What to do with wall behind bath taps The tiles behind the taps of my bath have come off completely and I don't know what to do. My main concern is if it could contain asbestos withing the tiles themselves, the adhesive or the plaster stuff behind them. I assume water could also get there as well. There is also a crack in the ceiling directly below this place but no sign of damp or anything. Do I try and cover it up with something? If it does contain asbestos and needs to be removed professionally, covering it up would make it harder to remove right? I have no idea about DIY or anything and my parents aren't worried at all. Personally I am very worried about it. Also worried about the mould. Have attached some pics.

Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.

Don't even worry about asbestos, it's only a concern if you tear it up into a breathable dust.
You say you are concerned about water intrusion, but all around that area there are gaps and cracks through which water could penetrate. You say you are worried about mold, but the wall above is covered with what looks like bio growth (mildew).
I recommend that you:

clean the area with the missing tiles with TSP, then a bleach solution (in fact, do that the entire area including the wall).
seal all cracks, crevices, and edges with paintable caulk
paint area with missing tiles, and the plaster wall area above, with quality indoor glossy bathroom paint.

If you had more experience with intrusive DIY projects there are a lot of other, more permanent solutions (e.g. redo all tile) but at your skill level this should help and it will look good too.


Can I replace broken clips in a recessed light fixture? I have discovered some of the remodel cans (Halo/Elite) that I had an electrician install have broken clips (the clips that hold the can to the drywall). Are these easy to replace or does the entire can need to be replaced? What would cause them to break? (e.g. sloppy installation, defective). Is it easy to unclip and remove the cans? I'd like to get my facts straight before I go back to the electrician.

You should be able to replace the clips. They slide in from the inside and then get mooshed against the side to stay put. Just unmoosh the old ones, slide them out, and slide in the new ones.

Of course, that won't keep the new clips from busting on you.

Removing the cans is just as easy. Pop out the old clips, slip the can down through the hole, wiggle it sideways to pull the built-in box through, open that up and untwist the wires. You can then install whatever alternative can you'd like.

I recommend the Commercial Electric T91 LED disk light. It's a 6-in disk that can mount to a 4-in junction box that's at least 1-1/4 inches deep (or something reasonable like that). You should have no problem getting a good and sturdy 4 inch box. (It also screws into cans if you already have those.)

I'm getting ready to install 5 of those T91s in junction boxes on one side of a large room and 4 4-inch Halo LEDs in the 4-inch Halo remodel cans on the other side.


Shower Runs out of hot water after a few minutes but sinks stay hot at the same time I've just moved into a new house and my shower runs out of hot water after a few minutes.
It's heated by a 10 year old Bosch tankless natural gas unit which I believe claims 105k output BTU which should easily be enough to handle the shower.
One interesting thing I noted is that I get more hot water if I leave my two bathroom faucets on on full the entire time. The interesting thing is that if I leave these on, when I get out of the shower once it has turned cold, the sinks will still be medium sometimes very hot.
I did a descaling flush on my tankless unit and I did not see any scale coming out in the flush.
Interested to get thoughts.

I replaced the unit and I now get hot water. I think the old unit was simply not able to consistently provide hot water any more


Led pot light wire damaged at rough in by drywall cutout tool. How to repair? Looking for advice on what to do here.

Surprisingly the light works fine even though it appears a lot of the individual wires in the stranded wire are cut.

120v 35w is the max rating of the fixture so line voltage.  The bulbs are led.  I might have a spare fixture lying around that i could pull a virgin connector out of.

My non-code, unofficial, somewhat hackish, minimally risky solution would be to:

Cut the wire as long as possible near the socket base. You'll need at least 3/4" of good wire.
Cut the wire at an undamaged point on the other side of the damage.
Strip both wires 3/8" and twist well (but not so vigorously that you damage it).
Install a butt-splice connector of appropriate size with a good crimp.
Wrap the repair with tape, then wrap the other wire in with it to create a splint to prevent pullout. Use a high-heat tape as this is a tight space with heat-resistant insulation on the wires.


Placement of transformer for indoor/outdoor LED light string The LED light string is labeled for Indoor/Outdoor use but there is a warning on the box that the transformer must be indoors. That seems as though the light string is NOT suitable for outdoor use. I want to use this string on an outdoor holiday star with the power source connection an outdoor receptacle. Do I need to return these lights for Outdoor rated use lights? Is there a fire or electrical shortage shock risk with using these with the transformer outside?

Actually this warning can be for wire wound transformers and switching power supplies that do not have a protective shell where water and or moisture can damage the device.
Adding a water / moisture tight enclosure with approved sealing grommets or bushings would be a code legal way to do this.
In most cases a NEMA 3R case will be sufficient.
In all cases A NEMA 4 -4x weather proof is enough this is normally what we use in areas close to where vehicles are pressure washed or steam cleaned to protect the controls.


Place, inject, or shoot pellets, sand, or gravel into space above? I'm trying to figure out how to shoot silica gel pellets into an enclosed space in my ceiling.

Is there some sort of tool, mechanism, or technique to shoot dry, pellet-like or sand material, vertically, into an enclosed space where the only access is a hole from below the space?

I don't think what you are trying will work. You appear to be attempting to dry out a ceiling cavity using silica desiccant, but:

1) Silica gel is a one-use material. Once it's full of water, that's it.

2) I'm a bit worried about the weight; if you're placing this into a ceiling cavity, it'll be supported by the drywall, and basically nothing else. Back of the envelope says 44 lb/sq ft, (assuming you place it one foot deep) plus 40% for water weight, so 60 lb/sq ft. This is a significant weight. Even one inch will give 5lb/sq ft over the entire cavity, and drywall is not designed to provide any support. If you're putting enough silica in the cavity that it's necessary to bring in actual power tools, the weight matters.

If the actual problem you need to solve is removing moisture from a ceiling cavity, there are better ways of doing this. (Solve the issues that allow moisture to accumulate, then add ventilation to encourage evaporation.)


How to stop a door from banging while closing Besides closing it very slowly, any good tricks / gadgets that will slow down the door so it doesn't close with a thud?

There are a few things you can do:

Check the hinges and use a level to see that the door is square. A heavy door hung incorrectly can slam heavily. Check this guide at national contractors for how to level a door. Some tips from it: check that the hinges are tight, not too heavily greased, and the same distance from the frame.

Install a closer arm (can be expensive)

(source: keylessaccesslocks.com)

If the door isn't closing too hard, but makes a fair amount of noise, try putting some small felt pads on the inside of the jamb to soften the closure.


How to connect 4” PVC to broken sewer line? I have a piece of broken cast iron pipe with almost no overhang. Wondering what are my options here?

I know that plastic convertors exist(ed) as the plumber used one for us...

You would need to remove material aound the pipe to provide sufficient connection.

I am not aware if they make an internal plastic version - but that would mean cleaning and sealing the internal surface which tends to be in worse condition that the outside...


Max bulb wattage for a lamp I was looking at a desk lamp at ikea. The lamp specified "max 13 watts". The lamp is a standard screw type socket, not any sort of special CFL PL socket.

I looked at another desk lamp online, and it said "requires a 13 watt bulb".

What characteristic of these lamps restrict them to a certain watt bulb?

What would happen if I put in a 23 watt bulb? Would it possibly be unsafe? Would the 23 watt bulb not shine at its optimal brightness?

The construction and insulation of the socket assembly, the size and temperature rating of the wiring, the proximity and design of the shade... generally anything related to either electrical current or heat affects its wattage rating.

Using a bulb of higher wattage than the lamp is rated for means that wiring may be overloaded, causing it to heat up, and/or the structure of the lamp will heat up due to conduction and radiation from the bulb. Either can cause burns or fires.


Where would my cable modem go based on this structured media enclosure's components? I was at a model home the other day and checked out its structured media enclosure. Inside, it had a "Standard 4 x 10 Voice Distribution Module" and what appeared to be a "1 x 6 3GHz Video Splitter Module" - both made by Suttle.

I was a bit surprised to find it did not have a "Cat5e or Cat6 8-port Voice/Data Patch Module".

Might the notion be that, once cable is activated, I would just plug my cable modem into any coaxial port in the house? I ask since most rooms in the house do have ethernet ports in the wall - perhaps the model just isn't finished yet?

P.S. - Here's a picture. Perhaps the white and blue wires going to the voice distribution module have different purposes?

All this "glorified medicine cabinet" talk is a little bit uncalled for. These are actually called "Structured Media Enclosures" by the manufacturers, and for many (most or virtually all) home networking and video distribution installations they're adequate. They do come in different sizes, too.

And, you get your own Ethernet punchdown blocks and install them in the cabinet.

If your cable modem and your ethernet switch are wall-mountable, then you can mount them directly to the back of the cabinet. That's one of the purposes of all those handy little holes in the walls of the cabinet.

Here's a picture from Leviton of one of these things populated with more gear. The item labeled #9 in the photo is an Arris (Motorola) cable modem.

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=37730
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=55914&minisite=10251

Now, having said all that, the picture of the panel I included here is about as crowded as I'd want one to be, and I would worry a little bit about heat buildup. Although none of the devices pictured use enough power to require active cooling.

Also, there's no way I'd put my WiFi access point in a metal box, unless I was mounting it in a sensitive location or exposed to the elements and I had it connected to an external antenna outside the metal box. In the house, I'd run Ethernet cable to one or two appropriate spots on the ceiling and mount the right kind of PoE access point there. Perhaps two of them in different parts of the  house.

The housing of a 16-port switch won't fit in this box, and the heat buildup from many 16-port switches would be too much for such a small enclosure, although a couple of low power 8-port switches clearly will work.

Personally, if I were building a new house, I'd install the biggest enclosure I could get my hands on, or more likely, I'd just build an actual closet with a 19" rack and an exhaust vent I could attach a thermostat-controlled fan to, and pull all the cables to that point.


Just put calcium carbonate rocks in my condensate water pump or buy a whole condensate kit? Can I just put some calcium carbonate rocks in my Beckett water pump (see photo of pump, below) to neutralize the HVAC condensate, or do I have to spring for a whole assembly, like this   (The refills are less expensive than the whole assembly, and just putting some rocks in the pump basin is easier than installing a whole kit.)  If so, how often would I have to change or replace the rocks?

Your question doesn't clarify why you'd rather drop stones in the pump than to replace the stones in a filter cartridge. Regardless, the reaction between acidic water and caustic stone is going to take place anywhere they meet. I've seen limestone dropped into acidic rain water barrels to raise the pH for watering gardens.
The ordinance in my area is that the HVAC condensate must be discharged outside the building, or the condensate must be neutralized before it goes into waste water plumbing. My HVAC condensate is gravity fed to a side yard, with no special stones. The grass there grows like normal so I've never given it a second thought.
Back to your question. If the filter pump is a code requirement, i.e., the water must be treated before it can be discharged into your waste water system, I wouldn't mess with the pump filter system. It's not worth a fine or the liability.
Yehuda_NYC, the cartridges look like the end-caps spin off. They might be designed to be refilled. Putting stones in the cartridges shouldn't cost any more than dropping stones in the pump. The least expensive route is to re-route the distillate tubing to drain outside - if it is in compliance with your local ordinances.


How to prep wiring for new lights in basement ceiling? I have an old, fully finished, basement and I want to install new recessed lighting in the ceiling. My biggest scare is in wiring. Where and how can I find the necessary wires and run them through to the ceiling as well as to the different locations where I want the light switches to be?

In reading online I guess I need to start off from an outlet, but what next? If I need to run wires through floor joists (from the floor above) and wall studs, do I need to remove all the drywall that goes from the light source(s) to the switches, in order to properly drill and pass the cables through? Or is there another way that I'm missing?

As noted, this is not an entry level project. (And drywall is the enemy, but fear not.)

Safety notes: turn off circuits that you're messing with. Have a tester that tells you if a wire is hot. Don't assume that wire colors mean anything. If you think there's a chance that you'll hit plumbing/ gas/ other wires/ etc when drilling, then open up the drywall and fix it later. Read up on wiring best practices and safety.

My approach:

pick your cans (size will be important). Bigger diameter will probably be easier to work with. Smaller height is probably better.
lay out where you want the cans to ideally be
make holes at each location that are big enough to get your hand into (but smaller than the eventual can). After the first hole, you'll know if there's anything really wrong with the cans you've purchased.
feel around and see what obstructions are in your way. Adjust can locations accordingly.
cut can holes to full size
run wire between cans. Try to make small holes (3/4") in the middle of your joists. Open drywall as needed to enable drilling and passing wire. Watch out for other wires/plumbing/gas lines/etc while drilling.
now, you need to get power to one point on the string of cans. Lots of ways to skin the proverbial cat, but if you're lucky, you found a permanently hot wire in the ceiling that is on a circuit that can bear the additional load of lighting. (LEDs are good here, as they draw very little.) If you pick up power from an existing source, the junction box has to be accessible.
if you weren't lucky with that, you'll have to bring power from an outlet to a switch. Tear out the existing outlet box (without damaging any wires -- often easier said than done) and fish wire from the outlet to your new switch location. A long drill bit through the holes you're cutting for boxes will get you through the first stud, but you'll be making holes in the drywall to get past studs.
now you need to get wire from the switch to the lights. Construction varies, but getting wire from the wall cavity into the ceiling cavity will almost certainly involve cutting away drywall at the top of the wall and the edge of the ceiling. With those holes, you can see what you're dealing with.
if you want two switches controlling the same set of lights, run 3 conductor wire between the switches. Reference books will tell you how to hook up those wires.
when patching drywall, less is more. If you put too much mud on, you'll have to sand it off and clean it up later.
I'm sure I've missed something, but I hope this gives you a sense of what you're considering.


How do I disable the battery water level sensor on watchdog sump pump back up when I replace it with a sealed battery? I am replacing my sump pum back up battery with a sealed battery.  What do I do with the battery level water sensor?

If it's a basement watchdog, you can attach the sensor rod to the positive battery terminal to disable it.


How can I insulate my porch floor? I have a wooden screened-in porch on a cabin that I am remodeling, with approximately 30 inches from the ground to the bottom of the porch tongue-and-groove boards. I am considering insulating the porch, with the eventual goal of being able to place polycarbonate panels over the screen in the cold months to help with heat loss.

Before I replace the floor, I would like to add insulation board between the floor joists and staple wire mesh underneath to keep any critters from chewing up the exposed insulation board.

The caveat: this is near a river, and on rare occasion it does flood. I'm worried that placing the foam board would trap a large amount of moisture after a flood between it and the joists / tongue and groove that would keep it from drying out relatively quickly and therefor rot / mold.

Are there ways to mitigate this? Raising the structure isn't an option, but I'm unsure how/if it's possible to vent the individual compartments created by the insulation board / floor joists.

Indoor / outdoor carpet?

Maybe you can insulate by carpeting on top of the floor you have.  There are lots of options.  This will leave air movement under the porch as it is which I think is smart given flood risk.  The indoor / outdoor carpet can be hung up to dry if the river floods, and replaced if it wears out or tastes change.

Anticritter mesh is a good idea, though.


Waste cleanout plug too big or too small I have a 1950s home and it started to smell like poop in the basement. It didn't overflow, I see the water, but when the cap is off the smell is terrible.

There's a hole in the concrete floor where the sewage/waste cleanout is and an old cast iron plug that's 1/4"-3/8" too big for the hole so it just sits on top (from whoever left it).

I've gone to big box stores and bought a 3 1/2" and 4" cleanout plug, and the same sizes for expandable test plugs.

The cast iron pipe area I cleaned out with a screw driver and a tooth brush, and I don't see any threads (large or small).

The 4" sizes are roughly 1/4" too big and the 3 1/2" would fall through.

Is there any other option just to plug it even if temporarily so I'm not breathing this in for days to come?

I used a plastic container to sit on top, weighted down, and I placed plywood on top of the hole to seal it temporarily but it is not effective.

Help!

First, measure the OUTSIDE diameter of the cast iron pipe where this opening is. Then go to the hardware store and by a Fernco coupler of the appropriate size. The coupler is basically a short tube made of rubber, with hose clamps.

You'll also need a PVC threaded cleanout fitting, and a cleanout cap. Pick the size of that based on the Fernco couplers available to you at the hardware store.


Attic ventilation - intake:exhaust ratio vs total ventilation area? I have decided to go ahead and install a ridge vent in my house. The only current attic ventilation is soffit venting on one side of the house.

As part of this project, I am attempting to determine the appropriate ratio between intake and exhaust venting. From what I have read the things I am aiming for are:

1:150 ratio of vent area (in or out) : attic square feet - This is important so that there is sufficient ventilation for heat/moisture to escape
50:50 ratio of intake : exhaust (or if one is more, more intake than exhaust). - This is important so that your soffits remain "intakes" and ridge vent "exhaust" and not the other way around.

In doing my calculations I have found that even if all soffits are vented, and there is a matching amount of vent in the ridge vent, I have just enough venting to meet 1:150.  For reasons outlined in the previous referenced question below (concern for snow coming in through soffits), I am considering limiting the amount of soffit venting on the side of house with prevailing wind. If I do that, then it becomes impossible to achieve the rule of thumb 1:150 (can you tell I am adverse to the risk of snow coming into my attic??)

Questions:

If one of these "rules" must be sacrified, which seems like the better of the two? Less total ventilation, or more ridge ventilation than soffit ventilation?
Is having a ridge vent for only a short portion of the ridge effective or normal? (say 18' out of 46')

For reference:

28' * 46' = 1288 sq ft attic floor
1:150 = 8.58 sq ft total ventilation required (1235 sq in)
Soffit area: 100 sq ft (max), would like to minimize exposure of side with prevailing wind, so as low as 75 sq ft (note: soffit width = 15")
Ridge length: 46'
Ridge vent: 18 sq in net free area / linear foot
Soffit vent: 6.4 sq in net free area / square foot
Please see also my previous question: How to properly vent attic in windy/snowy areas to avoid snow infiltration?

Sample Calculation:

Soffit: 75 sq ft * 6.4 sq in/sq ft = 480 sq in free area soffit
Assume 40:60 split exhaust:intake, so 320 sq in required ridge vent
Corresponds to only ~18 ft of ridge vent
Total vent = 800 sq in; Required (by 1:150 rule) = 1235 sq in. Effective = 1:231

For the 50:50 rule, I don't see the ridge vent becoming an intake unless there is another second ridge vent.  So given the choice, I'd ignore the 50:50 rule unless your ridge vent is not at a single height.

That said, in your specific situation, with a strong wind from one side and the soffits closed on that side, I think you're creating a situation where regardless of how big the ridge vent is, you could get a down draft from the upwind ridge vent to the downwind soffits.  But more importantly, by closing some soffits, you are reducing the airflow under part of the roof.  In areas of heavy snow, this airflow is critical to prevent heat from the home from melting snow from the upper part of the roof and having it refreeze on a lower part, forming an ice dam that would backup water into the roof (rot) and possibly into your home (leaks).

Because of the ice dam risk, I think you're better off going with shirlock's earlier suggestion to rely on the Styrofoam tunnels stapled to the rafters and adding some ridge vent filter to any soffits you are worried about.  Then install a ridge vent of the proper size for your roof.


Comparing mixed orientation solar panels to non-mixed on a Brooklyn Solar install I'm looking for advice on choosing from two solar panel proposals.  I have a historic landmark brownstone in Brooklyn with a flat roof and am looking for the most power that I can fit into the roof while still meeting all the fire and landmark requirements.

One proposal is a 9kw system with 25 SunPower X panels, mixed orientation and 2 degree pitch.

The other proposal is a 6kw system with 17 LG 360W panels with a 25 degree tilt.

They both have a similar price after tax credits and rebates, but the LG seller tells me that having so many panels on a Brooklyn roof like that will require delays in approvals and that a mixed orientation is not advisable and that the tilt angle is also not advisable.

If I were to look at purely an economic decision 9kw for the same money as 6kw makes the 9kw system an easy decision.

Are the warnings about the mixed orientation, tilt or the placement of so many panels a merited criticism?  Which system/provider should I go with in this case?  Are there hidden costs with going with SunPower vs LG360?

Ask them for a total annual power generation estimate using NREL PVwatts. What you want to see is how many kW-hr of power each system should generate in a year under typical weather conditions.

The two systems are going to perform drastically different given their orientation and inverter arrangements. Depending on how the panels are strung together this could be a very large effect. Comparing the total # of kW is not sufficient.


How can I remove caulk? The caulk between the quartz backsplash and counter behind my kitchen sink needs to be replaced.  How can I remove the old caulk?

Carefully take a utility knife and cut a "beginning" point and then see if you can just pull it out in a continuous strip. If that doesn't work, then you'll just have to continue using the utility knife to cut out the caulk but be careful not to scratch the surfaces. After it's all out, scrape the surfaces lightly with a single edge blade to remove any remaining particles. Then wipe the area with some regular vinegar to remove any stubborn residue. You can then re caulk with a quality silicone caulk. Smooth out the caulk line by dipping your finger in some water and lightly going over the caulk. I've heard that dipping  your finger into alcohol works great but I haven't tried it. Good luck


Outlet with ground wire attached to socket ground and neutral I am replacing some sockets with new sockets, that also contain USB charging receptacles. I have done this before. The question I have is with one of my outlets in my rec room (built in 2007, electrician did wiring originally).

Upon removal of one of the old grounded outlets, I noticed that the ground wire was connected to the ground screw AND the neutral screw. I thought this was odd. So I connected the new outlet the way I think it is supposed to be; two blacks to hot, two whites to neutral and one ground to ground. That resulted in that outlet and none of the downstream outlets working at all.

I reconnected the old outlet with the "proper" ground to see if that was the cause. Nope. It would not work at all (either outlet) unless the ground wire was connected to the neutral and the ground.

I am not sure if this is how it is supposed to be or why it is that way. I basically reinstalled the old receptacle how it was to avoid any problems but am not sure why it's like that. I also did install a new receptacle in the same room on another wall and it works perfectly. The ground was not wired to the neutral, only to the ground screw on that one.

Misusing ground as neutral is a code violation.  It's the work of a hack electrician trying to get a job across the finish line, or other tradesman who severed a neutral by accident and hacked it so no one would notice.

I would search each receptacle box in that circuit for a reason for a neutral problem. Most wiring problems are at terminations.  If you find none, I would find the next box back on the cable run (that is still hot), and disconnect the cable there. Whatever broke the neutral may have also nicked the hot.

If the electrician did this, then every connection in your house needs review.  You know how to do receptacles!


How can I install modern locksets on these interior doors? I've recently bought my first house which I'm very excited about, got into the decorating phase and decided to replace the door handles - some of which were damaged - with nice new ones. Being a definite rookie when it comes to DIY, I was pretty much unaware of the problem I'm having was even a thing, so I apologise if I've made mistake 101 in this situation.

The problem I have is that the old hole that has been cut into the door through which the old door handle fitted is too near the edge of the door for the new mechanisms, which basically means the old mechanism was 4.5cm deep, and the new handles are (approx) 6cm deep. I've since been told that the barrel for a door knob rather than a door handle needs to be longer so that you don't hit your fingers when opening them.

I am primarily looking for advice on the best way to solve this, and if there is anything I definitely shouldn't do.

The suggestions I have received from friends and family so far have been options between

Use the old latch mechanism - however some of them are damaged, and
the bathroom doors had a secondary locking mechanism, so these doors have 2
holes.
Drill further into the existing hole as deep as this one needs
to go (parallel to the door), fill the existing hole (perpendicular to the door), and then drill into it where the new hole needs to go as normal

or alternatively do not fill in the perpendicular hole, and use the door knob itself to cover where the old hole was

Completely fill this hole in, and start from a new position - I
hadn't even realised since just now that the hole is not central to
the middle section of the door

Personally my option was to fill in the perpendicular holes with some 1" wood, and effectively start from there.

You're going to have to drill a larger hole for the new handles, which should completely encompass the old hole.

Head on down to your local hardware store (or cruse the internet), and look for a door handle installation jig like this Irwin® Door Lock Installation Kit

Example only, these jigs are available from many different manufacturers

It comes with the proper size hole saws to set up a door for modern locksets, and makes alignment of the holes quick and easy.  Simply attach the jig where you want it, and drill the holes with the supplied hole saws.


Do I have to periodically pour water down my basement floor drain to maintain the p-trap water seal? There is a sewer smell coming from my basement. There are only a couple entries to the sewer in the basement: A laundry sink that acts as the drain for a water softener (which regenerates every few days), and a floor drain.

I suspect that the floor drain is eventually evaporating the water in the p-trap, and I'm getting sewer gasses coming up. I've poured a bucket of water down the drain and it seemed like it helped, but it's difficult to tell, probably because the air in the basement doesn't get replaced much.

Is this a known problem? I can think of a few solution if so.

Pour water down occasionally.
Seal the drain or put a valve in it somehow - although this doesn't seem like a bright idea in case the sewer line between the drain and the city sewer has a blockage.
Cover the drain with something to keep the gasses from coming up, but should the sewer have a blockage, the cover will move out of the way or float.

You can use something like the non-toxic RV antifreeze which evaporates more slowly than water; Or wash the basement floor occasionally.

A touch of mineral oil (the stuff sold for putting in people) may help to prevent evaporation by forming a surface film, but don't overdo that.


Both 3-Way Switches Upstream of Multiple Split Receptacles My living room has a series of two outlets that I would like to convert to split receptacles, with the top half always live and the bottom half controlled by a pair of 3-way switches.  Both switches will be new additions.
I would like to run this branch in the direction the power currently flows: Breaker > New Switch Location 1 (SW-1) > New Switch Location 2 (SW-2) > Outlet 1 > Outlet 2.  This is what is depicted in the first image below.

It would also be fairly easy to go: Breaker > New Switch Location 2 > Outlet 1 > Outlet 2 .... with a separate switch leg doubling back from SW-2 to SW-1.  While this can work, it is not my preference.
Below are the two wiring mock ups I've put together.  Note that there will a separate power source (from the same circuit) entering both of the new switch boxes (for unrelated reasons), which is why that appears in the second option.

Thoughts?  Are both correctly wired?  If not, what did I get wrong?  Am I missing another, simpler option?
Thank you in advance!

Entering at Switch 2 works...
The good news is that you can bring power in at switch 2 without issue.  The three-way complex becomes an ordinary "spur" setup at this point, with a common wire and two travelers in the cable between Switch 1 and Switch 2, and thus doesn't impose any complications on the rest of the wiring, which looks the same as if you were wiring any other set of half-switched receptacles.
Note that since neutral is available at Switch 2, that covers the 404.2(C) requirement for neutrals to be present at switch locations, so you don't need to worry about bringing neutral over to Switch 1 in this case.
However, your plan for entering at switch 1 fails the Code test
Your problem with your preference for entering at switch 1, though, is that by splicing the neutral from the always-hot "alternate" feed and the neutral that traveled along with the traveler wires together, you've created a parallel, or "looped", neutral path.  The resulting split in current flow creates a magnetic field between the two wires, which is bad because that field can heat ferrous metal pieces in your walls up like pans on an induction range.  (It's also an EMI  issue, but not one modern gear is susceptible to, due to CRTs being obsolete.)
As a result, the NEC prohibits such a configuration as an effect of how 300.3(B) and 310.10(H) are worded. In order to fix this, you have to bring always-hot to the second witch box alongside the travelers and neutral, which requires a 12/4 cable instead of the 12/3 you were planning on using (or 5 12AWG THHNs in a 1/2" ENT aka smurf tube, if you wish to roll that way instead).  Once you have that straightened out, though, you should be good to go.


X-10 Home Automation LED's always on low! I have 5 puck lights under my kitchen cabinet, I replaced the very hot 20W halogen bulbs with 5 x 2 Watt LED's. They were a little bigger than the halogen bulbs and I had to remove the glass cover because of the extra clearance, I feel safe without the covers because there is no fear the LED's would explode like the halogens would if water splashed on them. Before I replaced all the halogens I had only 4 LED's installed and 1 halogen. When the power was switched off the lights would shut down completely. When all 5 LED's were installed together, they would emit light in the off position at a dim enough rate that I am not worried about waste or cost because of the cost savings with the LED's. The reason the LED lights remain on when the switch is off is because they are connected to an X-10 Home Automation module so I can dim them and turn them off remotely. Due to the very dim, (about 5% or less of the full light of these bulbs I am sure I am still saving money over the cost of the halogen bulbs which were to warm to be near and were dangerously hot. If you have an X-10 device connected to your LED's, then I would not worry if they were constantly on unless you had so many in sequence it was actually wasting your money. Five bulbs on 24/7 at 5% probably still use only 10% of what the lights would cost with the halogens. The convenience of X-10 remote controls and switches far outweighs the inconvenience of a single switch.

The X10 switch is leaking current through the lights. The same current was probably leaking through the halogens that you had previously. However, the current was so low that the halogens did not visibly light. The LEDs are so much more efficient that they do visibly light.

Bottom line: turned off, the wasted power is the same in both cases, even though the LEDs ads lit. Turned on, the LEDs are taking much less energy.


What maintenance can I perform on my GROHE 33 755 KD0 Ladylux Cafe Pull-Out kitchen faucet? We moved into our house shortly after the previous owners installed this faucet:

We've had it for about 5 years now and the water flow is severely limited.  Also, it takes forever for the hot water, but when I remove the faucet head it seems normal.  I was just going to replace the faucet head, but a new one is $200.  There's no instructions or documentation for the faucet, so I don't know if I'm supposed to be cleaning out the faucet head.

Can somebody either advise what I can do, or tell me where I can find some documentation online?  I checked Grohe's site but I can't find this specific model.

Try removing, disassembling (take notes!), and soaking the faucet head in a mix of hot water and vinegar (50/50) for a short while (e.g. an hour or two), to help remove any tap water mineral deposits that may have made their way into the head of your faucet and that are restricting your water flow.

Faucet heads typically have very fine passages and/or aerator mesh, and it's not uncommon for a build-up of tap water mineral deposits to cause water flow problem over time.  I've experienced this first hand, and a good vinegar soak did the trick.

Best of luck.


What are my vapor-barrier options under Hardie siding? I'm currently in the process of replacing all the siding on my 1940s home. It was originally wood dutch-lap and that was covered with felt paper and asbestos siding. I'm taking all the siding off, repairing what I can, insulating, and installing Hardie siding. I'm at the point of beginning to consider what to put under the siding, specifically as a vapor barrier.

I plan to add OSB of some sort, rather than just nailing the siding to the studs. The house needs a bit of structural help, and I think it'd make installation easier.

As a long-term DIY project, I like the idea of the HuberZIP because it seems easy and seems like it'd be harder to damage as I'm finishing the rest of the house. But, it's AWEFULLY expensive, at first glance.

How would that compare to standard Tyvek house wrap? Are there other options that I can consider?

I've also heard a little about Hardie-backer, but that sounds more like an interior sheetrock replacement. Is that intended for this purpose?

So the question is, what are my options, and what kinds of things do I need to consider when making that decision?

EDIT: In case climate matters, I'm in South/Central Texas, just NW of Houston.

You have asked several questions at once so a little difficult to give you the answers you want.
First, Hardy backer board is a newer, lighter,  substitute for concrete board and usually used in bathrooms and under tile installations. I have never seen it used on exterior walls as a sheathing.

Second, the huberZip system is from Advantec. I love Advantec sheathing and subflooring. I'm sure it does what it says, but it is pricey compared to OSB sheathing and tyvec. Selecting a product because of price is not what we do here. An OSB, or any T&G exterior sheathing with properly installed and taped Tyvec or a house brand wrap also works very well.

Third, a true vapor barrier is installed on the heated side of the wall studs, not under or over the exterior sheathing. the wall cavities and insulation must have a a way to breath. They will breath and excessive moisture should escape through the exterior siding. Tyvec is not a vapor barrier, it is an air penetration barrier, just like the new Zip system. they both stop liquid water infiltration, but water vapor is a different story, it must be able to pass through. On wet, foggy or very humid days, humidity gets into the wall cavity, the vapor barrier keeps it out of the living space. When the weather conditions are better, the moisture migrates out of the wall cavity through the siding, thus drying the wall.

I hope this has answered some of your questions.  Good luck on your project.


Acceptable tension on copper piping? Earlier this week I had a plumber rough in valve/piping for a shower renovation. Since then, I have decided to go back and redo the walls (long, long story) and, as a result, the final finished wall will be 1/4" thinner. I know for a fact that this change will leave the nipple of the tub spout exposed by roughly that difference. The shower valve should be ok, but I won't know for sure until tiling is complete.

Rather than calling the plumber back to redo the spout (and possibly the entire valve!), I would like to place 1/4" shims behind the straps that are securing the pipes to the blocking. My question is this: Can the copper pipes and soldered joints handle the very slight amount of pressure needed to shim the plumbing back that 1/4" or is it essential that the plumbing is secured as it would normally rest?

You are fine.  Copper is pretty pliable and one soft metal.  I am assuming that this branch is already working and capped.  So if you do have any issues you should know right away.  Also I would tell the plumber what you did so he isn't pulling out his hair if something goes wrong.


How can I wire this bathroom fan into the middle of an existing circuit? I am upgrading a bathroom fan from below (no attic access) and replacing the single pole switch with a timer switch. I’ve wired switches and outlets before, but this one is throwing me for a loop. I don’t trust how it was wired before, and I’d like to do this correctly. Romex 1A and 1B were formerly a single 12-2 Romex that ran power up to the attic to some outlets. When the previous owner redid the drywall in the bathroom, they put in a poor-quality fan (w/ a light) where there wasn’t any fan before. They powered this new fan by cutting that wire (Romex 1) running to the attic and tied it together in a junction box above the ceiling. Then they ran 12-2 down from the new junction box to a new single pole switch. Then they connected the whole thing in a big mess with pig tails….but it worked. Of course, the light and fan came on together which is fine with me.

Romex #2 is stapled behind the drywall, so I can’t use it to pull a new 12-4 cable from the timer switch to the fan. And I haven’t been able to fish my tape down from the fan opening to the switch. I really don’t want to cut holes in the drywall to fish 12-4 if I don’t have to.

Update: as ThreePhaseEel pointed out below, I will either need to somehow install 12-4 (in place of current Romex #2) or downgrade to a more simple timer (or single pole switch). If I simply put back in a single-pole switch for now (instead of the timer shown in the photo), then how would I connect everything up at the light to allow the attic outlets to still have continuous power? I’m OK with having the light and fan come on together (it’s an energy efficient LED light and fan). I tremendously appreciate any help.

how would I connect everything up at the light to allow the attic outlets to still have continuous power?

Wire neutrals #1, #2, and #5 together; there will be no neutral connection to Romex #2. Connect "black" #1, #2, & #3 together, to deliver power to the outlet in the attic and to the wall switch; #3 will connect to the "line" terminal on the switch (if it has a terminal labeled as such, most do not and it doesn't really matter).

The wire you have labeled as "neutral #3" in your diagram will actually become the "switched hot" that delivers switched power back up to the load (to black #5 and red #2), if it is a white wire then you must mark it as a switched hot by wrapping black or red tape around the visible insulated ends in each junction box, or marking those ends with a black or red marker, or labeling them somehow.


How should I connect a ceiling fan with four 12/2 cables coming in? I had a detached garage built. The guy who ran the electrical is not available and I am having some trouble with how he ran the wiring for two ceiling fans in the loft area.

There is one switch (single pole). There are two fans supposedly controlled by this switch. In one ceiling fan box, there are 4 cables coming in (all 12/2). Two line hot bundles (both same circuit), and two other bundles, one labeled FAN and one labeled LIGHT.

In the other ceiling fan box, there are two cables--one labeled FAN and one labeled LIGHT (both 12/2 as well). The fans I intend to install do not have separate light/fan switches. They are on a remote and just have white/black/ground each.

Any ideas on how this needs to be wired up? I am thrown off by the fact that one fan box has 2 line hots. I assume they are wired in series but not sure?

The switch on the far right is intended to control the fan.

2 hot feeds are almost certainly not "in series" - hardly anything in household wiring is, or should be, other than a switch is "in series" with the things it controls (which are in parallel if there's more than one of them.)

So, cap one off and don't worry about it, as they are the same circuit going to the same box. Nobody knows why the original person did that, possibly including the original person. Unless one is already connected to a switch? Have you checked for that (the switch would happen to be ON when you were testing and found both to be line voltage.)

Deciphering poorly labeled wires is tedious but needful. There are various methods which vary depending on your available tools. I like to make use of a multimeter on the ohms setting on (verified) de-energized wires where possible, connect the suspected far ends, see if you get a low resistance, disconnect them and make sure the resistance becomes infinite, label. Or use a 9 volt battery and the volts setting (extra reminder that you have verified that the wires are NOT connected to line voltage by some means, FIRST!)

I am personally not a fan of attaching power to wires going I know not where, and a cheap multimeter is quite inexpensive, really.

One thought on the "fan .vs. light" labelling (other than being ready for fans with separate inputs) is that the "light" wiring may also run to other "light-only" boxes in the garage?


Checking garage door chain tension The garage door manual isn't clear about exactly how to check the chain tension.  The tension differs if the manual "override" is engaged or not.  When it's in "manual mode" (manually open/close the door), the chain sags too much when the door is open, but it's fine when the door is closed.  However, if the door is connected to the motor (the motor opens/closes the door), the chain sags too much if it's open or closed (sags a lot more when the door is closed).  This seems to match the manual better (it mentions the chain will sag a bit when the door is closed), so I think tension needs to be checked with the motor engaged, but I'm not sure.  I don't want to over tighten the chain.

So, do you check tension in "manual mode" or not?  If in "manual mode", should the door be open or closed?

The opener is a Sears Craftsman, which appears to be the same one by Chamberlain (the manual looks identical).  The website that had the Chamberlain manual was Liftmaster.com.

Thanks,

Jim

I found virtually identical manuals for openers from Chamberlain & Liftmaster, so I called Chamberlain support.  She said the procedure is:

Have the door closed.
Disconnect the trolley (that's the thing I was calling "manual override").  Don't move the door.
Check the tension (1/4 inch above bottom of rail half way along the rail).


Dangers of Heating a Bedroom up to High Temp In order to kill bedbugs and clothes moths, I was thinking of putting portable heaters in my bedroom and raising temperature to 120 degrees for an hour or so.   If I take out thinks like alarm clock and radio's, would it be safe for other structural elements, furniture, and lamps in the bedroom?
Thx in advance,
J

You mostly want to protect yourself and pets from harm:

As you can imagine, you do not want to be in the home while it is this hot. Not only does this give the bugs a way to escape by climbing onto you and the going with you when you leave, but it can pose health problems.
Even when you are in a sauna that reaches these same temperatures, you are not inside for nearly so long. You will have to find a time when no one needs to be home for the duration of the treatment if you want to begin killing bugs with heat. If you have the time, this is very much worth it.

Obviously you'll want to remove anything sensitive to heat, such as candles, personal products, and food.
However, you'll need to do a fair bit better than 120 degrees:

Generally speaking, your home will have to be heated up to 140°F and held at this temperature for two hours. Alternatively, you could have the home brought up to a temperature of 130°F and held at that level for three hours.

So 120 degrees probably won't do it. Also, if you're just doing one room, you're probably going to see a quick resurgence of the critters.
http://www.bedbugs.org/heat


What kind of underlayment material is this? This was found under two layers of sheet vinyl flooring in a late 1940s house. Subfloor is fir and there appears to be a black tar-like mastic between it and the wood. The green underlayment feels sort of like construction paper that kids cut shapes out of.

I'm going to install a new floor and want to know what it is that I'm sitting on top of.

UPDATE

In response to the comments below, yes, I am aware of asbestos concerns. And no, this is not the original linoleum. It is a paper like substance that is clearly being used as an underlayment.

Underneath vinyl tile (which if old enough may contain asbestos) was usually either rosin paper, hardboard, or cutback.
Rosin paper is really thin and tears up into annoying little pieces. It's more or less readily identifiable; certainly not easily mistaken as either of the other two.
Hardboard is "often used as underlayment. Likely 1/8" thick. If so, you can remove or go over if in decent shape" with basically any type of flooring besides real tile.
Cutback... gah, is "that black tar stuff" which may or may not also contain asbestos.

Asphaltic cutback adhesive is an older type of mastic made with asphalt-based cement. As a petroleum-based material, the cutback is not softened by water. Some cutback adhesives contained asbestos. source

can be very difficult to remove unless you use shot-blasting equipment. Fortunately, most grout and mortar manufacturers make a thinset which will bond to "cut back" adhesive.
Typically, the "cut back" should be scraped smooth so the tile is not sitting on ridges of adhesive - although it does not have to be absolutely flat. Note, not all thinsets will bond to cutback so it is important to make sure the thinset used is made for that purpose.
Also, the adhesive must be true "cut back." That means it was made from asphaltic material, is not water sensitive, and will not soften when exposed to water. There are also black-colored latex-based vinyl adhesives that will not hold up under ceramic tile if they get wet. source

[If laying down new vinyl, the] plasticizers in the vinyl migrate down through and attack the Cutback Adhesive which softens it and then the cutback starts migrating up, causing staining in the vinyl flooring. Cutback Adhesive residue will also eventually bleed up through a felt-backed flooring product as well.  source

It's easier to just rip up the subfloor if it's cutback. When I had to remove it from concrete, it required a scraper blade in an SDS (rotary) chipping hammer drill, a commercial floor machine with an abrasive pad, and several days of labor for a single room. Mineral spirits just made it gooey and even harder to scrape up, aside from being noxious and a fire hazard.


How can I add ventilation to my room? My room is 3×5 meters, it doesn't have a ventilation pipe connected to it, so the air becomes close very fast, and to freshen up the room I have to open the window, and it makes my room very cold. Leaving just a crack open doesn't give a lot of fresh air, but makes it cold and still hard to breathe.

Air conditioner doesn't really give me fresh air, instead it just heats or chills the air in the room.

What else is there to try to fix my situation?

My room is in an apartment, heated by central heating battery, only kitchens and bathrooms have ventilation connected to them in the building. Rooms are in their original state. The building is about 50 years old now, it's possible to change room from inside, probably impossible to make a hole to the outside.

Did you replace your original wooden windows with plastic ones? Many old apt buildings relied on imperfections in wooden windows to provide natural ventilation. New windows are more air tight and  it probably makes the room stuffy.

Many casement windows have " micro ventilation" feature if you put the handle in a certain position. The leaves the window slightly ajar and provides enough fresh air.

Another option is to install a ventilation system.


Would towels under floorboards (for sound proofing) be a fire risk? I saw a video on YouTube that suggests that layers of towels are actually the best sound insulation.
I'm thinking about putting folded towels in between the joists under the floorboards on the first floor, so that sound from the room above does not travel to the room below.
Do you think this would increase the fire risk to an unacceptable level?
EDIT - Some extra details: the towels will be placed on top of the plasterboard ceiling. The room is 12 feet by 12 feet. The room above is a bedroom. The room below is a bedroom.

There are two kinds of sound problems: 1) airborne sound, and 2) impact sound.

Airborne sound is talking, music, etc. If you’re trying to stop this kind of sound, then yes, additional material that absorbs sound will help.
Impact sound is sound that is generated by footsteps, tapping on floor, etc. This kind of sound travels through the flooring material and reverberates into the space below. Towels will not interrupt this transmission. Rather, one surface needs to be isolated from another to stop the transmission. That is to say, the upper flooring and structural components need to be isolated from the lower ceiling and its structural components.

Towels are not the best material to solve either sound problem. In addition, cloth towels have a very high rating for products of combustion and contribution of smoke.

Every material is rated for fire and smoke. Cloth is rated very high for both. However, in single family residences it is not prohibited.


When can the gauge of wire change in a household circuit? Normally in a pigtail, you are suppose to have the same gauge of copper wires from that receptacle which would go to that one particular circuit breaker. Are there any exceptions to this rule?

Pigtails are referred to as tap conductors in the NEC.

Unlike tap conductors for some luminaries, ovens, and other appliances, which can be smaller than the OCPD, it is not permitted to use a smaller tap for general wall receptacle outlets.

NEC 2014 210.19 (A)(4)(Exception C) Individual outlets, **other than receptacle outlets**, with taps not over 450 mm (18 in.) long.

Here's a good example of tap conductors on a dimmer:


Is it necessary to replace a hot tub pump if its seal has a leak? I have a hot tub that is leaking from the pump seal (this was diagnosed by a hot tub tech).  They gave me a quote for replacing the pump, which unfortunately is going to require some re-plumbing of the tub since it is an older tub and they apparently don't make/use this specific pump anymore.

However, after a bit of googling it seems that it would be more practical to just replace the pump seal itself rather than the entire pump.  Is there some other reason for why I might have to replace the entire pump in this situation?

So, turns out that I was able to replace the pump seal and now everything is working fine.  Pretty crazy to think that the hot tub service company was going to charge $1000 for the new pump & plumbing vs. the


What to use to lower the computer noise in a wooden cabinet? I am looking for a good material for improving the sound-proofing my NAS which has 2x FANs of 120mm and 3-4 hard-drives. Most of the time the hardrives are those that are producing audible sounds, not the coolers.

Due to the lack of space I think that I cannot put material that has more than 1cm deep, as I will run out of space.

Please refrain from adding hints regarding reconfiguring the device or moving it to a different location, this question aims to address sound isolation of a small wooden (or particle board) like the one in the photo.

If most of the noise is coming from the hard drives, rather than the fans, then you need to dampen the vibrations from transferring from the hard drive enclosure to the furniture.

The vibrations could be made even louder by the fact that it's on a shelf supported on its ends only - this could cause the sound to be even louder if the hard drives vibrate at a frequency that lines up with the normal mode of the shelf.

I would recommend the following:

See if the noise gets better by adding a support to the shelf that isn't just the ends. Try holding it with your hand, or propping it up with a board to see if that helps reduce the sound. If it does, look at adding support to the shelf.
Add some velcro to each of the hard drive sleds
Use rubber padded screws to attach the hard drive to the sled
Put a rubber pad underneath the hard drive enclosure.

It may take some trial and error to figure out what helps and what doesn't, but the basic idea is to attenuate the transfer of the vibrations.

Or, you could just switch the drives to SSDs, or select drives that include built-in noise attenuation.


New driveway concrete I had a concrete driveway poured approximately 10 months ago the stains never came out of it dark gray stains throughout of it how can I stain  this smooth finish concrete driveway to make it look better

If this was done by a licensed contractor it should be all one color.call and ask if they know why and if they will fix it. the next step would be to call the state contractor's board. no matter what color of stain you use it will have dark areas.depending on the variegations between light and dark it could look very good if the right color is used. an epoxy paint might cover it if heavy enough.the main issue is if the concrete was mixed properly.If it was not it could deteriorate far before its life expectancy is reached.


How do you find underground pipe and wires to a private well and how deep would they be? I need to terrace some stairs into a steep hill, but my well is at the bottom of the hill and my house is at the top. Therefore there has to be pipe and wires going up the hill somewhere. I don't know where and before we drive rebar to anchor the containing wall/stair we need to know where the pipe is.

If your water does not freeze up in the winter, they are presumably buried below frost line for your area - which is typically where they do get put by competent installers (and not terribly deep if there is no frost.)  In my area that's 4-5 feet, typically. In most but not all cases it will probably be the shortest, most direct path from where it comes out of the house to the well. The only way to be sure is to carefully dig down and find it on either end, and then use those locations to try and find it nearer to where you might be damaging it if you blindly pounded things into the hillside.

Once you have found a few specific points, be sure to witness them in one or more of these methods:

take very careful tape measure distance readings to fixed objects
(the well-head if it sticks out of the ground, the corners of the
house foundation, other objects likely to stay put for a long time)
and write those measurements down on a map - you can then construct a
triangle to find the pipe again by measuring from a fixed point as
recorded on the map and making an arc, then doing the same from
anther fixed point - where the two arcs cross, the point you
measured the well-pipe at should be below (within some scope of
error.)
I'm fond of a more direct approach, where I construct an annual
flowerbed or easily movable perennial plants flowerbed as a physical
witness to the item below. You'd still want to save a map with the "important house paperwork" and hope it doesn't go missing, but there's no doubt where to dig unless someone obliterates the flowerbed in question. If you remember not to move it, some sort of lawn decoration could serve the same purpose, but a flowerbed is more lasting.
A section of inexpensive PVC electrical conduit just shorter than the depth to the buried item and marked (both what, and from 0 at the bottom to how long it is at the top as a measuring device) with permanent marker can also be buried in the hole as a guide to future digging. The idea being that you can find it quickly as it's just barely buried, and then follow it down and know how close you are to the buried item.


Wall-to-wall desk with battens I'm planning to build a wall-to-wall desk in a brick alcove using wooden battens to hold the desk up. I'm doing this post to find out what size screws and plugs I need and if I'm using the correct materials -- I don't want the desk to collapse.
ALCOVE
Here are the alcove with a temporary desk showing the dimensions. All 3 walls are brick. Unfortunately, neither of the corners are exactly 90 degrees.

DESK TOP
25mm MDF Board, Medium Density Fibre Board: 1200 x 600mm.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YM5JZX4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00
BATTENS
Planed softwood: 1800 x 34 x 34mm.
Is this ok? If not, I can get another piece.

SCREWS AND WALLPLUGS
What type and length of screws and wall plugs should I use?
How many should I put in?
EDIT:
Weight: the desk will only be a workstation, so it will only have keyboard, mouse, someone's elbows...etc
UPDATE #1
Thanks for the advice. I have decided to use 2x4 as the baton and attach with the 85mm fittings in the photo. Like this desk. Still need to get brackets or a metal stiffener.
QUESTION: Do I need a table leg under the right baton that sticks out past the wall or can it just float out past the wall?

Given the lengthwise span and the truncated support at the right end, I'd use cleats on the ends and two brackets across the back. 25mm MDF won't handle that load without a lot of bounce and some chance of collapse.
On the left, I'd use four 3/16" x 2-3/4" concrete screws with hex heads. Phillips heads are fine also, but they're difficult to keep from stripping, in my experience.
On the right, two or three such screws.

Across the back, either use screws every 20cm or so, or use two large steel brackets mounted with 3/16" x 1-3/4" concrete screws. Such brackets are unobtrusive to the user and don't catch the eye from across the room. The stability is well worth their use.

If you choose not to use brackets, you may find that you need a stiffener running lengthwise to support the front edge of the desk. It wouldn't need to be at the front edge--it could be back 1/3 or so. An aluminum angle or a tall wooden rail might do well.
Notes about concrete screws
I'm not familiar with what metric screw sizes are available, so I listed fractional sizes. The key is to get at least 30mm of penetration into the masonry.
With concrete screws it's critical to pilot properly. These don't grab like wood screws, where almost anything goes. If your pilot is too small they won't go in or they'll break off. If too large they'll immediately strip.
If you need to remove a screw, drill a new hole. As the threads cut they disintegrate the surrounding material, and a second run-in isn't likely to hold as well.


Is it really a good idea to buy an old house which needs some rework? Long ago I read somewhere that it is best to buy houses that need some amount of rework rather than those in tip-top condition. The reasons given were:

There is less competition from other buyers so can be be bought more easily
Less money required from mortgage lender which is the loan on interest

Once such a home has been bought, a person would spend money on it to bring it into good condition (which is subjective), possibly over number of few years. Usually this would (atleast) involve cleaning up the place, mowing the gardens, new paint, new wallpaper and new carpet at the very least.

In other words, find a run down house and then make it beautiful. Can get house for cheaper and then work to renovate it gradually.

Now my question is simple. Since such houses are going to be old and possibly not well maintained for some time, what are the main risks in buying such houses and what should one look out for so we don't end up with a rather expensive mistake and regret it?

It depends entirely on the way in which the house is run down.

Hire a reputable house inspector to thoroughly examine it.  It won't be 100% reliable, but the report will give you a good idea of what is wrong and what is still okay with the house.  For instance you might see things like:

You'll need to replace the furnace within a year or two.
The roof shingles/tiles should be good for another 10 years.
The foundation has recently cracked and part of the structure is sagging.

The first one means you know you'll need to spend some money soon, so consider that amount as part of the purchase price of the house.

The second one means you'll have a big expense down the line, so spread that amount out over time.

The third means that you are going to have leaks, with dampness or flooding, and that the building itself might no longer be structurally sound.  Repairing this might end up being more expensive than tearing it down and rebuilding.

If there are problems of that last type, stay away.

If all the problems found are of the first and second type, with predictable cost, and if all the obvious problems you can see yourself are cosmetic, then if you still think it's worth the adjusted total price, go for it.

There will of course be other problems with severity between these, and there will be seemingly small problems that turn out to be cans of worms, so you'll have to use your own judgement. There will always be risk.  Nothing is certain.

It also makes a huge difference whether you are going to do the repairs yourself or hire someone.  You can buy a lot of pipes and fittings for a few hundred pounds, but hiring a plumbing company to do the upgrades could cost you tens of thousands.


How can I get a stain to match on two different species of wood? I have a plank of hardwood poplar, and I want to have a piece of decorative trim along the edge made of a different wood (probably just pine, or maybe balsam).  Is there anything I can do to get a stain that will give the same shade on both woods?  A specific brand, style, coloring, or way of applying?  Or should I purposefully get two different stains (one light, one dark) to aesthetically set the pieces apart?

Update: Final Result

The finish color is dependent on two things...the stain, and the substrate (well, and some other variables as well...such as application method, length of time before you wipe it, how many coats, etc.). You can't use one stain on two substrates and expect a match anymore than you would expect finding a match with two different stains on one piece of wood.

So, I think the best you can do is stain one using the stain you want, then get scrap wood of the other material and start a trial-and-error process looking for a stain that will result in the match you want.

Alternatively, use the same species of wood for both parts, or consider going for a purposeful contrast between the two woods.


Why does my circular saw motor turn but the blade does not? I have a McKellar circular saw. I was ripping up some old pallets for firewood. and thought the blade had jammed.  I stopped, took the blade out of the work and tried again and the motor goes and the blade turns for a second or two. Then the blade stops turning but the motor noise remains unchanged. I wait a bit, and the same thing happens. The motor is OK. The switch is OK

What do I do?

It is very likely, that the fixating screw/disk is loose. Do not operate the saw in this state. It is dangerous.

A circular saw usually has a direct drive. I.e. the motor spindle is also the center shaft for the blade. So if your motor is spinning, but not the blade, it means the blade has lost contact to the shaft.

Check if the blade is properly centered and aligned with all locating pins (if your saw has some). Then fixate the screw using the appropriate wrenches.


How to fix old un-suppported basement wall in house that has had added basement? I have an older house (circa 1919) that was built without a basement (just a crawl space). About 1965 a basement was added.
Along one of the old concrete foundation walls there is a 7 foot section that has nothing under the bottom of the wall! (See image below.) In the last 10 years 2 pieces of the wall have cracked off the bottom . The pieces weigh maybe 150 lbs and 50 lbs. This concrete wall is only about 2 feet in height (the bottom is maybe 20 inches below ground level).
It seems to me that this wall is at risk of falling in completely. I realize I could call in a professional to fix it ($$$). But would like to at least consider any options I may have to fix this myself. I am an avid do-it-yourselfer and in 25 years have only ever hired a contracter one time (to replace my steep roof).
Anyone have any good ideas about how to fix this problem? Extra points if your suggestion is work I could do myself. :-)
Thanks!

EDIT: My diagram may give the wrong impression about one point: the old foundation wall is unsupported for a 7 foot section only. But somehow it is still hanging in place. The rest of the wall does have dirt under it holding up.

This is probably just a good comment but I would highly suspect that the old wall is providing zero support.   Just because things are connected to it does not mean that it is supporting those things.

Given that a new basement was poured there is a 99% chance that they pushed those walls up to provide load support to the entire house.   Since this was done in 1965 I am pretty sure I am correct or you would have a warped/bent floor on the edges.

The concrete that is malfunctioning on you is simply concrete breaking down because it is holding up itself.   Concrete is really bad at this.   That is why structures like parking garages require tons of rebar and meshing even though they are mainly concrete.   And even then concrete will crack and fall.   I am guessing yours has nothing internal supporting it.

My recommendation would be to fill in the void as well as possible with drainage rock and aggregate.   There are techniques you can use when adding the rock to pressurize the load for that small wall better.   But note that the load is only itself.

The other note I would make is the most concerning part of your picture is the angle of the missing dirt.   It seems that the void clearance runs into your usable foundation.   I would add enough dirt to add a size ramp to offset any wicking water to the other direction (8-12 inches higher).


Garage light switches don't always work I have a dual garage doors that operate on the 2 switches shown. The opening and closing of the doors works perfectly with the 2 large white switches. The light switches below the opening switches work sporadically and sometimes they won't switch off the garage light. They will ALWAYS switch ON the light but sometimes not switch off. Sometimes neither of them work and sometimes only one of them doesn't work. I find I have to leave them on and come back and try again later.
If I don't touch the light switches as part of the garage door open/close process where the switches are left to switch off on a timer then they always switch off and that is not an issue. The issue is when I come into the garage and need the light on without opening the garage doors.
How do I fix the light part of these switches? I'm happy to just replace them if that's what it takes. Just don't want to do that if the switch is not the problem. Also happy to replace with a different type or model of switch if that will resolve it. These switches are about 10 to 12 years old and the problem probably started happening about 2 years ago.

After 10-12 years, it's entirely possible that the switches behind the light buttons are failing. This would be especially true if you use the garage door opener lights on a regular basis. Consider that you probably hit the opener button (the big white one) once in the morning to open the door on your way out (then close it with the remote in your car), then once in the evening when you return home (after opening the door with the remote in the car). If you go to the garage twice in the evening, that's 4 presses of the light button (on/off for each trip), therefore more wear & tear on that particular switch.
If you're good with soldering, you could attempt to open up the wired remote, desolder the actual switch from the circuit board and replace it.
However, it's probably easier (and probably wouldn't cost significantly more) for most folk to simply replace the wired remote. You could get a Chamberlain, LiftMaster or Craftsman brand to replace it (since they're all made by Chamberlain), generally, though, these are pretty generic and almost any one will do.
I'd suggest replacing one, then testing for a few days to confirm that the light button works consistently. If that's solved the problem, then replace the other.
Replacing the wall-mount remote should be as simple as:

Pop the white plastic cover off
TAKE A PICTURE NOW
Disconnect red & white wires that are attached
No, really, you did take a picture with your phone back there, didn't you?
Unscrew 1 or 2 screws that hold the unit to the wall, and pull it off the wires.
Feed the wires through the hole in the back of the new unit
Screw it to the wall (existing screw holes if they happen to line up, otherwise, it's just drywall, screw it in wherever the new mounting holes are)
Attach the wires to the new opener (most likely exactly the way they were attached to the old one, but check the directions, just to be sure).
Pop the new white button onto the newly mounted remote.
Test!
No, really, you took a picture before you disconnected the wires back there, just to be sure, right?


Is it safe to add a floor to my garage attic? It looks like the roof is made with trusses. Is there any way to add some flooring to store some boxes?

Generally not recommended.  Trusses are not engineered to carry additional weight on their bottom chords.  There are "storage" trusses that can be specified when the house is built that will be able to carry the additional load.


Wall Removal - Not Load Bearing - Keep Ceiling Joists DIYer here and recently bought a fixer upper. I'd like to remove the wall between the kitchen and the livingroom. I'd like to complete this project soon so I can insulate the attic. My home inspector told me that wall is not load bearing and I can remove it if I want. The kitchen and livingroom each measure 12'x17'. There is no plumbing inside the wall separating the rooms but there is electrical. I'm very comfortable with electricity, so I have no issues relocating it. How can I remove this wall while keeping the ceiling joists?

Thanks in advance.

Here's the wall and you can see the load bearing beam

Short answer:  If the joists overlap, than it's load bearing.  Take that wall out, and the ceiling will collapse inward.  That being said, it's really only supporting the ceiling load, not a full structural load.  But, you can't take it out without replacing it.

Long Answer:  2 Part blog I wrote for exactly this scenario.  Part 2 deals with the structural bits.  http://diy.blogoverflow.com/2014/07/kitchen-renovation-moving-to-open-concept/

Hire an engineer and get a permit.  It'll stop the insurance company from cancelling, and the city from shutting you down.

Also, find a new home inspector.


How can I prevent makeup air vents from exhausting conditioned air? The utility room has two 8-10 inch ducts running to it from the exterior of the home.  There are also three fireplaces in the home, and we have noticed that occasionally the house smells like smoke, despite the flues being closed. Sometimes while starting a fire, the down draft is so strong that the room fills with smoke.

I also believe that when the conditions are right outside, that air drafts down the fireplaces and air from the utility room exits the house via the ducts.

I have checked the ducts and at times there is not cold air coming into the utility room at all even while the gas furnaces are operating, which seems to confirm to me that these ducts are acting bi-directionally at times.

Is there a way to have these ducts perform in one direction only?  Providing outside air to the utility room and prohibiting the air flow from reversing?

Thanks in advance!

At my last home I had the same problem but only 2 fireplaces, I ended up adding a powered make up air vent that ran for 30 minutes. I had a high efficiency wood stove insert the extra passes across the tubing reduced the draft and this stove had a direct air vent to the fire box, I added a small 3" fan on a 30 minute timer to slightly pressurize the home until the stove was hot I would leave the door cracked open until the fire was going then close the door. I had tried a passive intake on the suction side of the furnace but that did not provide enough pressure especially if the kitchen or bathroom vent fans were on. I used a timer like a bathroom vent timer I think it had 6 different settings but I found the stove always was hot enough after 30 minutes so I could open the door and smoke would not back draft. As far as your fresh air ducts there will be times with your current setup there won't be a flow into the utility room the only time I would expect there to be any positive pressure would be if there is a make up air on the suction side of the furnace but I doubt one would be there since your room is already vented. Normally when we add venting one duct will be close to the floor and one close to the ceiling. I don't think I would want to add back draft dampers to these vents because they are passive very low pressure and any restrictions could cause problems with not enough fresh air for the furnace combustion and if there is not enough flow carbonmonoxide can build up very unsafe.
I have seen similar problems in New homes because our building methods seal the homes tight usually a small make up air duct on the suction or return side of the furnace is sufficient but this only works while the furnace blower is running, you don't want a large volume of make up air being pulled into the home as this will waste energy, so a powered vent may be your best option.


furnace creating a ground? our gas furnace has a junction box on the side of it for the 110 feed for the blower, the feed has no ground wire , if i put a meter on the hot wire and metal box i get 110/120 , without a ground wire on the feed side does this mean the furnace sitting on a concrete basement floor is creating its own ground and is this ok?

Is the feed cable a metal-sheathed (aka BX) cable? If so, the metal sheathing is likely providing a ground even if there are only two wires (hot and neutral) inside the cable.

It's also possible that the metal ductwork attached to your furnace is grounded at some point. This might be done in a reliable, intentional way, or it may just be that it comes into contact with some metal pipes somewhere.

I think it's unlikely that the concrete floor is providing such a reliable ground, and it's definitely not the way you want to do it -- the whole point of having a ground conductor is to provide a lower-resistance path to ground than the one that goes through your fingers to the floor you're standing on.

In any case, there ought to be a ground conductor to the metal housing of your furnace. The best way to achieve this would be through any cables feeding electricity to your furnace, but you may also be able to add a dedicated ground wire. I'd recommend checking your local building code to ensure any change you make is compliant -- things get complicated when you're dealing with HVAC and basements. Good luck!


Ceiling sheetrock for basement apartment My house consists of two units, the main and basement apartment to which the main is not connected indoors.

I was planning to put fiberglass insulation between the joists and use ultra light 1/2" sheetrock but then a friend told me to use 5/8 for fire resistance reasons. Assuming this is not subject to code inspection, would it be acceptable to go with 1/2"? I've seen sagging between joists as a reason but I'm not seriously concerned about that. In addition to being lighter and easier to work with, I prefer 1/2 to allow that 1/8" extra ceiling space, which is scarce.

Yes, 1/2” thick gypsum board can be installed on 16” o.c. Joists for ceilings with batt insulation. (24” o.c. spacing would require 5/8” thick gypsum board without sagging between supports.)

The Code does not require any special fire separation between units, because there are only 2 units. I also doubt a Building Permit is required because it’s not structural, fire code, energy, or exit related, etc. (That’s why we don’t get a Permit for replacing carpet, painting, etc.)


What kind of circuit breaker is this? Breaker #4 in the picture is wired to my kitchen lights and living room outlets. It keeps tripping every few days. I thought maybe we overloaded our living room at first, but it tripped this morning with only lights and TV on.

Now I'm thinking it might be a bad breaker, but when I went to Home Depot to buy another one, there were no Square D breakers with that little white button on top.

That is a Square D QO series breaker. The one in question is an AFCI, or arc-fault breaker.

The early incarnations of QO AFCIs had some issues. There were blue, green, purple and I believe another color "test" buttons. How old is this breaker?
An AFCI can trip due to electrical "noise" on the line, motor brushes like in vacuums, etc, any kind of arcing or sparking in the circuit, frayed cords, and more.

Here is a good troubleshooting guide for AFCI breakers right from Square D:
http://static.schneider-electric.us/docs/Circuit%20Protection/Miniature%20Circuit%20Breakers/Arc%20Fault%20Circuit%20Interrupters-AFCI/0760DB0204.pdf

Also, more from Square D: http://www.schneider-electric.us/en/faqs/FA125415/

Here is another very good answer to the same question: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/74242/19875


How to install vanity light - wall box has 2 white, 2 red, 2 black, 2 ground wires Bathroom remodel where electrician wired the following:

GFCI outlet (installed)
Vanity light (not installed)
Fan/light combo (installed)
Shower light (installed)

There are four switches on the wall.
The vanity light fixture has 1 white, 1 black, 1 ground wire.
The box for the vanity light has 2 white, 2 black, 2 red, 2 ground.
I’m not sure how to install. I’ve installed ceiling fans with separate switches for fan/light and 1 red wire. Also installed another bathroom light with one set of wires including 1 red, but am stumped here.

The red wires are indeed unconnected
If you look at the red wire in the cable from the switch box headed to the vanity light and trace it, it, along with the red wires in some of the other cables, is capped off by itself as an unused "spare" wire, in accordance with what your electrician is saying.  So, I would simply cap off both red wires in the vanity light box by themselves then connect all blacks together, all whites together, and all grounds together.  You can then mount the fixture, turn the breaker back on, and enjoy your new vanity light!


half power and no hot water 2 days ago my wife and i noticed an electricity problem in our house our dryer would run but not get hot and our hot water heater just wouldn't make hot water, and the toasters coils wouldnt even get red hot it would just make the bread warm. half the houses electrical sockets were and 60-95v. i checked all the gfi outlets one was faulty so i replaced that. i checked the breaker box half of the 120s were reading the same 60-95. the 220s were reading 112-120. the two main legs read 120v on the top leg and 112-114v on the bottom leg. i had the poco come out and check the outside box and everything on there end seemed fine they said.  im in no way an electrician i didnt even know what a leg was before today any advice would be much appreciated.

First I would say that it sounds like something is seriously wrong with your home wiring. Personally, I would trip every breaker associated with a circuit where the voltage is reading low, including the 220V circuits.

What I would guess is happening is that maybe the neutral wire on one of your mains lines is broken or loose/disconnected. If that's the case, then all of the power for your electric items is having to go through ground.

Seriously, flip those breakers and call an electrician. It's probably an easy fix - just reconnect the wire, but if all of your electric power is relying on ground connections, then there's a chance that things that are supposed to be safe may not be - the case of the breaker panel, the case of the washer/dryer, etc.

It sounds like a voltage divider - hot to "neutral" is not getting 100% of the voltage (power) you're expecting, so "neutral" to something else (ground) is getting the remainder of the power you're expecting. This power is either on its way to starting a fire somewhere in your house, or it's being dumped to ground and is heating up wherever the ground (or water pipe!) is making contact with the ground.

When you measure voltage, how are you doing it? Hot to neutral? What happens if you go to the breaker box and measure hot to neutral, then hot to ground?


120V on a 240V, 30 amp circuit? Brain has zero volts Facts: old Eaton/Cutler Hammer panel with type BR breaker. Double pole 30 amp breaker, 240V, controls two wall heaters and two zone thermostats in two rooms. Heaters and thermostats and my brain got mixed up after 28 years....
Tested 120V at dining room wall thermostat wires in dining room so does it need a 120V or 240V heater for it?
In living room, on same circuit, its thermostat wiring also tested for 120 V. I am asking for advice on what voltage thermostat and heater to install in each room and an explanation of the 120V readings on a 240V circuit....
I vaguely recall that I might have had two underperforming 120V 1500W heaters on this circuit, but that was 28 years ago ........So do I install 120v or 240v thermostats and 120 or 240 v heaters?

Ok this is probably a simple issue. You have a double pole circuit but the thermostat is only single pole and you read 120v  not 240 as you expected.
With baseboard heaters it is common to only break one leg.
With one leg open no current can flow so no heat.
The heater is required to be grounded so measuring the voltage with the heater turned on providing heat at either terminal to ground will show ~120vac.
With the heater heating the voltage from L1 to L2 (the heater connections) will show 240v.
Now here is what trips up non electricians. With the thermostat off each leg still reads 120v to ground the voltage coming through the heater has no voltage drop because there is no current with a normal high impedance meter.
So a 240v heater can be controlled with a 120v line voltage thermostat.
To know if your heater is 120v or 240 measure the voltage L1 to L2 at the heater when the thermostat is turned on (the 2 wires connecting the power to the element) if you read 120 it’s 120 if you read 240 it’s 240.
You have found out you have a 30 amp circuit, this is quite common and #10 wire is normally used. A single pole thermostat can control 120 or 240v if when the thermostat is off you have voltage (120v to ground) at the heater this is another indication it is 240v.


How can I repair water damage under the kitchen sink? I found out that our kitchen water connection had somehow loosened up and was leaking water on the floor underneath the sink. Now the particle board cabinet floor is warped quite a bit. I was thinking about cutting it out and placing a Sintra® material as a new floor.
Does anyone have any suggestions how to do this and if it's a good idea to replace the main floor plywood too. Or only replace the main floor wood if it's really fried?  How or what tools would you recommend I use to cut out the old wood/particle board?

There is a sub-panel between the bottom of the cabinet and the
actual floor. Measure the board so you can create a new one (You can
also get a piece of cardboard to create a template to cut from -
works great with a cabinet with many angles.). To remove it (since
it's particle board) you can just break it out with a hammer. **Be
careful not to damage the spacer board that helps support the middle
of the panel. If you damage it or if it's in bad shape, you'll need
to cut a new piece to replace it.
When you measure and cut the new board, you will most likely need to
cut it half to get it under the sink. You'll need to figure this out
and make sure to add a quarter inch (width of the saw blade) to the
width of the new board to compensate for the cut in the middle.
Again, you might need to put in a space board in the center for
added support. You'll also need consider where the pipes come in which might be from the floor from the wall. If from the wall, it will of course be easier.
Once the new board is in, you can use the Sintra panels. Or get a
piece of linoleum to cover it so you can help prevent water under
the sink as well as hide the center cut (Or any bad cuts you might
have made in the process). You could also get the 12"x12" adhesive
panels.

Tools

drill,
skill saw or table saw,
possibly a jig-saw
tape measure
safety glasses.

Hardware

screws
maybe nails


Should I use Concrete dissolver or Muratic acid to remove splatter? Concrete splattered all over the siding on my shed while I was mixing a batch for my patio.  I have done a light google search and seen there is muriatic acid and some kind of concrete dissolvers. What is the best procedure to do this?

muriatic acid

concrete dissolver

I used muriatic acid to clean boats and to clear urinal drains.  I have seen it used to clean a cement mixer on youtube.  It is very strong stuff.  You just spray it on for a few minutes and then scrub with a brush or sponge.  Wear gloves and eye protection.  There are a few videos on youtube.


could air in the line cause drop in water pressure? My water pressure measures 80psi. When I shut off the water to the house, it drops to 20 psi. I have had a lot of air in the line since the water company dug up their main line and supposedly fixed some leaks. Would the air in my line explain why my pressure drops from 80 to 20 in about 10 minutes?

No, if the pressure is 80 when you turn it off then it would stay at 80 even with air in the line.

You have a leak. It could be as simple as a very slow drip at a garden hose faucet or as complicated as a main line leak.

By the way, this is a very common occurrence; faucets/valves generally leak a bit as they get old. If your piping and fittings are sound then there is no acute danger. If you are worried you should carry out an inspection of your piping system and fittings, looking for tell-tale signs like damp spots, water marks, stains, etc. Also, plumbers have leak detection equipment and procedures that may help.


What is causing this faucet to leak? I have never seen a faucet leak like this. The supply lines are fine. The water moves to the center where it mixes the hot and cold water,  then drips from where the drain plug pull emerges. Is there an o-ring in there that the drain pull passes through?

The water is definitely coming from where the drain pull comes out of the center union.

It would appear to be a Pfister Marielle LF49 without the base escutcheon:
Here

Pfister has great customer support, and a lifetime warranty on their products, so I would recommend that you phone them and describe the issue.  1-800-pfaucet


Why is there water dripping through my soffits? This picture was taken directly below the roof in the 1st picture. You can see it is soaking wet. I do have a skylight on that roof but that has been replaced and sealed repeatedly. I always blamed the skylight but now I am wondering about the drip edge.

I'm sorry for your frustrations but what a sh!t job by this roofer. What even are those flaps hanging in the gutter; drip edge backup plan?
I'd like to see more angles of your roof line but I think this picture will illustrate how water is flowing on your roof.

If you're comfortable with ladders then grab a hose and pour water on your roof while you record the flow. You should quickly see whether things are working properly.
If my illustration is accurate then expect your fascia to rot in the next few years.
For the record, water dripping from your soffits is not normal. Keep investigating until you find the source and do everything in your power to make the roofer properly fix it. Presumably you paid at least $10,000 for this new roof so if they suggest patch-work such as silicone or some mastic then be aware that they are trying to avoid doing it right.


1971 D615MH Coleman Furnace, I have a Coleman D615MH furnace.  It will not kick off.  I have to turn both breakers off.  I just replaced the thermostat, thinking that was it.  I turned the breakers on & it was still running.  I turned the thermostat off & it continued to run.  So I have turned the breakers off again.  Any ideals on what it is.  The furnace works, so when it reaches the temp I want I just kick the breakers off.  When it gets chilly I turn the breakers back on.  Any help would be appreciated..

Sounds like a stuck relay or a bad control board at the furnace end; or a short in your thermostat wiring. You could try disconnecting the thermostat wiring at the furnace end. If it still runs with the thermostat disconnected entirely, you're looking at a stuck relay or bad control board.

If it doesn't run with the thermostat disconnected, check for shorts in the thermostat wiring between the furnace and the thermostat. You could do this with a multimeter. If you don't have a multimeter, try removing the thermostat from the wall and connecting the thermostat to the furnace with short length of wire. If the system behaves properly with the short length of wire, then you've isolated the problem to the thermostat wiring between the furnace and the thermostat installation.


Wiring a 220v pump with 2 hots to a controller I have a 220v pump that has two terminals. They are connected to the circuit breaker with both hots, the neutral isn't connected to anything on the pump.

I'm trying to hook up a controller (relay) for a thermostat. I thought I knew how to hook it up, but it didn't work out so well (I fried the transformer in the relay box, which I don't really understand since it's rated for 220v).

I think the pump controller needs to be connected to the neutral with one hot connected directly to the pump, and the other side being switched by the relay.

Is that right? I'm hoping to avoid more smoke!

Ok, hold on.  Are you sure you followed the instructions? Is your model number the same one in the instructions?   Reason I ask is, having to bring out neutral just for this is stupid.  That transformer inside the relay ought to be 240V.

So I think you got a defective one, or at least the wrong one.

Normally thermostat circuits are 24V, though this transformer may be doing something a bit different - I'd consult the factory.

The more standard way to do this is a 40VA 24V junction box mounted transformer (for about $11) which can mount anywhere, common thermostat cabling, and then a common air conditioning relay (about $13) inside a large junction box ($9).  This has several advantages: it will switch both poles, so when the equipment is off, it's really de-energized.  It operates on standard thermostat voltage, so you can use more readily available standard controls.  And if you have a furnace with surplus 24V power, you can just poach power off that instead of using your own transformer.  Also it's made to switch inductive loads, which is not necessarily true for relays like this.


I cracked my door at the door handle plate. What can I use to fix and reattach the door handle? I cracked my door at the door handle plate. What can I use to fix and reattach the door handle?

Remove the handle and get a good wood glue and brush it in all the cracks. Clamp it until the glue dries (varies with the type of glue). If you can't clamp it, I'd suggest removing the door, laying it flat and weight down a piece of wood over the glues area until the glue dries. Then re attach the handle.
If using epoxy, most epoxies want to be clamped or weighted down in some fashion. You want to "clean out" the hole so the wood can lay flat in the repair area. Epoxy up any voids in the area. Epoxy up a few toothpicks and stick them in the screw holes so you have some new wood when re attaching the handle.


IBT and whole house transfer switch The inter-system bonding termination (IBT) is where other services like telephone and cable TV get their ground bonds from the house's grounding electrode system (ground rods).

2014 NEC (NJ) 250.94 seems to say that an IBT must be placed in proximity to the house service. My home currently has a main panel with main breaker as the service disconnect. I am in the process of installing a whole-house transfer switch for a generator, which then becomes the service entrance equipment. My understanding is that the wire between the transfer switch and main panel becomes a feeder in that case (and necessitates isolating neutral and ground, etc.)

Am I required to relocate the IBT to near the new transfer switch, which is about 60 ft away on a different location on the house closer by the generator? (There was no additional room in the utility room for the transfer switch, so it is being mounted in a protected location outdoors.) All of the communications wires for the house already terminate by the existing IBT, so this would result in a rats nest of 5-6 wires having to be spliced and then traveling over to the new IBT location. For all practical purposes, this seems like a bad idea.

Leave the ground rods. Install a second set at the new service location.

The IBT only needs to go to ground rods.  It doesn't need to go to particular ones.

This plan depends on there being a ground wire between the old and new rods; it's a rare time when metal conduit shell, water pipe, etc. won't do.

There is no penalty for more ground rods than the house requires.