Is there a more durable way to catch washing machine lint? Our washing machine drains to a utility sink, which was regularly clogging with lint until I started keeping a nylon stocking around the hose outlet. That works fine, but after a month or two the stocking is so clogged with slimy lint that I have to invert it and scrape the lint off. Or it just tears altogether.

It seems wasteful to go through nylons like this, but all of the washing machine lint traps I see for sale online appear to be similarly disposable. Is there a way to catch lint coming out of the drain hose that doesn't involve swapping out disposable filters/nylons?

Is there something I can build that will be more straightforward to clean the lint paste scum off of?

We purchased a washable filter for the drain of our washing machine, not so much as to prevent clogging the utility sink (separate drain) but to protect the septic tank and drain field.

I understand that this is not a proper location for recommendations, but if you search for filtrol 160, you may be in luck. I purchased a second filter sock for the unit, allowing me to wash off the more recently used filter while a fresh one is placed.

Clearly you won't want to rinse the filter off in your utility sink, or in any location which may continue the clogging problem. I wait until the weather is good, turn the sock inside out and hose it with the garden hose on high pressure stream. The gunk in the sock is mostly dirt, although there's likely some synthetic fibers. I don't think there's enough to be an environmental concern when washed while outside.


Can two ground rods be bonded via a PVC conduit above ground? According to my understanding, if a supplementary ground rod is installed, it must be bonded to the existing rod via a buried 6 AWG cable (NFPA 70).

However, because virtually every side of my house is paved, I have no access to the soil around the ground rods. Could I use a 4- or 6-gauge wire running above ground through a PVC conduit via the basement to bond the two ground rods?

The new ground rod is for a TV antenna, and I have been told it is very unwise to ground it to the meter, which is just several feet away.

Note: The house needs to pass inspection, so please keep that in mind.

This question regards code compliance, which is not specifically requested in this post: Bonding Ground Rod for Rooftop Antenna.

I can find nowhere in the NEC that says that you must bury inter-electrode bonding jumpers.  In fact, 250.64(B) explicitly allows for running grounding electrode conductors (such as inter-electrode bonding jumpers) along construction or otherwise aboveground when suitably protected against physical damage, etc.:

  Securing and Protection Against Physical Damage.
  Where exposed, a grounding electrode conductor or its enclosure shall be
  securely fastened to the surface on which it is carried. Grounding electrode
  conductors shall be permitted to be installed on or through framing members. A
  4 AWG or larger copper or aluminum grounding electrode conductor shall be
  protected if exposed to physical damage. A 6 AWG grounding electrode conductor
  that is free from exposure to physical damage shall be permitted to be run
  along the surface of the building construction without metal covering or
  protection if it is securely fastened to the construction; otherwise, it shall
  be protected in rigid metal conduit (RMC), intermediate metal conduit (IMC),
  rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit (PVC), reinforced thermosetting resin conduit
  (RTRC), electrical metallic tubing (EMT), or cable armor. Grounding electrode
  conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be protected in RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, EMT,
  or cable armor. Grounding electrode conductors and grounding electrode bonding
  jumpers shall not be required to comply with 300.5.

Of course, you'll have to double-check with your local inspectors, though -- they may have some local requirement for burial of bonding jumpers.


My direct spark ignition furnace sparks but will not always light the burner? I seem to have a working spark ignitor although I can not see it when installed.  When installed outside of the furnace for testing it sparks when it should when the gas valves clicks open.  I can always (so far) light the the gas burner with a BBQ lighter when the gas valve clicks open.  However, about one time out of ten when the thermostat calls for heat the furnace will try to ignite but fail and must be reset,  After reset the furnace will ignite about one out of three time.  After not lighting on a cold night I resort to the BBQ lighter when I hear the gas valve click in it's sequence and the main burner lights every time.

I've checked all the obvious items like the flame sensor and ignitor device itself and all the safety air switches and condenser switch; clogged filter and exhaust.  The blower motor and purge motor.

The unit runs fine when it runs.  The frequency of not lighting seems to be increasing.  I hesitate to call an expert as the problem is intermittent.

Is there a possibility the furnace control board is not providing a strong enough spark?  Could the spark gap on the ignitor (brand new) be too large/small?  The gas outlets from the manifold pipe seem all clear and I vacuumned the burners.  As I said when it works it works fine...

I ran a separate ground wire from the main gas supply pipe to the ignitor mount to assure (?) a good ground.

The present gap for the spark to jump is about 1/8".  I'm old and do not hear well so I don't know if the spark "cracks" or not; I'd say the spark when tested, is about the same as on our gas range burners.

Thanks for any help.  Unit is a Rheem RGRA-09EZANJ 90 plus upflow Classic about 15 years old; since our home was new.  I'm a long time home builder.  The installer is long retired.  This is our first problem.  There is a electronic air cleaner and power humidifier and a/c.

I would give about an 80% chance that the board is not putting out the proper voltage and should be replaced. Other problems could be a bad spark wire or connection or poor positioning of the electrode. It is not the flame sensor or it would light for a few seconds and then go out.


Help wiring "smart" light switch in existing space I would like to replace 2 conventional light switches in a 2-gang box, with 2 "smart" light switches, but I'm confused about how to wire them.
The circuit has 3 wires coming in from the top conduit: orange, white, and black. And 4 wires in the bottom conduit: yellow, red, white, and black.
The smart switches want red (load), black (hot), white (neutral), green (ground).
My questions are, where is the green ground wire? (This is new construction within the past 3 years in the US.) And, based on how the existing switches are wired, how should I connect the wires to the 2 new smart switches?

It appears that your wiring is in conduit so the metal box will be grounded so a green ground wire wasn't needed. You can run a ground wire from the box with a 10-32 screw into the ground hole in the back of the box to the two switches or if the switches have a metal yoke, just screw them into the box.
The red wire going to each of your existing switches is your hot wire. The orange and yellow wires are your load wires for your fixtures. Your instructions for the new switches will tell you what goes where. If your switches require a neutral, that would be the two white wires connected together with the wire nut.


Tube Fitting vs. Flare Fitting vs. Compression Fitting I am trying to connect a water filter with regular 3/4" FIP inlet and outlet to regular faucet tubes with 3/8" Compression Type female connectors. So, what I need, I guess, is a pair of 3/4" MIP to 3/8" O.D. Compression fittings.

My search has revealed to be a challenge, as there seems to be an uncountable number of fitting standards in North America, and a variety of labelling conventions for each type.

I have not been able to find any 3/4" MIP to 3/8" O.D. Compression fittings, but there seems to be many 3/4" MIP to 3/8" O.D. Tube fittings on the market. Are these two the same? And if yes, what is the difference between Tube and Flare fittings?

A link to the appropriate fitting would be a great help as well.

P.S. Are these the right fittings: (1|2|3)? How can I find/order them in Canada? It seems impossible to nail down the search on Homedepot website.

1- NO

2- NO

3- YES!

Swagelok fittings are different than compression fittings and will not work. Both are very different than flare fittings, which have a tapered nut and require the tubing to be formed in a "flared" taper at the end (using a special tool) and do not use a sleeve (ferrule). They also use a different thread:

You may find that regular compression fittings are labeled "tube" fitting in your locale. Home Depot Canada has them, they include a brass insert (for plastic tubing) and ferrule (for all tubing applications; for your purpose do not use them.

Why don't you take your connectors down to the local mom & pop plumbing / hardware shop instead of going to the "big box", they likely have the part and will be full of good advice as well.
here's the link to the part at HD: 3/8 comp. x 3/4 mip adapter


Do I need to replace attic insulation directly against new framing for a bath fan? I have to temporarily remove insulation to install a new bath fan.  The installation will require installing some 2X4 framing to hold the new fan in place. Is it enough to simply fold the insulation down over the new frame work, do I need to cut pieces of insulation to fit each space?

Leaving voids under insulation but outside the air barrier (the drywall, for example) usually results in loss of efficiency. This is because if there's even a small escape path for the air to the unconditioned space the air in the void will cycle via convention, making the area effectively uninsulated. This allows faster heat transmission.

This is why batt insulation is fitted between ceiling joists rather than simply being laid across them. It's usually best to fit insulation directly against the air barrier.


corian sink overflow tube and box replacement Does anyone sell the plastic box for the overflow tube on a Corian sink. I can find the tube for sale but not the box.

Here is one source for the box and tube.  Your sink model number should be molded into the underside of the bowl.


What is the proper way to connect a 4" dryer exhaust to a 6" PVC wall exhaust? Our dryer exhausts through a 4" opening, but the wall exhaust we will connect to is 6". The previous owners left an elbow / reducer, but it's beat up and basically falls out of the 6" PVC exhaust. Should we put it back in and use foil tape as a seal?  Or what would be the best way to connect it?

It's a very short distance between the dryer and wall exhaust, maybe one foot. Hopefully that helps.

Is this PVC run straight? Also, since you have posted some pictures, please post some for how the "anti bird" vent cover is mounted and secured.

Here's my thoughts:
While the previous occupant made this work, they were violating code, creating a situation that creates static electricity, and as you noted, water. You see water INSIDE the house where the vent was, but what about the wall outside where this PVC eventually meets the world? Water can be leaking in the interior walls and rotting away structure or making a nice home for carpenter ants. Not to mention the PVC (especially if there are any bends in it) is probably plugged or nearly plugged, and with an imperfect fit, harmful gasses can be present in the living space. This is not doom and gloom, but some thoughts for consideration towards "what to do".

On your question of cutting drywall; I would rather use a drywall saw and cut as needed to complete a proper run (with metal) then repair when the budget is right vs. ANY other option. Besides, you'll get a chance to see what other damage lurks in spaces unseen.

If the PVC run is straight, you can actually buy proper 4" run, and feed it through the existing PVC. While this can avoid cutting, clearly vacuum or clean out the run first, and still inspect BOTH ENDS for water damage.

If the PVC has an elbow in it, is this elbow accessible? You can always cut the PVC elbows out of the path and feed metal duct from both ends and join to an elbow when ready.

Lastly, since the run is 6" OD (outer diameter) or greater, you can probably cut sections out thoughtfully and the only immediate expense would be the ductwork *(this should be very cost effective) and perhaps a drywall saw *($7?).

Exercise some caution, secure breakers, use a studfinder/tap method, and only make the holes as large as you need. Repairing drywall afterwards can be an art but its not insurmountable and then at least you aren't wasting money on the wrong solution.


shower arm leaking when not in use I have a shower stall (no tub). The shower head leaks water when not in use. I replaced the posi-temp cartridge and it still leaked. Then I installed a vacumm breaker which screws into the shower arm, then the shower head screws into it. That slowed the leaking water a lot, but it still leaks a slow drip. Any Master Plumbers out there who can help please.
Thanks a lot, Armando

If you replaced the cartridge a set it exactly the same way, you may have set it to the wrong "off" position by duplication of the "leaking" one. The temperature limiter also sets the stop point on many diverter.
See "stop tube kit"

soilco.co
Test
To test if this is the issue, remove the hardware and very slowly turn the cartridge and try to find off dead center.
If this fails
If this doesn't solve the problem then it's likely that the diverter body has worn or has developed sediment. It may need to be thoroughly cleaned or replaced.


how to wire a polarized wire to a switch? So I have a work bench and I'm building a box that will cover all my cables and outlets and generally make my work area look a million times better. My biggest issue is I have two sets of led lights that usually I plug/unplug to turn on/off to the mains power however this project will cover my plugs so I cant do that so easily (I can open this box but the goal isn't to open to operate lights).

The main plan was to wire these lights thru a light switch that we have mounted on the outside like a normal light switch but I'm unsure how to do this given I can only find switches that require a ground but I don't have a ground. how should I go about doing this in a safe manner?

Use a remote-controlled wired switch. Quick & easy solution. The inexpensive versions are limited in how much power they can handle, but that is not an issue for LED lights. Something like this:


How can I replace a ceiling light and repair the surrounding plaster? The house was probably built in about 1900 (so Edwardian) and I would guess much of the plaster work is still original.  We refurbished the house 3 years ago and suffered from lots of plaster falling off when we took the wall paper off, including an entire ceiling dropping out in one room.  I am therefore concerned about hacking too much away, as the result could be disastrous as we also still have some original plaster features nearby.
I am looking to replace the ceiling lights in the hall with two chandeliers:  the heavier one weighs about 3 kg, so nothing too grand.
So have taken the old light rose down and of course lost a circular chunk of ceiling that has exposed no joists, but lath. I have no idea how far the joists are, and no way to get at them from above as we have a floating floor sitting on top of the floor.
So two questions:
Will the ceiling be able to support the worst case scenario of 3 kg?
Assuming that I have repaired the plaster work and screw into the lath?
How the hell do I repair the ceiling?
I have already removed the loose material and cleaned it up, but traditional Polyfilla (all purpose) is going to take an age. Assuming that I can actually get it to stick to the ceiling, as at the moment, it is just dropping off onto the floor.

You really don't want to disturb the lath with a light fixture.  The plaster is fragily 'keyed' into the gaps between the lath.  The weight of the light must connect to structure.  Ideally, the light fixture should be independent of the plaster.

The plaster must be 'quietly' cut back.  I use a continuous rim diamond wheel (4 1/2 inch on an angle grinder) to cut the plaster.

You need to carefully cut back the exposed lath and use a 'feeler' probe to find how far away the joists are, to each side.

You should use the Polyfilla powder for interiors, powered gypsum joint compound (with plaster-of-paris for setting) or an authentic lime based plaster (for best compatibility).

Traditionally plaster involves a brown coat, a scratch coat and a finish coat.  Metal lath is useful for making repairs to existing ceilings.


Gas furnace fails to fire up and provide heat My gas furnace won't turn on when it's set to heat.  My girlfriend and I both noticed that it was a little cold today.  I went to flip the heat up a notch after dinner, and that's when I noticed that it's 63 in the house when the thermostat is set to 68.  I've been doing some troubleshooting/watching YouTube videos and googling.  I stumbled upon this board, so I thought I'd ask to see if some kind soul can help us out.  Here's what I did so far:

I flipped the breaker switches in the electrical panel for both the A/C and the furnace
I switched the batteries to the thermostat (it powers without them, but i figured worth a shot).
I flipped the fan from "Auto" to "On" on the thermostat.  Interestingly, the fans in the house will kick on if I have the theromstat set to "Cool", but not if it's set to "Heat".
I took the cover off the furnace (where I change the furnace filter).  I am noticing the panel has a light that is blinking green 4 times when I hold down the sensor that tells the furnace if the cover is on or not.  I'm not sure if the 4 times means something or not, but worth a shot.

That's as far as I've gotten.  Any ideas?
We're trying to avoid a cold night...
Photo of the label inside:

Sounds like the furnace may have failed the first diagnostic test for the draft inducer.
If the system doesn't detect a positive pressure to the pressure switch after the inducer motor starts, it won't let the burner igniter operate and throws a 4 flash code.
Sometimes the tech just needs to remove the vacuum hose from it and clean out any debris that may be plugging up the hole or the hose and put the hose back on and it will run.


How to safely dig a 12 inch diameter hole with an 8 inch auger I need to dig a 12 inch diameter hole for some 4x4 fence posts that I'm digging but I only have access to an 8-inch power auger. My experience drilling holes in wood tells me that if I try to drill a hole next to an existing hole my bit will slip and go all over the place in an unsafe way. My question here is if I only have access to an 8-inch auger whats my safest bet at getting a 12 inch wide hole?

What I was thinking was to go slow and dig three holes where the center of each hole is 4 inches apart from each other until I get to the depth that I need. Something like a venn diagram with 3 circles. Working my way down into the ground maybe 6 inches at a time. This sounds pretty tedious since I have many holes to dig so Anyone have any better ideas?

My question stems from this video: https://youtu.be/aQ24ykIBVOM?t=2m54s

You have the general idea, but whether this is successful depends on several things, including soil type, the presence of rocks, and the weight and rigidity of the boring equipment. In any event, expect to get a good upper-body workout.

I'd bore a hole with a 2" offset, perpendicular to the fence run, then shift the equipment 4" and bore again, creating an oblong bore. You'll still have to clear it by hand as some material will fall back into the original bore cavity. You could try a third bore, but I doubt the equipment will be rigid enough to accomplish much.

You'll end up with a hole that's tapered to the bottom, but you should be able to get enough concrete around the top to secure the posts.


How do I reduce the number of screw pops in my drywall? Background:

I'm gluing and screwing 5/8 in drywall on the ceiling in my own home. I'm attaching it with screws and construction adhesive directly to the attic joists -- which are 16 in OC. I'm placing 12- and 8-by-4 sheets perpendicular to the joists. And I'm putting in one screw at each of the beveled the ends, then four screws in between those two -- 6 screws total over the 4-ft width of the sheet.

This is part of a remodel of my own home. Given the much larger cost of the general remodel, I'm not interested in skimping on drywall materials or techniques.

I'm using a drywall screwgun to dimple the screws to just the right depth without cutting the paper.

Question:

What else can I do when installing drywall to reduce the number of drywall screw pops?

Where I'm from, the ceiling schedule for drywall nails and screws is 7" O.C.  From your description you're closer to 11" O.C.  Particularly when you're using a heavy sheet like a 12' x 4' x 5/8" sheet I recommend strongly a jack to hold the drywall in place as you screw it.  You can rent one at any major tool rental yard.

Also may I recommend picking up a carpentry or plasterer's textbook.  They offer many helpful tips and techniques for a stellar sheetrock job.  Two examples:  "Carpentry, 5th edition" by Leonard Koel, or specifically for drywall: Gypsum Construction Handbook, Centennial Edition 2000, published by USG.


Is this a sign of my roof trusses sagging? There have been cracking/snapping sounds coming from my ceiling. I can't see disturbance with the cornices. However, when I go up into my roof, I found that these hitches (which perpendicularly connnect the bottom cord of the roof trusses to the top cord of the internal walls [non-load bearing]) have their nails all the way down the bottom of the slot. I read that they are meant to freely move vertically, and at the time of construction the nails are near the top of the slots, indicating there is meant to be some space between the roof trusses and the internal walls (which now has been reduced.)
This is a two storey house. Below these internal walls, on the ground floor, it is an open space. A carpenter told me it should be ok becase there should be a metal beam between the ground and second floor. HOwever, I do not remember there being a metal beam at the time of construction, just the timber I-beams. Additionally, the floor has dipped/sagged at the door way of these internal walls on the second floor, and whenever I walk near them there is the cracking/snapping sounds, especially first thing in the morning.
I think that the roof is sagging onto the internal walls and pushing the floor down. What do you think? And if so, can you point me to where I can find out how to rectify the situation as non-invasively as possible?

Wow, the picture you happened to take illustrates perfectly why those metal clips are installed.
The metal clips are used to keep the truss independent from the non-bearing wall. That is to say, the roof trusses are designed so the wall does NOT put pressure on the bottom chord of the trusses, but help maintain the wall in its proper position. The way it’s done is by using the clips so the trusses can move freely up and down.
When the roof structure is built, the trusses come with a designed “camber” to keep them from resting on the walls. When the roof was originally built, there was an air gap between the bottom of the trusses and the top of the top plate.
As the roof sheathing, roofing, etc. is installed the trusses start to settle down. Truss calculations can even anticipate future snow loads so the bottom chord of the trusses never settle down on the wall.
Structurally, if the bottom chord rests on the wall it will put the bottom chord of the trusses in “double bending “. This can cause the trusses to fail.
The truss bends like a beam with compression in the top (top chord) and tension in the bottom (bottom chord). When the bottom chord rests on a wall, the bottom chord bends putting additional tension in the top of the chord and additional compression in the bottom of the chord.  This additional force is called “double bending” and can cause the truss to fail.
Now, the reason this is such an amazing picture is because you can see two knotholes in the chord as it passes over the wall. The area of the bottom chord is greatly reduced because of the two knots. One knot is missing its knot and the other has cracked. Because the chord is in tension, it’s not known if the “crack” is from drying out or from excessive tension.
If you can slide a piece of paper between the bottom of the truss chord and the top plate of the wall, then you have no problem...even if the truss chord rests on the top of the gypsum board, you have no problem because it will crush the wallboard.
If the truss rests on the wall, then I’d contact a structural engineer (not civil engineer) or architect to review. You could contact the local truss manufacturer to see if they still have the shop drawings for your house. If so, they could review the installation.
Btw, I’m sure every structures professor in the world would love to have a copy of this picture to show their students. (Just for my own reference, what is the width of your house and where do you live...do you have snow on the roof now?)


Running non-metallic cable to an outdoor fixture I understand that NM wire is not permitted to be used in wet or damp locations. That said, it seems generally permissible to run NM wire into the back of an outdoor box (such as a breaker panel). Unfortunately, I have a fixture that doesn't provide any back knockouts (and cutting my own is inadvisable here) so the only solution is to use the bottom entry provided.

To what extent can NM wire be run from inside an exterior wall through conduit outdoors to the intended fixture?

I have drawn some representations of three different cases below:

Case 1

In this case, I would have a simple elbow running into the bottom entry and into the exterior wall. The NM cable (in orange) would run from the hole in the wall through the elbow and into the fixture. This is the simplest option, but not exactly my preferred option.

Case 2

This is what I would prefer, though I somewhat doubt it is legal. In this case, the NM cable would enter an outdoor junction box (so I can also have another circuit providing a GFCI receptacle here), travel through a minimal conduit segment into the device, and terminate as before.

My guess is that the running on NM cable through the conduit is not legal for any length outdoors so I probably can't do it.

Case 3

I presume this to be the most likely legal solution. In this case, the NM terminates immediately, gets pigtailed into some THHN/THWN (indicated by the colored dots), and the clearly legal individual wires go through the conduit into the fixture.

While I am fairly certain of the legality of this solution, I still don't know what is considered acceptable when NM wire goes outside for short segments (such as to a breaker) and if it's required to be through a back knockout or any knockout.

Running the NM cable at all outdoors would have me concerned about capillary action wicking moisture upcable and back inside, leading to premature failure of the NM.  I'd use a short length of /2 UF from an accessible box on the inside through the wall and then directly into a J-box on the outside for the GFCI.  You can then run UF through the nipple that connects the weatherproof J-box to the fixture in question.

Don't forget the "while in use" cover on the GFCI-box, and to make sure that there's a 1/8" drain hole in the bottom of that box.  (Elbowing up a conduit directly to the fixture from the inside isn't the greatest idea because then you have raceway arranged to drain...to the inside of your house. Oops!)


3 led pot light in bathroom blink when turn fan on for a second but stay off I have 3 led pot in my bathroom with my pot light off I turn my fan off and on some times the pot light blink for a second but stay in the off position

It sounds like a bit of counter EMF is being generated by the fan motor. Enough to cause a flash on the LED’s . This would not be seen with incandescent and maybe just a slight glow with LED’s.
I have seen induced current from a hot tub induce enough to light (dimly) 2 led flood lights when the pumps and heaters were running on separate circuits. Moving the conductors away from each other helped but to completely eliminate the glow I had to shield 1 cable in the wall where they ran in parallel for several feet. After that there was no light emitted.


What should be done before using a fireplace that has not been used in decades? We are moving into a house with a fire-place.
The current tenants (friends of ours),
have been living there just short of 2 decades, and have never used it once.
The house is about 90 years old, so it certainly saw a lot of use once upon a time.

I myself rather enjoy a fire.
Though I've not lived in a house with one, since I was a kid.
Not really planning on using it for heating, but for a couple of times in the winter it would nice to be able to use it just for the enjoyment of the thing.

Is there anything I should do before using it?
Should I be worried about the chimney being blocked?
How would I go about inspecting for that?

You hire a chimney sweep to inspect (and clean) it. In some cases it may need to be completely rebuilt - in others, it may simply need cleaned and inspected, or it may need something in the middle.

At that age, you may well find that you'll face relining to make use of it under modern conceptions of what's safe - it will have deteriorated with age and probably was not built to standards that are considered safe these days in the first place.

There are ways to solve that problem, but which way is applicable will vary with the state of the chimney, and any work that might have been done to it in the 70 years before it was disused for 20 years, as well as what's been going on inside it for 20 years.


How to ensure shower handle flushed when replacing shower wall to tiled wall I am ripping off my shower kit and the wall. Before demo, I took picture of the back of the shower fiberglass wall:

I plan to install tile. What happen next is to put drywall and then hardie board and seal.

My question is:

How to make sure the check valve mechanism flushed to the back and ensure the handle can screw in and flushed in the front of the tile?

So I assume I need to put the white piece behind the wall.

But old shower wall has different thickness which is much thinner than the new drywall + hardie backing board + thinset + tile which could be 1.5" thick.

I tried to "dry fit" everything first and need to figure out how this might look like or if I need to do some washer or different type of mechanism...

Any idea?

UPDATE 1

Here is the full view:

I can "move" the plumbing in and out. It's quite flexible:

Before I address your question, I just want to say drywall isn't necessary.  Attach your cement board directly to the studs but put a plastic sheet in between them.  Then tile on the cement board.

Now for the valve placement, I wouldn't leave it dangling like this.  Once I figured out the correct location and depth, I put a wood block behind it, secure it to the studs and attach the pipe to wood block with brackets.

For the depth of the valve, be super careful and triple measure things. Best would be to buy your valve, cartridge, shower trim, tiles, and cement board and have them in hand.  Make a little cement board template w/ the hole, attach your tiles w/ double sided tape, and put the trim on. Account for the thinset as well.

The trim usually has wiggle room, and you can be off +/- 1/4".  Usually, when it comes to this part, I take my sweet time and take a look at it multiple times and try to imagine what can go wrong.  Once you close the walls, it's too late.

One last tip, make sure the valve is perpendicular to the wall. Else the trim will not be flush to the tiles around its entire circumference.


Can I replace a hardwood floor board without replacing the entire floor? I have a piece of floor that expanded and is popping up due to some water damage (attached photo).

Is it possible to just take out the piece and trim it down to make it fit? Or would I need to replace the entire floor?

You definitely do not need to replace the entire floor; the board is a different question. Typically repairing a hardwood floor involves splitting and removing one board before you can remove the adjacent ones from the tongue and grooves. Later you can replace the damaged board with the same species, or a leftover piece. (Occasionally you can pilfer one from inside a closet or remodeled space.)

That looks like a floating floor though, so you may be able to carefully prod that piece up and out. Possibly even undercut it a bit with a really fine trim saw or oscilating tool if you can get the entire side up.

Once you do have it out replacement is fairly straightforward. Cut away the bottom side of the groove and run a thin bead of adhesive along the adjacent tongue, then slide the board into place at an angle inserting the tongue into the place then pressing the half-groove down into the glue.


How to compute minimum bend radious of NM wire? The general rule for computing the minimum band radious states "8 x the overall cable diameter" for single or multiple conductor cables - no metallic shielding.
What does the "overall cable diameter mean" for a NM multi conductor wire?
I have AL 1/0 1/0 1/0 NM cable that seems to be about 1" thick overall. Would it mean 8" MBR?.
If the outside sheething was removed, each separate conductor is about 3/8" so that woud make a 3" bend for eaches?

The rule for nm is NEC 334.24 bends in nm and nmc shall be made so the cable will not be damaged. The radius of the curve of the inner edge of any bending during or after install shall not be less than 5 times the diameter of the cable.
The diameter is the thickest area in the direction of the bend (this is different than “fill” where the widest point of the cable is the diameter)
The difference becomes a big deal with flat and under carpet forms of nm.
NM requires the sheath to enter the box 1/4”  beyond the clamp NEC 314.17 so the sheath can not be removed until Inside the box.


Handyman working along side general contractor We are redoing our kitchen, two bathrooms, and a bunch of small stuff (e.g., replacing interior doors) in a house we just purchased.

We have a GC for the kitchen and baths, which are complicated and have lots of moving parts.  But for the other stuff, the GC seems like overkill.  For instance, his price for replacing our interior doors was about 30% higher than what our handyman would charge.

My inclination is to have the handyman do the "small" stuff and have the contractor stick to the kitchen and bath.

The catch is that, due to the schedule, they'll need to be in there working at the same time.  I've talked about this a little with my GC and he seems a little annoyed, which I can understand.

I'm wondering, though, if it's a bad idea to attempt having both sets of work going on at the same time by two sets of people in the same house.

Am I asking for trouble?

As long as the work areas don't overlap too badly it should be no problem whatsoever. People who do larger renovations, for example house flippers, hire lots of different contractors for different purposes. Serious contractors are used to working on shared projects and have no problem with it.

Just organize the dates and areas to be worked on to not overlap.

I had situations myself where I hired attic cleaners at the same time as plasterers for the living room and a demolition crew for the garage.


Installing Vapour Barrier in Crawlspace with Water Heater I'm installing a vapour barrier over the dirt floor in my crawlspace. There is a water heater already installed and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to tape the vapour barrier directly to the bottom of the water tank instead of eptying it, disconnecting it, sliding the plastic sheet underneath and putting everything back together. My only real concern is that the moisture under the vapour barrier will cause the base of the tank to rust.

Thanks.

I wouldn't. You'd essentially be sealing the heater's fate of rust and decay. (See what I did there?)

First, you might find it less painful than you think to get the poly under the heater. A little levering or winching and it'll be off the ground the half inch you need. I'd put your main poly sheet down, then some thin plywood or something to protect it.

You might even take this opportunity to do the annual drain and flush you surely do, making the unit lighter while you lift it.

Otherwise, just cut around the heater. The moisture that gets through that small area probably won't be a big deal.


How to finish concrete ceiling - beam span calculation I have a room below my garage (suspended slab). I want to finish the room/ceiling. The room's dimensions are approximately 24' x 23.5' (this is to the walls, which are already framed/dry-walled). I don't know if I can drill into the concrete ceiling, and would prefer to avoid that if at all possible. I would like to do 2 inches of closed cell spray foam insulation. What I'm hoping to be able to do is span the 24' length with 2-4 beams, then anchor 2x4s perpendicular to the beams to create a suitable backing for something like drywall or another lightweight finish (lightweight shiplap, etc). How do I calculate a beam size that only carries its own weight, plus the weight of the ceiling materials? Height is a concern, it is a pretty low ceiling. I really only have about 9" (7 after the spray foam insulation) to work with since that is the top of the entrance/doorway.

I may need to hire out an engineer, but I figure its worth a shot asking here first for ideas.

Thanks.

I would consider a simpler, cheaper, easier solution--such as furring/ceiling tile, suspended ceiling tile, or furring/drywall. You don't have to drill. You can use a powder-load nailer to attach the furring. Much easier and will leave you more headroom.


Are there requirements for periodic inspection of your consumer unit? (UK) The house I am in has the sticker I pasted below on the consumer unit.

It "recommends" an inspection 3 years after the prior one. Is this a requirement? Even if it is not required, is it actually a useful recommendation or is it more of a marketing ploy on the part of the electrician?

In certain cases of old or outdated equipment, perhaps a periodic inspection is wise, but I would be very concerned if an electrician knew of a serious problem which required active monitoring but hasn't made efforts to just correct it. (Perhaps there are cases of homeowners who will only pay for the minimum...)

Thanks

There is not a requirement in owner-occupied single family dwellings to have periodic electrical inspections. There is in some rented homes or houses of multiple occupation (HMO).

Under BS7671 (the IET) Wiring Regulations the electrician is required to recommend an inspection period. I don't know why yours has put 3 years, for dwellings the interval is usually 5 for rented and 10 for owned.

  For rented accommodation, the maximum period recommended between the
  initial inspection (when the installation was first put into service)
  and the first periodic inspection and test is five years.

NICEIC recommendation

  change of occupancy/10 years

Intersafe electrical test providers

  Typical workplaces or environments which require 3 or 1 year Fixed
  Wire Testing include: Spa hotels and leisure centres – 3 years

Intersafe electrical test providers 2

If you have the previous test certificate or can get a copy from the electrician who issued it, there may be an explanation for why a more frequent inspection has been recommended, eg there may have been previous signs of "green goo" in the installation.


50 Amp tankless water heater and 30 amp double pole switch I just moved into a house. I have a 50 amp max tankless water heater. The circuit breaker is 50 amps. The water heater is connected to a NEMA 10-50 power receptacle. There a switch to turn on and off the water heater from inside the house. I am going to replace the switch. I noticed that it is a double pole 30 amp switch.

I haven't tested the water heater yet and I am going to replace the switch, but I would like to know if this is a safe setup, since the switch's amperage is lower than the water heater's max.

I am going to try to brake down your question.

  I have a 60 amp max tankless water heater.

Now just off of what you said the 2014 NEC Table 310.15(B)(16) shows that a #6 or #4 wire is needed for 60 amps, depending on which wire you use.

  The circuit breaker is 60 amps.

You are right in line with the amps of the water-heater.

  The water heater is connected to a NEMA 10-50 power receptacle

That receptacle is only rated up to 50amp but try to find a 60amp 3wire receptacle.

  There a switch to turn on and off the water heater from inside the house. I am going to replace the switch. I noticed that it is a double pole 30 amp switch.

BIG problem, the switch is way under sized, but from your picture it doesn't look like the correct size wire ether.

I would look at the wiring that is going to the breaker and see if it is correct. You may have to start over again.


How to know what anchors to use on the ceiling? I am a beginner DIY'er trying to install a ceiling fan. The instructions say to use the appropriate fixing for the type of ceiling you have. This is rather obvious but what isn't so obvious is what kind of ceiling I actually have and how to go about finding that out. So my question is: How do you know what material the ceiling is made out of so that you can choose the correct anchor?

Common ways to find out how the ceiling is constructed include ...

finding an existing opening, e.g. for a ceiling light, and having a good look in and poke around.
asking a neighbour whose house was built by the same building company at the same time
using a stud detector and wiring detector to see how uniform the ceiling is and location of any wires near the surface
drilling a small hole and seeing what comes out.

I believe many 21st century European homes have concrete-slab ceilings rather than traditional wooden joists.


Should I replace an existing gas fireplace with electric? Does it make sense to replace my existing gas fireplace with a newer electrical one?  Would the new electrical one require less maintenance?  Would it run more efficiently and in doing so cost less to operate?

location = US / IL

This is a pretty subjective question, so it will probably get closed.  However, generally speaking, gas is cheaper than electricity for heating purposes, i.e., it takes less $ worth of gas than electric to heat "whatever", so the cost will most likely be lower for the gas one.  Heating is not a particularly efficient use of electricity.


Odd behaviour when adding two smart dimmers in one box I'm hoping these symptoms will be obvious to someone who knows better:
I'm adding smart dimmers in a fairly new (2013) house in Canada. Two are replacing regular dimmers in a four-gang box which controls four separate light fixtures with no other switches. There's five wires coming into the box - the four lights plus the supply. All the existing switches just use the live but I do have neutrals which are all bound together. It all seems pretty modern and simple and I've installed smart switches in similar boxes with the same config.
Here's the problem - when I replace the two dimmers with the smart dimmers both work but one switches on both fixtures instead of just the one it handles the load for. The other just switches on its own load, as I'd expect. I've checked, double-checked and re-done all connections, swapped the two switches, tried them on their own and always end up with the same results. Probably also relevant is the fact that when both sets of lights come on in response to one switch, they're clearly under-powered (flickering) and turning on the second switch adds more juice and both run as normal, so it seems like somehow the live from switch one is being shared to both sets of lights?
The smart dimmers have four connections which I'm connecting as follows:

Load (red) to the fixture black wire
Live (black) to the common live (blacks) coming into the box
Neutral (white) to the common neutrals/whites coming into the box
Ground to a ground on the box
The neutral from the fixture wires goes to the common neutrals

I'm guessing there's a mixup somewhere and I'm doing something dumb. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance... :-)
EDIT: Adding some pictures. Thanks in advance. This is with just one smart switch - this setup works fine. If I replace the manual dimmer (spot #3) with another smart dimmer we get the issue.

I'd junk those smart-dimmers and get ones that are less...cheesy
The first problem you have to address is that you have Cheesy smart dimmers that never went through the gauntlet of testing required by CSA/UL/... and thus can't be reasonably guaranteed to not do untoward things to you, like try to light your house on fire.  Since your wiring configuration looks utterly conventional here, I'd try with a better (i.e. not so Cheesy) set of smart dimmers and see if you're still getting the misbehavior described.


How to open this electric plug? Not sure if it's the right place to ask, and I must be missing something really simple.
Anyway, I'm trying to open this electric plug. Normally you just need to unscrew the screw and thats all, but on this one the screw seems to do nothing!!
Here are a few images:

Any idea?
Cheers!

Take out the screw completely.
Then the (usually) rubber enclosure slides off the hard plastic interior.


How can I connect floating 2x6 wall plates to 4x4 posts? I've started designing an outdoor shower for my house, and need some advice on the framing. The vertical posts are 4x4 PT lumber and are the only thing already in place.
As I've designed it, the sides are made of 1x8 PVC trim boards. I'm building a frame to support the (floppy) PVC boards, and my plan was to run 2x6 boards along the top and bottom of each wall, use them to hold vertical studs in place, and then screw the PVC trim into the studs (in addition to screwing the ends into the 4x4 posts). The 2x6s are also cosmetic, providing a little border above and below the walls.
You can see that I've notched out the ends of the 2x6s to fit neatly around the back of the post.
My question is: how should I attach the 2x6s to the 4x4s? They won't really be supporting a ton of weight (their own weight, the studs, and whatever weight from the PVC trim is transferred down via the studs). But this is a high wind coastal area and I'd like it to be rock solid.
There's no obvious way (to me) to bolt them in place. I've thought about using angle brackets underneath the joint, and/or routing a shallow dado into the post to receive the end of the 2x6.
What do you think? How would you design this joint? Any other flaws you see in the design? Thanks!

You could add PT 2x4 to each side of the 4x4 post cut to the length between your 2x6 top/bottom trim boards, then screw your 2x6s into the end-grain of the 2x4s.
This would give you a 90° screw connection, but honestly, toe-screwing them in (from the bottom side so water doesn't collect in the holes) would probably be sufficient. If you're feeling fancy, you could even use a pocket-hole jig and screws to make nice neat holes in the 2x6.
Considering that people use pocket-holes/screws for assembling cabinetry that can hold 100s of pounds (I've got a tool rack in the garage that's pocket-screw assembled), that should be sufficient for your purposes.
As a side note: You may consider leaving a bit of a gap between your 1x8 PVC trim to allow wind to blow through a little easier. I doubt you'll have issues, but being in a coastal region, wind is an issue, and a bit of a gap will make it easier on the whole structure.


Why won't my generator start I have already checked the spark plug, just replaced the old one, opened the fuel line to make sure the gas flow was good, made sure the filter was clean, checked the oil level and it still wouldn't start, what could be the next issue

Clogged carburetor, 90% of the time, especially with modern gasoline/petrol.

You need fuel, air and spark for a gasoline engine to run. You have checked the air filter; you have changed the spark plug, but probably not actually verified spark (it's common to get a harmless but irritating shock while testing that, but you can avoid that with clever use of a bungee cord to hold the removed from engine, connected to wire spark plug's base against a metal part of the engine, rather than using your hand) and you have checked fuel flow from the tank - but if the fuel is not getting through the carburetor due to small ports and passages being clogged, it won't get into the air stream.

Another possibility is that the generator uses a manual choke, which most younger folks are not all that familiar with and may forget to operate as a result.

Rarer with modern controls/engines is a flooded (too much fuel) engine, where a few cranks with the throttle closed will help to clear out the excess fuel.


Cheap solution to cease creking sound of parquet floor I have parquet flooring in both of the rooms in my rental (block of flats). The problem is that they are laid down when these houses were built (~40 years ago), and when they did that, they didn't let them dry enough.

Basically it's loud as hell, and it is impossible to walk silently.

Please help me found a cheap solution with these conditions:

I can't remove or change the floor, just work on it's surface
I can't screw or nail the wooden pieces to the subfloor

A possible solution is polishing the floor, but it's a little bit difficult for me, and i have to rent machines to do that.

What i'm thinking about is to apply some kind of wax or grout on the floor, or some kind of oil that would rehydrate it, but I can't tell if they would help.

Sometimes shaking talcum powder onto the floors and sweeping it into the joint lines will help for a time. It acts as a lubricant to reduce the friction as the boards shift.


Why does this fluorescent ceiling light go out after a few seconds (every time)? I have a strange problem with a fluorescent ceiling room light. There are four small fluorescent tubes. One day for no apparent reason they all just suddenly went out.

When I turned the light switch off and then back on, they turn on for a few seconds  then went out again. I can repeat this any time.

Note that the two tubes on the left turn on instantly but the two on the right show a short (half-second?) delay at which time the orange glow of the filament inside the tube is visible.

How might I go about debugging this and eventually fixing it?

note: I live in Taiwan (120 V, 60 Hz), most electrical fixtures and appliances here are pretty standard. My apartment building isn't very old but watching the flickering of the light inside the switch I'm pretty sure that it's the old neon lamp type rather than an LED.

As requested: modern electronic ballast have safety circuits that shut them down when the lamps are drawing two much current. Replacing weak lamps may solve the problem.


What types of flooring can be used with electric radiant heat? I am considering converting an old enclosed sleeping porch into a usable room year round (in Ohio).  Currently the floor is a big slope to allow for drainage when it was still open, obviously I want to level the floor but was considering installing electric radiant heat in the floor at the same time because there is no heat in this room yet.

What types of flooring materials work with electric radiant heat installed on a floor with wood joists (not a concrete pad)?

I know tile is the standard choice that works well, however I am concerned that there may be some movement in this floor because it is an old porch and I don't want the tile to crack.

PS - I ask because I am in the position to install it if it would work well.  If it looks like it does not make sense on non-tile floors I may just install a small electric baseboard heater.

Some electric radiant systems can be used with laminate floors, e.g. http://www.suntouch.com/mats/, or even floating/engineered wood floors according to http://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-floor-heat/ .

Laminate might be a good option as it can flex and is easy to install. Check with the radiant heating manufacturer to ensure you're using a flooring and adhesive that are compatible with the floor heat, but I doubt the temperature will be a problem -- radiant floor heat probably doesn't get much hotter than your floor would naturally get on a hot summer's day with the windows open.


What is the recommended way to destroy mold? Back in the day I've heard that bleach is a good way to kill mold. The other day a home inspector suggested that Dawn dish soap actually works much better than bleach. I've heard from another home inspector to use the store-bought mold killer.

Does anyone know what really works and what doesn't for a DIYer?

Bleach, when used carefully, may be effective at killing surface mold. However, when I started to research how to get invisible to the eye mold and it's related odor out of some unfinished wood, over and over I kept finding assertions that bleach is inadequate for eliminating mold issues for the following reason:

  Mold's hypae (root structures) actually grow into wood and drywall like roots. The hyphae are not killed by bleach because bleach's ion structure prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as drywall and wood. It stays on the outside surface, whereas mold has protected enzyme roots growing inside the porous construction materials. When you spray porous surface molds with bleach, the water part of the solution soaks into the wood while the bleach chemical sits atop the surface, gasses off, and thus only partially kills the surface layer of mold while the water penetration of the building materials foster further mildew and mold growth. [This quotation appears on many websites almost word for word, but no site I looked at gave any credit to the original source of this information]

How do you get those hyphae out of the wood or other material? You need a surfactants.

  Surfactants serve the purpose of significantly lowering the surface tension of water to allow a cleaning solution to penetrate porous surfaces -KleanPros

What's an example of a Surfactant? Dishwashing soap.

This is why some mold cleaning guides will suggest adding dishwashing soap into your bleach/water mixture, or say to skip the bleach entirely, and just use the surfactant cleaning properties to dislodge the mold and remove it from the surface without actually "killing" it.

A mold expert who came to do mold testing at our home claimed that, depending on the species of mold being eradicated, that bleach was the "worst thing you could do" in fixing a mold problem, because it may cause a release of highly toxic mycotoxin particles. Neither the EPA or OSHA recommend bleach for mold removal under "most" circumstances.

The EPA also points out that:

  Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.

Which goes back to that surfactant thing. If you're talking about a non-porous surface, sure, bleach may work well, so long as you use it properly (ventilate, don't mix with ammonia, etc), but if there's any possibly porous or crevice-filled surfaces, either the dish soap or a epa-registered mold-killing product would be a reasonable choice.


We have a Chromalox EDB-20-1 hot water furnace, and it sounds like a flowing stream whenever the water flows through the house The pressure is fine (15 psi) and it heats the house fine.  I would think the water needs topping up except for the fact the pressure is optimal.  Any thoughts on what I can check/do?  The sound is startling when it first kicks in and wakes me up in the night.
I should also mention that this is a more recent sound.  The previous 2 winters, it would start with more of a 'bang' sound to the pipes.  Since turning on the system this winter, it's no longer a 'bang', just more like 'whooshing' water.  When turning it on this year, we also discovered that it was not properly wired into the electrical breaker (problem resolved by a certified electrician).

The bang is probably water hammer - there are various ways to deal with that.

The whooshing sound, may be caused by bubbles of air in the water-pipes. The normal way to deal with that is to bleed air out of the system when it is not running. The system will have bleed valves. Their location and type depend on the type of system and vary by locale/country. You can obtain automatic air vent/bleed devices that can be plumbed in to automatically bleed air out of a system (the drawback might be that you are not alerted to a problem with air getting into your system)


Automatic water pump for water tank I am really tired of turning on and off the water pump (a motor that moves water to the tank and the tank is located on the top of the house ) everyday. I am looking forward for a way to automate the water pump so it turns on and off itself according to the water level in the tank. Should I buy such a device or built my own ( I am a Computer Systems engineer so its easy for me to built it.)

A simplification of @spicetraders answer:

Pump up switch

You can do this with a "pump up float switch", which operates at line voltage and thus avoids the need for a relay, separate power supply, etc. These cost tens of dollars.

These often have a plug on the end so they can control a plug-in pump directly (be sure to get one with the appropriate plug type, voltage and power rating for your pump), but they can also be hardwired (just like you would with a regular switch).

Essentially the float operates on a wire, and the only concern is to ensure there's nothing for it to get hung up on:

By adjusting the length of wire, you can adjust the on/off setpoints.

Low water alarm

We used to often install a second float near the bottom of the tank, with a very short distance, that activated a warning light or alarm to indicate "tank almost empty" indicator. This would signal something was wrong with the main switch, pump, water supply, or simply that you were using water faster than the pump could keep up, and could take appropriate action.


Why is my Panasonic Whisper series bath fan starting up so slowly? I recently had a Panasonic Whisper Series bath fan installed in my bathroom by a plumbing/HVAC company and wired up by a separate electrician.  The fan starts up extremely slowly: it sounds like nothing is happening until 5-10 seconds after the switch is thrown, and it takes about 45 seconds to reach full speed.

Here is a video I made to demonstrate: https://youtu.be/X2nrfbXdfRU (note:  if I'd had the cover off, the video would show the fan won't move at all for 1-2 seconds after throwing the switch).

Unfortunately, I don't know the exact model of the fan, but I believe it to be a FV-0510VS1.  The plumbing/HVAC people didn't tell me and didn't leave any manuals with me.  It seems to have a FV-0510VSB1 motor assembly, as that model number is referenced on a the Spanish part warning sticker I can barely make out.

The electrician that hooked it up said that "all Panasonic fans are like that."  Is that true?  I'm skeptical because I can't imagine anyone would want a fan that works that way -- I thought it was broken the first time I tried it.

What's going on with my bath fan?  Is there any way I can fix it to start up more quickly?  Is there some kind of setting or could I hire another electrician to wire it up differently?

To make these fans quieter, the fans are designed to not create as much turbulence, which means they "slip" more when the air is not moving already, i.e. when you first turn them on. In addition the Panasonic fans have a built-in damper that prevents the cold air from flowing back into the room when the fan is off, so before it can move air it must get that damper to open, and when it is just starting there is not enough air pressure yet to open that damper. All of that can give you the impression that they are not yet working, but they are. This is likely just something you need to learn to live with, i.e. turn the fan on as soon as you enter and maybe use a timer to have it run on a while after you leave.

That said, there are a couple of things to check;

Assuming this was a retrofit? If so, did the old fan system have a damper somewhere else in the air duct, like at the vent hood at the very end where it comes out of the outside wall? If so, then your poor little fan has to open TWO dampers. In that case, get rid of one of them.
Is the vent pipe too long or has too many bends in it? If so, is there a way to shorten / straighten it? If not then you again may have to just live with it.
Is there a proper vent pipe at all? Some unscrupulous types will just dump the air into the attic area and there may be an obstruction or insulation blocking the air flow. if there is no vent pipe, it may be a code violation and your HVAC contractor should correct it.
Do you have proper "make up" air flow coming into the bathroom? A common mistake is that people have no grill on the door and then have thick carpet coming right up to the door, so that air cannot get through the crack in the bottom. When a vent fan pulls air OUT of the room, air (from the rest of the house) must be able to get back IN to make up for it, those little fans can't pull a vacuum. So if there is no way for the air to get into that bathroom, or even (in extreme cases) the house is sealed up so tight that NO air gets in ANYWHERE, the fan has to struggle to get anything moving.


Gas heater not turn on, but fan-only still works when switched on from thermostat my up-level heating system (gas heater) stopped working if the thermostat is at auto; fan can be on without warm air if switch the thermostat to ON from Aotu.  Is this a thermostat problem or heat pump?

My first guess would be that there is a problem with the pilot light (if there is one) or the ignition (if there isn't), not the heat pump. The same thing happened to me about 5 years ago.


three way switching with a dimmer and timer On a three way switch, can I have a timer at one switch and a dimmer on the other so I can set the dimmer and have the timer control the on/off ?

Too many chefs

The problem is, you have too many options all trying to control the switch.  You've got the timer, the dimmer, and two switches.  These control inputs (and their meanings) are too complex for "steam wiring".  Seriously... work out every possible combination of states and control inputs, and what you want to have happen in each case... Suppose the timer is 2 minutes from finished, and someone throws the other 3-way. What should happen?

The person clicking the switch doesn't know the timer turned it on.

You know exactly what you want.  But having the system know what you want is a real user-interface problem.

Smart switches are the way to go

With a smart switch platform like Insteon, you get to set up controls to work any way you like, because the hard decisions are done in software.  State is also stored in software, so for instance you could dim or start a timer from both locations, switch allowing.

And, if the event logic doesn't work the way you want, you can change the software!


How many "blocking" pieces do I need for a finished basement wall? I'm going to start finishing my basement. For the walls that run parallel to the floor joists, I'll need to install "blocking" pieces, for the top sill to be nailed to. Is there a general rule on how far apart they should be placed, or how many will be needed for a wall of "n" feet?

This isn't for additional bracing of the floor, just solely to have something that the top sill plate can be secured to.


Confirming if the toilet drain is properly installed I have a toilet drain done, but when I flush the toilet, the water is not rushing down the bowl, but rather takes time to develop the spin.
I am wondering if this is the right way to do it and use short 90degrees, rather than long turns

Two issues come to mind here.

First, I think the way your toilet is flushing is not related to the way your waste lines are plumbed.  Unless you have another toilet of the same make and model that flushes differently, I think that's just how yours works.  Even if your venting was nonexistent, your 4" waste line should have plenty of air space to let it work ok.

Second, I do think you have a problem with your waste line.  I'm assuming the close vertical pipe is the drop from the WC?  If so, the next fitting down, the Tee, needs to have a sweep.  I found this answer elsewhere in stackexchange.


Tile Grout: Patch up gaps, or strip out grout and regrout the whole thing? I have tiled walls around a built in enameled tub. The tile itself (4x4) is in excellent condition. However, there are a lot of gaps in the grout, from half an inch to two inches in length, scattered around.

The tile job was done about 16 years ago.

I like the tile and want to keep it. (It is pretty.)

Should I strip out all the grout and regrout the whole thing? Or is it OK to just push some grout into the gaps?

Thanks!

You could push some grout into the bare areas but even if it was original from the same bag it will now be a different shade. I usually strip the grout for a level but not the entire wall I might cut just a slight amount on everything and when filling the bare areas work everything so the color matches or is not as obvious. After 16 years I probably would not be looking for flexing in this case and a refill will probably be fine.


How should I pump water throughout a house from holding tanks in the basement? I have an infrequently used, small cabin that needs a pumping system installed. Currently, there is no pressure tank or pump installed. There was one many years ago but that's long gone. The water supply is from an artesian well. The water from this well is piped into 2 large holding tanks in the basement.

My question is: what would be the best setup to get this water into the house?

I was looking at the flotec pump/tank system, but Im not sure if thats the best way to do this.

In terms of water demand, its pretty low. 1 toilet and 2 sinks.

To set this up with a submersible pump, you need to have:

Submersible pump: at bottom of cistern. You'll want to clean any sediment from the tank before installing, as if the intake is directly on the bottom then it will suck it up and could possibly clog the pump or your plumbing fixtures.
Control box: needed only if you have a 3-wire pump; 2-wire pumps don't need this.
Normally open float switch: located at bottom of tank, set so that when it's down, it shuts off, and wired in series with the power to the control box so it prevents the pump from turning on when the tank is empty.
Pressure tank system: Pressure tank, pressure switch, gauge, and sed valve (not shown). This is just the typical setup to use with a pump
Shut-off valve to the house: again, just typical part to make servicing easier

Optionally, you can install a second normally closed float switch (set to turn on when facing down) at a slightly higher level than the other one, and wired to an indicator light in the bathroom or wherever. This will alert you when the tank is almost empty.


Does removing an LED bulbs from fixture decrease energy usage? Noob question alert. Electrics have always been my weakness.

If you have a 6 bulb ceiling light, with 6 LED bulbs each with 5w, and you remove 3 of them, does this half the energy usage when the light is being used?

I guess this can also be re worded to ask whether, if you remove the LED bulb from a light fitting and it is switched on, does it use any electricty?

Thanks

Edit to add some background:
We are renovating our house and we have a room with 6 bulb ceiling light. It's far to bring for the replaced LED bulbs. We will replace the fixture in the future and my thoughts were, if removing bulbs still uses as much electricty, then I will change the fixture sooner. If it uses electricity relativing to only bulbs attached (ie no "Dripping electricty", good ref) then changing the fixture is not a priority.

Yes, that will cut energy use in half, though the type of bulb (LED, CFL, incandescent, one that's not invented yet) does not matter.

Of course, you also get half the light.

A bulb which is removed does not use any electricity whether or not the fixture is switched on (James Thurber's Grandmother notwithstanding, for the literarily inclined.)


Is is safe to plug a surge protector into a 2-prong outlet using a 3-to-2-prong adapter? I live in an apartment that has essentially no 3-prong electrical outlets. I need to plug in a modest amount of computer equipment (which has a mix of 2- and 3-prong plugs), and I want to plug this equipment into surge protectors. Physically, I can accomplish this using cheap 3- to 2-prong adapters, but is that safe?

In part, my question is, what happens when a surge protector does its thing? One plausible scenario is that it dumps the excess energy into the ground conductor, which seems like it could pose a much worse problem than damaged equipment if that ground is poor or nonexistent.

This is in Colorado if that matters.

These questions seem related but don't directly answer the surge protector safety question:

What to do with an apartment with only 2-pronged outlets
How do I use three-prong appliances when my outlets are mostly two-prong?
Is it unsafe if some three prong outlets don't properly test as grounded?

According to howstuffworks.com the most common type of surge protectors contain a metal oxide varistor or a gas discharge arrestor that utilizes the grounding wire to divert extra current.

However, as others have commented, the neutral wire is usually also used in conjunction with the ground, and therefore, you should get some, but not full protection when bypassing the 3rd prong.

That said, it's never considered safe to use bypass the 3rd prong (even with 2 to 3 prong adapters) and it is likely your insurance / the manufactures insurance will not cover damages caused as a result of such use.


How can I best prepare a nozzle for a gas cooktop so it doesn't lock into place? I have a Bosch cooktop, and several of the igniters have stopped working. I'd replace them, but the venturi nozzle that holds the burners in place has gotten completely frozen in place. This is the case with all 5 burners, and I just cannot get them out any more.
I've decided to replace the entire cooktop, but with the new one, what can I do to the pipe threads of the venturi nozzles to keep them from freezing in place? Is there a pipe thread lubricant I can apply that'll be resistant to the heat, and still work after years of operation?

High temp anti seize , auto parts stores carry this product type.
On the burner side of the gas valve there is no pressure so messing down stream of the valve is not a problem.
The stuff I use at work has copper in the name but it is a paste with the consistency of tooth paste doesn’t take much.  Just make sure it is high temp.


How exactly do heat pumps work in a cold climate? I don't really get how heat pumps work in a cold climate. In New England where I live, most energy is spent heating the house in the winter.

During the winter the outside is ALWAYS colder than the house. So, normally the outside temperature will vary between -15F and 50F. The house on the other hand (at least my house) is kept at 68F to 72F constantly. So, the house is ALWAYS much warmer than outside during the winter.

So, if this is the case, how is a heat pump of any benefit?

A heat pump transfers energy. I expect you've noted that the outside part of your A/C unit is really really hot in the summer. That's the energy from inside your house being transferred to the outside.

In the winter, the direction is reversed. The energy in cold air is substantially less than that of warm air, but there is energy there. The heat pump removes the energy from the cold air, making the outside discharge even colder (just like inside, during the summer) and transfers that energy inside to warm things up.

Heat pumps are usually equipped with a resistance heater for those days when the cold air is too cold to have any energy transferred effectively. The colder parts of the world will have less effective heat pumps.

High Performance HVAC suggests that in colder areas, the energy source for a heat pump during the winter would not be the outside air, but rather a warmer source for heat exchange. A geothermal source (ground water loop) will contain far more energy during the winter as well as provide a good heat sink for summer operation.

Such systems will be more expensive to install, but will be less expensive (more effective) during the winter months, keeping the abode warm.

The above link also references electricity costs as a factor to determine suitability for heat pump selection, as well as other considerations.

I live in the Southeast and the heat pump aux heater never engages during the winter. It is a very efficient air conditioner in the summer, saving electricity cost over the equivalent non-heat pump design. Of course, the heat pump is a newer technology than the A/C unit it replaced, which may have provided for lower cost operation as well.


Garbage disposal not working properly My garbage disposal had a wood corn on the cob stick get stuck in cutter. We got out what we could but now when I put water down in disposal  the water goes into the other side of my sink and won't drain. How do I get this to stop I can't use my dishwasher either the water backs up into the sink. Which seems to have blown my pipes to leak out the water now. The disposal is only 3months old.

Sounds like a plugged drain which might be in the outlet of the disposer, but most probably is below where the drains join, maybe in the U-trap. Fill both sinks 1/4 full of water and use a plunger first on the non-disposer sink and see if this clears the blockage. If it doesn't, then use the plunger on the disposer side. Push down easy and pull up vigorously on the plunger to pull the plug out and apart, then see if this clears the blockage. Put a stopper in the other drain when you are plunging on one (prevents the suction action of the plunger from just pulling in water through the other drain). The action you want it to pull on the blockage from below.

You may have pieces of wood lodged in the drain. If solid material comes up into the sink, fish it out and put it in the trash.


Why do our baseboard heating pipes make a loud banging noise after a new furnace was installed? We had a new furnace installed about a month ago.  The heating in our house is hot water baseboards.  Ever since the new furnace was installed, when the heat comes on or turns off, there is a loud bang in the pipes.  It's not 100% consistent, but it happens quite often.

We had the furnace company come back to look at the problem.  They said it was likely water hammer because the new Honeywell valves flow twice as much water as the valves that were on the previous furnace.  They only suggestions they had were adding padding around the pipes where they leave the furnace room and closing the ball valves on each zone a bit to limit the water flow.  Neither suggestion helped.

Would it make sense to try and fasten the heating pipes coming out of the furnace to the walls in the furnace room in an attempt to limit pipe movement and hopefully reduce the sound?  Does anyone have any other suggestions?

It sounds way too loud to be air in the pipes and it didn't happen with the old furnace, so something about the new furnace or piping in the furnace room must different enough to be causing this problem.

It turns out the problem was that the zone valves were installed backwards.  They closed in the opposite direction of the flow of water.  Since the zone valves were fighting the flow of water, it was causing a great deal of vibration and banging.

I had the heating company come back and reverse the zone valves so they operate in the correct direction.  The banging is completely gone.


125' Run 30 Amp Service Camper I have a Camper that needs a 30 amp service. Its about 125' away from the panel in the house. I'm looking into using aluminum, but I'm struggling to find the right information.
I see 6-6-6 URD and it seems perfect for what I'm looking at. Cheap, can handle 50 amps. Since I'm only doing 30 amp service, seems like a win.
But everything I'm reading is suggesting 2-2-4 URD. Isn't this overkill?
Any suggestions on how to cheaply run this would be great.

URD cable is a hot mess
URD cable is made with the bad AA-1350 alloy wire, infamous for the aluminum-wiring scandal of the 80s and 90s. (this alloy is banned anywhere else, see NEC 310.106(B)).
That's because URD cable is made to be on the power company's side of the electric meter - and power companies play by different rules (because their wires are all outdoors and not buried in walls of buildings). Note that you're not running a service (pole to meter) ... you're running a branch circuit (panel to socket).
That dangerous AA-1350 metal will be a nightmare to get the terminations correct so you don't get a repeat of the 80s house fires.
Cheap doesn't mean stupid (much the opposite)
Cheapness is a grand thing.  But it does not mean we are morons.  We still think ahead and are smart about being cheap now to save money later.
I'm thinking hard on two scenarios: #1 wanting to run other loads besides the camper, out there today. Using power tools to work on stuff. Having a picnic area with power for grill etc.  #2 a future RV that will take a 50A/240V receptacle.  #3 fitting a subpanel out here if needs increase.
So I recommend you throw one more #6 Al wire into the trench.
For now, you share the neutral with the other circuit, and bring it out to a common 120V GFCI outlet right next to the TT30 trailer circuit.  Now you can just plug in anything you want and you don't need the trailer there as a 3000 pound "adapter".  Back at the panel you use a 20A breaker for that circuit and a 30A breaker for the TT30 trailer, and handle-tie the two breakers.
In the happy future you get a big RV, you just change the recep to a NEMA 14-50.  Just like that and you're done.  Well change the breaker also, but that's $10.  Or you could install a trailer power stand which provides all of them: 14-50, TT30 and 120V GFCI at the same time.
All you need to do to enable that is carry a 4th wire... so 6-6-6-6 for instance.   33% more for the wire but that's a small part of total project cost.
Conductor size is just fine though
Generally I don't even bother checking the voltage drop calculators unless a run is over 160' (or 80' if it's 120V).
Normally you use #10 copper (or #8 aluminum) for a 30A circuit.  Given the distances we need 1 wire size bump, and that puts us at #6 aluminum, so that's just right.
Thinking about that larger future RV at 50 amps... #8 copper or #6 aluminum is the minimum size allowed for 50A if the wire is allowed to run a 75C (so not UF-B or NM-B).  Since it's 240V we're not far enough to need a wire size bump, so we're all set there too.  See how easy that was?
Cable/Wire Type
I see where people might recommend 2-2-4-6 since URD is such a hot mess. That's because when you get away from URD cable, #6 cables get hard to find in an all-in-one cable -- for instance, in MH feeder, the smallest made is 2-2-4-6 which is overkill and won't be fun to attach to a 30A breaker.  You'd need some fairly hefty Polaris connectors on both ends to adapt it down to some #10 copper for that final connection.
As it happens, USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 is available in individual #6 wires, quite cheaply. (it's more or less MH feeder, but separated). These individual wires can be directly buried. But they can't be directly run inside the house on rafters and in walls - inside the house they need to be in conduit. Or you could stop at a junction box and transition to a different cable type for inside the house.
The only snag I see with USE-2 individual wires is officially, the neutral is supposed to be white and the ground is supposed to be green since these are #6 or below. However if that size of wire simply isn't sold in colors, the inspector is sure to let you off the hook.
Buy your wires locally at an electrical supply house.  Big-box stores overcharge you, and Internet sales companies build a lot of shipping/handling cost into their prices. Electrical gear is too low-value and heavy for mail-order to work all that well.


How to deal with upside-down insulation? I'm considering buying a house, but in the crawl space, they installed the insulation like you would from the inside -- by stapling it in using the kraft paper.

Of course this means that there is exposed kraft paper (fire hazard?), and likely no vapor barrier.

Would it be worth flipping the insulation so it's installed correctly?  If the only issue is the vapor barrier being a fire hazard, should I just peel that off and install wires to hold it up?

And in case it's a factor, the area can get quite cold in the winter -- it's on a mountain at 1700 feet (~520m) above sea level.  It's in Virginia, if that would affect any codes regarding insulation.

Nearly all of Virginia is considered to be in the "mixed-humid" zone.  On an annual average, moisture migration is fairly evenly distributed (alternating toward the interior and toward the exterior).

Moist air tends to migrate toward the cold side of a wall.  The vapor retarder is installed correctly, in your crawl space, to discourage exterior humidity from migrating toward the interior, during the Summer, especially if air-conditioning is used.

By maintaining space between the un-faced side of the batt insulation and the ceiling drywall (R-19 in a 2x8 stud bay with faced-side stapled to top of Floor Joists [FJ's]), an air channel was created to facilitate drying (of sorts) via the wood FJs.

In areas (climates) that have a distinct Summer vs Winter there is a good chance (depending on humidity, the use of air-conditioning, and moisture permeability of the structure's siding material) that the air retarder of batt insulation will be on the "wrong" side of the building's heating/cooling envelope half the time.

One reason why old (19th Century U.S.) homes don't suffer from moisture damage, mold, mildew in the exterior wall cavities (unless caused by some drainage or structural failure) is that the wall cavities either had no insulation or the insulation (sawdust, newspapers, sheep's wool, etc.) permitted fairly quick drying of the wall cavity.


AFCI breaker tripped when there was no power to wire I was wiring a ceiling fan in my new home, and I am not used to working with some of the newer electrical devices.  I know very little about AFCI breakers, however I think I was somehow able to trip it when absolutely no power was on the line I was working with.

Both switches were off, for Black and Red.  They tested dead.  Just because I am a careful guy I tested neutral and ground for voltage as well and they were dead.  I also tested continuity between ground and neutral and infinite resistance between neutral and colored wires as well as ground and colored wires.  Everything is safe.

I was fishing the Black, Red, White and Neutral wires through the bracket when they all seemed to have made contact with the bracket at the same time.  Immediately after this happened the lights went dead in the bedroom.  The bedroom and smoke detectors were the only things on this circuit and their was only three lights on at the time.

I went to the breaker box to see the AFCI breaker in the middle tripped position, I turned it off, then back on and the ARC FAULT light as well as the GRND light came on.  The breaker stayed on and it never happened again.

Does the AFCI breaker somehow test for a bad ground?  Do you think somehow I triggered a bad ground fault when I accidentally touched all the wires to the bracket?

EDIT: So an AFCI breaker does have a neutral to the neutral block, and I imagine so that it can detect ground faults.  Is it possible that the AFCI ground fault protection is so sensitive that I had a static shock that triggered it?  I did get static shocked on my way into the bedroom earlier that morning.  Static discharges from your body typically are only a few milliamps, is that enough to trip an AFCI breaker?

The AFCI worked as designed.  It detected some small arc within the wiring and shut the circuit down.  An AFCI has three detection modes: overcurrent, arcing and ground fault.  Even a small amount of current imbalance will set the thing off.  Be happy.


What could be causing low pressure in my new faucet, a Moen 87690SRS? UPDATE: This ended up being a known issue with this model's diverter. They are sending a replacement part.

I've a newly installed Moen 87690SRS faucet whose pressure is really low compared to the old faucet.  The separate sprayer has a good amount of pressure. A new cartridge did not fix the lower pressure faucet problem.

What else should we try to do in order to increase the pressure?

Sometimes replacing fixtures will break loose crud that will end up in 1 of 3 usual places:

At the shut off valve/connection hose

Inside the cartridge

At the aerator screen
Start at the aerator, its the easiest to check.  Make a water check with the aerator off.  You can flush out the aerator in reverse at that time.  Be careful to reassemble in the reverse order, you wouldn't want to leave the restrictor plate off accidentally.


Is there an electric tankless water heater that takes multiple electric lines as input? I currently have a 50 gallon water tank in my house and I want to replace it with a tankless system. The primary reason to replace it is space.

I recently installed 2 HeatWorks Model 1 units to test them out (I left the tank in, luckily), but that failed miserably for reasons not germane to this question. I'm returning those and now I'm left with 3 separate 30A electrical lines, including the one the tank is currently using.

I would like the heater to be able to produce enough hot water for 2 simultaneous showers. I've seen that the units that can handle that tend to demand 60-70Amps. It's not easy to run new electrical to the place where the water is, so my question is whether a unit exists that takes multiple electrical lines. This would allow me to use the 2 or all 3 30A lines.

Yes, most larger "whole-house" units require two or even three circuits. Problem is most of those require two or three 40, 50 or even 60 amp circuits.

You will have to do some research to find one that will supply your needs but only requires three 30A circuits. I will say, don't get your hopes up.


How do I drill a hole in a shelf without going all the way through? I need to drill a hole in a shelf that's half an inch deep but I don't want to drill a hole through the shelf. What's the best way of doing that? I have a drill and i was thinking of showing just a half an inch of the drip bit. This way, I can force the drill to drill all the way to the end of the drill bit and not go through the shelf. However, a part of the drill bit's thread is being held by the drill for grip. Would using the drill and the drill bit in this way cause damage?

Yes, the drill chuck will mar the finish of the shelf.  There is a slight chance of damage to the chuck. Plus, choking down on the bit, like that, obscures your view of the hole (the drill and chuck block it) -- making precision harder to accomplish.

The correct way to do this is to use a drill stop.

Drill stops are less likely to slip than tape or zip-ties, and are much better for precise and/or repeated drilling.

If marring the finish is an issue, clamp a piece of 1/8th plywood over the site and adjust the drill stop accordingly.

PS: A piece of wood over the hole is usually a good idea anyway, when drilling finished surfaces.  It helps reduce both splintering and the scratching that occurs when flakes of drilled wood or metal whip around the bore site.


Converting from NEMA 14-50 or 10-30 outlet to a NEMA 6-15 outlet? I purchased a table saw that has a NEMA 6-15 plug.  I have two outlets, one 14-50 and one 10-30.  I was wondering what's involved with installing a new outlet that has a lower amperage and a different plug?

I can't seem to find any info online about this specific scenario. I've read that it's possible to install the new outlet and lower the amperage at the box, however I'm unsure if this is 100% accurate.

Any help would be useful.

Thanks!

Edit, adding photos:

You will need 3 wires.

A ground wire that is bare, green, or yellow/green striped.
Two other wires that you can distinguish from all other wires. You do not need to distinguish them from each other. They can't be any of the ground colors.
any other wires, cap them off.
if any of the two wires are white or gray, you must mark both ends with black tape.

What I mean by that is if your colors are black-black-white-bare, you must use the black-black as your conductors, bare as ground, and cap the white.  You don't need to care which black is which on a NEMA 6 or 14.

Because you are using a 15A receptacle, you must get a 15 or 20 amp 2-pole breaker for your panel and fit it. Your two wires go on that. Ground to the ground bus, of course.

Then fit a NEMA 6-15 receptacle. You can use as many 6-15 receptacles as you want on the circuit, and they often come in a duplex.  Also get the correct cover plate for your box.  (If your breaker is 20A, you must use a minimum of two 6-15 receptacles, so get that duplex!)

Good chance the wires won't fit on the terminals.  Get 8 inch lengths of copper 14AWG wires (12 AWG wires if a 20A breaker) and pigtail.  You can use wire nuts or Alumiconns. If any wires are aluminum, definitely use Alumiconns. Aluminum wire is fine for large wires 4AWG and up, just terminate them properly.

Due to the 15/20 exception,  you can use a 20A breaker instead.  However: a) all your wires must be at least 12 AWG, including your pigtails.  And b) you must either use NEMA 6-20 receptacle(s), or more than one 6-15, e.g. that duplex.  6-15 plugs will work in 6-20 receptacles.

What to do with that NEMA 10-30

NEMA 10 is bad news - it is the "death socket".  It harkens back to the age before grounds, and provides two hots and a neutral.  Sadly NFPA compromised with appliance manufacturers to allow them to ground the appliance to the neutral.  Any trouble with your neutral wire will "float" the neutral at near 120V, and that electrifies the chassis.  You should smash the 10-30 to smithereens and burn the pieces... and convert it to NEMA 14-30 (or anything else with a ground) ASAP.

But good news for you.  First, you are allowed to retrofit grounds.  You don't have to go all the way back to the panel, just to any nearby ground which is large enough (and comes out of the same panel).  And look! Right next to the 10-30 is a 14-50 with a ground!  That was easy.

Sometimes NEMA 10 circuits use cables with neutral carried as a bare wire wrapped around the two main conductors like a net. You're grandfathered! and can still use that as a neutral, make sure to wrap it with insulation so it can't contact the ground wire or box.   Or you can sacrifice your grandfathering and use it as a ground for a NEMA 6.  Your call.


Groutable vinyl tile in a laundry room. Is it a bad idea? I'm going to put new vinyl tiles on top of old sheet vinyl floor, in a laundry room. My wife wants to use what's called Luxury Vinyl Tiles, which have a rounded edge and are groutable. There are grouts like Fusion Pro which specifically mention vinyl tiles as a suitable tile type.

However, my fear is, that because the floor does not have a cement board on it, and it is prone to frequent vibrations from the washing machine, the grout will fail quite soon (will crack, become loose, etc.) Do these polymer-based grouts have some flex in them, or is grouting vinyl a totally bad idea?

I know I can install these tiles without any grout, but my wife prefers the grouted look.

Answering my own question. Called Custom, they told us that even though these grouts are more flexible than concrete-based products, they still need a stiff subfloor like for a real ceramic tile, or the warranty will be void.

So yeah, groutable vinyl tile in my laundry room is it a bad idea.


How can I fix a nail pop in vinyl flooring? I have two areas where the nail has popped causing some damage under our vinyl flooring. The planks were stuck together by offsets and self-glue. Is the only option to re-plank? I'm worried cutting and bending will just cause more damage overall. Of course, it's in the middle of a hallway.

A not-entirely satisfactory "fix" I've used:

Use a very sharp nail-set or strong awl to punch the nails well below the surface, being careful not to further damage the surface itself.
Fill the divot and cracks with a cement such as epoxy, removing loose pieces or those that cannot be pushed in. Leave the patch slightly proud (above) the surface.
Carefully sand the patch even.
Color the patch to blend with the flooring, perhaps with a furniture stain kit.
Overcoat with varnish, polish or wax.

The nails might pop up again, perhaps in as few years.


How can I secure a post to a conversion ball for a shower faucet? I have a Delta single-handle faucet. I installed a conversion kit about half a year ago to update its trim from a knob to a lever. It's been great until yesterday when my wife complained that no matter how she maneuvered the lever, only scalding hot water was coming out of the faucet.

I took the assembly apart and discovered that the post which connected to the conversion ball was loose:

I tried tightening the post by hand and even with a wrench, but it quickly came loose again once it experienced the torque of the lever.

I checked with local plumbing supply stores and they don't carry the part. I'm wondering if I can fix it temporarily (for a week, say) while we await the new part. The post is secured to the ball via a short thread. Perhaps there's a suitable thread locker for this application which can withstand the torque and water? I tried JB Weld but that failed miserably. Both the post and the ball are made of steel.

I am sure that this can be fixed with a thread locker material. There are products available that can be placed onto threads before assembly and then will cure into a very tight joint to keep the threaded fasteners from coming loose.

You can get this at almost any auto parts store. Ask them for "loctite" thread locker.

Before trying to use it clean out the threads in both the ball and on the stem piece. Since you already attempted to use epoxy on these parts it may require extra diligence to clean out the thread grooves. Wash the parts in something like rubbing alcohol and then let dry well before applying the thread locker and reassembling.

Let the locker fully cure before attempting to put torque on the stem and ball assembly.

(Note that I have no affiliation with the LOCTITE brand other than a user).


Will a breaker protect its circuit if there's a larger wire upstream? I have a 15a breaker and 12g wire from the breaker.
If I add a 15a outlet to this circuit with 14g wire it should be ok since the 15a breaker should protect that wire.
But if the 12g wire at the breaker won't heat up as quickly as the 14g, how does the breaker see the overheat of the 14g wire?
I assume the 14g wire is then protected by the 15a outlet?

The breaker doesn't know about the heating of the wire.
The breaker has its own internal "specimen wire" that is in series with the wall wire.  It is measuring how fast its "specimen wire" heats up, and will trip at the appropriate time.
Literally, the "specimen wire" is a bi-metal strip, which provides both the sense and the muscle to pull the hammer on the breaker trip.