Can I mount a light switch and power on the outside of a wall? My garage has no permanent light fixtures. The only thing there is an old chandelier hung from a hook in the ceiling and plugged into the wall.

To turn it on I have to use a pull chain which is in an awkward position that I don't like at all. Just inside the garage on the wall are my garage door switches. I don't really want to do everything that would be required to put a switch in the wall there, so I was wondering if it would be possible (and within code - I live in Arkansas if that matters) to mount a light switch to the wall that powered... something.

Presumably an outlet that I mounted elsewhere, such as the ceiling (we actually already have a ceiling mounted electrical box that the garage door openers are plugged into). Then I could plug the lamp into that outlet and just flip the switch in the garage which would be far more convenient.

I don't believe there's any code stating you need to put electrical wiring, outlets, switches inside the wall as long as they are of the correct type. Use conduit for both safety and asthetics.

It would violate codes to go the other way, and say run standard extension power cables inside the walls though.

Simple example:
How to


Failed A/C unit 14 years old I've got a home warranty through Choice Home Warranty and, after multiple attempts to get a service tech out here for my AC unit,they declined the costs of repairing/replacing the unit due to the " compressor failing due to burned out windings"....which they (CHW) said "was not due to normal wear and tear".

My question then is: What causes this to happen in a 14 year old unit?

Compressors don't get the luxury of oil changes

You know how the oil in your car breaks down after a while, meaning you have to take your car over to the local quick-lube or up onto the jackstands in your garage and have the oil changed (or do it yourself)?  Well, there's oil in your air conditioner too, mixed with the refrigerant, and it breaks down due to heat and traces of moisture just like the oil in your car does.  Worse yet, when was the last time your air conditioner got its oil changed?

As a result of this oil breakdown, it turns into an acidic, sludgy substance that has very poor lubricating properties, causing the compressor to work harder.  Atop this, the acids attack the insulating varnish in the compressor windings, causing it to break down and lose its insulating ability.  As a result, the compressor "burns out", either from being no longer able to spin due to a lack of lubrication or internal shorts in the windings due to the broken-down varnish.

It's possible to catch this ahead of time, by having an HVAC technician use an insulation tester ("megger") to test the integrity of the insulating varnish when the system is commissioned and on a regular basis (such as on a yearly service call) thereafter.  The resulting trend readings can predict compressor failures before they happen, and as a result, it's a common practice when maintaining commercial compressors.

Unfortunately, neither insulation tests nor oil changes are part of residential air conditioner maintenance.  While changing the oil in an air conditioner requires a pro (it's mixed in with the refrigerant after all, so they have to swap the refrigerant charge out for a fresh one in the process), perhaps having it done every 5 or 10 years would be wise?  It'd probably be cheaper than burning through a new compressor every 15 years or so, at least, especially considering that roughly half of compressor failures are due to internal wearout.


Are standard 20A receptacles a NFPA 58 ignition source? This is to determine if a 10 foot distance to the propane tank fill port is required.

Thanks.

This doesn't apply to you, but...
As of the 2017 edition (with no sign of changes in 2020), NFPA 58 Table 6.25.2.2 sets a 15' (not 10'!) distance between unclassified (ordinary location/non-ignitionproof) electrical equipment and the filling ports of containers over 1000lb water capacity.  However, NFPA 58 6.25.2.4 waives that requirement for commercial and residential installations:

6.25.2.4 The provisions of 6.25.2.2 shall not apply to fixed
electrical equipment at residential or commercial installations
of LP-Gas systems or to systems covered by Section 6.26.

Personally, though, I would keep receptacles out of the 15' radius around the fill port anyway; this is a mitigation against the risk of someone plugging in unrated portable electrical equipment that could serve as an ignition source in its own right, though.


How can I paint inside corners of textured walls at the ceiling or baseboard? In this question, techniques are described to paint the edge of a textured wall along a textured ceiling. How can I paint inside corners though? Mashing the brush into the corner seems to do OK, but it doesn't give a great result. I also wonder what that does to the brush, pushing the bristles out like that.

Use a paint shield as pictured below and an Angled brush as mentioned in your link you should get your desired effect - straight clean lines.


Sanity check mini split layout for old brick house I have a three story brick duplex built in 1925. There is currently no ductwork (steam heat) and I doubt that it's feasible to install. Windows are wooden double hung with storm glass, they are in fantastic shape and I'm not particularly interested in replacing them.

Unfinished basement, 1st and 2nd floors are all 1380 sq ft, but I'm not concerned about conditioning the basement. 1st and 2nd floors have 3 bedrooms, living room open to dining room standard doorway to kitchen. 3rd floor is 690 sq ft split into 2 rooms.

Given the steam heat, I only need splits that provide A/C, I assume these are cheaper? If not, can you totally shut down the systems through the winter when not calling for heat? I've seen there there's some standby power draw, but can that be avoided?

I need at least two different systems since the 1st floor is an independent rental unit.

Special considerations:

We're in a zone 6 climate (used to be 5, but "they" recently changed it)
The south west room on each floor is particularly susceptible to
solar gain due to a lack of shade.
My wife likes to bake, so the oven
is frequently in use.
For my family the all the bedroom doors are
usually closed because the children like their privacy and the 3 year
old gets into things.

Given all the non-optimal factors does it make sense to put a heat exchanger in each bedroom? Assuming the kitchen should be cooled that would mean a 5 head system on the 1st and 2nd floors, and a 3rd 2 head on third floor. That seems like overkill, but I'm not sure how I'd cool all the rooms with the doors shut.

9,000 Btu/h is the smallest head available on the system I'm primarily looking at. So it seems like I'd be looking at 9-9-9-12-12 = 51,000 Btu in potential total draw, but in reality the max load is more like 39,000. The condenser with this system is actually 42,000 btu so you can't run every head full out, but I'm not planning to.

tl;dr - Here's the actual questions:

If I don't need the heat is it worth looking for a mini split without the heat feature? These seem harder to find
If not using the head feature can you avoid standby power consumption?
Is it totally crazy to have 5 heads and 51,000 btu of cooling (backed by a single 42,000 btu condenser) in six rooms totaling 1,380 sq ft.
Is there some better solution I've somehow overlooked? The house came with an assortment of window units, but there don't seem to be appropriate (grounded) outlets near the windows they would make sense in.

The way to go here is definitely the ductless mini splits. It sounds as though you have done your homework on this and you can always find what we call straight cooling units without heat. The mini splits are far more efficient than nearly any other system these days and you can choose which room you need to cool and how much it needs and when.You'll be glad you chose to go this way after its done.As far as stand by power, just unplug or turn off a breaker, but its not a lot of power loss either way. As far as over kill, you'll be glad if you add some overkill to an old home, they usually need it unless they are very well insulated and have great windows. Just speaking from experience.....good luck.


Anatomy of a concrete wall – what are all these layers called? So my partner and I are trying to resurface a concrete wall in an old house in Taiwan. Before I get into the nitty gritty of asking how, I just want to clarify my terminology first – I think I've got plaster and some other things confused.

This is what the room looked like after she and I finished scraping off all the loose material we could yesterday afternoon.

I used to think the top layer was plaster, but after watching some videos on YouTube, I'm beginning to think the plaster is the cracked, gray layer underneath, and the concrete is just below that. (I'm also hearing that ‘stucco’ is an alternative term for plaster, and that it's called ‘mud’ when wet?)

Is that right? If so, what is the (formerly white, powdery) layer on top?

Yep, you got the Plaster right, it's that coin-thick smooth white finish coating. But, that gray nook & cranny stuff looks to be a Cinder Cement, this stuff is quite weak compared to concrete.

If you were scraping off big bulges & partially loose exploded chunks of the gray stuff, then it's definitely Cinder Cement. That's exactly how that stuff reacts to moderate water exposure & freezing. It's not Stucco nor old plaster work's Brown or Scratch Coat.

Just fill in the big voids with most any kind of cement & then re-Plaster over minor cracks & holes while skim coating the whole room in Plaster. If this will be painted, then the Plaster can just be a Drywall Joint Compound. This is the cheapest & plenty durable enough.


How to drill through soffit corner? I need to run some network cabling for a camera but I’m very close to a corner and I don’t want to do more damage than good. It’s very tight so I can’t get there in the attic, but if I could drill up through, I have fish tape and rods to get it where I need it.
I’m trying to drill up into the corner (or close to it) of the soffit into the attic. This “valley” at the front is extremely tight and shallow, so I can’t get anywhere near it in the attic. If this was going through any other straight run of the soffit I could do it in a flash, but the cam needs to go in the corner I indicated by arrow. My biggest obstacle is that I don’t know what I’m going through to get there. I generally know that there are valley and jack rafters, but I don’t want to drill blindly and do damage. Looking for beat practice to drill there.

Well if you are asking if it can be done the answer is yes. To have the best chance of success move  ~1-1/2 inch away from the wall left or right so you don’t hit a rafter or joist and close to the exterior siding. When I do this I drill at an angle , it hits the top plate the way I drill but makes the pull easier and not as sharp of a bend on the cable coming out and following the wall to soffit can look like fat calking after painted if trying to hide the cable.


Is this rat slab as useless as it seems? One half of the area under a small house is not quite tall enough for a 5'4" person to stand up in.  This main cellar has a wafer-thin rat slab with no gravel underneath. The other half is a crawl space with a dirt floor.  There is a soil cliff transition.

The rat slab doesn't seem to be serving any useful function in terms of critter control, given the extensive connected unpaved section.  Also, it's not remotely keeping the cellar dry.

Although overall it has some slope down towards the sump pail (and pump), it's uneven in its slope, and bumpy in some places.  As a result the water that trickles in pools up in some parts.

I have seen other houses in this area (upstate New York) with dirt floors.  I wonder if this cellar would be better off without the rat slab?

I would leave the slab in since there is water down there and moving. This kind of slab in Oregon is to reduce moisture or make a storage space not rodents and I would believe this would be the case since it only partly covered. If you remove the slab all the wet earth will be exposed and the home humidity levels may drasticly increase and possible musty smell, if the slab is removed a new vapor barrier should be put down.


Where does the C wire connect in a dual transformer system? When wiring a common ground (C wire) for a dual transformer system, does it matter which transformer you connect the ground too? I'd assume that the ground on either transformer would serve as a ground for the power from either transformer, rather than having the two linked.

Edit:

This isn't for a specific installation, just more of a general rule. I realize that the wiring would make a difference, but is there a situation that would be true 95% of the time?

In a "common ground" dual transformer system the commons (or "ground") for the heating and cooling transformers must be connected to each other and supplied to the thermostat through a single connection at the "C" terminal.  In this arrangement, it is very important to keep the Rc and Rh (power from the cooling and heating transformers) separated and the thermostat must be designed and installed to handle separate heating and cooling power supplies.  If the commons for the two transformers are not connected, then a single thermostat will not be able to control both the heating and the cooling units unless you install separate control relays that are all actuated by either the heating transformer or cooling transformer along with the thermostat (typically the heating transformer is used as the power supply in this case).  If the two transformer commons are isolated in this arrangement then, yes, each common for the cooling and heating are only for the cooling and heating units, respectively.  This could not be called a "common ground" system, however.

As a general rule, provided the heating transformer has a sufficiently large VA rating, I would recommend disconnecting the separate cooling transformer and instead power all the controls from the heating transformer only to reduce the possibility that someone will accidentally use an incompatible thermostat or cross separate Rc and Rh supplies in the future.


Need help with attaching wood to cinder block Ive been researching and toiling over this as opposed to actually getting it done for too long, finally had to turn to a forum!

I purchased a relatively old house (1957) some time ago and we've finally gotten onto the basement (i call it the basement but its really considered living space as its only half underground/tri level home).

The utility room is bare cinder block on the 3 of the 4 walls.  I intend to attach furring strips (1x3) which ive already purchased.

my question is kinda two-fold.

I also need to attach window sills to the "hollow side" of cinder block as all the new windows we just had put in have nothing but holes leading down into cinder block below them.  Ive cut the window sills and was hoping to simply use liquid nails to secure them however as luck would have it, 2 of the boards have a slight warp so ill need to use something to draw them flush/square.

Im on a very tight budget so im looking to find a solution that will work for both the furring strips and the window sills.

I looked at a ramset but it appears the orange sleeve the fasteners are surrounded by actually creates a bulge above the surface of the wood.  Im concerned this would cause me the ramset equivalent of a nail-pop if i tried to drywall over the bulges on the furring strips, and it would also make it impossible for me to spackle/woodfiller/mud or whathaveyou the windowsills to finish them off with white paint.

Sorry for being long winded here.  Anyone able to set me straight on something that will work for both and fasten flush with the wood?

Use a hammer drill with a 5/32" masonry drill bit to install 3/16" Tapcon phillips concrete anchors that are 1-3/4" long. The phillips head should countersink itself flush as you drive it into the furring strip. You may need to use a countersink drill bit before driving the Tapcon to help it sit flush depending on the hardness of the furring strip.


Arc flash thin sheet to cover panel cabinet & fixing the wires This is the panel cover.

back side of the cover

Background. You need EGC (Equipment Ground Conductor) in metal chassis of anything in the house. But in poor country Philippines where 100% of homes don't have any EGC. The main panel chassis is not protected. I can protect the fridge, washing machine etc. metal chassis by putting them under GFCI breaker control (in fact I did). But how about the panel chassis. I've been wondering this for months. Someone even suggested I put a 30ma RCD before the panel. But if it trips, the entire house power goes down.

Therefore one of my solution is to treat the entire panel metal chassis as live. Meaning it shouldn't be touched without first turning off the power in a lone 2nd disconnect on right of it. Putting the huge cover can defeat the purpose. More if a gutter (large junction box) would be flushed to it as someone suggested. It would increase the surface area in case of ground fault.

What do you think of this logic? Therefore something light (preferably that can't conduct) can be put to cover inside wooden cabinet or even a child bathtub to cover the entire inside panel. Then smoke detector could be put inside. This would be safer than electrified panel chassis can easily electrocute anyone touching it. Isn't it? In a main panel without EGC, need to improvise.

In the following original panel. I wanted to join circuits in 3 breakers into one subpanel breaker. 2 breakers into 1, etc.

The one labeled in blue are 3 breakers that I joined into one breaker in the subpanel (the loadings of the 3 are less than 15A). I first used wire nut (3-wire) to tie two breakers with extra wire to another wire nut to join the 3rd breaker into the subpanel. In the green labels, I tried to join 2 circuits/breakers into one breaker. The one in yellow is one circuit/breaker only and adding butt splice to make longer wire into the subpanel breaker. 1 and 2 is the bath heater wires directly to the subpanel.
Here is the result:

The above is just a start. It would get messier. I planned to migrate the rest of the circuits/breakers into the subpanel for total whole house GFCI breaker protection.

If I join the wires in the gutter (large junction box below the panel) suggested by Harper. Should I continue to use wire nuts to join 3 circuits/breakers into one breaker (the breaker ampere is the same 30A for all so no problem about overloading any wires).

Or another alternative. I could just cover the wooden cabinet with insulation/thin metal to make the entire cabinet the metal cover? So I'm looking for a thin sheet of material insulator that is fireproof and arc flash proof that you can put over wood (or cover the wood with), any idea what that would be?

I'm looking for a thin sheet of material insulator that is fireproof and arc flash proof that you can put over wood

Mica

  These sheets are chemically inert, dielectric, elastic, flexible, hydrophilic, insulating, lightweight, platy, reflective, refractive, resilient, and range in opacity from transparent to opaque. Mica is stable when exposed to electricity, light, moisture, and extreme temperatures. It has superior electrical properties as an insulator and as a dielectric, and can support an electrostatic field while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat;

But it won't be appropriate for lining a wooden cupboard containing a dangerous main breaker box. Adding bodges over other bodges never turns a bodge into anything sane. The right solution for that is to tear everything out and rebuild that part of the installation to code.


How do I stop a sharkbite brand fitting from spinning? I recently replaced a number of shutoffs with SharkBite brand push on fittings. These seem to work well and hold water. More expensive, but cheaper than relearning to solder for a small job.

The only issue I have is that they spin around. I can find many references to the fact that they spin but I cannot find any remarks as to how to stop them from spinning.

The rotation is a problem with the angle-stops. When the valve knob is turned to open or close the flow the fitting spins so you have to use two hands to turn the valve.

How can I stop a a sharkbite fitting from spinning?

Epoxy.

Really. Epoxy the fitting right to the pipe.


Frugal thick table top ideas I'm trying to build a TV stand which will have a top on it about 80" x 20" x 3/4".  It can be thicker than 3/4" but I'd like it to be at least that.  Assuming I build a supportive frame, what's the cheapest way to get a piece that fits the bill?  I've looked at using plywood and edging as well as biscuit joining planks together, but would like to hear other ideas.

A narrow slab door might fit the bill. 80" is a very common height. Architectural recycling places, such as Habitat For Humanity Restores (if you're in North America) have them for nearly nothing.
If you get a hollow core and it's too wide, be aware that it's a bit fiddly to make it work well.


How should I grout when there's a combination of natural stone and glass tiles? My tile sheets are a mixture of linear slate and glass and I would like to know to grout when there's a combination. The concern is that the grout (unsanded) will stick to the natural stone and ruin its appearance. I have researched the problem and found a number of possibilities, however there is no clear winner.

Cool Earth Linear Slate Glass Tile

Options

Bulk apply sealer to all tiles before applying grout but risk is that it will discolour the glass.
Apply sealer individually to only stone tiles before applying grout. Tedious!
Mask natural stone with tape but risk having it come off during grouting. Risky.
Coat all tiles with soapy water before grouting. Apparently this prevents grout from sticking to natural stone?
Use a piping bag instead of a float in order to grout only the gaps between tiles.
Bulk apply grout without sealing and try to get as much off the stone before it dries.
Bulk apply grout without sealing and deal with consequences.
...?

If my main concern is appearance, and I am willing to put in a reasonable amount of extra work (compared to grouting just 100% glass tiles), how should I proceed?

Clarification from the manufacturer:

"Natural stone should be sealed prior to grouting. A premium penetrating sealer is recommended for a natural look. A stone enhancing sealer can be applied to darken or highlight the features of the stone. The sealer is safe to apply over the entire mosaic with the glass."


What to use to Seal gap between Pipe and Exterior wall I replaced a hose faucet on an exterior wall of my house. In order to do so, we removed the old faucet and had to scrape out some gray goop that was sealing the hole between the wall and the pipe. Now we have the new faucet and pipe and need to know what to put in the gap where the dark gray sealant was. It seemed kind of like caulk.

The wall is made of wood, with a vinyl siding on the outside. I live in a cold climate, the previous pipe had to be replaced because it was leaking, probably due to improper winterizing.

A common material used by wiring companies such as cable television and telephone installers is a duct seal product. Home Depot sells a multitude of this type of item which is a clay-like substance. It's useful for applications which involve repeated access. It's paintable as well, for those who dislike gray.


Garden hose washer installation - which way? If a garden hose washer has little 'ears' or 'tabs', is the washer inserted with them on the bottom or top?

"Bottom" i.e. closer to the item the female hose thread fitting is on, not the side that the male hose thread item will contact. Those are intended to drop behind the hose threads (there is usually a gap) to help retain the washer in the hose fitting.


Would a failing igniter cause my furnace to blow cold air? I noticed tonight my furnace was firing up, but not actually blowing out heat. I turned the thermostat down so it was no longer triggering it, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then turned it back up: it ran fine and started blowing warm air. This lasted for an hour, maybe two, then it happened again.

Is the igniter going bad?

Could be. Could also be the flame sensor not working (if the control system can't tell that the furnace is lit, it will assume it's not and turn the fuel off.) Could be a nozzle clog (since you didn't specify your fuel - that's more of an oil than a gas problem.) Could be an issue with a power vent, or a power vent sensor (again, since no details provided, may or may not apply to your furnace.)

Unless you really know your way around them (and quite often even then) it's often a good idea to have a pro in to deal with fuel heating appliances - they have knowledge of the systems, and esoteric tools that don't make sense for a homeowner to purchase, such as the exhaust gas analyzer that allows adjusting the fuel/air mixture for best efficiency.


which part of shaded-pole motor is electrified? which part of a shaded pole motor is electrified? I plan to bring it to electrical shop to try it on their GFCIs. It can trip 50% of the time during start up or off in Leviton brand of GFCIs (any theory why)? But not other brands of GFCIs.

If you hold the laminated sheet/stator. Would you get electric shock? Would the flux induce electricity in your fingers (can you touch the cooper shading rings)?

A shaded pole motor is driven by the coil (all the copper windings on one side)  the laminated plates make the magenet and the EMF for the rotor to spin, but the rotor has potential, if a gfci is trips on a motor of this type it's a bad GFCI or a leakage of the windings to ground, in my experiance the gfci has problems because shaded pole motors that spin up have not been the problem,


How to replace sink drain stopper The stopper has come out of my bathroom sink drain, and I'd like to put it back in.  (It's been this way for years, and I don't recall how it came out in the first place.)

The stopper has an offset stirrup (is that the right term?), and the drain has a post sticking out of the side of the pipe that doesn't quite reach the opposite side of the pipe.  The post tilts up/down when you manipulate the pull knob on top of the faucet.
If I align the offset stirrup with the gap at the end of the post, then the stirrup slides onto the post.  However this is not a secure connection, and it comes off fairly easily.
It seems like the right way to do it is to rotate the stopper 180 degrees so the stirrup offset is flush with the base of the post, instead of sitting near the the end of the post.
But as far as I can see, there's no way to do that.  If I go underneath the sink, is there a way to retract the post so that the stopper can be inserted in the correct orientation?

You're going to have to get under the sink on this one. Once there reach behind the tailpiece coming out of the drain. There will be a knob attached to the tailpiece that has a lever running through it. Unscrew the knob and the lever which is what you see when you look down the drain will pull out. Simply drop the stopper in the drain and reassemble it running the lever through the hole in the bottom of the stopper stem.
Tighten the knob just enough so that it doesn't leak and when you open the drain the stopper stays up.


Choosing the Right Outlet When Re-running Electric I am in the middle of a basement finishing project and plan on upgrading two 15amp breakers to 20amp and re-running with correct wiring to support 20amp load. Do all my outlets need to be GFCI given that the basement is more than 50% below grade? Or does the bathroom I'm putting in need GFCI only?

Additionally, are tamper resistant plugs mandatory per US residential code? I read somewhere they are but my house doesn't have them?

Thanks!

You'll want to run 12-2 wire to accommodate the 20 amp breakers. And as far as the gfci outlets are concerned. You utilize them anytime your dealing with water, like in bathrooms kitchen sinks, laundry rooms, and exterior receptacles, as well as crawl spaces and basements below grade. You need to check with your local electric company to find out what the critical distance is for receptacle placement. In my area they need to be placed within 4' of sinks, and I can run 4 additinal outlets off the same gfci wiring. However, the nec codes may have changed, since I ran my electric. Your electric company will be able to tell you what you need to know. Just ask them to to let you talk to an inspector, and they'll tell you requirements for your local area. Some codes are locally regulated, while others are Nec controlled. Good Luck!


Power Panel Grounding and Neutral Bonding / Dryer hookup in an older home [1975] In my home I have the old 3 wire Dryer and Range connections.

Looking at my CB service panel; my neutrals (white) and my ground wires (bare copper) connect to the same bus bar.  Main service panel - this seems up to code for all intents and purposes (someone who is more knowledgeable correct me if I am wrong). I know secondary panels they must be separated.

So I have some questions here to enlighten me a bit more:

I have a Dryer and a Range Receptacles with the 3-Wire hookup (H-N-H) and I would like to make them 4 wire compliant (H-N-G-H).

I could run 4 wires back to the panel and connect my neutral and ground to the same location on the panel and of course the two hots to the hot lines.

What is the the difference doing that versus say connecting the ground lead to the neutral at the receptacle ? They end up at the same place.
I know you should not do that; of course I know that people do this at the outlets in some homes to pass an inspection. I have had someone tell me - just connect the wire to a metal pipe .. but that smells bad to me..

While neutrals should not carry current - the possibility is that they can in a failure situation or a bad installation, so just having a separate wire go back to the bus bar and call it a 'ground'; how is that making a difference?

I was reading here What happens if you don't bond neutral and ground in a main service panel?

The answer does not clarify this for me exactly - it states advantages and disadvantages but never specifies exactly advantage / disadvantage of what .. (bonding in the service panel  or not bonding in the service panel)??

  I guess what I am really asking is how does it make it safer to have 2
  wires go back to the same bus bar from the dryer receptacle and Why is
  it not safer to have a true separate ground at the main service panel
  where grounds are  grounds and neutrals are neutrals ?

Neutral does and should carry normal currents

This may be the crux of your misunderstanding.

240V loads are carried on the two hots.  120V loads are carried on one hot and neutral.   So a typical dryer might draw 20A of 240V and 3A of 120V.  In that case the amperages of L1, N and L2 will be 23, 3 and 20.  This is normal.

Ground is a safety shield only

The design philosophy of grounding is that grounds should never be used to handle current.

The circuit's overcurrent protection already protect from a fault between conductors.  But what about faults between a conductor and anything else? That could cause a lot of mischief.  Ground's job is to be the path of first resort for any wayward fault current. That works really well in metal-chassis machines.

"Wait. Won't GFCI do that same thing?" Kinda. Yeah. 30A 2-pole GFCI breakers can be had.

Neutral and ground should be separated everywhere except the designated Neutral-Ground Bond.

In an ideally wired panel, all neutrals land on the neutral bar, and all grounds land on the ground bar.  There is a neutral-ground bond that can be removed.

This panel can be effortlessly converted to a subpanel by feeding it from another main and removing the neutral-ground bond.

It is also easy to measure ground fault current, by clamping a meter around the N-G bond.

However builders also have a lobby with the NFPA, and they lobbied for rules that let them spam it all onto one bar.  It does no real harm, since they're connected anyway by the neutral-ground bond.  It is leeeegal, just is a builder grade shortcut, and obviously prevents any of the things I mention above.

Why not bootleg ground on NEMA 14?

Well, that is what the NEMA 10 type hookup already does, so if that is your intent, there is no need to bootleg NEMA 14... you are already there.

It's back to the same problem as NEMA 10 and any other bootleg ground - any trouble with the neutral wire will result in the neutral being pulled up to 120V by loads, and with it the dryer chassis.

Whereas that does not happen if the neutral and ground are separated. In that case the machine just doesn't work and the ground continues to protect against hot-ground faults.   Since there should be no neutral-ground faults, this becomes a non-event except the machine doesn't work obviously.  The broken machine motivates the person to seek a proper repair.

If there was a neutral-ground fault, the machine may work normally misusing ground as current return.  That is why bad repairmen create neutral-ground faults, to git-r-dun and onto the next job, safety be damned.

You can  retrofit ground

Under NEC 2014 (and earlier for dryers) it is legal to retrofit grounds.  You can run just a ground wire (#10) and retain use of the existing wires. It can go back to that service panel, or to any other ground also served out of that panel, as long it is of sufficient size (#10).

This same rule also makes a dryer ground retrofit useful for retrofitting grounds almost everywhere else, so it can be wise to plan it as a "backbone" for other ground retrofits.


How can I temporarily cover up a bathroom door to a shower room? We are having a local swim meet and we need to temporarily cover the doors to the shower/bathroom on the pool deck to keep parents and others from coming on deck.  The doorway is concrete block structure, with one side of the opening being one concrete block thick and the other side being a flat concrete wall on the inside. I thought of covering with a sheet of plywood, but i think that would require putting in concrete screws and i would rather not put permanent holes in the concrete walls.  Any ideas?

You could try installing two expandable shower rods across the doorway. One should be shoulder high the other knee high. Mount some hooks on to a sheet of plywood. Hang the plywood on the shower rods by the hooks. Or just hang a shower curtain on the rod and place a do not enter sign in front of the entrance. This method may keep you out of trouble with the local fire department as blocking an entrance/exit is generally frowned upon.


Ceiling junction box for splice Can anyone tell me if there are any small junction boxes available out there ? I just want it for the Romex splice in the ceiling , that is it. I don't need that for any fixture.
One I found is 4 inch round, Carlon old work box 18 cu. Inch. Although it will be covered with plate, aesthetically , it looks too big.
Wires are 14/2 NM cable, just need to extend existing wire with another cable. So junction box will have only 2 NM cables inside it. I prefer round but rectangle should work too.  I need old work box.
I am open to suggestions/ideas.

If you have attic access you can use a standard construction box and nail it th a ceiling joist and put a cover on it when done
If you do not have ceiling access a standard single gang old work box is the rectangle device you are looking for. Yes the cover has to be accessible but if you like rectangles better that is the way to go.


Why does my Goodman a/c blower motor randomly not work? My blower motor stops working almost every night! I have no issues during the day. If the motor kicks on it works fine but when the thermostat reaches temperature and shuts the unit off it’s a 50/50 chance if the blower will work in the next cycle after dark. The condenser will kick on but the blower will not so I have to turn the unit off. The next morning I can turn the unit back on and it works fine. It also does this with the heat. It’s a gas unit. I have had the board changed and thermostat wires replaced with no luck. I am out of ideas in this one. My ac guy can’t figure it out either

Motor controller and or run start capacitor (s) are going bad.  That's my first guess.   It works when cold(not used for a while) then once used it gets hot ad does not work.


What kind of professional to call for help with structure-borne noise issues from HVAC We are in a multi-story, multi-unit building that uses packaged through-the-wall HVAC systems in each unit. These units often go under the name of "Magic-Pak" or "Comfort Pack" depending on the manufacturer. What's especially unique about these systems is that they are not free standing, but are instead mounted on hardware that is directly integrated into the wall structure and facade of the building.

Here's an example of what this would look like from the outside. In our case the surrounding structure is more of a steel and glass curtain wall, but the principle is the same:

In some cases these systems produce notable low-frequency structure-borne noise that can be a problem, especially when the noise transfers between units overnight. The problem is not universal though (some systems are very quiet), and when there is a problem it does not seem to be correlated with the individual HVAC system's age. This would imply that there are some inconsistencies in the way the HVAC systems are mounted or in the attenuation/dampening characteristics of the surrounding structure.

There are certainly lots of ways to tackle soundproofing, but I do not think the structure-borne noise component in this residential case has a DIY solution. However, finding the right support is very elusive:

I've contacted numerous HVAC contractors (both commercial and residential) and they all say they don't deal with noise transmission.
I've contacted numerous soundproofing specialists and they all say they don't deal with mechanical HVAC noise.
I've contacted the OEMs for the HVAC systems and the related mounting equipment and they won't discuss anything with anyone other than a licensed HVAC provider.
I've contacted the association and building management and they are not sure if  they have any role in this issue as the maintenance of the HVAC systems are the individual unit owner's responsibility.

I also know that specialized acoustical engineers exist, but have been told they only get involved in big-money commercial projects or extremely high-end luxury residential, so that does not seem like an option either.

What sort of entities should a homeowner reach out to in this situation?

As an engineer having dealt with window and wall mount A/C noise problems for over a half century, I can offer you the most likely cause of the noise transmission and the solution to solve the noise problem. But first, we must understand that most, if not all, resonate noise vibrations in such units are being emitted by the compressor. Yes, the electric motor (60 cycle) driven compressor, transmits shock waves from the piston or scroll device and delivers the waves to the foot mounts at the base of the compressor body (housing) and then into the structure of the entire window or wall mount unit itself. Once one accepts the premise of this conclusion, it will make it easier to resolve the cause of the vibration problem. Resolving vibration issues in almost all cases that I have encountered, starts with relieving the stress of the compressor foot mounts. As you know the mechanical vibrations created by a compressor operation are transmitted directly to the base of the compressor. And while the entire electric motor and compressor are internally suspended with a spring mechanism, sometimes the springs do not absorb enough shock waves, which results in the motor/compressor vibration being transmitted into the frame of the the A/C unit. So with all that said, the solution is... 1- Further loosen the compressor support nuts/bolts that hold the compressor in place. 2- Remove the compressor support nuts/bolts, lift the compressor (an inch or so) and install compressor mount springs to support the compressor externally, (as well as it is supported internally) which will provide the necessary removal of vibration into the A/C housing. At the end of the day, it's all about controlling compressor vibration transmission into the unit housing.


Using solar to heat water I am designing a compact home on a high elevation in Colorado.  There will be a finished basement apartment on a concrete slab and I was thinking of spiraling PVC pipe through the slab to heat it.  Instead of converting solar to electric and incurring transformation loss in the process, I was curious if some of my solar farm cells can be dedicated to directly heat the water in the tank before it is recirculated through the floor pipe as more efficient.  What types of setups/equipment is available?

A common design in my area is a heat exchange tank upstream of a traditional gas or electric water heater. They use ethylene glycol (antifreeze) that circulates by thermosiphon action from a solar panel to the tank. The illustration below shows a more complicated (with pump and controller) version. So, you heat a tank of water with a coil full of antifreeze that is naturally heated and circulated.


Can I add a 'service entrance barrier' to a QOC electrical panel? I have a Square D QOC series main panel (QOC 40MW225). I'd like to add service entrance barriers to this panel - the plastic covers which protect from accidental contact with the connection lugs of the main service entrance cable. I take it that newer panels these days typically come with a barrier, but mine is old enough not to have one.
It seems like the Square D PKSB1HA might be the correct product for this panel, but I'd like to confirm that. e.g., some marketing text for this product says:

Compatible in 100 through 225 amp Homeline & QO S0 series panels
Retrofittable to most existing Square D load centers

Is that the correct barrier or is there an alternative?
Photo of the relevant portion of my panel:

(I didn't do any of that wiring myself - its a full 40 space panel including a number of tandem breakers)

PKSB1HA will definitely not fit a QOC 40MW225 panel, and probably not any QOC series panel.
They have an FAQ which says:

Does Schneider Electric offer repair parts for the Old(25+years) QO
Load centers? (For example old QO--MG200_ _ , QO--MW200_ _ or
QOBW3150-1)
No, the older 25+ years or so QO load centers are all obsolete, with no repair parts available. Consider replacing the complete load center
with a current design

That was discouraging but still a bit vague, since I wasn't looking for "repair parts".  I emailed SD to ask about the barrier specifically and they replied basically just citing the same FAQ. I decided to just try the PKSB1HA and see.
It absolutely does not fit. With the panel open (*) a visual inspection made this clear - the main issue is that the two lugs are much too close together so that the two legs of the barrier overlap considerably. There may be some other dimensions that also would prevent a fit even if that were not the case.
This still leaves open the very slight possibility that some other product could exist, but that seems to be very unlikely.

(*) I had taken precautions with the cover off including wearing 1000V rubber gloves with protective leather outers, and of course having the main breaker off to limit potential 'hot' contact points.


Why isn't the "C" or Common wire working on my Nest thermostat? I Have connected the Blue wire to the C terminal on a 3rd Generation Nest and to the Blue wires on the Transformer....... But the Nest Thermostat does not show the Blue wire connected on the Equipment Detected Page of the Nest Thermostat.

The Problem is the Heater Has Short Cycles when heating. Nest support folks say a C wire is needed.

Help Needed  !!!!!!!

The Nest is colorblind.  It has no idea what color your wires are.  The cutesy little Nest screen will show wire colors, but it's wild-guessing based on commonly used wire colors.  In this example, the W wire might actually be brown, the G could be orange.

The wire colors on the display mean nothing.

There is no official color code for the C wire, since it wasn't traditionally used in thermostats.  You can use any color, as long as that wire isn't being used for something else.

The essential thing is that the C wire connects to the 24V side of the transformer, on the terminal which is not the one the R wire goes to.

Connecting C and R to the same terminal of the transformer would do nothing, and the Nest display would probably show C as not connected.

Whatever the Nest display is indicating about the "Blue" wire is irrelevant.  It doesn't know or care what color you are using for the C wire.  Blue is not an official color for the C wire, actually Blue and B are commonly used to switch a heat pump from heat mode to cool mode.  If you don't have a heat pump and the wire color is unused in your cable, steal it for C.

See also Nest's page.


Why is my garage grounded ONLY when it rains? My garage is not connected to my house and it's on a circuit that contains a few outlets inside the house as well. I found out the first time I tried to charge my PHEV that the entire circuit isn't properly grounded. I had an electrician come look at it, and found some old wiring that he replaced and it worked! Until it didn't... All of a sudden it wasn't grounded anymore.
The electrician came back over and when he went to test it, it was grounded properly?! Turns out this was just after a rainstorm. Now I've found this to be true that every time it rains, the garage circuit is grounded properly and when it's dry, it is un-grounded again.
Now the electrician want to tear up the underground conduit connecting the garage to the house, but I'm not sure why that would fix it? If anything I would think that it would be un-grounded when it rains, or trip the breaker every time it rains?
Also, there are no outside outlets and the underground wiring is the old metal sheathing style that runs through a 1.5" dia pipe into the house. He has already tried pulling the wire through one end with a stringer but apparently it didn't work.

To me it sounds like the conduit was used as the grounding conductor, as allowed by code, and it rusted through, therefore it works when the ground is wet and you have a ground connection through the soil and water.  If this is the case, then an additional electrode at the garage probably won’t help as the pipe is in the ground.
Your electrician wanting to dig it up makes sense to me because when debris get in the pipe, it becomes impossible to pull new wire. With current code, the ground can be run separately, but that would be pushing the code in my opinion but legal. You can run a ground as long as they originate from the same panel.
Earth is a horrible conductor. I see high resistance quite often; this is why I don’t think another rod will help.


How do I handle all the wires for a canless recessed light on 3-way circuit I'm adding canless recessed light fixtures to my man cave. Drywall ceiling with loose fill insulation within the trusses and batts over that. These are the lights with the small wiring box connected to the light itself, which snaps into a hole in the ceiling. The wiring box is very small, and contains hot and neutral pigtails with the fittings to insert supply wiring. My problem is that I want one of the lights on a three way switch circuit from the entry door to the exit door. With two 14/3 wires w/ ground, plus the factory pigtails, I can't imagine getting all those wires and wire nuts inside the little black box.
The black box is simply inserted into the hole for the light and rests on the drywall above. The only way I can come up with is to do the three wire wiring in a covered junction box, with a two wire drop from there to the little black box, then insert the whole assembly into the hole and rest it on the drywall. That goes against what I know about junction boxes (accessible and fastened to a structural member). Is there a standard way this is done?

Don't even try to run the 3-way switch leg through all the lamp boxes.
Bring power into the "main" or more accessible entrance - the one where you would want to put a smart switch.  Then, have a separate /3 cable that bypasses the lamps entirely and goes straight over to the other 3-way switch.
I have no idea why some sites recommend running the travelers through every intermediate light box... but this is very foolish for 2 reasons: #1 box fill, and #2 you would need /4 or /5 cable and they usually recommend using 2 cables instead, and that's a code violation.  (heck you're using 2 cables anyway, why not just have one bypass the lamps altogether?)
Then, from that switch, you send "switched-hot" and "neutral" onward to the lamps, and daisy-chain the lamps in the normal way.
Mark your wires correctly
I recommend sending always-hot to the far switch -- if you do that, you MUST use white for always-hot, and you  MUST re-mark both ends with black tape -- that's Code.  I recommend marking the other 2 wires with yellow tape to designate them as travelers -- that's not Code, but it will make things vastly easier to hook up and troubleshoot later.  (yellow = brass screws on the switches - get it? :)
If you're wiring it with travelers and switched-hot going to the far switch, you are not allowed to use white for switched-hot - Code again.  Use red for switched-hot.  Since you're using white as a non-neutral, you MUST mark it with a hot color - since you have to anyway, I recommend again yellow tape on both travelers.


How do you insulate your pipes to protect against freezing? So, my pipes froze in my house today, and it made me realize that I should better insulate them for the rare days that it gets in the teens here... What should I do to insulate them?

Something like this foam pipe insulation should do the job:

Source - UK site, but you should be able to source this in the States.

It's split down the length so you can wrap it round existing pipes. It's flexible and easily cut so you can do corners and bends too. You might need to tape it a regular intervals to keep the insulation in place if there's not a lot of room between the pipes and any walls/beams.


Can I leave Roxul Safe'n'Sound insulation exposed in a furnace room? Hopefully someone has experience with this insulation.

We are finishing off our basement.  We have one long interior wall that will separate a family room from a furnace/storage room.  The family room side of the wall will be finished with sheetrock, the furnace room side will be left unfinished.  We would like to add some soundproofing in the wall and we were thinking of the Roxul product.

My question is how well do you think the material would hold up on the unfaced furnace room side?  Would it hold up to abuse from getting occasionally bumped by stuff being moved around in the room or boxes pushed against the wall.  I have never used the Roxul product, but it looks like it might "crumble apart" over time?

I don't want to sheetrock that side of the wall and don't really want to mess with plastic sheeting.  If it looks like it would be too fragile to leave exposed I would probably put pegboard over it?

Any input is appreciated, thanks!

Exposed Roxul Safe and Sound emits a significant amount of airborne particulate.  That is exacerbated by anything that disturbs the surface of the Roxul.  If the Roxul is exposed to air that finds its way into living space I recommend finding some way to cover it up.


LED lamp turns off when turned on I just bought a new LED lamp and, when I turn it on, it slowly turns off in a few seconds. Why does it so that? Is there a way to fix it?

The lamp is defective so return it for a replacement.

If you search on Google for "mainstay LED desk lamp" you will quickly see that this is a relatively inexpensive light and so trying to repair it is next to impractical. A light like this that directly connects to the AC mains:

...will have an electronic circuit board inside that converts the line voltage to the low voltage for the operation of the LED(s). That circuit appears to be bad and I can tell you that they are often really low quality so a faulty one is not surprising.


There is any simple way to forming handmade paper pulp? I want to know how can I make a form for forming handmade paper pulp for something like paper egg container. There is possible to make small hand press from for example wood/steel and pressing that pulp only by hand without special machines. Im thinking about something like that but the other shape not flat, maybe something like diamond shape. There is possible making something like paper egg container from only handmade paper pulp?

My recommendation would be to make a mold. Materials:

Egg container

Plaster of Paris

Vaseline

Small box that allows a couple of inches of space on all sides
Take a egg container, Vaseline the outside lightly of the egg container, use mixed cement or plaster of Paris (my preferred material), pour half of the plaster in the box, press the egg carton into the plaster and let dry (you might need to weight the egg container so it doesn’t float out of the plaster). Now, you have the bottom half of your mold, Vaseline the inside of the egg carton lightly and the top of the plaster, pour the plaster into the box making sure to have a couple of inches of thickness, and let dry.

You now have your molds. Make your paper pulp (drier is better) pour in the mold and clamp the other mold into it gently and let it dry (probably a day or two until you can separate them.


How can I use an off-peak controller with my 240v air conditioner? My unit's window mount A/C unit is pictured.  I am looking for a converter of some sort so I can use a utility supplied shutoff device.

The Unit itself does not have a temperature control or setting. Just on/off, high/low. The electric company provides the wifi plugs as a way to help control energy costs that connect to the AC unit, and I can control the temperature on my phone via wifi vs it just running all day long.

I cannot afford to run my AC all day, but have a pet and cannot leave it off all day. I am looking to attach one of those plugs that my electric company has to shut on and off when it reaches a certain temperature in the house.  However, I don't know what this is and how to convert?

Here's a work-around.

Use the 110v smart switch to turn a normal phone USB charger on/off.
Get a USB heating pad for < $2, or if handy w/ solder, a 500 ohm usb-powered resistor.
now you can make a small space slightly warm (or not warm) via wifi
wrap the heater around the thermostat temp probe behind the air filter on the AC. You might have to remove the plastic faceplate, but you don't have to heavily mod the AC.
Set AC to 90F, or whatever a max temp in the room should be if wifi conks out.
To cool the room, turn on the wifi socket, which turns on the usb, which heats the thermostat.
To stop cooling the room, turn off outlet/usb, which allows the termostat to reach room temp in about 30 seconds, turning off the AC, since it's cooler than 90F.

Advantages: cheap, simple, electrically isolated from mains, no permement AC mod needed
Disadvantages: slightly rube goldberg, small lag on on/off, short manual setup routine

Of course, you also need a way to get the temp to the smarts that turns the wifi switch on and off, but that's a different question. you can use node-red to setup a simple control loop based on temps and/or state over-rides, for when you're home on the weekend or whatever.

EDIT: based on comment
If the AC has no thermostat, and you're used to plugging it and unplugging it to control it, you can adapt the above using a 5v 15A relay module instead of a heater to switch the A.C. to the AC on and off. You would power the relay with the USB charger that's being wifi controlled, and connect the relay switch terminals to a splice in the line. If you don't want to splice your landlord's cord (understandable), but an outlet ($5) and pigtail ($15) that fits the cord and splice that miniature "extension cable".


Installing a replacement window in new construction scenario I am replacing a wood window that was build in the early 1900's.  The original installation was really odd, it was mounted in place by the trim boards.  Two nails on the outside of the trim into a stud and two nails into the wood window frame were all that held it in place.  I ordered a replacement window but before I install it I need to cover and seal the 2x4's that are in place, right?  I am thinking I need to put some flashing over the studs and then put some 1x6 around the perimeter of the window, then install from there.  Am I on the right path with this?  I am fairly handy but this was my first window replacement so the installation curve ball is throwing me off.

I found the link below about a guy that has done this before but it seemed a bit confusing.

https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/making-replacement-windows-into-new-construction-windows.152909/

I wish this board would let me say this, but a mod deleted one of my posts recently for being too short. However, here's the answer -

Yes

Flash the framing with some wide flashing tape, and build you a frame FOR THE NEW WINDOW, not the frame where it's going. That make it easier to install the replacement window to your liking. Just shim your new frame square (plumb/level it if possible, but not necessary), and install the new window with the screws provided.

If this is your first, make sure to tighten the mid-frame shim knobs, or shim the middle of the replacement window to where the sashes run snug.


What is the cost of one percent efficiency on an oil heater? We've now had about 7 contractors come to our house and give us estimates for replacing a) our oil heater (system from the early 1980's, estimated at around 65% effeciency), and b) our central air unit (system from the late 1980's, but no heat pump). There is no option for gas here.

The contractor we liked the most offered a price of around 7800 for the new furnace at 87.2% effeciency. However our current oil company offered us a price of about 4800 for a new furnace at 86.1% effeciency.

With the heat pump the oil should only really kick on 3-4 months out of the year (we live in PA, and based on temperature averages for the past 50 years that's what it comes out to, assuming the pump keeps us warm in our 1100 sqfoot house to about 30 degrees). So, assuming a 30 year lifespan of the heater, do you think the extra 1.1% effeciency would pay for the 3000$ difference between the two contractors? Which system would you choose?

I have no idea how to approach the math on this one.

Try this on for size:

Annual Oil Bill * Efficiency = Cost of Oil actually used for heating. (The rest is waste).

So on an annual bill of $1000, you are currently paying $650 for heat, and $350 out the chimney. (i.e. $650 is as low as you can go with a 100% furnace)

So, if you were to replace that with an 87.2% furnace, your annual cost would be $650/87.1% = $747, and there is about $100 waste. (Note! this is a savings of $250 per $1000 of Oil)

On the 86.1%, that's $650/86.1% = $755 for a difference of $8 per thousand of oil currently used.   At that rate, the new furnace would take 375 * (time in which you use $1000 of oil) to pay off the difference.

This analysis is based purely on BTUs produced at the burner.

Now, there are other factors, such as air flow and distribution which may significantly affect your oil use, and the bigger furnace may be more efficient in other ways.


Are lightbulbs in a wooden range hood safe? I'm building a wooden range hood and I'd like to know if my lighting setup is safe.  I have two recessed fixtures with 5 watt LED bulbs.  I know that LED bulbs don't really get too hot, but is it a bad idea to make the hood as I did?  Should I use some sort of heat shield?  The bulb is about 1/2" away from the wood, which is 1/4" plywood. Also, is it a bad idea to have bare wires lying on the wood?  Pics are below.

You need a heat shield if your fixture is capable of taking an incandescent bulb.

It is an immutable law of nature that if your fixture has an Edison or halogen socket that an old style light bulb could possibly screw into, someone will try that.

If you want to engineer that concept out of it, then look at IKEA or other LED lighting, particularly low voltage lighting, which is socketless and cannot possibly be accidentally swapped for an incandescent. Given the unbelievable versatility allowed in LED lighting, there's no reason to stay with rather sad omnidirectional "acts like an incandescent" screw-in replacements. LED light is the first kind of light that is not omnidirectional, it's conic, and that's awesome because most applications actually want a cone of light, not a sphere.  You might as well make the most of that feature - for even more efficiency and cool running.

Speaking of cool running, watch your temperatures. LEDs do not like being hot.


Why does one Mysa smart thermostat override the others? I installed a Mysa smart thermostat in our master bedroom to control our baseboard heater. There are three other analog thermostats on the same floor (bedroom, office, bathroom). Today we noticed that, even when the analog units were cranked, there is no heat. I flipped and reset the breakers just to check if that was the culprit. No dice. Still cold.
So I increased the temp on the Mysa in the master bedroom, and now all three rooms with cold baseboards and analog thermostats are hot. How is this possible?

You're somehow bypassing the other thermostats and have their load wires tapped into your new thermostat. Verify your wiring. Return it to its original state and investigate further.
..


220 to 110 in subpanel with no neutral My house is 150' long.
The main breaker box (pic 1) is at one end of the house and 2 Eaton Pullout Switches at the other end.
The pullout switches power 2 A/C evap coils (pic 3-6).
The pullout switches are fed from 40amp breakers at the main (pic 2).
I replaced 1 of the pullout switches with an Eaton BR48L box which has a 220 breaker for the ac and a 220 breaker for a well pump (pic 7).
I have a shed 105' away from these breakers.  I wan to run an extension cord down there for some lights and light drill and bandsaw work BEFORE I get my main service put in to feed the shed.
I purchased 250' 10/2 UF-B wire to create a long extension cord.
My plan was to remove the well breaker and put in a 110 20 amp breaker for this new run but there is no neutral bar.
How can I get a 110 outlet, or breaker to wire the 10/2 wire to?

In that pico-panel, you have a major defect. You have the breakers incorrectly swapped.  You have a 40A breaker on the thin wire and a 20A breaker on the thick wire.  The thin wire is totally unprotected.  Swap those breakers!
You are correct.  Without a neutral, that pico-panel cannot support any 120V loads end of subject.
You cannot use UF-B as extension cord and I cannot imagine what you were thinking there.   Being solid wire, it is not flexible like a cord must be.  It is not designed to be flexed over and over.  You need cordage such as SJOOW.
If one 10/2 UF-B is run in conduit the conduit must be 3/4" or larger.  Nothing else can be in the conduit.
Honestly, I think your best bet is to run the proper and final feeder that you ultimately want from your main panel to the shed.  I advise against having the power company drop you another service, because the power company has a new trick: they are charging people a "minimum provisioning charge" which, if you cancel service, becomes a "service availability fee".  That is, they charge you for the fact that you could have a service drop if you wanted it. I now have 2 sites with 2 PoCo service drops each, and they charge us $60 a month per drop no kidding.  They won't let us out of either one.  So needless to say, if I have to haul power 1000' I'll feed off my existing service rather than order a new one.
Service size has no bearing on it; one is 240V/100A and another is 480V/1000A. Same $60.


Which professional should I call for leak coming down the furnace exhaust flue? During heavy downpours, especially ones when windy, water would begin to trickle and drip from the outside surface of the exhaust flue in the basement. Not sure how long this has been going on since the house was just purchased recently. Should I call an HVAC or a roofing pro to take a look? Initial Googling suggests a bad rain cap, but I'd prefer someone with the correct experience to make sure it's nothing else. Also, would the white coating be an indication that this has happened before? The home inspector never mentioned anything.

This is a common problem in windy areas with rain. In many cases the leak is rain getting inside the pipe and running down. Based on your photo I would say this has been happening for a long time.
I would want to call a general contractor that also does roofing because the roofing only guys may not be the best at repairing the interior damage. The cleanout looks like it is rusting through.  Water has probably been sitting in there a long time.


Does water run through a kitchen faucet sprayer when the faucet is off? I was attempting to replace my faucet sprayer and hose today and discovered that the hose I bought was not compatible with the faucet.  I bought a hose that screws on, the one on the faucet has some sort of connector and a plastic latch and wire holding it together...

So, I have managed to reconnect the old hose and just let the broken sprayer sit for the time being.  I'm concerned with how securely I have the sprayer hose on at the moment. My question is - If the water faucet is off and the valves on and the sprayer hose manages to become detached from the underside of the faucet, will there be a torrential outpouring of water, or is the water technically not running through the hose until the faucet itself is turned on?

There is no water pressure to the sprayer unless the faucet itself is turned on.  You can verify this by simply depressing the handle on the sprayer while the faucet it off.


Properly venting water heater My water heater vent runs to the basement wall. Right underneath (maybe 6 inches) is an opening (I’m not sure if that runs to where the vent goes out or not). Attaching a picture. Is there any reason the opening is there and shouldn’t be covered, or should I go get something to cover that with?  Since hot air rises probably not an issue, but I guess if wind gets in it could blow in?

Thanks for any insight.

Maybe I am not looking at the photo correctly but some times make up air is required, this can be for combustion or fresh air to keep the home liveable, more info would be needed in my opinion , if you close off air flow that supports combustion of a furnace it can cause furnace failures and high carbonmonoxide levels in the home.


how to attach wood shutters I have made board and batten shutters for the windows of my Vermont house. They are decorative, not functional. I need to know how to attach them to the house which has old siding made of wood covered with some sort of plastic/vinyl (1980s variety). What should I use to attach them?

use screws then putty and stain the screw holes. i would predrill the screw holes. thats the way new construction is done


What's the deal with this ground wire? I recently purchased a home that was built in 1963 and have started changing out a few light fixtures. I have come across a wiring method I have never seen before where the ground wires are attached to one another outside of the box. This seems off to me; was this ever standard procedure? I have been able to pull them back into the box, and connect them with the new fixtures ground wires to the grounding screw on the mounting bracket that came with it. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Having the ground wires pulled outside the electrical box like that is one of the biggest kludge jobs I have seen in a long time. This certainly is not the way it is supposed to be done.

You did the correct thing pulling the grounds inside the box. In the box you connect them together and then pigtail that connection the that screw in the back of the box.


Replace wire terminal connector to heating element I have GE Range JB640SR3SS and one of the element wire connector got burnt out:

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/jb640sr3ss/0432/0124111.html

I cut it and here are the photos front and back

I have two options: either replace entire wire with the end connector terminal or find the terminal only and crimp it myself. I seem NOT be able to find the terminal myself.

This is the closet I can find but they don't seem to look right

https://www.appliancepartspros.com/pro-high-temp-non-tjma02875-1-ap5642027.html

https://www.delcity.net/store/High-Temperature-Push-On-Terminals/p_802002.h_187294.r_IF1003?mkwid=s&crid=38094426869&mp_kw=&mp_mt=&gclid=CjwKCAiA767jBRBqEiwAGdAOr-hFcdVj0i9nhaiTwITPwX6DHKmzIp6biwXeEMld-1XgoWL019dWeRoCDl4QAvD_BwE

I called several local appliance repair shops and they said GE doesn't list the wiring assembly.

Any idea how I can repair this? Beside buying a new range.

Thanks.

The ones from AppliancePros are what you need, except that you may need a larger gauge size (wire side) if you want to gang the two wires together. On the other side (terminal side) it's hard to tell if it 1/4 inch from the photo but they are the most common. More importantly you should investigate why it burnt in the first place. If it's an older stove I wouldn't be too concerned because that happens over time due to corrosion on the terminals, heat speeds up oxidation, oxidation causes resistance, resistance causes heat. Just clean up the male side with a bit of sandpaper and reconnect. If it a newer stove and corrosion isn't evident I'd recommend having an appliance technician check it out. I
I know your crimper is a little different but the idea is the same. You strip back a little bit of insulation and insert it into the terminal and crimp tight. You shouldn't be able to pull it out once done.


Which way do you run hardwood flooring to make the room look bigger? Our living room is 15 wide by 16 long, which way should we run the hardwood to make the room look bigger?  I don't know if the colors matter but just in case it does,  the walls are a beige color and the hardwood is a chocolate brown color.

Rule of thumb is that hardwood is installed parallel to the longest wall to create the largest feel.  Since your room is almost square, I would be tempted to install it parallel to the door or entry. The other consideration is how much subflooring is under the new floor and what kind of floor you are installing. If you are going to install 3/4" nail down over a single 3/4" subfloor, I would run it perpendicular to the floor joists and be sure to nail into the joists. If you are  using a staple down, glue down or click lock, the choice is more arbitrary. Yet another factor is the subfloor thickness and clearance to doors and adjoining floors. If you are using a thinner flooring, You should have the basic 3/4" sheathing with at least 3/8" subfloor installed over the 3/4". Paper between all wood layers to prevent squeaking.


Can I wire a 3-4-3 way switch circuit with power to switch and lights at the beginning and end of the run? I made the mistake of not wiring all 3 lights together, only two above the stairwell going to the basement and then a separate light in the basement.  I'm hoping there is an easy wiring path to allow me to add the basement light at the end of run.

If I understand you correctly you want to have 3 switches control several lights which land separately at the start and end of the switch run.
You can do that by using a 14/4 (if on 15A breaker, 12/4 if on 20A) to carry the neutral, travelers forward and switched live back.
That way you have a switched live at every location.
The other option is to split the light cluster and control them separately, but I'd need more detail to suggest a plan to do so.


Mount Keyboard Tray To Linnmon (Particle Board) desktop? I got the 59" x 30" linnmon black/brown top for my new computer desk (apparently it's made of particleboard and filled with paper). I also bought one of those fancy ergonomic metal arm keyboard trays (humanscale 6G).

Well, the keyboard tray arm thing weighs about 20lbs, and I'm pretty sure if I attempt to screw it into the linnmon, even with mounting tape for extra support, it will fall out.

I'm not really handy and am wondering what I should do here? Would it be a good idea to buy a 1-4"-3/4" piece of relatively hard wood, wood glue/epoxy it to the table, and then screw the tray into that instead? Is there glue out there strong enough to hold wood to a particleboard desk to support upwards of 10-20lbs?

Here is the actual specs on how to mount the tray so you can see what it looks like: https://www.humanscale.com/userfiles/file/Keyboard_instructions_011216.pdf

The screws may or may not hold in pressboard.  It depends a lot on the density of the pressboard and the screws.  There are screws that are designed for pressboard, (Typically a more course thread, but they certainly don't guarantee success.  I think noybman had a good comment that you should test the material in an inconspicuous spot.

The problem with epoxying wood to the pressboard is that the outer layer of the pressboard is usually some type of laminate that is glued to the pressboard and is designed to provide the aesthetic appearance only and not designed to hold any weight.  To put it another way, imagine placing a piece of packing tape onto a piece of wood and then epoxying a weight to the tape - you are relying on the tape.

You may be able to use a number of screws to attach a piece of plywood to the bottom of the desk.  I would suggest using a piece of plywood that is 3-4 times larger than the mounting surface of the keyboard slide to distribute the weight.  You could reinforce it with epoxy but that would be just extra reinforcement, the screws should be doing the work.

The best way to support the tray is to use bugle head bolts drilled through the desk top.  They would need to be countersunk to be flush on the surface of the desk.  This may be the strongest way, but it is the ugliest and I probably wouldn't do it if it were my desk.


Can stained MDF be restored? I embarked on an ambitious project to restore a piece of furniture by stripping it, sanding it back, re-staining, and re-varnishing.

The stripping and sanding part has turned into an absolute nightmare. The stain just isn't coming out. Even after hours of work on a single small piece of the furniture, I still cannot remove the stain even near completely.

I just found out that it's largely MDF, not pine like I had thought. Is this why it's so hard to get the stain out? It seems to have penetrated very deeply and isn't sanding away easily at all.

MDF "restored"? This is not a term I see used in reference to MDF. Visible surfaces of MDF are always covered with some sort of solid material--plastic, formica, etc. I don't think paint or stain would make an acceptable finish.

You might consider gluing on thin plywood (1/8") with a fine layer on one side.


Replaced tile grout-soaking up moisture and comes out on my hand I replaced the grout in my shower tiles the other day. I removed a good layer of the old grout and applied new grout on top. All looked fantastic for 48 hours until I used the shower. Now the grout has soaked up loads of moisture and is very wet to touch. If I run my finger along a grout line it comes off on my finger as if it's just been freshly applied. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong??

The grout has not cured.  A couple of possible reasons are that perhaps it was old and deteriorated or it was improperly mixed.
Either way, at this point it's unlikely to cure properly.  I'd pull it out and re-do the grout making sure to use fresh material that is mixed properly.  Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for curing time and conditions.


Using two light switches to control a single outlet location Can you take a single outlet and have light switch A switch the top receptacle and light switch B switch the bottom receptacle? I am in the U.S.

Yes.

Assuming power enters at the switch box.  You'll have to run a 3-wire with ground cable between the switch box, and the receptacle.  You'll also have to break the little bonding tab, on the "hot" side of the receptacle.

At the switch box:

Connect the feeder white wire, to the white wire going to the receptacle.
Using pigtails, connect the feeder black wire, to a terminal on each switch.
Using pigtails, connect the feeder ground to the receptacle ground wire, and each switch.
Connect the black wire that goes to the receptacle, to one of the switches.
Connect the red wire that goes to the receptacle, to the other switch.

At the receptacle.

Connect the white wire to one of the silver colored terminals on the receptacle.
Connect the ground wire to the green terminal on the receptacle, and the box if it's metal.
Connect the black wire to one brass colored terminal on the receptacle.
Break the tab between the brass terminals.
Connect the red wire to the other brass colored terminal on the receptacle.

Here's a diagram showing the wiring when the power is at the switches, and when the power is at the receptacle.

Yellow blobs represent wires in cable/conduit.


What could cause a wall mounted sink to fail? I went to the restroom before I was gonna eat at the restaurant after using the restroom I flushed and attended to the sink to wash my hands as I put just the pressure of my elbows on the sink to scoop a splash of water on my face the sink came off the wall hitting my knees pretty hard and my body shot backwards to the floor causing me to hit my head w
hard on the tile floor not a good day! I tell ya so my question is what could cause a sink mount to fail (you can see the mount on the floor in pics)im only 130 pounds so I'm not a big guy.! Can anyone see anything wrong with these pictures at all????

You can see the angled mounting bracket hanging down under the sink. The bracket is what holds the sink firmly on the wall, the lower holes  in the sink are for keeping the bottom of the sink from being pulled away and up from the wall once it is lowered down onto the bracket. The top holes have nothing to do with the mounting of the sink.

The bracket failed, probably because it was not screwed into structure ( studs ).

We can not see inside the wall to say exactly why the screws pulled out.

The bracket must be attached to studs or usually to a block that is run between the studs.

The bracket is essentially a french cleat, the back of the sink is cast so that is slips down onto the bracket. The bottom holes in the sink are just to secure the sink and keep it from being lifted up and off the bracket. Adhesive or caulk have nothing to do with keeping the sink on the wall. If some thought that was the case they were mistaken.

The bracket holds the weight of the sink.


Grounding subpanel to box - 'tap threads' I've installed a subpanel and need to ground the grounding bar to the actual panel box.  I was instructed to run a #6 jumper to a hole on the box, attach with a screw, making sure to 'tap threads'.  Unfamiliar with the term 'tap threads', what do I need to know?

"tap threads", likely means to use a tap to make threads in the hole.


Partial support of a beam I want to attach a 2x12 beam to a treehouse attachment bolt bracket, and I want to double up the beam, as shown (the view is from underneath). The bracket is 2" wide, and apparently designed to accommodate a doubled beam – the bolt holes are offset toward one side, to go into one board only.

I'm also considering adding 1/4" plywood spacers between the boards for drainage (as shown), which would push the outside board even further from the bracket support –  essentially cantilevering most of the outside board out from the bracket.

I'd been assuming I'd attach the beams through the plywood with bolts plus construction adhesive, but I'm open to other suggestions given the rest of the situation. Assuming the two halves of the beam are securely attached, will load from the outside board still transfer properly through the attachments if only 1/4" is supported? If not, what's the best way to make sure it does?

More information: I don't have a final plan for the treehouse, but the beam will cover a 12' span, and will be one of two identical beams on either sides of a tree, supporting joists in a 10'x10' treehouse platform between three trees. Knee braces will be involved. The treehouse will probably be single-story, made of wood, shaped approximately like a cube, and won't be bigger than the platform. I assume it will weigh about as much as a wooden shed, so somewhere between half a ton and a ton and a half. It will occasionally have live loads of as many as four kid-sized humans, with varying weights and wind profiles.

More Information II: the number and sizes of the children will vary. I'm assuming standard gaussian distribution of child weights and heights, per CDC Growth Charts for the United States, Methods and Development Series Report 11, Number 246. 201 pp. (PHS) 2001-1696[1], with a target rating of .04 children per square foot, per designation RA4V (100 sqft Conference Room) of the State of New Mexico Space Standards section 2.5[2]. Surface areas and wind profiles of children assume a cylindrical child.

Edit: I've also contacted the bracket manufacturer, who assures me that the diagram below will be fine. I'd like a second opinion.

Final Edit: It was difficult to choose which answer to select as they were all so similar, but I'm convinced that such a small bearing surface isn't ideal, so I selected the first one to say "don't do it." Ultimately I decided on a different configuration which will allow centering the beam on the bracket.

When your goal is to prevent rot, the best thing is to put those beams tightly together and then seal it all up with construction adhesive, or put a flashing on top of the beam to prevent water getting between the boards.

Having a space between the boards will allow tree debris to accumulate in there, and you basically have two separate beams (since they cannot as easily 'share' a load or transfer forces between them).


Is this a bad tile job? We're nearing the end of our remodel and we're not happy with the backsplash. We apparently chose a hard tile to work with as there are a lot of little pieces (but sheeted 12x12). Knowing we chose a tough tile, I'm okay that many areas don't have consistent grout lines, I'm even ok with a little lippage. But the showcase area, underneath our hood, looks bad.
The GC has redone part of it a few times but they're saying that the lippage is due to uneven studs. I've done some research and it seems like it might be the thinset was laid on too thick and is shrinking in some places. Is this a normal recent with small sheeted tiles? Can it be fixed?

Your instinct is correct:  this is a terrible job.  As Mongo says, have them redo it.  Also, you will never be able to keep it clean with the super deep and rough grout lines.
Im curious if this is similar quality to the rest of the job, or limited to the backsplash area?  Those tiny tile are hard to use, unless the pattern is attached to webbing first. (This looks like a custom pattern)


Dry out some wet dirt in crawl space We had a leak in a bathroom.  Some of the water got under the house.  Soaked up roughly 5 gallons of water from on top of the plastic sheeting as well as under it.  Now we have wet dirt, moist plastic sheeting and a little bit of moist insulation (not much of that).

Will it dry on its own or should I get a dehumidifier?  How long would I have to run the dehumidifier for?

For the crawl space I would not get a humidifier for this it will dry on its own. I would put a fan in the area to circulate the air and decrease the drying time if you have a fan but I would not purchase anything special to dry out the crawl space it will dry on its own.


Should windows be sealed from the outside before the capping is done? If a regular vinyl window is replaced, and the foam is applied from the inside around the window, should it be also sealed / caulked from the outside before the capping is done?

Yes.

You should silicone the flange top and sides (not the bottom), and use flashing as wide as practical for the top and sides as well.


How can I figure out why my washing machine is tripping the GFCI receptacle? I have a Kenmore 80 Series (Model No. 110.24872300) washing machine which up to this point has been working fine. Since it is near a sink, the outlet it is plugged into is a GFCI outlet. On the last load I came back after letting it run for some time to find that it had tripped the GFCI in the middle of the wash cycle - the washer was still full of soapy water. I reset the outlet and let it run again, only to come down the next morning and find it full of water still (it had tripped during the rinse cycle this time). I reset the outlet again and this time it finished the rest of the cycle.

My guess is that water is somehow getting onto the internal components of the washer and causing it to short - is there any way I can test this theory or fix the problem myself?

(Summarizing the comments above)

To narrow this problem down, there are three places that could be causing the GFCI to trip, a malfunction in the washing machine, a problem with the downstream wiring (aka load side of the GFCI), or the GFCI outlet itself. If there isn't anything downstream, then plugging the washing machine into another GFCI outlet, or simply swapping out the outlet for a known good GFCI outlet, will identify if the outlet itself is faulty.

If the outlet trips when the washing machine isn't running and isn't even plugged in, then there's a fault in the wiring on the load side of the GFCI outlet.

If the issue is neither of the above, then running the washing machine and monitoring to see which step is occurring when the trip happens will isolate what part of the washing machine may be leaking current to a ground. It could be a certain water level, a motor being engaged, a transition step in the controller, etc.


Are fence posts sturdy enough to support an addition of a wooden cover? Trying to figure out how bad of an idea is adding a ~3-4’x6-7’ pergola type ”roof” supported by pressure treated fence posts.

How to understand if it will hold or not? It's in the US PNW, so no severe weather, but strong winds are not uncommon a couple of times a year and, obviously, rain.

Vernacular architecture - what's the worst that could happen?

Build it and see if it fails.

If it fails, build it again stronger. Seems unlikley to kill anybody or ruin your house if failure happens.

Vernacularly sturdier - don't cantilever it, add two more posts on the open side. Or let it fail, if it's going to, then do that when rebuilding.


What is the purpose of this tile joint? Noticed this in a public restroom today.  Never seen anything like this in tile before.  Is this just a flex joint?  Or is it a patch job?

It is a change in floor plans to 'kick up' the corner and keep water from sitting there.


What voltage/amperage garage circuits should I install for welding tools and an air compressor? As a part of renovating my garage this fall, much of the wiring is being re-done.  Since doing the work before putting up walls will be much easier now than adding circuits in the future, I'd like to run two circuits for future "big" tools.

The first is a welder- I'm very interested in learning how to weld, and will likely buy a welder in the next 1-2 years.  I have heard that most of the quality welders are 220-230 volt devices, and use anywhere from 30-60 amps.  If you were renovating a garage, and wanted to put in a circuit for a future welder, what amperage branch circuit would you run?

Second- in the next few months I'll be investing in a good air compressor.  Currently I have a little 1-gallon pancake style compressor.  In the garage, I'd ideally like something that could drive a set of pneumatic tools, be used to inflate tires, etc.  I know compressors come in size from tiny, to ginormous.  What size compressor (and corresponding branch circuit) would you recommend planning for?

I'm sure this question is moot for the original writer but for anyone else with a similar interest, the important point is that the garage is going to be used as a shop and the electrical infrastructure should be flexible to accomodate future needs. Thus I would recommend you install a 100 AMP sub-panel (220V of course) and surface mount it so that you can run new romex to new surface mount receptacles as needed. Go ahead and install the receptacles you know you need now. When/if you want to rearrange your shop or get new heavy machinery, it will be easier to wire them up.


What is the best way to install speakers to interior/exterior of house? I want to install 4 interior speakers and one exterior speaker, as shown on the diagram below. (S indicates speaker, S (?) indicates 2 possible locations). There is dry wall between the rooms and access to the attic, but not under the floor due to fitted carpet. I want to do this while making the least possible mess/holes in walls etc. as it has just been newly decorated.

Any tips on the best way to route the wires etc? All wires would need to come out in the same room as speaker 3 where they'll be plugged into the sound system. I think the outside one could be the most challenging as it would require a very long ladder or leaning out the window (which opens to the right in that room. I haven't really done anything like this before. For the interior speakers I'm debating between in cabinets mounted on the wall or circular ones set into the ceiling. At the moment I'm leaning towards cabinets.

Any advice at all on the best way to go about this?

Your interior speakers are the easiest. Unless you already have cabinets, ceiling mounted speakers will provide good ambiance while being the least visually obtrusive; you can get ceiling mounted speakers with equivalent power and frequency response to a set of cabinets. If you choose to do wall mounts or cabinets, you'll need fish tape or a fish rod in order to run the wire through the wall. Here is a fairly decent video explaining how to fish wire through a wall. I recommend you install a wall plate with a terminal where you can connect your speakers. If you're a true audiophile, there is no substitute for a properly aimed set of high quality cabinets.

For the exterior speakers, ceiling mounts are (obviously) not an option. Fishing through an exterior wall is complicated by insulation as well as code requirements regarding weather proofing. You'd follow essentially the same process for an exterior wall as for an interior wall, but your holes need to be smaller and sealed. Fishing wire through fiberglass insulation is a bear, so be patient. There are gaskets and grommets that you can use along with silicone caulk to seal the hole on the exterior wall. Since you won't have any flexibility for pulling extra wire through once you've sealed the hole, I recommend mounting a terminal inside a weather proof low voltage junction box. You can then run any length of speaker wire from there to wherever you mount your speakers. If you mount the junction box high on the wall, it will make fishing your wire through an insulated wall easier, but reconnecting speakers more difficult.

In both cases, you can and should run your wire through the attic. To avoid interference from electrical wires, make sure that your speaker wire never runs parallel to an electrical cable. There are also cable organizers (raceways) for running your wires that shield your speaker wires from interference and keep your attic from looking like a mess.


City water connection - can they make a connection at a hose bib? I'm converting from well system to city water. My well pump and water inlet are in the back. I have a hose bib on the front of the house which would save money using less pipe/digging. So couldn't they just make connection at the hose bib? Or, is it typical to make connection at the current house water inlet location, which would be by the pump in this case all the way in the back? My basic understanding is that they could technically tap in anywhere in the cold water line and it will pressurize the whole house, both hot and cold. Is that accurate or am I missing something? I would like to know before giving instructions to the city utility crew.

I doubt seriously that the city crew would connect your water supply to a hose bib no matter what you told them. It is just too far outside of the norm.  For one thing, If you live in a climate that experiences sub-freezing temperatures in the winter your pipes would freeze and burst.  Virtually no one does it this way.  you want a good deep ditch between the house and the water supply to lay the pipe in, below the frost line.  Enter the house through the foundation wall below the frost line and connect to the cold water line at a good and convenient location.  In the years to come, you will be glad you did. (In an emergency and for a short period of time, yes you could connect to the hose bib.  It would work.)


Saw metal conduit even with the floor? I need to remove this metal conduit or at least bring it even with the floor. I don't need to worry about preserving the wires inside the conduit. I only have a little hacksaw, but I'm open to buying other tools if needed. What's the best way to get rid of this conduit so that it's even with or below the floor?

I'm assuming you don't have access to the backside of this conduit.  If you did, you would just disassemble it - find the nearest coupler, uncouple it, and remove the pipe.

Remember to remove these orphan wires entirely; all the way back to the previous junction box (or past it, if they go past it).  You're not supposed to leave orphan wires, though.


How should I conceal gaps between laminate flooring and wall trim? I am looking for the best way to fill some small gaps left between flooring and wall in new house, see image. Guessing the previous owners installed the flooring themselves hence why the finish is not always right against corners and walls. The floor is still close to new so definitely don't want to be relaying it.

Gaps are no bigger than 1cm. Was thinking of either caulk or silicone but have read that silicone is easy to do badly and very difficult to cleanup and correct. Caulk easier to install but less flexible and liable to crack.

Any tips greatly appreciated.

Wood flooring is usually installed with a gap to the actual wall - this is important, because it allows for differences in expansion/contraction between the flooring and the materials used to frame the building. If you tried to make a perfect tight fit, the floor would either buckle, crack, or pull away from the wall.

The gap is typically covered with trim (molding) when finishing the room after installing the flooring.

Problems arise when people try to install new flooring without replacing the trim. It looks like that's what has happened here, since it appears that your flooring is butted up against the trim, not the actual wall itself. The most common method of dealing with this is to install more trim, up against the existing trim - typically, a piece of quarter round molding as seen in this photo:

It appears that the photo you've posted shows a door frame. For cases like this, where a quarter round would block the operation of the door, it's typical to undercut the existing molding so the new flooring can be slipped under it. Here's a photo of a piece of flooring slipped under an undercut door jamb:

Of course, in your case, it's too late to undercut the jamb. Unless you're willing to rework the door there may not be much you can do that won't run the risk of looking like a hack-job. I would be tempted to cut small pieces of the floor material and lay them in the gaps (leaving them free-floating so they can move with the floor). Or, you could use small pieces of flooring cork (or any cork, really) or even foam rubber. Once the gap is filled, your eye won't pick up on it as easily. Caulk won't be easy to get a good looking finish with, and will likely shrink or pull away in a gap that large anyways.

If you do try to fill the gap, make sure it's with a material that can still allow for movement of the flooring.


How long should I run my pool pump for? How frequently/long for should I run my pool pump? it's a standard single speed 1.5 hp electric motor pump.

I've heard different answers from various people and I am left wondering what is correct.
Factors seem to include: lifespan of pump; cleanliness of water; power consumption.

Some have said running the pump on a timer is bad because it will prematurely wear it out (from all the extra startups). Others have said it is good due to power savings (especially running it at night when electricity costs less)

It also makes sense that the water will not remain as clean running on a schedule since it's not cycled through the skimmer/chlorine as often. But is this a true factor?

So what is the optimal method to run the pump? 24x7? Nightly? 12 hours a day? Please cite anecdotes or any research/articles you've seen. Thanks!

In general the point is to filter your water.  If you want to be sure about it, check the volume of your pool, and the flow rate of your pump.  Run it long enough to go through that much volume 1-2 times a day.  In practice, that's probably around 6-8 hours.

Make sure your chemistry is good, and then try it.  If it looks nice for a few weeks, try lowering your operating time and see what happens.

As a side note, 1.5 HP is 1120W.  That's probably peak power not normal consumption, but you should still assume it consumes somewhere around $0.10/hr or so.