What else should I check when troubleshooting a light fixture? Yesterday the fiance was in the kitchen and complained that one of the lights (three separate single bulb lights on the same switch that hang over our island) stopped working.
Had worked fine earlier in the day.

Checked the breaker, nothing tripped. This light is on a 3 gang switch plate with two other light fixtures elsewhere in the room which were and are still working fine. Checked the 3 bulbs in another fixture, all fine. Got my voltage tester out and checked the switch for the effected light, both the traveler (1 of 2) and the common have power when switch is on. The other traveler (2 of 2) and the common have power when the switch is OFF. They're never all on together. Light still doesn't work.

Replaced the switch. Problem persists. Thoughts?

Often with light fixtures, each light has a pair of wires that come up and out of the fixture.  You wire all of the hots together with the line hot, and all of neutrals together with the line neutral.  If the wire nuts that connect all of the wires were not installed properly, it is possible that one of the wires is no longer making a solid electrical connection. It is also possible that one of the wires is damaged.

I would suggest that you remove the light fixture and examine all of the connections.  Look for loose wires (you should not be able to easily pull them out of the wirenut), nicks, burns, etc.

If everything is visually OK you should test each wire to each socket with a multimeter. Test for continuity by ensuring resistance goes close to 0 when you make a connection. Repeat this until you find the problem. Make sure the power is off when you do this.


Why is the neutral tied to ground in my home's electrical panel? What keeps the Electric from shorting to ground?  On my electric panel the Neutral is tied to the ground. The ground is a bare copper wire run back to my water main.
a.  Electricity chooses the path of least resistance.  Is the current happier to go back to the power supply rather then ground which is right there in the house basement?
Why does the AC that comes into the house have 2 wires for the Hot leg and 1 un-shielded wire for the Neutral Leg? If it’s tired to ground I guess it doesn’t need to be shielded. But it will still have the same amount of current flow on it as the Hot leg. The Neutral wire is live wire...
Is neutral supposed to be wired/bonded to ground ?

Current wants to return to source, not to earth

Yeah, OK.  Lightning's source is actually earth.  The same be said for ESD, aka "shock on the doorknob" static electricity.

However, for human-made electricity, that wants to get back to the artificial source -  typically the supply transformer.

Transformers are insulated, so the two sides are not electrically connected.  The secondary winding's electrons do not want to get back to the primary.  Unless it's leaking (failing insulation).

The neutral-ground bond

Your instinct is not wrong. You are thinking of an isolated system where none of the conductors contact earth.  I have had three such systems; two are intended and one was a malfunction, a loss of that same neutral-ground bond that worries you.

For instance, the three wires would be hot1-120V-neutral-120V-hot2 relative to each other, but nothing (isolated) compared to earth.  If you grab earth and hot, nothing happens.  Great idea, right?

The problem with isolated systems is they don't stay isolated without active labor of site maintenance electricians, e.g. In a factory.  You end up with leakage from something to one of the wires or transformer windings.  In my malfunction, I had a leak from Earth to Hot1.  So now,

Earth to hot1 is 0 volts
Earth to neutral is 120V
Earth to hot2 is 240V

So now, touching hot1 is safe, but hot2 is twice as bitey. In 230V Europe, "twice as bitey" would actually mean 400V because of their 3-phase.  That's nasty business!

Even worse, what if the leak is in the 2400V transformer?

Earth to hot1 is 2400 volts
Earth to neutral is 2520V
Earth to hot2 is 2640V

Yikes!

So you see, if you leave Fate to choose the first leak, you get Fate's choice instead of your own.  But if you force the choice, you can "peg" it where you want.  Then, the first leak becomes the second leak, completes the circuit, and allows circuit breakers to protect you.   In my malfunction, as soon as I installed the neutral-ground bond, that other hot-ground bond leaked enough current to hard-trip the breaker.

And because neutral is bonded to ground, the hots cannot be more than 120V from ground.  That's the whole idea.

For the neutral-ground bond, we use a strap of copper because it's cheap. But imagine what would happen if we used a 1-volt transformer?

Earth to hot1 is 121 volts
Earth to neutral is 1 volt
Earth to hot2 is 119 volts

Any problem with that?  Nope, this would serve all the purposes of a neutral-ground bond, and would be very useful for troubleshooting.

Once we pick the conductor that is bonded to ground, we name it "neutral". The code books call it the chalkboard-scratching term "grounded conductor", i.e. The active (normal current flow) conductor which is grounded somewhere (but not here). We plan for it to be near ground, but if a neutral wire breaks, neutral may ride up near hot voltage.  That is why we insulate it like a hot.

Your panel has all the neutrals and grounds all mixed on one bar. That's kind of "all your bars being the neutral-ground bond", which is legal, but tacky and misleading.  Best practice calls for rigid separation of these two, neutrals on the neutral bar, grounds on the ground bar (which you may need to buy as an accessory), and one specific neutral-ground bond and bonus points if you can easily remove it or get a clamp ammeter around it.


How to track down control/switch for light fixture We just bought a house and I have a light in our screen porch (aka Florida room). It has a light in the center of the ceiling that I can't identify its light switch.
Thinking it might be the bulb, I pulled the globe down and instead used a non-contact voltage detector after flipping each switch even remotely near it (and some further away thinking it may be daisy chained off of another light fixture). The ceiling isn't going to be easy to get into to track the wires, but I'm afraid that's my only option.
Any hints or tricks for tracking down the power source of a light fixture?

Once you've tried the answer in the comment:
Get an edison screw outlet adapter (basically the bottom half a lightbulb with a socket at the end).
Get an electrical tracer, and attach the leads to some wires poking out of the socket (this just makes it easier -- you could also take the socket down and attach to the wires in the ceiling).  Now wave the wand around and trace the wire.  It should go to a junction box or a switch.


Should I superchlorinate a freshly filled pool? I have a small (2000 gallon) pool that I recently filled.  I put a couple of 1" chlorine tablets into the skimmer 24 hours ago, and even after running the pump all day, my test strips are not registering any chlorine.

Am I supposed to superchlorinate a new pool to get an initial chlorine level, and then use tablets to maintain it?  Or perhaps I should be using more than 2 chlorine tablets?

2000 gals is a lot for a couple of 1" tabs to chlorinate. I put one to two tablets into a 350-gallon hot tub and sometimes even that isn't enough to maintain proper chlorination. I'd be looking at one to two 3" tablets for pretty much anything you'd call a "pool".

The short answer to your question is, yes, you want to put a "start-up" dose of chlorinating agent into your pool to get it to the proper chlorine level (or slightly higher); from there, a "maintenance" dose of chlorine such as from the tablets will keep the proper level.

The longer answer is that there is more to conditioning a pool than chlorinating it. The chemistry beneath the surface has been the subject of many a doctoral dissertation, but the products available commercially, while not idiot-proof, are hard to get wrong if you follow the instructions. The steps you follow, in order, are:

Balance pH - The water should generally be slightly higher pH than neutral, generally between 7.2 and 7.6. Too low and you risk an acidic environment which can damage metal parts like your pump. Too high and the water will cause ichy, dry skin (or in the extreme, chemical burns) because the high pH breaks down natural body oils (a process called saponification, which is the same as is used to make soap).

The typical "pH Down" (acidifying) product for home use is sodium bisulfate, NaHSO4, which is an "acid salt" based on a partially-neutralized strong acid (sulfuric), which works as a weak acid in water. This product, in powder form, is safer to use and store than liquid muriatic (hydrochloric) acid, HCl, which is commonly used in large public pools where you don't have time to mess around with dissolving several pounds of a powdered product. Muriatic acid also reduces total alkalinity (useful if your water comes from an aquifer, less so if you're already fighting soft water from a marsh or river). "pH Up" is typically a weak base, such as sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), while lye (sodium hydroxide) is used commercially; sodium bicarbonate also increases total alkalinity.

Work in small amounts and let the chemical dissolve and mix thoroughly in the water as you go. Also, never pour acidifying products directly into your skimmer; the concentration needed to balance a full pool will make the water in the circulation loop highly acidic for long enough to cause serious damage to your pump's impeller and other circulation parts. Alkaline products, not so much; the alkali metal cation already attached to the hydroxide or carbonate anion is more attractive than the transition metals of the impeller, heater etc, so these are typically skimmer-safe. Just don't ever put any balancing product (any maintenance product, really) in the water while anyone's in it.
Buffer - You need the right amount of alkali metal in the water, and of a "chlorine buffer". Basically, you want the water "hard", but not so hard that you have to deal with scaling on a regular basis. Chloride salts, like calcium and magnesium chloride, both add some chlorine to the water, and more importantly provide a pH buffer with the alkali metal, giving acidic compounds (like many chlorinating compounds) something to dissolve besides the metal parts in your pump. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), in addition to increasing pH, also increases total alkalinity. Too little alkalinity can cause large swings in pH as chlorinating agent is added and then burns off. Too much alkalinity raises pH, reduces the amount of "free" chlorine that can actually do the disinfecting work, and causes cloudy water, scaling, and itchy dry skin.

As for the chlorine buffer (often called a "stabilizer"), cyanuric acid is generally used. Cyanuric acid reacts with chlorine to form stable "chlorinated cyanurates", which are good disinfecting agents and also prevent the chlorine being lost from the water as gaseous chloramines. These products are generally skimmer-safe; you may avoid putting straight cyanuric acid in the skimmer, but cyanuric acid is a weaker acid than hydrochloric (enough that it has a negligible net effect on pH when added to properly-balanced water). Watch the amount of cyanuric acid you put in; unlike the chlorine compounds, cyanuric acid is ridiculously stable and will not "boil off" (which is why it's used), and won't readily react with the alkalinity in the water, so too much of it cannot be negated by adding something else; the only way to get rid of it is a partial drain and refill to dilute it.
Shock - The general goal of "shocking" the pool is to temporarily superchlorinate it, which kills bacteria and algae; the normal level of chlorination is a deterrent to bacterial growth, but certain nasties are chlorine-resistant, and the amount needed to guarantee the water is sanitary is a bit much for humans (and their swimsuits). Shock is also designed to "burn off" relatively quickly, carrying the organic byproducts of bacterial destruction with them (that "chlorine smell" of a pool is the smell of organic chloramines evaporating, the result of the shock doing its job to clean the water). The end result should be clear, blue water, free of chloramines which turn the water green, and with a free chlorine level (unattached Cl- ions) of between 3-5ppm.

A variety of actual chemicals are used to shock water; sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) and the related calcium hypochlorite are definitely effective, but tend to have detrimental effects on swimmers' skin, hair and swimsuits, and the distinctive "bleach smell" which is good for laundry, bad for swimming. Many powdered shocks have more complex, tailored chlorinating chemicals that act as disinfectants but not bleaches. Many powdered shock compounds also include a "clarifier", which is a substance that causes small particles (which normally have a small negative charge and repel each other) to group together into bigger particles, so they won't remain suspended in the water and can get caught in the filter. Most shocks also include a dedicated algaecide (see below). Shock is almost always skimmer-safe, but chlorinating agents can lower pH if there is an insufficient amount of an alkali buffer.

Once these three steps are performed, dip a test strip and verify that the water has the proper pH, hardness/alkalinity, total chlorine, and free chlorine. If there is too much chlorine and slightly low pH immediately after adding the shock, that's normal; within a couple hours of sunlight the chlorine level should go down to swimmable levels (and the pH should go up as the chlorine ions are removed). If there's WAY too much you added too much shock; make sure the pH isn't too acidic (still above 7; add some baking soda to counteract the acidity if it's too low, and you'll need to keep an eye on the pH balance) and keep people out of the water until free chlorine comes back down to 3-5ppm. There are "shock and swim" products designed to be swim-safe very soon after adding them; these usually use a "self-buffering" chlorinating chemical that reduces pH swings and the severity of the free chlorine spike, to prevent harmful levels of free chlorine while still being enough to "shock" the water free of contaminants.
Chlorinate - Most of the chlorine in your water at any given time should be added by shocking it. However, shock is generally short-lived and the amount of chlorine in the water will rapidly decrease after shock is added. To combat the loss of chlorine and stabilize the total/free chlorine levels, you use chlorine tablets, which dissolve in a time-release manner to add chlorine back into the system at a relatively constant rate. The number/size of chlorine tablets you need depends on the size of your pool, whether it normally stays covered or open, how much cyanuric acid you have, whether you have a dispenser (which further controls the amount of chlorine released into the pool by controlling the flow of water into the dispenser chamber with the dissolving tablets) etc. Like I said, chlorine tablets are not a replacement for shock and vice-versa. A chlorine tablet in the skimmer won't harm anything, but it may cause the tablet to dissolve too quickly, over-chlorinating the pool.
Algaecide - Included in many shock products and also available separately, the typical algaecide is a quaternary sanitizer that is more effective against multi-cellular algaes than chlorine alone, and is generally less harmful to humans (quat sanitizers are food-safe where bleach is not). If the test strip says the water's good, but the pool walls feel slimy, a dose of algaecide is usually the answer. Too much algaecide can cause a loss of chlorine (quaternary sanitizers are based on ammonia, and those chloramine gases I mentioned earlier that cause "burn-off" are chlorinated ammonium compounds) and can also mess with pH (remove chlorine from a balanced mixture, and the alkali metals left behind will react with the water itself to form hydroxides, raising pH). Despite this, algaecide is generally skimmer-safe.


Can someone inform me on how to achieve this type of patina on a furniture project I am working on Can someone inform me on how to achieve this type of patina on a furniture project I am working on? I am building a coffee table and tv stand for my bedroom and would like to treat the steel with some sort of finish. I found this piece of furniture (http://imgur.com/vdQM3Vs) and was wondering how I would be able to achieve this myself. I'm really not sure what to search for because I don't know what this look would be called exactly or the anything about the process. Any help would be appreciated.

This is what I am referring to:
http://imgur.com/vdQM3Vs

Looks like an "ebonized" piece. That can be as simple as applying a black pigment or dye stain, or you can get fancy with some woods and do an iron-and-tannic-acid reaction to darken them a bit less unnaturally.

The metal pieces can be bought with dark anodizing or other treatment, painted, or you could try just hitting them with a black marker.

(I'd refer you go the woodworking area, but since this piece appears to be metal and plywood there isn't a lot of woodworking in it. That'd be the best place to learn more about staining and dying wood, though.)


How can I clear a blockage caused by the previous owner flushing grout down the toilet? The previous owner of our house tiled the main bathroom before selling the house and flushed the grouting down the toilet.  This caused the pipes to become blocked.  We've had to break down some of the wall downstairs, cut open the pipes and try to remove the hardened grout, however, it seems that some of the grouting went below floor level and hardened there.

For the minute, we've closed the family bathroom until we decide how to fix it!

We are on a tight budget and not hugely experienced DIYers.

This is really a comment but too long -

I am not sure of your exact situation but normally if something like this happens you call your real estate agent, police, and bank.  You need to file a police report, your real estate agent needs to get a hold of seller's agent (who is ultimately responsible in most states), and you need to talk to bank about freezing any money if you can.  It might be too late for this but I don't know.  But whatever it is the previous home owner (if can be proven) has committed a criminal act.  Not taking action right away hurts your case.

There is no magic to get rid of stuff like grout in pipes.  First any serious chemical I might suggest may damage the pipes.  Second I am not even sure it is grout in your pipes - it could be various types of cement or thinset too...  Then I am not sure to what extent the material got in.   This could go all the way to the street which may cost a lot of money - I have seen a similar scenario run home owner 15K done cheaply.

Also most insurance  companies don't cover criminal acts that aren't reported.  But the issue you have here is that this probably happened before you officially had insurance (that is why I mentioned getting agents involved).  If you have some sort of new home owner's insurance that might cover it but they will basically be going after the previous owner for you.

Right now you need to file a report, take a TON of pictures and video and have a plumber come out.  You can't start hacking everything up or you are making it worse.  The plumber will be able to scope the line to see what the extent of damage there is ($200-300 tops).   The last thing you want to do is repair something incorrectly or cause more damage (overflow) and have it blamed on something you have done.


Best angle to tilt a through-window air conditioner? My last through-window air conditioner started smelling moldy after a year or two. Improper drainage, I guess? The instructions always say to install the air conditioner at a "slight tilt" so the water that collects will drain out the back.

But how much tilt is the right amount? My last air conditioner was tilted 2 degrees, according to a clinometer app for my phone, and it still got moldy. Should it have been 4? 5? 6?

The last window unit I installed stated 5 degree tilt but even this may not be enough in a dusty area where the dust collects and plugs the drain. I would follow the manufacturers requirement and if there are still problems unplug the unit and flush it every month or so to keep it free of buildup that can plug the drain.


Where can I buy a concrete gate post in the style of this 1930’s gate post? We are about to get a wall rebuilt and it would be great if we could have gate posts that where in the same style as the rest of the road.  As I don't know the same of the style I have nothing to start with on google.

I don't know where you would buy it but it would be really easy to pour it.  Just build a box the size you want the post to be.  You could put any kind of medallion or symbol at the top of it.  Pour the appropriate amount of concrete in (probably 2 bags?) Then run a vibrating sander over the outside of the form or box in order to get any air bubbles out.  Let it dry and pull the form off.


Running 240v circuit to detached garage I am trying to determine the best way possible to get a 240v outlet to my detached garage approximately 25' from the breaker panel inside the house.  I currently have 2 separate feeds to the garage now run in conduit. Each 12/2 w/ground feed is connected to its own 20 amp breaker inside the house.  I will still need 120v service for existing electrical devices in addition to the new 240v.  Any way I can utilize the existing feeds to wire a sub panel perhaps???

Note: Existing 120v feeds each serve half the garage.

Thanks in advance!!!!

As far as using the existing feeds to power a sub panel, no you can't. You can't parallel cables that small. The good news is, depending on the size of your conduit, you could pull some THHN in it, after removing the 2-12/2 cables. This could feed a sub panel and then you could reroute your two 120 Volt circuits into the sub panel and also add your 240 Volt outlet.


Can have low curb close to side of toilet? I’m adding a half bath to a finished attic. There is a 9 inch high, 1 foot deep boxed in duct next to where I’d like to put the toilet. Does the toilet have to be 15 inches from this 9 inch high box (it’s below the height of toilet seat), or can I start the 15 inches at the wall? See photo. The pink marks 15 inches from the box. I would prefer to have it where the level is so I have more room for a vanity.

Yes, 15” is required from the center of the toilet to the wall/cabinet.

However, you could raise the toilet 9” to the top of the curb...a true throne.

Be sure to maintain a 6’-8” ceiling height. (Most rooms require a 7’ ceiling height, but there is an exception in the code for bathrooms. See IRC R305.)


strange behavior from LED that replaced CFL so, our home brand new came with CFLs pretty much everywhere (thanks, california).  as they started failing, i've been trying to replace with LED bulbs where possible...and on the front porch, i tried to replace a burned out CFL with this LED:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011Y51AC6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

the other day, my wife came in from halloween decorating to let me know that one of the new bulbs i just replaced had burned out (less than 2 weeks after install).  i went out, turned the switch on, and everything worked fine...much to her amazement/chagrin.

tonight when we came home (after leaving the lights on while gone), the same light was out, again.  i came in the house, and turned off the switch while watching outside...a few seconds after turning off the switch, the bulb flashed once (quickly on then off).  i immediately turned the switch back on, and now the light works again.

any ideas?  what the heck is going on here?  i specifically bought bulbs that are supposed to be ballast compatible, and one of them works fine but one of them seems to be giving us fits...

also, for reference, there are two bulbs on the porch, i replaced both at the same time even though only one had burned out.  the one that burned out is the one that's giving us issues now...the one that was still fine (but i replaced anyway) is the one that has been fine the whole time...

This is G24Q, a dedicated FL mount. It means it's wired to a FL ballast and starter, has a reflector to catch omnidirectional emission pattern of a FL - basically all the infrastructure to run a FL. While it is technically possible to build a LED that can work simulating a FL, it's counter-productive.

If you want to have a LED light, then do it right all the way: remove old FL fixture and install a LED fixture. Incandescent, fluorescent and LED are very different in their principles of operation and every time when you see one tech trying to disguise as another it's a shitty, ad-hoc solution that made compromises to squeeze into wrong niche. Even light emission patterns are vastly different, so the light source not only has to be powered by proper electronics but also positioned right.

BTW, there is very little point of replacing FLs with LEDs. Power efficiency is so similar that costs of the switch are hardly recoverable. LEDs have faster start-up time, so it makes sense to replace ones that are often flicked on and off, but for lights that stay on for long periods, I'd keep FLs. If issue is with light color quality, then look for a better FL. Worst LEDs are much worse than worst FLs here, while best FLs still have an edge over best LEDs. None can come close to an incandescent light, though.


What's the signalling voltage on hardwire smoke detectors?  Mix and match? What is the signalling voltage on hardwire smoke detectors?
Is it acceptable to mix brands?
Is it acceptable to have detectors on different electrical circuits, connected only with an interconnect wire (will that cause the interconnect to be referenced to the wrong ground level?).

Why?
I have an existing hardwire OneLink alarm, and a battery powered slave.  But the corresponding hardwire BRK alarms get terrible reviews (see  Passive-Aggressive smoke detectors for the type of problem).  I'd like to know if I can purchase higher quality units and still interconnect them.

The OneLink alarms transmit extra digital data wirelessly (e.g. the room and alarm type)... do they do that over the interconnect wire also?

The vendor instructions of course tell you to use only matching alarms.

All hardwired alarms are interoperable. If one alarm goes off it energizes the third wire and all other ones go screaming too. I have quite a few hardwired alarms and many of them are different brands.


Replace under warranty Bradford White or get a new Rheem water heater? I have a Bradford White water heater that is about 4 years old, still under warranty, and has started leaking.  My understanding is that it must be replaced.

The plumber I contacted about this told me that Bradford White water heaters are known to fail very frequently usually just after the warranty expires.

He suggested that rather than replace the Bradford White, I have him install a Rheem.

He quoted me roughly $1250 to install a new Rheem, or about $800 to  install a replacement Bradford White.

Do you think spending the extra $450 is a good idea?

Talk to a different plumber. I don't trust anyone who suggests that I replace something that I could get for free under warranty! Even if it's not a good make you'll still get a new one and get another 4-5 years out of it, then you'll be free to buy the latest and greatest which will be more efficient. I'd get someone else to install a warranty replacement and save that money up.


How do I identify what my house is built of under stucco My house is covered in stucco, I need to hang something very heavy on it, but I assume I'll need to know what's UNDER the stucco before I can attempt to hang everything (I'm assuming the answer is different if it's wood versus brick).

So what is the easiest yet least destructive way to determine what's under stucco? Is it just drilling a hole in it and looking then filling in that hole?

Since you're going to hang something on it, you're going to make a hole anyway.  Just make that hole your test hole, and if you hit wood or brick, it will be pretty obvious with even a small bit.  Then get the appropriate bolt/screw for the wall, expand the hole as necessary, and do the install.

I'd recommend against checking from the inside since the first thing you'll see is wood sheathing even if there's brick outside (unless you're as unlucky as me and see sheet rock installed behind aluminum siding, but I digress).  You'd have to go through the insulation, through the sheathing, and through the house wrap, to see if there is any brick or other material before the stucco.  At that point, there's a good chance you'll punch a hole right through the stucco anyway.


Patching around a pipe exit in stucco wall We just purchased a home and the seller hired a handyperson to run a pipe for the hot water heater pressure release. They ran a copper pipe down...at the bottom there's an elbow that's connected to another pipe that exits through a hole they drilled to the outside.  The outside of our house has stucco. What do I do to seal the gap around the copper pipe?  Do I just use some caulk?  I basically want to prevent rain water from leaking into the gap.

A caulk rated for outdoor use should be just fine for this sealing job. If there is any fine particulate in the area left over from drilling through the stucco do brush or blow it away before applying the caulk.


Do I need a 3 wire cable between light fixtures? I am wiring up my unfinished basement for rough-in inspection. My understanding is that to wire 30 recessed lights (9w each), I can wire with regular 14/2, in the image below.

However, my PS Knight code book shows me a diagram with a 3 wire cable between fixtures. Is this necessary?

You only need three wire between the fixtures if the switch is on a branch off from the lamps

supply =2+e= lamp =3+e= lamp =2+e= switch

but new requirements for smart switches require 3 wires to the switch in that setup now

supply =2+e= lamp =3+e= lamp =3+e= switch

That setup is frowned upon these days because CFLs can blink when the switch is off.

You have the supply going direct to the switch (which is the preferred setup) so you only need 2+earth going from the switch
to the lamps

If any of those boxes are metal the earth wire should connect to the box. if not just join it with a wire nut as you show.


How can I improve power quality into my house? I live quite remote and power quality is not great. Currently I run all my computer devices through a 1.5kva UPS after having several power supplies and chargers fry. Since doing that, none of our chargers and supplies have fried but just recently a 2kva autotransformer that was too big to be used on the ups died after only a couple months of usage. I'm assuming once again, terrible power quality is the cause.

This issue obviously is costing me money and a detriment to the life of our tools. I don't know how to test the energy coming into the house and whether our energy company has a responsibility to do something about it if we were to prove it is faulty.

Either way, how can we clean up the power coming into our home and workshop and make it more stable?

Once the basics (grounding, ground-neutral bonding) have been checked, your options with respect to the power company will depend on where you are - in many places there is a public utilities commission (or similar) that may be able to make them take action if they will not do so on their own.

You can rent a power line monitor/recorder to verify if there are issues with your incoming power. They are not stunningly inexpensive to rent, and you'll be better off if the power company can be convinced to park one of their monitors on your line rather than you having to rent one; but it's the only way to actually verify power quality problems - both if there are any, and what type they are.

I personally use several/multiple surge suppressors and surge capacitors (the "surge capacitor" is also labeled as a "facility EMI filter") but without knowing what actual power problems you have, it's difficult to say if those would solve your problems. (Just a happy customer - shop around, you can do better than list price.) They (or similar products mentioned by Ed Beal) certainly would not hurt, and MIGHT help; if DIY installed they will cost considerably less than a week's rental of a power line monitor, based on a quick look for those.


Large concrete patio poured against the foundation - should it be tied to the foundation or not? Over a year ago I had a large concrete patio (24' x 26') poured.

This concrete patio butts up against the foundation of our home.

I'm unsure if it was tied into the foundation of the house or not, but I strongly suspect it was. I wasn't around for the entire installation, only arrived home when the contractor was screeding (unsure if that's the correct term, bear with me) the slab.

I'm worried that if it is tied to the foundation, it'll crack my foundation and cause water to leak into the basement.

The home is 12 years old, proper drain tile setup.

The foundation is wrapped with the dimpled plastic for drainage.

There is no expansion joint or whatever between the foundation and patio because the contractor said the plastic wrap was good enough.

The slab has several control joints.

Slab has rebar and wire mesh in it.

The patio has a good slope away from the house, it has no puddling in heavy rain, etc.

House is built on a hill so drainage in the area overall is quite good.

I live in Vancouver area, Canada. Our average winters barely ever hit freezing.

With all that info, can anyone answer if the slab should be tied to the foundation or not? Thanks!

From my experience they generally are not. Have you tried reaching out to the contractor and ask if this is something they do in general. They probably won't remember your house specifically but you could ask in general.


Should I increase wire size when extending a 75 foot circuit to reduce voltage drop? I have a 1200W smoker which I currently hook up to an outdoor outlet. The outlet runs on about 75' of 12 gauge wire from a 20A breaker. There is nothing else on that circuit. I am moving the outlet to a new permanent location and will be using solid copper wire for the extension.

I want to add my smoker in a permanent spot about 45' away from the outlet. So basically I am moving the outlet, so that will be a total of 120' wire length.

Will voltage drop be an issue for me if I extend with 12 gauge? If yes, will it be ok to make the 45' extension with 10 gauge to keep the voltage drop down?

You could use #12 wire. Your voltage drop will be slightly above 3%, but at the end of a 170' run with 1200w load the voltage drop would be 5%. Code recommends 3% for the feeder and 5% max at the end of the line, but both are recommendations and not hard rules, so 12 will be fine. Since you are only going 120' the actual voltage drop will be 3.5%


Use Hampton Bay in wall ceiling fan remote with Harbor Breeze fan? Edit

I have a Harbor Breeze fan that I lost the remote to. I bought a universal remote that Hampton Bay makes (advertised to work with any fan according to an employee) that can be mounted in a wall plate yet doesn't require wires to the fan and runs off of batteries. The issue is that the Hampton Bay remote uses dip switches and the Harbor Breeze fan uses "smart pairing" by hitting a learn button on a remote.  I looked through both of the manuals and I couldn't find anything helpful in either one.  Is there anyway to get this remote to work with my fan or do I have to find another one?
Fan: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Harbor-Breeze-Merrimack-52-in-Antique-Bronze-Indoor-Outdoor-Downrod-Mount-Ceiling-Fan-with-Light-Kit-and-Remote/4165863
Remote: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Ceiling-Fan-Wall-Control-9050H/202801200?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CTHD%7CG%7C0%7CG-BASE-PLA-D27L-CeilingFans%7C&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2p_43OGR1gIVAotpCh06OQMQEAQYASABEgIcqfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIuSn-DhkdYCFUa1swodBC4Ipg

The switch comes with the fan control you need. You have to replace the fancontrol from the fan with it. I'll include a pic highlighting the part I talking about.


How can I remove graffiti from painted walls? How do I remove graffiti (spray paint and permanent marker) from a wall previously painted with oil-base paint (or perhaps nitro paint - not sure) without damaging the original paint?

I've seen a variety of removal substances on the market, but not sure if they leave the original paint intact. So far I've tried acetone and white spirit - they are more or less effective, but removal process is extremely slow and looks more like an uphill battle than an efficient process.

What ways to remove graffiti from a painted wall are there?

I think your best bet is to just paint over it/re-paint the wall.  On exterior concrete/brick walls it is easy to power wash or sandblast it - the goal is to remove everything. However neither of these will work inside - aside from the mess they'd create, they'd probably take more then just the paint off your walls!

You might find some chemicals to help remove it, but because spray paint is paint afterall, you will undoubtedly damage the paint underneeth it.  Permanent Markers can often be removed with Isopropyl alcohol if the markings are relatively new - you might have some luck with this on the spray paint too. However, with markers, generally speaking, the longer you leave it, the more difficult it is to remove.

By the time you get this stuff off, fix the wall, re-paint the parts that need it, you'd probably would have spent more time then just repainting.


How can I seal doors and windows to keep air out? My problem is that my door has a wide crack under it. It lets in insects and lets out the air or heat. I know you can use a foam seal but need something to go all around the door. I haven't tried any thing yet because I dont know what to start. Can anyone provide a suggestion for the method I should use?

You need to add a threshold to the door to seal under it.  There a number of thresholds where you can then adjust the height to meet the bottom of the door.  Around the other 3 sides you need to add weather stripping.


Replacing a sill, on a factory built Marvin window? The following windowsill, and the ones like on the same building, have failed.  Patching with Smith's Flexible Epoxy kept the sills alive for a few years, but now the entire sill feels like balsa wood and crumbles with finger strength.  These are factory built units that were delivered with the sill and stucco molding intact.

Several contractors have said with Marvin factory built units, there is no option but to throw the entire window unit away.  Are there other options?

The local Marvin dealer tells me the construction of today's windows is identical to the 30 year old models, but that after a class action lawsuit settlement, a slightly better grade of pine is used.  Here's a modern one:

The sill is attached with a few screws and some nail gun nails.

Update #1

Here's what it looks like inside.  The top of the rough opening was flat.  The windows are wedged in tight.  The top plate of the right hand rough opening was gone, the one below has damage but is sound enough:

Update #2

Found out these Marvin windows were installed in 1985.

To answer the way the issue should be fixed is to replace the window. That way the rotted framing can be repaired too without the window in the way or have any fear of having the window drop from trying to undermine the old framing or, if the framing is still intact, if offers access to inspect it properly.

I can see though, it will be quite costly to do.

To repair the sill will be tedious, time consuming, and after all that, still may need to replace the window after all.

You will need to start by removing completely a small portion (12-16") of the window sill to see if the shims that support the window are under the window jamb behind the sill or if the window is supported by shims under the sill itself. It would be a huge help if you removed the trim from the inside too, and if needed, cut the drywall  to exposed the full rough opening to the top of the rough sill. This will be helpful on evaluating all the sill from the interior to the exterior.

If the shims are under the jamb and not the sill, (this is how it should have been set) then the fix may be simpler, and you can move on with removing the remainder of the sill. Please be vigilant on the removal process that it is complete, not a hiding splinter of wood is tucked away somewhere especially in the groove that the old sill tied into, and especially that the new sill will go there too. The screws, nails and any caulk that the old sill had holding it in place goes too. Do be certain that the window is shimmed a few spots in the middle and especially at the ends where the jambs meet in the corner.

Sometime along this process you will have a chance to inspect what you can see of the rough sill that the window sets on. If the sill is decayed, the window should really be pulled and repair the rough sill. My fear is the sill is shot since the window has been repaired before and from the looks of it now the soft decayed wood will let rainwater pass through to wet the framing below it and start rot there.. To have this intact is important in the replacement process.

A sketch will be good for me to issue on the reassembly. If you think you still want to tackle the repair I will try to figure out how to get a drawing to show up here. I am new here and I have yet to figure out how to do some things. The sketch will take time too, I am familiar with Sketch Up, which I have seen used in the forums before.
Just to let you know, this is just getting to the tedious part, what I mention so far is easy in comparison, but this is the type of stuff I enjoyed doing at work when I had the chance.

I added a edited pic that you posted earlier to show how the various parts will fit in their final position. The labeling on the pic should be self explanatory for the most part.

Some details that would not fit on the pic,
the recut of the rib on the new sill needs to make the rib narrower by 1/8 inch, to keep it the same size will make it nearly impossible to get it to engage to matching groove in the jamb. I tried to set a sill to a window on the jobsite before the window was set, I could not get it to go in without a recut. Any slight bow in the sill would drive anybody crazy to get it to set. The rib is important to act as a water stop, so it really so stay intact, just a little narrower

Before all this is set in place and while this cutting is being done, make sure you get enough sill to use as test pieces, say 4 ft. extra, to make a number of 1 ft. test pieces. If it doesn't work mock up another.

Once all is going together properly, set the screws too, but do not caulk it yet, you must get it to fit first completely before you add caulk. When caulk is added between the sill and jamb to bed the sill, that will change everything enough to make it tough to reset the screws. I don't know why, it just does. I have done this stuff before and it is easy without the caulk, but as soon as caulk is added it gets really tough.

To get the angle of the screws to come out of the sill in the exact spot you need, start the drilling from the side the screw will come OUT of. This spot is in front of the rib and just passing by the inside corner of the sill out of the bottom of the sill.  Where it comes out is not that important as long as it is outside of the stucco face.  The most important thing is the sill is tight to the jamb with caulk in place and the screws have the least angle possible to draw  the sill even tighter.


How can I prevent a secondary condensation drain line from dripping down the side of my house? I have 2 central AC units in my 2 story house.  From what I was told by the last AC repair man that visited, each of my ac units in the crawl space/attic has a main drain line that drains directly into one the sink drains in 2 of my upstairs bathrooms. If those drain lines get clogged, there is a secondary drain line that exits the house through the second story eaves.  So I have 2 small pipes sticking out my second story eaves. Recently one of them starter to drip water, which I guess means that one of my main drain lines is clogged. I've already made an appointment to have the that taken care of.  My question involves the secondary drain pipes.  They only stick out about 1 inch, so when the dirty A/C water does drain/drip from them it "dribbles" all down the side of my house, leaving dirty/rusty stains.  What is the best way to remedy this problem?  A small piece of hose?  Extend the drain pipe?

It sounds like the water is running along the underside of the pipe back to the house, instead of free-falling off the end. If that's the case, you could just slip an elbow on to the end and point it down. The water won't be able to travel up the elbow to the wall.


Preparing a deck for staining I have an old deck that was stained 3 years ago.  Some of the stains have come off and the deck does not really look good (living in Canada with too much snow and temperature changes, I don't blame it!)

So I am planning to stain it this summer.  In order to clean/remove the old stain, I came across multiple options:
- Use paint stripper and leave it for 15 min and then wash it off with hose
- Use a sander
- Use a pressure washer

Which one should I use? Perhaps a combination or perhaps all of them?

I read so many websites talking about different ways and I am confused

Your help is appreciated

For a Job like this I prefer using a sander... like the ones for wood flooring as opposed to the chemicals of stripper. Too much mess with stripper, not only that the stripper will seep between the boards and remove that stain and also get stuck in those places too. Too much clean and prep with stripper - not too mention what I was that stuff off into or on to.


What kind of bolt is this? I'm trying to dismantle some wall boards, but I don't know how to remove the pictured bolt - close up attached.
Its head has the dome shape of a carriage bolt, but there is a hole in the center, with a square-shaped pin deeper inside. Note the hole is circular and not hex, so this is not an allen bolt.
Its a wood-and-fiberglass board attached to a metal frame. I would love to cut up the board, but the metal frame surrounds the entire board, and is attached with these bizarre bolts. Any suggestions or ideas would be most appreciated.
Thanks!

This is a pop rivet, not a bolt. It can only be removed destructively.

Drill out the center with a drill bit meant for metal (as opposed to a brad point bit, for instance) until the flange come off. Use a bit roughly half the diameter of the flange.

When the flange breaks free, it will get stuck on the tip of your drill bit, which you will then remove with pliers.


Loose wire caused significant blackening in plug. How much do I need to inspect/replace? The cable coming out of my dishwasher ends in an L5 plug of the type that has screw terminals inside for attaching wires. In my continuing quest to inspect all the accessible electrical connections in my new house due to the number of problems I've found, I opened this plug up. Upon doing so, I discovered that the neutral wire was loose and blackened, and that the entire screw terminal was rusty-looking and surrounded by an area of charring (probably someone who didn't understand that you need to rotate an L5 plug to disconnect it yanked too hard). The external neutral prong was blackened as well, but the blackening was so uniform that it looked intentional from the outside, like they just made one prong a different color.

Obviously the plug needs to be replaced, and the burned wire will need to be trimmed back at least a few inches. And even though it looks ok, given that the prong got hot enough to turn black, I should probably replace the receptacle it was plugged into as well (I think I will actually ditch the plug/receptacle entirely and direct-wire the thing; the manual says that's fine). Is this enough, or should I replace the entire burned wire and/or go through the whole circuit looking for other areas that might have overheated? And is it possible there is damage to the dishwasher itself (it's been running fine, as far as I can tell)?

In case it's significant, I should mention that this is a multi-wire branch circuit where the previous owner/my nemesis had connected both hot wires to the same leg inside the panel. This has been corrected, but the neutral could have been overloaded in the meantime. However, my intuition says if that's what was behind the charring, I'd be seeing it all over instead of at just one connection. Plus, based on their documented wattages, the two appliances on the circuit (disposal and dishwasher) shouldn't exceed 15 amps even when both run at the same time.

L5 is rare in residential.  L5 and hardwiring would increase cost to maintain the dishwasher or disposal down the line.

I would trim the cord like you're thinking, and replace the outlet too.  But I'd say you should install a GFCI there instead of hard wiring it, and here's why:

The dishwasher and disposal both are obviously going to be in contact with a lot of water which (if they break) could leak current to ground through your plumbing (bad bad bad).

It's handy to be able to unplug these things in a pinch, and it's nice to have a second outlet there in case you need to plug in a power tool or a charger or something later.

Unless you would have to move the dishwasher to reach the outlet, replace that L5 with a GFCI.


What is the proper way to clean a water heater? I have heard many times that it is good to clean your water heater about once a year by flushing it. I went to look online to find the proper way to do so and found many people recommending different things for how to clean it.

Turn off the water supply and drain the heater completely
Turn off the water supply and drain the heater by just a couple gallons, then turn the water on and off a few times to try to stir up anything at the bottom to let it drain
Leave the water supply on and run water out of the heater until it clears up

Most of the posts I found recommended the last option, so I decided to go this path. What I found was that all of the water coming out of the hose wasn't very warm (as in it was coming almost directly from the cold water supply) and it seemed to be very clear.

Did I do it right? What is the proper way? As a note, I have a gas water heater that is about 4 years old.

Not sure there's a right way, just people with different preferences. Here's what I think is important:

You need water entering the tank from the cold side, so it should be open for most of the process. The cold line goes to the bottom of the tank, which is where the sediment will be. I personally turn my supply off when first opening my drain in case that valve malfunctions, but I've got a pretty cheap drain valve.
You want as much pressure going through the cold input to kick up the sediment, so try to leave all the valves open as much as possible. If your drain is a little slow, then opening and closing the cold shutoff might be a good way to get more sediment stirred up.
Monitor the discharge. On my next cleaning, I plan to run the hose into the utility sink next to the hot water heater so I can watch the result. Without doing this, you're missing a key piece of data to know when you can stop. I'd run 5 or so gallons after you see it start to run clear.


How does the decibel rating vary with the BTU capacity of an air conditioning unit? Across similar models from the same manufacturer, differing only in BTU, which are quietest when operating at the lowest setting to cool the same room?

In order words, are larger (and more expensive) units quieter (as is the case with computer fans for example), so it's worth paying a bit extra for an over-sized A/C unit, in order to get lower noise levels?

I'm interested particularly in window A/C units.

Home Depot lists decibel ratings, and in this comparison of four Frigidaire models, the largest one (also the most expensive, which suggests they might've included additional soundproofing, or used higher quality components) is half as loud as the others. BTU capacity doesn't seem to correlate with the dB ratings.

When it comes to Haier window units, which specifically optimize for quietness, the 6050 BTU model is rated at 43 dBA, while the 8000 BTU one is rated at 46 dBA.


Seeking good method to locate short on buried AC power cable We have experienced a failure or short in one leg of a buried 3 wire 2.0-gauge aluminum cable that runs 150’ from our house to a detached garage (2 hots and a neutral, no ground -USE-2 RHH 60 MIL XLP).  I hope to locate and repair the short and am looking for your advice and the most economical way to find the short.

The location where the cable is buried can be located from old photos left by the previous owner which show the original trench.  In addition, we have confirmed the location of the buried AC power cables by sending a signal down the lines and picking it up with an AM radio. (We wound a 20-gauge wire half a dozen times around the spark plug cable of our four-stroke lawnmower, attached the other end of the 20-gauge wire to one end of the damaged 2.0-gauge aluminum power cable, started the lawn mower, then swept the portable AM radio over the ground surface near the locations we thought it was buried.)  The mower magneto induced a signal onto the buried 2.0-gauge cable which the AM radio could track over the ground surface.   The cable path is now marked out on the ground.  However, I do not know how to locate the short so we can dig down to the cable and repair the bad spot.

A call to all rental shops in my town, Olympia WA, reveal that I can rent a cable locator, but none of our local rental shops has a fault finder.  Your advice is appreciated.  My own best solution at this point, would require buying a fault finder such as AEMC CA7024 Fault Mapper Cable Length Meter and Fault Locator ($525), Amazon Link,   or Armada GFL3000 Ground Fault Locator ($900) GFL3000 on Amazon

Do any of you have a recommendation for this situation?

Further details: The problems on this line began a few weeks ago when we suddenly lost power on several light and outlet circuits in the garage.  We’ve had a few loaded dump trucks running over the trench line area during our wet spring.  I suspect they may have pushed a rock through or caused a break. The nonfunctioning circuits were simply shut off in the garage at their respective breakers on the garage subpanel.  I scheduled the problem for service.

However, within two weeks the Double Pole breaker controlling this buried 2.0 gauge aluminum cable began tripping at the main panel in the house.  I replaced the original 60 Amp breaker on this cable in the house breaker panel with a new 100 Amp breaker (the 2.0-gauge aluminum cable is rated for 100 amps).  The new 100-amp breaker instantly tripped.  Reset, and it instantly tripped again.
Went back to the garage panel, completely disconnected the A leg or phase of the buried 2.0 cable from the garage breaker panel.  Went back to the house and turned on the new 100 Amp breaker.  It still tripped.  Disconnected the A leg of the buried 2.0 wire from the house breaker panel and turned on the new 100-amp double pole breaker with just the “B” leg connected.  Then went back to the garage subpanel and discovered that the now completely disconnected A leg of the buried 2.0-gauge cable still had a small variable voltage.  Our meter measured 1.5 to 5 volts (variable) between the disconnected A leg and the Neutral, and 2.0 to 2.5 volts between the A leg and ground. There was no voltage between neutral and ground.

The B leg of the buried 2.0-gauge cable measured 118 Volts.  Our multi-meter measured 115 volts between the disconnected A leg and the hot B leg.  When both hots (A and B) of this cable are disconnected at the house breaker panel, then there is no voltage anywhere in the garage subpanel.  We are currently running the garage with only 120 volts (the B leg) of the buried 2.0-gauge aluminum cable remains connected.   What do you think my best option is to find this fault?

Cheapest and easiest: Put a load (e.g., incandescent light bulb) on the short circuit (A to neutral).  Then follow the cable with a non-contact AC current detector.  The detector will stop beeping where the (first) short circuit is, since that is where the current is able to loop back in the cable.

If the voltage across the short is really that low, you may have to use a very low resistance load to get enough current to detect above ground (assuming the cable was properly buried).


How do I build the support structure for a 36"x14' built-in desk? I would like to build a 36 in deep desk into a 14ft wide space that has floor to ceiling windows along the back. My initial idea is put cleat plates on the side walls, then run a 2x6 joist at 12 in from the back, and another 2x4 joist along the front edge. The cleat plate will be anchored with 1/2x4 in lag bolts into existing wall studs. I plan on 3/4 in plywood for the surface. I would like to finish with a laminate sheet on top, and a bullnose trim piece along the front edge.

The load is basic office stuff, laptops, monitors etc. Visually I want to avoid legs or brackets if at all possible, and the 2x6 joist location is limited by some rolling file cabinets.

Will this be rigid enough to prevent the laminate from coming unglued? Is this enough framing to support the load if I choose a paint/stain finish instead of laminate?

This may be ridged enough,  however I would recommend going with a torsion box design.  This is how a professional furniture maker would attempt this.  You can use 2x4 for the "core" and two skins of 3/4 inch ply.  I would put a perimeter of 2x4 around the core (not shown in the picture) then lag bold the perimeter into your studs.  You may have to cut a hole in the bottom skin to make this work.  The key to making this work is to glue (subfloor adhesive) and screw (2") the skins to the core.    Woodworkers have been using torsion boxes for years to create large desktops.

If you are using standard 8' plywood for the skins you will probably want to stagger the seams between the bottom and the top tortion box.  For instance in the top use 2 7' pieces of ply.  In the bottom skin use a 3' a 8' and a 3' piece of ply.

This will probably be your safest best.  After you build it and before you install it you can test it out with two saw horses.  I would be very surprised if it did not hold 200 lbs or more.

if you are still worried about flexing move up from a 2x4 to a 2x6 for the core and you should be able to support several people standing on it.


Shearing a wall smart DYI project? I'm pretty handy and can follow engineering plans, but wondering whether taking on a sheer wall project is something an advanced DYI'r should take on?

There are a lot of details to consider, but if you can follow plans you can probably get it done.
Last year I designed a garage myself but needed to have the front wall engineered for both wind load and shear.  I tried to do the calcs myself but the city wanted a structural engineer to sign off on it.
Anyhow, while the plans weren't that complex on paper, building such a large wall and doing some more complicated framing up high was a big job but I got it done.
So if you have the specs, and can follow that you'll be fine.
There are so many variations on shear walls it's too hard to say just how easy or complicated it may be.  Some require additional fastening to the foundation, some require a lot of metal strapping.  Some require structural sheathing to be used on both sides of the wall or a closer nailing pattern.
I'd say give it a go!


Sink overflow drain not cast all the way through I have two sinks which are part of the countertop (single unit/casting). One sink is perfect. The other has never had a working overflow. I thought it was clogged but it appears that the overflow hole was not cast properly. I can see where it stops and it looks like the ceramic the sink is cast from.

Is this a problem that I can solve without replacing the sink?

My next step is to take the drain out and see if the overflow cast underneath the sink goes through to the vicinity of the overflow inlet or not.

Probably not, unless it's just lightly plugged with a thin flash (eggshell thickness or so) you can break through without breaking the overflow channel (either out to the underside or in to the sink bowl.) If it's a plug of thickness similar to the channel walls, I doubt you'll get through it without going wrong in one of those directions.

This should have been inspected and found at the time of original installation when it would more easily have been resolved by return to the supplier for a correct one. If you have a really top-notch supplier that might still be possible.


What is this and how can I remove it? I have a very small combination bathtub/shower. There is not much room to begin with and I am already bumping and banging into things. There are two what I'll call "racks" on the wall inside the shower/tub. Here is the first one, which we use to keep towels on:

Then, there is another rack, this is the problematic one...

I bang into this second one constantly while washing... Is there something I can do to remove it without making too much of a mess? We have two in there, shouldn't one be enough anyway? We have another storage thing inside anyway:

Those are ceramic towel bar posts.

This type of towel bar is set in with the tile, a tile is cut so there is a space for the towel bar ends to "seat" into, held in by the grout.

If it is removed you may crack or break some surrounding tile, at the least there will be missing tile where the rack was.


Should I avoid working on my newly installed patio stones? I am going to install a brick patio using basic patio stones, and then I'm going to build a fence around it.   Which should I do first?

More details
The fence will be wooden with 4x4 posts every 6' that are concreted in. The fence is going to be 8' tall; it's actually a privacy fence around the patio.

The patio will be made from basic 12"x 12" x 1.7" patio stones. I'm going to do it the right way (as best I can): 4" sub-base, then 1" sand, no space between the stones, use nice edging, finish with the polymeric sand on top (for what little spaces may be there).

My concern
I build the patio first, it's beautiful and strong. But then I build the fence around it, and all that foot traffic on it, especially on the edges, somehow damages the new patio.

Current plan
1. Install posts
2. Lay sub-base
3. Build fence
4. Re-compact the sub-base (now that I tripped on it for a few days building a fence) (annoying since I already did this)
5. Install patio stones
6. Enjoy.

But if what I'm afraid of is silly - that working on a patio that was installed correctly would be damaged by walking on it while working - then please tell me.

I guess another way to ask the question is, what would you do?

If you're careful it won't matter too much if you do the patio first. What you do first depends a lot on how close the fence line is to the patio. Digging post holes and pouring concrete can make a mess and you'll want to keep access open to bring material for the patio into the worksite.
Having done a few of these jobs I would suggest that you first dig your post holes and concrete in your fence posts. This will get the digging and concrete pouring out of the way beforehand. I would then lay the patio. It will be easier not having the fence in your way as you bring in pavers, sand, etc. After the patio is done finish the fence.
Good luck.


Deck Footing capacity with BigFoot base I'm planning a new deck (completely replacing and enlarging an existing deck).  The deck will be 25'x15' w/25 ft being attached to the house.   I'm trying to determine what footings are required.

Local code requires going down 48" and the soil is rather sandy (I'm assuming 2000psf capacity).  There will be a 1' cantilever on all sides.   Height is low, between 20" and 32" depending on side.   I'm planning on 2x8 framing with double 2x8 beams and notched 6x6 posts with joists running on top of the beams.  Posts would be anchored on top of the footings, not embedded.  Due to a potential snow load, I'm aiming for 80lb load.

Deck planning software tells me do two rows of 6 footings, one at 7 ft and another at 14 ft from the ledger.   6 footings would put them at 4'7" apart.  I would like to use 10" sonotubes to reduce the amount of concrete,but using the calculator at http://www.ideasfordeckdesigns.com/calculators/deck-load-calculator.php with that setup gives me a minimum size of 13".

So this question is two parts.

1) Can a 6x6 post sit on a 10" round footing in general?

2) How would using the BigFoot system impact the footing capacity?  Since it's 25" wide at the base, does that significantly increase the capacity of the footing?   I'm unsure of how it impacts the calculations, I assume it increases the amount of load the footing could take, but couldn't find a reference that said that in a language I understood...

Bigfoot-style post base:

It is a little small, but yes you can support a 6x6 post on a 10" diameter concrete pedestal. However, any steel hardware you embed in the concrete to attach to the post needs to have proper clearance from the edge of the concrete.  Code requires 2" clearance. Something like a Simpson PBS66 would work.  Make sure you consolidate the concrete well, so you don't get voids around the top of your pedestal. Also, slope the top of the concrete slightly away from the base of the post.
Not sure what the "BigFoot System" is, but to determine your footing capacity determine the area at the bottom of the footing (in square feet) and multiple that by your allowable bearing pressure. You stated you are using 2000psf allowable bearing, which seems reasonable for a footing bearing 48" below grade on sandy soil. If your footing is 25" by 25" your allowable bearing capacity would be 8,680 pounds. You then calculate your post load, which must be less than your capacity. To calculate your post load, first determine the tributary area to the post. This is simply 1/2 the joist length on each side of the post times 1/2 the beam length on each side of the post. Since at your maximum loaded post the joists and the beam span the same amount on each side of the post, the maximum tributary area is 7' times 4.6', or 32.2 sq. ft. The uniform load on your deck is the dead load plus the live load, or the dead load plus the snow load. The dead load is the weight of the lumber, and 10psf is a conservative value. The code required live load for a residential deck is 40 psf. I don't know where your live or what your snow load is, but you could call your local building department to find out. Considering dead plus live load, your maximum post load is (10psf + 40psf) x 32.2 sq. ft. = 1,610 pounds.

My suggestion would be to only have five footings in each row. They would be spaced 5'-9" apart. Not sure what kind of wood you are using, but your double 2x8's should be strong enough.

The code also requires special attention for the attachment of guardrails to the deck and for the attachment of the deck to the house. Check out Simpson's DTT2Z and DPTZ.

This is actually a fairly complicated problem, so consider having somebody review your final plan.


Is it legal to wire a bath fan using load from top of GFI outlet? Purchased a place and we are re-wiring the bathroom and putting in a standing shower. The bathroom is quite small so there is just enough room for this. There is a dedicated circuit, a round box above the medicine cabinet for a bar light, and a shower fan+light above the shower rough-in. They are both fed from a box near the sink which contains a double switch and a GFI outlet. The top of the double switch will control the vanity light, and the bottom will control the fan+light.

I was told that it is illegal [in PA] to wire the shower fan+light using power tapped from the GFI outlet. Is this true? Essentially, if the bath fan+light were to short [water] it would trip the GFI found near the sink....or vice versa if the GFI outlet is tripped from water [hair dryer]. Since the vanity light would not be behind the GFI, it would stay on if a trip occurred....or i could wire that GFI too if needed.

If this is illegal, is there an alternate way to protect the fan with GFI without running ~30 feet more wire to a GFI breaker? This seems extremely overkill to run all that for just a bath fan that is already designed to function in a steamy environment tapped from a GFI that is already there. Thanks.

The real answer is "it depends on what else that circuit does". According to the NEC, if your outlet circuit goes to more than one bathroom, powering the fan/light from it is a violation. If it's only in that bathroom, you may be able to do this without violating code, but I'd recommend consulting a licensed electrician for advice, if nothing else.


How can I secure a table that is hanging off the wall via four screws (2 on each side) from slipping away? I have just installed a table that sits on four screws.
Two of the screws are a little tilted and I want to avoid having the table slip off them.
If I could redo this, I would probably use some fasteners but I don't want to rescrew those if I can.
Is there a screw plate or a wire that I could wrap around the ends of the screw to reduce the chances of the table slipping off?
Thanks!!

The 4 screws you installed will hold the desktop to those metal supports. The screws should be long enough to pentetrate at least 3/4 in.
The real issue is how are you mounting/attaching the support to the wall.  The metal support should be mounted on the wall first at the height you want snd leveled.  You need to located where the studs are behind the drywall.  Studs are normally 16" on center. So find the two studs, 48 in. apart.  Use 5/16- 2 1/2" long lag bolts to screw the support to the wall.  After the support are installed, place desktop on support and rescrew the desktop to the support.  Odds are that you will have to s crew in at new holes.  Not the one you are using now.


How do I set up drains for a flat roof? In the house I'm building, I will be using a flat roof with a parapet around it. The total area will be around 120 sq meter and the roof will be a concrete slab (at least 8 cm).

What is the best way to drain it? People in Brazil don't like to use those kind of roofs so I can't get good info on the subject.

I will be waterproofing it using some type of asphaltic membrane rools that are covered in alumminum foils (for protection).

I'm on the starting phase of the construction, so I'm quite flexible with what I can do, but here we don't have fancy siphonic drains, mostly PVC pipes are used (100 and 150 mm).

BTW: If possible I don't want anything inside or below the concrete slab (I'm partial to scuppers).

EDIT: What about this idea: make the whole roof sloped (2% inclination) towards the back, and there use a single gutter with a tube down each end? Is that good design? I know that one end of the roof will be almost 30 cm higher than the other (the lenght is 13,5 meter), but since I'm at construction phase I can make the roof concrete slab sloped from the start.

In my country, people prefer scuppers and PVC pipes. Make the floor sloped to four corners. Make gutters at the four edges. That's to say, the center point is slightly higher than the four corners and edges.

Edit: Do you want exterior eaves? If you do, you can have scuppers there. If parapet is solid, you might have to make scuppers on the parapet. Exterior pipes are suggested as you can easily handle the clog. Not only make the roof sloped, but also the gutters inclined towards the scuppers.


thermostats for high desert climate We live in Spokane, WA, a high-desert climate.  We don't need a programmable thermostat, but we do need one to keep an constant ambient temperature range. This may mean A/C during the day, and heat at night.  We have a heat pump.  What feature on a thermostat would allow us to automatically switch between heating and cooling?

The feature you want is referred to 'Auto Changeover".  But this feature is usually only on the higher end programmable thermostats now.


Do Knockdown texture walls and ceilings usually contain asbestos? My girlfriend recently has asked me to undertake some DIY work around her house for her parents. Now if have a respirator that protects from any dust or airborne hazardous material. Problem I’m encountering is that I suspect due to the age of the house (1955) that the textured walls will have asbestos. I’ve looked across different websites and there’s absolutely no information about asbestos being used in knockdown textured walls. Even google thinks I mean popcorn texture. I know what companies mainly used it but none mentioned Knockdown texture. Can someone with a bit more experience with this possibly help me out this this and is there a reason no one mentions Knockdown texture walls in regards to containing asbestos and just mentions popcorn ceilings?

Kind regards
Chris

The answer is it may have asbestos in the mud that was used for the knockdown texture if built prior to 1980.

Most earlier joint compounds did have levels of asbestos in them, I am not sure of the amount and I used to sand walls all the time in the 70’s and most of the time did not wear a mask, today any kind of sanding I use a dust mask we get smarter as we get older and realize we are not invincible. I would get the material tested to be sure as not all mud was made with asbestos.


Why do LED retrofit instructions say to leave the ballast in the fixture? I'm looking at retrofitting fluorescent fixtures in my basement for single-ended LED tubes. The electrical and wiring concepts I have down; I could probably do it with my eyes closed (but anyone working on line voltage circuits with their eyes closed is an imbecile that deserves what's coming).

What I don't get is that all the instructions have you cut all the wires right at the ballast (makes sense, so you have longer wires to work with)... but then many of them go on to explicitly state to leave the now-useless ballast in place! It'd make sense if they had you cut maybe 4-6 inches from the ballast, so it could be wired back in in the future if desired, but with nothing but wire stubs it seems to me the ballast is a useless brick in the fixture. Is there some code/safety/etc reason I'm not seeing that mandates keeping a paperweight in your fixture? Or is it okay to just uninstall it entirely and send off to e-waste?

For reference, I'm in the US (in case it's an NEC/NFPA/whatever code requirement). If it's due to a code requirement, insight into the logic behind said code would be appreciated too. I know most codes, even the arcane, archaic, and convoluted ones, have (or at one time had) a basis in personal or fire safety, so I'm curious.!

EDIT: I've added a picture of my fixture... It looks like there was an old ballast in there, possibly magnetic, and they did the same thing: cut it out electrically but leave it mounted. I'd be quite happy to remove both.

First, that fixture looks permanently hardwired.  If so, you'll want to add a ballast disconnect. Code requires it, unless you argue that the fixture is now ballastless. But it's so darn convenient that I add them immediately upon starting work, and then, turn the power back on!

Cutting the wires off at the ballast is someting I only do to ballasts which are dead. It's already been wirenutted from the previous ballast swap, I would just do it at the wire nuts.

Generally, ballast instructions are generic and simplified, try to come up with a universal instruction and you can see where it's hard.   Potential reasons for the "leave the ballast" instruction include:

different ballasts require disposal in different ways, and it's complicated and they don't want to open that can of worms
in particular, they don't want to scare the hell out of people with talk of PCBs
it may greatly reduce the weight of the fixture, with unknown consequences
it will shift the fixture's balance point, relevant to chain-hung fixtures
removing the ballast may leave holes on the fixture uncovered, which Code would disallow
in some bad installations, the screws holding the ballast also help hold the fixture to the ceiling.


Damp patches in basement floor I pulled up some old foam-backed carpeting in my basement laundry room to replace.  The concrete slab is old, and had crumbling concrete patch work, so I set to scraping that all up, seems the more I scrape, the more comes up.  AND, all the scraping has revealed 4 small (golf ball sized) patches of damp concrete.  Damp to the touch, but not wet, really.  A paper towel comes away dry.  A few had a small amount of mold under the broken concrete patch.  I cleaned up the floor as best I could and have been running a de-humidifier down there for 4 days, with no change.

I was planning on patching up the broken up areas, enough to level it for some more cheap carpeting. It's the laundry room, I'm not concerned with perfection, but now I have two worries.  First, is my house going to float away if I don't spend $20,000 getting my floor ripped out, new drains installed, etc.?  Second, if I wait til a dry spell, seal the concrete with something, fill with concrete patch and lay down some carpet tiles, will I go to basement water-proofing hell?

Fact#1:  the basement isn't really damp other than the floor patches.

Fact#2:this part of the house is old.  Real old. (1880)  The floor looks to be block with a thin concrete cap, though, so maybe its been re-done. Fact#3:  There is a sump pump, sitting below the floor level, functioning properly, and I can see 2 drain tile openings in the basin.  Water looks to be dripping from them, so drainage is working at some level.

The slab in question is smallish, about 100 sq ft, about 2 ft higher than the rest of basement, ( 2 steps up) which is a finished rec room with linoleum finish on floor. The concrete cap is pebbled concrete work, and looks like smooth concrete troweled over to patch in some areas.

Any educated thoughts would be wonderful

Moisture is coming up through the concrete from below. This is normal in the wet season depending on your area.

NEVER put carpet on a basement floor. It is just a really bad idea. It is a sponge for everything from a leaking water heater, to moisture from humidity in the summer to pet urine, etc. It also hides problems like this until they become moldy and unhealthy.

Clean and patch the floor as best you can and stain it (best) or paint it with epoxy basement paint (better than carpet). If you get moisture in the future it will not damage stain but it may make a small area of paint peel.

Any way you go the moisture is going to continue coming up through the floor unless you hammer up all the concrete and re-pour it with a plastic vapor barrier under it. Modern building codes require a vapor barrier under basement floors to prevent these problems.

Good luck with your project!


Is it reasonable to create a 30amp branch circuit for the purpose of feeding the panel from a generator? I recently purchased an 8kW generator (Briggs and Stratton). It has a 4-wire twist lock outlet that can handle 30 amps.

Suppose I were to:

Run a 10/3 NM cable from the panel in the basement out to the garage. Not actually connecting anything, just running the wire along the basement ceiling, where there are other visible NM cables (so I assume it's within code), out to the garage. The length of the cable run is about 50ft
Hire an electrician to terminate the cable with a 4-prong outlet in the garage, and connect it to the panel with a 30-amp breaker. The purpose of the outlet (and the entire circuit) would be to connect to the generator to power the panel during power outages.

First and foremost -- yes, I know that the main breaker MUST be turned off when backfeeding the panel from the generator. This is the most important consideration. The instructions for using the generator would be as follows (clearly outlined on a placard next to the panel, with pictures, and appropriate breakers labelled clearly):

Switch off the main breaker
Switch off all non-essential circuits, which will be labelled. Most important are the sump pump, well pump, HVAC blower, and refrigerator
Switch on the generator breaker (the 30-amp circuit mentioned above)
Power on the generator and connect it to the outlet in the garage

My questions are:

Is that a reasonable plan? Has anyone tried anything similar?
Should I use 6-gauge or 8-gauge cable instead of 10-gauge? 10 is rated for 30amps, but would voltage drop be a concern?
Is it correct to assume that it's OK to run NM cable along the (unfinished) basement ceiling? I see other NM cables from the other branch circuits there so I assume it's within code
What are the considerations for transitioning the cable from the basement ceiling out to the adjacent garage floor? There is ductwork that makes the transition from basement-to-garage through this wall currently, so I think I can "follow" the duct out through to the garage. I assume I should install some PVC conduit to run the wire through this transition?
Is this just a bad idea and I should just get a transfer panel installed?

NO.

What you are describing could potentially kill the folks that are trying to help restore power to your home.  You're also creating a situation where you could easily overload your generator.

To do this the right way, you'll need to install a transfer switch. Transfer switches allow you to switch between two source of electricity, while mitigating any hazards associated with using a secondary source of power.

The transfer switch will be wired in such a way, that backfeeding and/or overloading the generator will be prevented (without a lengthy start up procedure). Once the transfer switch is installed, you'll simply have to...

Connect the generator to the inlet in the garage.
Start the generator.
Flip the switch(es) at the transfer to the GEN position.


2-prong cord but 3-prong outlet I received a new Insignia Voice Speaker for work.  It has a 2-prong cord, but all of my office outlets are 3-prong.  I'm not finding a converter for this arrangement.  Is it safe to plug the cord in as is?

As already pointed out, yes you can. But maybe understanding the why will help:

From this article, "https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/question110.htm"

"The idea behind grounding is to protect the people who use metal-encased appliances from electric shock. The casing is connected directly to the ground prong."

So, chances are the device you are using would not electrocute you if a wire became loose inside and touched the casing. That is why there is not a need for the ground prong.


2 prong wiring nightmare I went to open up my outlet to see if it has a metal box. The previous owner wired in 3 prong outlets. I look and there is no ground which i suspected. But they also have 2 neutral electrical tape "spliced" into one neutral and same for hot. When i pulled out the outlet thr neutral snapped off, so i put electrical tape on the broken ends and put in child protectors until its fixed. Is it ok that hot is still connected as long as its not used? Not sure what to do with this now. Originally i just wanted to add ground to the metal box and maybe switch to gfi to help protect electronics. But what a mess.

Update: its 3 and 3 not 2 and 2 spliced into single wires. Wires are old copper with fabric. What can i use to properly connect all these? I should also note these old outlets hook into circuit breaker not fuse box but i have yet to see a grounded outlet.

Good news: it's fine as-is.

Bad news: Taped connections are fine IF they are either crimped or soldered. 3 wires just twisted together and taped are not ok.

More bad news: A metal box means nothing. A grounded outlet requires a ground wire. If you have a ground wire running to the box you don't need a metal box (plastic is fine). If you don't have a ground wire then you don't get grounded outlets until you run one there.

Even more bad news: This probably isn't the only surprise the previous owner left you.


3" Electrical box has diagonal mounting holes. Need horizontal. Any adapters? I have a couple of bathroom light fixtures above the mirrors. They are mounted to 3" boxes with diagonal mounting screws in opposing corners of the box. My light fixtures have the mounting holes horizontal. Are there adapters for this? Again, the boxes are old 3" electrical boxes with holes 2.75" apart.

Yes, such an adapter exists -- its called a "universal" or "all-purpose" crossbar, and looks like this:


Is it safe to remove the bottom chords of a series of garage roof trusses? See attached picture. Looks like an 8x10 cut-out. He wants to lift cars up so he can walk under them.
Is this safe? Doesn't removing the joists affect structural integrity?

Absolutely not safe.

Those trusses were engineered with a heavy (critical) dependency on the bottom chords, which are in tension. Removal has left them extremely vulnerable to collapse due to spreading, especially under snow loads, but also under just the load of the roof itself. The roof system is basically a hinge now.

To get a good mental image, picture yourself standing on an ice rink and sliding your feet outward. How far do you get before your groin starts to scream at you?

Best case scenario, that ridge slowly sags over the opening and looks ridiculous. It will push walls around with it, cracking drywall and binding windows. Worst case, full collapse. Death. Destruction. Worst of all, humiliation.

Repair will require new lumber installed with a suitably fastening system, such as construction adhesive and through-bolts. It may be necessary to winch the walls back into alignment first if sagging has already begun.


Best Light for Reading, Computer Office: Flat Panel or Dome/Global Light We are thinking of installing new ceiling lights, in Standard 10 feet ceiling. We originally have 4 inch diameter light in the hallway. My son would keep the door open to prevent getting hot, however this hallway light was hitting the side, peripheral of his eye, very small and lot of light would radiate from a small point, and it would hurt eyes.
I was looking into two other options.
a) A Larger Diameter commercial light (11 inches)

b) Or a Dome Global Light:
we will get 11 inch version, it has around 3 inch height

Just curious, whats good for lighting ergonomics,  a Flat led light or a Globe/Dome light? I know they have flat ceiling lights in offices, however a Global Light may have more surface area, and may radiate better. Maybe someone who's installed lighting in homes/offices would know.

Note: My ceiling does not have height thickness to put a recessed light in a recessed fixture.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-11-in-12-5W-Dimmable-White-Integrated-LED-Edge-Lit-Round-Flat-Panel-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Light-with-Color-Changing-CCT-74210-HD/301757622
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-9-in-2-Light-White-Mushroom-Flush-Mount-RS1951204/310507070

We do not use lights that have the bulb (or tube) exposed. That bulb will put a shinny spot on the computer screen.
Try a recessed bulb in a recessed fixture, like this one:
https://www.build.com/product/summary/1499651?uid=3513755&jmtest=gg-gbav2_3513755&inv=1&&source=gg-gba-pla_3513755!c1710656546!a75290221828!dm!ng&gclid=CjwKCAiArbv_BRA8EiwAYGs23HrTE3bSCYbvezHtce-yRTmyFcPMvnGk93TFfGSOx68AzlEHzSsG9BoCyUYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Computer screens are getting better nowadays, but a bright bulb will still be a problem due to reflection off the screen.


How can I reattach sliding drawers which have damaged their screw holes? We have a set of sliding kitchen drawers which came loose, probably due to overloading, damaging the holes which they screwed into, as in this image:

The screws themselves look like this: (apologies if "screw" is the wrong word)

We reordered the drawers to make use of the remaining undamaged screw holes, but they've come loose again, and now there are no undamaged screw holes to use.

Is it possible to repair the damage, such that we could reattach the sliders, or do we need to replace the whole enclosure?

I think you have two options here.

Either you repair that hole by filling it with epoxy resin or another suitable filler. After that you may have to drill it again to make sure it has the right diameter and position.

Or you drill a bigger hole and use an insert nut (see wikipedia). Then you also have to replace the special scew depicted by a suitable countersunk machine screw. Of course it depends on the thickness of your board, whether you can use an insert nut.


How to add bars or strengthen a sliding door? I am trying to secure a home, by adding bars to the windows, and metal door to the front, as well as added locks to the garage door.

The back door has a glass sliding door. I can strengthen this with some extra lock on the interior, in the floor, or piece of wood, or suggestions here but that still presents thieves with a large area of glass to break through.

Is there any product that either, serves the same function and is an easy replacement for double sliding doors, that is strong, or that can be added to the outside or inside, making it very difficult to break in?

If youre worried about someone breaking a glass door, stop.  First of all, there are much simpler ways to de-track a slider. Second, you can put all the bars you want on the door, but the thief can still break the glass and reach inside to release the lock & catch.

Similarly, garage doors are by design (for lightweighting) easy to crumple or kick in.

The simple fact is that a determined and experienced burglar knows more ways to get in, without doing significant damage or making noise, than you can imagine.  Unless your neighborhood has a history of breakins, it's not statistically worth while to take any extreme measures.  If anything, install an alarm system with automatic calls to first responders.


Cover required for octaginal box I need to purchase the conversion cover discussed when an octagonal box is used to hold a duplex receptacle. Article stated it was new but could be found online. Please supply e-mail address. Thanks.

link to website, not an endorsement as these are available at practically any electrical parts supplier or hardware store.


House water supply "mystery branch" upstream from shutoff valve I have a 1953 ranch with daylight basement. Pictured below is the point where (I believe) the water main enters the house horizontally (water meter is out in front lawn at ground level, aligned with this entrance). Upon entering, there is a T branch. Upwards pipe goes to a shutoff valve, while the downward branch disappears into the floor and is upstream of the shutoff. I can't figure out why this was done this way. It's possible I have it reversed and that supply comes out of the floor and then goes back out of the house at the T, again before the shut off valve. I am trying to track down the many possible causes of a damp floor in this area and would like to understand why this was done this way before going further. Thanks in advance!

UPDATE: I have called a plumber (I don't want to DIY myself into a bigger mess on this particular project) and will update once I get an answer.

And the answer is.... water line comes in horizontally. BUT, a shocking discovery made by my plumber while sorting this out. Somebody else in the past had the same idea as me and started to remove the downpipe, then abandoned the effort. They made a horizontal cut into the pipe below the T, from behind. It was not easily viewable from the front. I put a feeler gauge into the cut slot and it appears to be DEEPER than the pipe wall thickness. Basically, it's just rust and gunk that has kept the water from exploding out of that slot. I've encountered my fair share of home improvement crime scenes over the years, but this one is right up there... a glob of rust away from disaster.


Is this 110V switch "safe"? This would presumably be installed in a door jam to turn a light on/off when the door is open/closed. It works on 110V with a maximum current of 2A. All of that is fine for my application (125mA LED light).

But is this safe/legal/to-code? The wires are not shielded, and not long, so they would need to be extended, which would require a junction box, right?

Edit: How to use good wiring methods for a closet light switch with a door reed switch or plunger.   The key is work in low voltage.

First, keep in mind Code has a thing or two to say about closet lights, so the heat of the light doesn't start a fire, and even more about mains wiring in closets.

Option 1: use low voltage lighting off a transformer or power supply located at the mains supply. But watch it, low voltage means high current!

Option 2: bring mains power to the light fixture, mount an extension octagon box on the fixture box, and something like a RiB or Aube transformer-relay combo device. These either mount in a knockout on the junction box, or on the cover of a 4" square junction box.  They are made for this use exactly.

The RiB's cost as little as $16 but most of this equipment puts the mains wiring inside the junction box and the low voltage wiring outside as code requires.  RiB does not.  Ask a local electrical supply house (not big-box store) if they have any magic junction boxes to solve this.

See where it says "Sold By" and the next word is not Amazon?  This is Amazon Marketplace, which is on the same level as eBay and AliExpress.  That gomi doesn't even come close to meeting the standards for equipment used in mains wiring.  In NEC, this is covered in Article 110, particularly 110.3 where equipment must be listed by an independent testing lab such as UL, CSA or German TUV. (note CE is not a testing lab.)

Mind you, *components** are not equipment.  If it's sold at Digi-Key or Mouser, it's a component.  You use equipment, not components, in mains wiring.  So what does a UL mark on a component mean? It means UL has already done performance, insulation, toxic smoke etc. testing and will not need to redo those tests when certifying your equipment.

Equipment used in mains electric is sold at your friendly neighborhood electrical supply house, which are mostly local shops but include Greybar and City Electric.  Home Depot, Lowes and Menards have some of this stuff.

Your item there looks like a component.  But setting aside that, it doesn't provide any possible way to wire it using any safe wiring methods in NEC chapter 3.

It's fit for using inside of equipment, where chapter 3 does not apply: say you manufacture a relay box and want an interlock to shut off power if the cover was removed.  But the equipment would need to be listed separately.

Another option for its use is low-voltage wiring.  The component is certified (by who? magic elves?) for 120V, but you're allowed to use it at lower voltages**.   Code is much more relaxed when there's 5 volts on a wire instead of 120.  Low voltage wiring is covered in a different chapter, and devices which look like this (but are listed) are used in things like security systems all the time.

This would allow you to wire it using the informal rules for thermostat and intercom wiring, put 5V or 12V on it, and use that to switch your mains load, either with a relay or smart switch magic.

And by "it" I mean a quality unit sourced from a security-system supply house, Mouser, McMaster-Carr, etc.  This online dreck is often wildly overpriced, in this case I found a similar one at West Marine (!!!)* for half the price, free shipping and UL listed. SMH.   Use Marketplace/eBay/Ali for inspiration but get listed versions of it, often cheaper, often at local shops.

* West Marine is infamous for overpricing already-overpriced marine gear.

** in fact, putting anywhere near spec voltage on something that  "fell off a truck in Shenzhen" is itself crazy.

*** not even on Amazon Prime, Prime requires the manufacturer stock up Amazon warehouses, and Amazon charges a mint for that, and that is passed onto you in the price.


Where can I find computer readable RGB values for brand name paints? Where can I find computer readable RGB values, or equivalents, for brand name paints such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Behr paints?

[Edit] My interest was not so much about the specific color model of RGB, I basically needed some kind of quantitative description of available paint colors of big name brands. If RGB is not scientifically appropriate, whatever quantitative description is OK.

If your looking for the RGB equivalent of a paint swatch, your probably better off looking at Pantone colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantone

You can buy Pantone swatches (I think their pretty expensive though) and then use Photoshop or something to find the equivalent RGB value.

If you go into Photoshop and click on the Color Picker in the toolbar, theres a Color Libraries button that'll show you a great many Pantone colors. Click the one that matches the printed swatch and when you go back to the color picker, you'll see the RGB value.

As wikipedia says, Pantone is pretty much an industry standard, used in painting, printing, etc...

I'm sure you can in turn give a Sherwin Williams or whoever and Pantone color code and have them mix paint for you (if thats what you want).

If you want to take photos of the room you want to paint, photoshop it with the color you want from a swatch, some of the websites (we used sherwin williams) have tools to do that also, but won't produce Pantone or RGB values :(

-Mario