Why do LED Lights Flicker on Low Dimmer Setting I just wired up the following schematic and both sets of LED recessed lights will flicker when dimmed below full power. It doesn't matter what the other dimmer is set to (full power, low power, off). The flicker is very quick, it is sporadic and doesn't follow a pattern. All lights on each line are included in the flicker. When set to full power on the dimmer slider, no flickering occurs. Both of the dimmers are the same and they are listed as compatible on each set of lights. All of the wiring that I ran was 12/2 based on this being on a 20 amp breaker.

All of the LED lights come with junction boxes and screw on pigtails down to the actual light. In the set of 4 LED's on the left of drawing, I have all 4 junction boxes wired up, but only the last light is connected by its pigtail as the wife wants to wait for the countertop to be installed before deciding how many lights she actually wants over it. So I may be removing a 1 or 2 of those lights from the line.

The middle switches in each 3 gang box are simple on/off switches to run either a ceiling fan or an exhaust fan.

I am curious of what steps I should take to try and diagnose the flicker. I just rechecked all wiring connections and nothing is loose.

My thoughts are that either the three missing lights on run one are causing the flicker. Or the USB outlets sharing the neutral line are causing the flicker. Or the dimmers, even after being listed as compatible actually aren't.

Is there anything in this schematic that jumps out to someone before I start buying different switches and outlets to troubleshoot with?

LED Lights Link #1
LED Lights Link #2
Dimmers Link #3

LEDs on AC Power Don't Like to be Dimmed. Period.
(LEDs on DC can actually be dimmed quite easily - just look at an older battery powered LED device (like handheld computer games from the 1980s) and you can see the LEDs dim when the battery is low.)
But most AC powered LED lights - whether complete fixtures or Edison bulb incandescent replacements - have a driver circuit that takes high voltage AC and turns it into low voltage DC. That process does not lend itself well to dimming.
A modern dimmer is not, contrary to popular belief (including what I thought when I was a kid) simply reducing the constant amount of current or voltage. Rather, it chops up the power into little pieces and only sends some of those pieces to the lights.
With incandescent lights, only the total power really matters much. It also helps that the incandescent lights use the power "as is", where an LED light has to convert from 120V AC down to very low voltage DC. So this works fine on incandescent lights.
However, CFL & LED lights are, essentially "on or off". So dimming becomes a lot more complicated. With LEDs in particular, it takes very little power to produce light, so you often end up in one of two situations:

Flickering - The LED gathers up enough "bits of power" until it has enough to produce light. Uses that power to produce light. Waits for some more power.
Dim - This is actually what you want with a dimmer. But with LEDs this can happen even with a very small trickle of current to power a timer/motion detector/etc., with the result that "off" is never really "off".

There are technical solutions, aka "dimmable compatible LEDs" together with "LED compatible dimmers". Essentially, the LED light has to figure out that the chopped up bits of power are not a deliberate attempt at flickering the lights but rather intended to dim the lights. But despite the best efforts, sometimes they just don't work well together. As you have found out the hard way.
If both the LED fixtures and the dimmers claim compatibility, I would start by trying a different brand of dimmer to see if that helps.


What kind of caulk should I use for sealing windows to drywall? I installed new vinyl windows and now need to caulk them to the drywall of the window boxes on the interior side. What kind of caulk should I use? I've generally been using a nice silicone caulk, but it's not paintable and I anticipate eventually repainting the window boxes. If I use latex caulk, that'll work for repainting, but the old windows used latex caulk and it was brittle as a pretzel stick by the time I removed it.

I was going to say just acrylic latex (aka 'alex').  But since you don't like that or silicone, how about alex + silicone?  :) For example:

http://www.amazon.com/18128-Acrylic-Latex-Silicone-5-5-Ounce/dp/B00130BWLM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415915327&sr=8-1&keywords=acrylic+latex+silicone+caulk

The product is intended to address the relative weaknesses of each component.  It's paintable, but supposed to be more flexible and better able to expand and contract with temp change.


How can I stop a porch crack from causing internal cracking? My front porch slab has cracked and part is at least an inch lower. It is supporting the roof. Now there is a crack going up the inside of my drywall at the same place. Suggestions on how to solve this so I make sure it is done right.

You have to jack the porch up to get it back to the correct height.  I would suggest using a level to hold at a congruent part of your roofline or front molding.

Take a car jack and a 4x4 and prop the roofline until it is a bit higher (1/8") than level.  Slide under some pressure treated wood or rubber shims under the posts.  Check in local rafters, connecting pieces and make sure that everything is snug, braces are still work, and so on.  You need a really good visual inspection.  This is a bit of an emergency since if you wait you could incur a lot of damage.

Now for the porch... There are a TON of ways to go about this.  You could just leave it alone and hope it doesn't sink anymore.  They won't sink forever even with bad footings.  There comes a point where they pretty much stay.  Just make sure the dirt around it isn't eroding - if it is landscape to protect the area.

You could also have a new porch poured.  They would simply jack up your posts, demo old porch, and pour new.

You could build a wooden porch over old.  This would probably require a little demo for the posts.  This is only feasible if your porch is a bit lower than your step - or you have to do a total demo.  Demo isn't as hard as you think because you can dig a hole and bury most of it in most cases.

People do have their pads injected with concrete to provide makeshift footings.  Concrete company will come out, drill through porch in strategic areas, bore deep enough for footing, and pour.  The good companies that do this have it down to a science and do great long lasting work.  However most never give you a proper footing and it sinks again in 5-10 years.

Really the take away is get it jacked up and then figure it out after.  This happens all the time and isn't the end of the world unless you let it go.


Pure sine wave or modified for a Trane HVAC? Winter is near and I want to be able to run my Trane HVAC 1 hp motor and my Dell abd Mac desktop computers off an inverter or generator.  Should I get something that puts out a pure sine wave or can I safely use less expensive, modified sine wave equipment?

the laptop  wont care if its  modified sine wave power but  if you plan on running an ac get a generator the trane is using  a 1 hp capacitor start capacitor run induction motor, it requires  a true sinewave to run  using modified will ruin it and void the waranty. also truesine inverters are very costly. you should be fine using a 25kw generator.


Is it OK for air conditioning condensation to drip right next to the house? Our house has a 3/4" PVC pipe coming out the side which drains condensation from the central air conditioning. It drips at what seems like a normal rate. Taking a wild guess, I'd say a gallon per day. The water lands maybe two inches from the exterior wall.

At my dad's suggestion, I just added flexible pipes to divert the water from our gutters away from the house. He also suggested I divert this drip. His concern in both cases is potential moisture problems in the basement.

Is this amount of water worth diverting?
If so, I'd want a flexible hose and a clamp to attach it. So far my searches only turn up hoses for interior use. Any clues what this would be called?

Edit

I think the amount dripping is actually more like 5 gallons a day (another wild guess, but it is actually a thin little stream rather than a drip).

I've read a few sources on this and there seems to be some argument on what the best practice is.  This thread at InspectorsJournal is similar and the conversation quickly shows that even most of these inspectors have different opinions when it comes to A/C drainage.  A lot of the difference though, is geographic location of the home, and whether the ground around the drain slopes away from the house or is flat.

The example in the image below if from the EPA in their guide for moisture control around the foundation.  Not all the guide will be useful and its not exactly your situation, but you can check it out here.

If the water is not running away from your foundation and sitting stagnant against the it, I would drain the water.  TodaysHomeOwner.com has a good article on possible solutions.  Though the topic is for a drain directly from an exterior A/C unit, the principles should be the same.

If you can't extend your 3/4" PVC easily, exterior hose clamps and hoses should be available at your local home improvement stores.  Most of clamps are stainless steel and should work fine.  Plumping departments should have hose by the foot that would work as well.


Maytag Dryer wiring issue I have a Maytag Dryer model number LDE8420ACW that was give to me. The yellow, blue, purple and 2 white wires that connect to the power terminal block that the power supply cord hooks to are not connected to the terminal.  I would like to know what wires hook together or  what they hook to. It is a 3 (prong) wire terminal block. The 5 wires mentioned have numbers on them if it is of any help the 3 wires coming from the control panel are labeled white-22 , purple-23 , yellow-34 and the 2 wires coming from below are labeled blue-28 and white-29.

Fixed: The blue wire connects to the top post of the terminal block the two White wires to the middle,  the yellow and purple to the bottom post.


Installing a deadbolt on a door with a circular hole for the deadbolt location? I recently installed two MasterCraft doors from Menards.  It has two holes in the door.  One for the knob and another for the deadbolt.  If you look at the edge of the door both holes are circular where the bolts will hit the strike plate.

I was able to get the door knob installed without issue because the door knob had the option to slip a circular head over the end.  The deadbolt on the other hand does not have this option.  It has a square/rectangle and that is it, while my door has a circular hole.  I went and looked at the hardware store and all the deadbolts looked to have this rectangle insert for the door and none had a circular insert.

Guessing someone has ran into this before do you just take a chisel to it to create an area for a rectangular insert?  I kind of feel like I shouldn't need to do this on a new door.  Maybe I am missing something.

What I am talking about specifically are the holes on the edge of the door as seen in picture above.  As you can see there is a circular and rectangle insert in this door.  My door only has a circular insert for both deadbolt and door knob.

Do you have a deadbolt?  Try putting it in.  Although the bolt is rectangular, it is slightly smaller than the one inch hole so it should fit just fine.  The facing which guides the bolt screws into the edge of the door to hold it stable.  It is possible some chiseling will be needed to make the bolt's facing flush with the door.


Should I add plywood or OSB between sistered beams? I'm going to stiffen up my main floor joists by sistering then bridging them.  In the past a friend put something in the middle, is that standard?  Should I put 1/2" plywood or OSB in between?

There is no real reason to put a spacer between the joists when sistering them.  Usually using some 1/2 plywood between dimensional lumber is to correct the thickness to vertical lumber dimensions, like on a header over a door.  If you were to add a spacer, I would use plywood as OSB has much less sheer strength.  Adding some plywood will add a bit more strength, but in your case, may not make a difference.


Running wire through built-in drywalled entertainment center See the following picture for the entertainment center in question:

It was originally designed for 4x3 Standard Definition TVs to be placed in the bottom left alcove (partially hidden by the Corona--sorry, this was the best picture I could find for illustration).  As a result, all of the cable hookups are in that alcove instead of up on top.

I'm not concerned in particular with drilling a sufficiently-large hole through so that I can run power and coax/Ethernet.  I'm particularly interested in finding the correct pipe/tube that I can run through the hole, and then the necessary finishing parts that I can hook on each end to make it look like it was supposed to be there to begin with.

I'm planning on building a shelf to go in the lower left that will house a new surround sound receiver, xbox 1, and HTPC (the latter both pictured), so I'm considering something around 2 inches in diameter.  Thank you for any input you can provide!

Not entirely sure what exactly you're looking for, but several companies make in wall runs for tv/speaker wires. Most just assume you will be running the cables in the wall itself, and provide either blank-canvas wall plates. Some provide end point connectors in order to provide a wire 'socket' for the wall plate.

Here's a video tutorial on a simple version of this.

http://www.diypete.com/how-to-hide-tv-wires/


Is it normal for tap water to turn brown/blue when the pipes freeze? In our old apartment, the pipes would freeze during the winter during the night, and in the morning sometimes the water that came out of the tap was blue at first.  We spoke to a plumber, and he believed it was due to "backwash" from the upstairs neighbor's toilet.  However, our old landlord assured us that this was perfectly normal, and our water would be fine if we let it run for a while every morning.

Now we have a new apartment, and it appears the pipes have frozen again - when I turn on the tap, the pipes sputter and barely any water comes out.  However, this time the water that comes out is brown.  Is this normal?  Should we demand that our landlord fix it - can it even be fixed?

I really don't like the idea someone else's poop flowing through the same pipes as our clean water (note: I don't actually know that that's what's causing it to be brown - could it be another reason?)

We're seeing here in action why backflow preventers (check valves) are mandated in various municipalities.

Blue water sounds like someone was using one of those toilet cleaner tablets in the tank, the system lost pressure due to the freeze blockage and siphoned the toilet tank till the fill tube on the ballcock was exposed. Not something I'd want circulating in my drinking water. It also could be copper sulfate from corrosion that occurs in copper piping, but that usually is only enough to stain sinks and tubs.

If the water is orangish brown, it may be that the stress from freezing has knocked a lot of iron rust loose in the pipes. Typically, there is always a major air gap between sewage and potable water (nigh impossible to get the toilet bowl to empty into the flush tank due to gravity and four inches of air the water would have to jump).

Your major worries with pipes freezing is that if they do burst, they can draw contaminated water back in if they're in places like flooded basements and the act of draining causes a vacuum within. At that point, you have bacteria contaminated water to deal with.

Your landlord definitely should be notified and should tell you what the water contaminant is.


Patching Holes in Iron Staircase My condo building has an outdoor iron staircase that has been developing some penny to quarter sized holes. While the staircase is structurally sound, I’m looking for a solution to patch the holes in order to ease the concerns of some residents looking to avoid harm.

I’ve read that iron can be devilishly difficult to    weld. I’m pretty hands on, and I’m ideally looking for a DIY solution, but I'm hoping to draw on the experience and recommendations of the community. Here's some pictures for reference:

Do not waste your time. Salt got to it and needs to be replaced. Do one step at a time. band-aid just waste of money and time. Metal grate may be better. No snow and less salt. Check on grate high heels may be problem. And not code in area.


What paint to use on particle board for a shoe rack? I am repurposing a piece of particle board from a kitchen island to add another level to our shoe rack. I wanted to know what paint would be best to use. I don’t want the board to swell. Would covering the piece in contact paper be a better way to seal it from wet/muddy shoes?
Thank you, Beth Anne

Particle board is often covered with a plastic laminate instead of paint, but there's nothing inherently wrong with painting it. You don't want to glop on massive quantities of paint, but there should be no issue in painting it.
Use your favorite paint, so long as it's designed for wood, not plastics or metal. i.e., just about anything you'd get custom mixed that the paint counter at your local home improvement center.
If you want to go with a spray paint for a bit of an easier, smoother finish, that's where you'd want to be sure to avoid the ones that specifically indicate "metal" or "plastic" (though if they include those in addition to wood, you should be just fine).
Covering the particle board with a laminate isn't terribly difficult, if you do want to go that way. It simply takes some laminate and contact cement. How to do it would be the topic of a new internet search and/or a new question here.
Contact paper would probably not be a good material. In my experience, it would likely come off in your described use case far too soon, and it would be difficult to get good sealing coverage from the top to the edges to protect against water/snow melt/mud that might drip off the shoes and down the edges of the boards.


Thermocouple with a built in safety overtemp disc verses a standard universal T/C? My water heater has a thermocouple with an in line overtemp disc stamped 190. The pilot will not stay on after holding the gas valve's pilot start button. So, i assumed like every other water heater i have repaired, that it must be the T/C. But i have never encountered before this, an in-line safety disc on a t/c. So i tried installing a standard universal type t/c and the pilot still will not remain on! is it possible my old t/c with the disc is creating a different mV value? the universal one screws right into the gas valve (same thread, diameter and depth). By the way the mfg of the heater is Kenmore.

By-pass the limit switch and see if the pilot light stays on. We've replaced so many of these limits, I can't count them anymore.

A few tanks have had a service bulletin issued to replace the entire gas valve / burner assembly. We've down about 8 of these so far. The parts are free at least and have solved the issue 100% of the time.

Sometimes poor venting is the issue. Check the air intake underneath the bottom of the tank if the screen wasn't installed around the base of the tank.


Is there any harm in caulking the bottom of this electrical conduit plate or should it be left unsealed? There is a small leak into the interior that I’m wondering if it is getting in from the bottom not being sealed.
Also, should the gap in the conduit where you can see the white wire be fixed?

Yes, the gap is improper, and the conduit is not anchored,
Further it may need  to be a different type of conduit if it is subject to physical damage at that location (it didn't pull itself out). For instance, replacing the sharp elbow with a LB conduit body for schedule 80 PVC would be a step in the right direction.
The white cable we can see in the conduit is NM-B type, which is not allowed outside, underground or in wet locations, even if it is in conduit.
Even if it was allowed, it is too large for that size of conduit.  The conduit ID must be 138% of the widest dimension of the cable (which means UF cable won't work here either).
The right thing for running in conduit is THWN individual wires (i.e. loose wires, no sheath. Don't need a sheath in conduit.


There is mold in my bucket of paint. Can I still use the paint? This is a very expensive acrylic paint, the bucket was not properly closed, and left 1 year in the basement.

Now there is mold inside the bucket ; The strong smell of acrylic has also disappeared.

It doesn't need to be perfect quality, since I just wanted to finish the painting of the technical room of my house. But well.. brown color spots would certainly look awful on the white walls. (On top of that I could bring mold inside the house..)

Maybe I could filter the paint into another clean bucket, and and try to stir it anyway ? Or this is too dangerous, there was a chemical reaction and my paint is dead ?

Try using a spatula and clean off the moldy area, it might just be some rust, without disturbing the rest of the paint so you don't mix the mold/rust in. Once it's cleaned up, stir the paint and determine if the texture seems right and then paint a scrap piece of wood and see what it looks like. The fact that you don't have the acrylic smell means the chemicals that keep the paint liquid and spreadable have weakened and that's not a good sign. You've waited a year, try a test spot and see what it looks like...


WIll electric pressure washer work with low water pressure? I live in a 5th floor of a building that doesn't have strong water pressure. I remember that many years ago a cleaning group was going to pressure-wash the exterior of the building, but couldn't because, supposedly, the water pressure wasn't strong enough. I wasn't there at the moment; a neighbor told me this.

So yesterday I saw a 1,450 PSI electric pressure washer for around $80, and I was considering buying one to clean the rooftop. But now I'm reconsidering.

So, my question is, does low water pressure actually affect the functionality of a pressure washer?

What my neighbor told never made sense to me. From my understanding, the purpose of a pressure washer is to work with low water pressure.

Thanks.

You need at least the same flow rate out of the hose that the pressure washer uses. look at the GPM (Gallons per minute). With the hose on the roof, run the hose wide open for a minute or 2 so you will have the true flow rate. Then fill a bucket and time how long it takes divide by the size of the bucket if your unit uses 2.5 gallons per minute, a 1 gallon bucket would need to fill in 24 seconds, 12 seconds for a 5 GPM. You don't want to starve the pump or it will damage it. Many contractors use 5 GPM @ 5000 PSI and larger units. 1450 is probably 1.8-2.5 GPM from the units I have seen. If you have slightly higher than the flow the machine needs you should be good. There are also inline booster pumps with standard hose fittings that could be used at ground level to increase the pressure (Running on 120V) these can be expensive for a good one.


What is this gray thing thing on a main water line right after it comes into house? What is this gray thing thing on a main water line - right after it comes into house?

Edit:
this is private well, I should have clarified.

I can't find one that looks exactly like that, but the two most common items would be

a check valve (one way valve) (might have an arrow molded into it)
a "constant pressure valve" (slight misnomer) - a pressure regulator with a slight, intentional leak - used to keep your pump running a long time at constant pressure (say 50 PSI) while you are using water, and then let it slowly "leak" up to 60 and shutoff, whereupon it will drop down to 40 and turn on, then rise to 50 and stay there until your water use becomes low or none and the cycle repeats.

If you watch the pressure behavior as you use water the second one should become clear, if it applies. Or it could be something I haven't met/thought of. Possibly a (disused) chlorine or other chemical injector given the fitting on the bottom? Or an air injector if you have very antique pressure tanks with no membrane/bladder.


What could cause a battery hedge trimmer to have white smoke come out of it? For the most part my hedge trimmer was doing a really great job. I did have a little trouble with the thicker stems, so I would swing the trimmer at the stems while cutting, which helped.
However, a day later after cutting for a while and just very minimal swinging, the trimmer was like dying out. Put a new fully charged battery in it, and started cutting again. Not even 2 minutes later the trimmer was dying again and there was white smoke coming out of the hedge trimmer itself.
What could that be? Is it safe to use this trimmer again?

Your hedge trimmer sounds like it has died or is in the process of dying.
A quick google search confirms that this can occur with Black & Decker hedge trimmers, although it does not appear to be wide spread. Because you didn't provide the model it isn't possible to give you a more specific reason why it has failed. My opinion is that when you were having difficulty cutting larger stems, the motor was overworked and this is what led to the failure.
Random reviews about white smoke coming from a electric Black & Decker hedge trimmer

unfortunately, mine is broken. I just purchase it from walmart and while using it a smoke started coming out. I took it back to walmart for replacement but they told me to contact black and decker for a replacement.
It seemed to be working great initially and trimmed small forsythia bushes great. However within a short period it started to clatter. I never cut anything larger than about 1/8" and only recharged the batter once. After 10 minutes of use after the second battery charge dense white smoke poured out of the motor compartment, and that was that.

The smoke you are seeing is from the electric motor.

Is it safe to use this trimmer again?

Yes it is safe to continue using the hedge trimmer, however the electric motor will continue to fail until it doesn't work anymore if it is even working now at all.
As noted by Wayfaring Stranger, the electric motor may survive a little over heating, but from what I've read specifically about this issue with B&D electric hedge trimmers is that it's finished or will be very soon.
If it ceases to function, unfortunately you will have to return the product or purchase a new one.


What are some ways to remove hardened epoxy from drain pipes? Long story short. Some idiot poured down half a gallon of mixed epoxy into the sink, and washed it down with water. Epoxy traveled quite far, and then hardened, fusing with the pipes, creating a hard and watertight clog. The clog happens to be in a place where it is completely inaccessible (under and inside structural elements), so it is impossible to replace these pipes without demolishing half of the building. What are some ways to separate that epoxy from the pipes and clear the plug? We already tried flexible "snakes", but the epoxy is fused with the pipe, and won't move. Are there any chemicals that can dissolve it or break it apart without damaging the pipes? As far as we know, the pipes in that section are made from PVC.

I know it is a hard case... But demolishing half the building is really not an option. Looking forward to your ideas!


Is TXV required when an appropriate piston/orifice is used? I had a Goodman GSX140181 1.5 Ton 14 SEER Air Conditioner R-410A installed with a Goodman CHPF3636B6 3 Ton Horizontal A Evaporator Coil installed by a contractor.  It came as a kit, along with a Goodman TX2N4A Kit 1.5-2 Ton R-410A Thermal Expansion Valve.  Note that it's a 3T evaporator and a 1.5T condenser.  That's the way the kit came, and it was priced well, so although the tonnage is different, it was sold as a kit, to be installed together, and was supposedly the way the manufacturer intended for 1.5T worth of cooling to be delivered.
The contractor installed the system and it's cooling nicely, but later I found out that he did not install the TXV (it's still in the box, in the attic).  When I asked, he said it was not necessary because he used the piston/orafice that was shipped with the condenser unit.  I saw that piston, which was in a bag, stapled to the condenser unit.
Although the system is cooling fine, and I'm getting about a 12 to 14 degree F temperature drop, I'm wondering about efficiency, long-term reliability, warranty, etc.
What's the difference between a TXV install versus an installation with the appropriately sized piston?  Will it effect efficiency, reliability, warranty, or anything else?  Is it worth the trouble to evacuate, install the TXV, and recharge?

I believe he used an orifice, the correct size orifice will function fine in the system but the txv may be able to increase the efficiency. An orifice just meters the flow of refrigerant, the txv actually regulates the flow or throttles the refrigerant to maintain a constant temp in the evaporator. Yes a larger evaporator is quite common you would never want a smaller one but larger will be fine as long as it is not icing up. I have done both and had both.
orifice controlled less possible failures as 1 less active component,
TXV slightly lower cost to run but usually cost more up front.
If you wanted the txv in the system we would recover the refrigerant into a tank that’s a bit bigger than any bags I have seen, remove the orifice install the txv place the control bulb on the return side of the evaporator solder back up pump down and recharge the system with the refrigerant that was removed. It can take the better part of a day and I usually use the orifice on low seer machines (below18) and would in this case because your coil is larger you may not recoup the extra cost.


measuring power drawn from an inverter what could be the cause of this? The output power i get from my calculation after measuring AC current with a clamp meter and multiplying by 220v is not always close to the amount of load plugged

Welcome to Power Factor. Amps times volts only equals watts for loads that have a power factor of 1.0, such as a pure resistive heater or incandescent light.

Typical loads such as motors LED or florescent lights and most computer power supplies (though some newer ones are well-adjusted and may hit 0.99) have current that is somewhat out of phase with voltage. Some items are actually rated in VA (volt-amperes) rather than Watts, and that commonly reflects a non-unity power factor.

You may also have the simpler situation where you are reading a label with the maximum load and the actual load may be less than the maximum; or the "maximum load" may ignore a starting surge for a motor that may briefly be much higher than the label states for running load.


Thermostat Relay Positioning A Florida AC-only storage building is equally divided sections each with:

a single hallway to provide access to storage units
3 doors (25 feet apart) provide building access into one of the hallways
each section is designed the same as the others
an AC handler is mounted in the hallway ceiling near the door and a thermostat

The design includes an electronic controller (one single-board computer and electronic relays) to signal for:

cooling (Yellow wire)
fan (Green wire).

Decision point: The relays can be placed either:

proximal to the computer: requiring thermostat wiring to be run to the computer
proximal to the each air handler: requiring wiring to be run between air handler and the computer

What are the questions & considerations that must be thought-out before making a decision as to where to locate the relays?

Here's what you don't want to do.

  Try to haul 5 volts any appreciable distance.

So I would lean seriously toward having the 24VAC wiring do the long haul.

However, if you want the gory details, you need to examine each option: determine the current that will flow on the long haul, and grind that through a voltage drop calculator given the expected wire size and distance.

The root of the problem is that a 0.5-volt drop only reduces 24V only 2%, but reduces 5 volts 10%.  Much worse, to do the same practical work, 5V needs five times the current, so
now you're looking at 2% versus 50%.  In other words, voltage drop's practical burden is a function of voltage difference squared, so it is 25 times worse for 5V than 24V.


Measuring humidity through ceramic tile to deduce a course of action Just bought a house, and during the inspector noted in his report that the "shower step" (the door frame on which glass door rail sits) has a slope the wrong direction, causing water to accumulate against the rail, and probably infiltrating in the "step".

He said that if underneath it's concrete straight (it's in the basement) there is no cause to worry, and that I could probably just redo the silicon. When he inspected, he measured the humidity on the outside of the shower step, and it was at 100%. (using a General Tools & Instruments MMD5NP Pinless LCD Moisture Meter or somethign that looked like that.)

What I was planing on doing is:

Buy such an instrument.
Measure the humidity as a benchmark.
Redo the silicon
Wait a few weeks
Measure again and compare.

If the humidity stays the same, consult someone to help me with fixing the step, if the humidity drops, leave it like that and keep an eye on it.

My question is: Is that course of action viable, or I'm just wasting time and money?

Water penetration is usually destructive, such that damage is detectable without fancy instruments. The tile grout on the outside of the curb would show signs of being wet and/or you might see efflorescence from evaporating moisture. As well as loose tiles, wet floor, etc.

If the shower curb is indeed sloped towards the outside of the enclosure then it was not designed correctly, which is a concern. Put a level on it. In the end, if it's been like that for some time and there are no signs of damage, it may not be something to worry too much about. The detector is not the "be all end all", a few years back inspectors did not even use them.


mini closet - Jack/King stud question i try to build a really small closet, we have a limit space.
I was wondering if i have to put Jack and King stud, and Cripple?
what do you think of this plan

If you are tight on space left-right and can't afford the thickness of both jack & king studs you may be able to use a header hanger instead:

They are available from Simpson Strong-Tie & also Mitek in the USA at least.
Since the closet seems to be constructed in free space, it won't have any load-bearing function, so I don't think the lack of double studs is any problem from that point of view.


how to remove the particle board subfloor underlayment quickly? I have a master bedroom and office which have particle board underlayment. I can tell it is off-gassing formaldehyde because I can smell it!

I plan to replace the carpet in a month so I'd like to remove the particle board first and put new plywood.

It is nailed down like below and I still don't know what's the most efficient way/tool to remove it?

Any suggestion is appreciated!

Buy a cat's paw prybar and pound it under each nailhead, pull each nail individually. I know it sounds painfully laborous, but believe me - much cleaner, efficient, and productive. Make sure to test the smallest piece first - they may all be glued. If that's the case, go buy the cheapest latex paint you can find and paint over the floor to seal in the stink until you get your carpet.

Honestly, I'd call my latter suggestion "Plan A", but I don't know your situation.


How remove Sakura R-727II range hood to clean inside? I don't know how range hood is fixed under panel. By way, what do you call this fixation under panel?

The installation manual appears to have all the information you will need to uninstall the hood for cleaning. Although I'm not sure why you would need to completely uninstall this hood in order to clean it.
However, if that's necessary just follow the installation instructions in reverse starting with removing the bottom panel to access the four mounting screws at the inside top of the hood. These screws have keyhole openings and only need to be loosened to slide the unit forward. Be sure to turn off the power before attempting to remove any electrical connections.


Water is coming out from shower hose every time I use water in any part of my house The shower water seem to have a life of it’s own.It is not stopping regardless. When using the sink or washing machine, even the kitchen sink, the shower stream changes dynamicly with a pumping sound.
when using the sink, the shower goes on and when I turn the sink tap off, the shower stops.
when I turn on the kitchen sink or use the washing machine, water from the shower hose is coming out, but the problem is, when I turn off the water at the kitchen sink, water from shower hose doesn't stop. I need to go to the bathroom and turn on and off the bathroom sink to stop water at shower hose.

So the only way to stop water from shower hose is turning on and off bathroom sink.

Your shower valve is supposed to be able to be turned off completely. If you have a pressure balancing shower valve that will not turn off, then I suppose that lowering the pressure in one or the other of the hot or the cold line (which is what would happen if you open a valve elsewhere) could cause water to flow through the shower valve. Is the flow from the shower hot or cold water? Does the flow from the shower happen if you draw cold water elsewhere or hot water or either?

The solution would be to disassemble the shower valve and see if you can find a fault and if necessary check the adjustment of the pressure balancing.

EDIT

However, since it is some trouble to disassemble these valves you should thoroughly investigate the matter before taking that step. It has been reported that some "washerless" faucets actually use the pressure to seal and so leak when the pressure gets low. If this is what is happening with this shower valve, then you don't want to disassemble it. You need to do some testing to better define the conditions under which the shower delivers water when it is "off".


What items in a house can potentially be damaged by shutting them off at the circuit breaker? Are there certain items in a house (anything from a computer to a furnace) that can be damaged by shutting off its circuit at the electrical panel?

If so, must one avoid turning off that circuit at all times, or should one simply take certain precautions (for example, unplugging the device) before shutting off that breaker?

A Chicago Tribune article touches on the issue, but does not go into detail.

I ask because I've seen people (who didn't have a wire tracer handy) shut off entire legs of an unlabeled panel at once, in order to quickly identify the desired breaker. Using this method, one can isolate the correct breaker in about five tries. But, I worry that it's bad for certain hardwired appliances or plugged-in devices, to often have their power cut at the breaker.

First, the article writer is arm-waving.  A lot.  A device which is destroyed when you sever power is a defective device.   What he's trying to say is that breakers themselves are not made to be used as switches, and particularly, they're not made to interrupt high-current-drawing loads (like your water heater when cycled on).  Except when they are.

As circuit breakers evolved, they often came out with special variants of the breaker that can do some parlor trick a normal breaker cannot (and are UL-listed for that trick).  The breaker might be rated to also be used in a 208V/3phase panel.  It might be rated for interrupting inductive loads.  Often these breakers are expensive only because of the sunk engineering costs and that they are oddball -- the manufacturers know if they made every breaker that way, it would add almost nothing to breaker cost.  So after a time, they often do exactly that.  And often UL "levels the playing field" by changing breaker specs so all breakers must be that.

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) tests products for safety, and lists approved products.  The need to use listed electrical products comes up a lot.

Here, the relevant trick is called an "SWD" breaker.  This is made for a very common habit in factories and shops of using the breaker as a light switch. There is nothing wrong with this or the AHJ would not allow it.  Being commercial they tend to control fluorescent or HID (sodium, metal halide, mercury) lighting.  The SWD breaker is made to be used daily as a switch, tested for many more on-off cycles. The HID breaker is built extra tough to cope with the poor power factor of many HID lights.  Many manufacturers simply make all their breakers SWD rated.  Whether UL is behind this I don't know.

So likely your breakers are SWD, and rated for interrupting a big inductive load like an A/C unit all day everyday.  Your old breakers, maybe not so much, that's what the article is trying to warn about.  But even then, this is a bit of hysteria; UL tests even non-SWD breakers for thousands of cycles.


Two new circuits - both trip simultaneously on load Adding two new 20a AFCI circuits to a basement project.  I tied the circuits to the breaker panel and all outlets test out ok with a tester.

The second I put any load on either circuit, however, BOTH breakers trip.

I ran out of time to troubleshoot so left them turned off.  My only guess is that I may have accidentally reversed the neutral wires on the AFCI breakers introducing a bridge between the two circuits.

If that's not it, what else could be causing both circuits to trip on load?

I'll be back tonight for more troubleshooting.

Remove the hot and neutral of one circuit (e.g. Remove that breaker's pigtail and snap the breaker out and let it lie loose).

Then, troubleshoot the surviving circuit in the normal fashion.   A wide variety of "hook up 2 new circuits at once" mistakes will instantly become apparent.

In the future, you must have very good discipline about the relationship between neutral and hot. Every circuit must be painstakingly matched- of course, that's super easy where cable is involved, because it's either 1 circuit per cable or /2/2 cable where red's neutral has a red stripe.  What gets you is individual wires in conduit, and you are required to mark circuits somehow.  This is why I own 11 colors of wire and 10 colors of tape!


At what temperature will it be better to close the windows than to open them (if you want to keep your home cool in the heat)? Say that you've already covered up all the windows (although heat will still be transferred through heating the windowshades).

Whenever it's cooler outside than it is inside.  But you have to factor into the equation the humidity, breeze, impact of sunlight since you can't keep the blinds down, etc.  And if you open the windows, the humidity that enters the home takes time to be removed by the AC.

Personally, I wait until the outside high temp is about 5F above my target temp, and the lows are much lower.  Then I open the windows at night, and close the windows and blinds during the afternoon if it's getting hot out.  I also only bother opening a handful of windows, on each side of the house for the breeze, and high and low for the chimney effect.


how to properly hang door when wall is far out of plumb? I have a new solid-wood interior door that I want to hang.  I removed the previous jamb, as it was not well installed.  The rough opening is reasonably plumb when looking through the doorway (some shimming will make the jamb perfectly plumb in that direction).   However, the wall in which the doorway sits is not plumb.  It is about an inch out of plumb from the floor to top of the door.

How do I account for this and hang the door plumb to the floor?

I am stuck with the out of plumb wall and cannot adjust it by tapping the base with a sledge because it is a finished home and has drywall already hung.

All that makes sense to me is to install the jamb out of plumb (aligned with the wall).  Then, install the door stop (stop block - not sure what best to call the piece that stops the door) and the hinges plumb.  This will mean the stop block is 1 3/8" in from the edge of the jamb (as is typically the case) at the bottom of the door, but it will be 2 3/8" in at the top of the jamb.  And in that case, the bottom hinge can be set fairly easily (aligned with stop block, not with edge of jamb).  However, the top hinge would need to be set the same distance from the stop block, which means it would be set so far into the jamb at the top that the pin itself would no longer be proud of the jamb's edge.  Is that okay?  I could gouge out the jamb just enough to make room for the hinge pin...but is that a terrible idea?

Better ideas?

Edit: I feel perhaps I posted this question too quickly without fully thinking it through.  Another possibility (that now seems an obvious solution) would be to install the jamb nice and plumb, though it will extend beyond the wall at the bottom.  Then use drywall compound to bring the wall out to flush with the jamb.

Depending the style of trim and width, will help determine how much fudging can be done. Usually, depending on the trim choice and whether it is mitered or not, 1/2" can be taken away by moving the jamb past the wall at the top and the bottom to aid in getting it closer to plumb and carve away the drywall strategically to help ease the trim to meet the wall properly.

What you mention in your edit is worth another idea. Since you are willing to feather it out to be plumb, or at least more plumb, you could remove enough drywall to allow shims to be added or sister studs to the existing to get the wall plumb. Perhaps it could be done on the other side of the wall as well? It will require a wider jamb, but it will be plumb...


How can I remove stinky radiator water from a rug? While I was away I had a radiator leak in my apartment, to the point water was leaking into the apartment downstairs.

My rug absorbed most of it, and absolutely stinks. What would be the best way to clean out the rug, or is it beyond saving?

I live in NYC, so I don't have the option of a backyard or balcony to dry it out...

Replacement makes the most sense here. You can fuss with steam-cleaning it, but you may not get all the smell out and the cost may exceed the cost of a new rug, per comments above. Toss it, clean the floor well, and replace if desired.


What techniques are used to change the color of a particle board's veneer & edge banding? I found a piece of particle board that seems to be strong enough to hold an Apple 17 inch monitor, since it has the size and thickness requirements.

I'm toying with the idea of changing the color of this wood, but since it's particle board, with a veneer and edge banding (all of these are terms I learned today) I don't know how hard this is to do.

What are the general steps I need to follow to change this wood to another color, assuming I live in NYC and have no tools but can buy them?
Is there any advice you would like to give for getting the table legs and attaching them to the board?
Is it more economical to start from scratch and just buy a ready made particle board of this size with the right color?   Home Depot has nothing that will help me here.

Monitor stand that will hold one or two 27 inch monitors  on a Sanus monitor stand

Penny included for relative thickness.

The cheapest, easiest no tools (except scissors) method is to use contact paper. It is available at most hardware or decorating centers.  It is preglued vinyl sheet on a roll similar to wallpaper. Several wood grains are usually available. It used to be used commonly as cabinet shelf lining. With practice you can get decent results, it is water resistant and cleanable.


Where are filters on my range hood? My Toronto, CA condo has Sakura R727II range hood (Installation Guide)
 and has

  Twin sensor-loaded motors
  Twin centrifugal turbo fans
  Teflon-coated non-stick fan blades
  Rear oil collectors

This website says

  a thin aluminum filter traps grease even before reaching the fan blades

but where's filter?

The website you linked to that sells the filters has this line in the description of the hood:

  ...a thin aluminum filter traps grease even before reaching the fan blades...

Based on the other diagrams of the product, the only place the filters can go is over the vane guards.  I guess there is a chance the filter sits right inside the vane guard, because the guard is described as "washable" as well, but that should be easy to determine once you have the filters.

Unless you do a lot of frying, the filters might not be necessary.  I assume that is why it is an optional accessory.


Michigan Kitchen Sink Electrical Requirements Wondering what the NEC code requirements are for Residential Kitchen outlets. I was told that the two wall outlets on either side of the kitchen sink have to be on separate circuits. The kitchen in my home has one circuit but has a GFCI on both outlets. Is this allowed? The GFCI outlets are wired as required by the manufacturer for proper function.

I actually have many circuits in the kitchen. One for the lights which is AFCI breakered at the box. A dedicated circuit with GFCI for each of these: Garbage disposal, Fridge, Dishwasher. Then I have Two circuits for the countertops. one on the north wall and one on the south wall. All circuits are 20amp on 12 ga wire except for the lights. they are on 14 ga. wire with a 15 amp breaker.

Code requires two 20 ampere small appliance branch circuits, which it sounds like you have. There's no requirement that I'm aware of, that the receptacles near the sink have to be separate circuits. Though it could potentially be a local ammendment, so you'd have to chek with your local building department.

NEC also requires all countertop receptacles to be GFCI protected, not just those near the sink.


Will a fully collapsed extension ladder safely support twice its duty rating? My grandfather has a Werner 24' aluminum 200-lb type III extension ladder. I want to know if, in its fully collapsed state, it will safely support ~300 lbs. By my reasoning, if it will safely support 200 lbs fully extended, there is no reason it shouldn't support ~400 lbs while fully collapsed, provided, of course, that the weight is evenly distributed across both rungs.

Your logic is that in fully-collapsed mode, both channels are doubled up, and ought to be able to bear twice the weight.

The problem with that is the second channel is not resting on the ground.  It is still transferring all its borne weight to the first channel at some point.

What's more, it is virtually impossible to distribute your weight evenly on the rungs 100% of the time.  You will be climbing or descending on toe or heel.  You might be super careful the first few times, but complacency  will set in.

They do make heavy-capacity ladders... but I am concerned about the general wisdom of taking a great deal of mass up a ladder.  Agility is a big factor in ladder work, and I can't imagine being able to be safe managing 120 pounds of gear up a ladder, even if it was securely attached to me, even if I had more muscle than I do.


Hanging a punching bag in the basement I have hung a punching bag weighing about 100 pounds in my unfinished basement.  I just want to make sure that the setup would not harm my basement in any way.

The boards are 2*6 lumber
The screws I used to hang the boards are 3.5 inches long (8 per
board)
This is the heavy bag hanger
This is the heavy duty spring

Answers that I am interested in:

Would this setup

Cause any sort of damage to the basement?
be able to hold punches on the bag?
When I did not use the spring, it caused a lot of vibration.  Would that be damaging?

I read some of the comments here and tend to agree with several points raised.

The 2x6 pieces should be 100% tight and snug to the bottoms of the joists above. It looks like you tried to screw them into place without a clearance hole in the 2x6 which is what could lead to the type of fit shown. You should at least remove and reinstall them correctly.
You could do better than the screws you used by using some lag bolts instead. These will need a washer under the lag bolt head, a clearance sized hole through the 2x6s and a pilot sized hole in the joists. The clearance hole allows the lag bolt to pass through the 2x6. The pilot hole is the inner diameter of the lag bolt threaded region. I suggest 5/6 x 3.5" sized bolts. The bolts and washers would look like shown below.

You need to secure the chain to spring connection better. As it is now the chain could jump off the spring hook under robust usage of the punching bag. A better way would be to use a short bolt two washers and a nut to fasten the chain link to the spring hook. I suggest using at least a 5/16" diameter bolt if not even a 3/8" size. It may be necessary to spread the chain link to get the bolt through.


Why has one of my two propane fireplaces suddenly gone completely out? I have two open propane fire places one in my livingroom & the master bedroom right beside the livingroom. I have been using them both with out the logs in the fire place for a month or so now, anyway the one in my bedroom just shut off the polit light an all, the one in the livingroom is still on, they both are running off the same 100 lb tank that is new. I have been using them for almost two months now & never had this happen. I need to know what is going on I have small children in my home & will need them for heat & I won't sleep well till I know for a fact what the problem is or if I should let someone trained to look at it, my old man says he can fix it but I am a mom like I said an I am going to worry. Please someone help me figure out what is going on.

Before I speak to the problem of the one fireplace not working let me say a couple of things.  First, these types of appliances; gas logs in open masonry fire places are some of the least efficient ways to heat a room.  The vast majority of what little heat they make goes up the chimney. In a given 24-hour period you could experience a net loss in heat to the space.  Second, those units should not be used without their logs in place.  The logs are an integral of the appliance and its safe burning. They are an approved appliance if they are used according to manufacturer's instructions.  With out the logs, they are not an approved appliance.  As to the malfunction in the bedroom unit, it is probably something simple to repair. And those units have layers of built-in safety. No cause for alarm.  Simply because it is not burning is no indication that it represents a hazard.  Without a standing pilot all the valves close to stop any flow of gas. You may just need to relight the pilot, after you get the logs set properly.


My wall socket is wired to my light switch I have just moved into a rented property in spain. My wall socket in my bedroom wouldnt work so my landlord came around and "fixed" it. the socket does work now but only when i have my bedroom light on. So before i go to bed i have to unscrew the bulb so i can charge my phone, watch tv etc. ive got a feeling he just wired the socket to the light switch. Its the only socket in the room. I have spoke to my landlord everyday since but like everything in spain - they will do it tomorrow. Ive been waiting 2 weeks now. Is it something i can fix?

Is it something i can fix?

You are probably able to fix this but you are probably not legally entitled to make changes to the wiring without the landlord's permission.

My guess is that he connected a wire to the wrong side of the switch.

In the UK you cannot mix outlets and lights on the same circuit but I don't know if this is permitted in Spain.


Is it safe to replace a Furnace pressure switch with a different one? So I had some problem with my gas furnace and a technician came by to install a new one but it doesn't have the same rating and only has one tube instead of two. He assures me it's fine but I thought all furnace repairs had to be made with OEM parts? Can anyone let me know if this is safe and if it will affect the life of my furnace?

The furnace is a Lennox ML195 Single stage 95% efficiency furnace. He replaced the whole pressure switch but the new one has only one port whereas the old one has two, so now there is a hose that is unconnected on one end. Also the old pressure switch has a rating of 0.90 PF and the new one says 0.27" WC is that the same?

The documentation for your furnace, calls for a switch rated at 0.90" wc.  Using a switch with a lower rating, means that the switch may be closing without the proper inducer air flow.

If you called the tech out because the furnace was not working, you may have a problem that was preventing the switch from closing.  By putting in a different switch, the tech might just be ignoring a big problem.

There are three main reasons that a combustion air pressure switch would not close.

Obstruction/restriction of the air intake.
Obstruction/restriction of exhaust.
Backed up condensate.

Pressure switches can go bad. However, they are more often than not an indicator of a problem, not the problem itself.

I'd call the company, tell them your concern, and ask them to send out a different tech to fix the problem.

It's possible that this is a legit remedy, since you say the new switch is only connected to a single port on the unit.  This means that, instead of reading the pressure differential across the inducer. The new switch is reading the difference between the pressure inside the unit, and atmospheric pressure.  I was not able to find any documentation on this type of substitution from Lennox, so I'm not sure if it's an approved fix or not.


why is there a concrete pole in my wall? I broke open a section of wall I'd like to remove and there is a concrete pole inside!? Is this some kind of load bearing device? How can I know if I can remove it?

Thanks

Either it is a load bearing pole or someone who built the post was just practicing their pole making skills.  You can remove it when you offset the load to another part of your house.  Usually this would involve putting up an overhead beam and 1-2 poles to hold that.  This is very specific to your house and taking out a concrete pole will definitely involve an engineer.


GFCI outlets in kitchen I was wondering if i could have one outlet control all counter outlets? I need to replace some and trying to do this cheaper.

I'm buying a property and trying to get it up to code.

It depends on how your kitchen is wired. If one breaker controls all your kitchen counter outlets, you can replace the "first" outlet with a GFCI and protect the rest of them from it. If you have two or more breakers for the kitchen counter   outlets then the "first" outlet on each circuit needs to be a GFIC. you could also change the breakers for your kitchen outlets to GFCI breakers.


Can I install a subpanel for an electric water heater next to the main panel? I am replacing my A.O. Smith electric water heater with a Stiebel Eltron tankless water heater. This water heater needs 3 inputs of 40amp 125v. My existing A.O. Smith water heater is next to a gas furnace. The house circuit breaker panel is about 30 feet away on a different wall. This panel is already maxed out.
I know I have to install a sub panel but my question is can I place this next to the existing panel and run 3 x 8awg cables to the new water heater which is going into where the A.O. Smith water heater is? Also do the new wires need to be in a conduit? I have a removable tiled drop ceiling.

Can you install a sub panel next to a main panel. The answer is yes what it is for is not an issue.
However you have a maxed out panel, a maxed out panel doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  Tankless water heaters are power hogs and your existing panel probably will not have the ampacity to carry the load even understanding a 30 amp 240v breaker will be removed.
I have installed quite a few tankless and for a whole house model a new larger panel is almost always required.
Just a side note you really should talk to several people that have whole house tankless, I had a customer that put a whole house in with a new service then we added point of use electrics in the bathrooms and kitchen he was so unhappy with the unit that he removed the tankless went back to a large tanked electric but kept the point of use electric heaters cost over 10k
I have had multiple customers unhappy with the performance of tankless electrics and I am happy to put them in good $ but don’t like unhappy customers.
Yes you can add a sub but we don’t know if your service is large enough to supply a load this large in addition to your other loads.


How do I determine the capacity of my generator when it has a separate starting watts capacity? I have a Briggs & Stratton Storm Responder generator that is rated at 5500 watts with a 8250 startup watts capacity.  The user manual is a little confusing: it seems to state that I have to take the starting wattage of each appliance into account when I compute the wattage load so I don't exceed the maximum running capacity (5500 watts, in my case).  So what do I do with the "8250"?  How does that factor into the equation?

If you take the running watts that should be enough. The starting watts should be taken into account by the 8250 number. This is assuming every connected load will not be starting at the exact same time.


How can I remove a Mortise Lock and deadbolt from a door? I got an old door from a junk yard that I'm trying to reuse. The door is going to end up being sliding barn door so I have no use for its existing door knob and lock mechanisms. From what I can tell the lock is a mortise lock, and I figured out how to remove door knobs, however I can't seem to figure out how to remove the deadbolt which appears to be connected the interior lock mechanism also preventing it from coming out.  There were two screws on each side of the deadbolt lock that I removed, but even after using a chisel and hammer I am unable to remove it.  Does anyone know how I remove this and/or the interior mechanism

You need to remove the key set section as pictured on the left. It may be very corroded and require a bit of persuasion to split the halves and remove from the deadbolt assembly.  Once you have removed the keyway from both sides, there should be nothing but a couple of screws on the striker/jam plate holding the bolt assembly.


Gas fireplace - no spark for igniter - Martin DV5500 RVN My home is 15 years old and has a gas fireplace (Martin Industries DV5500 RVN). When I press the plunger for the igniter, no spark is produced. I do not see any tears or cuts in the wire from the igniter to the pilot light. Also, when I hold the igniter in my hand I can feel a shock.

I cannot seem to find a way to remove the glass. I think mine is sealed. If that's the case, how would I clean the assembly inside the fireplace or diagnose issues if I cannot get inside? What other steps can I take to try to get this to work?

I have one of these fireplaces. The glass front does come off. If I recall correctly remove the piece above the glass front first and then you'll see retaining clips holding the glass front in place.


Wall putty and moisture accumulation I recently patched a few anchor holes in the wall that were about 9mm in diameter with wall putty.

It seems natural that some of the moisture goes into the wall interior when it dries. Could something like increase the humidity inside the wall space or would it likely be negligible?

It'll make its way out eventually as well.

Moisture will migrate through drywall until equilibrium is reached. The short term wetness of mud/wall putty is of no issue.


does "clear opening" on rafter loading tables mean horizontal projection? I am looking at some tables of allowable roof loads for southern yellow pine: http://www.southernpine.com/app/uploads/AL_27-32L.pdf

Rafters are typically at an angle to horizontal.   I'm wondering if the figures for "clear opening" in the tables refer to the length of a rafter or beam between supports, or to the horizontal "projection" of that opening.

In other words, if my rafters are at a 30-degree angle to horizontal, and are 16ft long between supports, is my clear opening 16ft, or is it 16ft times the cosine of 30 degrees, or a little under 14ft ?

Yes, the “clear opening” is the horizontal distance from support to support. (We often call this the clear span.)

In your case, the clear opening is about 14 feet. In fact, the clear span is the horizontal distance from FACE of support to FACE of support. It doesn’t matter the length of the member or if it’s a 4:12 pitch or a 12:12 pitch.


Water/antifreeze radiator cooled work shop An additional line of thought.
Cooling radiators in summer?

I found this having the same concept for cooling. I live in south louisiana, US where 95F is vary common turning tin boxes into a slow cooker. I am going to build a decent shop for all my automotive, and construction tools.

The concept I had was some large truck radiators for a couple of non load-bearing walls and either use some city water to run through them, cooling the shop a touch and heating my water some before hitting my home water lines, or use the canal on my property with a water ram pump.

I acknowledge the potential multiple metal types causing issues and the need for a filter for the canal water and depending on the radiators I get if I go the other route a filter before the water gets near the house.

My city water right now is coming out the ground at 79F, Canal water at 76F, at noon. Ambient direct sunlight temperature of 85 sheet metal indirect sunlight 100 degrees.

Any points of interest or concern that have not already been mentioned?

There are air conditioners using sea water, rather than a heat pump, but that works because ocean water is usually well below 10° C (50° F). Using a canal would be less corrosive, but you'd need a heat-pump to get useful cooling. Some examples of air conditioners using sea water to cool the condenser are at Flagship Marine.

That said, you'd need to check local regulations for use of the canal water.

As has been mentioned, though, making the workshop fairly air-tight and well insulated is necessary before you install air conditioning, or you're pouring money for the air conditioner and the electricity to operate it out the window.

Solar panels on the hot tin roof would help to shade the building and run the AC, too.


Replacement cooktop wiring question I’m installing a new induction cooktop to replace an old electric coil unit. The new unit has a three-wire connection (black & red hots and a green ground) with instructions for retrofit to existing three or four wire box connections (with or without a neutral wire).   House was built in the 1970’s.

The old cooktop was connected with black & red hots, a white neutral and a ground to the junction box (which does not have a ground wire back to the panel but may have a ground path via the conduit - but I don’t know for sure), so it’s kinda in-between the cases in the instructions (both assume there is a grounding wire).

My initial thought was to hook up red-red, Black-Black, green (cooktop ground)-white (house neutral) roughly in-line with the four-wire retrofit instructions. Would this be my best (safest) bet or would it be advisable to attach the cooktop ground to the junction box (although I’m not sure how I ensure the box is a good ground) and cap off neutral?  I suppose I could also attach the house neutral and cooktop ground to the junction box grounding screw as a “belt-and-suspenders” approach but I don’t know if that introduces other risks?

We haven't heard back from OP, but I suspect what's going on here is that the range uses metallic conduit all the way back to the panel, and the conduit is the ground, accessible via the green #10-32 screw in the metal junction box. That's a legal setup; OP is good to go.

This is a modern range which does not require a neutral wire.  Historically neutral was used for nothing but the oven light and the clock, so it's not hard to get rid of.  If there's a neutral in the supply cable, it should be capped off.

In the off chance this is an obsolete 3-wire circuit with a cable, if the neutral wire is a bare wire, it can be permanently converted to a ground.  This is irreversible.  Inside the panel it would need to be moved from the neutral bar to the ground bar (on a main panel they are probably the same bar). A white neutral wire can never be converted to a ground.


How can I extend this outdoor signal cable with waterproof? I need to repair a broken cable with four wires but there will be no option to solder. So I have to use a screw terminal to extend the cable. The broken cable looks like as follows:

And here is the screw terminal block:

The cable will be on the top of a bridge where there will be rain sometimes. So after I extend the cable by screw terminals I need to find a way to cover the extended section in a way that it wouldn't leak water.

So far I could only find such option as shown here http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/e-cord-cover.jpg But these are for AC cords I guess.

It is impossible to solder on the top of a bridge and it is long story. So soldering is not an option.

Is there a way to safely cover the terminal block with waterproof. Or any other option to extend with waterproof? Is there any component for such purpose?

They make weatherproof aluminum junction boxes such as a Bell or Red Dot, with matching blank lid.  To avoid box penetrations, their mounting screws attach to "ears" that attach to the outside of the box.   The holes are threaded, as for pipe.

To enter a cable into such a box, take a specimen of your cable (or its measurements) to a proper electrical supply house (which is not anything like an electronics supply house), and get a weatherproof strain-relief cord connector for it.  This has a rubber grommet that will compress to seal.

Now if you have cut back your cables too much to fit the junction boxes available, you may need to use two junction boxes, and splice some additional wire between them.  You can optionally connect them with threaded pipe instead of having to buy two more strain reliefs.


How to extract heavily corroded anode rod? I obviously waited too long to replace the anode rod in my water heater, because after finally (with much cussing) getting the rod unthreaded, I found that it was so heavily corroded that it won't fit through the opening in the tank.
I can pull it up about an inch, and see the rod is there, hanging by a cable down its center. But the corrosion has expanded it to a larger diameter than the threaded opening, so I can't pull it any further out.
Is there any way to extract the rod at this point, or am I now just waiting for the tank to fail and buying a new heater?
Or would it be better to cut the old rod loose and let it rust in the bottom of the tank, and install a new rod?
Additional information in response to comments:

I don't have a record of when exactly I installed the heater, but it is marked with a manufacturing date of 2006. I haven't changed the anode since it was installed.

My water is fairly hard and I don't have a softener (Thinking this might affect how long the anode lasts)

If its corroded and enlarged all the way to the bottom you may have to cut it loose. In the tank it will continue being dissolved by the minerals until there's nothing left. And while that's happening the new rod will be in place.
You can try wrenching it out and probably break off chunk's of anode. This also shouldn't be an issue unless you plan on flushing the tank in which case there may be debris blocking the port. But these pieces will eventually dissolve. too.


Is there a way to get hot water without altering plumbing or electrical wiring too much? Is there a way (other than collecting water and heating it on the stove ) to get hot/warm water from the tap without having to alter existing plumbing or electrical wiring ?

Check out the 1 or 2 gallon point of use heaters that install under the sink. They run on 120VAC and are fairly easy to install with minimal plumbing changes. There are also above sink mounted hot taps that mount into the sprayer hole in the sink. These are usually used for hot water for coffee/tea etc. Both of these type products are available at your local home improvement centers.

Here are several examples:  http://www.lowes.com/Plumbing/Water-Heaters/Point-of-Use-Water-Heaters/_/N-1z11qho/pl#!


2015 Samsung Refrigerator/Freezer keeps tripping circuit I move my Samsung unit to the garage and plugged it into a receptacle. It has been there for a year with no problem. Two days ago it started tripping the circuit every couple hours. I plugged it into another outlet and it tripped that circuit as well. So I plugged the unit into a surge protector and plug the protector into the original plug outlet. Now it works fine. So what’s the problem - the refrigerator or the outlet or the circuit breaker???? And help or advice would be appreciated

With current code garages are required to have all 120v receptacles GFCI protected. This has been code for a few cycles. I have seen several things in fridges and freezers cause gfci’s to trip from fan motors to crankcase heaters and the motor winding insulation being etched from acidic refrigerant in the system ( moisture causes the oil to become acidic this eats the varnish off the motor windings causing leakage to ground thus causing a GFCI breaker to trip).
If it is a standard non GFCI or AFCI breaker the crank case heater  if it has one would be my first check, then I would use a meter called a megger a high voltage ohm meter on the compressor and fan motors to check their insulation. One additional part that can cause problems is the starting capacitor , it when bad will usually trip on start up of the compressor. If you look at the capacitor and it is bulging at the ends that are usually square could be the cause also. A bit more information would be helpful like the comments above ask for but there are problems including those I mention and a possible breaker going bad could be the issue.


Are wall anchors necessary for hanging a small speaker? I'd like two hang a pair of speakers on my wall.  They are 6.8lb each.  It is designed to hang on two screw heads spaced 1.5in apart. (Photo below)
I'm looking for recommendations on hanging.

I have a bunch of 3M command strips.  (Just the strips).  I'm not sure if there's a plate or something I can get for it that would work with the speaker.  This would be ideal as I don't have to put holes in my wall
Can I just put two (drywall) screws directly in the drywall for each?  They would not align to a stud.
Otherwise, do I need to use a drywall anchor of some sort?  I'm not sure about using two right next to each other.  One is probably enough to hold the weight, but then the speaker wouldn't be straight.

I agree with @user263983. Use plastic drywall anchors that go with the size of flathead screw that fits properly into receivers on the backs of the speakers. The heads of the screws must be small enough to fit inside the bottoms of the slots and large enough to be retained in the smaller tops of the slots.
Drill square to the wall so the screws are perpendicular to the wall. Drive the screws in so that the bracket just barely slip fits between the underside of the screw head and the plastic anchor or the wall.
If you don't have a drill or don't want to drill, there are anchors with a sharp end that you force into the drywall and then twist with a screwdriver to pull into the wall. Get the right size, and use two for each speaker. Self drilling drywall anchors


Direct Burial Wire for 200 Amp Sub Panel from 200 Amp Main I'm trying to get the right info to price out my project.
I plan to install a 200 amp sub-panel in a shed with a 125 to 150 amp feeder breaker. The shed is about 180 feet away from the main panel. The main panel also has no other loads, and is on its own pole.
I was told to get triplex 4.0 direct burial wire, but I'm not sure that sounds right.
What size and type wire would be appropriate for such a project? Am I correct in assuming this sub panel will also need two grounding rods as well?
Thanks in advanced.

I'd use a 4/0-4/0-2/0-4 Mobile Home Feeder cable for this job
Given that you aren't going to be pushing a full 200A over the cable (which'd require 250kcmil Al, since the 83% reduction in 310.15(B)(7) doesn't apply to your situation), but need a 4-wire cable as your shed is getting powered by a feeder from your service disconnect at the pole, I'd use a 4/0-4/0-2/0-4 aluminum Mobile Home Feeder cable for this job.  Furthermore, while you can direct bury MHF, I'd run it in a 2" PVC conduit instead; this way, if you decide to go up to a full 200A, you can repull the wires instead of having to dig everything back up to replace it.
You are correct on the grounding rods
The good news is that you are correct that you'll need two grounding rods at the shed.  A 6AWG copper grounding electrode conductor will suffice for connecting them to the shed panel's grounding bar.  Note that if your shed panel doesn't come with grounding bars, you'll need to fit the appropriate grounding bars yourself in addition to using them to land your grounding wires and pulling the green bonding screw out of the panel.
TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC
Last but not least, you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver to tighten the various connections to their specified/labeled tightening torques.  This is required by NEC 110.14(D) in 2017 and newer NEC editions, and is a good idea anyway as it'll keep your electrical system from giving you the loose lugnut!


What is a "Holders/Sujetadores de Sujecion"? I bought a package of locking peg hooks at Home Depot, along with some pegboard and other assorted stuff. When I got home, I hung up the pegboard. It fit just fine. I then attempted to attach my new peg hooks.
However, I didn't get far. After having used up the majority of the tools, I came to a part that the box identified as "Holders/Sujetadores de Sujecion". Well, that didn't help much. I searched the Internet and that was even less successful. Even the company name couldn't be found. And the URL everbilt.com redirected here.
The only other useful info on the box is "Eb Everbilt" and "Locking Peg Hook Assortment"
Ugh!
What are these "Holders/Sujetadores de Sujecion" and how can I use them?
P.S. Pictures coming soon!

I think you are referring to the black plastic clips that come with the assorted pegboard hooks from Home Depot.  "Sujetadores de Sujecion" is Spanish for "Fastening Clips". These are placed over the hook to hold it to the board - this is useful for the single hole hooks that tend to come out easily. I found that these do not fit all pegboards.  They are not essential by any means.


Why doesn't my motion sensor light work? I want to install a simple motion sensor (Lutron Maestro MS-OPS2) on a single pole switch in my garage. When I installed it the light would not turn off. The instructions (PDF) that come with the motion sensor say this is a result of the ground not being connected (PDF). I double checked and the sensor was connected to the ground wire (bare copper wire) coming into the box. Does this mean that my ground wire is not connected to anything on the other end? How can I ground this switch so that I can get my motion sensor to work properly?

This type of switch requires a small amount of power to operate, and since there is not always a return path available for constant power. This switch uses the grounding conductor as a current carrying conductor, and dumps a small amount of power to the grounding conductor. It's not the best design; in my opinion, but if the standards and safety organizations approve it it must be safe.

Because of this awful design, a solid connection to earth is required for this switch to function.  Which in your case, seems to be missing.  It sounds like there is a grounding conductor included in the cable assembly at the switch box, so I'd start by tracing the cable back to where it originates.  Follow the cable back to the nearest junction, whether that be another device or the service panel.  Open up the junction point, and inspect the wiring. If everything looks good at that point, continue back down the line until you reach the service panel.  You can use a tool like this Multi-Purpose Wire Tracer, to help trace the line through walls and ceilings.

If you reach the service panel, and all the connections along the way looked good. It means you likely have a break or some other damage to the grounding conductor inside the cable assembly.  If this is the case, you'll have to locate the damaged section and replace it.


What type of water valve is this, and how do I turn it off? This valve doesn't have a handle, so it seems, and has a button on the inside. How do I work with this?

That looks like a standard multi turn valve it should look square further inside or have splines, if nether of these are true you have an issue that I found on one house I had to flip, i thought someone had cut off the valve stem , why I don’t know , but since the end of the shaft is clean , no hack saw or dremel cut off disks or other grinder marks it probably had a key that was square or splined that slipped in to turn it off CW to close CCW to open making it tamper resistant. I actually could not find the key and used a small angle grinder  to cut the shield back enough to grab the shaft with a pair of vice grips, I should have replaced it but it was on old galvanized and we did not want to take a chance. The cut back worked with vice grips and later we found a box of keys in the attic. I still have a few , but left one under each sink attached with a plastic zip tie. If memory serves that place was built in the late 40’s or 50’s but this was more than 40 years ago and I have only found a handful of keyed valves in residential, but quit a few in commercial hotels, schools and gas stations after that and this keeps folks from messing with them, get a light in there and take a better photo and take it to a plumbing specialty store, they usually have the valves and keys , I have only ever found splined and square, I moved to mostly electrical after dad passed but have seen them a few times.


Where should I connect my C-wire on my old Goodman unit (GMP075-4 rev 13) I want see if someone help me on hooking up this new Honeywell thermostat with Wifi I just purchased. I have an old ac unit and I only have 3 connections to my circuit board which does not have an option to connect my wire. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

TLDR: connect the c-wire to the chassis or to pin 6
Here is the link to the GMP075-4 Installation Manual
The manual has a diagram exactly similar to the picture you posted, which is good because it's the foundation of my explanation:

Notice the BL wire (the blue wire) attached to pin 6. This wire has two tell-tale signs of being your C-wire:

It is blue
It is connected straight to ground

Blue is a color usually reserved for the common wire. This has been a standard practice for a while now - I'm not sure when thermostat wire colors became standard, but it'll definitely apply to any units within the last 30 years.
The common wire's main function is to behave like a ground wire. Nothing in the system likely needs a grounded thermostat wire except for a newer thermostat. For current to flow through a device, there needs to be a difference in voltage between two wires connected to the device. In the case of your thermostat, it will see 24V on the red wire (red reserved for constant power), and 0V on the blue wire (0V means ground, or 'common'). Thus, there is a difference between 24V and 0V, so power can flow through the thermostat. This wouldn't be possible with any other wire (white, green, yellow) because they are not providing a voltage difference from the 24V red.
So based on the standardized practices of color codes, and based on the functionality of what a c-wire should be, pin 6 on the diagram is where you connect your c-wire. You could also connect it to the body of the blower if the blower is grounded (and it should be). If connecting it to the blower caused your fuse to pop, I suspect there's another issue at play, and you should most definitely check the AC voltage difference between the blower's chassis and pin 3 (the red wire). It should be 24V. Anything else and you may have a different problem.


How do I use plumber's tape on a pool float? The auto-refill float broke off my pool filler recently. I bought a new unit and I was just going to switch out the float part but the guy at the shop said to unscrew it from the pipe and swap out the whole unit because the other part is also plastic and will fail at some point. Personally I think this was a mistake because then I discovered when I screwed in the new one that it was leaking water from the sides.

The image below shows the old broken unit. I thought that was some sort of caulking around the thread but I've been told that it's plumber's tape which I've just read-up about on wikipedia.

My plan: Get some plumber's tape from home depot and try wrapping that around the new thread and see if that works.

My questions:
I tried to take some of the white stuff (tape) from the old thread and add it to the new thread (I thought it was caulk) so the new thread already has some of this in its threads. How do I clean that out?

How many times should I wrap the tape around the thread?

Because the float has to be pointing down to cut off the water when it gets high enough there is only one position that this can end up in. How do I know when it's tight enough? i.e if I continue tightening past a certain point I have to do another 360 rotation to allow for the float.

This has to be installed under water. Any special techniques for this?

You can clean it with a wire brush.
The number of wraps depends on the thickness of the teflon tape but
should be between 3 and 6.  Apply it tightly in the direction of the threads so that when you tighten it, the tape is not pushed in the opposite direction.
As for aligning when screwing it in, it will depend on how much tape
you have on it and what type of threads these are. I would go finger
tight and then one complete turn and then continue until aligned. Take
is easy as you don't want to break anything.


Minimum temperature for LED bulbs I’m trying to pick some LED light bulbs for outdoor use. I live in Canada and we can get temperatures below -40°C. On all the bulbs I look at, there is the disclaimer:

  Minimum starting temperature -25°C (-13°F).

What does this mean? Will the bulbs not work reliably below this temperature? I’ve tried searching the internet and everybody (albeit of indeterminate knowledge) is saying that LEDs will actually work better at cold temperature.

For what it’s worth, I did come across one bulb labelled “COLDSTART” and “-40°F” but, unfortunately, it is not as bright as I would like.

It is exactly what it states. That’s the minimum temperature for the bulb to start. It doesn’t necessarily mean the bulb won’t work below that temperature. It probably will light. Rather it means either that some of the electrical components will not perform within specs below that temperature, it simply wasn’t tested below that temperature, or use below that temperature will cause damage and limit it’s lifespan. If you’re going to regularly use the bulb at -40, get one rated for that for lower temperatures. If nothing else, it will likely mean replacing the bulb less often.


Is this my doorbell transformer? Is this the transformer for my doorbell? It is located in the furnace room, but it looks like it is connected to the furnace. I am just wondering because I have been searching for the transformer and a lot of posts say it should be near the furnace area. Thanks for any help.

SORRY FOR THE SIDEWAYS PHOTOS, BUT I CANT ROTATE

Anything is possible, but my bet is on a thermostat transformer. Typical (US) thermostats run on 24V AC. Typical doorbells (though there seems to be less consistency than with thermostats) use 16V AC.

Get a multimeter. Test the voltage:

24V - Thermostat
16V - Doorbell

Something else? Post it here and we can try and figure it out.


Should I Install a sub-panel, IN PLACE OF of an unused hot tub disconnect, for a basement project, and will I need to change the main breaker? I have removed the hot tub disconnect and pulled the 4 wire (6G)  back into the basement.  This line comes from the main breaker panel on a 2-pole 50A breaker. My plan is to instal a basement sub-panel and feed it using the this former hot tub line.  The sub-panel is to have 2x 120V, 15A circuits, to be used for a basement brewery  project.  From what I read in this forum, it appears a sub-panel is appropriate.  I only need two 120V Circuits, and think that each would get their own hot wire from the old line, and share N and G.  Planning for the  sub-panel breakers to be 15A single pole, with 14Gauge wiring to the respective outlets.   Since the sub panel has 15A breakers protecting their lines, and since the wire between the main and the sub-panel are 6 Gauge, is there any need to replace the 2-pole 30A breaker in the main ?  And, is the plan okay as stated?

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your logic.


Testing wire with low voltage current What is a convenient and safe way to send some low voltage current through wire for testing and identifying purposes?  E.g. awhile ago, I wired a two speaker setup behind drywall with one input box from which two sound cables go on either side of the room, each terminating in its own box.  Assuming I didn't label wires with electrical tape, what would be an easy way for me to send some current to see on which side it ends up.  This is just hypothetical and could be any other similar tests, e.g. if current goes from one side to the other suspecting wire breakage or impedance in between etc.  I'm guessing some low voltage device would be safer and easier to hook up than real current.

Yes!  For goodness sake, do NOT put any commonly available potential (ie 120V) on the lines, they make very easy to use tools for this.  Most sources in your house will be voltage sources, vice current sources, so how much current results is a factor of the resistance in the line.  Because these speaker wires will have low resistance when you find both ends, you will get a LARGE current in the lines which could destroy your fuse/breaker or even cause a fire.

What you are describing/seeking, though, is essentially a resistance measurement (ohm reading).  Get a multi-meter, the "ohm"/resistance measurement ("upper-case" omega) sends a small current down the wire and measures the voltage, to determine the resistance (using the equation v=ir).  In your case, you know you will have found the other end when the measurement of resistance goes to near zero (after starting at off scale, or pegged).  I would wrap one of the speaker ends around the black lead (color chosen for no particular reason) then go to each wire on the other end until you get the near 0 reading of resistance.

If the wires are too far apart, make an extender out of an available piece of speaker wire. Simply twist the free piece of wire to one end of the speaker wire on the wall to extend it far enough that your red and black meter leads are long enough to reach both ends. Then continue with the resistance measuring technique described above.  Now, use the red lead of the multi-meter to go through each wire until you find the right one.  Mark those wires and move on to the next.


How much does a pallet of durock 1/4" cement board weigh? I am trying to figure out if I will need to make separate trips for my thinset mortar and cement board to keep within the safe operating limits of my vehicle's maximum load weight.

I plan on buying an entire pallet of Durock 1/4" x 3' x 5' cement board for easy loading. I suspect I will be using the majority of the pallet and returning the remainder.

How much does a pallet (60 I believe) of 1/4" Durock cement board weigh?

1710 lbs, 1.9 psf for each 1/4" 3'x5' sheet. You're correct about 60 pieces per unit.
Durock Spec Sheet

Showing my math:

3' x 5' = 15 square feet

15 square feet x 1.9 pounds per square feet = 28.5 pounds per sheet

28.5 pounds per sheet x 60 sheets per unit = 1710 pounds


Useless soffit on on low ceiling. Cover-up or stupid aesthetic? A little back story. My house was build in the early 40's.  The point at which builders threw away the idea of trying to build something that is architecturally significant and see how far they could push builder grade. As a result, among other things, I have low ceilings. 7.5'. Roughly 50 years later, the previous owner decided to throw money at the place and as best as I can tell cut corners in every way.

Fast forward to now. I've lived here for nearly three years and bought the place with the intention of fixing many of the problems.  I have already done quite a lot but now I plan on moving next year so I'm limiting projects that will have a return.  We are doing a very small kitchen upgrade.  Painting the cabinets (wife's idea, still not convinced) and retailing the back splash.

Here is the question. Not that I am looking to expand the scope but when the kitchen was redone in the 90's they did something architecturally stupid. They put in an 8" soffit above the 30" cabinets resulting in very small cabinets which are also too low.  What is even worse is that they were apparently so concerned with saving a few bucks by going with smaller cabinets that they cut off the top 8 inches of the kitchen window.  It looks really stupid.  I want to rip it out.  Maybe not the whole soffit because I'm not in the market to replace all of the cabinets, but the area over the sink where the window is.  So I guess my question is, has anyone ever seen this done to cover something up or is there some justifiable reason why what they did was a good idea?  I really hate it, but it seems like such a bad idea, that I cant imagine doing it unless I was covering something up.

It was popular in the 1980s and 90s to have soffits above the kitchen cabinets. So to directly answer your question Yes there is some justifiable reason to have remodeled to then-current trends, such as if one was trying to maximize resale value at the time, or were just beginning to modernize the entire house. Of course that is based on personal preferences, how the remodel matches the rest of the house, neighborhood, etc.  Clearly you do not like the choices the previous owners had made in the 1990's to follow then-current design trends, although one could guess they probably shared your loathing for the original 1940's styles (or lack thereof) and were similarly trying to do something about it on a reasonable budget, and that is a common thing that people do.

Its funny to think that if you do modernize your interior to today's design trends, then thirty years from now the future owner will think the dated look is also stupid!

Oftentimes in practice soffits only cover up empty space above the cabinets, which, at the time they were installed was a design trend in new construction and remodels.  The only reason they were installed was to cover up the 'unsightly' void which was considered unpopular at the time. I have removed soffits from an old house that were installed in the 1990s and found nothing behind them, but that doesn't means yours are that way!

Here is a website that talks about this design trend, and with several pictures of how to make them look nicer.


Should I use 15 amp breaker with 6awg wire? I have a 100amp main service panel in my single dwelling unit and a 60amp sub-panel in my garage. Because I no longer need the panel in the garage, I want to abandon it and replace it with a new sub-panel in the main house close to the main panel (I'm out of spaces in the main panel).
Can I use the existing #6 wire that's feeding the garage sub-panel to feed the new sub-panel and use a 15amp breaker located in the (main panel or sub-panel) on it?

Well, it won't fit on the breaker.  Or a 20A receptacle.
You will need to pigtail the 6 AWG down to a 10 AWG to get it to go on a breaker, and 12 AWG to get it to go on a receptacle.
Since it's all 10-12 AWG, and that's allowed 20A, you might as well use a 20A breaker.
15A receptacles are allowed on 20A breakers.  (UL requires they be internally rated for 20A). The only real difference 15 vs 20A recep is the T-shaped neutral.
Note that if the wires are black-white-bare, those must be used for hot-neutral-ground, even if  they were't before.   That means you may need to move the hot wire off the breaker.

As far as reusing the panel, most 60A panels are way too small.  If there's anything we've learned around here  helping people, it's that people always run out of breaker spaces much sooner than they expected.  As such, a subpanel is NO place to scrimp! Buy a huge subpanel that will far exceed your needs, that you'll never, ever fill up.  The cost is small - spaces are cheap.
As far as the subpanel in the garage, honestly, I'd consider leaving it put.  The X-factor is electric cars.  They're really taking off, for real this time! :)  As such, having 50A+ in the garage adds value to your house.
I'm sure the 60A garage panel is a tiny thing... I'd have you spend $60 or so on a new 20-24 space panel.  I'm very reluctant to "spend people's money" unnecessarily, but this is one cost you will not regret in the long term.
As far as a 15A circuit in the garage, just add a 15A breaker to the garage subpanel.