12, F30T12, F3... by Fulham


Adding safety switch between meter and panel I'm wanting to upgrade my 125A, 24 space panel to 200A, 40+ spaces.   I'm confident to work on the main panel, but not the main service entrance.   Would I be able to add a safety switch (pic below) between the meter and panel, so that I can disconnect and have a 100% dead panel?

Are there any requirements to be aware of?

height/accessibility of safety switch
switch distance from meter and/or panel
proximity to gas meter

Is there a different option I should be considering, which gets me to my end goal of working on my own panel?

I'm in PG&E land if that matters.  I currently have a combo meter/panel, but as part of my upgrade I'll likely need to move the meter outside.  The safety switch would be inside.

There's no point to adding a switch here
Since you will have to move the meter-main anyway, which'll require PG&E to cut your service drop and reattach it at the pole, there's no point in adding the extra switch you describe.
So, why can't the new meter-main go where the old one did?
Well, the NEC simply requires clear working space (110.26(A)) around the meter-main, so why can't it go in the garage? The answer lies in the fact it's a meter-main, and thus invokes your utility's distribution rules about meter location.  In your case, they're found in PG&E's Greenbook, which states:

5.3.2. Prohibited Meter and Service Equipment Locations
The following locations are not acceptable for electric meters and service
termination equipment.

...

F. Inside garages for single-family residences.

So, since you'll need to move the meter there, and probably use a meter-main for that job, I would simply fit a Class 200 EUSERC meter-main, suitable for overhead service, at a suitable outdoor location. Then, you can have your 200A indoor panel set up in the garage as a subpanel from the meter main.


Switching from Gas to Electric? We currently have a 4 burner gas hob, but we want to switch to the electric one to make cleaning easier.

Bearing in mind that our oven is already electric, what should be considered to make this change, and is it something I can do my self?

In the UK you would need to pay a professional to remove, or make safe, the gas pipework for the hob.

You would also need to pay an electrician to do the work if you need a new circuit for the new electric hob. Whether you need a new circuit depends on the diameter of the wires in the existing circuit and some prescribed "diversity" calculations about the total loads.

On the whole, I'd pay someone else to do this and to certify it has been done to the appropriate mandatory standards.


Adjusting well pump pressure We have a 40/60 pump currently, but we feel like the pressure is extremely low inside the house. I have not had a chance to check the air pressure in the tank yet, but that will be done this weekend. The pump works as expected, cuts in at 40 and out at 60, but the pump will only hold the pressure at 40 as long as water is being used, it will not build it back up until all water has been turned off in the house. Is there anything else I can check or adjust so we can have higher pressure inside? The tank is a 100psi tank. The whole system is less than a year old.

The problem you are describing is one of a lack of pump capacity. If when the water is being used in the house, the pressure cannot get past 40 PSI, it's because your pump is maxed out. If it USED TO work and has become worse, you may have a pump problem that should be looked at, i.e. sand infiltration, low water table, worn out impeller etc. etc.. If it has ALWAYS been like this, then your pump is too small, or rather too small to give you any more.


Switching drill batteries I have a Porter-Cable 20 volt impact drill and circular saw... I just came across to 6 amp hour Milwaukee M18 batteries for free... I want to run my Porter-Cable impact off the M18 battery how do I connect the wires?

Batteries are not as simple as they used to be. This isn't like swapping a C-cell for a D-cell with some wire to make up for the different size.

Voltage

Based on the names, it sounds like you are mixing 18 V and 20 V batteries/tools. That may be close enough to be OK, or it may not.

Discharge rate

Different battery technologies can handle different rates of discharge. If you have a battery that can't output high current as well as the original then you may find performance problems or serious overheating problems.

Charging

All batteries used to charge pretty much the same (except the alkaline batteries that should never be recharged) - essentially push current into the battery "backwards" and keep going until the battery output voltage shows that it is fully charged.

But the circuits are now a bit more sophisticated and will typically perform some tests of the battery to determine the current charge level and then charge accordingly. In order for this to work properly, the basic technology (chemistry) needs to be the same and there is often electronics within the battery pack to monitor charging and protect from overcharging, overloads (during usage) and other problems.

Bottom line: Unless you can really determine that the batteries are "compatible except for physical form factor", this is probably not a good idea.


Was asbestos used within wallboard itself, or just in the joint compound? I'm pulling down a few walls in my 1984 house. I had a company come in to do professional asbestos sampling. I told them my plan and which walls I was going to remove and they only sampled the joint compound as well as the popcorn ceiling material. Test came back indicating zero trace of asbestos for all tests.

I'm a bit confused why they didn't care about sampling the wallboard itself. Some sources say that wallboard itself never contains asbestos, other say it may. What your thoughts? Should I get the wallboard itself tested? It's a "Westroc Firestop-6" wallboard.

The short answer is: yes, wallboard can contain asbestos, but it's unlikely. The reason is that regular gypsum drywall panels had a decent fire rating, unlike the seam joints, which would have to be finished with a fire-proofing material, as asbestos (I say had as during the times when they used asbestos, up until the mid 80s) .  You're very likely to find asbestos-containing panels around fireplaces and in floor tiles, but it would have been unnecessarily expensive to do entire walls out of asbestos-containing sheets.

Other places you may find asbestos (from the Georgia Environment, Health and Safety Department website):

STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS (insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape)
RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on
VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile.
CEMENT SHEET,MILLBOARD, and PAPER (used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning stoves)
DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves.
SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings.
PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS
ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGLES, and SIDING.


GFCI Tripping after 15 years I have a 15 year old house, with a GFI in the basement, yesterday when I came home I found that it had tripped. I took everything off of the circuit and reset it. Within a couple of minutes it tripped again. Why is this happening?

There are essentially two possible reasons:

There is a ground fault in the wiring/fixtures/appliances it's protecting
The GFCI itself is faulty

It really depends on what's on the circuit to determine if there is a fault somewhere. 15 year old wiring is likely to not be a huge issue. There could be water in a junction box. Simple receptacles and switches aren't too likely to have issues (though it wouldn't hurt to open them to take a look at the connections), but anything with active electronics in it (dimmers, USB chargers, etc) could definitely be the cause. Same goes for other fixtures -- lights, ceiling fans, etc.

You could replace the GFCI and see if it still happens -- if so, there's definitely a fault. If you don't have another GFCI already, this is a somewhat expensive way to test (though if it's fault, you'll have to buy one anyway).

If you happen to have another one you could swap in, that would be a cheap and easy way to test. Swap two, see if it still trips and if the same breaker trips, or the same circuit trips the new breaker.


How do I fix a fallen-off facade? We live in a block of apartments made from bricks, and the wall outside one window is damaged. We have a clothes hanger attached to that wall, and one screw has already fallen off, and wall around the second one on that side is cracked.

Is there an easy way to fix it, considering the fact, I have no experience with such things? What materials or tools do I need for this?

The only appropriate answer is that you need to get your landlord involved.  The fix involves stucco, primer, paint, etc.


Proper Way to Splice Into Existing Electrical Line I'm installing recessed lighting in my living room and want to get power from a line that runs through my attic that provides power for a few other overhead lights in my house. What's the best way to do this?

If I cut the line, I can put this cut inside a work box and then do lots of connections with lots of wire nuts. I won't have a lot of old line to work with, though, and this old line that I cut will have to be reconnected with a short jumper line (there won't be enough slack to reconnect the line to itself after cutting). This seems ... "inelegant." With a 12-2 line with ground, this seems to require 6 wire nuts. Is there a better way?

In addition the connection with the short "jumper" cable needs to have two junction boxes. This may seem less than elegant but it is a normal thing.

If the cable to be cut is a long one it may be possible to make the cut in such a way that a part of the existing run can be re-routed to the first added lighting fixture box. Then the wires can be spliced there and the "jumper" can be routed over to near the cut location and spliced into existing wiring at the added junction box.


Water heater temperature and pressure relief valve plumbing I recently bought a home in Florida where the electric water heater is located in the garage. I seem to have felt some odd water temperature fluctuations where one day it felt much cooler than normal and the next much warmer than usual. I know the water heater is at least 19 years old, and the last inspection tags on it show July 2004. My question is regarding the placement of the temperature and pressure relief valve. It seems to be plumbed back into the cold water line. Is this correct?? I attached a picture of the top and the T&P valve connects to the cold pipe which also comes from the rear of the heater. I know the hot water line is on top on the left, and the cold water lines on the top right and in the rear. Let me know if the plumbing is incorrect, either way I plan to replace the whole thing soon anyway!
Thanks, Ryan

The plumbing is not "incorrect" per se.  The only thing we try to have is the bottom end of the piping from the TPR valve exposed vs plumbed to a drain so you can see if something is awry with the TPR valve.

It is a curious thing what is coming off the cold water line.  What ever is coming off your cold water line is surely designed to release and drain like the TPR valve in its own way for its own reasons.

You TPR valve plumbing that is visible (which is in question) is fine though.


Light bulb burning problem on a two lights luminaire I'll ask owner for an electrician, but we have a weird issue with one of our luminaire in our apartment.
It's a two bulbs luminaire and since a year or so, we've change bulb in it like... 5 times maybe. It was LED bulbs because you know, 2018. So after asking some people, they told me that maybe our lights switch does not support LED bulb. So, we put normal bulbs in, guess what, two bulbs burn in two weeks. Bulbs literally burnt (it was all black in it every time) but it's always only one bulb and it seems to be always the same side.
So I bought few other bulbs, changed the luminaire for a new one too and installed it to finally put newly bought bulbs in... guess what happened again? I've change my third globes again in 2 months. And still same result; bulb get almost pitch black with a metallic reflect.
What can it be?
Is there something else I can test on my own?
Because our appartment owner is not really on our side when comes time to take money out.
EDIT
Here is an image a power board similar to ours (not mine) but pretty similar (took in Google). Consider that ours is much more messier than that tho.

I haven't tried halogen yet but with regular one, before bulb burnt, there was a whole evening where the bulb closed for while and then open back again for 15 minutes, flickers during 10 minutes then closed and reopened 5 minutes after to finally burnt the day after. This is with the newly bought luminaire. –

That's very important information.

If the light blinks and flickers with the new light fixture, then something must be wrong either with how you installed it, or most likely in the wiring or switch. Suspect a loose screw somewhere, or a defective switch.

Check the switch for loose/not tightened screws or bad connections (cut the power first, of course), and check the screws in your power panel (tableau électrique). Maybe the switch itself is bad and needs to be replaced.

Do not turn it on unless you're around, as loose connections can start fires.

Will update when you tell more.


Can I replace a portion of a furnace exhaust pipe by using two couplings? I live in York Region (Vaughan Ontario). The gas company came by and performed a visual inspection. They identified my furnace exhaust pipe (black APS 2") is starting to crack at the coupling (its about 2 feet above the actual furnace) and said I should replace the pipe with the white PVC (Ipex or Royal).
I did some research and based on the recommendation, I should prime, then glue the new pipe.
I'm assuming I can cut the black pipe with enough room to add a coupling just above where the pipe comes out of the furnace and then continue with the new white pipe.
Can I also add a coupling at the other end near the exterior wall of the house? Do I have to replace the full length to the white pipe to make it go outdoors? Obviously its easier to just add a coupling near the wall since the exterior is all caulked and already sealed. In essence I would have about 2 inches of black pipe coming out of the furnace, then about 8 feet of white pipe, another coupling joined to about 1 foot of black pipe which is already going out doors.
Thanks.

You need to look at the markings on the white pipe. Standard DWV PVC should not be used for flue gases, but unfortunately it is used all the time. If the entire run is not rated for flue gases, then you should replace it.


Unable to turn off cold water flow in airconditioner, possibly due to solenoid valve We had an accident with air conditioner yesterday where controller mounted to the wall shortcut and broke. I had to turn off electricity switch for airconditioner, but woke up this morning realising that cold water is flowing through its pipes and radiator despite it being off, its a Fan coil unit air condition.

This is manual for the air conditioning unit in question: http://estervil.com/img/OBIAVI/Basic_Geko_53.pdf

My first instinct was that there is something wrong with valve thats supposed to cut of cold water flow, I tried twisting it around, but don't think it is helping. I am also unable to to find anything online about it, but it has these red switches at the bottom, maybe thats how I can manually turn it off? I'm not sure about how they are used.

Valve in question is below (there are wires going into it behind):

That's not an air conditioner at all.  It's nothing but a radiator in a fancy dress.

The unit is designed to be supplied chilled water at 6-12°C (43-54°F) and blow it across a - well, a radiator.  It has a tray to catch condensation.  And that's about all there is to the unit.

So it's totally dependent on external machinery supply chilled water to it, and this machinery is fairly complex. Which tells me you are in a multi-unit apartment/condo building with maintenance staff who tend to that equipment. Since this equipment is only the "head unit" for that system, and you don't control that system, you need to talk to the superintendent. They fix these things all the time and probably have spares in stock, which is good since you'd have trouble finding these at retail.


Faucet hose not retracting smoothly We recently had our kitchen remodeled and after the installation, I noticed that the power for the garbage disposal was placed right below the faucet. This prevents the faucet hose from smoothly moving when using the detachable faucet head (I have a Delta Ashton, #19922Z-SSSD-DST). When I pull out the faucet head, I have to push the hose back into faucet, which is a mild pain. Before attempting to move the outlet, any suggestions on how I might get the hose to move more smoothly around it?

You could probably shorten the sleeve through which the hose feeds so there's more clearance above the box. This alone would probably resolve the problem. The extra length doesn't appear to be necessary in this case. It's mostly to accommodate thicker mounting situations. Be sure to ease (bevel or smooth) the edge of the cut so it doesn't abrade the hose.

You could also try bending that sleeve, but brass tends to tear before it bends.