Are there any new and/or innovative quality countertop products on the market? Are there any new and/or innovative quality countertop products on the market that are easier to work with and not as heavy as quartz? For example, something like NSF certified "richlite" which is a  paper composite material that's extremely durable, robust and lightweight. Those types of characteristics but also look good too.
subsequent to this question being "closed", which I disagree with, I found "Dekton" at home depot and got a sample. This is the type of material I am thinking of (new and light), but so far they only sell it through installers, at least at HD. It's called an "ultracompact surface" and comes as thin as 5/16" (8mm). I have a 3"x3"x5/16" sample and it has the look and feel somewhat of quartz. I couldn't scratch it with my razor knife. You can read reviews. It has pros and cons, but I like it. It's concrete based and seems very tough.

If you can figure out your design precisely - length, width, any odd corners, sinks, etc. - then I suggest taking a look at "solid surface" such as "cultured marble". Essentially some sort of resin with color and "stuff" mixed in. Reasonably hard - but not as hard or as heavy as stone (granite, quartz, etc.) and can be ordered in any shape/size. Depending on your area, you may be best off ordering through a big box store or "kitchen/bath design" place (some overhead built in, but they know the process to order things the right way and you have recourse if there are problems) or order direct. For a variety of reasons, I wouldn't recommend this type of surface as much for a kitchen, but for a bathroom it can be ideal, and doesn't (at least when I got it) cost a fortune. If you are OK with integral sinks then it works even better (just add faucet & plumbing and you are done), which is not an option with real stone or many other materials.
To clarify a bit, this type of material is DIY in the sense of installation. It is most definitely not DIY in terms of fabrication. You don't order it in 4 or 6 or 8 foot lengths and cut to size - you order exactly the length you need. You don't order it and then cut a big hole for a sink and drill small holes for the faucet - you order it with all those holes (and possibly an integral sink) molded into it.


Convert Light Switch to Light Switch + Outlet Combination I have a serious lack of outlets in my garage and that is a problem for a beginner carpenter.  I have a light switch by my workbench and was curious if I could change it to a combination outlet + switch?

The Regulated and safest answers is No.
The DIY answer is absolutely not.

Why?

Running carpenter machinery of even the smallest type will use a good 300Watts? Then to the large saw tables or routers that can be anything between 800Watt and 2000Watts..
It can cause an electrical fire and will void any insurance of any kind in any country.

Light Outlet

By building regulation these should be about 1200Watts maximum.. That is 12 100Watt lights bulbs that is easily achieved in 3 rooms with 4 fittings... Also these wires are usually 1.25mm core which is way to small for heavy loads!

Solution

You will have to pull a SEPARATE, or find a separate socket that is handled by 1 breaker for this heavy machinery.

It might take a bit of work but this will be the best and safest way to do it. Pulling power from your DB(Distribution Board) you can put a new 15Amp breaker(220Volt) on the supply phase giving you extra 3300Watts just for your heavy tools. You also want to make sure to have earth leakage connected as this is a life saver in many cases!And that is no joke.

You would pull that using a 5mm2 Solid copper core cable. You can run it along the outside of the wall or in tubing but it MUST be in a shielded coating. If you run it within pipes within the walls unshielded wire is fine.

TIPS

When working on the DB, turn off the Main incoming power, usually a big switch before the DB in newer installations of somewhere outside your house. This can seriously hurt you if you don't.

A DB box should be neatly wired, like this.

Earth leakage, a life saver! It is easy to install however it can be costly, but its worth it!

Cables, this flex cable is commonly used

Cables, a shielded copper core flex cable, for extra safety!

Alternatives

If you really really cannot do it the proper way for whatever reason then you must seriously think about some safety precautions when connecting to your light switch. At least put a breaker 5amp(@220v = 1000Watts) after the light switch stop overload if any and then wire a plug in. Sometimes you can buy Isolated plugs with build in fuses. Try not to exceed 5AMP. This is highly unrecommended though.


What kind of fastener do I need to attach this securely to the studs in my garage? So, my wife bought my daughter a "Home Gym Yoga Hammock" which is basically a large swing that she'll do exercises in.  The intention is to hang it from my garage studs so she has a place to work out; she's a dancer and her normal routines have been badly disrupted by the studio closure due to social distancing needs.

However, the installation video shows how to install it in concrete, and then cuts off right as it's about to cover how to install it to wood (sheesh...).  The included hardware is, I believe, concrete fasteners, and it's my understanding that they won't be durable if I try to insert them into wood studs - certainly not for my daughter's weight while she's exercising.  Of course if they come loose she could get badly hurt, so I need to get this 100% right.  She's 5'8" and essentially fully-grown, so don't think "only supporting a child's weight".

Here's a picture of the mounting plate, and two of the bolts (one assembled, one disassembled) that came with it.

What kind of fastener do I need to properly secure this to my garage rafters?  Edit: note that my garage has a drywall ceiling on it, so I’ll need to pierce the drywall and drive into the studs.

If you have access to the studs, rather than fastening through a wall covering, you can assure strength by sistering to the studs.

If you use bolts instead of screws, you can make use of washers and nuts to add tensile strength where it is most needed. If you have access to the top side, you're all set. If not, rip the added segment to be narrower, you'll have room behind the piece to add washer and nut.

To manage the full diameter of the fixture, you may have to add a sister to both sides of the stud.

Attach securely the sister piece with screws and if you want additional security, add a quality glue. I tend to the belt and suspenders over-engineering school of thought.

You're correct that the expanding anchors will not perform well in wood.


Does the UFER Ground require to be visible? Is there something on the NEC code that states the UFER ground needs to be permanently visible? I had my rough in electrical inspection the other day. He stated that per NEC 250.64(E) (1), I have to put an access panel in the drywall so that he is able to visibly see the UFER. I would rather not have an extra hole in my finished ceiling if not needed.  Nothing I find is saying this is needed.

Wrong citation, right answer

Your inspector is right, even though their NEC citation isn't.  They're after NEC 250.68(A):

  (A) Accessibility. All mechanical elements used to terminate a
  grounding electrode conductor or bonding jumper to a
  grounding electrode shall be accessible.

  Exception No. 1: An encased or buried connection to a concrete-encased,
  driven, or buried grounding electrode shall not be required to be accessible.

  Exception No. 2: Exothermic or irreversible compression connections
  used at terminations, together with the mechanical means used to attach such terminations to fireproofed structural metal whether or not
  the mechanical means is reversible, shall not be required to be accessible.

So, you'll need to provide that access hatch for the "stub-up" connection from the rebar to the grounding electrode conductor, or provide some other way to access it.  If the connection is irreversable, using exothermic welding or a listed compression connector, instead of being a mechanical clamp, though, then you can cover it over -- this might be worth discussing with your electrician.


How adequate is this priming job? I'm priming the walls to rest some paint colors. How solidly white does the primer have to look. Is this ok or should I not be able to see underneath with the primer layer?

You don't need to use primer on a previously painted surface that is properly prepared, unless there is some problem with the surface that makes you concerned about inadequate adhesion.

Buy good quality paint with high white pigment (titanium dioxide) content and you will be (or would have been) fine. Apply 2 coats of paint if it doesn't cover for some reason (like poor technique or wrong applicator). What is this obsession with primer, do people just like to spend more money??


HVAC technician can't do ductwork because of zoning limitations? I'm doing a renovation on an unfinished area, size about 350 sqft.  During my rough framing/electrical/mechanical phase inspection, my county inspector didn't mind the idea of tapping into the existing system for heating/cooling. However, when I called up a technician to schedule a time to take a look at setting that up, they mentioned that by law they can't do work on something where the unit isn't zoned for the square footage.  Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but the sqft zoning is a rule of thumb and not a strict law, isn't it?  Wouldn't the county inspector want to scrutinize the condenser tonnage/SEER if he thought it was in question?  Is it possible the project would be halted because of this unless I supplemented with an air unit or changed out the condenser/HVAC system?

There are three pieces to this problem here.

What will the permiting authority accept?

If the inspector says he will approve your renovation without upgrading the existing HVAC system or adding a supplemental unit, then make sure you get that in writing. In my county in Florida, anything renovation that adds roof or that changes the conditioned area by more than 100 square feet requires a new heat loss calculation.

What can you get an HVAC contractor to do?

If they won't do what you want to do, then keep shopping. Considering the size of your job, you'll probably get a better response from a smaller company or an individual HVAC contractor. They are more likely to not dismiss a small job.

Are you prepared to do something more if your current system doesn't work out?

  I'm not particularly worried about the system handling the additional load

This could really go either way. If the current space is well insulated and properly ventilated, then that is the most efficient way to keep the room below it insulated. Adding a room above decreases the effectiveness of your HVAC system (more cubic feet to condition) and probably also increases the heat transfer in to your envelope (since you likely can't insulate as well and you're adding more exterior wall square footage to your envelope).

Be prepared to have to do something if your system can't keep up after your renovation. Since you'll have the walls open, etc., make a plan now for how an upgrade or supplemental HVAC might be installed. For example, instead of tying in to an existing vent nearby, maybe run the new vent all the way back to the current air handler. Or pre-plan a route for refrigerant lines and placement for an additional air handler.


Outside ac unit drawing too many amps I have an ac compressor, on my outside home ac unit, that is pulling 21 amps and the tag on compressor has a RL of 17.6.  Should I be worried?

How old is your condensing unit?  Your compressor may be getting close to it useful lifespan.  As internal wiring and parts become worn, the compressor will pull more amps over time until something eventually gives.  If it is still cooling and not tripping the breaker you should be ok.  But I would probably set a little cash back for that final day when the compressor fails.  Sometimes it is more feasible to replace the entire condensing unit in lieu of compressor replacement if the unit is an old one.


Is the 2"x4" backing strong enough to hold the server rack I just pickup some 2x4 from home depot, not exactly know what kind of lumber, and cut it about 35" , secured to the 3 studs with 1/4" X 3-1/2" lag screws with 2 on each stud (top-bottom).  The lag screws has only about 1" of bite into the stud through the 2x4.

The server rack I am going to mount on has a backing plate hook which is secured to the 2x4 only with four 1/4" x 3" lag screws, the bottom is not secured to anything, the total weight I going to put in is around 150 lbs.

Drilled pilot hole for all screws going into wood.

Would the 2x4 hold those weight?  I am thinking add 2 triangle shelf bracket on the bottom.

You're asking about the 2x4. The issue is the fasteners. You won't break the lumber.

You didn't say whether you piloted to the lag screws, but assuming that you did not, or that you did so properly, they should hold well. That said, I'd have probably either used a 2x6 or a small sheet of 3/4" plywood. My reasoning is that a 2x4 is narrow enough and thick enough that it tends to roll. There's a lot of leverage (torque, really) being generated. A taller and/or thinner backer board would have less leverage affecting it.

The same is true of the screws used to mount the server rack bracket. Pilot properly (slightly smaller than the screw shaft diameter--not the thread diameter) to be sure they don't pull out. Pine is soft.

Also make sure that everything pulls snugly together. Gaps lead to movement, which amplifies pullout forces by transitioning them from shear to tension.

Finally, your carpentry looks good, but a hex screw in wood should almost always have a washer behind it. This prevents damage when tightening and increases load distribution. If you have those lags tight enough they'll pull into the wood somewhat.


How do you reinforce round deck footings? I'm building a covered deck on some weak soil (clay/sandy clay). I'm going to use 24" round footings that I was planning on reinforcing with a bunch of left over rebar. How can I effectively reinforce my footings? My though was to just  cut a few lengths and tie them together using wire in an tic tac toe grid. Is there a better way to do it?

I've dug my holes 5ft deep and prep'd the ground by laying fabric in the bottom, then pouring in gravel and road crush and tamping it all down.

Really there's no need the footings will not see any tensile or flexing loads.

Be sure to tie the posts into the footing. That's all that's needed. if the post is being embedded in the concrete you could pass some bar through it (drill a hole).


Wires from meter to disconnect to junction to home Maybe I am not explaining what I have here
There are 3/4 AWG WIRES leaving the meter and Running to a 100A disconnect
with a neutral bar no grounding wires in the box just 2 hot and 1 for the neutral
there are 3/4Awg wires running from there down the pole into a  junction box
there they are polaris spiced   4Awg to 6Awg for 1 hot same for the other hot and 4(4 for neutral
from there they run 30 ft. Underground to the 50 amp 4 terminal receptacle  and a  6/3 8/1 cord that is pigtailed into my service panel
the green is on the ground bar but is actually not really connected to anything just happened to be in the cord
my service panel has a 100amp main but no ground wires
there any ground  rods it has mixed neutral and ground wires on both bars that are bonded basically all I have is neutral bond to equipment grounds with no other path
My 2 bedroom 2 bath manufactured home is 1000 sq ft  is all electric
with a  60 amp  furnace  no gas service
that 50 amp receptical box and 50 amp cord would not be enough to supply my home nor do I think
are the 2 6awg hot feeder wires
The park owner has said he will repair this
What should actually be done
Sorry for the grammer and rambeling just trying to explain the situation
I have been trying to tell you the main disconnect breaker is feeding the wires going to the service panel in  My home
Both are 100Amp ma

List item

in breakers one is located at the meter and the other is in my house
There is definitely 100Amp  Feeding the WIRES leaving the outside disconnect they are 4/3 those wires  leave the disconnect box and run to a junction box at ground level of meter pole and splice into 6/2 4/1  those run underground and come to the 50amp rated receptacle box and from there the 50amp Rated cord that pigtailed into my house panel that feeds  a 100amp main breaker witch feed the panel
I have been trying to tell you is I basically have ls
100amp service feeding Spliced wires
2 4/6  for hot wires and 1 4/4 wire for neutral that 4/4  neutral goes into the receptical box and  where the wires are now going to the 6/3 8/1 cord that 8/1ground in the plug is in the cord but is not  going to anything in the receptical box as it only has 2 hot and 1 neutral coming into the 4wire receptacle
So are you following me
What I have is 100Amp service feeding the 6AWG wires And
4 AWG Neutral that spilts to a 8AWG neutral  So I have a 100amp service on 6 awg wire with no grodund
do you understand
So if you know what I mean what should be done to keep it safe
Sorry if my Grammer and sentences give you a hard time following message

It sounds like your service starts at 100A at the meter, then runs to a 50A box, then into your 100A panel (possibly since this is a park, the 100A meter runs 2x 50A boxes - yours and your neighbors?). It also sounds like there are some concerns about how the 50A box is (not) grounded. If I understand correctly, the park owner is promising to make repairs and you are concerned about making sure that the correct work is done properly.
As long as the 50A box is just tied in to the circuit (not protecting your home), your main concern would be making sure that if and when there is a device plugged into the 50A receptacle box, your home + that device is not drawing more than 100A
I'm not an electrician, but it sounds to me that if you make sure that you have a proper ground you will be fine.


How do I rehang a wooden door with worn screw holes? I have a wood door in one of my rooms where the top screws no longer hold the hinge to the wall because the screw holes have worn loose.  I have tried slightly larger screws and filling with wood toothpicks, which usually lasts about a year.

I would like a permanent fix.

A few suggestions:

Are you using a wood glue such as Elmer's to hold the toothpicks in place?  The top hinge on my front door used to pull loose; I repaired it with toothpicks and wood glue (pretty much filling the screw hole) and haven't had any problems in several years.
How long were the original screws, and what did you replace them with?  When I installed a new interior door a few months ago, I replaced the 1/2" screws that came with the door with 2 1/2" or 3" (I forget which) screws of the same thickness.  Assuming normal framing, you have two 2x4s, possibly some shims and the jamb itself, so there's plenty of wood there for a long screw to grip onto.
Take the hinge plate off the jamb (support the door so it doesn't pull the other hinges out of the jamb) and drill out the screw holes that are giving you problems; the hole should be as deep as the existing screw.  Glue a dowel of the same thickness as your drill bit into the hole.  Before you replace the hinge screw, drill a pilot hole to ensure that the screw goes in straight.


Connecting a Makita jigsaw (4351) to dry vacuum cleaner (Dyson) Could someone share their experiences with connecting a Makita jigsaw (22mm vacuum piece) to a regular vacuum cleaner (Dyson)? It appears that some people say it's just really impractical to connect a jigsaw to a vacuum? I suspect it might be a good idea to get a longer hose that's a bit more flexible than the average vacuum hose. What say you?

The main problem with using something like a Dyson or any other "floor vac" is that their filters (and warranty) are not made for sucking up a stream of sawdust or other "shop dust".  I imagine you can, and it should work fine, but you could clog up a comparatively expensive filter in a short time.

A "shop vac" has large filters made for exactly this type of dust and the filters are pretty cheap and easy to replace.  Some shop vacs will also accept bags for certain very fine dust that would quickly clog a pleated filter.

Your other issue is that attachments for power tools are going to be made for the standard sizes of shop vac attachments.  The only thing the Dyson has to connect to is its own included tools so it might not fit anything else without a clunky adapter.


Lennox G16Q3-50 Furnace with AC, Door Interlock Switch and Main Circuit Breaker If the door of the Lennox G16 is removed, thus the door interlock switch unpressed and system off. Does this mean that I only need to shut off the AC power from the outside breaker panel and leave the main breaker on?  If not, how about I only remove the wall power plug for the furnace?

Other people can still have power while I service the furnace. I need to do some rewiring for my thermostat.

As I commented, my G16s have a hardwired power switch on the side. Or as others suggested, you should figure out which breaker controls the furnace circuit, and turn it off. (You should not have to shut off the main unless you are working inside the panel box itself)

But after looking over the wiring diagram for my G16, it does seem that the door switch does break the AC hot before it connects to anything else (including the thermostat transformer).  So if you kept out of the blower control box, you would be safe to work on the thermostat and related wiring.


Dual pressure switch / dual pressure tank issues I have an Airaider ez radon bubbler right after a filter and my pressure tank / pressure switch for my well.

The radon bubbler has its own pump and pressure switch.

After the radon bubbler is a very small pressure tank.

I have low water pressure on the second floor at one shower head.

The well pump is set to 30/50 however the radon bubbler system is set to 40/60.

The radon bubbler pump faulted out due to overheating.
I cleaned the tank and it seemed to work ok for 48 hours

Should I try to replace the small 101 model pressure tank with a larger unit?

Also if the bubbler is set to 40/60 , should I replace the well pump pressure switch with a 40/60 model?

I noticed that when I bypass the radon bubbler my
 water stops while taking a shower etc.

The well pump pressure switch goes to zero and then
slowly raises , the second smaller pressure tank
 is not bypassed when the radon bubbler is valved off but there is no pressure gauge before or after it anywhere else on the supply line.

If small tank is set properly for a 40/60 pressure switch is it causing the issue with my well pump not kicking on in time ?

Thanks in advance. I can upload pictures if it helps. I would like to solve the well pump issue first then try to get the bubbler back on line.

As far as I know, "radon bubblers" operate at no pressure (so you can bubble air through the water to remove the radon) and therefore the well side of this system needs only to provide adequate pressure to put water into the radon bubbler. 20/40 might do if it does not have a higher input pressure requirement. Since the pressure there is zero, there's no relationship between the incoming water pressure and the outgoing water pressure.

All the house pressure and flow comes from the pump & tank going out of the radon bubbler system (at least when it's operational) and that would be the one you'd want to be bigger, unless it was a variable speed / "constant pressure" pump - if set to 40/60, probably not.

If the well pressure goes to zero, it's likely that the well pressure tank is improperly set (too high) for the well pressure switch, not anything to do with the smaller tank, but perhaps that contributed to the radon system's pump overheating (if the well-water input was intermittent.) If the switch is actually coming on at 30 PSI, the tank pressure (with the system off and drained) should be about 27 PSI. The small tank should be set at 37 PSI if its pump comes on at 40 PSI. If you changed the well to 20/40 you'd change the air on the well system to 17.

Then again, running 40/60 into a small tank, that pump was probably cycling on/off a lot, and a bigger tank there (or an additional. bigger tank there, if the small one is in good shape) might well help the pump survive longer. Presumably consistent water input by correcting the well pressure tank setting might also help. I'd also correct the dubious plumbing job that left you with no pressure gauge on the 40/60 system.


What can I do to make my galvanized steel shed stronger? Here are my specs so far for the shed I am getting made. I plan to use it as a shed for my very large tools.

It is 40 ft × 24 ft, with 11 ft high walls. It is made from galvanized steel  while the walls and roof are something like this photo.

This is what I have done to help protect it from hurricanes and increase the survival chances.

I have made a strong concrete foundation that can handle 5 tons of tools and machines.
I plan to screw the galvanized steel to the foundation.
I plan to add shatter-proof windows and doors.
Studies have shown that certain home shapes and roof types can better resist high winds and hurricanes, according to new research. I can share a link if you want. In the research it says that a gable roof with a 30° slope would be a good idea.

What can I do to make it stronger and what have I missed?

In Florida, I have seen many sheds like the one in your picture further supported with cable or strap tie downs. Heavy galvanized eye bolts embedded in each side of the concrete slab. Then straps or cables attached to one eye bolt, up and over the roof and down to an eye bolt on the opposite side. Hope this helps, and hope you never need it.
You can get anchors similar to the ones pictured below at many home stores. They can be installed and then the slab poured over them for added strength.

Then steel cable or web tie downs can be fastened to the anchors. The web tie downs come in up to 50 foot lengths and steel cables in any length. They can go over the roof or attached to other structural points depending on the design of the shed.


How to change wiring in outdoor electrical junctions filled with gel? I moved into my current house 5 years ago and had a couple of outdoor connections fitted throughout the garden. I have never tried to do anything with them until now. As I open a junction box to add a new wiring I see this:

The box has a tiny hole, which I guess is where the gel was filled from.

I would like confirmation that I need to remove (very sticky) gel from the box, install a new connection and buy some gel to refill it. Is this the case?

It looks like something that used to be done for pool niche lights or landscaped fountains and ponds. This was a non-conducting waterproofing gel that was used to prevent corrosion and power leakage in wet location areas. It was usually applied in a time, post new GFCI and grounding requirements. I haven't seen it used in quite a while.

If you are trying to reuse the circuit in a newer application. You really need to verify that it is still active. Then you need to verify if the conductors and cabling are working properly.

Basically do everything necessary to upgrade the circuit to current wet location codes. Even if it means replacing the entire circuit. It is important to remember that you are dealing with a type of circuit that has a high potential for electric shock (electrocution). So it is important to follow the strictest protection codes.

Hope this helps.


When should I change / replace my water pipe? I was wondering when should we change our indoor water pipe? Should we change every 5 years or every 10 years?

This is because recently, I notice that the water quality is not getting that good (cause my electric kettle have turn quite "rusty" when boiling the water).

By the way, I know that we can use water filtration system but was wondering if the pipe will accumulate unnecessary materials (be it bacteria or heavy metals) which stay inside the pipe.

Note, since you don't provide your location, my answer is based on a US water supply and building materials.

To answer the question that you asked, you don't replace the pipes in your house until they fail in some way (leaking), present a health hazard (.e.g lead pipes), or you need to move them for a renovation. Pipes are installed inside of the walls in such a way that they are not easy to access, which is one of the reasons that plumbing problems can be a difficult and expensive repair.

For the questions you didn't ask:

If your fixtures are old, you may want to replace them with newer fixtures that will have new valves, clean aerators, along with a better look.
If your water is bad, filter it. This solves the problem of bad water from your pipes (rare), bad fixtures, or from your water supply.
If your kettle is rusty, replace it if the kettle itself is rusting. Otherwise, clean it and use filtered water.


Installing Cement Board 16 inches on center I'm going to be using cement board for the walls of my walk-in shower. My shower is framed 16 inches on center.

It appears that most cement board measures 5 ft. x 3 ft.

Does this mean I'm going to have to cut pretty much every single piece of cement board down to a dimension that properly fits the 16 inches on center framing?

Yes.

You're only really talking about making three more cuts than you would if you were working with sheets that had lengths of say 64". Your runs are only two sheets long, and you'd have had to cut one sheet for each row anyway. The short wall doesn't have this problem.

You can get 32" cementboard, which you could run vertically (assuming manufacturer approval).


Will this work for breaker box location after remodel We are going to be remodeling our basement into livable space. My wife is drafting out the plans and before we try and get a permit, we want to make sure this will work for the breaker box.
It was originally going to be in the laundry/bathroom, but I realized the box couldn’t be in a bathroom. She then drew it into its own room, accessed through the laundry room/bathroom via a bifold door with what should be appropriate clearances and no plumbing going through the room.
Is this allowable? We thought about just shifting the wall and putting the box in the bedroom, but I didn’t like that idea.
Any help would be great

The good news is that your proposed closet is big enough
The good news about your plans is that your proposed electrical closet is indeed large enough to house the clear working space for your electrical panel (30" wide by 36" deep, though not necessarily centered on the panel), as well as a future subpanel adjacent to the existing panel and sharing its working space, as long as the existing panel is 6" deep or less, which is true for just about all residential loadcenters.
Keeping pesky storage out ("Do this, Don't do that, Can't you read the signs?")
The main issue with your closet plans, like with dedicated electrical closets in many commercial spaces, is the penchant for people to not know that the NEC means what they say when they talk about clear working space for panelboards.  In fact, NEC 110.26(B) explicitly says that electrical working space shall not be used for storage:

(B) Clear Spaces. Working space required by this section shall
not be used for storage. When normally enclosed live parts are
exposed for inspection or servicing, the working space, if in a
passageway or general open space, shall be suitably guarded.

To this end, a sign on the closet door reminding you and yours that it's an electrical closet and not a storage closet:

would be wise; these signs are available both as vinyl decals for use on solid doors, or as aluminum signs that can be screwed to a solid or slatted door, and aren't all that expensive in the grand scheme of things.


When to use holes instead of side terminals to wire an outlet This question comes from Shirlock's comment on this GFCI wiring question.

When and why should you use the holes on the back of an outlet rather than the side terminals?  I always assumed the holes on the back were only for lazy electricians and people that wanted to make my life miserable, especially when there isn't much slack wire and you want to replace an outlet.  Are there other reasons, and does the NEC have any requirements on one vs the other?

Shirlock has a great answer; I just wanted to point out something. There are two major different designs for back-wiring, "push-in" and "side-clamp".

Push-in wiring, sometimes branded "QuickWire", uses holes in the plastic casing, underneath which are sharp spring-loaded cleats that catch and hold the wire when you put it in. To remove them, you take a jeweler's screwdriver or a small pick or probe and push into a square tab nearby, which pushes the cleat away allowing you to withdraw the wire. Personally, I hate these things with a passion and prefer to side-wire. They only work with one gauge of wire (either 12 or 14AWG depending on the type of switch or outlet; do YOU know which one was used in every single J-box in your home?), and getting the wire back out without destroying the wire or the switch is a crap shoot. The push-release mechanism is as likely to crumple and lock the wire in as to release it, IME.

Side-clamp wiring, sometimes branded "EZ-Wire", uses a plate between the side-wiring screw and the switch body. You loosen the screw, separate the plate from the switch body (easiest to let gravity do the work; turn it plate-down and shake), insert the wire stripped to the proper length, then tighten down the side screw. It works a lot like side-wiring, except you don't have to curl the wire around the screw. They're pretty easy to use and are VERY secure, and so I like these a lot better than the push-in wiring setups. The only possible problem is, with a lot of exposed metal on the side of the switch body, you have to be certain you don't short out the switch to the bare metal ground wire, or the next switch or outlet over (very easy with the wider 20A switches and GFCI outlets). I did that a few times while repairing the electrical in my new home; the switch or plug worked fine hanging loose, but when I closed it up it stopped working. The fail-safe is to give the switch body a wrap of electrical tape, giving it an insulating layer between the switch and anything else in the box (and the box itself; most are plastic but I found a couple conductive switch/outlet J-boxes in my home).


Deck Beam end cut at angle I've searched high and low and can't find an answer to this. Why are deck beams cut on an angle at the ends? Is it cosmetic? Is so no sharp corner sticking out? Does it have something to do with reducing rot?

See image attached below.

I'm not aware of any reason for the corner of deck beams to be clipped like that other than for cosmetic purposes or clearance from something else.
My rafter tails have a lovely curved end and a little decorative notch in them, however, my deck beams are not cut back at all. The rafter tails are exposed & nicely decorated (as are most of them in our older - late 1800s to early 1900s - town), but I'm about to sister them up with square ends to hang soffit & fascia boards to cover them all up.
Most of the deck ends I've noticed around town are cut square and not clipped at all.
Figured I should make an answer out of this


how do I attach a light object, a cup hook, flat washer or hex nut, to a steel lintel? how do I attach a light object, a cup hook, flat washer or hex nut, to an exterior window's steel lintel? I don't want to drill the lintel but I do want the attachment to be permanent.

Depending how light your object is, a rare earth magnet will do the job nicely for some values of "light" and the particular magnet. Small ones are pretty affordable, hefty ones get expensive.


What kind of Extruded Aluminum sections to replace main wooden frame on this DIY project? Please note, I am not asking or suggesting Aluminum for the horizontal rods/ dowels here. I am asking about the Vertical frame.

Since suggested "Extruded Aluminum Section":

Wondering if that will work?

Strength
Load capacity
Stiffness

If so, what kind?

Extruded Section type - C, U, Rectangular, Hex.. lots of designs?

e.g. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-x-3-Aluminum-Rectangle-Tube-6063-x-1-8-Wall-96-Long-/201466668412
http://www.jindalaluminium.com/jindal-ecatalogue.php

Thickness/ Strength

To balance strength, stiffness & weight, I was wanting to make the Vertical FRAME out of Extruded Aluminium Section as there are many kinds out there.

Reference to DIY Woodworking Project for Home Fitness & Rehab:

https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/questions/3032/lightest-woods-that-would-be-strong-stable-for-2-components-of-diy-wall-stall

  Horizontal: Wooden parallel bars/ rods/ dowels

  Less thick than frame & probably need greater strength, rigidity & less flex
  Looking at certain wood types

  The Vertical Frame holding them

  Will need to be made of thicker, wider & bigger pieces of wood, adding more to the weight, so a lighter wood would be better, maybe
  plywood?

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Timber/Timber_Strength_Calcs.html

Edit: You are looking for a 2x6 aluminum tube. This should be pretty much have the same physical properties as a pine 2x6 (which looks like what you have in the lower picture). In the upper picture, it looks like two 2x2s that are sandwiched together. I would think that a single 2x4 tube would be fine to replace that, unless it needs that sandwich arrangement.

Edit2: I bars are much more commonly used in metal working (for providing load bearing support). So, I found some load calculations for I beams, and did a little physics (maybe I should have pursued a physics career). It looks like the beams need to support about 425 lbs. See the pic below.

Edit- After some debate, I have added the calculation for torque, using 80kgs (only 176.4 lbs) for the weight. The torque is most simply and accurately found by adding the two forces (pulling hands and pushing feet) which would be separated by about 1 ft from a hypothetical pivot point (necessary for torque calculations). The formula for torque (mentioned in comments/discussion below) is T=FxLxSinA. The image below provides a clear description of the calculation. Please note that rounding errors involved with multiple calculations are never better than an elegant approach. The elegant approach is to realize that the hands and feet are 2 ft apart, so the length to the pivot is 1 ft, and the total torque (force) is (120kg+120kg)∙ft. Torque is (pretty much always) expressed in either english (529.2ft∙lb) or metric (717N∙M)... not met-lish (240kg∙ft); but it really doesn't matter, because it's the same number. Nobody can disagree with math. Whether or not torque is relevant to your search for aluminum beams is more of an opinion... but I'm pretty sure that most engineers would agree that the load bearing specifications for aluminum beams are the most suitable criterion for your project because the torque-force will necessarly be converted to the push and pull (the perpendicular, load bearing) force. So the force on the beams (for a 200 lb person) would be about 300 lbs through the narrowest part (the most important consideration for beam failure)... but the force on the bars (important, in my humbe opinion) could be a bit more (like 424 lbs).


Incorrect shower tap handle The shower tap I’m looking at is a two control one: one for hot/cold and one for pressure/tub/shower.

The hot/cold works fine, but the other one is not gripping correctly. The only way the current handle hub sticks to the shaft is via the pointed end of the handle as it’s screwed into the hub.

This used to work, except now the pointed end of the handle has scored the brass of the shaft all the way around and so it can’t grip any more.

The picture shows the removed silver colored cover and the hole where the handle goes in. Below that is the brass on the shaft where the cover is supposed to go.

The brass fitting in the shaft has a tongue on it which I think should slot into the handle somewhere, but there is no place on the handle I have where it could fit.

What am I missing?

Based upon the discussion in comments and the recently added pictures I see no provision to index the handle cap to the brass shaft by any means other than the set screw action of the screw in handle. For this reason I think there may be value to consider adding a deeper V groove to the end of the shaft to better capture the set screw action of the handle.

I see two possible problems with the handle. One is the tendancy for it to work loose when grasping it to change the valve position. The other possibility is that the design of the handle may put a limit on how far it can be screwed into  the cap piece. That could be due to a shouldered step or a length of the threaded section of the handle. Either of these could limit the ability of the V groove ide to work very well. You could work around this by finding a separate Allen head set screw that you would install first into the threaded hole and then install the handle on top in the same threaded hole. It may be necessary to cut off part of the threaded end of the handle as long as too much is not removed.


How can I repair my sagging shower door? Not too long ago our shower door started sagging, and now it’s bad enough it won’t close. Which means when we shower water spills all over the place- and one of these days I just know it’s going to fully fall out.
I’ve included some pictures to make my situation as clear as possible.
I’ve looked for guidance online, but surprisingly I can’t seem to find a solution my problem, despite that I have what I think is a “standard” frameless shower door.

There’s a piano hinge on one side and gasket that runs along the side of the door holding it up. It seems it has bent and some of it is not even clamping the door anymore.

I don’t see any screws I can adjust either, which is frustrating. Here’s a picture from the rear for completeness:

What’s my next course of action? Do I need an entire new glass door or can I replace the part that clamps on to it and forks the hinge?

I think my approach would look something like this:

Dismount the door assembly from the shower wall frame and move it to a safe (soft) workspace.
Pull the glass entirely free of the door frame.
Pull the vinyl sleeve out of the door frame.
Clean all parts thoroughly with bathroom cleaner, then alcohol, to remove all residue.
Very gently attempt to flex the door frame back to straight. Use spacer blocks under it and go easy. If you kink it you're done.
Reinsert the sleeve into the door frame, then the glass into the sleeve. If necessary, use a dilute soap solution as a temporary lubricant.

Once it's all back together you'll need to assess whether there's enough friction to hold the glass. If not, take JACK's advice and look at an adhesive. I'd probably start with something soft but gooey, like rain gutter caulk.
Of course, any decent glass shop can probably reassemble this for you (possibly with new seals) for a reasonable price.


How to diagnose single tub faucet with no hot water? The hot water for my roman tub faucet (for a tub deck) doesn't work. Turning the handle releases a small amount of water, but only for a short moment. I knew this was a problem when I bought the condo, but just never got around to repairing it. Now I want to see if I can fix it. My question:

What could be the issue, and how can I diagnose what might be the problem? My uninformed guess is that there is calcium build-up restricting flow in the hot water valve. If so, would that require replacing that valve or the whole faucet? The faucet is a Moen product-- how would I go about determining what parts need to be ordered?
Depending on the problem, is the repair one that can be done by a homeowner with little knowledge about plumbing?

The faucet is a 3-piece faucet. It kind of looks like this:

Update: I installed a new cartridge this weekend, which did not resolve the issue. However, after turning the water back on, a handful of the sinks in the house released black sediment of some sort, and one of the lavatory sinks (in the same bathroom as the roman tub) no longer works (no hot or cold water). This seems like a very random effect of changing the tub's cartridge.

If you're handy at all repairing this type of faucet is typically not a big deal. I'm assuming from your description that the cold water side works.
As you indicated, it could be calcium build-up but it might not as well. The problem is almost always with the cartridge and occasionally in the shutoff valve. Turn off the water supply to the faucet. Hopefully there is an accessible shutoff. With the water off you should be able to remove the handle and any retaining nut that would be holding the cartridge in place. They're all a little different so watch carefully how you take it apart to make sure you get it back together properly. Sometimes the cartridge will unscrew. Once it's out the best approach is to replace it. Usually your local home center will have one. However, check it for debris. I've had situations where the washer in the shutoff valve had crumbled and pieces of the washer were blocking the flow. If that's the case come back and someone will walk you through how to repair/replace it. I've included a picture of a Moen cartridge for a roman tub faucet so you know what it looks like. Yours may be different.

Edit
First, are you on a well or on city water? Wells sometimes kick up sediment that can get into the water system.
Obviously, debris is coming from somewhere in your water supply lines. I can't tell you specifically where but I can possibly help you track it down. Since it's occurring at several locations throughout the house the problem must be somewhere in the main water line at some point before the pipes split off to supply those faucets.

Check all of your faucets by removing the filter screens on each faucet. Even if they're not totally blocked you may see some of that black sediment. Make note of those faucets with the sediment and those without.
Check the black sediment. Can it be rubber pieces or is it like sand? If it's sand it probably is coming in with your water supply. If it's like hardened rubber it's probably caused by something in your water system.
If only some faucets are affected the problem will be somewhere on the line before those lines tee off to their respective rooms. Check any of the shutoff valves on that line by turning them off to see if they stop water flow to the faucets. If water continues to seep through when it's off, and that valve is a washered valve, it may be part of the problem and needs to be replaced or repaired with a new washer.
If all faucets have some of the black sediment the problem is somewhere along the main water line or even with the water supply itself.
At this point check any in-line devices you have including filtering systems, water softeners, RO systems, etc. These systems have gaskets and filters that if not properly maintained can cause rubber parts to disintegrate.
Lastly, check your main shutoff using the method described above. I doubt the problem is at the main shutoff unless it is a washered valve. It will probably be a gate valve or ball valve neither of which has rubber washers.

Hopefully, this will help identify the cause - if not, you need to call your water company and see if they've been doing any repair work in the area. Good Luck!


How can I get a bolt with no head out of my wall? I tried to screw this bolt into a stud to secure a 2x4. The hex head snapped off, and now the bolt is stuck. I managed to slide off the 2x4, but I have no idea how to extract the bolt. IIRC it's a 6" long, 1/4" wide bolt with about 5 inches in the wall.
Looking around on the internet, it seems like I can't get it out without arc welding a new nut onto the bolt. I don't have the equipment or experience to pull that off. Are there any alternative methods that would be more within reach for a novice like myself?

This is a job for vise grips. What I would do is file the bolt flat on two sides. Don't take off so much that you significantly compromise its strength - just flatten the threads. These flat sides will enable you to grip it with a pair of large vise grips. That should provide sufficient leverage to remove the bolt. Take it a bit at a time.


How do I get rid of birds living in an air vent? On the outside of my house I have at least one bird living in an air vent. I would rather that they lived somewhere else. I was thinking I could put some sort of netting over the vent when the bird does not seem to be around. My wife is concerned that there could be a bird's nest with eggs in there and does not want to leave the eggs to die. What is the best way to safely remove these birds without hurting them?

Go rent a shopvac, and gently suck them up.  Then when you return the shopvac, they will safely place the birds outside of the business for no additional charge (as long as you don't tell them about it.)

Just kidding, if they have eggs right now then you will just have to wait.  If they don't then there is a plethora of things you can do.  The netting is fine, or remove the nest while it is away.


Automated/Controlled Lighting - Options? What are some good options to look at for controlled and automated lighting?

I've seen some DMX (stage-lighting standard) implementations for homes, but I'm not sure if that is the only/best option. What other methods are out there? What are the pro's/con's?

Goals

Ability to control brightness and color (for LED lighting)
Control from panels and/or computers
Compatible with multiple lighting types (indoor/outdoor, led, fluorescent, etc)
Set lighting to adjust over time. (For example: lights fade from 0% to 100% over 1 hour)

See my answer here: What are some scalable, affordable home automation options? for a comparison of different consumer products.

You're probably going to have to do a mix of things to get your first goal. LED lighting is relatively new and immature -- the controllers for it vary from being IR remotes, to physical dials, and so it will be harder to interface with, let alone integrate it into a single system.

For the other goals, you can use something like UBP switches and interfaces. There are (expensive) commercial controllers/interfaces, and there are also cheap computer interfaces that make it easy to control/monitor from a computer. If you know how to program, you should be able to basically anything from there.

I would probably find some LED controller that can be controlled from a computer (or home automation controller) and then interface it together myself, using the commercial UBP stuff for regular lighting and controls.


Is this radiator too small? We have steam heat in our 1930s-era home and one of the bedrooms is much colder than the other two.  Here is a picture of the radiator in the cold room:

The room is 12'x12'x8'.  This radiator is 8"x25"x4.5" in size.  It has four fins each with four tubes.  The tubes look like they are about 0.75" in diameter.

In contrast, our other bedroom of the same size has a larger radiator and the room is well-heated.  (If it matters, both rooms are on the north side of the house; the colder one northeast and the warmer one northwest.) The larger radiator is 14"x38"x7.5" in size.

From what I understand the ability of a radiator to heat is proportional to its surface area, but using volume as a ballpark to check the appropriate size, I get that that radiator in the cold room is about 900 cubic inches in volume while the one in the warmer room is almost 4000 cubic inches.  That makes me think it's too small.

Otherwise, the radiator seems to function well.  It hisses loudly once in a while, but it does warm up—just not enough to heat the room.  If the size is not the issue, what else could be the trouble?

First of all I assume that the radiator is functioning properly and gets nice and hot(215F for steam) If not than it is not a problem of sizing.

To figure out if this radiator is appropriate for the given room we need to calculate how much heat it emits. It is all based on its surface area. This radiator looks like it could be National Aero Four Tube radiator or American "Corto" Radiator. Those radiators with four sections and in 26 inch size both have 11 sq ft of radiation. 1 sq ft gives off 240 BTUs at 215F. So this radiator emits 2640 BTUs.

Now just calculate how much heat this room of your home looses and you can see whether this radiator is adequate. There are quite a few online tools available to calculate heat loss. None of them will be too precise without blower door test, but you can probably get a ballpark figure. I did a quick google search and this seems to give you necessary steps to do a basic heat loss calc:
http://www.pexuniverse.com/content/calculate-heat-loss

There's also software available to help you. For example HeatCAD http://www.avenir-online.com/avenirweb/HeatCAD/HeatCADHome.aspx has a 30 day trial.

It will probably make sense to compare heat loss numbers with other rooms in your house that are known to heat well.

Once you know for sure what is causing the room to be cold, you can remedy the problem. You could either increase the radiator size or spend some time insulating/tightening the room(this would be much cheaper and more efficient)


Single phase 120v to split phase 120v (240) I have a new boat with an electric stove (240v), it works great on my split phase generator. The dock power is a single phase run thru 2 breakers. Dock original had dual 30 amp plugs, I ran the 2 hots to my 50 amp cord and I understand they are not split phase but I don't run a huge load till I got my new boat.

In my mind I need a 120v -> 240v transformer, then a 240v to split phase transformer to solve my stove problem and have the circuit correct at my current dock.

Is this the solution, or is there a product that can do this?

How much energy am I wasting with the transformers?

The boat is 240v 50amp.

A new stove that can run on propane is $800 so is this worth it?

Thanks for your thoughts.

The single worst application for electricity is dockside.  Thousands of people die every year when a shock that might not kill them stuns them, and they drown.  Typically this can't be distinguished from regular drowning, even in an autopsy. The giveaway is that multiple people drown, often rescuers. As such, dockside power is serious business and not to be trifled with.

Keep in mind: dockside power is not "perfect except for you".  There are obsolete installations, negligent marina owners, and lots of idiot boaters who are hacking things just like this.  Some guy on the other end of the dock doing something else stupid can interact in unexpected ways with what you're doing, and blam, somebody's dead. What will your defense be? Claim he violated the electrical code?

On the other hand, transformers are a "force for good" in dockside electrical safety.  Electricity wants to get back to source, not ground, and transformers break "source" into zones.

The best way: Pay your dock to install the power you need.

This is best because of liability.  A dockside drowning will bring lawsuits, and if there's any code violations, good chance it will bring criminal charges as well.  You want these to be somebody else's problem.  You want to be doing nothing more than plugging a boat that was professionally inspected, into a dockside receptacle that was professionally installed and is owned by someone else.

The transformer approach

This is a bad idea because of the liability issue.  If you botch this or if something goes wrong, you could face civil and criminal liability.  So I would not consider it without a sign-off from both your AHJ and your insurance company; and also having a professional engineer certify it (which shouldn't be too hard).

Even if you do everything perfect and to code, someone could still be electrocuted by the idiot two docks over.  And if he can coverup his codevio, and there's your obviously homebrew/hacked together transformer setup, it won't matter if it's code-perfect, their lawyer will spin it around and put it on you.  "Preponderance of the evidence".

You are correct that you can merge two power sources using a transformer, but you shouldn't.  Because power moves both ways through a transformer, and if one side is energized, it will "light up" the other.  That can have huge impacts to safety.  For instance if they are sourced from two different panels or services, you have now biased those services against each other, creating current loops in unexpected ways.  Doing this dockside is the act of a murderous sociopath, because anything can happen with dockside power!

Then there's the ordinary problem: you would actually be backfeeding from source A to source B or vice versa,  and that's bad for exactly the same reason it's bad with generators.

What you can do, however, is use a transformer to take ONE of the 120V/30A circuits and kick it up to 240V for transmission to the boat, then have a second onboard transformer to turn the straight 240V into 120/240 split-phase for the boat proper.  A 5 KVA transformer should suffice and those go for about $100 used.  You would not be able to use all the burners on the stove at once.


Consequences of gutter water collecting in corrugated drain pipe This is a follow-up question to Sloping ditch for corrugated pipe
The water coming down the gutter drain has a nominal velocity and will collect and transfer to an 80 ft run of corrugated pipe (to be installed).  Assuming that the pipe is perfectly level until the very end where it slopes downward into the 25 ft section (see photo in link).

Will a siphon effect 'pull' the water along the 80 ft run into the 25 ft section?
What is the penalty / consequence if water is not completely eliminated from the pipe and sits in the pipe until the next rainfall?

Assume a Florida venue: freezing is not a concern.
I realize that a nominal slope is the key to forcing the water naturally from the drain to its target destination, however, the question is posed to understanding the worst-case dynamics.  Unfortunately, I think there is only 10 of depth available for the 80 foot run.  As much as I like the idea of a column of water pressure pushing the water through the 80 foot run, I think that would require a watertight seal, which is not long-term reliable.

You will not have a siphoning effect unless the corrugated pipe is completely filled with water and no air is allowed to enter it, which will not happen from a gutter draining into it.
No real consequences of the water sitting there. Most of the water will drain out if the pipe is perfectly level, which will be hard to do. The remaining water will be the amount that is "held in place" by the corrugated part of the piping. There will be some air flow from the gutter through the pipe so the water will probably evaporate.


How can I speed up my 3 wings fan? I am using a 3 wings fan in my house and it works very slow, so i want to make it fast and it also do not contain any capacitor or a cylinder type small device.it's an old fan

Sounds like the fan motor is dying.  Sadly, nothing lasts forever.  The more expensive units can be repaired, but it sounds like you have a cheaper model that isn't made to be repairable.

Luckily, cheap ceiling fans are pretty affordable.  Mine cost under $40.

Time to replace it.


Bathroom vent through existing roof vent I have a roof with two gable vents as well as slanted vents that look a lot like these one:

I do not want to install an extra vent specifically for bathroom so I was wondering if I could use one of the existing top ones. It looks like from underneath there is a circular hole that I can push a duct in. The roof vents don't leak so they are solid even with really crazy rain, hale snow etc.

Can I install on existing vent? If yes, do I have seal it after pushing the vent in so that no humidity will return back down to the attic? What's the best way to go about doing this?

We've got several things going on here:

This is a ridge-mounted, Slant-Back Roof Vent -- it's used to ventilate Attic air to the outside. It should not be used for double-duty for a Bath Fan exhaust. Warm moist Bathroom air will condensate on its underside and can cause moisture damage & mold on the roof sheathing.
As a Slant-Back Vent, the original photo shows it installed backwards. The slanted side is installed to the top to shed rain water; unseen in this photo is the screened bottom side (see attached photo).
As previously mentioned, most building codes require the Bath exhaust to be vented directly to the outdoors. Attic locations should use insulated duct to reduce condensation problems. The exhaust ducts can discharge through the roof, soffit or gable siding -- but a dampered Vent Hood should be installed as well.
If this installation is to be done by an average Homeowner or Handyman, I typically recommend a siding-mounted vent. Retrofit roof vent installations require proper interlacing with roof shingles (not just gobs of tar); a poorly done job will result in a roof leak.


Boiler Gauge Readings Trying to understand this gauge and ensure everything is working as intended.
I know the top part is the temperature of the water I am assuming at the boiler. Again PSI of the water pressure, but what is the red arrow all the way at the bottom what is that telling me?
Also if can tell me are these ok numbers or how do I find out if they are ok.
Thank you

Well, it shows a temperature of 170f which may be ok if that is what you want delivered.
As for pressure it shows 15psi, this could be incoming pressure or the pressure in a closed system.
The red arrow or indicator is most likely showing the max pressure recommended.
You should get the manual for your boiler and check the functions and settings before trying to change anything.


Why is uncommon geometric houses expensive to make? I was making a heptagonal miniature house and wanted to research why they are so feasible. However, the Internet does not have anything over the specific question. How much exactly would it cost for one to make a heptagonal or seven sided house compared to a regular house? Why is it so much more expensive than a regular house? It has a better volume to put more housing material into it than a regular one.

Your specific questions are nearly impossible to answer, partly because a question like "how much does a house cost?" is best answered by "well, how much money do you have?". There's also no such thing as a "regular house" though I'll assume in this context you mean one built using rectangular shapes. :)

It essentially boils down to the fact that anything non-standard is generally more expensive.

Designing a house from scratch requires more of an architect's and structural engineer's time than modifying an existing design, and likewise, changing the location of non-load bearing walls is significantly easier and cheaper than moving load bearing walls (where a structural engineer needs to recalculate if it will work) or moving the locations of things that require lots of mechanical infrastructure like the kitchen, bathrooms or furnace.

You're going even farther, and requiring designs and calculations that wouldn't be needed (or are already largely figured out) for rectangular shapes.

The building permits department and inspectors are also going to have to do more work, because they need to verify everything.

Most construction crews are also quite experienced building rectangular shapes, and not weird non-standard angles. 90° angles are easy (in fact, all carpenters carry multiple tools that can easily and perfectly create/verify 90° angles). A heptagon involves ~128.571° angles, and no doubt there will be additional strange angles throughout the rest of the house. Even if you found a crew that was experienced building with that (probably not), it takes longer (meaning more $$) to measure/verify/etc than it does square corners. With the crew inexperience comes greater uncertainty and potential for problems, so the cost goes up for that, too.


Leaking shower/tub enclosure I have an acrylic (maybe fiberglass) shower/tub enclosure.  It leaks when the shower is in use, causing a stain to appear on the ceiling of the room below. The most likely culprit appears to be that there is a gap where the tub faucet comes out from the wall, maybe 1/4'' (the faucet is not flush with the enclosure buy that amount).

Is this likely to be the cause of the problem?  If so, how could it best be repaired?   I am inclined to try silicone caulk but the gap is fairly wide and I worry that it may look bad.

Edit: yes, by "tub faucet" I mean the pipe that the water comes out of when you're filling the tub.

I fixed the problem so I may as well answer my own question.

The spout was detachable from the pipe (it is held on by a mechanism
which can be loosened by a hex wrench -- the nut is on the underside
of the spout)
Once the spout is removed, you can caulk the gap where the pipe goes
through the hole in the shower enclosure, and then re-attach the
spout. There's no need to caulk around the spout itself.
I was able to re-attach the spout so there was not such a wide gap
between it and the enclosure, though that's more of a cosmetic
improvement than anything else.

There is a video of someone doing this repair here.


How to clean textured brick fireplace? The brick around our fireplace looks dingy. The fireplace used to be wood burning but was converted to gas by the previous owner about 10 years ago (i think).

I would like to clean it. The problem is that the brick is textured. Everything that I've found so far (every video or article) cleans smooth brick. The general solutions I'm finding are dish soap, borax, salt, baking soda, ammonia ... etc with a stiff nylon brush.

How do clean the nooks and crannies of the textured brick without using a pressure washer indoors?

I have white terrazzo floor.  It is very hard to clean.  I tried straight bleach on it on a corner, and believe it or not it helped alot.  I never tried on brick, but maybe you can try in a hidden spot, and see how it works.  I just put the bleach on straight, and aired out the room.  I did it like 3 separate times.  Got great results though.

On my walls in my house, I use degreaser in a spray pump bottle.  If the area was dirty I sprayed with degreaser, and it seemed to clean all areas of my house pretty well.  Again, never tried on brick, but could try on a hidden spot, and see if it helps.


Hand compactor vs. plate compactor I am building a small patio using clay brick pavers. The pavers are being installed over an existing concrete slab. I laid an inch of concrete sand over the slab, and will install the bricks on top of the sand after I compact it.

For compacting the sand, am I likely to get dramatically better results if I use a plate compactor instead of a hand compactor? I've already started doing it with the latter and it looks decent. The only big issue is that I am finding it tricky to get the sand completely level across all parts of the patio, but it's unclear to me whether the plate contractor would address that more easily.

Either way, I am going to use a plate contractor on the brick pavers once they are in place. My question here is about whether there is a clear advantage in terms of project quality to using a plate contractor on the base sand, as opposed to compacting it by hand.

The metric I use is “Is anyone going to die, and will this last until I’m too old to care.”

A hand compactor is great for small areas, but to be honest, I’ve used neither up to 150 square feet / 12 square meters. Unless the slab is broken or unlevel, you have a great foundation and the slab will provided a good source of “levelness”.

The goal is to get the pavers level enough, with the sand underneath uniform enough, that any grade you’ve included for water management is maintained, and the pavers don’t wobble. That’s it — don’t overthink this.


Replacing a diy'd light fixture The previous homeowner seems to have turned a plug in light into a hard wired one, as pictured above. There was a bare copper wire originating from the box with a cap on it pushed way up and not connected. They also had a bare copper wire from the light fixture simply attached to the ground screw. And the neutral and hot wires were as shown. This light can be turned on/off from 2 switches in the home.

My question is... is it acceptable to follow their lead and connect my light fixture the same way. I have a light fixture that has 3 wires, L, N and unlabeled. Or do I have to fix the ground wire somehow.

In answer to your question. Yes it is acceptable to connect your light fixture the same way. Line to red. White or neutral to white, and ground or bare to ground. Ground wires do not normally carry current unless there is a fault event, and can be run exposed. Best description is that are like an electrical safety valve, they are a secondary source to return a complete a fault back to the over current protection that prevents users from an electrical shock or burn hazard.


Concrete floor brick wall gap leaking severely (garage above basement) Basic Problem:
There is a somewhat badly maintained car garage at street level above an area of my basement property. The garage has a concrete floor; the (very small) utility room below has a solid concrete ceiling.
In heavy rain, water leaks very badly down from the garage into my flat, through my concrete ceiling. This is in sufficient volume that it is effectively raining within my utility room; this is not a slow trickle leak / damp.
Rough diagnosis:
Having had a look in the garage, it appears that the water runs to edges of the garage concrete floor, and down a crack/gap between the brick wall and concrete floor slab.
I don't believe that any water was going down through the concrete slab itself (but please do correct me if this is a real possibility), although by the time it reached me below it was coming through various points in the ceiling (some obviously where there were old screw holes; some less obviously holes). So I am reasonably sure it's only going down the edges but have only had a brief look as I do not have access to the garage without begging the owner for help with the leak.
Questions:
So - firstly does this seem feasible that water would be getting down the wall<->floor gap in reasonably large volume? And secondly what is the solution? Should I (ask the owner to) caulk the gap somehow? Is there a particular type of sealant I should use? Or is mortar/concrete more appropriate?
[ Explanation of property layout: The property I live in was converted (from a period house into flats) in a slightly strange way, with my property being 'lower ground floor' down a full flight of stairs from the street; essentially a basement. The 'ground floor' is up half a flight of stairs from street level to the entrance door. This is not hugely strange except between these two, is a garage! (owned by someone who owns a flat in the property, but not me) - so the key point to the layout is that the garage is above my flat. ]
Alternatively/additionally, should I do something to waterproof my ceiling below? i.e. so that whatever leakage occurs quite simply does not reach me. Would this have a negative effect of allowing water into the concrete and never escaping thus damaging the structural integrity? Am I better off allowing the leak to 'escape' i.e. rain indoors on me?
Side-note:
This problem is massively exacerbated by the drainage channel in front of the garage door often blocking with leaves, so rainwater overflows and runs into the garage, but even if I/the garage owner remembered to clean it out frequently, the gap between the concrete slab and the brick wall would still be an issue. I see this is a something of a side-problem that would alleviate rather than solve the main issue. Also open to any suggestions here.

I want to be your attorney. I think I could retire on this case and move to Hawaii.
There’s several issues: 1) the Building Code (and probably your zoning ordinances) require a “safe living space”, 2) you’re the renter not the landlord so you cannot make “improvements” without the landlord’s permission, 3) making repairs.

Having water “leak” into your living space is not only illegal, but it’s a health issue. The Code requires a safe environment for all habitable spaces. In addition, moisture leaking into your apartment can cause mold, fungus, etc. with long term effects.

However, I know some people have a difficult time finding adequate housing and you may not want to complain. (I have a friend in San Francisco and he has trouble finding adequate housing and would never complain unless the roof caved in.) However, I assure you leaking water into your apartment is a health hazard.
If you decide to pursue a claim, I’d notify your landlord in writing and contact your Building Department after 3 days notice to your landlord if he does not meet with you to decide on a course of action. Your landlord may terminate the lease and kick you out rather than spend money on fixing the problem.

Remember, you are the renter and need permission to do any repair. (Just for your own liability, I’d get permission in writing and itemize what you are going to do. If things go bad, the landlord could sue you for all sorts of repairs, etc. that you did and that you did not do and are not responsible for.)

Obviously you need to determine exactly where the leaks occur. I’d do that with a garden hose and soak each area until it leaks. Keep excess water vacuumed up and keep a journal with pictures of where it leaked.

The Code requires garage slabs to be sloped out so rain does not accumulate in the garage. This garage may be too old for that requirement to apply, but you could add a “topping slab” that slopes out the garage door, if the existing structure is suitable to add such a load. (You’ll need an architect or structural engineer to review.)
As a first attempt, I’d seal the joints with a two-part expansion joint compound and then seal (paint) the entire slab.
Yes, concrete is porous but it’s far more likely water is running through cracks, etc. than working it’s way through the slab.
Do not delay. Your health is at risk.


Is my new monitor tripping my AFCI breaker? I just bought a new computer monitor last night (a Viotek GN34C) and since then, the 15A AFCI breaker for my bedroom has gone off twice.
I doubt I'm drawing too much power, since only my PC, monitor, a ceiling lamp (two CFLs), small fan and phone charger are on the circuit. My rough calculations show that all of this could maybe draw up to 900 W. I'm also fairly certain the monitor is responsible for the issue as this never happened with my previous monitor which was a similar model. The trips happen at a seemingly random time, not when my PC is playing a game or anything power intensive.
Because of the way my apartment is laid out (student housing), it's not feasible to run the PC and monitor on another circuit.
One potential issue I could think of is that the monitor and PC are plugged into a power strip, not a surge protector. I never considered buying a surge protector because I live in an area without lightning, but if it could keep the breaker from tripping I will definitely buy one.

The concept of an AFCI is to sense an ARC occurring in a circuit. This can be caused by almost any dry set of contacts or any loose fitting in a circuit such as a poor connection at a receptacle or even a lamp loosely screwed into a socket. I can't think of anything in a monitor that would trip an AFCI unless you have a separate power supply for the monitor and a small arc may be occurring randomly in it.
Verify that the power supply is making a solid connect at is receptacle and check where the power supply cord is plugged into the power supply module.
Then again it may be a small arc in the power module itself. You might try and replace the power supply to see if the random trip is corrected. If that does the trick you usually can return the original power supply under warranty.
As far as a surge protector you would be better off using a small UPS and power your computer and it's monitor from it. A UPS because of its construction not only prevents sudden outages knocking you system offline, but it is actually a very good surge suppressor.
Hope this helps and good luck.


Computer desk vibrates and hits wall while I type, need solution? Like the title says, when I type on my computer desk, my computer desk vibrates and hits against my wall. I was thinking about mounting L-brackets to the bottom of the desk to the studs in my wall, but I feel like there has to be some solution for this.

The desk I'm using is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075HBQSTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The floor that the desk is on is some laminate wood flooring that has a couple weak spots so that might be contributing to the desk not being as stable and moving a lot when I type.

P.S. I live in a rental so I'm not able to make any MAJOR changes, but I'm willing to hear out anyone with any advice.

It's either that all the feet are not taking equal load or the table has slack in the connections. If it's the feet issue, the plastic feet ARE adjustable, they are screwed in and you unscrew them to make a leg longer. If that issue is ruled out then it's the connections of the table, it simply isn't built to tight enough tolerances. Then, attaching to the wall is working solution.


Digging footer holes in crawl space Soil is very compact and potentially rocky, I need to get down several feet.  I have at least 5 footer holes to dig.
Thinking of buying a cheap corded 1/2 drill and 18 inch long auger bit set and considering throw away - doesn't matter if I destroy.
This would be for loosening soil.  My understanding is that a full size auger bit will not work on anything but a gas-powered drill.
Will a wood auger bit work in this scenario?
I would loosen the soil with the drill and shovel out.

I don’t think a drill and auger will be of any use.
I did a job like yours many years ago, providing much of the grunt work for a much older, but more experienced workman.
Step one is to dig a trench in the crawl space deep enough to stand without stooping (much). The trench goes adjacent to (within reach of) the spots where you want the footings. Branch the trench as needed. Use a pick and shovel. To remove the tailings efficiently, fill a container about the size of a U.S. Mail bucket, drag it out and dump it. A pick and shovel can deal with hard soil and rocks. A drill and auger, not so much.
Step two is to dig out the sites where the footings will go using a pick and shovel, while standing in the trench.
Step three is to build forms for the footings.
Step four is to mix your concrete outside, fill buckets, carry via trench, and dump.
Safety note: if you need electricity down there, make sure to get it from a GFCI protected outlet.


Water draining into floor drain from inside the drain I have a floor drain that is making running water noises. I looked in and saw that there was a stream of water pouring into it from about 6-12 inches down into the drain, from an outlet on the side. There are no toilets flushing, dishwashers running, or any other water source that could cause this.

I do have a sump pump but from what I have read those do not empty into floor drains, they empty outside. It has been raining a little bit, but as of right now it is not and probably hasn't been for a couple hours.

It's not backing up into the basement but I am a new homeowner and do not have any point of reference for what this is  and whether I need to be concerned or call a plumber. I have done some googling but haven't found anything there. I also have a general home repair book I looked through but nothing seemed to apply here.

I believe this water has been running for at least a day now, but I haven't been going into the basement lately and don't know exactly how long. As far as I know it's constant.

Where is this water coming from?

You could have a p-trap primer. I found one of these devices connected to the floor drain in my old kitchen/laundry room, when we were remodeling. This device, similar to below, periodically "flushes" the drain and refills it to ensure you have a seal in the drain so that sewer gases do not come back up the p-trap into the house. The device can be hidden in a wall therefore not easy to find, and then a tube of some sort to the drain. Mine was inside the wall, connected to the washing machine cold water line, similar to the second photo. When we remodeled and moved the laundry to the garage, the floor drain was filled in and the p-trap primer was removed from the wall and the line capped.

How often the device worked I am not sure, or how it decided to run, I am not sure.


Mounting TV on metal studs? The wall contains metal studs 24 inch apart.  On a previous TV, I installed an articulating TV mount (80lbs total with mount) on two metal studs with 4 snap toggles (that's 2 snap toggles per metal stud)  The snap toggles are suppose to support up to 80lbs each.  So i'm guessing with 4 snap toggles that equates to 4 x 80 = 320lbs distributed among two metal studs.  However, my TV and mount is only 80lbs, so I thought that would be fine and haven't had any issues yet.

The question is:

I haven't really used the articulating full motion aspect of the mount yet. It seems pretty sturdy, but I've never dealt with metal stud before as support.  Should I be afraid that If i move it around that it could rip out of the wall?

So I have another TV that I need to mount. With the dimensions of the room, it looks like I can only use one metal stud.  The TV is also lighter, so with the mount it'll be around 70lbs for a 43 inch LCD and the mount will be an articulating (ex. http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-ML531BE-Monitor-Articulating-Extension/dp/B000WYVBR0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1458420321&sr=1-1) which is meant to be mounted only on one stud as well.

The question is:

Can I mount the TV (70lbs) attached to one metal stud with two snap toggles rated at 80lbs each?

Any advice appreciated!
Thanks,
D

If you do not want to remove drywall to add wood structural support to the inside of the wall you could take a piece of cabinet grade 3/4 plywood and attach it to to the wall so it spans two studs and is bolted to the the metal studs, stain finish it or paint it to match the wall. You could use dimensional lumber as well if you are not as picky about appearance.

Cut it wide enough to span the studs, 28". Attach it to the studs with toggle anchors, at least 4, one at each corner, but 3 per side would be better. Then you can use heavy duty toggles to secure the mount to the wood.


What problems could occur if I plugged a 3-prong plug into a receptacle labeled "No Equipment Ground"? I have several old, ungrounded outlets in my house which are protected with GFCI, which is allowed per code as the GFCI will protect a person in the event of a ground-fault.

These outlets are supposed to be labeled "No equipment ground" but the previous owner neglected to do this. I assume that if I plug electronic equipment into this outlet there could be problems, but it is not clear what those problems would be.

Is "No equipment ground" a hazard to either people or equipment? What problems could happen if I plugged something like a 3-prong laptop power supply into this outlet? What about a device which uses a 2-prong power cable (no ground) such as some space heater or televisions?

Any equipment that uses a two prong plug will be as safe being plugged into this setup as they would be if they were plugged into a properly grounded three prong outlet. Two prong plugs (obviously) do not use the ground pin. As for three prong plugs, this depends on what is being plugged in. If the item is a laptop power supply that is sealed in a plastic shell, the ground pin is pretty much ISO-proforma [meaning, that is the standard cord- whether the equipment needs a ground or not.] I would be hesitant to plug in something with a metal shell, like a full size desk top tower, because the power supply is enclosed in a metal shell and attached directly to the frame of the case, this could present a shock hazard if the power supply were to malfunction.

A GFCI is a good start. If they are functioning properly, they will guard against lethal shocks, but you may still get a tingle if the electric is not quite right.

A possible suggestion: Use a 2->3 pin converter and attach a ground wire to the grounding tab. Attach the other end of the wire to a radiator if you have steam heat or possibly a metal water pipe. (no gas pipes.) This will get you a ground and you can use those items safely.


Grounding a sub panel in separate building There are many posts everywhere about this, but I'm still not clear on one thing. I have a separate building about 90 feet from the house where a buried 10-2 UF cable (2 conductors and a ground wire) supplies 110v electricity for lighting and receptacles. I am going to install a sub panel in that building and convert from 110v to 220v so I can install multiple circuits, one being 220v and 3 110v. So, in the 10-2 UF supply cable, I will use the white and black wires as conductors, and the ground wire as neutral. There are no other connections, pipes, telephone lines etc. between the buildings. I understand I must install a ground rod at the outbuilding to properly ground the subpanel. In the subpanel, should the ground bus and neutral bus be connected?

You cannot do this under current code. You USED to be able to do this. I suspect that proved to be a poor idea, since now you need to run a 4th conductor (hot or neutral) and maintain separated ground and neutral all the way to the service entrance.


Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk? Power supply units are often large relative to the outlet and block access to adjacent outlets in a power bar.

A simple solution is to use 1/2 ft or 1 ft (15cm, 30cm) power extension cords to keep all outlets in a power bar available.

Yet my hunch tells me that doing so increases the fire risk.

Could someone with actual knowledge in the matter pitch in with an opinion?

Does unblocking power bar outlets through short extension cords increase fire risk?

I am not considering an exotic setup (daisy chaining, forking, etc..), nor will the wattage be high (laptop and paraphernalia, at most a stereo amplifier in one slot). The question is whether this increases the risk of fire. The idea is that there are now many more places where rust, or just a poor contact, will happen. And rust/poor contacts cause heat that can spiral to something sinister.

Update

I marked Isherwood's answer right, but thanks to Harper's and Owain's answers I see now that there is an abundance of options to avoid even a small increase in risk. One key keyword is "metal". Search, for example, for "metal power strip" to see ones where right angle plugs will not occlude adjacent outlets. Some have a larger inter-outlet spacing. The challenge is find one not painted yellow.

Yes, but negligibly.

Any connection increases fire risk by increasing the chance of heat buildup due to resistance, sparks due to arcing, etc. The question is how much, and the answer is not much.

Since you already probably have dozens of such connections in your home (including such high-current things as a microwave and kitchen range), and since most of these are low-current devices, I see no reason to be concerned.

One caveat would be the potential for heat buildup around the transformers. They're normally held captive by wall outlets or power bars and not likely to end up in a heap on the carpet. In combination, many transformers without good cooling airflow could overheat. Don't let that situation arise.

Make sure all hardware is in good working order and be happy.


Can I drywall over an exterior vent in a converted garage? Our double-car garage had one car space previously converted into a study by a previous owner. It's a bit ugly, but a very useful space, so I'm going to make it nicer by putting up drywall ontop of the single-brick external wall with some furring.

However, there are three ventilation bricks in the wall, evenly spaced, about 2 meters off the ground:

Do I need to worry about these? Can I put the drywall over the top of them, or do I need to do some sort of alternate ventilation?

I am debating whether I will put glass wool insulation behind the drywall - if I was to do this, how would this affect things?

These ventilation bricks were intended to prevent gasoline fumes from accumulating. The CO danger was not the concern as one should only run the engine when the door is open. Modern cars should not emit gasoline vapors in any significant amount, so such vents are typically no longer required.

Additionally, since the study cannot harbor a motor vehicle, such vents just make heating and cooling less efficient, so you would do well to cover them. However, habitable rooms must have some kind of ventilation, typically operable windows. An HVAC system running on fan mode is usually a legal alternative to windows, but windows also provide highly desirable natural light. Which is also a requirement for residences. The usual requirement is 1/10th the floor area for light and 1/20th for ventilation.

BMitch raises a very important issue regarding CO. I've seen offices adjacent to maintenance bays where although the adjoining wall was well sealed to the surrounding structure, exhaust fumes still managed to permeate through somewhere enough to be bothersome to the occupants. Take every measure you possibly can to seal the adjoining wall. It's too easy to overestimate how well a wall serves as a barrier. In addition, be sure to install a CO detector in your study just to be safe.


Cap galvanized water pipe I’m looking to renovate a basement bathroom. First time for all of it.

Currently there is a shower panel installed on the wall that I’d like to throw away. I’ve bought 5/8 compression caps (just the cap, no ring) and put it on the water pipes. Turning the water back on I had water sprays out of both caps.

Do I simply need a washer in the compression cap or am I using the wrong thing to try to cap the pipes?

There should be a washer in the compression cap.  You can try to wrap thread tape on the threads first or pipe dope.  You can also purchase threaded shut off valves and thread them on the pipes with either pipe dope or thread tape.


I’m having a 12x24 cabin put on deer camp. What is suggested for sub panel in my cabin? Having a small cabin dropped at deer camp and I’m wanting to run two 20amp 120v circuits. One will feed outlet for window unit a/c and additional outlet and other will supply outlets and lights. We have meter and main panel on pole which feeds couple other things at camp. What should I install for sub panel in my cabin?

This could be served by a multiwire branch circuit in the cabing - one leg for the AC receptacle, the other leg for the rest of the receptacles and the lights.  This way all you need at the cabin is a disconnect, and you can run everything from the panel on the pole.

Assuming you're running conduit underground, I'd oversize the conduit so you'll have room to upgrade in the future.


How to reduce echo in a room? What would be the cheapest way to reduce echo in an empty room?

I'll be having an empty room in my apartment for perhaps a few months and right now, there's nothing I could put in there, except perhaps for some empty cardboard boxes.

The room has an open entrance to other rooms, so whenever someone is doing something in most other rooms (even not so noisy activities), this creates a surprisingly loud and actually really annoying echo that can be heard everywhere.

The room is about 23 feet long and 13 feet wide, the entrance is about 6 feet wide.

I wouldn't really want to try blocking the entrance, because you need to be able to go through that room to get to the balcony. There's also a lot of daylight coming through that open entrance, blocking it would make other rooms significantly darker.

Assuming I would put some cardboard boxes in there, where exactly should I put them for most efficiency?

What other, cheap options are there and how would I do it?

Echo is normally caused by wood/ Assuming that is indeed what you have, I would try laying carpet in there such as a rug. Sheetrock/drywall doesnt cause echo and when we actually soundproof rooms, add sheetrock. add a 2 inch space and another layer of sheetrock. So again, I am assume you have a wood or laminate flooring.


Main box amp requirement for 2.4 amp refrigerator My LG refrigerator has a 2.4 amp rating. What size breaker do I need For this? The only other on this line is a GFCI with three plugs.

Assuming USA/Canada: 15A if it's 14Ga copper wire, 15 or 20A if it's 12Ga copper wire. I'm personally not a fan of sharing the refrigerator or freezer circuits with any other load due to the possibility that the other load will trip the circuit and spoil your food.
If the other outlets are in the kitchen, that's required to be 20A if it's one of the two required countertop outlet circuits.


Garbage disposal spins manually, but not on its own. There are all kinds of garbage disposal questions and answers on the internet but none of them seem to address my issue.

My garbage disposal seems to be jammed, but not in the usual way. If I go to run it and look down into the hole with a light it tries to start but then catches on something and stops. If I don't turn it off it pops the reset switch, like it should. To help loosen whatever is in there I pulled out an Allen wrench and tried spinning it from the bottom. To my surprise, it spins totally freely. Finally, I removed it from its mount and (while unplugged, obviously) inspected the inside for anything obviously jammed between the rotator and the grate-like thing. Seeing nothing, I reached my hand in to spin it manually from the top and found that it spins freely that way as well.

Any thoughts on what may be wrong or what I should try next? FWIW, it's an insinkerator and I have no idea how old it is. I just bought the house, but it's a 17 year old house whose kitchen was redone somewhere in that time.

Thanks in advance for your help.

sounds like a mechanical failure, most likely the pin(s) or bushing(s) that hold the anvils in position are worn. when you hand spin it you can't product enough force to replicate the problem.
a new disposal should be no more than $125 and maybe an hour to install.


outdoor ceiling light installation I had an older light fixture hanging above my garage door.  It stopped working, so I bought a replacement and went to install it.  When I removed the old light, I discovered that it had been screwed into a chunk of 2x4 which was just free-floating between the framing of the overhang and the steel soffit.  The hole is fairly small, but I went into the attic/crawlspace above the garage and couldn't see any light, so I think it's too small of a space (plus blown-in insulation) for me to come at it from above.  Further complicating the issue is that the new fixture seems to be expecting some kind of purpose built mounting plate or bracket of some kind which obviously doesn't exist.

I'm not a fan of this idea but I don't want to hire someone for hundreds of dollars to do this. So I'm thinking I can maybe just fake the funk again, here and cut away some of the soffit and maybe more-securely attach the wood chunk (or make a new wood chunk) and replicate the expected bracket that way.

Does this sound like a good idea and how would you solve the problem?

edit
Model:  Secure Home HeathZenith 022246

You need a box in that location , an "old work" box can be placed into the hole and it will provide the mounts for the fixture. Old work boxes have tabs or wings that anchor to the back side of the wall.


What is the correct safe way to wire ground in a domestic 110/220 step transformer? I am not an electrical engineer and do not have a deep understanding of all the different factors in transformer design.  My question is about a plug-in 2:1 step up/down transformer used for 120/240 volt conversion in a home.   If such a device is plugged into a wall outlet what is the correct approach to wiring its ground pins?
Say the power supply into such a transformer includes a correctly wired ground.  It’s connected to the transformer’s housing, and neutral/ground bonding is done correctly at the appropriate place within the building it is in.
On the isolated delivery side of the transformer, how should ground be dealt with?
A) None.  It is not possible to provide a safe and useful grounding function, so none should be provided.
B) Output ground pin should be bonded to the transformer’s output neutral, but not to the case or the building ground. (isolated neutral/ground bond)
C) Output ground pin should be bonded to the transformer casing and thereby to the building ground but not to the transformer’s output neutral.  (Transformer output fully isolated).
D) Output ground pin should be bonded to both the case AND to the neutral side of the transformer output. (Transformer output referenced to actual ground).
I can see benefits and problems with each of these, and do not understand enough of the theory and practice of either transformers or grounding safety to know what's right.

On the isolated delivery side of the transformer, how should ground be dealt with?

As the output is isolated no ground connection is needed.
Connecting output ground to input ground would not cause any problems, but neither would it solve any.


Green Corrosion on new sink shut off valve after only a year I just noticed some green corrosion around the shut off valve area under a bathroom sink. This is a new shut off valve that was installed by a plumbing company only around a year ago. Should I have them come out to re do it?

It may simply be condensation on a cold water line.  The rule of thumb in plumbing is if the joint isn't leaking don't eff with it.