Which comes 1st, the mold remediation or the re-application of drylock on old stone walls? Basement: old stone walls, drylock painted 15 yrs ago.

Now some stained, moisture damage, air mold test indicates pro.mold remediation needed.

Moisture issue has been fixed, now the walls need to be redone.

Drylock? Paint? Pro #1 says clean, apply drylock, then treat mold (basement/duct work) so as not to cover up the mold product.

Pro #2 says treat mold/ducts, then paint with drylock.  Will mold be remediated even if covered up?

They both use the same mold product.

What are the pros and cons of the two approaches and what considerations suggest picking one over the other?

I've never used drylock, but have had good results using kilz, which seems to be a similar substance. The paint itself kills mold. On stone, I would use the oil based kilz after a thorough cleaning with bleach. Before applying, heat the space long enough to assure that everything is very dry.

Kilz seals the mold from entering the room. It also penetrates brick, block, and maybe even a little into certain types of stone.

Regarding duct work, and anywhere else the mold may have parked itself, it's important to clean/replace anything showing mold before applying kilz, because doing any work on ducts after the application will stir up mold again.

Wear a mask!


Nothing Seems To Get Enough Power...? I just moved into a studio that someone is renting out. They just finished putting in a new kitchen, including a new fridge and stove. However, today is my first day here and I have already noticed a problem. First, the fridge is not cold enough. I have the settings turned all the way up, but there is hardly enough of a diference from room temp. On top of that, when I tried to cook, the stove does not heat up all of the way. I tried all the burners on high,but I still was not able to bring water to a boil or fry my food. Yeah, it heats up, but hardly.

It seems as if things turn on and they work, but not to the level that they should, especially with being brand new. What could be causing it?

Could be a voltage issue, but you'd notice it in other places as well if it was.

Your ONLY recourse is to call the landlord and have them have someone check it. You CANNOT and should not do ANY electrical work in a place that you are renting.


Removing switch that turns on / off the outlet I have an outlet which gives electricity only when corresponding wall switch is on. I need to remove the wall switch because I need to put a cabinet on it's place. How do I make the outlet permanently "on"? Is it enough to just connect together Live and Neutral wire in the switch, then remove the switch? In other words, would it make a short circuit? :)

Turn off the breaker
Remove the face plate.  You should find two (usually) black wires on opposite ends of the switch.
Remove the switch, and join the two black wires with a wire nut.
Turn on the breaker, and test the outlet
Put a blank face plate on the (now junction block)
Install cabinets
Cut a hole in the back of the cabinet to access the junction box.


Underground Power Cable Cut By Bucket Of An Small Excavator Can someone please explain to me how an underground power cable cut by a bucket of a small excavator causes a power surge into my house destroying appliances? Is it with the neutral and earth wires come into contact?

It's likely that at some point during the cut, one of the phases was shorted to the neutral;  when that happens, the line to neutral voltage in the house will be 240V rather than the usual 120V, which is enough to do some damage.

It is not likely that shorting neutral to ground would cause any trouble at all.  The neutral is bonded to ground both at your service and at the pole - that's normal.


How would you protect a plywood container from moisture and abrasion? We have a pitching mound that sees basement and outdoor use.   We try to keep it out of the rain but it does sit on wet ground sometimes.

It is made of plywood and has a number of hinges/brackets as it folds in three.   What I am mainly concerned about is the plywood.    This seems like it has a good chance of fraying from movement or just normal use and then add to that hitting rough concrete in basement and water outside.

What is the optimal way of protecting this?   Also bonus if that way includes the ability to paint/color.

Edit:  Hate to add more after feedback and answer but I am really worried about the very bottom and it is water and water that leads to fraying.  Each of the three sections have basically the same bottom albeit the other two sections deeper.   So kind of worried this get scruffed up, little water, then start chipping like mad.

The usual approach is a couple coats of polyurethane varnish. I'd sand it a bit to clean it up and give it a coat on all exposed surfaces. Steel wool between coats. It'll be apparent when you've applied enough coats to seal the edge grain well enough to protect it. Reapply every couple years as needed.

If you want the plywood to have a color, simply stain or paint it first. If you use a good oil-based paint (like a floor paint), you could omit the varnish and use two or more coats of paint. Otherwise paint with a flat sheen, then varnish. Glossy sheens would require light sanding for good bonding of the urethane.


Remove stripped copper from brass threads How do you get copper debris out of brass threads?

I screwed in a Home Depot Everbilt C604 3/4 male adapter into my NPT isolation valve.  I could only get four or five threads, when I determined something was wrong and tried to pull it out.  I had to use a pipe wrench on the last few turns and after struggling, finally got it out, though leaving behind half the threads.

Reading another post on this forum, I suspect the Everbilt was out of tolerance, but I am interested if others have an idea of what went wrong.

If the bits of thread are loose, then I always find a small screwdriver to gently prise them out is sufficient.

If the threads are seriously damaged, then you may need to use a tap to clear the damaged bits.


kitchen-counter light replacement I have a tube light above my kitchen's electric cooking range . It is a Philips light that has "F15T8/CW/24" written on it. I think that it's this product.

Are the below guesses correct?

"F15" means 15 watts.
"24" means 24-inch length.

What does "T8" mean?

Would it be possible to provide a higher-watt alternative? I would prefer an Amazon link. I've tried to search but didn't get good results.

update 1--------------------------------------------------------------------

I was able to get 24 watts tube light for the same set up. I bought it from the local Lowe's

are below guesses correct?

Different manufacturers use different systems for identifying products. You shouldn't look for products by that exact code unless you are not interested in products from other manufacturers and have no problems with product availability.

For a straight fluorescent tube, the key things you need to know, in approximate decreasing order of importance) include

connector types (usually bi-pin)
diameter (in eighths of an inch)
length (in feet or in metric equivalent for many folk outside USA)
colour temperature (often expressed as cool-white, warm-white, daylight etc)
light output (lumens) or
power (watts) - usually proportional to length.
voltage (Usually only one variant e.g. 120V in USA, 230V in EU)

If you ask for an "two-foot warm-white T8 fluorescent-tube" you'll most likely get something that does the job.

  what does t8 mean?

As Jimmy stated, it refers to the diameter of the tube in eighths of an inch. The T8 designation is for fluorescent tubes with two pins at each end.

  would it be possible to provide higher watt alternative?

Generally no. You usually need a longer tube to produce more light.

Note that nowadays, wattage is useless as an indication of light output, you should look for lumens instead. Wattage just tells you how much heat the tube (or bulb) puts out.

Fluorescent tubes are still pretty good at light output. In my local store recently, the tubular LED fixtures had lower light output than the same sized (but cheaper) fluorescent fixtures. The key is to always check or compare the light output rating in lumens.


Aquatherm - thermostat is dead. What to check? (Thermostat: White-Rodgers 1F80-51

Heating Unit is aquatherm, XUAQ22-2, this is a heat exchanger hanging off a hot water heater, and giving us forced air heat for a 500 sqft space. Unit and thermostat are about 20 yrs old.)

I already replaced the thermostat batteries. No luck there.

What do I check next?

And can I use any thermostat on this thing? (I have a Nest, will that work?)

Thanks!

RESOLVED --------------------------------------------

Per the great response below:

Tested good for 24vac across white and red leads
When I shorted those leads (w needle nose pliers), the heater came on!
Conclusion: Heater is fine, thermostat is kaput
Replaced thermostat, lived warmly ever after

First off, check how many wires are connected in your stat. There should be 2. If so use a tester set to volts AC. Test for power, you should get 24ish volts across the two wires (usually .W and R or Rh).

If you get 0 or 120 you have a different issue comment back and I'll edit the answer.

So 24v at the stat; jumper W and the R/Rh with a small peice of wire or unscrew them and twist together. If the heat comes on your stat is faulty.

Since you already have a Nest, no point in perusing a stat repair. Now you need a common wire if there are indeed only 2 wires you have an issue. You'll need to pull another wire. That's another ball of wax covered several times on the DIY stack exchange.

Try the steps outlined above. It will confirm the status of your thermostat.

EDIT

Disconnect the white wire and the red wire from the wall and twist them together. After a few minutes you should have heat. I don't know why there is a wire on the O terminal without a wire on the Y terminal (unless there is one hidden) do you have air conditioning? If so Nest will be tricky if not you can use the wire conectet to O for the common.


Sealing concrete necessary? We are replacing carpet with laminate over concrete.  The carpet has pet urine areas.  The offending pet is still in the house.  Should the concrete be sealed with something before laying the laminate?

If you are putting laminate flooring down on concrete you should use a subfloor panel, such as a Dricore engineered subfloor panel. These raise the floor up and allow air to flow below the laminate. It will also keep you warmer.

This is crucial in your application. This will prevent moisture in the concrete from ruining your subfloor and allows your concrete to breath, and may allow evaporation of any moisture from urine (but... you need to get that urine quick. If it sits on the floor, it will go through the cracks - no matter how small - and eventually lift/warp the flooring, even with subfloor.)

Let me be clear - do not put wood on concrete. It will always be giving off moisture. If you do not want to buy subfloor, use at least a 4mil thick vapor barrier liner. If you don't catch urine on the floor with 4mil VBL, think - it will just sit there trapped by the vapor barrier.


Is it a structural wall So my adult kids started working on the kitchen-they were planning to remove a wall that runs perpendicular to the peak (along the cross-joists, so we thought it wasn't a supporting wall).

After removing the drywall it looks to us like it might be a supporting wall.

In the picture you can see the kitchen wall we were thinking of removing along the right, and the exterior wall in front. (to the very right you can see the edge of a door frame; we'd removed the actual door a while ago and turned it into an archway to get more room, since it was a pocket door, making the framing around it about 6 feet wide and we preferred to have the opening).

So, do we need a structural engineer?  It looks like there's a beam running parallel to the main beam, about 2 feet from the edge of the house and in the picture, about a foot closer to the exterior wall than the vertical plumbing pipe -- is this normal?  It looks like we need to support it, my son suggests a pillar just under it where the wall framework is currently and then removing the rest of the framework of the kitchen wall.

I'm just nervous my kids are going to do something to completely destroy my house or create a situation that's going to cost me way more than I can affort.  Restless kids in quarantine's great for Lowes', but not my nerves!

Other side of kitchen:

Closer view of support

The sandwich of three (probably two 2x4s and a 2x8/2x10 that run left to right in the picture are clearly carrying the load of the upstairs floor joists.  (Which are also heavily compromised by the piping for the upstairs bath.).  You cannot remove this wall without supporting that point load all the way to the foundation.

If you want the wall gone you'll need to contact a local structural engineer or experienced contractor to devise a replacement structure,  probably just a simple header.  The load will need to be carried through temporary structure while this work is being done.  It is not a DIY friendly project.

Note also the door on the far right has a significant header over it, so the original framers knew the wall would be bearing a load. Then the plumber went and cut right through their top plates.  ;-)


Drilling precise holes in concrete without bit wandering I need to mount some 4" house numbers on a concrete wall (drilling 3/16" holes for studs extending from the numbers). Normally when I drill into concrete, it's hard to get a hole in an exact location (even using a center punch to force the bit to start in the right place). I assume it has to do with the hammer action of the drill and aggregate within the concrete making the bit want to go slightly off center, but usually the final hole is a tiny bit (a few mm?) off from where I originally marked.
This is usually fine since whatever I'm mounting doesn't need to be in an exact position, but with small house numbers, one of the holes being a little off will mean the studs won't fit in right or the numbers will be a little tilted or not aligned right. Is there any tool or technique to help accurately drill holes in precise locations in concrete?

Start with a small bit. (or maybe a diamond dremel bit.)
You still want to use a punch, then use a 1/8"th bit, or smaller if you can find one. Then step up to the size you need for your anchor or screw. The small hole will help guide the larger bit.
Alternatively you could make a jig;
Drill a hole of the size you need to guide your masonry bit in a piece of wood and then use some double sided tape to stick it to the wall. The hole in the wood keeps the bit from wandering.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
If, after drilling, they do not line up you could plug the hole with a wood dowel and adhesive and drill that out.


How do I wire a thermostat with an external 24V transformer? My current wiring has 5 wires, R, Rc, Y, G, and W wires. No C wire.  I've added an external 24V transformer and connected one wire to the C connector but don't know what to do with the other. If I connect it to Rc, then I have heat but no A/C or fan.

Any suggestions?

Don't use an external transformer.  Find a way to run an extra wire from the furnace/air handler, and wire it as a proper C wire.


2 angle braces on attic of a gable roof My house in Northern California has a gable roof. In the attic, there are two 2x4 angle braces (one at each gable end) that connect from the ceiling joist (gable-end) to the ridge board (mid-span). Please see photo to understand what I mean.
What is their purpose/name? Can I can do something with them since they cross the attic space and reduce head space. Thanks

It’s difficult to see, but I suspect your gable end wall is not ballooned framed, but rather has a double top plate. This creates a “hinge” in the wall.
The diagonal braces keep the end wall from bending like a hinge during a wind storm or seismic activity. (I know, you’re going to tell me the ceiling will keep everything square and plumb. However, ceilings can’t give you a load resistance value to maintain the wall.)


How can I extend the length of my furnace run time after burner shutdown? My new furnace has a control board with preset blower run times after thermostat satisfies.  Max setting is 180 seconds.  This is not enough to purge the latent heat in the heat exchanger.  I need another minute of run time. How do I get extra time?

I too am like you, an old time boiler guy; 40+ years + 11 retired. My comment to you is, if your furnace fan is running on the correct fan speed and the furnace is not too oversized, the heat exchanger should be able to give up (cool down) enough so that there will be a very little waste of energy. The small amount of energy you are trying to remove may be offset by the energy the fan motor will consume. Yes, I still like the old ways that we were used to but that was then and this is now. Get used to it, the new generation has made us obsolete.


Drywall anchors or wood studs when securing a TV? Which is better to use for securing a TV to the wall?

Hit the studs, do not trust drywall anchors to hold up a TV.


Does this flange seem like it needs replacing? We just purchased a house that's about 30 years old. On the first floor a water mark developed on the ceiling, so I've been debugging the upstairs plumbing. My kids' bathroom toilet had some moisture around the base, but I have a seven year old son with imperfect aim so it's hard to know where the source is.

I took up the toilet intending to replace the wax seal. I was hoping the flange would be either obviously ok or obviously in need of replacement; instead I can't tell. As you can see from the picture, a blue coating is clearly chipped and deteriorating. But that doesn't seem crucial to me, and the part under has no visible signs of deterioration.

Am I ok not replacing the flange?

EDIT: I should also say that the bolt on the side where the blue is most deteriorated wiggles quite a bit. Is that a sign that the flange is cracked?

It's impossible to answer a question like this, even if the plumber is right there. Water can seep through very tiny cracks so there is no way to know without doing very expensive tests, tests that would be more expensive than just replacing the item.

Usually a plumber will just replace something if there is any question whatsoever.


Single switch with 2 lights, not in series The 1st image below is a typical diagram for a switch with 2 lights. I have a scenario where I can't wire the 2 lights in series because they go off in different directions. Can I wire it like the 2nd (modified) image below?


Ecobee3 not turning on heat, but fan is on I have an Ecobee3 that has been successfully working (both heat, fan, and AC) for the past 6 months. Recently I was trying to get my humidifier working so I was playing around with some wires, which also involved turning on and off the heat/power many times (I think this is what caused the issue). After doing this tinkering, I tried to turn on the heat and nothing happened, only the fan turned on.

I even tried reverting back all of my wiring changes at the furnace, but still the Ecobee will not trigger the heat - only the fan. The furnace has the correct light on, meaning it is operational. I reinstalled the old thermostat and it is working as expected (heat + fan). I then re-installed the Ecobee and when I turn on the heat only the fan starts up - the heat doesn't even attempt to kick on.

When I have the heat on, the Ecobee indicates that the "running equipment" is the fan AND heat (even though the heat is not on).

I tried resetting the Ecobee completely to no avail. I double checked wiring and it is all as I left it. (Note: when doing my humidifier work, I never touched the Ecobee wiring).

Is there a "glitch" the my Ecobee to be causing this out of nowhere?

I called Ecobee support and ran through quite a few troubleshooting steps to figure this issue out. It was determined my Ecobee had a blown fuse and they are sending a replacement.


Refrigerator water valve from wall is not dispensing water I had a repair man come to check my refrigerator for a repair and the cost was more than a new refrigerator, so I did just that bought a new fridge.  When replacing the old one the water shutoff valve from behind the refrigerator the wall was very stiff, but I was able to shut the water off.  I now connected the new refrigerator and nothing is dispensing. it doesn't seem like the wall valve is dispensing any water almost like its stuck in the closed position.  I removed the fridge line and opened the valve from the wall and no water comes out or drips out at all.  I looked under the nearby cabinets and under my sink and can not find another water shut off valve anywhere.  What should I do next?  I can try and move my old refrigerator back to the kitchen to see if its the new refrigerator, but I don't think so since no water comes out of the valve when it is opened.

The valve at the wall may not be the problem at all even though it was stiff. I have on quite a few occasions found water supply lines for refrigerators and ice machines connected using a saddle valve the type that you strap around a pipe and it punches a hole in the pipe, this is where I find the problem much of the time the tiny opening gets blocked or corroded and the water stops flowing, I usually turn off the water cut the pipe and install a T with a 1/4” fitting and valve reconnect the waterline and things work again. Copper and pvc/cpvc are easy with galvanized shark bite fittings do the job , I don’t use the saddle valves because they always fail in time and it is usually a leak, only sometimes no water.


Cleaning Edwardian tiles found under more recent tiles We removed some river-pebble-effect tiles in our hall, and found period (1910ish) tiles underneath.

We have an area of about 2m², still with lots of the adhesive from the overlaid tiles.

Otherwise the tiles appear to be in fairly good condition.

How do we remove the adhesive from the top of the tiles?

What's the best way to clean them?

I did something similar on a smaller area.

I used some plastic tools - scrapers etc and some cement remover product.

The cement remover product has an acid base (stings like xxxx if you have an open cut...), but I only applied it to small areas (used a cotton bud) and never to the joints between the tiles you want to keep.

If you don’t have patience at the beginning - you will by the end. And persevere with care.


How does a panel get its current rating? While looking for panels, I see various current capacities, and I would like to know what is different between two panels, like a lug fed 50 amp panel that has six slots, and an otherwise identical 100 amp panel.
Without a master breaker, to state the current, what would be different?

The panel may look identical to you but the thickness of the buss and the material makes a big difference where a inch of copper can handle 1000 amps per square inch verses aluminum of only 700 amps (NEC 366.23) so the buss material makes a difference it may look the same even be the same thickness but one being solid copper and one being aluminum with a plated copper makes a 30% difference. So a material difference or thickness, even the insulation used can affect the rating but we can’t really tell all of this with a casual observation.


can the spring mechanism in a mepla match cabinet hinge be replaced? The "spring" for this mepla hinge has broken.  It's shown left of the hinge in this photo, "appearing" to be unbroken.  Is there anyplace i can get new spring?

Try taking the hinge to a home store like Home Depot or Lowe's.  I just replaced  a number of similar hinges and they have a huge selection. You'll need to buy the entire hinge but they are not expensive.


The back of plywood is damaged after cut or drill. How to prevent it? When I cut a piece plywood that I have, the front looks perfect, but the back is becomes completely damage and unpresentable.  The same problem happens when I drill it.

I use a table saw and drill press.

How to prevent such damage?

put a piece of 2x4 under the board when you drill it.

the drill bit has to drill into the 2x4

clamp the board down against the 2x4 if you can

https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/sawing-solutions/pointers-for-perfect-plywood-cuts

use a fine toothed blade to cut the board

raise blade as high as possible

place board good-side-up

use masking tape ... cover cut line so that the blade cuts the tape in 1/2 lengthwise

________________________________________________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  < cut along dotted line
________________________________________________


Protect screws in joint and make it look nicer? So this is what the joint looks like.

It's solid, but as you can see, the screws are exposed so they'll be rusting pretty soon. Also, the joint looks horrible. It's PT wood.

What can I buy to make it look nicer, and the same time, strengthen it?

Is that a hand rail of some sort? I would not want PT wood on a hand rail, the chemicals used to treat it are dangerous for human skin contact. If it is a hand rail, I would get a better untreated wood that can cover over the entire arrangement, then use a safe stain or sealant on that new wood. Offset the joints so that they don't line up with these joints and you kill two birds with one stone.


Can someone tell me what/how there are 4 wires on one switch and if they're necessary? So I'm swapping out this old switch for a new decorative paddle one and found that it has four wires attached. Two black attached to the bottom right, one black to top right, and one red on the top left? Is this safe? What would the purpose behind this be? And is it possible to buy this switches still? Thanks

You need a 3-way version of the switch you have

Take the new switch you got back to where you got it and ask them for the 3-way version of it, as your existing switch is quite clearly a 3-way switch.  Once you have a 3-way switch in your hands, there will be 4 terminal screws on it: 1 green ground screw, 2 screws with the same color (often brass), and 1 differently colored (usually black) screw.

The red wire in your photo above went to the differently colored (black) screw on the old switch, so it goes to the differently colored non-ground screw on the new switch, while the top black wire in your photo goes to one of the same-colored non-ground screws on the new switch.  The two remaining black wires get nutted to each other and to a black pigtail going off to the remaining same-colored non-ground screw on the new switch, while any ground in the box should be connected (or pigtailed, if there is not a ground pigtail coming out already) to the green ground screw on the new switch.


Should I be concerned about respiratory hazard from leftover/lurking silica sand from abrasive blasting (sandblasting)? I know the media itself is a respiratory hazard while blasting (I'm told the silica sand itself breaks apart from the blasting and becomes dust-like). The area will be ventilated. However, I worry about whether this hazard will remain or spread, and for how long.  Would cleaning the area with large amounts of water help mitigate this issue?

Silica becomes a hazard with long term exposure.  Wear a mask, face shield and gloves while blasting.  Clean up and you are fine afterwards.  A small amount of exposure will not affect the vast majority of people.  If you have asthma you might want to be a little more aggressive on the clean up.


How do I properly size an air conditioner for a very sunny room? I'm trying to size a window air conditioner for a room, but having trouble deciding if the usual guidelines are a good fit.

The room in question is about 230 sq. feet, and does not have full 8 foot ceilings, as part of the room is formed by the gable roof.  Based on this I would pick a 6000 BTU unit.  However, the room is also roofline with black asphalt shingles, east/west/southern exposure, the long dimension of the space being southern exposure with 2 south-facing skylights.  There's no natural shading, and the room is also above an uncooled garage space.  I typically see a 10% fudge factor recommended for "sunny rooms", but don't have a clear idea of what constitutes a "sunny room".  Would this heat load significantly exceed that factor, and by how much?

This page from Energy Star gives some good basic guidelines.

  If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
  If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.
  If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.
  If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.
  Consider where you install the unit. If you are mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send
  the airflow in the right direction.

I'd say your room fits the "very sunny" definition.


Type of sealant for nails under asphalt shingles I am installing a zinc strip on my garage roof to reduce moss growth. I will be sliding the metal between two rows of asphalt shingles and nailing it down, so that the nail heads are underneath the upper row.
What type of sealant should I use on the nail heads? Asphault, silicone, polyurethane, tripolymer?
None of the sealants at my home store specifically mention nails on the label. I live in a climate with cold winters.

I have used zinc make sure the strip extends beyond the shingles , we started using wide zinc strips at 2 levels after moving to Oregon and noticing no moss or fungus below the metal roof vents. I like black jack it is a good sealant and if putting a roof I accidentally have a shiner a dab of blackjack on top will seal that exposed nail head. Make sure to slip the zinc under on a warm day so you don’t break the shingles.


What are these clips on the wires in my junction box? Are these clips just for protection? or are they connectors for something?

They look like a type of push-in connector. If so they are in place of twist-on wire connectors and are not "just for protection", they are connecting the wires in a safe way.


My house is nearing 20 years, what will break soon? Okay, I recently learned that most appliances/things start breaking once the house reaches around 20 years. I'm running 19 now.

From what I have heard, roof (although mine is apparently a 30 year roof), washer/dryer, stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, water heater (i have decided to replace it without waiting for it to break) will all start breaking by this time. Luckily my heater and A/C system is only 5 years old.

Is this generally true? I know it probably depends on the usage etc etc. I'm a first time home owner with 3 years under the belt now. I'm still learning even some of the basic things in most categories. So, my question is, is there anything I need to be wary of, anything I can do to prolong the life of these?

Everything is going up in price. To install a new water heater, it costs around $1050 with all the code equipment, installation etc. So, if I can prolong anything, I will.

It makes complete sense to replace your water heater early, because the failure mode for most of the older ones is "break and drain all over the inside of your house" -- and the 'drip pan' can only catch so much.

You don't say where you're from, so I can't give you any climate or region-specific suggestions on what to replace and what not to replace. I know that down here in Texas, a "30 year roof" does not mean that your roof will last 30 years because there are too many variables... including tree cover, rainfall amount, temperature, what kind of tar paper they used on the original install... the best you can expect is to have to replace the roof at 30 years; the nominal life of a "30 year" roof when installed perfectly is about 25 years before you start risking the sheathing. Once it's degraded to the point where shingles crack easily, all it takes is one good thunderstorm to blow a bunch of shingles off.

Depending on what kind of siding you have, the max life is also about 25 to 30 years -- especially if you have wood. I've replaced most of the T1-11 siding on my house with HardiPanel. It was worth it for the insurance discount as well.

Insulation in your attic is PROBABLY insufficient compared to normal modern standards, and your roof probably does not have baffles installed at the soffits. This is something I'd pay someone to do; have someone come in and add soffit baffles (and increase ventilation if you can safely) and blow in insulation until you're at R-60 in your attic. I feel the same about windows and doors, actually -- they should be replaced after 20-30 years of service -- but we're veering back into energy efficiency here.

Appliances are an obvious one. You can get by with not replacing a stove or a gas dryer, but washer, refrigerator, and dishwasher should probably all have been replaced by now with more efficient ones.

The only other thing I can think of off of the top of my head that tends to go 'boom' suddenly is toilet and sink shutoff valves, unless they're the quarter turn or ball valve type. If they aren't, consider replacing them with ones that are quarter turn or preferably ball valve.

Things I would have inspected or done yearly include pest inspection and treatment, chimney sweep/inspection, tree trimming if you have trees near the house, make sure your gutters are clear and clean and drain properly, and make sure that your yard is still graded so that water flows away from your house as opposed to towards it. Other things that haven't been mentioned but can blow up suddenly but can't be inspected for include foundation problems in slab-on-grade construction, garage door adjustment/spring, and issues with flooring if the flooring is still original to the house.

What you should be pursuing is energy efficiency. In the process of pursuing energy efficiency, you will probably uncover many of the problems you would otherwise experience before they become critical. A good example is when I put new windows in; I discovered a mold problem and an old insect problem that had never been remediated ... and ended up tearing down half of my house to fix it!


How to clean wood dust without permanently clogging a wet/dry vacuum's paper filter? Can you ever use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner (shop.vac, Kubota, Stanley, etc) to clean wood sanding dust?

My one experiment so far resulted in complete clogging of the paper filter after cleaning the dust from hardwood floor sanding. Replacing the dry filter (corrugated paper cylinder on a metallic mesh backbone, ~$20) after each such use is a bit of a stretch, and yet I'm not sure how else I can thoroughly clean the dust left behind.

Having run into the exact same problem, I might be able to make a recommendation to assist you.

There are many variations on this theme, but they are all based on the "cyclone" principle. Spinning air cannot hold particles as easily as "linear" flowing air. Physics (SCIENCE!) is your friend.

One can build one's own cyclone vacuum assistant or purchase one. Having too many projects not completed or not started, I decided to purchase one, but building one is not all that difficult. Consider searching Instructables for Cyclone Vacuum and you'll discover many options.

My purchased unit, from ClearVue Cyclones seems to be perpetually out of stock, although the much higher priced versions are available. A friend purchased a competitor's model, which had a smaller diameter cone and is experiencing poorer results.

It appears that the larger the diameter of the entry point and the taller the cone, the better is the separation. As a test, I dumped some powder coating powder on the floor. Starting with a completely clean cyclone bucket, I sucked up the powder with the shop vac attached. A problem with powdercoat powder is that it passed through all but the finest of filter material and clogs the stuff that stops it.

My shop vac bucket was clean, while the cyclone vac bucket was dead black inside.

Sawdust and metal shaving (my application) don't stand a chance. I added some bracing strips rather than use the supplied fabric strap to attach the vac to the cyclone bucket.


Can I hang a heavy weight from a concrete ceiling if I reinforce it with fiberglass? I'm investigating the possibility of hanging a pull-up bar/ rock-climbing training board from the concrete ceiling in my apartment. The slab is 180mm (7inches) thick and the (static) weight which I would need to support would be 70-90kg (155-200lb). My ceiling is also my neighbour's floor, the building is from 1958... I've read similar questions and responses here and the the issue seems to be tensile strength of the concrete. Originally I planned to use two expanding bolts and an epoxy to help secure them but now I'm not sure.

My question is: would adhering fibreglass sheets to the ceiling where I place the bolts help to improve the ceiling's tensile strength and reduce the chance of the concrete cracking/failing?

If I did this I imagine I would first drill the holes for the bolts, then glue fibreglass sheeting over the whole area, and then pierce the sheet just over the holes in order to place the bolts. Is this a terrible idea? A free-standing structure is not an option - it's ceiling or nothing.

EDIT: Seems like the general consensus on the fibreglass is it wouldn't help. Can anyone suggest an alternative method of safely anchoring the load to the ceiling if money was no object and I wanted to seriously over-engineer this setup? Distributing the load over a wider surface with 2x4 and/or marine ply or similiar and using that as an anchor etc?

The correct answer here is to not hang the load from points on the ceiling, which will damage the structure and could make you liable for losses due to the damage, but to build a structure that will spread the load on the floor. (I think this was covered in a few previous questions... I'm certain I've given this answer before) You would want to build a structure out of steel, either angle iron or square tube, with legs that will spread your weight load across the floor. Many structures are available pre-made, even ones that fold up flat, for crossfit enthusiasts, or you can always manufacture your own with metal, an angle grinder, and a drill and bolts.


How can I remove a mark from a freshly painted wood cupboard? While carrying a cupboard door to reinstall, my husband accidentally scratched a gray line on the door with his belt buckle. We were using "Advance"-brand paint.

How can I get this off without ruining the fresh paint?

Touch the paint up with a tiny dab of paint and a small brush.  Paint takes about a month to cure, and little touch up jobs like this should blend right in by the time the paint finishes curing.


Home made powered foundation vents? Computer fans and solar power? So I have a bit of a moisture issue in my crawl space. I've considered closing up the crawl space completely but I think that sounds like to much work and this idea below sounds more fun.

I was going to buy a 20 watt or so solar panel to power a computer fan which I've seen get as much as 200cfm rating.

My questions are how is cfm measured. Is 200cfm for a computer fan the same scale as when you talk about 200cfm moving around in your HVAC system? If so it seems that 3 or 4 of these would be enough for my entire ~1500 sqft crawl space right?

Any thoughts on if a computer fan attached to a solar panel in this fashion would last for any  useful period of time?

I was going to put maybe two fans per vent on two of the vents on the back of my house so it would create negative pressure and pull air in from the front/side vents and out the back.

CFM: Cubic Feet per Minute. It is the same unit for both.

Note that computer fans are not rated or listed for such use or permanent installation and might not like getting wet.

I don't doubt that such a setup would work but I would test it first with some power adapters (12VDC, common for 120mm fans) before looking at solar panels. As the exact power requirements will depend on the voltage and amperage of the fans, until this is known it is not possible to say if a 20W solar panel would be sufficient for a single fan.


Shower leaking out the grout First off, I am not very handy, and my husband is even less so.

We have lived in our house almost 2 years and it is 13 years old.  During the inspection, I believe the grout in the corners was cracking, so the seller's contractor fixed it. With what, I am not sure, but it matches the grout in color, while being softer than grout.

In the past few months, I noticed some dampness outside the shower, but I thought it was just related to kids taking showers and not being careful. Nope, not the problem. I discovered that the carpet near the shower was wet (see picture), so I investigated further. It appeared that the water was leaking at the joint where the shower door connects to the wall. It seemed to follow the grout line, then follow the baseboard to the doorway carpet.

I also took a look at the other side and found enough dampness to wet a paper towel after taking a shower.

Well, me being the unhandy person that I am, thought maybe a little silicone in the corners might fix the problem. After letting the shower dry for a day or so, that's what I did. I waited over 24 hours to let it cure, and then I tried the shower out. Not as much water as before, but definitely still getting wet. The grout was dark, indicating that perhaps the water was seeping through the grout.

I took a look at the condition of the inside of the shower and discovered what looked like gray caulk peeling in the corner. My first thought was to put some silicone on the corners on the inside, but if the water is coming through the grout, then silicone will not fix the problem.

Does the shower need to be recaulked in that area? Will silicone help? Is there something else that needs to be done? I suppose I really just need to call someone who knows what they are doing and have them fix it, but I don't like not knowing what I need when I call someone because I don't want to be tricked into having more work than actually needs to be done.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!!

Truthfully it looks like the original tile was not done with decades of service in mind.

You have two options

You could simply remove the existing caulking and pull out any loose grout from the inside of the shower. I wouldn't worry about the caulking and grout on the outside of the shower. The water shouldn't be getting past the first layer of protection anyway. Clean it up well, dig at it, use a brush and a vacuum. Let any damp spots dry. Then re-caulk will some tub and tile caulking. Make sure you get a mildew resistant caulking.
This is the long term fix. It's expensive but if you are going to do it right, do it fully right. Remove everything. Replace it with a waterproofing system like Schluter or Wedi. Some of the tiles on the outside of the shower door are showing signs of water weeping behind them. You can stop it by following the method outlined above. But when you are ready use Wedi or Schluter. Either of those systems would have to be done by professionals or friends who are fairly handy.

Wedi shower kit

masterwholesale.com

Schluter shower kit

www.homedepot.com


How do you seal fasteners, seams, and pipe holes in DensShield I'm reading through the DensShield installation instructions and all I see is "flexible silicon" to be used to seal the fasteners and seams.  This seems extremely prone to failure after 10 to 20 years.  Am I missing something?

The best way to seal seams and fasteners in dense shield is using a liquid membrane, ( RedGard, Aquadefense, Hydro Ban). These can be applied with a paint roller or paint brush.

I will always reinforce seams with a fabric made to use with the water proofing, altho some don't require it.


How do I attach a deck joist to a ledger at an inside corner of the house? I'm planning a deck for the back of my house that will be tucked into an inside corner of the building. I'm not sure how I'll attach the outer joist to the ledger board, since that will be tucked right up to the corner on the foundation, so I wouldn't be able to drive nails in from the left side:

The only things I can find by Google search suggest things like a corner bracket:

I don't see a specific line in IRC that prohibits this, but I note that the
AWC Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide states "Use joist hangers with inside flanges when clearances to the edge of the beam or ledger board dictate. Do not use clip angles or brackets to support joists."

I can't believe that this is an unusual problem, so there must be a standard way of addressing it, right? The best I can figure is to attach this joist (and one at the other side with the same issue) with a hidden-flange hanger before I anchor the ledger, but this seems cumbersome. My locality requires three inspections, the first of which happens after the ledger is attached and footings are dug, but before concrete is poured, which means that during all the foundational work, I'd have these joists hanging out in the breeze for me to trip over and/or break while I'm working.

What do I do here?

When I built my deck I used a the same joist hanger as the rest of the joists but moved it and the joist inward the thickness of the joist. Then nailed/screwed an additional joist to its face to even it up to the edge of the ledger. This worked well because it gave me twice the thickness to secure the planks and kept the nails/screws away from the edge. The additional piece could be raised to the height of the planks it you wanted to frame in the planks.


Outside electric outlets should be 20amp or 15? The previous owner ran a circuit for outlets in my unfinished basement but I have little use for them. It would be convenient to just tap into that circuit so I can have one electric outlet on the outside on each side of the house. Maybe even eliminate most of the outlets in the basement.

However, it's only a 15 amp circuit and, in the interest of doing it the right way, my impression is that a 20 amp circuit would be better cause "power tools". Also, the wife envisions a water feature and some outside lighting.

But then the question remains about what to use in the garage. It makes even more sense, to me, to run a 20 amp circuit for wall outlets there, including one on the outside by the garage door though I don't really use power tools or envision any kind of workshop out there. There is an office next to it and I thought I would just tap into that lighting circuit for a few ceiling lights in the garage.

This answers my question in part Don't know how I missed that but a few details are missing.

You could probably use the 15 ampere basement circuit to power outdoor lighting, and water feature (just make sure it's all GFCI protected). If you're going to be using power tools outside (power washer, electric mower, trimmer, hedge clipper, etc. Then you're going to want to run a new 20 ampere GFCI protected circuit.

If there are only a few lights in the office on the circuit, you can surely power a few more garage lights with that circuit. Though you'll want to make sure that's all that is on that circuit, or you could end up overloading the circuit.  If you want to add receptacles in the garage, you'll want a dedicated 20 ampere GFCI protected circuit. If you're going to be running a bunch of power tools, you might want to consider a 20 ampere multi-wire branch circuit. In which case you can split each receptacle, and power the top/bottom from the separate legs of the circuit.

Before you make a final plan, make sure you know for sure what's on any circuit you're tapping into. Guessing here could lead to overloaded circuits, and nuisance tripping.


What's the maximum allowable height between a shower drain and the trap? Is there a maximum height from my shower drain to the top of the trap (the length of the tailpipe)?
I am aware after the trap there must be a 1/4" per ft slope and the vent must be within 60".
Question: Can I put my trap 24" below my shower drain?

According to the International Residential Code, the maximum vertical distance between the sink drain and the entrance to the p-trap is 24 inches.
source

Be aware that it'll make a fair bit of noise dropping that far.


Will high wattage LED bulb work with this light fixture? I am looking to replace the LED light bulbs in my ceiling downlights with some stronger ones.

Specification of existing lightbulb: LED, GU10, 5W, 240V

Specification of light fixture: KR (KangRong), 250V, 100W, K512GU, 2/250

The attached pictures show the existing light bulb and fixture.

I would like to replace the light bulb with a GU10 LED bulb with around 10W and 950 lumen. Was wondering if switching to such a higher wattage light bulb will be safe. My main worry is risk of fire due to overheating.

Thanks for your advice.

The part number you supply is just for the socket, it is rated for the heat of a 100w GU10 bulb, the socket can definitely handle 10 watts of heat put out by a 10w bulb.

But nobody can tell from the socket rating what heat limit the trim is or what voltage the supporting wiring is designed to withstand.

Common design of that style of fixture is to be able to handle 35, 50, or 75w incandescent bulb, so it is likely able to handle 10 watts, but more info is needed to be certain. It is possible (but unlikely) that the fixture was designed to operate with a maximum of 5w, but that really seems unimaginable.


Electrical Code for wiring multiple outlets Is there a code that states whether a pigtail is required for each outlet or if the second screw on each outlet can be used to continue current to the next outlet in the series?  Since the only connection is that thin metal clip I was wondering if that is considered a proper connection versus wiring a pigtail into the connection for each outlet so that all wires are interconnected at each box.

For what it's worth...if pig tailing, are Wago or similar push in connectors allowed or must it be an actual wirenut?

The Code requires that continuity of the ground wire (equipment ground) cannot depend on a device.

The Code also requires that the continuity of the neutral (grounded conductor) cannot depend on a device if you are using a multi-wire branch circuit (Two hot legs, a neutral, and ground).

The Code never requires the continuity of the hot leg to be continuous.

So, that means if you are not using a multiwire branch circuit then you can use the clamps on the devices for the hot and neutral. The ground would need to be pigtailed on every device but the end of the line. If using a MWBC then you would also have it pigtail the neutral on all devices but the end of the line.

Wago, Ideal, and other push-in connectors are UL listed for use and can be used for joints in an electrical installations. Or you can use wire nuts. The choice is yours.

Good luck and stay safe!


How to repair the caulking around basement walkout doors and what to use? Another waterproofing question: our basement has a walkout door that is leaking from where the metal doors meet the concrete base. Three pictures from inside and one from outside are attached below. The metal doors extend beyond the small stop at the top of the stairs, so rain is draining (correctly) to the outside perimeter. However water is able to weep inside. There was old, probably latex-based caulk on both sides of the door stop, which apparently failed.
How do I repair this? Do I have to clean out the existing caulk and start fresh? Or is it possible to clean it and add a compatible latex-based caulk?
If I have to start from scratch, what should I use? I found several suggestions for caulking concrete (similar to this question plus hydraulic cement):

Hydraulic cement
Quikrete polyurethane sealant
Silicone caulk
Latex-based Drylok waterproofer

Walkout door inside 1

Walkout door inside 2

Walkout door inside 3

Walkout door outside 1

Walkout door outside 2

Walkout door outside 3

It's hard to prescribe an exact product, but I ran into similar issues recently myself and here is what I learned. Some of this may be helpful in making a decision...
There used to be two main options for caulk: silicone and latex. These days there are 'siliconized' latex caulks that perform well and are easier to use than 100% silicone. Silicone is hard to clean up, and nothing much sticks to it.
Latex (a.k.a. acrylic) caulk, whether siliconized or not, can be cleaned up with water, and other things can be applied on top such as paint or additional layers of caulk. So there is less reason to go with 100% silicone anymore.
If the sealant needs to accommodate expansion and contraction, a caulk advertised as window/trim may be a good choice as these are designed to be flexible.
DAP DYNAFLEX 230 is one such siliconized flexible caulk that is generally considered to be of high quality.
If the existing base is well adhered and non-silicone, you can probably clean it and apply latex on top. If there's any doubt, it's better to remove it and start from a known sturdy substrate.
You can probably narrow the field by eliminating caulks advertised as 'non-shrinking', 'paintable', 'quick drying', as those don't matter so much in this case. Adhesion, water-sealing, and possibly elasticity, are the things I would prioritize. Good luck!


When derating for wires in conduit, do you round up or down? Someone else is wiring up an on-demand heater.  They need three 50A breakered circuits and they want to run the kaboodle in one conduit.

They want to use #8 THHN wire because it's allowed to 50A @ 75C (all terminations are 75C).  However, we run into the conduit fill derate in 310.15(B)(3)(a).

There will be 6 wires, so 80% derate.

OK, being THHN the wire is rated for 90C so the derate comes off the 90C column in 310.15(B)16.  That is 55 amps for #8 Cu at 90C.

80% of 55A is 44A.

Now what?  Am I obliged to round down, and use a 40A breaker (won't work)?  Or am I allowed to round up to the next breaker size (50A)?

Derating doesn't prohibit rounding up

The rule that lets you "round up" nonstandard breaker trip requirements to the next higher standard size is NEC 240.4(B):

  (B) Overcurrent Devices Rated 800 Amperes or Less. The
  next higher standard overcurrent device rating (above the
  ampacity of the conductors being protected) shall be permitted
  to be used, provided all of the following conditions are met:

  (1) The conductors being protected are not part of a branch
  circuit supplying more than one receptacle for cord-and-plug-connected portable loads.

  (2) The ampacity of the conductors does not correspond with
  the standard ampere rating of a fuse or a circuit breaker
  without overload trip adjustments above its rating (but
  that shall be permitted to have other trip or rating adjustments).

  (3) The next higher standard rating selected does not exceed
  800 amperes.

Note that this rule says nothing about not being applicable to conductors that have been derated.  So, based on the "shall be permitted" language here, without condition on the presence of the derate, we can safely say that the answer is "yes, you can round up to the next higher standard breaker size, even if you are applying temperature or fill derates to the conductors."


intermittent compressor on elderly dual-fuel heat pump I have a 23 year-old dual-fuel 2.5-ton heat pump; it is a split system, air handler and furnace in the crawlspace, compressor outside. I use it very little in the winter, mostly heating with wood; I use it a lot in the summer. Here is what has happened:

Turned on A/C, after several weeks of idleness (pleasant springtime weather). Compressor did not come on (neither the compressor fan nor the compressor-proper).
Next day, tried to see if compressor would work in heat mode. It did. Then switched to cool mode, and it also worked. A/C has worked fine on the few occasions I've tried it since then.
Looked at compressor while running properly. Measured 24 vac signal to contactor coil and 36mv voltage drop across contacts (1-1/2 pole contactor).

What do you recommend ? Is the 36mv across contacts normal ? Sounds small, but at 20 amps, that's almost a watt dissipated in very little metal, so maybe not. (The compressor runs off a 30amp circuit). The contactor has not been replaced in many years. I am tempted to just replace it. Cheap part. DIY - I am electrical engr and have done lots of home wiring, so can do it without killing myself (turn off breaker, make sure capacitor is discharged).

But, do you think this is the most likely problem ? If not, I guess I just have to wait for it to fail again, and check to see if the coil is getting 24vac. Anything else I can check before then ?

Also, searching here, someone said capacitor is most likely cause of compressor failure.  However, I wonder if the fact that my problem occurred once, and then went away, would modify this ?

The capacitor adds a boost for the initial startup of the compressor and fan. It can sometimes intermittently fail before going bad entirety. The only way to know for sure is to pull it out and test with a multimeter, comparing with the rating on the side. This can be risky since it is a high voltage device and you might not have a working disconnect (make sure it is actually off, since some installers cheat by bypassing it).

Beyond that, this is very doable for a DIY. Just be careful.


How can I build a temporary support for rafters? I have a hipped roof with 5.5 metre common rafters supported mid span by strutted purlins. The rafters, and below them the ceiling joists, are trimmed around a double flue chimney breast at the flank wall of the house.

The trimmer for both rafters (4) and joists (3) need replacing due to rot.

I can do this myself but would like advice on how alternative ways to best support the rafters during this job.

There is about half a ton of roof and roof tiles to support.

All timbers are 2 x 4 (at approx 14 inch centres): the purlins are 7 x 2. The joists span 13 feet (4 metres), rest on load bearing walls at each end, are tied in to the rafter feet, and are stiffened by binders which run across, again on structural walls.

Edit: doubling up is not an option because there is no structural wall for the new rafters/joists to sit on (because they are trimmed around the stack). I was looking for ways to put in some temporary support that did not involve major work (like structural steels). One option that came to mind was running new joists (say 9 x 2) parallel with the existing and building a frame of these with vertical struts nailed to the rafters from underneath. The binders that run at right angles would have to be temporarily cut through and perhaps supported off the new joists. I accept that structural calculations would be ideal, but at present the weight of the trimmed rafters and the ceiling joists is taken by two 4 x 2 x 13 feet joists and it has stayed sound (no sagging) for 70 years. Is my suggestion viable in principle?

If you have space and there's any structure left near the ends, the easiest way is to not replace the existing rafters and joists, but to sister a second board on the side of each. Attaching the two with bolts every foot or two (50 cm). Use several bolts at the ends of the wider lumber (7x2).

If you don't have the space or the existing structure has rotted to the point that it won't hold a bolt, then a temporary support is very similar to the existing structure, built as close as possible to location you're working on. If there is a load bearing joint above your structure (unlikely for where you're working, this is typically seen with a load bearing wall and two joists meeting over top of the wall), you would build support for each side of the joint. If the existing structure has sagged, you'll want to jack it back up before installing your new support.

Note that when it comes to engineered joists and rafters, they are frequently designed with precisely engineered joints and webbing to carry the load. If you cannot match exactly what was done before, then I would recommend getting a professional, or at least the advice of an engineer.


Blind installed in a metal/aluminum frame that is tilting forward - how to fix? I have three windows, in sequence (the middle one is fixed, the side windows can be opened/closed). Each window has its own blind.
I noticed my blinds started tilting forward, specially the middle one, and I can see a gap at the top. Looking closely, I see that the window long metal frame, where the blinds were attached to, "disconnected" from the top and is tilting forward. Inside that opening, I can see some insulation material.
It does not seem that this metal frame ripped/cut from the rest, it seems there was just paint over the joint (the 90 degrees between this metal frame and the top wall that goes to the ceiling). Apparently with continuous use of blinds, it started tilting.
I already removed the blinds, as I was afraid it would get worse.
My questions are:

The metal frame does not seem to be broken/ripped, just bent. It seems this long metal frame is not easily removable (and it is quite long - like 9 feet. How to fix this bending? Is it necessary to replace the metal frame entirely?
Were the blinds installed in the incorrect way? Instead of being supported by the metal bracket, maybe they should have been supported by the top part (or both)? I can't figure what the top is. It seems the front joint (facing the apartment) is metal because it attracts a magnet, but the narrow material where blinds could be installed I'm not sure.
How to install the new blinds since this metal frame is not rigid enough? I'm not sure the top would be strong enough to hold the blinds, and they could fall down.

Pictures:

Thank you!

Notes here:

front of the brackets for these blinds started bending down.   You know this.
this is either because you were unduly harsh on these - pulling on the blind cords to hard and/or yanking the whole mechanism
this may also be caused because of the weight of the blinds.   Cheap blinds weigh more, couple that with some yanking and the default brackets might not work.
was the top of the blinds caulked to the top of the window trim?   That is really weird!
Most blinds like this come with three attachment brackets.   There is usually one "C" bracket and two box brackets.   The box brackets really hold the weight and are of a thicker gauge metal and the fact that it is a box it is really almost impossible for the bracket itself to warp.   With the box brackets if there is too much yanking or pulling on the blinds the bracket will pull the screw out of the trim, not warp.
All I see on your blinds are the "C" brackets.   While these look nicer, this is the reason why the blinds eventually failed.

What to do?

Buy better and more C brackets, install them, and go easier on the blinds.
Buy different blinds that are lighter
Install box brackets for each blind set.


geothermal cooling with no heat pump? I'm buying my first house (1000 sq ft) and it has an old, unused water well. It has a central furnace but no central AC, only window units.

I want to use geothermal to condition the air, but only to cool the house in the summer and supplementing the window units.

Here's my question:

What if I rigged up a geothermal system that simply takes the 55°F well water (open loop system), run it through a car radiator or something, and blow air over it? Won't that give me chilled air?? Now I can blast that air through the existing vents. Right?

The first problem that the heat pump solves is the small differential between the ambient air temp and the temperature you'd expect to get out of such a system.

Let's say your home is at 80 degrees. Let's say (with only wild guesses at actual results) that the air that comes off your radiator is cooled to 65 degrees. (You're unlikely to get anywhere near 55 degrees, your water temperature, with a simple fin-contact radiator.) You now have an air temperature differential of 15 degrees. That's not much, and unless you move massive amounts of air it's not going to give the results you're hoping for. You may drop the room five degrees, or even ten, but that ignores the primary benefit of a true air conditioning system: humidity reduction.

This is the second problem a heat pump solves. By dropping the temperature in the room without a condensation stage, you've now effectively raised the relative humidity. This reduces the sensation of cooling you'll feel, and it could actually cause ugly side effects with respect to your home. Now your windows and walls may start showing condensation because they're cooler than outside, but also wetter.

Basically, if it was that simple, everyone would do it. Unfortunately, it isn't. I'd upgrade your window units or add another one. For the cost and effort you'll come out ahead. (Don't forget that a well uses electricity, too.)


How can I prevent cobwebs in my house? So we were away from our home for 6 weeks and when we came back, we had cobwebs at a number of places in the house like the shower cabinets, ceilings, corners, closets, behind toilet seats etc. Is there a way to prevent cobwebs?

They get in through small cracks and holes in the exterior of the house, usually near the foundation or under doors. If you seal any and all holes it will reduce the number of spiders.

They require water. A house that is absolutely dry will have no spiders.


Can I replace an improperly supported tub easily? I have a fiberglass garden tub in the home I just bought that wasn't installed right. The far side has no support under the lip and as a result it likes to loose its seal to the tiles above. My current solution has been to recaulk it every time it cracks but this has gotten rather annoying over the past few months.

Is it possible for me to rip out the tub and either replace it or fix the supports without redoing the whole shower area? (ie tile and plumbing). Does anyone have any recommendations on howto do it?

The tub should be supported underneath where it sits on the subfloor, not just at the lip. Usually the manufacturer specifies that the tub be set into a bed of thinset mortar to make sure it's well supported across the entire bottom surface.  We have a tub that's doing the same thing.

The easy fix is to remove all the caulk around the edges, then fill the tub with water before recaulking, only draining the tub after the caulk has had time to dry fully.  This ensures that the caulk seam stays mostly in compression even when the tub is full of water and people, reducing the chance that it will get pulled apart.  I've done this to ours and it's lasted well so far (granted, it's only been a few months now -- we just moved here in April).

What I'd eventually like to do, as our fiberglass tub still creaks when you walk in it, is to open up the adjacent wall and try to get thinset mortar underneath the tub.  My plan is to gently pry the base of the tub upward with shims, then slather mortar underneath as much as possible, and then remove the shims so that the tub settles into the mortar.  This might be an option for you, but it might involve some tile work depending on where you can get access to the subfloor under the tub.

I know this doesn't do much to answer your specific question about the feasibility of removing and replacing your tub.  That's difficult to answer without knowing exactly how your tub is installed.  I have to think that's going to be a big job though, no matter how it's installed.


Radiators don't heat up evenly, and am missing an Expansion Vessel. Do I need it? I have a new Worcester 40CDI Regular Boiler that does not come with a built-in expansion vessel. I just discovered that the installer did not install an external expansion vessel either. For HW, I have an unvented cylinder which has a expansion vessel connected to its cold inlet though.

Our radiators don't heat evenly and some remain cold. Called in a plumber and he said that the original installer should have put in an expansion vessel for the boiler and that will solve my heating issues (it seems we've got a pressurized 'Sealed System' - sadly it's also missing a pressure release valve which he said he would install). I'm not convinced as an expansion vessel is essentially only to prevent backflow of water and is a safety measure (right?) and has nothing to do with additional flow of water in our radiators. I reckon it wasn't power flushed properly when the boiler was recently replaced as we've already tried balancing the radiators and that doesn't really help. Some radiators are boiling hot (at 70 degrees set for the boiler) while some are mildly warm.

Any advice? Should I proceed with the expansion vessel anyway (I reckon we still need one for safety reasons but don't think that'll solve my heating problems). Thanks.

A fellow Briton (I'm guessing from your terminology) will have a better sense of what's normal and customary there than I do. Certainly sounds like the installers screwed up.

What sounds like your major heating issue is probably air trapped in the pipes/radiators - particularly the ones that do not heat well - there should be some sort of air vent on those (near the top - possibly on the pipe, possibly on the radiator itself) which you can open to permit the air to leave. Shut when water starts coming out. The expansion vessel is somewhat related, as it makes up the difference in volume from a cold to hot system so that the system does not blow off water (assuming there is a pressure relief somewhere.) If you open a bleeder and you don't reach a point where water comes out, the lack of an expansion vessel would be partly responsible - without one, system pressure will drop rapidly as you remove air, and may drop too low to push all the air out, unless you add more water to the system.

If you really don't have an expansion vessel and pressure relief, and the system is, in fact closed, that creates a significant hazard, as system pressure could rise to unsafe levels as the system heats. I would expect that the boiler would at least have a pressure or pressure/temperature relief. If there really isn't one, you have a potential steam explosion... or you don't have the system type you think you do.


Vertical lift mechanism or push to open system for a cabinet lid? I'll try and describe as best I can. I have a simple wooden cabinet, in which is a rack hifi system.
The front of the cabinet is a solid oak overlay door that swings out.
The top of the cabinet, the top surface of the cuboid if you like, is not yet affixed in any way.
Immediately underneath the top surface (again solid oak, about 2cm thick) , is a gramophone with a plastic dust cover lid-box...which for now I don't want to dispose of.
In order to use the gramophone, for the time being I have to remove the wood lid , open the plastic lid, play a record.
What I would like to be able to do this is use that wooden surface for some ornaments, and be able to push the lid or somehow activate the lid so that it rise vertically upwards and create space for me to reach in and use the gramophone.
There is space for four vertical struts in each corner and to be contained within the cabinet.
What sort of mechanism(s) would allow the lid to gently rise upwards by about 50cm, while the lid stays horizontal? I was thinking of just using a TV lift with diagonal brackets supporting the oak lid, but this looks rather expensive, and doesn't seem to offer a "push the lid down and it will slowly pop out" mechanism. Is there something simple involving eg: latches and gas struts that is available?
Thank you in advance for any help.

I would consider two threaded rods in the back two corners that are rotated together and can drive up the lid.
They probaly need to be about 1/2” diameter as the lid length will cause a bending moment on the rods, unless you have extra sliding rods as well.
For initial testing a car wiper motor may be sufficiently slow - but that is easy to adjust when using toothed belts...


Can a ceiling fan's speed be controlled with a light dimmer switch I purchased a ceiling fan a while back which is one of those fancy ones that is operated with a remote control. However, for some reason, the remote broke, and the fan is stuck on maximum speed, I can turn it on/off by the wall switch and that's it.

Is it possible to manually control the fan speed by installing a light dimmer switch?

Light dimmers use triac based phase control for dimming purpose. It chops the sine wave somewhere in between depending upon the knob position, which produces a signal like this:

(a) is pure sine wave. (b) and (c) represent modified sine wave going to the appliance depending upon dimmer knob position. This works well for dimming an incandescent bulb because they give off light based on heating of the filament.

However when you give this waveform to a ceiling fan, it won't behave very well. Most obvious issue will be a humming sound specially at a lower speed (corresponding to signal (b)). Lesser obvious issues might be increased energy loss in the coil.

Nowadays companies have started using a series capacitor to reduce the voltage while maintaining a sine wave which eliminates humming while reducing the fan speed.


How can I seal the lids on water collection barrels? I'm working on a rainwater collection system.

Due to space limitations, I have arranged the barrels in a 2x2 configuration (as in the picture)

Problem with this configuration is that I can't get a good seal on the lids, and the 2 barrels on top never fill up.

Any ideas to improve the seal?

I would fill the top 2 first as a pair then the overflow from those fills the bottom pair, then excess can be dealt with.

Of course one issue, if there is to be only one outlet is how to connect the top and bottom without a manual changeover. That can be done with a oneway valve so the top ones don’t drain into the bottom ones.

Edit: to deal with air being sucked in consider a second oneway valve above the outlet as shown, once the upper tanks no longer have water then the valve will close.

Once the top pair are full the fill to lower tanks takes the excess until the lower tanks are full then the overflow bottom left controls the final level.

The outlet is fed from the top tanks until empty, then the oneway valve allows water out to the outlet from the lower tanks. If you don't have the oneway valve the top tanks will just empty into the lower tanks.

This has the advantage that the lids are now just dustcovers and are easy to remove / replace for cleaning.


Best location to install floor door stop What distance from the hinge is the best spot to install door stop?

Farther from the hinge the better. When possible I use base mount door stops, one would work here as well. But if you prefer to use the floor mount, keep it a few inches from the edge of the door. Do not use hinge type door stops only when absolutely necessary, if the door swings back too hard on it it will either pull the screws out of the hinge or if it is a hollow core door it will put a hole in it. Been there, done that.


Running two LP heaters recently ripped out the old oil furnace that was proving to be more trouble than its worth to fix ; and went and got a 30K BTU heater, BUT its only warming up one side of the house, I plan on getting another to put on the other side but my question is will both of those be able to run alright off of my 100LB tank? and If so any rough estimate of how long?

A 100lb propane tank holds approximately 24 gallons of fuel, each of which will provide about 90k BTUs. So, one of your 30k BTU/hour heaters will use 1/3 gallon of fuel an hour (if run at full tilt), using up the full 100lb tank in about three days.

reference: https://theadminzone.com/threads/propane-usage-calculations.118427/


Standard vs full port ball valve I understand the difference in regards to price (most homeowners are cheap), body size (a full port might not be viable in tight spaces), and physical design (inlet/outlet size difference) between a standard and full port ball valve but why do both exist?
If I am running a 3/4 inch plumbing trunk and put a standard ball valve on it then am I actually reducing the water pressure/volume/flow rate?
When is the right time to use one over the other?
Do the same considerations exist for both water and gas applications?

Full port valve provide a flow diameter that is the same as the inlet/outlet ports.  So, for example a 3/4" full port will be 3/4" throughout.
A "standard" does NOT provide that and a 3/4" standard has a flow diameter restriction of something less than 3/4".  Likely closer to 1/2".
Why use one over the other?  Full port costs more and takes up more space and offers little benefit for many applications.  So unless you have a specific need, chances are that the standard valve will be just fine.
If you have concerns about the flow or it's a relatively high-flow line then use a full port.
Generally the same principles apply to any fluid, water or gas, but gas is a compressible flow and is affected somewhat less.  Gas, at least as used in homes, rarely flows at a rate comparable to water.  But in some cases it may be needed to use full port.
Knowing when to use one vs. the other is not always obvious.  This is why engineers go to college for 4 years or plumbers apprentice for several years.


Can I use liquid nails to attach toe plate/sill plate to concrete floor? Sorry for my choice of words yesterday.  Hope this is better explained:  ground water flooded two finished rooms in my basement.
  Took out rotting, mildewed drywall, studs, sill plate, insulation.
  A contractor dug a trench 10" wide in the floor at the base of the exterior walls, installed a floor-to-ceiling vapor barrier that drains any/all incoming moisture into that trench and out via a shiny new sump pump.  (For the first time in 30+ years, no water ingress.)
  Now, I'm replacing those walls.  The trench the contractor dug was about 15" deep, lined with gravel, fitted with a porous pipe, covered with more gravel and finished with a layer of cement - how thick?  Maybe an inch or so...  There already are some cracks in the stuff.  But the gravel/pipe combo is working very well so no problems yet.
   Except I need to put down a new sill-plate on the floor and am concerned that trying to drive anything into this cement will shatter it.  So I want to use liquid nails.  Think I can?

I wouldn't recommend bonding sill plates directly to a concrete floor. Any wood in direct contact with basement concrete is asking for trouble. Concrete is porous and will wick moisture to anything placed on top of it. In order to prevent moisture wicking into the sill plate and consequent danger of mould, mildew, and rot, it's better to lay a 12" wide sheet of 6 mil polyethylene vapour barrier between the concrete and wood sill plate, then fasten sill plate to concrete with tapcon screws. Wrap the poly up on the inside of the drywall (if you're finishing the walls again) to also protect the drywall from wicking moisture from the concrete.


Paint peeled on fascia board, how to get paint to stick? I sanded, primed, then painted one of my fascia boards, and most of the board dried fine, just one part where there’s wood filler and silicone calking is where the paint peeled.
How can I fix this area where the paint peeled, and get the paint to stick? What steps would I need to take to patch it properly?

Paint will not stick to silicone.
You will need to sand it all off, be sure you do not leave any silicon on the board.
If you need to do more patching use an exterior Vinyl patching compound
Patch, sand , prime   and paint.


Does resilient channel change the orientation that drywall is mounted? I'm contemplating installing resilient channel and in the ceiling, my understanding is that drywall is hung perpendicular to the floor joists above. When resilient channel is installed, it runs perpendicular too, so then does the drywall get re-oriented to be perpendicular to the channel (and thus parallel to the joists)?

This video: https://youtu.be/-IfYuNnRLgU?t=3m35s

Suggests that the drywall is still run oriented the way it would be if it were just hung to the joists, so it runs down the channel, but I feel like I read somewhere that it's supposed to be run crossing the channel. This would actually be a benefit for me, because in that ("new") orientation, single sheets would fit across the room.

When looking at installation instructions for the channel, the "example" pictures conveniently include a square piece of drywall.

In the sound studios where I work, we've had several rooms added using RC for acoustic dampening. The drywall is hung in the same orientation as the wall studs, but the pattern for screws holding the drywall is done differently to attach to the RC channel. I'll include an image showing the method I am most familiar with:


Insulation in the attic : choice between fire retardant and allergenic This is for a house in Portugal, where most houses have no insulation. I want to insulate the house (it is quite cold in the winter).
The plan is to lay down some isolation material on the floor of the attic. The attic is completely isolated from the rest of the house. The only way to get to it is from the roof. The floor is very thick concrete (80 cm of concrete).
The range of insulation product is fairly limited, because very few people isolate their house in Portugal. I basically have the following choices:

glass wool
rock wool
synthetic material consisting of several layers of aluminium, polyester and polyethylene

Glass wool is out because rock wool appears superior in all respects.
Rock wool is great because it is fire retardant, but I worry that it might cause allergies to people living in the house (I am not worried about the allergy during installation, only for the people using the house).
The synthetic material seems great, but it is very flammable. Insulation quality is not a criterion because it is comparable.
So I basically have to decide on allergy versus fire retardant properties.
Given the very thick slab of concrete, is it reasonable to not worry about the flammable properties of the synthetic product? Maybe I can consider that the concrete will be protection enough? (it is a country where fires are common, due to high temperatures).
For allergies with rock wool, can anyone speak to that risk? Does the fact that the attic is completely closed from the rest of the house, with no window prevent the risk of allergy?

TL;DR Don't worry, be happy, use the rock wool.
I am NOT an expert on insulation, so if anyone has better/more complete information, I will defer to them.
As a general rule, allergies have to do with specific organic materials - e.g., pollen - that cause an actual allergic reaction. This is a specific medical term and, as I understand it, allergies are not normally to minerals, synthetic fibers, etc. In other words, I doubt (but I could be wrong) that rock wool can actually cause an allergic reaction.
On the other hand, there are other types of irritants which can cause rashes (contact dermatitis), lung problems (asbestos being the classic example) and other symptoms, many of them quite serious, that are similar to allergies in certain respects. But they are not allergies.
My gut feeling is that none of these 3 choices (fiberglass, rock wool, synthetic insulation) will cause a true allergy, with the possible exception of outgassing of some chemicals used in production of the material. Such outgassing would be, in my opinion, a total non-issue for residents of a building if the materials are installed in a non-accessed attic. Any outgassing would escape through attic vents and dissipate into the atmosphere at very low levels.
Similarly, any particulate matter that comes out from any of these materials would be essentially indistinguishable from ordinary dust and other particles in the air from a variety of sources - soil, automobile exhaust, fireplaces, etc. In addition, properly installed insulation should have almost no loose particulate matter except as part of the initial installation. That initial installation should include cleanup of any loose particles (e.g., with a shop vacuum). The only exception would be if you used loose-fill (e.g., blown in) insulation, which would not be a good idea with these concerns, and in fact is probably best left to totally concealed spaces such as post-construction fill in external walls.
Fire is an issue. Attics get hot. Sometimes very hot. If (I haven't checked the specs) rock wool is significantly more fire retardant than other materials, use the rock wool. While the concrete should provide a lot of protection - hopefully enough for everyone to exit the building safely in the event of an attic fire - there could still be extensive (and expensive) damage. Best to avoid adding fuel to the fire.
But probably every one of these items has a Prop. 65 warning.


A GFCI outlet controlled by a light switch I'm installing a disposal and am wondering how I can control the GFCI that the disposal is plugged into with a switch. I want the switch to control the GFCI outlet to protect the disposal. Thank you.

If this is a new outlet run take all 3 wires to the switch box the white wire nutted together white to white. The ground you will want to pig tail a ~6" piece to the switch green screw. The black is put on the switch (I usually put the hot on top) and feed the outlet on bottom. Just an FYI Garbage disposals are notorious for eating GFCI's so it may be a good idea to have a spare (just be aware that this can happen).


Removing knockouts in composite granite sink The sink has one existing hole, and 3 knockouts which are cut about half way through the material.

What are the best tools, and techniques for removing fixture knockouts on a composite granite sink?

As brutal as it seems, the prescribed method by FRANKE is to use a blunt ended large punch and a hammer.  Set the punch dead center in the cutout and strike it soundly. Don't be too tentative, give it a good shot! Place the punch on the top. If you have a carbide hole saw, pilot a small hole dead center from the side already drilled then finish it off from the top, using the pilot hole.

When I first saw my plumber do this on a kitchen job, I cringed, but it worked well. Weren't there any instructions with your sink?  I'm just relating the way FRANKE recommends, maybe your brand has a different method.


How can I find door hardware to match the fitment of my vintage hardware? I want to replace the lock but want to keep using all the existing holes in the door.

Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/wxeoKJj

On the side, the only engravings are "PAT APR 17 06, OTHER PAT PEND.". I guess these are patent-related details.

Any idea is appreciated!

As I mentioned in my comment above it will be very difficult to identify the maker of your old lockset. However. you shouldn't have to if you're simply going to replace it.   It should be relatively easy to find a replacement lockset that will fit this door without too much adjusting of the door. However, you're probably not going to know until you remove the old lockset and search out replacement sets. Take the old lockset with you when looking for a new one. With this type of replacement I think that's a better way to find what will work instead of shopping on-line.
There are always some adjustments that need to be made, particularly to mortise in the lockset stile and the strike plate. The wood looks to be in relatively good shape so you might be able to get away with minor refurbishment such as, if necessary, filling in the old screw holes. I like to use wood splinters or toothpicks and wood glue. That's if you're lucky. You will probably have to relocate the strikeplate which may require some wood repair around the original site of the plate. Good luck.


What do you call this old pipe to bath tap join and how do I remove it? I'm trying to replace the bath taps. I'm at the point where i've removed one, but can't get the 2nd one off. They are connected differently (go figure).

See attached image:

As i'm new to plumbing i don't know what type of join this is, and haven't been able to work it out, hence can't find out whether i should be able to just unscrew it.

I've tried using a wrench (and WD-40) but all i end up doing is twisting the pipe, which is curved. If i hold the pipe to stop it twisting i end up tilting the tap tail. It really seems like this join doesn't want to come off.

I've felt under the nut, and it seems like its a single piece from what i can tell, not sure if the extra thick piping below is part of it too??

My question is:

What type of joint is this? How can i undo it?

It's called a tap connector (obvious now I've found it), and you should be able to unscrew it. You can see one here

It's the bottom nut you need to be turning. It's part of a joint that attaches the pipe to the tap.

Once you have this off you should be able to remove the tap as normal.

If it's stuck then something like WD40 or penetrating oil might help. Failing that carefully heating the nut with a heat gun might expand the various parts enough to loosen them. Take precautions to avoid getting direct heat onto the bath (it appears to be acrylic).

A more drastic approach would be to take a hacksaw to the thread to separate it that way.


How to handle gap next to sink I have a house which was built in 1970 (so before the invention of the right-angle, I guess). Not a wall is straight.
When installing a new bathroom vanity, I have it aligned to the rear wall, but the side moves out 0.37" over 22".
What are some ways I can hide this transition? I did purchase the 'recommended' side-splash from Home Depot, but it's 1/4" too short in height, and 1/2" too short in length. The backsplash is 4" high, and the length needed for the side-splash is 22 1/2"
I thought of tile, but 0.37" is a lot of gap to make up.

Perhaps: Look at cove tile if you want to cover that gap. Alternatively, a 4" wide 1/2" thick stone threshold (on edge) should fit and cover the gap. White marble and black granite seem to be the common options for those.
Depending on the top material, you could also scribe the top (cutting it to match the wall)


Speaker wall plate wiring I have standard speaker cables and a wall plate that supports 2 speakers (i.e. 4 wires):

The front is obvious but I'm confused about the back. Should I pass the wires through the little hole on each contact and leave them hanging? How do I "lock" the wires in place?

The terminals on the back side of that speaker connection adapter are meant to be used with a type of crimp on terminal such as those pictured below:

(Picture source - https://www.arc-components.com/2-001-34-pack-of-100-durite-coloured-crimp-terminal-480mm-push-on-red.html)

These come in various sizes, colors and styles. Some types are covered with insulation and others like above are insulated only in the crimp area. The terminal is pushed onto the short stripped end of the in wall wire then crimped in place using a special tool designed for this purpose. The terminal is then pushed onto the flat ends of the terminals on the back side of that mount plate.

You can source these from many places including your local auto parts store.


Replacing an electrical cord I was given a couch recently, and it has electric components to recline and perform other functions. We moved this 200+ pound couch down a flight of stairs, across a city, and up 2 more flights of stairs. Afterwards I found out that the electric cable had been damaged! This is a standard American 2-prong connection, and I live in Oregon.

I am a novice at DIY stuff, but I am learning fast. I do have experience working with lower-voltage electronics, and I can repair lower-voltage wires with ease. A friend of mine tells me that a licensed electrician would be needed to repair the electric cord, but I cannot find any information online about this. Would I legally be able to repair this without breaking any sort of code?

My plans would be to buy a new cord (not sure where, suggestions would be useful). Then I will cut the old one just behind the last damaged part, and expose the wires. I'll solder the two wires together and use heatshrink tubing to protect them. Would this be the way to do it?

Since it's a plug attached device, is not covered by code. However, you should still be concerned with safety while making the repair.

The safest bet here, would be to completely replace the cord. This means locating where the existing cord connects to the couch, removing the old cord, and replacing it with a new one.

You'll also want to find a cord that contains the same gauge wires as the original.  The existing cord should have writing on it, that should list the gauge (AWG).

As to where to buy a cord, that's going to depend on where you live.  You may be able to order a replacement from the manufacturer, or possibly locate one on Amazon.


What's the best way to terminate plastic water supply pipe? I am removing a bathroom fixture that was attached to this cold water supply line:

I need to plug the pipe so it doesn't spray water when I turn it back on. Previously it had this fitting:

I tried this cap, but it leaked quite a bit.

I searched through many fittings at the hardware store, and finally ended up with this valve:

which worked (except when I put it on backwards, then it squirted water out, ack!).

It took 4 trips to the hardware store to arrive at this solution, and it's not really ideal, since I never want to turn it on. What would an ace plumber have done instead?

Jay, it looks like you have a typical RV compression fit PVC line there. Looking at your pics, I don't see any pipe threads on the end of the tubing. It is difficult, if not impossible to match a threaded fitting to this type of pipe. You might have to go to a RV supply with the pipe type(usually printed on the pipe) and purchase an end cap for that specific tubing. If you don't have a pex tool or compression plyers to install a collar, there may be a self sealing compression fitting much like a Shark Bite that can be installed with a wrench, or a simple glue on cap fitting.  Be sure to remove any scored or damaged tubing end before trying to install a new fitting.


What are the differences in the wiring standards between the USA and the UK? There are lots of electrical questions that assume everyone is in the USA, so what is different for people that are in the UK?

Many, many things.

First up, voltage. For historical reasons just about every domestic installation in the UK uses the same European standard voltage of 230V for every socket. In turn, almost all sockets used indoors are the same size and shape and deliver the same maximum current. (Some farms have three-phase 415V supply, but  I don't think that's often run to the house itself...!)

Just in itself that introduces a whole level of complexity as the higher voltage is much keener on using a human being to find its way to earth.

Secondly, current. UK domestic power sockets are all rated at 13A, whereas in the US there's typically different sockets for different kinds of jobs. However, these sockets are joined in a "ring main" which is typically rated at 32A in total for all the sockets on the ring: so in theory connecting live and neutral on a ring main can deliver 230V * 32A = 7.3kW.

Makes for a nice bang. So it's wise to be careful.

Power in the UK is distributed from the supply company's meter to a "consumer unit" (these days, RCDs and circuit breakers) from whence the ring mains for sockets, lights and heavy equipment are powered. Like sockets, breakers are double-pole. The power company generally only provides a single-phase supply from their meter, it's an offence to tinker with anything upstream of that.

Earth is typically a earth rod (TT), separate earth from the supplier (TN-S) or combined and separate from the supplier (TNC-S) combined with separate connections to the water main (if it's metal) and the gas main.

Most houses have two ring mains, typically upstairs and downstairs, and for convenience most have an upstairs and a downstairs lighting radial circuit. Electric cookers typically and water heaters (immersion heaters) typically get their own circuits rated at 32/40 amp and 20 amp respectively Lighting, the ring mains, and high-current circuits use different sizes of cable and m.c.b's (miniature circuit breaker).

The UK has been described as one of the most heavily fused countries on earth. As the ring main can in theory deliver 32A to the socket, each appliance has its own fuse built into the plug. That, along with the higher voltage and current, is one reason why the UK has such big plugs. These fuses are (these days) clipped into their own holder which can be (reasonably) easily extracted without taking the plug apart; they come in 3A, 5A and 13A sizes.

There's more, much more: bathrooms and other wet areas have their own special restrictions known as a special location, there's regulations about how wires can be joined together, how many sockets can be on a ring, the distance between sockets, the number of spurs permitted, and so on and so on. A three year apprenticeship is a good start, as is careful digestion of the Wiring Regulations BS 7671

What can be done by a DIYer? Notionally buildings regulations have always required a "Competent Person" to do any electrical work. Since the introduction of Part P of building regulations a recognised contractor needs to inspect major work or work in bathrooms and kitchens.