Going from a PVC Sched 40 1-1/2" PIPE to a 1/2" Poly Combination Elbow I'm new here. I have a plumbing question. I'm not a plumber by any means.

I'm trying to put together a small DYI project as a Xmas gift for a couple of family members and a couple of friends.

Its a Liquor Dispenser, similar to the ones shown below.

I'm having trouble finding the correct piece to make it work. I live in a small town so my options are limited as far as going to a store to buy pieces, but I thought with a bit of coaching from the more experienced people online, I might be able to buy the missing piece of the puzzle from an online supplier.

THE PROTOTYPE

I'll show you what I have done so far.

I have built a functional working prototype, but it is made with ABS parts.

I figured its probably not such a great idea to give these as gifts to people I know. They might not be so happy when the leeched chemicals from the ABS pipe cause growths on the sides of their neck.

No worries, It was just a prototype to see if it would work.

For that I used from top to bottom:

Spigot x Slip Joint ABS "P" Trap Adapter (works great as a bottle support)
1-1/2" ABS Coupling
1-1/2" x 1/2" ABS Dishwasher Bushing
1/2" Poly Combination Elbow
1/2" ID x 5/8 OD Nylon hose w/ clamps (not shown in photo)
1/2" Insert x 1/4" Male Pipe Thread Brass Hose Connector
1/2" Female Thread x Male Garden Hose Thread 1/2" Sediment Faucet, with Flange

THE SECOND ATTEMPT

Now I am trying the recreate that, using PVC parts. As you will see, I've run into a problem which I have circled in red. I'm not able to come up with a solution with the parts provided at any of the local hardware stores.

Here is how it looks so far:

From top to bottom I have:

About 4 inches of PVC Sched 40 1-1/2" PIPE
PVC Sched 40 1-1/2" CAP SOC (hole drilled in bottom)
1/2" Poly Combination Elbow
1/2" ID x 5/8 OD Nylon hose
1/2" Insert x 1/4" Male Pipe Thread Brass Hose Connector
1/2" Female Thread x Male Garden Hose Thread 1/2" Sediment Faucet, with Flange

THE PROBLEM

The problem I am having is going from the PVC 1-1/2" Pipe to the 1/2" Poly Combo Elbow.

I tried drilling a hole into the bottom of the 1-1/2" CAP SOC, and then threading it, but it is nearly impossible to hit the dead centre each time without a lathe, and without a proper tap tool a pain in the buttocks to thread the drilled hole. (I also can't find a proper sized tap in the entire town either. I'm forcing the threading by cramming a 3/4" bolt into it)

Is there something similar to the ABS Dishwasher Bushing that would solve my headache and at the same time replace the PVC 1-1/2" CAP SOC?

Help me... You're my only hope. (Geeky Star Wars reference)

They make the same type of bushing that you used before, but in PVC. It would be called an 1 1/2" x 1/2" slip x FIP bushing. "FIP" means female iron pipe.

This picture is actually 1" FIP, which will be easier to find than 1/2", and also easy to "bush" down to smaller sizes using threaded brass bushings:


How safe is this power configuration? I have a regular 2 socket, 15 amp outlet in my garage. I need to run my miter saw and shopvac at the same time, the saw draws 15A and the shopvac 8.5A.

I've currently been running them off one outlet through a 50 foot 14AWG extension cord with a 3 way splitter at the end. The other socket is running to a power strip by an extension cord that is powering by workbench light.

It hasn't tripped the breaker so far.

I know very little about electricity and it's boundaries, how bad is my current set up? What risks are there with this?

UPDATE:
I found an old kill-a-watt meter and tried it out on the setup, here are the results.

Miter saw only
Startup (Peak): 18A
Saw running: 7.5A
Saw cutting: 10A

Shop vac only
Startup (Peak): 12A
Running: 8.4A

Saw and Shop vac:
Shopvac running and then starting saw (peak): 21.6A
Both running: 16A
Both running and saw cutting: 18A

I notice the saw bogs down a bit while cutting and both are running, seems perhaps the motor isn't getting the juice it needs?

I think the answer is clear, I need to get one on another circuit. I thought these were interesting and wanted to share.

Neither device is probably pulling the rated amount, though it might hit those ratings at peak.  If you started the vacuum and saw at the exact same time, you might trip the breaker.

Assuming the breaker isn't defective, if it hasn't tripped you're OK from a capacity point of view.  Keep in mind there might be other devices on the circuit too.

Ideally you wouldn't use an extension cord at all for this. While you probably won't run into any problems, you might consider a heavier wire gauge for the extension cord.  If you don't need all 50', you're also better off with a shorter extension cord.


How can I disconnect this leaking sprayer hose? I am helping a family member with some things around the hose and discovered that their kitchen faucet is leaking from the base of the sprayer hose while it is being used.

I would like to disconnect the hose so I can examine and replace the parts as needed. However, I can't figure out how to disconnect the hose from the base of the spray nozzle. If I grip the hose in one hand, and turn the nozzle with the other hand, the nozzle rotates freely. Thus it does not appear to be a threaded connection.

I'm not sure of the manufacturer and model so my attempts at research have thus far failed. Here's a picture of the nozzle where the hose connects to its base:

You will need to know the brand and model of the faucet to ascertain whether that is a connection that is designed to be disassembled. Also, any repair parts like washers/gaskets will most assuredly be proprietary and must be sourced from the maker.

Long gone are the days when faucet components were standardized in any way.


Slow drain after tub-to-shower conversion I recently hired a plumber for a tub-to-shower conversion into a first floor (slab) master bathroom.  I had already removed tub and demo'd the walls, so the scope of work involved:

Extending existing copper lines up into exposed wall for shower valve/head
Add 2" PVC drain/p-trap in center of shower (including slab work and new concrete), coupling to existing 1.5" drain inside slab (using Fernco coupling)

Number 1 was pretty straight forward.  Number 2 was also straight forward, although I wasn't sure about the Fernco to adapt the 2" PVC to the existing 1.5", but he assured me this was standard practice:

I was happy with how everything turned out initially, and after tiling we started to use the shower.  But we noticed something strange: for the first minute or two, the water would not drain fast, and would start to puddle (~1"), but then all of a sudden all the water would drain and it would stay that way for the duration of the shower (ie, no puddling at all near the drain).  It has been about 4 months and now the 'puddling phase' lasts more like 4-5 minutes and gets deeper, but then, like magic, it all suddenly drains.  We used the bathtub as a shower for years and never had any drain issues.

Other things to mention:

There was no roof vent for the bathtub, but it did have the standard stopper assembly so this could have acted like a vent?
The original drain in the slab is about 48" from main sewer line (toilet), which has a 4" roof vent.

My main questions are:

Why does it drain slow at first, then suddenly drain normally?
Did the plumber use proper technique, ie, the Fernco?
Is this a vent (lack of) issue? (If so, I'm screwed)

Thanks for reading.

UPDATE (01/25/18): I have contacted the plumber who did the work.  I told him about the "double trap" theory, which totally makes sense to me.  However, he is not yet convinced as he says he "has done hundreds of tub-to-bath conversions and never had any issues if there was a tub trap in the slab."  He thinks it is some type of obstruction in the line, and will come out and run the line to try and push out whatever might be in there.  My engineering/physics mind makes me less optimistic than he is, but I hold out hope since it is, by far, the easiest solution.  Fingers crossed, and I will update soon.

Another UPDATE: The plumber finally came out (he was battling flu).  He contended that there should be no problem with having a new trap as part of the shower drain which feeds into the slab where there is (presumably) another trap...as long as there is a down-stream vent, which there is.  However, I was really skeptical since what Josh said below made sense from a physics point-of-view.  His thought was that there was simply some blockage somewhere; which again didn't make sense since the water drains well after running for a few minutes.  He proceeded to use his auger to try and clear out the blockage.  Well, we were all very surprised when he pulled out a 4" piece of 1/2" copper all wrapped up in a big hair-mess.  WTF?  It must have fallen in the drain when he did the original work, and the only explanation to why it drains well after a few minutes is that it somehow "floats to the top" or whatever and gets out of the way.  Not sure we'll ever really know why, but now the system drains well, no problems at all.  I don't really care since I won't have to redo things to fix it. :)  Just thought I'd post in case anyone comes across this and wonders about this same type of problem.

If you didn't take out a trap it is likely in the ground, and the shown section added a second trap, having two traps in line is the problem, it is called double trapping.

The air in between the two traps is stuck and requires some pressure to clear and start the water flowing, provided by your build up of water in the shower.  This region between the traps is also more likely to accumulate material and clog, which is likely why it is getting worse.

It can be fixed by venting between the traps, or removing one of them, but since they are both in concrete it is not an easy fix.  Short term you could try and snake the drain or use other methods to try and clear debris to improve drainage, but it is going to be a problem.


Baseboard water heat not heating one room; Rest of zone/house is good I have a baseboard water heating system set up in three zones. One zone consists of two bedrooms and a bathroom at one end of my house. The thermostat for that zone is in the hallway connecting the rooms.

Yesterday, one of the bedroom radiators stopped getting hot. I'm not sure when it failed, but we noticed it when we turned in for the night. It had been working well (sometimes too well) for years previously. The other two zones work as expected, and the other two rooms in the affected zone work very well too.

There were no changes made to the system at all and I don't find any evidence of leaks anywhere.

The city did shut off our water supply for 6-7 hours yesterday while doing some work in the street. I think that's just a coincidence, but I don't necessarily believe in coincidences.

Could the water being shut off all day somehow allowed air to be introduced into the lines that found it's way to the affected room and "air-locked" the radiator?

It seems to me that the circulation pump is louder today too. It seems to be making a noise like bubbling or flowing water. I don't recall ever really hearing the pump before (but I didn't really listen to it either) Is the "running water sound" normal for a circulation pump? Is it an indication of air in the lines?

I don't know how to bleed the lines of air. I understand the concept, but I don't know where the bleeder valve(s) is/are and, in general, don't quite understand how the system is plumbed. I have no real experience with hot water heating systems.

Does my assessment that there is air in the line going to the affected bedroom seem reasonable, and if so, how can I troubleshoot/fix this problem? What else would cause behavior like this?

First, if this is a forced hot-water system with baseboard heating, they're called convectors, not radiators.

Bleeding the system is fairly simple (though a bit messy and time-consuming), and, as you diagnosed, the most likely fix. There should be an air bleeder, or purging, valve at the end of each baseboard unit and one in the basement by the boiler, perhaps near or on an expansion tank.

Some valves are automatic, having an insert that expands when wet, effectively sealing the valve, and contracting when dry so air escapes. If that is the case, you can wait, and eventually, most air would bleed out... but that would take quitre a while, if your system had lost most of its water.

Manual and automatic bleed valves can also be loosened by hand, with a screwdriver or coin, or with pliers. Use caution, because an old fitting could be brittle and break if forced. Lift up the baseboard cover from underneath and swing the bottom out to access the valve at the end of the pipe. Have some rags handy, as there is inevitable water leakage while bleeding. Also, mind the hot water.

Though it's usually easier to access the main bleeder, it's at a lower point in the system and will not get out the last bit of air blocking heat to that room. However, it may be useful to purge some air from that, too.


how do I measure the glass on a patio door (glass replacement) to replace the glass on my patio door, how do I measure the glass for the contractors, do I measure just the glass portion of the door or do I measure the outside frame of the door?

The glass is held into the frame in different ways depending on the manufacturer. To properly measure the entire frame should be disassembled. The glass must be ordered to size and manufactured, as it must be tempered glass, tempered glass cannot be cut once made.The material that holds the glass (rubber or vinyl channel usually) will likely need to be replaced as well. This can be very complicated for modern units with dual-pane glass (there is also the process of filling the interstitial space between panes with inert gas.)

Is contractor you are hiring specifically qualified for this work? He should be the one to measure and order the glass, and would be responsible for errors.

You should be made aware that it is much more common, and probably less expensive, to install an entire new door and frame assembly. They even have units designed to retro-fit without removing the existing metal frame, thus avoiding plaster/stucco work. I would call a licensed and well known window and door installer in your area.


Is it Safe to Have an Attic Light & Receptacle on 60A HVAC Circuit When I went to add a light switch near my attic access for an existing light with a pull cord, I found that the light was wired to the disconnect box that feeds the air handler. This particular circuit is fed by a 60A breaker in my main panel (I assume it is so large due to the emergency heater if the heat pump is not working).

The light is wired with a 10 gauge cable, but this just seems really wrong to me. I suspect this was put in by the AC guys before we owned it since it was attached to a truss with hex head screws. It also didn't even have a junction box! The fixture was directly attached to the truss with enough clearance to wire it from the back. The terminals were exposed to open air and someone could have have touched a live 60A circuit. These are the same AC guys that cut 3 truss members so I don't have a lot of faith in what they did.

I have fixed the junction box situation, but before I add a switch to this I wanted to confirm that I need to move this to another circuit. Maybe there is another breaker inside the disconnect box that is only 15/20A? I didn't see anything...

This light fixture also has a receptacle built into it. Like this:

Update

I looked a little further into it and the neutral for the light is connected to the ground and it measures 120V at the receptacle. There is what looks like a 2 gauge aluminum coming in and a 6 gauge aluminum going out to the heater/ air handler, plus the 10 gauge copper going to the light/ receptacle. There is no separate 15A for the air handler. Side note, why does the tester show hot/ground reversed for this situation? My pictures don't stay rotated properly on the phone app...

This is an unmitigated disaster

Firstly, 60A auxiliary heater circuits are normal enough, but they don't have neutral.   The wires are L1-L2-ground or black-red-bare.   There is no way to get 120V out of that circuit, except by bootlegging neutral.

Bootlegging neutrl means misusing ground as neutral, intentionally connecting a "hot" wire (via a light bulb or tool) to the ground.   If the ground-neutral bond in your panel has any sort of problem, it will electrify every ground in your house.  Bad idea.

Nothing prevents someone from plugging in a power strip and four 1500W heaters.  That will overheat the wiring and start a fire.

This is terrible work!

Must be more going on

Thing with heat pumps is there are usually other circuits involved.  I am surprised that the air handler would share the 60A aux heat circuit, I would expect there to be a 15-20A circuit there for the air handler.  I would think it might also be 120V.   If so, it may be possible to borrow it for the attic light.   The attic light must be on a 15 or 20A 120V circuit.  It cannot use part of a 120/240 circuit.

The total of all hard-wired loads on a circuit must be less than 80% of total circuit capacity.

You cannot have any receptacles on a circuit unless the hard-wired loads are less than 50% of total circuit capacity.  So you may need to change lamp fixtures.

Or, go 24V lighting

In this day and age, LEDs are so efficient that 5W of lighting is a fair bit, and two would light up an attic decently enough.   Most furnaces have a 24 volt AC, 40VA (similar to watts) transformer with surplus capacity.   You could grab 24VAC off the transformer and take it to LED lights.  You would need to find LED fixtures that have no replaceable bulb, and work a range of voltages including 24V AC.  You can use common thermostat wire to hook them up.  Aim for an even number of lights, and hook each one reverse polarity of the next.  Sometimes LEDs will tolerate AC but only light on half the AC cycle, by reversing polarity to every other one, you assure the full cycle is used.


Could it be that smart light fixtures are the future and not smart switches? At least for retrofits? In my house built around ~1970 all ceiling lamps are wired in a way where 120VAC power first enters light fixture and then hot wire proceeds through switch and return back to fixture as load wire. If I understand correctly, then somewhat newer houses built around ~1990 are wired the opposite way where 120VAC power enters first into the switch and then load wire makes a loop through light fixture. Also, there is 3rd option where 12/3 Romex extends neutral to both light switch and light fixture box.

All this time I thought it was a disadvantage to have wiring like mine, because I could not install smart light switches that usually require neutral.

However, it just occurred to me that maybe the future of smart lighting is not smart switches, but rather smart fixtures? Especially for retrofits? If I would switch to smart fixtures instead of smart switches, I could:

eliminate almost all physical light switches in my house (currently I have to upgrade them to CO/ALR rated switches anyway)
simply pull out some old aluminium wiring that runs behind walls as it would not be necessary anymore and my house will have less wiring in attics overall (currently I would have to trace all this wiring and replace splices with AlumiConns)
still be able control my lights with help of voice, motion, phone or with a smart hub touchscreen as I would with smart switch. But I would not be able to have easily accessible physical switch that can turn light on or off.

I am wondering what NEC or any other electrical standards in USA have to say about this? Would it be fine to remove wall light switches altogether if the light fixture can be controlled through WiFi?

I fear that my answer will lend itself to opinion, and the question you asked is definitely written so that you are asking for an opinion, but given some important facts, and assumptions you made that are at least in part mistakes; perhaps this will help:

  In my house built around ~1970 all ceiling lamps are wired in a way
  where neutral wire is in light fixture's electrical box and the wall
  light switches do not have a neutral

Unfortunately, this is true for many many many residences, and fortunately; is no longer allowed. This is written in article 404 of the 2011 NEC.

  If I understand correctly, then somewhat newer houses built around
  ~1990 are wired the opposite way where light fixtures do not have
  neutral, but the light switches have neutral.

This is not true. A light fixture has to have a neutral. Any circuit in existance needs the supply and return sides. Ground is a safety ground, or ... a safety neutral in essence. But it should never be used like this. If you ever see a fixture that does not have a white neutral, chances are, another wire in there is (and should be identified).

The third option you linked is just a pathing approach. This is nothing more than how electricity got form A to B to C... and most electricians wire a home with some mix of: cost efficiency, use as little copper as possible, and common sense, future expansion and smart routing.

Another thing that exists you did not mention is 3 way switches. This is a little bit more complex, but regarding neutrals, they are all present at each location inside the box.

  However, it just occurred to me that maybe the future of smart
  lighting is not smart switches, but rather smart fixtures? Especially
  for retrofits?

Have to disagree, but this in itself is an opinion. Smart switches have an advantage. They are "permanent" and separate and take the place of existing switch circuits. Not having them as you later suggest leaves you pretty much up a creek without a paddle when the IOT goes down. Having a hardwired switch has its value for sure. People buy smart outlets/fixtures, and smart bulbs, etc - but then you have one more "wall-wart" (large unsightly blob) that makes your bulb too big, or stops you from using the second plug in an outlet, or stops you from pushing that couch against the wall.

  eliminate almost all physical light switches in my house (currently I have to upgrade them to CO/ALR rated switches anyway)
  simply pull out some old aluminium wiring that runs behind walls as it would not be necessary anymore and my house will have less
  wiring in attics overall (currently I would have to trace all this
  wiring and replace splices with AlumiConns)
  still be able control my lights with help of voice, motion, phone or with a touch on smart hub screen as I would with smart switch. But
  I would not be able to have easily accessible physical switch that can
  turn it on or off.

For these points, I've adressed my answer above about value of one smart appliance over the other, but regarding aluminum... You should copper pigtail everything, you should retrofit and remove aluminum whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is a different topic from *smart switch anything. It's just smart! :)

Found this after reading Ed's note *(thanks Ed):  Simple notes on room requirements for switches
Local-mechanical means has its value. The internet is not perfect, and we all know technology is not either. But since you have a breaker, that technically is a mechanical off switch. Do you really want to have to use it?


Existing 3 wire service feed to sub panel: bonding grounded neutral and ground bars? I know variations of this question have been asked (the closest I could find is here), but I'm still confused.
@Tester101 explained if the existing feed to the subpanel is 3 wire with a grounded neutral and two hots and is not electrically connected to your main panel, your sub should have a bonded ground/neutral.
Is this an acceptable way to ground the sub panel? My sub panel is not at all connected to the main except by the 3 service conductors and has the neutral and ground bus separate. The ground bus is grounded to the earth (2 rods), gas, and water. Now I've read that this is very dangerous as the earth is not a low enough resistance for grounding (makes sense).
I read the code that Tester101 linked to in the post above but didn't see where it said to bond the ground to neutral in the sub
I guess what I'm most interested in is a good explanation about why it would be okay to bond the neutral and ground within the sub panel in this type of situation when every other time it's a big no no.
I live in Oregon for the record.

The three wire allowance is an exception to 250.32(B)(1), which allows existing installations that were compliant with previous code versions to exist.  If you want to bring the installation up to current standards, you can install a properly sized grounding conductor between the panels and separate the neutral and grounding bars in the second panel.

The reason you need to bond the neutral bar in the case of a three wire feeder, is to provide an effective ground-fault current path. Remember, electricity is trying to return to the source, not to the ground (earth). In the event of a ground-fault, you want the fault current to be able to have a low resistance path back to the source.  This low resistance path should allow the fault current to be great enough, so that a circuit breaker (or other protective device) can activate and open the circuit.

If you read the text of the code, you'll find that it says "the grounded conductor run with the supply to the building or structure shall be permitted to serve as the ground-fault return path". By bonding the grounded (neutral) and grounding bars in the panel, you're using the grounded (neutral) conductor as a ground-fault return path.

Hope this makes sense, and answers all your questions.


What do I do with the third set of wires in this switch box? I am wiring in a new light fitting however there are three live/neutral/earth combos, plus a live/white which will be the switch. What do I do with the third live/neutral/earth? (And more importantly, where does it go?) it is in my bathroom, I'm thinking it has to do with the ceiling fan? I am in Australia.

You only need the one set plus the switch legs, so you really have two extra sets. It's impossible to say without knowing where and what they are going to, but more than likely the circuit is simply splitting off to feed different branches of the same circuit.

You can safely connect all neutrals together and all grounds together. The live conductors are less certain, but most likely they can be all connected together as well. The only thing that is not connected to like conductors would be the return from the switch, which would go directly to the light. The other light terminal goes to all the neutrals.

To determine where the extra sets go, (one obviously goes to the switch, but it goes beyond that as well) safely isolate all wires so they cannot touch each other or anyone or anything else. Turn the power back on. Anything that doesn't work is where the wires go. Of those things that don't work, what ever boxes are closest to the light and switch is probably where the wires run directly, but there is no guarantee without getting into other boxes and checking continuity back.


Fill heat tank with glycol in off-grid system? EDIT: I'm settling for a simpler system: no solar thermal panels; just a small 50 liter water heater, AC powered, run through the inverter. (So, practically no hot water in the winter time.)

I'm planning to build an off-grid summer house in southern Finland.

The plan includes:

electricity: PV panels + inverters + batteries, enough for a 2000 W induction stove (single burner).
water: a well for drinking/kitchen/shower water, an electric pump
heating: a body of water (or a non-toxic propylene glycol mixture) is heated in the heat tank. The water from the well would be heated in a coil of the tank, thus the water we use will never stay in the heater. The tank would be heated by solar thermal panels and/or a water heating fireplace. A small pump is needed for the thermal panels and another one the fireplace.

The cabin would mostly be used during the summertime (June to August), when the building doesn't need to be heated. For May and September-October, some heating will be required, and for the winter months, a lot of heating. The cabin is 70 m² (750 sq ft).

Since there is no external electricity and the outside temperature gets below 0°C (32°F) for several months, some measures must be taken. The lowest temperatures are -30°C (-22°F), which would mean 50 % glycol.

Batteries will survive only if they are fully charged for the winter.

The tank (and all pipes) must either be emptied for the winter, or it must contain non-freezing glycol mixture.

I think I now need to decide between these two options:

1) Fill the tank with water, and empty it for the wintertime. Heat it with solar heating panels.

Pros:

simple system
cheaper
the fireplace is not connected to the tank, so it’s easier to use it for heating the cabin in the winter (without the risk of overheating the tank)

Cons:

no possibility for water in the wintertime
obligatory autumn maintenance

2) Fill the tank with propylene glycol. Heat it with a water heating fireplace, and possibly solar thermal panels.

Pros:

less maintenance?
Possibility for occasional hot water even in the wintertime? (Must empty the water pipes every time, though)

Cons:

more expensive
have to add radiators (using the same glycol) to be able to heat the cabin in the wintertime, distributing the heat from the fireplace

The second option raises some important questions:

Is 50/50 glycol too thick for the pumps? Can 50/50 transfer enough heat?
How often must the glycol be changed? I need 500 litres (130 gallons), so the expense is non-trivial.
Most important: is this feasible? Does anyone have this kind of setup? I found very little information on the subject.

It's quite common, it can be pumped, it's a bit less efficient to pump particularly when cold and somewhat poorer at heat transfer than pure water.

Primary impact on service life is minimizing oxygen exposure (sealed system) and choosing a PPG product with a suitable pH/corrosion control additive package.


Finishing half of basement, should I insulate all? We're finishing our basement, and after much research have settled on using EPS foam boards attached directly to the concrete wall to insulate and control moisture. However, there is not enough room for the foam between the concrete and the existing stud walls that the builder originally installed. Consequently I am going to have to tear down the walls, install the foam boards and then reassemble the walls.

However, we are not finishing our entire basement as we will be using half of it for storage and workspace. So my question is, can I get away with not tearing down walls and insulating the half that will remain unfinished? Or will this just create moisture or other problems down the road?

You do not have to insulate the part that will be unfinished, but you will need to insulate between the finished space and unfinished space and include an appropriate moisture barrier.  All things being equal, if you don't have moisture problems in the unfinished area now, you are not likely to create them as long as the unfinished space has adequate ventilation.  I will follow that statement with the disclaimer that there are a lot of site specific circumstances that can cause moisture problems whether you insulate it or not.


What kind of electrical tape is this? I have found this electrical tape in several of my switch boxes.  It appears that -- instead of wire nuts or wall nuts -- the wires have been twisted, soldered a bit, and wrapped in this odd tape.  The under layers around the conductors are a sticky, rubber consistency, while the outer layer is a cloth-type (like hockey tape for those familiar).

My house was built in 1955, and I have already found some shoddy electrical work elsewhere so I have some trepidation about this stuff.  Can anyone identify it?  Is it still safe/up to code in the US?

EDIT: Found one reference to it in the EE SE.  One of the comments suggests that the stuff can be dangerous if it dries out.

As @BilWeckel has pointed out it was a standard method for making joints in 1955. Then shortly after a company called 3M came out with a "twistlok" (the first wirenut) and life changed as an electrician. Try and imagine what it was like before wirenuts. First you twisted all the joints together. Then you heated up a solder pot with a torch and ran around dipping each joint into the pot before it solidified. Then you went through the house taping each joint first with rubber tape and then with friction tape. That is a tremendous amount of labor, but it made a very secure joint.

Later it was discovered that over time the solder corroded due to age and dissimilar materials and became high resistance joints. So you may want to look for indications that this might be happening such as abnormally high heat from a box or device and an unusual drop in voltage from the panel to the end of a circuit.

In most cases where I have seen this, the joints did not pose an immediate fire or shock hazard but it does cause problems. So you might set up a schedule where you go through your dwelling and replace as many joints as you can. If you are working on a circuit like you are now simply go through the circuit and replace the joints. You really don't have to clean off the solder the as long as the wirenut cuts into the copper and gives you a secure electrical connection.

Hope this information helps.


Previous owner filled in fireplace shelves with incorrect brick. Can I chisel them out? My wife and I recently moved into a ranch house built in 1956.  If you look closely you can see where the previous own filled in what I assume to be two little nook shelves with regular old brick and mortar.  We were initially planning on covering this up with a mirror but I'm wondering how easily I could restore this by chipping out the brick and mortar the idiot put in?  Would it chip out cleanly or would I be left with a mess that would never quite look like it did originally?  Any guidance would be appreciated.

Here's a detail of the PO's handy work:

You might not get the original look back, but you can make it better.  I'd take grinding wheel and cut a deep groove in the outer ring of mortar, then go to town on the bricks in the middle (as the groove will protect the older brick from damage).  This will make quite a bit of dust, a dust shroud and HEPA vacuum rental are highly recommended, along with closing off the room.

After that operation, you may be stuck mortaring the inside of each nook smooth, as exposing the brick ends is a dicier proposition.  The new mortar, unfortunately, looks perfectly good and probably bonded quite well to the old brick.  The new brick and mortar may well be harder (even considerably harder) than the old.

Note the (now) traditional use for this space would for a flat screen TV.

See the two small holes, one of them with a metal expansion bolt?  There may have been a heavy picture or mirror here in the past.


What should I use for an interior door threshold if the clearance is only 1/2”? I just had hardwood floors installed in my office and I need to install a threshold to cover where the hallway carpet and hardwood join. The challenge is, the clearance is only 1/2” under the door (a little more toward the outer edges of the door.) It’s a metal door so trimming the door isn’t an option. I’d like something that looks professional, not a protective tape etc. What are my options? THANKS!

You wouldn't cover the carpet in that scenario. You just use a termination molding with a vertical face against which carpet is tucked. Typically the top flange on these isn't more than 1/4" thick.
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Pull insulated flex duct over rigid duct The problem

My vented attic in Virginia has rigid 6" ducts with insulation that is quite low around R-4, and also has many tears and rips. I would like to replace the insulation with R-8.

After reinsulating all ducts to R8, I plan to bury them in blown cellulose insulation, based on the report Compact Buried Ducts in a
Hot-Humid Climate House.

Some options

A company makes JPL Thermal Sleeves that pull right over hard pipe like this, but it is not sold anywhere nearby.

Duct wrap such as Owens Corning SOFTR Duct Wrap FRK could be cut to fit, but that is a lot of cutting and taping, and it can only be purchased from HVAC supply houses that usually don't sell direct to homeowners.

The proposed solution

What I'm hoping I can do is to purchase R-8 insulate flex duct that is readily available at big box stores, and simply pull the flex duct over the existing rigid duct that has been air sealed with mastic. This assumes the inner diameter of the flex duct is very near the outer diameter of the rigid duct. I prefer to reinsulate the rigid duct rather than replace it with the flex duct because of the lower friction loss of rigid.

The questions

Since the flex duct has an inner plastic liner, are there any issues with two vapor permeable surfaces being sandwiched together, with a variable air gap? I tend to think there shouldn't be any problems, as I don't think condensation can form in the gap as the rigid duct will be sealed and the flex duct is sealed, so no moisture can enter this space.

Are there any problems with my proposed solution?

Going from R-4 to R-8 isn't a very big difference, and I doubt your plan would result in measurable savings, even if it were feasible. And it's not really feasible, since pulling flex duct around rigid duct is going to be nigh-impossible without removing and reinstalling the rigid duct and ripping the inner plastic liner of the rigid duct to pieces.

There are better solutions for the problem of ducts in an attic. Easy and cheap solutions:

Spray foam new insulation around ducts. This would give them R-15+, depending on thickness, and with a perfect air barrier, too
Wrap the insulated ducts in even more insulation
Bury the ducts in a new layer of cellulose covering the entire attic floor (easiest if they're resting on the attic floor)

Hard and expensive solutions:

Spray foam the entire attic at the roofline to bring it into the conditioned space of the house
Build entirely new ducts within the conditioned space of the house, possible hidden in new chases and bulkheads


What is this rotting wood 'ledge' around my house? Is replacing it something I can tackle? The outdoor trim too? I  have this, for lack of a better word, 'ledge' around the west side of my house ( I'd call it a drip edge but I doubt that's it )
Background: This sun-room space over the once-garage was an addition to the house long before I moved in.  It is rotting in many places along with the trim around my back door,  Id' like to replace it.
Naively I would expect the process would be:

Tear out the old wood with putty knife (for caulking) and whatever else I can use to pry it out (cant see how it's even fastened in)
Replace with outdoor-rated, pressure-treated wood
Paint with exterior waterproof paint
Replace trim with trim Id find at the home center.

Questions/Issues:

What wood should I use, and what paint should I use.
Still investigating, but any suggestion how it should be fastened in there.
Biggest issue I see:  not sure how to get the exact size.  Would I have to plane boards to the right thickness?
Have never replaced door trim before, I see a lot of 'mouldings' and trims in different material. Any recommendations on the material? Type? or what you suggest.  Should I just use bondo or something instead?

If anyone has a similar odd situation this is what I did:

tore out the skirt board and this ledge
the underlying osb sheathing was rotting in parts, cut that out
some of the underlying framing was even rotting in parts.  Treated this with hardener and filled with bondo wood filler, sprayed down anit-mold for good measure
replaced old sheating with plywood, sealed with r-guard fast flash
to meet the thickness of 5/4 old skirtboard I put a layer of zip-system board and sealed it with r-guard flast flash
put pvc trim board longer than the previous skirt board to make up for this 'ledge'
sealed with osi guard caulking

issues that Im not happy with:

the height of the gap changed around the house so it was hard to cut the different boards to the right height and this created gaps that were larger than I wanted in areas required to be filled with caulking more than it should be
the z channel drip edge was bent a lot during the removal and replacement, probably should have tried to replace it, but I just tried to bang it back into place


Clamp DC current measurements with AmazonCommercial 600A AC/DC Clamp Meter Please see the UPDATE section below!  The question still stands (with new info).
I don't feel the need to open a new one, but let me know if you think otherwise.

Is AmazonCommercial 600A AC/DC Clamp Meter (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX41MPR/) making any sense with clamped current measurements?  It shows weird values, and even weirder - it shows current when there is no wire inside the clamp.
I wanted to use it to catch parasitic draw from the automotive 12V battery, but don't know if I can trust the tool.
Kill-a-Watt is displaying AC current in all photos, ClampMeter is set to match current in the wire.
First 2 photos show original incorrect approach:  clamp has to go around a single wire!
[I removed other extra photos of incorrect measurements]
Clamped over DC going into LED lamp (WRONG WAY - see above):

Then over 110V AC going into a different LED lamp (also WRONG WAY - see above):

UPDATE 2021-Mar-25
As suggested, I wrapped the ClampMeter in aluminum foil, and even grounded that "cage".  Ordered a second unit;  one shows 1.2, the other -1.28 A DC, with no wires clamped - they don't even agree next to each other (both set with fresh batteries from the same batch):

Set up properly to test AC readings:

0.15A is a bit (25%!) lower than 0.2A shown by other instruments:

But at least in AC mode with no wire in the clamp displayed reading is always 0.0A..
DC mode however is totally confusing.  Tried to actually clamp around the vehicle's 12V battery feed.  I'll spare you for now the many photos (unless asked), but the gist is:  while in the air with clamp still closed, no wires inside, ~2ft away from battery it shows -1.7A.  Getting closer to the battery raises the value up to -2A.  Clamped over negative feed (single wire) shows -0.84A with shut off engine and no accessories..
Oh, I'll take it into the forest and get an ambient reading there!
There is a [Rel] button that should reset the measurement relative to ambient.  But if I keep it depressed, while clamping and taking a reading, display will continue showing 0.0A.  If the button is pressed momentarily display changes to 0.0A for that short interval, but comes back to weird (ambient?) reading as soon as the button is released.
Yes, I do have concerns about this $80 instrument's accuracy!
How to explain two units displaying very different ambient readings in the same spot at the same time?  Which one to trust?  How to make sense of it all?
And how [in theory?] should I read accurate DC current with clamp?

You're not using it correctly.
You can only have a single wire running though the clamp - in all the cases you show here you have 2 wires - even the 1st pics with the adapter plugged in to the outlet powering the clip-on LED lamp has 2 wires inside that single round cable.
If you use it to measure current from your automotive 12V battery you'll probably be fine since you're only likely to clamp the meter over either the positive or the negative wire at any one point in time.


What could cause a water pressure dip at the cut in pressure? I am consistently seeing/feeling a pressure drop just before the pump kicks in to refill the Pressure tank.  I am on a well with a diaphragm pressure tank.
I have drained the system and verified the air pressure 40psi.  The cut in pressure is 42psi and the cut out pressure is about 72psi.  When I open the faucet the pressure goes down smoothly until it reaches about 52 psi, then there is a fast dip down to 42 then immediately returns to 52+psi as the pump activates.
I have video'd this and can see the gauge and the "plate" on the pressure switch dip at the same time so it isn't a bad gauge...I can also feel this dip while in the shower.
Everything else seems to be working fine.  Just want to make sure that this isn't killing my pump or pressure tank.
If there is a fix, I am all ears.

Reduce the differential - raise the cut in pressure to 52 or 53. Or lower the cut-out to 62 and play with the air pressure in the tank, perhaps - I'm familiar with how bladder tanks behave, and got most of any answer written before noticing that you mentioned a diaphragm tank, specifically.
30PSI is an unusually large differential pressure (20PSI is what most tank charts assume - 20/40, 30/50, 40/60 and most pressure switches come pre-adjusted for that - but most are also adjustable. Read the directions for yours, and remember to turn off the breaker supplying power to the pump circuit before removing the pump control's cover)


How to create an off switch for a socket that doesn't have one using a light switch? Two pronged European style sockets don't have an on off switch for sockets. I would like to have one, to stop the current from reaching the devices connected directly to the socket. I can place a light switch next to every socket, but what wiring will allow me to connect them?

Kind of like this photo but the switch is for the socket not any lights:

If you are building from scratch, go ahead and put a wall switch next to the outlet. Then wire the wall switch so it is between the mains and the outlet.

If you just want to retrofit one outlet or so, you could add something like this to an existing socket:

This model has a local button, and also supports Z-wave for wireless switching.

Here's another version which supports Alexa/Google Home.


How many watts does a 3/4hp disposal need to run How many watts does it take to run a 3/4 hp garbage disposal

A simple conversion is 1 HP = 750 watts, so 3/4 HP is about 560W


Bathroom fan duct connection for maintainability There are many questions on here about installing duct work for bathroom fans, but I have a more specific question. I am planning to use rigid duct for a new bathroom fan where there was none previously. The fan is installed under the attic floor, which is currently removed for other work. After the floor is re-installed and the attic room re-finished, I would like to be able to replace the bathroom fan (as I will probably have to some day) without having to cut additional holes in the bathroom ceiling (lathe and plaster) or attic floor.

How do I remove the bathroom fan from the ceiling if it is rigidly connected to the rigid duct? Most online videos show flex duct, and you can simply pull the sidewall part of the fan assembly down from the ceiling enough to disconnect the clamp. With rigid duct, this is obviously not possible.

My original plan was to connect the rigid duct to the fan with screws and mastic. Could there be some other method, like a clamp with rubber insert on the ID to hold a strong connection and provide an air seal, that could potentially be removable? I could imaging either wiggling the sidewall back and forth to pull it loose from such a clamp, or maybe reaching over the fan sidewall to loosen a securing nut (joist bays are only 2x6). Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'd think about stopping the rigid duct about two feet from the fan and connecting a piece of aluminum flex duct to the end of the rigid and on to the fan. You'd have some flexibility in removing the fan in the future.  If you're hell bent on rigid all the way, replace the old fan now with a new one, vent it up solid with your rigid and buy an exact additional fan for the future replacement of parts without having to replace the housing and messing with the rigid connection..


Flickering CFL on 3-way switch 2 three way switches control two cfl fixtures  (2x13W) in stairwell. 1 Switch and light at top and 1 of each at bottom.

Power(black) into to Switch 1, then Red and Black to Switch 2, then black to Light 1, then White continues on to Light 2 via Switch 2 box, and back to Neutral from panel at Switch 1.

Removing light 1 from circuit stops light 2 from flickering.

Voltage measured across Switch 2, hot wire to Common (black to Light 1), is 120V when open (off), and ~20V when closed (on).

Lights are in series, is this my problem?

The lights should be hooked up in parallel, not in series.


Replacing swamp cooler pads I have a AercoCool Pro 4800 swamp cooler roof unit and need to get new rigid pads for it. Do the pads need be specific to the brand according to the cooler's spec sheet, or can I use any pad that is the correct dimensions?

The pads are not a big deal you want ones that fit and are rated for the filled weight (filled weight of the revisor or tank) . If the pads are not heavy enough they will not support the unit and may cause damage to the structure.


Multiple motion sensor lights on one switch I have a switch inside my house which feeds power to two fixtures on opposite corners outside. I installed LED motion sensor fixtures which have their own sensors and lights but they have never worked properly. They have the feature where if you turn them off and on with X seconds they should remain on but this never works. Looking at the troubleshooting in the manual it actually says that multiple fixtures can't be on the same circuit. Why is this and how can I work around this problem? Are there fixtures available that support this arrangement? Rewiring the circuit isn't really an option as the switch is on the bottom floor and the fixtures are at the roofline.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Unfortunately many or even most of the motion sensor lights on the market are junk.  At least that's been my experience.  I have installed a bunch of these purchased at big box stores that just didn't work, replaced them with better quality brands and had no trouble.

Before I went to too much trouble with these, I'd remove them and bench test them - wire them up (carefully of course) on a test bench and see if they work as they are supposed to one at a time.  If they don't, you can return them and get something better without wasting a lot of time.

If they work individually, I'd further bench test that they DON'T work with both on the same circuit.  I am skeptical that that's really an issue.  If it is, it's probably more trouble to rearrange your wiring on separate circuits than it is to just replace them with better lights that don't have that restriction.

In fact it probably boils down to replacing them either way so maybe it doesn't even make sense to test, just find a high quality brand that works when installed on the same circuit and replace them.


Should inline undersink water filter be put before cold water input to undersink recirculating pump? I have an older Laing hot water recirculating pump under the sink. I want to install a simple undercounter water filter for cold water at the sink. Should I install the filter before the pump or after the pump?

Put the filter after the pump so only water being used at the  faucet is filtered,since filter life is based on the amount of water running through it.


Clean white puzzle mat stain I'm using CLR with a hose and scrub brush but it's not taking much off. When it dries the stains come back much the same. How should I clean this?

Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) is the best concrete cleaner. CLR is (mostly) phosphoric acid and soap. The problem is, concrete is essentially calcium carbonate which is just holding aggregate/material together.

Calcium carbonate will partially/slowly react with phosphoric acid to produce calcium phosphate... which is probably what the "white stains" on the floor are.
Muriatic acid will quickly react with calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate to produce calcium chloride. After cleaning you will probably want/need to seal the concrete again.

Edit- foam puzzle mats are EVA foam (or Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate copolymer). EVA foam is made using acetic acid (plus oxygen and ethylene). And then the "finished" pellets are rinsed with more or other acids (maybe phosphoric acid, although an acetic acid wash would be more common). Then the pellets are heat melted into mats or other objects. There's actually a good chance that there is some phosphoric or other acid left in the EVA foam, that's causing the staining (reacting with concrete to produce calcium phosphate).

Yeah those mats have should been rinsed clean* by the manufacturer, but costs are against us all.


Is sulfur smell in my cold water only due to the hot water heater's anode? I bought a very old house. The cold water has the sulfur smell, but my hot water doesn't. We have a very new hot water heater. Is this due to the hot water heater's sacrificial anode attracting the bacteria causing this smell?

Also, to get rid of the smell, would it suffice to run hydrogen peroxide through the pipes? Or do I need to replace them?

Being in Florida and on City Water - and only the cold water is affected.

Your water heater is not the culprit.

However, you stated a very important fact and left off another possibility - you are in Florida and many homes in Florida might be equipped with an irrigation system, and if your home is equipped with one, see the following.

Usually, the irrigation system will have a back flow valve (check valve) to prevent back flow from the irrigation system running into your home.

There are also water filtration systems for homes, does your home have a filtration system ?

The other possibility is that you have a cracked pipe running into the house or a tree root has found your inlet water line and broke it a bit. Turn the water off inside the house for a 1/2 day (Take a picture) - go out for a while and when you come back take another picture and see if your water meter budged even a blip.

Your hot water heater is cooking the water - so the smell is not there - but the sulphur is sticking to / burning on the tank heating rods.


How to adjust when hinge mortises are cut too deep? I cut my mortises manually with a chisel and made them a notch too deep, maybe 1/16" or even less,  as a result the door closes too close to the jamb and I am concerned how it will work when there is a layer of paint on both sides.

What can I use to pad the mortise on the jamb side to bring the hinge flush with the jamb?  I thought there might be some special kind of paper padding for that or should I try luan or perhaps a third solution?

1) A couple layers of duct tape on the back of the hinge leaf.

2) A layer or two of paperboard or non-corrugated cardboard scavenged from discarded packaging.

3) Simpson tie plates, trimmed to fit.

4) Apply spots of a thick spackle or wood filler, then install the hinge leaf, compressing the filler to achieve an exact fit. To prevent the hing from adhering to the spackle,  a) wax the back of the hinge leaf with a candle, b) use a layer of kitchen-type wax paper, c) wrap the leaf with kitchen-type plastic wrap.  When dry, remove the the hinge leaf and fill any voids with additional spackle.

Note 1: It's odd to me that there is no word for the opposite of deepening: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/11047/antonym-of-deepen

Note 2: 'Frenchman' is the term for a piece of wood shaped to fill in a mortise or similar recess. For example, when converting a doorway to a passageway, one fills the hinge mortises and striker plate mortise on the jambs with frenchmen.


Is it possible to replace this board in the floor with similar hardwood flooring? We believe that when some previous owner dug out the basement and installed the spiral staircase, that they must have installed this board which looks bad next to the original hardwood floors.  This board is level with the current hardwood floors, they must have cut through the hardwood floors to install this board.

We are considering laying new floor on top of the current floor, but the hardwood floor that is there now look pretty good so it seems like it would be a waste.  We're just unsure of how to repair this part.

We just finished ripping up the blue carpet you see in the image and found this under it.

I don't want to get into a long drawn out explanation on how to fix that plywood square. I will say that it is entirely possible to replace the plywood with a close match hardwood. The process is called "stitching". It involves removing the cut pieces of wood to bring it back to the original stagger then slip fitting the new wood back in while at the same time filling the hole left when you remove the plywood.

I expect that the hardwood flooring is 3/4" thick, likewise the plywood.  The plywood has to be removed and obviously replaced with a close match hardwood. There are a couple of very detailed segments on "Ask This Old House" that deal with stitching hardwood.  I'll try to find a link for ya later, but you can go to TOH and search hardwood floor stitching. It is a difficult job that requires a bit of skill and the patience of Jobe, but when done well, you can hardly tell it was a patch job

Found a video link for ya.


Recommendations for carpet tile installation I have a high-traffic game-room that needs to be re carpeted. I've decided that carpet tile is the way to go because I want to be able to wash or replace individual carpet tiles when they are damaged and/or stained.

The game-room is upstairs and the room is currently stripped down to the bare plywood subfloor. The plywood subfloor probably needs to be caulked and primed... it's got fairly wide gaps at the seams (1/4" gaps) and it's got overspray for the paint and wall-texture when the house was constructed.

I'm debating whether to go with peel and stick or glue-down... if glue-down, what kind of glue can be easly removed/replace if I need to pull and up and replace a tile. I've heard this is "releasable" glue for glue-down carpet tiles.

One concern is how to protect against water damage if a drink is dropped on the floor... is there a good way to seal the floor be water resistant?

You can make the floor water resistant by varnishing it. Two or three coats should protect it from most damage, especially if you lift the affected tiles straight away. Most damage is done by the prolonged contact of the water with the floor. Are you expecting a lot of spillage?

This does mean that you might want to consider not sticking the tiles down or only using a very light adhesive. If the tiles are well fitted and cover all of the floor area there shouldn't be any lateral movement in the tiles themselves.


How can I fix the electrical hookup on my new electric oven? I just got a brand new electric oven and I'm having some trouble connecting it myself. It's a conduit installation, so the delivery service wouldn't touch it. I got everything working on the first try, but that was not to last.

I moved it a little and the clock went out instantly and the oven can't be turned on. Cooktop still works fine.
Reached behind the oven and felt a light current on the flexible conduit!
Wiring looks fine, I've redone it.
Touched back housing of the oven and the exterior flexible conduit and there is a current!

So I'm figuring this is the problem, but I have no idea how that could be the case and my electrical knowledge is too minimal to puzzle it out much more.

Does this mean there is a wiring problem inside the conduit possibly? How do I test for that? A voltage meter shows 240 if I hit the red and black wires, 120 if I hit the black and the conduit or the red and the conduit. Should that carry voltage at all when testing with the meter? Did I have a grounding problem before when it was all hooked up to the stove? I'm so lost…

Everything is turned off and the breaker is off, etc. until I can think of some other scenario to test. I opened the nearest box before the wires go into the conduit and no wires appear exposed, but I'm wondering if something is happening inside the flexible conduit like a wire is exposed and touching the conduit?

Your description of red, black and conduit indicates that you do not have neutral but just ground via conduit. That is NOT a good thing. A little background:

Ovens, cooktops, etc. typically need 240V for heating elements but 120V for lights and controls. In order to get 120V, you need a neutral wire (normally white).

In the old days, there was a neutral but often no ground. So ground would piggyback on neutral. That was OK from the perspective of normal usage but a bit problematic if things go wrong in certain ways. So now (actually for many years), a 4-wire connection - hot, hot, neutral, ground (ground can be via metal conduit though, doesn't have to be an actual wire) is required.

But often stoves (and dryers) are still hooked up to a 3-wire connection. A 3-wire connection wouldn't be so bad if it were "ground piggybacked on neutral". But you have the opposite - neutral piggybacked on ground. That is not a good thing.

The solution is to install a proper cable. It must be the right size for the breaker & device (that would probably be 8 AWG) and include two hots, neutral and ground. Alternatively, if you are running individual wires in metal conduit with the conduit acting as ground then you can use three individual wires, two hots and neutral.

Updating based on pictures:

You have a 4-wire connection on the oven. However, there is a "copper bridge" to connect neutral (white) and ground (green screw). You could do that in the old days. But current code says you should:

Have a 3-wires + ground connection. Ground can be green or bare (including possibly the conduit itself) but it neutral can not be green. So that means you need to add a white wire for connecting to the white terminal on the oven.
Remove the "copper bridge". That is a must. The instructions discuss using the copper bridge for the situation where you don't have a separate ground and instead rely on neutral. But in your case, you don't have a separate neutral and instead are relying on ground! You can't do that!

Run a new white wire through the conduit. Remove the copper bridge. Connect black, red, white, green to matching places on the oven. Then see if there are any remaining problems. But the current installation (no neutral) is WRONG.

I found the official installation instructions (PDF). Follow the 4-wire instructions in step 6, not 3-wire step 5.

What is a bit strange, which I don't quite understand, is that the 4-wire instructions for a Power Cord specifically say "Cut and discard the ground strap." But the 4-wire instructions for Conduit do NOT say to do that.


Double-pole, 240-Volt, 15 Amp GFCI circuit breaker to create two 15amp 120 circuits for switched split receptacles Double-pole, 240-Volt, 15 Amp GFCI circuit breaker to create two 15amp 120 circuits for switched split receptacles.
Im trying to figure if i can share a neutral after GFCI dual pole breaker so i can create switched legs for split receptacles down the line.  I have red black, green and white in a conduit to an outside box.  Can i use a gfci 240 breaker?  Will it trip when one leg is switched on or off?

Yes, that's totally fine.  What you are proposing is called a multi-wire branch circuit in 120/240 split-phase.  They are falling out of favor because protecting them with GFCI or AFCI is a challenge. You must either

fork the circuit and place AFCI/GFCI after the split; or
use an expensive 2-pole GFCI device.  This is the option you are proposing. And that is fine.

A 2-pole GFCI is built the same as a 1-pole GFCI, it just has 3 wires going around its magnetic sensing core instead of two.  All current heading out on L1 must return via either L2 or N.  Current flowing out on N must return via L2.  Since all 3 wires are wrapped around the magnetic core, each combination causes equal and opposite magnetic flux, which cancel each other out.

After working with 1-pole GFCIs for awhile, ones armchair kneejerk may be to say "that can't work".  Take the time to diagram it out and think it through.  It works fine.


Can I convert a 240v hot tub outlet to 120v? We have a 240 outlet on our patio that was used for a hot tub we no longer have. I'd like to convert it to 120, have an outlet there on the house then also run a line to install an outlet on our new pergola. Can this be done?

Usually it isn't too difficult, most hot tubs are fed by a 4 wire connection: a ground, a neutral, and two opposing 120v hots. Either of the hots can be connected with the neutral to create a 120v circuit. The two hots can also share the neutral creating essentially 2 circuits in a configuration called a multiwire branch circuit. Since they use the same neutral the breakers need to be handle tied or fed by a two-pole breaker. The tub was already on a two-pole breaker, but you need to change the breaker size(s) to a 15 or 20A, since those are the largest sizes allowed for typical receptacles or general purpose lighting.
The biggest complication is the existing boxes may be too small. The NEC has specific calculations of cubic inches for size of the box based on sizes of wire and devices in the box. Too complicate things the wire that fed the tub is too big to terminate in the terminals of a typical receptacle. You have to pigtail them off with smaller wires to fit the receptacle. You don't have to add inches for the pigtails that start and end in the box, but they still add bulk. Plus you wan't to add some wires to go off and feed another location and those do add to the count.  It's easy to select a box that's too small.
Outdoor receptacles require GFCI protection, you can use individual receptacles or a gfci breaker to satisfy that requirement.


Easiest way to build an oddly-shaped shelf for cabinet above stove In my rented apartment, there is a cabinet above the stove which cannot be used for storage - the stove exhaust fan is sitting there.  The first photo shows the doors closed with an 18" ruler for scale.

Despite the exhaust system, there is a lot of empty space in there.  I'd like to put in a shelf to store some less frequently used kitchen equipment.  What would be the best method to build such a shelf?  The cabinet walls seem to be 3/4" thick.

My first plan is this:

Start with two pieces of plywood, a "left half" shelf and a "right half" shelf
Cut a rectangular hole in each piece so that the exhaust duct can pass through the shelf
Mount each half-shelf with right-angle brackets to the side wall of the cabinet
Put a full-width edging strip of plywood at the front of the shelf, joining the two half-shelves

My woodworking tools and experience are limited - I'm at the cordless drill and hand saw level.

Is this a good plan?  Are there other approaches I should consider?  My main worry is whether I can anchor those wall brackets into 3/4" cabinet walls securely.

A 2 piece shelf is a good plan, but my scheme differs from yours from there. Yours would work, but mine's better (IMO). Instead of plywood, I would use MDF. It's dimensionally stable, easy to work, and paints up very nicely with a very smooth surface.

I would cut a circular hole to fit the duct closely so small things don't fall into the void below. Consider buying a small electric jig saw for sawing. It doesn't have to be very expensive, you will likely find other uses for it once you have one. And it'll save a ton of manual labor! Sell it on flea-bay when you're done if you really don't want it. This all can be done manually if you're a glutton for punishment.

You don't need angle brackets, though they could work. Gluing and screwing MDF cleats to the walls will be much stronger and probably more accurately assembled. You don't really need to attach to the cabinet sides at all. A cleat along the back wall and a front filler panel would be adequate support. If it's not too much trouble, the extra support would not hurt though. I would use construction adhesive for glue.

You will need to pre-drill all fastener holes in MDF. It's too dense to drive anything through it without doing so. You should not use glue to hold the actual shelves, screws alone will allow removal to access the range hood or retrieve items that fell through near the duct. You normally should never run fasteners into the edge of MDF, but in this case it's non-structural just to keep the shelves from moving. Be sure to pre-drill the full screw depth into the cleats because fasteners in the edge of MDF cause it to spall very easily if not pre-drilled.


Will this cable work for wiring my house to router Will this cable be ok?  I purchased a 100' role of UTP Cat 6.  I will place it in 1" conduit when it goes outside but it will be be bare as it crosses through the basement and maybe over a few electric wires. The Verizon guy put my router in the garage and I would like to move it to the center of the home.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WD017BG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Running in outside conduit, that is utterly unsuitable cable.

All outside conduits are DEFINED as wet locations. In practice, nearly all of them are, at least some of the time. Many have standing water in some part of them all the time.

Interior type patch cable (such as what you show) may work for a while, but will commonly fail since it is not designed to be exposed to water (or submerged in it.)

Interior type in-wall cable will also typically fail in wet service.

At minimum you need some sort of exterior-rated network cable. In my experience this is often or commonly "direct burial" rated, though I never advise using it that way - but it can be a useful search term, and often costs no more than non-direct burial exterior cable.

My personal preference runs strongly to fiber optics for runs between buildings, but that is likely a bit more than you'll want to take on.


Electrical service sizing mix up in Mexico Facts:

The national electrical supply company of Mexico called "Comisión Federal de Electricidad" (CFE) oficially instructs users to install:

A two pole one trip main interrupt behind the service drop of "250V/30A" capacity for single phase 120V service.
A two pole one trip main breaker behind the service drop of "250V/30A" capacity for split phase 240V service (Controversially called dual-phase in Mexico)
A three pole one trip main breaker behind the service drop of "250V/100A" for three phase 240V service. (Most probably open delta)
#8 AWG type THW copper wire from the meter lugs to the premises service interrupt  for both 120/240V service (Rated 50A by the NFPA 70 NEC edition 2020 - See Table 310.16)
Properly sized THW copper wire "as needed by demand" and "in accordance to sizing tables" for three phase 240V service.

The NEC is being translated almost word by word and published in Mexico under the name NOM-001-SEDE-2018 (2018 is the latest I can find)

There is no real enforced implementation of this "Norma Oficial Mexicana", neither any inspection at service connection anywhere throughout the nation which makes it more of a guide for the educated electrician.

The actual service drop of the utility is usually #6 aluminium wire. (As found in their own published specs - See Table 1; Rated between 40-55A depending on the type by the NFPA 70 NEC edition 2020 - See Table 310.16)

The actual meter (if it is digital and up to date [there's still a lot of analog meters used from old installations]) is rated 15(100)A in any case.

Most homes in Mexico use mainly gas for any heat appliances and only cold water for laundry although there is common use of air conditioning units in the north.

A common household load would include appliances such as a relatively large fridge, several washers w/o dryers, a steam iron, a microwave, one or several blenders and lots of consumer electronics. Occasionally a power tool for a short period of time.

Most shops with extensive use of high demanding electrical tools including high capacity welders will nevertheless have a simple 120V or 240V single phase service contract.

Lots of, if not most, electricians will install a 50A main breaker nonetheless knowing that that's what a #8Cu THW and a #6Al can carry.

Doubts:
So there's quite a few things that don't add up here and it makes one wonder about the quality of the provided service. The disconnect means requirement of 30A is way lower than what the wiring instructions would be capable of (50A) for a pure 120V service and very boldly limits the end users consumption.
The fact that the instructions for a 240V service are not altered in any way other than requiring an additional wire and a different meter base is just outrageous and makes it per their own definition completely useless unless you want to permanently trip the main service interrupt with your 240V appliances.
It appears that the only power providing utility in the country does not necessarily adhere to the nationally published electrical code or even less promote it. (In fact in reality most of their personell wouldn't even know a code existed and any educated layman would cringe over many of the installations done by the utility)
Questions:

Why would a utility instruct the premises to install lower rated main interrupts than their service actually provides?
Taking into account that inspection does not exist, would it be ok to just go with documented standards and up size the main interrupt to something within specs? (For example 50A main interrupt for a 120V single phase service fed with proper wire size)
If I was to rent a 240V split phase service and ran adequate wire would a 100A main service be realistic since it would be a balanced load between the two #6 ungrounded aluminium conductors resulting in 50A each?

Why 30A service?

Because of provisioning.  They are not able to provision 50A service at this time at this location.  That is probably due to transformer or pole-line wire capacity in the neighborhood.  Giving everyone 50/60A service means they would be oversubscribing their transformers and pole lines.  This would necessitate a big capital expense upgrading those, and that is not commercially feasible right now.

If you want more service, tell them you need more service and pay whatever additional they charge you for the additional "share" of the transformer.

Safety regs

Given that you think inspection does not exist, can you just ignore safety regs altogether and do what you want?  Sure, what could possibly go wrong?

If the power company charges extra for fitting a 50/60A breaker, and you haven't paid the upcharge, then if you fit a 60A breaker behind their back, that is plain theft of service.  I don't know how that's handled in Mexico, but it would be well within their right to remove their service drop and refuse to provision to your address any power at all.
If the transformer blows up, they are going to quickly walk the street and see which neighbors have illegally changed their 30A breaker to 50/60A.  They will be deemed responsible for the transformer blow, and they will buy the neighborhood a new transformer and wiring.
If there is a house fire in any way relating to this, the fire insurance will balk at paying, and because an illegal act was behind it, the mortgage lender will come after you personally for the value of the house.
It may be a challenge to sell this house in the future.

Getting 100A out of 2x50A

Split-phase power doesn't work that way.

If you had 50A@240V service, which you do not, you do not have any way to get 100A@120V.  What you could get is 50A @ 120V in two instances.

So if you have a single 100A@120V load (not likely) you could not power it off 240V/50A service. However, if you have eight 12A@120V loads, you could put four on one side of the service (48A) and four on the other side (48A) and you'd be solid.  Derating notwithstanding, of course.

Electric large appliances out of this 30A service

Not gonna happen.

If you attempt to run an 30A electric dryer, it would have to be the only large appliance running at the time.
A 30A electric water heater is impracticable because you can't control when it cycles.
An electric range is Right Out; they draw too much.
A 240V/30A air conditioner is also out of the question, since it runs too often for "turning everything else off" to ever work.

If you have any of these coming in, talk to the power company, or Craigslist.

If you have a 20A-breakered (16A) 240V appliance, that might have a shot of working.


How can I remove plaster board/drywall rawl plugs? I have used red head metal plaster board rawl plugs. The kind that flare out flat when you screw the bolt in.

I now need to remove them. Is there a trick to remove them so I can reuse them or take them out cleanly at least?

Keep pressure on the screw while you unscrew it.  It will force the plug to unfold, making removal possible.  Once the plug is fully unfolded, the screw will come out no matter how much pressure you keep on it.

If for whatever reason that fails to extract the plug, you can usually do less damage by pushing the plug it into the wall versus trying to pull it out.


Is there any study or calculation on how much money I save if I buy door/window X with a certain R value vs door/window Y with a different R value? Is there any study or calculation on how much money I save if I buy door/window X with a certain R value vs door/windows Y with a different R value?

I am afraid that this whole thing with better and better doors for which you pay more is just like with the electric cars, the cost difference offsets the savings

Please if you are aware of any article or webpage share it here, my google fu is letting me down, I could not find anything

It's a very straightforward calculation, though parts of the industry prefer to pretend otherwise. Also, math is involved, and that tends to scare off people with math scars from school. Dumbed down approaches give dumbed down, generalized answers.

First, establish if you are dealing with Metric or "English" (BTU based) R values. They are similar but the units are different. Since it seems likley that you are dealing in square ft and BTUs and that's what I do normally as well, I'll go that way. Also note that some items (windows, quite commonly) will be specified in U values, which are 1/R. Let a spreadsheet do the math.

Then add up the areas of your house that are various constructions at various R- values (which you'll have to figure out from looking at how they are constructed, if you don't know) - ie, 1200 square feet of attic at R50, 2400 feet of wall area at R-12 (or 2400 square feet - 42 square feet of doors and -100 square feet of windows) and 42 square feet of doors at R-4 or R10  or whatever you are comparing and 100 square feet of windows at r1 or R3 or r-5 or whatever you are comparing. Beware of "as-built .vs. insulation-only" R-values for things like walls, where having a wooden stud at R1-per inch every 16-24 inches really adds up over the whole house. Or, ignore the parts of the house OTHER than those you are considering options for, as those won't change until you change them.

1200 square feet of attic at R50 will require 1200/50 = 24 BTU per hour per degree F to heat.

2400-142 square feet of R12 wall will require 2258/12 = 188 BTU per hour per degree F to heat.

42 square feet of R2 door will require 21 BTU per hour per degree F to heat, while 42 square feet of R10 door will require 4.2 BTU/hr/F

100 square feet of R1 window will require 100 BTU/Hr/F and R10 window will take 10, while R3 window will take 33.3

Now, look up the annual heating degree days for your area, and you have some number (say 6000) of days * degrees for a typical heating season. Multiply THAT by 24 hours per day and you know the seasonal load for each part of your house - 6000*24*100 = 14,400,000 BTUs for 100 square feet of R1 windows, 4,800,000 for R3 windows.

Now follow that down the "how you get your heat and what that costs" path (btu per unit of fuel, efficency of how that's converted to heat delivered to the house) to sort out the annual operating cost difference for the options you are considering. Then consider the lifetime of your windows, and likely trends in fuel costs. For electric resistance heat, 100 square feet of R1 window in a 6000 HDD climate is 4,219.2 kWh/year; r3 is 1/3 that, R10 is 1/10 that.

For a more complete heat use modeling job you should also consider ventilation rate, but again, not that much of a factor if you are only looking at "this window .vs. that window." There are also models that attempt to account for solar gain from windows, but that is difficult to model well in a complex environment with shading, etc.


Is it possible to install a bathroom fan, vanity power plugs, LED lights, a small towel dryer and a smart toilet on just 2 circuits? I have this small toilet and I am surprised that it requires its own circuit
https://www.ovedecors.com/en/stan-toilet.html
    POWER OUTLET REQUIREMENT
This  product  must  be  plugged  into  a  working  GFCI  power  outlet  to  avoid  potential  damages  on  the  electronic
component during electrical surges. The power outlet must have a dedicated minimum 1800W capacity for the
smart toilet.

I currently have a GFCI power outlet that is used for the vanity
It needs to be relocated but the current position would allow me to split and reach both the new position and the smart toilet
The other circuit supports LED lights and the fun,
Not sure where to place the small towel dryer (probably on the lights/fun circuit??
Would these work ? Both are 15 AMP circuits

You can share GFCI receptacles. You might have to.
OK. Here's a science fact you do not know, and neither do the people who wrote that instruction.
A GFCI is not a receptacle.   It is a system of protection that can protect any number of outlets.  In fact they make GFCIs that are not receptacles - GFCI only, or GFCI+breaker, or GFCI+switch.
Anyway, every GFCI device can protect other equipment that is wired downline of it... it has a set of terminals called "Load" which are for exactly that purpose and no other purpose.
Now, obviously, a GFCI receptacle protects its own sockets but it still has those "Load" terminals that you're not supposed to use for anything else.
So GFCIs have 4 screws - 2 Line and 2 Load.  Unfortunately, plain old receptacles have 4 screws. So when novices upgrade receptacles to GFCI, they just go "la la la, 4 screws = 4 screws done!". So they are accidentally putting the downline on the "Load" terminals, giving it protection they don't even realize.
Those instructions are written for novices, and so they told you it needs to be a GFCI receptacle.  It does not: a plain receptacle fed from the "Load" terminals of an existing GFCI receptacle is perfectly fine for that requirement.
So you do not need to relocate the vanity GFCI for this purpose alone: you can simply feed off its "Load" terminals to grant GFCI protection to any other plain outlets in this same bathroom.
In fact, you may be required to: Code does not like GFCI receptacle in inaccessible locations, because it's too difficult to do the monthly required test.
However, the bidet requires a dedicated circuit
It's right there in the instructions, which you must follow (NEC 110.3(B)).
So that means your only wiring option is 1 circuit dedicated to the bidet, and the other circuit used for all other loads.
Bathroom receptacle circuits must be 20A
Keep in mind if this is NEW wiring, bathroom receptacle circuits must be 20A. All of them.  You cannot use a 15A MWBC (shared neutral) as a substitute (though a 20A MWBC would certainly do the trick).
If you cannot meet the "accessible GFCI" requirement, you can fit a GFCI deadfront (which is a device that is GFCI only) at an accessible location.
Really, the correct way to wire an outlet for a dedicated circuit is to use a 1-socket receptacle.  Those are not made in GFCI (except for GFCI+outlet+switch combo device) and so again, the deadfront might be the way to go.


ceiling surface mount fluorescent light question I just picked up a great deal on some 4' fluorescent ceiling mount lights for my garage.  Looking at the docs from the manufacturer, they state:

  MOUNTING Ceiling surface mount (HO and VHO units must
  be suspended at least 6” from ceiling for cooler operation
  and longer ballast life)

Does this mean that I can't surface mount my surface mount lights?

High output fluorescent lights do generate a fair amount of heat. If directly attached to a solid surface the ballast will over heat and may turn off to cool down.
The life of the light will be reduced due to the high heat. I always use 12 gauge single jack chain for mounting the 6 tube enclosed fixtures. I do have 5 or 6, 4 tube open fixtures that are directly mounted to the ceiling.
The enclosed fixtures when directly mounted shut down and some have to be power cycled to get them to restart (after finding this out all the enclosed fixtures were suspended and they worked great after that).


Can I add a framing block along a cable to meet stapling code requirements? My question is about stapling wire. I came up short on a 12/2 romex run so I cannot staple it to the stud where the outlet box is. If I sister a short 2x4 to the stud, that will give me just enough slack to staple the romex. Would an inspector have a problem with this?

I am not very familiar with the term sister, but if it means you're adding a piece of stud to another stud to get closer to your NM for stapling. Then I would say no one would have a problem with that form a code standpoint. Just make sure you're in the center of the wall or at least 1 1/2" from the drywall.


Correcting Electrical Subpanel With Two Unsheathed Hots Going Back To Main Panel I have a small subpanel fed from my main panel.  The subpanel has two (unsheathed) hots (from separate breakers) exiting the top, going back into a wall cavity and  then back to the main panel where they are spliced (wire nuts) to two circuits going off to other areas of the house.  I suspect that there were some double tapped breakers in the main panel and this was the 'solution'. I'm prepping the house for sale and I assume this will not fly with a home inspector.  What are my options for correcting this?

Here's the subpanel:

Here's the back of the main panel:

This thing is a disaster at so many levels.  First let's tackle the instant (immediate) case.

The fundamental rules being broken here are that: every hot must travel in the same cable with its partner neutral, hots cannot use neutrals from different circuits, and hot, neutral and ground must be sourced from the same (sub)panel. **

There are two radically different approaches to fixing this, assuming the main panel is full.  Both of them involve a favorite trick of mine: putting a large steel junction box smewhere appropriate (usually quite near near the panel, with a <2' short run of EMT conduit into the panel).   Site the junction box so all the cables can make it with their existing length.

Approach 1, pull the 2 circuits in question out of the main panel, and terminate them in this junction box.   Then, double back from the subpanel with two runs of /2 Romex of appropriate AWG, bringing that also to the junction box.  Splice their hot-neutral-ground all separate, except for grounds which can be a big clump with a ground pigtail from the junction box.  The junction box is now the subpanel's grounding system, but it doesn't matter if the EMT also provides a grounding path, since you also grounded the subpanel.**

approach 2: find two other circuits or one 240V circuit now landed in the main panel, which lend themselves to be  easily rerouted to the subpanel.   Again you can use an intermediate junction box, but the box must remain accessible.  Now, with two breaker spots freed in the main panel, move your two problem circuits back to the main panel.

Other stuff

On the subpanel, you see that Romex flopping around wingle-wangly.  Nope.  Staple that stuff properly, find a way to use any extra length or shorten it in the panel**, and if its already too short, either put some lumber there for it to run along, or junction box/splice/extension.

**Related, your subpanel does not have a ground nor ground-neutral separation, but that's a pretty easy fix.  Buy and install two ground bars that are correct for that panel (get these at a REAL electrical supply house which sells that panel type, GE Q line?) one at the top, one at the bottom, so all the ground wires will reach. Move 'em to the ground bars.  Remove any neutral-ground bonding straps or green screws on the neutral rail.  Then, get some probably #4 bare ground wire and run it from the main panel to the sub.  It is legal to retrofit grounds in this way.  There may be a way to weasel out of this using Code grandfathering, but it's easy and cheap to do it, using the routing the blacks are now using.   The dusty old neutral bar and shiny new ground bar will impress the inspector.


60 amp breaker installation Are the two wires going into a 60 amp breaker interchangeable?  I am changing out breakers and the wires I will be taking out seem to be cut to fit differently than the current installation.

If it's a 60 ampere double pole breaker, in a 120/240V single split-phase panel.  Then yes, the two ungrounded (hot) conductors can be connected to either leg. As long as they are on separate legs, the color of the insulation makes no difference (as long as it's not green, and if it's white it is properly marked).


How should I cut this? I am making a control panel out of wood, and I need to cut out a small 3" x 3" square hole in 1/2" plywood. I only have a small handsaw, with a wide blade. (about 2" wide) I don't feel comfortable using power tools for cutting, (*Jigsaws, reciprocating saws, band saws, etc.) so that is not an option. If I even cut this with my saw, how should I do it?
I also included a simple diagram of what it should look like.

You're not going to be able to reasonably cut the square out with your hand saw. You'd have to scrape through the wood instead of cutting it.
Pick up or rent a coping saw and a hand drill (See saw below). Drill a hole in the four corners, remove the blade from the saw and run it through a hole, hook it back up and saw away.


PVC for range hood ventilation I am installing an under the cabinet range hood.  I can't vent directly out the back because there is a stud in the way.  So I'm going up into the cabinet, making a turn, and then out through the exterior wall.

My range hood manufacturer calls for 7" round pipe.  (or 3.25"x10x rectangle but that is not possible)

Cabinet space is tight, the metal ducts might not fit.  So it made me wonder two things, which I cannot find answers for:

Is it ok to reduce to 6" instead?  How bad could that be?
Is it ok to use pvc pipe?  Seems like heat would never be an issue with a range hood exhaust.  If so... does anyone know where to find 7" pvc pipe?  Not at home depot or lowes, and I'm not having luck searching the internet either.

Thank you

Check your local building codes to be 100% sure but PVC is NOT permitted by many.  I'll reference one from TX but most are similar where it says:

  M1503.2 Duct Material

  Ducts serving range hoods shall be constructed
  of galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper.

Regarding size, I believe you'll find that your local codes also require adhering to the hood manufacturer's specification for duct size.

See: TX Code


Best way to replace outdoor spigot I have to replace a 50 year old backyard bib and I don't know if it screws out or if the faucet was originally soldered on the the 1/2 " tube.

What is the best way to approach this?

Below is a picture of the exterior view. The inside view is just the tube going into a wood sill board.

I haven't done any soldering in 20 years and I'm wondering if there's now an easier way of doing this project.

Should I just cut a 12" length of the existing copper supply tube and solder a new 12" assembly (faucet & soldered 12" replacement) and sliding it through the existing exterior hole and then soldering them with a copper union?

Or is there an easier way to join copper these days (ferruled compression fittings, etc.)?

If you have access, I would put in a new frost free (the valve seat is at the end of a rod.

This particular one allows you to thread it on, or solder it on.  Lowes.

If you don't have a frost problem, this is still probably the easiest way to get the connection where you can work on it.

Note:  Whenever I have to repair something, I also put in a shut off valve, figuring that if I have to repair it once, I will likely have to again.


Are railroad ties suitable for a retaining wall under tree canopy? This video shows a sharp cliff near my house that leads down to a stream. The drop is about 20 feet. I would like to build a 4' high retaining wall right around where you see a stack of dead branches. We'll be about 10' away from the stream and about 6' up. The wall would be facing SW.

I have consulted with a contractor and he advised me that it's a bad idea to use treated railroad ties in an under a canopy of trees for fear of rot. However, I have a neighbor with a beautiful railroad ties retaining wall that's been there for 30 years and looks pristine. Furthermore, the lumber steps that you see are 75 years old and for 30 of those years were covered with leaves and overgrowth and the steps are still in passable shape.

What's your take on it? Am I safe using treated lumber to build a wall there?

Where are you? Where I am from (Dallas TX)  railroad tie walls rot and shift. And due to the wood treatment chemicals in the ties there are environmental regulations which limit disposing of rotted ties.

I would not bring railroad ties onto my property, especially near a stream.

In Dallas "gabion walls" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabion are used by the city to control erosion around streams. First rate private walls are of special concrete blocks (http://www.versa-lok.com/ or http://www.keystonewalls.com/).

I would do nothing to this property unless the house was getting undermined.

If you would make a tall retaining wall, you will have constructed a cliff from which people (especially children) and dogs could fall unless fenced at the top. It would be astoundingly expensive and unless constructed by someone with real expertise they can start to shift and lean.

EDIT
Building a 4' high retaining wall down near the stream would make a 4' drop-off at the stream. That would accomplish nothing positive, but would make a hazard there and interfere with stream flow under high water conditions.

EDIT #2
It is my understanding that the railroad ties commonly employed for "retaining" walls are used ties and are classified as "non-structural". These ties were removed from railroad beds and are re-sold for home landscaping. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Used-Railroad-Tie-Cresote-Treated-Common-7-in-x-9-in-x-8-ft-Actual-96-in-5100000070908000/100023488


How can I force hot air through this fireplace grate? Ok, here's the front of my fireplace (note the grates on the top and bottom):

Here's the model tag:

This fireplace came with the house and I know almost nothing about it except that the chimney was clean. We burned a cord of wood in it last year without a problem. I was less than impressed with its efficiency and I want to get more out of it this year, so I did some investigating.

Here are two shots of the back of the fireplace:

Last year, I didn't even know this line coming out of the back of the fireplace existed, but since the front of the fireplace is grated, I assumed I could use it the way a conventional fireplace insert works. After checking that the lever on the front of the fireplace (picture below) opens and closes a door behind the duct entrance to the back of the fireplace, I installed a fan on the duct line.

The problem is that when the fan is running (and I installed a serious fan at one point just to check that I was too low on CFM), I can't feel any airflow from the grates on the front of the fireplace unit.

Can anyone help in explaining why there's no air coming out the grates?
Is this not the intended use of that duct?
What's the easiest way to make it work the way I want it to (if possible)?
I tried Googling for the manufacturer's documentation but couldn't find anything. Does anyone have a line on some documentation for this unit?

**UPDATE:**I found out that the blowers made for this fireplace have been discontinued. However, I found a company that makes aftermarket blowers. They had a low-profile one that I'm going to give a shot (http://www.fireplaceblowersonline.com/lp_4500_low_profile_fireplace_blower_fan_kit-details.aspx).

Best bet on the duct is that it's an outside air supply, so any air from it would go into the firebox, not out the front.

Applying fans to fuel-burning appliances in ways not intended by the manufacturer can cause problems, up to and including death by carbon monoxide, or burning down your house.


What is this metal bar in my 1950s electrical box? I recently bought a house and am in the process of replacing all the ungrounded outlets with GFCI outlets. I was able to install one correctly in a bedroom, but there are two others that I wasn't able to install. There is some sort of metal bar that is preventing the GFCI outlet from going all the way in. It's the rusty, round bar at the bottom of the receptacle in the below picture. What is that bar and what should/can I do about it?

Those are the nails that fasten the box to the framing. I'd slide them free with a locking pliers, remove the box, and install modern "remodeler" boxes with flyout mounting tabs. If you trim your plaster/drywall very carefully you'll never know it was done.

You may also be able to find more compact GFCI outlets that are designed for such boxes.