Does the rough opening for this door need to be reframed? I bought an inexpensive 32" prehung entry door to replace an old wood door in my detached garage. After removing the old door and some really bad furring work, the rough opening is just shy of 36" which means I have about 2.5" of extra horizontal space.

I'm not going to make that up with shims but I could fur it down. On the other hand, the existing framing is not in great shape; I could tear it out and reframe.

What signs would make it clear that I need to reframe, rather than working with the existing framing?

There are a few things I don't like about the current framing:

The jack studs are splitting (worse on the left:

than on the right:

The opening is a bit out of plumb (but not too badly -- the difference is 5/8" from slab to header)
The jack stud on the right is warped:

The garage is unfinished and the siding is mismatched old boards that I don't much care about, so extra finish work isn't a big deal if I were to reframe. I expect that some pros will take the position "when in doubt, reframe it" but keep in mind this is a DIY project so it's not my reputation or livelihood on the line, just my pride and the functionality of the door.

Now that I've seen the photos, it's clear to me that at least the jack studs should be replaced; fortunately, their replacement should be fairly easy. The one on the latch side could be replaced by a 4x4, but it should have a tiny "sill plate" attached to half its bottom end with contruction adhesive because otherwise it'll overhang the existing sill plate.

If you don't reframe at this point, you're going to have a hard time keeping fasteners (nails, screws) in place - especially in that left-side jack stud, which is so badly split & weathered.


Different amp draw from breaker box When I test for amperage on the hot wire at breaker, with 4 tower fans going, 3 lights, Christmas lights, a computer, a TV, an Xbox, a router and an air purifier it shows 0.45 on the universal AC setting, then when I switch it to the 20A setting it shows an amp draw of 6.5, 200A shows 6.9 and 600A shows 0.00

The amp meter is just one of those 35 dollar ones that's rated at 600V Cat II 400A, I'm just not sure if this is a normal reading or if I just need to purchase a more reliable meter because I thought the universal AC setting was suppose to work with Amp

There's no configure button or setting on the meter

I would say test again with a good meter.  A meter you don't trust is worse than worthless.  A cat II rated meter technically isn't safe to use in the panel.  More practically, I don't feel junk meters are safe to use period.


Foundation dimple mat with fabric or without? It seems there are two main product types for house foundation dimple boards with fundamentally different approaches.

A naked hdpe sheet where the dimple peaks are installed facing wall. Hydrostatic pressure builds on exterior of plastic and any intruding water will run down the air gap between the plastic and wall to the drain.

An hdpe sheet that has a layer of filter fabric affixed to the peaks of the dimples.  The sheet is installed so that the peaks/fabric face outward.  Hyrostatic pressure is on the fabric. Intruding water will run down the plastic sheet.  There is no longer an air gap between the plastic and the foundation.

My questions is what would be the benefits and additional considerations of one approach versus the other?  It seems the fabric approach would reduce pressure faster, but if the fabric ever clogs or fails then the system loses effectiveness.

Neither your Option #1 nor your Option #2 are ideal.
Note: Mastic on the wall is used to keep moisture OUT of the wall, not the HDPE membrane.
Note: The HDPE membrane is used to provide an air gap at the wall so moisture can drain DOWN the wall. It eliminates hydrostatic pressure so moisture is not forced in through the wall causing a leak.
Your Option #1: Without a filter fabric the system will clog in a short amount of time. (Btw, you didn’t mention having a mastic waterproofing applied first, but I assume you understand it’s required.)
Your Option #2: Installing the HDPE sheet with the dimples away from the wall allows the membrane against the wall and defeats the purpose of the dimples. (With filter fabric applied to the dimple side of HDPE sheet, it will flex to infill the dimples and moisture will create the hydrostatic pressure it’s designed to eliminate.)
Recommended Option: Install the mastic waterproofing on the wall, then install the HDPE sheeting with dimples toward the wall to create an air gap that allows moisture to drain down the wall to the perf pipe, then install the filter fabric to keep soil particles out of the system and extend the longevity, then CAREFULLY backfill with drainrock. (We use a 1” fiberglass board so rocks can’t accidentally puncture the fabric and membrane.)
Likewise we wrap the perf pipe with filter fabric to insure the moisture that drains down the wall reaches the perf pipe and soil does not plug the perf pipe.


Is there something I can do after not putting a moisture barrier between grade and concrete of a garage? I built a 3 car garage 7 years ago.  I didn't know at the time that I needed a vapor barrier between grade and concrete;  Is there something I can do to keep the floor from being wet on a regular basis?  I am now getting older and plan to retire here (I will not ask my husband>>>>) and am beginning to worry about sliding.

Any help appreciated.

Possibly dig (or have someone else, with equipment, dig) around the outside and put in a curtain drain to lower the water table in the immediate vicinity of the garage. Or lay a barrier on the surface and add a 2 inch (or so) topcoat over it.


How to trim a cut on a hollow core tabletop edge? I have a hollow core tabletop, which is too wide for where it will go. I'd like to cut it into two pieces. What is a good way to finish the cut edge? Or is it just easier not to bother and get a better fitting desk?

As in the comment, a hollow core door has wood around the edges, and the center contains a cardboard spacer in a honeycomb pattern.   When I shorten such a door, I cut it to the desired size, then take the cutoff piece, cut the solid edge part to fit, remove the veneer, and glue it back into the cut and exposed side.


Is there such a thing as a check valve with a manual release? I have a sump pump without a check valve on the outlet line. I would like to install one but I'm worried about the water in the pipe freezing during the winter.

The outlet exits the house below grade and appears in the yard a few feet from the house on its way to the curb. If I install a check valve, there will be several feet of vertical pipe above the frost line (3.5' in my area). The vertical column of water will eventually freeze and burst the pipe (correct me if I'm wrong).

What I would like to have is a check valve that has some sort of handle that allows opening the valve. This way I can drain the pipe before winter.

Add a TEE just above the check valve and a valve off the TEE. The valve is closed when the pump is working normally and you can open the valve to drain the pipe any time you want


Lutron Maestro CL Extreme Delay I've had nothing but success with using Maestro dimmers on both LED and incandescent lighting for years, but recently picked up a new dimmer (MACL-153M-WH) and a pair of G7 Elko LEDs (30W total) and see a strange behavior from the dimmer.

Video to demonstrate: https://youtu.be/_fGK0vBbITU

You'll notice the light level should go to the second indicator from the top when I turn it on.  I press the button, the indicator goes to the middle but the lights on the circuit do not turn on.  Then a couple seconds later it's as though the dimmer resets, the indicator shoots up from the bottom again and the lights come up as originally expected.

The dimmer will be immediately responsive for a while once the lights have come up successfully, but if they sit off long enough the initial delay comes back.

I've tried adjusting the various settings (trim levels, on/off fade times) with no success and reset the dimmer back to factory.

I plan to try switching out the bulbs (never used G7 before) but the dimmer behavior is just generally confusing to me.

Update:

I bought another Maestro CL dimmer from a different location... same
behavior.
Bought a pair of G7 Reno bulbs, same behavior.
Ran to Home Depot and picked up a pair Phillips slim style LED bulbs, and they work perfectly.

See Lutron's list of compatible dimmable LEDs. Refer to pages 19-36 for the CL series dimmers.

I do not see any G7 bulbs listed. I would say either your bulbs aren't compatible with your dimmer, or you got a bad dimmer.

Try swapping out whichever is easiest (the bulbs or the dimmer) first, and if that doesn't work try swapping the other.


Help decipher this wiring I am trying to put a flourescent light fixture into our pantry into an existing fixture/junction box. The previous light was taken down by some previous help I had and they had made a couple of comments about the wiring. They aren't here now, but I am ready to put up my new light. To the best of my knowledge, this fixture is just controlled with one light switch. This is an older house and during this kitchen remodel, we have found several old locations under the drywall where previous switches were. However, the wiring into this box all looks new from the time the house was gutted in 1997. But we have only ever used one switch to control the light.

Here is the description of what is coming in:
Three cables are coming in. Each cable is two wire (white, black, ground).
G1 + G2 + G3 are connected.
B1 + B2 + W3 are connected.
W1 + W2 are connected.
B3 is by itself (capped).

The light switch just has one cable to it.

Just trying to sort out what might be happening up there. I'll probably need to get up in the attic and see if I can determine where the other cables go.

One of B1 or B2 carries live to the light fixture, and the other carries it to another fixture somewhere else.  W3 carries live to the switch, and B3 carries switched live back to the light fixture.  B3 is capped off temporarily because it could carry live, depending on the switch position.

To install your light fixture, you'll need to connect the light's live wire to B3, its neutral to W1 + W2 and ground to the other grounds.  While you're working in there, wrap a piece of black electrical tape around the insulation at the end of W3 to indicate that it's carrying live, and do the same at the switch end too.

This is a circuit diagram, adapted from one I drew for a similar question:

I didn't show the ground wires because they would have made the diagram more cluttered and as long as they're all connected together, you're OK.


Why energy saving bulb flashes when the switch is off? I have a energy saving spiral light bulb in my kitchen. In exactly every 27 seconds, the first segment of the bulb faintly flashes when the switch is off. And not once, repeatedly every 27 seconds. This weird situation occurs for more than half and a year. What can be causing these flashes? How can I prevent it if it spends energy or has safety risks?

PS: A new spiral bulb does the same thing. And the bulb doesn't flash when I remove from socket.

For this to happen there must be some voltage to the light socket. It may not be noticeable with a standard incandescent bulb because it apparently is not the full voltage and current. If you are comfortable in what you are doing, you could measure the voltage across the two wires and ground to see what you get. Incorrect wiring could be the problem, such as an improper shared neutral leg, or the neutral being switch instead of the hot leg. This can be found using a voltmeter and referencing to a known ground. If your not sure, leave it to an electrician. Wiring is not a hobby, and can be lethal!


Closing off Cold Storage Room We have a relatively new house (built in 2002) with a cold storage room under the poured concrete porch.  There is a door with full weatherstripping leading to it.

We'd really like to close it off (it has two vents to the outside) and turn it into a storage room (unheated), but not open to the outside to help control humidity levels.  It's a relatively dry room (no pooling of water or anything).

What's the best way to close off the two vents that go outside?  They are about 6 inches in diameter and about 8 inches deep (from memory, it may be more).  Or should they not be closed off?

TL;DR No, you shouldn't block off or remove the vents. They serve a specific purpose.

Since this is an unheated area, any moisture which makes its way down there would stay there and cause problems. Mold growth would be promoted, and it could also prematurely rot the structure of your home. There would also be a foul smell which would be very hard to get rid of.

This area can still be used for storage, just make sure that whatever is down there is protected. Plastic storage bins are perfect for storing small items. You can also put up some hooks and shelving for other items. One thing you would want to avoid is storing anything directly on the concrete floor. You could put old palettes or pieces of wood on the floor. You also want to make sure that rodents cannot get in through the vents. You can install a piece of wire mesh over them on the inside to prevent them from entering. Just make sure that the mesh is going to be strong enough to prevent them from chewing through it or pushing past it.

This space would also make a perfect root cellar. There are some plans online here which will give you tips on how to do it. http://www.almanac.com/root-cellar-build


18 or 36 VDC to 24 VAC? i have a couple 18V makita powertool batteries that i'd like to be able to use in a blackout to "turn on" my boiler. the boiler is natural gas with a solenoid valve that opens with 24VAC.

does any know of a slick way (using out of the box stuff ideally) to convert 18VDC (or 36VDC for 2 batteries in series) to 24VAC?

my current thought is this:

[18VDC battery] --> [18VDC to 12VDC stepdown converter] --> [12VDC to 120VAC inverter] --> [120VAC to 24VAC transformer] --> [solenoid valve]

haven't tried it yet. it just seems a little more cumbersome necessary. e.g. i haven't seen an 18VDC to 120VAC inverter that would let me eliminate the converter.

maybe the makita charger itself can be used as an inverter? i don't know enough electrical to know if that's possible.

thanks

If your boiler is truly a steam system with no return pumps, or any other device using electricity, you could convert to a thermopile  or pilot generator and have a system that uses no outside power. It would not be cheap but it can be done. The thermostat, gas valve and all other parts  and devices in the circuit  would have to be replaced with parts  compatible with a pilot generator. This would allow you to go off the grid so to speak. I would have an HVAC company do the work just to be safe. Also screwing around with a steam boiler or other heating devices without extensive knowledge could get you to an early grave. All these devices are extremely dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and even sometimes when you know what you are doing.


All kitchen water supplies have low pressure My kitchen was remodeled and I noticed since then the water pressure for new area has been low (hot and cold).  Previously we had one sink and dishwasher, now we have

Two Sinks
Dishwasher
Instahot
Fridge
Spigot running to outside

The line serving the original sink was 1" -- drawn down to 1/2" in the crawlspace and then up to the sink.  They extended the 1/2" in the crawl space in the following way
- pipe1: first sink (hot and cold)
- which then T's to
- pipe2: fridge (cold only)
- pipe3 (hot) : goes to sink #2 hot and dishwasher
- pipe3 (cold) : goes to sink# cold and instahot
- pipe4 (continues from pipe3 cold) : runs to spiggot

Could the water pressure issue be related to using the 1/2" pipe to connect to every outlet?  Should 1" been run to each location and then each reduced to 1/2" closer to outlet?

Your problem is caused by the plumber down sizing your piping to 1/2". This acts as a restriction to water flow. Replacing the 1/2" piping with 3/4" or 1" pipe will resolve your pressure and flow problems.


Run a 15 amp motor on a 30 amp breaker? I have recently purchased a 220v 15 amp jointer ( 12/3 wire). The only 220v outlet that is nearby is my dryer.  The dryer is on a 30amp circuit with 10/3 wire.  Can I make an extension cord (say 10/3 wire) and run the jointer off the dryer outlet?

I can't speak to the code issues and/or real-world safety of running a 220V 15A device on a 30A circuit.

However, keep in mind that dryer (and range) receptacles are NOT designed for frequent usage. They are designed to sit untouched for years at a time. Where a regular plug & receptacle might get used a few times a day (and with cell phone chargers and other devices sometimes more often than that), the dryer cord/plug and receptacle may not do well being plugged/unplugged on a regular basis.

In addition, you need to make sure the dryer receptacle is a newer 4-wire receptacle - hot/hot/neutral/ground NEMA 14-30. Older dryers (or rather, older houses never upgraded) use a NEMA 10-30. It is code-compliant to continue using a NEMA 10-30 for a dryer. But you should definitely not use it for a new device. So if you have a NEMA 10-30 then, in addition to any other issues of 15A vs. 30A, etc., you should be upgrading first to a NEMA 14-30 receptacle and change the dryer cord to match and remove the neutral-ground jumper inside the dryer.

Also see: What's a simple solution to have 2 NEMA 14-30 receptacles and switch power between them? for a discussion of using a switch between 2 receptacles.


Frigidaire gas range - first use. Is it packing material? Just got a Frigidaire gas range and the neighbor said when she used hers (same one) fire started because the packing material wasn't removed from the inside of the stove.

I opened stove's door, unscrewed two screws from the back and removedvthe bottom cover. The only thing I see is this insulation material. Is it insulation? Packaging material? Does it need to be removed?

You need to read through your owners manual. Set up procedures should tell you everything you need to know.


How to identify potentially unsafe electrical connectors in use? One can buy inexpensive wago-style connectors that have the CE Marking but I am doubtful that they are really certified:
.

When purchasing such items, I can ask about certifications (the ebay listing does not mention CE certification). However, when encountering these devices in the field, how might one know if it is safe for use?

To be clear: I have encountered these in the wild. The real Wagos mention ENEC 15 certification.

Buy from reputable firms

Or to be more precise, don't buy from firms who have workers with apartments in Shenzhen or Hong Kong, because they spend so much time there turning over rocks looking for super cheap suppliers of goods to private-label. That means you can cross off the list:

eBay
Amazon Marketplace, and possibly "sold by and ships from Amazon" as well
Alibaba/AliExpress, obviously
The orange Borg
The blue Borg
The green Borg "11% off"

And we're down to pretty much Grainger, McMaster-Carr, maybe Fastenal though they have some dodgy stuff, and of course, your friendly neighborhood local electrical supply house.

It's the same rule as auto parts.  I buy my auto parts at shops which have a fleet of small pickup trucks because they do 90% of their business out the back door to mechanics.  Why?  Mechanics have to stand behind the work, it's their time, rep and loaner cars at stake.  A high failure rate will put them out of business.  It'll put me at the side of the road, so our goals align.

Oh, but price!!!

Electrical parts have a very low cost to weight ratio, and that makes them expensive to ship.  Another example of such a product is bottled or canned sodas.  For those, the distribution model of "mail order to the consumer" makes no financial sense, it makes sense to distribute bulk materials by truck to local outlets and sell retail.  You see that in prices, like $180 total to ship $105 of wire, or a 75 cent item at the electrical supply costing 75 cents "plus $6 shipping".

"But I have Amazon Prime! Shipping is freeeee!"

There's no free lunch.  You pay for the Amazon Prime shipping one way or the other, and the $99 membership fee is not the way. They overcharge for the item and lowball or zero the shipping.  Now that 75 cent item is $3 -- and if you go check out the fees Amazon charges its Marketplace partners to use Amazon fulfillment,  you quickly see why it's $3.

So to be competitive, there is huge motivation to use counterfeits.  And absolutely nothing prevents a Marketplace seller from selecting a genuine Wago SKU and claiming to have that exact item when it's actually a counterfeit, or right off the Wago assembly line that are either dumpster-dived QA rejects, or stolen good product.


Two lengths of 12/2 romex to substitute for 10/2 Can I run 2 lengths of 12/2 romex 100 feet to substitute for a single run of 10/2? I'm not needing to meet code, just trying to get 120 v at 20 amps to my shop with as little light dimming as possible. Thanks for any help you can give!

You only need one run of 12/2, so why waste money?

12/2 is already legal for 20A so you're all set.

At 100' you will have 0.2% voltage drop per amp, or 4% drop if you redline the circuit at 20A, which you should not do, as a rule; you should only plan to run 16A (80%).   You do not need a wire size bump for voltage drop at 100', and your run is actually 65' so you are all set. Figure on 0.13% voltage drop per amp. So at 20A 2.6V drop, no big deal.

For anti-dimming, use LEDs or fluorescents with modern ballasts

Specifically look for LEDs or fluorescent ballasts made for multi-voltage 100-240V (world voltages).  Those will automatically adjust to voltage "on the fly" so dimming will be minimal/nonexistent; the device will simply treat a startup sag as "oh, we're in Japan now ok".

Common 15A receptacles can only be on 15A or 20A circuits.

As soon as you put a 25A or 30A breaker on it, you can't have receptacles anymore.  Unless you feed that circuit to a subpanel and distribute it to one or more 15/20A circuits.

Every breaker is dual thermal/magnetic.

They all have a permissive curve allowing some seconds for a 200% load, some minutes for a 1.25x load, and instant trip for a 1000% load.

If you want that feature local to the shed, feel free to install a subpanel. This can be fed with 120v (mine is). You can then use a 30A breaker to get full use out of the #10 wire, and local breakers of appropriate sizes for the circuit.  Subpanels are as cheap as $20 and breakers are typically $5 if you're not subject to AFCI/GFCI requirements.

There can be only one

One NEC rule is that you can only have one circuit of the same type and usage.  So sticking two 120V circuits out there isn't allowed, unless, say, one of them is controlled by a light switch from the house.

However you can have a 120V circuit and a 240V circuit, 120/240V split-phase circuit, and an MWBC (all at once even).

So have one of your two 120V circuits switched from the house.  Or run a larger 120V circuit and have a subpanel.  Or run a 120V/240V circuit and have a subpanel. Or run a MWBC.

Wait, what's a MWBC?

It's 2 hots sharing a neutral.  It must be punched down into a 240V common-trip breaker, you can't use a duplex/twin or you'll overload the neutral.

Say you run 12/3 cable and punch it down onto a 240V 20A breaker.  You now have 2 full 20A circuits worth of power available to you.  YOu split one 20A/120V circuit off black and white, and the other 20A/120V circuit off red and white.  Great for saw on phase 1 and dust collector/lights on phase 2 for instance.


How do I staple faced insulation to ceiling joists if the flange has been cut off for narrower spaces? I'm insulating a detached home office/shed. For the ceiling, the rafters are 24in on center so I got 22" faced insulation for that. However on the ends of the structure, the rafters are only 21in on center so I have to rip the insulation to fit. This means the little paper flange for stapling will be cut off. How do I staple that side to the rafters then?

Option 1
Cut the fiberglass but not the paper. You could do this by pulling the fiberglass off the paper, sliding a protective sheet under, then cutting the fiberglass.
Option 2
Cut the batt, then add adhesive tape as a flange. Use fiber-reinforced paper packing tape or something similar that won't easily tear when you staple it.
Option 3
Use unfaced batts there and then add poly sheeting. Reduce waste by cutting the batts to 19-1/2" in length (a bit more so they're snug) and running them crosswise.


Was my exterior door installed backwards We moved into a house recently and have discovered some less than good work that was done on the home. I am assuming this was done incorrectly as well but am not an expert and am looking for some input. The exterior door has no threshold on the outside, it is on the inside of the door sloping towards the inside. I have ants and water damage under the actual door frame as they did not caulk or use any type of protective membrane. I also noticed it is right on the  edge of the exterior wall. Isn't that where a screen door should go and the actual storm door should be where that thick molding is that is 'framing' the door way? Do I buy a new door with frame and rip out that molding and move the door back?

This looks like a pre-hung exterior door assembly from a "big-box", designed to swing inwards as per normal, but installed backwards.

A good carpenter would have assembled jamb, threshold, and weatherstrip properly for the outswing scenario; it would not have come pre-assembled.

BTW, they make screen door sets for outswing doors (they swing inward by necessity) but they can't be found at the "big-box". And if you have room for a screen door to swing inwards you should just install a regular inward swinging door rather than the configuration that you have.


6in vs 4.5in of concrete for driveway We need to get our cracked concrete driveway replaced.  The damage seems to be a result of tree roots, and the tree has has been removed.  Many people who we've spoken to say the concrete should be 6in thick.  The contractor who we've chosen for the job insists that 4.5in of 4000 PSI fibermesh concrete is sufficient.  Putting 6in will just increase costs.

Is 4.5in of concrete sufficient?  My concern was whether 4.5in of fibermesh concrete would hold up if a mover/UPS truck backs into our driveway.

Ooooh, fiber mesh. Proprietary crap like that is how sellers pad their profit margins. It is like when car dealers sell you "undercoating".

The weight of the vehicle and thickness of the concrete does not matter. What matters is the subsurface. If the subsurface is solid 1" (inch) of concrete will support a cement truck. If it is not, it could break under its own weight no matter how thick it is.

This shows the cross section of a Roman road:

As you can see the pavement on top is relatively thin. What is important is the 10 feet of drainage and support under the pavement that makes the road last for thousands of years. The same principle applies to your driveway.


How do I stop my garage door from opening on its own? My garage door has opened twice in the last 2 weeks during the night.  Is someone driving by and opening it "accidentally"? How do I keep this from happening?

If you have an older style garage door remote, before they used rolling codes, you could very easily have some people driving by activating it accidentally.  I had a similar problem, so I ended up unplugging the remote control portion of it, so the wall mount switch still works, and the whole unit is going to be replaced soon anyways  (electric eye sensor, etc).


What would cause a kitchen sink to drain very slowly? I snaked my kitchen sink drain to the end of my 20' snake so I know there is no clog for 20'.  When I run water into the sink it starts to fill up immediately - not enough time to fill 20' of pipe.  When the dishwasher drains it begins filling both sides quickly but only for an inch or two.  This has been a problem ever since we installed a double sink.  I'm tempted to install an air gap (aerator) for the dishwasher but I don't see how that would help.  There is no problem with the vent since my vent is in the wall behind the sink (with a one way valve) because I took the valve off, snaked the vent pipe, and that made no difference.

After the sink fills a bit it will stay full for a few minutes and then at some point when the water gets low enough it will drain a little faster - that is why I think there needs to be an air gap to break a siphon but again I don't see where the siphon is happening.

I'm stumped.

If you're positive that it's not the vent (though this sounds a lot like a vent issue) then you may have a drain that's not properly sloped downward. Without a proper slope, water will build up in the drain line until it reaches a low enough point, at which point gravity will take over and siphon the line.


How to independently verify that bedbug heat treatment is working? How can I verify that a (whole unit) heat treatment for bedbugs was or will be effective?  More generally, what is the best way to verify that an apartment is (likely) free of bedbugs?

Background:

We signed a lease for a new apartment and then found out it has bedbugs (after moving some of our possessions in).

The landlords hired an exterminator who applied heat treatment to the entire unit (and checked for bugs afterwards using dogs), but when one of us moved in 4 days later, they immediately started getting bites. A few weeks later, we found eggs in one of the traps we laid.  So the apartment will now be retreated (by the same exterminator).

Now, given that the treatment failed the first time, we are concerned that the treatment will fail again.  We're making sure to follow best practices, and looking into whether neighboring units may be responsible.

More Questions:

What else can we do to make sure that the apartment is free of bugs before we move in?  Ideas I have are:

Have an independent exterminator check with dogs (although they would have a perverse incentive to find bugs)
Place some form of thermometer in hard-to-reach locations, to ensure that the exterminator's treatment is reaching high enough temperatures
Set C02-baited traps immediately after treatment (for detection purposes)

What do you think of these ideas?
Are there other things we should do?
Can someone recommend products and placement for idea #2?

First, I'm not a lawyer. Second, I know 100% that a landlord is required to provide habitable living spaces if they are renting for occupancy purposes. A proven existing condition such as a bedbug infestation is near certain proof that he has not (yet) provided habitable living accommodations and there is already precedent set when the rental is not habitable; therefore it would be advisable to seek legal counsel to ensure you are paying only if you should be. Further, if I recall correctly, for a situation like this the landlord only needs to prove they are taking the correct actions to resolve the issue. E.g., using extermination services is such an action. Now, it is questionable whether your business relationship is off to the right start, you be the judge,  and let legal counsel assist.

The real answer to your question is that you cannot be reasonably certain. There simply is no way.

Also, if everything you've said above is on the table and nothing is left out or massaged, then technically it is not your job, nor should you really want it to be your job to solve the problem. Unfortunately, bedbugs are hitchhiker bugs and they can get anywhere, any number of ways. The landlord could have successfully exterminated the issue in the apartment, and one of your belongings could have brought it in, even if you didn't have any issue where it came from. Far fetched? Sure. But still possible.

Numerous articles and research identify heat treatment as a sure thing, presuming the heat gets to the bugs, and it has to be at the right temperature for the right length of time. A series of treatments with different chemicals may be employed, dust in outlets and switches, with the covers off. And now that you have possessions on the premises, these should be treated as well. Also, most exterminators will recommend a re-inspection and re-treatment around 20 days after the initial treatment to get any that have since then hatched, and a second shot at what could have been missed the first time.  If there was truly "an easy" way that was not obtusely cost prohibitive to detect success, exterminators would employ it, or be required to employ it by the paying clients.

I have experienced the unfortunate gift these pests brought me by finding their way into a duplex. Of course while it had been occupied by the same people for a very long time, the fingers were pointed in all directions. I chose the path of whole house as to avoid misses and while clearly I didn't introduce the problem, I was going to be stuck with it no matter what. It was extremely costly, and the job was not performed well at all. On the second treatment I had the owner of the company involved and they had two people perform the work and took their time. Like I said, it was not cheap, but the problem is thankfully gone.

Your ideas are all fine, but they are not fool proof and there aren't any foolproof options, so any suggestions you get are only that - suggestions. At the end of the day the only SURE PROOF you get is TIME, the longer they have no food the more die off, but even then I have read of people seeing them months afterwards *(no idea how, but still, you read about it).


How to combine in phase 120VAC 15A 60 Hz feeds on a pair of outdoor GFCI outlets? My situation is this... I have a pair of outdoor GFCI outlets which are on separate 15A breakers and are in phase with each other so I want to combine them using a special wiring harness such that I can draw up to 30A total at 120VAC (60 Hz).  So I carefully tested that the 2 outlets are indeed in phase by checking them individually first for power, then checking the voltage   between the 2 hots.  Unfortunately, there is a fraction of a volt difference between them and that is enough to "pop" them as soon as I interconnect them  (parallel them).  Both GFCI breakers trip immediately even without any load.  My application is so I can run a 120V device that is MORE than 15A draw without overloading either circuit.  Also because there are other appliances on one of those same circuits inside the house so I would rather split the load (let's say 17A total) so that it is about 8.5A per outlet.  The split doesn't have to be exactly 50/50 but something close to that would be nice.

So my question is how do I do this with GFCI or will those prevent me from doing this?

It appears there are "random" loads on the one outlet (lights, fans...) but the 2nd outlet is dedicated (with no other loads).  I think that might be part of the problem of the voltage difference.  Should I perhaps load up one of the outlets BEFORE combining it with the other one such that the voltages match exactly, thus no current should flow between them?  That might work if the load is constant on the one outlet but then what might happen when I put the heavy load in the paralleled outlets?  This seems like a challenge to get to work.

I think with non GFCI outlets this would be "cake" (easy) but my application is to rapid charge a golf cart battery bank and that has to be done outside and GFCI outlets are required (by law) on outside receptacles.

If you're in the US, what you're doing is dangerous, a code violation, and will not work.  If your equipment requires a 30 ampere circuit, you should install a proper 30 ampere circuit.

The National Electrical Code only allows circuit breakers to be connected in parallel, where they are factory assembled in parallel. Simply connecting two breakers in your panel in parallel, is a code violation.  There's also a section about not being allowed to connect conductors in parallel, unless the conductors are 1/0 AWG or larger.

National Electrical Code 2017
Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection
Article 240 Overcurrent Protection
240.8 Fuses or Circuit Breakers in Parallel. Fuses and circuit breakers shall be permitted to be connected in parallel where they are factory assembled in parallel and listed as a unit. Individual fuses, circuit breakers, or combinations thereof shall not be connected in parallel.
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 310 Conductors for General Wiring
310.10 Uses Permitted.
(H) Conductors in Parallel.
(1) General. Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, or copper conductors, for each phase, polarity, neutral, or grounded circuit shall be permitted to be connected in parallel (electrically joined at both ends) only in sizes 1/0 AWG and larger where installed in accordance with 310.10(H)(2) through (H)(6).


How do I stick a plastic clock hand to a metal spindle? I'm trying to stick a very delicate plastic second hand, salvaged from a clock, to the metal spindle of a stepper motor.
I have tried a couple of types of epoxy, pictured (and left for the entire cure time, not just the set time) but it did not hold. I can't really apply any pressure at all to the bond. I'm scared to use superglue as it's too liquid and I'm afraid it'll get into the motor and ruin it.

Put a nice big glob of hot glue (glue gun type) on the end of the gear and press the hand into it. You want enough hot glue that some gets onto the gear teeth to help hold better. A slit piece of scrap paper (or two with the slits in different directions) would catch any excess if you used too much, and it's easily trimmed away from the gear when cold if you used too much.


How to test appliance for ground fault? I have an espresso maker that has started popping the kitchen counter GFCI outlet intermittently. It seems to me that it could either be an issue with the GFCI (I seem to remember they go bad occasionally) or with the espresso maker. I am in a rental unit and I am pretty sure if I call maintenance they are going to say it is my appliance rather than replace the GFCI. I am happy to send the espresso maker to the manufacturer for repair but I would like to be sure first. Is there a way for me to test the appliance so I can be insistent with maintenance or the manufacturer? I have a multimeter.

@CactusCake has the right idea but you don't have to go to the bathroom. Per the NEC all dwellings built in the US have to have at least 2 small appliance circuits in the Kitchen/Dining/Breakfast Nook areas and they will all be GFCI protected in the kitchen. So try the other circuit and see if you get a trip.

I will say that some GFCI's do go bad, usually due to over tripping. The bad news is that it is usually not the case.

Good luck and stay safe.


Can you "extend" a drywall stud? I installed shelves in a closet with unevenly spaced studs. The shelves are mounted to the studs and they are level and secure. The shelve mounts can support a clothes hanging bar. The bar has holes where you can screw it into the wall. However, there is no stud where the rod hits the wall. When I try to screw the rod to the wall and the rod to the mount, the rod comes loose from the wall. There is a drywall stud very close to the place where the rod hits the wall. My thought is to screw a piece of wood into the drywall stud that will extend over the inch or so to where the rod hits the wall. Then screw the rod into the wood. Is this a good idea? Is there a better way?

The best way to handle this situation is to span two studs at the end of the closet with a smallish plank, screwing it into both studs. Then you can screw the rod end mount to that plank and rest assured that it's as sturdy as you can get it.

The "far" end of that plank will very probably screw to the stud at the far rear corner of the closet's end wall, which is kind of nice because that hides almost the entire plank.

An alternative, but one that's only suitable if you're definitely never going to hang a lot of clothing from that rod (clothing weight accumulates shockingly quickly), would be to use drywall anchors to attach the rod end mount to the drywall.


240v 4wire power supply 30 amp breaker,240v 3wire air compressor switch 240v power supply has 4 wires red black white ground. my 240v air compressor only has 3 wires white, black,and ground. how do I connect it?

EDIT: I am assuming this question is saying the compressor has white, black, and green leads in the peckerhead.

In the US, the four wire supply should be

Black - L1 (maybe L2 - doesn't matter)
Red - L2 (maybe L1 - doesn't matter)
White - Neutral
Green - Ground

To test, you should see the following voltages:

Black to Red = 240V
Black to White = Red to White = Black to Green = Red to Green = 120V
and you should read continuity between White and Green.

If the compressor is 240V, it doesn't follow the typical color coding;  the white wire is ungrounded.  The Green on the compressor should be ground, to test you should see continuity between the Green wire and the metal frame of the compressor.  That leaves the black and white on the compressor for the 240V power.  The white on the compressor should NOT show continuity to the Green wire or the metal frame.  (Neither should the black wire on the compressor, for that matter, but it's the white that's off color code and I'd want to carefully verify is power.)

So after all that testing, it's simply

Supply Black to Compressor Black
Supply Red to Compressor White
Supply Green to Compressor Green


Garage door stops at a different place each time it closes My old Craftsman 1/2 hp garage door opener was abused by previous owners who tried to operate it with a poorly adjusted door. Now, the door operates smoothly and the opener travel limits have been properly adjusted along with the safety stop. The problem now appears to be that the door closed limit doesn't seem to operate at the same place each time. It is a chain drive and sometimes when the door closes you can tell the stop limit has not operated because you can see slack in the chain just before the torque safety switch causes the door to open. At other times the door doesn't close far enough to compress the rubber door seal.

The opener does have up/down force adjustments and they work fine. The problem seems to be related to unreliability of the down travel limit adjustment. There has been some unreliability in the up travel limit too, but the primary problem is down. After each adjustment it may work fine 2 to 5 times before it again closes too far stretching one side of the chain very tight and causing the bar to bow, (unless I properly adjust the down force safety in which case the door reopens). I plan to open it up and look for anything loose, like chain sprocket to shaft or loose limit actuators. If I don't find anything I will take the advice below and buy another opener.

Many times the most cost effective and time effective (and "time is money" cost effective) solution to strange problems with an old opener is a new opener.

You can, of course, replace parts; but you can quickly exceed the cost of a new opener, and parts often come with no guarantee, while a new opener generally has one. Since you KNOW your opener has been abused, that's another tick in the "reasons to just replace it" column. Recall that it is a device that can kill people if it malfunctions in certain ways.

I will also suggest (from experience) that you provide a surge suppressor on the outlet serving the opener.


Dual tanks will they level out? I have 2 oil tanks:  one sludged up and the other ran dry. I used a air compressor to blow open the blocked tank.  Will the 2 tanks level out?

First answer is that yes they will probably level out.

But whether this recurs depends on the source of the sludge.  Simply blowing out the lines once probably will not solve the original problem.

If you can figure out the source of the sludge there may be remedies like settlement filters (like used on swimming pools).

You might also consider a larger size tubing.

Without more information it is difficult to give you a precise answer.

Good luck!


Repair or Replace Cut Floor Joist After removing an old bathroom floor in a historic structure, in order to sister joists for a level surface to install new subfloor, we found that one of the original floor joists was notched, and then cut, by previous owner in order to run drains. We're redoing all of the plumbing, but this is a question about the joist.

How would we fix this? You'll see in my pics that previous owner/worker tried to brace this between two joists with a 2x4. I don't trust it.

How would you fix this the right way?

You really need an engineer to give you an answer and sign off on this.  But, being this is the internet, here's my $0.02 anyway.

Your best bet is to replace the whole joist if feasible and not to disruptive to the rest of the structure.  But it will be very disruptive to the rest of the structure & flooring and probably impossible to get it into those foundation pockets on both sides.  So...

I would cut the existing joist back to the middle of that knee wall or 2x4 nearest the foundation wall.  Not counting on that structurally, but you need to square off the end of the existing joist and it makes a convenient place to put the end of the new joist while you tie things together. Take off that little bit of 2x4 back near the drain pipe.

Then I would slide a new piece of joist into the pocket in the foundation wall and flush with the end of the existing joist on top of that 2x4.

Then I would sister the joist on both sides with 2x dimensional lumber of the same height as the existing joist from the foundation wall pocket back to at least 2' to 3' past the end of that huge notch.  Be generous with construction adhesive, then clamp the whole thing up and put a few bolts through to pull it together and nail it along the length.


How dangerous are these cracking tiles if they contain asbestos? See attached image.  These tiles are in the common area of my apartment building.  As you can see, there is significant cracking.  My building was built in the 60's, I know that the 9-inch tiles in my apartment contain asbestos, and I suspect these 12-inch tiles in the common area also contain asbestos.  The dark area on the right side of the image is stain from where a rug normally is.

If these tiles contain asbestos, how dangerous at present are they with the state they are in?

Asbestos is only dangerous when it becomes airborne, which happens when  whatever contains it is turned into dust. For example it would be a very bad idea to remove these tiles by breaking them into bits with a rotary hammer, and even worse to cut them with a diamond disc grinder. The mortar/glue below may also contain asbestos fiber as reinforcement.

However in their current state, they are not dangerous, as the asbestos fibers won't become airborne.

If the building contains asbestos though, you might want to check the fireproofing and/or insulation. These are the most dangerous, as they are spray-on fibers and tend to degrade with time, releasing the asbestos into the air.


Want to retile my bathroom, but found masonry filling under old tile I had an area of bathroom tile that had fallen lower than the rest of the floor.  When I started to explore under the 67 year old tile, I found a masonry "sub floor" that is crumbling. Under the masonry is a wood sub floor. My question--  Should I remove all the old crumbling masonry and rebuild a sub floor to support my new tile floor?  (The old floor has settled quite a bit- at least an inch in the corner.)

You need to get rid of everything under the tile.  The bed at one time was probably really firm but as it gets  water it will start to break down and those sand bases really don't dry out well once they get wet.

If you need to add height just add plywood but top layer should be cement board.


How to cover seams on a board & batten interior wall when calculations won't add up? We want to put board and batten on a feature wall in the living room.  We plan to cover the textured wall with some type of 4'x 8' board.  After doing multiple calculations we couldn't make the battens cover all the vertical seams without spacing the battens unevenly (not a look we want).  What is the best way to resolve this issue?

Rip down the 4 x 8 sheets into a width that will cover the length without a noticeable difference in batten spacing. 16 inch width works well with no waste on a sheet. While the finished look is a matter of preference, the smaller sections do have good look and disguise minor differences in panel sizes. MDF is my go to for the panels if you are painting the wall.


How can I repair a hole in the underside of a granite counter? My granite counter problems started a few short years after installation. A crack appeared at each end of the sink where the pieces were joined. The cracks have since multiplied and now the underside has crumbled and left behind gaping holes at both edges of the stainless steel sink.   Any pressure on the edge of the sink causes movement.

Is there anything I can squeeze into these spaces (they are on the underside of the counter) that will harden and adhere to the granite and hold it in place?  It doesn't have to look pretty.  I don't have the money to have it pulled out and properly repaired, I just want to make sure it does not get any worse.

I am guessing that your sink weight is causing the pressure, making the cracks worse.  If I am right on this then the first thing you need to do is build a simple way to support the sink using wood or whatever - I have 2x2s that are screwed to side cabinet and pushed up to support it.  So that will cost you $3.  If side walls are not close enough you have to build a box.

Now to fix the cracks you will need a knife grade epoxy.  I have used Tenax brand in the past to "glue" granite corner shelves in the shower.  Pretty easy to use.  Epoxy will be about $20-$30.

And for some reason (conspiracy) the big boxes don't carry any knife grade epoxy.  You will have to hit the interwebs for this. Just search for knife grade granite epoxy if you want to read reviews or whatever.  Basically you will get the activator and the putty.  You put a little activator in the putty and wipe it on the granite.  If you are doing the top then you might need to by color matching kit (which is more expensive than epoxy).  Basically it is hard in 30 mins and can be used the next day.  Once epoxy is on it is permanent and harder than the granite.  If you arent worried about looks your sink area could be cured of the crack as long as you get the epoxy in the right places.


Light Switch 3-wire but with 2 permanent lives Trying to wire a Fibaro dimmer into this light switch but not having much luck. There appears to be 2 permanent lives coming into the COM port and the presumed switched live out of L1 port. I can't find anything on Internet for why 2 permanent lives should be there. I can't wire both these lives into L terminal of the dimmer as it can't fit 2 cables. This is not a two way switch- it's just one switch for 3 lights.
Thanks
Andy

Use a 3-way wire connector of the type customary in your area to attach a pigtail (short piece of wire of the same gauge as the rest) to the two existing hot (live) wires, and then hook the pigtail up to the dimmer's common input.

Michael Karas' explanation is the most likely one, by the way -- it looks like whoever installed this switch was being a bit hackish or didn't have the extra wire connector and pigtail at hand, so they simply twisted the two wires together and stuffed them into the backstab common terminal on the switch.


Toilet won't come off the flange We need to pull the toilet out. Bolts are out of it, water is disconnected from it. It won't lifting it off, Tried twisting it off, then tried running hot water threw it for an hour and tried to remove it again.

The toilet sits on a 2 piece ceramic base (giving us about 5/8"-3/4" space off the floor), we got it out of the way. (thanks to rotted away screw and the other side is broken). We have a little play room now.

So there is the standard iron flange, what looks like 1/4" black rubber gasket material, then 3/8"-1/2" bright red iron spacer(tried cutting it with a hand saw to learn its not plastic.) and then the toilet.

NO SIGN OF ANY WAX RING or even residue from one!!!

Any ideas on how to remove the toilet? or just take a hammer to it?

I'm betting that whomever installed it last used an adhesive to secure and seal the toilet to the closet flange and/or the floor. It sounds as if you are renovating so unless the toilet has value (or fond memories) break it out with long handled sledge hammers (use eye protection). The time saved by not solving a mad scientist monstrosity might be worth the cost of a mid-priced new toilet.


Do we need a 400A service to power a home and an in-law (ADU)? We are thinking of building an ADU (Auxiliary Dwelling Unit, or "in-law suite") in our backyard.

The planned ADU's square footage will be  852 square feet.  It will be 70 ft away from the main house, which is 1045 sq. ft.

We submitted our plan, but it didn't pass. This is because of the main service, which is 100 amps. The inspector told us to install a 400 amp main, to service the back house.

We would like to know which rule in the NEC the inspector is referring to. Can you tell us?

Maybe some local code ,but 400 A is excessive power unless you have something like a weld shop. I have 200 A in 2500' plus 1000' garage+room  plus a 96' out building.  Includes 5 ton AC. circuits for an electric stove and and an electric dryer have never been used , but are dedicated . Also a 20 A 220 in the garage , I told the electrician I might want to weld one day, I never have but I bet I could if I wanted to. Looked in the box for curiosity : 28 breakers used, 2 -50 A, 7 -30 A , 19 -20 A . How in the world would one need twice as much power ( 400 A) in a home ?  I assume the licensed electricians hooked it up correctly.


Stone wall meets a wooden wall I have recently taken down a wooden wall that was attached to a stone wall. I am interested in finishing the stone wall by repointing and leaving it exposed.
My question is about the wooden wall that still exists. I am not sure how to finish it at the end, where it meets the stone wall at a right angle.  I will be painting the pink wall.
Any ideas how I make the intersection look nice?

"Look nice" is a highly subjective criterion.
One approach to that sort of junction is to scribe a trim board.
One tacks a trim board in a vertical position touching the stone, and then sets a compass or pair of dividers equal to the largest gap between the stone and the board. The compass or dividers are then used to follow the irregular stone face and scribe a corresponding mark on the board. The board is then removed and the scribed line is cut, which should result in a trim board that meets the stone wall "snugly" (depending how well it was scribed you may need a few test fits and trimming to get it snug enough to suit.)
If the stone wall is at all prone to being wet, choose a trim board that won't rot (PVC "lumber" or pressure-treated.)


What tool should I use for carving deep shapes in a desk top? I am starting a DIY project to create a standing desk. Part of this project involves installing some electronics in the wooden desktop itself. I need to make the following cuts / carvings and am wondering the best tool to use:

A 10" x 10" square on the surface of the desk that is 1" deep
A 2" x 10" rectangle on the side of the desktop that is 2" deep

I am hoping there is a handheld power tool that can help me accomplish this. I don't need perfect cuts; a hand-made imperfect aesthetic would be just fine.

I agree with Steven that a router is the way to go.  However, I think it important to point out a few things to consider if you use a router for the project you described, especially if you have never used a router before.

First off, you shouldn't try to cut the full depth of the pockets you describe in a single pass.  You will need to make several passes, taking out a little bit at a time.  The amount you should take per pass depends on the material but I would start with 1/4" or less.  The less you take the easier it will be to control the router.

Second, let's consider for a moment that the base of the router pictured above is about 5" diameter.  You need to keep about half the base (at least) pressed against the surface to maintain control of the router.  How will you route the center section after the first pass if your hole is 10" square?  The answer is you need to make a larger base, one that will span both edges of your hole.  Most routers are made so the base can be removed so you can make and attach a custom one for instances such as this.

Third, generally you should move a router against the rotation of the cutter in order to prevent the cutter from grabbing.  If you are using the router handheld and working on the inside this means you should be working in a clockwise spiral around the inside of the pocket you are cutting.

Finally, it is always easier to control the router if you are working against a guide surface.  A template router bit has a bearing above the cutter which you can ride against either a template or at least a straight edge.  I think it is the right cutter for this job.  Even if you don't make a complete template you can clamp a straight edge to the each edge of the pocket in succession to establish the outside edges.


Is this gravel stabilizing underlament an effective product? Does anyone have any experience with a gravel stabilizing product? I'll say, somehow I've never seen this before, but it looks genius; especially if you could create a reasonable driveway out of this stuff that wouldn't buckle under a car's load. What are your opinions on it? Is it worth buying to use for regular pathways as well or is it best just dealing with slight shifting? If I were to use something like this, I'd probably create a secondary parking area and/or a new walkway to our back porch. (with stone edging, it could look nice for just about any project).

Does it work? Does the gravel shift much or show the grid? What are the ups or downs of a system like this?

Yes, it is used in construction somewhat commonly. There are a couple of different situations where I have personally be involved with its use:

Soil stabilization for large fills - In areas where the ground is soft and heavy construction equipment needs to move (e.g. access roads) it can be placed in layers and filled with soil to help distribute the weight of the equipment without forming ruts.
Gravel parking lots - Similar situations involving parking lots and gravel are used to provide natural water infiltration while still providing a surface that is less likely to rut.
"Invisible" roads - The fill material can be modified slightly to support grass growth. This has been used to provide lawn areas that can support fire trucks for emergency access in all conditions while not having to pave a road up to a building.

All of these situations are similar in that they provide for a distribution of wheel loads on soft or wet soil.

In summary, these types of products are used in construction, so they are equally applicable home use.


Securing a backyard animal / cat shelter fence from escape? I need to secure some pets, namely a few kitties, from escaping an enclosed area. My thought is to use some form of standoffs that can attach to the wire fence in order to attach a top arch of lightweight chicken wire fencing. Here is the current fence:

Everything I've seen so far needs either a wood fence or a substantial stake. Example:

Are there any forms of standoffs available, or buildable, that would work on a wire fence with these less substantial metal stakes?

Any fence that will even stand a chance of keeping a cat in needs to be like 8 feet high. Depending on how adventurous they are, they'll just jump on top of the arch.

And if they're declawed you shouldn't be letting them outside unsupervised anyway.

But w/e... buy more metal posts, bend them at a 45, 1/3 of the way up, and attach that third (as elsewhere with something better than plastic zip ties) to the existing posts. Make sure you get the homeowner version and not the industrial, or you won't be able to bend it.


my toilet water level goes down when my neighbor flushes her toilet I live in a second floor condo unit. First floor is the parking garages. A couple of months ago I replaced the old toilet with a low volume, Toto toilet. Since then, every time my next door neighbor flushes her toilet the water in mine goes away and I end up with almost no water in my toilet bowl.  I have checked with the neighbors above me (there are 2 more floors above mine) and also with the ones above my next door neighbor and none of them have experienced any problems with their toilets.
A plumber says that the problem is that the low volume toilet is not suitable for my building, but these days all new toilets are low volume.  My neighbors have low volume toilets. Any clues about what the problem could be and what I could be done to get it fixed?

What's happening is that when they flush, it is creating a vacuum and sucking the water out of your bowl in an attempt to get air. The vent stack is almost certainly obstructed above your toilet's tie-in.

As far as what to do... you are in a condo, there should be owner's association that handles shared infrastructure. If not, find out what is blocking the vent stack and remove it.


What kind of wiring/switch to use for gas fireplace switch? I have a gas fireplace with a remote control plugged into an electrical outlet hidden below the fireplace unit. The remote control is old and not working, and I had thought about wiring up a switch instead by wiring the switch in place of the remote's leads. According to a fireplace tech, the remote box just acts as a short circuit between the leads.
Also there are other questions that mention needing specific milli-volt type switches.
Can I use normal romex/wire and 120V switch or is there something specific to high-heat situations and/or small currents?

A couple of alternatives to a 120V light switch:

A good quality sealed gold plated electronic toggle switch.  There's a lot of different kinds.
A smart relay switch.  EG ZWave or whatever you want.  About $40, which is more than a bit of wire and a cheap light switch, but much less than a new fireplace remote and you would then have remote control from your phone and would not need to install a wall box as it would all go under the fireplace instead of the existing remote.   Not a regular smart light switch, that would zap your fireplace with 120V but a "relay" or also called "dry contact" switch.

And ... by FAR the best thing about Option 2 is that combined with a taught Alexa skill you could simulate The Clapper.   Instant romance!


Repairing Water Damage on a Window Frame? My parent's house has had a leaking window frame for the last few years. I think that the water comes in from outside the frame.

I took a few pictures from outside:

And the interior:

How can I prevent further water infiltration and seal up the interior?

I've done some drywall repair projects before, should I just use my putty knife to scrape off the existing drywall and put on a new coat of drywall mud?

Or should I cut off the drywall and buy a new piece of drywall and screw/nail that in place and joint the edges?

A few thoughts - more than I can fit in comments but probably not a complete answer. Also a disclaimer that I'm not a pro, I've just had some similar experiences!

It looks like the window may have been improperly installed and leaking water may have done more damage than you can see. The top of the frame outside appears to have just been caulk-sealed. Even a tiny crack in the seal will cause capillary action and suck the water into the joint. You need to put appropriate flashing over the top of the window as a bare minimum, but this may require you to remove the window first. This suddenly makes it a much bigger job but it could reveal rot in the framing which, while far more time consuming to deal with, is best taken care of now. If you do take the window out I recommend getting the advice of a local builder to prepare and reinstall it properly and according to local codes so that it's properly weathertight.

Here's a video of how to install a window into new framing.  While the process of retrofitting is made harder by the existing cladding, the principles are the same - make sure that there is a layered approach to drainage.

As for the interior it looks like some mold is forming, best to remove affected drywall, scrape anything else you can see back and treat the entire area first with mold treatment (pre-paint treatment, or ask your local hardware store what they recommend).

Once the flashing is in place and the all the mold you can see has been killed (there's probably more deeper but you can't really fix it without major intervention), it's best to let the framing and wall cavity dry completely: a few days to a week, depending on humidity. Most mold can't grow below certain humidity levels. In the meantime, check for further dampness and leaks before you go and cover it all up again.

Then yes, I'd get some new drywall or timber panel and tidy up the inside.  Good luck!


How do I keep this polyurethaned oak floor in good condition? I rent a heritage home and the polyurethane has been lightly wrecked, but also the wood is drying out from the dry weather and curling up and separating. I am extremely confused about cleaning and conditioning this floor.

I have been told to clean according to polyurethane, however I've also been told that the polyurethane is porous so don't wreck the wood underneath. I've been told wax and oil wreck the poly finish, but then that I should be treating the wood so that it doesn't dehydrate (which it clearly has since I have rented). I've been told to not mop or it will wreck the floor and I've been told to dilute Murphy's oil.

I AM SO CONFUSED! My floors are looking so horrible since I moved in. I rented this house with serious references and then sublet to roommates who think I am a freak for being concerned with the state of the floors.

The thing that deteriorates polyurethane most quickly is allowing abrasives (like sand) to accumulate the floor.  These should be swept up immediately; or just set your roomba to do it for you.

A swiffer, or hard wood floor cleaner such as this between 1ce a week - 1ce a month depending on how heavy traffic is should be fine.

Steam mopping is a bit questionable, but probably fine for finishes that are in good condition.

Sand and refinish the floors every 5 years.

Other things I've seen deteroiate floors is

soakings
heavy moppings
the use of bleach
the use of boiling water (not to be confused with steam mopping)


Can I just replace the heating coil in my dryer, or do I have to do the whole element? My dryer heating coil in my heating element broke in two. It seems like it'll be simple enough to just put a new coil in and be on my way. The part is available and this move would save me about $40. Which is good; I'm not exactly rolling in it right now. The thermal fuse is still good and everything else in the dryer has worked fine; are there any reasons I should spend the extra money and replace the whole thing, or is just swaping to a new coil sufficient?

Yes. The coil[s] can be replaced. I've done mine twice. Coil failure indicates inefficient venting, so it's worth looking at the the vents while doing the job.


Can I run a washer hose up and over a door? Currently my washer is on one wall next to a standing drainpipe and blocks access to an exterior door. I would like to move the washer to the exterior wall, next to the dryer, but that would require running the drain hose from one side of the room to the other.
I would like to run the hose almost completely straight up so it clears the door (the door is 7ft tall), then to turn and slowly slope down over the door, turn again (the distance between the washer and the corner of the wall is roughly 4ft), and then continue to run on a slope down the other wall (this distance is roughly 5ft) into the standing drainpipe.
I've read in a few places the water can still pump correctly as long as the hose isn't higher than 8ft, however, every video I've seen the drain is also that high and the hose doesn't then go back down. Also, would it be best to use a hose for the full length or can I use PVC pipe?
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

This may work depending on your washing machine.  You can test it by holding the hose up high (get a longer one if needed) and see if the machine drains correctly.
In my neighborhood, it's common for washing machines to pump water from basements up to the street level.  The reason is our sewer service lines are shallow.  Many homes just let that laundry water go out to the storm drains (the city allows it) so their washing machines are pumping the water up around 7 or 8 feet.  In my house, we use the sewer for laundry, but the way it's plumbed, the drain is nearly that high.  It works fine.


Can a neutral be shared beween the line and load side of a GFCI if it's on the same circuit? All neutrals are crimped together on this circuit. Not daisy chained. So I have one hot and one neutral from panel (line) and one hot downstream (load). And additional no neutral wire for going downstream (load). A clump of neutrals are in the back of the box, all crimped together. Can't I just add a jumper between the line and load neutral screws of the GFCI? I am stumped; I've studied this for over a year. The circuit is in my kitchen, 20 amps. Feeds aquarium, gas stove, vent, and fridge. So, as of now, only the aquarium is protected. Nothing downstream.
I really would like to get the entire circuit protected without having to put in a new GFCI breaker.
Thanks,
Jim

This is a common issue that arises from the previous meaning of the word LOAD.

You're used to talking about the cables in a box as "Line" meaning the supply cable from the service panel, and "Load" referring to the cable(s) that go onward to other points-of-use.

With GFCI, you have to throw that definition out.  In fact, I use the word "Onward" to refer to those onward cable(s).

GFCI has hijacked the word "LOAD" to mean extending GFCI protection to also protect certain specific onward outlets or points-of-use. You should never, ever use the LOAD terminals on a GFCI unless you mean to do precisely that.

Usually people go after the LOAD terminals merely because their old receptacle had wires on 4 screws and they don't know where else to put the extra 2 wires.  This results in protecting downline loads inadvertently - they have no idea what effect that has, and have no idea how to fix it when it starts tripping.  Don't do that.

When you actually, really do want to protect a downline, you must take that particular downline's hot and neutral wires both, and put both of them on LOAD.  You would never put just one on LOAD.

So you say you have a kitchen circuit that feeds aquarium, gas stove, vent and fridge.  Let's go through those loads.

Aquarium - oh yes, you want that on GFCI!
Gas stove - Is it grounded? A steel box that is grounded is vanishingly unlikely to have the kind of problem GFCIs help with.  It might be a source of nuisance trips though.
Vent - is hardwired and does not need to be on GFCI. Again if grounded, GFCI is of little use here.
Refrigerator -- is a human-safety nightmare for GFCI.  It's a steel box, grounded, all the mains electric is in the bottom back where it's totally inaccessable, and you're really not likely to drop it in the sink.   So it's simply not a use case for GFCI at all. GFCI does not help fridges. However, a GFCI nuisance trip can take out a fridge, and now you have a huge human safety problem in food spoilage.  Fridges do not need to be on GFCI. Further, fridges are notorious for tripping GFCIs themselves.  Putting this on GFCI is a bad idea.

But if you have any other loads, evaluate them on a case by case basis and decide whether to attach their hot + neutral to GFCI LINE or LOAD.


Placing fencepost close to house? I am installing a privacy fence that will go right up against my house.  I began digging a post hole that is about 6 inches away from my house, but about 20 inches down, I hit a bunch of cement which I assume is part of the foundation.

What would be the proper way to get my fence right up against my house?  Would I be ok to just place the post 20 inches down as long as I cement it in?

If you can use the strength of your wall, it will be quite strong to butt against the house, I would dig up to the cement foundations, then butt your post against the wall. About 3/4 the way up, just fix the post to the wall. (if the wall is cement you can use a rawl bolt, otherwise a nice threaded bolt will do the trick. You will not need anything too over the top, since the forces will mostly be from side to side (i.e there will not be too many pull forces that would pull the pin out.
If you would like more specifics, you would need to elaborate the shape and material of the post as well as the wall.


How to wire GFCI outlet to aluminum wiring? How to wire gfci to aluminum wiring. Have not tried to yet, i want to be sure as to how first. I've been told of using no-ox and 6" copper pig tails.

All no-ox joint compounds are not equal. Penetrox A (mfgr Burndy) is non-flammable grease. 35 years ago I pig-tailed our aluminum wiring with No-Al-Ox and Scotchlok twist on connectors. No-Al-Ox I later found out (and confirmed myself) is flammable. I'm in the slow and gradual process of redoing the pigtails with AlumiConn connectors which are pre-packed with anti-oxidant grease. However, none of my old  connections with No-Al-Ox has shown any evidence of heating or failure.

Unfortunately AlumniConns are not always available except by order. They come in 2-port and 3-port. In some cases the 2-port might be necessary to be able to fit a bulky device and all the connections and wires into the box. Also use #14 wire for the pig-tails if the circuit is 15-A because it folds and fits much easier than the #12 required for 20-A circuits.

The instructions for tightening the screws on the AlumiConn connectors are to use a torque screwdriver (10 in-lb for #12 AL and 15 in-lb for #10 AL and for #14 and #12 CU). There used to be alternative instructions on number of turns after contact with the wire, but I haven't found that lately.


Are these drywall blisters normal settling, or is there something wrong? My house is two-story wood frame construction, built in 1979, with an addition that was put on some time in the (I think late) 1980s.

Recently I have noticed several blisters in the drywall, as shown in the images below. Four of them are on the ceiling in the original part of the house, all right along an interior wall, and four more are on the wall just below the ceiling in the addition (the wall they are next to used to be the exterior wall of the house). Their sizes range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

In the image below, the black box is the house and the blue box is the addition. The red dots indicate approximate locations of ceiling blisters, and the green dots indicate approximate locations of wall blisters.

Here are some pictures of what they look like:

On the ceiling, taken from the side:

On the ceiling, taken from below:

On the wall:

A few of them are much less well-defined than those pictures, almost just bumps in the wall/ceiling. I tried to get pictures of those too, but I couldn't get anything good enough to be able to tell what you are looking at.

What are these bumps? Are they a problem?

Do the wall bumps occur in regular intervals? If that's the case, it could be popped nails. If there is a pattern to it, open up the drywall at one of these bumps to see if there is a nail.

Sometimes in older houses, especially if the drywall was nailed (instead of screwed) into the studs and the structure has been working a lot, the nails can "pop", which means they work themselves out beyond the surface of the wall. You can fix this easily by finding the studs, screwing the drywall onto the studs above and below the popped nail (like 2-3 inches away). Then, remove the bumpy material around the popped nail and drive the nail below the surface with a nail set. Finally, patch with joint compound and sand/paint to cover everything up.

Here is a good guide with pictures. This article gets all philosphical about it if you care. Google drywall popped nails to confirm via image search whether this is what you're seeing (scale is hard to tell from your pictures, so you'll be a better judge of it).

This could apply to the walls, and maybe the ceiling, but I've personally only encountered in walls in my place, so I can't say for sure whether your ceiling situation may have a different origin and requires a different fix.

In any case, drywall issues can usually be fixed easily, as long as you have a joint knife, drywall screws, joint compound, and sand paper handy.


Brown, yellow, and orange wires in a wall switch I understand that:

Black wire = hot
White wire = neutral
Green wire = ground

In the wall switch in my condo, there are 2 switches, one with red/brown wire, the other with yellow/yellow/orange wires. Can someone help explain what these colors mean?

First off -- the only guarantees found in North American electrical code are that neutrals are white or grey (but not all whites are neutral) and grounds are green, green/yellow striped, or bare.  Things that are neither ground nor neutral can be any other color -- the reason black, red, and to a lesser extent blue are common is because those colors are what you get with NM cable.

HOWEVER: in a large building like your condo, the wiring will likely be done in conduit instead, which means that you won't find a ground wire (as the conduit subs in for that) and the other wires can be any color whatsoever other than green, white, or grey.

I suspect the yellow wires are hot, by the way, as there are two of them to the same screw on the switch -- that implies that the orange is switched, going off to whatever that switch controls.  It's a lot harder to tell on the other switch, but perhaps the red is hot and the brown is switched? Note that a standard single pole dimmer or switch doesn't care which way it is hooked up -- the two brass terminals or black pigtail wires on the switch or dimmer are interchangeable and equivalent.

By the way, when you do put a dimmer in -- it'd be a travesty if you threw a nice, spec-grade switch with wire-clamp plates out in the garbage and put the cheapest builder-grade trash dimmer in in its place. Get a decent spec-grade dimmer from the likes of Lutron, Leviton, or Cooper; it'll stand a good chance of being move-in-ready for whoever you sell your condo to if/when you move out.  (The switch is good as a spare, too, if say the next person who moves in hates dimmers, or you need it for something else.)


What is the grommet called for a pipe clamp? I bought a pipe clamp and after it arrived I found it does not tightly fit the pipe because I think it is supposed to be used with a grommet.

The problem is that to find a grommet to fit this thing, I need to know what it is called. What is the name of the item I need here?

(Note that it is NOT an electrical grommet. Electrical grommets that fit into a hole in sheet metal are totally different.)

I would go to bicycle shop and get the rubber that goes around the handle bar for mounting lights and accessories or handle bar tape.

Or just use rubberized electrical tape.

Just so this is an actual answer to the question

"What is the grommet called for a pipe clamp?"

That would be a Pipe clamp grommet or pipe clamp cushion.

Perhaps this pipe strap dampener strip will work.

Oooohhh i got it. Cush-a-strip !

Help i cant stop.   Tico clamp strip.


Is it safe to run multiple (four) mains electric cables in a conduit together (heat considerations) I have four 240V mains (United Kingdom) cables I would like to run along the side of a wall in a conduit/conduit(s).

Can you advise if it is safe to put all 4 cables in the same conduit or multiple conduits for heat considerations.

The cables themselves are standard household mains cables (3 mains wires contained inside plastic outer covering).

By conduit I mean a firm plastic rectangular plastic tubing, fitted against the skirting (bottom) of a wall in an internal household room.

Several google searches did not give be specific enough results for my requirements.

Pointers to official BSI/ISO and/or other official electrical safety standards to backup answers would be very useful.

Thank you for your help.

therobyouknow...  If you google search something like " conductor size allowed in what size conduit "  Like I did just now...You will come up with several charts to look at.. like this one.. https://www.constructionmonkey.com/calculations/electrical/tables/wireconduit

I'm in the United States, (and a Trump supporter so you may or may not like my answer, Joking..).. but for example if your main conductor size is #2 gauge,(and the wire size and insulation type are printed on the wire itself to out dummies like me figure this out)...then reading across the chart you would need 1 1/4" conduit for all 4 wires to be run inside safely. This assumes you know what type (copper or aluminium) wire you have and what degrees' in Celsius the wire will be operating at. Also what type of conduit your using and what type of insulation is on the wires, (see boxes above with drop down menu choices)..  in the UK you should be able to find on line similar helpful charts.. Good Luck.. (BTW.. it's NEVER a bad idea to go up one size in conduit sizing.. just to be extra safe and in case you need to run an extra conductor in the future).. .


Is it safe to use a battery charger to test the capacity of a non-rechargeable battery? I have this battery charger at home. It has a voltage test function. I also have a lot of non-rechargeable batteries lying around. Is it possible and safe to use the charger's test function on non-rechargeable AAA or AA batteries?

That charger device clearly states that it is for NiCd and NiMH rechargeable batteries only. It would be a risky proposition to put other batteries in that unit whether they be lithium or alkaline types. I think it would be just too easy to put the unit into the wrong mode.

What you want to do instead is get yourself a digital multimeter that can measure voltage of any battery that you may have laying around. These days you can pickup a suitable device that would fulfill your needs for a surprising low cost. Check out offerings on Amazon for example. The good thing about this approach is that you will find other uses for a digital multimeter once you have it and learn how to use it.


What is this fastener attaching electrical box to concrete wall and how do I remove it? I have a ranch house built in 1985 in Pennsylvania. The foundation is poured concrete. I want to replace one of the electrical boxes in the basement with a 2-gang.

What is the white plastic fastener seen in the photo (there are two). There is a shallow slot across the top of the metal pin in the center, but it doesn't appear to be deep enough to be a screw.

Should I try to unscrew it? Or just pry the box loose?

I call them "pin anchors" but I think they have a longer actual name like "mushroom head drive anchors". The anchor is set by driving with a hammer, but can be "un-set" by unscrewing the pin because it has a twist thread on it. Just unscrew then pry out.


Central Vaccum Wiring use? Our Central vacuum cover lid broke, So I was planning on replacing it. I removed it and noticed 2 sets of wires twisted.

What exactly are these for?

Usually for causing the vacuum to turn on when you plug a hose into the outlet, or plug a hose into the outlet and turn the switch built into the hose on.

It's generally a low-voltge relay setup in my experience.

Normally they would be connected to terminals on the vacuum outlet - not quite clear what's going on if they are just twisted together (and appear to have been painted at some point.) What is your normal procedure to turn the vacuum on - that might shed some light on this odd arrangement.


ideas for using a closed stair This is a 300 years old building split into multiple apartments in the middle of Lisbon. When doing some cleaning (removing some cover tables), what supposed to be a "small" cubicle/closet turns out to be the old access to the top of the building and isis 3 times bigger.

The flat needs some construction work/renovations but now with this weird finding and trying to take more advantage of the space (flat is only 40m2) ideas about needed, below some pictures:

Any ideas about how to take advantage of this space are more than welcome.

My 6 year old grandson would love to make a “fort” there...


running underground electric service to shed on concrete slab I've been searching for information on how to bring electrical service underground to a shed that will be sitting on a concrete slab 12" thick at the perimeter. The shed will sit about 6" in from the edge of the slab. There is plenty of information available on how to run underground conduits but I'm specifically interested in how the conduit passes through the concrete slab so that it is code-compliant (US Uniform Code) and how to prepare for this before the concrete is poured.
Electrical Metallic Tubing can be buried 6" deep.  Can EMT that has been bent into an L exit the face of the slab and connect there to EMT coming from the house, and emerge from the slab inside the shed just beyond the sill plate? Or does the EMT have to emerge outside the shed and connect there to a box and from that box pass through the wall of the shed?

If you decide to use EMT in ground it will need to be buried 18” per NEC table 300.5.
You can bring the EMT up through the slab and bottom plate if you want . I bring conduit into buildings this way quite often. Make sure to allow for your disconnect many jurisdictions require it on the exterior of the structure.
You can bring the conduit up just outside the structure.
EMT coming through concrete is ok per NEC 358.10.B.1
My recommendation would be to run pvc underground and schedule 80 when you come up through the slab if not inside a wall, inside a wall schedule 40.
why pvc? Emt even though it is galvanized will rust out and EMT / concrete / earth although allowed sets up the ideal conditions to rust out so it will not last as long as PVC.  I have had rigid that I installed rust out but I have been doing this since the 70’s.


Tile cracks on a convex edge I am a DIY newbie, and I need help with some damage that starts to appear in tiles along a convex edge.

The corner of my bathroom looks like this (walls, floors and that "cube" are all tiled):

The red areas mark where damage is starting to appear:

And I'm not quite sure what to do. I was told just applying some silicone works great for sealing edges, but

I'm not quite sure how to properly apply it on a convex edge.
I'm afraid applying material on the edge will create an annoying shallow accumulation of water on that "cube", whereas right now the water mostly drains to the floor over that edge.

That edge is hiding behind the cabinet so the issue is not aesthetic, I'm just afraid that the damage will continue to expand and that water might seep through the crack.

This is a tough one. Very odd to have that "cube" adjacent to the tub with a cabinet so close. The cabinet should have been pushed up against the tub and the cube/cabinet gap bridged, waterproofed, and tiled, so there would be no gap.

If the problem were just aesthetic I would say use some porcelain repair, it comes in a bottle with a paintbrush type applicator on the cap. Actually, the stuff dries hard and thin and might actually help with the water penetration issue that is your concern.

Silicone would work too, I would not worry about water pooling because of it. You are actually better off with water pooling where you can see it and dry it up, as opposed to it running off into that small gap and pooling back in that corner on the floor, which will eventually cause you big problems with the floor substrate.

Why is the damage occurring? There seems to be no reason for it. Sometimes bullnosed or V-cap tiles (those that wrap around an edge) crack along the edge due to expansion/contraction or improper bonding, but yours seems to have a grout joint along the edge. The real fix is to tear it out and replace it, and it does not look to be easy because of the location.


Removing switches from 4 way switch We have a situation like the following image:

The only difference is the wire on the far right switch going from the switch up to the light is red instead of black.

All of those switches are powered and control each other but don't control an actual light. My thought is one of the two main living lights may previously had been a fan or something that are no longer there.

The switch in the far right of the image we want to put an insteon scene switch. The top left button would be the on and off for the switch which wouldn't actually control anything, but the 7 other buttons we could program to control scenes in the house.

We want to remove the other 2 switches that are part of the 4 way. If we just cap them all off, then the one on the far right won't be powered up and wouldn't work.

To note, the two we want to remove are each part of gang boxes with other switches so the cables would still be fully accessible later on by taking the switch face plate off for future owners.

So what we did was the middle switch in the image, attached red to red and black to black. That works. For the other switch (far left in image), not sure what we need to do, cap the all off? Attached certain wires to each other?

In the right-hand box -- take the red and black that go to the traveler terminals on the switch, and cap them off.  There will be a likely white wire (hopefully tagged black or red) in that same cable that connects to a black wire -- unhook that nut and cap off the white wire.  This disconnects the switch loop entirely.  Then wire the black that was connected to the likely-white (maybe tagged) wire to the line terminal on the Insteon switch.  From there, you can remove the wire from the common terminal on the switch and connect it to the load terminal on the Insteon switch, and connect the neutral terminal on the Insteon switch to the neutral bundle in the box (with a white pigtail if need be).  Ground the Insteon switch, and put everything back together in this box.

The center box can be left as-is.  In the left box, your job is simple -- take the wires off the existing switch and cap them all individually.


Why is my electric wall oven suddenly causing strong hot chemical odor? Friday solar panel company was in attic crawl space doing wiring for panels.  Solar not yet energized. Sunday used electric wall oven, had very strong hot wire/chemical odor, never had this before. Could the Solar work somehow have disturbed or loosened the wall oven wiring in the attic?

When a new smell emerges immediately after electrical work, and the smell has any chance of being electrical related,  that is an emergency.

Fire inside the walls of a building is the most insidious type of fire, because it can smolder for hours and become fully engaged before it is obvious the building is on fire.  A homeowner can't really fight a fire inside a wall (and sprinklers won't work on it)... but worse, it can spread to the whole house rather quickly, and that can catch you off guard.

It's possible they damaged a cable, or more likely, pulled a wire out of its terminations.  If your range wiring is 3-wire and they damaged neutral, that creates an electrocution risk to boot!

But most likely we are dealing with series arcing from a damaged wire or connection.  Find it, and kill it  with fire (figuratively)... Before it kills you with fire (literally)...


What are these extra tubes underneath the kitchen sink faucet? I know the two tubes on the left side and right side of Arrow 1 are for cold and hot water. But what's the tube pointed by Arrow 1 for?
What about the tube pointed by Arrow 2?
It seems like Arrow 3 points to some kind of filter... I'm not totally sure. Can someone identify what those are used for?

Your faucet has a removable sprayer part.
#2 is the hose that goes to this, it runs through the inside of the faucet and is attached to the faucet temperature valve on one and, and the handheld sprayer on the other end. If you pull the sprayer out, you should see this hose move.
#3 is just a weight. This is attached to the hose to help the sprayer slide back into its normal resting position in the faucet more easily / on its own.
Update based on comment: I forgot to mention #1, which is the same hose as #2. The end of #1 you can see is attached to the outlet of your faucet valve, is looped through the weight, and then we can see it go up again and into the faucet body.


Is it okay to regularly turn off lamps (2) via a power strip rather than their individual switches? Okay, full disclosure: I know next to nothing about electronics. Just trying out my first little amateur diy project: adding lights to my vanity. So here goes my question.

I just bought 2 little clip-on "ETL-listed" lamps to clamp onto the top of my vanity, but they have rotary switches instead of in-line cord switches so it will be hard to reach up to turn them off easily. I'll need a longer cord for one of them anyway, so I was thinking to kill two birds with one stone and get a power strip/surge protector to use as an on/off switch as well instead of turning off their individual switches. My question: Would that be a bad idea??

Because I know you're not supposed to do that with computers, but I don't know if that applies to lamps too. I'm mainly worried about starting an electrical fire, not so much the cheap lamps. The 2 lamps take only one 60-watt bulb each if that's important (planning to use the SORAA A19 11-watt-usage, 60-watt-equivalent LED bulbs).

Oh and side note, it's a wooden (expensive) vanity- is it still okay to attach lamps if that's the case?? The lamps have rubber-coated clamps, and I'm using LED lights, but I'm slightly worried about it turning into a fire hazard.
  I have a 30-day return policy on these lamps. Any info/advice is appreciated!! Thanks!!!!

Update 1 (to address questions in comments): It's a bedroom vanity.

Update 2 (to address questions in comments): in TX, USA.

In most cases, simple switches are equivalent. They break the circuit and do nothing else. So switching (breaking the circuit) further down the line is usually fine.

There are some exceptions, such as dimmers, multi-position switches, and multi-pole switches, none of which seem in play here.

The computer is different because it need to be shut down (program exited) rather than simply turned off. And some computers never really turn off but keep a very low power program running to allow fast start or remote update or activation.

The use of LED bulbs in a socket that is properly rated for incandescent bulbs will likely not generate any dangerous heat when properly mounted. ETL seems to be similar to UL safety listing. You do need to check if the mounting instructions specify minimum clearances.

The only risk you may face is possible damage to the finish of the vanity after long term grip by the rubber coated clamps. Some rubbers and plastics break down or give off solvents over time.


Would insulating a door between my closet and attic help keep the closet warmer? In our new home, in the back of our closet the previous home owner had put that flimsy thin wood paneling as a wall in between the back of the closet and where the triangular part of the roof is about 5ft tall.

So behind that is a finished storage crawlspace area with insulation, plastic vapor barrier and the OSB board.  The OSB boards do not meet flush to each other where there are corners, except the floor.  It looks nice and is well done.

However, in the winter our closet is cold, like you can feel the air coming out when you go to grab a shirt.  The summer (now) it's hot upstairs, more so in the closet.  My question is, what is the best way to go about insulating this better?

I was going to go buy some insulation sheets, just FOAMULAR sheets, and install them on the other side of the closet "wall".  I know that you shouldn't put more insulation over vapor barrier.  Would this suffice in keeping weather temp out or is there a better way to go about this?  Hopefully my description is good enough to picture.

Better sealing is usually step one. You say a portion of the back wall can be lifted out of the way to access the storage behind. This makes me suspect the sealing isn't as good as it could be. (If you have a non-contact thermometer, you could point it at the edges of this removable portion to confirm, and compare to other areas of the wall. Otherwise, you could use you hand, and see if you can feel a draft; this will likely work better in the winter.)

As to how to fix this, you'll basically want some form of weatherstripping. This will probably need to be combined with a latch system to hold the access door shut against the weatherstripping, in order to provide a proper seal.


Locking Sliding Closet Doors I need to lock my bedroom closet doors.  There are two doors that can slide - one door in front, and one door behind. (Bypass doors)
There is an overlap in the center of the two of about 2.5 inches  when the doors are closed.  The track is on the top and they are hollow core.
I need to have the hardware for the locks screwed on the inside or back of the doors so that someone can't just take a screwdriver and unscrew the hardware and get into my closet.
I have researched and searched the market several times and haven't found anything to accomplish this. Can this be a project that has to be made at home rather than purchased?  HELP!!

Here is one option i found.

This lock will work, it comes in brass or silver color. Here is a YouTube video showing it in action.
It only requires a drill, the proper size drill bit or hole saw (1 inch) and a Philips screwdriver.