Is is possible to retrofit a wood-burning stove into an existing gas central heating system? Our house has gas-fired central heating, but fuel costs in the winter are very high (it get's very cold here!).  I've been toying with the idea of a wood burning stove.

I'm wondering whether, rather than just a stand alone stove, I can incorporate the stove into the piped heating system, to supplement the heat provided by the gas boiler?

If this is possible, how complicated is it?  From a plumbing point of view, is it enough that there are radiator pipes in the room which the stove will occupy?

This is an area I really have no experience in, so forgive me if it sounds stupid :)

Up the creek. What you are looking for is not that uncommon here in Maine. Wood fired furnaces and aux wood fired systems are getting more popular. Many are run together with another system such as you are looking to do. I am no expert on these things, but have two good friends that have put in external wood furnaces and had them plumbed into the domestic hot water and forced hot water heating system.  The key to the system is using a wood stove/furnace with a properly designed heat exchanger that easily works with your existing system. The theory is simple, wood preheats water going into your boiler. The hotter the preheated water is, the less your gas furnace has to work.

I saw several different systems at a home show last spring. If you don't have any HVAC experience, I'd really suggest checking out ready made systems at your local dealers. Creating something like this from scratch looks pretty difficult to me. A good dealer can show you what you will need and what options would work with your situation. Safety is always your first priority, so get some good advice, good equipment and you should be on the way to saving a lot of money in the long run.  Good luck...


What could be the source of an intermittent, unlocatable rotten egg smell? This has happened a few times since I moved into my current house about a year ago; every once in a while, I'll get a faint, brief whiff of rotten egg smell that I am unable to locate. Then, after a few minutes it will be gone and not be smelled again for months.

Today it happened again so I went around sniffing everything to try my best to find the source, trying all the typical emitters. I turned on the hot water and sniffed all the faucets; nothing. I sniffed the sink bowls and the toilets; nothing. I sniffed all the gas appliances as well as the walls where the gas lines drop down from the attic; nothing. And then it was gone again.

Am I going crazy from hydrogen sulfide poisoning? What are some other potential sources I might have missed? Is this the precursor to some gas or plumbing problem that's about to become really really expensive?

Think I found it, this time, at least. Turned out to be some rotten, moldy food that managed to get hidden away in the back of an infrequently-used pantry.


How to protect wood against carpenter ants? I have a small two-step 2 deck that comes off my sunroom, and due to the location, the deck never gets any sunlight so it's almost perpetually damp/wet during rainy spring and summer, making it the perfect place for a carpenter ant colony.

The sunroom itself is supported by short pressure treated 6x6 posts going onto concrete bases, and these get damp from time to time if the rain is heavy enough.

I plan on replacing the ant-infested deck with composite decking, but since the stringers will be made of wood, they are just as susceptible. There is also an exposed wood face as the final step up to the sliding door of the sunroom that is perpetually damp.

Aside from the composite boarding on the horizontal surfaces, how can I protect the other wood surfaces from carpenter ant infestations?

Pressure-treated lumber, or one of the tropical hardwoods which develops its own insecticides, should be proof against both termites and carpenter ants for many years.

Outside of that, catch and fix rot early, since carpenter ants are most likely to move into wood that has already suffered some damage.


Brad or Finish Nail Gun I am replacing all the trim along the floor in the house, 3 bedrooms, office, living room, hallways, and media room. To save some effort I'll be getting a nail gun. For wall trim like this would a brad nail gun (18 gauge) be okay or do I need a finish nail gun (16 gauge)?

Thanks

for all you fully armed and operational weapons out there, remember there are wires and pipes inside walls.  usually the min. setback is 1 1/4 from the stud face.  so if you put a 3" "finish" nail through a 1" casing and 1/2" drywall, you are well within the realm of punching a hole through something wet or something sparky.

we have been using nothing but 18ga brads for 20 years to do everything from trimwork to cabinetry.  never had a warranty callback for any of it.

remember its not the size of the nail, but how you use it.


How can I make steel post bases more rust-resistant? I recently purchased several of these 4x4 bases for a rooftop very close to the ocean. They have not been installed yet.

After about a month I notice that one of them has a little rust spot where the base is welded.

Before installing them, is there anything not too expensive that I can apply so that they don't rust?

I was also thinking of covering them with something after installing them, since these bases aren't attractive. Maybe I can cover them with something attractive that would also protect them from rust?

I would spray them with a cold process galvanizing or Zinc-rich spray paint. This will prevent the rusting and can be done in place, use a wire brush to clean the rust off shake the can 2x of the instructions and recoat the area.

I use this method after welding galvanized parts together because I grind the galvanized coating off to allow a clean weld and not have the nasties in the vapor (welding on galvanized is dangerous--if welding inside I place a fan to blow the vapors if any away).


What are the pros and cons for covering a steel fence post in wood? While this looks nice on picture and it theory I am seeing a couple of problems here:
-I don't think that the hollow box design will stand the time and the weather test. The screws are set on the side of the 2x4s in order to make the box stay in one piece. The 2x4s might crack over time especially if they sit outdoor
-the bottom side will be allways in contact with the soil unless something is put the so there is a good chance that this will rot in time
 Please share your experience and confirm if the above are true or false assumptions, based on your experience

Wood being used to cover or encase a metal post, I would consider a reasonable and acceptable practice.  The wood would need to be protected from the elements as any other application where wood is exposed.  Many paints, stains and wood treatments are used for just such purpose.  Ongoing maintenance will be necessary to ensure proper protection.  Some wood products display a natural ability to stand up well when exposed to the elements, i.e. Redwood and Cedar. Additionally, the newer composite materials stand up very well to wind, rain and sun. Construction with metal and glass is a relatively recent phenomenon. Stone and wood has been use since before recorded history.


How to separate bathroom light from fan I am trying to separate the light and fan to two separate switches. I took the black wires apart and tried each one separate. One did nothing, and the other turned on both. I’m assuming this means I would have to run a new wire, but wanted another opinion. Thanks

You don't have enough wires right now
Right now, all you have is a single hot, a neutral, and a grounding wire running from the switch box up to the fan and light.  As a result, with a plain wall switch and the existing wiring, all you can do is turn the light and fan off and on at the same time.  Splitting the two would either require replacing the existing /2 cable between the switch and the light/fan with a /3 cable, or using communicating "smart" switches to let you put a two-button remote at the wallbox and matching relay modules at the light and fan so they can be turned on and off by signals from the remote.  (My recommendation for this sort of "spot" retrofit work is Insteon gear; while seemingly pricy, it doesn't need a hub device, a cloud server, or WiFi to work, and it's much more adaptable to the realities of mains wiring installations than stuff made by IoT gadget makers.)


Smoke alarms go off in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and then is fine Tonight at about 2 AM my wife and I were awakened by our fire alarm system going off in full alarm mode. I quickly jumped up and pressed the button to reset the system and they all stopped. We checked the house and everything was fine. We had the same thing happen about a year ago, again in the middle of the night.

Our house is almost 3 years old. We have 8 fire detectors and one carbon monoxide detector. The carbon monoxide detector is in the basement near the furnace. The are all hard wired together and have battery backups.

Is this normal? Should I be concerned? Do I need it checked by a pro? What may be the cause? Are we haunted?

You may have batteries getting old. You need a battery tester (not expensive). Even new batteries can be faulty, and supply low voltage to an appliance. This will cause a fire alarm to false-trigger, sometimes.


Replace inlet screen with washer screen on washing machine? Washing machine at present has those plastic cylinder screens that fit in the valve.  They are difficult to remove for cleaning, require a 1 hour soak in CLR to remove the buildup of iron.

I've wrecked one getting it out.  So...

Is there any reason why I can't use the screens that are built into a washer. such as this:

Home Hardware had two similar products.  The other has a much coarser mesh.  Figured that would be a bad idea.  We are on our own well, and so we get the occasional piece of sand in the water.  (typically about 200 microns or so.)

I'm not familiar with cleaning these, just installing new stufff.
If this filter behaves as a washer does, I'm suggesting that you install another one at the valve end of the ( stainless mesh wrapped) flexible supply hose. When it gets embedded in the female threads, just dip these ends in the cleaner without removing filter screen.
I've had clients whose water supply was switched from middle of a zone to bottom of a run of hillside water main ( Berkeley, EBMUD) and had to clean the East Bay Mus from every screen in every faucet every month since.

I'm about to receive a new water main. I'll have to turn off toilets and blast outdoor spigots for a time until chunks are flushed.

Some toilet float valves have a twist drill shaped filter that catches lots of chunks but never fully clog up.  I wish there was a better angle stop ( valve) to turn off toilet for cleaning, those darn things leak from gunk stuck and I have to disconnect and discharge into buckets.

Too wordy? RSVP. Thx
I'm mostly a carpenter, plumber only in emergency


Why is it OK to use a 50 A receptacle on a 40 A circuit? NEC's Table 210.24 " Summary of Branch-Circuit Requirements" shows required condudcor and outlet requirements for different circuit ratings:

Why is it permitted to put a 50 A receptacle on a 40 A circuit?

(Note: this question based on a comment in this question: Can different gauge wiring be used in the same circuit?. NEC screengrab from @maple_shaft's answer.)

Table 210.24 is a summary of branch circuit requirements. If we look at 210.24, we'll see which sections this table summarizes.

National Electrical Code 2008
ARTICLE 210 Branch Circuits
210.24 Branch-Circuit Requirements — Summary. The requirements for circuits that have two or more outlets or receptacles, other than the
receptacle circuits of 210.11(C)(1) and (C)(2), are summarized in
Table 210.24. This table provides only a summary of minimum
requirements. See 210.19, 210.20, and 210.21 for the specific
requirements applying to branch circuits.

As we can see, this table summarizes section 19, 20, and 21 of article 210. Also note that these are the requirements for "circuits that have two or more outlets or receptacles".
In this particular case, we'll want to read through section 21(B).

210.21 Outlet Devices.
(A) Lampholders.
(B) Receptacles.
(1) Single Receptacle on an Individual Branch Circuit. A single receptacle installed on an individual branch circuit shall have an
ampere rating not less than that of the branch circuit.
(2) Total Cord-and-Plug-Connected Load. Where connected to a branch circuit supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, a
receptacle shall not supply a total cord-and-plug-connected load in
excess of the maximum specified in Table 210.21(B)(2).
(3) Receptacle Ratings. Where connected to a branch circuit supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, receptacle ratings shall
conform to the values listed in Table 210.21(B)(3), or where larger
than 50 amperes, the receptacle rating shall not be less than the
branch-circuit rating.
Exception No. 1:
Exception No. 2: The ampere rating of a receptacle installed for electric discharge lighting shall be permitted to be based on 410.62(C).
(4) Range Receptacle Rating. The ampere rating of a range receptacle shall be permitted to be based on a single range demand
load as specified in Table 220.55.

First we're pointed to Table 210.21(B)(3).

Which again tells us that we can have a 50A receptacle on a 40A circuit, so it would seem that it's allowed because it's allowed. However, if we look at the table again and read 210.21(B)(3) Exception number 2.

They both seem to point us to 410.62(C).

410.62 Cord-Connected Lampholders and Luminaires.
(C) Electric-Discharge Luminaires.
(1) Cord-Connected Installation. A luminaire or a listed assembly shall be permitted to be cord connected if the following conditions
apply:   (1) The luminaire is located directly below the outlet or
busway.   (2) The flexible cord meets all the following:   a. Is
visible for its entire length outside the luminaire   b. Is not
subject to strain or physical damage   c. Is terminated in a
grounding-type attachment plug cap or busway plug, or is a part of a
listed assembly incorporating a manufactured wiring system connector
in accordance with 604.6(C), or has a luminaire assembly with a strain
relief and canopy having a maximum 152 mm (6 in.) long section of
raceway for attachment to an outlet box above a suspended ceiling
(2) Provided with Mogul-Base, Screw Shell Lampholders. Electric-discharge luminaires provided with mogulbase, screw shell
lampholders shall be permitted to be connected to branch circuits of
50 amperes or less by cords complying with 240.5. Receptacles and
attachment plugs shall be permitted to be of a lower ampere rating
than the branch circuit but not less than 125 percent of the luminaire
full-load current.
(3) Equipped with Flanged Surface Inlet. Electric discharge luminaires equipped with a flanged surface inlet shall be permitted to
be supplied by cord pendants equipped with cord connectors. Inlets and
connectors shall be permitted to be of a lower ampere rating than the
branch circuit but not less than 125 percent of the luminaire load
current.

If you look at 410.62(C)(2) & 410.62(C)(3), you'll see that it says:

Inlets and connectors shall be permitted to be of a lower ampere
rating than the branch circuit but not less than 125 percent of the
luminaire load current.

Say I have an electric discharge luminaire that is 35A. The first part says if I can find a 35A receptacle, I can use that. However, it also says that the connector cannot be less than 125% of the load. Which means I'll need a 43.75A receptacle. Since they don't exists, I'll have to use a 50A receptacle.

Also, they don't make 40A receptacles, so you'll have to use a 50A receptacle.


How often should I backwash my pool filter? I have a pressure gauge on top of my DE filer:

Recently the pool guy came out when the Zodiac wasn't pulling strong enough to climb the sides and showed me that the pressure was 35 and that the filter needed back washing. Doing this brought it down to 25. It's now up at 30 and I'm trying to work out if I should wait until it's at 35 again to backwash or should I do it now?

You can choose to backwash and replace the DE in the filter with new material any time you want. The increasing pressure readings occur because the DE filter material fills up with dirt sucked in from the pool. There are a series of tradeoffs that you have to evaluate when deciding to back flush or not.

1) Increased pressure to pull pool water through the DE filter means that the pump motor is working harder and will pull increased current thus increasing the cost of operation.

2) More frequent backwash of the filter will incur additional cost of DE material to replace in the filter.

3) Letting the pressure build up over longer periods of time can allow excess dirt to deposit in the filter. This can lead to caking of the filter material such that it will not flush put completely when you attempt a backwash. This will generally require opening the filter unit, removing the filter screens and cleaning them with a hose. This adds significantly to the work time required to do the filter cleaning. More frequent disassembly of the filter can also lead to higher chance of damaging a filter screen and requiring its replacement.

4) Depending on the sizing of the pool pump motor on your particular installation an increased pressure load on the pump motor will raise its operating temperature. In hot summer weather this can potentially lead to motor failure if it gets too hot.

5) As you have already experienced, increased pressure due to a dirty filter, reduces flow through the pool circulation system. This can increase the amount of tine required to clean the pool if the water draw from the skimmer hose gets too low.

If your time is considered even for the various tradeoffs then it mostly becomes a tradeoff of the electrical energy costs for operating the pump at higher pressure versus the cost and availability of the fresh DE material.


Does pooling rainwater pose a threat to my roof? I have a condo with a rooftop. The rooftop is designed such that all water flows towards one corner of the roof, and out to a drainage system. Unfortunately, the home builder built the home so that the final part of this equation (water moving from the corner to the drainage system) doesn't work correctly since the drainage system is slighty higher than the final collection corner. This causes the water (& dirt etc... carried by the water) to pool in this area.  I do not personally know the specific material the roof is made out of (sorry... I realize this important for this question), but you can see in the picture what it looks like, and, if it helps, I can easily drill into this material and it seems to be a thin layer of the surface material and then some foam?
Anyway, my question is: Is this pooling of water potentially detrimental to the structure/integrity of the roof? I have a spigot on the roof and use this to flood this area with clean water and sweep the water/dirt through the higher opening every so often, but do I need to do this? Will leaving this pooled water (which eventually evaporates) + dirt there potentially damage my roof?

There are situations where water pooling on a flat roof is a problem, but this probably isn't one of them.
The cases where it's a problem are where water pools, the weight of the water deforms the roof structure, so more water pools, so the roof deforms more and collapse results.
You appear to have a relatively small area of poorly graded surface near the drain, which is unfortunate and poor quality work, but not particularly threatening to the integrity of the roof. Correcting it would be a matter of fixing the level of the underlying foam surface and waterproofing over that corrected surface with the materials that the roof is made from (unless re-doing the entire roof).
While unsightly, the collection of some dirt and debris is not a concern for the health of the roof. Holes drilled into the surface might be, however.


Is it safe to use a damaged heating element for my Kenmore dryer? I cracked the ceramic piece that connects the wires to the heating coil while replacing my heating element in my dryer.  It is working, but I am wondering if it is safe? Any comment?

Ok, with the pictures its a little clearer.

I would replace that part.  There are plenty of appliance repair stores online with model lookups and diagrams to help you find the right one.

That twist tie is going to melt, eventually.  At least the plastic coating on it.  At best, it will smell terrible.  At worst it could start a small fire.

The more concerning part is what happens if your superglue fails (from the heat).  The heating coilay end up touching a moving part and get ripped up.  Or the 240V wires may touch something they shouldn't.  If your dryer plug is properly grounded, it should trip the breaker.  If not, it could shock someone.

The proper part probably only costs $5-15.  So might as well do it right.

If I couldn't obtain the part for some reason, I would remove the ceramic block, remove the superglue with nail polish remover, and glue it back together with something designed to work on ceramic in hot environments. Most adhesives will say on the bottle what temperatures they are ok for.


Need mfgr of double hung casements w/"PG" engraved on lock I purchased a mobile home that has had its windows redone since DOM. I would like to have additional windows put in, and would prefer them to match existing. Only problem, I can't find any identifying numbers, letters or anything on the windows except an outline of PG is engraved on the metal bracket/rise of the lock (pic attached). I've googled endlessly and can not figure out who manufactures these windows?

They are double-glazed, double-hung casements, non-tilt, 44.5"x51" @ 4 "panels" across (panels created by vinyl dividers between panes).

Thanks in advance!

That logo looks like Portland Glass, located in lovely Portland Maine.


Line tester reads power to 220V outlet when the breaker is off Bought a house in May that came with a window air conditioner connected to a 220V outlet. The air conditioner is gone with no plan to replace so I want to remove the outlet. I went to the breaker, flipped the double pole 20A breaker to "Off" and then use my power line tester to make sure the wire was not live and to my surprise, the line is still live. I confirmed I am turning off the correct breaker. What am I missing?

I'm not clear how you traced the wire, unless it's exposed the whole way?

If you do have access to the wire, even if it's just when it enters the panel, you should use a non-contact voltage detector to check for power. When you flip the breaker, it should go off.

There's a possibility that there are two feeds to the outlet. I would start by going through all breakers one-by-one (or several at a time, to narrow it down) to see if the power shuts off.

Keep in mind that you can get 220 by bridging two 120V breakers, and so one single breaker may not turn off all power. This setup is not legal, but it sounds like it may not be wired correctly anyway - don't make any assumptions when it comes to bad wiring!

Worst case, shut off all breakers, and confirm the power goes out. Then start turning things back on (an assistant and/or non-contact detector that beeps will help you here).

I personally would not touch any of those wires while my meter still read voltage, and I recommend no one else does either.


Wall guide for sit-stand desk to improve stability I have a sit-stand desk which moves 50cm vertically. It can be quite wobbly due to the weight of the desk top, and is easy to oscillate side-side or front-back. With static furniture, my response would be to secure it to the wall but that would prevent up-down movement.

Is there a solution that would allow me to attach the desk to the wall while still permitting vertical movement?

Specifics:

Desk top is solid wood, 40mm thick. I am able to drill into it and attach brackets.
It's not possible to attach any part of the base to the wall as the table top overhangs on all sides.
The desk top is adjacent to walls on the rear and right-hand sides.
The desk top is 15mm from the walls and can be moved further away but not closer due to skirting boards obstructing the base.
There is space on the walls to mount 50cm guides

In the end, I bought two 500mm linear rails that were originally designed for use in CNC machinery. I will attach one on the rear wall and one on the right wall, attaching the carriages to the desk top. The total cost was around £20, but searching for the term linear rail provides plenty of options.


Why is my kitchen ceiling light not turning on with the light switch? My kitchen light is not turning on with light switch, I checked it with a two wire light gadget and when I stick them in a electrical plug socket I get a bright light on the gadget, when I touch the kitchen light switch, the two screws on the right hand side, when light switch is turned on I get a very dim light on that checker, with the light switch off, I get no light at all on the gadget.

Could this mean I need a new light switch?

Agreed that you need to verify the light is not working first by switching the light bulb with a known working light bulb. If that doesn't work is there another 3 way switch that is off now that you didn't know you had?
That was switched off by somebody else since you didn't know it existed.

Can this light only be turned on and off from the one location (i am trying to figure out if this is a single pole or 3 way light switch your testing.)

If its a single pole switch (only two screws with wires under them) than when you put your light up probe on the contacts on the switch it should light either full on or full off. (depending what position you have the switch in , up or down) So if its half on than something is going on.

If its a 3 way switch than maybe your putting the probe on the wrong contacts to get a full light. A three way switch has 3 wires under three different screws.

I am just trying to think out loud because I don't know what to think.

Maybe its a bad ballast (in a fluorescent light fixture) giving off funny voltages which I am not even sure makes sense. What kind of a light is it?

Maybe the neutral in the panel is loose (i know I have had half voltages on plugs when the neutral was loose in the panel even though I wasn't in the panel recently).

Let me know how it goes.


How do I run wiring to a shed? I have a building that will be powering 4 shop lights and 4 outlets. Things that are plugged in are air conditioner 110v 5000btu, radio, occasionally air compressor, other power tools(nothing big), and smaller things. I went to ace to get supplies and ask what I needed and was told I need a 30 amp sub panel ran to the shed with 10-2 or 10-3 wire ran from the main breaker panel (house). I was given a 15amp and two 20 amp breakers for the sub panel, 15 to power the lights, one of the 20’s for all the outlets, and the other 20 for the air conditioner. Does all this sound correct? I need to know if it is then do I need to wire strictly all the outlets (besides the one powering the AC) to the 20amp breaker and all the lights to the 15amp breaker? And the last 20amp breaker to the AC alone? Thanks in advance.

Scrimping now will hit you in the pocketbook far harder later on

Your problem is that you're so focused on pinching pennies right now that you don't realize just how much undoing and redoing your work later when you inevitably run out of room (either amps or spaces) will cost you.  Most of the cost in running power to an outbuilding is in trenching, so it's far better to spend a little extra on materials now so that you room for expansion later than it is to back yourself into the proverbial corner now.

First off, direct bury cable is never a good deal in the long run, as you have to dig it up if you want more power at the shed down the road, and that's terribly expensive.  It's far better to put in a pair of Schedule 80 PVC conduits now, one 1.5" or 2" for power and another 1" for future telephone or data service, so that you'll only ever have to trench to the shed once for this sort of thing, no matter what you want there for electricity, networking, and so on.  Furthermore, you don't need to trench quite as deep if you put conduit in -- 21-22" for PVC conduit, vs the about 25" deep trench you'll need to get 24" of cover over a direct buried cable.

Inside that conduit, by the way, you won't be pulling any cables either.  Instead, you will be pulling individual THHN/THWN wires inside that conduit: 4 10AWG stranded wires (black, black or red, white, green or bare) will suffice for now, and the fat conduit both makes for an easy pull now, compared to wrestling a 10/3 UF alligator down the conduit, and gives you plenty of room to expand later on.

You don't have the space you think you do!

Furthermore, your subpanel is far too small to provide any useful expansion room for your shed, especially if you wind up wanting 240V tools there in the future.  This is partially because you're not accounting for the need to have a two-pole breaker in the subpanel to serve as a local shutoff means, something your panel requires you to provide yourself in this application, and partially because 240V stuff gobbles spaces twice as fast as normal.  So, given that you're looking at $40 for the panel you specified (the $20 you spent on it already, as well as $15 for a 2-pole, 60A breaker and retainer kit to serve as a main disconnect at the shop, and another $5 for the PK7GTA ground bar you'll need), and going to a larger panel with a built-in main breaker (so no retainer kit) costs less than $100 more, including the larger accessory ground bar (for a HOM3060M200PC with a PK23GTA), I would simply return the panel you bought and pick up a much larger one.  At minimum, I would use a 24-space, 100A or 125A, main breaker panel with this; you could even use a 200A panel here, if you would prefer to do so or wanted more spaces than are available in 100 or 125A.

Getting grounded

Another thing you're missing is the grounding here.  You'll need to run a 4-wire feeder (2 hots, a neutral, and a ground) to the subpanel, and fit an accessory ground bar kit to it as well as ensuring the green bonding screw is removed from the panel.  With that done, you'll then need to run some #6 bare copper from the shed subpanel's grounding bus to a pair of 8' ground rods driven 8' apart, using an Arlington GC50 or equivalent to bring the grounding electrode conductor out of the panel.  This is because the ground wire in the feeder provides a path for wayward utility electricity to get back to the utility (really, the transformer on the pole), while the ground rods provide a path for wayward natural electricity (induced voltages from lightning and such) to return to nature.

TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC

Finally, you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver to tighten the various connector setscrews to their marked specification torques.  This is required by 2017 NEC 110.14(D), as it ensures that your shed's electrical system will perform reliably for the long-haul, instead of giving you the loose lugnut!


why do faucet control valves use packing Why do faucet control knobs use a continuous rotating compression packing when other in line stops use a positive stop gate or ball valve

It is really simple, the packing keeps the water from leaking out of the valve stem when the valve is open.  That’s what it does and what it is for.
Ball valves also have a stem packing but it is usually an O ring. Without  the O ring, water would come out the stem when turning the valve from open to closed.


Can I use a refrigerator that's been disconnected for a year? I bought a new side by side refrigerator. Due to personal issues, we decided to use it after it spent one year in our new home, unplugged. Will any problems occur because of that?

If you empty out a fridge and unplug it, you will return to find a massive mold colony inside the fridge.  It is very important when taking a fridge out of service to block the door open and leave it that way for at least a month or two.

This allows the interior (and nooks and crannies and insulation which might be wet behind the interior plastic liner) to thoroughly dry out.  Assuming himidity is reasonably low at that point, you can then close the door and should be able to store it door closed.


Rain hitting down pipes New downpipe installed outside bedroom window so when it rains there is a constant loud pinging noise as rain hits it, any ideas to stop this?

Hang a plastic chain in the pipe, all the way from top to bottom. The water will trickle down the chain instead of hitting the walls.


Ideas on how to fix a void at the bottom edge of my concrete steps? I was recently pulling weeds and I noticed that there is a hole at the bottom of my  concrete stoop.  I'm not quite sure on how to address it.  I'm pretty handy so I'm sure that this can be tackled without professional help (and prices).  Can anyone point me in the correct direction?

That's not a hole. That's just the bottom. Steps like this are poured on the dirt, and while the dirt level probably should have been flatter and lower (for aesthetic reasons), this isn't a structural flaw.

Attempting to patch it will make things worse, visually speaking. Put some mulch over the bottom edge or raise the soil level a bit and be happy.


If I have a Zoned HVAC system, should there be more than one filter to change? In a house now for 6 months, just learned today I should have changed my filter twice already, whoops.
I have a zoned system - two furnaces, one in the finished attic on its side, one in the basement. As far as I can tell, there is only one filter - in the attic stairway, there's a big grille on the wall, and behind that is a filter which is connected to a duct leading to the furnace. Easy. There is nothing like this at all in the basement - the ducts don't lead to any sort of grille. Is this normal?
Including a couple of photos of the furnace in the basement, from the two sides I can access. The ducts are covered in some kind of insulation, then lead out into the home.

If the filter you know about is on a duct leading to "the furnace" in the attic, then there must be a filter associated with "the other furnace" in the basement. I've seen them in various locations on/behind/under the furnace itself, and I haven't even dealt with that many hot air furnaces (my area was boiler-centric for heating, and A/C was practically unknown.)
Figure out where the air goes towards the furnace and follow - gotta be there somewhere.
Likely a very understated edge-on view when you are looking for it.


What should be done to check the capacity of a 100+ year old wooden floor joist? Short version
A 7.5cm x 20cm wooden floor joist from an apartment constructed in 1906 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands will be subjected to an increased load. The type of loading the floor joist will experience is already carried by other floor joists with the same cross-section.
The floor joist was thoroughly checked for any reduction of its cross-section and for damage due to some organic process. Mild spots of white rot were found. The spots were removed, the floor joist was painted and measures were taken to ensure the floor joist would stay dry and have adequate airflow around all sides. According to the Eurocode (NEN-EN 1990:2002, NEN-EN 1991-1-1:2002 and NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005), the floor joist will have adequate capacity for the governing design loads.
My question is: Is there anything else which should be checked?
Long version
Currently, the masonry facade on the top floor of a four-story apartment in Rotterdam supports the apartment’s roof. This masonry facade will be removed and its role in supporting the apartment’s roof will be replaced with a wooden truss that has already been constructed (as seen in the image below).

The truss elements are all 16.5 x 6.5cm douglas fir, the truss is resting on a 7.5cm x 20cm wooden floor joist from the original construction. Both ends of the wooden floor joist are embedded into the masonry wall and the floor joist is supported by a 12cm x 7cm wooden fill beam at gridline B in the section cut below, this fill beam has adequate capacity in moment and shear for the additional load applied on the fill beam from the truss. Additional drawings of the structure can be found in this pdf.

The loading applied to the structure was calculated according to eurocode NEN-EN 1990:2002 and NEN-EN 1991-1-1:2002 and the following loads were used:

Dead load (roof) = 0.55 kN / m2
Imposed load (roof) = 0.3 kN / m2
Snow load (roof) = 0.16 kN / m2
Dead load (floor) = 0.15 kN/m2
Imposed load (floor) = 1.5 kN/m2
Wind load = 0.83 kN/m2

The new truss will support 1.7 meters of the roof. However for simplicity and to be conservative it was assumed this truss would support 3.4 meters of the roof. The structural system was modeled in SAP2000, and a full calculation report can be found here. The rafter element of the truss had the largest applied moment and shear. According to Eurocode NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005 the rafter element on the truss has the following Demand / Capacity:

Moment = 0.89
Shear = 0.44
Bearing = 0.03

And according to Eurocode NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005 the floor joist has the following Demand / Capacity:

Moment = 0.22
Shear = 0.33
Bearing = 0.09

Both the maths and engineering judgment check out. Engineering judgment checks out because for the life of the structure three trusses have been resting on their own floor joist respectively with no visible issues.

Health of floor joist
The floor joist, which will support the new truss was thoroughly inspected for damage and minor white rot was found. The white rot was removed, and the floor joist was subsequently cleaned and painted. More information about this can be found in this question.
When the renovation is complete the building envelope will change. However, as discussed in this question and answer the system has been thought through to prevent water and fungal damage.
Is there any reason which I have not thought of as to why this new system will not work?

That’s a lot of information to review, and I’m American so I don’t know anything about metric, but I’ll try...
Your layout is somewhat different than that shown in the “full report” and picture in Section 1 at Zwae....  There the glass windows are in the same wall as your dormer AND at the same level. However, in your building the dormer is in a wall 90 degrees to the glass walls AND in the roof above the main room.
Be careful of using others reports that are similar and not exact. This could affect your structural design. In this case you have twice the glass in the walls as in the report for the unit at Zwae....
I don’t know if you are located in a high wind area or seismic active area, but if so, you’ll need special connections at each side of your windows and special nailing into your plywood roof sheathing.
Also, Based on the size of the joists and their span, I’d guess they are not more than 4’ (1.2 m) on center. This would be a minimum requirement, because your joists at 4’ on center will only support about 60 lbs. per square foot (Live Load and Dead Load) at that span.
Wood that old has dried out and could have some significant “checking”. This can reduce the joists strength and I’d recommend you visually inspect each joist to insure their integrity.


How can I stick printed pictures on my leased condo's walls? I cut out the pretty pictures from travel guides that are mailed to me. How can I stick them to my condo's walls without harming the walls at all?

I lease my condo and my landlord's very strict. I definitely can't glue or tape the pictures to my wall. Some pictures of my walls -

You need sticky tack
I remember this from when I was a kid and it worked better back then. But it still works great and it's cheap.
www.lowes.com
You just use a little ball in each corner and press it into the wall. Simply remove by pulling when you move.


Stabilize metal legs attached to wood table top I have a table top constructed of pine planks on plywood.  It is about 1" thick, 3'x5' dimensions.  I then have two X-frame table legs constructed from 2"x2" square steel tubing with a 4" flat plate on top to attach to the table top. Any ideas for added stability to prevent movement side to side?  I would like to avoid solutions that require additional welding.  Thanks!

Sometimes, attaching the X-frame legs so that the back plates are closer together than the front plates will allow the front legs to act as stabilizers vs sideward movement.  This solution assumes that the plates are not rocking; that the screws threads are gripping tightly and the screw heads don't permit any rocking of the plate, either (ie. use of washers keep plate firmly against underside of table).


Non-throbbing, silent-compressor window air conditioner? Is there such a thing as a window air conditioner that does not make an annoying low-frequency throbbing while the compressor is running?

I do understand how this works, we have a high-power 60 Hz motor running a high-pressure pump, and you can hear the 60 Hz line frequency as everything inside the pump vibrates in sync with it.

I understand electronics and I know that we could have compressor motors that don't run on 60 Hz AC.

We could have a DC-motor compressor with an electronic AC to DC voltage converter.
We could have a three or more phase compressor motor driven by an equally tiny variable speed drive (also known as variable frequency drive), with a carrier frequency of 16kHz or more so it's not audible.

By eliminating the 60 Hz driving frequency we could make the compressor, and the "window shaker" in general, essentially silent except for the noise from the blower, and refrigerant gurgling through the tubing.

But the question is, does such a thing exist? So far my Google searches are not turning up anything.

The source of the noise is the motor, compressor and fans spinning.  A DC air conditioner would make the same sounds.

The AC power frequency enters the picture because the cheapest-to-build motors are induction motors, which spin at slightly less than line frequency.  As such the noise frequencies tend to be in the 48-49 Hz or 58-59 Hz range.

Often there is also a "rattle" from something coming loose. A healthy unit should not rattle, but this is rather hard to fix.

The reason air conditioners are flippin' loud is they are cheap.  Of course there is consumer demand for quieter air conditioners, and the units are out there for the discerning shopper.  They are more money and most people don't want to pay it.  Or when they are shopping it doesn't occur to them to make it a priority.


How to clean spots/stains from marble? No idea where this came from. Just noticed today. Can't tell what it is. I tried to scrub it semi-hard (don't wanna do too hard for fear of scratching) with a towel and water and did not succeed in cleaning. Is it oil/grease? Feels weird on my finger. Appreciate your help!

Bleach is safe to use on marble.  Take a dish scouring pad and a heavy bleach mixture - wear gloves.  Scrub away.


Install a ceiling light - confused on the ceiling wires color Purchased a light and try to install by myself. The light does require a bulb. https://www.crateandbarrel.com/ivory-woven-rope-flushmount/s577632
Previous owner removed her light in this room before we moved in.
There is only one dimmer wall switch in this room.

Wires from light fixture with labels: Bare (ground?), Black (hot), White (netural), Green (ground). There is also a green screw on the bracket with label "GND".

Wires from ceiling (building): 4 colors: orange, red, blue, white/grey.

This is for ceiling light only. No fan.

My questions:

It looks like I got 2 ground wires from the light fixture. The green wire and bare copper one. Which one should I use to connect to the green screw on the metal bracket? or should I connect both of them?

What are the 4 color wires from the ceiling representing?

How should I connect those ceiling wires to the lamp wires?

Thanks for any suggestions.  The electrician quoted me $150 for this installation and I don't want to pay him to do the job. I can do it (with the help from this community!)

Update #1 12/9/2020  Used a GE LED A19 6W bulb

1st attempt: Connect orange from ceiling to black from light. The light wasn't working, but the wall switch has green light indicator.  *I am very confuesd on this attempt why the light was not working but the wall switch seems working (but can't make the light on).

2nd attempt: Unable to connect blue from ceiling to black from light because the blue wire didn't have the bare copper show up, looks like previous owner never used the blue wire. The material of the blue wire is very tough and wasn't easy to cut as compare to the soft ones from the light.

3rd attempt: Connect red from ceiling to black from light, the light is working!!! however, I can't turn the light off, this is because the wall switch was not working (compared to first try, this time no green light indicator on the wall switch - see the picture).

The wall switch is a dimmable type. (Previous owner's light is dimmable before I moved in). I am not sure if this has anything to do with first attempt & third attempt that require a seperate wire in order to have the switch working. I tried to unscrew the wall switch but couldn't go further as it looks like mounted to the wall can't be removed.
Summary: As per the user @Harper-ReinstateMonica suggested, the orange wire should be the hot one to use. But there looks like compatibility issues with the dimmer switch, I used a GE LED A19 (6W), relatively small one (energetic daylight) and the bulb box says dimmable >.<, I will try a different bulb.

Update #2 12/10/2020  Used a GE LED BR30 10W bulb

4th attempt: Similar to 1st attempt (using orange wire as hot), this time used a GE LED BR30 10W bulb, when push the dimmer switch, the indicator is flashing green light, the bulb is lighting but very very dark. The switch CAN'T make it lighter, or I should say "not really controllable".  (I thought the switch might be broken)

I finally manage to open the dimmer switch, turns out all three wires (red, orange, blue) are connected to the switch.  So, the question comes, should I try the blue one?  I have to strip it (it's weird if previous owner used the blue wire and cut the top portion when they removed the light).
Update #3 12/10/2020 used a GE 52W incandescent bulb

5th attempt: used a GE 52W incandescent bulb, everything worked out as expected! The dimmer wall switch is fine actually.

Update #4 12/13/2020 used a GE 52W incandescent bulb

6th attempt: I should made all wires connections inside the junction box not in the canopy of the fixture. The project is done, with special thanks to @Harper - Reinstate Monica.

What you have there is metal conduit.  You can tell because it's modern construction but no ground wires.  The metal pipe is the conduit.
It's common with conduit for other, unrelated wires to "pass through" your box.  There's nothing you can do about that except understand not every wire up there is related to your project.
Deciphering the wire colors
The problem is, in North American wiring, color codes are a bizarre mess - however in conduit work, the color codes clean up a little bit.

Safety ground is Green, yellow-green, bare or metal conduit
Neutral (the normal current return path) is white or gray
Hot is every other color, with no standards for always-hot vs switched-hot vs travelers etc.
And that is the end of the color coding.

But we have 1 of the 2 wires that we need: Neutral.  In conduit, white is definitely neutral, so you know you add the lamp's white wire to the existing bundle of whites.
The other wire is a mystery.  I suspect the red wires are simply passing through, and have nothing to do with this lamp.  Let's disregard those.
That leaves orange and blue... either of which could be your active lamp "switched-hot".   Honestly, given that we're hooking up a lamp like this and we know neutral, you can't do too much damage just trying one. That's what I'd do.
Have the circuit breaker switched off anytime you are modifying wires - don't do this "hot".
What to do with those ground wires
The deal with 2 ground wires is they go to different parts of the lamp.  They both need grounding, but one should go to the metal chassis of the lamp, yes?  Which can get grounding via the mounting screws.
(by the way, switches can also do this, but receptacles can't unless they are labeled "self-grounding" or certain other conditions are met.)
So if one of the ground wires  goes to the metal lamp chassis, attach the 2 grounds to each other and you're done.
"But I'd like to wire it up out of an abundance of caution"... let's pause to be clear about this. You can make redundant routes with safety ground, all you like.  Please do.  But DON'T do it with neutrals! Neutral is not ground, and it follows different rules.
Anyway, if you have a plastic/wood lamp body, or you want redundancy, yes - you can attach it to the metal box.  There will be a hole tapped #10-32 in the back of the metal box.  Possibly with a screw already in it, possibly a green screw. You can put 1 wire on that screw.
"But I have 2 wires" -> pigtail.  Or use a ground clip or drill/tap a second ground screw.   Ground screws must have thread pitch -32 or finer.  (32 threads per inch or finer, or 0.8mm or finer).
You cannot put a ground wire under a mounting screw, and you cannot use a sheet metal screw to add a ground wire (unless the sheet metal screw is ultra-fine thread #x-32 or finer).
Update based on your 12/9 info
Do not connect multiple hot wires together unless you like fire. What we've had you do so far is testing based on educated guesses. That is not the same as "blindly trying random stuff", that would be very wrong-headed.  Never blind experiment with electrical.  Some things go boom, and lots of things will create a situation where the device apparently works, and then kills you.
Your testing provided good data.
As expected, the red wires are "just passing through" and are providing always-hot to some other location.  Tapping these is pointless unless you want the light burning 24x7.
It's clear the orange wire is the correct wire, since it makes the dimmer power up.  The fact that the lamp won't light is a completely separate problem related to incompatibility between the light and the old dimmer.  Not every LED works on every dimmer (most do not, actually).
The blue wire was clearly never used.  Don't mess with it.
12/10 comments

4th attempt: Similar to 1st attempt (using orange wire as hot), this time used a GE LED BR30 10W bulb, when push the dimmer switch, the indicator is flashing green light, the bulb is lighting but very very dark. The switch CAN'T make it lighter, or I should say "not really controllable". (I thought the switch might be broken)

And this is no surprise.  Dimming is not magic.  It's complicated and very, very ugly because it's chained to a throwback technology from the 60s that was designed to make dimmers cheap.  If you got into the gory details, you'd go "Wowza, no wonder it's so hard to get LEDs and dimmers to work with each other!"
They actually have to add extra features to LEDs to make them dimmable.  Those features add a few bucks to the price of the LED, so if you shop on price, you won't get that feature by luck.

5th attempt: used a GE 52W incandescent bulb, everything worked out as expected! The dimmer wall switch is fine actually.

Congratulations, you've validated the dimmer as functional.  It's been incompatible with (most) LEDs all along.
"But I want LED up there!" -> I agree.  However you'll have to carefully search the marketplace for an LED light and a switch/dimmer that are certified to be compatible with each other.  Most dimmer manufacturers make lists of LEDs they've tested with, and better makes of LEDs which are designed for dimming often list dimmers they've been tested with.
Note that being a better make (e.g. GE) doesn't make it designed for dimming.  Being designed for dimming makes it designed for dimming.


Why am I getting 24 volts in kitchen outlets, unless TWO breakers are on? I have 6 power outlets in my kitchen. Two 20amp breakers in my panel supply power to them.

I wanted to update my GFCI outlets, with new ones (old ones were installed when the house was built, 1994).  Cut off both breakers marked "kitchen outlets" in my panel.  I pulled all six outlets, and thought I'd measure voltages at each junction box feeding the outlets.

I turned on the FIRST breaker, thinking the circuits were isolated.  Measured the voltages with my multi-meter.  Three registered 120v, and 3 registered 24 volts.

I turned on the SECOND breaker, and all 6 outlets now register 129v.

I turned OFF the FIRST breaker, and the the three that were 24v the first time, now had 120v reading, while the ones that had 120v, now had only 24v (the readings flipped).

Does this make sense? What's going on here?

This is a multi-wire branch circuit

aka MWBC.  This is a special arrangement for delivering two circuits' worth of power onto a single cable with only 1 more copper wire, because it is putting two opposite-pole subcircuits arranged so the neutral only carries differential current.  It's quite wire-efficient, but yours was installed quite improperly.  They pretty much did everything wrong.

Also the six GFCI receptacles were not original; they were added probably by a previous seller because the home inspector red-flagged it.  If you know anything about GFCIs, you only need 1 per circuit, but an MWBC is one circuit -- and the way they share neutral requires either one GFCI at the breaker, or a GFCI at each receptacle (expensive).

The first problem is that MWBC requires a handle-tied or 2-pole breaker.  You don't have one.  In fact, you haven't said, but you might even have the worst nightmare of MWBCs, which is a duplex breaker.

Fix the breaker... and revisit GFCI

OK, so the breaker needs to be replaced with a 2-pole breaker.  (you can do handle-ties, but those are a PITA to find, and a 2-pole breaker is available pretty much anywhere.)

However, remember where I said an MWBC can have either

one GFCI at the breaker... or
six GFCIs at every receptacle separately?

When you have more than 4 receps, it's actually cheaper to fit a single GFCI+breaker.  Around $20 each for six GFCIs vs about $80 for a 2-pole GFCI breaker ($90 if you want AFCI also).

The only downside of this is that a GFCI trip with receptacles will only trip the single recep (and you can reset it right there), but a GFCI trip with a breaker will knock out everything, which may be confusing and will send you on a trip to the basement to reset.  Your call.

But you need a 2-pole breaker.  Remember, breaker types must match the panel.  If the panel is Murray QP but the breaker is Eaton BR, the breaker is wrong and replace with a Siemens/Murray QP not a BR.  Alien breakers are dangerous and burn up panel buses.  This is especially important when spending $80 on a breaker!

If you currently have a duplex breaker (two handles in 1 space) then ask a new question about how to replace that with a 2-pole.

Neutrals need to be pigtailed

You didn't mention this, but the neutral wires in the boxes need to be spliced with a wire nut etc. and a single neutral wire brought out to the receptacle.

Removing a device must not sever power to the other half of the circuit.

However, it's perfectly OK to use the GFCI receptacle as a splice point for the hot wires.  Note that ALL these wires will go on the LINE screws (most accept 2 wires in back-wiring), the LOAD terminals will never be used here.


How do I fix this depression in my concrete patio? I have a concrete patio with a 4-foot by 2-foot shallow oval area that retains water.  The concrete is sort of a knockdown pattern (see photo). How do I resolve this depression without smoothing it over and making it slippery?
 How do I level the area and make the pattern match the surrounding area?

Is this a drain strip?

If so it may be possible to cut some shallow grooves in the patio concrete decking to conduct the standing water in the depression over to the drain strip.

It would obviously be your choice but this may look better overall than a smoothed on patch or filler. Such grooves could be cut by someone experienced with using a portable power grinder with a thin cutoff type blade.


Can I put a 75 watt equivalent led bulb in a fixture that says 60 watts max? Can I put a 75 watt equivalent led bulb(1100 lumes). In a fixture that says 60 watts max. I know the power going to the bulb is way less and the heat is also way less so should I worry about it? I'm trying to get more light out of a two bulb fixture with a 60 watt bulb max by putting 75 watt led's in it. Any thoughts?

Yes you can.  If you could find it, you could put 60 W (actual) LEDs in it, which would be equivalent to like 750 W incandescent.  The maximum stickers are for heat dissipation as well as electrical wiring capacity.

The only real concern is whether the dimability of the LEDs match the light switch or controller.


Peeling drywall paint, how to repaint? I've got a dry wall that had some old looks to be latex paint on it. I'm in the middle of repainting it and I see a small edge of paint stickin out.  I try to pick it off and a sheet of paint rips up.  I keep trying to pick the edges and more keeps peeling up.  How should I go about painting over this?  I can't get a smooth surface because there's always an edge of old paint left waiting to be peeled up.  And I don't want to paint overs surface that can just be peeled up again so easily.

It's a drag, but it sounds like you already know what you have to do: peel off everything that peels off easily. No use painting over an unstable substrate; the new paint will just peel off too and you'll have to start over. Might as well do it right the first time.


How do I verify that a 240v outlet is wired properly? I recently had a dryer installed and it powered on, but wouldn't run. I was able to verify the voltage at 240v using a multimeter, but I'm not convinced that the outlet was wired properly. They are bringing a new dryer this weekend, but I want to test the outlet thoroughly prior to that time.

Is there a tester to verify it is grounded/wired properly? I've used testers for 120v outlets such as this one:

Is there something like this for 240v outlets?

or would something like this work?

Given the 110V tester, I'll assume you are North American locale for this:

Look up your outlet type.

Test (using appropriate care) that you have 240V from the L1 to L2 (hots) (you presumably did this per your question, but make sure it's the correct terminals)

Test that you have 120V from each hot to neutral.

Test that you have 120V from each hot to ground.

Test that you have no, or very low, voltage from neutral to ground.

Only after testing that voltage from neutral to ground is 0 or very low, turn OFF the breaker for this dryer outlet and test for continuity (resistance, Ohms) between neutral and ground - there should be continuity - the resistance should be low.

No need for a "widget" if you have a meter and can use it safely.

If the wiring is done very poorly you COULD have a situation where the voltages look fine until you turn on the dryer - that would be from something like a high-resitance connection - the voltage at the plug would drop significantly when the dryer was plugged in and turned on. Careful (always use care and respect with electricity) testing with a dryer in place could verify this. There's not really a safe way to test for this without a dryer to plug in. That sort of thing would be more likely if the outlet was installed by an amateur (I'm not clear if it was in place and you don't know it's provenance, or if it was just installed - if just installed, call back whoever installed it to check it out.) This is especially true if the wire is aluminum.


GFCI breaker problems in trailer I have a food trailer i’m Building, and am now at the testing and set up stage, and am having problems with my panels.  I have a 20kw generator built in, feeding a main panel on one side, and a sub-panel on the other.  Both bonding screws are removed from the panels. Every outlet has it’s own circuit and 15A gfci breaker.  The 2 coffee machines are on 30a gfci breakers.  The smoke detector is on its own CAFI breaker.  The panels are Schneider Homeline Square D push on neutral.
When I energize the panels the cafi breaker is fine, the 2 30a gfci breakers are fine, but when I turn on anything on the other circuits, they trip.

Thanks for your help.  kurt.

We can't guess.  It's something to do with your neutral hygiene.  You have circuit neutrals that are interacting with other neutrals.  We would need photos of all the wiring in all the boxes associated with any one failing circuit, which in your case is pretty easy since your circuits are so somple: the wiring at any failing outlet, and the panel itself.  I bet we could get to the bottom of it right quick.

Also, make a mental note.  Next time you're building a panel in a vehicle, "plug-on neutral" is not a feature you want.  "Plug-on anything" is not a feature you want.  Next time go to the Siemens, Square D or Eaton dealer and get their panel series that use bolt-down breakers.  Normally those are used in factories where they don't want line workers tampering with the panel (the bolts are energized at all times). That's wrong for a homeowner, but the generator makes that not a problem.  You want it because it's a vehicle and stuff vibrates out.  You'll have less trouble with that.


Secret documents digital safes without an overriding key? Are there any safes which can be opened with a programmable keypad combination or thumb fingerprint but do not come with a key?

I am concerned about the fact that if somebody steals my key they will bypass the digital circuit.

I'm looking for a mid range solution. Box strength is not an issue. Size is about half a meter cubed.

Yes, safes without mechanical key override do exist. Talk to a real safe dealer, not your local big-box store. These will generally also be much stronger against physical attack. They will cost more, and weigh more, than the cheap toys ... and of course if you ever lose the combination you'll need an expert safe man's assistance to recover access to the contents.

Sentry and similar cheap combination-locked boxes are not safes. They're fire chests. If you're looking to protect paper or cds from a house fire, they're surprisingly effective for their price. (I'd recommend at least a 1-hour 350-degree rating.) But they are physically vulnerable in a number of ways, not just the key... and in fact may decrease security by attracting attention.

If you want both fire protection and security in the same box, expect to pay even more per cubic inch of storage. If you want to protect photographic or magnetic media from fire, likewise expect to pay more -- in that case, ask for a "media chest" and explain what materials you're protecting to get the best advice.

If you own the property, a floor safe may or may not give you some of these benefits at lower cost, though that adds installation cost.

Tl;dr: yes, if you're willing to pay for something decent rather that mass-market mismarketed consumer shlock.


Fixing shower tile to repair possible water damage My bathroom is around 15 years old and my shower tiles are starting to show some water damage. I am a bit worried that this is leaking and may cause some water damage elsewhere.

The grout doesn't look good and in some parts the tiles flex a bit if I push it.

One contractor said I should take half the wall down and redo it, which takes 3 days.

Another contractor offer to just re-grout the tiles, and takes just 1 day.

My questions:

Am i just hiding the problem if I re-grout the tiles?

Will I get worst/more water damage down the line?

Is re-grouting the tiles myself a bad idea?

If your tiles are flexing its likely that the wall behind has deteriorated because it became wet. Its possible that it was not installed from either moisture resistant drywall or from cement board and that the silicone seal has deteriorated. You may have water seeping behind your tiles leading to mould growth.

Re-grouting and re-sealing are your cheap, but temporary solution. If those tiles are flexing, in 2-3 years the silicone will break away again and deterioration will continue.

Base this decision on your current home budget. If you have the money to do a complete replacement without getting into debt, do it. You have to get it done anyway. If you do not, re-grout and re-seal and save up for a complete replacement.

Consider that if you do a complete tile replacement (as you should I think), your older bath may look out of place and your fixtures may look out of place too.


Is it safe to run a propane appliance from a portable propane cylinder? I want to install a small propane range/stove in my cabin, but don't want the hassle & expense of a giant propane tank in the yard. With the understanding that I use a regulator and the lines have to be sealed and leak-checked, and that the orifices have to be of the proper type, is it safe and proper to run the appliance off of, say, a BBQ cylinder?

In fact what I have is a tall 100lb cylinder that is full which I never use (it has a POL fitting, and I think the newer regulators come with a QCC (correct?) fitting). The other BBQ cylinders have the QCC fitting.

Further ... are the pressures coming off a large, installed commercially-supplied propane tank the same as those from the regulator of a BBQ cylinder? In other words, will my appliance know any difference?

Regardless, put the tank outside.

Plumb the house like you would for a huge tank, just bring it to an appropriate enclosure. Put your swappable tank there.

Gas pressure is determined by the temperature of the fuel in the tank, mainly the liquid fuel since it has almost all the mass.

Large or small tank makes no difference.

Piece of bad news though. Ever hear of the latent heat of vaporization?  1 BTU is the energy needed to raise a pound of water 1 degree F.  140 BTU will raise it from 72F to 212F (boiling). But you need to put in about 1000 more BTU to get it to turn into steam at 212F.  Only then, additional BTU will increase the steam temp further.  Same with propane.

The problem with a propane tank is when you draw off gaseous propane, liquid propane boils to replace the vapor pressure.  That boiling propane needs to get its latent heat of vaporization from somewhere.  It steals it from the other propane, making it colder.  Colder propane has a lower vapor pressure!

Hopefully the tank will absorb enough heat from the environment to keep your propane warm enough to give usable vapor pressure.  Otherwise pressure will fade.

Larger tank helps, as it has more surface area.


setting up long runs of hardwood flooring: where to square from? So I have a 3 bedroom house, middle room being the smallest. The master is the widest covering the width of the house, and the 3rd room at the back is long and 2/3 the width of the master.

I am doing the install one room at a time as there's stuff I have to move around to make room. Currently I occupy the master with furniture etc.

I would like to set up long runs of wood that span the length of the house, going from master all the way to the back end of the 3rd bedroom. I'm also going to run a piece of flooring centered across the bottom of the door to break up the rooms and divide the floor, but keeping the long run. The middle room steps out into the middle of the hall. offset right and across the door is the bathroom, offset left is the stairs down.

So here is the issue I'm attempting to plan around. I'm trying to get the runs parallel to the hallway so it's straight. It also has to be parallel to the door opening to the middle room, this might turn my install a few degrees in the room, which is fine. What I'm having trouble with is carrying the run into the master and into the 3rd bedroom. I've pushed out a parallel guideline into the hallway from the middle room transition, using this as an anchor as best I can that will be parallel to the door when it's closed. This guideline seems to match the nose for the stairs. It extends into the master where the entrance steps into the right side of the room. From my line to the right wall I have maybe 1/2 inch out of square for a room that's about 12 feet wide. measuring the left wall corners off my guide, I find I'm only about 1/4 inch off from one corner to the other off the far left wall. That's very tolerable, though could be better, but it's a 30 year old house, I expect rooms not to be square. They aren't. So I'm very willing to take 1/2 out.

Here's where things go south. Using my laser square, I project the guideline into the 3rd bedroom. To one wall, I believe I might be 1/2 out. Which is not bad, but I can also hide it since the closets are on that side and I can hide that under the sliding door tracks. Where I will make the transition into the closets.

The problem is the other wall, over 11 ft it's almost a whole inch off.

My boards are 3 1/4" wide, and 1 inch over a run of 11 ft is going to be very noticeable. I won't be able to hide that under molding, in fact the shoe mold might make it look worse.

Should I run with this and chalk it up to the house not being square, or is there a better way to approach this measurement? I'm thinking I could put a screw into the sub floor of the master and run a string all the way to the back of the house and try and measure perfect square from that, but I might run into an issue where the transition on the middle room will no longer be straight across the door frame.

If flooring is to run into all room eventually and it is a wood floor, start on your longest wall which is usually in the hallway leading to the bedrooms (a sketch would have really helped on this). if the rooms off of the hallway or out of square, the adjustment can be made at the door where the wood floor is the shortest, by tapering that joint in the door by 1/8" in a 32" joint will change the lay of the floor going into the bedroom by a 1/2" in a  10' room. More adjustment can be made by setting the nails harder on one side of the room compared to the other. I have used that technique in "steering" the floor over a long run after the rows are well established.

Any room that the flooring runs into can be adjusted slightly as well without seeing a noticeable curve in the floor. I also have done so much as slightly tapering flooring to aid in "adjusting" the floor going into a room.


Humidity causes Asko clothes washer to buzz and not start I have an Asko 20004 Front Loading clothes washer.  When the air is very humid (in the summer) it buzzes when I turn it on but the moter will not start.   I've disassembled it and the buzzing seems to be coming from the motor.

When I run a dehumidifier for a few hours it runs fine.  (Not a fluke, this is the third year I have noticed this phenomena).

Any ideas?

I also have an elderly 20004 excellence that screeches and won't start when humidity is high; a damp laundry room in winter is the problem in my case. Whenever the repair man attended it behaved perfectly.

I decided to investigate the electronic circuit board as that is where the singing seemed to be coming from and found that there is very little protection for this board from the big space surrounding the drum and all those suds. The board had some yellowy brown substance on it (probably detergent residue from an oversuds adventure in the past)  which I carefully and very gently cleaned off with rubbing alcohol, some paper towel and q-tips using a rolling movement so as to minimize damage to the pins and  delicate surface. Be careful not to leave any paper or cotton "crumbs" caught on the sharp bits.  I was amazed at how much dirt was removed and how the washer was instantly fixed.

I have repeated this every winter for the last few years whenever the circuit board sings and have been grateful that the tiny cost of one special screw driver and a gentle clean could prolong the useful life of my washer.

Hope you find a solution for yours.


What type and gauge of wire is this? The wire in question is that top wire. The black one with the red stripe.

It looks like feeder wire, probably stranded aluminum—though it could be copper.  Judging by the scale of the breakers it looks to be AWG 6 or 4.   See this chart for ampacity ratings.

If you inspect the jacket of the wire for up to 18 inches, you should be able to find some writing which gives the exact wire size (gauge number), temperature rating, and voltage rating of the insulator.  Also, many cables have a distance number, usually in feet, from some origin (maybe the beginning of the 1000' spool the wire came from).


Securing LFNC conduit to joists trying to add an outlets in basement. The joists at the locations of interest are super crowded, so I was just going to run THNN in some conduit. A friend offered me free 3/4" LFC, said it should be totally okay to use it in an unfinished basement and easier than EMT.
I need to secure the run to the bottom of joists.
Is it okay to use 3/4" rigid hangers?
Any suggestions on what fasteners to use when drilling into bottom of joists?
Do I need to do pilot holes for hangers, or is it safe to just drill in?
Also, need to add some junction boxes. Similar questions about typically used fasteners, are pilot holes necessary, etc.

LFNC is not pretty but it's easy to install.  You have to strap it every three feet and within one foot of the boxes.  You can't exceed 360 degrees of accumulated bend between boxes.  Since it's impossible to get the stuff really straight, and it's sticky inside, you're better off limiting it to 270 degrees of bend between boxes.
The straps made for rigid metallic conduit or PVC conduit should fit well enough, and two hole straps will work well enough where running perpendicular to the joists.  Parallel to the joists, straps probably won't fit along the bottom of the joist, but you can just strap the conduit to the face of the joist instead of the bottom edge.
If you use reasonably small screws, like #10 or smaller, splitting the joist is unlikely, but it never hurts to drill pilot holes.
Use gray surface mount type plastic junction boxes and drill right through the back of the boxes to secure them to the joist.  You could use two of the four mounting tabs on the box but they'll tend to snap right off.


Replace a motion-sensor/timer with simple single pole switch I am trying to replace a motion-sensor that has a timer functionality to turn off the lights after 30 minutes. The motion sensor never worked when we moved into the house. I just want a simple single-pole switch.

I opened the box and see that the old timer-switch has three wires:
1. Red (Load)
2. Black (hot)
3. White (neutral)

I do have a green ground in the box that is open and not connected to anything.

The new switch has 3 screws - two brass and one green for ground.

What am I supposed to do? One of the brass will obviously be the black-hot wire. What happens to the red and white? Am I correct in assuming that neutral is not required for single-pole? That only red-load is connected to the brass screw? And that I don't connect the neutral coming from the wall?

Switches that do something more than just "switch", often require neutral - timers, sensors, smart switches, etc. Ordinary switches do not require neutral. You actually have the opposite of the usual problem - someone who needs neutral but doesn't have it because it was not always required to be available. So your problem is easy to fix!

Cap the neutral

This is the simplest solution. If you had only one neutral in the box then that would be the thing to do - cap it with a wire nut and a piece of electrical tape to keep it secure since wire nuts do not always hold well with a single wire.

Remove the neutral.

If your neutral, as is often the case and appears to be the case in your box, goes to a bunch of other neutrals on a wire nut, remove the neutral wire from the wire nut and replace the wire nut. Or better, put on a new, appropriately sized, wire nut, to hold all the other neutral wires together, as reusing old wire nuts is iffy at best.


Leak from base of flue During a heavy rain storm the chimney leaked from the base of the flue. In the picture you can see the drop as it fell. The crown and the chimney was rebuilt to just above the roof line 3 weeks ago.

Is there no way to seal the chimney and this is normal. The amount that came in was enough to wet the bricks below. If this is not normal is the leak at the cap and the water runs down around the flue and drops down which in my untrained eye it appears to be doing. Does this require the crown to be now sealed with a waterproof sealant? I thought the mortar would prove to be enough but it is not in this case.

Edit: @Lee: the cap is on there and the wash installed though I need to see the pitch. Can you explain the sealer. Does that go on the crown too?

To properly seal the fireplace flue, I’d 1) Install a flue cap, 2) put a cement “wash” between the flue and fireplace bricks for positive drainage, 3) Install a clear sealer on the fireplace bricks, 4) Install flashing between the fireplace bricks and the roofing material, 5) verify that the roofing around the fireplace isn’t leaking.

If the flue only leaks during extra strong wind storms, I’d look at getting a flue cap that has a wind screen, like this:

http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjq0drjitndAhWaj7MKHVATD84YABAfGgJxbg&sig=AOD64_1Tlc34Pk7FQbwhjdDVtQj--CakTg&ctype=5&ved=0ahUKEwjy1NTjitndAhXLu1MKHVLuCtIQwg8ILQ&adurl=


DIY copper lamp earthing I'm planning on building a copper pipe based lamp along the lines of this: https://www.instructables.com/id/Copper-Pipe-Table-Lamp/

I currently have a lamp holder terminal of this brand: https://s-lilley.co.uk/?q=node/147 which has an external earth (like what you can see in this picture). It's wired to a standard 3 pin UK plug (all 3 wires are connected).

My question is whether I need additional earthing, or if I need to be particularly careful how I set up and connect the copper piping?

Thanks!

Make sure the earth is connected to the copper pipe and you will be fine. Where exactly the earth is connected on the pipe doesn't matter as long as there is a low resistance path from the earth pin to any exposed metal that houses the live wires.

To make sure it's properly earthed take a multimeter and check continuity between the earth pin on the plug and every exposed copper part.


Boiler only runs for 4 minutes then shuts off I have a Slant/Fin boiler that's attached to a old White and Rodgers thermostat, typically the boiler only runs for about 4 minutes before it shuts off.

This small period isn't really heating up our 3rd floor, the first and second floors are well heated.

I think I have the anticipator set to the highest setting (see attached).

What can I do to get the top floor warm?

Adjust the regulator/vents on the first and second floors to a lower setting so the thermostat stays on longer so more heat gets to the third floor. Also, check the third floor vents to make sure they're open all the way and regulators are open all the way.


How to remove shower drain piece (grip from inside)? I'm trying to unblock a shower drain. However the drain snake won't go far in, it hits solid bottom. I suspect the design is as in the diagram below, and will need to remove the second metal piece (I've already removed the cap) to be able to get the snake into the drain (right).

How can I remove it? It's inset to the shower, so I can't get any force on it. Is there a smart way to grip it from the inside?

When I needed to replace the drain in my shower I was told to use this drain removal tool:

If that tool would work, there will be four cross bars in the bottom of the drain that the tool grips when inserted.  You take a screw driver or other rod and slip it through the holes on the side of tool to then turn it and remove the drain.

If the tool doesn't fit (which happened to me) an alternative is to superglue some scrap wood to the top of the drain as way to get leverage.  The down side is that method means replacing the drain rather than just putting it back.


LED & fluorescent bulbs blinking in a fixture - but I don't think it's the bulb. Advice? Our apartment had a very ugly fluorescent light in the kitchen (not a fixture with a bulb - but a one piece circular fluorescent with a plastic diffuser cover over top). We replaced the fixture with an IKEA fixture that has three sockets and put in three 9W LED bulbs (also tried three 14W fluorescent bulbs).

After about a minute of being ON, one bulb starts to blink, and then two (but never three). I've tried different LED bulbs (IKEA brand and other brand) and the same two sockets blink. I've tried putting the bulbs that blink in the socket that doesn't blink, and they don't blink there. I even replaced the fixture with an identical one and have the same issue.

I don't think it's the bulbs.

The fixture is on a single switch in the kitchen (not a dimmer) and is wired with black/white (hot/neutral) and no ground.

The breaker is a 15A breaker and the only other lights I can find on the breaker are three can lights in the hallway that are currently on fluorescent bulbs.

We also tried removing the LED bulbs and using fluorescent bulbs in there and they don't even light up.

What might be the issue here? I've read a bad connection on the negative side - is this the likely culprit? Should I just replace this fixture with something that can take a higher wattage incandescent (the IKEA fixtures at rated at 10W per socket)?

MODS: Please don't mark this as a dupe of the question about lights blinking when being turned off. This is: turn ON lights, wait 1 minute, lights begin to blink. The dupe from the last question had nothing to do with this one.

I had the same issue after I remodeled my bathroom. The culprit was an illuminated switch-the switch glows when it is off so you can see it in the dark. Apparently it allows a small current through to illuminate, which in turn was triggering the CFL bulbs, causing them to 'blink' ever so slightly.


How can I remove iron from water? Currently, the water smells very strong of Iron (Water softener is currently broke, going to be fixed shortly). The neighbors in the area said the softener will get some of the iron but they had to install Iron Breakers or Iron Curtains.

We had our water tested and we had a very high iron/magnesium/manganese values.
Iron - 4.43 mg/L
Magnesium - 38.6 mg/L
Manganese - 289 ug/L

What are a few methods and how do they work to remove that from water? (Softener, Iron Breaker, Iron Curtain, Chlorinator, Cartridge Filter?)
What are the benefits of each method?
What are the typical costs?

How much iron will a water softener remove from the water? We purchased Rust Pellet salt to help when the softener is fixed.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Update
New softener was installed and the iron smell doesn't seem to be there like it used to so that definitly helps. They mentioned that the typical lifespan of a softener is 20 years but with the water we have (very high iron), the lifespan would be 10 to 12 years. He mentioned a iron curtain that uses ozone which ranges from 1700 to 3000 with annual maintenance of 200. Still need to research that and any other alternatives to iron removal though.

Update
Research
Iron Removal - http://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/iron-removal
Sizing your well - http://www.budgetwater.com/proper_system_sizing.htm

After enough research and talking with a few different companies, this is what I have found out.

Water Softener - this is good for removing Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, etc out of the water. It mainly used for getting a small degree of minerals out of the water. Using it primarily for high iron removal will decrease the life of the softener.

Chlorination - this will technically work for iron. You can get a pellet dispenser directly on the well. This would also help for bacteria. However, it would increase the arsenic levels which we are bordering high already. Its also not the greatest to be drinking chlorine.

Ozone Iron Filter - the benefit from what I researched with this is that the ozone will kill off bacteria. The maintenance can be somewhat costly from what I hear. Its once a year but costs 100 to 200.

Air Iron Filter - this is what we ended up going with. Maintenance is going to be around 20 for a new part each year, otherwise don't have to do much with it. Its going to cost about 1700 to 2100 which is close to the same price for ozone filter.

The average life of each system seems to be about the same, 10 - 15 - 20 years depending on the amount of iron or other minerals its filtering.

Update - we purchased an air iron filter because we had very high iron content. The water softener didn't remove enough of the iron. The new iron filter works very well, can't smell the iron anymore and the faucets don't get red. It does cycle through water quite frequently (2 to 3 days) and is pretty loud when it does. Overall though, it works well.


Do I need a disconnect switch for my mini-split air conditioner? As the title suggests, is a disconnect switch located near the outdoor unit of a mini-split legally mandated or a convenience item? In my case, the breaker panel is about 20' from the outdoor unit, and the mini split is on a dedicated (and labeled) circuit.

Since local codes may vary, I am in the US. I don't believe my city has any regulation requiring a switch, but I am less sure about the national level.

It is legally mandated, and part of the National Electrical Code (NFPA70). NEC is adopted across most of the US.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use
Article 440 Air-conditioning and Refrigerating Equipment
440.14 Location. Disconnecting means shall be located within sight from and readily accessible from the air-conditioning or refrigerating equipment. The disconnecting means shall be permitted to be installed on or within the air-conditioning or refrigerating equipment.
The disconnecting means shall not be located on panels that are designed to allow access to the air-conditioning or refrigeration equipment or to obscure the equipment nameplate(s).

It's largely a safety precaution to ensure the power is off if someone is servicing the unit.
If your breaker panel is 20' away and within sight of the unit, it's probably acceptable as a disconnect means but of course your AHJ (inspector) will have to agree. If you can't see it, you'll have to put in a separate disconnecting means.


No Go with Faucet Puller to Remove Handles Trying to replace double sink bathroom faucets from the 1980s and after removing setscrews tried to pull of handles after oiling them and using a Husky faucet puller.  No luck with the Husky and no luck unscrewing the threaded pipe that attaches to the lower silver bell of the handle (it moves up and down the threads but not past the faucet handle). Am I missing something?

No!  Don’t cut it out!   Unthreading the bell/escutcheon counterclockwise while holding the valve assembly will remove the escutcheon AND the lever.  Several kohler, grohe , price pfister model lavatory faucets install and uninstalled this way.


What does a surge protector do that a breaker doesn't? The circuit breakers in my home are 120VAC, 15A or 20A breakers.

What would a surge protector (e.g. this or a power strip with surge protection) do that a breaker wouldn't do already?

Surge protectors and circuit breakers both cut off power during exceptional conditions, but they have different purposes and react to different events:

Circuit breakers

Circuit breakers have only one job: to prevent the wiring inside your house from catching on fire. That's it, they do nothing else. They don't protect you from shocking yourself, or from lightning, or from your cat chewing through a power cord.

Circuit breakers work by monitoring the current (number of electrons) flowing through the wiring, and cutting off the power if the current is too high for too long (which puts the wiring in your house at risk of overheating). The higher the current, the quicker a breaker will trip: it may be just a split second or it might be hours. The idea is that a transient burst of power (e.g. when your fridge turns on) is not particularly dangerous.

The rating of a breaker depends only on the size and type of wire used in your house (which in turn is based on the expected usage). Typical sizes would be 15 or 20 amps for outlets and standard lighting, and higher, dedicated breakers for high-use appliances like stoves or hot water heaters.

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors have a very different goal: to quickly disconnect equipment from the power supply if there is a power surge. Surge protectors don't monitor the quantity of electricity, but rather it's voltage. An unexpectedly high voltage can force power into appliances beyond their specifications. Typically surge protectors cut off power when the voltage reaches 300V or 400V, which may be indicative of a lightning strike.

Surge protectors also have the job of absorbing energy due to a voltage spike.

Neither surge protectors nor circuit breakers do anything to regular minor fluctuations in voltage like a brownout.

In my opinion the need for surge protectors is somewhat overblown, since harmful power surges are relatively rare and there's no guarantee that a surge protector will be robust enough to prevent damage anyways. But they are convenient if you need extra outlets.

EDIT
@Ecnerwal's answer is correct that technically surge protectors don't disconnect the power, they redirect (or absorb) it. And his answer has much more technical detail about the types and purposes of surge protectors.


Ordering parts for fridge is there difference between 1 or 1A or 1B My fridge's seal (gasket) cracked and I'm trying to buy new ones from sears.  There is a couple options
for freezer door:
#1  Door
#1A Door
#1B Door

for fridge door:
#2  Door
#2A Door
#2B Door

Do all of these fit interchangeably and I just pick any and it would work?
https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model/5qzr5ifzgn-000582/kenmore-25360602413-refrigerator-parts

Looks like the number (1 or 2) is your standard white gasket, while 1B/2B refers to the black version, and 1A/2A appears to refer to a grey version.  The black and grey likely go with the stainless steel version of the model.


What kind of blow torch to use for a stuck bolt I'm trying to remove a tire from a lawn tractor and the bolt is stuck.  I've tried all kinds of penetrating oils and an impact driver with no luck.  A lot of websites recommend heating the bolt.  What kind of heat source should I use?

Addition:  Thanks for the tips.  The problem with a breaker bar in this case is that, due to the shape of the tire rim, I need to use an extension to get a socket wrench on the bolt and the bolt head is thin so everything falls off easily.

First. I would ensure that you are using a 4-way Tire Iron. It makes you apply equal pressure to the bolt and you will be amazed at the different. In fact, if you have not tried this. Then i would not worry about the heat source for now.

In terms of the blow torch. you need anything that can throw enough heat to make the bolt almost red hot (note I say almost)

A butane torch will be totally fine. Just watch out, the hot nut will be a little easier to snap when hot.


mold on basement walls I have a basement that I am planning on finishing.  There was a mold problem.  After washing the basement walls, I soaked them in Concrobium.  I then painted the walls with a masonry waterproofing paint that's antimicrobial. Two days later, I see brown mold stains coming through the paint.  Is the mold still living?  What can I do here?

I have never used Concrobium.  I have cleaned foundation walls with hot water and bleach.  Now that you have painted you have added something else into the mix.  The paint can actually harbor the mold.  I would simply get a heavy bleach and hot water solution with some heavy duty metal brushes and scrub the crap out of the whole area.  The paint probably has to go.  Make sure you have gloves on, goggles, and a mask.

Fan the area out for 2-3 days.  You need to wait a minimum of 2-3 weeks and possibly a few months before I would even think about drywalling.

I would really try to get at the source though.  Even if mold is growing it needs food.  It wouldn't have returned that back unless your basement was feeding it water.  If you don't take care of the moisture issue first you will keep fixing a mold problem.


New Light Fixture with Old Wiring Yesterday I replaced an old light fixture in my bathroom, and now the new light powers on with the breaker, but the wall switch does nothing. I'm not sure if the power is going to the switch first or the light box, but when I pulled the old light off, there were three wire bundles, all black. I made sure to leave the bundled wires together and used a voltage tester to figure out which were hot. One wire bundle was hot and one was cold, and the 3rd singular wire was also hot. So I put the hot wires together and paired them with the black wires on the new light and took the one cold bundle and paired it to the white wires on the new light. I'm confused as to which wire controls the switch and where it should go.

You inadvertently bypassed the switch loop that controls that light fixture.  There will most likely be a cable with a white wire that is not connected to any other white wire -- that cable is the switch loop in all but the newest installations.


How to remove rust and paint my barbecue? I have a barbecue similar to the one in the image. It's still in good shape, but sun has taken out the shine and there are one or two spots or rust (really small) that would like to remove.

I would like to do something about it. Either polish it or paint it. Since the metal is subject to very hot temperatures I don't know if I can do it with any regular product or paint.

How can I make the bbq shine again?

Steel wool and a wire brush with a lot of elbow grease will get the rust off. Once cleaned you can apply a spray can of high heat black paint. The kind I find and buy doesn't have a gloss to it though so getting that shine might require a high heat enamel paint which I'm not aware of being in a spray can at my local stores.


Do I need to prepare old pipe to install a compression fitting? I bought a new multi-turn valve to replace a really old one.

The new one has a compression fitting where the old one is soldered. My plan is to use a pipe cutter just below the soldered joint. I'm not soldering or using sharkbite hardware. Here's a pic:

Do I need to prepare the surface of the pipe where the new compression fitting will be sitting to avoid a leak?

Generally speaking, the ring compression should work just fine. They don't look it, but they were standard long before the push-fittings came along and made this stupid easy. As long as there's nothing under the ring, it should seal properly.

I would get a wheel-type cutter to do this, however. Not only will it not burr the pipe, but it won't bend it either.


Prevent dead animals in basement window wells How can I prevent animals from dying in my basement window wells?    The wells are about two feet deep and have a clear plastic covers over them.   The covers don't fit tightly and critters seem to get in.    I just removed:

15 garter snake carcasses
1 live garter snake
2 Snake skins
4 dead rodents
1 live frog
2 dead frogs
3 dead lizards or salamanders

Many of them had clearly been there for years -- many of the remains were skeletal or desiccated.

Here is a picture of one of the window wells (hammer for scale):

I'd like to prevent this problem in the future.    I'm thinking that I could:

Seal the window wells better (how?)
Provide a stick or ladder that would allow critters to exit without getting stuck and dying
Use repellant

Which of those options should I pursue, or is there something better?

I think I finally found a solution. I had tried chicken wire, and it was moderately helpful... apparently, frogs couldn’t use it. I tried angling tree branches for critters to crawl out on, but that didn’t work for frogs, either.

So, I bought some pool noodles and cut them to secure around the top of the window well, and there have been no more critters in the window well! I was skeptical but was willing to try anything. I’m not sure how it works so well, but it is apparently the solution. Here’s what I did:

I purchased a package of black (to match the window well) pool noodles. I didn’t want to create a place for mice to live and chew into the noodle, so I got ones that were dense... ones that had the smallest “hole” on the inside.
I measured and cut so the noodles fit very snuggly onto the rim of the window well without any gaps. I literally wedged the noodles in on the sides... they are really snug.

When I finished, I realized there was still a gap between the window well and the cover, so I eventually bought some rope caulk to fill in the gaps. But when I finally got the time to add the rope caulk, I noticed that there was not a single critter in the window wells, not even bugs.

So, I didn’t add the rope caulk and have had no problems since adding the pool noodles, about 4 months ago. We have had warm temperatures and now frost in the evenings (hence the icy edges in the pics), and still no critters.

Save the frogs! :-)


Is there a tool that will crimp close the end the ribs on a metal roofing panels? I saw a building that had the exposed bottom edge of the ribs in the metal roofing panels crimped closed so bugs couldn't craw or fly up them. It was very neat/professional looking as if it had been done at the factory, or at least with a tool designed specifically for that purpose.

Commercial standing seam roofs are systems. Very often they are fabricated with dedicated digitally controlled equipment from engineered design drawings. Eaves, soffits, and drips are likewise designed and shop fabricated. In the field, seaming is typically done with purpose specific tools.

All of which is a round about way of bringing home the idea that the infrastructure is outside the budget of most homeowners [as well as a great many residential tradespersons] and that off the shelf parts aren't readily available. Thus, it's not really a DIY sort of project for even the  skilled.