How do I relocate a generator inlet box? From the images above, I have a 30 amp generator inlet that connects to a transfer switch. I’d like to relocate that inlet box to the outside of the house so that I don’t have to run my L14-30 cable from the generator through an open door or cracked window. I’d like to just plug my generator outdoor safely. I don’t know if I need a different inlet box that’s weather proof and/or different cable to withstand outdoor weather when not in use. This is Florida weather so no harsh winter months but lots of rain and heat in the summer.

What do I need to purchase to make the move? Or can I use the existing inlet box outdoor and just drill a hole for the cable/wire to pass through my exterior wall and then seal it after hooking it up to the inlet box once I place it outdoor?

The inlet box, when placed outdoors, would be right on the opposite side of the wall it’s currently on in the same spot. So it’s a matter of passing its wire through the wall and moving the inlet box right outside of where it currently sits

You have what you need. That box or every one I have ever seen are listed for outdoor use. I would open your transfer switch, find a handy spot and drill a hole through the wall install a bushing or short piece of conduit to connect the transfer switch to the inlet and secure the inlet box. I will use caulking around the bushing or nipple to seal it up.


Are there markings on studs or drywall that indicate when it was made? I am trying to figure out when a wall was installed. I am certain it was not original to the house since the wood color does not match many of the other studs and there are left overs of an older wall behind this one.

Are there markings on studs or drywall that could indicate when it was made?

Sometimes there is a date of manufacture printed on the backside of drywall. Old ink on brown paper may be hard to see.

The modern stuff is not infrequently dated to the second, presumably for quality control, as it spews off the line.


Why are my outlets dead after replacing a light switch? On one of my circuits I have a fluorescent light (laundry area with two bulbs), a plug and receptacle in the kitchen and a dining room light.  The laundry light stopped working so I replaced the bulbs.  Still didn’t work so I replaced the light fixture with a new one.  That still didn’t work either.  Replaced the switch that controls the laundry light and that worked.  However, the dining room light and the kitchen plug that was on that circuit no longer work.
I verified and reset all GFCI plugs in the house, and verified that the breaker does not trip.  I took apart the kitchen plug that wasn’t working and verified there was no power going to that box using my voltage reader.  The new laundry light and switch continues to work perfectly.
Thought? I’m at a loss

src

That "extra" wire was bundled with the incoming hot, so put it back with the incoming hot
As it turns out, that "extra" wire wasn't so extraneous after all as it was feeding power to the dining room light and kitchen outlet in question.  In order to get things back working again, you'll want to nut said "extra" wire in with the incoming always-hot to the box and a pigtail of wire going off to one brass screw on the light switch.  The remaining black wire, then, is the switched-hot going off to the laundry room light, and thus needs to land on the other brass screw on the light switch.


Is it stupid to replace redwood siding with Hardi board or LP SmartSide? Our house was built in 1922, and due to some ongoing exterior water damage due (I think) to poor gutters and some ice dam damage after this past horrible Minnesota winter, we have been getting some estimates for various repairs.

Our plan at first was to get new gutters installed and have the fascia boards replaced if necessary. Things escalated quickly to getting the attic properly vented and better insulated to resolve the ice dam issue. Then, exterior wall insulation along with the necessary repair work for the siding where holes would be needed to blow in the insulation. Then, it was mentioned that with the condition of some of our siding that we may want to consider new siding all together (Hardi board or LP Smartside).

When we first bought the house about 7 years ago we had it painted, and I remember the painter saying "never replace this siding, it's redwood and people will try to talk you into replacing it - don't listen to them". Admittedly, some of the siding is in pretty rough shape with some splits in places, uneven spots from over-eager sanding, and so many layers of old cracking paint that the idea of replacing it with an easier to maintain option appeals to me. However, what that painter said to me is stuck in my mind, so I thought I would come here to ask what people think.

So, was that painter just trying to secure future work from me by telling me to keep that redwood no matter what, or is there something more to his words?

I'm with your painter. It's like throwing out a pair of Allen Edmunds because there's a hole in the sole and replacing them with a pair of Timberlands.

Find out what it would cost to repair/replace the split boards. It'll probably be cheaper than redoing all the siding in a new/cheaper material. In addition you might lose some value in your home by removing the redwood siding.

Have the insulation contractors blow the insullation from the inside. Much easier to repair drywall and you don't have to worry about poor repairs causing water infiltration.

Maybe find a better contractor all together. Some people just do what they know and they may not be familiar with other materials and methods and they wind up talking you into paying more in time and meterials to do things their way.

I was just talking to someone the other day about their garage door. They used to have a very nice wooden garage door but when they got an automatic garage door opener installed they were talked into replacing the door with a poorly insulated metal one. Something about the opener not being able to handle the weight of the door. This was for a single car garage so that shouldn't have been the case. Anyway point is... This was many years ago and they still regret the decision.


Fixing chipped table corner While assembling a recently bought table, the top board fell down onto the floor due to my clumsiness. The result of which was a chipped corner, breaking the white varnishing and exposing what looks like medium or high density fiberboard.

How can I restore the filling and varnishing so that it looks closest to the original condition?

Here's what an intact corner looks like:

That's more than just "varnish". It is some sort of thin material, most likely plastic laminate or similar. You can't just "patch it" beyond the tiniest of holes or cracks - and that damage is far beyond that.

I suggest getting something either really similar color or nicely contrasting to use as a corner bumper/guard. If you put it on all 4 corners then it may actually look like it was designed that way. Unfortunately, most of what I have found so far is designed for childproofing - i.e., cushioned. Unless you actually need childproofing as well, I would recommend something thinner as it will look more "natural".


How long can I leave a wood fence after pressure washing, before staining it? If I were to pressure wash my fence in mid-spring, could I leave it and not stain it until fall? The reason I ask is I have the time to wash the fence and my house, but I probably couldn't stain it for a few weeks, until it would be hot, and I'd rather wait until fall when it cools down a bit.

Some fences are never stained. Keep in mind that sunlight will "bleach" wood that is not protected from UV light. So, you can leave the fence as-is but it might significantly weather with no protection, depending on whether the pressure washing damages whatever existing finish is on it now.

Also, you don't necessarily want it to be hot when applying an exterior stain. Best time to stain would be a cloudy day. If the stain dries / cures too quickly it could lead to problems. Most exterior stains will instruct you to not expose the stained object to direct sun until the stain cures.


Can I use this smart dimmer switch with these wires? Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch
http://imgur.com/a/HW0aEcf
I have been able to hook it up so that the switch itself will turn on and connect with my phone, but I just can't get the light to turn on with this switch. I tried hooking it up the same way the old one was hooked up and it didn't work. I tried hooking it up according to the writing on the switch, and that didn't work. I have tried leaving some wires out, different wires in different places, turning the whole breaker board off and on again(just in case) and I have not been able to get the light to turn on. I'm wondering if this will even work with this kind of setup.

You do not need a three way dimmer. The dimmer you have will work fine. Your existing switch is a single toggle switch. It's confusing because you have a black wire connected to a screw terminal and a black wire shoved into a backstab,(which is the same connection as the screw terminal). With the breaker "off" take the two black wires from your existing switch and connect them to the line wire from your new dimmer. Connect the red wire from your existing switch to the load wire from your dimmer. Connect the white wire from your dimmer to the neutral group in the box and connect the ground wires.


Do gas fireplace blowers actually heat rooms more effectively? I have a rectangular-shape room with a gas fireplace in one corner. There're two thermometers: one by the fireplace, another in the middle of the room. When the heat has been off for a while, the temperature on both is the same. When the fireplace is on, the closer thermostat can get up to 10 degrees F warmer depending on how long it's been running.

So I wanted to heat the room more evenly and got the blower/fan thinking it would make a difference. Installed everything according to the manufacturers recommendations, checked that it pulls the air from and blows it out of where it is supposed to. Tried different fan speeds. After a few days I don't think I notice the difference. And the thermometers seem to be off by the same amount -- it doesn't seem like it's become more evenly circulated.

I got the blower on Amazon, so I asked this question on the product page and someone who claims to work at a fireplace shop said something about the fan being a convection fan, not forced air one and the effect depends on the environment. But didn't elaborate on how to figure out and make it work.

So I have two questions: are these blowers any good in general? And if there's indeed some work that needs to be done besides installation to make it more effective, then is there a good resource on how to make that happen?

(Not sure whether it's important or not, but there's a staircase not far from the fireplace, maybe it runs the air from/to there instead of within the room.)

The warmth you feel when you stand in front of the fireplace is radiant heat, which is rays of energy from the hot bright flames striking surfaces and heating them up. Warming a room or space using a single source of radiant heat is difficult because you have to wait until the objects warmed by the radiant energy start to give off their own energy in the form of convected heat.

Your "fireplace blower" tries to capture heat energy with a tube or series of tubes which are placed in the path of the radiant heat energy leaving the fireplace. The theory is that a fan blowing air through the tube(s) will allow the blown air to heat up by conductive heat transfer then diffuse into the room, assisting with heating of the general area.

  "are these blowers any good...?"

Answer- Maybe, well made units, with a large surface area to capture radiant heat from the fire and a well designed heat exchanger and fan work pretty well but are also pretty ugly IMO.

  "make it more effective...?"

Answer- If you have installed it per manufacturer's instructions there's not much more you can do except make a bigger fire. I don't have actual data, but in my experience a wood fire is generally way hotter than an equivalent "size" natural gas fire.

P.S.- I would not "put... a plain old box fan next to the fireplace and let it blow". You have a chimney for a reason. You do not want to disturb the natural draft of your fireplace. This could introduce products of combustion, like carbon monoxide, into your living space and/or blow hot embers out onto the floor.


Asbestos in Spackle - what now? We purchased a house built in the 60's about a month ago.  Had a general inspection done prior to going to contract and was told that there were no red flags seen regarding Asbestos.

Insulation: Layer of Balsam Wool with Blown in Cellulose
Walls: Sheetrock
Floors: Oak
Siding: Vinyl
Roof: Asphalt
Ceiling is flat sheetrock
Plumbing is Copper or Pex
HVAC is updated

We had some electrical work done to add high hats, outlets and switches replaced etc. Few older windows replaced and was waiting to paint. We did a thorough cleaning and moved our stuff in so we could be settled for Christmas.

Everything was great until we decided to run an air test in the house after the mess of Cellulose falling from the high hats.  The inspector took a few other wall samples around the house while they were exposed.

The two PCM Air Samples taken came back at <.003 fibers per cubic cm and .005 cubic cm.  Sheetrock came back clear but of the samples of Spackle one was 3% and 2 others 1.5%. which was devastating to hear.  Neither of us have heard of Spackle containing Asbestos before researching more about it online.

We have two small children and my wife is destroyed to hear that our dream house has become a nightmare.  She is staying at her parents with the kids until we figure out what we're going to do.  I realize the air samples are well below what is considered safe but even the slight presence and knowing that the spackle contains Asbestos is a big problem.

I just want to clear the house out, and have the walls and ceilings abated professionally down to the studs.  My wife seems to think that could make things worse by releasing additional fibers.  Air samples only need to come back at .01 fiber/cm3 to deem the house safe. The abatement company could just do all the work and say well this is what we guarantee.

At the same time I wouldn't mind fixing a few issues with pillowing ceilings and under insulated walls.  Redo the Master Bath and update the built ins.

I'm afraid that if we leave it - regardless of it being undisturbed or not, we'll always know it's there and every time we go to hang a picture or put a shelf up etc it'll be like a bad penny.   We plan on living at this house for a long time.

I need some guidance and direction!   Thank You.

There are lots of different kinds of asbestos and it’s in all kinds of building products. You’re right to be careful.

We’ve had our remodeling projects tested for many years (30+) and a testing agency just found it in the window glazing compound..the stuff that holds the glass tight to the wood window frame. That’s a new one for me.

I guess my point is you probably can’t remove it all...in fact there’s probably some in your in-laws house...they just don’t know it.

The good news: I didn’t see “chrysotile” listed in your report. I’d get a copy of the original report and have the testing agency explain the different types. Some kinds of asbestos you should worry about and some don’t matter. Spend some time with them until you understand the EXTENT of the area involved (I doubt if it’s the whole house.) We often re-test once we find some “borderline limits” or if we suspect a past remodel project that could limit the extents.

OSHA requires the construction work site to be free of asbestos if it’s disturbed. We have it tested, removed and then we have the air tested to make sure it’s a safe “work environment “ for the workers. Depending on what you’re doing (remodeling), I’d do the same.

However, it has to be above a certain level before it matters. Yes, you can have asbestos (or mold) in your house, but it won’t affect you or your children until it gets above a certain level.

Hanging a picture or two won’t be enough to cause a problem, but tearing out cabinets, could disturb enough that you may want that area abated.


Leveling Uneven Subfloor BACKGROUND:
Doing a kitchen remodel on our own, trying to open up existing kitchen into formal dinning room. As soon as the non-load bearing wall is gone, I have this small issue as shown in the picture below...
The kitchen flooring on the right is the original subfloor with three sheets of 1/4" plywood glued and screwed down (what the heck?!?!) for the top sheet of linoleum. After tearing out the carpet in the formal dinning room, there is a 3/4" gap that gradually levels off.
QUESTION:
What is the best way of filling this rather large, un-level area? It spans about 4' x 13'. I foolishly already bought enough 3/4" OSB to cover the whole area, but now I'm second guessing myself! Seems like too big of a surface area to use leveling compound...
SIDENOTE:
I'm guessing some guys are probably going to say something about making sure the floor is properly supported, check my joists, etc. But I've been reassured there are no structural issues below.

Screw down 3/4" plywood or cement board for the deep area & 1/4" for the less deep. Then, use very much less floor leveler for a final fill-in. Make sure you account for the flooring, so the 3/4" might need to be 1/2" & the 1/4" may need to be shortened. Do not use shims & create voids.


Can a gas pipe/tube run under floor joists? I have a flexible gas tube connecting to a gas stove which goes under the floor joists in my basement. Can this area be enclosed with drywall? Does it have to be run through the joists like electrical?

EDIT: Just realized this is the type of piping used https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrugated_stainless_steel_tubing

Piping run concealed in finished spaces has to be installed through the joists and protected from physical damage. Or be run in black or galvanized steel. Or you could box the pipe run and shield it. Also, a flexible appliance connector has a length limit of 6 feet.

Code quotes are from the 2012 IRC

SECTION G2415 (404) PIPING SYSTEM INSTALLATION

  62415.7 (404.7) Protection against physical damage. In
  concealed locations, where piping other than black or galvanized steel is installed through holes or notches in wood studs, joists, rafters or similar members less than 1.5 inches (38 mm) from the nearest edge of the member, the pipe shall be protected by shield plates. Shield plates shall be a minimum of 1/16-inch-thick (1.6 mm) steel, shall cover the area of the pipe where the member is notched or bored and shall extend a minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) above sole plates, below top plates
  and to each side of a stud, joist or rafter.

SECTION G2422 (411) APPLIANCE CONNECTIONS

  62422.1.1 (411.1.1) Protection from damage. Connectors and tubing shall be installed so as to be protected against physical damage.

  62422.1.2.1 (411.1.3.1) Maximum length. Connectors shall not exceed 6 feet (1829rnm) in overall length. Measurement shall be made along the
  centerline of the connector. Only one connector shall be used for each appliance.

  Exception: Rigid metallic piping used to connect an appliance to the piping system shall be permitted to have a total length greater than 6 feet (1829 mm), provided that the connecting pipe is sized as part of the
  piping system in accordance with Section G2413 and the location of the equipment shutoff valve complies with Section G2420.5.

Have you considered a drop ceiling in this area?

Good luck with your project!


Circuit breaker for garage Circuit breaker for garage has been fine for ten years.Lately it trips at no certain time.Not when opening garage door etc.Will not trip on a regular basis,but when it did I could reset it and it would be fine for a day or sometimes two.No changes in load on breaker for years. Today I reset breaker and I now have no power at all in garage. Replace breaker?

There may be something on that breaker's circuit that is causing it to trip and prevent a fire/short.

What you need to do is find everything that is on that circuit. Afterwards, see if there's anything in any of those objects that could be tripping it. Connections becoming overloaded, being loose or wired improperly could also cause it to trip. Be sure to check that as well.

If you do find something, resolve the issue and reset your breaker.

However, breakers may trip by themselves from old age at times. If it wasn't caused by anything else I mentioned earlier, this may be the cause. You'll need to replace that breaker. If you're not sure how, I recommend you hire a licensed electrician.


How to use a side by side refrigerator in a cold garage? During the summer months, the fridge in my not insulated garage works fine, and has for some time. During the cold winter months (below freezing) the KitchenAid KSRS25Q (old) side by side fridge won't cycle the compressor, unless I position space heaters around it (energy inefficient). Even then, on the coldest days (Indiana can get cold), the freezer internal temperature will still go higher than 10F/-10C.

Looking for solutions, I hear of something called a 'garage kit'. Seems straightforward. You add a heater inside so that the compressor continues to work even when the ambient temperature is lower than the fridge interior. Problem is, I have only found garage kits for top freezer models. It seems that, somehow, there is a difference between those and side by side models, and the 'garage kits' kits wouldn't work in my side by side model.

Is the problem just that I can't find the answer, that no such answer exists, or that the answer is so simple that no kit is really necessary?

In other words, what can I do for a 'garage kit' for a side by side refrigerator?

There are refrigerators & freezers designed for outdoor use. One semi-random example:

The basic problem is that ordinary residential refrigerators & freezers are designed for indoor temperatures. From a GE side-by-side installation manual:

  REFRIGERATOR LOCATION
  * Do not install the refrigerator where the temperature will go below 60 F (16 C) because it will not run often enough to maintain proper temperatures.
  * Do not install the refrigerator where the temperature will go above 100 F (37 C) because it will not perform properly.

For better or worse, I believe some of this goes hand-in-hand with energy efficiency. EPA EnergyStar and similar regulations (and common sense "save energy" mentality) have resulted in refrigerators/freezers that are "just right". They have a lot of insulation to keep the cold in and relatively low-power compressors, based on the assumption that they will not have to cool "too much" and that keeping the cool is good enough a lot of the time. So they aren't powerful enough to get things cold if it is 100 F. And the flip side is that, especially with side-by-side, a certain amount of run-time is needed to keep optimal freezer & refrigerator temperatures as they are dependent on each other - they are one unit, not two. So if the temperature is cold enough that the refrigerator doesn't need to run, the freezer doesn't run either - and gets too warm. Alternatively, if it gets so cold that the freezer doesn't need to run, the refrigerator will be cold but won't get internal air circulation and parts will get too cold.

Best answer I know of is: Put the spare refrigerator or freezer in your basement (if you have one) or in an area (e.g., mudroom or similar) between the garage and the house so that it gets at least some climate control.


What is the proper way to drain a boiler's expansion tank? The expansion tank is supposed to have some air in it, but I'm guessing that mine doesn't.  Let's suppose (i.e. I'm making this up in the hope that someone will correct me) that the tank should be half full of air and half full of water.  If I just open the tank's faucet, some water will drain out (let's say one bucket), but I think I need to ensure that I get a bucket full of air to go back in the tank.  I don't want to just decrease the pressure of the air bubble that's in there.

Or, do I keep the faucet open and drain several buckets?  Will the water stop coming eventually, or will I just be draining water from the closed water circulation system?

Turn off the valve that auto-fills the system from your cold water line
If you have one, open a valve or bleeder on the top of your expansion tank.  If you can't do this, it will still work, the water will just gurgle and drain slowly
Open a drain valve and drain a suitable amount of water
Close drain valve and re-open valve you closed in step 1

Amount of water to leave in tank:  If the system is cold, I would leave the tank close to empty, that maximizes expansion space.  If it's warm or hot, I'd go for about halfway.  You can tell where the water is by feeling the temperature of various spots on the tank and the pipe that feeds the tank.


Can I use old abandoned iron pipe as electrical conduit? I have an older house (1920) and I have been planning on doing some rewiring to get rid of some k + t stuff.  Anyway, I just noticed today that there are some irons pipes that used to be part of the heating system. (they are no longer connected + filled with air).  Better yet, they run in a perfect vertical run from the basement (where the panel is) all the way up to the attic (where the k + t to be replaced is).

Would it be improper, or otherwise unsafe to just repurpose these unused pipes as electrical conduit ??

Your biggest concern here is going to be the condition of the interior.  If they are at all corroded or otherwise rough on the inside they run the risk of damaging the insulation, which can lead to an eventual short and/or electrification of the pipes.  Protecting the wire where it enters and exits the pipe is also a concern.

Basically I think you could do it, but I wouldn't recommend it.  My gut feeling is that it's  too risky.

Since you've got a perfectly straight run - can you possibly remove them and replace them with proper conduit?


Two black cords coming from light fixture. I am installing a new light fixture but both of the wires coming from it are the same colour. I read that sometimes the neutral wire will have ridges on one side. I’ve attached some pictures, I’m wondering if these are the ridges to denote natural?

You are correct the neutral is alway the identified conductor.


Maximum run on drain? I'm planning a reconfiguration of my basement and want to move both the powder room and w/d to new locations.

The powder room would be close enough to the stack not to worry me, but I'm looking at a potential run of about 35 feet from what would be the washing machine's drain back to the main stack.

First question - from a drainage perspective, is that just too long for a laundry drain?

Secondly - for venting, can I tap into the main stack?  Say, something like this?
Disregard venting question - found my answer which is "no"

I don't think there is ever a "maximum" you can have on a horizontal run.  Of course everything needs to have the required slope and you may not have enough vertical space to get it.  The required slope depends on the size of the pipe.

IPC table 704.1 shows that a pipe with an ID of 2.5" or less needs 1/4" per foot.  While a pipe that is 3" to 6" only needs 1/8" per foot.

In your case, with 2.5" or smaller pipe and a developed length of 35 feet you need a total drop of 8 3/4 inches (or put another way, the pipe must start 8 3/4 inches above where you will connect to the stack).  For 3 to 6 inch pipe you just need 4.375" of drop.


Do I need both GFCI receptacle and GFCI breaker? When wiring new construction or remodel for lets say a bathroom or kitchen, it is determined you need GFCI receptacles in wet prone areas. But do you need a GFCI breaker plus GFCI outlets on the same circuit? Wouldn't it be ideal to have AFCI breaker with GFCI receptacles to have both forms of protection?

One or the other, not both. Depending on adopted code, you may ALSO need AFCI protection, which is better done at the breaker.
GFCI is pretty much the same for practical purposes whether at the breaker or at the first device, except for special circumstances like a buried cable.
You do NOT need multiple GFCIs on one circuit - just make a GFCI the FIRST device and then wire the rest of the devices from its LOAD terminals which will protect the rest of the devices on the circuit. Carefully follow instructions for wiring line and load on the GFCI and place GFCI protected labels on the remaining outlets/devices.


How can I repair drywall to rehang a heavy rack in the same spot? We have a wall mount wine rack mounted to drywall, but not to the studs. The anchors have collapsed (twice) and we patched the holes.
I haven't been able to find any information on re-using the existing holes AND ensuring that the re-use can sustain the heavy weight.
How can we reinforce & re-use the existing holes to make sure there is no future collapse?

You are simply putting too much weight onto the drywall. Options:

Move it so that you are securing to studs in the wall
Remove drywall in large area and add blocks between studs. Redo drywall, patch, sand, paint, and rehang rack securing into blocking
Get a nice wide (atleast 1x4 or 1x6") board. Cut it long enough to be secured into at least two studs. Ideally, you want it longer by the same amount on each side of your wine rack. Place on wall and screw it into studs (2 screws per stud; 2.5" screws). You can hide the screws with either wood filler or paint depending on the look you prefer. Mount the rack to the board.

There is a possibility that you could hang it with new larger anchors, but we would need to know what exactly you are hanging and what anchoring you are using. If you used little 15lb picture frame kind of anchors, you can probably get the 75lb drywall screw-type anchors and reuse the holes, but not if the rack is going to be 100lbs when loaded.


Using joist hangers to support a lean-to/skillion roof? I'm in the process of building a 14x16 tiny house with a lean-to/skillion slanted roof. I have the walls built, front wall is 12', back wall is 8'. I'm doing things a little different because I don't want an overhang in the front. I have scrap cuts of 2 by 4s attached to the sides of the studs on the tall side to hook the joist hangers to

My plan is to kerf/put a slit in the roof rafters so that they will sit flush on 90 degree joist hangers

My question is: Will this be structurally sound ?

It's such a small roof so I feel like it will be fine but I'd like to get some second opinions on this since it's not really the typical way to do these kind of slanted roofs.

Thanks

Joist hangers are fine for this application. You'd want to notch the ends of the joists with a level cut so they rest properly in the hanger.

However, the blocks are a bit hokey. It's not great to hold things up with nails in shear like that with such small pieces. it would be better to simply put a ledger across the wall at joist height.


Bathroom Fan/Light Combo I am installing a new Bathroom Fan/Light combo to replace an older unit.  The new one comes with 5 connections  - 2 black and 2 white (one of each labeled fan and light) plus a ground.  My wiring has 4 wires - 1 black, 1 white, 1 red and a ground.  Need some advice on how to wire this properly.  Thanks in advance.

The old one had a single neutral wire, which absolutely forced you to have fan and light on the same circuit.

The new one has 2 separate neutral wires, allowing you the option of putting fan and light on totally separate circuits.  If you don't want to exercise the option, simply add both neutral wires to the place the old neutral was before.

As far as the blacks, one is hot for the fan, the other is hot for the light.  Mark one of them with red tape, and wire it like the old unit.  If this has now exchanged the switches, then put the red tape on the other black instead, and repeat.


How close to beam edge can I put light fixture nails? I removed a 10-15 lb light from my ceiling.

Beneath, the electrical box was at an odd angle:

So I pulled that off as well, which revealed this hole.

Those nail holes which were holding in the box and, therefore the light, look like they're pretty close to the edge of the beam. That makes me wonder:

Were they unsafe?
Is there a code specifying how far into a beam screws should go?

The NEC code says that a box should be adequately supported.  This means the installer should read and follow directions provided by the box manufacturer.

In your example the box was secured adequately just not properly.  Proper installation would only allow the necessary overhang to flush up with the ceiling.

As for nails being too close to the edge, this should never be an issue if the installer were to follow the directions, know the NEC codes on luminare box support, and the structural integrity of the object they are attaching the box to.


How should I flush my refrigerators drinking water system after storage? Have a refrigerator that has been turned off and left closed!  It has a ice maker and water line.  How do I go about making sure that it is safe to use the ice and water?

When using a home that has been left unused for quite some time, typically all you need to do is flush the lines before using.  I suspect a refrigerator would be the same.

Clean out ice maker
Flush water lines by running 1 - 2 gallons though it
Turn on ICE maker and dispose of first 2 full loads of ice


I have a chirping sound in my house that moves around It is not the smoke detector. We have just had rain and there was a ton of tree frogs out front in the trees. Could a tree frog be in my house making that chirping noise? (The chirping sound moves around the living room only.) And, if so how do I get rid of him.....it's just me & my daughter. We are afraid of them. I am because of their feet....those sticky things.

Could a tree frog be in my house?

Based on your question, yes. It could also be some other relatively benign creature like a cricket.

  how do I get rid of him?

You could call a pest eradicator but these sorts of creature are usually easy to catch

Many small critters can be trapped one of these ways:

Don whatever protective gear makes you more comfortable and confident (e.g. long plastic gloves)

Locate them by sound, this may take time but should be doable if you stand still.

Take the cardboard tube from a roll of kitchen paper and fold one end securely shut (maybe tape or staple it). Place it along a corner between floor and wall with open end towards creature. Small scurrying creatures will head for the safety of darkness and enter the tube. You can then pick the tube up with the open end uppermost and relocate your captive to where it belongs.

Take a medium to large clear plastic cup (or similar transparent container) and place it slowly over the creature. Many dumber creatures only flee if something large and dark approaches quickly. This is a good way of catching wasps etc. I haven't tried it on crickets but I expect them to be harder. Slowly slide a stiff sheet of paper or cardboard under the inverted cup so as to fully contain the creature, then lift and remove.

Exceptions would be some mice and rats for which you need more elaborate traps. These don't chirp though. I think you can rule out anything clever or crafty.
(other than a nephew)

  We are afraid of them

I don't know if it helps, but they are almost certainly much much more afraid of you and are desperate to find a way out before they die of starvation.

You can make use of their fear, open a door and stand so that you are on the opposite side of the creature to the door, the creature will be inclined to flee you and seek the safety of the outside. Turning off lights can help for some flying creatures (moths, wasps, flies, ...) that seek light.


Connecting a P-trap to a female drain connector in the wall I am replacing a bathroom vanity and while I'm doing that, I'm also replacing the p-trap for the sink (mostly because I want one with a drain, but also because I have to raise the height a couple inches) . Right now, there is a 1 1/4" female drain connector sticking out of the wall (which takes 1 1/4" I.D. pipe). The old P-trap was made of metal:

My intention was to use a standard 1 1/4" ABS P-trap, however, ABS is 1 1/4" O.D., and the drain connector takes 1 1/4" I.D. The edge of the connector is about 1/8" recessed from the drywall, which will make cutting that piece off and attaching a coupling fairly difficult, though may be possible. I don't want to actually open up the wall (as you can see, I'm already in the process of patching the messy hole someone made for this pipe).

Anyone have any better suggestions?

A 1 1/4" female FIP adapter worked perfectly. As soon as I saw it, I was embarassed for not having thought of it earlier.

I used some teflon tape, screwed the FIP adapter onto the adapter coming out of the wall, then just glued my 1 1/4" pipe directly into it. No reduction in pipe sizes, and 100% ABS parts.


4 wire switch with 3 wires in wall Please help. I am not sure what my electrician did when wiring my new office. Here is a picture of my problem.

So, I have 4 of these switches. Each switch has 4 wires coming out of the back. Neutral, Line, Load and Ground.

The 4 switches go to my fan (1), the light in the fan (2), an overhead desk light (3) and 3 small in-ceiling spot lights (4).

I see the 4 black wires for power, the 4 copper ground wires. I am just at a loss for where to put each wire and it looks like there are only 3 wires per switch, not 4. Does one just get capped off?

I asked my electrician and he said the red and black wires on the left are to go to the fan (1) and light (2). Then the black wire on the right goes to the overhead desk light (3) and the white wire with black tape goes to the spot lights (4).

And the white wire in the middle with red tape that is capped to 4 black wires provides all the power.

This is out of my wheelhouse and he is no longer responding to my requests. Maybe because of the long weekend. But, I’d like to get these installed today. Any help would be appreciated.

Those switches can't be used because they're dreck

You can't use these in US mains wiring because they are unlisted dreck from China.  They lie about being UL Listed, and they pay people to write them positive reviews.

If it had a UL listing, it could be sold in retail stores, but it can't get one because it is inherently unsafe.  Looks very pretty - they're good at that - and will burn your house down.

This happened to you because you bought this off the Amazon Marketplace flea market.  Note how the seller is not Amazon.

This stuff is basically eBay, and it all comes from China, and they use the Amazon warehouse system to dodge the import laws.

All these circuits are old style pre-2011 switch loops

Which have been outlawed since NEC 2011 landed.  I don't know what this electrician was thinking (are you in a FEMA built trailer? Those are at NEC 2005) but yeah, these are no-go.  The electrician needs to bring neutral down from the light, using what will certainly have to be smurf tube to bring down the 6 wires required.  (hot, neutral, plus four switched-hots for the various things).

Smart switches are the entire point of the NEC 2011 code change.

What's more, the "electrician" brought down the 5 wires in 2 separate cables.  This is not allowed for a bunch of technical reasons relating to EMF, vibration and eddy current heating.

  This is out of my wheelhouse and he is no longer responding to my requests.

Because it seems to be also out of your "electrician's" wheelhouse.  Your demands just exceeded the person's abilities... and that person wants to get paying work from other customers not learn a bunch of stuff and fix your work for free.  If you paid the person through one of those gig sites like TaskRabbit, exercise your right to refund etc.

You will be able to wire switches to the left cable only, but you will need the "No Neutral Required" variety.

The right cable is unusable. What was the person thinking?

I thought these were 3 switch loops. They're not.

Your handyman (I'm sorry, I cannot keep calling this person an electrician) wanted to drive 4 lights, which using old-style switch loops (outlawed in 2011), required 5 conductors.  "You should have asked for neutral for smart switches" -> no, NEC 2011 already says that is required. The handyman was of the notion that the 2011 rule doesn't need to be followed if it's hard. Which isn't true at all!

However the bigger problem is the use of 2 separate cables to make up the 5 conductors.  You just can't do that.

I don't know, shrug, maybe your local inspector has decided the laws of physics do not apply in this jurisdiction, and allows it, in which case it could be fixed by replacing the right-side /2 cable with a /3 cable.  But this does not excuse failing to actually do that.

Regardless, it's work for somebody.


Cracking noises as wood expands near heating pipes I live in an old apartment building, as is typical in Berlin. The pipes that drive the hot water to the heaters are exposed. They're also too close to the wooden floors.

As the pipes heat up, I suppose they force the wood to heat up as well. So it expands. The floorboards don't have much space to expand, so I guess they bump into one another. The noise that stems from that is hideous. A constant cracking, once per second, sometimes building up to a major noise followed by a minute or two of silence.

(It's impossible to sleep with this.)

My question: should I cut extra space around the wood? Would that be enough? Or, as the building is old, will it be a more structural problem?

If you think having a carpenter take a look at it would help, let me know.

Many times the ticking sound is the expanding metals pipes pushing against the wood. If the sound is coming from where those pipes are touching the wood, you can insert some felt to separate the pipe and wood plank.


Can I use pavers as a cheap solution to stop rain water erosion? After over a decade of rain water running down from the roof, I have a small 'moat' around the house, where the water has eroded away the grass and sand (this is Florida, soil is sandy) - see Picture 1. Also, water gets splattered against the house wall, keeping it wet throughout rainy season, which is not a good thing long-term - this is the main concern now.

Adding gutters would cost significantly, so I came up with a cheaper solution:
Simply place a row of pavers with a slight outward tilt along the house, which will catch the falling water's impact, and run it off in the grass or splatter it outwards (hence the slight tilt) - see picture 2.

The question is - will that work as expected?

it took the water over a decade to erode through the grass and about two inches deep, so it's not that bad
nobody will ever walk on them, so the pavers do not need to support that. Therefore, I plan to simple place them in the sandy dirt, next to each other.

The pavers will definitely take care of the moat and deflect the rain water. However, you will still get some rain from the roof hitting the pavers and splashing against your wall. Don't forget about the wind, rain doesn't usually fall straight down so you'll get that wetness too. Long term solution would be gutters.


How can I smooth a seam between cement board? I have a joint between two sheets of cement board that forms a small ridge elevated maybe 1/8" relative to the centers of either board.  I was wondering if extra thinset on both sides can be used to even it out or is it better to use self-leveling compound beforehand.  I am using expensive marble tiles and don't want them to break to an unevenness.

You may break a few pieces(of marble) just picking them up.

A skim coat on either side of the joint will help.

Block feather with a concrete 'rubbing' block.

My marble floor always have Schluter Ditra under them.  I also use it with any questionable floor.

Ceramic tile can tolerate L/360 deflection, stone is twice as sensitive at L/720.

If you have any doubts about floor springiness, use an isolation membrane or stiffen joists or add a beam.  Cement board does little for stiffness.


Where do you get scrap wire for making pigtail connections e.g. when wiring a switch? I’m learning some basic electrical in order to wire some smart switches and I’ll have to make some pigtail connections. Where are the best places to get scrap wire for this?
Should I just pick up 25ft of cable so I can pull out some white and black wires, or should one get wire spools of THHN wire? It’s not clear to me what’s the right kind of wires to use.

You generally want solid core wire to match what you're working with in your home. I keep rolls of #14 and #12 cable on hand and cut off those as needed. You may be able to purchase pre-cut pigtails, but they're probably quite expensive as compared to regular cable.
Also note that 250 ft. rolls are far more cost-effective than short rolls. It's far cheaper per foot and you might be surprised how quickly you go through it as a homeowner.


Supporting foam board melts when cutting plywood First time cutting plywood using foam board as support, and it burns, melts, and produces enough smoke that I have to open the garage to ventilate it after every cut. There is no damage to plywood, but burning foam does not support the cut, thus leading to chip out. Here is the example of what it does:

The foam board is a major brand pink insulation from a big box shop. That seems to be the kind that I see being recommended for that purpose, but it appears to be a softer foam than the one it should be, the harder styrofoam-like substance (For instance, Kreg talks about rigid foam insulation). What chemical compounds should I get for this application, and what should I avoid?

I use 4600 rpm worm-drive Skilsaw with the track sled attached and thin kerf 40-tooth blade, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Never tried this, honestly don't see a point in doing it this way (expensive material, and yes, foam melts.)

Ignoring the option of using a blade that causes less problems, a supporting material that costs less and does not melt would be appropriate. OSB, or MDF for two, or hardboard, for another. Hardboard being the generic term for Masonite® which you might or might not know it better as. And I do recall mention of using it for exactly this purpose on difficult materials in some old woodworking text.

However, as a rule the combination of the correct (and sharp) blade and the correct depth of cut for that blade (so it's cutting into the surface, not stripping it off - this problem is usually associated with inadequate tooth projection from the cut material - the entire tooth down to the gullet should be sticking out below the sheet) are a more common solution that does not require a bunch of sacrificial backing material. A dull blade will tend to beat the wood more than it cuts it and aggravate this problem.


Is it safe to use an old fridge after 14 years of non use? Recently our fridge broke. We have a working one in the kitchen, standing upright in the same position in the kitchen for 14 years, it just hasn't been plugged in during that amount of time. It's clean inside and out and was working fine last time it was on 14 years ago. I live in Britain so it never really gets that humid here except for a month or so every year in the summer.

Is it safe to use and should I expect any problems with it?

The only safety concern I'd have would be if it was stored some place where critters could have got in and chewed up the wiring. That doesn't seem to be the case here. Plug it in and see if it works.

From a health point of view you should obviously clean it really well.


What are the small white ants in my apartment and how do I get rid of them? I have an ant problem in my apartment.  I have had several pest control professionals visit and spray but the ants keep reappearing.  They could not identify the type of ants as they are very small and white.  The ants do not appear to be going after food, grease or sugar.

How can I determine what kind of ant I have and how I can redirect them not to come into my living space?

There is no such thing as a white ants.

Termites are white, however.

Termites require two things: wood and water in the same location. If you have termites, you need to eliminate any contact between wood and moisture in the house. Note that wood in contact with the ground is automatically considered "moist".


Wiring Advice for Pole Barn I am looking to wire a pole barn. To avoid trenching from the box at the meter. I am wondering if I can put a 100 amp breaker in my 200 amp box in my house and pull from there. If so, what size of copper or aluminum wire would I need to use for a run of 120-150'. Can I even use aluminum wire from a breaker box inside of my home to output to another building? I do understand that I would not be able to run everything in the barn and the house at the same time, but I don't plan on running that much in the pole barn. Mainly lights and a fan in the summer. Worst case, I would be running a welder that requires around 40 amps. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

When digging a trench, conduit means you only dig it once, and makes future wire damage much less likely. Up to you, but often the price of conduit + wires is not worse, and sometimes better than, direct burial cable. I am also a big fan of putting in an extra conduit for future use, say if you decided to extend your network coverage to the barn. I prefer schedule 80 PVC in the gound unless I have a special consideration where rigid metallic conduit (RMC, it's like galvanized water pipe) makes more sense. In Barns, I prefer to keep using EMT conduit for the individual circuits, as rodents, wires, and barns can be a recipe for barn fires otherwise.

Aluminum wire is a perfectly reasonable choice for a heavy feeder - the modern alloys don't have the issues the old stuff used for 15/20 amp interior circuits did, and the cost is far less than equivalent copper, even though aluminum has to be a larger size. It is the standard material used for heavy feeders, though if you are unfamiliar with proper preparation for connecting it, it's worth having an electrician drop by to make those connections correctly (torque matters, anti-oxidant paste matters, and prepping the ends for the paste matters.)

For 150 feet at 100 amps with 75C connections and wire insulation, 1/0 aluminum is conservatively adequate. 90c would drop that to #1, but 90C wire insulation is much easier to come by than 90C rated connections, from what I recall when shopping. #4 is adequate for the equipment grounding conductor.

That information is not some magic I know, just me using one of the many web wire calculators that reference back to the NEC requirements. I would do the same for conduit size once a wire size/insulation type is chosen, though I highly recommend making the conduit bigger than the minimum size for your own ease of pulling - it's not very expensive to upsize conduit, and pulling near maximum fill is a pain.


negative pressure/backdraft with boiler Summary

For heating in my house, I've got a Burnham Series 2 (model B) gas boiler, and with all the snow this past winter (I live in Boston) I've had problems with backdraft causing the boiler to automatically turn off.

My theory is that all the snow covering the foundation prevented enough air from getting into the basement and causing negative pressure in the basement.  When I put my hand under the hood I could feel a strong flow of air going down.

My temporary solution was to open a small basement window.  Even though it was covered in snow, it let enough air in to stop the backdraft.  While this worked, I'd like a better and more permanent solution so I'm looking for guidance here.

More Details

The boiler setup is unconventional, and plumbers doing maintenance have been surprised so I'll share a few pictures to explain.

Although the boiler is right next to a chimney, because of shoddy work by the contractor who flipped the house about 10 years ago, the exhaust goes through a long exhaust pipe that is nearly horizontal across the basement and then goes up the outside of the house.

My understanding is that the nearly horizontal exhaust pipe going across the basement is not a good thing because it hinders air flow.  Rerouting the exhaust pipe does not seem feasible.  What other solutions are there?  Or should I just continue to open the basement window when needed?

This is the boiler:

This is the start of the exhaust pipe:

This is the exhaust pipe going across the basement:

This is the exhaust pipe going up the side of the house:

Comment was too long for comment block.

Your boiler was likely installed in a space that does not provide sufficient combustion air.

The better and long-term solution is to provide a proper vent to provide the needed air. You seemed to have figured this out on your own.

The next logical question is where to put the vent and what size is needed.

I have always felt the answer to this question is not found in the law or 'code,' but what is safe.

The major concern to me is carbon monoxide production by the boiler. CO is made when there is not enough air to completely burn the gas the gas that is firing the flames.

The code seems a good place to find a 'safe' number for the amount of air needed.

The answer to what does the code say, is not easy to determine. There are a number of boilers in the US Boiler, Burnham Series 2 (Model B) product line. The difference is BTU input rating.

The install manual does not provide venting information, instead it points NFPA 54. NFPA states that JHA makes the final determination.

The NFPA answer requires knowledge of the furnace, and the amount of air in the house that can be used for combustion.

The amount of air, found through a formula based on measured or calculation of air provided by the house.

The issue of proper venting should also be addressed, this requires more, and different ventilation.

I know this did not give you a satisfying answer to your question. The CO issue is enough that you should have the needed changes made.


Streaks after (over?) cleaning windows I just tried to clean all the windows in my flat. In general, they now look great; should have done it ages ago!

However, maybe half of the windows have very faint streak marks on them. The sort of lines that you might get from running very-slightly-greasy fingers across the glass. It's only visible if the light hits it right, and/or if you look very closely, but it is there. It's not lint, just "lines" in the polish, I think.

I've tried to "buff" it out with further rubbing with a dry, clean sheet of paper towel (which is what I used to do the original cleaning), but no joy.

My instinct is that I used too much window cleaner (the windows were VERY dirty prior to cleaning) and these streaks are excess cleaner/polish?

Is my guess correct? Is that a thing that happens if you use too much cleaner?

Either way, is there an easy way to fix this?

The best way to overcome this is to re-wash the windows with an entirely different technique.

Get yourself some microfiber cleaning cloths and a silicone edge squeegee.
Get a plastic bucket with some warm to hot water.
Add some general purpose cleaning soap. I like to use Fabuloso from Costco as it is cost effective and works well.
Wash down a window pane with the soapy water and a microfiber cloth.
Use the squeegee to remove all remaining water from the window. With each swipe of the squeegee wipe its blade with another dry or wrung out microfiber cloth.
Carefully dry the edges of the frame of the window pane where the squeegee didn't quite fit or lifted off the glass at the end of the stroke.

Some other things:

If the windows are very dirty it can be helpful to use two buckets and two sets of the washing cloths. Get the dirt off with the first bucket and wash. Use the second bucket to come back and rinse the pane before proceeding to the squeegee step.
When cleaning multiple windows that are very dirty do change the bucket of water often.
When cleaning windows on the outside get a kit that includes an extendable pole and a head that consists of a microfiber mop on one side and a squeegee on the other side. When using these a rectangular shaped bucket is handy so the 12 - 13 inch wide mop/squeegee head fits nicely into the bucket.

Once I discovered washing windows this way I have never ever reconsidered the use of commercial window spray cleaners and paper towels -- even for my car windows.


What type of screw do I need for this faucet handle? Somehow the screw holding the handle of my outdoor faucet - the type you connect a garden hose to-  came loose, and my faucet handle detached from the stem of the faucet.
Normally this is the type of thing where  I’d just go down to the hardware store and find a replacement screw by going down the screw aisle and finding the right size by trial and error.  However, it so happens that COVID-19 is exploding in my area, so I’m loathe to incur extra risk for something so trivial. Even more since I can still operate my faucet with the handle, I just have to take it on and off every time (I’ve already lost it in my bushes once..)
So, I want to just order a replacement pack of screws, which can’t be more than a couple of bucks to have delivered. I just need to know what size screw.

Different brands and types use different screw sizes and threads. A "variety pack" probably would be your best bet under the circumstances you describe.
I will say that if you get 6-32, 8-32, and 10-24 x 3/8" and 1/2" long round head brass machine screws you have a pretty good chance of one of them fitting.


Blower Motor Single "Stutter" when Condenser comes online I recently moved into a new home. This home has two stories and each story has its own AC system. Both units were replaced about 2 years ago. Both units are 3 ton Carrier Units. Everything is identical for both units (blower, furnace, condenser...).

As part of any new home purchase we had an inspection done. We also had the company that installed the AC perform an AC specific check up as part of the home purchase. Both units seemed to be running fine. The house stays cool and dry during hot humid days.

The problem.... I recently noticed that when the downstairs AC comes online to cool the house, the blower "stutters" once (the blower comes on then right away slows down/turns off then back on). This only happens one time as the unit starts to cool. It happens very quickly, but I can definitely tell the blower slows or stops for fraction of a second. The upstairs unit (identical) does not do this.

Both blower units are 58STA070-16. Since both of the thermostats are identical (aprilaire 8400 series), I just switched the thermostat faceplates between upstairs and downstairs. That did not make any difference. Upstairs continued to work normally and the downstairs continued to stutter.

I turned on just the fan without setting the temperature low enough for the compressor to come online. When I did this, the fan came online normally without a stutter. Then I adjusted the thermostat temperature down so that the compressor comes online. When the compressor came online, the fan did a single stutter and continued to work normally after that.

So is this normal? Will this shorten the life of my blower? What could be causing this?

Thank you for your thoughts,

Anario

That's the sound I would associate with the Starting capacitor of the blower motor having trouble. It could be a number of things; the capacitor is failing, the switch that CONTROLS the capacitor is failing, the blower electrical circuit has a loose connection somewhere, or, and what I suspect is likely, by the time this blower turns on, everything else is ALREADY turned on and is causing a voltage drop, which is making the motor on this blower lose torque right as the centrifugal switch begins to function, then it slows down and causes that "stutter" effect until the blower gets to full speed. because heat rises, your upstairs unit will always come on first, so the total load is at its highest when the downstairs blower is called for, which would be AFTER the compressor is already running as well, meaning the blower is the LAST big load in line and has to contend with a voltage drop issue.


Heater fan causes fluorescent light to dim/flicker While we were cleaning out a friend's garage I turned on a heater fan. I didn't take a good look at it but it has a digital display, thermostat, and I'm pretty sure it's a wire element type. It started getting dark while we were cleaning and my friend was moving something around and told me to turn off the heater so that the light would get brighter. I turned it off and the fluorescent light in the ceiling got way brighter and stopped flickering.

I haven't had a chance to look at the breaker box yet, but from what she describes to me, it sounds pretty bad. She says that if you turn too much stuff on in the house, the breaker trips. I'm assuming that the whole house is only on a few circuit breakers.

My question is, why would the heater fan cause the fluorescent light to flicker and dim, and can I expect this same behavior from incandescent or LED bulbs (non-dimmable)? Is this indicative of improper wiring in the house, or just too much going through a single breaker, or is it maybe something with the (probably) shaded-pole fan inside the heater causing noise in the grid?

This is indicative of overloaded circuits and/or improper wiring. Check the voltage at an outlet both with and without load. Recommended range for a nominal-120 VAC line is 110-124 VAC for Range A.

If the voltage drops below that, or if circuit breakers trip frequently, remove loads (especially a heater, which can draw 15 A) or rewire the house. Some older houses had aluminum wiring, which makes poor contact at connections with age.  Don't risk a fire caused by overheating circuits.


Adjusting pressure relief valve on well water I have well water with a manifold inside the house that has a faucet, pressure tank, temperature sensor (for pump) and pressure relief valve.  My current pump pressure is set to 60 which effectively goes from about 53 to 67.

I would like to bump up the pressure another 10 psi to improve reverse osmosis system pressure on the 2nd floor as well as the general improvement on the 3rd floor.  I get about 10 psi drop every floor now.  The pressure relief valve says it's set to 100 psi (at least from manufacturer), but it starts leaking around 70 psi.

First of all, is it advisable to go up another 10 psi?  I assume the likelihood of leaks goes up and maybe the pump life is decreased.  I'll probably also need to increase the pressure in the expansion tank.  ~63-77 psi on the first floor (and lower on the above floors) doesn't seem to be extremely high to me, but I'm no expert.

Second, is there a tool to adjust the valve?  It has two notches with a hole in the middle.  A 5/8" or 11/16" slotted bit should fit, but those are hard to find and something like $20 online.  How is this usually adjusted on the field?

Most (or the ones I've met) well system pressure reliefs are non-adjustable. So if it leaks 30 PSI below rated pressure, I'd replace it (for less cost than your proposed tool purchase, as far as I recall.) Odds are that parts to rebuild yours will be more than simply buying a new one.

Toilet valves get wonky (or may) above 80 PSI or so, and any increase in well system pressure will reduce the effective capacity of the pressure tank (and should also be accompanied by adjusting the pressure in the pressure tank to a few PSI below the new low setpoint.) If your pump does not run at least a minute to refill the pressure tank (with nothing else drawing water) you should increase the size of the tank or add an additional tank.


How can I detect the total ground fault leakage current in my home? In Europe, houses often have all breakers chained beneath one or more RCDs (their word for GFCI).  I would not want the nuisance of multiple circuits shutting off at once, so I'm glad in the US we have GFCI on individual breakers or outlets.  But, I would like to have some sort of alarm sound when leakage current of my home as a whole exceeds some level or increases rapidly.

At first thought a CT around the grounding conductor in the main panel would do this. But this would not detect leakage through Earth/water/communications cables.  Paths to ground are essentially unlimited, and impossible to enumerate.

So what about measuring the utility conductors?  With a single hot like they have in Europe this would be easy because there's only one path current should be taking for each customer.  If the current on their utility's hot != the current on their utility's neutral, then the difference is leakage.

But with the NorthAmerican split-phase system you can't assume L1=L2 or L1+L2=N can you?

Is there mathematically, a way to detect the amount of leakage current by measuring only L1, L2, and N in a standard North American residence?  I'm guessing not, but I'm hoping someone here can blow my mind.

What about one big CT around all three service conductors?  (and NOT around the grounding wire) They SHOULD all cancel each other out in the absence of leakage, and the CT / Amp clamp would measure only the leakage.  Did I just solve this?


screws, bolts or nails for ground level deck framing Following up framing for ground level deck

I'm putting 2x8 for framing of the ground-level deck, it is a floating deck, i.e. not attached to the house. So, 2x8 joists will be sitting around perimeter of the framing.

What's best to use, nails/screws/bolts, for attaching together 2x8 with 2x8 ? There are many different products in hardware store, for instance galvanized nails/screws, lag screws (or bolts?), so I'm not sure what to choose.

Traditionally I would have just used 20d galvanized box nails, 4 per joist end.. Since you're nailing into end grain you need a substantial fastener. Hot-dipped galvanized nails have a rougher texture that grabs fairly well.

However, since your deck is floating I'd maybe want to use screws. This will keep any motion that occurs from working things loose. 3-1/2" Torx drive  screws that are coated for exterior use would be good.


Can a GFCI outlet intentionally and explicitly be used as a switch without violating code? I'm working on adding several outdoor outlets in the eaves of my roof for holiday lighting. I have a switch in my garage for these outlets right next to the garage light switch. Thing is, I keep flipping the switch for the holiday lights instead of the garage light switch when I want the garage light.

I was planning on adding an inline GFCI, but now I'm thinking instead of installing the inline GFCI, I could just replace the holiday lighting switch with a no-outlet-GFCI, which would function equally well as a switch (using the test and reset buttons), but harder to unintentionally trigger, and provide the necessary short protection.

The only thing I'm concerned about is if the GFCI is wouldn't hold up to (admittedly) infrequent "switching" or if this would violate code somehow. I'll string my holiday lights in early November, but not turn them on until the day after thanksgiving, similarly I'll turn them off after new years, but might not take them down for a few weeks, so the switch will only get used a few times a year.

This is a great question.

Of course the answer is no, but the NEC does not say you can't verbatim. You have to consider the intent of the code. To do that we have to look at Article 100 Definitions and what is a definition of a switch and what is the definition of a GFCI and what is the definition of a receptacle. Then you also have to reference NEC Articles 404 Switches and 406 Receptacles.

The point is switches and receptacles are two separate types of devices and it never states otherwise. You might argue that "it doesn't say I can't". But you have to look at Article 404.11 Circuit Breakers as Switches. It identifies that you can use a circuit breaker as a switch if it meets certain parameters.

So the "intent of the code" is that if it isn't defined in 404 that it can be used as a switch, then it can't be used as a switch. We could probably get this written into the code if we submitted it to the committee. Then it would get it written in within the next 6 to 9 years if they found it relevent.

If this answer doesn't convince you then consider this question. If I have and incandescent lamp inline with some other devices can I use it as a switch by screwing and unscrewing it. The NEC doesn't say I can't.


How to identify which common terminal of the 3-way switch is connected the hot wire The goal is identify hot and neutral wires in a 3-way switched line-array of lights, so that the array can be controlled by an Acuity SP20 Secondary Relay Pack (bottom device):

Said line-array of lights is the only 3-way switched several line-arrays.  The other line arrays are controlled by a single switch.  Said switches form a bank of switches at the building entrance.
The target line-array is located between the two switches:

Is there any reason to doubt that the wiring diagram above represents how the switches are wired?  or maybe the better question is: How can I confirm that the that the diagram represents said line-array and that the hot and neutral are located at the switch bank located at the building entrance?  Diagnostic procedures that are simple / less invasive are preferable
The sub-goal is: How to identify which common terminal of the 3-way switch is connected the hot wire (left 3-way switch) vs, the switched hot wire (right 3-way switch)

Turn off breaker. Disconnect wires. Connect appropriate meter (safely). Turn on breaker, look at meter. If no voltage, turn off breaker, move to other switch, connect meter, repeat.
Or use a test lamp, if you are old-fangled. The folks around here are fond of "non-contact voltage testers" but they appear to be prone to confusing results. I'm old-fangled enough to prefer a meter, but not old-fangled enough to prefer a test lamp.
If your switches were actually wired "that way" you'd have a neutral connection in one box, and none in the other box. But things are often less clear-cut than that in practice - can't hurt to look for it, though.


Neutral-Ground bonding with generator (no utility power) I've been doing plenty of searching around the internet, but cannot find anything for my specific scenario. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would like to install a breaker panel at my campsite in the woods, but I will be using my portable generator to power the panel instead of utility power. This means I don't have any transfer switches or interlocks or other existing infrastructure.
My setup:
Ground-neutral bonded generator. L14-30 cord going to panel.
The breaker panel is permanently installed at the campsite, with all circuits from the yard.
Now here's the question:
Part 1: Am I correct in my understanding that the breaker panel should NOT have the ground bonded to the neutral since the generator already provides this?
Part 2: Where do I need to drive my ground rod? Does it need to go at the location of the panel, the location of the generator? Or does it not matter which end of the L14-30 cord it gets connected to?
Thank you,
Kaden

Pull the bond, drive the rods at the panel
You are correct that you need to have the panel unbonded since the generator already provides the bond.  Practically speaking, though, unless you want to leave a bunch of copper laying loose for someone to run off with, you'll be using a #8 Bare Armored Ground (BAG) cable between your panel ground bus and a pair of 8' ground rods 6-8' apart.  Note also that if your panel doesn't come with a ground bus, you'll need to fit one (many main breaker panels simply don't provide them fitted from the factory on the assumption they'll be used as a main panel for a building).


What do I need to consider when enlarging a basement apartment by opening up an attached garden shed? I would like to open up a wall made of cinder bricks between a finished basement  (back split) and the garden shed that is an original  part of the house.

I would then have the garden shed space framed in and insulated.  I would put in a door between these two spaces and the garden shed would then be used a a closet for the apartment.

Do I need to have 6 foot steel heading installed?

A block wall that is actually part of the original outside wall of the main structure is most certainly a load bearing wall or part of the foundation.  It is possible to open a six foot section, but care must be taken to install a properly sized supported  header or if block is still going to be above the opening, a steel lentil. You will need some temp supports while building this new opening. A bit more details of your proposed project and some pics would be helpful.


What can a Dremel tool do that a drill cannot? I'd like to understand: what is the point of a Dremel tool? I know that there are many Dremel accessories that are indeed useful, but why should I have to get the tool itself? Couldn't the whole system be implemented using an adapter for an ordinary electric drill?  Is there some special attribute about the Dremel motor of which I am not aware? Or is it just unnecessary vendor lock-in?

An ordinary electric drill does not have the speed of the Dremel (30,000 rpm) which is the key to getting the best results from many of the accessories.  Also, the Dremel tool is much smaller and lighter than an electric drill which is very useful in many applications such as carving, etching and working with small work pieces. Dremels can be used with non-Dremel accessories such as drill bits and grinding wheels so you are not locked in. As an example, the Dremel tool is excellent for cutting screws and nails to size using the 1 inch diameter cutting wheels.  It would be very awkward to achieve the same results with an ordinary electric drill.


Install level on cordless drill I would like to add a level to my cordless drill.

I saw this and thought it would work if I added it to the back of my drill.

I thought I would position the drill in the right position and then glue the level to the back of the drill to where the bubble is centered.

Do you think it would work?

As Jsotola  alluded to,

You would have to use a  Long drillbit and  Clamp it  in a vice  so that the drill bit is plum  and true on all sides.

Then chuck the drill on to the drill bit.

Then you could glue your bubble on so that it is indicating level.

Good luck to you.


Insulating over IC recessed lights I am losing a good amount of heat through my recessed lights.  I went up in the attic above and found there is insulation around them, but not on top.  They are IC (insulation contact) rated.  Is it okay to just put more batt insulation on top of them, or is there a better way?  I'm hesitant to cover them because of the wiring.

The IC rating means that the entire can can come into contact with insulation.

For more information see http://www.superiorwirework.com/ic-rated-recessed-lighting.asp


Removing bathtub tread I work for a well known hotel chain. Corporate has mandated that we replace the bathtub tread with a corporate approved product. In order to do so I must remove the current tread from 94 rooms.

I have tried everything available to me. Paint and varnish stripper, goof off, brute force.

I have a sharpened spackle tool that I'm using to try and scrape it off. I don't have to worry about damaging the enamel coat on the (steel I believe) bathtubs. I have spray that can cover any scratches.

I am trying to remove a 2 step non slip kit that is: Bathworks brand - bathtub bottom non-slip kit.

A link to the product is here:

https://www.bath-works.net/product/PREMIUM-BATHTUB-REFINISHING-KIT-WITH-NON-SLIP-PROTECTION

I still have a couple ideas, but I'm getting frustrated. I still need to try a heat gun and gasoline. If I have no success I also intend call the product manufacturer and ask them directly. If I have success I will answer the question myself but i could really use some advice from someone who had experience with something similar.

Any suggestions?

Edit: not sure if this would be exactly the right place for this question. SE has so many sites. Please let me know if there is a more appropriate place so I can move this question there

The manufacturer recommends sand paper. Solvents are ineffective. Perhaps in a sealed enviroment solvents might work, but everything evaporates too quickly. I have gotten the stuff off and here is how.

Sand with 36 grit paper on a belt sander.

Patches may remain if the tub does not have a flat bottom. If so, use large grit paper by hand to sand off patches.

36 grit paper WILL leave the surface dull, and over sanding can cause series damage. A razor proves effective when submerged in goof off. But only for small patches. You will need to refinish the surface no matter what. ESPECIALLY if you use a razor.

If your unlucky enough to need to do this, I am truly sorry. There is no easy way. Give up hope.


Why is the white wire hot in an bath exhaust fan switch circuit? Tried to figure this out from previous posts but am still confused, and afraid.
Our 30 year old exhaust fan had a light, fan and heater. We're replacing it with a fan/light combo, no heater.
The switches independently operated the light, fan and heater. I had an electrician remove the heater switch and turn the 3 gang switch into a 2 gang.
I removed the old fan/light and there were only 2 supply Romex cables- the light was supplied by a Romex with a hot black wire, normal.
The fan wire has a hot white wire. Why is that?
Do I just connect the white wire to the black wire of the fan motor?![enter image description here] These photos show the 2 romex cables- one is switched to the light, and one is switched to the fan. The one to the fan shows a voltage tester on the white wire. The new light /fan wiring is shown. Does the black wire in the Romex go to blue, and the white wire of the Romex go to black of the fan?

In the past the white wire in a NM cable was used as either a hot or a switched hot in what is called a "switch loop". This is no longer done, but, e.g., my 1970 house is wired that way.
Consider the case of a wall switch controlled ceiling fixture where the line power is in the ceiling box, i.e., black hot and white neutral (plus bare gnd) are in the ceiling box. The white neutral would be connected directly to the  neutral contact of the fixture and the hot would connect to one wire of a /2 + gnd cable going to the switch box.
The other wire in this cable would be the switched hot going back to the ceiling box and connected to the hot contact of the fixture. These /2 cables only came with white and black wires so the white had to be used either for the line hot or for the switched hot.
In this older arrangement there would be no neutral in the switch loop/switch box. At that time there was no need for a neutral in the switch box because the switches of that time did not consume power. New programmable switches do consume power and they require a neutral in the switch box to complete the circuit to allow current to flow back to the panel for their own internal operation.
Nowadays a /3 cable is used for this purpose with the white being used to carry neutral to the switch box and black and red used for hot and switched hot.


Can I easily add a thermostat to a whole-house fan? Is there a straightforward way to add a thermostat to an existing (basic no-frills) whole-house fan? I'd like to be able to set it to shut off when the outside temp rises to a certain point--so that the fan shuts off automatically in the early morning.

A simple timer would probably be fine. Could the fan easily be wired to an off-the-shelf HVAC thermostat? (...and program the thermostat to turn off the fan at X a.m. if the indoor temp is above 0 degrees, say...) There is an existing central HVAC thermostat that could be replaced or added to if needed.

If you just want a timer,  it's easy to buy a line-voltage timer switch that you can drop-in where the current fan's on/off switch resides.

If you want a thermostat, as the comments said you can find a line-voltage thermostat. THen you just need to run the hot feed from the on/off switch to the hermostat and then on to the fan.

Another option would be to use any low-voltage thermostat in combination with a 120VAC relay, but then you've got more parts, and need a low-V supply for the thermostat, so I wouldn't choose this option :-)


Water Fountain Pump - GFCI Have a 1/2 HP sump pump running a DIY water Fountain in 1/2 Acre pond. Pump is on 20Amp GFCI plug.
Pump will run for about 4 hours and then trip the GCFI. Replaced the GFCI plug, have checked to make sure all connections are seal tite. Why do we run for a period of time and then trip?

That's pretty normal for a ground fault in the early point of developing.  It's only going to get worse.

You troubeshoot it in the normal way, unplug the suspect pump and see if the trips stop happening.  If it does, there's your answer.


Electrical - 50 amp abandoned wiring from hot tub connected to breaker (outside) I have 50 amp wiring sticking up in the deck from a hot tub that was removed.  The breaker is outside that it is connected to, how do I remove or terminate with a box and cover?

If you're going to leave the breaker, you could just shut it off and/or disconnect the wires connected to it. Installing a lockout on the breaker, would prevent anybody from turning it on.  You should be able to buy a lockout in the electrical department of your local big box home improvement store for less than $10, though you may have to supply your own padlock.

If you want to install a box to terminate the wires in, you'll want to get a weatherproof box. If the wires are in conduit, get a box with an appropriately sized knockout. If the wires are in a cable, get a weatherproof bushing.  Mount the box in a convenient place, and feed the wires into it. If the wires are in a cable, don't forget to secure the cable near the box.

Once the wires are in the box, install a twist-on wire connector on the end of each wire. Then push the wires back into the box, and install a weatherproof cover on the box.


Is this tile installed correctly? Hi,  I asked my installer to install these 6" X 24" tiles with a 6" offset and laid to look like a wood floor (random look).    This is what I got. Do you think I am unreasonable in asking the installer to remove the floor and replace it?

If you explicitly stated you wanted the tile seams to be random, then no, it's not unreasonable to ask them to redo it.

That said, at 24", I don't think you'd actually like the look. That's a really short tile for random joints. Note that actual hardwood floors not only have random seams, but random lengths of boards. Even engineered wood at typically 4' lengths can look a little odd when you try to emulate the random seams of actual hardwood flooring.

FWIW, I actually like how it was laid. So maybe compromise and ask for a % off the bill?


How can I remedy sticky latex paint without stripping? I have an old, probably 50+yrs, architecture drawing table that I've resized and using as kitchen island. I need it white, so I lightly sanded old top and painted with latex. I allowed drying time between layers (2), but it's lightly sticky. Is there remedy without stripping off?

Note that plain Latex is a poor choice for a table top, it is not very durable. As Ed noted, there are enamel latex paints, hopefully you used one of these.

Nevertheless, it should dry eventually. You can speed it up by putting it in a well ventilated area. Or better yet, heat it slightly by putting it outside in the sun for an afternoon.


How can I fix low water pressure from loft storage tank? Since removing all pipes from our loft storage tank in order to replace the deck it was on and had soaked, I've successfully reconnected everything and fixed the leak in the tank. But now the water pressure from cold water taps upstairs is much less than it used to be.

Could there be a bubble in the pipes now? Do I need to flush that out somehow?

I should add, for the troubleshooters, that the tank is in exactly the same place as before, with the same pipes (unmodified) and as high as it was before. I replaced the boards that made the "deck" and reconnected the same pipes. The tank is as full as it was before (a lot of water in there).

Given that the tank position etc. is the same the most likely explanation is that you have a blockage or narrowing somewhere in the pipes - probably from some sediment you dislodged while removing the tank.

Is it just one tap, all the upstairs taps or are the kitchen taps also affected?

If it's the latter then the obstruction will be nearer the tank before the pipes split. If it's the former then the obstruction will be after the split or (more likely) at the tap itself.

If there's nothing blocking the affected tap(s) then you will need to flush the system somehow, but it will depend on what's causing the obstruction. You might be able to clear it by emptying the tank again, leaving the taps open and then using a hosepipe to force water through the pipes - but if it's a piece of grit this won't really help.


How can I fix chewed through wires? I have two standard two prong wall plugs my puppy has chewed through completely, and he managed to sink his teeth into a laptop cord as well.

I'm thinking the wall plugs are history (a lamp and a fish filter) but hoping I'm wrong and it's an easy/safe thing to repair. I'm cautious since I don't want to wind up causing any fires.

Is there another option other than electrical tape?

I've also been looking at 'heat shrink tubing' for the laptop cord, but I don't think a 'tube' will slip over and still shrink down enough

Many laptop cords are standardized. Where there is no external power supply, they often just need a stock AC cord such as this.

If it is three prong, it may be like this.

If it is damaged, replace it. It is cheap, available at many locations and safe. Do not repair except as an emergency measure.

However, many laptops have an AC cord (the cord that plugs into the wall) that also plugs in on the other end to a power supply (a small plastic brick). The AC wire almost always can be disconnected from the unit and the same replacement technique applies.

The AC cord is on the left, the power supply and its cord on the right.

If the AC cord is damaged, replace the cord.

If the other wire attached to this unit (the wire that goes to the computer rather than the wall) is damaged, this is much more problematic. These wires are almost always not detachable from the power supply, and they are usually proprietary (non-standard connectors). If the damage is very minor, you may be able to get away with shrink tubing, if it fits over the connector (sounds doubtful), or plastic electrical tape (always a bit sketchy on a wire that flexes). This is a low voltage wire, but it still is problematic. You may need to get a replacement power supply from the manufacturer or a third party supplier.

On the other cords, there are two types of replacement plugs, screw on and piercing.

Pierce seems easier, but screw on seems more reliable. They are also available in polarized and three prong versions. Cut the wire above the bad section and bring your old plug to match.


Who do I call, roofer or plumber? Last fall, I noticed my first floor kitchen had a leak that dripped down through the lighting fixture. This happened during a pretty strong rainfall. There is a bathroom above it but it had not been used in a few days. This then happened two more times, both again during rainstorms. No leaks all winter.

I want to get it looked at before it happens again. Should I call a roofer or a plumber?

Roofer would be the initial guess. One has to guess that because the leak is seen during a storm.

Even though the leak may be coming in around the vent stack pipe for the bathroom it is still a roofers skill to properly seal a leak like that.


Are conduits run along floors code permitted? I'm running 240v outlets in my garage for several woodworking machines. To keep the conduits out of sight, I'd like to run them 4-6" off the floor along the bottom of the wall.

Is this allowable under NEC?

Shouldn't be a problem. If the garage has a habit of filling with water, you'll need to use conduit and conductors rated for wet locations. Otherwise I can't think of any problems.

You'll have to use conduit that can be subject to physical damage.

To be sure, contact your local building department.


Upgrading garage fuse box to breaker box using existing 10/2 wire with ground The sub-panel in my detached-garage is a 4-fuse box that is supplied by two 10/2 cables with ground.  The 10/2 feed cables are routed through underground plastic conduit.  Each 10awg feeder hot wire is connected to separate 20amp breakers in the main 150 amp service panel.  My goal is to upgrade to a larger subpanel in garage using the existing feed cables.  (As pulling larger wire through the existing conduit is not an option.) I only need to add one or two 20amp circuits.
  I believe I'll need to change the two 20amp breakers in the main to a larger two pole breaker and that I'll need to install a ground rod for the garage service, as neutrals and grounds are currently going back to the main service.

Question 1) what size breaker should I install in the main to accommodate the
         10awg wire  without over doing it?  Is 30amp the limit?

Question 2) what size subpanel is appropriate for a 10awg feed?

Given your fairly precisely stated 15/16" OD of the pipe, the only pipe anywhere near that size is EMT "Electrical Metal Tubing".  But you say it's plastic.  I can't find any plastic pipe near that dimension. Everything is <7/8" or well over 1", nearly 1-1/16".  I'll proceed assuming EMT, since my wire reco has a lot of slack.

It also sounds like you consider the 30A an undesired restriction, and would prefer to exceed it.  That's just as well, because the cables now in the pipe are totally unworkable, and must be removed.  I won't get into a codevio list, because that would be tiring, insult your father's work, and just cheese you off. Suffice it to say, there is no way I can possibly see to make use of the NM cables in the pipe.

You can run up to #6 copper, for 70 amps.

That 3/4" pipe will support up to 6 AWG wire - that is to say, three #6 THWN-2 individual wires, and one #8 bare ground wire. (even though EMT is a valid grounding path, I would not trust it outdoors).  That will put you at 29% fill, which is perfectly reasonable for 4 wires in a pipe.

(this works for all pipes except 3/4" schedule 80 PVC; for that, a #8 ground wire won't fit due to conduit fill limitations; the #10 ground limits you to 60A. But then, if it was schedule 80, I supremely doubt you got two #10 cables in there!)

That means you'll be able to support the load you have planned, plus a pretty good sized EVSE, wood shop, whatever will come up for you.

Given the short run of the wire, I don't see any reason to bother with aluminum wire (#6 Al would limit you to 50A) or with shrinking the wire to save a few bucks.  Having 70A service at the garage would be sweet.

The 10/2 NM cables have to go

Unfortunately they will be annoyingly difficult to pull. This is what you are up against.

2 x 10-2 inside EMT:
2 x 10-2 inside Sched 80 PVC:

It's actually worse than it looks in the drawing. It'll be bind-up city. This is why oval cables are treated as a round wire of the large dimension.

But steady on; get that wire outta there, and the three #6 will go in happy as a lark.  Or smaller wire will obviously be easier still.

As to your questions:

Feed breaker size

What breaker for the existing 10-2 cable?  None.  That cable can't be supported for a variety of reasons.

What breaker for new 3x#10 THHN wires?  30A.  Only. Because of NEC 240.4(D).

What breaker for larger THHN wires?  Since you are 100% in conduit, and using THWN-2 wires, look at the 75 degree C column in Table 310.15(B)(16) and round up to the next larger breaker.  So 8Cu/6Al = 50A.  6Cu = 65->70A.   Larger wires won't fit.

Subpanel size: No place to scrimp!

What size subpanel is appropriate for a 10 AWG feed?  Subpanels are about breaker spaces, first and foremost. That is the defining characteristic of a panel.  A lot of people decide they want to scrimp on the panel spaces, so they get a smaller panel.  This saves them the price ... of a latté.  Then later, they have a $1000 problem because the panel is full.  So gospel around here is Think Big. Think at least 16-18 space, and a lot more if you reasonably expect to fill that.  Spaces are cheap, in fact, they make other things cheaper.  Look for combo packs which include a main breaker and some "bonus breakers" to save yourself some money.

The second characteristic is bus amperage / main breaker trip. "Going Big" probably mooted that, as we're way beyond the 30A-bussed or 60A-bussed micro-panels.  So if your panel has a 100A main breaker, or a 125A bus, that'll work out just fine.   The main breaker is only there to be a disconnect switch (since this is an outbuilding), it's not there to be a breaker, so we don't care what size it is.

Hurry up and pull that permit before NEC 2020 kicks; that'll require an exterior disconnect switch also. If you're in Massachusetts, too late.

"But I want the nearby breaker to be the same size so it'll trip locally instead of at the house!" That trick never works,  and you shouldn't even be trying.  First, both breakers see exactly the same amount of current, so it would be a 50/50 chance even if they were identical. Second, they're not identical - main breakers tend to have a more forgiving trip curve.  Third, if that happens often enough to care, the feeder is too small and must be enlarged. (see why I'm recommending #6? :) Feeder must be at 25% above expected practical load.


Why does my shower keep alternating between freezing and boiling by itself? A little while ago our totally fine bath/shower tap unit broke in our bath. Our landlord's plumber installed a new one and since then we've had big problems. Steps to reproduce:

We get in the shower, and turn the hot tap to the 'on' position.
After a minute, the water is scalding (as expected).
We turn the cold tap as little as a quarter turn.
The boiler switches off. Shower is now freezing.
We turn the cold tap back 1/8th of a turn.
The boiler is now on and the water is boiling.
Turning the cold tap even slightly makes the boiler turn off again.
Doing nothing causes the the boiler to turn off again after a minute.
The water is now freezing.
Doing nothing causes the boiler to turn on again after a minute.
The water is now too hot to be used safely.

This has happened only since the new tap was installed. It is new, but its also probably the cheapest in the shop. The plumber commented that our pipes are very old and not of a standard size so I know there is a converter to convert from the old size of our houses' plumbing to the new size used by the modern tap. Is it possible that turning on the cold tap causes a pressure change which the boiler just somehow can't deal with? What could be causing this problem? And what steps could we take to make our landlord fix it?

We spoke to a plumber. Speaking off-record, he thought the problem might not be related to the new tap but may be incidental.

We now think its because of the pressure in our boiler. About a week after I posted this question, the pressure reached zero. We didn't realise that we had low pressure until it briefly stopped working! After re-pressurizing it, the shower temperature seems to behave reasonably. We still have an over-sensitive tap, but at least the shower temperature no longer changes by itself!

If you have this problem as well, check that the pressure in your boiler is within the expected range. For us, that's between 1 and 1.5 millibars.


Why does my house feel toasty when it's very cold outside, but cold when it's only a little chilly out? My house has gas-powered hot-water radiators for heat. Ever since we moved in, I've noticed that if the temperature is just a bit chilly outside (40°F to 50°F), the house feels very cold and everyone needs to put on sweaters and sweatshirts.

But if it gets very cold (17°F or 30°F), then the house feels perfectly comfortable.

What could be going on here? I have a programmable thermostat, so I never change the settings. Depending on the time of day, it's set to betweeen 67°F and 70°F.

It probably has to do with two things: Perception and mixing.

When it's very cold the radiators are on more often. You feel the heat coming off them, which makes it feel warmer in the home even though the average room temperature is about the same.

Also, when the radiators run less often in warmer weather, parts of the house (or each room) cool off faster than others. This results in cool pockets that you notice, if only subconsciously. Because the radiators aren't in use, causing convection and mixing, more temperature variation may occur.


Fire Extinguisher In Unheated Garage & Shed We are talking about getting fire extinguishers for the various areas of our house.  One place where it seems a fire extinguisher would be a good idea is the garage.  I also plan on adding a shed to the property this summer, and I would like to put a fire extinguisher in there as well.

However, our garage is uninsulated, and it is not uncommon for the winter temperature to go below 0F.  So, I am concerned how the cold will affect the extinguisher.

Will regular exposure to cold damage the unit?  (e.g. My lawn mower catches on fire during the summer, will the extinguisher still work properly?)

Will it still be able to put out a garage fire effectively during freezing temps, or will the fire suppressant be frozen solid?

Anecdotal I guess, but I've had a fire extinguisher out in my barn for years now and it's never been a problem.  Being in Michigan, it regularly gets below 0F.  Granted, I've never actually tried to use it, but I think the freezing point of the chemicals in there is way below zero.

ETA:

Looking at this page it seems like the operating temp of a typical ABC extinguisher is going to be -65F to 120F.