Bizarre home electrical system This is a follow up to a question I asked recently about a subpanel that was not wired properly. I'm working on an extremely bizarre situation with the electrical system of an old house that predates electricity and originally had knob and tube. There are lots of issues with it, but this one is about the service.

This house has a 200 amp service that comes in via an overhead drop line. This will be a bit difficult to expain, and I apologize, but I do not have any more photos at the moment than are posted here, but I am trying my best. The electric meter is then connected to two adjacent meter boxes to the left with what I'm pretty sure are metal bars, not fuses, across the terminals. All three of these boxes each subsequently feed a 125 amp panel located directly below (I'll call these the main panels to avoid confusion) and each of these panels also further feed a subpanel (including the one I asked about in my previous question). There is no main shut off for the entire system or the subpanels fed by the main panels located directly below the meter boxes. Instead, the shutoff breakers in the main panels are located on the branch circuit bus, and the service wires to the subpanels are wired to the main bus, where the service wires feeding the main panels should come in. So, to put it in Layman's terms, there is no shutoff for the entire system or the subpanels; just the three main panels.

I have never heard of a situation like this before and have no idea why it would have been wired this way. Is this a unique situation here? I was thinking of just taking out the three panels and two extra meter boxes and replacing with a 200 amp panel with shutoff breakers for each subpanel, as well as moving all the additional circuits in the three main panels here. I guess I could just get a 200 amp disconnect box for the entire system, though, and rewire the main panels to include a shutoff for the subpanels. But I'm not sure that would be consistent with code.

Here are the three main panels, as they are located from right to left. In each of these panels, the two hots connected to the main terminals actually service a subpanel, while the service wires for each of these panels are connected to the 125 amp breakers on the top. The meter boxes are located directly above the panels. Note that I am aware that there are lots of other problems with these panels that I didn't mention, and plan to fix them too.

EDIT: Here is a photo of one of the labels.

EDIT: Here is a sketch of the layout of the system. Note that I have omitted the neutrals and grounds for simplicity's sake. The subpanels are also not located anywhere near the meter boxes and mains; they are included for explanation purposes. I was also unable to provide a photo of the entire setup due to the fact that I am away from this location at the present time.

This was a triplex at one point in time

What you are seeing here is an electrical system that was originally built-out for a separately metered triplex (or a duplex with commons/"house" loads) that has then been converted, along with the building, to single-family residential duty.  Originally, there were separate meters in all three meter sockets, and each meter needed its own set of panels in order to keep tenants' loads from getting mixed up, which'd violate NEC 210.25:

  210.25 Branch Circuits in Buildings with More Than One
  Occupancy.

  (A) Dwelling Unit Branch Circuits. Branch circuits in each
  dwelling unit shall supply only loads within that dwelling unit
  or loads associated only with that dwelling unit.

  (B) Common Area Branch Circuits. Branch circuits installed
  for the purpose of lighting, central alarm, signal, communications, or other purposes for public or common areas of a two-
  family dwelling, a multifamily dwelling, or a multi-occupancy
  building shall not be supplied from equipment that supplies an
  individual dwelling unit or tenant space.

As a result of this, you now have a single-family house with three sets of panels in it, all with their own main breakers.  This is fine, at least as of the 2017 code (albeit not in the 2020 NEC), due to what is called the "rule of six" or "six throw rule" given in NEC 230.71(A), paragraph 1:

  230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects.

  (A) General. The service disconnecting means for each service permitted by 230.2, or for each set of service-entrance
  conductors permitted by 230.40, Exception No. 1, 3, 4, or 5,
  shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit
  breakers, or a combination of not more than six switches and
  sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a
  group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard or in
  switchgear. There shall be not more than six sets of disconnects
  per service grouped in any one location.

Someone was lazy, and probably created a Code vio in the process of being lazy

However, when your house was converted to a single-family dwelling, whoever did the retrofit took the lazy way out.  Instead of ripping out the metering hardware and replacing it with a single meter socket, they left the existing hardware intact and rewired/jumpered it for use with a single meter.  This creates an issue, though, as you're most likely overloading the remaining meter socket by pulling the full rating of your utility service through it.  This is because while your have a 200A service, the individual meter bases are likely only rated for 125A.

Fixing this issue will require converting this mess to use a single-position, 200A meter main. The good news is your utility does not seem to be picky, as their service requirements permit either ring-type or ringless meter mounting for residential services, 200A and below. (They require lever bypasses for larger or commercial services, which forces those to use ringless meter sockets, but that's not a concern for your situation.)

However, there are three pieces of bad news here.  The first issue is that a single meter must be between 5' and 6' from grade level, so that it can be read & serviced without the use of a ladder.  Worse yet, the service mast is on the right-hand side of this all, which is quite constraining as many combination overhead/underground meter-mains have their utility wireway on the left, meaning customer wires can't be routed out that side of the box.  Finally, any changes to this arrangement will mean cleaning the whole thing up, since your utility forbids both double-lugging of meter sockets and the use of metering cabinets as junction boxes.

Given the physical constraints involved, our options for converting this mess to a single main breaker configuration are severely limited by available hardware, and to a lesser extent by space issues.  However, there are still a couple of paths available to us if we do not wish to rip out all the hardware here and replace it, as the existing QO panels still appear to be mostly usable once the grounding and bonding is corrected.

Tap-dancing our way around these constraints

While replacing the existing "200A" meter-socket with a meter-main that has a 200A socket/main breaker and three 125A feeder-breakers in it seems like the most obvious way to fix this issue, the difficulty with that is that there isn't enough space above the right-hand panel to fit a full-sized meter-loadcenter combination without putting the meter well above the 6' maximum your utility permits for single meters.

This doesn't mean that we can't swap a 200A meter-main in for that socket while leaving the existing panels largely untouched, though.  What we can do is take advantage of the NEC's feeder tap rules to use a 200A meter-main breaker combination to feed the 3 125A panels without having to mount 125A breakers in the meter-main.  This allows us to use a smaller meter-main, and also gives us more flexibility as to what hardware layouts are available to us.

In particular, Square-D makes a suitable meter-main in the CQRA200 (one can also use a CM200S or RC200S with a QOM2200VH field-fitted, although the CQRA200 is a cheaper/easier-to-find solution).  This part is a 200A, ring-style, single-breaker meter-main with enough neutral terminations for our 3 neutrals as well as the grounding electrode conductor to the meter base, and more importantly, it puts the breaker on the left and the meter on the right, unlike most other meter-mains and meter-loadcenters which have the meter on top or on the left. (There are some underground-only units with the meter on the bottom, but we can ignore these here since you have overhead service.)  This replaces the right-most meter-base, where the existing 200A meter is located.

Now that we have overcurrent protection and metering handled, it's time to invoke the feeder tap rules in NEC 240.21(B), which is what allows us to connect 3 125A feeder wires to a 200A breaker without providing overcurrent protection at the point of origin.  In order to do this, though, we have a few constraints we have to follow:

The tap conductors must be protected from physical damage, which we can accomplish by running them in metal conduit
They must not be too small (no less than one-third the size of the upstream breaker, to be safe in all cases where tap rules can be applied), which is satisfied here as we have 125A taps from a 200A main
And they must terminate at an overcurrent protective device, such as the existing main breakers in your panels

With those rules in mind, we can specify the wires as 1/0 aluminum XHHW-2 single conductors in 1.25" rigid conduit, replacing the hubs atop the existing panels with Square-D B125s (unless they're that size already, of course). A T body takes the place of the center meter socket then, with the left-hand meter socket being replaced by a LR.  The wires to the right-hand panel exit out the bottom of the meter-main to the hub atop that panel, while the wires to the center and left panels exit out the left side of the meter-main to said T body, where they go their separate ways.

Inside the customer area of the meter-main, we then make our splices.  The neutral wires are handled in a normal fashion, landing on neutral/ground lugs in the meter-main.  The hot wires, though, will require a different strategy; one could use a pair of insulated setscrew-type mechanical lug connectors to splice the feeder tap wires together, but that'd take up quite a bit of valuable box real estate.  Instead, we use what's called a power distribution block, mounted into the meter-main cabinet, to make these connections; this is permitted by NEC 312.8(A) in conjunction with the rules in NEC 314.28(E).  In particular, a Mersen MPDB67142 with a pair of MPDBC6667 covers snapped onto it can be used here, mounted in the top right corner with the "line" (large holes) side pointed upwards.  The hot conductors from the panels are connected up into the "load" (small holes) side, one wire per hole with each leg having its own pole on the block, with a 2/0 copper THHN jumper running from each PDB pole to its corresponding hot lug on the CQRA200's main breaker.

Consolidating with a trade-in

If the tap-conductor route is not acceptable to you, the alternative would be to replace the far right-hand panel with a 200A, overhead-feed, surface-mount meter-loadcenter and use some 1.25" rigid nipples to carry the triplets of 1/0 Al feeder wires off to the other two panels through the side knockouts, replacing the hubs in those panels with Square-D blank-out plates (order a pair of BCAPs).

However, most overhead-feed meter-loadcenters cannot be used, due to the fact they use a utility wireway or tunnel run up the left-hand side of the customer space to permit underground feed as well; as a result of this, we are limited to models that support only overhead feeds, not underground service, and this is quite a stringent constraint indeed, limiting us to a handful of models.  In fact, the only model in Square-D's entire lineup that supports this is the SO2040M200S, and we can't use it here as it cannot accept 125A breakers. (It's Homeline, not QO, as well, but that doesn't matter since we can't use it anyway.)

The remaining options, then, are the Siemens MC2040B1200S(Z) and the Eaton MBE2040B200TS.  They are both ringstyle meter-loadcenters without bypass features, with 20-space, 200A interiors, and having no documented stab limits I can find.  With either of these, you'll want to use appropriate 125A breakers to protect the feeders to the other three panels (two outside, one inside), as well as a 2-pole 20A breaker to replace the existing branch breaker in the far-right panel, and an extra neutral lug kit so that you can land all the feeder neutrals on the meter-loadcenter's neutral bar.  The good news is that the new feeder wires can land where the existing service wires landed, or you can have them switch places with the existing outgoing feeders if you want the downstream subpanels inside to have their own disconnects.

Things to remember in any case

With either approach, you may have to do some jiggering of alignment of parts in order to get things to fit together; the worst-case is having to bend the service mast itself in order to get it to line up with the meter-main's hub fitting, although that may not be needed, depending on how the existing meter socket's hub is positioned.

You'll also need to ensure that all the various lug- or set-screw type connections are torqued to specification with an inch-pound torque wrench or torque screwdriver; this is required by NEC 110.14(D) these days, and is a good idea even if your AHJ has not adopted the 2017 NEC yet, lest your electrical system give you the loose lugnut!

Finally, the existing grounding electrode conductor will need to be routed into the new meter-main.  An Arlington GC50 or equivalent grounding conductor connector is helpful for getting it into the meter-main box, and you'll also need to fit an Intersystem Bonding Termination device to the grounding electrode conductor at this point so that the cable TV installer, etc have places to land their ground wires.


AC Plugs, different types of plugs/receptacles (pardon if this question is a little elementary for this site...)

I have done a variety of Google searches trying to get to the 'right' answer(s) here, part of the problem is I'm not even sure of the terminology involved.

I have several strands of Christmas lights. Some sets came with what are actually two strands of different types (C7 bulbs and Icicles) wire tied together.

Both strands have two-prong male and female connectors at each end. The female connectors are designed in such a way that a male three prong connector will not fit into the plug, the physical design blocks the grounding prong.

One strand has "like sized" prongs/slots (I'll call this Type A) and the other size has unlike sized prongs/slots (Type B). I have attempted to lay out my lights so that I have a couple of 'those strands' together, then connected to a couple of single strands, then I want to add in a couple more of the doubled strands...but alas I only have a single 'Type A' female end, and can not presently find (at Home Despot or Blowe's) an adapter that suits the situation.

Should I be able to find such an adapter?
( I would also like to know...)
 1. If there is a 'better way' I should like to hear it.
 2. If not will creating one (grinding the oversize prong to fit) pose a safety risk?
 3. What are the 'correct names' for the various adapters described?

One strand has "like sized" prongs/slots (I'll call this Type A) and the other size has unlike sized prongs/slots (Type B).

Your 'Type B' is properly known as a polarized plug.

It is unsafe to connect an unpolarized plug to a polarized outlet. This is because the purpose of polarization is to reduce the chance of your touching dangerous line voltage such as on the threads of an empty bulb socket; North American power has a “hot” and “neutral” wire, and the “neutral” is generally closer (but not necessarily equal) to earth potential (voltage) than the “hot”, so it is less dangerous (but still unwise to touch).

You should not grind down a pin to make it fit. Would it work, electrically? Yes. But it is removing the designed safety features.

(From a strictly technical perspective, it would be safe to plug in such an altered plug to a GFCI outlet or portable GFCI — GFCIs provide better protection against the same hazard than polarized plugs. But then you would still have an unsafe plug configuration around in the future.)

Use extension cords (of the type designed for outdoor lights) instead. This also has the advantage of ensuring you are not overloading the pass-through outlets with more strings than intended.


How are integrated dishwasher's dimensions measured? Sounds like a dumb question so please bear with me.

I have an old integrated dishwasher in my kitchen, bought by the previous owners of the property which I'm planning to replace. Its width measures 58.5cm and there is only a couple of millimetres gap either side within the kitchen units. I believe it's a whirlpool diplomat, but I don't know the model number without taking the door off or pulling it out from the units.

All the dishwashers I can find to buy are at least 59.5cm width. So I'm wondering:

a) do I have a very odd shaped dishwasher?
b) have dishwashers become wider the last few years?
c) are the stated dimensions not the true width? (doubtful unfortunately)

I don't want to order a new dishwasher only to find it won't fit in my kitchen without modifying the units.

Does anyone have an idea about this?

I only have experience with two dishwashers (the 10 year old one I replaced 3 years ago and the new one). When I was shopping all standard dishwashers had approximately the same dimensions (plus or minus 1" or 2cm; the dishwashers were sold in the US market), so perhaps the one you're replacing was on the small side. I had to go look at a lot of places to find a dishwasher that would fit (in my case the width wasn't the problem...we put new tile in and most dishwashers were too tall to fit). I don't think a difference of 1cm is enough to consider it oddly shaped; the "specialty" dishwashers (for condos and small kitchens) seemed to have size differences of up to 10cm or more.

As far as the stated dimensions go, they seemed to be very accurate. The knew the one I purchased would be a tight fit and it definitely was (I had to remove the feet on the bottom to fit in in the cabinet). You may want to download the manual/install guides for various dishwashers that you're considering. Usually the top and sides of the tubs are covered with insulation which can be compressed a little as you're fitting it into the cabinet (although you must be careful of any hoses/wires on the sides). The widest part is usually the front part of the tub which flares out to seal with the door.

In my kitchen, the cabinet face and counter top covered a slightly wider/taller hole inside the cabinet. If your layout is the same you may be able shave a few mm off of each side of the cabinet to make it fit.


Is it safe to use a variable AC transformer to control the speed of a box fan? I have seen recommendations for using a variable ac transformer to control the speed of a box fan. (like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXJYO6I/?tag=stackoverfl08-20)

I thought that ac motors have to be in sync with the voltage frequency (ie 60hz) and the speed control switch on the fan changes which windings on the motor the current goes through.  So changing the voltage with a variable transformer will cause the fan to overheat. (https://www.mjguide.com/tutorials/ElectricalSafety/1540.htm)

Am I right or is it really okay to use a variable transformer to control the speed of a box fan?

Most portable fans use a type of motor called a "shaded pole AC induction motor".  Here is a description of them from Wikipedia:

Shaded Pole Motor

You should not, however, try to control the speed using a "variac" device because the motor will attempt to continue to try to draw the same amount of POWER (Power = Voltage * Amperage) and you will get heating and lead to premature failure or even a fire hazard.

Here is a link to a discussion of low-voltage issues with AC motors:

AC Motor Low Voltage Issues

To quote the relevant section:

  Effects of low voltage. When you subject a motor to voltages below the
  nameplate rating, some of the motor's characteristics will change
  slightly and others will change dramatically. To drive a fixed
  mechanical load connected to the shaft, a motor must draw a fixed
  amount of power from the line. The amount of power the motor draws has
  a rough correlation to the voltage 2current (amps). Thus, when voltage
  gets low, the current must increase to provide the same amount of
  power. An increase in current is a danger to the motor only if that
  current exceeds the motor's nameplate current rating. When amps go
  above the nameplate rating, heat begins to build up in the motor.
  Without a timely correction, this heat will damage the motor. The more
  heat and the longer the exposure to it, the more damage to the motor.

Fans with a built-in speed control generally have multiple windings on the motor that are switched in and out in order to control the motor speed.  These will not suffer from the overheating effect.

Your best bet here would be to get a different fan that can be controlled to your liking.


Confused about wiring outside light fixture with multiple switched wires I am trying to replace an outside motion detector light fixture that was removed before I bought the house and the only things left were the plastic base in the eave and electrical taped wires shoved through it.

I pulled everything apart and have 2 separate 14/2 wires and neither is always live from the panel according to my non-contact voltage tester, both are switched and only live when flipped on at the switch inside the house.

Well I tried wiring up 1 set of black and white wires and just taping off the other to see if that would work but no luck.  I'm not sure why there would be 2 sets of switched black and white wires.  I'm assuming I'm wiring something wrong and its not a bad fixture but that's always a possibility.

Anyone seen this configuration before and have any ideas?

I replaced the light switch itself and the only thing in the box were the 2 wires connected to the old switch and the ground wire

Since there is only 2 wires in the switch box, that means the switch is at the end of the line. So to fix this light, you just need to wire it like this diagram:

To figure out which cable coming in to the light box is from the breaker and which is from the switch, hook the light directly to one cable and ignore the other cable. Turn the breaker on. If the light comes on, then that cable is coming from the breaker.


how to control all shop lights from one motion sensor shop light So I recently replace a big 8 ft CCFL shop light with 3 smaller 4 ft shop lights.  1 has a motion sensor built in.  My thought when I bought them was to install the motion sensor might above the garage door, wire the hot and neutral coming from the switch to the motion sensor and then use the 2 prong outlet built into each light to connect the other two in series to each other.  Then I leave the switch on and all the lights come on when the motion sensor trips and turns off after the time out time.  In practice with the switch on the 2 normal shop lights stay on all the time and the motion sensor turns on and off as expected.   Here is the model shop light I'm using https://www.costco.com/Feit-4-ft.-Linkable-LED-Utility-Motion-Sensor-Shop-Lights,-2-pack.product.100415188.html

Code requires that you use every device according to its labeling and instructions (because the testing behind the UL listing didn't test it any further than that).  So your first stop is back to the labeling and instructions on the lamp, and see what it says about using the receptacle to control other lights via the motion sensor.

Knowing Feit Electric, I suspect it does not permit that use, and the motion sensor does not switch the receptacle, and it is there to serve general loads like drills or trouble lights.   Or, their vision for this product is that you simply enable all the motion sensors and allow each light to decide independently.

I am no great fan of Feit's reliability and would not miss an opportunity to return a Feit to the store and get something quality. Generally everything electrical at CostCo is the pinnacle of Cheese junk.

If you really want to do motion sensor for the whole garage, they (not CostCo) sell individual "stalk" motion sensors, that screw into a junction box cover.  If you use the type which has a neutral wire, you can have 2 or more motion sensors for better coverage.  From those you power your lights.


Is this a drill bit for concrete? What kind of drill bit is this? Can it be used to drill a hole in concrete?

EDIT: after the accepted answer provided me with some details I found out what it is. Details here, on page 5. And the answer is yes. It can be used on concrete.

Two tell tail signs point to a masonry bit. The shape of the cutting teeth and the fluets on the shaft. That is certainly a masonry bit. Look like a design typically used on an SDS plus bit. If so, that's another determining factor.


How to plumb and line, i.e., square, stud-frame walls if sheathing before raising I'm starting to frame a small house.  For background, the foundation is 2x12 sills bolted to pilings, then 2x8 joists and 3/4" plywood.

My question is about squaring the walls if they are sheathed while flat before raising.  I'm reading Larry Haun's The Very Efficient Carpenter.  He spends a few pages on the importance of plumbing and lining walls after they are raised, before sheathing.

If I sheath before raising, how to square?  My first thought is to simply pull diagonal measurements and make them equal before sheathing.   Then sheathing, raising with jacks, and hoping the sheathed wall stays square.  Not sure how to line a sheathed wall, as it should be fairly rigid.

Any ideas?

Your plan is correct. I usually tack the bottom plate to the wall line on the deck at several points to be sure it's straight. If you do this correctly you can easily pull the nails once the wall is up and nailed down. Don't do it from the bottom of the plate as the nails will hold the wall off the deck.

Now you pull diagonal measurements from the bottom plate corners to the top plate corners (not the double/tie plates as they don't match). Tack the top plate to the deck in one spot and you're golden. Sheathed walls are extremely rigid with respect to square. Don't expect to be able to make adjustments. They'll even show you where your deck has dips.

I'm not sure what you mean by "lining" but if it means straightening the top, I usually tack a scrap of two-by at each end, run a dryline between, and measure for 1-1/2". You'd have your ends plumbed and braced (or tied into perpendicular walls which are already square) first.


Dropped ceiling for small area (6ft by 3ft) I want to install a dropped ceiling in our small powder room for access to our heat pump.

The area is 6 by 3. Instead of having a main tee in the middle, I wondering if I can install the dropped ceiling by using the wall mount and cross tees. How would I go about that? Is there a way to secure the cross tees to the wall mount? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Sure. I assume you're using 2x4 tiles. If you fit your cross tees well there's no reason they need to be fastened in at all. Just lay them in there as you set your tiles. You might make sure that the wall angles are fastened as close as possible to where the tees come in. Otherwise, I'd have no concerns.


Critique my plan for circuits New addition to house is 576 square feet total - master bedroom, bathroom, walk in closet, house entry foyer, and porch.
Here's my plan.

15amp dedicated circuit for fire alarm
20amp dedicated circuit for bathroom receptacles
20amp circuit for rest of outlets in addition
20amp circuit for 2 outdoor outlets on porch.  I will be plugging my
camper into these sometimes
15amp circuit for all lights.  will include: 2 recessed lights on porch,
ceiling fan on porch, 2 wall sconces on porch, ceiling fan in
bedroom, 5 recessed lights in bedroom, 2 light fixtures in closet,
light fixture in foyer, exhuast fan in bath, 6 horizontal lights in
bath over mirrors, 1 main light fixture in bath.

I have also been advised to include some lights on the smoke & fire detector circuit, in order to give you some indication if the smoke & fire has gone offline.  I believe Ed Beal's comment about 760.41.b refers to dedicated fire alarm panels, and that residential detectors are considered receptacles.

I found this https://www.electriciantalk.com/f5/smoke-detector-circuit-72368/ which addresses the question.

Of course it's always best to check with your local building department for the final say.


Line Voltage Dropping when Microwave runs When I turn on the built-in Microwave in a 3 years old house it starts and then in 2-3 sounds the changes and it is apparent that something is wrong. The microwave does not heat.
Then I noticed that the gas range electronic display was turning on and off when the microwave was turned on. I took out the multimeter and there is 20 Volts drops when the microwave is running!
No trips in the circuit and the damn Microwave and Gas Range are not even on the same circuit.
What could be going on?? Should I be worried?!

With these being on 2 different circuits call your power company and report a problem. You could have lost a leg or a neutral , you could listen for arcs and sparks in your panel but if you keep trying appliances they may all get fried if the service neutral opened.


how can edpm or a rubber like material be attached to pvc board? Considering using 4 pvc boards for dug well cover.  Need a sealing layer to keep water out.  A mastic might work too.

I wouldn't use EPDM and Pvc.  EPDM is notoriously hard to bond and what few adhesives you can use aren't going to be made for use around potable water.  I'd worry about chemicals that leech out of the adhesive contaminating the well.
I would stick to materials and adhesives that are known to be safe around potable water.  PVC is safe for pipes but I don't know if PVc deck boards are.  If you want to use PVC boards, you could use stainless sheet metal over them as a waterproof membrane.  Stainless is not cheap but does hold up.


can I mount the sink 50 cm away from the wall drain hole let s say I have 250 cm available for my kitchen and the wall drain hole is at 125 cm from the wall, half way. Can i mount the sink away from the wall drain hole say at 70 cm from the wall and have a drain pipe going from the location of the sink to the wall connection? or is it too far for correct draining of my sink?

Moving the Sink further out from a wall would be easy and not present any problems for the drain. Moving to the side may require an additional elbow. If the drain is properly sized and vented it should work in both cases. Maintaining a slope on the longer horizontal line will improve performance and reduce the possibility of solids collecting and causing problems.


How should I run this conduit for security cameras across a flat roof? I am putting in three new security cameras on a far corner of a building that already has cameras around all the other sides. The reason this corner was left for last is that it is the hardest to run - there is no way to run cable inside the building so the only way to install it will be a 65 foot run along the edges of the flat roof.

In the image below, the red line indicates the cable path and the yellow circle is the camera mounting location (for all three cameras, facing different directions).

As I see it (and as several installers and electricians have told me), I have three options:

Just run outdoor-rated cable without any other protection.
Run flexible non-metallic liquid-tight conduit all the way from one end to the other.
Run Schedule 40 PVC conduit on the roof, then switch to a short piece of liquid-tight for going over the (slightly raised) ornamental parapet and into the camera mounting boxes.

I mentioned the first option just for completeness. I really don't want to do it, even though it is the easiest and cheapest, because I'm worried about animal damage and about how to secure loose cables to the building. So it will have to use one of the two conduit types.

The primary issue is how to properly secure it to the building.

The first 30 feet of the run are alongside a taller part of the structure (which is also where the cable comes out from) so I can anchor either type of conduit to the wall. After that the roof has a short parapet (between 0.5 in tall at the left side of the picture and 4 in tall at the right, as the roof slopes to allow drainage) and the cables must run along the top of it or just inside it.

I think that a single run of liquid-tight all the way from end to end might be the easiest way to do it. However, I don't know how I would attach the liquid-tight to the roof. The entire roof was just redone, and I don't feel comfortable drilling all the holes in it that would be required to keep flexible conduit in place.

If I run Schedule 40 PVC, I can rely somewhat on the rigidity of the conduit to use fewer attachment points. There is another solid conduit already on the roof (not installed by me) that is not attached to any flat roof surface but is still solidly attached to the building in several vertical locations and has weathered many major storms over approximately the last 7 years. However, a run this length will probably require at least one expansion joint to deal with temperature changes and will require at least 10 conduit pieces and fittings to be glued together. Each additional one of those joints is another possible entry point for water in the future. I will also need to secure a junction box at the corner in order to transition to liquid-tight over the edge down to the camera mounting boxes on the wall.

It seems like there are so many downsides to both conduit methods that I should just run outdoor cable and not deal with the other options.

What is my best option for running this cable?

Attach to the wall and the back of the parapet. Drilling holes in the flat or sloping parts of a roof can end in tears down the line.

Consider passing the wire through the parapet instead of over it.

Conduit joins welded using the correct method, solvents and glues will not leak.

you probably don't need an expansion joint, just don't put a bracket within one foot of the corner (allow the bend to flex as the expansion joint)


Basement Rough-in Identification Trying to identify what is what.  I originally thought the 3.5" by the wall was Toilet, but i don't think 5" away from "unfinished" wall is enough space. So the other 3.5" (2) must be the toilet?  What is the other 3.5"(1) then.  My guess on the others are (3) Shower and (4) vanity?

-Thanks for any advice.

1 is a spare stack and it's 3" abs

2 is the toilet also 3"

3 is a vent and

4 is a sink.

It's a pretty bad rough in. If 3 is in fact a vent why is it so far away from the wall?
If it's for a shower/tub why is it so close to the wall?

This is what your rough in should look like

3 must be a vent.

EDIT
This is an example of what is going on
www.doityouself.com

If you can pour water down one of the 2-inch pipes and see that it holds water at level, that would indicate it has a trap as in the pipe at the far left of the image. Traps it only ever be installed at floor drains or shower drains it sink drain will not have a trap under the floor.

Your 3-inch that's close to the wall may be repurposed as a shower drain provided it's vented.

In your image pipe number 3 could very well be intended as a shower drain, just in a very poor location.


How to install small damper in a duct? I need to install a Honeywell 10x10 damper into a 11x11 duct.

Options that I came up with:

build an adapter to reduce duct to 10x10 (alternatively I can use 12x12 damper and build adapter to enlarge duct to 12x12). (Honeywell dampers come in even sizes only).
Fill the gap with some sort of a frame made out of (circle one): metal, foam, wood.

I would go over sized rather than undersized if you have the room to do it.
An undersized unit will limit your maximum flow, unless you always will be reducing the flow to that area then go undersized.
Strips of ducting can be purchased at most home stores that you can rivet from one side to the other then use a good quality duct tape to seal.
They make a tool to bend the sheet metal makes nice easy bends.
Hope this helps.


Are water and vertical cracks normal for full height crawl space? I am thinking about purchasing a home that is set on top of a crawl space (see image). The crawl space has the full height of a basement, windows and a door leading outside in the back. It has French Drains along the downhill base of the house and plastic lining covering a rock floor. I did see some water on top of the plastic in a few places. The foundation walls are footing and stem walls (I think). They appear nice but have some vertical cracks in several places upon closer inspection. The house was built in 2002.
Is the water concerning given the French drains installed?
Are the wall cracks normal for the crawl space foundation... should they concern me?

I think the things you mentioned are solvable, though cannot venture a guess as to the cost.
First thing is to identify the source of the water in the crawlspace.  The ground around the house has a good slope towards the back, so it should be relatively easy to direct any surface water away from the foundation - much easier than if you had a totally flat lot.
The (I guess) minor vertical cracks in the basement wall are easily fixed with an epoxy compound that is injected into the cracks, assuming the cracks are not growing. I had something similar in my previous house, noticed right after we moved in, and the epoxy-injection fix I mentioned held up for the 21 years we were in the house.


How to polish an old dull fiber shower+tub combo? I have a fiberglass bathtub and shower combo in a rental that's likely more than a decade old. The finish is very dull and feels almost matte to the touch. There are no noticeable scratches or peeling however. I've also made the mistake of using some pretty abrasive cleaners on it, which helped get rid of some tough stains, but probably killed whatever polish was left.
Outside of refinishing the tub what are some things that I can do to bring back the polish?
Would something like Gel-Gloss work?
Not only that, what are some ways to get all the hard to clean buildups off before I polish? Can I use bar keepers friend or is that too rough?

Here's what I did, while it doesn't give you the brand new tub experience, it is much cheaper and faster than a tub refinish, considering that DIY refinish is a pain and possibly a bad investment vs professional services($$$).
First clean with Bar Keepers Friend. Then dry everything
Next, use car rubbing compound with electric rotary polishers. I tried rubbing with my hands and it was not close to cutting it on the tub.
You can use different types of polishing pads from coarse to fine, and that really  gets the surface smooth feeling as well as get rid of some of the harder stains. It also helps with light scratches.
Finally, refinish with a car polish spray, it keeps a fairly waterproof finish on the surface to keep the tub cleaner longer.
The tub is finally presentable and a delight to bathe in, it will look clean and feel smooth, but perhaps I slacked a bit on the polishing, it doesn't have the shine.
Hope this helped someone who needed an in-between solution


Is there aluminum wiring in my vent fan? I just purchased and installed a new Panasonic FV-10NLF1 inline exhaust fan.  My house has copper wiring, but the wires on the fan appear to be aluminum (they are silver in color).  I didn't think anything was made with aluminum wire anymore.

What special considerations do I need to take when connecting the copper house wiring to the fan wires?

Sometimes with stranded wire, they will tin the ends with solder.  I would guess this is the case here since you're right that aluminum is not usually used. I think the only reason they do this is to keep the ends from fraying and keep it neat.

You can check for sure by stripping new ends.

I have never seen stranded aluminum, or anything less than 12awg used (most house wire is 14awg copper, which is a bit smaller). You can see in this picture the aluminum is slightly bigger:

I would also be very surprised to see aluminum wire since it requires special wire nuts (co/alr rated) and an anti-oxidant paste (eg, Noalox) to connect.

If it's just tinned copper, you can twist and wire nut to a regular standed wire, just treat it like a normal copper wire.


How can I repair the chuck on my cordless drill? I have a cordless drill, over the years the chuck has moved further away from the body of the drill, opening up a large gap. It no longer fits in my toolbox!

Black and Decker KC1282F Cordless Drill

How are these keyless chucks attached? Can I remove and re-attach the chuck so that it sits flush with the body of the drill?

Update:

I tried the method in Hightower's answer, which, it is now clear, is the correct procedure.

However the screw appeared to be a Torx screwhead. Here's what happened when I tried to turn it clockwise (by hand, using a normal sized screwdriver) ...

:-(

I may have to buy a suitable bit for an impact driver. Or wait for the chuck to fall off whilst I am drilling. Or just buy a new drill.

The chuck will most likely not be press fitted onto the shaft, meaning that hammering will not work to get the gap away.

the chuck actually screws onto the drill shaft (reverse thread -  counter-clockwise to tighten) So what you need to do is the following:

Open the chuck fully, and look into the chuck opening - can you see a screw or Allen key? ... if so, remove the screw/bolt.
get one of your biggest Allen/hex keys and insert into the chuck (short side first) and tighten the chuck jaws around the key.
Turn the key clockwise until the chuck jaws are back to the original position.
Replace the screw/bolt.

if you cannot turn, you may want to place the drill on a hard surface and knock the key with a hammer a few times to see if it turns.


What corrosion protection for nails, screws and bolts? Would someone please care to explain the pros and cons of galvanized (hot & electro), stainless, zinc plated, spray (cold) galvanized, and (paint?) coated fasteners?
There seem to be different preferences and prohibitions for the type of wood (PT, ACQ) and the environment. For instance, carriage bolts come hot dip galvanized, but play structures come with coated bolts. Roofing nails come both hot dip and electro. Even indoor framing is done with galvanized nails.
Some last longer, others have better threads, some loose their protection upon driving/striking  etc... and I am not sure what is hype, what is real, what I can get away with, and what is required.
For those willing to put in the effort of a good write-up, I appreciate a thorough and balanced answer. This forum still beats all sorts of blogs and other writings because readers here can follow-up with questions, rebuttals, and clarifications.

Stainless Steel
If you want the best in corrosion protection, pick a metal that is difficult to corrode. Stainless steel is not impossible to corrode (there are various grades of stainless), but it survives in any outdoor environment and usually stays as shiny as the day you bought it. It even survives the highly corrosive environment inside pressure-treat wood.
The cons? It's a much softer metal than its regular steel cousin. If you need serious structural support, stainless is not the way to go (this is why stainless nails really aren't much of a thing). You also want to pre-drill holes (unless you buy the nice non-drill variety) because you can strip regular stainless screws far more easily.
Galvanized
There's two kinds

Electro galvanized is meant for indirect moisture contact like roofing (where the nail isn't directly exposed, but it could get some moisture). This is the weaker of the galvanized because the process doesn't get much zinc on the fastener
Hot-dipped is the far more common. It comes in all sorts of fasteners and can even be used for water pipe (not as good as plastic, but it'll work)

Because they're steel, you can find these in pretty much any type of fastener. Galvanized slows the process down by coating the fastener (usually steel) in zinc. As such, the zinc coating needs to corrode first before the underlying steel corrodes. But these still corrode, and they corrode fairly quickly in any place they are exposed to moisture. Don't use these anywhere you want to avoid visible rust.
Painted
Depends a lot on the paint. What you want are screws that have a semi-gloss finish (the gloss resists moisture better). These will still corrode (the threads will have their coating stripped when you screw them in), but they are generally designed to last a very long time (they are most commonly sold as deck screws). Beyond that, painted is usually slightly above galvanized in price and tends to be less prone to displaying rust (because the head is coated).
Also look for powder coating. This provides a superior paint grade as well, but it's a less-touted feature.
Other
There are some other types of coatings as well. I'm not sure what GRK/Tapcon uses in their screws but they don't tout any of the above. I doubt they're the only ones with a premium coating (GRK and Tapcon can be more expensive than stainless in some instances).
What to use?
If you're building a fence, galvanized is the cheapest (largely due to you have the option of nails). Galvanized will also offer you steel bolts, for which there isn't much substitute if you need structural support.
Screws offer more types of fastener (including the coveted stainless) and a wider variety of costs as well. I prefer screws because they often drive in easily with a power driver and you can always re-torque them if they work out of the material. I find painted work fairly well for a decent price (in fact I only keep painted ones around in longer sizes for small projects because they're only slightly more expensive than their un-coated brethren).


How do I diagnose an open circuit where several outlets are not working? Breaker tips the second I turn it on. Exactly 5 outlets aren't working. None of the outlets are CFCI, all look like the one in the picture, but others outlets aren't next to light switches and have panels over them. All lights and everything else is working. No apparent damage to the outlets. These outlets used to work fine with no issues. The only recent change was I connected a toaster oven to this outlet, but the problem started a couple days later. I took the plate off of the outlet and it looks fine. The light switches next to it work fine. The other 4 outlets aren't damaged and used to work fine.

What I've tried:

Remove everything from the outlets
Replace the breaker

EDIT:
Is this the issue? This wire looks burned here on this outlet.
EDIT2:
It was the issue. I removed the outlet and the breaker stays on now and other outlets work.

Broken wires don't trip breakers, they just cause outlets to stop working. An insta-tripping breaker means a genuine short circuit aka bolted fault. (lots of things are incorrectly called that, but this really is that).

I don't think the toaster oven had anything to do with it.  IF it had failed immediately AND it had failed "open" (outlets stopped working but breaker held), then yes.  But not in this case.

You need to check every outlet (that is now off).   Look for burning, arcing or spalling. Look on side screws, especially those sticking way out because nobody ran them down,  too-long wires sticking out of backstabs, ground wires, and sides of metal boxes.

The most common is the bare ground wire gets too close to a hot screw or contacts a too-long backstab wire.


What's my health situation like living in an exposed fiberglass insulation for 2 weeks My attic floor is covered with fiberglass insulation. I go to the attic very often. Sorting out winter/summer clothes. Or I go up to search for stuff as my attic is a short term storage.

2 weeks ago, we had water damage up in the attic which softened the floor and the ceiling of my son's room. A quarter of the ceiling collapsed and exposed some of fiberglass insulation. To dry up the wetness, windows were opened all the time. I am worried that particles of the fiberglass are all spread out throughout the house, through the ventilation, and my family may have been inhaling it for too long (2 weeks).

My hubby had a severe nose bleed the other day which required him to seek urgent help. At the hospital, they found out his big vein had burst. The bleeding only stopped after his nose was cultured . Now I wonder if we have all accumulated a handful of fiberglass in our lungs.  In particular I'm worried about my son's health in particular as he's only 14 years old. I have been having some pinching-like discomfort in my chest down to my abdomen and funny feeling in my mouth; a burning sensation.

I do not know if we should be at home while the ceiling will be ripped off... is it risky?

Insurance is carrying out the repairs.  Anything else I have to be aware off?

Disclaimer that this is only my experiences with it

Fiberglass is mostly an irritant to your skin. Unlike it's far more dangerous cousin, asbestos, fiberglass is not something that is fatal if you're merely exposed (there are various mentions of it being a possible risk, but I've not seen anything saying X exposure raises your cancer risk by Y).

That all having been said, you don't want to breathe the stuff if you can help it. I had to unexpectedly work with some once and had a cough for a couple of days. I've tried to wear the simple respirator masks since. I put some fiberglass in my attic last summer and, with a respiration mask, I had no problems.

If I were you, I would not be at home until the ceiling drywall is replaced, and I would try to get that done first. Once the interior ceiling is enclosed, you should be good to clean out the house. The fibers are fairly large and most simple filtration can catch it. Change all your HVAC filters and invest in some respiration masks while you clean the place out. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and maybe clean your carpets as well.

Going into the attic isn't a risk, incidentally. Fiberglass is only risky when you're moving it around. If it's stationary, and has been for some time, it's fine.


How do I soundproof a room behind an open doorway with little room for a proper door? I've got a laundry room immediately behind a kitchen that will soon be doing double duty as a server room of sorts - a rack with a decent amount of computer gear is going into it.

If you know anything about rackmount equipment, you should know that it's generally loud. Imagine a few really good dust busters all running at the same time - that's what it sounds like.

I have two things working against me here:

Laminate flooring across 75% of the home that is an excellent sound reflector
The entrance to the room opens immediately into the kitchen, via an open doorway, which is centrally located in an open floor plan.

Result: The whole damn house can hear when this equipment is turned on.

And it's not just my computer equipment that's the problem here. A washer/dryer in the same room has the same problem in that it echoes out everywhere. To the point where you need to raise the volume on the living room TV when there's a load on.

With that in mind, I want to do some kind of sound isolation between this room and the kitchen. I don't care much about the sound through the walls, (thank god for good insulation) just that open doorway.

Putting an actual swinging or sliding door there probably wouldn't work. There's very little room on either side of the doorway for both rooms. That leads me towards a heavy sound-dampening curtain on both sides, but I question how effective that would be.

What should I be looking at, here?

You can add a pocket door-use an outside type door that way is is more dense. Mount it on a track inside the laundry room and slide to open or close. Whatever gap is there between the wall and door cut some trim or dense foam to fill it in..if you use the foam attach it to the door...If you do not have enough wall space maybe you could use two solid pine folding doors but take off the hinges and
 add top slides. And match or paint to the kitchen area......They will look very nice..


What materials do I need to fix these walls? (not even sure if it's actually drywall) The holes are right around the frame to a window. Not really sure how to fix it. It ended up like this after I removed anchors from the wall that the previous tenant left behind. Some of them were stuck in pretty deep.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Yes that is just drywall with joint compound.

To start you should secure the corner bead (the metal strip), just a screw in the hole nearest the open corner will suffice.

If there is any more loose joint compound or paint scrape it off now.

Then you can put spread new joint compound over the holes and the corner bead. When its dry, sand. You will probably need two coats to get it smooth.

This is a very easy repair and rather cheap. You can buy one of the small buckets of joint compound such as this one. At the cheapest a plastic putty knife (lowes link) (I'd get a proper metal one. You will use it again, and it is also good for scraping).

Last thing is just to prime and paint. (the painting will be the most expensive part).


How do i resurface my concrete patio? I'm trying to figure out the most cost effective way to repair my concrete patio. It survived for about 30 years but recently a portion of it has begun spalling pretty bad, so bad you cant really sit a chair on it. The slabs are 10' x 10' and around 5" thick. The slabs have settled slightly, but for the most part are pretty level. A small deck and ramp is built over part of it, and would make it difficult to pour a significant amount of concrete. I've read some bad reviews about concrete resurfacer that it won't last for more than a year, so what are my options?

i was also contemplating just covering it with deck tiles ...

I resurfaced my concrete patio with a combination of Mapei products.  It worked out great.  Concrete surfacing systems are really unforgiving if you make a mistake selecting and applying the products.  To make sure you are on the right track you definitely should ask your Mapei rep to recommend the correct products and techniques - that's what I did.

I've done two major concrete resurfacing projects and worked with concrete countertop craftsmen.  What I learned is that the chemistry is sufficiently complicated that it is unwise to use concrete surfacing systems without support from the factory.  There will be questions about precisely which product to use and how to use it that only the chemists at the factory know the right answer to.  And, if you're just guessing, you're putting your whole project at risk.

Talk to your Mapei rep, be thorough with selecting the right product, and judiciously follow the application instructions.  If you skip any of those steps, the chance of success is pretty low and the resurfacing will probably be ugly or peel or both.  On the other hand, every project I've seen that followed these steps has been a success.


Is it necessary to seal a newly patched basement floor in an old house? We recently had the basement drain system replaced in our 1930s bungalow. This required removing sections of the concrete floor and filling the parts that were removed with new concrete when the job was finished. The old portion of the floor has several layers of paint that have been applied over the years.

Do I need to seal the new concrete portions? Appearance does not matter. There are no plans for renovating or installing anything over this floor, as it is the laundry area of the house. I only intend to put a few rubber area mats on it to stand on.

If sealing is recommended, should I use a sealer or a paint, and if so which one? I think epoxy basement paint is overkill for this situation, and I'm worried about the toxic fumes from these paints. I saw GBS Penetrating Sealer recommended on another forum, but I am fine with leaving the floor as it is if that's a viable option. However, if some sort of sealing is required I'd like the least invasive option.

Thanks

No it's not necessary. Sealers protect the concrete aesthetically and help keep it from soaking up oil etc. Since you don't care what it looks like then you don't need to seal it.


PIR/PUR laminated panels...sources? Similar products? (Interior insulated panels) We have a 1/2 story that was cheaply finished prior to us moving in. Looking into it, it looks like we have 4-5" of fiberglass bat insulation in the ceiling which is, if we're lucky, something like r-12. Certainly not ideal for our 90 degree summers and -10 degree winters here in MN.

Since the place has to be remodeled anyways, I'm toying with the idea of ripping down all the sheetrock, then putting up 1 or 2" XPS, then re-sheetrocking. That should give us an extra 5 or 10 in r-value. Still not ideal, but better.

I've been doing more research on PIR panels. These appear to be better than XPS in the r-value department with a value of 7 per inch.

I then came across this product:

http://www.bombayharbor.com/Product/24725/Pur_Or_Pir_Sandwich_Panels_P_Vd_Ribbed_Surfaced.html

Anyone know where to source this in the US? Or similar products? I like the idea of an insulated panel that has a finished exterior already. It's a) taking up less space (more room for insulation) and b) seems great for a lazy person like me.

Obviously, this example was designed for exteriors, but I do like the industrial corrugated metal look and would consider it for interior use. Alternatively, anyone know of similar type products?

These type of insulated panels are popular in timber frame and log style houses.  There are several American sources and brands available.  A good example of these panels is from a company in Texas, check out this site:  http://www.arcat.com/arcatcos/cos33/arc33294.html  Good luck.


Second Pressure releif valve in hot water system? My water heater has a pressure releif valve attached to the top, with a downspout that drains on to the floor. There is a second release valve on the hot water distribution pipes, this one drains to the ground outside. what is the purpose of this second valve? Is it a code requirement?
My intuition is that is is designed to trip before the heaters release valve so water is blown off outside instead of on the basement floor. The distribution release valve is set to 125 psi, but I can't find a set point labeled on the heaters valve.

I have not heard of a TPR valve being required outside or further away from the water heater there would be less of a chance of valve opening for temperature the further away it was from the heater. I have seen reliefs on hydronic systems at a lower pressure to protect the embedded plumbing but not water heaters. Possibly a work around for a drain that the one at the water heater did not have.


Dripping hand held shower head in off position My handheld (stand-alone) shower head constantly drips, so I bought another unit that would not fit. After the third unit, the instructions said I needed a vacuum breaker. I'm not even sure if a vacuum breaker or backflow valve will stop the leak.

One guy said I need a new faucet valve, and another said "no". Also, I have a metal ball on the pipe from the wall, so I found an adapter to hopefully use if I can figure out this vacuum breaker problem. The guys in hardware & home improvement stores give me mixed answers. The short question, I guess, is can the absence of a backflow valve or vacuum breaker cause a leak?

The vacuum breaker is there to prevent dirty water from contaminating the fresh water supply in the (unlikely) event you were to drop the hand-held unit into standing water at the bottom of your shower enclosure while at the same time there was a drop in city supply pressure (like due to a fire engine pulling from a hydrant on your street). Your equipment will function perfectly fine without one.

Any leak/drip from anywhere downstream from the control valve(s) would mean the the valve(s) need servicing (not necessarily replacement). If you post a new question with pictures of the handle(s)/knob(s) we might be able to help you fix it.


HansGrohe lacuna faucet low water pressure I have a Hans Grohe Lacuna faucet.  We love it, but it's started to run slow recently.  There's a filtered water tap that uses the same cold water supply, and it's running fine.  I assume it's the faucet.  I cleaned out the aerator, but that seems to not have fixed anything.

The Lacuna (and possibly other faucets) has a backflow check valve assembly in the hose.  There is a lacuna_maintenance pdf from hansgrohe that shows how to clean it.  No tools needed, other than maybe a small brush for cleaning.  Details not in the maintenance sheet:

the blue cap thing has an o-ring.  It's tiny; be careful to do any work over a plugged sink to not lose it down the drain.
the two white things are backflow valves.  Mine were so sticky that the valve was stuck.  Only after cleaning did i realize they were valves.
if you’re dirty enough that you have low pressure, rinsing with water probably won't fix you, you'd need a stiff bristle brush to actually get any detritus off.


two hot wires into a capacitor I have a non-working oscillation 3-speed fan. After some detective work, I found that both wires going into the start capacitor are hot. Is this what it should be?

There are three wires, maybe four (3 speed plus neutral), going into the motor coil and two wires coming out of it. These two wires go to each end of a capacitor. The capacitor is rated at 1.5 uF. I tested it and it was 1.2 uF. So, I bought a new one to replace it. After the replacement, the fan still wouldn't work. I checked the two wires and found that both were hot. I don't think this is what it should be, correct?

Don’t start changing the wires!
Those pens are not a good way to troubleshoot.
Don’t start shotgunning parts without some basic troubleshooting.
For example I have a 3 speed fan that worked great all summer. One cool day we turned it off, another day it would not turn on at any of the speeds. I unplugged it opened it and spun the blades , they were stiff, it did not turn a full 360. I dribbled some light oil in the bearing close to the blades while turning by hand it freed up. I continued very slowly adding oil and spinning , wiped the excess oil and put it back together. The fan still works every day my grandson turns it on after school to see if it still works.

In my experience small fan motors fail because of dry bearings almost never the switch or capacitor. I have brought dozens if not hundreds of fans to life using light oil (will get slammed but wd40 works to get thing moving) 3 in 1 is better but a simple 30 weight oil will also work and last longer but takes a little get to get things free.


Finding an Electrical -- Break? Open? -- Caused by a Rodent I had a problem with squirrels in the eves of of my "built in 1905" (i.e. old) house.  The squirrels ended up chewing through an electrical wire, and I lost power to my front porch light, and entire upstairs.

I've taken care of the squirrels and their entry points (for now anyway -- see old house)

I've had an electrician over who was able to partially restore power by doing -- something?  I think they terminated/looped back the power earlier in the circuit. They told me that the short was somewhere further down the line, and since they didn't have access the only way to find the problem was to start taking down the walls -- which they didn't do.  So I have power to my floor outlets, but not to the lighting system.

How do I approach fixing this?  When I call handymen or electricians they quickly get that "this looks/sounds complicated, time consuming, impossible to estimate, with no clear win" look on/in their face/voice and I don't hear back from them.  Is there a specific sort of professional I need to look for?  If I wanted to fix it myself how would I go about doing that in the least destructive way possible?

I'm not a pro, but I'd be doing continuity testing. With a multimeter or other such tool and a few lengths of stranded wire, I'd test each conductor (black, white, bare ground) between known points on the same circuit. Once you have that you can trace it or run new wires.

You'll want a non-contact voltage tester to be safe.


Electric Lawnmower - Is The Problem With the Mower or the Extension Cord? I have an electric lawnmower that's about 8 years old.  I use a 100-foot extension cord with it that's probably 20 years old.  While mowing the other day, I smelled a faint electrical smell.  When I finished, I noticed that one of the holes on the end of the extension cord where it plugs into the mower was black and slightly melted (see photo).  The corresponding prong on the mower was a bit blackened as well (see photo, though it's kind of hard to see).

Melted extension cord:

Lawnmower plug:

I assume that either the mower or the extension cord has a major problem.  My main question is which one?  Is there an easy way to tell?  Is one inherently more likely than the other?  Is there some kind of test I could run that wouldn't be dangerous to whatever else I was plugging in?

Obviously, I'd rather replace the extension cord than the mower, but I don't want to get a brand new extension cord and have that melt too, the first time I use it.

Thanks again for your help!

The connector is worn and/or damaged.

The best solution is to replace both connectors (male and female). This is easy for the extension cord but you may need to order a spare-part for the lawnmower connector.

As an alternative, You could probably hard-wire a line connector rated for outdoor use (wet conditions) but you'd need to open up the lawnmower connector and make modifications to remove the existing connector and provide strain relief for the new short cable to the line-connector.

Typical outdoor-rated unearthed line-connector for (double-insulated) lawnmowers etc used in the UK. There will be equivalents for US and other countries.


Can I use leveling compound between plywood and cement backer board? I'd like to install slate tiles over a pre-existing plywood floor. The plywood floor is 3/4" and sits on joists.

There's a dip about 3/8" deep by 2 feet wide by 5 feet long. My plan was to fill it with self-leveling compound, before installing the cement backerboard and then the tiles. However, the guys at the tile store seem oddly negative about using self-leveling compound. Is there any reason not to? If so, what are my alternatives?

Yeah not sure I share their opinion. I did it 5 or 6 years ago and everything is still good. Just make sure that you use long enough screws in the area with the dip to hit the subfloor.


Hanging a shelf on a difficult wall My mother's very small bathroom has one wall she could use to put a small, 3 shelf unit (weight 10 pounds). But when we went to install it, we discovered that there is a sheet metal vent approximately 1" in back of the dry wall which is some kind of vent for the apartment building. So no anchors work. Is there anything anyone else can think of that we can mount the shelf with? The toilet is on that wall and there is virtually NO horizontal space on either side ... otherwise we would have done one of those shelving units that stand around the toilet.

You might be able to use an "EZ Anchor" (that is a brand name but there are other makers). They are only about 1 1/4" long and you can even shorten them by cutting off the tip if needed, to accommodate for restricted clearance behind the wall.
They hold plenty of weight for lightweight shelving and knick-knack type stuff (I would not use them to support a TV).

So... 1/2" for the drywall, a bit for the thickness of the shelving unit, plus an inch of space between wall and vent, they should work perfectly and you can get them at almost any hardware store. Please shop at your local mom-and-pop store and buy American made products when possible! :)


How do I remove the carbon brush holders from my HD 77 Skil saw? How do I remove  carbon brush holders from a Skil Saw model HD-77 ?  I have removed the set screws from the casing that retain the brush holders.  The The motor casing is split to view the holders better, but I am unable to remove the holders. What is the best way to remove the holders without damaging anything?

It is not quite clear to me why you want to remove the brush holders. Normally the brush replacement does not require much saw dis-assembly at all. You simply remove the cap part (item #46) and remove and replace the brush.

From looking at the exploded parts diagram it appears that the brush holder (item #50) is simply press fit in place and secured with the set screw (item #56). The brush holder does appear to have a notch on the edge for aligning the holder to the proper orientation in its seating in the cast housing. So it is very likely that the holder must be removed by pulling it straight out.

Before removal of the brush holder it would be necessary to understand how the electrical wire connections to the motor assembly connect to the holder and disengage that connection. Those connections are circled in red above.

If the brush holder is not able to be freely pulled out because it is siezed into the casting seat it may be necessary to make a tool to assist in working it loose. This could be done by making a hardwood stick that has a cross sectional dimension that matches that of the brush. A stick that was six or eight inches long could be inserted into the holder from the outside and used to apply some side to side rocking force on the holder to work it loose.


How do you choose when to use oil vs latex paint? In what situations should oil paint be used, instead of latex paint?

Oil has a lot of advantages for other reasons.

One is it looks better. Many of my customers have spent a lot of money on "high-end" latex paints, and once it was up and they saw another friend's house with oil, they still wanted the oil. Not all people obviously. But the solid heavy body feel is an issue.

Another issue I run into is, being a painter, you realize when you do a lot of homes over time that people are all transient, especially in Florida. So I do a lot of condos and houses that once people get into they do not know what was there. I run tests on the older paint and often in rentals there is a mixture of paint so I cannot estimate within the budget and re-prime or strip the whole house trim.

So oil is a great solution, it looks solid and it will always adhere, so it looks good and no one calls me back when the latex peels.

You cannot make these ridiculous promises with latex when most often any problems with latex are that it's cheap looking within a year or two, and the people notice the thin layer, and it scratches and peels with not much hardening - it is soft.

When you get to the unit or project fresh I would start with primer and latex when I'm in control of whats there, but often in my projects with re-paints you got to work with what is there and within a budget.

Sometimes owners will give me a thumbs up to re-prime, sand, and re-work all the doors and trim. That takes time, and I'm still not convinced all primer and latex systems over old paint will adhere well, not without stripping it down or heavy sanding and a thorough cleaning.

Most often, I see problems with painting, it is poor prep or latex involved. Very rarely will you see oil-based fail in adhesion. It is always reliable as a solid authentic painted finish, it just goes with the craftsmanship of an old fashioned real painter. When someone gets a painter in their home, they are not looking for a pre-painted factory Wal Mart painted in China pre-fab finish. I mean, you can order vinyl pre-painted baseboards or something similar like that - they sell temporal items like fake wood or synthetic furniture that mimic wood or sprayed pieces, mimic the original look of an item/piece. With a hand painter they want that feel and appeal, it just is real and better. They still want that certain look.

Latex has gotten way better but it still lacks a certain quality. Latex is good as well for painting two coats in the same day, but I can totally tell the difference on many types of surfaces in its body and the touch.

And years later when you go back to a home that has had oil it looks solid still, maybe yellows some but it is solid - any paint will need to be re-painted years later anyway (Porter Glyptex oils most often earliest in my experience).

Oil is superior by far for many reasons. The problem comes in when people that have painted over it never prepped it right, or failed in converting.

Oil in and of itself, when done right, the best. IF you do a home a oil, follow up the next time with oil again, have your painter touch it up with the same product. That is another major key, not to mix and match too much, you need to keep good records and use the same paint if possible, it can save you a lot of headaches and a lot of painters in the future will differ on opinion and may sway you. Just be consistent and you will have painting bliss. And if you have a situation where there is a mix and match oil will save the burden and a bundle on tripping and re-doing. Some may have the money and not mind and can afford to rebuild and redo everything, then just renovate the whole unit in question if you are that wealthy.

You see oil has practical use, a solid traditional solution, a hard core absolute thing. There are even more good pro's to oil, I can think of more but this is enough to chew on for now.

Latex is finer but I was reading here on this page someone saying they had no idea why oil these days and I believe I come across a lot of situation where its a win-win for me and my customers if I can save them some time and money. Of course sometimes thinking of others and being honest leaves me not so wealthy , but there is a higher calling to this as well.

Just saying, but my customers are always happy with extra money in their pockets and accounts, so I did the right thing than, "I hope".


Can I float a tongue-and-grooved 1x12 pine floor over a concrete slab on grade? I have bare concrete floor that was, until recently, covered with carpet. After recently seeing a friend of mine purchase raw pine, shape the tongue-and-groove himself, and seal it to achieve a wonderful result, I wanted to do the same. The difference is that he was nailing directly to an existing wood floor, and I'm going over a concrete slab on grade.

I'm leaning toward a floating installation because I'm doing it myself, so it's less cost and less effort. Almost everything I've seen is suggesting that the strata should look like so (From bottom to top):

concrete slab
moisture barrier
3/4" plywood (fastened to concrete)
moisture barrier
hardwood nailed to plywood

However, I'm thinking that I'm going to run into issues with door clearances using this approach. Can I use thinner plywood in layer 2? Or my alternative thinking:

concrete slab
moisture barrier
hardwood glued at t&g joints

Does this approach make sense? What are the potential issues? Does gluing the joints help or hurt?

You can float wood flooring installs over concrete. Moisture is your primary enemy here, and uneven concrete will also be evident in the finished result.

I would consider painting on a moisture barrier, and then using a moisture/sound/mold/mildew/pad atop that.

You should absolutely glue the joints. Set the first three courses straight and true and let the glue dry overnight. Afterwards, glue each joint and use blue painter's tape every few courses to hold them together.

An uneven floor will show up more if your wood isn't beveled, and you'll notice dips with "springiness" in the finished wood floor.


40LB TV Mounted on Drywall using 6 Plastic Anchors. WILL THIS FALL? The 55' tv is 38.8 lbs and I used 6 drywall anchors rated for 80lbs. I hung it 24 hours ago at a friends house, and I've been nervous since reading contradictory information online. Having only done wood studs in the past, here I encounted metal studs and didn't have the tools to get into them. IS this an ok solution?

This website ( https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-hang-anything-on-anything ) Makes me feel that it should be ok, but many ppl on reddit from the plamsa tv days have horror stories.

Yes, you'll be fine. The TV won't fall off the wall unless the drywall itself fails (i.e. water damage or earthquake) or someone hangs off of it.


How should pressure treated wood post foundations be protected? I am planning on building a 3.5 by 4m garden shed/workshop, and I am thinking that I'll construct it on pressure treated wood post foundations.

I have some 100x100mm pressure treated pine posts. My plan is to paint on some end grain protection, and dig them into a hole lined and backfilled with crushed stone. My thinking being that the crushed stone will prevent moisture from pooling next to the wood. What are people's thoughts on that? Is the gravel idea even necessary with pressure treated wood? Would I be better with concrete in the hole? Is there anything else I might not have thought of? (Well, the answer to that is yes!)

Some background: I'm on the east coast of Scotland so it's not the driest, I've never seen water pooling in my intended location but my reason for building is that an existing shed has rotted away to nothing. It had been built on untreated timber placed straight on the ground, so far as I can tell.

I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US where it is also fairly damp. In 2000 my neighbor and I built a 140 ft long stretch of fence between our properties. For materials we using 6"x6" 8ft pressure treated Douglas fir posts every 10 ft with a pair of 2"x6" 10ft p.t. cross members between each. The posts were rated for ground contact against insects and rot and came with a lifetime warranty.

After doing a fair amount of research, we ended up digging 3 ft deep holes and put about 4 inches of crushed gravel and a few hand-size rocks in the bottom of each. This is to raise the post above any standing water that might accumulate there. Since it's also very windy here certain times of the year and it tends to blow perpendicular to direction of the fence, we filled the holes with concrete.

Probably a bit of overkill, but it was so much work—especially digging the post holes in the rocky ground—we just wanted make sure it was done right. That's going on 17 years ago now and it's still standing and remains very sturdy.


Tiny screws/bolts/other fastener - what is it and how do I get it out? dont know what these fasteners are or how to remove them. Some kind of bolt i think.

Bolt head is totally smooth and round. Screws into a circular receptical with a tiny circular divit. Can't figure out what tool could get any traction on either the head or the receptical.

It's a rivet.  You can drill it out with a metal twist drill, countersink, or countersink deburring bit.


Cable fence vs deck rail We are replacing the fence between our front yard and the street. I am leaning toward having a stainless cable fence, but I don't really see them in the neighborhood. Almost every search I do leads to cable deck rails but not yard fences.

Is there a reason that this style of fence is not suitable for a yard perimeter? Maybe post spacing?

While some of the reasons are likely subjective, there do seem to be some technical reasons. Looking at the RailEasy Cable Railing as an example (it was simply the first result on google), it specifies a height of 36 or 42" and post spacing of 4', both of which are smaller / shorter than is typical in a yard perimeter fence install. Fence height tends to be 6' (72"), and post spacing is roughly 6' as well, at least in my area.

The linked cable railing does indicate longer spans are possible, though it requires extra hardware to keep the cables tensioned properly. You would either need (a lot) more posts or the extra hardware, both of which increase the price and labor involved.

Taller posts are presumably possible as well, and the 3" spacing of the cables could probably be relaxed for a fence install, though the forces on the wood might become a problem. Larger spacing could also present a risk for animals or children to get their head caught.

All that said, there is a practical reason that may be why you don't see these more. Many fences are designed to provide some element of privacy. Not all fences, of course, as there are chain link, wrought iron, white picket, etc which provide little, if any, privacy. Compared to your standard 6' cedar picket fence, though, these cable fences offer no privacy because they are essentially invisible. The near-invisibility is a big selling point when installed as deck railings, as it doesn't obscure your view off the deck, but may not be so great for a fence.

Edit: Just re-read your Question and realized you were talking about replacing a front-yard fence, so the above may not be entirely applicable. Front-yard fences tend to be shorter, so a 36" fence may be more appropriate, and you may not be looking for full privacy. Some of the other issues still pertain, and in this case, it may be down to aesthetics - from afar, a cable fence would look like a bunch of wooden posts stuck in the ground, which is probably a bit weird for your neighbors. The cables would only become visible as you drew closer.


Can I install storm door on the door frame? I want to install a storm door. But my door looks a bit different: it doesn't have something called "brick module". I'm quite confused, since storm door's manual always suggests to install the storm door on the brick module.

So my question: can I install the storm door on the part that I'm pointing at in picture 2? Is that part strong enough to hold the storm door?

Thanks a lot!

A little more info is needed to give any good answer. I can see what would be considered "brick mold" looks like it is extruded aluminum. The frame that you point to looks like it could be painted wood, but the angle at the top tells me it may not be wood at all, or perhaps it is clad in aluminum ??

Typically the storm door jamb screws into the face of the brick mold, just as you may already know. If the surface you point to is painted wood, the storm door jamb can go there, provided there is enough room at the door handle to not interfere with the operation of the new storm door and likewise the original door.

The angle at the top I referred to earlier may complicate the storm door jamb install.


Putting a plug on a light fitting I bought one of these: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50279373/

I would like to plug this in to the wall rather than hard wiring it in to the ceiling. Am I right in thinking I can connect this to a 3 pin UK plug (with a 3 amp fuse in it)? The cable only doesn't have earth but I'm not sure if this is a problem in this scenario?

Thanks!

I use a decorative chain to support the horizontal lamp cord:

This is called a swag  lamp in the USA.

Of course your installation would not have the vertical segment above the lamp. I have found that a decorative plastic chain is adequate in such cases.

Note that at the suspension points the cord remains within the chain and does not pass over the hooks. Hanging a lamp cord over a hook guarantees that it will eventually break.


Stuck keyed drill chuck I have an older Black and Decker KR650RE reversible hammer drill. I need to replace the chuck however the screw on the inside seems damaged. How can I remove the chuck.
Any help much appreciated. Thanks!

Gently tap an old screwdriver in there and consider it may be a left-hand thread.

Worked for me in the past.

That damage is due to drill bits spinning in the past when not the chuck was not sufficiently tightened.


Any idea what I'm drilling into? I'm trying to mount a TV in my basement. House was built in the 60's, and the basement used to be a bomb shelter, from what I've been told, but most of the cinderblock walls were taken out. I'm trying to mount my TV on the wall, and when I drill in, I drill through the drywall, before hitting a hard spot. With a wood drill bit, I can apply extra force, and it will force in, but soon after, I hit a hollow area. I can't get lag bolts to tighten, as they start to go in somewhat tight but eventually I start feeling a grinding sensation and they end up getting loose before they are fully in.

Am I drilling into old Cinder block? It doesn't feel like the hard area I'm drilling in is very thick... maybe 1/2-3/4 of an inch, which seems too thin to be a cinder block. TV is ~70 pounds, am I safe to mount it there? Should I use anchors? One side of the TV will be mounted into a standard wood stud, so will that likely provide enough support?

Cinderblocks, as you call them, are also known as concrete masonry units (CMU). The “wall” thickness of CMU’s is 1 1/4”, so it’s probably not CMU’s if you think it’s 1/2” - 3/4” thick.

Could be plaster...it’s about 3/4” - 7/8” thick. Or, it could be thin coat plaster over wallboard. Usually the wallboard is 1/2” thick and very hard (dense) plaster about 1/16” thick is applied directly to the wallboard.

Plaster, thin coat plaster, wallboard, etc. are not structural and would not be suitable to support your TV.

I’d look for another stud and follow the manufacturer’s recommendation about connecting into studs. (Do they give an alternate installation layout using a piece of plywood that spans from two studs?)


Bedroom not getting enough heat I have a dedicated HVAC unit for the rooms on the second floor of my house.  A bedroom at the opposite side to where the HVAC unit sits doesn't get enough AC or heat.  Right now, in winter, that room could be 10 degrees cooler than other bedrooms on the same level.  I confirmed the vents are open in the room.  It seems not enough hot air is reaching that room.   What could be the problem?

There's a supply vent that seems to disproportionately and needlessly heating the hallway and top of the stairwell.  I tried to close the vent but that didn't improve the situation in the cold bedroom.

Try closing all of the other vents, this should blast that room. If not, then that room's duct is either grossly improper, has a blockage or the ducting has separated. If it does blast that room, & hopefully it does, then you'll want to keep that configuration for the most part. It's called Balancing & you'll want to just crack the other rooms & hall to a little bit more open for an equal or Balanced distribution or you may find that just 1 vent (hall) really affects the Balancing. You'll have to remove the grills that don't close & block them with cardboard inside the fully re-attached grill for testing or Balancing & also to repair their operation or replace them.


Where is the grounding in this fixture box We are replacing a light fixture and I removed the old one and am having trouble understanding the grounding here.
There are 3 twisted together copper wires up there that you can see in the photo.
Are these the grounding? Or is the fixture itself grounded?

There are 3 twisted together copper wires up there that you can see in
the photo.

Yes the bare copper wires are the ground wires.
You will connect the ground from your fixture to them. It appears there at least 3 of them so you will need a larger wire nut, a red one for 3 wires or a green one for 4 wires. (Wire nuts are color coded by size, you will probably need the green)

Or is the fixture itself grounded?

Fixtures are only grounded when they are connected to the grounding of the electrical system of the building.
Twist on wire connectors Wiki.
Per Ed Beal's comment:
It difficult to see if the box is connected to the ground wires. If not you can use the Greenie, it a green wire nuts with a hole in it for a single wire. That single wire can then be attached to a screw on the box. You can find YouTube videos on how to use them.
If a metal box is grounded as it should be then depending on how the fixture is set up it will determine how the ground connection is completed. You may need to attach the ground wire from the fixture to a screw in the box or it may have its ground wire connected to its mounting bar and that bar will be touching the metal box, thereby making the ground connection.


60A subpanel service - when does it trip? I am looking at running new 60A subpanel to my shed. According to what I understand from the electrician, there will be two HOT wires and neutral wire running on 6/3 wire.

My question is, since the sub-panel will be supplied with a 60A @ 240V, will each hot wire allow 60A?
Will this allow me to load 120amps @ 120V before it trips?

Further information:
I will be running 3 x 20A circuits at 120V from the subpanel. I am expecting to have a ~42A continuous load , (14 amp per circuit). If in the future I wish to add additional circuits, I don't want to have to run another wire.

The double pole common trip breaker will trip when either pole exceeds 60amps.  Double pole breakers are common trip, therefore if one side trips then both poles trip.

So  drawing .5 amps @120v on one leg, and 61 amps @120v on the other, is a trip condition--and because it's common trip, both sides will go off.

However you could pull up to 60 amps on both lines, as long as 60 is not exceed on either.


How do I fix a water pipe leak? My dog has a leash that is by our back porch. About 3 feet over, there's a pipe that goes into the ground. One day she got her leash wrapped around it and started pulling at it. Ever since then, there's been a giant puddle in that area. It emits a nasty sewage-like smell, but it's a pipe that runs from the kitchen. I'm not entirely sure what to do about it or how to go about fixing it. It's becoming a major issue, but I sense that it is an easy fix if I just know how to go about it. Any help?

With out a more detailed description of the pipe it will be difficult to answer precisely, but here is a general, "good for most" answer. Since you can detect a sewer odor you can assume the pipe is either a vent or a drain for the kitchen. I'll also assume that it is a plastic (ABS) pipe as you stated it broke after it was pulled on (unless it is very weak iron?). Either  way the repair is straight forward. You must cut the damaged section out so that when removed you will have sound sections of pipe to fit the repair too. It is probably 2 inch diameter ABS. Purchase (2) rubber pipe connectors (they should have hose clamps on them) and a length of pipe (ABS) the size of the damaged pipe. Slip one coupler on the new section and the other to the existing pipe (use dish soap as a lubricant). hand tighten and check for drips.


How do you get the board foot of special shapes How do I calculate the board foot of different shapes other than squares and rectangles? To be more specific, I want to learn to calculate for trapezoids, triangles, cylinders. I dont know much about woodwork so please go easy on term, etc. Thanks!

Board foot is 12x12x1 inches, so 144 cubic inches, so calculate volume in cubic inches (see your geometery teacher/look up online) and divide by 144.

BUT!

If you want to know "how many board feet I need to buy to make (whatever odd shape of whatever volume)" you'll need to go back to rectangular prisms since lumber is sold in rectangular pieces. And even making rectangular pieces, some waste is expected getting from the rough lumber to the finished product.


How would I go about leveling a sagging floor? I had all my kitchen cabinets refaced last year.  I than decided to replace the counters with granite.  When the guy from the counter company came out he did some leveling test. I am putting counters on three sections of counters.  It seem that one side of my kitchen is higher than the rest.  He suspects the floor is unlevel and it is out of the 3/4 variance he can correct by shims. Two sides of the cabinets are on outside walls.

My basement is finished was remodeled a couple years back. I am really wanting to know what my options are how I would level the floor without tearing up what I already finished. What is the average and what type of skill set should I reaching out to get this solved?

There are two ways to fix this.

have the cabinets installed correctly.  They should have been shimmed to at least very close to level.  This is basically a one day job and isn't rocket science.  You unscrew cabinets and shim them.  Front bases have to be redone.  If someone installed these for you I would call that company to come back out.
install plywood over cabinets.  Have it planed/sanded to meet the needs (this will be difficult).


Repairing furniture finishes How can I tell if furniture is finished with lacquer or enamel in order to repair the finish? I'd like to paint a natural wood finish using an enamel spray paint that includes primer.

Point of order, the term enamel is a tricky one. For the purposes of this conversation, lets just say that enamel is the generic name for any paint that has had an additional hardener added to it. Finishes, outside the automotive world, don't really have enamel per say. Not important just clarifying.

You can go through the process of finding out what your finish is if you want to be thorough (there's any number of resorces on the internet on how to do this) but really when you're refinishing there's only two things to worry about-

A: will the new finish react with the old finish, and

B: will the new finish stick to the old one.

On the first point, its unlikely that you as DIYer (no offense) will have access to anything that will reactivate a descent wood finish, especially a factory finish. That means adhesion is your primary concern. Start with a thorough sanding with 280 to give the existing finish some tooth. If you find any areas where the finish is failing, sand or scrape off the loose bits. Blow off the dust and wipe with a tack cloth or rag dampened with turpentine. Now give it a good coat of a shellac based primer or sanding sealer. Do NOT use paints that have a primer included. They don't cover as well as regular paint, and they definitely don't prime and seal as well as dedicated primers. Plus they aren't shellac based which is what you want because it will stick to almost anything you put it on and will not react with anything you put on top of it. Best of luck!


Change AC Filter size Our central air furnace/cooler (Lennox Elite CH33-42B-2F) takes 4" filters. They can work out quite expensive, so my question is, will the system work just as well if I change to standard 1" filters, or is there something else in the equation that I'm not considering? (fitment isn't an issue - I'd use a 3" blanking frame)

I favor the thick filter. We have a SpaceGuard filter unit with pleated paper filters (Aprilaire No 201) and I think this yields a superior filtration without excessive restriction. I change it once a year.

The thicker filter is better if it is the right one for your unit, i.e., it is not too restrictive. Some people put a filter on which is too restrictive and this puts excessive load on the circulation fan motor. Our system has been in service for 25 years with the original blower motor.

The fan on the condensing unit quit last year and our HVAC service replaced it.


How to connect two track lights I would like to connect two tracks (Example H-Track). Only the first track has access to a power source (Connector used). I know that there are adapters that which would connect two tracks directly to each other. However, the tracks are further apart and there is a wooden beam in-between them.
Is it possible to connect the two tracks with two live-end adapter through wires (which I could snake through the attic space)? I was thinking of using two of these and connect them to each other: live end connector

Is this an entirely bad or even dangerous idea?

What are my options if the proposed idea is not recommended?

Thank you very much for all your help!

You should be able to do this

Given that a "live end connector" appears to be usable for feeding power into a section of lighting track, there appears to be no reason you cannot use two live ends and a section of NM (or whatever other Chapter 3 wiring method is suitable for your application) to connect two sections of lighting track together.


Hold down flaps of plastic sheets on exterior shed I have a new wood shed for storing firewood. One problem is that rain and snow can blow into the shed and get the wood wet, so I am thinking of hanging some thick plastic sheeting over the front of the shed to protect from water. The problem is how to secure the flaps.
One obvious strategy is to use hook and eye. You install eyes in the plastic and put hooks in the bottom of the shed and the eyes are put on the hooks to hold the sheet down. The problem is that to put eyes in the plastic properly I would need either or grommet punch or I would have to fool around with a peening hammer, which could get messy.
So, I am looking for alternatives.

Grommet kits sold in hardware stores (Ace, Home Depot, your local independent store) will generally include everything you need: grommets, punch, and anvil. E.g. something like this:

That said, even heavy duty plastic may not last more than a year or two outdoors. Between wind and UV, it'll get torn up pretty quickly. You might find that oilcloth or similar is a better choice if you're looking for covering.
And that said, you might want to reconsider whether it's worth doing all this work. Covering the sides of the shed will interfere with air flow which helps dry the wood. And in my experience, even on a windy day, the amount of moisture that actually gets on wood that's under cover is reasonably minimal. It doesn't soak in very far, and it dries out pretty quickly.
I would go through a heating season or even two first, to see whether the weather is really a problem.