Are My Electrical Boxes Actually Grounded? I have a building originally wired for electricity in 1952, with other sections done more piecemeal within the last thirty years or so. This old wiring is a two-wire, cloth-sheathed wire that feeds into metal electrical boxes. The receptacles are two-prong outlets.
I know that one cannot simply replace these plugs with grounded three-plug outlets without ensuring a proper ground. After doing some research, I've seen that sometimes the box itself can be grounded with either AC or a grounding wire outside the box. Using a test plug and my multimeter, I measured right around 120V between hot and the metal box. I then switched out the two-plug with a three-plug, attached a pigtail ground wire to the back of the box, and tested it again with the ground plug. Again, I get right around 120V. I tried most of the other plugs around the building with similar results.
I know that in a properly grounded, modern (for lack of a better word) system, this is normal. My question here is this: does this reading indicate that the line is, in fact grounded back to the box? Is there any way that the reading on my multimeter is "lying" to me? I am assuming, if it is grounded, that there is AC line behind the wall or a grounding wire run somewhere. If this is the case, is attaching the plugs to the box through a pigtail ground wire a reliable ground? I know code allows for conduit or AC cable to act as a ground.
Thanks for your help and advice!

Well it is possible this home is a expanded metal stucco home and just happens to have some pipe touching the metal looking like a ground, it can also be possible that the boxes are grounded from the back side, your location in the world would be helpful but with cloth covered wiring I would suggest you add a grounding electrode other than your water pipe (the most common method for the decade prior and after your home was built) it has been legal to add a ground separately to these circuits.
I would not trust the chance there is a ground but adding a GFCI at the breaker or first outlet on the string or chain you can then install 3 pronged receptacles and just put the sticker that comes with the GFCI on the new 3 prong that’s states GFCI protected no equipment ground. Yes the stickers fall off but this is a legal way to update a 2 wire system, if you add a ground that is the best way but also the most expensive and usually only done when remodeling/ redecorating (big difference between the 2 names and code requirements BTW.


Concrete base for 21' 6x6 wood poles with cross arms We are installing light poles at our church.  They are wood, 6x6, have 5' cross arms at the top which extend 12" to the back and 4' at the front with the light fixture.  (and of course there is a 45 support under the cross arm).  We intend to bury them in concrete with sonotubes 5.5' - 6' deep.  Our question is how wide should the sonotubes be and should they be flared at the bottom.  We do get some wind here so we want to make triple sure they are properly supported.

That's more of an engineer's decision to determine wind loads on fixtures, but here's some advice:

Modern commonly available 6x6's are a bad bad bad idea. BAD.  Every knot is a weak point, and will fail in the wind. Not MIGHT fail, they WILL fail.  You need wooden light poles. They are usually locally available for the power companies, and they are just as available to you guys. Price is comparable to a 6x6, they are properly graded lumber, and properly tapered.

Keep in mind that making the wrong decision here could result in injury, or death. Make the wise decision.

Past that, tapering your footing isn't a bad idea, but it can be done simply. Install the Sonatube above ground only, let the concrete go wide to the undisturbed soil below grade.

Size of the Sonatube should allow at least 2" of concrete around the pole, so long as you go the depth you stated.


One Big Power Supply vs Multiple Smaller Ones I'm remodeling my kitchen and decided to get LED strips. I already know the necessary power for my LEDs, but I want to decide whether to power them all from one source or multiple sources. These are the zones

1 zone: 8 meters 120LEDs 5050 double strip (power supply will connect in the middle on the fourth meter to avoid voltage drop)
2 zone: 4 meters 120LEDs double strip
3 zone: same as zone 1

Since the power supplies and wires will be all behind cabinets I have the option to choose whether to power them all from one power source or get three separate ones for each zone.

First scenario will be:

1 power supply 240Watt for zone 1
1 power supply 120Watt for zone 2
1 power supply 240Watt for zone 3

Second Scenario would be:

1 600Watt power supply for zone 1, 2 and 3.

I'm aware that both will work great. 8 meter zones will be connected in the middle to avoid voltage drop.

In terms of price it seems like multiple power supplies is the better option, at least that's what Chinese suppliers on ebay say. I'm pretty sure that the 600 watt must have a fan which may do produce some noise. Some 240W power supplies I've found are with passive cooling so in terms of noise, separate ones might also be better. And if something happens and some of them dies, I can only replace the one that's dead.

What do you think are there any advantages to having one big power supply for all of the leds?

I'd go for many smaller ones.

Cheaper.
Quieter (no fans)
Cheaper to replace in case of failure (you just replace one instead of all of them)
Better control over voltage drop (you can put each PSU closer to the load to extend efficient mains wires and shorten inefficient 12V wires)
Better control over cooling (you can put them farther apart to disperse heat production)
Ability to shut down (disconnect from mains) parts of the system to increase efficiency (underloaded PSUs are very inefficient)

Single large PSU is unavoidable for single large load - that's why they're more expensive.

As a side note, I am bit concerned about the "behind cabinets" part. A 240W PSU running at 80% efficiency will dissipate almost 50W on it's own - that requires pretty good access to fresh air. No problem if they are between cabinet and a wall and this space is open at the top and the bottom - they will create enough draft on their own. But if you close the space, they'll cook themselves, greatly shortening lifespan.


Swamp cooler "feet" on roof My swamp cooler has both of its front "legs" inside the pictured boxes, partially filled with tar.  The tar is nowhere near the top, and water seems to just sit in the boxes after any rainfall.  Is this OK?  If not, what should I do to improve the setup?

At minimum, you should drill weep holes in the cans to allow standing water to drain. If you are ambitious, remove them. The globs of tar you see at the lower edges were used to waterproof the fasteners that attach it to the roof. Scrape off the tar and remove the fasteners. Patch the fastener holes with roof tar. Remove the entire flashing, tuck the up-slope edge of the flashing under a course of asphalt shingle, apply roof tar under the flashing at the fastener hole locations. Fasten down then tar over the fastener heads again.

A manufactured version of the same style of mount is pictured below, note the weep hole.


How can I locate and solve this water hammer problem, and what are its effects on the human body? I live in an 180 sq.ft. single room apartment with kitchen area, and is pretty much a simple box like shape.

For a year, I have heard noises that sounds like a rod banging in the wall and its vibrations are felt throughout the room. The noise is echoed in the room when I close the door and one small window.

Even when the door and windows are open, the noise can be heard as an echoed sound, making it difficult to determine where the actual plumbing pipe(s) are located, i.e: either in left, right, front, back or top wall(above my roof is terrace so assuming an pipe passes from top wall).
The echoing of noise is creating problem to identify the location of sound. I put my ear to the wall and try different locations to identify the location of pipe(s) but failed due to echoing effect of sound and the vibration.

The management of the building where I stay is not concerned about it, and the people here do not think it is a big enough problem to be concerned about, since they only hear it for 4-5 minutes.

But hearing it for 8-9 hrs a day creates a problem for me. The vibration is in the range of 0.2MMI to 0.7MMI (Mercalli Intensity Scale). Will this vibration affect my health?

When I hear the noise, I checked the machine which pumps the water in the above water tank located on terrace, but that was switched off at that time. I checked 4-5 times and everytime it was off, so I do not understand what could be the problem. What would be the cost if I call a professional plumber to solve the problem? My area of residence is Mumbai, India.

The water tank that is located on terrace has circular valves which when opened, the water flows to each room via pipes that are outside the wall as gravitational forces act on it.

How can I solve this problem?

The best recommendation when you cannot get any satisfaction from the building owner / manager is to MOVE to another place. When you rent it is not your place to be doing things like getting in a professional to work on things like the plumbing.

If you do get ready to move now you know some more what to be looking for and asking questions about before you commit to the new abode.


Why does my toilet keeps blocking and then spill out of the drain outside? Recently out toilet has started to repeatedly block. First thing we tried was the warm water method, which worked at first.

When that stopped working, and problem came back, we used caustic soda. This solution worked for a good couple of weeks, but the problem has again come back.

This morning, as I was clearing the toilet is preparation to use the the caustic soda techniques, I noticed a glugging coming from outside the bathroom. I went outside, to see my dirty toilet water being spilled over the patio. An unpleasant site so early in the morning, I think you'll agree.

Other symptoms that may help someone diagnose are that the all the waste pipes, from the kitchen and bathroom, seem to make the toilet glug at times, and this is usually a sign that the toilet is about to start slowing down.

Any ideas on what the problem is or what I can do about it? Should I use caustic soda on the outside drain?

If you have waste water from the toilet spilling across your patio, you need professional help as soon as possible.


How to specify tints for white wallpaint? I doing some rooms in white, but there is a tinting problem. The whole room cannot be white because it would look like a hospital, so the wall paint has to be lightly tinted.

The problem is how to specify the tint. My fear is that the paint guys will put too much color in and it will be more like a shade than a tint. I want sort of imperceptible level of tint.

I cannot use their standard colors because the paint I am using only has specific colors as standard codes, and does not define tints of white. So, how do give instructions to the paint guys to do the tint?

You select paint one of two ways.

Use hardware store paint chips

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You go to any hardware store and grab from their array of paint chips, the vast majority being pastel off-whites just like you are looking for, because everyone who paints their house wants the same thing as you.  Then you fiddle and fidget and maybe get some $6 samples and do some test patches or whatever, until you find the color you are happy with.

Then you go back to the hardware store, and get some more of those paint chips of that same color, draw X with a sharpie on the colors you do not want (they come 3-6 to a card), and hand that to your paint supplier and say "MATCH!!!"

It's not necessary for it to be the same hardware store or paint line amongst the three: Paint chip vendor, sample vendor, and final paint vendor. Though it does work better if the paint chip supplier matches the sample provider, once you have the color dialed in,  you can send the paint off for match to anybody.

Or, use paint chips of your own provenance

Look at any paint color system like Pantone, CIE, Munsell, RAL, or whatever source suits you.   Again, pick the paint chips that  you like.

You can also take that chip in to have any competent hardware store scan it and match it, however they may not be able to give half-pint sampler cans; you may have to get a whole quart.

You can also custom-mix sample sizes of paint from whatever compatible paints you have lying around. When you're near-white, you can start with snow white and add a very small amount of a deep color as needed to tune it where you want it.  Once you have a few tablespoons of mixed paint you're happy with, paint it onto some drift cards that have been pre-painted a very close primer color (i.e. white). Paint 2 coats.  Now you have "drift cards" you can present to any paint supplier and say "MATCH!!!"  Keep more of your drift cards on file, to make sure the match is true.

For ordinary paint suppliers, the science of matching colors is well-established, and they have no excuse not to succeed.

The only case where someone might have trouble is in dealing with narrow consumer-tier systems like Rustoleum, where they only sell a couple dozen colors (but controls are very, very good between cans, which you can't say with a custom mix).  In that case you might have to say something like "10 parts J123 cloud white and 1 part J234 barn red" or whatever.  The industrial-tier suppliers I deal with will cheerfully develop custom paint formulas to match your drift card.


1948 fabric sheathed outlet wires, can I ground to box? Home built in 1948. The outlets have no ground wire and use fabric sheathed copper wire.can i run a ground wire from receptacle to the metal outlet box itself, as apposed to no ground at all? How can I tell if the outlet box is grounded in some way? If box isn't grounded can I still ground to it from receptacle?

A wire from the receptacle to the box is still no ground at all - the box isnt grounded.

You need to either replace the wire all the way back to the electrical panel to make a properly grounded outlet, or replace the outlet with a GFCI, which provides the protection a ground wire would.  You are also supposed to label the outlet with a "No Equipment Ground" sticker.


Water heater not staying hot more than 10mins I live in a one bedroom apt. Our water heater is not the normal 40gallon but a smaller 20gallon. When we moved in it was hot for at least 30-45 mins. Now it stays hot for less then 10. My maintance man came and "fixed" it which it only got hotter faster and then got cold. Obviously he only turned up the heat. What can I do besides continually bother them or just replace the damn thing myself? He told me yesterday that I'm using too much water, yet I think I've been using less.

TL; DR: When the temperature is colder outside, your cold water is colder so you have to use more hot water for the same shower temperature.

Facts:

A shower head puts out 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) (or close to it).
To get the temperature you want, you have to mix hot and cold water.
In the summer, the "cold" water temp is much warmer than it is in the winter.

Given the above facts, consider this (numbers and calculations made up)...  In the summer, to get your shower where you want it, you need to mix 70 degree "cold" water with 120 degree "hot" water to get a final temperature of 100 degrees.  This means that you have to use about half hot and half cold, so 1.25 GPM cold and 1.25 GPM hot.  That means that 20 gallons of hot water will last (20 / 1.25 = ) about 15 minutes.  This doesn't match your 30-45 minutes, but just stay with me...  It's just an example.

In the winter, the incoming "cold" temperature is much cooler.  It could get down to 40 degrees.  When you mix the 40 degree water with 120 degree water to get a 100 degree shower, you don't need nearly as much cold water.  You still have to add up to 2.5 GPM for the shower head, so the ratio ends up being more like 0.5 GPM cold and 2 GPM of hot.  That will reduce your shower time to 10 minutes - a 50% drop, and nothing in the house has obviously changed.  You probably like the shower hotter than 100 degrees, so the ratio will end up using even more hot water.

So, regardless of what the real numbers are, in the summer you end up "having more hot water" even though your water heater hasn't changed at all.

Also

As this shows, you have been using more hot water even tho your total water consumption may have gone down because of the shorter usage time.

And if you're renting an apartment, you can't replace the water heater.  Plumbing and electrical repairs must be done by their personnel so they can remain liable for any problems.


Is there a safe way to de-ice an unsealed driveway? My girlfriend had a new driveway put in this fall, but the weather turned bad before she could get it sealed.  I guess now it's too late...

The driveway is incredibly slippery and has lots of ice at this point, but she's worried that using rock salt on the driveway would ruin it.  She also has a dog and is worried about what is dog safe...

So is there anything we can get that won't damage the pavement and is dog-friendly?

Personally, I like to use sand. I keep a large barrel of it inside the garage door. Yes, it can be dragged inside the house on shoes, but then so can salt or anything else. When I come inside, I take off my shoes, so no problem there. I've used it under the tires of those people who occasionally get stuck on our road when it is icy.

Sand absolutely does not hurt plants, or the paws of your four legged friends, and it cleans up in the spring with a broom or a hose.

Sand is cheap too, especially if your town maintenance department lets you use their supply. (Make sure you don't use sand with rock salt mixed in already.) You can also buy what they call tube sand - coarse sand in a burlap bag. Its used around here typically as weight in the back of cars and pickups. When the bag gets old and starts to leak, I'll use that sand to spread on our driveway.


Gravel under concrete stairs Laying gravel under flat concrete slabs is easy because the levelness of dirt bed makes it easy to distribute it evenly. But when preparing to pour concrete stairs on a graded bed, what are good ways to keep the gravel from sliding downhill from the higher stairs down to the lower, under gravity? Is there a way to make gravel stick to the dirt underneath?

For the most part, the slope the gravel naturally lays at when set in place will tell you how much concrete to order, not much you can do about it.

But, if you are really wanting to cut down on concrete and use more gravel, and you have total control over the pour, you can start at the bottom. Fill the first tread and start adding more gravel as you go, adding it to the top and letting it slide down, making sure you keep the reinforcing wire or rebar up out of it. Do make sure you keep a decent amount of concrete in the inside corners of the stairs, (3-4") so the stairs don't get weak.


Smashed chain link fence? People have been using my back yard as a walk way for sometime. I recently bought the house and my dog goes berserk every time they come through. The fence is smashed beyond anything I have seen on the internet. What can I use to re-stretch the fence back to normal?

You are not going to be able to restretch it if it is as smashed as you say. What you will need to do is cut out the bad part and insert a new length of fencing. You attach the new piece (splice) by taking one piece of wire from the fence and winding it through the existing fence and the new fence. This wire stitches the two pieces of fencing together.

Once you get the smashed portion replaced with good fencing you can restretch the whole length and attach it to the posts as normal.

pic from fence-material.com


How do I wire my 4 way switch? At the bottom is the stairs is the first 3 way switch in this circuit - it doesn’t need to be messed with because it was never changed and works good.
Then go up the stairs a little where a 4 way switch needs to be wired.
The wires I have on that one to hook up are 2 white, 2 red and the blacks inside are wired nutted together.
Then in between this switch is the 1st light with power source which goes to another light, then it stops at the last final 3 way switch.
So how, do I wire my 4 way?
I could get pictures if you need. Btw we originally replaced it and must of wired it wrong because when one switch is off another won’t turn light on!

Unhook all 4 conductors.

Identify 2 conductors that are in the same cable.  Necessarily, one will be white and the other red.   This pair will be a pair of travelers.

While we're here, it's illegal to use a white wire this way without marking it with black or a color. Also, nothing tells you that this white is associated with that red.  I suggest marking both the red wire and the white wire with electrical tape of the same color, e.g. yellow.  You can mark them the same color because both wires do the same thing and are interchangeable.

Anyway, these two travelers go on the Brass terminals of the switch.

One pair of travelers will remain, also white and red.

Same thing, mark them so the white is tagged a color and also to associate them with each other.

This set of travelers goes on the Black terminals.

How did I know? I just know how 3-way/4-way circuits work.


Are "Waterproofing Primer" and "Grout Sealer" the same? As I'm getting close to end of bathroom renovation, hardware store recommends me to purchase 'grout sealer' to finish off new layered grout. When I test it out, I found out it is very similar to 'waterproofing primer' I used pre-laying tiles and I have plenty of that left over. If they are the same, then I might return the 'grout sealer' as it is unecessary.

The 2 specific product I'm looking at are:

Primer: Gripset Betta

Grout Sealer: Tecniseal Silicone Sealant also seen on page 39 of this PDF

I'd doubt that the primer could be used effectively as a grout sealer.  The primer is designed (in part) to mix in with another liquid to aid in waterproofing.  Grout sealer is designed to soak into dry grout to make aid in waterproofing.

Grout sealer is meant to be re-applied once a year (I don't know how many people actually do that).

If it works for you, then its fine.  but, if you get a leak into the grout and under the tile you risk water stains and mould.


Fixing cuts in floorboards We've noticed some cut in half floorboards, underneath old carpet looking to see if it is possible to repair these cuts with some way. Or does the entire floorboard need replacing?

We can't put on new carpet until these are fixed, we noticed dents/rips in carpets previously because the flooring bends close to the cuts in the wood.

Image:

It's normal for floorboards to have cuts in them as getting boards long enough for the entire span is impractical or would be more costly.  Shorter boards are commonly used so you will have joints.

However, the joints are normally level and both sides of the board should be supported.  A joint should only be made on top of a joist so that both sides are properly supported.  In your case it seems like the top half doesn't have the proper support.  Perhaps the joint missed the underlying joist and the builder was too lazy to fix it properly or maybe some extra bracing has come loose.

The fix is going to be to remove the board on top and add some bracing underneath it.  It should be pretty straightforward to screw a block of bracing to the nearby joist.  If the joist is more than 1" away, you may just want to remove the top and bottom board and trim them properly do the joint is centered on the joist or replace the boards if trimming them would make them too short.


Help with plumbing a drain for a new shower? (with example picture) Currently redoing our master bathroom, placing a shower where a tub used to be but also modifying the plumbing in the process to accommodate the new shower pan.
I have two choices to route the new shower drain to, the old tub plumbing in purple or the old shower plumbing in orange.  If I go to the purple line I have to go through two joists as well as deal with a hard to reach existing p trap which is under a closet wall.  I can't go directly to the 90° sweep that's in the same joist space as the new p trap because of how close the sweep is to the top plate of the first floor and the existing joist so my next option is to hop over to the next joist space and tap into the orange line with something like a sanitary T.  What I'm not sure of is if this is an illegal use of a sanitary T and or will there be venting problems.  Unfortunately I can't tap into the vertical vent pipe because it's already been finished with backer and tile on the wall as well as the floor.
Thanks for your help!

*Picture not exactly to scale! :)
Bottom line is can I use the sanitary tee (in green) as I proposed in order to vent and drain the shower?

I believe I found the answer to my own question at this link: when to use a wye or sanitary T. It says " When connecting any vertical waste drop to a horizontal run the proper way to do it is to either use a Wye & 1/8 bend (45 deg), or a Sanitary combo. A sanitary combo is a combination Wye & 1/8 bend already made in one fitting."

I believe this also addresses the concerns I had with the venting.


How much load can these plastic cabinet things hold? I just moved into my first house and I'm wondering how much load these plastic things (shown in picture) can hold. Each cabinet shelf is held up by four of these things.

Watching diy videos online, I'm convinced that the cabinets themselves can withstand a decent amount of hold. Wondering if these plastic things can, too.

If they are like mine I would say over 100 lbs the pin is very strong, I have found the particle board to crumble or shelf break before the pin gave way , the ones that hold in place with the clips are great as they cannot fall out. There should be 4 pins  2 in each side.

Is that shelf in backwards? Mine the front of the shelf has a piece of laminate over the particle board.


Trying to find a way to shut the power off in the detached garage without having to go back to the house to turn off the breakers Each wire is already ran and hooked up to lights and outlets it was ran underground with pvc in to the detached garage

This is probably a common issue. The intention is to prevent fire hazards, prevent electricity theft during absence, prevent thieves/burglars using power tools to dismount car parts or invading the main building etc.

An easy, inexpensive and comfortable way can be the installation of a wireless remote (lighting) switch that controls one or more contactors.

These contactors would feed all the electric circuits in the garage. Normally those sets come with 3 switches which can be mounted anywhere. F.e. 1 secret switch hidden in a trash box or under a table in the garage, 2 in the main building.

It might be a help to install an outdoor indicator LED lamp ( permanently on) fed by the garage circuit which is clearly visible from the main building in order to see the status at any time.

Even more comfort and safety can be achieved by installing an adjustable  timer (f.e those used for staircases) between the light switch and the contactor(s). No problem, if somebody with memory leakage starts his holiday trip in a hurry, since all electricity in the garage will automatically shut down after 10 min or 2 hours.


Turning regular door switch outlet into an outlet with USB I have a regular outlet too white to black to red and a ground which is controlled by the light switch. I should say half of the outlet is controlled by the light switch. I want to replace it with an outlet that includes USB plugs.  But I do not want to USB plugs controlled by the light switch. Do they make outlets that can be installed  with half of the outlet still being controlled by the light switch to be able to turn off lamps and such but still have the USB ports ready at all times?

I've never seen 120V+USB which were splittable in the way you want.  (And we're not a shopping-aid site, so helping you find one isn't really our thing here).

The answer is, this is a drywall job: replace the single box with a 2-gang box... keep the existing receptacle and put the USB receptacle right next to it.

You will need to pigtail at least the hot wire, as you won't have enough screws to land supply, hot to the switch, hot to the USB receptacle, and hot to the downline.  Don't use both screws and backstabs (actually using backstabs generally is asking for trouble).

I for one think USB receptacles are a waste of time since they're expensive and become obsolete quickly, because it takes time for them to grind through the UL listing process.   e.g. very few can charge a tablet at full power while also charging anything else, and two tablets is out of the question. Many are built around an obsolete TI controller chip which provides a 10W and a 5W USB port and you must pay attention to which is which (why????) Genuine Apple iPad charging blocks are about $8 on eBay, I just do that.


Refurbishing badly painted, rusty radiator I'm trying to refurbish a radiator which is in pretty poor shape. The paint was all cracked and yellowing, and having sanded it, there's rust patches underneath.

It's been painted badly in the past as well, so thick layers of paint have pooled at the bottom and are proving very hard to remove with sandpaper. I've already used several applications of paint stripping gel, which also no longer appears to be having much of an effect.

1) How can I tidy this up to get a nice smooth finish?
As I say, sandpaper is proving hard. Is there some way I can more easily remove or smooth off the remaining paint, especially in the awkward fiddly areas?

2) I have some anti-rust primer - will that be OK to use over existing rust?
Here's what I have:

Can I just use 1 coat of the primer, followed by 1 coat of the Hammerite on existing rust as in the pictures?

Thanks!

I have used a wire-wheel on an electric drill to remove loose paint and rust from a radiator. It can be hard work but you can get down to bright clean steel using those tools. Your case looks extreme but I would try that to judge the effectiveness.

I would aim to remove all traces of rust. If there is too much rust for this to be practical, that might be a sign that it would be better to replace the radiator.

I note that many "Hammerite" products are designed to be painted onto rusty surfaces - I'd check the information on the tin.

I used aerosol cans of radiator primer and top-coat.


Storing equipment in shed? I want to move as many tools and equipment from inside house to a recently repaired shed.

I was wondering, whether I should be worried about how equipment -- particularly electrical -- would be affected by being stored in a non-heated location, subject to frequent changes in temperature?

My home is in a temperate maritime zone, in winter it can get colder than -20C/-4F, but generally it has recently been nearer -5C..+5C/23-41F, and 20-30C/86-86F in summer, and a typical difference between day and night can be up to ~10 degrees all year long.

Obviously a lawnmower (I have a cordless one) would still stay in the shed, but I have a number of electrical tools -- both corded and cordless, such as a drill, a couple reciprocating saws, a cordless screwdriver and impact driver, etc, so I was wondering if it was reasonable to store them in shed all year round. What about Li-ion batteries for the tools?

Humidity is usually quite high at all times except winter, but that would be only somewhat different indoors, as we don't generally do HVAC in residential areas, and I don't have an AC unit either.

The shed is without flooring [the ground is rather humid in the area], and is very well ventilated due to multiple cracks in walls; there are gaps between roof and wall as well. It has partially translucent roof, but in general, only wind can get in, and air humidity -- I am not worried about rain or snow.

Changes in conditions can kill equipment in environments like you're describing - especially involving high humidity. When the temperature falls at night, the moisture condenses on every available surface. The next day as the air heats back up, the moisture evaporates. If the day/night temperature swings are big enough to cause significant condensation, then you're essentially dousing any metal surfaces in water every 24 hours. I had a home years ago with a poorly built uninsulated garage, on a cool summer morning there would be significant condensation - any tools left out there would look like they'd been sprayed down by a hose. Sometimes the condensation would be so great that the tin roof would drip water and it would "rain" inside the garage. It killed a few tools. I quickly learned to deal with it (and made structural improvements) and things were fine - I still have and use some tools that had been stored in that garage for a decade, once I learned to protect them.

There are ways to combat this. Wipe down metal surfaces with a rag and some light machine oil every time you use the tools. The oil will help repel condensation. If you can, store the tools in tightly-closing cases or bags, and then put the cases in airtight storage bins. This will cut down on the condensation significantly by capturing a more-stable environment directly around the tools. For the cordless tools, it probably makes sense to store the batteries in your house regardless of the temperature or humidity, so they can be on or near their chargers (I'm assuming you don't have power at the shed).

You said there is no floor to the shed - if the floor is earth or gravel, it can be a big source of moisture. For the larger items like the lawnmower, it may make sense to store them on a pallet or at least on a makeshift floor of 2x4s or other scrap lumber - the idea is to allow air circulation under and around the tools, so they're not just sitting directly on the damp ground all the time.


Laminate flooring repair My laminate floor looks like the top layer has "bubbled" at the seam in a couple of places.Can this be repaired?

If you are talking about the fake wood, floating type of laminate flooring that clicks together, you can't really repair it. This type of flooring does not handle moisture well and will bubble after being exposed to too much moisture.

Depending on where the problem plank is, if you have any extra pieces from when the floor was installed, you may be able to take apart some of the planks to get to the bubbled one, replace the bubbled one with a new one and reinstall the removed pieces.


Type of conduit box to use for a Ring doorbell + keyed entry I have a powered gate at the front of my property and its well overdue to replace/upgrade the intercom system. I would like to install a ring doorbell system and a keyswitch to open the gate.

The current installation already has a doorbell button (with power), a defunct nutone intercom microphone/speaker, and a contact closure keyswitch for opening the gate. This is installed in an intercom style enclosure, screwed onto a 1" threaded pipe. The pipe is cemented into the driveway wall.

Lets say I remove the entire intercom enclosure. Can you recommend a style or model of enclosure to put in its place?

As requested : The type of box if only a ring type doorbell would be a Single gang Bell box. These can be found with 1" threaded holes and with the proper gasket and cover would be waterproof. If you have additional devices like the key switch a double gang Bell box would be my next choice. Make sure to plug any unused holes in the bell box, I use a little RTV or silicone sealer on the threads on the top of the box so water cannot get in if sitting level water will pool in the small depression and over time may get in to your electronics, this is why I take the extra step of sealing the threads


Help diagnose a compressor problem My fan on my A/C compressor unit seems to start and even spins up to a reasonable speed, although not quite the speed at which it ought to spin, but then 5 seconds later slows down to a very low speed where you can almost see the individual blades. The run capacitor was clearly blown (the top had mushroomed) so I replaced it. However, that did not solve the problem at all. In fact, the pattern I just described did not change at all.

Should I replace the start capacitor as well? (I'm kind of doubting it since I would guess that a faulty start capacitor would prevent it from starting in the first place.) What else should I try before I call an expert?

Here's the video of what's going on.

Have you checked the actual voltages feeding the fan motor ?

You should use a volt meter , measure both at the contactor(both in & out sides) and the motor. I would like to know L1 to Neutral , L2 to Neutral and L1 to L2 as there is a slight possibility your actual Circuit Breaker is "broken" on one leg where you might get a reduced connection and thus not enough current passing.
Have you cycled your Circuit Breaker Off/On in your service panel ?

Your breaker may have partial tripped, only half the breaker tripped and so it has partial connection (brown out voltage basically).

Also when you replaced the capacitor was it a dual fan/compressor
type ?
Or Start/Run type ?

What this looks like is that your fan has a start capacitor and that gets it going but your run capacitor is not working.

Please post your Model number, I know it is a carrier - inside the panel there should also be a wiring diagram - post a good picture of that if you will.


How can I extend the wires inside a transfer panel? I am installing a 200 amp transfer switch to implement in an emergency when needed.  The feed wire from my 200 amp panel inside the house will reach inside the transfer box but not all the way to the appropriate terminals.  Is there some way to extend the wire inside the transfer box?  It is currently about 18 inches too short.  This is in Arkansas.

If it's inside the box, they CAN be spliced. But. You need splices that are up to the job, and depending on the type of splice you can get, you may also need a hydraulic crimper to set them. This might be a part of this job you'd be better off farming out to an electrician with the right tools and experience - a bad splice on a 200 amp cable can be all kinds of trouble you don't want. If the cable is aluminum, the range of bad things that can happen just increases.

If you are talking about a section of cable that runs between the boxes, the better approach is to grit your teeth and buy one long enough. If this is one of those "move the service entrance to put in a transfer panel that the generator can never really light up anyway" deals, splicing may be the only option, but it still is inferior to unbroken cable, IME. In theory, if done right, it should be fine - in practice, sometimes you get a failure years later that you would not have had if there wasn't a splice.


Where can I get a threaded wooden/metal rod for an adjustable piano stool? I want to make a height adjustable stool, like a piano stool, of the simple screw/rotate type, but I don't have a lathe (or anything like enough skill) to turn a thread in wood myself.

Is there anywhere I could obtain a length of threaded wood of a large enough diameter ready made? Alternatively, if Wood is too hard to obtain (I've only seen a few examples with wooden screws) a metal equivalent would be OK.

Also, what should I be searching for? (Name), typing "wood screw" into Google obviously isn't going to work).

I'm in the UK, but a USA source would be OK too (I have relatives who could accept a delivery stateside)

If you have a router, you can use the Beall Wood Threader. A kit to thread one-inch dowels is US$85. They have kits to do smaller sizes or multi-size kits. Parts are included to do both inside and outside threading.

You can find a hand tool on eBay.

Here's a source for ready-to-use threaded dowels in half-inch and three-quarter-inch diameters up to three feet in length.

Here is a source for metal hardware: Lee Valley Tools.

Additional information can be found by searching for "threaded dowel" or "piano stool threaded".


bathroom size, will everything fit? Does anyone know of a website where you can given the dimensions of your bathroom and see how they would arrange your tub, shower, vanities and toliet?

If you're a little computer saavy, give Google Sketchup a try. It's a free basic (but powerful) 3-D design program. What's nice about it is that it's connecting to the Google object library where you can download all sorts of already pre-built objects that people have already made.

http://sketchup.google.com/


Good looking drywall, without mud and tape? There are many things I like about drywall. It's easy to cut, moderately easy to hang (practice certainly helps), easy to paint, is relatively cheap, and a fire barrier to boot. I've probably missed a few positive attributes too.

Drywall mud and tape though... well, that sucks, or at least I suck at it, even with practice. It takes a long time, creates a heck of a mess, and is easy to do a bad job and hard to do a good one.

Mudding and taping sucks enough that I don't mind paying for someone else to do it for me. I may even pay a premium. Except, contractors who I know are good at it are already booked to next year and beyond. There are other contractors available, but they are aren't very good (says painful experience), or at least not good enough for the money they want. There are, I assume, some out there who are both good and available, but invisible to me.

Sooo, what if we just skip the painful part, and just use drywall without mud and tape? What are some creative solutions? that still look good?

Hang everything horizontal.  Throw some 1x6s (using wider board will really cover any hanging mistakes - sure 1x4s would work too) on the main seams to make a faux rail.  A lot of decorators are breaking up rooms like this now.  The rail usually being white and different colors on top and bottom.  Your would also need something for the vertical seams.  You can go with 1x6s or 4s again.  This would look fine for the bottom section and could look fine for top but not common.  I guess it would have a alsace/swiss feel.

On corners, including ceiling joins you can use quarter round.  If you painted this well it wouldn't really be that noticeable. White for ceiling joins and the same color as surrounding paint for the other corners or seams.

This could be done.  It could look great.  You could even convince me if you were really good with wood work that this could be done in a similar amount of time as mudding.  But you will spend more time on materials and will have a style that not everyone is thrilled with.

On the issue with taping and mudding... If you apply your coats thin enough then it isn't messy at all.  I do 5 total coats.  I scrape with my knife between each coat.  After the 4th coat I might sand a little if I was messy - but not much.  It isn't messy or hard.  It is very time consuming I agree.


How strong are my two ten foot poles? I have made a bat house and now I have put it up. To do so I purchased two teen foot galvanized steel poles at Home Depot, and attached them together. Where they meet I drilled a hole through the two and put a 4" bolt and wingnut through the hole to help hold the two together. At the bottom of I dug a 1.5 foot by 1 foot hole and put in 80 lbs bag of quickcrete, and then attached the bottom end of the pole that is about 2" from the ground to a raised bed that is about 2' tall, full of dirt, and attached it where the raised bed end and side meet with a 2x4 post that holds the two ends together of the bed. So I have the pole in concrete, and attached to the raised bed with two u brackets. End result is I have a cedar bat house attached to the very top about 17.5 feet off of the ground. The bat house weighs maybe 5 pounds? It's a 3 chambered bat house.

When the wind blows I see the top half of the pole sway a bit, but the bottom portion stays relatively straight without much wobble. It's not a huge wobble but it does sway a bit. I guess where I am going with this is seeking someone to tell me if they think this will be strong enough to hold the structure for the long haul, or if there is something else I need to do to further reinforce the two poles together. I would hate to have 30+ bats living in the house and then it fall or something.

My gut is saying "hey silly, you have this thing in a huge concrete hole, and attached to a 2' raised bed for extra support. Sure it's going to sway a bit where the two poles meet in the middle, since it isn't one solid pole, but it will be fine. Drink a beer or something." Other part of me just wants someone who is more experienced or has more hair on their chest to offer their thoughts or opinion.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

My estimate from the information given so far is that the nearly 18 foot high pole is not adequately anchored just by embedding the end of it in smallish block of concrete and a couple of U-bolts into a plank at ground level. (The block and u-bolt locations are smallish when you consider the overall pole lever arm length).

This thing should have a set of three guy wires coming down from about the 13 or 14 foot level that come down at angles to the ground and are anchored to their own piers of concrete in the ground. The bottom end of the guys would want to be out 13 to 17 feet from the bottom of the pole and spaced radially around the pole at 120 degree spacing.

This procedure will ensure that a high force wind will not take down your bat house and crash it upon someone or some other property.


adding light switch to an existing circuit I am converting a sitting area off our master bedroom into a walk-in closet, which requires me to add two separate switches (one for ceiling lights, one for a pair of wall sconces).  The previous set-up in the room was that there was a switch that controlled one of the wall outlets in the space.  It turns out that the switch is at the end of the run, as it comes after the outlet it controls.

I’m not really concerned about the future use of the switched outlet, as I can leave it or just close it off as a junction box.  What I need, however, is a way to get the two switches for the lights to function properly.  I realize this involves having both outlets and lights on the same circuit, but it seems to me that this is workable – though I don’t know how to do it.  I’m assuming some kind of magic has to happen between the junction box and the new switch locations, because in concept, the rest seems fairly straightforward.

I don't see a problem with that.

Right now, the cable between the switch and receptacle has 2 wires besides ground:

Always-hot   (white, and it's supposed to be marked with tape, and it's not)
Switched-hot (hot when the switch is on; on yours, native black).

Your new wire assignment on that segment will be (and the colors are mandatory):

Neutral -- actual white
Always-Hot -- black

That's exactly what you need there to continue the circuit in the conventional way.

You will need to rearrange the wiring in the old receptacle box.  Remove all the non-ground wires from the old receptacle. Put a 6" black pigtail on a brass screw and a 6" white pigtail on a white screw. Then wirenut all the white wires together... and all the black wires together... regardless of how they were arranged before.  That should make the receptacle work at all times.


How to fix bed slats? I'm wondering if there is an easy but reliable way to fix this slat under my mattress (see attached image). It's an Ikea bed.

Any suggestion? I was thinking of flat metal pieces screwed into the wood on each side like some kind of splint..

Metal plates will be nice and fast to repair that, but in my opinion, You need one for each side and - the longer the better. Some glue for wood may be nice to use before fitting.
Remember not to use too-long screws to avoid matress damage. Alternatively You can use bolts and drill holes for them before fitting together.

Optional fix can be done by removing all of these wooden bars (these come bound together from Ikea as I recall - my kids got similar beds) and remove broken one with new one (You can buy it in probably every shop like Castorama in Eastern Europe). Replacing this would be most elegant way, I guess.


How can I separate a light switch to power two different devices? My house had an addition after it was built - a covered porch which includes a lit ceiling fan.  I very recently screened in said porch and love it out there.  When the initial addition was put on, the single indoor switch which operates an exterior light was tapped to also give power to the fan and fan light.  Kind of lame.  I am interested in doing something different, such as providing full control of the fan from the inside switch and breaking out the wall mounted light into its very own switch.  How involved is this project and what might the steps be?

This is a reasonable project if you have some experience with electrical wiring. You will have to take a look at the existing wiring, get the appropriate new parts, and replace the existing box and switches.

First, I'll assume that your current configuration is as such: supply power comes into your switch box. Wires leading to both your fan/light and your exterior light also run to this switch box. In your switch box there are 3 grounds (bare wire, all connected, and also connected to the switch and to the box if the box is metal), 3 neutrals (white, all connected) and 3 hots (black; supply is on one end of the switch, light/fan and exterior light blacks are on the other end).

That's the most likely configuration, but you should shut off power and check out the wiring situation before you do anything else. If that's right, you'll want to do the following:

Get a 2-gang box to replace your existing 1-gang box.
Get a new switch.
Remove your existing box and install the 2-gang box in its place.
Run your supply hot wire to both switches.
Connect the light/fan hot wire to one switch and the exterior light to the other.
Join all neutrals and ground wires.

You also mentioned wanting to add a fan control. For this you will need: a fan control dimmer, a 3-gang box, and a second hot conductor out to your fan/light fixture. If this were new wiring, you'd run a 14/3 with ground cable, which will have a white, black, and a red wire (and bare ground wire). In the switch box, you'd run the supply black wire to a switch (for the light) and to your fan dimmer (for the fan). Then you'd wire black to the light switch and red to the fan switch. On the fan/light fixture end, you'd wire black to supply the light and red to supply the fan.

In your existing situation, you'd need to add a wire to supply the fan separately from the the light. The typical ways to do this would be either replace the existing run of 14/2 cable with 14/3, or add a new length of 14/2 dedicated to the fan and keep the existing for light only. This choice is mainly one of doing whatever is practical given your construction options and materials on hand; either is OK.

Whatever you do, keep safe. Use a non-contact voltage test to make sure nothing you touch is live, and if you're uncertain, get a friend with more experience or hire an electrician to check your work.


How do I remove the top sash of a medium size new double glazed window? How do I remove the top sash of my new double glazed window to wash the outside (while remaining inside the house). I was able to lift the bottom and lean it inside the room and thoroughly clean it then push it back into place. I can not see how to pull the top section inside to wash it. (not possible to wash it outside, prickly bushes and I wouldn't know how to remove the tall screen).

Find the Mechanism
There is usually a release mechanism along the top edge or the bottom edge of the upper sash that allows it to tilt in.

Get the Lower Sash out of the Way
The trick is moving the inner, lower sash out of the way.  That is done by releasing the mechanism on the lower sash, tilting it inward and lowering it toward the sill.

Tilt the Upper Sash in
You then slightly lower the top sash, which is no longer blocked by the lower sash.  You can then release the mechanism on the top sash and tilt it inward, either up or down depending on the position of the mechanism.


Should I hire an architect to design my house? I am planning to build a house for my family. It's relatively simple and modest by modern American standards. I plan to do much of the work myself, and want to keep costs down.

I have been working on some designs, but I wonder what a professional would bring to the table. Some guesses:

Easier time at the permit office, as architect knows the codes, draws pretty pictures, and the permit officer knows what to expect.
Architect will offer clever solutions to difficult problems.
Architect will be able to "see" the completed house, from drawings, better than I can, and knows what will work well.
Architect will cost an arm and a leg.
Architect will want a house to be fancy or make a statement about society.

Yes. And in many districts, it is a requirement to have an architect design while an engineer examines and seals the plans.


How can I connect a 120v outlet to an existing 6 gauge wire circuit? I have a wall mount oven/microwave that has a 50 amp breaker servicing it. The microwave was attached to and plugged into the oven. I removed both and only want to replace the microwave. However, I only have the 6 gauge wire stubbed into the cavity. How can I add a 120 outlet for the microwave using the 6 gauge wire?  Can I pigtail 14 gauge wire to the 6 gauge and run that to another box and put the outlet in that box?

You don't... not with those wires :(
The problem is the cable you are looking at there is a "Type SE, Style U" cable.  The giveaways are the red+black hot conductors, and the scruffiness of the bare wire; in the cable jacket those individual strands are wrapped around the conductors, and they've been twisted together here.
SE style U cable is a funny duck.  It's made for service entrance wiring, which is the wiring from the poletop to the meter to the main panel.  On the pole side of the main panel, there is no ground (ground is established at the main panel) and so the bare wire is neutral.
The good news is, that was a legal way to install a 120/240V oven circuit in 1973. (well gosh, up til 1990 if someone had old stock of #6 SEU cable to use up).  You can't install a new oven circuit like that, but if it was legal when it was installed, you can continue to attach it to new 120/240V ovens and ranges.  I'm not a fan though; the Code changed for a reason.
SEU cable of that size was NEVER legal to support any 120V appliances.
A 6AWG "hot" wire cannot be re-marked to use as a neutral.  So it is not good enough to re-mark the red wire "white" and re-task the bare mesh "wire" to be safety ground.
You are out of luck. You'll need to pull a new circuit, or arrange it so it can plug in to a kitchen countertop circuit (but it must be plug-in, not permanently installed).
If you pull a new circuit, also replace That 70's Cable with a shiny new 10/3 w/ground. The cables can run together so it's no more work, just material cost which isn't that high compared to labor.


Thermostat / Oil Furnace Question I have an old oil furnace and I am looking for some clarification as to how it is supposed to work. It heats water filled radiators through out the house.

Currently it is connected to a thermostat by three wires. When it is needed the thermostat does heat the house but lets say it is 80 degrees outside, the radiators will not get hot but the furnace will still come on periodically for a short period of time. Is this how this system is supposed to run or might there be something wrong with the thermostat / wiring.

Note: The thermostat does manage the alert the furnace when it needs to but the air temperature is a bit different than the reading on the thermostat. ex thermostat says 65 and the actual temperature is 72.

clarification as to how it is supposed to work.

There are so many variations within and between countries that it is hard to answer without knowing more about your system

Where I live, a very common system is Honeywell S-Plan and variations of this

L = hot/live
CH = Central Heating to radiators (pumped hot water).
HW = Hot Water to faucets/taps for sinks/basins/baths etc.

In S-Plan, electric power only reaches the furnace (AKA boiler) after passing through a series of devices:

power from the supply is connected to a timer/programmer
during set times, the timer/programmer allows power to the room thermostat
when temperature is low, the room thermostat allows power to the zone valve
when the zone valve is fully open, it allows power to the pump and furnace/boiler

Some furnaces/boilers have an independent power supply and control the pump so that they can overrun to circulate water to remove residual heat from the furnace/boiler.

None of the domestic systems I've had in my homes have ever needed to start the furnace/boiler unless the thermostat is calling for heat. I changed my room thermostat to a model with an indicator light that comes on when it is calling for heat.

The system described above is a high-voltage system, I believe many US systems use a completely different low-voltage control arrangement.


Sanding, staining and varnishing wood, outside I'm new to wood stuff in general and I want to build a mini closet, but my wife is pregnant, I was wondering if I can sand, stain, varnish, etc. outside and wait for the fumes to disperse and then put everything together inside, this is because I don't have a shop or empty room where I can do this kind of work, or what do you recommend?

Mario, I've been stripping paint off old doors, sanding, staining, and applying poly outside.  It's more convenient in dealing with the mess and smells and more enjoyable than being cooped-up indoors all the time.

However, be aware that applying poly outdoors is best done inside a screened-off enclosure as every insect or airborne speck of dust, dirt, or pollen will choose that moment to land on your work otherwise.  A single errant leaf or breeze-blown blade of grass can wreck havoc on a poly' job that's just become tacky to the touch.  Also note: too much of a breeze can dry-out stain (before one has a chance to wipe the excess) and poly too quickly for the job to be done well.


Potential danger installing longer strike plate screws? Just changed the locks on my house today, and I noticed that the strike plate screws that came with my new deadbolts are much longer than the existing strike plate screws.
I'm using the old screws for now, but I assume the longer screws are more secure (and the color matches), so I'd like to use the new ones if possible.
I'm worried about drilling horizontally into something near the doors, so I was wondering if the area around a door is typically safe, or if I could use some tool to confirm before drilling anything.
Thanks!

Most wood frame houses use at least two 2x4s or 2x6s(stud plus a jack post) plus the door frame at doors/windows. That gives minimum of a bit more than three to 3½" inches before hitting something.


Water tank anode rod replacement part Heard that this part should be replaced and I can't find a replacement part for my model in my manual or online anywhere. Can I just buy a generic one at the hardware store and what kind should I get? I have a Whirlpool 319118-002.

There are only a few types of anodes out there -- different materials (aluminum, magnesium, aluminum/zinc) and different form factors (rigid vs flexible/segmented, hex head vs combination).

Your heater comes stock with an aluminum hex anode (all American/Whirlpool/US Craftmaster heaters use aluminum, and the manual for your heater has a parts diagram on page 30 that depicts a hex anode -- so you should be able to replace it with a standard hex anode, unless you have overhead clearance problems that require a flexible unit.  I'd get a magnesium anode for your replacement if at all possible -- our bodies don't get along particularly well with aluminum ions.


Is it ok for a bathroom sink vent to go up and come back down over an obstacle? I think this question has been asked before but I can't quite find exactly my situation.
I'm pretty sure this isn't to code, either, except the IPC code section 905.2 apparently says

All vent and branch vent pipes shall be so graded and connected as to
drain back to the drainage pipe by gravity.

which this arrangement arguably does have.
I have a bathroom in an old (1928) home. I am gutting it and I want to reuse the existing stack vent. But I'm replacing all other plumbing, including the main part of the stack. I was going to cut the old stack at the bottom of the vent and guide the new stack into the old vent.
Old stack is 4" cast iron. So is the old stack vent.
The new shower drain and toilet will use the stack vent directly.
However, to make use of the old vent for the sink, which is going to be on the opposite wall to the old vent stack, I'd have to route the vent pipe up and over the steep roof gable, and back down.
I think the answer is going to be "create a new vent for the sink and poke it through the roof" -- and I'm ok with that. But I did just get this roof replaced 3 years ago and I'd hate to poke a hole in it if I didn't have to.
Images for clarity
Old vent stack -- black cast iron going up and to the left.

Proposed vent including question area (in dashed red oval)

Detail showing the steepness of the roof angle

All vent and branch vent pipes shall be so graded and connected as to drain back to the drainage pipe by gravity.

which this arrangement arguably does have.

I believe that as the code is typically interpreted, the latter half is draining "forward" (in the direction of the vent) rather than "back" even though the water (condensation, mostly) ends up in the same drain pipe ultimately.
Practically speaking I can't see that it should not work, and IPC tends to have so many ways to vent things I would not swear it's not allowed in some paragraph I missed (or found not relevant to my situation) when educating myself for my own plumbing, but I don't think it quite passes.


How can I fix my casement windows? My parents have a bunch of Anderson 400-series windows in a sun porch.  Below are pictures showing the problem.  The windows are no longer hung straight, causing them to drag on the frame and become very hard to close.  In the picture, there are four windows in groups of two (the right two are a set, the left two are a set)

I am not sure how just one window of each set doesn't work properly, especially because the entire unit is attached to the house via a nail flange on all four sides of the window.

What can I do to fix these windows so they operate as they're supposed to?

Please let me know what information I've left out that might be useful.

First I will answer the question. Remove the window and reinstall it. You may need to adjust the lower sill or cut a little out of the header at the top to get it to set level. It is a non bearing wall so a 1/2" off the header will not matter. The sill will not have any extra material to cut out. Or you could simply resquare the window and let it run downhill like it already is.

You will not be able to trim any of the window sash to get it to fit back in without destroying the vinyl cladding, so it has to be reset.

Now for the real issue. The picture does not reveal any other symptoms but I will tell you what I see going on with the window

The wall to the left has settled for some reason, if it was originally a porch and not a living space, it may have not been structured the way a living space is needed. Either the footings where not sized properly and the footer settled down some or perhaps termites or carpenter ants got in there and caused some settling.

I would consider doing something with that, and it may not crack the window on it way back up, but when the window is corrected it will stay.


Why is a screen used to sand drywall, but paper used to sand wood? A sanding screen is comprised of small holes:

A sheet of sandpaper has a flexible paper backing:

Despite using different methods of abrasion, the abrasiveness of both products is measured in grit.

What are the functional differences between these two abrasives?

Can they be used interchangeably? Should they?

Gypsum drywall and it's paper covering, spackle and joint compound are much softer than wood (except perhaps balsa) and produce a lot of dust that clumps together and sticks to sandpaper, rather than falling off as wood shavings do. The "holey" sanding sheets allow dust to fall through and therefore last longer on drywall.

However, they can be used interchangeably, if of the same grade, to achieve similar results, with the caveat that it might take more sanding sheets and more time if they're used at cross-purposes. For small jobs that may not matter.


How to identify the wall type and studs for drilling I need to anchor an Ikea bookcase and a drawer to the wall, but despite days of Internet research I am not able to identify where I can drill a hole in my wall. I have tried knocking on the wall to listen to the ‘depth’ of the sound to distinguish masonry from drywall. I think the wall onto which I am planning anchor the furniture is a drywall based on the hollow sound upon knocking. Now I am trying to identify the studs within the wall, but the sound method is not helping as every knock sounds the same. I bought a stud finder to no avail as it is not giving me reproducible results and it’s not identify studs in a periodic pattern which makes me think that there is something wrong with it (or the way I use it). I found the hole in the picture. I am wondering if it is possible to identify the wall type from the picture of this hole (whether it is masonry or drywall).
I’d be very grateful if someone can guide me on how to identify where I can drill a hole in the wall to attach somewhat heavy furniture like a wardrobe or a bookcase.
Thanks in advance!

If drywall, look for drywall screw holes. Typically, the screws are drilled into studs for better anchoring.
Try a magnet to expose screw heads.


Which tile cutter to use for commercial flooring tiles? I am putting (vinyl?) commercial flooring tiles in one of my hallways.  The product I've seen one guy (pro) use at a supermarket once was this:

Now, that baby is $200+.  I was wondering whether the following, much cheaper variant that to me (non-flooring-pro) seems like it does a similar job:

The tiles are relatively soft and I have cut them with a utility knife before (for under my washer where precision was not important) but I want a more precise tool for my hallway as they will be more exposed.

Is paying $170 extra worth it?  The speed is not an issue as I have time and will not  be doing this very much in the future.

Buy yourself a steel ruler long enough for the job, and a few quick release clamps.  Just clamp the ruler and tile to a workbench and score along the ruler with a utility knife.  It's a bit slower, but for a single room, the savings is significant.

As well, you should only be cutting the edges that go against the wall.  Remove the quarter round and baseboards before you lay the tiles, and reinstall them after you're done.  This will cover any imperfections in your edge cuts.


Replacing part of ciruit with 3-wire cable to add a second switch In a bathroom where a switch powers a circuit running to a light, then to a fan, is it allowed to replace the switch←→fan circuit with a 3-wire cable, so that I can add a switch dedicated to the fan?

In this location, the back of the wall on which the light and the switch are mounted is easily accessible (front is ceramic), so I thought the switch could be replaced with a dual gang box and the 2-wire cable with a 3-wire cable, the third wire only powering the circuit going to the fan.

It seems to me like it should be allowed, as the circuit is only powered from one branch; there is no risk of overloading the neutral (or any of the live); at any time in any branch, the return current is equal to the source current.

Go right ahead

Since all the current-carrying wires will be in the same cable, you'll be fine as long as the new cable is the same AWG as the old cable.  Your analysis of the current flows is correct, by the way.


How do I prepare wooden kitchen units for painting with eggshell? We have some old IKEA kitchen units that we want to paint in eggshell.

I wanted advice on the best preparation for the doors.

My only experience with painting wood has been re-glossing doors etc. and I haven't used eggshell paint before.

Use one coat of a clear or white latex primer. I'm assuming you meant an opaque paint with an eggshell finish, not a stain.


Can 2 10/2 be combined to use as a 10/3? I'm trying to run wire to my shed 30 feet from house. I thought it would be nice to have two circuits, one for lights and one for heavier current applications.  So I ran two 10/2 18inches deep in PVC... and now I read I can't run two cables to the shed. ugh! It's buried. Is it possible to leave it and electrician can configure the two 10/2 into the equivalent of a 10/3? Or do I have to dig this trench again and put in a single 10/3?

No you can't combine them. If you (as code requires) finished assembling the conduit before pulling wire into it you should be able to pull the old wire out without digging up the conduit.
But seriously, don't pull cables into conduit. Two cables were quite likely over maximum fill allowance and difficult. Pull individual THWN conductors.


main electric circuit breaker - aluminium+copper contacts - put antioxidant grease? I will be replacing main electric circuit breaker soon. Notice copper and aluminium contacts (this is the upper part of it, that goes to a meter) :

When I told this to my neighbor, he told me to check if I have to use antioxidant grease. Something like this (see the link). Can somebody please bring some light if this is required? My neighbor said he had to use it once for some AC electric work. That contact seems have both copper and aluminium contacts - why they would use different metals on the same contact?

Another photo on the same breaker (from a different angle) - Neutral on main service breaker? .

I do have a torque measuring tool as it has to be bolted with a particular force there. Is there is something else I should be aware of regarding this work?

I will answer it this way, I use anti oxide paste on even copper to copper lugs a bottle last many months and I do this for a living. Is it required ? I think it should be with any dissimilar metals but it helps prevent aluminum threads from oxidizing here close to the coast. I find jobs that the lugs are ruined from oxides and have to be replaced fairly often especially with large commercial equipment unless a little noalox or deox was used, look on the contact pointed of many new breakers and you will probably see just a drop, why do they put it there? It extends the life of the contact point and improves reliability. If mfg's do it why shouldn't we?


Garage door Versus home security I had a wireless security system installed by Safetouch (who monitors my system) in place of my existing standard security.  A suggested upgrade by their technician. The very next day I get in my car to go to work.  I pushed the garage door opener on my rear view mirror and opened the garage door (programmed into my car).  I then shut it from the outside using the same rear view mirror button.  When I got home the door would not open.  I came through front door, opened garage door by wall button and pulled my car in.  I then was able to shut the door using the button on my rear view mirror.  Bottom line is the rear view mirror button works to open door from inside and shut from outside, but will not open from outside.  Could this be a frequency problem caused by the new wireless alarm?   I have a Chamberlain garage door opener and DSC home security.

Most likely the signal strength is not punching through your closed garage door, possibly because your new security system is causing some interference. That's not an uncommon issue. Here is a link to a video on how to increase the signal reception capability on your opener, it's not difficult at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smwjAOvVACY


Is it possible to convert a 3 way switch circuit into two 3 way circuits? I am finishing my basement and I'm basically splitting the basement in half to keep half as a storage area.  I currently have 4 lights in the basement wired as shown in the first diagram.  I want to control the finished and unfinished lights separately.  Do I need to pull a new circuit, or can I share the power between the two light circuits as in the second diagram?  I don't know if NEC code allows for light circuits to be shared in parallel, but I believe there will be a problem if both sets of lights are turned on at the same time... i.e. voltage drop, path of least resistance.

There's no problem doing what you want.  Just make sure the junction is in a box, and the box is proper size and accessible.


Furnace: are flames in between the tubes bad? In a Carrier Weathermaker 8000 gas furnace, is it normal for some of the flames to be coming out of the spacers in between the tubes? It seems like they shouldn't be there, since they aren't going through the holes into the box with the blower.

(Please pardon any inaccuracy in my terminology.)

It is probably normal operation.

There is a flash tube for lighting all the burners after the ignitor lights the first one.  A small amount of flame out of that tube during furnace operation is normal.  If excessive flame escapes from the burner tubes, a device called a "roll out sensor" will shut the furnace down.


Can I use a larger garage door motor as a substitute for proper springs? I have a wooden garage door which is very old and heavy. The cable is broken. A spring was broken sometime back and I got the spring replaced with a new one. The guy did a poor job and the spring does not carry much weight. At this point will the replacement with a higher capacity motor (1-1/4 hp) for the existing 1/3 hp motor be worthy? Are there any parts that would not work with a different capacity motor?

What other things would I need to watch during the replacement process?

Absolutely Not!!!

Garage door openers are not designed or intended to hoist the door by brute force - the door should always be adjusted for easy manual operation before the opener is connected, or in the event of the opener failing, a power outge, etc.

This is primarily a safety issue (getting killed or injured by an improperly balanced door crashing down) rather than a "how powerful is the opener" issue. Openers are not intended to hold a heavy door up by brute force, and will probably shear the (usually plastic) gear teeth under excessive loads, leading to the door crashing down and possibly injuring/killing someone.

Get the mechanicals sorted out (use a reputable company, not a guy who does a poor job), or have the whole door replaced (I'm fond of a nice insulated steel door, myself) with a properly suspended door that can be easily operated by hand. Then connect the opener to it.


Biokleen (biodegradable detergent) soaked into drywall I have a wall that goes into a storage room in the garage. It is drywall with fiberglass insulation.
I stored a gallon of Biokleen (Biokleen All Purpose Cleaner Super Concentrated, 128 oz) and it looks like there was a leak, where about a quart of it spilled against the drywall for the past 1-2 years.
I just found it today and removed the Biokleen container, but now there are white spots all over the floor and against the bottom of the drywall. I fear mold.
I tested it with a moisture monitor and the top of the drywall is 0% moisture, while the bottom hit 96-100% moisture.

What do I do?
Should I cut the drywall out?
How do I go about cleaning this?
Will cleaning this cause mold spores to go all over the house?
Should I open up the wall, remove all insulation within a 12" radius of the wet spot, spray Mold Control/white vinegar, then re-mud?

Any helpful advice or any tips on anything I should consider is much appreciated.

This is my first home :(.

Mold is already everywhere (how do you think it gets around so quickly?) and its danger is severely overblown for most people. Scrub with a mild detergent, dry things out well, and don't worry about it. Prime with a stain blocker and paint if you like.

There's hardly a house on the planet without a little mold somewhere in it. A gallon of wet certainly didn't destroy your wall or put your health at additional risk. It's cases with massive amounts of moisture over a period of time that cause concern.

Based on your description you may simply have concentrated cleaner collected on the wall and floor. Again, scrub it up with mild detergent.


Installing a window unit in a metal window frame with two raised lips I have a window that has a metal frame with two raised lips. All the diagrams in the installation manual show only one raised lip. The problem is that the bottom frame of the window unit that is supposed to rest against the lip is thicker than the gap between the two lips.

How can/should I go about installing this window unit.

My solution has been to build up the inner windowsill by temporarily affixing a 2x4 on top of it, and use that raised surface to mount the AC. Depending on the window hardware, you may be able to align this so the window can be closed normally when the AC isn't present, avoiding the need to dismount and remount the adaptation.

This could be made more attractive, of course. But an AC in the window usually means aesthetics aren't a primary concern.


What is the best method to cut 'Mother of Pearl' super thin seashell tile? My wife bought this super thin seashell alike Tile called "Mother of Pearl" but I don't know the proper way to cut it. The tile seems to be very fragile and looks like it breaks into pieces easily.  I did some Google search and here are what I have found:

(1) Masking tape on a tile and cut with wet saw

(2) Nail clipper but won't be straight

(3) Dremel cutting wheel but takes forever

(4) Angle grinder with dry diamond blade with piece of wood as guide

(5) Masking tape on the hard surface and use wheel type mosaic tile cutter

Wondering how professional will do this? Anyone has good experience in cutting this? Thanks in advance for help.

With a small tile like this I would snap it off.

First, scribe the tile with a carbide scribe line where you want it to break.

Next, use a glass cutter to make a groove along the line with the help of a square or a ruler.

Put the tile in a vise with wooden jaws or otherwise clamp it securely.

Snap off the excess with a pair of pliers.


Baseboard air return install I've decided to move an old floor air return to the baseboard.  I am going to use two adjacent wall cavities and a ~30" grille.

Not sure what sort of duct I should use to run through the sill plate and mate to the grille, if any.

Is it okay to just cut holes in the sill plate and have no ducting at the grille, and then start ductwork below the subfloor?  That will be easiest based on where studs and floor joists line up for this.  A "standard" 10" wide stack header/boot won't fit without mods to go around the joists underneath.

Here's a picture of what I'm dealing with.

Return ducts are commonly formed using cavities in framing and drywall. The vent opening is often nothing more than a sheet metal frame around which drywall is fit.

Use sheet metal, drywall, and existing framing to create your passage, and simply apply your vent grille where appropriate.


What type of washcloth bar should I put inside a fiberglass shower? I have a fiberglass bath and shower.  I would really like to mount a bar inside it on the back wall for hanging washcloths up to dry.

I've tried the suction cup mounted ones with moderate success.  They stick for a few weeks at a time but after that they fall down and I have to go in and stick them back up.

If I bought a bar with screws, I'm not sure how I would screw it into the fiberglass. Is that even possible?

Are there other mounting options that I have overlooked?

I know of 2 methods to create a safe mount that will support the fiberglass

Wood blocking directly behind fiberglass.

    This method relies on access to the other side of the wall, to place
    the blocking (1x4 is close to the spacing) such that it is against the
    fiberglass and secured by 2 studs.

Special self supporting brackets (Solid Mount™)

    These can be placed from inside the shower, but require you to anchor
    the rear of the mounting plate to the stud (in 2 places).  If the
    spacing is not optimum for your towel bar, a waterproof sub mount
    (spanning the 2 mounts, made of solid surface material, Swanstone or
    Corian) could give you a few inches.  Cantilevering any more than that
    would be unsafe.

Most fiberglass enclosures don't go to the ceiling, so a "single rung" towel bar could be stud mounted just above the fiberglass.


Repair a lawnmower engine that was left exposed to the elements for a year? I have a lawnmower that I foolishly left outside through last winter. Last year it wasn't in great condition -- it took a ton of very hard of pulls on the cord to get it to start, every single time. I haven't tried to start it this year, but I imagine it has gotten worse.

I think it's a $500-$600 lawnmower new.

Putting aside the motor, mechanically it is in good shape. I don't see any rust. The blade was replaced two years ago. The wheels and everything else are in good working order.  I believe the only issue is the motor, which I believe is having trouble due to being left out in the rain and snow.

I am a person who is good with my hands and with machines -- I am a programmer and a woodworker -- but I don't have any experience working on motors.

What are my options for restoring this lawnmower to working condition? (i.e. it starts easily and it runs without major problems).

I am open to dismantling it myself, I am open to replacing the motor, and I am open to bringing it to a repair guy.  I'm hoping to be able to repair it for $100 - $200 rather than having to buy new for $500 - $600.

Most common problems have nothing to do with your engine. Fuel, air, and fire are the key ingredients to your mower starting.

Fuel - if you left fuel in the tank for more than a couple of months without adding a fuel stabilizer, empty the tank and put new fuel in it.
Air - most mowers have an air filter. Look at it and clean it or replace it. It could also be the carburetor as that is where the fuel and air are mixed, but this would be the last thing I would look at.
Fire - spark plugs don’t last forever. Replace them every couple of years and make sure the electric wiring is making a good connection

Also, change your oil.

Mowers can be torn down for a thorough cleaning pretty quick (afternoon project). You’d need a socket set, flathead screwdriver, a can of brake cleaner, and nitrile gloves. Funnels and Mason jars are nice for this as well. The cost is really cheap: I lightweight tore down my mower last year and replaced the spark plug, primer, fuel line, fuel filter, and air filter for about $20.

Non-maintenance things that can also make for a hard/impossible start:

Bad primer bulb - normally will leak gas when pressed if bad
Pull cord and starter - never had this been a problem for me
Seized engine - if you can afford a new mower, you probably are better off


Ceiling mounted punching bag without compromising structure or floor above This question is regarding the safest way of installing a heavy punching bag of 100 lbs from the basement ceiling. Above the basement ceiling is a wood floor. The goal is to sleep soundly at night knowing that we don't have to worry about damaging the ceiling/floor or wall structure.

QUESTION 1:

Is one of these methods, or another method, the best and safest for hanging and using a 100 lbs punching bag and not having to worry about it damaging the floor structure or the floor above over time?:

(a)

Adding 3 or 4 beams parallel between the existing basement ceiling joists
Adding a perpendicular beam that will screw into those parallel beams (so that the weight is distributed amongst those beams)
Attaching the ceiling mount (Note 1) to that perpendicular beam

(b)

Adding a beam parallel between the basement ceiling joists
Attaching the ceiling mount (Note 1) to that one parallel beam

(c)

Adding a steel beam resting on solid wall at each end, joined by a wood beam going across the ceiling.
Ceiling mount/bag would hang on this beam.

Note 1: The ceiling mount is designed to absorb the shock produced by hitting the bag. The bag hangs from the ceiling mount, which is screwed into the ceiling beam.

QUESTION 2

What is the best way to secure/install the parallel beams or, if option (c) is recommended, the steel beams?

QUESTION 3

My assumption is that hanging anything from the existing joists, or even making holes in the existing joists, is best avoided so as not to weaken them or tamper with the existing floor structure. Is this a valid assumption?

Hanging a 100lb weight from a joist should be no different (structurally) than putting a 100lb weight on top of the joist.  So since a 200lb person can easily stand on the floor above the joist, just hanging a 100lb bag from it shouldn't cause any issues.

The larger issue here is going to be what happens when you actually use the bag.  Speaking from experience, it's going to be similar to having a bunch of kids running around the house - things will shake and rattle a bit, and over time you might get some cracks in plaster/drywall, but it shouldn't cause any structural issues.

ETA: I missed the part where you mentioned using a mount that absorbs a lot of the shock from use.  If that's the case, then you can probably ignore my second paragraph.


Oven Door allows too much heat to escape? I recently bought a used, Amana gas range.  It works, for the most part, quite well.
The problem is that the oven door is not making a proper seal with the range body, which allows too much heat to escape from the top, where the door meets the body.  Over time, I expect that the amount of heat released will damage the electronic control panel.

Do any of you experts have a suggested course of action to take?
I figure I could:

replace the hinges (they feel a little light)
tighten the hinges (how?)
replace the oven door gasket with a slightly thicker one

Comments and solutions appreciated.

It varies by model number but generally there's a spring that attaches to the door hinge. If the hinge (or other part that links to the spring) breaks then there isn't enough tension to keep the door closed.

I had the same problem. In my case the roller broke which caused the hinge to not operate properly.

Look up your model number and look at the parts diagram to get a better sense of how your oven is set up.

If you remove the door (usually lifts straight up) you can see everything better and operate the hinges manually to see which one has a problem.


GFCI for kitchen outlets far from faucet I gave a galley kitchen and a couple of outlets on the side opposite of the sink, so about 5-6 ft away from water. Do they need to be GFCI or just regular because they are at a distance? What is the usual distance limit within which GFCI is required?

If the outlets serve a countertop then they need to be GFCI protected. The 6' distance  you refer to is for sinks not installed in kitchens.


How do I loosen and then re-attach threaded PVC cleanout plug? I have a clog somewhere along that pipe and need to open it to snake it, but I don't know if I'm supposed to loosen the putty(?) that's around the threads with a solvent or heat or something. Is there a specific wrench to use or will any pipe wrench work?

For that matter, when I do need to re-thread it, what compound do I use to seal it? Do I have to clean out all of the old stuff before re-threading it?

It is likely that the "putty" you see is actually pipe thread compound, or pipe dope, which is appropriate for most threaded pipe fittings. You should be able to use an adequately sized pipe wrench to unthread the plug without too much difficulty.

NOTE- there is a chance that someone used the wrong compound, as many are not approved for use on plastic pipe because the solvents in the compound can soften and damage the plastic. There is also a chance that someone used some other stuff (hopefully not glue). The only way to find out is to try to remove the plug.

Consider removing the compound and using teflon thread tape when you reassemble the fitting, or ensure any compound you use is approved for use on that plastic pipe (looks like PVC).


Lighting from the right or left of my desk? I heard that some place their desks (for either reading, writing, or using computers) with lighting coming from the left. Is there some scientific foundation for that? Does that affect vision?

How should one place lighting for reading, writing or using computers? Thanks.

The only thing I can think of is that right handed people would probably prefer the light coming from the left—and vice versa—so that one's arm is not darkening the paper being written.

As for computer lighting, my 40+ years of experience as a software engineer (a heavy computer user) is that there should be a minimum of lighting around the computer to be able to perceive and enjoy the screen's dynamic luminescence and color range.  Bright lighting causes glare, obscures the images, and reduces the range of colors perceivable.

It may be helpful to have a desklamp beside the computer for when a book, paper, etc., needs to be viewed in the otherwise darkish room.


How close for the toilet and vanity is there a rule of thumb, for how close the bathroom vanity should be next to the toilet...

Doing a remodel, and would like to have a larger vanity, but don't want to encroach on the toilet and (um) comfortable seating.

And for full disclosure, I had a plumbing issue, the local ServePro guys removed everything in the bathroom - toilet and vanity - so, I could not measure it or "test" it before everything was torn out - let's say it was an emergency...

Thanks

30" clear across so 15" from center of the flange to either side is the minimum. There is a little wiggle room like 1/2-1" less on one side if the other side is completely open and you have to consider the size of the occupants.


Who can give PAT test labels out in the UK? Can any registered electrician give an item a PAT test label, or does it require membership of an additional trade body of some kind?

Also, is it legal to sell these items to certified electricians when working in a shop? If so, do they require any particular identification to buy them?

PAT test labels have no legal protection in the UK.

There is no legal reason to stop any person purchasing PAT test labels.

Portable Appliance Testing is not mandated in UK law.

In many situations (e.g. a typical office) simple visual inspection every two or three years may be adequate. This can be done by any unqualified person. If desired by management, they can stick a PAT label on anything they have looked at.

  There is a widely held misconception that all portable equipment needs portable appliance testing and often annually. The law has not changed. There is no requirement to carry out portable appliance tests (PAT) ... You don't need to be a qualified electrician to carry out inspection or testing, but some basic knowledge is needed.

- HSE Case 9.

References

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - "Maintaining portable electrical equipment in offices and other low-risk environments"
HSE Case 9


Water heater flush leaving pilot on is it safe? I have to do a water heater flush. From what I read, most websites said to leave water heater on pilot also leaving the gas on. Is this even safe?
would the water heater kick on when draining if left on pilot? will the tank be damaged if there is no water in the tank if left on pilot?

Yes it is safe to leave the water heater in pilot mode while flushing. You do not want the burner to fire while the tank is empty as this can damage the tank but the pilot will not cause a problem.
Added: most gas valves with a standing pilot have the temp setting and “pilot”  then off settings. Rotating to the pilot mode will keep the burner from turning while flushing. Some valves have a button to push to go into pilot mode.
For gas models with igniters just turning the valve off is fine as it will relight automatically.


what is good material for 100C to 130C for heat box I am trying to design a small box (25" x 25" x 25") for an uniform heating oven. I am planning to heat around 100 C (212 F) to 130 C (266 F).

I was searching for several material such as green board(<52 C), plywood(<93 C), polycarbonate(<115 C), acry plastic(<71 C) etc. and I found that most of the wood is not recommended to use more than 100 C continuously.

Any recommendation for the material that is cheap and easy to fabricate and also able to use at temperature around 100 C-130 C?

Thank you

Sheet metal. Insulate with rockwool. Unfortunately your size seems to be just beyond what you can likely find in a household oven, which is (in used condition) generally the least expensive way to get a metal box of roughly that size, with heating elements, insulation, and a thermostat already installed.


Can I share a stack between two toilets? I want to put another toilet/bathroom off my bedroom.  The main bathroom is next door to the cupboard I want to turn into my new bathroom.  What run do I need for the second toilet?  The main stack is in the main bathroom, so it would mean the new, second toilet would be 3' from the 1st toilet and about 5' for the main drainage stack.  Is it possible to run both toilets off the same run?

It depends on the plumbing code in your area. Where I live you'd need a permit to do something like this. Every fixture requires a minimum waste and vent pipe size, and adding more fixtures to a branch or stack could call for an increase in the diameter of those pipes. If you are determined to DIY you should at least refer to the local plumbing code to keep it legal. Good luck.


New thermostat for hydronic heating, no wiring labels, 3 wires This hydronic system was not working when we bought our home. The fan would kick on with a manual switch but when you changed the temperature settings to go above the room temp nothing would happen. So, no guarantee that this would work anyway. I took a picture of the original thermostat configuration but it's been so long that I cannot find it, so I consider it lost.

I'm pretty sure this drawing is right, I'm not an electrician or engineer. The red, blue, and yellow leads all run to the thermostat.  I'm really unsure about the black and white 120 VAC leads that come off of the transformer so I didn't add them to the drawing.  However, the fan and pump do run if you jumper the leads all together, so... there's that.  I assume they just need to be wired to the thermostat correctly.  The pump is a Taco 006-B4 Bronze Circulator Pump.

In any case it seems to me that the 24v secondary off the transformer has two leads: the red, which goes straight to the the thermostat, and the brown, which feeds both relays and has third that I suppose could be used as a C-Wire?

It seems to me the 120 VAC black lead feeds the relays in series to the heat pump and the 120 VAC white lead goes directly to the hydronic impeller and fan.

My assumption is the blue lead (E130 relay, left) control the fan, and the yellow lead (E1305 relay, right) controls the hydronic impeller... but I may have it backwards.  I drew the diagram from pictures that are not as detailed as I would like and these wire are a significant pain to get to so I would prefer to solve this with what I have.

So my question: how would you label the yellow, red, and blue leads?

Edit

Relay 1 is a Products Unlimited/Tyco 9400-13Q101 relay:

Relay 2 is a Products Unlimited/Tyco 9400-11Q101 relay:

You say, "the fan would come on with a manual switch".  Do you mean the "fan" switch on the old thermostat?   Or a line voltage switch elsewhere, like on the fan itself?

Normal T-stat wiring is 24v with one wire as the "hot", another as the common and the third as "switched", IE controlled by the t-stat set point, turning on or  off the heating equipment.   The advantage is, assuming the new t-stat is a modern programmable type, that under normal operation, the t-stat is powered by the 24v transformer and the batteries are used to maintain the clock and settings during a power outage.  Other wise the t-stat runs off the batteries all the time and you'll have to replace them about once a year or so.   If you are trying to control both the fan unit and the heat source (heat pump? Boiler?) separately, you don't have enough wires unless you run the new t-stat on batteries all the time.   Was the old t-stat strictly mechanical?