What could cause a toilet to leave the flapper up and keep running? I have an American Standard toilet I installed last year. I don't know much about plumbing, but I was able to install this toilet. It seems to function okay, except for what I think is a mechanical problem.

Sometimes when the toilet is flushed, the flapper doesn't close and water keeps running.  The handle feels like it's slightly stuck in the up position.  I looked inside the tank once when it was doing this, and the chain attached to the handle was slack. I don't understand why the flapper isn't closing.  I've tried putting more slack in the chain and loosening the plastic nut that holds the handle on the toilet, but it doesn't seem to be helping.

How can I fix this?

Check for any debris around the flapper and its hinges.  It is the flapper moving back to the original closed position that puts the handle back in the correct position, not the handle that moves the flapper (when closing, obviously when you flush the handle opens the flapper).  You have the right idea with adjusting the chain to ensure there is always slack.

There are usually a couple positions for the chain to attach on the handle itself - try a different position.

If all else fails, try replacing the flapper.


What codes are invovled in running an overhead subpanel feeder to a detached garage? This subfeeder will be going to a detached garage about 30ft away, and powering a 100amp subpanel. I'm not sure what codes are involved in this feat. I'd like to know the codes involved for compliance.

You can do it if you want. But make sure the wires are wet rated and they are at least 12 feet above the ground according to the NEC Good Luck with your project.


Is there any problem building a wall under floor joists at mid span? I need to add a wall in a basement room.  The wall would be placed mid span going across 7 trusses.  Is there any problem placing a wall under a floor truss at mid span?  The truss was not designed knowing a wall would be added.

There should be no problem adding a partition wall under trusses or floor joists. The only connection you will need is some nails or screws holding the upper plate of your wall to the  joists. This will simply hold your wall up and plumb. There are no structural or load considerations in this simple wall addition.


Can I re-use a roller tray liner? I am wondering if re-using a roller tray liner is asking for trouble. The old paint was white primer; the new paint is very slightly different white. Even if I scrape out all the possible flakes and thicker chunks of old paint, I'm wondering if the new paint will loosen up the old and create a mix / mess? I'm using Benjamin Moore Natura (White Dove OC17) on top of BM Natura zero VOC interior primer White 511 00.

There is a good chance that you will be perfectly fine. I've rolled out of trays I've let paint dry in with perfectly fine results when I got lazy and it was an area I wasn't concerned about (like a shed, inside of my garage, etc...)

However, based on which paint you chose, I'd say this is more important area, so why risk it?

There is a chance that the new wet paint plus the bending, flexing, or pressure of you rolling could loosen up some more pieces/flakes.

Liners are cheap, but if you really do plan on reusing them clean them up immediately after use to make it easier.


How to weigh down a plastic shower base while recaulking? I'm recaulking a shower which has a plastic base that flexes a bit when stepped on in certain spots. This caused the caulking to pull away the last time I recaulked.

If this was a tub, I'd fill it with water to weigh it down while caulking/curing. But it's a shower. Any ideas on items to use to achieve the same effect? The best I've come up with so far is bags of water softener salt. I don't have a set of weight plates or anything like that.

What could I use to weigh down the shower?

There's no need to go buy, haul, move and store heavy, scratchy things. Find some buckets or totes or jugs and fill them with water. They won't risk damage to your tub, are free, and can be easily handled.


Is there a minimum height regulation for emt conduit in a garage? My garage doesn't have any wallboard. The EMT conduit is open and not hidden.

Is there a height minimum from the floor for running emt conduit from the switch box (normally 48") to a fluorescent light fixture over a workbench in the garage?

In short, what is the minimum distance a fluorescent light fixture or EMT conduit can be  over a workbench from the floor?

Also, should I have the emt conduit that affixes to the light fixture run toward the ceiling first (upwards) instead of parallel the way I have it directly to the outlet?

This in case if plaster board would be attached in the future. This is my second fixture being added in another location. The loose garage opener door will be reattached later.

 Thank you again.

There is no height requirement in NEC Article 358.12, "Uses not permitted" so long as the run meets the other requirements. There is also no height requirement for task lighting over a work area. The only "standard" height for work areas I have ever heard of was 30" above a work area. I assume this is to allow you to put things on the work area and provide adequate head clearance. It would be practical to provide some sort of protection from any glass breakage such as a wraparound fixture or lamp protectors.

If you would like to review NEC requirements on fixtures go to Article 410.


Any suggestions for repairs of nasty cracks in my walls and the door? I have 1 day to finish all those repairs before a new person moves in. Is there any way I could fix them fast and reliably? The first one is a hole in a dry wall and the last one is a door which is not that solid (a kick or two and you have such cracks). I was considering using a mash tape and white paint for the wall holes, but not sure how good that idea is given that I have no experience. As for the door, I am really lost.

On the wall you need to cut out the entire square of drywall out, mud and tape it, sand it, paint it.  With fast drying mud and a fan you can do this in 6 hours easy and maybe 30-45 mins of actual work.

For a door the only thing you can do is try to Bondo it but it should be replaced.  If you are leaving the place they might charge you for the door even if you fix it.  If you are renting it out the Bondo should be OK.


Replace and old outlet with GFCI where the GFCI won't fit in the existing box My house was built in 1958. City inspector asked me to replace outlet in bathroom and kitchen with a GFCI, and says he will check if the wiring is correct or not. When I connect the GFCI, there are two problems

GFCI outlet is bigger than old one, can't fit.
GFCI outlet has grounding screw, but wire from box has no grounding wire.

My questions

Should I cut wall to change a bigger box to fit gfci outlet.
Just connect it without grounding is OK?

Several ways to solve this.

First, actual GFCI protection does not require a ground wire. It's better to have both GFCI and ground.  But GFCI alone is still highly useful. For instance, GFCI is much better at stopping electrocutions, which is what the requirement is all about.

Extend the box

I don't like removing the box. It's delicate "dental" work and if you aren't experienced at it, you risk goring up the drywall, or worse, the old wires (and then you're really in trouble!) The original box was nailed at the joist before the drywall went up, and may be steel (and might even be grounded!) "After-drywall" retrofit boxes are plastic, hokey, weak, and clamp to the drywall... likely it'll flop around, or tear out of the wall when trying to pull a stubborn plug.  No thanks.  On the other hand, if you're a drywall god, then properly fit new-work boxes, but honestly I still prefer metal boxes.

So how do you make a box bigger?  Here's an unrelated question.  How do you attach surface conduit like Wiremold to an existing flush-mount box?  With an extension adapter box that brings it out an inch or two and has side ports for the Wiremold.  We only care about the first part.  It's not the normal parts source, but it works.

Put the GFCI protection elsewhere

GFCI, after all, is not a socket.  It is a system of protection that can protect any part of a circuit, including many sockets.   You only know it from the convenient GFCI + receptacle "combo" that you're used to seeing.  It comes in other forms also, such as a separate "box" or a breaker.

This will protect all of the circuit that is downstream from the GFCI.  However, this itself may be a problem.  If other parts of the circuit have any defects -- such as  crossed neutrals with other circuits, or a hard-wired device which in fact does have a ground fault -- the device will trip and refuse to reset.  Then a time-consuming search for defects will be necessary.

At the circuit breaker

The breaker version replaces the circuit breaker on that circuit, with a combo unit that is both a circuit breaker and a GFCI.  It provides GFCI protection for the entire circuit.  This can be expensive or impossible, depending on the model of service panel (breaker box) your home has.  For instance, GFCI breakers for Pushmatic are hard to get.

This requires opening up the breaker panel and replacing the breaker.  This is short work for an electrician.

Somewhere along the cable

It is possible to fit a junction box just outside the breaker panel, run the circuit's cable to this junction box, and fit a GFCI device at that location - then run a short cable to the breaker panel so the GFCI can get supply.   That allows you to use a GFCI module like a deadface (which you notice looks a lot like a GFCI+receptacle combo) -- or simply use the normal combo device (if Code allows; there are new rules about bathroom and kitchen receptacles not supplying sockets anywhere else.)

Since US circuits are generally wired as a chain, another option is to find a receptacle location upstream of the bathroom, and locate the GFCI device there, wiring it it protect the downstream parts of the circuit including the bathroom.

Labeling and Testing

If you GFCI protect another receptacle, you put a sticker on the receptacle that says GFCI Protected Outlet.  Receptacles that are GFCI protected are allowed to be 3-prong even if they're not grounded.

If that receptacle does not have a genuine ground, also label the receptacle No Equipment Ground.

The stickers are what the electrical inspector is looking for. They are not special, you can print them on a printer.

How do you do a serious test of a socket that is GFCI protected? With an external tester.  An external tester won't work on a socket with "no equipment ground" and that's not a defect, that's expected.  Plug it into a three prong adapter (cheater) and run a long length of wire from the grounding tab on the adapter, to somewhere you can get a solid ground.  E.G. the ground bonding wire exiting your service panel.


How can I lengthen my vent stack and are there any negative effects in doing so? I have observed that when we receive a lot of snow here in Ontario, at least one of the drain vents on my roof is covered by snow.  While after one winter in the house I have not yet observed any ill-effects from this, I know it can cause some problems that I'd like to proactively avoid. I also have a belly in my main sewer that has caused a number of backups (see this thread) so I'm trying to prevent anything that might make this worse.

The colour of the vent is black so I am assuming it is ABS.

Can I use a coupling and some ABS pipe to extend it a couple of inches, or is there a more preferred/correct method of doing this?

IANAP (I Am Not A Plumber) but I have recently replaced my old cast iron stack.

The relevant part of the International Plumbing Code looks like section 904.  Specifically the following sections may apply to you.

  904.1 Roof extension. All open vent pipes that extend through a roof shall be terminated at least [NUMBER] inches (mm) above the roof,
  except that where a roof is to be used for any purpose other than
  weather protection, the vent extensions shall be run at least 7 feet
  (2134 mm) above the roof.

Note the [number] is usually specified by your local codes as it is very specific to each region.  Some web searching turns up a few forum posts from plumbers in Ontario who say it needs to be 6 inches above the roof.  That does not sound like much to me and if you are already at 6" and having issues it seems reasonable to go higher.

  904.2  Frost closure. Where the 97.5-percent value for outside design temperature is 0°F (-18°C) or less, every vent extension through a
  roof or wall shall be a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter. Any
  increase in the size of the vent shall be made inside the structure a
  minimum of 1 foot (305 mm) below the roof or inside the wall.

  904.3 Flashings. The juncture of each vent pipe with the roof line shall be made water tight by an approved flashing.

  904.7 Extension outside a structure. In climates where the
  97.5-percent value for outside design temperature is less than 0°F (-18°C), vent pipes installed on the exterior of the structure shall
  be protected against freezing by insulation, heat or both.

I don't know the preferred method for doing this but if you plan is to add a coupling from inside the house and "push" the pipe up, I bet you will compromise the water tight seal around the pipe at the roof.  The simplest solution would be to add this extension at the very top so you don't have to mess with the flashing at all.

If this is the main waste/vent stack for the home, I don't think you are allowed to reduce the diameter of the pipe (even up at the "vent" portion).  I don't know if that is still true for smaller vents that service just a few fixtures.

If it is black plastic, it is ABS and should be easy to cut and glue.


Mixed Shade/Light Grass issues I like in Northeastern PA and just bought a new home.  It has about a half acre to it.  Last year they dug a new well and the ruts the truck left planted new grass.  It looks horrible.  The new grass is much fuller and much more lush than the surrounding grass.

Is there a good way to level all of the grass out together?

Secondly, there are a lot of tall trees shading the back portion of the yard.  Currently there is some grass but it's very 'thin' and I mostly don't even bother mowing it because of the lack of visible growth.  I would really like to plan some grass that will grow and be thick, but I have no idea where to start with type etc.   Which grass would grow best in this type of situation?

I have found that trying to plant grass in a struggling area is a lost cause.  I have gone with mulch and hostas anymore, or ground cover.


Identifying old single handle shower valve/cartride? Need help identifying the tub/shower faucet valve/cartridge in the pictures below.  I shutoff the main and removed EVERYTHING in preparation for replacement at a later date, and realized I never took a picture of the actual CARTRIDGE itself, and want to see if I can get some experienced eyes to help identify a couple parts!  (The issue we're fixing is a LEAKING tub faucet.)

I want to replace the cartridge/stem all together if possible -- but if that's too hard to identify, I took a picture of the washers in the valve as well -- hoping I can simply replace those for both hot/cold water sides.  I was expecting washers/springs but this what I found when I opened up and I've never seen these before!

Looks similar to mine.
"Price Pfister, the Pfabulous Pfaucet with the Pfunny name".
Web search for Pfister Style 974-491 should yield multiple purchasing options.


Huge Bubble When Toilet Flushes, Why? When I flush the newest toilet in my house there is a massive bubble that comes out of the toilet bowl.

The toilet flushes incredibly slowly.

The bubble does not come from the drain, but from the small hole near the front that shoots water into the drain. I don't know what that hole is called, because for whatever reason I can't find a diagram that shows that hole.

Here are some items:

I have done the bucket test, and dumped a 5gal pail of water into the
toilet. This drains pretty much instantly and there is no air bubble.
I have 3 toilets in my house, 3 showers, and 5 sinks, only this one
toilet drains slowly.
I appear to only have one sewer vent on my roof, and I have sprayed a
jet of water down the vent for several minutes, there is no water
backup and I don't expect there is any clog.
The toilet is rarely ever used, it's in the "guest" part of my house.
I have used Draino on it.
I have plunged it, there doesn't appear to be any backup.
I have tried poking around in that hole where the bubble comes from,
but there doesn't appear to be any obstructions.

I've seen some sites where people mention a misaligned "small hose that feeds into a bigger hose" but there doesn't appear to be any hoses that fit that description in my tank.

Anyone have any idea what this issue is?

EDIT:

Some Pictures:
The Tank:

The Bowl:

The Vents

Unfortunately you can't really see the vent that I found to be clogged, it's very hard to see it. The rusty smudge near the top right of the picture is where the clogged vent is. Although, I'm thinking it may not be a vent at all, possibly a crack?

EDIT:

I replaced the toilet with a much better one. An American Standard Champion 4. Now it flushes like a shotgun.

The moral of the story is: don't buy cheap toilets.

The hole in question is a siphon jet.  It concentrates flow from the tank, jump-starting the siphoning effect.

If you look close (I’m not suggesting you do), there’s a siphon jet hole (see letter G on diagram) in the bottom of the toilet bowl. It’s hard to see unless you put your head in the toilet (For the record, I didn’t do this). When you flush, water shoots out of this hole to fill the drain pipe. This creates a siphon.
When I investigated, it was plugged. Eureka! I cleaned it out and once again heard that perfect flush. -tomlaforce.com

See (acid), How to clean under the narrow toilet rim to restore full flush power

When you flush the toilet in the diagram, the chamber directly above the X fills with water. This chamber is connected to the same passage where the air is, above G. It's also where all the holes are and once they fill with water, the air is forced out through G.
A noticed change may be a clog somewhere but perhaps as the guest toilet, you never realized how poorly it preformed out of the box. IME this is typical of low-flow toilets but also of every toilet that hasn't been flushed in a while.
You may be interested in adjusting or installing a chain float which will hopefully allow enough water to flow after the bubble pops, to create a siphon.


Why would changing ceiling fan speed cause an AFCI breaker to trip? I recently installed 2 ceiling fans with Lutron combination light and fan dimmer switches. On both circuits, if more than a half second or so is taken when selecting the fan speed (that is, a delay while between the low-medium-high states) the arc fault protection kicks in and shuts down the branch. There is no issue if I move fast enough between states or while the fan is in a steady state condition. This happens on two separate circuits with two identical fans and dimmers.

I'm going on the assumption that while the switch contactor is being moved there is either a small amount of arcing inside the switch or there is some EMI being generated that is offending the AFCI.

Should I go ahead and move to a non-AFCI breaker or are there any alternatives that I should consider?

Switches generate small, momentary arcs as part of their normal operation; AFCIs are designed to recognize and ignore these momentary arcs.  However, holding the switch between positions (or taking a while to transition between positions) can lead to the arc sustaining itself, which damages the switch contacts and also causes the AFCI to trip because it sees an arc it doesn't recognize as harmless.

In other words: "Doctor, it hurts if I do this!" "Don't do that, then!"


How to cut edge of vanity Just bought a house and the bathroom vanity has an unfortunate countertop situation--clearly the countertop was too big for the vanity, but they just put it on top and let it hang over the side--resulting in a 5 inch gap between the vanity and the wall which you can see here on the left:

I would like to know if I can cut the countertop to size myself, preferably without detaching it from the vanity (though I'd obviously have to detach it from the wall). Here are a couple more photos to make it clearer what the material is:

Yes, you can cut it. Use an angle grinder with a masonry blade. I have seen it cut with a jigsaw as well, and a circular saw for flat pieces, but I prefer the angle grinder for this type of job. Cut it slightly long, then use a belt sander to take it down to your exact line and smooth the cut edge. This will (obviously) be messy, so do it outdoors. The "cultured marble" material is cast resin and will give off a fiberglass reek and quite a bit of resin dust, so wear goggles and a particle mask or respirator.

Cutting that much off the side will offset your sink basin from the plumbing, be prepared to change the drain and supply-line configurations. Cut it so that there will be a small gap (1/8"-1/4") left on the left side, as the walls are never perfectly square. You will then use caulking to fill that gap as well as where the backsplash meets the wall.

Another option would be to screw a strip of wood to the left end of the cabinet and to the wall on the left ("nailers"), then cut a piece of oak plywood to cover and fill the gap, leaving an unused hollow space behind. Stain and varnish to match the vanity.


220 Spa disconnect panel Had a house built and ran wire for the spa disconnect which I understood at the time must be in the "vicinity" of the spa. Come to find out later, it must be "in the line of sight" of the hot tub. To get to line of sight, I need to make a 90 degree turn and run about 3 ft of flexible conduit (its a very short distance). However I still need to "tap" the existing wire already in the wall. Can you think of a reason I cannot use a 60a "on/off" non-fused cutoff switch (around $11 at Lowes) in between the true GFCI spa disconnect and this area where I inadvertently left the wire on an exterior wall for future use? I plan to padlock this 60a in-between switch so no one mistakenly thinks its the spa cutoff. I did some reading and they want the spa GFI cutoff in line of sight so if someone is working on the hot tub and sees someone turning on the breaker they can visually see them doing that.

Interesting.  What you actually need is a junction box with appropriate splices.

However, as I sit here trying to price that, I have quickly discovered you aren't gonna get that for $11.  Splicing #6 wire is actually fairly hard.  Too big for wire nuts except a rare few (Ideal 454 blue), and on the super low end of the working range of Polaris connectors, which are expensive.  It seems the most popular method is split bolts (which are all bare metal) and great gobs of electrical tape.  One person buys a $5 accessory ground bar for a panel, and cuts it into 2-screw sections. (Note these ground bars accept Al wire, so it's an efficient way to bond Al to Cu). Again with gobs of electrical tape.

You'll need to add an outdoor junction box and watertight(ish) entry grommets.

So if economies of scale lead someone to offer a 4-wire splice block inside a junction box with a disconnect too for $11... good on them.

Just one thing. Get a metal one.  A plastic outer box is for the birds. Under arcing, plastic will melt; steel will dissipate the heat.

And understand those pull-out disconnects are super cheap, and not really intended to be ever operated. So if your plan is to never operate it, that'll be perfect.


Lighting panel for switches I would like to create a panel for 13 switches, for a small shop area in one location, that will switch lights and outlets on and off for different applications.

I've been told to use the breaker panel but would rather not because of location as well as having access to all the breakers versus just the ones I want to switch off daily, I.E. Lights.

It could be visible but would prefer it to be behind a small access door as 13 switches would look bad for sure.

Don't use the breaker panel.   Use a new breaker panel in a location of your choosing.

You'll need 4 wires from the existing breaker panel to the new one.  You'll need 2 spaces for a 2-pole breaker in the existing panel.  If protective devices like GFCI are required, those can be part of that 2-pole breaker.

Then, you basically use the new breaker panel as a switch bank.

Naturally, it can double as a proper breaker panel. You'll need to put 20A breakers or 15A as appropriate to protect your various branch wiring and devices.  If you have call for a 30A piece of equipment, you can do that too. 240V, not a problem - you'll have both legs.

Also the breaker panel will make it ridiculously easy to add additional new circuits as the need arises -- provided you use an extra large panel with spaces to spare. Because spaces are cheap and regrets are expensive, we very strongly recommend to "Go Big Big Big" when selecting a panel. Finishing the project with half the spaces unused is a good sign you sized the panel properly.

If AFCI/GFCI requirements allow, you can also use "double-stuff" breakers as an aesthetic choice to remind yourself which breakers are lights and which are receps.

If you are switching HID lighting (mercury vapor, metal halide, low/high pressure sodium), or old school fluorescents with 5-pound ballasts, then you must use "HID" rated breakers.


Water seeping out of grout in exterior corner of tiled shower curb I have a two year old tiled shower with glass enclosure.  The grout is sanded grout.  The exterior corner of the shower curb is leaking a small bit of water after every shower.  Over time it has corroded the paint and molding that butts up to the tiled curb.

The leak is through the grout.  No water exits on top of the curb.

The shower enclosure is caulked with 100% silicone in the places specified by the installation instructions.  The only weird thing to me is that the bottom channel sits directly on a grout line.  I'm wondering if water is seeping into the grout and working its way outside.

Any ideas what could be wrong?  Pictures show leak location on exterior of curb and the opposite interior side of the shower curb.

This is not an answer, per se, but so far has solved the issue.

I called the original tile installer to take a look.  He pulled the tile piece that is to the left of the leaking grout corner.  We inspected the liner and anything else we could see.  The leak must have been very slow because there was minimal damage inside--no wood rot.

The exact cause of the leak could not be determined, but the tile guy sealed the liner edge behind the curb corner's vertical and horizontal tile pieces with some kind of rubberized sealant (not silicone) to make a water dam.  Then used extra tile and grout mix we had to make it look new again.  So far it is holding up.  Then again, the leak is very slow.  Hopefully, I'm not back on here in a few weeks or months with a different answer!


How many 5 metre strips of 5050 LED lighting will a 6 amp driver feed without overheating? How many 5 metre strips of 5050 LED lighting will a 6 amp driver feed without overheating?

One.

Presuming you're dealing with 12 V and a 300 light strip.

A not entirely universal rule of thumb is 150 lights per amp for 3528's and 50 per amp for 5050s.  That is because 5050s have three emitters per light and each of the three draw about as much as a whole 3528.  If you're using 24V strips, double the number of lights per amp.  Of course, check your data sheets and/or put it on a power supply and test it.


Replacing an old extractor fan The old fan has terminals for switched live, neutral and permanent live.
The new one only has terminals for switched live and neutral.
Can I just cap the permanent live?

Go ahead and cap off the permanent live
Your old fan likely had some sort of sensor or timer functionality that allowed it to run despite the wall switch being turned off.  It seems that your new fan lacks such brains, so simply capping off the permanent live from the wall is the right thing to do -- the fan will then be controlled solely by the corresponding wall switch.


How do I wire this 4-way light switch? I have 3 switches that control the same light. One of them broke, so I replaced it. I can't get the light to work now. I got what looked like the same kind of switch from the store. It's a 15amp/120 Volt 4 way switch. All wiring diagrams I've looked at talk about a black wire. This only has 2 reds and 2 whites. Here's what it looks like:

I've tried lots of combinations with the red and white wires. What's not right here? Do I need a three way switch instead?

1st, the white wires should be completely covered with black tape. Try putting both same colors at the top and at the bottom, if you have verified all these wires are the travelers from 2, 3-way switches.

In this diagram the light is off. Toggling any of the switches will turn it on.

hometoys.com


Do the breaker amp readings sum up to dictate my current panels total / possible amperage? So I know practically nothing about houses having rented for many years, just bought a house and was told by my inspector the panel is only a 70 amp panel and will need to be upgraded before I go to install AC.

I took him at his word, and had one AC consult, mentioning this to the guy he looked at my panel and agreed it needed an upgrade.

He gave a terrible quote ($5500 for a 3 ton goodman AC install without the electrical work, no ducting work necessary), so I got somebody else to give me a quote.

Now here's the problem: Fellow comes over and says I have a 150 amp panel and there's room (which I can see) for a couple more breakers on it, and gives me a considerably better AC quote (3500 for a lennox 3 ton 14 seer, all the same bells and whistles).

So now I'm thinking, considering how terrible the quote was from the first consult, perhaps he was just trying to squeeze even more money out of me? Why did my inspector tell me it was a 70 amp panel?

I look at the panel and there's like 6 or 8 15/20 amp breakers on it as well as a 30 amp double-breaker thingy (not sure if this is 30 per or 30 total) and a 50 amp double-breaker thingy.

I'll get a picture when I get home to post here, but off hand my question is:

Is it accurate to say I definitely have over a 70 amp panel due to the sum of amps on breakers in there right now? Is the sum of those little labels on the breakers make up my panels current amperage?

I look online for 70 amp panel and it's this tiny dinky thing with 3 breakers on it..

Edit:
Here are the pictures, if this is not a 70 amp can anybody identify the amps?

Appearances to me are the diagram on the box does not match the actual panel, as the panel has 20 breaker spots (as I read it) while the diagram shows 14. And yes, I realize it's missing a main breaker, so I included the other two pieces I understand identify the max amp load; the conduit and the meter.

I've labeled your photo, which might help you understand what's going on.

The Panel Rating
The panel is rated to support 125 amperes, when connected to a 120/240 volt 3 wire system. This means that 125 amperes can flow through each of the upper bus bars and each main lug, without anything melting or catching fire.
The Upper Section
The top two double pole breakers are before the "main" disconnect, which means they will always have power when the wires feeding the panel have power. I'm guessing there is a disconnect ahead of this panel, maybe at the meter or as a standalone disconnect. Based on their size, I'm guessing one (50A) is for an electric stove, electric heater, or maybe a subpanel. The other (30A) is likely for a dryer, water heater, subpanel, or some other appliance.
The Lower Section
The next double pole breaker (50A) controls the flow of electricity to the lower section of the panel. Unlike the double pole breakers above, this one should not have any terminals where wires can connect. The lower section is rated for a maximum of 100 amperes, so the breaker protecting it must be 100 amp or less (50A in your case).
Branch Circuit Section
The lower section (highlighted in purple) is where the branch circuit breakers connect, and has a maximum breaker size of 70 amperes.  This means the largest breaker that can be connected in this section, is a 70A breaker.
Upgrade Required?
Since there is only a single available slot (3), it's not likely a central A/C system could be connected without moving things around (at the very least). Upgrading the panel might be your only option, but it would depend on the existence (or lack thereof) of a sub panel, and the existing service provided to the building (and availability of services in the area).
A subpanel may be an option, however, it would require more information than you have provided here.
Depending on the service provided to the building, upgrading the panel may include an upgrade to the service.  Installing a new 125A panel is useless, if you don't also have the service upgraded to support 125 amperes.
To determine if an upgrade is required, contact a local licensed Electrician to do a load calculation on the building.
Breakers Protect Downstream Wiring
Short-circuit and/or overcurrent protection devices (breakers, fuses, etc.), are designed to protect the wiring downstream (after them in the circuit). For example. If your panel did have a main breaker, it would be sized to protect the panel wiring. The breaker would not be sized to protect the wiring feeding the panel or anything before the breaker, only the wiring after the breaker.
Summing Up Breaker Ratings Means Nothing
If you total up the rating of the breakers in the branch circuit sub-section, you'll find that you have 85A on leg A, and 105A on leg B.  Which means... Well, absolutely nothing.  The only limitations here are that there can only be as many breakers as will physically fit, and no one breaker can be larger than 70A.
If more than 15 amperes flow through the breaker in slot 4 , that breaker will trip (open). This protects the wiring connected to that breaker.  If more than 50 amperes flow through any combination of breakers on either leg A or B in the branch circuit sub-section, the sub- section breaker will trip (open).  This protects the wiring between the sub-section breaker, and the branch circuit breakers.
You could theoretically. have breakers totaling 1,000,000A. It still wouldn't matter, as long as you have proper overcurrent protection.

If I've missed anything, or haven't explained something properly. Feel free to ask additional questions, or point out mistakes in the comments below.


Can you split washer/dryer and share with standard 3 prong I’m not great with all of the proper terminology here. We have what appears to be a 30amp plug for out washer/dryer combo. I want to mount and hang out dyson vacuum charging station in the same space as the washer/dryer to have it out of the way.
Is it safe to get a splitter, plugging one portion into the washer/dryer and a converter into the other, with the dyson plugged into that
Will I provide too much power to the dyson and too little to the washer/dryer?

I would say NO based on the info provided. a 30 amp circuit will first normally be 240v.  But even if it is something I have not seen the Dyson will only be rated for a 20 amp circuit so making a splitter would create multiple code violations if regulated by the NEC.
If it is a 20 amp 120v people all splitters all the time I do not allow them at my work if they need additional outlets I put in new circuits. However there are UL listed splitters so in that if used they would be “safe”.
the code for the laundry circuit is that it has no other outlets so it would be a minor issue and you would only need to worry if the code police show up. (Code police not real a joke)


Securing hose bib to uneven cinder block wall Here is my exterior hose bibb:

Also from the inside:

The valve stem is so old it crumbled when I tried to replace the washer, so I need to replace the whole thing.  Notice the pipe was originally installed by drilling through the cinder block foundation instead of the wall.  The siding hangs out over the foundation, so the bibb can't be flush against the cinder blocks.  Also notice the unevenness of the cinder blocks outside.

Inside, the hose bib is attached to a sharkbite tee fitting (that part is my fault).  You can see it in the foreground of the photo.  Although there's no leak, the whole thing swivels around its axis, which is a little disconcerting.

I live in the mid-atlantic region of the US, so freezing pipes can be an issue.  I was thinking about

replacing the hose bib with an exterior freezeproof sillcock valve,
inside, attaching a board to the cinder block with tapcons, covering the big hole, and a hose bibb anchor to that
outside, fashioning some kind of spacer to secure the flange away from the cinder blocks.

Number 3 is the step I'm still wondering about.  Using the anchor inside would mean that I won't have to attach the spacer extra securely to the cinder block outside.  But how do I go about fashioning anything that will fit that kind of surface?  And how weatherproof should I make the spacer, considering it's fitting underneath aluminum siding?  Any advice here would be appreciated.

So what I did took a couple of weekends and the acquisition of new tools and skills, but I figured it out to my satisfaction.

I did Steps 1 and 2 from my checklist above.  For the spacer, I build a 3x5" box out of 3/8" plywood and scribed the edges to match the uneven cinder block.  I used a rotary rasp bit on my drill to “carve” the box edges to my scribe lines.  It took a couple of tries to get it to fit decently, but in the end it pushed out the flat box face away from the cinder block and just under the siding.

I painted it with the same outdoor masonry paint that we used to paint the cinderblocks, and applied caulk along the edge.  Inside, I filled the gap between the block and the pipe with expanding spray foam.

Jack's answer is still a good one.  I just preferred not to punch a new hole in the wall.


Can I share "C" wire on two thermostats? I am wiring a second thermostat right next to the original one. The new needs a C wire. Can I share it from the old one?

Old: 8 wires, used to run heat pump (w/ heating and AC) and backup oil. Now only runs AC from heat pump on occasional summer day.

New: Has 2 wires run to it. Controls instant on hot water heater for radiant system.

The new thermostat says, "WILL NOT OPERATE WITHOUT WIRE TO 'C'". Can I take the C wire from the existing thermostat and bridge it to the new thermostat? Can two thermostats share this C wire?

According to Can I piggyback a thermostat with a C Wire hookup on a furnace?  I think the answer is "Yes", but when I try it, the new thermostat does not have power.

You can only share the C wire, if you're also sharing the R wire.  If the R wires come from different equipment, the C wires must also come from the different equipment.


Do I need to install dry wall in my basement? I have a concrete basement with concrete walls. I'm thinking about just painting the basement and not have to put up dry wall because I want to save money. Is that a good idea or should I really install the dry walls? My basement doesn't have a water problem.

My basement ceiling is also exposed with nails wire. I will need to cover that up. I will eventually install some type of flooring too.

What drywall will give you includes:

Insulation. Concrete is not a good insulator, so drywall will help here, and as @ChrisF points out in the comment, you can add insulation behind drywall for some extra.
Soundproofing. A bit of soundproofing, anyway
Somewhere to run cables behind, so they aren't exposed. Depening on where you are this may be a requirement
Simplified shelf mounting etc.
Much easier to cover/paint - you can use normal paints on drywall


How to provide power to laptop in unused ceiling access panel? In my closet there is an access panel which formerly was used to access the attic. There is a new access hole in the hallway with steps.

The old access is covered up from the top with the attic floor. The hole is 16 by 18 inches with a wood paneling door that rests on the trim to keep it shut; tto open just remove one piece of trim and slide the door.

I recently put pieces of wood up there to make a shelf. I am planning to place an old laptop up there for a server but I somehow I need to get power up there.  I know it is definitely against code to put an outlet in the panel so what are my other options?  There is no outlet in the closet or in the attic so I'm stuck. I was thinking of running a D.C. cable through the wall to an old laptop power adapter somewhere in the room.  Does that seem safe? Any suggestions or code violations are welcome.

Besides having chosen possibly the most hostile environment to run a laptop, you have an advantage in using a laptop...it probably has a wall wart transformer and some lower voltage lead that actually goes to the laptop.  Since this is low voltage wiring it is much easier to run and not (usually) restricted by code.

So, the right thing to do, if you insist on the location, is to plug the transformer into some outlet relatively nearby and run the low voltage wiring from there to the laptop.  This may require splicing in additional length, or even getting a replacement connector to terminate on.


Does filling in cement(inside or outside the house) act as a deterrent to the soil-water and mold problems resulting from it? An experienced contractor suggested to me that filling cement near the bottom one foot of basement walls will stop the water from coming inside the basement. And also, a 2 feet of cement floor around the perimeter of house will help deter the water, as well. Is this a proven technique?

Concrete is porous and will not completely stop water from entering anything. If you want to stop water from entering your basement you need to have your exterior soil properly graded and packed, in addition to your gutters cleaned and draining away several feet away from your house. Regarding grading, a good number to shoot for is 1" of 'fall' for every horizontal foot.

Beyond that there are multiple solutions, the best being re-waterproofing the exterior of your basement, but that's expensive and most people go for an interior draining system, such as one involving a sump pump. In anycase, you will want to start with external factors such as gutters and grading. That should address the majority of your basement water issues.


Will repointing solve water leakage issue? I have a detached garage that is getting water leakage through the back wall. There are no leaks coming from the roof, in fact the roof was replaced within the last year.
The walls of the garage are cinder block, and there is cracking inside AND outside. Would repointing solve the water issues?
Separately, 2 companies contacted offered different approaches, and wondering how to chose between them.
The first company suggested repointing the outside walls where there are cracks. The second company suggested repointing the inside where there are cracks. Any advice on where to start
Thanks!

Doesn't look like the roof has a proper overhang to minimize water running down walls. A gutter would help but the mortar on the outside really needs to be fixed. Fixing the mortar on only the inside will trap the water in the blocks and cause freeze and thaw issues.
The moss is bad for the mortar as well. Kill and remove it.


Wood rail on concrete steps I currently have a metal step rail that is straight and spans three steps leading up to my front porch; it is the typical cheap metal railing you commonly see. It is at the end of its life, so my fiance wants something a bit more unique.
So, her ideal would be a cedar, flush mounted single rail (still straight, not mounted to house or wrapping around the small porch we have). My biggest concern is making sure the posts are secure since it would be flush mounted, lack right angles, and not secured to the side of the house.
I found this advice:

Drill 4 holes 6" deep by 5/8" diameter in the bottom of each 4x4 post.
Center the holes about 1" from the corners, and drill slightly toward
the center of the post, i.e. the holes are slightly angled in. Use
Simpson epoxy to glue 4 pieces of 1/2" all-thread or 3/8" rebar into
those holes.
When the epoxy cures, the protruding rods can be bent so
they exit the post parallel to one another and to the post's long
axis. Now drill 4 holes in the concrete for each post, same size and
depth, all straight down. Brush and blow out all the dust. Mask off
the concrete around where the base of the post will rest.
Mask off the
sides of the post at the bottom. When that is done, put a fresh nozzle
on your Simpson gun and put epoxy into the slab holes, and set the
posts. Quickly brace them plumb. While the epoxy is soft, smear the
excess away from the bases with a gloved finger, and carefully remove
the masking while things are still squishy.
Take lunch, or work on
something else. The posts will cure solid in an hour or several,
depending on temperature, etc. When they are cured, they will feel
like they grew there.

It sounds pretty good, but before I go to all the trouble of doing it this way. I wanted to know:

Is this a good way to do this?
Is there a better way?

For 4x4 posts mounted on their butt end to a concrete surface it seems like a robust solution. One concern is that if you ever have any rotting and some of the wood ever needs replacing it will be rather difficult to remove these posts. If it is a solution that you would expect to get 5 to 10 years of average service life out of then the solution will work nicely.

One nice aspect of the described solution is that it lets the post sit right on the concrete without any visible fasteners. Any other type of post butt fastener is going to show some type of metal brackets that could detract from the aesthetic.


multiple thermostat boiler connection I have a boiler system with thermostats and valves for three floors. before i changed the boiler what ever thermostat called for heat worked for that floor. Now all thermostats have to be on or calling for heat. This makes the top floor hot and barely any temperature change in the basement. I see how this helps with gas efficiency but I only want to heat each floor differently. I dont remember a lot about the wiring on the old system. What do I need to rewire to put it back to what it was.?  Thanks for any help or input.

Did you change out the boiler yourself or have it done by a contractor? It sound like you/they hooked up the thermostats in series instead of in parallel for the boiler "on". If you did it, go back and correct it ..... if they did it, get them back and tell them the problem. Good luck


What options do I have to seal the top of the concrete base of a galvanized steel post? Should I seal it? As the subject line says I am looking for options to seal the top of the concrete base of a galvanized steel post? Should I seal it?

Update: Here is what my posts look like and the specs https://www.masterhalco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PM-Install-TearPad-011480-English.pdf

A galvanized post that is "fixed" into concrete should not be an issue with regard to rust, it would probably rust on the top of the post first. But if you are concerned then the main things to consider here are:

Can water get into the post and sit, normally there are holes drilled
for water drainage is the galvanized coating damaged in any way.
Normally when I handle galvanized metal,  i may grind or weld near the posts.
if this happens and you expose the raw metal, it will become a rust
spot and spread over time
Will the post separate from the concrete.This is common issue when setting a square post into the cement, its always better to have a t-piece welded to the section of post that you would set into the cement.
Lastly, if you are concerned about pooling water around the base of the post, then its a good idea to set a slope on the cement so that there is runoff. this can be above or below ground and will work as effectively.  There is no real need
to seal the cement, since it is porous any way and will absorb moisture from all directions, but if you are really concerned, then you can add some additive (acrylic bonding agent) into the mix to make it more waterproof


How can I connect a N6-30 plug from a L14-30 receptacle? I want to connect a water heater to my generator. The generator has a NEMA L14-30 receptacle but the heater has a N6-30 plug. Is there an extension cord available for this?

Rather straightforward, since all the power pins your water heater requires are present, and ampacity is the same.

If you can't find it, hit the local electrical supply house and get

the appropriate L14-30 plug
N6-30 socket for cordage
10/3 cordage of your desired length, do not use Romex

A big-box store is not an electrical supply house.

Assemble per instructions and done.

Nothing goes on the 14-30 neutral pin.


Replacing thermocouple with thermopile I'm having huge issues finding a replacement thermocouple for my Kenmore 153332421 boiler. It seems that Sears is the only place to get them. I ordered one a couple of days ago but after receiving the package I noticed they shipped thermopile. Both parts seem to have the same number. I've been checking the manual but there is no mention of thermocouple. Any idea if thermopile serves as both parts in this model?

Thanks

A thermopile produces more electric current than a thermocouple and have different electrical connections.. If the connector on the thermopile is the same as the old thermocouple, probably would work. Search Amazon for the part. I have gotten hard to find / discontinued parts from there.


Replace shower faucet valve stems My shower faucet is leaking. So I removed the handle to see what kind of stems they use. I haven't seen this kind of stems anywhere. Does anyone know what they are and how to replace them?

Thank you Ed Beal. Yes, these are washer-less ceramic valves. I changed the cartridge and it was simple than I thought. Basically you remove the plate and turn the chrome sleeve counter clockwise to remove it. Then use a channel lock to loosen the cartridge by holding the edge of the cartridge and turning it counter clockwise. Installed a new cartridge and gave it a gentle tight snug. No more leaks and shower works very well.
Please see the pics I took.
This is the cartridge part number

After removing plate and sleeve

After loosening the cartridge

Cartridge removed

Installed a new cartridge


What can I do to eliminate the stickiness of my oil-based wood stain? I recently painted over my doors and frames with Minwax oil-based wood stain. It's been 3 weeks and they are all still very sticky when I touch them. I tried wiping, and wiping with a clean dry rag and the color comes off but not the sticky feeling. I also tried wiping with a damp rag and then a clean dry rag with no luck.

What do I need to do to get rid of the stickiness?

If you were using a combined stain/varnish (likely with the Minwax brand), it was probably outdated. They can expire. Removing it's going to be essentially a matter of stripping the wood bare and starting again.

If you were using a real stain, they normally aren't applied like paint -- they're flooded onto a surface, allowed to sit a bit to soak in, and the excess is then wiped off before the piece is allowed to dry. This provides only color, not protection; a layer of varnish/lacquer/shellac should be applied over stain to seal it.


Remove paint from concrete floor (indoors) I'm trying to find a solution to prep my concrete floors (slab) for tile.

A contractor I had hired to remodel my home did an outstanding painting job -- so well that he managed to cover most of my floor in kills paint/primer that is now peeling and is a lovely mess to clean up. What a nice guy :)

Anyways, I'm looking at various solutions mentioned on Various Google search results. It seems like paint remove is a good way to go but requires hosing / pressure washing afterwards. Unfortunately this is my dining and living rooms and I don't believe I can contain the water.

Some mention using a grinder but I feel like the paint would just cake on it and it wouldn't be very affective.

Any suggestions?

For mechanical removal of paint from floors....

If you're talking about drips/splatters/spills that are on the floor from painting the walls/ceiling you can use wire or bristle disks that are meant for removing paint/rust and there's also the Wagner Paint Eater.

If you're talking about the whole floor covered in paint you can rent a floor sander with an abrasive diamond pad or a shot blaster.

All of them are messy and generate a lot of dust. Shot blaster also removes any weak/soft concrete at the surface which could improve your tile adhesion.


What's the name of this metallic eye? This piece of hardware looks similar with an eye bolt but there is no bolt there though. What's the name of this piece?

A part like that is often used as a retainer pin. It would be fitted through a close fitting hole in two parts to keep then from pulling or rotating apart. The small stamped groove on the end is bent after the retainer pin assertion to keep the pin from pulling or vibrating out of position.

Later removal of the retainer pin can be done by bending the tip back inline or simply cutting it off. Usually a pin of this type is replaced when removal and rebuild is done on an assembly that uses such a retainer pin.


How to raise a wooden floor above a basement (old porch floor) 8 - 10" to the same height as the adjoining room My current mud/laundry room was once an exterior porch (enclosed decades ago). I removed all the layers of flooring down to the original planks thinking I would refinish it or do tile or something. But then I started thinking what I really want is to raise the floor to the height of the kitchen floor, which you currently have to step up into from the mudroom by about 8" through a doorway.Then I can widen the doorway and basically "expand" the kitchen a bit.
I've seen a lot of how-tos for building a floor on top of a concrete slab to raise the height, but nothing that specifically mentioned raising a wooden floor....So is the correct way to do this to install rim joists around the room then install new joists, then subfloor, etc  Or, are there any other methods?
If the above method is the way to go - a few questions:

Should the joists run parallel to the existing joists in the original floor (length of the room)?
Should there be insulation between the raised floor and old porch floor? If so what kind is best (moisture is a factor from the basement--old cement floor, stone foundation, and the sump well/pump is below the mudroom. However there is some ventilation and we use a dehumidifier down there as well).
Should the rim joists be bolted into the studs? Or screwed? I saw one post that used 3 wood screws per stud, another that used bolts instead.
Would I just leave the existing drywall in place and install the rim joists over it?

More info: The mudroom sits above an unfinished basement with a stone foundation and a cement floor. There is an full bathroom (also added decades ago) on the second story above that matches the footprint of the mudroom. The room measures approx 6.5' x 19'.
The ceiling height of the mudroom matches the ceiling height of the kitchen, and there would be adequate ceiling height if the floor is raised. I would have to address the issue of the exterior door, (which opens onto a covered patio) because it would then be too low with the floor height change.

What you’re talking about in this case is technically a ledger attached to the studs. I presume you’re going to need to pass an inspection, and in any case you want the floor to do its job, which means there are calculations to be done to determine how much load each stud ends up holding. Not all screws are appropriate for a job like this. The article I reference just below talks about Simpson Strong-Drive SDWS timber screws, and provides some computations as well. The screws have to have high sheer strength so they won’t break off, and you don’t want them to rust out and fail in the future. Here is an interesting page on the subject:
https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/framing/attaching-a-ledger-to-studs_o
Classic time-tested construction is post and beam. The posts are set on a foundation, and the beams sit on top of the posts (or a rim joist and the ends of the floor joists sit on top of a foundation). Basically, everything is stacked so that load is transferred straight down in a vertical column to the foundation. Gravity does all of the work. Fasteners like nails and screws (or holes and dowels) keep things aligned vertically so that nothing slips sideways and gravity keeps the structure up instead of pulling it down.
But in this case, you would obviously have to either build a parallel foundation to support the floor (a hard expensive job) or hang the floor off of existing structure. There is a good chance that attaching a ledger with the right fasteners and using joist hangers is legal where you live. It can definitely be strong enough if done correctly.
Remove the sheetrock high enough to attach the ledger in direct contact with the studs. You can leave the sheetrock in place higher on the wall.
Make sure you measure twice before attaching the ledger so that your subfloor and flooring don’t end up 1/2” higher or lower than your kitchen floor.
Run your joists across the shorter distance. This does at least two things. First, you can use narrower joists because each one carries a smaller load over a shorter span. Second, each of the studs that the ledger is attached to will carry a smaller load, because the load will be distributed across more studs down the longer wall(s).
Use metal joist hangers attached to the ledger with appropriate (high sheer strength) nails or screws (typically nails).
If you’re using dimensional lumber for your joists they might differ very slightly in width from one to the next. This can make your floor uneven. In that case use hangers with a flat face that do not hook over the top of the ledger. That way you can adjust the hangers individually so that the tops of the joists are exactly even with the top of the ledger.
If a joist has any bow to it, set it so that it arches up instead of dipping down. But get them as straight as possible. Lumber can twist and warp if it’s cut from relatively young, green trees and cut into boards before the wood has dried sufficiently.
Better yet, buy engineered joists. They’ll be identical in width and won’t have any bow to them.


Are the wires for my generator transfer switch undersized? I purchased a Reliance Q510-C transfer switch to use with a 50 amp generator at my house. The transfer switch is rated at 50 amps. I have wired it into my main electrical box.

I also wired a 50-amp power inlet box into the transfer switch so I can plug the generator into that (rather than run the cord into the house). I used 6 gauge wire to connect the inlet box to the transfer switch.

The transfer switch and the inlet box are both rated at 50 amps. Everything is installed and works fine.

There's just one thing that bothers me. The transfer switch has a terminal block to connect the inlet wires. So the four wires coming into it (from the inlet box) are 6 awg wire. Two hot wires, one neutral and one ground. The four wires coming out of the terminal block are 10 awg wire. So it goes from 6 awg to 10 awg at the terminal block. Red 6 goes to red 10, black 6 goes to black 10, etc.

Here is my question...

Why would the manufacture use 10 awg at the terminal block? I expected the wires to be 6 awg (the same size coming from the generator power inlet). The 10 awg wires are only about 8 inches long and they run into the main bar where all the breakers connect. I assume the manufacture knows what they are doing and that 10 awg will carry the load, but I have never seen 10 awg used in 50 amp applications.

Is this OK, should I call and ask the manufacture if they made a mistake (they sell 30 amp boxes exactly like this... maybe this is a 30 amp box mislabeled as a 50 amp box) or should I not worry about it and just use the box as is?

The neutral wire they use at the terminal block is 8 awg. The others are 10 awg. I'm really only concerned about the two hot wires (red and black) that go from 6 awg to 10 awg at the terminal bolck.

I received a good answer from the manufacturer. I wanted to post it as an additional answer. Thanks to all for the mention of UL and appliances being separate from general NEC building codes. I've learned a lot from the comments and the other answer (which I've accepted).

UL 1008 is the standard these devices meet.

Here is the email response. They have been very professional and timely in their response and the product is well-built. I recommend them:

  Hello, thank you for the inquiry and for choosing our product!

  The wiring we use inside the Q-series cabinet, specified as factory
  wiring, is sized in relation to the testing for heat-rise on wires.
  In a factory wired electrical product, the wiring within can be
  potentially rated at any size that passes the heat-rise tests set
  forth by the testing lab, in this case Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
  6 AWG is rated for 55 amps and is required for most 50 amp
  applications when dealing with general wiring, but the wiring in the
  transfer switch does not fall under this category as it's enclosed and
  presumed to be unchanged after the factory build.  If number 12 wire
  were to be sufficient in passing all of the stringent UL testing, we
  would use that instead of number 10 wire.

  I understand the concern and it's true that you will see 6 AWG wire
  for most 50A applications, the number 8 and 10 wires in the Q510C are
  permitted through the listing of the product by UL as they passed all
  of the testing that is required by the national standard for transfer
  switches (manual), UL
  1008.  There are actually a lot of potential applications that could use smaller wiring than what is considered normal, but the NEC isn't
  able to differentiate every application in the codebook so they have
  very standardized wiring regulations to enhance safety and avoid
  undersized wiring.  In this scenario, we are using a smaller gauge
  wire but due to its short length and enclosure in the cabinet it can
  handle a 50A load with no problems.  Please let me know if you have
  any questions, thanks!


Hardwood Floor Squeaks - Fixing Squeaks or Removal of Hardwood Floor for LVP I just bought an old house that was build in the 1950s. The house has hardwood flooring all over the house. The hardwood floor squeaks everywhere, not in just a specific spot or area. I noticed that is mostly the boards rubbing against each other seems to be what is causing the squeaks. In some areas you just push the wood with your hand and you see the plank moving. I tried using the Squeak No Moreeee kit. But I stopped, since I would have to screw down every single board. I tried putting baby powder and all that. Nothing has worked.
My plan was to fix the squeaks and then put LVP on top, since this area of the house is going to be rented out.
A lot of people told me not to remove the hardwood floors because it gives value to the house, but I think to myself, who wants a house with these hardwood floor squeaking (besides me, since I'm thinking as an investment property).
My question is: Is there a way to fix the squeaks on the floor and put LVP on top, or is my only option to remove the hardwood floor and put the LVP in the subfloor with underlayment?
Other notes:

The floor is on the first floor. I plan to live in the basement.
The basement is finished. I don't have access from below.
The wood itself looks nice and shiny, it just squeaks like crazy.
I'm not sure if the wood is moving because of an uneven subfloor, maybe?
I don't know anything about flooring, its my first house, been living in it for a week and I have never put down any flooring. But hey, that's how you learn.

Here's the floor I currently have and the LVP that I want to add:

Pull it.  You can probably remove it easily enough that it comes up undamaged for the most part.  Save it if you want / put it on CL someone will take it off your hands.  Material wise that stuff is $3.50 a sq ft new it is only 1/4" thick and yours has probably been refinished in the last 70 years, probably has some dents and not as thick as it was previously.
If you remove it you'll be able to address any issues with the subfloor.  When you pull it you'll likely find that your floor is diagonal laid solid wood.  Use screws to make sure the subfloor is well fastened to the joists.  Run a straight edge around the room and build up any dips (SLC, wood, etc).  Make sure there aren't any squeaks - if you are living in the basement you'll hear everything.
If the subfloor looks dicey pull it and you can put roxul insulation into the joist bays to give yourself better sound protection.  Put back 5/8 or 3/4 tng plywood.  Put a radio on loud and go into the basement to see what you'll need to tolerate.  I'd also get some friends to do some running like children do upstairs while you are down so you get an idea.  I have 2" concrete, 3/4 subfloor, spray foam, roxul and 5/8" drywall - I can hear that conversations occur I can't make out the words unless people scream or are really loud.  Music is pretty dulled, I think it comes out through their windows and back in mind easier than through the floor.
If you need wiring updated in the basement this can be a good time to access the portion in the lights without ripping out your ceiling.


Electrical surges, lights flicker/dim them go back to normal I live in a mobile home, first issues I've had electrically. I noticed the lights would dim from time to time, a fan that was in the bedroom would run like it was on low even though I put it to the highest setting. First thing I did was called utility company to come check meter readings and such and he said they had good voltage even with everything on with no fluctuation. He told me to get a reading on the breakers in the box and see what I could come up with. Borrowed a good meter from work and checked the breakers, the main, a double pole which is a 100amp breaker (assuming since it says 100 on the handle for both) is the first I checked. The bottom one reads a constant 118 and the top would go from that range down to 78 during the dimming of lights. Is this just a bad main breaker that isn't letting the full juice through? Calling an electrician tomorrow but figured I'd get some feed back from here just in case someone else is having a similar issue. The home itself is only 15 years old. Possibly not balanced correctly in the box?

I have had breakers develop high resistance at the hammers ( the connecting device) in some cases if not two much arcing turn all the smaller breakers off, then flip the main breaker on and off 10 times, this can clear the carbon and reseat the hammers on the contact. If it works but starts doing it again after a while the breaker is failing and needs to be replaced. What brand of panel and type of breaker would be my only question in some cases the brand itself may justify replacing the entire panel.


Hard wiring a 4-wire oven to 3-wire outlet? I am replacing an old 4-wire oven with a new Kitchen Aid 4-wire oven. I have 3 wires in the outlet box (black, white, bare (ground)).  The old oven was connected the following way: From the oven the white wire and the bare (ground) together were connected to the bare (ground) in the box. The black wire from the oven was connected to the white wire in the box and the red wire from the oven was connected to the black wire. There was a lot of black electrical tape wrapped around the white wire in box about 3 inches from the connection point. Not sure what that means?
I was planning to connect the same way, but see some instruction on the internet to connect the same way, except black goes to black and white goes to red. Confusing and  conflicting information and not sure which is correct way. Or does it not matter since each wire, black and the white are hot each supplying 110V for a total 220V?

Sounds like a problem, but need more info
It sounds like you had an improper hot => hot, hot => white-normally-neutral-used-as-hot and neutral+ground => ground. If that's what you actually have, then it is a messed up version of the older style (not normally allowed now, but grandfathered in for some situations if done correctly) hot/hot/neutral connection, but using a 2-wire + ground cable instead of a 3-wire cable.
If I am correct, that means:

Ground is carrying the neutral load for the 120V controls. Ground is not supposed to carry any load except under fault conditions.
Wire colors are non-standard. White is supposed to be neutral, not hot.

I am also concerned that if someone cheated on the type of cable, they may also have cheated on the size of the wires. The actual wire gauge that you need will depend on the circuit - 30A vs. 40A vs. 50A., but the typical ordinary 2-wire + ground cable is often 12 gauge for 20A or 14 gauge for 15A and definitely not safe for 30A or more.
Before doing anything else, you need to find out the actual circuit requirements for the new oven. Check the oven manual - and post the model # here so we can take a look too. Then check the breaker or fuse to see if it meets those requirements. It needs to be big enough - to avoid nuisance trips - but not any bigger than it is supposed to be, so that it can provide the proper protection.
Whether or not the breaker is correct, I have a feeling you will need a new 4-wire (hot/hot/neutral/ground) cable to replace the existing cable. There is a possibility that a 3-wire connection (hot/hot/ground) may be OK, but we can't tell without more information.
If the existing 3-wire cable (2 insulated wires + ground) is sufficient, then the question is whether it is thick enough. You can check a wire chart, but the key numbers are typically:

15A - 14 gauge
20A - 12 gauge
30A - 10 gauge
40A - 8 gauge
50A - 6 gauge

There should be markings on the existing cable, or measure the wire directly.
Using a high-current breaker with wire that is not rated for that current is against code and DANGEROUS.


How can I prevent my furnace exhaust pipe from freezing? My furnace keeps on turning off because my air intake freezes. The reason it freezes up is because my neighbors exhaust vent blows directly on it. What can I do to prevent this?

You can extend the pipe along the outside wall away from the neighbor's vent to prevent it from causing the freeze.

you can also have the neighbor's vent extended away from your pipe depending on what is easier/how willing your neighbor is.

the separation can be as easy as hanging a piece of plywood to redirect his air away.


Hose left on outside faucet over winter with no nozzle, should I replace the faucet before turning it on? We recently bought a house in which I think the hose was hooked up over the winter. It didn't have a nozzle on the end of it, so there wasn't any pressure in the hose.

The faucet is a Woodford model 17.

I haven't turned it on yet, and i'd have to cut into the basement ceiling to look at the stem to see if it's burst.

Should I be worried about turning it on give there was no nozzle attached over the winter?

(I'm located in the midwest. Which equals very cold winters.)

The question I would ask is, was the shutoff value in the basement off? If the valve in the basement is shutoff it does not matter if the hose had a nozzle or not. I do not know where you are located, but if the temperature is above 45, turn it on slowly and see if it leaks, but if the shutoff valve was turned off, I think you are in good shape.


Wood bit vs Forstener bit for cam connector holes I am wanting to fix my MDF cabinet together with cam dowels and connectors (I rent, so for ease of moving I want the option to flatpack. Of course I will glue up when I get somewhere permanent, don't moan at me :-P).

I have bought the following:

Rimless Cam Connector - Min Panel Thickness 12mm
Self Drive Dowel - Cam Centre/Pin Length 34mm
12mm wood drill bit such as that pictured below

I have been doing a test piece to connect 2 scrap pieces together and have been coming up against a bit of an issue...

My MDF is 18mm thick, the quoted length of the cam connectors is 10mm with the locking centre being quoted as 6mm, so in theory I should be able to drill in with my drill bit and have everything line up ok as shown in my diagram below...

However... I have been finding that the point of the drill bit is rather long and appears to be either poking through the other side of my MDF, or at least making a small bulge.

Is there anything I can do to avoid this? Would a forstener bit be a better option for this job?

UPDATE
So after a few more tests, drilling in slowly and checking the fit I was still frustrated and decided to actually measure the length of the point on the drill bit... It appears the point is greater than 4mm, so of course it is poking out of the other side! Would a forstener bit's point be less dramatic as to help me with my issue here?

You can simply grind down the point of the bit you have to suit this job, rather than purchasing another tool and hoping that it will conform to the geometry you need.

Nothing says that  a tool is unalterable once you own it.

Note - do not remove it entirely (that will prove VERY hard to use) and do keep it centered.


Switching wiring from one transformer to another I am considering getting a Nest Hello doorbell. The requirements state:

  Nest Hello needs to be powered by wires delivering 16 - 24 V AC, and
  at least 10 VA (in North America)

I had a brief look at the electrical panel, and I see that there are two transformers

The one on the left (with red, green, yellow wires) is a 16V-10VA transformer. The one on the right (with black and white wires) is 10V-5VA.

As far as I suspect (and I haven't confirmed yet), the right one is the one that is likely used for the doorbell. So obviously using that with Nest Hello won't work.

My question: do I need to get a new transformer to replace the existing 10V-5VA, or can I just move the black and white wires over onto the left transformer?

The other transformer is for some other system - another doorbell, an alarm system or (small possibility) HVAC. So even if you can move the wires and power the NEST with that transformer, it is possible that (a) the combined loads of the two systems may be too much for the transformer, as it is rated at exactly the value recommended for the NEST by itself, and (b) there could be some unexpected interaction between the two systems - i.e., one switching on/off might somehow induce a problem into the other one.

Transformers are cheap. A quick search finds them at around $10 on Amazon, and you may be able to get one in a regular store (which has overhead but doesn't have to build in the Free Shipping to every little product) for less. Just make sure it is UL Listed as one side of the transformer is connecting to 120V AC.


How to cut hole larger than 1/3 of joist? I need to run a toilet drain (3”) through three joists (9 1/4”). Code states holes in joists can not exceed 1/3 the size of the joists. Catch is for 3” pipe I need a 3 5/8” hole — which is larger than 1/3 the height of the joist.

Now what? I assume I could reinforce the joist? But I can’t find any specific info on this. Is there an official way to handle this?

EDIT: one workaround I’m seeing is that I could instead drop below these joists in a closet...which would reduce the height of the closet but maybe the best option?

I have seen these before. https://www.metwood.com/joist-reinforcers/ . I do not know if they are code approved, but it looks like a good start.

This pic is from their website

It looks like they are not graduated lower to account for the fall of the pipe unless they over sized the hole to allow for some slope.


Can these floor boards be saved? I am seriously considering buying a very old apartment in an old Swiss farmhouse.
I want to know if the floorboards can be saved. They have gaps between them of about .8 cm to 2cm. Some of the wood looks like it has been infested with some sort of bugs. I have attached a picture of the shells of the bugs I have found.
My initial idea is to find the same type of wood and cut it to size to fill in the gaps and then sand it all down and stain it. They are also visible nails in the floorboards.
So my main question is can the floorboards be saved, do I need to get rid of them in order to get rid of the bugs?

Since the floor is so thick, that has a lot going for it. Since it sounds like the holes are over a large area in a part of a room, that is not so good. Not knowing how bad the wood boring insects affected the wood, it will be hard to be definitive with an answer. The safest solution without knowing more about the floor, would be to replace the floor, since the one small section included in the picture does not represent how much damage the floor actually has.
If there was a way to determine the full extent of the damage and found it repairable, it could be done in 2 ways.

The first picture is the simplest, but it will leave cracks where things can still fall through.
After all the cutting out of all the damaged material is done, I would have a pest control company look over the bug damage to see if they are still active, and let them act accordingly, then make the repairs.


What is a heavy, dense wood for a soundproof door assembly I am putting together? I am going to attempt to create my own door assembly (frame, door, etc) for my soundproofing project and am looking for very dense, heavy wood.  The first wood that comes to mind is oak, but I suspect that will be incredibly expensive.  However, if that's really the only wood that would do the job then I guess I'd be willing to pay for it.  I prefer types of wood that are typically readily available through retailers like Lowe's, Home Depot, and the like.

Note that is a separate inquiry from door sweeps and other add-ons.  This is solely about the door and frame itself.

I would do a hollow door like @Tester101 suggested, but instead of using Dynamat (which is expensive) I would use foam.

In high school, they would collect egg cartons so they could sound proof the audio rooms. You could use egg cartons as well or a cellular foam board.

Sound is produced by vibration. Thats why sub woofers aren't directional.

Using foam, the cellular structure breaks up the sound waves.

Wikipedia actually has a good write up on this.

Wikipedia Soundproofing

So, on the cheap - 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch plywood to make the door and inside, fill it with a not so dense (ie: a foam where you can see the cells) foam board.


How can I remove a shower faucet with no set screw? I'm fixing a leaky shower head and am trying to take the faucet handle apart. The shower faucet is a single handle with separate temperature control, made by Delta.

There is no set screw, and I cannot figure out how to take it apart. I've tried prying it off, but it doesn't want to come off.  This is as far as I could get in trying to take it apart.

Thank you for your help.

Problem solved. There is no set screw. I just needed a little more force to wiggle it off.


Fanning outside air into basement apartment I am refinishing my basement into a 1BR apartment and I happen to have an easy access to intake outside fresh air and fan it into the apartment. I was planning to have one of those standing AC units so I had put a 4" vent outlet on the outside of the bedroom, same as for a dryer. The plans changed so I went with central air but still have the outlet in the wall that could be used, with some degree of easy adaptation (to remove the flap that prevents inflow).

My question is, does it make sense to fan fresh air into a basement living space, of course controlled with a switch? Will it significantly improve the quality of air breathed inside? It would be like fan assisted ventilation.

I think it's a bad idea. I understand the intent & initially it sounds good, but it's a basement. If anything you really would only want it to exhaust air & you absolutely wouldn't want to introduce humid outdoor air into the basement. You might even have a Radon problem that this would be better used for.

If you can't use it for Radon, Bath or Kitchen exhaust venting, then plug it up with foam or fiber insulation until a future use can be determined. You could also use the hole as natural light by making your own Sola-tube type of setup.


Painted door hinges with lead paint I removed some door hinges and plan to get the paint off. Once the paint is off I’m going to put them back up. The paint on hinges, wall and door have lead paint.

My question is did they paint over all the hinges and door knobs in the house because of lead paint?

If so is there something I should do to encapsulate or protect any friction or what not from the hinges attached to the wall and door?

They wouldn't have painted over because of the lead paint.  They would have painted because they didn't like the color, or because the paint had gotten ratty.  Very few people consider lead paint to be an emergency.  It's lead, not plutonium.

The issue with lead paint was found because of a socially motivated race to find causes for several groups doing poorly on intelligence testing.  Turns out children eat paint chips.  Middle-classers live in well-kept, often newer homes which had no peeling paint. But the urban poor live in older, rental (so maintenance is not allowed) slums with peeling paint.  Lead poisoning causes brain damage.  In a house with well-maintained paint, it's not really much of a problem; however, it's politically unpalatable to say why that's so.

So, make sure the paint is stable and not likely to peel.  Then just go ahead and overcoat it.

You can strip it if you want to, but paint old enough to be leaden is also old enough to be alkyd.  This can be a little challenging to strip; the overcoated latex will come right off but the underlying alkyd will fight you. Heat can help, but keep it under 1100F. If you sand, wet-sand, and send the wash and solid chips to wherever your town tells you to.


Is a dedicated circuit to gas furnace always required? USA NEC 2014.

Is there any way to dodge the requirement for a dedicated circuit for a gas furnace?  I need to hang one more small hardwired load right near the furnace, and would rather not run a new circuit.

The other load is not HVAC related, and this is an office outbuilding not a domicile.

This is on the side of the furnace and supplies the furnace.

Put a subpanel here

Provided there's enough clear working space out from that side of the furnace, you can replace that fusible mini-disconnect (switched fuse cover) with a small subpanel (a "spa panel" type of disconnect is large enough for this job, although GE makes? or at least made the TL510RT that is basically perfect for a 120V only application if you can get it, and SqD has the QO24L50TTS that will do the trick here as well), that has 2 15A breakers on the same leg, one for the furnace and one for the other circuit.  (You can also put the service receptacle for the space on this panel, if one is not already present.)

Or, if this is all in conduit...

If this circuit is run entirely in conduit, then there should be enough space for another 15A circuit (hot+neutral) in there for the remaining loads, allowing the furnace to be left alone on the existing circuit, or vice-versa, with the furnace moved to the new circuit and the other loads left on the existing circuit.


Shower grout moisture prevention coating I am wondering if there is a coating, seal, paint or whatever product that I can apply to the grout between shower tiles to prevent mold?
The junction between the shower tiles of my shower pit has black mold formed. See this picture I am using a squeegee to clean the tiles after each shower, but it only slows down the mold formation.
Is there a product (preferably not too expensive) that I can apply to the junction to prevent mold formation?

Grout is porous which allows water to sit and grow mold. You need to use a grout sealing product.
Example:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Aqua-Mix-Sealer-s-Choice-Gold-24-oz-Penetrating-Sealer-AMSC24Z/202907686
After cleaning your grout, you can use a product that will soak in to the grout and seal it from water entering. You should do this about once a year to prevent mold.
Use a foam brush and/or grout sealer applicator to apply it on cleaned grout. Do a second coat within 30 minutes to an hour or so (follow the product directions). Foam brushes are easer on wall grout IMHO.
To test after sealer dries, take a drop of water and put it on the grout. If it soaks it in, you need more sealer. If it beads on top or rolls past it, your good to go!
Sealing grout is an easy win in home care! Make sure you have good ventilation when using these products as they have a lot of VOCs!


Is it normal to find cracks in new concrete? I'm having a house built and they just completed pouring the slab for the foundation a few days ago.  When I inspected it today I noticed several narrow (but sometimes long; one or two do them appear to run nearly across the entire slab) cracks in the concrete.  Here are some pictures:

Can anyone tell me if this is something I should be concerned about, or is it standard to find these kinds of small cracks in freshly laid concrete?

Secondary question; I also noticed a few other things that seemed like defects.  Are any of these cause for concern:

Missing chunks of concrete:

Fastener not secured to anything:

Footprints in shower recess concrete:

Edit - Here's a shot of what was in place immediately before the slab went down:

Concrete will crack naturally on its own unless it is given a place to crack such as control joint or expansion joint. As the concrete is curing it is heating up and expanding.  In the summer time, I have seen the slab crack before being able to walk on it.

Regarding footprints, it is tacky. However, the roughness can actually help the concrete and thinset to bind unless it is flaking.

One criticism......the young lady wearing the flip flops should not be walking around a construction site. Stepping on nails, rusty re-bar, broken glass etc is a distinct possibility.  Safety first!

As suggested by another responder, if you feel excessive water has been used then a core sample can be done and a test break can ascertain whether the concrete is no good.


Maximum PSI for cleaning outside vinyl siding? I am looking to buy a pressure washer to keep various outdoor surfaces clean.  What is the maximum safe pressure the vinyl siding can withstand to prevent damaging surface etching?  Also, will vinyl brittleness in below-freezing temperatures be a risk requiring a lower pressure or to avoid this method of cleaning?

Do NOT use a pressure washer on vinyl in below freezing temps. This is just asking to shatter the plastic, especially if it has had some exposure to the sun. That will make it more brittle. You don't need to clean the siding so often that you need to do this in the winter anyway. A hose has always been sufficient to clean siding for us, once a year in the summer.


What is the proper insulation assembly for porch Newly built porch is poor construction quality and leaky (air, not water).  Siding is T1-11 with many double insulated vinyl windows.  Porch size is about 14'x20'.
We have caulked and will spray foam insulate.
Goal is to have a 3 season room and use an electric heater in it.  We are in a northern climate.
Can I put 2" XPS Blue or Pink and cover with paneling or do I need a vapor retarder?
Do I need the XPS with the silver vapor retarder layer and which direction do I put the silver layer?

Answer from local contractor "Use 1 inch or greater XPS.  By itself in the walls it is a vapor barrier.  Space it away from exterior wall so there is an air gap.  For ceiling, used foil faced XPS, foil side down.towards interior space."


construction heater wire requiarements i want to install a 4800 watt construction heater in my garage that is already wired with a 60 amp subpanel.  It has lots of room for extra breakers in the sub panel so i plan to install a 30 amp breaker (the heater specs say it is 21 amps, so the 30 amp breaker appears correct)..

The heater will be plugged in 42 feet from the subpanel so i estimate it will take about 50 feet of wire.

WHAT TYPE OF ELECTRICAL WIRE DO I NEED FOR THIS?

10 AWG wire.

THWN type if in conduit.

NM type if using plastic sheathed multiconductor cable.   10 AWG is typically orange.  10/3 if it needs neutral, otherwise 10/2 and re-mark the white wire as a "hot" by wrapping it with black tape.

Many 240V heaters do not need a neutral. But if you include neutral, you may thank yourself later, because it'll give you the most versatility in terms of other things you might plug in there in the future.

You can also look at the plug for your heater and see what it requires.  Even if it doesn't require a neutral, you are perfectly welcome to run a neutral, and simply cap it off in the electrical box for future use.

You must choose. You are not allowed to put 2 receptacles on a 30A supply cable in this type of installation.  The NEMA 10-30 is bad news and should be avoided, anything that requires it, you should replace it with 14-30.


How can I join 2x6 pressure treated wood for a shed base? I am creating a wood frame for my Suncast Sierra shed. I already weighed the pros and cons of each option for a base and came out with a wood frame as the most economical with all factors considered. That being said, I am following the documentation outline attached below:

I have all of the pressure treated wood purchased and will be cutting it soon, however I have never actually built anything, no less outside.  What is the best method for connecting these 2x6 boards in the pattern outlined above?

If nails or screws directly between each other, what is the ideal size (I bought 3 inch pressure treated earlier but figured I should ask so  I don't splinter the wood if that's overkill on size). I know there are mettle L joints that could be used, so maybe that's the ideal option? (Again if so whats ideal length for screws and size for joint / preferably actual product term so I can ask for them).

Also do I need to pre-drill the holes or should I be fine just directly drilling them with the screw?

This should be a good starter project, here are a few tips I've picked up over the years:

Even pressure treated wood will deteriorate over time if it's exposed or in direct contact with the ground/moisture. Do what you can to protect it from the elements and get it raised off of the soil. Use a moisture barrier between wood and concrete.
Take care to perfectly level the area you are locating this.
Make sure your cuts are straight, preferably using a square to mark your lines.
Measure twice, cut once.
Look for the direction that the wood bows, mark the bowed up side on the wood, and layout all the wood with the bowed side up. You don't want the floor to be wavy or to have a dip in the center for water/dirt to collect.
Assemble the sub-assembles first, driving your nails/screws from the side of the joists into the spacers.
Make sure all connections stay perfectly vertical since they lose their strength when they start to tip over. You can use a clamp to get leverage and untwist a warped joist, but if the warp is too significant, I'd cut it into pieces for the short spacers.
Pre-drill when you are within 2" of the end of a board and going in from the side (e.g. all of the sub-assembly nails/screws and the 4 corners). Other than that, you can avoid pre-drilling, but it may help you keep a straight line if this is your first build.
Metal brackets to hang the joists will give you a stronger connection. They should include directions for the type of fasteners, which will likely be shorter but very thick nails.
Nails will have more shear strength, but screws will be less likely to pull out. If you have a sub-floor going on top of this, securing everything together, then I'd go with nails. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd put in at least a few deck screws in each corner.
3 1/2" is a good length for any nails/screws. That gets roughly half of the fastener in each piece of lumber. When in doubt, get a longer/thicker fastener.
Any untreated nails or screws will react with the chemicals in pressure treated lumber and quickly corrode. Hot dipped galvanized nails or treated deck screws should be ok, but check the label on the box to be sure it will work with the chemicals in your lumber.
For each joint, a 2x4 would take 2 nails, a 2x6 would take 3, etc. Stay about 1" away from the edge of the board and space the nails about 1 1/2" - 2" apart.


What is the proper hole size in tile backer for a shower valve? How big does the hole in the backer board need to be around the shower valve? My current hole is big enough to remove the cartridge clip. What is the purpose of the large hole pictured in the directions? Larger hole=greater chance of leaking?

There is no official size for it.  As long as the trim can cover it, it's good.  I usually use the provided template.  That works for most trims.

The benefit of the large hole is easy access to the valve in case you need to repair it.  For example, my value has 2 screws allowing me to block the water from flowing to the chamber holding the cartridge.  If I need to replace the cartridge, I don't need to shut off the water of the whole house.

There isn't a greater chance of leaking.  As long as you have the proper seal/water proofing at the edge of the hole, you will be fine.


Putting siding on a shed, what risks are there in using LP Smartside 38 series on 24 inch studs instead of the recommended 16 inch? LP Smartside has two thicknesses, the 76 (7/16) and the 38 (3/8). Instructions say that 76 can be installed on 24 inch studs while 38 needs 16 inch studs. Obviously there is a difference in price. Im just building a barn that won't be insulated. What problems (if any) might arise when using 3/8 Smartside on 24 inch studs instead of 16 inch studs?

The sheeting is in part what will hold the barn up when it is windy I don’t think I would skimp on both the spacing and the siding, you might find it will only be a couple of extra studs and you can use cheaper siding, the same true with your roof. I have saved hundreds on sheathing alone by adding a single truss in some cases 2 but still saved much more than the few studs / trusses it cost to bring it to 16oc


PO Drilled a large hole in a load bearing beam I'm in the middle of remodling the 2nd floor of our 1955 cape.  We found a place where the PO attempted to drill through one of the doubled up floor joists around the stairs.  But its not a hole drilled through the side, its drilled from the top down.

The first two small holes only go in about an inch, the third larger hole goes just about all the way through.  Is this hole too large?  If it is, is it sufficient to bolt another joist, perhaps 4' long, next to the damage?  Only the first half of this joist is visible (the section in the knee walls, and a bit into the living space where an old wall was removed), the rest is still under the floor boards.

Determining if the drill hole weakens the beam beyond serviceability would require site-specific calculations, like how close to its load and span limit it is.

If it fails in the future, by cracking and sagging or collapsing, it will do so under heavy load, which is exactly when you don't want it to fail.

The floor will be on, and no-one will remember there is a slightly weak spot at that point.

For peace of mind, fit the bandage you've shown. It's a quick easy fix, and good for the long term performance of the building.

I'd be inclined to fit a much longer bandage, with two sets of through bolts far apart on each side of the fault hole, and perhaps use a 1/4" x 6" steel plate rather than wood.


Ceiling drywall nail rusted (new construction) What would cause a nail to be rusted like this in the drywall ceiling of a new home (built 2019)? Is there anything specific I should request our builder to repair other than just painting over the nail again?

Short answer is that it's probably fine. Just set it, patch, texture and paint.

More nuanced answer depends on where in the house it's in. If it's a bathroom or other high humidity zone, don't worry about it. (Generally, sheetrock is screwed these days, but it's common enough practice to tack sheets in place with a few nails. Nails aren't particularly rust-resistant.)

If it's below a bathroom or a roof that you might have cause to be suspicious about, then a bit of exploration might be in order. Look for stains nearby; touch the ceiling to see if you can find anything spongy or cooler than its surroundings.