No hot water from kitchen faucet yet there is still water flow through hot water valve We recently replaced the kitchen faucet. In the process of change we shut off the water to the house at the street level because the hot water valve under the sink would not turn off completely. The cold water Valve under the sink shut off fine.
We got the faucet installed, turned on all valves under sink as well as at the street and test. No leaks and no hot water. We tested that the hot water valve is clear by turning off cold water valve under sink. Run water, wait. No hot water. Water is running through the hot water valve it’s just cold.  Any suggestions?

It sounds like a chunk of the washer in that valve may have plugged the line.

I have seen similar issues with faucets where they won’t turn off all the way, this is usually caused from the rubber seal starting to fail. When you open the valve back up a chunk gets lodged and stops the water flow.

The problem may be in the valve or it could have passed into your new faucet.
The first step is to fix that valve , turn the water off for the house, remove the valve stem and inspect the washer if any of it is still intact , clear all the debris out install a new washer, plumbing stores have kits with a dozen or more in several sizes for just a few $ a good kit for any home owner to have. Reassemble the valve and close it keep the new faucet turned off.  Disconnect the pipe or tube from the repaired valve,

Next I back flow cold water through the valve to push any small chunks out of the new faucet.
With a bucket placed to catch the water turn on the new faucet to hot then slowly move to cold or open the cold valve, the water should flow backwards out of the pipe on the hot water side. Cycle from all hot to cold several times, if water is coming out of the pipe you won’t have to disassemble the faucet. Verify that when the hot is turned on at the repaired valve it flows. Reconnect the pipe to the repaired valve. And everything should work.


Can I make a switched outlet constant hot I have one switch that controls an outlet and my ceiling fan.
The fan has a light as well
In the switch box there are 2 feeds.
One is regular hot, neutral, ground. (Assuming my hot from panel)
Then the wire that I’m assuming goes to the fan and outlet is hot, neutral, ground and red wire.
The red goes to the top of the switch.
The black from the panel goes to the bottom of the switch. As well as the black from the ceiling fan and is also pigtailed?
Ideally I want to make the outlet constantly hot. And add another switch for recess lights I’m going to add

First, be careful what you assume, and verify that it's true. Your description leaves considerable room for doubt that your assumptions are correct.
Second, to make a switched outlet always on, you simply move the wire feeding the outlet from the switched side of the switch to join with the always-hot side of the switch. That can be "remove the switch and replace it with a wire-nut" but since it sounds like you want the switch to keep working for the fan, and you want to add another switch, it's more likely that you may need a pigtail at the "always hot" wire to connect the (formerly switched) outlet and switch to always-hot, and possibly an additional switch to always-hot as well.
An alternative layout for your cables that appears more in line with what you describe as the function (fan and light are switched, so we expect TWO connections on the "switched" side and ONE connection on the "always-hot side") is that power comes from the panel to the fan location, and from the fan to the switch location on the red wire (which you state goes alone to one side of the switch), and is switched to go back to the fan on the black wire in the same cable, and on to the outlet in the other cable's black wire (since you state two black wires are connected to the other side of the switch.)
You would disambiguate and remove assumptions by determining which wire is actually Always-Hot via turn off, disconnect & isolate, turn on and see what is affected. There could be things going on in junction boxes you haven't opened or described that might make this guess at your layout incorrect, so verify before proceeding as if it was true.


What is the proper way to clean a paintbrush and metal pan with KleanStrip paint thinner? I am finishing my hardwood floors tonight with an oil-based polyurethane. I bought a natural bristle paintbrush and a metal pan, as well as some KleanStrip paint thinner that is "made with Mineral Spirits".

At the end of the poly job I'd like to use the paint thinner to clean both the brush and the pan to make them reusable for future projects. What's the proper/best way? How much thinner do you use? How long does it take to work?

I guess I'm worried that if I use too much or just simply "dunk" the paintbrush in the thinner and leave it too long that I'll ruin my tools.

When I use oil based products I use disposable pan liners so cleanup means let it dry-up and throw it away. To clean brushes I use a brush spinner to remove as much material as possible. I swish the brush in a container of mineral spirits and brush a piece of dry cardboard to get out some more of the urethane. Finally I soak the brush for a couple of days in a covered glass jar that has just enough mineral spirits to cover the bristles. After everything is clean I set the mineral spirits filled container in the sun uncovered until it evaporates. I would not dump it on the ground! If you cannot find a way to dispose of it contact your municipal public works dept. Most cities have an annual hazardous waste drop-off.


What kind of concrete finish was used in this Tulum treehouse? I'm remodeling my house and would like to finish the walls and floors as done in this Tulum treehouse. Who can tell me what kind of concrete finishing technique was used here?
In the linked Dezeen article they talk about "polished white concrete" but that is not very specific. The walls and floors have these beautiful shadows and swipe patterns in them that create a lively but natural look. How did they achieve this?
.

Floors probably have some kind of overlay maybe a  on top of concrete.  You can tell by the control lines in the floor that it was poured.  The control lines also show a different color.
It might be something like the "seamless natural floor plaster" picture here:
https://www.stuccoitaliano.com/floor-plasters
Walls are probably the same overlay on concrete block.


Top of stairs wood tread to carpet transition level issue I'm doing a DIY project converting my carpeted stairs to stained 1" think red oak treads and painted poplar risers.  My issue is at the top of the stairs where I'm placing a narrow stair tread, this stair tread then transitions to carpet.  This top stair tread sits on top of the plywood sub-floor (existing carpet has been cut back) that the existing carpet is installed on.  To make sure that this top stair tread is level I'm going to have to place shims under it, the plywood sub-flooring is not level.  I'm concerned that this is going to create a trip hazard due to the height difference between the carpet and stair tread.  New carpet will be installed, so some sort of transition piece can be used if possible.  I believe here are my options to correct this:

1) cut the sub-flooring in that small area and replace it so the transition between the carpet and stair tread is level and acceptable.

2) bevel cut the back edge of the stair tread to minimize the height difference

3) use some sort of transition piece between the stair tread to carpet when new carpet is installed.

What is typically done in this situation?  Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

If you happen to have a double-layer subfloor, remove the top layer and build back up under the tread using material of appropriate thickness.

Otherwise I would make the top tread thinner where it laps over the subfloor. You can do this a couple ways. Either use a hand planer and take multiple passes, or use a tablesaw or circular saw, shifting the fence 1/8" with each pass. Be sure to stop short of where the tread drops down to the riser.

Either approach has the added benefit of bringing the top rise back to standard. I would still use a small bevel against the carpet to make it easier on feet.

Note that the second option will weaken the tread. The nosing needs to be supported well to prevent cracking. Use shims and construction adhesive to create a solid bedding.

Regarding Ecnerwal's good suggestion of a full-depth tread extending past the door casing... Those are two different trim assemblies and shouldn't be expected to align. You could nip the corner off the tread at a 45 to meet the casing, though, or simply bevel both the edge and the end slightly and not worry about it. If you're able to get the tread low enough you may be able to leave it as you have it now, too.


Replacing wall switch with wireless relay receiver A number of years ago I made the effort to get some training on basic home electrical so that I could install lights, dimmers, etc. by myself and use Professional Electricians for the complex stuff.

I have a 1957 home with original wiring - new circuits have been added as well as a new main box. I converted a small main floor bedroom to a Laundry Utility and had a professional electrician do the wiring.  But not I want to relocate a wall switch to a more convenient location. In the past, I've used wireless relay/switches to relocate wall switches.  Typically its quick and easy. But with this house I've encountered something I'm not familiar with.  The original wall switch has the std two wire black (load) and red (on/off) and functions just fine.  The junction box with the switch also has yellow wires that are attached to each other.  I'm thinking the yellow wires control the wall outlets.  (didn't check wall outlets to determine how they were switched top/bottom/both.) The wireless relay switch I'm trying to install has 3 wires- red/black/white.

My question involves the neutral white wire and how to wire it to the current switch wires.  I know the black and red corresponding wires need to be connected, but do I include the white wire w/the two black wires?  Or, do I wire the white wire to the two yellow wires tucked in the junction box?

I'd appreciate any help folks may have.  Thanks.

Sounds like a commonplace switch arrangement to me, the kind where the power comes to the switch and then to the lamp.   This is the simplest type (in tems of understanding it) where hot+neutral come first to the switch, hot is switched, then switched-hot+neutral proceed to the lamp.

Yellow is rarely seen in residential wiring.  I think they are actually white, but faded.  One is neutral from the panel and the other is neutral to the lamp.

If I'm right, you're in luck: you have the exact wires the smart switch requires. (Which is often not the case.)


Higher waterpressure through one 40mm pipe or two 32mm pipes? I have a small field I need to water, it is 100m away from my water outlet.
My water pressure is somewhere around 1.5bar. I have two options to connect the sprinkler on the field:

A. 40mm pipe (40mm is outer diameter, wall thickness is 3.7mm)

B. two 32mm pipes connected in parallel (30mm with 3mm wall thickness)

Which solution will give a higher water pressure at the sprinkler?

For a given volume of water per second, the two 32mm pipes will have a lower pressure loss than the single 40mm pipe.

Using the head loss calculator at http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hazen-williams-water-d_797.html, and assuming you're using PVC pipe, I found the following pressure losses. Each line gives the flow rate, the loss for a single 40mm pipe, and the loss for two 32mm pipes:

0 liters/second: 0.0 kPa and 0.0 kPa (obviously)
0.1 liters/second: 0.3 kPa and 0.2 kpa
0.2 liters/second: 1.0 kPa and 0.8 kPa
0.5 liters/second: 5.6 kPa and 4.6 kPa
1.0 liters/second: 20.1 kPa and 16.5 kPa
2.0 liters/second: 72.5 kPa and 59.4 kPa

And, just in case you're an avid XKCD reader, if you're running Niagara Falls through your pipes:

2831684.7 liters/second: 1.78 x 10^13 kPa and 1.46 x 10^13 kPa

(1.46 x 10^13 kPa is 40,000 times the pressure at the center of the Earth, or about the pressure at the center of the Sun. Moral of this story: don't try running Niagara Falls through your pipes.)


Why don't downstream outlets work after replacing a GFCI outlet? I have a GFCI receptacle in the garage.  There are two regular outlets in the garage as well that I believe are "downstream"/protected by this outlet as required by code.  There is also another regular outlet on the circuit that is inside in the closet (on wall between closet and garage).  I plugged a tester into one of the regular outlets in the garage and accidentally hit the button to throw a fault.  GFCI outlet tripped and will not reset. At this point, the outlet in the house appears to still work but the ones in the garage do not.

In the box for the GFCI receptacle, there are 3 cables coming into the box. There is one coming from the top and two from the bottom.  I tried replacing the GFCI receptacle and thought I took care to put the wires in the same location, but now nothing works!  The inside outlet no longer works so now I'm trying to figure out the correct way to wire the GFCI outlet.

I have been looking for a wiring diagram for GFCI when there are 3 cables but haven't found any. Is one cable the from the service panel and the other two load cables with one going to the inside outlet and the other going to the next outlet in the garage? (I would think the panel cable would be the one coming in from the top of the outlet box).  But that isn't how it was wired. Worse, now the inside outlet isn't working either!

This is how it was wired (and I believe is the way I wired the new GFCI receptacle)

Top cable:   black wire goes to GFCI Line (position 1)
             white wire goes to GFCI Line (position 2)

Bottom Right cable:  black wire goes to GFCI Line (position 2)
                    white wire goes to GFCI Load

Bottom Left cable:  black wire goes to GFCI GFCI Load
                    white wire goes to GFCI Line (position 1)

I'm really confused.  Since the inside outlet initially continued to work, I would think that it would be first in circuit directly from service panel.  Then its load wire would come into the GFCI outlet as its line cable and there would be one load cable to the next outlet and then that outlet would feed the last outlet on the circuit.  So why the 3 cables?

First, identify LINE and LOAD on the device

It sounds like you got nailed by the positioning issue. There is no central authority who makes terminal positions exactly the same on every device.  If you want an eye-opener on that, just try a 3-way switch, which are different even within the same brand/model!   So position cannot be relied on; you must examine labeling and screw colors.

On a receptacle screw colors will designate hot vs neutral.  (Silver=neutral=white).   Labeling and the warning sticker will designate LINE vs LOAD.

You are also trying to throw all the wires on at once and go Voilà.  Even I don't do that.  Here's what I do.

Also, no "back stab" connections.  This is where you jab a wire in a hole and the hole grabs it and holds it.   There's a different type called a "screw-to-clamp" where the hole is directly behind the screw and you must tighten the screw to clamp it; those are fine but tighten very firmly, preferably use the mandatory torque screwdriver to spec.

If you are in the habit of cutting wire ends off, stop - length is too precious and we will be setting wires several times potentially.

This will require a fair bit of capping off wires and testing, and many trips back and forth to the breaker to shut the circuit off while changing wires.  We certainly don't work "live".

Hook up LINE, part 1

First, you identify the supply cable (hot and neutral) and hook that up to LINE.  Test that by hooking it to LINE and capping off everything else, then temporarily mounting it so you can push TEST and RESET without getting nailed by current.   Plug a load into the socket, a lamp will do.

Power up the breaker.  Then confirm that the lamp lights, and the TEST and RESET buttons work appropriately.    If not, that cable was not supply, try another.

LINE, part 2

Now, look for any other cables you want on LINE (that is, that you don't want to provide GFCI protection to).  Go ahead and hook those to LINE also.  If your GFCI only has 2 screws and any number of backstabs, then use pigtails.

It goes without saying that you are attaching white to silver screws, and black to brass screws.  Also, the LOAD terminals are unused at this point.

Now, power up the circuit and conform that the lamp, TEST and RESET still work, and that you're powering up the right (to be unprotected) outlets.

Feel free to put a GFCI tester in them; they shouldn't trip.  (If they trip a GFCI somewhere else, then this entire part of the circuit is already on that GFCI, and this GFCI here is totally redundant.  Get rid of it.)

LOAD

What remains is branch(es) you want GFCI protected. Hook up one cable to the LOAD terminals. (If you have multiple cables to protect, wait. Just one for now.)

Do the testing dance again.  And also, go to the to-be-protected outlets and try a GFCI tester there.

If the outlet is grounded, the GFCI tester should trip.
If the outlet is not grounded, the GFCI tester should not trip.

If the test fails, you have a ground fault in the downline of the cable you just added.  It might be a plugged in appliance, or it might be in the wiring itself, such as a neutral screw grounding out, or a crossed neutral or hot with another circuit. It is unlikely to be the wire itself.  Work that problem until it is solved and the GFCI tests clean.

Then if you have any other cables to add to LOAD, unhook the LOAD cable now attached and add the next, and test it standalone.   Once they all test out, you can either attach 2 via Screw-to-clamp (if equipped) or pigtail.


Which outlet box should I use for an unfinished basement? I want to install a 15-amp AC receptacle in my basement between the ceiling joists.  The basement's not finished so there's plenty of room to play around.  Should I be installing a "new work" new plastic outlet box or a steel one?

Unless you're using armored (BX, or metal-sheathed) wire, you can use either type box, your preference really. If you use BX, you need to use a metal junction box.

There's a couple different types of boxes. The plastic ones with nails on them, and the metal ones with clips are designed to mount with their face 1/2" farther out than the front, which facilitates having them flush with 1/2" drywall when you finish it.

There's also a type of metal box that's more rounded, with several knock-outs in it (and many types of equivalent plastic boxes) which are not designed for going behind drywall, and look a bit better when you actually do see them (if you care).

Even if it's unfinished, you still need to put a cover plate on. The metal cover plates fit nicely over the rounded metal junction boxes, which makes them much less likely to crack if you hit them accidentally. Regular plastic covers can crack easily because they extend a far ways beyond the edge of the box.

It really comes down to personal preference on metal vs plastic, and then a question of if you will be drywalling, and intend this outlet to be available through the drywall. Also note, it's illegal to cover a junction with drywall: all boxes must be accessible. If you do put drywall up, you either have to remove this box, or have an outlet or blank faceplate on your ceiling.


Understanding render mix ratios So if i have 8 sand & 1 cement, is this a shovel full or bag? i've got a small area to render with a pigment mixed with Snowcrete and don't want to be using more than i need.

Its an 8:1 ratio, it can be bags, cups, shovels, whatever measure you use as along as its 8 parts sand to 1 part cement. The area your looking to fill is it small where your measure will be cups or larger were you would use shovels. Once you know your unit of measure, you can use the right amount with little waste.


What's the difference between Rust-oleum and Rust-oleum Professional? I have been doing some painting lately and I am buying all of my supplies from Home Depot.  I have noticed two dominant paints there: RustOleum Professional which comes in an aluminum can that has some info painted on it, and then the normal RustOleum which comes in aluminum cans that have a label over them.

The Professional series cost more - is there a reason, or just marketing?

I dont know what the technical differences are but Ive used both for painting parts on my Jeep and have noticed that the Professional version gives a much smoother finish and self levels a lot better.  If you have the patience get the Professional version in the can and brush it on.  Looks a million times better than the spray can.

Prep work for both versions has been about the same, wire wheel, clean with mineral spirits, prime, sand, clean, final coats.


Auto- ignition on stove I recently brought a new stove, with auto-electric ignition. It works well, except for the fact that whenever I turn any knob(it's a 3-burner) ,the sparkers on ALL the burners go off. I don't know if that's by design or not, so if anyone can comment on this, that would be really helpful.

This is typical for spark-ignition cooktops
Electronic (spark) ignited cooktops generally run all the igniters when any burner is engaged in the ignition position.  This is done for both simplicity (easier to have one ignition module feeding HV to four sets of electrodes than to have an ignition module per burner or to switch the high ignition voltage on/off) and safety (to limit the size of the FWOOSH that a failed igniter could otherwise give you).


Adjusting the spacing between small (2" x 2") tiles I'm laying 2" x 2" tiles over a raised concrete patio slab that is 11' 6" by 16' 1 1/4". The tiles come in 12" x 24" sheets with the individual tiles joined by little blobs of a rubbery substance. Across the width of slab I think it will work out nicely. But going the other way I've got to either make the slab 3/4" longer or gain 1 1/4" over the 16' 1 1/4" dimension. If I put the extra space between the sheets of tiles that works out to adding about 1/16" (1.2 mm) between each sheet. Since the tiles are spaced 1/8" (3 mm) apart in the sheets this seems like it would result in a noticeable difference.

So, I'm wondering how large a difference would be noticeable? For example if I cut the sheets apart in the middle, I could increase every third by a bit more than a 32nd of an inch. Would that stand out?

To put this in perspective, with my current browser settings, 1/32" is only slightly wider than a capital 'I'. It's narrower than a piece of aggregate in sanded grout.

Consider the following (scaled as 1 pixel = 1/32"):

Can you tell at a glance which gap is a pixel wider?  Keep in mind that it's even less perceptable with lower contrast.  How about this one?

Do a dry layout and have somebody else (preferably somebody who doesn't know about the spacing) look at it.  I'm guessing it isn't going to be noticable at all.  Truth be told, even a fantastic tiling job isn't going to maintain spacing tolerances of 1/32" on any consistent basis.


Please help me identify this old tool Could someone please help me find out what kind of tool this is?

The right arm is inscribed with (218 1/2)

Well it looks like a « 3 in 1 » to locate or align the holes in workpieces, then tap a thread and finally install a bolt with a square head.

Square head bolts tend to be for older things but not sure what industry that was designed for.


Is there a way to thaw a frozen pipe, if you can't access the pipe? Big freeze, new house.  Just found out the add-on bathroom was plumbed by amateurs, and the cold water supply froze.  I don't have access to the frozen section of pipe (without major demo), so I can't heat the pipe directly.
If I open the hot and cold tap on the sink faucet at the same time, while also opening the cold tap on the tub in an adjacent bathroom (which is also affected by the frozen pipe). The hot water backflows through the diverter of the faucet, and comes out in the tub.  I'm using this backflow technique to try and heat the pipe enough to hopefully, break up the ice in the pipe.
All this got me wondering. If I have a plumber come out, is there anything they can do?  Do they have a special tool or technique to deal with this situation?  Would the plumber simply want to start cutting holes in the walls/ceiling to gain access to the pipe?

More info:
The water supply for the second bathroom seems to be tapped off the tub supply lines of the original bathroom. In the original bathroom the sink and toilet work, but the cold supply for the tub does not.  This means that the frozen section of pipe is after the sink in the original bathroom, but before the tub in the same bathroom.

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing highlighting suspected frozen section

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing showing hot water backflow path

If it's a metal/copper pipe, you could wrap the exposed portion of the pipe in heat tape to help speed the thaw. Since metal and water are good conductors of heat, the heat from the tape will spread fairly quickly down the pipe.

Or even just use a hair dryer. Not as efficient or quick, but still helpful.


Are there any 225 amp meter sockets? I'm planning to upgrade my electrical service and am interested in getting a 225 amp main load center. I can only find 200 amp meter sockets, though. The next highest ampacity meter socket I can find is 320 A and it's significantly more expensive than most of the 200 A sockets.
Are there any 225 A meter sockets? If not, what are you supposed to do to meter power going into a 225 A main breaker box?

You want a 200A meter socket in this case
The reason you're confused is because meter sockets are rated by their continuous ampacity, but panels and breakers are rated by their maximum nominal ampacity; this difference is most clear in Class 320 work, where a 320A continuous meter base is used either with a single 400A or a pair of 200A service disconnects.  As a result of this, a typical 200A meter socket is rated for 200A continuous, and thus will have no difficulty with a 225A service, provided your utility recognizes it as a valid service (not all utilities do!).


Best way to mount metal boxes on EMT run through 2x4 framing I've gone over this in my head a few times, and I think this is the best solution given the problem at hand. Just want to get some feedback and see if anyone has an alternative idea.
This is going to be all new electrical for a detached garage, from a 60A sub panel inside the garage. AHJ follows NEC 2017 with no amendments.
I'm planning to use metal boxes that will house 2 duplex receptacles each and run 1/2" EMT conduit between the boxes. Each duplex in a box will be on a separate GFCI protected circuit (two receptacle circuits total) because it is a workshop and in case tools close together need to be operated simultaneously. EMT is probably overkill and I could just use MC, AC, or even NM-B (can't get a clear answer on whether NM-B is allowed for a detached garage); but I think EMT will be a good exercise and I don't mind doing some extra work here.
The garage is unfinished and uninsulated, with 24" OC 2x4 framing along the exterior walls. I don't have current plans to finish the walls but want to leave that opportunity open in the future, hence not running along the surface.
Here is a primitive and absolutely not to-scale drawing of my plan:

The boxes will be mounted on 2x4s cut to length and screwed between studs. Conduit will travel through holes in the center of the studs and come up to the boxes with 90 degree elbows (based on this table the 90 in 1/2" EMT will be 5 7/8" from horizontal to vertical center, so should be plenty of room within 24" OC framing).
Questions:

Is there a better way to mount these boxes when using EMT?
I plan to make the depth between the surface of the framing and the front of the box about 5/8" to account for drywall. Is that appropriate for using the crushed corner metal box covers? I can't find any images of a 4x4 box going through drywall and what the cover would look like.

If you can drill straight through to run longer chunks (or if not able to, a bunch of shorter chunks, and couplers, and perhaps slightly oversized holes in some studs to facilitate getting them in) you can just run the conduit in a straight line at the elevation you want the boxes at, and run straight into the sides of the boxes, rather than using a bunch of elbows up into the boxes. This does involve working your way along to do the install, since you can't easily insert one in the middle of a run that way. But if you build it as you go, it works perfectly well, and is shorter, with fewer bends.
The "crushed corner covers" are exposed work covers, intended for use without drywall or trim plates. There are different covers intended for use with drywall or plaster, commonly known as mud rings and coming in various depths/extensions - and then used with normal trim plates for the devices to finish the opening around the devices in the drywall/plaster surface.


Strength of sistered 2 x12 lumber I am planning to build a bridge across a ravine on my property and rather than buy a bridge kit I want to build it. The span is 40ft so I was going to buy a bunch of 2-in x 12-in x 16-ft pressure treated lumber and make beams.I would like to know the weight capacity of these beams once completed.
The plan is to sister them and bolt them to make a beam

This is something that needs a structural engineer. If you want to try to do your own calculations, here is how you do it. First you start with what a beam can hold at all.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Strength_of_Materials/Loading_of_Beams

Then you move to what dimensional lumber is capable of:

https://awc.org/codes-standards/spantables/tutorial

But to calculate what sistering would do for you is actually not that simple in that ostensibly if you have two 2x12s sistered, it should be the same as a 4x12. But in reality if they are finished dimensional lumber, the 2" is actually 1-12", so two of them sistered is 3", vs a 4" dimensional beam would be 3-1/2" wide. Then you are complicating it further by staggering sistered beams to try to get a longer span. I'm not saying it can't be done, but this site is not the place for it, you need an experienced a pro to do that.


Tumble dryer induction motor wiring I have removed a motor from our old Hotpoint tvf770p tumble dryer. The motor was working fine (the rear drum bearing had worked through the bearing and rear casing). I am considering using it on my son's blower for his forge (he's a blacksmith). The motor has three wires, the black and red wires go through the capacitor while there is also a separate white wire. Does anyone know: a) what is the white wire, b) how do I wire it up? The tumbler had a reverse drum cycle so I suspect it may be something to do with changing the motor's direction of rotation.

This is a PSC (permanent split phase capacitor motor) that has two windings that together produce the rotating field. One is fed through the run capacitor, so that the current through it is out of phase with the other winding. They are normally wired as below. The connection between the capacitor and the  neutral side can be either internal to the motor, in which case 4 wires come out, or external, so that there are 3 wires, and the cap is commoned elsewhere.

To reverse these motors, you need to reverse either one of these windings, which would require a two pole changeover switch, so specifically reversible motors are connected a little differently.

(picture from here) On these motors the two windings aren't differentiated 'main' and 'auxiliary' as is normal - the auxiliary is usually a higher resistance which allows the main winding, which takes more current to use more of the available space. The windings are identical, and the cap is connected between them. Imagine that the white wire on yours is connected to the 'L' terminal on the first diagram, and the red and black at the two right hand corners. That way, whichever one the switch connects to becomes the main, and the other the auxiliary, which reverses the sequence of the field.

For single direction, you just need to connect up the white, and whichever of the red or black produces the right rotation, and leave the other side of the cap connected to the motor winding and nothing else.


Did I wire my light fixture correctly? I'm replacing a light fixture in an old apartment where the ceiling wiring has two brown/red wires and one black wire.  When I removed the old fixture it was wired with black to black, the white wire was extended with another white wire with a wire nut and then connected to the two brown/red wires.  The old fixture did not have a grounding wire. One of the brown/red wires seemed to be coming down directly from a small hole in the ceiling and the other brown/red wire was coming out from the side of the ceiling along with the black wire.

So, I took my new fixture and connected the black to black, the white to the brown/red that was next to the black and seemed to coming out of the side of the ceiling/junction box (terminology?) and then I connected my green grounding wire to the other brown/red wire that was coming down directly out of the small hole in the ceiling.

I would like to know did I wire this new fixture correctly? It seems to be working just fine and I even tested it with a voltage meter after I turned the power back on in case I didn't ground it correctly.

It sounds wrong to me, but I couldn't be sure without actually being there.  You should connect the new fixture, in exactly the same way the original fixture was connected.

If there wasn't a grounding conductor in the original circuit, replacing the fixture did not make one magically appear. If a grounding conductor is required, you'll have to install one in accordance with local codes.


How to fix edge of tile that cracked Our tile flooring cracked and I am wondering what the best method is to repair it without actually repairing the whole tile?

It would be easier for people to see what's going on if you move the rug to photograph the whole affected area.  It's impossible to tell the extent or location of the crack.

Do you have a spare tile, or can you buy one?  Do you know the cause of the crack (like something being dropped on it)?

With better information, we may be able to give you a better answer, but with no other information, I would guess that either the tile wasn't properly supported, or it was installed on a surface that flexes.  Without fixing the cause, there is no real repair that will last.

Once the support surface is solid, the only repair that will look good will be replacing the tile, which is also the easiest and fastest solution.

If you can't find a matching tile, an artist may be able to mask the crack by painting filler to match the tile's pattern.  That could be an improvement, but it will still be visible and won't hold up to wear.


How do I restore paintbrushes ruined by dried latex paint? I have had a couple of good natural bristle brushes for several years. I've been careful about cleaning them until now, but a couple months ago I left them in a jar with water "to get back to tomorrow." Today I finally got back to them and as you can imagine, they aren't in great shape. Is there any way I can restore them or do I have to throw them out?

I use a product by "Clean Strip" called roller and brush cleaner. It usually works well even on badly hardened paints.  Word of caution however, try to use it outdoors as it really has a lot of very offensive fumes. Also wear plastic gloves as this stuff will burn your hands. Heed all the warnings on the can, this is nasty stuff, but works well.


Replacing a dimmer switch I wanted to replace a dimmer switch on a wall outlet that had 3 switches next to each other. The dimmer was in the middle. There were 3 wires I disconnected from the old switch - green for the ground, a red wire T'd with wire nut with a black wire attached, and a black wire T'd with wire nut with a black wire attached. The dimmer I bought had no wires attached only color labels to tell u where which wire is suppose to go. I put the black wire from the wall to the black label on the dimmer. I put the other wire (red) to the yellow label on the dimmer. Green to green. When I turned on the power and tried the light the fixture to the left shorted out. What did I do wrong?

I can't be certain what you've actually done here but I do know what you have there, whether it's the new or old one, is a 3-way dimmer. Sounds like it'd be the new one because the old one doesn't sound like it was wired as a 3-way is done having only 3 wires (g,r, blk).

A grounded 3-way switch has 4 wires: a ground, a feed from the source or return to the light, and two travelers. What you had originally doesn't look like a good fit for the new one.

Why is it shorting out? Could be a number of reasons. But you'll probably have to clarify what you mean by the fixture to the left as we have no clue of where/what that is. It's most likely either the way you've wired it or contact between metal parts and wires in the box seeing as it looks pretty full. It may not be anything you've changed as far as the wiring and may be the shifting of the wires. Perhaps the bare ground is now sitting on a wire that has a bit of wire exposed out of the wire nut.

A couple things you could try:

If you're installing a device in a packed box, put a wrap of electrical tape around the back side covering the terminal screws.
Use a continuity tester to see if you have some unwanted contact between the ground/neutral/hot, or metal.

In the end, if I'm correct in assuming you have the wrong type of switch, I'd return it for the correct one, it should be cheaper and then it will be a correct match.


How can I remove an electrical box that's screwed into a ceiling joist without attic access? I want to replace a ceiling electrical box rated for light fixtures with one that is rated for fan support. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get the existing plastic box out with the usual methods. There are no visible screws inside of the box, and putting a 2x4 in there and whacking it with a hammer didn't dislodge it either. I was able to see that it was held in via two screws directly into a ceiling joist from the side of the box.
I don't want to go into the attic to unscrew the box from the joists, so what options do I have to remove this thing? I saw a suggestion online to use pliers and cut out pieces of the box until it's all out, but I don't want to start doing that then find out I still can't remove the box... and be stuck with no light and no fan.
The ceiling box looks similar to this, but it is not held in by nails, it is screwed in.

A picture of your box, instead of generic picture from the internet somewhere, will get you more specific help, but...
Without going into the attic for access from above or cutting open some drywall for access from below you're really stuck with one option: Cutting and/or breaking up the box to get it out of the ceiling.
If you cut, use extreme care:

Turn off power to the box before you start.
Be sure you do not cut into the wire insulation.

Once you've got the box out, see if you can get a 90° drill/driver adapter in there to get the screw removed. If not, you may need to cut the screws off flush or use locking pliers to slowly, very, very slowly get the screws backed out. If you don't they'll most likely end up in the way of the new box.
When you're done, make sure you install an old work fan support box. If you buy a new work box, you'll have to return it or cut from below or gain access from above to install this one.
I have removed boxes this way. I used an oscillating cutter to attack the box, being extremely careful around the wire entry points. When I got close to the wires, I used linesman's pliers to break out chunks of the box.
The worst part was that I'd just installed the boxes and drywalled and painted when we realized we needed 2-gang boxes instead of the 1-gang we'd just installed. :(


Were gfci's required in detached garage built in 2003? Need info if gfci's were required in detached garage built in 2003.

GFCI's in garages have been required for a lot longer than 2003 according to the National Electrical Code.

From NEC 1999:

  210-8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for
  Personnel

  (A)(2) Garages, and also accessory buildings that have a floor
  located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use.

The 2002 Code says the same thing in the same section.

If the garage was built in 2003 it should have had GFCI protection installed for all receptacles.


How should my light be connected to this old wiring layout? I live in a really old house and still have old wiring red (live) black and neutral. I've come to change my kitchen strip light and have an abundance of wires to  connect to my new 2 wire brown blue light. The problem is at some stage there were two switches for the light so in total I have 4 black wires and 4 red and some neutral.

Am I right in thinking that all the red wires can bundle together and hook up to the brown? There so many black wires that the light won't sit flush so I'm trying to just hook up 2 but can't figure out which 2 as some combinations blow fuses and some leave the light permanently on.

Should I be doing something with the neutral or even splitting the 4 red wires up?

In the UK colours are as follows

           old UK colours   newer EU colours
live       red              brown
neutral    black            blue
earth      green            green/yellow

The switched-live from switches is often insulated with the neutral colour (e.g. black) and should have red tape over it to indicate it is switched-live not neutral.

Your problem is that, to make sense of wiring, you need to carefully study the wiring before you remove a fitting and make sure you understand how it works. It can be difficult to do this after the wires have been removed from the fitting.

In some cases, a lot of the electrical wiring is done inside the casing for long fluorescent light tubes. This can include wiring for other light fittings in other parts of the room or in other rooms.

  The problem is at some stage there were two switches for the light

Typical UK 2-way switch wiring is as follows

The image shows a pendant light, but the same principle applies for a fluorescent light. In your case you have the old-colour wiring for the fixed wiring in the walls, nopt the new colours shown here.

The earth wires here are shown green but they are often bare copper - the installer should have added a green/yellow sleeve to them.

Note that you do not connect all the neutral wires together and you do not connect all the live wires together.

If you need more detailed help, take a clear well-lit well-focussed photo of the wiring at the ceiling - and of the wiring behind the associated switches. Edit the question to insert the photos (or insert URLs to public websites where you uploaded the photos)


Will zero pressure in a propane line cause a leak when the pressure returns I read that the elimination of pressure in a propane line will destroy the pipe sealing compound at the treads, causing leaks. That is the reason a propane seller will require a leak test if the tank is allowed to run out.

During normal usage, a propane plumbing system is at a constant pressure. This means that as long as the tank has gas and is supplying the system with propane, a constant pressure is exerted on the piping and the pipe joint compound. The pipe joint compound will expand during normal pressurized usage and will retract if the system loses pressure. This loss of gas pressure may cause leaks to form because of the expansion and retraction of the piping compound within the propane plumbing system.
http://www.propane101.com/leaktest.htm

Will allowing the pressure to drop to zero also destroy a pipe joint seal where Teflon tape was used?  I am currently using small portable tanks connected to gas logs by a 1/2 steel line where I used Teflon tape on the joints.

I've been a gas fitter for over 20 years and worked with it much of my childhood before that. That is a completely false statement. I think it's just an excuse to get a tech in your house to see if they can generate a sale. You can almost blow with your mouth the amount of pressure that a propane system will see. After the second stage regulator the pressure is commonly 11" water column. Can you blow water up a 12" straw? Probably. Then you can blow more pressure then what's in your piping system. If a leak were to develop after "losing pressure" then it was extremely loose to begin with and wouldn't have passed the original 15 psi pressue test. 15 psi is 420" water column.

What about when the temperature changes in the house? The expansion and contraction of the fittings would be greatly more significant than a 11" pressure drop. What if you bump into the pipe? Also pipe dope is primarily a anti-seize agent not a leak sealant. It does effectively help seal poorly made threaded connections but that's not its job.


Do I need a moisture barrier between sub floor wolmanit and engineered floating bamboo clip together flooring? I'm using walmanite 3' by 5' by 1/4" over an original Pine slate floor my grandfather put in. do i NEED to put some type of barrier like tar paper between them? there has never been a barrier and no insulation. my mother added padding and carpet but now she  wants engineered bamboo clip together floating floor that will  have a moister barrier padding between it  and the wolmanit.

The floating floor needs the thin foam pad for it to function properly and most of the floating floor pads already have a vapor barrier as part of it.  But adding an additional barrier is not needed (unless you have moisture issues).

If you where doing a nail down install (instead of float) I would recommend rosin or tar paper between the the floors.  But it would not be for vapor barrier but to reduce noise between the two floors rubbing.


How do I wire a light fixture with two white wires to a ceiling box with three white wires? I am trying to install a new light fixture. The ceiling mount has three white wires and one black one. The problem is that the fixture has two white wires and one black wire. They do not match up.

(I previously had a disco strobe light in the basement.)

This fixture is not wired per code, you should have only one white wire for each colored wire, you should never have only one colored wire and more than one white wire.

What the previous posters are suspecting is you have a three-way circuit so  that two or more switches can control the fixture.

You can use a multi-tester of test light to see if you have current between the black wire and one of the white wires when the switch is turned on.  If you have current through more than one white wire then stop and call an electrician.  You might inadvertently overload a neutral.  If your switch does not read on and off then you probably have a three-way circuit and you may need an electrician to sort it out.


How should I insulate my shed to avoid mold and mildew? I'm having a 16 by 12' shed built on-site because of difficulties getting down my driveway. It's to be a woodworking shop to build small furniture in.

I live in Beaufort SC. It will have cement lap board siding on top of the sheathing with 2 by 4 studs. The roof will be shingles on top of the felt paper, with a ridge vent.

The question is how to insulate the inside walls to prevent mold  or mildew.

I think the key thing is to use a quality house wrap made for the concrete/fiber lap siding. Concrete fiber siding will transfer moisture much more readily then wood, vinyl, etc. Products like DuPont DrainWrap (essentially their standard house wrap thats corrugated) will allow for air movement and water drainage. There are a lot of other products that employ similar techniques but the key is to make sure there's breathing room between the siding and sheathing.

Also, the wrap should be stapled using caps and taped per the manufactures specs.

For the roof I would look to high performance sythentic underlayments and ensure you have adaquare venting in your eaves


How to remove wood filler to get to the screws I have a wobbly table leg and so I want to get to the screws that are meant to be hold the leg in place. How do I get to the screw heads that are covered in wood filler (or maybe wood glue).

First off, make sure there aren't nuts and washers on the other side of that wobbly leg that you could just tighten up.
Drill a small hole in the filler/glue down to the screw and then cut away the rest with a utility knife. If you have a Dremel or other spin tool, use a bottoming bit and clean out the area.
You might find that the screw holes were just worn bigger. In that case, you might want to drill right through the leg and get some longer bolts, washers and nuts and re assemble rather than just tightening them up or getting larger screws. That way you won't run into the wobbly leg again.


Damp slab in my living room I live in FL and have a damp area on my slab in my living room in front of my front bay window which does not have a gutter.  As a result I have a musty smell in my house. I bought some UGL DRYLOK masonry waterproofer from Home Depot. Will this do the trick?

Will the drylok work?  Maybe with minimal water.  What you need to do though is get gutters on your house or regrade your landscape.  Or both.  If water is draining under your slab there is nothing you can do to keep it from coming up through the floors.


How can I run Ethernet cabling through concrete walls? I'd like to run CAT6 cable between 3 rooms which are separated by concrete walls. What are my options?  I'm looking for the least intrusive way.

Concrete walls typically have conduits where all wiring passes (edit: as pointed out by @alx9r, this might not always be the case. Sometimes wiring is cast directly into the concrete). This allows you to add additional wires to the same conduits, but doesn't help if you need to pass a wire between two places that don't have a conduit already in the wall.

Whether or not you can use the existing conduits is both a matter of convenience (are there existing conduits from and to the place you want to run the Ethernet cabling) and of wiring code - is it allowed to run Ethernet (low voltage) cabling along side other cables - high voltage (110/220 V), phone lines, TV coaxial cables, etc.

If there are no existing conduits you can use, you'd need to consider several options (all pictures from Google Images):

Run the cable along the walls, often by the skirting boards. The cable can be attached with clips to the wall. This method is easiest, cheapest and fastest, but people often don't like cables running visibly around the house and if the cables aren't properly secured they might be a tripping hazard.

Run the cables in plastic channels that are attached to the walls. This is similar to number 1, only that the channels help hold the cable better and are probably more aesthetic.

Run new conduits in the wall. This is done by carving a channel in the wall (called "wall chasing"), placing a plastic conduit in the channel, mortaring the conduit in place and patching up the channel on top of the conduit. As can be imagined, this is hard work (especially for long distances), very dirty (especially if grinding disc cutters are used to score the channel) and must be done carefully to avoid hitting other cables and pipes already in the wall. However, this will give the best aesthetic result.

If a conduit is used, fishing the new cable through the conduit is done either using preexisting cables in the conduit or with a fish tape. The new cable is attached to the preexisting cable or the fist tape (after pushing the fish tape through the conduit to the other side) and then pulled until the new cable is fully in the conduit. From my experience, if you have cables already in the conduit, it is much easier to pull them completely out and then fish the entire bundle (old cable/cables together with new Ethernet cable) back into the conduit.

Finally, Cat6 doesn't give that much of a difference in the common house over Cat5e - the extra shielding is useful with lots of cables running close together and for long distances. For home use spans are usually much shorter than the maximum 100 meters defined for Ethernet and there are only a few cables running side by side. However, Cat6 is much stiffer than Cat5e, making it quite challenging to fish it through conduits.


Triple Push Button Switch Wall Plate I'm looking to replace a Push Button Wall Plate.  I can't seem to find one that only has spots for three buttons.  Most have six spots. (three sets of two buttons).  These are standard size push buttons (like you see for lights in a house) which I don't believe I could replace as they are push buttons that open garage doors.

I'm looking for a cheap wall plate (preferably under $10). The common tan color or white would also be preferred.  I've checked Lowe's and Home Depot and googled around a little, but can't seem to find a replacement. I've added a quick sketch of my situation.

Pull your switch out, look at it to see who the manufacturer is, and contact them or check their website.  Usually when a manufacturer makes an oddball like this, they also make the cover plates to match.


Can I run 2 wires from a 2 pole breaker to a single slot on my EV charger? I am running a #6 wire from my sub-panel to an electric car charger. The car charger only has 3 inputs, for the hot, neutral, and ground. It's the Tesla Gen 3 charger with the manual and diagram found here.
Home Depot doesn't carry a 60 amp, single pole Square D breaker. I picked up this 60 amp double breaker here.
Can I run both hot wires from the 2-pole breaker into a single slot on the Tesla Wall Charger?

As a 240V load in the US, that takes two hots (from opposite legs of your service) - NOT hot and neutral. The two-pole breaker is exactly what you need. If you’re using cable with white/black/ground wires, you’ll need to re-mark the white to a hot color (such as red or black), and connect one to each pole of the breaker.
A 60A breaker on just 120V would not be done. A ~6KW load would have four times the voltage drop (and require larger more expensive wire) compared to the same power at 240V, so loads that big are always at the higher voltage.


protecting a wood deck from rot next to a stone patio I have a wood porch/deck built on top of a cement slab. At some point a previous HO layed a stone patio right next to this porch at the same level. The stone of the patio is abutting the wood framing of the porch and I'm afraid will lead to rot over time. I'm not sure how to fix this.

A cutaway diagram (view from the side) would look like:

-------Wood decking---------+ +----------------------
-----------+-+----+---------| | Stone   ||   Stone
    | |    | |    | |    | || |         ||
    | |    | |    | |    | || +----------------------
    | |    | |    | |    | || +----------------------
----+-+----+-+----+-+----+--| |   Dirt/sand
      Cement               || |
----------------------------+ +----------------------
                       ... dirt ...

My only thought was to dig up around the edge of the porch and put some kind of waterproof membrane between the wood and the stone/dirt of the patio. Any other ideas?

I have used an air gap of 1/2" +  for some air circulation . Over the years it tends to collect soil and leaves so I have occasionally cleaned it out.


How can I duplicate this paint texture? I patched a hole in my wall. Now I am going to paint. My walls have a slight texture to them. I think it's a pretty common type of texturing; very subtle.
How can I match this texture?
Preferably a manual way since it's a small hole (baseball size). But if I need a product that would be helpful information also.

Ok this looks like orange peal it is tough to match. Unless a large area is tapered . be careful don't try to tape off and. Make a zone area I did this many years ago and after 3 tries I could still see the lines from the tape but the owner was happyI have learned to never use tape because there is always a line even with sanding.


Is this mold or just black wood? Are the black spots on my OSB mold? If so, should I be concerned?  We had a problem with vent but has been corrected. Thanks.

Image is of worse area in attic.

That is mold. Assuming this is what it looks like after it's been sufficiently dried so more mold won't develop beyond what we're seeing here, that is surface mold isolated within a wall cavity, and you've got nothing to worry about.
Typically, if it is surface mold or the decayed portion of the wall system is small enough to be safe and acceptable, you would leave it alone, as molds become dormant below 20% WMC (your framing should be between 12% and 16% once fully dried and ready to be closed back up), as long as the following criteria are met:

If the sheathing was never saturated (or above 28% WMC) or if the saturation was limited (in a non structural wall);
If the moisture problem has been remedied (dried and not going to get wet again); i
If it will not be disturbed, so as to spread spores into living space; and,
If the decay is surface only (has not transmitted through to the other side of the sheathing is a good indicator of compromised sheathing).

Best practice would be to replace the sheathing in the event any of the above are not met. Cost of doing the repair vs cost of not doing the repair will drive the decision, except in the case of damage to a critical building component in which case the cost of not doing the repair is also a question of safety/liability.


New house concrete slab foundation cracks I am building a new house in North Texas, it has been 17 days since the foundation was poured, I live close to the construction site, so I've been going 2-4 times a week. Today I finally was able to walk inside, since it now has a roof (no shingles yet). I noticed a crack in the foundation that goes almost side to side, maybe 1/16 wide, as well as a missing chunk in the top. The rest of it I noticed very few small hairline cracks and the sides and edges look good. I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about it.

I will discuss this with my construction manager/builder but wanted to ask here as well. I already have a phased inspector but for the pre-pour foundation they poured a day earlier than they said and my private inspection wasn't done, only the city inspection. Is this something that I should be concerned about or perhaps hire a private structural engineer to look at it?

No matter what type of steel ,fiberglass,pre stress cables are used there are 2 types of concrete, #1 the concrete that is cracked and # 2 the concrete that will crack. Since it is summer and it has been hot I would hope the ground was wet when poured and after finished it was kept wet or damp for several days but other than that see the 2 types above.


Can I leave a wall primed, but without paint, for several sunny months? I notice the siding and trim on my house is in urgent need of paint, as there are bare areas of wood where the paint is flaking off, but due to uncertainties with Coronavirus, I need to hold off on buying thousands of dollars worth of paint. I do, however, have lots of KILZ 2 primer leftover from another job.
Can I paint my house using just primer, to protect the house during this harsh Southwest summer, then add the actual exterior paint in the winter? Will rain or sun, etc. have some negative affect on the primer in the meantime? Will the primer protect the wood?

It depends on the primer. PPG has over 100 different types of primers.
https://www.ppgpaints.com/search?term=primer
Edit: Since you referenced KILZ 2 primer, and I’ve been asked to direct comments on it specifically, I’ll elaborate: 1) KILZ 2 primer comes in various types: interior/ exterior, mold resistant, etc. Depending on the exact type, some perform better than others, 2) KILZ 2 primer is a latex primer. Latex primers have a shelf life and limited performance, 3) Some primers have a UV resistance, this primer does not stipulate that criteria,
However, leaving wood siding and trim exposed to the weather is dangerous and may cause the material to be replaced.
Summary: If the primer goes “bad” and needs to be touched up in a year or so, it’s still better than leaving wood untreated and exposed to the weather.


New ceiling light works does not work I have an old ceiling rose configuration and tried connecting a new chandelier 5 bulb style light but it keeps tripping the mains when I try to turn it on.
The electrician I first had out said there was a fault with the new light so I got a new one.  Same thing.
I've put the ceiling rose configuration back and it works fine with a single bulb but not with the new light.

Your new light probably has insufficient terminals and you're connecting wires which should not be connected, causing a dead short.
You need a 4-terminal ceiling rose or connection block: live (red, or brown); neutral (black, or blue); switched live (black with red marker); and earth (bare, sleeved green-yellow).
The earths should all go in the brass terminal to the top left - I can't see where they connect at all, they must not be left unconnected and pushed up into the ceiling - and the lives should be in the middle terminal marked Loop, not in a separate terminal.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting


Which type of portable generator will power my furnace during an outage? I live in New Jersey, and in preparation for future severe-weather-related outages, I would like to have a backup plan in order to power my natural gas furnace, as well as the fridge/freezer and a few lamps.  I have a Carrier Performance furnace, installed within the last couple of years.

My main concern is getting a generator that is compatible with the sensitive electronics in the furnace.  My initial research has turned a number of articles that indicate the significance of a clean, stable power supply, however I have not found anything more specific than that.

I am currently looking at two paths:

Get a traditional 5000W-7000W generator.  A number of these seem to indicate some type of Voltage Regulator, however am I right in thinking that the output they give is still somewhat dirty, with a higher chance of frying the control board in my furnace?  The size of this generator should be more than enough to power everything I described previously, along with a few more circuits.  I would also think about a conversion kit to give me the option to use propane as well as gasoline.
Get a ~2000W inverter generator, which, as far as I understand, would give much cleaner power, and better gas consumption, but with a more limited output that will reduce the number of devices I can power.

I am not looking at going the whole house generator route, which is beyond my budget.  I am in the process of tracking down a good electrician to walk through the plan and discuss install the appropriate transfers switches etc. that may be required.

Am I heading down the right track here, or is there something else I should consider?

I would not recommend a square-wave/modified-square-wave generator to run your furnace. The control boards in them are particularly sensitive to high-frequency noise induced in those sort of designs. One particular failure mode is that non-sine inputs cause excessive heating in inductive components, whether they be AC motors or current-filtering inductors on the control board.

Looking around, it seems that gas furnaces should be provisioned for 350W, and about the same for a typical refrigerator. 700 watts of steady-state load isn't bad, and I would argue that a 2000W steady-state pure-sine generator could handle the transient loads from start-up currents no problem, leaving plenty of room for laptops (75W - 100W), cell phone chargers (~10W), and lights.

Go with the pure-sine wave.


Preparing concrete ceiling for painting I removed the drop ceiling from my basement, the next step would be to paint the concrete ceiling.

However, as you can see from the picture, there are pieces of wood on the surface of the concrete. I tried to sand the surface to remove them and up to a certain point it seems to be working, but some larger chunks are somewhat deeply embedded into the concrete and sanding will not work.

My question is, do I need to remove that wood? If I simply paint if over (multiple layers of sealer + paint, I presume), will it peel off? If it would be to completely remove the wood, any suggestions on how to do that? Or would it be smart to apply some sort of putty patches to cover the wood, or would those too fall offd? I don't mind about the uneven surface or rough look.

Thanks for any hints or advices!

UPDATE

For those who may encounter the same problem:
What I've done is the following: after lots and lots of asking around and researching, the finding was that it is probably best to remove as much as possible from the wood (not only the sawdust). But sanding it is not an option, since it's simply not efficient plus it creates a ridiculous amount of dust. So the winning tool was the wire brush + chisel combination, plus mortar on top of it. It's tedious, but once it's done and after the appropriate waiting time you have the paint on it, you're glad you did it.

Paint over it.

Both the wood and the concrete will pass moisture more or less evenly, so there is no reason to expect that wood chip to pop out later.  And if it does, it's not exactly the end of the world.  Doing the extra work to remove it now isn't going to make your life any easier...

You might hit it with some sand paper on a sanding block, as it loos like there is sawdusrt along with the wood chips.  I would expect some of it to fall out, but probably not the larger chips.  The sawdust falls into the category of "loose dirt" potentially, so knocking off loose dirt is a good thing.


How close can a deck post footing be to a retaining wall? How deep does a deck post footing need to be if it’s directly behind a retaining wall?

Comment by @BillDOe is correct: it should go the required depth for the post, measured from the base of the retaining wall as if there was no wall and no retained earth there. As long as it has sufficient depth, it can be arbitrarily close to the face of the retaining wall.

You don't mention if you are planning/required to pour a footing for the post. That may change this answer as the presence of the wall may have an impact of the options you have for the design of the footing and the resulting distance from the existing wall.

If you have some flexibility and can set the post further back from the wall, your local code might have a minimum distance defined at which you can set the post at the standard depth, without accounting for the wall. Somewhere between 1' or 2' is pretty common. Some require specific types of retention systems to prevent the wall from toppling from the top during high winds.

Another factor to keep in mind is frost heave: if the frost line is 4' in your area, that means 4' in a flat, uninterrupted section of land. If you are directly behind a 3' wall and only go 4' from the top of the wall, it's very likely that the post will experience freeze/thaw cycles during winter. That would be bad for the deck, and could also be a problem for the wall itself.

One last thing to watch out for is any kind of engineering fabric or mesh extending back from the face of the wall, and a few inches deep in the soil. If it's there, you would need to carefully cut through it and avoid disturbing it as much as possible. you do NOT want to try and auger through it...

As always, your best bet is to check with your building inspector, but this is the typical recommendation. Different municipalities have different requirements.


Why is my circuit breaker occasionally tripping on its own, and then not tripping under the same load? One of my circuit breakers (20 Amps) handles about 10 light switches in my house and nothing else.  For the last couple months or so, it trips about once a week, but never in response to turning an additional light on (i.e. ~5 of the lights will be on, and then all of a sudden the breaker will trip).
Each time, I reset the breaker (without turning any of the lights off).  All of the lights go back on, as they were before the breaker tripped, and the breaker doesn't trip for another week or so.

Why is the breaker tripping on its own?  I would expect the breaker only to trip if I turned something on (e.g. flipped another switch) that drew more current through the circuit.  In other words, if the set of lights that were on at 5pm were not enough to trip the breaker, why would they be at 6pm?

Why can I flip the breaker switch and make everything work correctly again?  In other words, if some set of lights tripped the breaker at 6pm, why would the same set not trip the breaker at 6:01pm after I reset it?

Bad bulbs bad bulbs, what you gonna do?
Some of the funky new bulbs got stuff in them.  This question covers that.
Why is my lighting circuit tripping the breaker?
I do not pretend to understand what that stuff does but I do know that failing LED bulbs can display a variety of fascinating behaviors not seen with older bulb types.
It will not be expensive to replace all the bulbs in these lights with new bulbs.
Not expensive because you can save the old bulbs.  If issue persists despite changeout then you have a lot of spare bulbs you will eventually use since you have a lot of lights.
If all new bulbs fixes the issue then you know it was one of the old bulbs.   Test them one at a time on a lamp in a special penalty box circuit that is not being used for anything important.  When you find the bulb that trips that circuit, it goes in the trash and the rest can come back into the game.

Psychically putting myself in your home (your beer can collection is sweet!) and examining your bulbs, I found two LED bulbs that looked suspicious.  Different than the brother bulbs.  I was only there psychically so could not remove them for you, but if it were my house I would start with changing out those funky looking ones first before changing them all.


How to tell if a carpeted floor is level enough for laminate flooring? We want to install laminate flooring in our family room, and had someone out to measure the room and bid on the job.  He claims that there's a hump in the floor that makes it impractical to install Pergo.

He did this by sight and didn't use any tools.  We can't see a hump.  We didn't consider him reliable (and had to ask him to leave the house after a few minutes; he was argumentative).

How can we tell before ripping up the carpet if the floor is level enough for the flooring we want?  The house was built in 1986.  This room has a wood subfloor, and is over a basement.  There are no poles, beams, or supports beneath this room -- no obvious cause of a hump.

Lie down and eyeball it. It's easier to see if you are right down on the surface. Someone in the business of laying floors might have developed a better eye than you (if they miss it, it costs them money) and not need to lie down.
Shoot a laser pointer across the floor - either skim the surface looking for discontinuities, or lay it on the floor and check its height with a ruler as it goes across the room. Easier if you can get the start and end adjusted to the same height. A hump will be a place where the beam height above the floor reduces; &/or where the beam won't make it across the whole room if it's right down at floor level.
Choose a long straight board, and set it on edge on the floor. If you find a place where it rocks from end to end, that's a hump. Check that the board is really straight by making sure it rocks about the same on both edges (a warped board will rock on one edge, not on the other - a straight board on a hump will rock on both edges)

If you want to install a wood floor over a hump, wood parquet can be much more forgiving. I don't know if the laminate folks have entered that market, but it can be quite affordable in real wood.


How can I get rid of springtails? I don't exactly know how or why, but seems my house is starting to get more of these things - springtails.

I've checked all over the internet, and it says there is too much moisture, however, they are living in areas between the concrete outside and the bricks. Is there a chemical I can pour/ or something I can use so this little critters will stop bugging me!!

They're normal in gardens, but it's understandable that you'd want to be rid of them.  Here are some chemical solutions, and other ways to control them.


How long for the hot water to stop smelling with anode rod change? I changed the anode rod in my hot water heater, the change went smoothly (thankfully), but now I'm curious how long does it typically take for the water to stop smelling? Do I have to drain the entire tank, or do I just let chemistry do its thing?

You should have flushed the tank , this should be done once a year with a check on the anode and you may get 2x normal life or that has been my experience in the past. Also purge as much of the air out as you can and make sure the temp is high enough to kill bad stuff. -140 F is my minimum. But you can still flush it without taking the rod out.


Should I agree to have more insulation added to my attic? I have a 6 year old home with about 12 inches (R-30) of blown-in insulation in the attic. Recently door-to-door sales representatives for an insulation company offered a free inspection and quote to add additional insulation. The pitch was that the R-value at the time of construction was sufficient, but that codes have been revised and more insulation is better.

I was provided with options for adding 8 or 12 more inches to attain R-49 or R-60 respectively.

Sure, insulation materials improve with technology, but should I agree to have additional insulation put in? Will adding more somehow pay for itself? Is there such a thing as too much?

I live in a desert climate with temperatures ranging from -20°C (-5°F) in winter to 32°C (90°F) in summer.

Good question.  First off, there is no "code" requirement that would mandate adding insulation to a 6 year old house. The current standard in new construction is to try to achieve a R-42 in attic spaces. Adding more insulation to your R30 is not a bad idea, however I have a few questions for you. What kind of insulation do you currently have installed there now? What are the dimensions of the space and style of house and source of heat and A/C.

Adding more insulation is almost always a good long term investment, but before I would trust a sales pitch from a door to door vendor, I would investigate alternate routes. If a DIY project, costs to simply add a layer of R 13 or R19/23 fiber glass blanket over my existing insulation.(assuming it is also F/G blanket style). I would also seek quotes from a couple of reputable energy conservation/insulation contractors in your area. A good contractor will ask you the same questions I have, and ask about your energy costs now, then calculate the potential energy reductions in hard numbers or percentages and expected pay back period. Some energy audits are offered at a reasonable fee or even free and address several aspects of comprehensive energy savings in the home. It can be amazing what a little caulking, joist/wrap box insulation, weather stripping, hot water conservation methods and increased attic insulation can make in your total energy picture. Does your state require a professional license or certification for this kind of work? Be cautious and seek a trusted professional opinion.


How to plug hole in foundation? Here is the front of my house. As you can see it is a 2-story dwelling on the left with a garage on the right that is connected to the main house by a "sunroom" (porch/breezeway/whatever). The main house has a basement, but there is nothing underneath the sunroom or garage.

Here is that sunroom from the back (excuse the mess - still finishing off Fall cleaning):

Where our concrete patio meets the foundation under the sunroom we have a big hole that has opened up (about the size of a golf ball) that you can see in the center of the photo:

And up close:

We've lived in the house for 4 years and this is the first time this has happened. I believe water caused this hole (we live in upstate NY and the cold winters and ice have chipped away at it year after year). The concrete patio was never poured correctly so it slopes (slightly) towards the house, and in the Spring when the snow melts the water funnels towards the house.

Some questions:

Why is there a big hole there? Shouldn't it all be solid concrete?!?
If left unattended, what's the worst case scenario here (so I can justify spending money on a solution to my wife)?
What is the best DIY way to fix patch this hole so we can get through another winter?
What can I do in the long run so that this doesn't keep happening every year?

Thanks in advance!

This part of the foundation is most likely spreading out a roof load from a sizable portion of the sunroom roof. If the soil supporting the foundation has eroded away, this will need to be rectified some time next year.

For now, get a bag of ready mix mortar, the kind you just add water to, it has sand and cement already mixed in in the correct proportion. Mix up a small amount, keep the water to a minimum so it will stay where you put it and not slump down. Patch the hole. That's all this is right now, a temporary patch.

If the hole opens up beyond such that you feel like it's sort of a bottomless pit, cut a short length of something like a paint stick. Thin enough to push through the hole but long enough to wedge inside when turned 90 degrees. Tie a length of wire to the center so you can keep it pulled tight when you push mortar up against it.

As you suspect, water and freeze/thaw cycles chip away at the foundation over time. There was probably once a innocuous hairline crack there at one point. Water got in there and froze, opening the crack. Repeat dozens of times a winter and over the years you get what you see now.

The solution is keep water away from the foundation. I see you have a gutter system over this area. That is good. The patio sloping towards the house is really bad. Not only does it get into foundation cracks and erode the material, water gets under the house structure and can cause uneven settlement, stressing members in ways that was never intended. Some people think crooked floors in old houses are "charming". In reality it is a sign of an unstable structure. Even if the house stays stable, water can be the source of toxic mold. Water has no place in your house other than inside plumbing.

You need to correct the drainage issue. Ideally, it should slope by gravity away from the house at least with a 2% slope. Another solution, not nearly as good, is to place a sump at the lowest point and pump collected water away. I can't emphasize enough how a natural gravity solution is far superior to a mechanical solution. Sometimes you do what you have to do though.

Combine this with the possibility of needing to correct erosion under the foundation. You my be digging up the patio anyway. OTOH, if the foundation is still properly supported and you correct the drainage issue, your little mortar patch could possibly be considered a permanent fix.


How to backfill trench under slab in Los Angeles I am converting my music studio, with no utilities, to a studio apartment. With that said I am having to cut the slab to install the sewer. I am in Los Angeles and am wondering what is the correct procedure to backfill the trench to avoid settling in the long run.
Thanks for your help!!
Best,
Matt

You need to use a tamper and tamp each 6"-12" of fill as you go:

It is also important that you have a plan to tie the new concrete to the existing slab, to help prevent independent movement. For mine we drilled horizontally into the edges of the existing slab and used epoxy to set bent rebar rods into it, then tied those to the rebar grid for the new concrete.


Drainage for sand box Im building a large play area 370sqft. In the bottom I put tarp. I put small holes in key drainage spots. I'm thinking I should put a layer of pea stone on top of the tarp for better drainage then put the sand on top of the stones but it will cost a lot more. Is this necessary?

You shouldn't use a tarp. It will collect water despite your drainage holes and will result in mold, mud, insects, and other grossness accumulating. Use heavy landscape fabric (heavy enough that kids toys won't shred it) and forego the rock.

Or, put the rock under the fabric to allow drainage to the perimeter of the area, and allow drainage through your walls. You might consider fabric above and below the rock to isolate it.


What is the "application tape" mentioned in the EasyHeat installation instructions? The instructions that came with my "EasyHeat" water pipe freeze tape say to install it with "application tape" or good quality electrical tape.  I have electrical tape, so plan to use that, but have never heard of "application tape".  What is it, and what is it used for (other than installing freeze tape, that is)?

It looks like there's a particular product available, but I think that it's also a generic term for any tape that meets their criteria. From the instruction sheet:

  Application tape (Cat.No. HCA) or high quality electrician’s
  tape such as Scotch 44 or 33.

And...

  Only use ½" or 1" vinyl or fiberglass tape to attach cable to pipe

Of course, most readily-available electrician's tape is about 3/4" wide, but I imagine that would work fine.


How to mount a white board on a wall without making holes in the wall? I'm planning on buying a big white board to put on my bedroom wall. I don't want to commit to it though, so I don't want to nail it to the wall. Does anyone know of a non permanent solution to fix the board to the wall?

EDIT: Haven't bought the board yet, so I don't know the weight. Dimensions will probably be around 72" by 40"

I have had a lot of success with those "Command" adhesives from 3M, but it entirely depends on how heavy it is.  If you are not familiar with them they have a tab that allows them to break their glue bond by stretching the material and I have not had any leave marks on the wall.  They are available at about any hardware store.  They have a weight rating on the package and I would figure half that.


Removing horizontal muntins from 1950s split pane windows Is it possible to change to look of old exterior windows by removing the center horizontal muntin on a 1940-1950’s split 2 pane window?  I would like to remove the divider, remove both pieces of glass, and inset a solid piece of glass, so I no longer have a divided pane. These muntins are solid wood, not fake.  They look like this (this photo is NOT my house)...

https://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/09/replacement-windows-for-a-1950s-house/

This old window style really dates the house (it’s cape cod style) and I only need to do the 2 windows that face the street.

Most windows like that were built as an assembly with finger joints or other connections. It's not easy to remove a single component. You'll probably need to remove the glass and cut the muntins off, then mill them to the shape of the stiles to which they attach.


What do you call a false ceiling dropped below a main ceiling used for indirect lighting? I'm wanting to provide some character and define our lounge room space with a large flat ceiling that is hung below the main ceiling.  The edge of which I can install lighting and create a nice effect like below:

But I'm having trouble with the terminology.  What do you call this? If I google drop ceiling or suspended ceiling what I come up with is pictures of the traditional suspended ceiling you find in office spaces that hide pipework and air conditioning ducts etc.

In addition, in finding out what this is called how would I go about constructing it?  I don't want something too heavy or expensive to construct.

Having been in the business for over twenty years I would say "ceiling clouds" is a relatively new term, although I would instantly know what the customer was referring to if they used this to describe it.

Personally I would refer to it as a "ceiling raft".


How to insulate brick gap behind steam radiator? On my bathroom floor I can feel a ton of cold air coming through right behind my steam radiator when it is off. Here is a picture of the radiator with the cover on.

Below is a picture with the radiator cover off. I can feel a ton of cold air coming through the vertical gap that you can see in the picture. How can I insulate the gap while making sure that any insulation is heat resistant due to the proximity of the steam radiator? For any solutions proffered, should the metal grate be removed first? It is held in place with nails which I would rather leave in place if at all possible.

Would insulating foam in a can work here? If so, any specific brands I should use?

The "metal grate" you refer to appears to be a metal mesh to reinforce and support plaster trowelled onto/into it to form a finished wall.  Perhaps the plasterers missed it.

In some jurisdictions the missing plaster may be required for fire/fumes blockage.  For example:  if there is a garage on the other side of the brick wall.

One type is here: http://tianmaiwiremesh.en.made-in-china.com/product/qyPEcSAlYThr/China-Wall-Plaster-Mesh-Metal-Rib-Lath.html

In any event the simplest approach may be to trowel the plaster into the grill as intended...


Mesh tape between wall and concrete substrate My basement bathroom has a concrete floor substrate, on which I will be installing and also have a baseboard of stone tile. Some of the wall meeting the floor will be tile (currently cementboard)

and some regular drywall but even the drywall will have tile baseboard.

Should I tape and thinset the corner where the wall currently meets the concrete substrate and should I do it for both the drywall as well as the cementboard, because of the tile baseboard?

Nope. Don't tape the floor to the wall anywhere.

Install the floor first and then install the wall tile.


Why do the speeds of two ceiling fans vary on all speed settings? I have two ceiling fans on one branch of a 20 amp circuit. One fan runs faster than the other on all three speeds. Could this more likely be due to a loose neutral or connection or a malfunction of the fan?

Motors don’t always spin at the same speed even if the same brand, model and horse power.  They may have different speeds. I support a 1200 horse wood chipper with 3ea 400 horse motors. To get this monster to run and have the system balanced the motors need to be running at the same speed. we had to add variable frequency drives and match the full load speeds and current draws, so in short It could be the motor or the speed controller is not calibrated the same on both motors but fans usually have multiple windings for speed control and they can and usually are slightly different I see +- 50 rpm difference on motors rated at or around 1750 RPM. The one exception would be synchronous motors these are usually dead on and tied to line frequency.


Plugged in computer, sparks went off in outlet, now 2 rooms are without electric I plugged in a computer and spark went off. Now electricity is off in two rooms. Checked breaker it is fine. No electric coming in to outlets. I reset breakers 5 times.

I have to agree that calling in an electrician is your best bet. The problem is most likely in the first dead receptacle or the last working one. The trick is knowing where to look and for what. I suspect a failed back-stab connection in a receptacle.

There also me be other problems you can't see. Best to have it all looked over.


Fluorescent lights will only work when it rains Half of my fluorescent shop lights will only work when it rains I've checked breakers, replaced all the bulbs but nothing has changed.   They just started doing this recently,  could the balasts cause this?

Yes.  Unless there is a problem with the supply wiring or lampholders, ballasts are the only thing left!

Look at the old ballast and see whether it brings 1 or 2 wires to each lamp end (in most cases, 2 wires).    If it's 2 per end, then look for a rapid-start (not instant-start) type ballast that supports the number of tubes you have, and their particular size.  Pay close attention to T12 vs T8 (different diameters) - an F40T12 and F32T8 tube will both fit in the same plugs - but require different ballasts!

T8 is a bit more efficient than T12, but I wouldn't call it efficient enough to justify replacing a bunch of tubes you just bought.

Cut the wires right at the old ballast.  Use blue wire nuts (the small ones) to splice the old ballast wires to the new.

The new tubes are very good in terms of light.  To really see that, leave one corner lit with the old tubes, and don't look at the tubes, look at the stuff they're lighting up.  What a difference!

Instead, you can "make the leap to LED" at this point.  They make LED tube-replacements for as little as $6, but quality matters - the cheapies don't have nearly as good light as true fluorescents. Whereas it's hard to buy a fluorescent these days that isn't 90 CRI.

If you go LED, look for "ballast bypass" aka "direct wire" types - do not use plug-n-play types because they require a ballast, which is silly.  Also, seek ones where the 120V is fed from opposite ends of the tube, not on adjacent pins on the same end -- those little pins were not made to insulate 120V.


Electrical Ceiling Lights: Torsion vs Friction Clips Installation Differences Is there any difference between Using Torsion springs vs Friction clips in installing ceiling lights? I am trying to understand the advantages/differences between the two methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdJlo5RVZCw

Halo Eaton Lights

Whether you use the torsion springs or friction clips depends entirely on the type of housing you're mounting the trim plate on. If the housing has a spring bracket in it like the picture below, you would use the torsion springs. If there is no spring bracket, only a few holes or slots for a straight spring, then you'd use the friction clips to secure the trim plate to the housing.

I like the torsion springs. they do a better job of hugging the ceiling. If there's a little play in the mounting of the housing, the friction clips are harder to push up for a tight fit. Plus they are easier to pull down and adjust if necessary

(Note: picture from utube)


Ground bar on sub-panel I just wanted to get confirmation on this.

Can I ground more than one wire per single slot/screw on a ground busbar in a sub panel?

Just to be clear, this is a sub panel with separate neutral and ground busbars.

Many electrical inspectors don't like seeing two wires in the same slot, especially when are unused slots.  They do seem to accept a few doubled up when they are all in use.  If they were serious about this "rule", they could insist on a ground bus extender—but I have never heard of that happening except in commercial (office) wiring.


Can I convert galvanized ducts to wood stove black ducts by coating it with high temp RustOleum paint? I compared the black ducting for wood stoves with regular galvanized ducting and found that they are both 24 gauge and I noticed they are both steel since both tug magnets.  There is quite a large price difference in addition to not as much stocked variety for the black pipe.  The galvanized is ubiquitous with all sorts of adapters and sizes available.

Black pipe is available only in 6 and 8 inch diameters.  I had an idea of spray painting the galvanized duct with high temperature resistant RustOleum.  Would this work?

24-gauge is 24-gauge.  However, the the silver type round pipe is coated with a rather inexpensive galvanizing coating.  This coating is to inhibit rust.  The galvanizing keeps oxygen and moisture away from the raw metal.These elements will discolor the metal, causing the metal to oxidize and rust, thus shortening the life of the metal.
Now for the down side of you situation.  When the galvanized coating gets too hot as in when used as a wood stove chimney vent the the galvanizing burns off and in the process produces a dangerous gas.  If this gas is inhaled the result will be sickness and even death.
Sorry you are going to have to put up the money for the black stuff.
Top coating this with paint no matter the quality is not enough to ensure protection against this off gassing.


What to do when spray foam has been removed and still have bad smell? Several years ago my dad was talked into spray foaming the ceiling of the attic with spray foam.  Ever since there has been a tremendous amount of dust and bad smell.  Lots of health problems have also occurred.  We had foam tested and it was offgassing.  Company finally came in and removed most of the foam.  Unfortunately the house was built in 1920’s and has tongue and groove under sheet rock.  There is still a bad smell.  Dust is not so bad.  Health issues include severe burning of lips, pain in gums and teeth
, throat, and eyes.  Stomach problems are not as bad as before.  Vents were added to roof.  What else can we do?  Also we put sheep wool insulation in attic ceiling thus covering whatever residue is left.  Is that a bad idea to cover the foam?
Appreciate any input.

Where isocyanate comes from
Epoxy has 2 toxic halves that react with each other.  When they do, the result is so non-toxic it's used to line food and soda cans.  They are reacting to form a very long-chain molecule, which is very strong and tough.
The 2 parts "hold hands" like this:  A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B-(repeat a lot)-A-B-A. They don't have to be infinitely long, just long enough to entangle.
Formed-in-place polyurethane works the same way.  You have a toxic "A" part and "B" part that react to form a non-toxic long-chain molecule that is very strong and tough. (you're not interested in those properties in foam, but I work a lot with polyurethane paints, and if water contacts it before it cures, it will foam up).
If properly mixed, the isocyanates will be 100% consumed.  The only way that doesn't happen is if

The person used too much B-part, either by accident or on purpose because of a misunderstanding of how polyurethane works.
The person didn't blend/mix enough, and so inside the bucket are zones too rich in B-part.

If the stuff is turning to powder, that raises some serious questions about whether it was mixed properly.  It might be worth obtaining a small amount of it and intentionally mixing it with too much "B" part and see if that makes it behave like yours.  If so, I'd consider lawyering up and going after the installer for the health problems.
What isocyanate does
Read the MSDS and the CDC page, but isocyanate is an immune system irritant that can cause anything from "allergy to isocyanates" to some real immune system damage if you get a major slug of it.
However, as the CDC page discusses, isocyanate is very chemically aggressive so it is also very short-lived in the environment. It really wants to hook onto "A-parts" and will grab almost anything, including water vapor.  So the isocyanates should have entirely reacted within a week or so.  It's not a vapor itself, so it won't waft down.
But if you were exposed to a lot of it due to improper mixing, that might have done some damage.
But otherwise, any long-term health problems must be caused by other chemicals - the isocyanate is gone now.
What to do about it
Don't fall into the trap of "doing what is easy instead of what is effective". If you want to stop being sick, you need to do what it takes.  You alone must decide what your health is worth.
So it sounds like somebody chiseled out the bulk of the foam material. But I presume a lot of it was in direct contact with the wood, and I gather the part touching the wood is still there.
Well, that's not good enough.  You will need to encapsulate it.

First, remove all the material you can.  I would use a wire-brush or whatever else works.  Use a shop-vac that has a HEPA filter so you aren't spreading it around even more.  Wear a dust mask yourself, preferably an N95 if you can obtain one during the pandemic.
Then, with dust removed and after a water wipe-down and letting that dry, seal the surfaces with a primer.  Now my favorite primer is - ironically - a 2-part epoxy, but it is VERY fumey.  My second go-to is KILZ Original, but that is also quite fumey, being an alkyd primer.  So to minimize environmental sensitivity I'd use KILZ 2 preferably in a low-VOC form.
Prime all surfaces that ever  had foam. I recommend 2 coats, and in any case use all the paint. Never keep old latex paint around - now with the low-VOC requirements it is very susceptible to mold and fungus - and if you think you have problems now, try stopping the foul stench of moldy paint!

You'd be working in the attic a lot. I gather it doesn't have floorboards.  Take some plywood sheets up there (cut them down as needed to bring up there) and screw them down temporarily so you have a comfortable work area and aren't having to play Spider-man across the joists carrying tools and vacuums.


Using existing wiring to run new wire Fist off - I am not going to do this job myself, I would just like to try to do this without cutting open the ceiling.
We have a 110 GFCI outlet in our garage and I would like to add a 30 amp plug that would come from it's own breaker for our Airstream trailer when I'm working on it in the driveway.
The distance from breaker box to the garage wall is about 20 feet.
What is the possibility of tying on the new wiring to the existing wiring, pulling it back to the breaker using the existing wiring, and then pulling it all back to the garage together?
Is this an unreasonable request to ask the electrician?

In order to pull new new wiring with existing wiring, the circuit would have to be in conduit. Assuming you residence is like most, your system is more likely to be Romex-type cable (NM). If this is the situation it can't be done because the NM is stapled to the framing. So if you talk to the contractor you might ask him about the easiest way to achieve your task.

Hope this helps.