Should I use sugar soap or denatured alcohol to clean nicotine from painted walls? I'd like to clean nicotine off of painted walls, but I'm not sure if I should use sugar soap, or denatured alcohol (methylated spirits).
Which would do a better job all-around, specifically for cleaning nicotine off of painted walls?

I've found that some Trisodium phosphate works great for this.  Just mix some up in a bucket and use a sponge, and it should pull the nicotine right off, leaving the paint.  I'd definitely advise testing it in a small area first, but I've used it for this exact purpose before.


Buying an old house. What NOT to "modernize?" I'm buying my first house. It's an old early 1900's Edwardian-style semi-detached. In its present form, It is "livable" (hvac is new, roof is still good). I have $50,000 to fix everything (hopefully, only for cosmetics!).

I have a few questions:

I'm accustomed to "modern" living as a condo/apartment dweller through the years and liked the "open concept"; no walls to divide the kitchen/living room area. Can I tear down all the dividing floors on the main floor? They are not load bearing of any sort, right?
The exterior stone walls of this house are THICK as an old church's. There's currently an outer and inner window (made of rotten wood and broken glass). I like the functionality of modern-day plastic framed, double glass windows, but won't they look "blasphemous" on a classic house, especially from the outside?
Under the old filthy carpet, the floor (main floor/second floor/attic) are made of wood planks (maybe 3 or 4-inch wide each). They are not perfectly even and are very old. Will I "waste" the real wood if I install laminate wood on top? I love laminate floors, they're too easy to clean and are cheap to buy and install, but will refinishing the wood floor cost similar?
Unfinished basement (crawlspace) headroom is 5'10" without a ceiling. I am 5'8" so I can walk upright down there, but I should forget about excavating the concrete floor or raising the house, even in the future and given more money, because that is a serious hassle, correct?

Can I tear down all the dividing floors on the main floor? They are not load bearing of any sort, right?

No. At least half are likely load bearing. You will need to bring in an engineer and likely retrofit by installing beams to carry the load.

  I like the functionality of modern-day plastic framed, double glass windows, but won't they look "blasphemous" on a classic house, especially from the outside?

That's a matter of opinion. If this is a popular architectural style in your region, there are likely plenty of vinyl window options that try to mimic elements of the classic windows (likely to varying levels of success).

  Will I "waste" the real wood if I install laminate wood on top? I love laminate floors, they're too easy to clean and are cheap to buy and install, but will refinishing the wood floor cost similar?

In terms of future 'value', I think you'd be much better off with finished wood floors. But that's assuming the wood that is currently there of a quality and in a condition to be refinished. You'll want to bring in a floor person to make that call.

  should forget about excavating the concrete floor or raising the house, even in the future and given more money, because that is a serious hassle, correct?

Again, matter of opinion. It all depends. We can't say if it's worth it unless we know how long you plan to stay in the house, where it's located, comparable houses on the market, soil conditions, etc, etc. The biggest problem is that you don't have a detached house...there's no way to raise your side of the house without also raising the other side.


Replacing middle of circuit outlet with doorbell transformer I am replacing an outlet in the middle of a run with doorbell transformer. The outlet is not required for code and the transformer is one that is rated to be installed in a 2 gang box. Yes, I will be using a divider to separate the line voltage and low voltage lines.
I will be replacing the current box with a 2 gang box, and finish fishing the low voltage wires to the new box.
My question is, how do I continue feeding the down feed outlets with power? The two wires in the photo not connected feed the next outlet.
Can I simply wire nut the two blacks from the wall and one of the blacks of the transformer together, then wire nut the two whites and the other black from the transformer together and finally wire nut the grounds together?
UPDATE
So future viewers don't get confused by one of the below posts, this is possible using the components I have bought, which are the following:
Edwards Signaling 593 Adapter
Edward Signaling 591 Transformer
The NuTone transformer unfortunately was not an option for me because it is made to mount behind a chime, which I do not have. There wasn't a clean way to run the low voltage wires to my location because they come out the front of the component.

I think you're going to find that replacing the box with a two gang box is more difficult that just adding a new one.
Your black wires along with one from the transformer will be wire nutted together. You white wires along with a black wire from the transformer will be wire nutted together. Then connect your grounds.
The single box will be connected to the framing studs somehow. You'll have to get in there with a keyhole saw or hack saw blade to cut the supports. Be careful not to damage the cables in the wall or screw up the drywall or you'll be touching up paint.
There are two types of old work boxes. One has tabs that hole it in place but you have to follow the template exactly or the box won't fit securely. The other type has screws already mounted in the box and is meant to be screwed into a stud. Those, IMHO, are the better ones to use.  See picture below.


How can I take the hooks off of this shelf holder? I have a shelf holder, with all but one of the shelves taken off, in my closet. They look like this:

I'd like to take the two uppermost things sticking out of it off - I have no idea what they're called. It looks like they are supposed to come off:

I've tried pushing up near the point where they connect to the rail, but they didn't show any signs of budging.

Should I just push harder, or is there a better way?

Gently hammer up on the bottom, right next to the rail. They jam in place, especially if heavily loaded, and sometimes need persuasion to come loose again.

Several light taps will be less likely to go wrong than pounding as hard as you can.

Some (not all) will also respond to lifting up on the outermost end. Don't overdo that, or you'll bend them, especially if they are not of that flavor (which can be hard to tell for sure.)

They are called shelf brackets or shelf supports.


How can I divert wind which is flowing parallel to the wall into the house? Situation:

The house is surrounded by other structures in a way that the the wind direction remains parallel-horizontal to the wall. There are a couple of windows on that wall, but amount of air passing through those two windows is very small. If an obstacle could be placed to divert the wind into the house then the air passing through the windows would be greater.

Questions:

How can I divert the wind (air) which is flowing parallel to the wall into the house?
Is there any design for a wind catcher which can be mounted on an exterior wall?

I think the ideal solution would be to get casement windows. If the wind blows in both direction (at different times) you could go with a set of casements and open the applicable one:

Barring that, I think you need to rig up something that works the same say...perhaps a sheet metal 'vent hood' mounted at an angle. Or even perhaps just a piece of plywood.


Intermittent low pressure natural gas to outside grill I have a Weber S-670 natural gas grill. For the last couple of months, the grill will not heat up after dark, when temperatures are lower. During daylight hours and higher temperatures, the grill works fine. I have contacted my gas supplier and they maintain I have a malfunctioning grill, not low gas pressure. I have had two separate Weber repairmen check the grill, during daylight, and they tell me the grill works as it should. Not sure how to increase pressure to the grill during neighborhood heavy gas usage. Any suggestions appreciated.

As you can see from the image natural gas is supplied to commercial industrial and residential customers off the same line. I know it's a crude image but it's really how it works. If there was a significant pressure drop on a main branch of the system then commercial and industrial customers would be offline, resulting in Factory shutting down and other complications.  Residential draw is the equivalent of taking a cup out of a swimming pool. That being said I would replace the regulator. I have been on the receiving end of some really nice barbeques because of faulty regulators. I actually have a bin of them right next to me as I write this.  it's the one marked REGS it's an inexpensive repair. The only other thing I would look at is the gas line in your house. If it's undersized and your furnace or water heater starts you could experience pressure drop, resulting in a lazy flame.


Had kitchen cabinets repainted, new paint pulling off like rubber Elaborating on the title:

I hired a licensed and bonded painter to repaint my kitchen. Two days after he finished the job I noticed a small patch of paint came up (very easily) after my fingernail brushed against it while opening a cabinet. Then I noticed a nickel-sized patch that had been rubbed off where two cabinet doors rub together when closed. These little imperfections have happened in a few other spots.

I know he painted the kitchen with a semi-gloss latex, but I’m unsure of what the original coat was, although I suspect it was oil. He’s coming by this week to see what’s going on. But in the meantime I’m curious about the root cause and would like to educate myself on the solution so I can be comfortable with his.

Assuming it was oil he painted over, would the new latex paint need to be stripped off completely before repainting? Or is there a way to avoid that?

And FWIW I think the prep-work was probably “shortcutted”, hence the poor adhesion. Thanks!!

Looks like the prep worked was skipped completely! He should have sanded down the cabinets to give the new paint something to bond to, as well as put a good primer on. Unfortunately based on the picture it looks like it wasn't sanded at all.

I would get him to re-do it


How do I install uninsulated halogen can lights? I have some halogen can lights that just have a metal shell around them. The instructions say something like they need 3 inches of clearance. What is the best way to install these lights?

The 3" clearance clause is referring to clearance to insulation.  However, no inspector will OK these if they are near insulation, even if you were to push it 3" away.  If you are installing in an insulated space you must use IC (insulation-contact) rated cans.

I've done this a couple times now (installed about 35 pots in my house) and it still takes me about 1hr per light.  If it's your first time, expect it to take longer.  A helper is very handy for fishing wire.

If you are unfamiliar with electrical wiring then it is best to leave this to the pros.

Assuming you are placing these in an uninsulated space, the procedure is not all that difficult if you have experience with wiring and basic electrical work. If you have never run wire before then this might be a bit of a challenge.

The particular cans you have are known as remodel cans since they can installed into a finished ceiling.

First, you need to lay out your design; it helps to do this on paper first. I've always followed the 24" away from the wall rule and 3-5 feet apart for each light rule, though it depends on how bright you want it.  Rooms like kitchens usually require more light then a den. You should also consider the bulb type (wattage) and the radius of light they throw relative to the ceiling height (typically higher lights need to be spaced closer together).

Mark your layout in pencil on your ceiling.  Next, use a stud finder to ensure there are no joists within a couple inches of your cans.  If there are you will have to shift your layout by a couple of inches. With either a drywall saw or hole cutter, cut holes in the location for each light - hopefuly the light manufacturer provided you with a template for this.

Now you need to figure out where you are going to get power from. If there is already a fixture in the ceiling, it is probably easiest to get power from this fixture. If not you will need to pull a wire up a wall - this usually involves cutting a small section of the wall at the ceiling and notching the stud so that you can run the wire in the space created.  If you are lucky there is already a switch you can take power from, otherwise you might need a brand new circuit.  If you pull from an existing circuit you must ensure there is adequate capacity for your load; there are lots of answers on this site as it relates to load calculations.

Once you get your line (power source) to the first can, you then just run a cable (14/2 NMD90 usually) from each light to the next, leaving enough slack for you to work with the wire.  If they are all along the same joists then it is usually just a matter of fishing the wire down the span.  If you need to cross joists then you will need to drill a hole through the joists and fish wire in between them.

Connect the lights in parallel to each other and make sure to test them before you push them up in the ceiling and secure them with the clips.

This is just a quick overview of the process - each step can be fairly involved.  The key to a successful installation is planning.  Make sure you know where you are going to get power from, where the obstacles are and how you plan to get the electrical cable to all of the cans.  Leave yourself enough time to complete the job, or plan it in stages.

One other tip I will offer is that higher quality cans are easier to work with than lower quality cans - the cheap ones from Home Depot are a pain to work with IMO and don't stand up very well.


Is there a moisture barrier I can apply between drywall and paint? We are going to paint a small bathroom.  Over the years the Sheetrock looks as if water has been exposed to the walls.
Is there a moisture barrier that you can put on Sheetrock before painting?

I'm not sure if there's a moisture barrier specifically that goes in between the paint and the wall of the bathroom, but there are paints that are made to withstand high humidity. Also, semi-gloss seems to be the finish of choice because it is better at resisting stains and moisture which are common problems for bathrooms.


What causes power to enter ground? In trouble shooting this we found that an outside outlet had 70 volts coming through its ground. We went inside and disconnected everything but what is shown. The white is to the common, the red and black go through each side of the 2 pole 60 amp breaker. Testing from the common to ground shows that this voltage still exist. In testing continuity between black and white, we found that it tested positive. We went as far as to see that an outside halogen light was the reason for this continuity showing a solid connection.

With all power connected, everything works, I just show this voltage passing between ground. Is this a common occurrence where some voltage will pass between power and ground? My gut says no, but then I am a pseudo electrician. We have one coming, but would like to be able to tell him just about where the issue is.

If you have a multiple ground rods then that could be causing the issue. Everything should be bonded together; if they are not bonded then that could be the issue.

http://www.reddit.com/r/electricians/comments/23jjlu/hi_reddit_is_it_a_bad_idea_to_ground_an/

34 min video on grounding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypo99VRxT44


Conflicting wiring diagrams I've spent the morning looking at YouTube videos and I feel I've gotten my wiring correct.

I'm trying to add a rose / pendant to a room. As I took the original light off, I noticed there is only 1 set of cables (set of 3 cables). As such, I don't believe there is any looping required.

The problem I have, is the light isn't working and my first assumption is that it's due to my wiring.

However, I've now seen a video which potentially conflicts with the wiring diagram.

This is a screenshot of a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoVSdqeFkhE

Please ignore the green arrow

And this is the instruction sheet which came with the pendant

These 2 seem to conflict. Am I reading this wrong? Or does it not matter in which hole within the terminal block it goes?

And another diagram shows something totally differnt:

If it helps, this is my effort

It sounds like you are trying to match your situation up to the wrong diagram. The diagrams vary because the applications vary.

Power is supplied at the lamp, and goes no further. There is a spur (switch loop) for the light switch. (6 wires + earth)
Power is supplied at the lamp, and constant power is carried onward to other loads. There is a spur (switch loop) for the light switch, which switches this lamp only.  (8 wires + earth)
Power is supplied at the lamp, and goes no further. There is a spur (switch loop) for the light switch, which also switches this and other lamps.  Switched power is carried onward to those other lamps.  (8 wires + earth)
Power is supplied at the switch and powers only this lamp.  (4 wires + earth)
Power is supplied at the switch, and powers this lamp and also onward lamp(s).  (6 wires + earth)

The splice blocks are designed to have enough screws for all the above cases.  There are yet other cases, but they are outliers.


How to rig up temporary steps? My yurt is up, but I need some steps.

The deck is 32" above grade. Eventually I'll build a landing / small deck, but I'm too busy with other projects right now (like closing in the yurt wall canvas!)

What can I do to put together some simple, temporary steps until I get around to doing it right?

Jay, why not get a couple of precut stringers and 2X12 theads?  Put a 1X riser on the front, a 1X nailer on the top back and screw it to the building.  You can fancy it up later and use the same stringers.


Can I replace an electric range with a cooktop and separate oven? I'm replacing an electric range with a cooktop and separate oven. I know an electric range runs off of one 220V power source. Do I have to run a separate 220V line from the fuse box to my kitchen for the oven since the cooktop already has one, or can they both run off of the same 220V power source? It seems to me that they should both be able to run off the same power source and be wired together. I don't see why they would have to be separate but I need to confirm this.

As long as the ampacity of the existing 220VAC branch circuit is sufficient to support the new cooking equipment, you can do this, despite it not being called out explicitly as allowed for by the NEC.  The closest cites I can find in the Code for this are 210.19(A)(3) Exception 1:

  Exception No.1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere branch circuit supplying
  electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric
  cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and shall be
  sufficient for the load to be served. These tap conductors include any
  conductors that are a part of the leads supplied with the appliance that are
  smaller than the branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer
  than necessary for servicing the appliance.

210.23(C):

  40- and 50-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 40- or 50-ampere branch circuit shall
  be permitted to supply cooking appliances that are fastened in place in any
  occupancy. In other than dwelling units, such circuits shall be permitted to
  supply fixed lighting units with heavy-duty lampholders, infrared heating
  units, or other utilization equipment.

and Table 220.52, Notes 3 and 4 (reformatted to use decimals instead of improper fractions for kilowattage):

  Over 1.75 kW through 8.75 kW. In lieu of the method provided in Column C,
  it shall be permissible to add the nameplate ratings of all household cooking
  appliances rated more than 1.75 kW but not more than 8.75 kW and multiply the
  sum by the demand factors specified in Column A or Column B for the given
  number of appliances. Where the rating of cooking appliances falls under both
  Column A and Column B, the demand factors for each column shall be applied to
  the appliances for that column, and the results added together.
  Branch-Circuit Load. It shall be permissible to calculate the branch-
  circuit load for one range in accordance with Table 220.55. The branch-circuit
  load for one wall-mounted oven or one counter-mounted cooking unit shall be
  the nameplate rating of the appliance. The branch-circuit load for a counter-
  mounted cooking unit and not more than two wall-mounted ovens, all supplied
  from a single branch circuit and located in the same room, shall be calculated
  by adding the nameplate rating of the individual appliances and treating this
  total as equivalent to one range.


How can I fix a leak in the pipe coming out of my water heater? There's a water leak in the tube coming out of my heater. Yet the bolts look tightly put.

I'm not sure how to fix it. Any idea ?

The first thing to do is verify where the leak is occuring.  It could be occuring higher up and just dripping from the fitting (though it is very likely that it is the fitting leaking).  Dry the entire pipe off and then watch for water.

Assuming it is the compression fitting, the first thing I'd try is tightening it by 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn.  As gregmac mentioned in the comment, over tightening a compression fitting can damage it and cause leaks.  It could be that it is already over tightened in which case the damage is already done.

If this does not help you will likely need to replace the fitting.  I can't see what is above the compression fitting so I don't know if it can be replaced by itself.  There might also be damage (either corrosion, or just from the compression fitting being too tight) to the pipe where it meets the fitting in which case you'd have to replace a portion of the pipe too.

I would also be inclined to peel that tape off to see what it is covering.  If there are pinhole leaks this can indicate an electrical grounding issue.


Leak-proofing aluminium windows in a minimalist house I live in the tropics and plan to build my first home soon. The house will be 2-story with high ceilings (3.96m floor to floor--to improve indoor temp), walls will be made of plastered bricks and I plan to use aluminium windows. I want the house to be leak-proof, and I'm concerned about the windows. Since some of them will be high up on the second floor, I'm looking for a design that allows zero or less maintenance. If it's possible I don't want to have overhangs because I want the minimalist look for the house. Since caulk doesn't last a lifetime, I wonder how tall apartments manage to have leak-proof windows.

Will putting a 6-inch-thick upside-down U frame (concrete) like this help?

Hope to hear what you think!

Everyone wants their house to be leak proof. No one gets it. I live in Florida and am always getting calls to re-caulk windows in high rise buildings that leak. That's just what water does. You mentioned aluminum windows. They expand and contract with the weather, that will break a seal and water will find a way to get in. Zero or less maintenance doesn't exist. Your 6" concrete upside down "U"  would probably end up pulling away from the wall a bit and leaking there, needing caulk. Since I mentioned caulk, it have improved much over the last few decades. The quality silicone caulk available today does  great job at remaining flexible and while it might not last a lifetime, I've installed some that still great after 30 years. Good luck.


Should I frame a wall before or after installing the subfloor? I just ripped out the subfloor in my bathroom to make plumbing easier since I am changing the layout of my bathroom.  I also want to increase the size of the bathroom and eat into the walk-in closet adjacent to it by removing the existing wall and moving it over 3ft.  Since the subfloor is removed, can I frame the wall and attach it directly to the joists or do I have to add the subfloor first and then frame?

Framing the wall first will make my life easier - can this be done?

Sounds like your wall is perpendicular to the joists? You can do that within limits, but the new subfloor edges need to be supported. This means you need a row of blocking on each side of the wall. That doesn't sound easier to me.

From an overall structural standpoint, you would not want a discontinuous subfloor the entire length of the house, but for just the length of a bathroom it shouldn't be an issue, as long as the edges are supported.


Caulk around window sills I was pulling off the hardware for my blinds the other day (to paint) and the caulking around the window started to peel back.  I cut it where it was still attached that way I could minimize the amount of sealant lost.

My question is, how important is it that I seal that window back up?  Right now, it's only missing silicon on about half of the top seal.  Should I do it as soon as possible?  All of the silicon around my windows in the house is looking a little sad so I'd probably just do all the windows while I was at it.  I just didn't know if this was something I could postpone for a bit, or if I need to take it more seriously.

It's currently about 80deg Fahrenheit or 36deg Celsius where I'm at.  Naturally, I have the A/C on.  Do I need to worry about a drop in efficiency?  Can windows cause that big of an impact?

It's important to reapply the caulking / silicone, but not vital that it happens immediately. You'd probably want to do it in the next few weeks though, as it gets into the summer season. And when you reapply the caulking to this window, you should do it to all of your windows.

Gaps around door and window frames are one of the easiest areas to fix to reduce energy usage in your home. Given the state of the caulking around the other windows, though, the lack of caulking around this window is probably not going to cause a noticeable increase in your A/C usage - it's been increasing steadily - though slightly - over the years.

Caulk degrades over time, as it becomes brittle and cracks, and needs to be replaced every so often. Your A/C has been working harder than it has in the past because of this. This is why it's a good idea to replace the caulking once it starts to crack.

Silicone is (supposedly) more resistant to cracking than caulk, but may still need to be reapplied at some point.


Fuse box coming off of fuse at meter socket House built in the 50’s has an old fuse box that is being used to power lights and outlets in one of the barns on the property. The fuse box in this barn is fed from a 60 amp breaker at the meter. The meter socket was installed 2 years ago. The breaker box at the meter has a 100amp breaker for my house, and a 60amp breaker to the barn.
My question(s) is can I replace the fuse box with a load center? And is this even considered a subpanel since it does not come off of the main panel in the house?
Thanks in advance.

You'll need to stuff a ground wire down that conduit first

The first order of business in this job is to get a ground wire down that conduit to the barn.  You'll need several feet of 8AWG bare stranded copper for this, with one end going to the combination N/G bar in the pole panel, and the other end left hanging in the barn panel for now. (You'll also want to turn the main breaker at the pole off while doing this pull.)  Don't worry about conduit fill, by the way: a 1.25" Schedule 40 PVC conduit supplies about twice as much fill as you'll need for everything here.

Then you can replace the barn panel with something modern

Once you have a ground wire in the conduit and hooked up to the main panel, you can then replace the subpanel in the barn with a modern breaker box.  I recommend a 100A, 24-space, main breaker panel as a minimum for this application; the main breaker here simply serves as a local shutoff means for power to the barn, so it can be larger than the feeder breaker without causing any issues, and slots are cheap to buy now when you're changing the panel out anyway but rather expensive to add later.  Also, make sure to fit the panel with separate ground bars if it doesn't come with them fitted from the factory, and to pull the (usually green) bonding screw from the panel's neutral assembly so that it's configured properly as a subpanel.

And the barn will need ground rods, too

While you're working on the barn, you'll need to drive a couple of 8' ground rods 8' apart and use more of that 8AWG bare copper to connect both ground rods to the barn subpanel.  This takes care of the other side of grounding the barn; the ground wire to the main panel returns wayward utility electricity back to the utility, while the ground rods return wayward natural electricity (such as lightning-induced transients or even just static charges) back to terra firma.

Torque matters!

One more thing is that you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver when making up the lug connections on breakers and loadcenters so that you tighten the screws to the labeled specification torques; this is required by 2017 NEC 110.14(D), and is a good idea anyway lest a bad connection in your electrical system slow your roll.


How can I repair a crumbling shed base? I think I know the answer to this already but its worth a punt.

I laid a 4mx3m shed floor (clearly badly), with about 10 cm of hardcore and 7.5cm of cement, that whilst in the middle appears fine, on the outside has some very crumbly sections.

The floor doesn't need to last decades, it has a summerhouse(office) on it, so a few years use would be nice rather than it just collapsing when the winter arrives. Is there anything I can do to it to make it a bit more hardy in the short term other than knock it down and start again.?

Do you just want to consolidate the loose surface stones for walking/tool storage?

If so, a concrete resurfacing mix, spread with a floor squeegee, will make a nice, smooth surface.

Understand that the underlying loose mix won't support much more than foot traffic (people walking on it) and the resurfacer may crack if overloaded.


Repainting Exterior Doors - Grill Paint vs Appliance Paint The exterior doors are hurricane rated and aluminum frame.  I prepped the doors and repainted the first set with grill paint.  I was not happy with the finish and decided to repaint the remaining doors with appliance paint.  The appliance paint left a much better finish and I now want to repaint the grill painted doors.  Can I just apply the a appliance paint over the fresh grill paint or do I need to remove the grill paint first or prep the doors somehow?

You do need to have a primer for sure.

Just a tip from someone who paints 20+ metal doors a year.  Use automotive spray paint.  Cost a couple bucks more and you can pick it up at local parts store or online.  The colors are better, then finish is better, and they make some great looking clear coats.  Two coats of apple red auto paint + 2 coats of clear and I can turn a $20 door into a $500 door.  Sean is right too after your first coat you should give it a sanding.  No matter how well you think you cleaned it there will be dust that binds.  (you can also take your door to an autobody shop and most will paint it for $100 - trick of the trade is to take in 5-6 at a time for around $250 if you use common colors)


Filling joint between backer board and wall in shower I've never done home repairs before)

I just moved into a place and noticed GLOBS of silicone caulk in the walls next to the shower, it looked hideous.  I went to shave some down and maybe recaulk a nicer bead, turned out the previous person used it to seal with tile backer with the wall.

Is this the proper way to do it?

My solution currently would be to patch it with joint compound to make it flush with the wall, and maybe caulk over the border with the tile.  Is there a more proper way to do this? I'm concerned over keeping it waterproof.  It appears the shower did have water leakage issues in the past.

You don't want to use joint compound that close to the shower. That gap at the top probably goes all the way to the bottom behind the door track and should be fixed too. Remove the door track and scrap all the caulk off everything: walls, tile, door track. Get some epoxy grout from your home store and spread it from the bottom of the shower all the way to the top, filling in that space between the wall and the tile. Follow directions for the grout. Once the grout hardens reinstall the shower door track and get a good paintable caulk and run beads on both sides of the door track and at the bottom. good luck


Is this a "switched neutral" situation? Replacing switches with new ones and wanting to add a zwave dual-relay while I'm at it. It's a 3 gang box and all are on the same circuit. I have an electronics background, but no electrical experience beyond replacing switches and a couple fixtures. I understand the theory but definitely don't know if this is to code. My brief googling is telling me that it should be switched hot for safety reasons.

The house was built in 1922, but it was remodeled in mid-2000 with upgraded wiring. One of the switches controls the living room light and an outlet. However, I discovered the outlet is not grounded when I took it off, so I guess not ALL the wiring were replaced.

Here are pictures of the gang box.

You are right to be concerned about switched neutrals. A dangerous situation.

You can test it by using a non-contact tester similar to this one

Turn on the breaker (after making sure no terminals are touching anything metal). Check the wires going to each of the switches. If wired correctly, one of each should be hot.  If they are not, you have a switched neutral.

Hot should be labled black, red or blue. White wires are often used for hot on switch loops, but they are supposed to be labeld black with marker, paint or tape.

If you do find a switched neutral, you need to rewire the circuits. This may be a time to call in a pro.

Images and links are for illustration only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Can I get 240 volts to a hard-wired baseboard heater by plugging into a nearby outlet? I need some help I have a 42 inch cadet baseboard heater that needs 240 volts to run at full power. The heater is in a small water meter room I have it hard wired in but its only 120volts coming in and I noticed a 15 amp plug close by that is on a different breaker so I was wondering if i can wire a plug to the heater and plug it in while its still hard wired in to get the additional 120 volts so the heater runs at full power or can I just remove plug and hard wire it from there to thanks

You can run a 240V heater on 120V if you really want to, but it'll be weak tea, operating at 1/4 of power.

You could attempt what you hope, but it will require completely redoing the circuit wiring, to have 2 hots and a neutral in the same cable, at least up to the point where a 120V-only subcircuit branches off. All the conductors must be in the same cable. You cannot grab one hot from this cable and another hot from another cable.

Also, the fixed loads on each half of the circuit must account for less than 50% of circuit capacity.  Otherwise you can't have any receptacles on it at all.  This is per pole, so if you have a 6 amp heater on both poles obviously, and a 5A sump pump on one pole, that pole can't have any receptacles.

You must use a 2-pole breaker with 240V between the poles, otherwise you create a serious overload hazard (and also the heater won't work). An example of a bad breaker to use is a double-stuff that fits in one space.

Doing this type of wiring correctly is hard, and easy to get wrong.  It's harder than using punctuation, for instance.


Why is my brand new PEX clear tubing turning green near the water heater? I just moved into my house with brand new PEX (uponor) plumbing.  I used clear for the hot and cold instead of red and blue, because I bought everything myself and I thought it would prevent wasting too much.  I installed the PEX tubing myself after buying a new Milwaukee tool.  This was my first PEX DIY project, but I have a fair bit of experience with lots of remodeling trades.

Anyway, we have been using the plumbing for about 6 weeks.  I just noticed that the hot water tubing right near the water heater (commonly abbreviated as HWH) now has a green hue for about 12-24" past the heater.  The water itself is not stinky or green - although I do notice a slightly different smell than with my old copper plumbing.  There is about 3 feet of SS flex and copper between the water heater and the PEX.  Our County inspector approved everything.  The water heater is electric and it is about 5 years old, purchased from someone on craigslist.  The water heater was empty when I moved it into the house, but I didn't try to clean it with anything.

So, what is causing the PEX tubing to turn green?  Should I make the water heater hotter?  I don't think it is above 120F, but I haven't measured it.  Should I figure out how to inject bleach into the system every once in a while?

Edit: added picture.  It turned out better than I expected.

I am a professional plumber and I have been using PEX tubing for 20 years and I am also manufacturer-certified to do so.

The only time I've ever seen this green color in PEX tubing it was algae.  The pipe was a cold water supply line that was wrapped with heat tape and pipe insulation, and run above ground underneath my camper. When I removed the pipe it had algae growth along its whole length.

However, the algae will not stick to the pipe. When you kill it, it will just wash away out through your faucets; just make sure you remove your aerators in order not to clog them.

Shut off the water supply line to your water heater.
Drain some water out of your water heater from the drain valve.
Disconnect the supply line from your water heater, so you can pour your bleach in from there.
Reconnect your water heater and run hot water out all your faucets until you can smell the bleach.
After letting it sit for a sufficient amount of time, flush all the water out of your hot water pipes and water heater until no more bleach is detected.

This will kill your algae, but you may still have it inside your pipes. You might need to tap on the pipe to knock it loose before flushing.

In my case I drained the pipe and the algae dried up and fell from the pipe. Or you could remove and replace the affected area.


How do I "un-winterize" my sprinkler system? I just moved into a house in which the sprinkler system has been winterized. I want to get it going again, but I'm not sure what to do about these four valves here.

The previous owner told me that I need to go under the house and open a valve to deliver
water to the sprinkler system. I did that that and may or may not have turned the two blue knobs (can't remember what state they were in originally), and water started spraying out of the four valves in the picture above.

I can tell from looking at it that I'm probably supposed to get a screwdriver and tighten or close those valves. But I don't want to make an educated guess and damage the system. Should I completely close off all four of them?

I'm no plumber, but I did just install my own sprinkler system.  That looks like a reduced pressure assembly used for backflow prevention.  the little screwdriver valves at  bleeder.  You should only need to touch them if Water comes out.  With the main water under the house on, turn on the the big valve closest to the house  first, then the second valve closest to the sprinklers.  That should do it.

Google RP (watts makes them) and you should find plenty of info.  Poetically no exact matches on pictures, but ask the right parts in the right places


How do I connect the wires to this USB receptacle? I am replacing a wall outlet with a Cooper Wiring USB outlet (TR7745).

The new outlet has 3 wires coming out of it--a black, a white, and a green.  Each one needs to be attached with a wire nut to the appropriate wires.  The trouble is that there are 5 wires (2 white, 2 black, a a ground).  My first try was using 1 of each and putting a wire nut on the extras, but nothing in the room works now.  What do I do with the extra black and white wires?

You didn't say how the old outlet was wired, but I'm assuming that both whites were connected to the screws one one side and both blacks on the other side. In this case, the tho white wires were effectively connected together and the two black wires were also effectively connected together.

Put the three black wires(two from the wall and one from the outlet) together in one wirenut and put the three white wires together in another wirenut.

Note that if you are using small wires nuts provided with the new outlet, you may need to buy larger ones to fit all three wires.


How many watts max at my 220v L14 30R outlet? I have a 40amp double pole breaker on my main with 30' of 8/3 to an L14 30R locking outlet, what is the max wattage?

Thank you.

0 watts.  A 30A receptacle on a 40A breaker is a code violation.

5760 watts continuous, 7200W intermittent, if you change the breaker to 30A.

7680 watts continuous, 9600W intermittent, if you change the receptacle to NEMA 14-50R.

Why are we using a NEMA 14-50 on a 40A circuit? They don't make 40A receptacles/plugs.  You are expected to use 50A sockets on 40A circuits. This exception is coded into NEC table 210.21(b)(3).


Are there any differences in the quality of products sold at contractor's supply store vs. big box hardware stores? We are in the early stages of building a new house & went shopping for lighting fixtures yesterday. We get an allowance from the builder which we know will be used up very quickly after visiting their standard supplier. We also had a lot of trouble finding fixtures that we really liked (especially ceiling fans).

Later, we went to Home Depot and found quite a few fixtures that we liked, in most cases we liked them better than what we'd seen at the lighting supply store. And the prices were much lower.

We can take the lighting allowance the builder gives us and get it applied as a credit on the final price of the house (or put the money into other upgrades) if we purchase everything on our own and deliver it when they tell us to. If we can do this and save money on the fixtures, that's great. But I worry that the Home Depot (or Lowe's) brands may be of significantly lesser quality, and in 2 years we'll find ourselves having to replace a number of them.

Generally speaking, is there a significant enough difference in the quality of the products offered at each of these stores to warrant the significant (2X, in some cases) price difference?

The first thing you need to understand about "allowances" on any building job is that those are usually way too low to equip the real wants of the buyer. When talking lighting, most lighting supply houses have a "spec" line of fixtures that contractors use to figure the allowance. They are typically the least expensive fixture for the application. When you go in to select lights, you are usually seeing consumer list prices, not the actual price us contractors pay. You could easily pick out nicer designer models and spend 3 or 4 times the amount in your allowance. This is common.  The smart consumer would take the discount and shop your fixtures for what you want at the price you want to pay.  The box stores obviously don't carry the real upscale designer lines, but most of the products are very serviceable, good quality, contemporary popular styles and should last you years. If you are a good internet shopper, you can find high end lighting, solid brass, brushed nichol, stainless, crystal glass, etc at very reasonable prices. Always remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!!!


Can you extend electrical wires from a junction box as long as the splices are contained? I have an electrical box that ideally I would get moved, but I'm trying to work with what I've got. From what I can tell, it has already been moved/replaced twice before, as there is a round patched area as well as a metal cover plate near the current box (where there is a light fixture).
I have searched extensively on the internet about possible fixes for this with regards to how to get a chandelier placed where I want it. Swagging is the obvious solution (which is not my favorite look), but I also read that getting a fixture with a large rectangular canopy could work. Problem is, my junction box is off in two dimensions, and also the mounting brackets for linear chandeliers seem to always have a centered hole where the wires from the box will be spliced with those from the fixture.
So, out of curiosity, if the main concern is that splices be contained yet accessible (according to code), would it be possible to splice a long set of extensions at the point of the box, contain it with one canopy (a small circular one), then run those extensions to the linear chandelier, splice them and contain the wire nuts using the mounting bracket, then swag the whole thing?
I have serious doubts about this possible 'solution' so I'm not going to do it, but I was curious if it would fly. In my mind one obvious issue would be covering the wires and making sure they aren't the main source of support for the light (running a cable or chain), but I neglected to include that in my sketch below. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: As an alternative, could one drill holes in the two canopies so that the wire could be run across the ceiling, hidden with a raceway/cord cover, and then mount the mounting bracket straight to the ceiling? That way The light would get sufficient support. Sketch below:

I would use a surface raceway setup for this
This sort of job (extending power along a wall or ceiling) is precisely what surface raceway (such as Wiremold™) is made for.  In Wiremold 500/700 series (Legrand's baseline metallic product), you'd be using a V5737 box with a blank cover (a standard 4" round junction box cover painted to match the raceway/ceiling will work, or you can order in a V5736 cover if you don't want to do any painting) as your starter, then appropriate lengths of raceway (including what sounds like a flat elbow) to connect the starting point to a V5738AF fan box, which you can then hang your chandelier from.  Within this raceway, you then run THHN wires (black/white/green 12AWG stranded serves as a "universal donor" here) from the existing box connections to power the new fixture.


Small electric water heater below sink to get instant hot water? There is quite long pipe going from the gas water heater to our kitchen sink. This means that there is a delay before hot water actually becomes hot, especially in winter months.

Now I saw that there are mini electric heaters that are quite affordable (in the 100-200USD range). Some come with small tank (120V) and some are tankless (240V). I am thinking of putting such electric heater below the kitchen sink in series with the gas heater.

Would using such "heaters in series" setup be a good idea to get instantenously hot water at the kitchen sink?
If yes, What would be pros and cons of going tankless?
Would the electric heater be able to correctly adjust output water temperature (because the inlet temperature will increase once the cooled water from pipes is drained).

I have also considered doing this, but have not so far (inertia). One way to do this is to add a separate single faucet for the electric water heater and T off the cold supply. That way when you use the hot you don't leave hot water abandoned in the piping. If you T off the hot supply, you will leave hot water in the lines when you are finished with the hot, but you will have a full flow of hotter water.

A small tank can allow you to have on tap at gallon or two of very hot water even using the 120 V circuit which is probably there to power a disposer. If like a lot of people you have removed the disposer, you could use the receptacle for this. If your disposer receptacle is on a dedicated 20-A circuit, this would work very well, but if not, you could use the disposer wall switch to turn off the heater when high power appliances are being used with other receptacles on this circuit.

A tankless heater would have to be at least 30 A at 240 V to give a decent flow of very hot water. You would have to have add the cost and trouble of adding this circuit to the project, but this would be ideal.

EDIT

One of these very small tanks with its own spigot (presumably rated for very hot water) might be the best choice. You don't want to run very hot water (200 F) through a standard faucet.


Clarifying separation of ethernet cables from cables running power (underground) I have seen a few questions regarding how close ethernet cables can be to power cables without a significant impact on the data. For example:

Can I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical cables?

Is "don't mix data and power cables" and "don't loop power cables" still valid nowadays?

It seems that the short answer is basically that they should be separated generously.

However in my case I will be running them in "separate conduits", which  will be ordinary PEX tubing (underground). Furthermore, the power in this case will be a weak (high gauge) extension cord. The application is that I am running these cables to some security cameras which are 500-600ft distance away, and I don't think the cameras draw a lot of power. At least, it wouldn't be as much as present in the main line from the street.

The first question I linked has a comment which cites a standard:

  800.133(A)(2) states that Communications wires and cables shall be  separated by at least 50mm (2 in.) from conductors of any electrical
  light, power, Class 1 non-power-limited fire alarm or medium-power
  network-powered broadband communications circuits. Exceptions are if
  separate raceways or conduit are used for separating the
  communications cables/wires from the power conductors.

Does this mean, in my case I can just put them in different PEX tubes and not worry about how close they are- they can be right next to each other? There will be no loops, just a straight run  (with a few curves).

It matters to me in this case because it would affect the width of the trench I am to dig.

I wonder if my question is more appropriate for some kind of electronics forum but I appreciate any guidance.

Thanks

You're not allowed to mix low-voltage and mains wiring in any way, shape or form in the same cables, conduits or raceways. The reason is safety: the data cables may not threaten the power cables, but melting or damage of the power cables absolutely could cross mains "hot" voltages onto your data cables.

This is only allowed if the data cables and everything the data cables connect to is also inside Class 1 wiring methods.  Such as 24V latching-relay-based lighting controls.  Or 0-10V dimming controls run in the same conduit as mains.   Or ethernet used as SCADA between mains control equipment all mounted in Class 1 enclosures.

What's not allowed is running an ethernet through a mains conduit, having the ethernet land at an Ethernet cover plate, and then proceed via Ethernet cable which is decidedly not a class 1 wiring method to a local PC, where it enters a data port not hardened for mains power.

Anyway, as far as mains is concerned, "separate conduit and you're good".  If your conduit is metal, you probably really are good.  If it's plastic, then you might have signal interference if the signal is susceptible to 60Hz or whatever line noise is on the mains line; however the Electrical Code really doesn't care about that.  These days most electronic signaling is so high frequency that it seems unlikely that old mains line noise could have much effect.


Mortar (or something) falling out of basement brick wall In my basement, there is a powdery, bright white substance between some of the bricks. It looks like it was something applied on top of the mortar joint. I scraped a couple places where it was falling out, and about 1/8 inch below is hard mortar.

If I touch it lightly, it falls apart and indeed has been falling off the wall and onto the floor by itself. Basically it's expanding slowly and pushing the coat of paint off the wall.

This wall is below grade. I had a friend stop by who happens to be a mason, and he said it wasn't anything to worry about. But what is the white stuff?

The white powdery substance is called efflorescence. It's bascially mineral salts leaching out of the masonry.

The efflorescence itself may not be anything more than a cosmetic problem, however the appearance of efflorescence indicates that there's moisture present in the masonry. This is not entirely surprising--you're talking about an old brick wall below grade.

It may be prudent to monitor the structural integrity of the mortar joints over time to make sure they are not degrading due to the moisture.

The Masonry Institute of America published a nice informative paper on efflorescence, how to avoid it in new construction, and how to remove it from the surface.


reuse laminate flooring? I'm adding subflooring to improve the R value.
I have some laminate boards that are damaged, but most seem to be in decent condition.

I'm thinking of saving some money and finding a matching or very similar looking laminate boards. I will use the new pieces in the bedrooms, and the old pieces in the open living room area.

Is it a good idea to reuse these boards? I pulled one piece out and it's dated 2006, so it's likely that it was installed the same year.

As long as the boards come apart without damaging them, and appear to be in good condition with no water damage, sure!


What is the labeling scheme on these outlets? This is in a hotel, where there are obviously many, many circuits to manage. Can we tell what information is encoded in these labels?

On the first plug, the GLD is the panel name, and the 15,17,19 is the breaker spaces that it takes.  It is a 3 phase receptacle, but I cannot tell you what NEMA configuration it is.

Same goes for the 20 amp receptacle next to it, 1LB is the panel name and the 11 is the space in the panel the breaker is in.

The telcom labeling probably leads you the same way.


What should one look for in fusible electrical protection hardware to avoid insurability issues? A common anecdote, and one that is not without substantiation, is that some home insurers refuse to insure houses with fuses in their electrical system.

While this is substantiated in the typical case, where the presence of fuses  for circuit protection is a sign of an electrical system that is generally obsolete and/or has a significant risk of overfusing and/or fuse bypassing, there are cases where circuit breakers are not readily applicable to the circuit protection need at hand.  This is true where extensive DC systems are present, circuit protection devices of unusual ampacities are needed such as for a power meter potential tap or for overload protection of motors, or if power is stepped up to 480V onsite for a long feeder run to an outbuilding.

In these cases, modern fusible hardware, such as fuse holders/blocks and fusible safety switches, that has rejection features engineered into it to prevent bypassing or gross overfusing, represents an effective and NEC-compliant alternative to circuit breakers that either don't exist (there are no UL489 breakers with a fixed 100mA overcurrent trip, and probably never will be) or are cost prohibitive to install (such as large DC or 480V straight rated breakers).  This hardware is made by reputable manufacturers and widely distributed, accepts UL-listed rejection-type ferrule/cartridge or blade fuses that can be obtained through most suppliers of electrical equipment, and is fully rated and listed for service in the applications in question.

How can someone who is planning an electrical installation where engineering constraints may put fuses back on the table as a circuit protection means avoid finding themselves in a situation where insurers are refusing insurance coverage over a safe and Code-legal installation?  Is the aforementioned anecdote truly an overgeneralization of the situation?

I think this is an over generalized thought. Since you mentioned 480, many industrial equipment sets using variable frequency drives require class j fuses for protection, their are still some AC units that state max fuse size (most have changed to max fuse or hvacr breaker in the last few years) in these cases it would violate the listing to use a breaker. I have updated quite a few homes in my area from fused to breakers because of insurance requirements but there are still companies that will insure homes with fuses or even FPE stablock panels, where fuses would be safer if properly sized in my opinion. I think the bigger problem is on fused system k&t or cloth wrapped wire was used and some of that insulation is failing being the root cause of the problem.


AFCI Trips When Stainless Steel Hoses Touch Washing Machine Cabinet. Why? I noticed the hot water hose on my washing machine (SpeedQueen Top Loader) was corroded, so I decided to replace the hoses.

I bought braided stainless steel hoses and installed them.

Everything worked fine, until I pushed the washer back to the wall and the AFCI tripped.

After some confusion, I discovered that if the braided stainless hoses touched the washer's cabinet the AFCI would trip.   The trip happens as soon as the unit is plugged in.

What would cause the AFCI to trip in this case?

The washer has a 3 prong plugged and metal cabinet.  The AFCI is a 15 AMP Murray Combo AFCI.  The LED indicates ARC fault on some trips.

I have done the following tests:

Current between cabinet and shut off valves

I checked for current between the cabinet and the brass shutoff values.  My multimeter shows less than 1.4 uAMPs of current but it fluctuates.  This is with the washer plugged in.   This is micro amps not mili Amps, so would not expect it to trigger the AFCI unless it is bad.

Appliance Cord
I checked each prong of the plug against the back of the washer.  Only the ground plug shows continuity. The neutral and load are fine.

Why is the AFCI tripping?

For now, I have replaced the stainless hoses with rubber coated stainless ones so we can use the washer.

Any insights into the problem would be helpful.   Want to note that this is a 1899, 3 story home with electrical upgrades done at various stages.  I bought the home 3 years ago.

Many new washing machines have inverter drives on then now, and those inverters create what's called "Common Mode Noise", electrical noise referenced to ground. The washer doesn't need to be running, just plugged in for the inverter to create CM noise.

I'd say that your ground connection to the outlet or in the machine is loose or missing, so the CM noise is discharging through the machine frame itself when it comes in contact with your plumbing. Think of it as if it were a static charge built up from walking on nylon carpet and you touch a metal surface. That discharge looks like an arc fault to the breaker.

Check that inside of your washer, the bonding jumper is connected. it will be a green wire going from the machine frame to the ground terminal that the cord is connected to. If that's OK, get a receptacle tester to make sure your receptacle is connected to ground.


Installing a high efficiency "combi" boiler in an old house We want to replace the boiler in our basement and have been given conflicting advice about what to get. We have an old house, built 1903, and have hot water radiators. We have already done extensive renovations and our contractor told us we should get a high efficiency combi gas boiler for both heating and hot water.
However, another plumber told us that we should stick with a standard boiler and hot water tank like we have now because the new boilers don't work well with old houses and apparently silt can get stuck in the pipes. Our contractor's plumber said thats not true and we can just put on a filter.
Also, we had also wanted to relocate the new boiler to the side of the basement rather than the center where it is now. The "other" plumber said that the boiler should remain central so the water can be evenly distributed through the pipes. Contractors plumber says thats nonsense because there are pumps.
Who's right??

Fit the new boiler where you want.
As part of the job get the plumber to flush the pipes to remove silt.
The boiler does not have to be central - the pump provides the push for the water and heating circuits have balance valves to control the flow or they can be fitted.
But consider if the existing boiler still works, how long is the cost of fitting going to need before it is paid back by the increased efficiency?


Level of demo required for extending existing gas lines? I'm considering converting a faux fireplace to a working one with one of those self-contained gas units.  For the gas lines I'm going to have professional do it, but wanted to get some advice on how invasive extending my existing gas lines would be - I'm not at all familiar with what's available these days for running such lines, what I have currently is black piping.

The fireplace is on the first floor and is probably ~30 feet from the gas meter in the basement on the same side of the house.  In the theory the line just needs to run in the basement ceiling on a straight shot over to the fireplace, but the ceiling is not open and is plaster and lathe, which is a real nightmare to open up in my experience.  Is it reasonable to assume that to run the line they'd need to open up the ceiling along the full length of the run, or is there some clever way this is done less invasively?

The problem with going through the ceiling, is going to be supporting the pipe. Even if you could feed the pipe through a small opening, you'd still have to open holes at regular intervals to attach the pipe to the joist. Snaking Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) through the ceiling likely would work, but again, you'd have to support it at regular intervals (3 - 4' I think).

I see three options.

Open up the ceiling along the entire length.
Go outside as Michael Karas suggests.
Run the pipe along the ceiling, and build a soffit around the pipe to hide it.


Can I bury insulated flex duct in blown insulation in the attic? I've heard mixed information on this.

I am replacing all my old ducting with new r6 flex duct. Continuous runs with no leaks.

Some recommend suspending it above the blown cellulose insulation, but I'm not sure I understand why I should do this. My reading suggests that the insulated ducts will sweat and get my insulation wet. I find this hard to believe but I see it mentioned a lot.

It will be much easier to blow insulation over the ducting, burying it.

I have not had problems with flex duct sweating but the humidity in Oregon is low compared to the east coast. If the duct is totally encapsulated in insulation it cannot sweat. The humid air has to come in contact with a cold surface to condense moisture so a duct that is fully covered won’t sweat in the first place.


How do I determine rough opening sizes for common closet door sizes? At the hardware store I see bifold closet doors listed in sizes like 36x80, 48x80, 72x80. I'm not sure if these are nominal sizes or exactly which parts they're measuring from. How would I determine the correct size of rough opening to create for one of these standard sizes?

Bifold rough openings:  to the hinge (pivot ) side add 3/4", to the other other side, 1/4"

So for single 24" wide door, a 25" RO (which is really a finished opening for bifolds) is needed.

You need a bit more clearance on the pivot side, because the pivot is inboard a bit and it needs clearance to swing through (pivot around) the thickness of the door.  Similarly, any baseboard trim  will need to be held back from the inside (of the closet) for door clearance.


How to prevent an exterior automatic watering system from freezing I'm looking for solutions on preventing automatic watering systems for horses from freezing.

The faucet is 150-200 feet away from where I'm building my horse's pasture. I live in New Jersey so I'm worried about hoses freezing in the winter. The tub/trough I will be using will be heated in the winter so I'm not too worried about that freezing. The distance is also too long to run the heated water hoses all the way out there. (the only ones I've seen are only about 60 feet long)

Is there anything I can do to prevent a hose from freezing or should I just dig a trench and put in one of those faucets that isn't supposed to freeze? If I go that route, is there a way to connect underground pipes to an existing faucet on the house? What type of piping should I use?

The first order of business is to find out where the frost line is in your area. The second is to dig a trench 6 to 12 inches deeper than the frost line from the immediate vicinity of an outdoor frostproof faucet (a frostproof hose bibb at the house sill is ideal) to the pasture. The house end of the trench should be pretty well squared off.

You can get ABS pipe in long rolls, and it splices very easily with nylon couplings and stainless hose clamps. Lay it in the trench. At the house end, it should have a 90-degree nylon elbow pointing straight up immediately adjacent to the faucet or hose bibb. On that end, install a female faucet adapter so it can be screwed directly onto the faucet/bibb.

You can now bury the pipe from the house all the way out to the pasture, except for the last several feet. At the end, where you'll draw water for the trough, install another 90-degree elbow and a "Yard Hydrant" (your local ag supply place will know exactly what I'm talking about). Finish burying the pipe.

At the beginning of frosty weather, you'll now build a small lean-to igloo of hay bales around the new faucet adapter. Don't try to insulate between the house and the "hayloo", let heat coming from the house wall heat it. A typical hay bale's R-value is about R-50, which should be plenty to keep the hose connection from freezing over the winter, considering you're all the way down in balmy NJ. If there's ever any question - say an extemely deep freeze - you can add a little heat with an extension cord and a CFL light bulb (an incandescent may be hot enough to set the hay afire).

Over the first winter, put an outdoor thermometer inside the "hayloo" and another outside it. Every time you remember to, go check both temperatures and record what you find. Then you'll have a very good idea how a hayloo performs, so you can predict about how cold it'd have to be before you add electric heat.


Indoor A/C fan doesn't stop automatically The fan on my indoor A/C unit doesn't stop when the dialed in temperature is reached. It keeps a constant temperature just fine and the outdoor unit motor shuts down when the temperature is reached. I just find it strange (and wasteful) that the indoor blower never stops running, even on auto.

Is this normal? I read somewhere that this might be intended since the thermostat is embedded in the indoor unit and needs a constant airflow to read the room temperature. Only found this info in a single place so I'm not sure how credible this is.

My unit is a Daikin FTX-KV.

Yup, that's normal for mini-splits. It also keeps the room air circulating, which is especially important if it's used as heating - hot air will accumulate near the ceiling, so it blows it back down to the floor.

That unit has a variable speed fan motor, so when the unit is idle it's likely at minimum speed - probably single-digit watts.


Is this mold? How to remove? I'm in the process of renovating my garage. There was a 1 in. gap due to rotting wood where the roof shingles meet the fascia (part where gutter is attached). The discolored wood is near the gap.

A few joists are the same color as well. I sprayed with Vinegar and soap - nothing really changed. I avoided using bleach due to the wood being porous. Any idea of which type of mold this is? Does the wood need to be replaced or can I use some type of cleaner (concrobium, borax ect). I was also thinking of scrubbing the wood w/ vinegar & baking soda again, wiping with microfiber cloth, spraying concrobium and then painting over with an anti microbial primer sealer.

Thoughts?

Thanks

On my phone it looks like the beginning of dry rot. I would use a flat blade screw driver and press where you think it is the worst if the blade doesn't sink in the wood is ok. Double check with the same pressure in an area that looks clean.

I think you will find the wood is ok but now you want to stop it from getting worse. I use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and water: this will kill the fungus without the smell of bleach, but is tougher to find than bleach. A dilute solution of chlorine bleach and water will also work; being in the attic the smell may not be a problem in the living space if the roof is well ventilated.

If you do use hydrogen peroxide remember to add it to the water rather than the other way around (AAA=Always Add Acid).


why does my toilet have two overflow tubes and a refill line that tees? I bought a house that has a second bathroom in the basement. I would like to replace this toilet.

It appears to have a single water inlet and two over flow tubes. The refill hose tees into the regular overflow tube and into a second overflow tube. The second tube has a line out of the toilet tank and into the wall.

The tank model is a Proflo 3112 - E. I have not found any information online that refers to this setup.

What kind of toilet is this and where does the second overflow tube go?

It's a line to fill other traps that may run dry when not used. Every time you flush some water is diverted to top up the traps and prevent a sudden stink of sewage.

These traps that need topping up would be for example the floordrain in the basement or the drain for a water heater safety valve.


Burying AC, solar DC and ethernet cable I am building a pole barn about 200 feet from my house.  I would like to run 90amp or so 240VAC to a subpanel, as well as ~400VDC from solar panels, and a pull or perhaps two of Cat5e ethernet cable.
The 240VAC will go to a subpanel in the pole barn, and will be 4 conductor (L1, L2, N and G). The subpanel will also be tied to a ground rod at the pole barn.
The 400VDC will likely be 3 pair, and will go from solar panels to inverters at the house, which tie into an existing grid connected solar system.
The ethernet will have two runs, mostly for redundancy.  I only need one.  I have considered running more, but a better solution might be to put a POE switch in the barn, and use POE to run cameras.
Each group of lines would run in their own conduit.  I will try to keep the ethernet conduit away from the others in the trench.
I am considering using aluminum wire for the 240VAC and the solar, for cost.  I would probably want to try to go with copper for the solar, since it would frequently cycle between maximum power and no power more often than the 240VAC.
Is 10" suitable separation for the Cat5e? Any other suggestions?

For networking, use fiber optics, or point-to-point wireless.
By the time you provide adequate lightning suppression (UL497 Primary Protection) on copper ethernet, fiber is likely cheaper, and it's definitely more robust. I've never replaced a fiber for a nearby strike, but it's not uncommon to need to replace surge protectors after a storm.
If there's a clear shot, point to point wireless also works well, and may feel more accessible (fiber is not all that difficult, but it can feel daunting to get started with.)
There's really no advantage to using copper wires .vs. appropriately sized aluminum wires for the other two circuits. A thing you might want to consider would be skipping the DC circuit entirely by putting an inverter at the barn.


New fixture won't turn on I'm trying to replace my living room ceiling light fixture. The new fixture only has black and white wires (no ground). The ceiling has red, black, white, and ground wires. When I took the old fixture down I noticed that the black wire was connected to the red wire from the ceiling and the black ceiling wire was capped off so I did the same to the new fixture but the light will not turn on. Help!!

PS. I've also tried connecting black to black and no luck either. I connected white to white and left the ground wire alone since my new light does not have a ground wire.

Generally speaking, you must connect ceiling live cable (CL) to fixture live (FL) and ceiling neutral (CN) to fixture neutral (FN). As comments state, your fixture may not have a ground cable (strictly speaking), but some kind of screw, most probably with proper designation indented on it or with a proper sticker. If that's so, your ground cable from ceiling (CG) will match fixture attachment for ground (FG).
That said we have:
CL > FL
CN > FN
CG > FG

Note 1.: There is a possibility that your fixture may not have proper attachment or cable for grounding. It may happen with old fixtures or these not exactly matching codes. Not preferred to fix. If you omit the grounding step, the fixture will probably work, but it's not recommended.
Note 2.: Screws on fixtures may have designations like N (for neutral) or L (for live). That may help you with doing proper matching and fixing.


How do I prevent my stove hood from sucking heat out of my kitchen? The hood over my stove is sucking the heat out of my kitchen. Is there a cover I can put on and take off to stop this loss of heat?

There should be a vent cover on the outside of the house, at the end of the exhaust with a damper or louvers.  Something like this

The damper or louvers will be shut when the hood fan is off, preventing air from coming in or going out.

If you don't have a vent cover like this, you should install one. If you already have one, you'll want to inspect it to make sure it's functioning properly.


How do I reinstall the glass dome on my light fixture? Can't figure out how to get glass cover back into clips.  All three have springs but due to positioning, I can't hold all three fully back and get glass positioned in clips at the same time.  I keep thinking there must be a trick, but haven't figured it out if there is - any advice or do I need to go into the street and recruit another pair of hands and another ladder?

Without being able to see the clips, I’m still going to say to try placing the lip of the glass cover against two of the clips and then press against the opposite side of the cover: use the cover to press in the clips. You can then use your other hand to press in the remaining clip.

You may actually find that one of the clips is fixed. In this case, use the cover lip to press in the two mobile clips, raise the cover to fit under the fixed clip and then release pressure to let the cover lip slide into the fixed clip.


How can I find the part to fix this bookshelf? I have a bookshelf with a broken part, but don't know what this kind of bookshelf is called or what the part is called.

The bookshelf has glass doors that slide up and in:

Each door has a catch (if that's what it's called):

The catch slides along a rail and hangs from a knob when the door is closed. Here's a normal assembly of those:

But one rail just got broken:

I could fix this if I could order the right part, but like I said, I don't know the words to use to find it.

What kind of bookshelf is this? What is the broken part called? And how might I find one like it?

This is a simple "barrister's bookcase" door mechanism. There are several versions on the market; a bit of searching may find a match for yours, or you may need to replace the hardware completely.


How do I extend a length of aluminum flex vent hose? I'm replacing a bathroom ceiling fan, and need to add a short extension (approximately 18") to the length of the existing vent hose.  The existing hose is 4" aluminum flex.

I have a couple questions.  First, would it be acceptable to use the softer foil flex for the extension?  The added flexibility would be nice during installation, and since it is a fan vent and not a dryer vent I assume the fire risk isn't an issue.

Secondly, what's the best way to attach and seal the connection?  Screws, tape, hose clamp, etc?  Ideally it would be something that I could install in tight quarters to avoid having to open another section of drywall--although I'd definetely prefer a good connection over the installation convenience.

You would use a coupling tape and hose clamps.  You use thin flex aluminum duct like shown in picture but I like to stick with the semi rigid flex duct. Zip ties can be used on thin stuff but not semi rigid.


Hanging heavy object in bedroom I need to hang a mirror in my bedroom.  I purchased some anchors assuming the drywall would be 3/8ths of an inch thick.  However, when I drill my pilot holes, I realize the drywall in my bedroom is definitely more than an inch thick!  I live in a residential condominium tower (35 stories high) and the wall I am drilling into is one that I share with my neighbour.  At this point I don't know how thick the drywall is, but I know I'm not drilling into a stud.

So assuming this drywall thickness is normal, should I continue to use the anchors that I bought?  See picture below.  These anchors require a hole that is 1/4 inch wide but since I'm not confident in using these anymore I've stopped drilling.  What should I do?

(https://i.stack.imgur.com/KBC6i.jpg)

My opinion of the anchors that you posted is pretty low. There are far better anchors available than those. As a matter of fact those anchors are touted to be for "solid material walls, floors and ceilings". I personally do not consider drywall to be a particularly solid material in the same way that wood, brick or concrete would be.

Your wall is probably made up two layers of 1/2" drywall to be both a fire stop and sound deadening between the neighbors unit and yours.

If I were to be hanging a heavy mirror on 1" thickness surface drywall I would look at toggle type anchors that look like this:


Temporary fix for bad contactor? After doing some replacement for the ac, the contactor stopped working. It won't close when I turn the ac on. when I pushed it in, the compressor was able to start.

I can't go out to find a new one until next week, and it's relly hot this weekend.

So, can I temporarily glue it closed?
And does change the contactor is enough?

Sincerely,
Alt

DO NOT DO THAT,  unless of course you don't mind setting your unit or house on fire. The contractor is not engaging for a reason and you need to find out what that reason is. Do some trouble-shooting first.


LED lights occasional quick flicker I recently replaced 3 incandescent BR40 light bulbs (recessed) with eco smart brand LED's. Shortly after doing so we noticed all 3 simultaneously occasionally, but not regularly, flicker off when the switch is on (just 1 quick flicker - kind of like a flash).
I thought this was due to the old Lutron maestro dimmer which wasn't rated for LED bulbs so I replaced the switch with a new Lutron maestro dimmer that is compatible with LED but the lights still do the quick flicker on occasion. I noticed that often turning on a burner on our electric stove will trigger this quick flicker but it does not happen every time.
The stove is not on the same circuit as the lights. The lights are in a bedroom on the opposite end of the house. To make things more confusing, there's a second set of LED lights (eco smart R20's) in the same bedroom (wired to the same box as the other set but they have their own switch) and they do not ever flicker at all.
I've went as far as to completely replace the dimmer with a standard light switch but that hasn't helped either.
I also do not think the issue is directly related to the stove but rather just a big draw of electricity causes it, though this is the only set of lights that flickers.
The flicker is when the lights are on. No issue if lights are off. The bulbs themselves aren't the issue, they don't flicker anywhere else so I've pretty much ruled out the bulbs and switch/dimmer as potential issues.
In the photos below the problematic lights are wired to the switch on the left.
Any ideas? Thanks a lot in advance!

It is not clear if that flickering occurs when the lamp is switched on or off.
The one-shot flickering - when the Lamp is switched off - with a period time of seconds to minutes is often simply caused by wires running parallel.
If a LED lamp is switched off, still some current can flow through the capacitance between the wires which are inevitable with the usual power cables.
A lamp switch or a dimmer is some kind of bridged by those between - wire- capacitors.
This is a very tiny current, which also flows through switched-off old style incandescent bulbs. But no effect is visible, no low frequency flashing is possible, since these bulbs can not store energy.
But some LED drivers have huge capacitors - elcos-  for smoothing out the rectified net voltage.
The tiny currents in switched- off state will slowly accumulate in those elcos. If the voltage is still low enough, the driver electronic can not start working.
But if a certain threshold is reached, the electronic starts working and thus discharges the energy stored in that elco in a short flash of LED light. Now the elco has much less charges or is even empty and the cycle starts again.
Especially lamps which can be switched from different switches have a higher probability to produce these flashes, since there are more parallel cables involved. F.e., between  2 switches 3 wires run, of which one is always hot, another wire is directly connected to the switched-off lamp. Even if switched off, some tiny current flows between the hot and the floating wire.
A flickering when the lamp is switched on would most likely be a defect  LED bulb which should be taken/sent back to the seller under warranty.
Other possibilities for flickering when switched on:
If other devices produce spikes in the net, the current through the LEDs could drastically increase. Many LED bulbs have simple "capacitor power supplies". There is a capacitor in series with resistors and the LED diodes. A capacitor will decrease its resistance, when the frequency increases. Spikes, which could be produced by motors in pumps, compressors (refrigerator, heat pump), drill machines, vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals, etc. and/or devices with triac power phase controls consist of high frequencies.
The capacitor in the LED power supply is only meant for 50/60 Hertz and will increase the current during the spikes for 2 reasons: higher voltage and higher frequencies, which will result in fast flickerings.
Motors and phase controls have filters to suppress those spikes, but those filters could fail or could be missing in old/cheap devices.
The spikes could be effective only in some places of the network, since a domestical power net is a very complicated network for high frequencies >> 60 Hertz.
The grounding of a domestical power net should be realised in one and only one central location, f.e. near the incomer supply line from the power supply company. If a desktop PC is connected to a HIFI Stereo set with a FM-tuner, a loud 50/60 Hertz humming noise could be heard, which disappears when the cable from the tuner to the socket for the roof-antenna is disconnected.
This double grounding is a huge loop (like a secondary winding in a transformer), which could be also produced by double or even multiple connections between Ground and Neutral.
That ground loop(s) could be antennas for spikes which could be a reason for the LED flickerings as well resp. could increase the probability for flickerings.
Just to mention a trivial reason (switched on case): a loose contact ( f.e. backstabs) could reduce the voltage for the LED below the operating voltage range ( f.e. 90 to 250V). A voltage measurement would yield different voltages for on/off.
If no multimeter is available and the circuit can be loaded with a hair dryer' s power demand, the hair dryer would work with a complete other motor sound compared to the same hair dryer connected to another circuit - if the hair dryer worked at all. And the sound of the hair dryer connected to the lamp circuit would also change if the heating level is changed ( f.e. by pressing the switch for "cold" air).
Also an incandescent bulb could reveal the loose contact by different brightness.
Of course, safety first in all works, especially when the lamp circuit has to be (temporarily) connected with an extension cord to accept the hair dryer.


Exhaust Fan Code Requirements for Bathroom I have a small Full bathroom ( toilet, Tub and vanity) of size 6'X 7'.8". This is in a basement. We are hardly going to use tub/shower there.
Question:

Does a 50 CFM of Exhaust fan enough or does it has to be higher because I have full bathroom ?

Have this one and I know its a louder. I am ok with the noise.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Broan-NuTone-50-CFM-Wall-Ceiling-Mount-Bathroom-Exhaust-Fan-696N/100081599

Does this fan has to be GFCI protected even if it is not directly above tub, although its 1 feet away from edge ( not wall side) of tub  ?

Right now, Only outlet is GFCI protected and, vanity lighting/Fan are on a different lighting 15 amp circuit.
Thanks for your help in Advance.

After talking to Manufacture company , Answering to my own questions
Question : Does a 50 CFM of Exhaust fan enough or does it has to be higher because I have full bathroom ?
Answer : No. its based on just size of a bathroom.
Question : Does this fan has to be GFCI protected even if it is not directly above tub, although its 1 feet away from edge ( not wall side) of tub ?
Answer : If a fan is inside area of Shower/Bathtub. then GFCI protected needed. Let say if its just 6 inch outside of curtain road or Shower glass, the manufacture company doesn't require it as GFCI protected.
So it depends upon what type of fan do you have in your bathroom. you want to first check with manufacture company if you have the similar case.


Is a new refrigerator likely to trip a 20 amp AFCI/GFCI circuit? Will a new GE Cafe refrigerator/freezer work on my kitchen AFCI/GFCI 20 amp refrigerator outlet? My current 8 year old Samsung constantly trips the circuit.

I can tell you this has been an area of discussion among the electrical community for a few years. The problem being some appliances built before the insertion of AFCI requirement do not work well on those types of circuits.

Most equipment built after 2008 should be able to be installed on the new requirements and work well. You might check with the manufacturer and have them point out where in the warranty it shows that their appliance is capable to meet the newer codes.

Good luck.


How can I repair a damaged seam on leather sofa See the attached image below, any idea how I can repair this problem myself?

Follow these steps:

Use the thread that comes from hole to tie the thread that goes to bottom left corner as per picture.
Use the left back portion of thread to tighten with knot before and after the newly tied one.


Woodford model 17 anti-siphon faucet won't work No water comes out when I try to turn it on.  It worked fine a couple weeks ago.  No leaks, no obvious damage.  I removed the valve stem and it all looks good.  I turned the water back on and it flows, so the problem must be with the faucet.  What could it be?

I cleaned all the parts and reassembled it and now it works.  I still don't know what was wrong, but it's fixed.


How can I make a mixer shower more powerful? The Mira mixer shower has variable temperate settings from 1 (cold) through 10 (hot), plus the extra bit for hot water only.

I normally shower at 3 and was thinking there must be a way to let more cold water through at setting 7 or so which would mean a far more powerful shower - since setting it to cold water only is very powerful as it's the hot water supply that's weaker.

The water supply comes into your home with a fixed pressure from the utility and then is diverted to your hot water heater and cold supply.  Assuming everything is in working order and properly, without a tank/pump, you can never exceed the utilities pressure.

If your cold water supply puts off a lot more pressure than your hot water, this likely indiciates another problem like a partially closed valve on your hot water tank, a blockage or inproperly sized pipes. Your shower mixer (assuming 1 handle) balances the pressure so that you won't get scalded if someone flushes the toilet which means it is unlikely you will be able to get different pressures out of the valve when mixing the two supplies.

I would suggest that you verify that all of the valves for your hot water tank are fully open.  You might also try turning up the heat of your tank so that less hot water is required, but be careful when you do this as you can make the water dangerously hot.

Your shower valve might have some adjustments on it too.


Water-resistant, easily removable "putty or glue" recommendation? I need to erect a barrier in an aqueous environment. Basically I need to erect vertical "guards" at the side of my kitchen sink, since the water faucet is high up, water splashes onto the counters, but I must keep the counters basically completely dry. I have a shelf above the sink that makes it fairly easy to secure the top of the barrier, but the bottom is hard.

Of course the bottom of the barrier should be completely flush with the countertop, but just securing the top isn't enough because water will seep through (just imagine the water splashed on to the barrier just running down and pooling at the base, then seeping through to the other side!

Therefore I need some kind of like... glue to secure the bottom that also renders it impermeable. The trick is, because this is a tenant improvement, this glue also needs to be pretty easily removable, which is why I ruled out caulk.

In my mind I'm imagining some kind of clay or putty that almost acts like a "rubber"-ish barrier at the bottom that I could stick the barrier into (the barrier will likely just be a thin sheet of plastic).

Keep in mind the bottom can be more about water proofing, less about securing the barrier, since again I have a top shelf for that. But of course if there's a magical substance that will do both, maybe it will save me time and I won't have to secure the top at all.

Silicone sealant can be removed completely from many surfaces. For example tiles (but the grout can be a problem) or ceramic sinks. In these cases you can peel most of it off and scrape the rest. There is also a silicone remover product to get the residue off other surfaces. You can prevent it from sticking in the first place by lightly oiling the surface.

Solid wood worktops wood be ok as well if they're fairly freshly oiled.

Other caulks can stick more, and break up when you try to lift them.


Hairline crack below window, mostly vertical with a short horizontal segment I read that most straight hairline cracks are pretty normal, especially around windows or doors, due to settling and stress. Mine happens below a pretty wide extruding window and is not perfectly straight. It has a short horizontal region before turning vertical. The width of the crack is less than 1mm (1/25 inch).
Is this something of concern?
Is there any downside to leaving the crack as is behind baseboard heater?
My rough plan is to repair it with tape and drywall mud for the visible portion.

These type of cracks are common and certainly not major. IMO the size of the crack doesn't warrant taping. I would just spackle over it with a putty knife. Smooth it flat and let it dry. Work the spackle into the crack as much as you can. This will help prevent further cracking. After drying just use a damp sponge or cloth to wipe the excess off the surface along the crack. Touch up with paint if needed.
"Is there any downside to leaving the crack as is behind baseboard heater?"
There is no evidence that there are any structural issues from what you describe and show in the pic. I wouldn't be concerned about the crack behind the baseboard. This appears to be strictly a cosmetic issue.


Wiring size for 75-foot run from 40 amp breakers to tankless water heater? I am planning out my future tankless water heater install. What type of wire will I need to use for a long run from my 40 amp breakers? Heater will be 240v and about 50-55 feet from the panel. I'm doing the ceiling remodel and adding lights and wiring. While I am up there, I will drop in dead wire/conduit for the future tankless install by an electrician to save on install costs. I'm guessing #8 or #6 wire will do, but need to be sure.

Put in big conduit.
The actual wire size for your 40A circuit is 8 AWG - see What Wire Should be Used for a 40A 240V Circuit? for details.
However:

You may later upgrade to a bigger heater requiring larger wires.
You may later upgrade to a much bigger heater that requires two circuits and twice as many wires.
You may later decide to run something else to the same location.

Put in 1/2" conduit and you'll be fine now but have very little room to grow.
Put in 3/4" conduit and you'll have some expansion room.
Put in 1" conduit and you'll have room for anything from 2 or 3 large circuits to a single circuit for a big subpanel.
At current pricing, 60 ft. (based on "50 - 55 feet from the panel", though title says "75") of 1" Schedule 40 conduit at Home Depot will cost you $13.92 more than 1/2". Plus a little extra on the fittings. $20 now will potentially save redoing everything in the future.
Don't run any wire in that conduit without checking with your electrician. He may be particular about how to do things - or he may say "Any #8 is fine, leave me a few feet on each end to work with."


Where do you start when setting hip roof trusses? I have a decent sized hip truss package coming. It's about a 60' wide by 30' deep building with 2' overhangs. Hip style with 4/12 slope.

I have only helped before in setting trusses but never doing them where I am in control. I was wondering which one to set up first, especially since we will do them by hand. If we had a lift or crane, I'd just work my way from one side to another but since we set them by hand our only lift is a machine to lift to the edge of the wall and then we have to drag them to position.

Knowing this, should we start with the middle most truss and work to the edge? Or should we still start with the double girder/header/bridge truss that starts about 8' back from the end, and has all the small jacks tie into it?

You'll receive diagrams showing critical points to hit, such as the first full-depth truss from one end.

Modern hip truss sets typically have a view different types of trusses, depending on size and the existence of jogs in the building outline. From one end to the center:

Shorty trusses that abut the first full-width truss and create the end overhangs. These will be Y-shaped or triangular and most fasten to what's essentially a girder. There may be some that taper down at the front and back and fasten to the last common shorty, or there may just be one hip/ridge shorty. They're on the far right in the image below. Pay attention to fastening requirements for these. Building hardware may be specified.
Stepped common trusses that work up to the ridge. These may require the overlay of either a special truss assembly or flat hand-cut lumber into a recess along the top, forming the support for the roof sheathing and the ridge.
Common trusses in a conventional A shape. These are on the far left in the image below.

We normally work from the first full-depth truss (the girder for the shorties) and go right across the building. This allows you to either boom or walk each truss into position without obstruction. You should do what makes sense for your jobsite and crew capability. If you don't have two people comfortable walking walls, you may need to slide them up in the middle of the building.

It's a bit of an art to get those overlay systems on plane. Look things over from the ground regularly and adjust the stepped trusses as needed. Seek to get straight ridges, which are one of the most conspicuous aspects of a roof.

Add a diagram to your post for more specific advice.


How can I use a second transformer to power my zone controller? My system uses an EWC Controls model NCM 300 zone controller, that is currently powered using the transformer in the air handler unit.  I'm installing two new smart thermostats, and the power requirement is too great for a single transformer. I'd like to install a dedicated transformer to power the zone controller and dampers, but I'm not sure how to connect it to the current controller.

Here's how the current zone control board is wired.

The first thing you'll need to do, is determine where to locate the new transformer.  You'll need a mains power source, preferably the same source as the rest of the HVAC system.  The transformer can either be located near the zone control panel, near the air handler, or if there's space inside the air handler control panel.

Once you've figured out where to put it, you'll need to select a transformer.  To power the controller, you'll need a transformer that outputs 40 to 60 volt-amperes at 24 volts AC on the secondary side. To power the transformer, you'll have to determine the voltage of the mains supply. Then you'll select a transformer that has a primary input matching the mains voltage, which will likely be either 120 or 240 volts AC.

Before beginning work, make sure the power to the system is off.

After the transformer is properly mounted in an enclosure, and the primary side wiring is connected. The next step will be to connect the secondary side of the transformer, to the zone control board.  You'll want to install a length of thermostat cable between the transformer, and the zone control board. Connect the red wire from the thermostat cable to one of the secondary terminals, and the white wire to the other.

It might be a good idea to install a fuse in line with the red wire, as to prevent overloading the transformer.  You can use a 3 ampere glass fuse, though 3 ampere automotive style fuses have become common in the industry.

At the zone control board, you'll start by removing the jumper between the R terminal on the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block and the R terminal on the SYSTEM terminal block. Then you'll move the white wire that's connected to the C terminal on the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block, to the C terminal on the SYSTEM terminal block.

This will leave the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block empty. Now simply connect the wires from the new transformer, to the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block on the zone controller. The red wire goes to the R terminal, and the white wire to the C terminal.